End Times
From Conservapedia
The End Times, also called the Last Days, refers to the period of time in Christian theology just before and during the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This period of time is foretold in the Old Testament prophetical books, such as Daniel and Ezekiel, and in the New Testament with the Gospels, several of the Pauline Epistles, and in the Revelation.
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Views of the End Times
Three main views exist regarding the End Times and the Second Coming. These views are premillennialist [1], postmillennialist [2], and amillennialist [3].
Premillennialist
This viewpoint takes a literal interpretation of Biblical events, and states that the following must occur in order prior to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns:
- 1. World conditions as specified in Matthew 24 (i.e. lawlessness, wars, famines, etc) must exist.
- 2. The rebirth of Israel as a nation.
- 3. The construction and re-institution of the Jewish Temple and related religious practices upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
- 4. Creation of a united Europe, modeled on the old Roman Empire.
- 5. Implementation of a seven-year peace treaty in favor of Israel, and brokered by the leader of Europe.
- 6. A major war (Armageddon) which is world-wide, ending only with Christ's return.
Postmillennialist
Adherents of this viewpoint believe that a "utopia" of sorts will be physically set up by man, through the preaching of the Gospels or by other means, and the Millennial Kingdom is established before Christ's return. This belief necessitates that mankind is capable of making things better; under man wars, famines, pestilences, and other maladies will end. This viewpoint not only contradicts Scripture regarding the conditions of the world prior to the Second Coming, it contradicts human history during the past two thousand years; there was never a decade in any point of time in which man was not at war with each other, and the past century witnessed two world wars which killed untold millions.
Amillennialist
Augustine, the early Catholic theologian, created this concept as a result of his failure to try to fit the prophetical events of the Bible to the timeframe in which he lived. His disillusionment caused him to believe that when it came to prophecy, the Bible but be taken allegorically or symbolically, rather than literally (he regarded the rest of the Bible as literal). The Kingdom of God was in men's hearts, he stressed, and not in an actual kingdom in which Christ will establish upon His return.
Signs of the times
Concerned by Jesus' statement that the Temple would not be left standing, He was asked by his disciples "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3; King James Version). Jesus replied that there would be specific signs to look for as to the condition of the world just prior to His second coming.
False Christs and false prophets
- And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matthew 23:4-5; King James Version)
Wars, famine, disease, earthquakes
- "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 23:6-7; King James Version)
Massive persecution of Christians
- "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." (Matthew 23:9; King James Version)
Disappearence of natural human love
- "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 23:12; King James Version)
World-wide preaching of the Gospel
- "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 23:14; King James Version)
