SECTION II Chapter 10 - Belief in the "APOCALYPSE" "Take heed, behold I have told you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven ...Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done." --Jesus Christ --First Coming of the Messiah for the Jews --Second Coming of Jesus for Christians The term "apocalypticism" refers to the belief that existing social structures have collapsed and are inadequate for solving current or future crises. The prophet, usually in the midst of great suffering, has a psychic experience/ revelation that a new era will dawn upon the earth--one ringing in peace, love and eternal life. The literary expressions of these revelations are termed apocalypses. These can relate either to the beginning or creation of life (protology) or to the destruction and final ending of all things, where the faithful will experience rebirth (eschatology). (Definitions taken from James H. Charlesworth, JESUS WITHIN JUDAISM, (Doubleday, 1988), p 43.) Review of Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology From the second century B.C.E. (during the times of the Maccabeans to the end of the first century C.E.) apocalyptic thought was prevalent in both Jewish AND Christian writings. The general belief was one of "living" through "dying". During the Maccabean revolt, a Jewish mother told her seven sons, who would all soon die against the pagan enemy, "the Creater... will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws." (2 Mac 7:23;RSV) The apocalyptic prophets of these times felt their current helplessness against overwhelming earthly powers (i.e., the Roman Empire) was only temporary. By aligning themselves with all-powerful forces external to this world (i.e., God Himself) they would have the power to overthrow their enemies, in a new world order run by the faithful few. Early Jewish mystics wrote in this manner of a new paradise that would be preserved for the righteous in the books of Psalms, the Odes of Solomon, 4 Ezra, and 2 Enoch. Apocalyptics would cry out for God to destroy their enemies and for the destruction of the earth. To the Jews, God established the earth forever! (see Psalms 78:69), Thus, this new Kingdom was to be built on the EARTH (either a purified earth or a newly built world). Jerusalem and the Temple would be rebuilt, and the righteous would be rewarded, while the wicked would be destroyed. There are many similarities between the Jewish apocalyptics and Jesus. Both taught of a profound dualism between the forces of good pitted against the forces of evil. Both were optimistic that a new age would soon replace the old order, through the intermediation of a messiah(s). Both stressed righteous living, purity of hearts, and sided with the poor and oppressed, while uttering woes against the rich. (see especially 2 Baruch and 1 and 2 Enoch.) (James Charlesworth, JESUS WITHIN JUDAISM, p 39). Did Jewish Scriptures Predict Jesus and the Second Coming? Jewish apocalyptic writers saw the messiah as providing relief for THEM in their misery. That is, the messiah would dethrone the evil kings of THEIR time and burn the sinners, while saving THEIR righteous. According to the gospels, Jesus stated that his kingdom was not of this world, nor was he the conquering messiah that they were anxiously waiting for. Instead, the Jesus of the gospels spoke of a SPIRITUAL kingdom in heaven-- where one's immortal soul would dwell after death. According to most Christians, Jesus' arrival as messiah is believed to have been predicted by Jewish scriptures. Those verses in the Old Testament, (especially in the books of Daniel and the later prophets) that describe an End of the World scenario are generally interpreted by Christians as predictions that will be fulfilled upon Jesus' SECOND Coming! Skeptics argue that IF the Jewish prophets were given "special" powers to predict the future-- WHY was the End of the World (which they believed would occur shortly within their current generation) instead delayed for roughly TWO THOUSAND years (and counting!). That is, the settling up between the wicked and righteous did NOT occur anywhere close in time to when the prophets lived. Indeed, modern believers expect the "End" to occur in a society far removed in time and culture from anything the ancient Jewish prophets could even have imagined! These Jewish prophets would have been disheartened at this prospect--for at any rate, their prophesies did not help THEM or their immediate generations! Many Jews gave up everything for what they perceived as a religious struggle against the heathens. Many saw starvation, their land and belongings destroyed, and whole families wiped out. Thus, for this ancient religious Jewish community there never was any physical relief for their hard fought struggles. Instead they LOST--and their worldly enemies (ie the Romans) essentially WON all the important and final military battles. And yet, there is irony here. For although these ancient Jews PHYSICALLY lost their battle against the pagans--yet over the millennium, they had an ideological or spiritual victory of sorts. For with the absorption of these same apocalyptic elements into Christianity and the later conversion of pagans into Christianity, it would largely be the posterity of these SAME pagans that now applied these SAME apocalyptic hopes towards themselves. Skeptics would argue this was a victory for "superstition". Religious writers would argue this was a victory for God. Early Christian Beliefs in the End of the World. Later Jewish writings (such as Daniel and Enoch) spoke of the End of World--to be characterized by a new world order ON EARTH. Early Christians, especially as they began to be influenced by Greek Platonic thought, taught that the earth would be destroyed-- and that the faithful would--instead of living on a new earth--take up residence in a HEAVEN IN THE SKY! Some of these differences in doctrine can be seen even today among Christian apocalyptic groups--such as the belief that after the Second Coming--there will FIRST be a thousand year reign on Earth-after which everyone will transfer residence to heaven. Early Christian Belief in the "Second" Coming During THEIR(!) Generation The most IMPORTANT doctrine among early Christians would NOT be WHERE the Elect would live (ie a heaven IN THE SKY vs. a heaven ON EARTH--but instead exactly WHEN the great event of Jesus' Second Coming would take place! As we shall see next, the EARLIEST Christians were convinced that Jesus' Second Coming would occur not only soon, but DURING THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIFETIMES, as well! Since basically all scholars and theologians agree that the letters of Paul are the oldest writings in the New Testament, we will begin our analysis in this area with Paul's references to the Second Coming. Early Christian Writings on the "IMMEDIACY" of Jesus' Return References in the Epistles in the New Testament by St. Paul In Paul's earliest letters, Paul writes how the Day of Judgment of the "Lord is at hand"! (Phil 4:5,1 Cor. 16:22). In Romans 13:9-11, Paul urged his congregation to obey the commandments, "...for now is our SALVATION nearer than when we believed." Due to this belief, Paul even recommended that his community give up sexual activity, saying for example: "The time we live in will not last long. While it lasts, married men should be as if they had no wives;...For the whole frame of this world is passing away." (1 Cor. 7:29-31) As for those Christians who had become sickly and even died, Paul at first declared that this might have been caused by those who were "unworthy" to participate in the powerful enactment of the Last Supper (Eucharist): "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (I Corinthians 11:27-32) As more Christians began dying off, people began wondering whether or not their dead friends and family would be able to participate with the LIVING in the New Age to be initiated by Jesus' Second Coming. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian congregations on this issue, assuring them that the dead would be resurrected during the Second Coming: "we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:15) It is interesting to note Paul's use of the word "we" in the passage above.--He obviously expected to be one of those who would still be alive when Jesus returned. The dead would be resurrected, and all Christian souls would be transfigured into immortal beings, and taken up into Heaven. As to why there were NO signs that the Second Coming was about to be initiated, Paul explained to his congregation that instead the time would come upon them suddenly "like a thief in the night": "About dates and times we need not write to you, for you know perfectly well that the day of the lord comes like a thief in the night. While they are talking of peace and security all at once calamity comes in upon them, sudden as the pangs that come upon a woman with child." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) Gospel Writers Insist the "End" Will be Presaged by Great "Signs" Later, gospel writers such as Mark would write that great "signs" would presage the Second Coming. For example, Mark 13:21 quotes Jesus as prophesizing terrible times and the coming of false messiahs and imposters. Another sign would be the "abomination of desolation". Possibly one reason, why the gospel writers differed with Paul on this issue, is that during the times that THEY wrote--they were seeing terrible signs (which they hoped meant the Second Coming was around the corner FOR THEM!) For during and after the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 C.E.-- these were indeed terrible times! The Temple was profaned and destroyed, and Christians had recently gone through the terrible persecutions of Nero. The gospel writers were relying on texts for the sayings of Jesus that probably came from the early Jewish Christian communities in Palestine-- and therefore shared their fellow Jews views of worldly current events. Later Christian Explanations for Jesus' Delayed Return Paul died in Rome, possibly during the reign of the Emperor Nero. As even more time passed, and it became obvious that most of the first generation Christians were dying off--the early Church found itself in the uncomfortable position of trying to explain WHY the coming of Christ had been inexplicably postponed. One prominent Christian leader wrote an epistle--known to us as the second epistle of St. Peter--to help maintain the faith of the flock. According to the author, Jesus and the apostles had been aware that the Coming would be delayed, and had even warned: "... that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.' The author continued that "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, and that: "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up...Nevertheless, we according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." In one of the later gospel letters (which are believed to have been written after the death of Paul), we can see reference to where the author is urging calm, obviously from growing alarm that Jesus had not yet returned: "Now brothers, about the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and his gathering of us to himself, I beg you do not suddenly lose your heads and alarm yourselves ... [for] that day cannot come before the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form, the man doomed to perdition. He is the enemy. He rises in his pride against every god so called, every object of men's worship and even takes his seat in the temple of God." (2 Thess. 2:1-4) Although 2 Thessalonians is ascribed to Paul, many scholars believe that it was written around 70 C.E. by some other author who was anxious to correct some of the "misconceptions" caused by the first letter to the Thessalonians. That is, unlike other letters of Paul that stressed the immediacy of the Second Coming--this author states that the delay in Jesus' return can be explained by the dualistic forces of good and evil in the world. Or, in other words, "the final rebellion against God" must first take place before Judgment Day can come. (Note: Regarding his references to the "enemy" who would "take[] his seat in the temple of God", some scholars believe this passage could possibly have been describing the Roman emperor Vespasian (Nero's successor). Vespasian became emperor in 69 C.E. following the Roman victory over the Jewish Revolt. He re-instituted the cult of worshipping the emperors (including himself), as gods!) Gospel Predictions of the Second Coming A literal reading of the gospel stories clearly shows that Jesus predicted he would return to end the present world order WITHIN THE LIFETIMES OF HIS current generation: "...Take heed behold I have told you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven ... "Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done." (Mark 13:23-30. See also Matthew 24:34, and Luke 21:32) That Jesus would return during the current generation is also written down in Matthew 16:27-28: "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." During Jesus' questioning by the high priest (just prior to being turned over to the Romans and crucified), the following interchange is recorded by Mark between the high priest and Jesus: "...Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? and Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." If Jesus had stated that the high priest would "see" him on the right hand of God, we could surmise that Jesus was referring to that time after the high priest had died--when his spirit was facing "Judgment". However because of the action implied in the scene (ie the high priest was to "see" Jesus "coming in the clouds of heaven") this makes it sound as if it is again a reference to a physical "End" of the World. Why was the Second Coming Postponed? Christians, both then and now, have naturally been puzzled as to why Jesus decided to "postpone" the Coming of God during the lifetimes of his contemporaries. Indeed, the fact that Jesus appeared to have promised to return during his generation, is probably one of the most powerful arguments made by skeptics in their refutation of the authority of the gospels. Obviously theologians and biblical scholars have been aware of these passages. The following examines some popular responses. Was Jesus Referring to a SPIRITUAL (As opposed to Physical) Kingdom? One possibility, (hinted at by Luke), is that Jesus was speaking of a SPIRITUAL kingdom of God, as opposed to a PHYSICAL End of the World: According to Luke 17:20-21: " The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU." (emphasis mine on words "within you"). There is another verse, where Luke quotes Jesus as describing the Kingdom of Heaven along seemingly SPIRITUAL terms: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is AMONG you." [emphasis mine] The advantage of this view is that because NO apocalypse is involved, this could explain why Jesus has not returned in roughly two thousand years! (Remember the earth was believed to be roughly four thousand years old, so by biblical standards another two thousand years represents a HUGE passage of time). Still, there are problems with this view. For in other passages in Luke, Jesus is shown urging his followers to go out and proclaim a kingdom of God on EARTH--and quickly, for there was NO time to loose. That is, in other verses, Luke's meaning seems clear that Jesus and his disciples WERE EXPECTING THE WORLD TO END SOON! For example, note the following verses--also taken from the gospel of Luke: * "And he [Jesus] said to all, 'If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it...truly, there are some standing here who will not taste of death before they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:23-4,27) * As they were going down the road, Jesus approached one man, saying: 'Follow me.' But he said to him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' But he said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.; Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-62) * "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple...whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 15:26,33) * "Nevertheless, when the Son of man COMES, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8) (emphasis mine). * "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and treat glory. Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:25-8) Other Gospel References to a PHYSICAL End of the World Scene Matthew and Mark also directly quote Jesus as referring to WHEN the Day of Judgment will occur--therefore specifically referring to some future PHYSICAL event: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36. See also Mark 8:11-12). As we saw earlier, the gospels quote Jesus as depicting terrible events occurring (the light from the sun and the moon would darken, and the stars would fall from heaven, etc). This is clearly speaking of a real PHYSICAL event. And according to Matthew, Jesus appears to have emphasized that his words were to be taken literally and not figuratively: *"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). * "May thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done... as in Heaven [so] also on earth". Looking closely at the sayings of Jesus regarding the Kingdom of God-- although Jesus seems to indicate that sometimes the Kingdom of God is within (ie possibly spiritual), at other times the references are clearly to some future PHYSICAL event, such as when Jesus is quoted as saying: * "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:15) These terms "near" and "at hand" would clearly have been understood by Jesus' Jewish audience along the lines of Jewish apocalyptic traditions-- to be a belief in the inauguration of a new Jerusalem on earth! If the End of the World is a PHYSICAL Event--Are There Other Reasons Why it Has Remained Unfulfilled for Roughly TWO THOUSAND YEARS? If we come back to the view that the END OF THE WORLD is a real PHYSICAL EVENT as opposed to a spiritual state--the obvious question arises as to WHY it has taken so long to be fulfilled? I. A famous passage in Matthew is often quoted in answer to this question: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36 See also Mark 8:11-12). (Footnote: Sometimes 2 Peter 3:8 "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" is also quoted). But of course, even if Jesus does not know the EXACT date and time of the Second Coming--doesn't it mean he was "mistaken" that the GENERAL timeframe was supposed to occur during his present generation? It is a fact that the early Christians would have been utterly shocked if they had known that the Second Coming would NOT have made an appearance after roughly TWO thousand years had elapsed. Skeptics have responded that, since it is known that the gospels were written some thirty to eighty years AFTER the crucifixion of Jesus, that it would only have been natural for an apologetic reply to be "inserted" into the doctrine-- to explain why Jesus' return had not occurred as expected. (as noted in Section III, Chapter 2, it is a fact that verses in the New Testament HAVE been definitely tampered with.) Religious scholars have brought up the excellent point though, that "IF" the gospel writers WERE written sometime AFTER the Jewish revolt--Why would the gospel writers also INCLUDE verses that clearly (and erroneously) state that Jesus would return during HIS current generation?' That is, surely--they would have just omitted these references! There is, of course, one plausible answer to this. If the End of the World predictions were truly GENUINE sayings of Jesus--then they were probably KNOWN to the earliest Christian communities. And during the turbulent times while Christians were facing persecutions, no doubt these were some of the most popular and cherished sayings in the community-- giving hope to hang on during these dark periods. That is, the theme of the world coming to an End was so ingrained within the hopes and aspirations of the community--that no one could change this, even if they wanted too--without great resistance by the current Christian community. The hope for a new world appears in many ancient Christian writings. For example, a beautiful prayer appearing in the non canonical book TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES, concludes with the words: 'Let grace come and this world pass away.' According to this theory, the verses regarding the imminent return of Jesus would be too important and well known to be left out of the gospels. So to explain the delay, other verses were "added" by the gospel writers, according to their own theological views. (Thus, Matthew and Mark softened this impact by adding the verse which stated that only the Father knows the exact day and hour.) II. There is another famous passage that is sometimes given as to why the Second Coming has been delayed for so long. According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus declared that his disciples who are preaching the gospel in Israel and facing persecution for his name's sake will not: "have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." (Matthew 10:23) It is based on this verse, that many Christian missions have been launched to mass convert the world. That is, if ALL the towns were converted, then this should "speed up" the arrival of Jesus' Second Coming. Of course, based on this reasoning, it might take, say, another couple of thousand years, before the world is "ready" for the Second Coming. This scenario, unfortunately has not been considered by many ultra-conservative Christian groups—too many of whom have passively or actively contributed to ACCELERATE physical problems on the earth-- from supporting the stockpiling of atomic weapons to thwarting efforts to reduce socio-ecological threats of the world (including overpopulation of the earth, inaction on pollution and global warming, and the destruction of the earth's protective ozone layer in the atmosphere). All of this, seemingly in the belief that this will FORCE Jesus to RETURN soon to save the world! That is, as if to say, "If things get too bad, Jesus will HAVE to return soon." Revelations The majority of biblical scholars believe that Revelations was written around 100 C.E., that is after Nero's death but before the destruction of Jerusalem. Certain passages indicate that the author of Revelations was referring to current events in Rome (As we shall see, the early Christians were heavily persecuted during this time.) According to Revelations, Judgment Day begins with the Lamb opening the seven seals--whereupon four men on horseback, one with a crown, one with a sword, one with a pair of balances, and the last one Death, are let loose. The sun becomes black as sackcloth, and the moon becomes as blood. An angel pronounces a triple woe upon the inhabitants of the earth. The pit is opened and four who had been bound are freed to slay a third of mankind. A battle ensues between a woman and a dragon, but the dragon is cast down. A beast with seven heads and ten horns appears; another beast follows and makes an image of the first beast that should be worshipped by men. "The number of the beast" is "six hundred and three score and six" (which according to Hebrew mysticism means "Nero".) But the victorious Lamb stands on Mount Zion--the Gospel is preached, and the harvest is ready for gathering. The seven vials of wrath are poured out upon mankind. The city 'which reigneth over the kings of the earth (Rome), the old Babylon, the mother of abominations, falls, and the fowls of the air are called to feast upon the flesh of the dead. Satan is bound for a thousand years, but let loose again. In a final struggle, the beasts are conquered, whereupon a new heaven and a new earth are created. A heavenly Jerusalem descends upon earth and the twelve tribes inhabit the city, which needs no sun because God is its light. Regarding the beast possessing "seven heads and ten horns", it is further explained that "the seven heads are seven mountains". It was common knowledge at the time that Rome was referred to as the city of seven hills (indeed a festival was celebrated every December to commemorate the enclosure of the seven hills within Rome's walls.) (G.A. Wells, Religious Postures. p 10). Revelations also explains that these seven heads are also "seven kings", five of whom have fallen, "the one is, the other is not yet come." The author is probably associating the "kings" with Roman emperors. There is no doubt that early Christians interpreted these passages to refer to their times--and that there would be one more evil reign before the End of the World. Although John uses fantastic imagery in describing his visions, what he describes is largely based on a Jewish tradition that had existed some seven hundred years before he wrote. For example, the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel also described a magnificent, fiery God, who sitting on his throne surrounded himself with four animal-shaped winged spirits. One major difference, though was that John included righteous humans in his entourage with God. (HEAVEN: A HISTORY, p 39) As we have seen, Judaic Christianity disappeared from the face of the earth (after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E.). Ironically Rome, instead of representing the persecution of the Christians, would later symbolize the power and center of Christianity before the whole world. Belief in the End of the World After the First Century C.E. to Modern Times. Especially from the first through the third centuries C.E., there were groups (just as there are today) who believed that the Second Coming would arrive during their lifetimes. The fourth book of Daniel tells of an incident in Syria where the leader of a young Christian congregation: "persuaded many of the brethern, with their wives and children, to go out into the wilderness to meet the Christ, and they went wandering in the mountains and wastes, there losing their way; and the end was that all but a few were apprehended as robbers and would have been executed by the mayor of the city had it not been that his wife was a believer and that in response to her entreaties he put a stop to the proceeding to prevent a persecution arising because of them." There were other occurrences recorded such as a Christian officer in Pontus who "brought the brethren to such a pitch of fear and trembling that they abandoned their lands and fields, letting them become waste, and sold, the most of them, their possessions." In the third century C.E., Novatian (declared a heretic by the Catholic church) was a popular preacher who taught that the second coming of Christ was imminent. Crowds thronged around him chanting their favorite prayer, "Come, Lord Christ, clothed in all Thy wrath and judgment, come with all Thy vengeance, come." As we shall see in Section V (that traces the history of Christianity throughout the ancient world), a belief in the imminent Return of Jesus waned after the third century C.E. and did not revive until the year 1000 C.E., as Revelations hinted that Jesus would return on the one thousandth year anniversary of his birth. After 1000 C.E., there was a resurgence in the belief of an imminent Second Coming--as attested to by the increasingly number of heretical sects ready to face the power of the Catholic Church. Modern Christian Diversity of Opinion Regarding the EXACT Nature of "THE END" Today, there are powerful theological battles taking place behind the scenes between warring Christian factions as to EXACTLY how to interpret "The End" of the World. These views can be broken down into three basic (and different) Christian doctrines, as follows: (1) PREMILLENNIALISM- The belief that after Jesus Christ returns, he will reign a THOUSAND years on EARTH, after which time, eternity in heaven begins. The basis for this belief is found in Revelation 20: "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, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while." Some premillennialists believe in a seven year period of TRIBULATION (based on Daniel 9:27) during which time, God's divine wrath will wreck revenge upon the earth. Jesus reportedly told his disciples (Matthew 24:21) that there would be a "great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." Regarding this seven year period of tribulation, some believe: --the Church WILL escape this period (ie the church will be "raptured" or caught up in the air to meet Jesus Christ before the tribulation begins on earth.) --the Church WILL NOT escape this terrible period. --the Church will only go through the FIRST HALF of tribulation. (This is based on verses in Daniel 9:24-7, which suggests that the first half of the tribulation is the worst part.) --Only spiritual believers will escape tribulation and experience rapture. Probably most early Christians were premillennalists up until the time of Origen (185-254 C.E.). The Orthodox church after this time, chose AMILLENNIALISM as their official doctrine. (2) AMILLENNIALISM is the belief that the earth will be destroyed immediately upon Jesus Christ's arrival, initiating ETERNITY in heaven. Amillennialists do NOT deny that the Scripture predicts a millennium--Instead some interpret this thousand year period to exist ON EARTH BEFORE the Second Coming. St. Augustine (354-430 C.E.) was a proponent of this view, whereby the Church was symbolically seen to represent the kingdom on earth. Both the Catholic and early Protestant Churches embraced St. Augustine's interpretation of the millennium. However later Protestant groups came to reject the interpretation of the "Church" as the kingdom of earth. Instead, they saw the thousand year period of peace being fulfilled in HEAVEN, as opposed to on the earth—i.e., a state of blessedness with the saints on the left side of God and Jesus Christ on the right side. (3) POSTMILLENNISM - According to this view, the Second Coming will appear after the Christianization of the world (ie AFTER the Church has established the kingdom on earth). The main difference between this view and AMILLENNIALISM is its optimistic belief that there will be a final triumph of GOOD OVER EVIL before Jesus' Second Coming. This view became popular during the periods of the Enlightenment/Romanticism, and the progressive view on mankind resulting from humanism and liberal theology. It waned during the period of the great World Wars, when this optimism towards the eventual improvement of mankind turned to pessimism. Today, most adherents of postmillennialism are ultra-conservative Christians who believe in a perfect Christian society characterized by absolute obedience to God's Laws--laws which include death penalties for such sins as idolatry, witchcraft, adultery, homosexuality, apostasy, blasphemy, and the breaking of the sabbath. (Footnote: This section uses material from Robert P. Lightner, TH.D.,THE LAST DAYS HANDBOOK--A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF PROPHECY--WHO BELIEVES WHAT ABOUT PROPHECY AND WHY. (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1990. Note, Lightner disagrees with me, in that he states that the optimism of the Postmillennists was a result of the "reaction AGAINST humanism and liberal theology" [emphasis mine]. This may be true now, but I disagree during the period before the World Wars. p 83-4) Conclusion Today, all three views regarding the NATURE of the Second Coming are held by different Christian groups. Obviously, because one cannot apply the classic reconciliation technique (ie the "They're ALL True" technique!) towards a resolution of these differences--serious conflicts have arisen among Christians as to which group holds the "true" doctrine. In conclusion, we can note that conflict and controversy regarding the exact timing and nature of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ have existed since even the times of the early Christians! Thus, it should come as no surprise that this controversy has lasted on into modern times, as well. We will leave this subject at this point, and continue on to the last chapters of this section--which takes a look at how possibly Jesus Christ "personally" understood the nature of his mission on earth.