Welcome to Episode #197 of the Way of the Bible podcast. This is our fifth of eight episodes in our Twenty-Fifth mini-series entitled The Return of Jesus Christ [4]. On today’s episode, we will continue tying together all we’ve covered up to this point over the last 28 episodes. Today, we will begin winding down this topic by addressing the Four Views of the End Times predominant within the Christian church. The four views include Amillennialism; Postmillennialism, Historical Premillennialism, and Dispensational Premillennialism.
I have emphasized throughout these episodes and mini-series that I am convinced the Dispensational Premillennial view is the most historically and scripturally supported. However, this view, as I’ve just introduced, is only one of four, and the smallest accepted within the church. While some denominations define their eschatological positions regarding the return of Christ, many simply acknowledge that Jesus is returning and offer resources for those interested in researching further.
This question of how and when Christ will return has been debated by Christians, clergy, and scholars alike since the earliest days of the church. The central passage around which the debates swirl is found in Revelation 20:1-6, where a thousand years is mentioned four times. Two times a thousand year is used in reference to the duration of Satan being locked up with no influence in the world, followed by two more times for a thousand year reign of Jesus on the earth. Let’s read it for completion:
Revelation 20:1-6 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The four major views differ primarily on:
• The timing of Christ's return relative to the millennium
• Whether the thousand years is literal or symbolic
• The relationship between Israel and the Church
• The timing of the rapture relative to the tribulation
I will be providing the scriptural, historical, and theological foundations of each view. While also reminding you, the position I support is Dispensational Premillennialism.
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