PREMILLENNIALISM – The Historic View

This was the view of the early Church;

The Church will be on the earth during the Great Tribulation
and will suffer under the Antichrist;

Christ returns after the Tribulation and just before the Millennium;

He will rule literally on this earth for one thousand years;

THE LORD’S RETURN IS A SINGLE EVENT!


AMILLENNIALISM – A Later View

Following Augustine this was the dominant view of the Middle Ages;

The time reference in Revelation to a Millennium is symbolic;
there is no literal Millennium;

The Millennium is synonymous with the age of the Church;

There may or may not be a period of Great Tribulation;

THE LORD’S RETURN IS A SINGLE EVENT!


POSTMILLENNIALISM – A Much Later View

This view arose after the Reformation;

The Millennium is brought about by the power of the Gospel
and the work of the Church;

The Millennium will be a golden age during which Christianity will triumph;

Christ returns to the earth after the Millennium;

THE LORD’S RETURN IS A SINGLE EVENT!


DISPENSATIONALISM – A Recent Interpretation

This view was developed after 1830;

Israel and the Church must be kept distinct;

Distinguishes between the Rapture and the Revelation;
views them as separate events;

Christ returns before the Tribulation—the Rapture;

Church is in heaven with Christ during the Great Tribulation on earth;

Christ returns after the Tribulation—the Revelation;
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We hold that pretribulationism is an inference
and not the explicit teaching of the Word of God . . .
Furthermore, we feel it is not a necessary inference,
but is a view which has arisen in comparatively modern times
in light of which Scripture has been interpreted.
George Ladd