Auto-generated Transcript:
Hello and welcome to another Five Good Minutes, where I answer your theological questions in five minutes or less.
Today’s question: What are the major differences between the three end times views?
There are many differences, but here’s a bird’s-eye overview of the three most prominent end times views:
Key Term: The Millennium
The word millennium means 1,000 years and comes from Revelation 20, the only passage in the Bible that specifically mentions a thousand-year reign of Christ.
The core difference between the views is based on the timing of Christ’s return in relation to this millennium.
1. Premillennialism (Jesus returns before the millennium)
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Christ returns before the thousand-year reign on earth.
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The reign is literal, future, and physical.
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Believers hold to a coming tribulation, rapture, and increasing evil before Jesus’ return.
There are two camps in premillennialism:
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Dispensational Premillennialism: The rapture happens before the tribulation; there’s a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. Popularized in the 1800s by John Nelson Darby, the Scofield Reference Bible, and the Left Behind series.
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Historic Premillennialism: The rapture happens after the tribulation; no distinction between Israel and the Church. Jesus sets up a literal kingdom for 1,000 years.
Notable theologians:
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John MacArthur (Dispensational)
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John Piper (Historic)
2. Postmillennialism (Jesus returns after the millennium)
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Christ returns after a golden age of Christianity.
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The millennium is not literal, but a long period where the Gospel gradually transforms the world.
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Things get better as Christianity spreads and influences all of life.
Notable theologian:
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Jonathan Edwards
3. Amillennialism (No literal 1,000-year reign on earth)
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The “millennium” is symbolic and happening now.
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Christ is reigning spiritually from heaven, through the Church.
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The millennium began at Christ’s resurrection and will end with his physical return.
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The Church advances the Gospel on earth until Christ returns to usher in the new heavens and new earth.
Despite the name, amillennialism does not deny a millennium—it just interprets it spiritually, not literally.
What All Three Views Have in Common
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Jesus rules and reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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Jesus will physically return to judge the world and restore all things.
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All Christians should live now in light of that future hope.
Which View Do I Hold?
I personally hold to the amillennial view.
But remember—while it’s important to know what you believe and why, these end times views are not issues to divide over among faithful believers.
This has been another Five Good Minutes.