Four Views of the End Times

Book excerpt: So what does the Bible actually say about the end times that lead to the return of Jesus Christ? The differing ideas that divide believers into four major points-of-view are examined in the Four Views of the End Times pamphlet. This bestseller tackles Pre- and Post-millennialism, as well as Historic Premillennialism and Amillennialism in 12 panels of objective information. For each view, the full-color pamphlet includes: A definition of the position with supporting Scriptures A time line of the view’s popularity A sampling of Christian leaders supporting that view The events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ are controversial, and many Christians identify with one of four positions: Dispensational Premillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism, or Postmillennialism. The Four Views of the End Times pamphlet makes the viewpoints and their biblical support easy to understand. Packed with information regarding what Jesus and Paul taught about the end times, the pamphlet also includes a list of important terms and their definitions, such as: Church Eschatology Rapture The Great Tribulation Preterism Four Views of the End Times pamphlet addresses end-time eschatology, outlining the four major points of view regarding events leading up to the second coming of Christ. Below is the outline applied to each of the four views with a few examples: What is emphasized by the view Which Scriptures seem to support the position The time period for the view’s main popularity Dispensational Premillennialism: Gained acceptance in the 1800s and is still widespread Historic Premillennialism: The earliest view following the time of the apostles Amillennialism: Emerged in the 5th century; championed by St. Augustine Postmillennialism: Became popular in the 1800s but decreased in 1900s as a result of the Great Depression A graphic timeline showing the order of events held by that view A sampling of Christian leaders sharing the viewpoints: Dispensational Premillennialism Dr. Charles Stanley Rev. Tim Lahaye Hal Lindsay Historic Premillennialism Justin Martyr: AD 100–165 John Warwick Montgomery: current Amillennialism Martin Luther John Calvin Postmillennialism Jonathan Edwards C. H. Spurgeon R. C. Sproul