Type of Doctrine: Tertiary
" . . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . "
Titus 2:13 ESV
Why does it matter?
In Matthew 24, Jesus himself says: "[S]tay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." We should be watching for the second coming of our Savior King! At the ascension of Jesus, the angels said that he would come back in the same way that he left (Acts 1:11). His second coming will be an incredible day; it is the day for which we've been hoping (Titus 2:13). It will be a day filled with marveling as we gaze upon Jesus (2 Thess. 1:10). As we think about the place that Jesus is preparing for us, we encourage ourselves in the present so that we do not get discouraged (John 14:1-3). It matters, then, because Jesus told us to watch for his second coming and God gives us various details in Scripture to help us do that.
What is it?
Scripture has quite a few references to the second coming of Jesus. To make sense of these, it helps to put these Bible passages together. Since listing them all is beyond the scope of this article, we will focus here on one of the primary topics concerning the second coming of Jesus - the millennium (i.e., the 1,000 years referred to in Revelation 20:1-6). This is sometimes referred to as end times views or eschatology.
All Christians agree that Jesus will return. That is a primary issue. It would not be an acceptable Christian view to believe that Jesus has already come back or that he is not coming back again. Jesus will return someday.
All Christians agree that Jesus will return. That is a primary issue. It would not be an acceptable Christian view to believe that Jesus has already come back or that he is not coming back again. Jesus will return someday. However, there is disagreement on how to interpret the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20. The specifics about his return is a tertiary issue (that is a third-tier issue) since it does not significantly affect the church one chooses. Thus, well-meaning Christians within churches may disagree on this subject and that's fine.
One helpful principle for interpreting the Bible is letting the clear texts aid us in the interpretation of the more obscure ones. Therefore, a clear statement in Paul's letters about the second coming of Jesus may help us make sense of a more obscure comment in the book of Revelation. Another helpful principle to consider is the genre of the book being studied. Paul's letters must be interpreted as letters, while the book of Revelation must be interpreted as apocalyptic literature with many symbols.
Below are the four main end times views.
4 Views on the Millennium
View | Timeline of Events | Millennium | History of the View |
Historic Premillennialism | - Jesus' death on the cross - The Church Age - Society grows more evil / the world gets worse - Great Tribulation (no rapture) - Second Coming of Christ - 1,000 year literal reign of Christ on earth - Final Judgment, New Heavens/Earth | - Prefix "Pre" = Jesus will come back before the 1,000 years - Millennium interpretation = literal - Church not raptured | - How old? 2,000 years - Who? Many early church fathers after the apostles, Modern proponents are: David Dockery, Robert Gundry, George E. Ladd, Wayne Grudem, and John Piper |
Dispensational Premillennialism | - Jesus' death on the cross - God's work with the Church (as opposed to his work with Israel) - Society grows more evil / the world gets worse - Rapture (some differ on the timing but many think before or halfway through the tribulation) - Great Tribulation - Second Coming of Christ - 1,000 year literal reign of Christ on earth - Final Judgment, New Heavens/Earth | - Prefix "Pre" = Jesus will come back before the 1,000 years - Millennium interpretation = literal - Church raptured | - How old? 200 years - Who? Plymouth Brethren, J. Nelson Darby, C.I. Scofield, Harry A. Ironside, Hal Lindsey, Chuck Smith, John MacArthur, Charles Ryrie, Charles Stanley, Norman L. Geisler, and Tim LaHaye |
Amillennialism | - Jesus' death on the cross - The Church Age, tribulation and persecution happens throughout the church age (no rapture), and the millennium occurs during the church age and it symbolizes a long time (not necessarily 1,000 literal years); the millennium is a spiritual reign of Jesus among his people and in heaven - Second Coming of Christ, Final Judgment, New Heavens/Earth | - Prefix "A" = means no millennium, but poorly named since Amillennials generally think that there may be a millennium in heaven or in the hearts of his people; Christ will come back after the millennium - Millennium interpretation = symbolic - Church not raptured | - How old? At least 1,700 years and possibly stretches back earlier (particularly gained popularity with Augustine) - Who? Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Modern proponents are: E.Y. Mullins, Abraham Kuyper, G.C. Berkouwer, Herschel Hobbs, Stanley Grenz, J.I. Packer, and Sam Storms |
Postmillennialism | - Jesus' death on the cross - The Church Age - Tribulation - Society gradually improves/the world gets better - Millennium is a golden age of Christianity on earth (can symbolize a long time, not necessarily 1,000 years literally); in other words, the world will become more Christianized - Second Coming of Christ, Final Judgment, New Heavens/Earth | - Prefix "Post" = Jesus will come back after the millennium (golden age of Christianity) - Millennium interpretation = symbolic - Church not raptured | - How old? At least 1,700 years old and possibly stretches back earlier - Who? Eusebius, Athanasius, Joachim of Fiore, Jonathan Edwards, Modern proponents are: B.B. Warfield, Augustus Strong, Charles Hodge, and R.C. Sproul |
Application
Encourage yourself and other Christians with the good news of Jesus coming back. Paul says this, "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:17-18).
Where can I learn more?
Bibliography:
- Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Timelines. Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2005.
For more information see these resources:
- Allison, Gregg. Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.
- Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994.
- Storms, Sam. Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative. Scotland: Mentor, 2015.