The Future, the Bible, and Prophetic Scenarios

The following article was obtained through the Christian Radio website, oneplace, and written by Hank Hanegraaff.

Bible Answer Man

Hank Hanegraaff

Speculations concerning the future multiply as fast as snowflakes in a blizzard. As this decade, century, and millennium come to a close, Christians need to know that not all end-times opinions are facts. Jesus told His disciples:

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.... Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matt. 24:36, 42, NIV).

This passage seems to dismiss study and speculation about the Second Coming. But look closer: the second portion of Jesus' statement commands us to pay attention and eagerly expect His return: "Therefore keep watch...." The best way to keep watch is to know what God has revealed about the future, and to attempt a biblical understanding of events around us.

Jesus' disciples attempted to understand the future, often questioning Him about prophetic events. They even wondered if His first coming would result in political and military upheaval and the overthrow of Israel's oppressors (Acts 1:6). They were wrong in that case, but they never lost hold of the central end-time events: the final judgment (Matt. 25:46); the resurrection of the dead (1 Thess. 4:13-18); the glorification of God's people (Col. 3:4; Matt. 16:27); and the "destruction" of death (1 Cor. 15:25-26).

Central Themes of the End Times. Almost one hundred passages refer to the end times. However, many of these can be grouped into six end-times themes. An easy way to remember these themes is to relate each of the six topics to the six letters of the word F-U-T-U-R-E.

F — Final Judgment. The final judgment of humankind is described clearly in passages like Acts 17:31, Hebrews 10:27, and Revelation 20:4-15. Scripture indicates that Christ Himself will be the Judge (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1).

U — Unknown Hour. No one can know the exact time of the Second Coming. Despite the sensationalistic ideas you may have heard from cult leaders as well as from well-meaning but mistaken Christians, no one knows the timing of the Second Coming. Several biblical passages emphasize this, including Matthew 24:27-42 and Acts 1:7.

T — Time and Eternity. Though Christians have differing views on the timing of certain end-time events, they agree on the future eternal state. Following the final judgment of humankind, time will give way to eternity.

Jesus spoke of the eternal state when He said that the wicked "will go away into eternal damnation, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). Everyone must ultimately be ushered into one of two final states: eternal heaven or eternal hell (Rev. 20:11-15; Luke 16:26; Matt. 25:41-46). Christians will spend eternity with God in heaven; unbelievers will spend eternity apart from God in hell.

U — Unbelief, Apostasy — a widespread defection from the true faith — will characterize the time immediately preceding the second coming of Christ (Luke 18:8; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:3-4; and 2 Pet. 2:1-3). There will also be widespread mockery of the truth by nonbelievers (2 Pet. 3:3-5). At the final judgment, unbelievers and mockers will have to answer for their actions.

R — Resurrection. The resurrection of the righteous will occur at the Second Coming. Jesus' resurrection — the "first-fruits" of resurrection life — guarantees and typifies the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:14; 20:34-38; Matt. 22:29-32; Mark 12:24-27).

E — Essential. The Second Coming is a foundational fact. All Christians and all Christian churches since the time of the apostles have affirmed the Second Coming as an essential or foundational belief. All early church creeds include the Second Coming, such as the Apostles' Creed — "He will come to judge the living and the dead." While Christians unite in the belief that Jesus will literally and physically come again, cults, by contrast, commonly deny a literal and physical Second Coming. The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, teach that Christ's return was "invisible" and occurred secretly in 1914.

Scenarios of the End Times. Above are some key facts about the future, and Christian opinions concerning the end times must be compatible with them. Over the centuries many biblical interpreters have set forth prophetic scenarios of the end times. Such scenarios are not necessarily bad, as long as we remember the difference between what is factual and what is opinion. Reasonable, well-developed scenarios can help us to understand and organize incomplete information. But they are not infallible.

I think it is noteworthy that while the various scenarios differ on the timing of end-time events, they agree on the "essentials" of the end times. That is, they agree there will be a Second Coming of Christ, a resurrection, a final judgment, and an eternal state.

There are three main scenarios concerning the millennium (Rev. 20:1-4). Premillennialism understands Scripture to teach that the Second Coming will take place before the millennium, after which Christ will personally rule for a literal thousand-year period on earth. Following the millennium will be a resurrection, a final judgment, and the ushering in of eternity.

Postmillennialism understands Scripture to teach that the Second Coming will take place after the millennium, following which there will be a resurrection, judgment, and the ushering in of eternity. In postmillennialism, the reference to 1,000 years in Revelation 20 is not taken literally. Some in this camp believe the "millennium" refers to the inter-advent age — that is, the time between Christ's first coming and His second coming. Many believe that during the present "millennial" age the church will progressively "Christianize" the world. In this view, while the church is not the kingdom, it takes part in building the kingdom through the worldwide spread of the gospel.

Amillennialism understands Scripture to teach that there will be no literal thousand-year kingdom over which Christ will rule, but rather that the "kingdom" represents Christ's present rule over the church on earth (though some amillennialists believe the kingdom promises are now being fulfilled in heaven). Generally speaking, amillennialists believe that world conditions will become increasingly worse until the Second Coming, after which there will be a resurrection, judgment, and ushering in of the eternal state.

Premillennialists often make reference to what is called the "Rapture." The Rapture is a word that refers to the instantaneous removal of the church from the world preceding (or at) the Second Coming (1 Thess. 4:16-17). As was true regarding the millennium, there are different scenarios regarding how to understand the timing of the Rapture. Some scholars place the Rapture before the seven-year Tribulation period (pretribulationism); others in the middle of the Tribulation (midtribulationism); and others immediately after the Tribulation (posttribulationism). Each variation on premillennialism is an attempt by interpreters to understand the details of the end times that are not clearly stated in Scripture.

No matter which view you believe best represents the end times, remember that any legitimate view must affirm the clear "essential" teachings outlined above — such as the Second Coming, the resurrection, the final judgment, and the eternal state. And regardless of your particular position on the above issues, we can all join together and rest secure in the knowledge that our eternity with Him is guaranteed through what He has demonstrated already — most notably, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. With a solid foundation in Scripture, we can join Paul in proclaiming: "We wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Tit. 2:13-14).

A List of Religions and Belief Systems

It is simply impossible to list all varieties of religion as we [mankind] have created an almost infinite variety of religious and transcendental ideas. For example, "theism" is any religion that contains god(s), and "polytheism", which believes in many gods, is also a form of theism. Believing in only one Creator (God) is called "monotheism".  A belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe is known as "deism". While "pantheism" is a doctrine which identifies the Creator (God) with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God, some pantheists also believe in several gods. "Agnosticism" is a belief that God, if he exists, is by nature unknowable and will always be unknowable. There is also "panentheism" which includes the belief or doctrine that the Creator is greater than the universe and interpenetrates it. Then there is "atheism"... disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of any god or gods.

The following chart lists the various religions and religious ideologies. *Items in lower case italics are classes of religion and not actual religions.

Religions:

Amish (monotheism) - A peaceful Christian fundamentalist group famous for its rejection of technology and strict adherence to OT and NT laws.

*ancestor worship (theism) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that good relations need to be kept with tribal ancestor spirits. Often a form of Shamanism.

Asatrú (polytheism) - A modern uptake of  Nordic religion.

Bahá'í Faith (monotheism) -  Belief that a series of prophets have come from God, and that Bahá'í is the latest religion founded by God. A liberal offshoot of Islam, but persecuted in Iran.

Brahma Kumari (pantheism) - A group that are preparing to rule the world after a coming apocalypse, and embrace many practices which are now called New Age (see below).

Buddhism (pantheism) - The belief that meditation and good living can break the cycle of reincarnation and result in enlightenment.

Celtic Paganism (not defined) - Modern reconstructions of Celtic paganism form part of the neo-pagan range of religions.

Chen Tao (theism) - A series of civilisations on Earth have arisen but destroyed themselves in nuclear war. Each time, some faithful believers were rescued by flying saucers and put back on Earth.

Chinese Religion (atheism) - A varied cultural religion practiced traditionally on a town-by-town and region-by-region basis. They follow no holy scriptures and prepare for reincarnation until escape.

Christadelphians (monotheism) - An offshoot of the Christian religion that believes you will either go to Heaven or Hell.

Christian Apostolic Church in Zion (theism) - Fundamentalist anti-science flat-earth Christian cult, who also predicted the End of the World would occur 4 different times.

Christianity (monotheism) - Belief that a single creator (God) had a son, Jesus Christ, born to a human mother, and that Jesus' crucifixion by the Romans brings salvation to mankind. A second coming of Jesus will be incorporated in the future to cleanse the world of sin once and for all. Christianity is the largest religion in the world.

Confucianism (atheism) - A world religion based on a collection of ethical and moral teachings of Confucius.

Dami Zuanjiao (theism) - A millenarian cult based on the belief that Jesus would return to judge survivors in 1999. Suspected of being on the verge of mass suicide after predictions of the end of the world failed in year 2000. They might not have gotten the dates right, but they are convinced the world will be destroyed and end by a meteor strike.

Druidism (not specified) - Celtic religion in prehistoric England. Modern reconstructed Druidism is part of the neo-pagan range of religions.

Druze (pantheism) - A semi-secretive esoteric religion with features of a mystery religion. The Druze conception of the deity is declared by them to be one of strict and uncompromising unity. The main Druze doctrine states that God is both transcendent and immanent, in which he is above all attributes, but at the same time, he is present.

Eckankar (theism) - New Age religion, a mix of Sant Mat, Theosophy and Scientology. Basically, a religion constructed purely out of positive, white-light, happy-sounding words but with very little sense. It derived largely from a Westernization of the Punjabi Sant Mat tradition. It is a religion that tries its utmost best not to upset anyone at all. They also believe in reincarnation until escape.

Gnostic (gnosticism) - The belief that we must escape from this world, which was created and is ruled by an inferior and unworthy god, and will one day reunite with the true god.

Hare Krishna (polytheism) - The embracing of Krishna through correct living, honesty, spiritual life and austerity. They also believe in reincarnation until escape.

Hinduism (pantheism/polytheism) - Cultural religion of India which was historically decentralized and disparate and not a single belief system. Western influence made it into a single religion, an identity which Hindus now accept.

Humanism (atheism) - An organized form of atheism where moral and ethical goodness is emphasized.

Islam (monotheism) - Strict monotheistic beliefs taught by the prophet, Muhammad via the religion's holy book, the Quran. It is the world's second largest religion.

Jainism (pantheism/polytheism) - a 'Vedic' religion alongside Hinduism and Buddhism. Jainism, like other Vedic religions, embraces the concept of karma, and although historically Jains took the idea to an extreme and sought to reduce and remove all desires and all effects of actions to become as passive as possible, modern Jains largely take into account the motives of actions, and so embrace a more moralistic form of karma.

Jehovah's Witnesses (monotheism) - A 140-year-old Christian fundamentalist/literalist organization famous for preaching that the world is about to end. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God uses an organization both in heaven and on earth, and that Jehovah's Witnesses, under the direction of their Governing Body, are the only visible channel by which God communicates with humanity.

Judaism (monotheism) - Organized Judaism emerged from Babylonian writings. Belief that God has a special contract with the Hebrew tribes, involving many specific rules of law and behaviour, the Jews are awaiting their Messiah (savior) to come and rescue the adherents from an evil world.

Mennonite (monotheism) - A Christian Protestant denomination, like the Amish, lead a simple life believing in one god who will one day cleanse the world of evil.

Mithraism (monotheism) - Roman mystery religion that believed that the Son of the Sun was a savior who was sacrificed for the good of all.

Mysticism (panentheism) - The belief that God is unknowable but accessible, and that doctrinal religion hampers spiritual growth.

New Age (pantheism) - A disparate and diverse collection of popular beliefs and practices. Popular elements include alchemy, alternative psychotherapy, aromatherapy, astrology, channeling, crystal work, divination, Gnosticism, karma, lightwork and color healing, magic, mediums, psychic powers of every kind, reincarnation and past life regression, sacred geometry (leylines, pyramid power, magical shapes), Spiritualism, Tarot card readings, Taoism, Yoga and many other splintered movements and zany practices.

Occultism (not specified) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Normally existing within other belief systems, occult systems concentrate on esoteric meanings in texts, often with magical undertones.

Paganism (polytheism) - Part of the neo-pagan range of religions. Paganism encompasses a range of religions, belief systems and practices: these include Asatrú, Celtic revivalism, Druidism, Goddess Spirituality, Heathenism, Paganism, various magical groups, some of the New Age, a few occult groups, Sacred Ecology and Wicca.

Raja Yoga (polytheism) - An astika school of Hindu philosophy based around mastering and quieting the mind, involving meditation.

Santeria (monotheism) - A combination of West African, Caribbean beliefs with some elements of Roman Catholicism.

Satanism (atheism) - An atheist religion that uses dark and evil symbology for self-development and anti-religious purposes - Satan itself is not a real being, just a symbol.

Scientology (atheism) - Derived from the writings of science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, a series of practices called Dianetics is used to clear minds of alien influences and attain a state of mental perfection. The adherents belief in reincarnation.

Shamanism (theism) - Belief that Shamans need to keep good relations with tribal ancestor spirits for the good fortune of the whole tribe.

Shinto (atheism) -  Official collection of practices in Japan, more cultural than religious.

Sikhism (monotheism) - Prayer, meditation and self control to become a soldier of God.

Spiritualism (panentheism) - The belief that the souls of the dead communicate with the living, mostly through Mediums, but, suffered serious credibility problems with the original founders admitted to fraudulently inventing the 'rappings' that formed the communications.

*sun worship (not defined) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. The basis of much symbology used in many subsequent religions.

Taoism (pantheism) - A relaxed and peaceful religion based on following and accepting the flow of life. 

Thelema (polytheism) - A magical system of discerning True Will with inspiration from a host of Egyptian gods.  

Traditional African Church (monotheism) - A range of Churches ranging from mostly Christian, to encapsulating native African spirituality.

Unification Church (monotheism) - Sun Myung Moon embodied the Second Coming of Christ, and his commercialist church runs a media empire. The teachings of the church are based on the Bible and the Exposition of the Divine Principle.

Unitarianism (monotheism) - A liberal and non-Trinitarian Christian church who believes all will go to heaven.

*universalism (theism) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that all people go to heaven.

Voodoo (deism) - A traditional religion from Haiti with an ethical focus on combating greed and promoting honour.

Wicca (theism) - Neo-pagan organization based around reconstructed elements of folklore. Founded in the UK in the 1950s,  Wiccan practices center on ritual, nature veneration, natural cycles, and magical and spiritual learning. Heaven and Hell is not defined.

Yezidism (monotheism) - An ancient religion. Malek Taus looks after the world with 6 other angels. This religion is heavily persecuted by Muslims and accused of being devil worship.

Zoroastrianism (monotheism) - An ancient dualistic religion from Iran with one good god (Ahura Mazda) and one evil one (Ahriman). This religion's teachings can be found in the Avesta.

Info Source: http://www.humanreligions.info/religions.html