A Millennial Primer on the End Times
Last Sunday, we shared a very brief look at the various Millennial viewpoints about the end times. The Millennium is about the thousand-year reign of Christ mentioned six times in Revelation 20:2–7. The word is derived from two Latin words: mille, which means “a thousand” and annus, which means “years.” The period is used to place other end times beliefs in an order around the Millennium.
There are three primary beliefs about the Millennium (thousand year reign of Christ):
1. Amillennialism: The belief that the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth will take place after the spiritual, not physical or earthly reign of Christ. His reign is viewed as a spiritual reign over those in heaven or through the church in this present age. This view was developed by Origen (AD 185–254) and Augustine (AD 354–430) after employing an allegorical interpretation. It is the majority view held by the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, Lutherans,Anglican churches, and a large segment of Protestantism. Proponents of this belief include Augustine, J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, Tim Keller, Anthony Hoekema, Sam Storms, Jay Adams, John Calvin (non-committal), Louis Berkhof, Herman Bavinck, Geerhardus Vos.
2. Postmillennialism: The belief that the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth will take place after the spiritual, not physical or earthly reign of Christ. His reign is viewed as a spiritual reign through the church on earth between His first and second coming as a result of aggressive preaching of the gospel that produces dramatic changes in the world or leads to a golden age of peace and righteousness that infiltrates every sphere of life. Other variations include theonomy (Christian form of government ruled by divine law), reconstructionism (reordering of society under the Lordship of Christ and restoration of certain biblical laws), and dominion theology (the world will eventually be brought under the truth of God and become the dominant culture). This view was developed by Daniel Whitby (1638–1726) in the eighteenth century and became the dominant viewpoint into the nineteenth century. Proponents of this belief include Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, George Whitfield, A.A. Hodge, B.B. Warfield, Loraine Boettner, John Calvin (non-committal), James H. Thomwell, Doug Wilson, Kenneth Gentry, William Perkins, Voddie Baucham.
Premillennialism: The belief that the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth takes place before (pre) the physical, earthly, thousand-year reign of Christ. This view was the primary belief in the first several centuries of the church and had a resurgence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are two types of premillennialism:
Historic or Covenant Premillennialism: The physical and earthly thousand year reign of Christ is established after the return of the Lord as King of kings and Lord or lords and after the closely-related church and Israel experience the seven-year tribulation of God’s wrath. Proponents of this belief include Irenaeus (AD 140–203), Justin Martyr (AD 100–165), Charles Spurgeon (non-committal), George Eldon Ladd, Albert Mohler, James M. Boice, John Piper, Francis Schaeffer, D.A. Carson, Bryan Chapell.
Futuristic or Dispensational Premillennialism: The physical and earthly thousand-year reign of Christ is established after the church has been raptured (snatched away to be with Christ before, at the midpoint, or at the end of the tribulation) before God’s wrath falls in the seven-year tribulation and after the second coming of Christ with His saints to the earth. Ethnic Israel maintains a distinction in order to fulfill the four unconditional covenants God made with them (Abrahamic, Land, Davidic, New Covenant). Proponents of this belief include John Gill (1748), John N. Darby (1850), C.I. Scofield, Lewis Sperry Chafer, John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, Dwight Pentecost, Tim LaHaye, John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Charles L. Feinberg, Norman Geisler, Erwin Lutzer, Michael Vlach.
There are many puzzle pieces to put together when you study God’s future plan. Some are clearer than others, but a crystal clear and detailed timeline is not provided. As we put the pieces together, we recognize that godly students of the Word come to different conclusions and convictions, so we must humbly and peaceably communicate our beliefs without disrespect while “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3) as we look for “the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).
Pastor Jeff
“Our main focus is not what the world is coming to, but who is coming to the world.”