Eschatology's Puzzle

Eschatology is the branch of theology that concerns itself with the last things. What is going to happen in the final events of the world? In Christianity it is a hotly contested topic. That's because it's future tense and, therefore, not clearly known.

Interestingly enough, there are certain things on which all agree. "Really?? What are they?" you might ask, given the amount of disagreement on the subject. There are several universal components that all Christians agree on. There is the Rapture -- the calling up of the saints -- and there is the Millennium -- a thousand-year reign -- and there is the Great Tribulation -- the time in which an anti-Christ will rule and torment -- and there is the actual and certain return of Christ -- the final end of all that is "now" and the beginning of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Now, on the downside, that's about it. The particulars surrounding all of these elements are in question. But on the upside, we actually all agree that all four elements are present in biblical eschatology.

I bring up the agreement because the whole question of what will happen in the end is very often bogged down in the mixing of these four points. You have the pre-millennialists and the amillennialists and the post-millennialists. The first think the Millennium is still in the future, the second believe it's not an actual Millennium (a figurative one), and the third believe we're at the end of it (if it is literal, not figurative). In terms of the Rapture there are pre-Tribbers, post-Tribbers, mid-Tribbers, and even post-wrathers. On the Great Tribulation there are future Trib types, the partial-preterists, and the full-preterists. (Preterists tend to believe that some measure of the Great Tribulation took place in the past.) Perhaps now you begin to see how sticky the question can become because all of these terms can get intermingled and twisted up and you might refer to a pre-millennial position while thinking of a pre-Tribulation concept and not be talking about the same thing at all. But wait! Then there is "Dispensational pre-millennialism" as opposed to "historical pre-millennialism" compared to "progressive dispensational pre-millennialism" (for example) and now you've got more issues to deal with.

My problem, of course, is that every position claims to come from the pages of Scripture and can show you where with clarity and every position leaves me with unanswered questions. Dispensational pre-millennialism, for instance, claims boldly and loudly that they are the "literalist" view. "It is absolutely essential to Christianity, let alone eschatology, that you take the Bible literally, and we do." So they see a gap in the 70 weeks of Daniel that doesn't appear in the text and have to do a crazy dance around all the "soon" and "quickly" and "at hand" comments that the Bible makes regarding the "Day of the Lord", the return of Christ, and all that. "Well, you see," they have to admit, "that isn't as literal as it might appear." They have difficulty explaining how Christ can return and judge the world (Matt 25:31-46) followed by a 1000-year-reign and another rebellion (Rev 20:7-10). Dispensational pre-millennialism has trouble correlating their Israel-centered eschatology with Paul's notion in Romans 11 that has all God's people grafted into one tree.

Interestingly, the preterists will tell you the same thing. "We're taking Scripture literally, so when you read that Christ's return is 'at hand', it is literally at hand." They argue, you see, that Christ returned around 70 AD. But, then, they have to do their own dance around the texts in Revelation and the ramifications of just what it would mean if Christ actually returned in 70 AD and, how, exactly, Satan is "chained" in our current world. (Note that generally preterism -- the belief that Christ's first return occurred around 70 AD -- occurs alongside the amillennialist or post-millennialist viewpoints, absolutely necessary for coherence.) So they take some parts literally and others figuratively. "Well, of course we take Revelation figuratively because it's a prophetic and, therefore, figurative book!" Which may or may not be fine, but let's be clear that neither of these two views are taking Scripture literally literally. (Indeed, all views require some variation on the concept of "taking the Bible literally".)

Postmillennialists have a certain optimism -- "Things will get better and better" -- and can tell you where to find it in the Bible, but their problem lies most obviously in history (where things seem to just keep getting worse and worse) and in any real agreement about when Christ will return. I mean, they're sure He will return at the end of the 1,000 years, but when those 1,000 years start is up for huge debate ... and most of them are past 1,000 years already.

Then there's the whole "Great Tribulation" and "Rapture" problem. When? Why? As it turns out, the whole "Dispensational pre-millennial pre-Trib Rapture" schema is rather new on the eschatological scene. Historically the historical pre-millennial view included a post-Trib Rapture and Christians of this stripe often prepared for 3 1/2 years of "wrath". But that notion is so rare these days as to have completely obscured its 1800-year history. Always questions, rarely answers.

There is a lot of debate in a lot of areas around the topic of End Times. There is a lot of disagreement among genuine Christians. It can really be a puzzle of which none of us are clear. But of this we are sure. Christ is returning. Actually returning. There will come an end. There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. We will see Him as He is, for we will be like Him. Comfort one another with these words.