Futurism (Christianity)

Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets portions of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.^{[1][page needed]}

By comparison, other Christian eschatological views interpret these passages as past events in a symbolic, historic context (

Some elements of the futurist interpretation of Revelation and Daniel appeared in the early centuries of the Christian Church. However, the view was not popular. Irenaeus of Lyon (died c. 202), for instance, subscribed to the view that Daniel's 70th week awaited a future fulfillment.^[2]

Two Catholic Jesuit writers,

The futurist view assigns all or most of the prophecy to the future, shortly before the

Rapture and tribulation

Futurist interpretations generally predict a

• Enoch was removed before God judged the antediluvian world, in contrast with Noah who was "kept through" wrath and judgement of God in the flood of Genesis.^{[citation needed}
  ]

• Midtribulationists believe that the rapture of the faithful will occur approximately halfway through the Tribulation, after it begins but before the worst part of it occurs. Some midtribulationists, particularly those holding to a "pre-wrath rapture" of the church, believe that God's wrath is poured out during a "Great Tribulation" that is limited to the last 3½ years of the Tribulation, after believers have been caught up to Christ.^{[citation needed]}

• his return to earth
  .

All three views hold that Christians will return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Proponents of all three views also generally portray Israel as unwittingly signing a seven-year peace treaty with the

The rapture views are subsets of premillennial interpretations of the Millennium, mentioned in Revelation 20. There are three main interpretations: premillennialism, amillennialism, and Postmillennialism.^{[citation needed]}

• Premillennialism believes that Christ will return to Earth, bind Satan, and reign for a literal thousand years on Earth with Jerusalem as his capital. Thus Christ returns before ("pre-") the thousand years mentioned in chapter 20. There are generally two subclasses of premillennialism: dispensational and historic. Some form of premillennialism is thought to be the oldest millennial view in church history.^[9] Papias, believed to be a disciple of the Apostle John, was a premillennialist, according to Eusebius. Also Justin Martyr and Irenaeus expressed belief in premillennialism in their writings.

• Amillennialism, the traditional view for Catholicism, believes that the thousand years mentioned are not (
  destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (70), and other starting points have also been proposed. Whether this eschatology is the result of caesaropapism, which may have also been the reason that premillennialism was condemned, is sharply disputed.^{[citation needed}
  ]

• Postmillennialism believes that Christ will return after ("post-") a literal/figurative thousand years, in which the
  world will have essentially become a Christendom. This view was held by Jonathan Edwards.^{[citation needed}
  ]

In the futurist view of

This seven-year 'week' may be further divided into two periods of 3½ years each, from the two 3½ year periods in Daniel's prophecy where the last seven years are divided into two 3½ year periods, (Daniel 9:27) The time period for these beliefs is also based on other passages: in the book of Daniel, "

Among futurists there are differing views about what will happen to Christians during the Tribulation:^[citation needed]

• Pretribulationists believe that all Christians (dead and alive) will be taken bodily to Heaven (called the Rapture) before the Tribulation begins.^[12] According to this theory, every true Christian that has ever existed throughout the course of the entire Christian era will be instantaneously transformed into a perfect resurrected body, and will thus escape the trials of the Tribulation. Those who become Christians after the rapture will live through (or perish during) the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, Christ will return to establish His Millennial Kingdom.
• Prewrath Tribulationists believe the Rapture will occur after the tribulation, but before the seven bowls of the wrath of God
  .
• Midtribulationists believe that the Rapture will occur halfway through the Tribulation, but before the worst part of it occurs. The seven-year period is divided into halves – the "beginning of sorrows" and the "great tribulation".
• Posttribulationists believe that Christians will not be taken up into Heaven, but will be received or gathered by Christ into the Kingdom of God on earth at the end of the Tribulation.

In pretribulationism and midtribulationism, the Rapture and the Second Coming (or Greek, par[a]ousia) of Christ are separate events, while in posttribulationism the two events are identical or simultaneous. Another feature of the pre- and mid-tribulation beliefs is the idea that after the Rapture, Christ will return for a third time (when also counting the first coming) to set up his kingdom on the earth.^{[citation needed]}

Some, including many

According to Futurism, the 70th week of Daniel will occur at some point in the future, culminating in seven years (or 3½ years depending on denomination) of

Dispensationalists typically hold that a 'hiatus', which some refer to as a 'biblical parenthesis', occurred between the 69th and 70th week of the prophecy, into which the "church age" is inserted. The seventieth week of the prophecy is expected to commence after the rapture of the church, which will incorporate the establishment of an economic system using the number '666', the reign of the beast (the Antichrist), the false religious system (the harlot), the Great Tribulation and Armageddon.^[13]

Controversy exists regarding the antecedent of he in Daniel 9:27. Many within the ranks of premillennialism do not affirm the "confirmation of the covenant" is made by Jesus Christ (as do many amillennarians) but that the antecedent of "he" in verse 27 refers back to verse 26 ("the prince who is to come"—i.e., the Antichrist). Antichrist will make a "treaty" as the Prince of the Covenant (i.e., "the prince who is to come") with Israel's future leadership at the commencement of the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy; in the midst of the week, the Antichrist will break the treaty and commence persecution against a regathered Israel.^[14]

Proponents

See also

• Christian Eschatology
• Mid-tribulation rapture
• Millenarianism
• Post Tribulation
• Progressive dispensationalism
• Summary of Christian eschatological differences
• Rapture

Notes