Disputed among the faithful · Last Things

How do the last things unfold?

All Christians confess that Christ will return bodily to judge the living and the dead. The dispute is over the order and nature of the events surrounding His return — the millennium of Revelation 20 in particular. Hold your chart loosely; hold the blessed hope firmly.

Where Scripture takes this up

1 Corinthians 15:20-28
²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. ²⁴Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. ²⁵For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷For “God has put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been put under Him, this clearly does not include the One who put everything under Him. ²⁸And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

Premillennialism

Christ returns before a future thousand-year reign on earth.

Amillennialism

The millennium is Christ's present reign; He returns at its consummation.

Postmillennialism

The gospel advances until Christ returns to a substantially discipled world.