Throughout the years, there are have been, and continue to be, three main beliefs concerning the Millennial Reign of Christ.
Revelation 20:1–6 (NLT) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.”
1. AMILLENNIALISM
This is the belief that there is no literal 1000 year millennial reign on the earth at all. Revelation 20, along with most of the book of Revelation is spiritualized and fits somewhere in present day or future history. The Kingdom proponents say has been here since the cross and we’re now living in the Kingdom Age. Amillennialists deny that the reign of Christ will be a literal, physical kingdom on earth. Those that hold to this view do not believe in God fulfilling His promises to the nation of Israel and there will be no restored Israel, no literal throne, no need to fulfill Romans 9-10-11. This is the dominant view of the modern day church made popular by the Roman Catholic Church and many those theologies and churches that emerged out of the Reformation. The dangerous and false teaching of Replacement theology is birthed through an amillennial lense of prophetic interpretation.
2. POSTMILLENNIALISM
Popular for most of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this is the belief that the entire church will go through the Great Tribulation period and that Jesus Christ will return to the earth at the conclusion of the 1000 years. This belief developed the thought that man would usher in the Kingdom by the worldwide preaching of the gospel and that there would be a gradual increase in peace and prosperity worldwide. It’s also known as Dominion Theology as the church takes over the world and overthrows the establishment. Rather than seeing the Millennium as a literal 1000 years, this teaching views a golden age ushered in by the church’s faithful and powerful preaching of the gospel. The reign of Christ is view as spiritual and political. Once the church rules the governments of man, Jesus will return.
3. PREMILLENNIALISM
This is the belief that teaches Jesus will physically and visibly come to the earth in His 2nd Coming before the Millennium. He will set up his kingdom and bind Satan. God promised the Jews a nation where he would regather the Jews to their land and that He would rule them from Jerusalem. This view holds that the millennial kingdom will be a literal, physical, earthly kingdom of one thousand literal years during which Jesus Christ will rule and reign over the earth from his literal throne in Jerusalem. This was the predominant view of the Early Church. Church Fathers like, Papias, Tertullian, Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Justin the Martyr all held to and taught this biblical view of Christ’s return. This view says that the world isn’t getting any better but is progressively getting worse and worse. In the end it will get really bad as the final 7 years of history contain the Great Tribulation.
I hold to firmly and without apology to a pre-tribulation rapture, pre-millennial 2nd coming of Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 16:22–24 (NLT) “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.”
(Reminder, non of this is essential to Salvation, or critical to being a Spirit filled believer) , In fairness to Postmillinial view, I have many friends who are “Messianic Believer’s” (Jewish heritage that believe Jesus is the Messiah and fully God, fully Man) they often teach “Postmillinial rapture” , they DO believe in a literal 1000 yr reign of Christ/Messiah son of David, are NOT dominianist, that the Body of Christ will unfortunately endure the 7 yr tribulation period, as Christians/believers have endured the horrrors of war, famine, disease, persecution for centuries, and then be raptured, (they usually don’t like the word “Rapture” and prefer to use “Harpatzo” ) , and believe we will be saved physically and spiritually by Jesus/Yeshua in his triumphant return to establish his kingdom literally and spiritually here on earth. Which in examining the scriptures, is a legitimate view and worth review.
Yes Ed I too hold to the biblical Pre-tribulation rapture view. Really any view other than pre-tribulation rapture is called Replacement theology like our friend Jim Pierce was proclaiming about the Jewish believers.
Really as the Church is called the bride of Christ that he is coming for to bring to the wedding. In a post tribulation view the wedding is at the end which make no sense.
The church is not appointed for Gods wrath man yes Gods never
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
I Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV
The 7 yr tribulation is focused on the Jewish nations redemption not the church. In Fact Matthew 24 is speaking to Jews for the most part.
The church is rapture to heaven for 7 years because Jesus promised the church mansions to live in for 7 years not 7 seconds. Whats the point in being Raptured at the end of the 7 years to just go up while Jesus is coming down. No judgement seat of Christ, no crowns distributed to the church to lay at his feet.
Pre-tribulation rapture is a far better view to review than any other view.
Excellent summary of each position. Pretty clear biblically which one is correct. Thanks Ed!
Thanks for this good description of each view, Ed. It’s a great reminder. We have the hope of His eminent return. It keeps us going and joyful in our daily living. Amen!
Your assumption that any view other than pretrib is “replacement theology” is incorrect, 1 thessalonians 5:9 is referring to salvation from eternal punishment, not persecution or the tribulation period, see vs 10 for context,
Calling the Church his bride and the marriage supper of the Lamb in context makes sense even if it’s a post trib rapture, the traditional wedding of Jewish people of Jesus day is that betrothal occurs, then the groom goes to prepare a place, then in a hour or time unknown, including the middle of the night the Groom comes they immediately go to the wedding party, there is no delay.
There is no promise of mansions to live in for 7 yrs.. None.. There is a promise of going to prepare a place for the believers, but that’s as the Bride marries the Groom then she joins him in the “Mansion” or home he prepared. A pretrib rapture view is more preferable, but what is it that the scripture says about it? If we never are in suffering and tribulations what do you say to the Christians who are being persicuted and put to death today, in China, or India, or the Middle East? If asked them do you think they would say, “seems like a tribulation period to me we are suffering through” or if this was 1941, Hitler invading eruope, marching Jews into ovens, Jewish believers in Yeshua as well as others, we would be convinced that the rapture will happen any day, and the tribulation period is beginning or has begun, but we would be wrong.. All in saying is out view of scripture has to be without a pre judgment of what we want to see happen, and what makes sense to our carnal desires,.
thank you for your input.
Jim did you write those paragraphs in response to this line, “The dangerous and false teaching of Replacement theology is birthed through an amillennial lense of prophetic interpretation.” do you disagree with this statement? Why?
Replacement theology is a error, whether it’s solely birthed through amillimialism is not important, but just that we use scripture in culture and context and not read what we prefer to see.
Sorry Jim I used the wrong verse meant to use this one in defense of the church not going through the wrath of God.
For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for His Son from Heaven, who He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
God gave a promise to the Church one which I believe shows that the Lord has promised to keep the Church from the Great Tribulation.
In Revelation chapters 4-19, you can see the horrors of the Great Tribulation. And while the Church is mentioned over and over again in the early chapters, from this point on, you do not hear the Church the Body of Christ mentioned again.
Your assumption that Christians in other countries are going through tribulations now was promised by a Jesus in the world but that’s not referring to God wrath on mankind called the great tribulation.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33 NKJV
The great tribulation period starts in Revelation 6-18 pretty much the whole book. It’s not referring to general tribulation that has been happening for 2000 years.
In addition Revelation 3:10 shows that the church will be kept from the hour of trial;
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
Revelation 3:10 NKJV
We are to expect the Rapture to happen any moment because nothing needs to happen to bring that on. The second coming has signs. The rapture can’t be known the day. A post tribulation view violates that we can know when the rapture can happen it gives us a time table. A pre-tribulation rapture honors the scripture that says we can’t know the hour or day.
““Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV