SS - What Will Happen When Christ Returns

Eschatology - Eschatos = last

Eschatology = study of last things

Disclaimer* Significant debate amongst Christians regarding this doctrine

Start with what we (should) all agree with

There will be a sudden, personal, visible, bodily return of Christ

Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Acts 1:9–11 “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.””

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

We should eagerly long for Christ’s return

Johns Response in Rev

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

Titus 2:12–13 “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

1 Corinthians 16:22 “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” (Maranatha)

c. We Dont know when Christ will return

Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Mark 13:32–33 ““But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.”

JW have failed at this many times

1914 - paradise on earth

When wwI - changed to christs reign in heaven

1925 - Resurrection of patriarchs - Built mansion

1941 - End times was months away

1975 - 6000 years of human history

We need to be very careful to be dogmatic on end times. The bible is clear that we actually don’t know when it will happen

d. Final Results of Christ’s return

Judgement for unbelievers and final reward for believers

We will live with God in new heavens & new earth

Disagreements

Nature of the millennium

The relationship of Christs return to the millennium

The Sequence of Christ’s return to the millennium

The sequence of Christ’s return to the great tribulation

Question of salvation of the Jews

Has Christ already returned - Preterist Argument

Returned in AD 70 when the Jerusalem temple was destroyed

Argument

Jesus said he would return during lifetime

Matthew 24:34 “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

2. “This generation” means the people who were alive when Jesus said that

3. In order for it to be true, Jesus must have come back during the lifetime of those hearers. All eschatological events came to pass within their lifetime

4. Jesus did come back, but invisibly when the temple was destroyed

Counter

Other legitimate understanding of “this generation”

The Millennium

Revelation 20:2–5 “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, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 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 for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.”

3 Major Views of Millennium

Amillennialism

No future Millennium

Rev 20 1-10 describes present church age

Satans influence has been greatly reduced

Those who are reigning with Christ is Christians who have died already and reigning in heaven

The thousand years is is not literal but figurative for a long time

When Christ returns, bodies of believers will be raised to meet with spirit and enjoy heaven

Unbelievers will raise and face judgement

Postmillennialism

Post - After

Christ will return after the millennium

The progress of the gospel and the growth of the church will gradually increase over time and the world will become more Christian

Eventually, the “millennial age” will begin. At the end of this period, Christ will return

Very optimistic

Premillennialism

Classic/Historic premillennialism

Pre - Before

Christ will return before the millennium

Church age -> Christ -> Millennium -> Eternal State

Once we get close to the end time, a great tribulation & suffering comes to the earth

After the trib, Christ will return to establish millennium kingdom

Believers will be raised and will reign with Christ on the earth for a thousand years (some literal, some not)

Satan will be bound and have no influence

Unbelievers who are still alive will live on earth and most will come to faith

At the end of the thousand years, satan is released and will join forces with unbelivers in rebellion to god

Unbelievers will be raises and all will face final judgement

SUB - PRE TRIB PREMILL

The first systematic we see of this is John Darby in 1800s

Widespread acceptance in uk and us

Christ will return BEFORE tribulation

Two returns

One ‘secret’ return to catch up believers

Return to heaven w/ believers

Then trib starts

Second return with those he took up to reign for thousand years

After millennium, great rebellion

This view is almost exclusive to dispensationalists

Clear distinction between church & Israel

Defenses & Refutations of each

Pre Mil

Defense

Plain/literal reading of the Rev 20 (two resurrections)

Seems to be a future state of the earth in OT prophecies that is not eternal state

Isaiah 65:20 “No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Isaiah 11:6–11 “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.”

Nature is completely different & some seeking the messiah & coming to salvation

Psalm 72:8–14 “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.”

Dominion is sea to sea; ends of the earth… YET weak, needy, poor, saves lives

Other NT passages that suggest future millennium

Revelation 2:26–27 “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”

Rod of iron, broken into pieces… Appears to suggest a ruling over rebellious people

1 Corinthians 15:22–25 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

In light of that Rev 20 would refer to a future earthly reign of christ in which satan would be restricted further that what we see now

Refutation

NT seems to teach one general resurrection

John 5:28–29 “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

Postmillennialism

The great commission leads us to expect that the gospel will go forth in power and result in a largely christian world

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

The great commission isn’t simply a command but also a prophecy. The gospel is the power of god unto salvation

2. Parables of gradual growth of the kingdom

Matthew 13:31–32 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.””

Matthew 13:33 “He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.””

3. The world is becoming more christian

The church has grown and expanded throughout the world

(Dont think glorified bodies or renewed creation)

4. OT points to global peace

psalm 2, Isa 11, Hab 2 14

Refutation

Although Christ does have all authority, it does not mean he will us it to bring about the conversion of the majority of the world

2. The parables of growth do tell us that the kingdom will grow from small to large, but doesn’t specify the extent or degree to which it will grow

3. The world is becoming more evil

We see more and more wickedness in our world/country

Drugs, murder, abortion, sexuality, marriage

4. It appears there are sveral nt passages that seem to deny postmill

Matthew 7:13–14 ““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Luke 18:8 “I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”

2 Timothy 3:1–5 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

2 Timothy 3:12–13 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

2 Timothy 4:3–4 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Finally, great tribulation that comes before christ

Matthew 24:15–31 ““So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Passages that talk about christ’s return being imminent don’t seem to to be conducive

If a gradual growth over time, wouldn’t expect a sudden return

Amillennialism

When we look at scripture, only passage (Rev 20: 1-6) seems to teach a future earthly millennial rule of Christ

And at that, it is obscure and complex, therefore, we ought not ground a major doctrine on this one disputed, uncertain passage

So how do Amill understand rev 20 1-6?

Referring to present church age

Binding of satan (v 1-2) occurred during Jesus earthly ministry

Spoke of binding the strong man Matt 12 29

Spirit was present in power to triumph over demonic forces

Matthew 12:28 “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Breaking satans power (Jesus sends out 72)

Luke 10:17–18 “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Why was satan bound in rev 20? (to no longer deceive the nations vs 3)

This is exactly what the gospel is, to not only the jew but the gentile. The nations

First resurrection vs 4

Saw the “souls” not bodies

“came to life” can mean “were alive”

First resurrection would be those who went to heaven and are spiritually living

(another view is first resurrection is Christs, and believers participation in it)

2. Scripture only teaches of 1 resurrection

Believers & unbelievers will be raised

John 5:28–29 “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

Acts 24:15 “having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.”

Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

3. It is difficult to imagine a world of glorified believers and sinners living together

4. Difficult to imagine Christ coming in glory and people still rejecting & rebelling against him

5. Seems to be no purpose behind such millennial

Once church age has ended & Christ has returned, why delay eternal state

Refutations

Only one passage teaches future earthly millennium

Bible only needs to say something once for it to be true and authoritative

Rev teaches it. Much like NT, OT didn’t explicitly teach the nature of the messiah

In response to it’s obscurity, Premil would say it isn’t obscure and interpret it at face value

Finally, premil arguments about future state that is better but not our eternal state

Interpretation of first resurrection being spiritual is inconsistent

the word resurrection in the greek never means “going to heaven” or “going to be with God” but rather signifies a bodily resurrection

One resurrection

This passage teaches 2 and the other passages do not exclude the idea of a second resurrection

Secret rebellion

Judas was close to Jesus and still rebelled

Purpose for millennium

God has purposes we may not understand

Finally, Amillennium struggles to propose a satisfying explanation of the text