Rose Publishing - Four Views of the End Times: Christian Views on Jesus Second Coming

For 2,000 years people have wondered about the events of the end times and when Jesus will return. Terms such as millennium, tribulation, , and antichrist are used in the media and the supermarket tabloids, but questions remain:

• Will Jesus return physically and reign on earth for 1,000 years?
• Will Christians go through a seven-year tribulation?
• Will the second coming of Christ occur at the same time that believers meet Christ in the air (the rapture)?
• Will Christians be raptured (removed from this earth) and other people left behind?
• What does the nation of Israel have to do with the end times?

There are four different views of end-times events, but all share some key points:

• Jesus will come again for those who love him.
• Jesus calls his followers to be ready all the time.
• No one knows the day or the hour.

Jesus said, No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Matthew 24:36

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:1213

Jesus promised his disciples that he would come again. Before his return there would be:

• Many will claim to be the Messiah.
• People will be deceived by these messiahs.
• Wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilence.
• Believers in Christ persecuted and killed.
• Believers will be witnesses of Jesus to kings.
• Many will turn away from the faith.
• Betrayals by parents, brothers, and friends.
• Increase in wickedness.
• Fearful events and signs from heaven.

• Jerusalem surrounded by armies.
• The abomination of desolation.
• Great tribulation like never before.
• Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles.
• False prophets perform signs, miracles.
• Sun darkens, moon doesnt shine, stars fall.
• Severe ocean activity disturbs the nations.
• People will faint with terror.
• Jesus will appear in the sky.
• The trumpet will sound.
• Angels will gather Gods elect.

(Matthew 2425; Mark 13; Luke 21)

1] The Lord will descend.

2] The dead in Christ will rise first.

3] The living will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord and be with him forever.

4] Dont believe those who say the Day of the Lord has already come.

5] The Day of the Lord will be preceded by:

Rebellion

The revelation of the man of lawlessness who will:

Oppose and exalt himself over God

Set himself up in Gods temple

Proclaim to be God

Be revealed when the one holding him back is taken out of the way

Be accompanied by satanic, counterfeit miracles

Deceive those who do not love the truth

6] When Jesus comes, the man of lawlessness will be overthrown and destroyed.

(1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 2)

[ Church age ] The time period from the beginning of the church (about AD 30) until Jesus Christ returns for everyone who has trusted in him, as promised in John 14.

[ Eschatology ] Study of the Bibles teachings about the events leading up to the second coming of Jesus (from Greek, eschatos [final] + logos [word or idea] = a word about the final things).

[ First coming of Christ ] The earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ, about 4 BCAD 30.

[ Millennium ] The thousand-year reign of Jesus on earth, described in Revelation 20:46 (from Latin, mille, thousand).

• Premillennial: The belief that the millennium is a future event and Jesus will return before (pre-) the millennium.
• Amillennial: The millennium is a symbol of Christs present reign among his people.
• Postmillennial: Jesus will return after (post-) the millennium. The millennium is a time in which most of the world submits to Jesus, and peace and justice reign.

[ Preterism ] Preterism is the eschatological viewpoint that suggests some, if not all, biblical prophecies about the end times refer to specific events that happened in the first century. Some preterist interpretations include: the antichrist refers to Emperor Nero; the tribulation refers to the Jewish War; and the Destruction of the temple occurred in AD 70 (from Latin, praeter, beyond or after).

[ Rapture ] Event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:1517, when Jesus Christ returns for his people. Dispensational premillennialists believe that the rapture and the second coming of Jesus are two separate events. They place the rapture before the great tribulation and the second coming after the tribulation. Historical premillennialists, amillennialists, and postmillennialists understand the second coming of Jesus and the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:1517 as the same event (from Latin, raptus, carry away).

[ Second coming of Christ ] The bodily return of Jesus to earth to reign as king.

[ Tribulation, Great ] Time when disasters happen on the earth and people who are faithful to Jesus suffer intense persecution, possibly lasting seven years (Revelation 7:14).

• Premillennialists place the great tribulation near the end.
• Dispensational premillennialists typically believe that the tribulation will last exactly seven years.
• Many historical premillennialists view the reference to seven years as a symbol of the completeness of Gods dealings with the world as the end of time approaches.
• Most amillennialists and postmillennialists treat the tribulation as a symbol of calamities and persecutions that have occurred throughout church history.

Some amillennialists and postmillennialists are preteriststhey believe that the great tribulation occurred between AD 63 and 70, during the Jewish-Roman conflict that ended with the destruction of the Jewish temple.

Dispensational premillennialism is the belief that Jesus will come back to earth after a seven-year tribulation and will rule during a thousand-year millennium of peace on earth (see Important Words to Know for definitions).

In addition, God will still give to the nation of Israel the land described in Genesis 15:18 (from the river of Egypt to the river Euphratesthe full extent of King Solomons kingdom).

Most dispensational premillennialists are pre-tribulationists; they understand Revelation 4:12 to refer to the rapture. The rapture is understood as the event when Christ removes Christians from the earth before the great tribulation begins.

Some dispensational premillennialists, known as mid-tribulationists, believe the rapture will occur during the great tribulation.

Dispensational premillennialists believe the rapture and the second coming of Jesus are two separate events. The rapture comes before the great tribulation, and the second coming occurs after it. During the seven years of tribulation, natural disasters and wars will occur on earth, and people who are faithful to Jesus will suffer intense persecution. Dispensational premillennialists emphasize literal interpretations of Revelation.