What is millennialism and what is rapturism? Both of these words hold very important meaning and are vital to the faith of every believer. The word millennialism finds its source from the word millennium. The word millennium can be traced back to the Latin word “mille” which literal means a thousand. [1] A search of the English Bible reveals that the word millennium is not found in any passage. If the word cannot be found in the Bible, then where does it come from? Secondly, why is the word millennium so important? One of the key passages concerning the usage of the word millennium is found in Revelation 20:2-7. From this passage a key verse to note is verse 4 which reads; “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto …show more content…
As with the word millennium, the word rapture is not found in the English version of the Bible. However, the word rapture is the direct English transliteration of the Latin word “rapturo,” which literally means to be “caught up or taken away.”[3] The Latin Vulgate was translated using the Greek New Testament and the passage in question is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 which reads: “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.” The statement “caught up” is the Greek word “harpazo,” which means “to seize, catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).”[4] The foundation for the use of the word rapture has a solid Scriptural basis. This is equally true of the word millennium as a way to describe the thousand years of Christ’s earthly kingdom. It is interesting to note that those who find issue with using the words millennium or rapture have no issue using the word sovereign or sovereignty. The word sovereign is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures. Yet, no one would argue that God is sovereign or hesitate to use the word sovereignty when speaking of God’s …show more content…
The Amillennialist does not believe in a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. This position does not allow for any future restoration to the nation of Israel in any form. All of the blessings designated by the promise of God to Israel now belong to the Church. Concerning the tribulation period, it is experienced in this present age. The Dispensational Premillennialist views the second coming of Christ in two phases: first, the rapture of the Church prior to the seven-year tribulation. The second phase is the return of Christ to the earth following the tribulation period in a literal sense for a thousand-year reign. During the thousand-year reign of Christ there will be a separate and “distinct program for Israel and the
Kenneth Gentry begins with a quote, “The closer we get to the year 2000, the farther we get from the events of Revelation.” This sentence summarizes the Preterist view nicely. The Preterist places weight on the historical aspect of Revelation by relating it to its original author and audience. The author was mainly concerned with the seven churches of Asia Minor who were facing difficulties during that time. John’s target audience was neither churches nor the 21st century. As most evangelical scholars would affirm, Revelation contains prophecies which were fulfilled in John’s near future. Their manifestation might not have been as graphic or literal as one might imagine, because John uses “poetic hyperbole,” yet these events were actually fulfilled in history. He argues that the use of highly figurative speech and symbolism is “not a denial of historicity but a matter of literary genre.” These were events that were to take place soon because the time was near. Then Gentry uses study of Greek language to support this. He argues that lexicons and modern translators agree that these terms indicate temporal proximity indicating that they expected to see the events in their lifetime. As much as a word study can be helpful, it can also be limiting. One certainly cannot base interpretation of the whole book on a loosely used term. Similarly, while the Apostle Paul spoke to the Thessalonians with urgency in plain language, we know that the Second Advent is yet to happen.
Both in the Old and New Testament, the Antichrist is described as this wicked individual who appears at the end of the age. Rising up politically to become the most powerful man on the planet, he will be regarded a Hero — the world’s Savior. Out of a power block of ten nations (or territories) rooted in the old Roman empire, he will establish some type of world government. Under his authority, Babylon (Iraq) will be rebuilt into the commercial center of the world. Through his mystical right hand man, a commercial mark will be instituted, enabling the Antichrist to control all buying and selling on earth. Peace between Israel and her surrounding Arab nations will be established when he institutes a seven-year treaty allowing the Jews to rebuild their holy temple; a temple he will later defile when he stands in its midst and proclaims himself — god. Satan himself will possess him. An anthropomorphic image, called the Beast will be created — through great signs and wonders — that all will be commanded to worship. Towards the end of his reign, he will bring the armies of the world together in Israel for the great battle known as Armageddon. The globe will experience what is called the Great Tribulation leading up to this time involving terrible cosmic and supernatural judgment. This seven-year tribulation starts when
The following passages in the Jewish scriptures are the ones that Jews consider to be messianic in nature or relating to the end of days. These are the ones that we rely upon in developing our messianic concept:
Martyn, J. Louis. "The Apocalyptic Gospel in Galatians." Interpretation 54.3 (2000). 09 Jun. 2002 http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tel_a/mmcwml.
The Gospel of Matthew exhibits the plan of atonement and salvation for all people and the beginning of a new era. The Kingdom has come. Matthew’s Gospel is eschatological. Through the direct use of and allusions to the Hebrew scriptures, as well as fulfillment citations Matthew clearly connects Jesus’ life and ministry with Israel’s traditions and promised history.4...
I had multiple preconceptions about this article and the book of Revelation. Before reading the book I just thought of it as strictly apocalyptic. In church that...
I want that quiet rapture again. I want to feel the same powerful, nameless urge that I used to feel when I turned to my books. The breath of desire that then arose from the colored backs of the books, shall fill me again, melt the heavy, dead lump of lead that lies somewhere in me and waken again the impatience of the future, the quick joy in the world of thought, it shall bring back again the lost eagerness of my youth. I sit and wait (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 151).
Unlike other views that believe the second coming will be in two phases, amillennialists feel it will occur in one stage; within the time between the first and second coming (459). They fuse the two resurrections spoken in Revelation 20:1-6 into one stage. In this one stage, a general resurrection will occur in which all believers and unbelievers will be gathered. They understand that Satan will be bound during the in-between time and at the second advent he will be released for a short time to cause havoc (458). Christ will return after the heavenly millennium reign and all believers and transformed believers will be taken up to the clouds to be with Him.
New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997. Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.
Revelation identifies itself as “both an “apocalypse”…and as prophecy”, making it distinctly different from the rest of the New Testament. “Jewish apocalyptic literature flourished in the centuries following the completion of the OT canon”, and it is scattered throughout the Old Testaments in books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. Apocalyptic literature is full of “visions that dramatize the prophet’s admission to God’s heavenly council”, and convey their meaning primarily through symbolism. John brings a “balanced message of comfort, warning, and rebuke” in Revelation, testifying to the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Apart from the OT literature, Revelation shows a distinct optimism toward the end of days, for “Christ’s death has already won the decisive victory over evil”, with the Kingdom of God already among believers. This book was written in “approximately A.D. 95 on the island of Patmos”, which is still standing to this day. It was written under the emperor Domitian, with Roman authorities exiling John “to the island of Patmos (off the coast of Asia)”. The events in Revelation are also “ordered
The term millennium does not appear anywhere in Scripture. The idea originated from a thousand year period of time that characterizes the reign of the Messiah. In fact, the phrase “thousand years” is stated six times in Revelation 20. There are three main schools of thought based upon one’s view of the thousand-year reign of Christ. These views are: Amillennial, Postmillennial and Premillennial. Over the centuries these prophetic differences have caused conflict within the body of Christ and are still currently widely debated. Instead of the book of Revelation being the basis of comfort (1 Thess. 4:18) among Christians it has become a bone of contention. However, this controversy should not deter Christ’s disciples from receiving the blessings that Revelation has to offer (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). Rather, one should study prophecy under the Spirit’s guidance and look at the data provided within the full context of the Word assessing each of the views for correct motives and presuppositions. Therefore, this paper will examine the nature, timing, and duration of the millennium as well as the occupants of the millennial kingdom and the relationship of Israel and the Church to the millennial kingdom. The aim of this paper is to address “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, ESV).
The term of secularism comes from Latin, Saeculum that has two connotations which are “time” and “location”. The “time” refers to present and the “location” refers to the world. Then Saeculum means the recent age or pres...
In the days of Christ’s life on this earth, believers did not have access to the Bible in its entirety as we know and are familiar with today. Believers in this ancient time period only had access to the Old Testament. However, through their access to the Old Testament, believers were provided a foundation for New Testament times. This foundation provided New Testament believers with the Lord’s established principles of right and wrong they were expected to follow. In addition, the Old Testament is overflowing with accounts of people whose lives exemplified the future life of Christ on this earth. These pictures allowed the Israelite nation to begin to have an understanding of why Christ needed to come as their Messiah and the work He needed to do on earth. Finally, there are common themes that are interwoven throughout the entire Old Testament. Three of these themes: transgression, redemption, and consummation point to the purpose of Christ’s atoning death on the cross. These themes portray God’s work both in the lives of Old Testament believers, but they also foreshadow God’s desire and plan for believers in New Testament times and beyond.
The term serves as an alternate for other phrases referring to the era of modern man, such as “anthropocene” or “capitolocene,” which Haraway disagrees with. Rather than the ominous implications of the anthropocene and capitalocene, the Chthulucene is precarious, but not yet doomed because it consists of “ongoing multispecies stories and practices.” The concept of the Chthulucene implies a one-ness shared by all beings, human and non-human. By rejecting the anthropocene and capitolocene, Haraway also rejects the notion that dictates define the age we are currently living. “Anthro-“ and “capital-“ place a certain amount of blame on single entities, namely humans and capitalism, but in the rest of her work, Haraway suggests that recognizing unity and networks is ultimately more important than assigning fault. While the other terms seem to identify a cause for the modern age, Haraway’s Chtulucene emphasizes a method of thinking about and living with the present. In Haraway’s view, the Chtulucene is a vital part of reimagining our existence in the world. She goes on to discuss “tentacular thinking” and “making kin” as other aspects that are key to creating a sustainable world. In order to continue existing,
As mentioned before Genesis 3:21 portrayed the future of what was to come because Jesus Christ is the redemptive embodiment of the Missio Dei; John 5:39-41 says, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”The entire Old Testament was portraying Jesus, “The Bible is about God who loves the world so much. This Bibles is about Jesus, God’s gift to the world” (Hanes, 197). John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In scripture it says, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” John 1:17. In the Old Testament God displays His grace during Noah’s flood, the exodus, and even God using Joseph to save his family in Egypt. God’s grace is flooded throughout the Old Testament as well. However, Wright says, “the exodus stands in the Hebrew Scriptures as the great defining demonstration of YHWH’s power, love, faithfulness and liberating intervention on behalf of His people” (75). Wright also says, “Jesus Christ is typical of what we have already seen- the identification of Jesus with the great defining functions of Israel’s God” (118). Moreover, since Jesus is God in flesh, Jesus is also brings salvation. “The name Jehoshua, Jeshua,