Lecture Notes for Thursday, October 20, Part 3
Major Orthodox Views of Eschatology
Dispensational Premillenialism
Definitions
Rapture: A secret event that ushers in the Great Tribulation (future) in which all believers are removed from the earth and taken to “be with the Lord” while life goes on for those who are left on earth.
Antichrist: A “man of sin” will arise in the last days that will ascend to great political and evil spiritual power, becoming the world ruler after the rapture. He will make a covenant with Israel and later break it, ushering in the Great Tribulation period. He will be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of Jesus.
Great Tribulation: A seven-year period during which the Antichrist will rule the earth. During the last half of this period the wrath of God will be poured out on the unbelieving world and, in particular, the nation of Israel. As a result most Israelis will die, but most who survive will accept Jesus.
Second Coming of Jesus: A visible event in which Jesus bodily returns to earth, ending the Great Tribulation and ushering in the Millennium.
The Millennium: A literal 1000-year period during which the Lord Jesus Christ will personally reign on earth from Jerusalem. It is at this time that the Jewish sacrificial system will be restored, and worship will be restored to a literal temple.
The Kingdom: The Kingdom is another name for the absolute rule of Christ in the Millennium and of God the Father in the eternal state. It has nothing at all to do with the Church at this point in history.
The New Heavens and the New Earth: The meaning of this phrase refers to either the Millennial Kingdom, during which time the Lord Jesus Christ will be ruling the world from His throne in Jerusalem, or to the future eternal state of the righteous in Heaven. The context of usage dictates which the meaning is. For example, 2 Peter 3:10 refers to the Millennial Kingdom while Revelation 21 refers to heaven.
How Various Eschatological Passages are Explained
Daniel 2:37-45: Although the first three kingdoms mentioned were fulfilled before the time of
Christ, the fourth (symbolized by the feet and toes) stretches from the ancient Roman Empire to a period nearly 2000 years later to a “reconstituted” Roman empire. The kingdom that will never be destroyed (verse 44) is the kingdom of God, which collectively refers to the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal abode of the righteous in Heaven. One must stretch the time out in this manner because Dispensational Premillennial (or DP – also called pre-tribulationalism) hermeneutics will not allow interpreting verse 44 to be the Church.
Daniel 9:24 – 27 (The 70-Week Prophecy): This prophecy predicts 70 weeks of years (i.e., 490 years) to be fulfilled concerning Israel, starting from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” (about 456 B.C.). Messiah comes after 483 of these years (Jesus’ baptism in 26 A.D.), and then a gap occurs. The gap (of at least 1967 years) must be a secret, because the Old Testament prophets did not foresee the Church. The 70th week (the other seven years) is fulfilled during the Great Tribulation that will happen after the rapture of the Church. Verse 27 refers to the Antichrist.
Ezekiel 40 – 47 (Ezekiel’s Temple): The vision of Ezekiel is fulfilled during the Millennial Kingdom during which time the Jewish sacrificial system will be restored in their rebuilt temple.
The Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation: Although some of what Christ taught was fulfilled in the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., there is a sense in which the Olivet discourse (found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) and Revelation are all future. The futuristic interpretation of these prophetic passages hinges on the meaning of the phrase “this generation” which can only mean that generation alive when Israel became a nation (the “budding of the fig tree”) in 1948 A.D. The prophecies in the book of Revelation cover the entire Church age, which is depicted by seven local churches. The character of the Church during different parts of the Church age is seen in the nature of the rebukes to these churches. We are now living in the time of the Laodicean Church characterized by lukewarmness (Revelation 3:13-22).
1 Corinthians 15:50f; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11: These passages refer to the rapture of the Church just before the seven-year Great Tribulation. It seems that they must also apply to another resurrection of people who become believers during the great tribulation. Neither of these is the second resurrection implied in Revelation 20, although the rapture is equated with the first resurrection of Revelation 20.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 – 12: These passages refer to the rapture of the Church just before the seven year
Great Tribulation. “He who restrains” is the Holy Spirit who is taken away when the Church is raptured. The Antichrist is the man of sin, who cannot be revealed until the rapture has occurred.
2 Peter 3:1 – 13: These passages refer to all the events leading up to the time of the end, including the bodily second coming of Jesus. This is immediately followed by the Millennial Kingdom (“new heaven and new earth” from verse 13). The rapture is not explicitly mentioned in this passage.
Revelation 20: The first resurrection is the same as the rapture. The name stems from the fact that believers who are dead will be resurrected, while those who are alive will be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. The second resurrection (implied) occurs at the end of the Millennium when the
“rest of the dead” (all unbelievers who have physically died – the first death, by implication) will be resurrected to face judgment and sentencing to Hell (the second death). Although it is called the second resurrection, DPs really consider it to be a third resurrection (see discussion under 1 Corinthians 15:50f).
Philosophical Issues
Prime Hermeneutical Principles: Literalism is said to be the prime rule of interpretation of all Scripture. A passage is to be taken literally unless doing so would lead to absurdity. Israel is emphasized heavily as a central point of God’s dealing with man. Old Testament prophets wrote of Israel, not the Church. When the Bible speaks of Israel, it means the nation that is presently in the Middle East; Israel is not the Church. God has two covenant peoples: Israel (permanent) and the Church (temporary). The Church age was a total mystery and merely a “parenthesis” which was not at all recognized by the Old Testament writers. The Millennial Kingdom represents a return to God’s original plan of working with His covenant people (the Jews).
Present View of Israel: Events in present-day Israel are said to be signs for the Church concerning that which God is about to do. Israel will again be the subject of God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation, with most of the nation perishing therein. Of the relatively small number of survivors, many will come to accept Jesus. The Jewish sacrificial system will be reinstituted in the Millennium, apparently as a memorial.
Imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus: The imminence of Jesus’ coming means that it can happen any time. It should be noted, however, that for the dispensational premillennialist (DP) imminence applies only to the rapture, since the Second Coming is seven years later and cannot happen until the rapture and great tribulation are finished. Since the rapture must precede these events, then the second coming per se cannot be imminent.
History: The view originated with Darby (1825 A.D.) and has been held by Plymouth Brethren and many Baptists. It was popularized by the Schofield reference Bible. The view is now held by such writers as Lindsey, Walvoord, Feinberg, Ryrie, Hunt, and Ice.
The Last Days: The “last days” refers to that period immediately before the rapture. Most DPs believe we are right now in the last days, but we have not always been. That is, they see the events of these days in which we live to be lining up with the predictions in the Olivet discourse and the book of Revelation.
Weaknesses: The reinstitution of animal sacrifices, the lack of any passages of Scripture that explicitly teach the distinctive features of the position (such as the “secret” rapture), the view that the rapture could take place any time which contradicts the view that the seven churches are assigned to different epochs of the Church age, and not taking the “time texts” literally (in spite of their insistence that they alone take the Bible literally when it comes to eschatology), are all problem areas. Although many DPs work toward long-term goals (e.g., Tim LaHaye), long-term goals are really inconsistent with this view. Unfortunately, several of our brethren who hold this view have taken to “date setting” (Hal Lindsey, Arthur Whisenant). Although many DPs would say that they abhor the extreme implications of the “any minute rapture” mentality, there are few examples of DPs accomplishing anything of lasting significance. It is just not a priority when you believe that you only have a short time and that you cannot “win” anyway. Notice that those who criticize DPs are not saying that we shouldn’t be “ready to die” at any minute. However, there is a large difference between being ready to die and believing that the world only has a short time. In the former case, one will take care to see that loved ones are provided for in the event of an “untimely” death. In the latter case, to be consistent, one should not bother with such things. Former Secretary of Energy under Reagan, James Watt, was a DP well known for his assertion that taking care to not ruin the environment is unimportant since Jesus is coming soon anyway.
The Seven Dispensations
1. Innocence (Genesis 1:28 – 3:6)
2. Conscience (Genesis 4:1 – 8:14)
3. Civil Government (Genesis 8:15 – 11:9)
4. Promise (Genesis 11:10 – Exodus 18:27)
5. Mosaic Law (Exodus 18:28 – Acts 1:26)
Daniel’s 69 Weeks (483 years)
6. Mystery era – church age
7. Millennium – 1000 years Kingdom age
II: Historic Premillenialism 
Definitions
Antichrist: A “man of sin” will arise in the last days that will ascend to great political and evil spiritual power, eventually becoming the world ruler. This signals the beginning of the Great Tribulation. He will be destroyed by the brightness of the second coming of Jesus. He is the last of many antichrists (1 John 2:18-19).
Great Tribulation: A seven-year (or three-and-a-half-year) period during which the Antichrist will rule the earth. During this period God will pour out His wrath on the unbelieving world. Many will come to the Lord during this time, including many of Israel in fulfillment of Romans 9 – 11.
Second Coming of Jesus: A visible event in which Jesus bodily returns to earth, ending the Great Tribulation and ushering in the Millennium. According to Historic Premillennialists (HPs – also called “post-tribulationalists”), this event coincides with the “rapture” (the catching away of the Church), although this word is not used very much by HPs.
The Millennium: A literal 1000-year period during which the Lord Jesus Christ will personally reign on earth. Very little information exists in the writings of HPs to define exactly what happens during this time other than a period of peace and just rule. They categorically reject any notion of the reinstitution of the Jewish sacrificial system.
The Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is presently manifested in Christ’s rule of the Church and the world, but it will be more fully realized in the literal presence of Christ on earth during the Millennium and of God the Father in the eternal state.
The New Heavens and the New Earth: The meaning of this phrase refers to either the Millennial
Kingdom, during which time the Lord Jesus Christ will be ruling the world from His throne in the
New Jerusalem (not necessarily located where Jerusalem is today), or to the future eternal state of the righteous in Heaven.
How Various Eschatological Passages are Explained
Daniel 2:37 – 45: The first three kingdoms mentioned were fulfilled before the time of Christ. The fourth, symbolized by the feet and toes, is the ancient Roman Empire. The kingdom that will never be destroyed (verse 44) is the Church, although the kingdom of God only will be absolutely established in the Millennial Kingdom.
Daniel 9:24 – 27 (The 70-Week Prophecy): This prophecy predicts 70 weeks of years (i.e., 490 years) to be fulfilled concerning Israel, starting from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” (about 456 B.C.). Messiah comes after 483 of these years (Jesus’ baptism in 26 A.D.). Some say a gap occurs here; others say the gap starts after half the 70th week is over -- when Jesus dies on the cross three-and-a-half years later. The gap (of at least 1963 years) occurs because the passage refers only to Israel, and when they rejected Jesus this prophecy was put on hold. The 70th week (or its last half) is fulfilled during the seven-year (or three-and-a-half year) Great Tribulation. Verse 27 refers to the Messiah (Christ). A specific interpretation of Daniel’s 70 weeks is not crucial for HP.
Ezekiel 40 – 47 (Ezekiel’s Temple): The vision of Ezekiel is extremely controversial among HPs. Some say it is fulfilled during the Church age and others say in the Millennium. All HPs categorically reject any inference that it refers to a restored Jewish economy, however.
The Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation: What Christ taught was fulfilled in the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. However, there is dual fulfillment of these passages for the future so that all the Olivet discourse (found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) and Revelation have meaning for the future as well.
1 Corinthians 15:50f; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11: These passages refer to the second coming of
Jesus just after the Great Tribulation also called the first resurrection (Revelation 20).
2 Thessalonians 2:1 – 12: These passages refer to the Great Tribulation. “He who restrains” is God preventing the Antichrist from emerging from the world until His perfect timing. The Antichrist is the man of sin, and Jesus’ second coming cannot take place until he is revealed and becomes the ruler of the world.
2 Peter 3:1 – 13: These passages refer to events of the end times, such as the Great Tribulation and the bodily second coming of Jesus. This period is immediately followed by the Millennium (“the new heaven and new earth” from verse 13).
Revelation 20: The first resurrection occurs at the second coming. The name stems from the fact that believers who are dead will be resurrected, while those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The second resurrection (implied) occurs at the end of the Millennium when the “rest of the dead” (all unbelievers who have physically died – the first death, by implication) will be resurrected to face judgment and sentencing to Hell (the second death).
Philosophical Issues
Prime Hermeneutical Principles: Many passages are taken literally, but the nature of apocalyptic language is also considered when interpreting some passages. This position is strongly covenantal and therefore opposed to the dispensational interpretative scheme. The Church is emphasized heavily as a central point of God’s dealing with man. Old Testament prophets wrote primarily of the Church, not of Israel. When the New Testament speaks of Israel, it seldom means the nation that is presently in the Middle East; the Church is the new Israel. God has only one covenant people: the Church. Israelites can become part of the covenant people by accepting Jesus Christ. The covenants of God are the prime framework in which God deals with man.
Present View of Israel: Events in present-day Israel are irrelevant for the Church. Unbelievers in
Israel and the rest of the world will be the subjects of God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation. Many
Jews will accept Jesus during this time. HPs do not see the Bible as teaching that the temple will be rebuilt. The Jewish sacrificial system will not be reinstituted in the Millennium. In fact, some HPs see the abomination of desolation as the continuation of the Jews to offer animal sacrifices after Jesus died on the cross. They see the last days as prefigured by the events of the first century A.D.
Imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus: Strictly speaking, HPs do not believe in the imminence of Jesus’ second coming. That is, they do not see the Bible as teaching that it can happen any time.
They believe that the man of sin must first be revealed and the Great Tribulation must take place before Jesus returns. Many HPs expect the Church to be filled with God’s power and holiness before the second coming. They believe such events can happen very rapidly once they are set in motion.
History: The view originated during the early second century with many of the Church Fathers (led by Justin, Tertullian, etc.) embracing the view. By the fourth century Augustine’s views (which spawned postmillennialism and amillennialism) prevailed, and CP almost totally disappeared. It made a comeback in some movements starting from the time of the Reformation (Isaac Newton, Charles Wesley, and Henry Alford, for example), but did not become widely held again until the 1900’s. The view is espoused in the writings of George Eldon Ladd, James Robison, Walter Martin, Gundry, and many others.
The Last Days: Most HPs believe that “last days” is just a term used in the New Testament to refer to all that time between the first and second comings of Jesus. It will be characterized by an intensification of human problems that leads to the righteous becoming more righteous, the evil becoming more evil, and a worldwide dictatorship, with Antichrist at the helm, which persecutes the Church.
Weaknesses: The lack of any details about activities during the Millennium and any statement of purpose for the Millennium undermine an otherwise biblically sound approach. In fact, the whole idea of a literal 1000-year period is problematic, since it is only mentioned in one verse – that verse being in the most symbolic book of the Bible! There is a sort of vagueness which troubles DP critics about CP; the root of the criticism seems to stem from a sense that HPs do not interpret most eschatological passages as literally as do DPs.
Amillennialism
Definitions
The Millennium: The 1000 years mentioned in Revelation 20, during which Satan is bound, is called the Millennium. To amillennialists (AMs) this period is symbolic of a relatively long, but indeterminate period of time. Some AMs teach that it is the Church age while others believe it is symbolic of the intermediate state between a believer’s death and the general resurrection. The binding of Satan took place when Jesus rose from the dead and is not absolute, contrary to the teaching of DPs and HPs. Instead it is limited to his deceiving power over the nations. Many passages relegated to the Millennium by DPs and HPs are interpreted as Heaven by AMs.
Antichrist: Not all AMs believe in a personal antichrist. Most say that a “man of sin” will arise in the last days that will ascend to great political and evil spiritual power, eventually becoming a world ruler. He will inflict persecution on the Church during the one and final eschatological conflict between good and evil, the battle of Armageddon that coincides with that period of apostasy at the end of the Church age. He and all his followers will be destroyed by the brightness of the second coming of Jesus.
Second Coming of Jesus: A visible event in which Jesus bodily returns to earth, ending the reign of Antichrist and history. According to AMs, this event is the same as the rapture. However, the word rapture is not used very much by AMs.
The Kingdom: The Kingdom of God refers to the realm over which Jesus rules as King. It is presently manifested in Christ’s universal rule, both of the Church and the world. One enters the Kingdom by receiving Christ as Lord. The absoluteness will be fully manifested in the literal presence of Jesus Christ and God the Father in the eternal state.
The New Heavens and the New Earth: The meaning of this phrase refers to the future eternal state of the righteous in Heaven (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21).
How Various Eschatological Passages are Explained
Daniel 2:37 – 45: The first three kingdoms mentioned were fulfilled before the time of Christ. The fourth, symbolized by the feet and toes, is the ancient Roman Empire. The kingdom that will never be destroyed (verse 44) is the Church. Jesus is the King of the Kingdom, and He has all authority in Heaven and earth now.
Daniel 9:24 – 27 (The 70-Week Prophecy): This prophecy predicts 70 weeks of years (i.e., 490 years) to be fulfilled concerning Israel, starting from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” (about 456 B.C.). Messiah comes after 483 of these years (Jesus’ baptism in 26 A.D.). The first half of the 70th week is the three-and-a-half-year period of Jesus’ earthly ministry. During the second half of the 70th week the gospel is preached to the Jews, who reject it. According to the context of the prophecy, the sacrifice and oblation cease in the middle of the week, when Jesus dies on the cross. The judgments pronounced by the prophecy occur 40 years later giving individual Israelites time to turn to Christ. Those who did not were judged during the Jewish wars culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) Note that verse 27 refers to the Messiah (Christ).
Ezekiel 40 – 47 (Ezekiel’s Temple): The vision of Ezekiel is fulfilled in the eternal state. Jesus forms the foundation for the true temple, the Church, but the temple is not formed until we’re all in Heaven.
The Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation: Nearly all of the Olivet discourse (found in
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) was fulfilled in the years leading up to the destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D., following Jesus’ teaching that all these judgments would fall on the generation that heard Him speak. The “end” was the end of the Jewish system and Old Covenant age. Most of Revelation was also fulfilled during the time of the early Church. AMs, along with postmillennialists, have strongly emphasized the need for careful interpretation of apocalyptic language. The context, the audience, and the background of the terminology must be considered.
1 Corinthians 15:50f; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11: These passages refer to the second coming of Jesus and the second resurrection of Revelation 20, a general resurrection in which all will be raised.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 – 12: These passages refer to the persecution of the last days. “He who restrains” is God preventing the Antichrist from emerging from the world until His perfect timing. The Antichrist is the man of sin, and, according to some AMs, Jesus’ second coming cannot take place until he is revealed and becomes the ruler of the world.
2 Peter 3:1 – 13: These passages refer to the events of the time of the end, such as the apostasy and the bodily second coming of Jesus. This is immediately followed by the new heaven and new earth (verse 13), which is the eternal state of the righteous.
Revelation 20: The first resurrection is spiritual, occurring at one’s salvation. The second resurrection is the one general resurrection, which occurs at the end of history when all who have ever lived stand before God at the great White Throne Judgment.
Philosophical Issues
Prime Hermeneutical Principles: A genuine attempt is made to interpret apocalyptic language in light of other passages (interpreting Scripture with Scripture). This position is strongly covenantal and therefore opposed to the “wooden” literalism of the dispensational interpretative scheme. The Church is emphasized heavily as a central point of God’s dealing with man. Old Testament prophets wrote primarily of the Church, not of Israel. When the New Testament speaks of Israel, it seldom means the nation which is presently in the Middle East; the Church is the new Israel. God has only one covenant people: the Church. Israelites can become part of the covenant people by accepting Jesus Christ. The covenants of God are the prime framework in which God deals with man. Obscure, difficult, and symbolic passages are interpreted in light of clear ones.
Present View of Israel: Events in present-day Israel are irrelevant for the Church. Many AMs see the abomination of desolation as the continuation of the Jews to offer animal sacrifices after Jesus died on the cross. The prophecies of the Old Testament that DPs take literally are either already fulfilled (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 9:26) or they are fulfilled in the Church (Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Hebrews 10:16f; 12:22 - 24).
Imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus: AMs believe in the imminence of Jesus’ second coming. That is, they believe that it can happen any time. Although some AMs believe that the man of sin must first be revealed before Jesus can return, they believe such events can happen very rapidly once they are set in motion.
History: The view originated during the early fourth century as a version of Augustine’s views (who is claimed by both AMs and postmillennialists). Vos, Allis, Kuyper, Berkhof, Sproul, etc., espouse Amillennialism in their writings. Roman Catholics are AM as are many churches of the Reformed tradition, such as Lutheran and some Presbyterian. This view is sometimes difficult to distinguish in early writings from postmillennialism.
The Last Days: Most AMs believe that “last days” is a term used in the New Testament to refer to all that time between the first and second comings of Jesus. There will be suffering throughout this time, but during this time there is an ever increasing intensification of human problems that culminate in a time of apostasy in the Church when Satan is loosed. Some AMs see this leading to a world-wide dictatorship with Antichrist at the helm.
Weaknesses: The AM interpretation of Revelation 20 has been a consistent problem for them.
DPs, HPs, and postmillennialists criticize their tendency to interpret Revelation as a series of descriptions of the same events rather than chronologically. The way they interpret the resurrections of Revelation 20 has also been criticized. AM interpretations of prophecy trouble DP critics, the root of the criticism stemming from a sense that AMs do not interpret the Bible as literally as do DPs (no one else does either). In fairness to AMs, however, they attempt honest and careful interpretation of apocalyptic language. Some passages they relegate to Heaven do not fit (Isaiah 65) since death occurs. Finally, the AM message comes across as negative to many hearers, “there is no millennium” being the starting point.
Postmillennialism
Source of charts: http://www.christianciv.com/eschatology_bs_Sect1.htm, retrieved September 5, 2011.
Definitions
The Millennium: The 1000 years mentioned in Revelation 20, during which Satan is bound, is called the millennium. To postmillennialists (PMs) this period is symbolic of a relatively long, but indeterminate period of time. Some PMs teach that it represents the Church age while others believe it is a future “golden age” of the Church which will be inaugurated as the world becomes more and more Christianized. The binding of Satan is not absolute, contrary to the teaching of DPs and HPs. Instead it is limited to his deceiving power over the nations.
Antichrist: Most PMs say that the “man of sin” was Nero Caesar, who inflicted great harm on the Church and on Jews during the “last days” of the Old Covenant age, also called the “great tribulation.” He and all those in collusion with him were destroyed by the judgment-coming of Jesus in the years preceding the destruction of Jerusalem. Some PMs believe that there will be another “man of sin” at the end of the Church age in conjunction with the brief apostasy mentioned in Revelation 20.
Second Coming of Jesus: A visible event in which Jesus bodily returns to earth, ending the Church age and history. According to PMs this event is the same as the rapture. However, the word rapture is not used very much by PMs. PMs correctly point out, however, that when the New Testament mentions Jesus’ “coming” it does not in general refer to the second coming.
The Kingdom: The Kingdom of God refers to the universal rule of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. One enters the Kingdom by receiving Christ as Lord. The absoluteness will be more fully manifested as time goes on in the Church age, culminating in the literal presence of Jesus Christ and God the Father in the eternal state.
The New Heavens and the New Earth: The meaning of this phrase refers to the future eternal state of the righteous in Heaven (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21).
How Various Eschatological Passages are Explained
Daniel 2:37 – 45: The first three kingdoms mentioned were fulfilled before the time of Christ. The fourth, symbolized by the feet and toes, is the ancient Roman Empire. The kingdom which will never be destroyed (verse 44) is the Church. Jesus is the King of the Kingdom, and He has all authority in Heaven and earth now.
Daniel 9:24 – 27 (The 70-Week Prophecy): This prophecy predicts 70 weeks of years (i.e., 490 years) to be fulfilled concerning Israel, starting from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” (about 456 B.C.). Messiah comes after 483 of these years (Jesus’ baptism in 26 A.D.). The first half of the 70th week is the three-and-a-half-year period of Jesus’ earthly ministry. During the second half of the 70th week the gospel is preached to the Jews, who reject it. In accordance with the context of the prophecy, the sacrifice and oblation cease in the middle of the week, when Jesus dies on the cross. The judgments pronounced by the prophecy occur 40 years later gives individual Israelites time to turn to Christ. Those who did not were judged during the Jewish wars culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) Note that verse 27 refers to the Messiah (Christ).
Ezekiel 40 – 47 (Ezekiel’s Temple): The vision of Ezekiel is fulfilled in the Church. Jesus forms the foundation for the true temple, the Church, which is being built by the Lord over time.
The Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation: Virtually all of the Olivet discourse (found in
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) was fulfilled in the years leading up to the destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D., in accordance with Jesus’ teaching that all these judgments would fall on the generation that heard Him speak. The “end” was the end of the Jewish system and Old Covenant age. Most of the book of Revelation was also fulfilled during the time of the early Church. PMs, along with AMs, have strongly emphasized the need for careful interpretation of apocalyptic language. These passages must not be taken literally. The context, the audience, and the background of the terminology must be taken into account.
1 Corinthians 15:50f; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11: These passages refer to the second coming of Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 – 12: These passages refer to the persecution of the last days of the Old
Covenant era. “He who restrains” is Claudius Caesar, who reigned when Paul wrote the epistle, who prevented the Antichrist (Nero) from doing any damage (the Greek word for “restrain” is a play on “Claudius”). The emperor’s desire was always to show himself to be a god. Titus fulfilled this c. 70 A.D.
2 Peter 3:1 – 13: These passages refer to the events of the time of the end, such as the apostasy and the bodily second coming of Jesus. This is immediately followed by the new heaven and new earth (verse 13), which is the eternal state of the righteous. PMs assert that “hastening” the day of the Lord in this context indicates the possibility of the Church being free to speed up the coming of the day through obedience and prayer that the things needed to happen prior to that time will be fulfilled.
Revelation 20: The first resurrection is spiritual, occurring at salvation. The second resurrection is the one general resurrection, which occurs at the end of history when all who have ever lived stand before God at the great White Throne Judgment.
Philosophical Issues
Prime Hermeneutical Principles: A genuine attempt is made to interpret apocalyptic language in light of other passages (interpreting Scripture with Scripture). This position is strongly covenantal and hence opposed to the “wooden” literalism of the dispensational interpretative scheme. The Church is emphasized heavily as a central point of God’s dealing with man. Old Testament prophets wrote primarily of the Church, not of Israel. When the New Testament speaks of Israel, it seldom means the nation which is presently in the Middle East; the Church is the new Israel. God has only one covenant people: the Church. Israelites can become part of the covenant people by accepting Jesus Christ. The covenants of God are the prime framework in which God deals with man. Obscure, difficult, and symbolic passages are interpreted in light of clear ones.
Present View of Israel: PMs anticipate the conversion of the nation of Israel, based on Romans
9 – 11. PMs see the abomination of desolation as the continuation of the Jews to offer animal sacrifices after Jesus died on the cross. The prophecies of the Old Testament which DPs take literally are either already fulfilled (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 9:26) or they are fulfilled in the Church (Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Hebrews 10:16f; 12:22 – 24). Verses that DPs apply to Israel in the Millennium are fulfilled by the Church during its “golden age.”
Imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus: PMs expect the vast majority of humanity to be saved before the second coming of Jesus. There will be a “golden age” of peace and prosperity because of God’s blessing. Jesus will return after this and a brief rebellion at the end during which Satan is loosed.
History: The view originated during the early fourth century as a version of Augustine’s views (who is claimed by both AMs and PMs). The view is espoused in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, L. Boettner, M. Kik, B.B. Warfield, John Jefferson Davis, etc. The PM view is sometimes difficult to distinguish in early writings from the AM view. The distinguishing factors are the optimism of PMs, the way Kingdom passages such as Isaiah 65 are interpreted, and the chronological interpretation of Revelation 19 – 21.
The Last Days: Most PMs believe that “last days” can be, according to context, the last days of the Old Covenant era or all that time between the first and second comings of Jesus. There will be suffering throughout this time, but during this time there is an ever increasing outpouring of the Holy Spirit leading to a larger and larger percentage of believers in the world and spreading of Christian influence.
Weaknesses: The PM optimism is seen by critics as being unrealistic. Many who think the world is getting worse and worse have harshly criticized and derided PMs. Such criticism, however, lacks historical perspective. PM interpretations of prophecy trouble DP and HP critics, the root of the criticism stemming from a sense that they do not interpret the Bible as literally as they should. DPs think that PM interpretations are not “the plain meaning” of the texts. In fairness to PMs, however, they attempt honest and careful interpretation of apocalyptic language. Although the postmillennial view was the dominant view throughout most of Church history, it became relatively rare after the 1920s. That trend seems to be reversing, however, as more and more Christians seek a comprehensive framework for all of life, including political and social action.
Much of this is taken from http://soliton.ae.gatech.edu/people/dhodges/papers/ESCHAT.pdf. By Dewey Hodges, Ph.D. Retrieved Sept. 4, 2011.
