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Christian eschatology is a branch of study withinChristian theology which deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. The wordeschatology derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" (ἔσχατος) and "study" (-λογία) – involves the study of "end things", whether of the end of an individual life, of the end of the age, of the end of theworld, or of the nature of theKingdom of God. Broadly speaking, Christian eschatology focuses on the ultimate destiny of individualsouls and of the entirecreated order, based primarily uponbiblical texts within theOld andNew Testaments.Christian eschatology looks to study and discuss matters such asdeath and theafterlife,Heaven andHell, theSecond Coming ofJesus, theresurrection of the dead, therapture, thetribulation,millennialism, theend of the world, theLast Judgment, and the New Heaven andNew Earth in theworld to come.
Eschatological passages appear in multiple places in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. A number of extra-biblical examples of eschatologicalprophecies also exist, as well as extra-biblicalecclesiastical traditions relating to the subject.
Eschatology withinearly Christianity originated with thepublic life and preaching of Jesus.[1] Jesus is sometimes interpreted as referring to his Second Coming in Matthew 24:27; Matthew 24:37–39; Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62. Christian eschatology is an ancient branch of study in Christian theology, informed by Biblical texts such as theOlivet Discourse (recorded in Matthew 24–25, Mark 13, and Luke 21),The Sheep and the Goats, and other discourses of end times by Jesus, with the doctrine of theSecond Coming discussed byPaul the Apostle[2] inhis epistles, both theauthentic and the disputed ones. Other eschatological doctrines can be found in theEpistle of James,[3] theFirst Epistle of Peter,[4] and theFirst Epistle of John.[5] According to some scholars, theSecond Epistle of Peter explains that God is patient and has not yet brought about theSecond Coming of Christ, in order that more people will have the chance to rejectevil and findsalvation (3:3–9); therefore, it calls on Christians to wait patiently for theParousia and to study scripture. Other scholars, however, believe that the New Testament epistles are an exhortation to the early church believers to patiently expect the imminent return of Jesus, predicted by himself on several occasions in the gospels. TheFirst Epistle of Clement, written byPope Clement I in ca. 95, criticizes those who had doubts about the faith because the Second Coming had, in his view, not yet occurred.[6]
Christian eschatology is also discussed byIgnatius of Antioch (c. 35–107 AD) inhis epistles,[7] then given more consideration by the Christian apologist,Justin Martyr (c. 100–165).[8] Treatment of eschatology continued in theWest in the teachings ofTertullian (c. 160–225), and was given fuller reflection and speculation soon after byOrigen (c. 185–254).[9] The word was used first by the Lutheran theologianAbraham Calovius (1612–1686) but only came into general usage in the 19th century.[10]
The growing modern interest in eschatology is tied to developments in Anglophone Christianity.Puritans in the 18th and 19th centuries were particularly interested in apostmillennial hope which surrounded Christian conversion.[11] This would be contrasted with the growing interest inpremillennialism, advocated by dispensational figures such asJ. N. Darby.[12] Both of these strands would have significant influences on the growing interests in eschatology inChristian missions and in Christianity inWest Africa andAsia.[13][14] However, in the 20th century, there would be a growing number of German scholars such asJürgen Moltmann andWolfhart Pannenberg who would likewise be interested in eschatology.[15]
In the 1800s, a group of Christian theologians inclusive ofEllen G. White,William Miller andJoseph Bates began to study eschatological implications revealed in theBook of Daniel and theBook of Revelation. Their interpretation of Christian eschatology resulted in the founding of theSeventh-day Adventist church.
The following approaches arose from the study of Christianity's most central eschatological document, theBook of Revelation, but the principles embodied in them can be applied to allprophecy in theBible. They are by no means mutually exclusive and are often combined to form a more complete and coherent interpretation of prophetic passages. Most interpretations fit into one, or a combination, of these approaches. The alternate methods of prophetic interpretation,Futurism andPreterism which came from Jesuit writings, were brought about to oppose theHistoricism interpretation which had been used from Biblical times[16][17][18][19] that Reformers used in teaching that the Antichrist was thePapacy or the power of theRoman Catholic Church.[20]
Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets some (partial preterism) or all (full preterism) prophecies of theBible as events which have already happened. This school of thought interprets theBook of Daniel as referring to events that happened from the 7th century BC until the first century AD, while seeing the prophecies ofRevelation as events that happened in thefirst century AD. Preterism holds thatAncient Israel finds itscontinuation or fulfillment in theChristian church at thedestruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Historically, preterists and non-preterists have generally agreed that the JesuitLuis de Alcasar (1554–1613) wrote the first systematic preterist exposition of prophecy,Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (published in 1614), during theCounter-Reformation.
Historicism, a type of method of interpretation ofbiblical prophecies, associatessymbols with historical persons, nations or events. It can result in a view of progressive and continuous fulfillment of prophecy covering the period frombiblical times to what they view as a possible futureSecond Coming of Christ. MostProtestant Reformers from theReformation into the 19th century held historicist views.[21]
InFuturism, parallels may be drawn with historical events, but most eschatological prophecies are chiefly referring to events which have not yet been fulfilled, but will take place at the end of the age and theend of the world. Most prophecies will be fulfilled during a time of global chaos known as theGreat Tribulation and afterwards.[22] Futurist beliefs usually have a close association withPremillennialism andDispensationalism.
Idealism (also called the spiritual approach, the allegorical approach, the nonliteral approach, and multiple other names) in Christian eschatology is an interpretation of the Book of Revelation that sees all of the imagery of the book assymbols.[23]
Jacob Taubes writes that idealist eschatology came about asRenaissance thinkers began to doubt that theKingdom of Heaven had been established on earth, or would be established, but still believed in its establishment.[24] Rather than the Kingdom of Heaven being present in society, it is established subjectively for the individual.[24]
F. D. Maurice interpreted the Kingdom of Heaven idealistically as a symbol representing society's general improvement, instead of a physical and political kingdom.Karl Barth interprets eschatology as representing existential truths that bring the individual hope, rather than history or future-history.[25] Barth's ideas provided fuel for theSocial Gospel philosophy in America, which saw social change not as performing"required" good works, but because the individuals involved felt that Christians could not simply ignore society's problems with future dreams.[26]
Different authors have suggested thatthe Beast represents various social injustices, such asexploitation of workers,[27] wealth, the elite, commerce,[28] materialism, and imperialism.[29] VariousChristian anarchists, such asJacques Ellul, have identified theState andpolitical power as the Beast.[30] Other scholars identify theBeast with the Roman empire of the first century AD, but recognize that the Beast may have significance beyond its identification with Rome. For example, Craig R. Koester says "the vision [of the beast] speaks to the imperial context in which Revelation was composed, but it does so with images that go beyond that context, depicting the powers at work in the world in ways that continue to engage readers of subsequent generations."[31] And his comments on thewhore of Babylon are more to the point: "The whore [of Babylon] is Rome, yet more than Rome."[32] It "is the Roman imperial world, which in turn represents the world alienated from God."[33] As Stephen Smalley puts it, the beast represents "the powers of evil which lie behind the kingdoms of this world, and which encourage in society, at any moment in history, compromise with the truth and opposition to the justice and mercy of God."[34]
It is distinct fromPreterism,Futurism andHistoricism in that it does not see any of the prophecies (except in some cases theSecond Coming, andFinal Judgment) as being fulfilled in a literal, physical, earthly sense either in the past, present or future,[35] and that to interpret the eschatological portions of the Bible in a historical or future-historical fashion is an erroneous understanding.[36]
| Eschatological Topic | Futurist belief[citation needed] | Preterist belief[37] | Historicist belief[38] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eras of biblical prophesy | Futurists typically anticipate a future period of time when biblical prophecies will be fulfilled. | Preterists typically argue that most (Partial Preterism), or all (Full Preterism) biblical prophecies were fulfilled during the earthly ministry of Jesus and the generation immediately preceding it, concluding with the siege and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. | Historicists typically understand the prophecies to be continuous from the times of the prophets to the present day and beyond. |
| 'The 144,000' Revelation 7[39] | Various interpretations of a literal number of 144,000, including: 144,000 Evangelical Jews at the end of the world, or 144,000 Christians at the end of the world. | A symbolic number signifying the saved, representing completeness, perfection (The number of Israel; 12, squared and multiplied by 1,000, representing the infinite = 144,000). This symbolises God's Holy Army, redeemed, purified and complete. | A symbolic number representing the saved who are able to stand through the events of 6:17. |
| Locusts released from the Abyss Revelation 9[40] | A demonic host released upon the earth at the end of the world. | A demonic host released upon Israel during the siege of Jerusalem 66–70 AD. | The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries. |
| Large Army from the Euphrates, an army of 'myriads of myriads' Revelation 9:13–16[41] | Futurists frequently translate and interpret the Greek phrase 'myriads of myriads' as meaning a 'double myriad', from which they develop the figure of 200 million. Futurists frequently assign this army of 200 million to China, which they believe will attack Israel in the future. A number of Bibles employ a Futurist interpretation of the original Greek when they adopt the figure of 200 million. Others, such as John Walvoord and Tim Lahaye, see these 200 million beings as 200 million demons who are commanded to kill 1/3 of the Earth's population.[42] | Preterists hold to the original Greek description of a large army consisting of 'myriads of myriads', as a reference to the large pagan army, which would attack Israel during the Siege of Jerusalem from 66 to 70 AD. The source of this pagan army from beyond the Euphrates is a symbolic reference to Israel's history of being attacked and judged by pagan armies from beyond the Euphrates. Some of the Roman units employed during the siege of Jerusalem were assigned from this area.[43] | The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries. |
| 'TheTwo Witnesses' Revelation 11:1–12[44] | Two people who will preach in Jerusalem at the end of the world. | The two witnesses and their miracles symbolize the ministries of Moses and Elijah, who in turn symbolize 'The Law' and 'The Prophets', the Old Testament witnesses to the righteousness of God. When the armies of Rome laid siege to and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, it appeared that the two witnesses had been killed. | The two witnesses (AKA "two olive trees" and "two candlesticks") are the Old and New Testaments. |
| '1260 Days' Revelation 11:3[45] | A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) at the end of the world during which Jerusalem is controlled by pagan nations. | A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) which occurred 'at the end of the world' in 70 AD when the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem was decisively destroyed at the hands of the pagan Roman armies following a 3.5-year Roman campaign in Judea and Samaria. The two witnesses appeared to be dead for 3.5 years during the siege of Jerusalem but were miraculously resurrected as the Early Church. | Various interpretations |
| 'The Woman and the Dragon' Revelation 12:1–6[46] | A future conflict between the State of Israel and Satan. | Symbolic of the Old Covenant Church, the nation of Israel (Woman) giving birth to the Christ child. Satan (the Dragon) was determined to destroy the Christ child. The Woman (the early church), fled Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 AD. | The Dragon represents Satan and any earthly power he uses. The woman represents God's true church before and after Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. The Woman flees to the desert away from the dominant power of the 1260 years. |
| 'The Beast out of the Sea' Revelation 13:1–8[47] | The Anti-Christ, or the empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians.[42] | The Roman Empire,persecuting the early church during the rule of Nero. The sea symbolizing the Mediterranean and the nations of the Roman Empire. | The Beast is the earthly power supported by the Dragon (Satan). It is the Papal power during the same 42 months mentioned above. |
| 'The Beast out of the Earth' 'The False Prophet' Revelation 13:11–18[48] | The False Prophet who assists the Anti-Christ.[42] | The apostate rulers of the Jewish people, who joined in union with the Roman Empire to persecute the early church. | The first is the U.S. The second is a future religio-political power in which everyone is forced by the first power to receive the mark of the beast. |
| 'TheNumber of the beast, 666' Revelation 13:18[49] | The number identifying the future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians. | In Hebrew calculations the total sum of Emperor Nero's name, 'Nero Caesar', equated to 666. The number more broadly symbolises the Roman Empire and its persecution of the early church. The number 666 also symbolises an apostate ruler as King Solomon was, who collected 666 talents of gold annually. 1 Kings 10:14[50] | Various interpretations.[dubious –discuss] |
| Armageddon Revelation 16:16[51] | A future literal battle atMegiddo in the Jezreel Valley, Israel. | Megiddo is used as a symbol of God's complete victory over His enemies. The battle ofArmageddon occurred 2000 years ago when God used the pagan armies of Rome to comprehensively destroy the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Revelation 16:16[51] Judges 5:19[52] 2 Kings 9:27[53] | A symbolic name concerning the ongoing battle between Jesus and Satan. |
| Mystery Babylon The Great Harlot Revelation 17:1–5[54] | Futurists compose various interpretations for the identity of 'Mystery Babylon' such as the US, theVatican, or the UN. | The corrupted city of Jerusalem, who united with pagan nations of the world in their idolatrous practices and participated in persecuting the faithful Old Covenant priests and prophets, and the early church of the New Covenant. Matthew 23:35–37[55] | A virtuous woman represents God's true church. A whore represents an apostate church. Typically,Mystery Babylon is understood to be the esoteric apostasies, andGreat Harlot is understood to be the popular apostasies. Both types of apostasies are already at work, ensnaring the unwary. |
| Seven heads and ten horns Revelation 17:9–11[56] | Futurists compose various interpretations. One interpretation for the ten horns is analliance of ten nations that work for the Anti-Christ.[42] | As the Bible text explains, the seven heads are seven mountains. This is a direct reference to theSeven hills of Rome. It is also noted that the seven hills 'refer to seven kings'. This is a reference to the Caesars of Rome. At the time of the writing of the Revelation, five Caesars had already fallen (Julius Caesar,Augustus Caesar,Tiberius Caesar,Caligula andClaudius Caesar), 'One is' (Nero, the sixth Caesar, was on the throne as John was writing the Revelation), and the seventh 'has not yet come'. (Galba, the seventh Caesar, reigned for less than 7 months).[57] | Various interpretations. |
| The Thousand Years The Millennium Revelation 20:1–3[58] | The Millennium is a literal, future 1,000-year reign of Christ following the destruction of God's enemies. | The Millennium is the current, ongoing rise of God's Kingdom. The Millennium is a symbolic time frame, not a literal time frame. Preterists believe the Millennium has been ongoing since the earthly ministry and ascension of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is ongoing today.[59] Daniel 2:34–35[60] | The time period between Christ's Second Advent and the rapture of all the righteous, both living and formerly dead, from off earth and the third Advent which brings the New Jerusalem and the saints to the planet. While the saved are gone, the planet is inhabited only by Satan and his hosts, for all the wicked are dead. |
| 'The Rapture' Revelation 4:1[61] | The Rapture is a future removal of the faithful Christian church from earth. | Preterists generally recognize a future 'Second Coming' of Christ, as described in Acts 1:11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. However, they distinguish this from Revelation 4:1 which is construed by Futurists as describing a 'Rapture' event that is separate from the 'Second Coming'. | |
| 'The Great Tribulation' Revelation 4:1[61] | The 'Great Tribulation' is a future period of God's judgement on earth. | The 'Great Tribulation' occurred 2000 years ago when apostate Israel was judged and destroyed by God, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem at the hands of the pagan armies of the Roman Empire. The early Church was delivered from this period of judgment because it heeded the warning of Jesus in Matthew 24:16 to flee Jerusalem when it saw the pagan armies of Rome approaching. | |
| 'The Abomination that causes desolation' Matthew 24:15[62] | The Abomination that causes desolation is a future system of idolatrous worship based at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. | The Abomination that causes desolation was the pagan armies of Rome destroying the apostate system of worship at the Temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. | |
| 'Gog and Magog invasion' Ezekiel 38[63] | Ezekiel 38 refers to a future invasion of Israel by Russia and its allies, resulting in a miraculous deliverance by God. | Ezekiel 38 refers to theMaccabees' miraculous defeat of theSeleucids in the 2nd century B.C. As Chilton notes, 'The wordchief is, in the Hebrew,rosh, and according to this view, it does not pertain to Russia.[64] |
Expositors of the traditional Protestant interpretation of Revelation known asHistoricism have often maintained that Revelation was written in AD 96 and notAD 70.Edward Bishop Elliott, in theHorae Apocalypticae (1862), argues that John wrote the book in exile onPatmos "at the close of the reign of Domitian; that is near the end of the year 95 or beginning of 96". He notes that Domitian was assassinated in September 96.[65]: 47 Elliot begins his lengthy review of historical evidence by quotingIrenaeus, a disciple ofPolycarp. Polycarp was a disciple of John theApostle of Jesus Christ. Irenaeus mentions that the Apocalypse was seen "no very long time ago [but] almost in our own age, toward the end of the reign of Domitian".[65]: 32
Other historicists have seen no significance in the date that Revelation was written, and have even held to an early date[66] while Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., makes an exegetical and historical argument for the pre-AD 70 composition of Revelation.[67]
The division between these interpretations can be somewhat blurred. Most futurists are expecting arapture of the Church, anantichrist, aGreat Tribulation and asecond coming of Christ in the near future. But they also accept certain past events, such as the rebirth of the State ofIsrael and the reunification ofJerusalem as prerequisites to them, in a manner which the earlier historicists have done with other dates. Futurists, who do not normally use theday-year principle, interpret theProphecy of Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9:24 as years, just as historicists do. Most historicists have chosen timelines, from beginning to end, entirely in the past,[68] but some, such asAdam Clarke, have timelines which also commenced with specific past events, but require a future fulfillment. In his commentary on Daniel 8:14 published in 1831, he stated that the 2,300-year period should be calculated from 334 BC, the yearAlexander the Great began his conquest of thePersian Empire.[69] His calculation resulted in the year 1966. He seems to have overlooked the fact that there is no "year zero" between BC and AD dates - that is, the year following 1 BC is 1 AD. Thus his calculations should have required an additional year, ending in 1967. He was not anticipating a literal regathering of the Jewish people prior to the second coming of Christ. But the date is of special significance to futurists since it is the year of Jerusalem's capture by Israeli forces during theSix-Day War. His commentary on Daniel 7:25 contains a 1260-year period commencing in 755 AD and ending in 2015.[69]
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Premillennialism can be divided into two common categories: historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism. Historic premillennialism is usually associated with posttribulation "rapture" and does not see a strong distinction between ethnic Israel and the Church. Dispensational premillennialism can be associated with any of the three rapture views but is often associated with a pretribulation rapture. Dispensationalism also sees a stronger distinction between ethnic Israel and the Church.
Premillennialism usually posits that Christ's second coming will inaugurate a literal thousand-year earthly kingdom. Christ's return will coincide with a time of great tribulation. At this time, there will be a resurrection of the people of God who have died, and a rapture of the people of God who are still living, and they will meet Christ at his coming. A thousand years of peace will follow (the millennium), during which Christ will reign and Satan will be imprisoned in the Abyss. Those who hold to this view usually fall into one of the following three categories:
Pretribulationists believe that the second coming will be in two stages separated by a seven-year period of tribulation. At the beginning of the tribulation, true Christians will rise to meet the Lord in the air (the Rapture). Then follows a seven-year period of suffering in which the Antichrist will conquer the world and persecute those who refuse to worship him. At the end of this period, Christ returns to defeat the Antichrist and establish the age of peace. This position is supported by a scripture which says, "God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Thess 5:9]
Midtribulationists believe that the Rapture will take place at the halfway point of the seven-year tribulation, i.e. after3+1⁄2 years. It coincides with the "abomination of desolation"—a desecration of the temple where the Antichrist puts an end to the Jewish sacrifices, sets up his own image in the temple, and demands that he be worshiped as God. This event begins the second, most intense part of the tribulation.
Some interpreters find support for the "midtrib" position by comparing a passage in Paul's epistles with the book of Revelation. Paul says, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor 15:51–52). Revelation divides the great tribulation into four sets of increasingly catastrophic judgments: the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, the Seven Thunders (Rev 10:1–4) and the Seven Bowls, in that order. If the "last trumpet" of Paul is equated with the last trumpet of Revelation and the revelation of the scroll of the Seven Thunders, the Rapture would be in the middle of the Tribulation. (Not all interpreters agree with this literal interpretation of the chronology of Revelation, however.)
Posttribulationists hold that Christ will not return until the very end of the seven-year tribulation period. Christians, rather than being raptured at the beginning of the tribulation, or halfway through, will live through it and suffer for their faith during the ascendancy of the Antichrist. Proponents of this position believe that the presence of believers during the tribulation is necessary for a final evangelistic effort during a time when external conditions will combine with the Gospel message to bring great numbers of converts into the Church in time for the beginning of the Millennium.
Postmillennialism is an interpretation of chapter 20 of theBook of Revelation which seesChrist'ssecond coming as occurringafter the "Millennium", aMessianic Age in whichChristian ethics prosper.[70] The term subsumes several similar views of the end times, and it stands in contrast topremillennialism and, to a lesser extent,amillennialism.
Postmillennialism holds that Jesus Christ establishes his kingdom on earth through his preaching and redemptive work in the first century and that he equips his church with the gospel, empowers her by the Spirit, and charges her with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) to disciple all nations. Postmillennialism expects that eventually the vast majority of people living will be saved. Increasing gospel success will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ's return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in the affairs of men and of nations. After an extensive era of such conditions Jesus Christ will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously, to end history with the general resurrection and the final judgment after which the eternal order follows.
Postmillennialism was a dominant theological belief among American Protestants who promoted reform movements in the 19th and 20th century such as abolitionism[71] and theSocial Gospel.[72] Postmillennialism has become one of the key tenets of a movement known asChristian reconstructionism. It has been criticized by 20th century religious conservatives as an attempt toimmanentize the eschaton.
Amillennialism, in Christian eschatology, involves the rejection of the belief thatJesus will have a literal, thousand-year-long, physical reign on the earth. This rejection contrasts withpremillennial and somepostmillennial interpretations ofchapter 20 of theBook of Revelation.
The amillennial view regards the "thousand years" mentioned in Revelation 20 as asymbolic number, not as a literal description; amillennialists hold that themillennium has already begun and is identical with the currentchurch age. Amillennialism holds that while Christ's reign during the millennium is spiritual in nature, at the end of the church age,Christ will return infinal judgment and establish a permanent reign in the new heaven and new earth.
Many proponents dislike the name "amillennialism" because it emphasizes their differences with premillennialism rather than their beliefs about the millennium. "Amillennial" was actually coined in a pejorative way by those who hold premillennial views. Some proponents also prefer alternate terms such asnunc-millennialism (that is, now-millennialism) orrealized millennialism, although these other names have achieved only limited acceptance and usage.[73]
There were different schools of thought on the afterlife inJudea during the first century AD. TheSadducees, who recognized only theTorah (the first five books of the Old Testament) as authoritative, did not believe in an afterlife or any resurrection of the dead. ThePharisees, who accepted the Torah as well asadditional scriptures, believed in theresurrection of the dead; it is known to have been a major point of contention between the two groups.[74] ThePharisees based their belief on Biblical passages such as Daniel 12:2[75] which says: "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."
Some traditions (notably, theSeventh-day Adventists) teach that thesoul sleeps after death and will not awaken until theresurrection of the dead. Others believe the soul goes to an intermediate place where it will live consciously until the resurrection of the dead.
By "soul", Seventh-day Adventist theologians mean the physical person (monism), and that no component of human nature survives death. Therefore, each human will be "recreated" at resurrection. One scripture frequently used to substantiate the assertion that souls experience mortality is found in theBook of Ezekiel: "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4)[76]
This alludes to the Catholic belief in a spiritual state known as Purgatory during which souls not condemned to Hell but not completely pure go through a final process of purification before their full acceptance into Heaven.
TheCatechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says:
Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism do not believe inPurgatory as such, but the Orthodox Church posits a period of continuedsanctification after death. While theEastern Orthodox Church rejects the termpurgatory, it acknowledges an intermediate state after death and before final judgment, and offersprayer for the dead.[77] In general,Protestant churches reject the Catholic doctrine of purgatory (although some teach the existence of an intermediate state). The general Protestant view is that the Bible, from which Protestants excludedeuterocanonical books such as2 Maccabees, contains no overt, explicit discussion of purgatory.[78]
There are multiple passages in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, which speak of a time of terrible tribulation such as has never been known, a time of natural and human-made disasters on an awesome scale. Jesus said that at the time of his coming, "There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever will be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened." [Matt 24:21–22]
Furthermore, theMessiah's return and the tribulation that accompanies it will come at a time when people are not expecting it:
Of that day and hour no-one knows; no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Paul echoes this theme, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them."[79]
The abomination of desolation (or desolating sacrilege) is a term found in theHebrew Bible, in thebook of Daniel. The term is used byJesus Christ in theOlivet Discourse, according to both theGospel of Matthew and theGospel of Mark. In the Matthew account, Jesus is presented as quoting Daniel explicitly.
This verse in the Olivet Discourse also occurs in theGospel of Luke.
Many biblical scholars[80] conclude that Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 areprophecies after the event about thesiege of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Roman generalTitus[81] (seeDating of the Gospel of Mark).
Preterist Christian commentators believe that Jesus quoted this prophecy in Mark 13:14 as referring to an event in his "1st century disciples'" immediate future, specifically the pagan Roman forces during thesiege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.[82][83]
Futurist Christians consider the "Abomination of Desolation" prophecy of Daniel mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15[84] and Mark 13:14[85] as referring to an event in the end time future, after the removal of the "one who now restrains", when a 7-year peace treaty will be signed between Israel and a world ruler called "the man of lawlessness", or the "Antichrist" affirmed by the writings of the Apostle Paul in2 Thessalonians.
Other scholars conclude that the Abomination of Desolation refers to the Crucifixion,[86] an attempt by the emperor Hadrian to erect a statue to Jupiter in the Jewish temple,[87] or an attempt by Caligula to have a statue depicting him as Zeus built in the temple.[88]
Many interpreters calculate the length of the tribulation at seven years. The key to this understanding is the "seventy weeks prophecy" in the book of Daniel. The Prophecy of Seventy Septets (or literally 'seventy times seven') appears in the angelGabriel's reply to Daniel, beginning with verse 22 and ending with verse 27 in the ninth chapter of theBook of Daniel,[89] a work included in both theJewishTanakh and theChristianBible; as well as theSeptuagint.[90] The prophecy is part of both theJewish account of history and Christian eschatology.
The prophet has a vision of the angel Gabriel, who tells him, "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city (i.e., Israel and Jerusalem)." [Dan 9:24] After making a comparison with events in the history of Israel, some scholars[which?] have concluded that each day in the seventy weeks represents a year. The first sixty-nine weeks are interpreted as covering the period until Christ's first coming, but the last week is thought to represent the years of the tribulation which will come at the end of this age, directly preceding the millennial age of peace:
This is an obscure prophecy, but in combination with other passages, it has been interpreted to mean that the "prince who is to come" will make a seven-year covenant with Israel that will allow the rebuilding of the temple and the reinstitution of sacrifices, but "in the middle of the week", he will break the agreement and set up an idol of himself in the temple and force people to worship it—the "abomination of desolation". Paul writes:
The rapture is an eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of North Americanevangelicalism, referring to anend time event when allChristian believers—living and dead—will rise into Heaven and joinChrist.[91][92] Some adherents believe this event is predicted and described in Paul'sFirst Epistle to the Thessalonians in theBible,[93] where he uses the Greekharpazo (ἁρπάζω), meaning to snatch away or seize. Though it has been used differently in the past, the term is now often used by certain believers to distinguish this particular event from theSecond Coming ofJesus Christ to Earth mentioned inSecond Thessalonians,Gospel of Matthew,First Corinthians, andRevelation, usually viewing it as preceding the Second Coming and followed by a thousand-yearmillennial kingdom.[94] Adherents of this perspective are sometimes referred to aspremillennialistdispensationalists, but amongst them there are differing viewpoints about the exact timing of the event.
The term "rapture" is especially useful in discussing or disputing the exact timing or the scope of the event, particularly when asserting the"pre-tribulation" view that the rapture will occur before, not during, the Second Coming, with or without an extendedTribulation period.[95] The term is most frequently used amongevangelical[96] andfundamentalist Christians in theUnited States.[97] Other, older uses of "rapture" were simply as a term for any mystical union with God or for eternal life inHeaven with God.[97]
There are differing views among Christians regarding the timing of Christ's return, such as whether it will occur in one event or two, and the meaning of the aerial gathering described in 1 Thessalonians 4. Outside of American Evangelical Protestantism, almost all Christians do not subscribe to rapture-oriented theological views. Though the term "rapture" is derived from the text of the Latin Vulgate of 1 Thess. 4:17—"we will be caught up", (Latin: rapiemur),Catholics, as well asEastern Orthodox,Anglicans,Lutherans and mostReformed Christians, do not generally use "rapture" as a specific theological term, nor do any of these bodies subscribe to the premillennialist dispensationalist theological views associated with its use, but do believe in the phenomenon—primarily in the sense of the elect gathering with Christ inHeaven after his Second Coming.[98][99][100] These denominations do not believe that a group of people is left behind on earth for an extended Tribulation period after the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.[101]
Pre-tribulation rapture theology originated in the eighteenth century, with the Puritan preachersIncrease Mather andCotton Mather, and was popularized extensively in the 1830s byJohn Nelson Darby[102][103] and thePlymouth Brethren,[104] and further in the United States by the wide circulation of theScofield Reference Bible in the early 20th century.[105] Some, including Grant Jeffrey, maintain that an earlier document called Ephraem orPseudo-Ephraem already supported a pre-tribulation rapture.[106]
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The Bible states:
Many, but not all, Christians believe:
In Matthew 24Jesus states:
These false Christs will perform great signs and are no ordinary people "For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:14) Satan's angels will also appear as godly clergymen, and Satan will appear as an angel of light.[112] "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13–15)
After Jesus meets his followers "in the air", themarriage of the Lamb takes place: "Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" [Rev 19:7–8]. Christ is represented throughout Revelation as "the Lamb", symbolizing the giving of his life as an atoning sacrifice for the people of the world, just as lambs were sacrificed on the altar for the sins of Israel. His "wife" appears to represent the people of God, for she is dressed in the "righteous acts of the saints". As the marriage takes place, there is a great celebration in heaven which involves a "great multitude" [Rev 19:6].
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The wordresurrection comes from the Latinresurrectus, which is the past participle ofresurgere, meaningto rise again. Although the doctrine of the resurrection comes to the forefront in the New Testament, it predates the Christian era. There is an apparent reference to the resurrection in the book of Job, where Job says, "I know that my redeemer lives, and that he will stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though... worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I will see God" [Job 19:25–27]. Again, the prophet Daniel writes, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" [Dan 12:2]. Isaiah says: "Your dead will live. Together with my dead body, they will arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust, for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the dead" [Isa. 26:19].
This belief was still common among the Jews in New Testament times, as exemplified by the passage which relates the raising of Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus told Lazarus' sister, Martha, that Lazarus would rise again, she replied, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" [Jn 11:24]. Also, one of the two main branches of the Jewish religious establishment, the Pharisees, believed in and taught the future resurrection of the body [cf Acts 23:1–8].
An interpretation of the New Testament is the understanding that there will be two resurrections. Revelation says: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him a thousand years" [Rev 20:6]. The rest of the dead "did not live again until the thousand years were finished" [Rev 20:5].
Despite this, there are various interpretations:
The Gospel authors wrote that our resurrection bodies will be different from those we have now. Jesus said, "In the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven" [Mt 22:30]. Paul adds, "So also is the resurrection of the dead: the body ... is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" [1 Co. 15:42–44].
According to theCatechism of the Catholic Church the body after resurrection is changed into a spiritual, imperishable body:
[999] Christ is raised with his own body: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself" [553]; but he did not return to an earthly life. So, in him, "all of them will rise again with their own bodies which they now bear", but Christ "will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body", into a "spiritual body" [554][114]
Both the righteous and the wicked will rise with immortal bodies. However, only the righteous will rise with four endowments: impassibility (incorruptibility), subtility (spirituality), agility (power), and clarity (glory).[115]
In some ancient traditions, it was held that the person would be resurrected at the same spot where they died and were buried (just as in the case of Jesus' resurrection). For example, in the early medieval biography ofSt Columba written byAdomnan of Iona, Columba at one point prophesies to a penitent at the monastery onIona that his resurrection would be in Ireland and not in Iona, and this penitent later died at a monastery in Ireland and was buried there.[116]
AlthoughMartin Luther personally believed and taught resurrection of the dead in combination withsoul sleep, this is not a mainstream teaching ofLutheranism and most Lutherans traditionally believe in resurrection of the body in combination with theimmortal soul.[117]
Several churches, such as theAnabaptists andSocinians of the Reformation, thenSeventh-day Adventist Church,Christadelphians,Jehovah's Witnesses, and theologians of different traditions reject the idea of the immortality of a non-physical soul as a vestige ofNeoplatonism, and otherpagan traditions. In this school of thought, the dead remain dead (and do not immediately progress to aHeaven,Hell, orPurgatory) until a physical resurrection of some or all of the dead occurs at the end of time. Some groups,Christadelphians in particular, consider that it is not auniversal resurrection, and that at this time of resurrection that theLast Judgment will take place.[118]
Megiddo is mentioned twelve times in theOld Testament, ten times in reference to theancient city of Megiddo in theJezreel Valley, and twice with reference to "the plain of Megiddo", most probably simply meaning "the plain next to the city".[119] None of these Old Testament passages describes the city of Megiddo as being associated with any particular prophetic beliefs. The oneNew Testament reference to the city of Armageddon found in Revelation 16:16 also makes no specific mention of any armies being predicted to one day gather in this city, but instead seems to predict only that "they (will gather) the kings together to .... Armageddon".[120] The text does however seem to imply, based on the text from the earlier passage of Revelation 16:14, that the purpose of this gathering of kings in the "place called Armageddon" is "for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty". Because of the seemingly highly symbolic and even cryptic language of this one New Testament passage, some Christian scholars conclude that Mount Armageddon must be an idealized location.[121]R. J. Rushdoony says, "There are no mountains of Megiddo, only the Plains of Megiddo. This is a deliberate destruction of the vision of any literal reference to the place."[122] Other scholars, includingC. C. Torrey,Kline andJordan argue that the word is derived from theHebrewmoed (מועד), meaning "assembly". Thus, "Armageddon" would mean "Mountain of Assembly," which Jordan says is "a reference to the assembly at Mount Sinai, and to its replacement, Mount Zion."[121]
The traditional viewpoint interprets this biblical prophecy to be symbolic of the progression of the world toward the "great day of God, the Almighty" in which the great looming mountain of God's just and holy wrath is poured out against unrepentant sinners, led by Satan, in a literal end-of-the-world final confrontation. Armageddon is the symbolic name given to this event based on scripture references regarding divine obliteration of God's enemies. The hermeneutical method supports this position by referencing Judges 4 and 5 where God miraculously destroys the enemy of His elect, Israel, at Megiddo, also called theValley of Josaphat.[citation needed]
Christian scholarWilliam Hendriksen says:
For this cause, Har Magedon is the symbol of every battle in which, when the need is greatest and believers are oppressed, the Lord suddenly reveals His power in the interest of His distressed people and defeats the enemy. When Sennacherib's 185,000 are slain by the Angel of Jehovah, that is a shadow of the final Har-Magedon. When God grants a little handful of Maccabees a glorious victory over an enemy which far outnumbers it, that is a type of Har-Magedon. But the real, the great, the final Har Magedon coincides with the time of Satan's little season. Then the world, under the leadership of Satan, anti-Christian government, and anti-Christian religion—the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet—is gathered against the Church for the final battle, and the need is greatest; when God's children, oppressed on every side, cry for help; then suddenly, Christ will appear on the clouds of glory to deliver his people; that is Har-Magedon.[123]
Millennialism (frommillennium, Latin for "a thousand years"), orchiliasm (from theGreek equivalent), is the belief that aMessianic Age will occur onEarth prior to thefinal judgment and future eternal state of the "World to Come".
Christian millennialism developed out of a Christian interpretation of Jewishapocalypticism. Christian millennialist thinking is primarily based upon the Book of Revelation, specifically 20:1–4,[124] which describes the vision of an angel who descended from heaven with a large chain and a key to a bottomless pit, and captured Satan, imprisoning him for a thousand years:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years . . . that he should deceive the nations no more. . . . Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. . . . They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
— Rev. 20: 1–4
The Book of Revelation then describes a series of judges who are seated on thrones, as well as his vision of the souls of those who were beheaded for their testimony in favor of Jesus and their rejection of the mark of the beast:
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.
— Rev. 20:4–6
Thus, Revelation characterizes a millennium where Christ and the Father will rule over a theocracy of the righteous. While there are an abundance of biblical references to such a kingdom of God throughout the Old and New Testaments, this is the only reference in the Bible to such a period lasting one thousand years. The literal belief in a thousand-year reign of Christ is a later development in Christianity, as it does not seem to have been present in first century texts.[125]
According to the Bible, the Millennial age of peace all but closes the history of planet Earth. However, the story is not yet finished: "When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea." [Rev 20:7–8]
There is continuing discussion over the identity ofGog and Magog. In the context of the passage, they seem to equate to something like "east and west". There is a passage in Ezekiel, however, where God says to the prophet, "Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him." [Ezek 38:2] Gog, in this instance, is the name of a person of the land of Magog, who is ruler ("prince") over the regions of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Ezekiel says of him: "You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you..." [Ezek 38:2]
Despite this huge show of force, the battle will be short-lived, for Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation all say that this last desperate attempt to destroy the people and the city of God will end in disaster: "I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed. I will rain down on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him: flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone." [Ezek 38:22] Revelation concurs: "Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." [Rev 20:9] It may be that the images of fire raining down are an ancient vision of modern weapons, others would say a supernatural intervention by God, yet others that they refer to events in history, and some would say they are symbolic of larger ideas and should not be interpreted literally.
Following the defeat of Gog, the last judgment begins: "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" [Rev 20:10]. Satan will join the Antichrist and theFalse Prophet, who were condemned to the lake of fire at the beginning of the Millennium.
Following Satan's consignment to the lake of fire, his followers come up for judgment. This is the "second resurrection", and all those who were not a part of the first resurrection at the coming of Christ now rise up for judgment:
I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. [Rev 20:11–15]
John had earlier written, "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power" [Rev 20:6]. Those who are included in the Resurrection and the Rapture are excluded from the final judgment, and are not subject to thesecond death. Due to the description of the seat upon which the Lord sits, this final judgment is often referred to as theGreat White Throne Judgment.
A decisive factor in the Last Judgement will be the question, if the corporalworks of mercy were practiced or not during lifetime. They rate as important acts of charity. Therefore, and according to the biblical sources (Matt 5:31–46), the conjunction of the Last Judgement and the works of mercy is frequent in the pictorial tradition of Christian art.[126]
But, in accordance withhis promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.[128]
The focus turns to one city in particular, theNew Jerusalem. Once again, we see the imagery of the marriage: "I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" [Rev 21:2]. In the New Jerusalem, God "will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God..." [Rev 21:3]. As a result, there is "no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." Nor is there a need for the sun to give its light, "for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light" [Rev 21:22–23]. The city will also be a place of great peace and joy, for "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there will be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" [Rev 21:4].
The city itself has a large wall with twelve gates in it which are never shut, and which have the names of thetwelve tribes of Israel written on them. Each of the gates is made of a single pearl, and there is an angel standing in each one. The wall also has twelve foundations which are adorned with precious stones, and upon the foundations are written the names of the twelve apostles. The gates and foundations are often interpreted[by whom?] as symbolizing the people of God before and after Christ.
The city and its streets are pure gold, but not like the gold we know, for this gold is described as being like clear glass. The city is square in shape, and is twelve thousandfurlongs long and wide (fifteen hundred miles). If these are comparable to earthly measurements, the city will cover an area about half the size of the contiguous United States. The height is the same as the length and breadth, and although this has led most people to conclude that it is shaped like a cube, it could also be apyramid.
The city has a river which proceeds "out of the throne of God and of the Lamb".[130] Next to the river is the tree of life, which bears twelve fruits and yields its fruit every month. The last time we saw the tree of life was in the Garden of Eden [Gen 2:9]. God drove Adam and Eve out from the garden, guarding it with cherubim and a flaming sword, because it gave eternal life to those who ate of it[131] In the New Jerusalem, the tree of life reappears, and everyone in the city has access to it. Genesis says that the earth was cursed because of Adam's sin,[132] but the author of John writes that in the New Jerusalem, "there will be no more curse".[133]
TheEvangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker, 1984) says:
The rich symbolism reaches beyond our finest imaginings, not only to the beatific vision but to a renewed, joyous, industrious, orderly, holy, loving, eternal, and abundant existence. Perhaps the most moving element in the description is what is missing: there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, 'because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.' Vastly outstripping the expectations of Judaism, this stated omission signals the ultimate reconciliation.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)Revelation
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