The Differing Theories of End of Times Prophecy

Eschatology is a term that deals with the end of history of the world from a Christian perspective. The Bible consists of many prophecies and predictions about the future, and here are some of them:

No-Millennialism

Another term for this is “amillennialism,” a view of eschatology which rejects the view that Jesus Christ will have a literal thousand-year-long, actual reign on earth. The “thousand years” implied in Revelation 20:1-6 is a figurative reference to the current church age which will end up with the coming of Christ. It differs completely from premillennialism which refers to the second coming of Christ before the literal thousand-year reign, as well as from postmillennialism which views Christ’s return as happening after the “millennium.”

Preterism

Preterism is a belief that what the New Testament says constitutes a prophecy of events that already occurred during the first century. In Revelation, the Armageddon war led to the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, the death of many Jews, and the departure of many survivors from Palestine. When Jesus discussed the end of the world, it doesn’t mean the literal destruction of it. He said that the old-world opinions by several Jewish groups were approaching its end, and the new idea, the Kingdom of God, was taking its place. Therefore, every major aspect of the book of Revelation actually occurred in the 1st century CE.

Postmillennialism

Postmillennialism is the eschatological idea which maintains that Jesus Christ will return after the Millennium. He will establish paradise on Earth in which He will reign for a thousand years before the final judgment and eternity in the future.

Partial Rapture

This is a doctrine which states that the faithful believers that are born again are raptured prior to the Great Tribulation, while newly born-again faithful are raptured during or after the Tribulation.

Pre-wrath-Rapture

One of the most recent theories is pre-wrath Rapture. This theory maintains that all Christians are raptured at the end of the Tribulation (a time of great distress which happens before the return of Christ).

Mid-Tribulation-Rapture

Also known as “mid-trib,” the mid-tribulation Rapture states that the Rapture will happen before the Great Tribulation, which is 42 months of the seven-year Tribulation period. This is positioned in those 42 months between the Rapture of the Church and the second coming of Christ.

Post-tribulation-Rapture

Also known as “post-trib,” an occurrence where the faithful Christians endure the extreme devastation caused during the seven-year Tribulation period. At the end of those horrific seven years, the faithful will be raptured.

Pre-Tribulation-Rapture

Also known as “pre-trib,” the pre-tribulation rapture is a period where the faithful are raptured prior to the Great Tribulation so that they will never go through the horrors, the devastation, and the pain brought by it.

Dispensational-Premillennialism

Firstly, premillennialism is the view that states that Christ will make a literal return to the earth prior to the Millennium (which refers to the 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth). One of premillennialism’s two branches is dispensational premillennialism, which maintains that Christ’s second coming and the eventual establishment of the Millennium kingdom, is to be predated by the Great Tribulation.

Historical-PremillennialismHistorical premillennialism (historic or classic premillennialism) is distinct from dispensational premillennialism. Historic premillennialists dismiss the idea of the pre-trib rapture and the millennial kingdom held by dispensational premillennialism. Also known as historic premillennialism, classic premillennialism, and post-tribulation premillennialism, it views that Christ’s second coming will occur before to the 1000-year reign of the saints which will be followed by the Great Apostasy (the fall of traditional Christianity due to its allowance of the pagan culture into the Church) or the Great Tribulation.

The Rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 makes a reference to the rapture, which is a miraculous occurrence when Jesus Christ descends from heaven to earth. Many conservative Christians (especially the Protestants) believe that the born-again believers, both dead and still living, will ascend into the heaven, and the non-believers will remain on earth.

Eschatology

Eschatology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with the final events of the world’s history and the ultimate destiny of humankind.

Armageddon

Armageddon refers to the war wherein God will intervene and defeat the Antichrist as prophesied in Daniel 9,  Matthew 24, and the Book of Revelation (16:16, 20:1-3, 7-10)

The-Tribulation

Also known as the Great Tribulation, it refers to the seven-year period when the Antichrist, the false messiah, seizes power. In Christian eschatology, this is the period where all people will experience hardships, forms of devastation, and destruction. The Tribulation will exterminate about 75% of the world’s population before Jesus Christ’s second coming.

The-Millennium

The Millennium refers to an important period lasting for a thousand years when Jesus Christ rules the Earth. This is the interval where there is peace in the entire universe. It is also considered as a golden era.