Four Views of the End Times
Is what we believe about the last days actually true?
If you grew up in the Western Church like I did you've probably heard of the view of the end times that there's this Antichrist figure coming who will bring the Great Tribulation on all the Christians, Jesus will come back with a sword coming out of his mouth riding on a Pegasus and kill almost half the world's population then destroy the whole world with fire create a strange Thomas More Utopia with no Starbucks, Tacos, Pizza or iPhones.
I used to think this was the only view there was and so I thought it had to be the right one because everybody believed it but there's actually four popular views of what the last days in the Bible are.
I will list them now and briefly explain each one.
Futurism
The first view is called futurism this is the view I just mentioned that everything's going to happen in the future and this is probably the most predominant view in the Western world but not across the whole world.
Historicism
The second view is called historicism this is the view that the events of the last days started happening back in the first century and they've been playing out throughout all of history.
Idealism
The third view is called idealism which is the view that the book of Revelation isn't talking about prophecy going to happen in the future but are allegories or symbols of what goes on in the supernatural realm between God, Satan and the believer much like the story of pilgrims progress by John Bunyan.
Preterism
The fourth view is called preterism or fulfilled eschatology preterism is the view that the last days scriptures were actually fulfilled back in the first century this is what I now believe
Now you might be thinking
how could you believe that?
this hasn't happened yet,
that hasn't happened yet,
we haven't seen this, that or this.
Now all these questions are completely understandable however let me share two reasons why I have chosen to believe this view and have rejected the other three views.
The first reason is audience relevance:
The Bible was written for us but it wasn't written directly to us it was written to people 2,000 or more years ago in a very different culture with very different ways of using language.
For one the English would not have been spoken, written or understood back in the first century.
The common languages of the first century were Greek, Latin and Hebrew see: Luke 23:38 and John 19:20.
We need to understand this point in order for anyone to comprehend the languages of scripture. Some of the words used in scripture have completely different meanings in the original languages and we need to study these in order to comprehend what the scriptures are actually saying.
I’d like to show you why studying is crucial by pointing out one word in the Bible that, if taken incorrectly, can make a BIG difference in your beliefs.
Let me start by stating the obvious way to go a bit deeper in your Bible study: by getting more than one translation.
Look at this famous verse in the King James Version:
Matthew 24:3 KJV
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Now, consider the English Standard Version:
Matthew 24:3 ESV
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Would you agree that “the world” differs significantly from “the age?”
I would, especially if you look at the words “world” and “age” in Greek. They’re clearly different.
One way you can identify this is by using different translations. Most translations render this verse as “the end of the age.”
This is just one brief example of the language differences and how they can change a belief dramatically if NOT understood correctly!
Ancient Hebrew prophetic language is chock full of metaphors and symbols and if we want to be sure we're interpreting these prophecies correctly we need to consider audience relevance which simply means to consider how the original audience hearing or reading the words in the scriptures would have understood them.
Especially with the bizarre sounding terms and concepts like heaven and earth burning up the Sun Moon and stars going dark Jesus riding on the clouds with a sword coming out of his mouth.
Almost all scholars and theologians agree the easiest and most effective way to know how the original readers would have understood the Scriptures is by comparing Scripture with Scripture so we find these terms and concepts in other parts of Scripture see how they're used they're in the same type of context and let that shed light on what they mean in the New Testament prophecies.
This is what preterists do with the last day's prophecies we interpret these words, terms and concepts we find in last days prophecies according to how they are used in prophecy throughout the Bible.
The other views interpret these two thousand-year-old last days prophecies through a 21st century Western mindset and don't consider how the original audience would have understood them.
The second reason is the many time statements:
Now the second reason I like preterism is because of all the time statements in the Bible the New Testament is jam-packed with statements that say the last day's events were going to happen in the lifetime of those alive back in the first century Revelation 1:1 and 22:6 says the last day's events would be soon.
Revelation 2:16, 3:11, 11:14, 22:7, 22:12 and 22:20 says the events would happen shortly
Romans 13:11-12, Philippians 4:5, Hebrews 10:25, James 5:8, 1 Peter 4:7, Revelation 1:3 and 22:10 says the time was near.
Acts 17:31, 24:15 and 25, 26:22 Romans 8:18, Ephesians 1:21, 2 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 5:1 and Revelation 1:19 and 17:8 says the events were about to take place.
Matthew 24:34 says that that generation back then would not pass away into all the last days events took place.
Preterism pays attention to all these time statements and honours them however when someone doesn't interpret Scripture with Scripture or consider how the original audience would have understood the prophetic scriptures they misinterpret what the last day's prophecies are saying.
Then because the last day's events haven't happened according to how they've misunderstood the scriptures to say there would happen they have to ignore or dismiss all these time statements that say these events would happen in the first century.
If that's you don't feel bad because I was once right there and viewed it like this.
People saying a thousand years is like one day is one of the most lame but excuses I've heard in my life a thousand years is like a day is Peter quoting from Psalms 19:2-4 which is speaking of God being ageless it is not speaking about how God measures time.
Throughout the scripture God always communicated to people when things would happen according to how people measured time.
Questions for you to consider:
1) Do you really think God suddenly changed his ways in the New Testament and decided to be confusing?
2) If the Apostles believed that God measured time differently and no one knew when the last day's events would happen why would they repeatedly say that the last day's events were soon, near and were shortly or about to take place?
Let's face it if we say none of these things have happened yet and the time statements mean nothing it makes the word of Jesus and the Apostles untrustworthy.
However if we consider how the original audience understood prophetic language in the Bible and interpret Scripture with Scripture we can see a very clear way of how the last day's events did in fact happen in the first century.
Then and only then can we can say that Jesus and the Apostles weren't liars and they meant exactly what they said.
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