End Times!

If you've grown up in America and go to church then the view that you're probably familiar with is the Pre/Mid-Tribulation Rapture, Pre-Millennial View.

This is commonly known as the Dispensational View.  The main points overview:

1. The Old Testament / before Christ
2. Christ came and died on the cross and resurrected
3. Now we are in the Church age
4. The anti-Christ will come at some point in the future
5. Before it gets too bad the Church will get raptured and meet Christ in the air
6. There will be 3.5 years of peace
7. Then 3.5 years of God's judgement upon the evil in the world
8. The second coming of Christ will come 
9. Satan will be bound for 1000 years
10. 1000 years of peace, the millennial kingdom, which Christ will reign over
11. The battle of Armageddon and final destruction of evil
12. Eternal kingdom in the New Heaven and New Earth

So how did we come to have this view?  I held this view for a long time until I did some research on church history, how this view came to be, and a fresh look at scripture and the book of Revelation.  So here are the basic points on how we got here:

• First I want to say the different views tend to come from what experiences the church faces.  Around the 1400's the Catholic church had become very political which led to revolt.  Many started saying the pope was the antichrist, which started the whole movement of the dooms day end times idea.
• By the 1800's the Church was in a state which saw the liberal movement start making way, with a view that Christianity was no longer a highly held status, as we continue to see today.  This started making many think Christ's second coming was soon.
• Now we get to the infamous rapture idea.  A young girl named Margaret MacDonald, part of a church very much like what we see the Pentecostal church like today, in Scotland.  She was in a trance and claimed that she saw a vision of Christ coming back and taking His Church in the clouds before His judgement would reign down on the evil in the world.
• John Nelson Darby grabbed onto that idea and ran with it.
• From there, Scofield bought into it, wrote the reference study Bible, called the Scofield reference Bible, which you very well may have, many do.
• D.L. Moody took hold of it who was an American evangelist.  He founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon school in Massachusetts.  
• This is the time Biblical Colleges were springing up and his teachings were a big part of the curriculum, especially the dispensation end times view.  Very prominent in Bible schools still today. 
• From there (the 1800's) we get many pastors teaching those same views in churches today.
• This is not something I would call heretical, but because it is so widely taught in our churches today any other view tends to be treated as such.  

There are definitely gaps in the history listed above as well as in the dispensational view I listed, this is a basic outline that can aid you in your personal studies.  Most that hold this view do so because of tradition, not necessarily because they know the history of it or the views of the historic Church.  Pre/mid-tribulation rapture is the view that Christ will rapture His church before the antichrist comes, or right after, before His judgement on evil.  Pre-millennial means that Christ will return before His 1000 year reign on earth.  

This we would call the ancient Church directly following the Apostles.  Men such as Polycarp, Ignatius, Clement and Justin Martyr.  Like the Apostles with Christ, they dealt with the persecution of the Church and very hard times for being a Christian.

The book of Revelation called for a time of 1000 years of peace in Revelation 20.  The historic Jewish view of the Messiah taught that when Christ, the Anointed One, came He would destroy their enemies and reign as their King.  Which is why there was such confusion about who Christ was, they missed the suffering servant part.

I say that to say their historic ideas and current harsh circumstances led to the thought that shortly after Christ's ascension into heaven He would return again to establish His 1000 year earthly reign, and destroy their enemies, those that were persecuting Christians.  Then the Eternal Kingdom would be established.  No pre-tribulation rapture view was held , nor has ever been held until the 1800's.  They were dealing with antichrists already, as many are around the world today.  So they did think there would be a literal 1000 year reign. 

This is what we would call the 'Historic Pre-Millennial View.'  Many hold to this view, as you can see the idea of a pre or mid-tribulation rapture was not taught, being that they and many today face great tribulation for their faith already, and there are many antichrists in the world, those against Christ.   In 2nd John 1:7, he calls those that do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh deceivers and antichrists.  John's letters (1 & 2 John) are the only places in scripture you will find the term antichrist used, and it generally refers to those against Christ.  There are many!

Now we get to a point in Church history in the early 300's when the Roman Emperor Constantine, having a Christian mother, had compassion on Christians, becoming a Christian himself (debatable).  He pretty much made Christianity accepted and life much easier for them.   We see the Church flourish throughout the world in years to come, their religion is not only accepted but became a prestigious title, not immediately, but headed in that direction from then on.  Now the idea of needing immediate rescue started to vanish. They could see Christ's reign in the world through His Church and the ability to fulfill His Great Commission: 

• Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

They could see this now being fulfilled and a new view formed, from what some would say was one of the greatest Christian thinkers in history, Augustine.  He was born in 354 A.D., he was a  philosopher that infused philosophy with Christian doctrine.   His view, which was captured as the dominant view for over a century, even from other very bright Christian thinkers throughout the years, was that the 1000 years was a fullness of time that was now, the Church age, the new age.  Not a literal 1000 years.  Once the fullness of the Church was fulfilled then Christ would come back to reign for all of eternity.  This is obviously a wide overview of his view I am making, but just trying to give a brief description of the changes we see in history from the Church.  

This we would call the 'Amillennial View.'  The name doesn't represent the view very well because the 'A' represents 'Non.'  So one might think it's a view that represents a non-millennial kingdom, meaning there won't be one.  That is not the case as you can see above, the view sees that the millennial kingdom is now.  Some believe it represents the time those that die before the 2nd coming of Christ experience in heaven, the interim period between death and Christ's return.  But many see it as the reign of Christ from His throne in heaven over earth, over us.  The rapture is clearly taught in scripture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), but this view sees that happening when Christ returns at His 2nd and final return for all of eternity.  We will meet Him in the air as He is ushered in.  This idea was very common back then, the people would meet their king as he returned, and usher him back into the city. This view will be expanded on as we go forward.  

As I do not have all the answers, and we could say it doesn't really matter as long as He comes back.  But I want to point out some things in scripture that really made me look at life differently.  It kind of opened my eyes to the mission we have, as well as clarified a lot of scripture.  I do hold to much of what Augustine taught, even though I didn't come to my conclusion from him, actually I learned about his views figuring mine out.  I am going to lay it out in points because I think that will best show it and help me keep my points on track, plus probably an easier read.  This is the way I understand scripture:

• Known as the 'Little Apocalypse' in Matthew, Mark and Luke, it was meant for those listening.  For that generation, as it says in Matthew 24:34.  
• The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., in that generation, and the war between the Jews and Rome during that time was horrific.  When the Christians saw wars beginning they remembered Jesus's words to flee, and they did.  No Christians were in Jerusalem when the famine hit, death ran rampant, there was cannibalism, bodies laid dead stacked up in the streets,  it was total chaos.  
• The judgement of God came upon the Jewish people for the rejection and death of His Son and for the prophets before Him.  
• Coming on the clouds, trumpets and darkness are Old Testament prophesies expressing judgement, i.e., Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.
• Daniel's prophesy lines up with the Caesars around that time, even the 3.5 years of judgement, that war started in 66 A.D. until 70 A.D..
• Every eye will see - The world saw, Rome was the center of the world and Jerusalem was a wealthy city, the things that went on shook the world.  
• The temple being destroyed brought in a new age, the age to come referenced in the gospels by Jesus, which we are in now.

• Most think it was written around 95 A.D. mainly do to something Irenaeus, around 180 A.D., wrote giving it that date.  That would put the time around the Roman Emperor Domitian.  There was sporadic persecution but only for a short time under his reign, and would not fit the description Revelation prophesied about.  
• Many think it was written around 65 A.D., which would be during the time of Roman Emperor Nero, right before the Jewish and Roman war which started around 66 A.D..  Nero is the one that persecuted Paul and Peter, was very harsh with Christians and the whole Empire looked badly on them.  Probably the same time John was Exiled to Patmos.  
• The city of Philadelphia's name changed in 82 A.D., one of the churches John writes to (the Church in Philadelphia).  It changed to Flavia.  This is another reason why the 65 A.D. date of John writing Revelation seems to be more accurate.  If he wrote it in 95 A.D. then he would have addressed it to the Church in Flavia, not Philadelphia.
• John's letter to the 7 churches were real churches and stressed that the things in his letter (Revelation) would SOON take place, it was near.  
• The colorful poetic language of the book was meant to be understood.
• With the right historic knowledge you can see who's who as it describes what will happen, as well as see it unfold.  
• We see the judgement of Christ coming upon those who pierced Him.
• Jesus said, "I AM, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:62).  His judgement was coming soon enough for him to see it pour down on them.
• The fullness of His judgement meant the end of an age and the beginning of another.
• The picture of Christ on His horse leading His people into battle is a picture of Christ as the Head of the Church, leading His Church with His Word (the 2 edged sword) that would be victorious fulfilling the 'Great Commission.'
• The New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation 21-22 is a visual of Christ reigning from Heaven upon His Church.  A picture of victory and triumph!

• Christ binds satan, In Matthew 12:29 Jesus says, 'the strong man is bound!'
• 1000 years in the bottomless pit, a picture of him being limited in his powers, and in his strength.  Which any Christian that reads scripture can tell you that satan nor his demons have dominion over you, nor are they free to do what they want.  They are limited until the fullness of this time is complete, Christ's kingdom is built, and all of His enemies have been put under His feet.
• 1000 is a number that symbolizes fullness of quantity or a multitude, in scripture it is used to specify an indefinite quantity.  'He owns cattle upon a 1000 hills' (Psalm 50:10), He owns them all.  There are plenty of descriptions of this throughout the Bible.  This can mean many 1000's of years.
• Satan will be loosed - at some point for a period of time I do believe he will be loosed, his limits will be loosened to deceive the nations.  This could be happening now or far in the future, it may happen for a long period of time, or it may happen for a short period of time.
• We are never promised no suffering or persecution, many are experiencing it now and have since the beginning.  Christians will go through this time period.
• But he is loosed because evil's final judgement will then soon come.  
• The white throne judgement where satan, his demons, and all those that rejected God and His Son will be finally judged for eternity.
• Then the eternal reign of Christ on earth, or another place He has prepared for us, will be finally here.
• I believe Revelation 20 encompasses everything, from when He came the 1st time to His second coming.  
• Revelation 1-19 is what is near, for the 7 churches.  Revelation 20 is a recap of victory!  Then Revelation 21-22 is the new age, Christ reigning from His throne through His Church. 
• The book of Revelation is the culmination of His 1st coming.  The judgement on those that pierced Him that leads to the temple destroyed, and the new age to come, that is now.  The New Covenant!

• (Acts 7:49) 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool...' quoting from Isaiah 66.
• (Luke 20:42-43) Jesus quotes David from Psalm 110 about Himself, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "sit at My right hand.  Till I make your enemies Your footstool."'
• (1 Corinthians 15:22-26) 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.  But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ's at His coming.  Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign til He has put all enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be defeated is death.'  These verses are what made me stop and take a look at the possibility that maybe the pre-tribulation/pre-millennial view I once had may not be very accurate.  He will reign, as we will under Him now, until all His enemies have been defeated, Victory!
• (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) 'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.'  As you read 1 Thessalonians you will see it speaks of the Day of the Lord, His second coming, to take His church and bring judgement on evil.  A rapture to meet Him at His coming, NOT 7 years or 3.5 years before He comes. 

Christ came to bind satan, He bruised His head (Genesis 3:15), He defeated him, with His resurrection He claimed victory!  Now Christ reigns from His throne, Head of His Church, as He/we claim victory through life and through or mission, the Great Commission, to spread His Word.  When it is complete, and Christ's enemies are under His feet, they are conquered, He will return for us, His bride, and will hand the kingdom to His Father, and we will spend eternity with Him.  

Christ came the 1st time to claim Victory over satan and evil in the world.  His 1st coming was life, death, resurrection, ascension, and judgement on those that pierced Him and the prophets before Him.   Revelation was a culmination, a wrapping up of His 1st coming.  His 2nd coming will be coming to get His kingdom, like a mustard seed it has and will continue to grow, He will defeat death and bring His final judgement upon evil.  Then He will bring or take us to the final eternal kingdom He has prepared for us.   

Believe it or not there are so many more details, but I tried to briefly layout the basic outlines of the "End Times."  There a a few more view points as well, but pretty much fall within these views, as far as when the rapture takes place and when the 1000 year reign will be.  Pretty much variations of the 1st view I laid out on the top.  

For me I really tried to figure stuff out at one time in my studies, I just could't put scriptures together and it would't fit.  I was bound by my knowledge from the more popular end times view I laid out at the beginning.  I figured we are in a time not really talked about in scripture, a mystery, all this time with no return.  He came, left and we are just waiting for everything to get really bad and Him to return again.  

Then I started learning how the Church viewed it over history, the Orthodox Church, the church Fathers.  Reading scripture how it was intended for that audiences as far as things to soon take place, in that generation.  Learning from smarter men than myself on their different views.  

When I fell on this view that I laid out it really energized me.  The VICTORY in it, the scriptures seemed to all align and I got much peace and zest for life and missions again. Thinking that Christ reigns, I mean He literally reigns NOW, not figuratively now and then really later.  He reigns now through you and me.  We have victory in life and in death.  May Christ be magnified in us no matter what, because we know the battle is won! 

No matter how you think it all plays out, Let His Revelation, His life, His reign engulf you, inspire you to live for Him.  Christ is ALL in ALL, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End!!