Can I have info on premillenarianism as opposed to the alternatives?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Coming
Pre.. are the folks who espouse that the second coming will be before the 1000 reign of peace, and Post... are the folks who believe it is after.
In fact, second coming is never used in the Bible, but that does not prevent folks from preaching on it in diverse ways. See Timing in the link I gave you. There are many, many thoughts on this.
Well, the whole book of Revelations is about A coming. It's never specified if it already has come or not. Unless I misunderstood you. I think that it's not preaching diversly one way or another, for either pre or post, because no one really knows. Thanks for the link!
Certainly! Premillenarianism is a theological belief that within Christian eschatology (the study of the end times), Jesus Christ will return to Earth before the literal thousand-year reign of peace, known as the Millennium. However, in order to understand premillenarianism, it will be helpful to compare it to two alternative viewpoints: amillenarianism and postmillenarianism.
1. Premillenarianism:
- Premillenarians believe that there will be a literal, physical return of Jesus Christ to Earth.
- They view the Millennium as a future period of peace and righteousness, in which Jesus will reign over the Earth.
- They believe in a rapture event, in which believers will be gathered before the tribulation (a period of turmoil and suffering) that precedes the Millennium.
- Premillenarians often interpret biblical prophecies associated with the end times, such as those found in the books of Daniel and Revelation, as yet to be fulfilled.
2. Amillenarianism:
- Amillenarians believe that the Millennium is not a literal thousand-year period, but rather a symbolic representation of the current church age.
- They interpret biblical prophecies figuratively and symbolically, rather than expecting a future literal fulfillment.
- They do not believe in a distinct rapture event before the tribulation, but rather see believers going through the tribulation.
3. Postmillenarianism:
- Postmillenarians believe that the world will be progressively transformed and improved through the spread of the Gospel, resulting in a golden age of peace and righteousness.
- They view the Millennium as a metaphorical representation of a future era of spiritual triumph before the return of Christ.
- They believe that the Second Coming of Christ will occur after the Millennium, signaling the end of history.
To gain a more detailed understanding of these viewpoints, it's recommended to study Christian theology books on eschatology, read the respective theological works by scholars representing each viewpoint, and explore biblical texts relevant to the topic (such as the book of Revelation, the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, and other prophetic passages throughout the Bible).