End Of Days
In Bible prophecy, the end of days is referred to as the period that will take place shortly before the return of Christ. Typically this time period is said to include a 7 year Tribulation which will involve the worst suffering man has ever experienced. Other religions, especially Judaism and Islam have their own beliefs concerning this time period. While it is sometimes referred to as the end of the world, this is a misnomer as the world is still believed to exist for a certain period of time following these events. The two books of the Bible which contain the most information regarding this period are Daniel and Revelation.
Because the language used in both Daniel and Revelation being heavily symbolic and metaphorical, there are countless interpretations. As a result, it is common for each denomination or sect of Christianity to have its own views on what the end of days will truly be like. Some Christians, such as the Eastern Orthodox believe that too much deliberation on these things could be dangerous; others such as the Seventh Day Adventists concentrate on these issues heavily. Most do agree however, that suffering will continue on this earth until the return of the Messiah.
Bible prophecy, especially that of the Book of Revelation, concerning the end of days is broken down into the following different camps:
- Preterist – believe that most if not all of the prophecies have already been fulfilled.
- Historicist – look to scripture and fulfilled prophecies in order to find religious significance of past or current events.
- Futurist – sees most of the prophetic events of Daniel and Revelation, as literal events which will unfold in the future.
- Idealist – is sometimes referred to as the spiritual approach which sees the prophecies as allegorical and see them largely as non-literal.
The next subject, of which there is much disagreement concerning the end of days, is the millennial period spoken of in Revelation. In this passage, it states that Christ will rule the earth for 1000 years, but not everyone takes this as a literal 1000 year period. These are divided into four primary camps:
- Post-tribulation millennium – believes that the second coming will come after the tribulation and Christ will rule the worldly Kingdom for 1000 years before the final judgment.
- Pre-tribulation or dispensational millennium – states that a rapture will occur before the tribulation. The second coming of Christ with the church will occur after the tribulation, followed by the millennium.
- Post millennialism – states that both the second coming and the final judgment will occur after the millennium.
- Amillennialism – believes that the millennium is only a symbolic thousand years, not a literal one, and that this time stretches from the first coming of Jesus to his second coming.
As you can see, the study of Bible prophecy is complex and there can sometimes be some fierce disagreements between the different camps. If you are interested about learning more about this subject, and how these end times events could be playing out in our very own lifetimes, be sure to visit www.theantichristidentity.com. They are offering a shocking 150 page report that covers a wide range of subjects, particularly who the coming antichrist will be and what signs to look out for. Attention is also paid to secret societies and international organizations such as the Freemasons and the Bilderberg Group which may be planning to bring the antichrist to power in our very lifetimes.
