LESSON 12 - An Introduction to Premillennialism

Eschatology is the study of "the last things". In the last century, this discussion has been increasingly influenced by the doctrine of Dispensational Premillennialism. Premillennialism is a theory related to the second coming in Christ. "Pre" means before
and “millennial” refers to a period of a thousand years. Premillennialism, then, is the belief that the second coming of Christ will occur before the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20. If premillennialism is not taught in this passage, then it is not taught anywhere in the Bible. 

While there have been traces of premillennial thought through the years, far more common has been the amillennial position that holds that there is no earthly millennium, no establishment of a kingdom on this earth, and no literal thousand year reign to commence at the second coming of Christ. This view teaches that the "reign" mentioned in Revelation 20:4 is referring to those who had been martyred for the cause of Christ. For nearly two millennia, this view has predominated throughout Christendom. 

That began to change with the work of John N. Darby (1800-1882) and his popularizing of dispensational premillennialism, which taught that the coming of Christ would be in two stages, the first to gather his saints in a secret "rapture", and the second to return with the saints to establish his kingdom on earth. Darby's most influential disciple was C.L. Scofield, who further propogated this view with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Others who have popularized this view have been John Walvoord, Hal Lindsey, Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, authors of the "Left Behind" series of books. 

Alan Highers describes the overall schema of this view of the last thing, writing:

Although premillennial theories can be quite complex, and all premillennialists do not agree on all points, here are the major tenets of the Dispensational view:

1. Jesus came to establish an earthly kingdom, but set up the church as a substitute due to rejection by the Jews. 

2. The kingdom prophecies were postponed, i.e., since they were not fulfilled at Christ's first coming; they will be fulfilled when he comes again.

3. There were no Old Testament prophecies of the church; all of the kingdom prophecies referred to the anticipated establishment of an earthly kingdom. 

4. In order for prophecy to be fulfilled (such as Daniel 2:44), the Roman Empire must be rebuilt. Some believe this is occurring in the emergence of the European Common Market. 

5. Jesus will come "for" his saints in the Rapture and will come "with" his saints at the end of this seven-year celebration of the marriage of the Lamb. 

6. While the saints are in the Rapture, those on earth will endure the Tribulation. Some regard the last half of this period (3 1/2 years) as the "Great Tribulation" or the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7).

7. When Jesus returns at the end of the seven-year period (of the Rapture and Tribulation), he will defeat his enemies at the Battle of Armageddon and set up his earthly kingdom of one thousand years. 

8. There are at least three resurrections: (1) The dead in Christ will be resurrected when Jesus comes in the Rapture; (2) some will be converted during the Tribulation, who will die during the seven years; these "Tribulation Saints" will be resurrected when Jesus comes at the end of the seven years to set up his kingdom; and (3) the wicked dead will be raised at the end of the thousand years. 

9. After the Rapture and Tribulation, Jesus will establish his earthly millennial kingdom; he will sit on David's throne and rule from the city of Jerusalem.

10. The "signs" in Matthew 24 are taken as signs of the end. Hal Lindsey stated that when the Jewish people "became a nation again on 14 May 1948 the 'fig tree' put forth its first leaves." He further stated that "within forty years or so of 1948, all these things could take place." It seems obvious that Lindsey anticipated that the Rapture and Tribulation would begin by about 1988.