The Wrath to Come - Amillennialists
The True Israel and Return of the King
Today’s Verse and Thought
“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”(1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
From yesterday- When we look at the identity of Israel in the New Testament, our interpretation of all prophecy will be shaped by this idea. Is Israel still God’s elect? Has Israel been replaced? Or are we looking for a more complex answer? The path we take will shape our ability to interpret all the prophecies regarding the Last Days. This is one reason today many churches simply avoid studying prophecy; they see it as divisive and a waste of time.
The Four Views on Eschatology
Amillennialism
Postmillennialism
Historic premillennialism
Dispensationalism
These are the four basic frameworks for interpreting the End of Days and Jesus’ return to earth. Each of the four views also has minor subsets, but we will just stick to the main ones. Each view can be scripturally “proven,” and none of the views are completely self-evident, according to one Biblical scholar, Dr. Michael Heiser.
But Dr. Heiser felt that studying eschatology was a “waste of time.” I have read and studied under Dr. Heiser. I believe that his personal stance was to always stick with the text to a fault. In fact, he said in one video I watched awhile back that he didn’t really like to even read commentaries on what other scholars had to say about the Bible, he would rather just read the text.
I agree with most of his opinions and teachings, but I believe that when it comes to studying the End Times, it’s not a waste of time, and in fact the lack of it could even contribute to the deception of many during the final days on earth.
It may not be a subject that can be definitively “proven” textually, and certainly has been controversial, but I do think that we should study it and come to our own conclusions.
Prophecy both fulfilled and unfulfilled are a large portion of the Bible. In order to study the Bible, we should consider all of it - even as it pertains to the End of Days. Our understanding of what will happen in the end times will have a bearing on how we view national Israel; how we can have absolute hope in God’s faithfulness; and also how we understand God’s interactions with His people.
God has a game plan, and we are on the winning side. And it’s possible that reading the text and coming up with four various interpretations was part of God’s plan to confuse His enemies. After all, no army makes a battle plan and then shares it with the enemy. But for those willing to diligently look into the matter, God tells us that we can know the truth.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”(John 16:13)
Amillennialists
The one End Times teaching that prevails among Catholics and Reformed churches is Amillennialism. Amillennialists interpret the end of days and the "wrath of God" in a way that differs greatly from the views of premillennialists and postmillennialists.
In general, amillennialism teaches that there isn’t a future, literal "millennium” Kingdom (a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth as described in Revelation 20). Instead, they interpret the Bible in a symbolic manner, giving wide berth for their various interpretations. They teach that the reign of Christ is already taking place in a “spiritual sense,” beginning with His resurrection and continuing throughout the present age.
The Tribulation
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (Matthew 24:21)
In the above verse, Jesus speaks about the signs of the end of the age and His second coming. The phrase "great tribulation" is one of the key elements in discussions about the end times when the wrath of God brings a period of intense suffering and persecution.
Because amillennialists interpret biblical prophecy in a non-literal way, this verse is seen as just referring to our time on earth today and the ongoing struggle of the church since 70AD, rather than pointing to a specific, future period of unprecedented tribulation.
“…the world until now, no, and never will be.” Based on Amillennialists’ teaching, this indicates that what happened in 70AD was the worst wrath that had ever happened and it will never be that bad again. If nothing else, I would expect that the destruction and captivity of the first Temple was equally as bad. And the Holocaust of the future was also on par. Read Revelation and the bowl judgements, the seals and the like and see if symbolism still holds true.
They teach that Jesus’ prediction of a "great tribulation" was partially fulfilled in the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when the Roman army, led by Titus, destroyed the city and the Second Temple. This event was followed by extreme suffering, bloodshed, and the scattering of the Jewish people, which fits their description of a "great tribulation” and they claim was unprecedented in Israel's history or their future.
In Matthew 24:15-20, Jesus talks about specific signs that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem, including the "abomination of desolation." For amillennialists, this is understood as a reference to the Roman army’s desecration of the Temple and the city itself, rather than a future event.
God’s Wrath
Amillennialists also interpret the "great tribulation” as part of the wrath of God. It is a symbolic representation of all the trials and persecutions that the church has suffered and will continue to experience throughout all time.
Jesus’ words do not refer to a future unprecedented tribulation, but to the overall conflict between the forces of good (the kingdom of God) and evil (the kingdom of Satan) throughout history. The church's suffering is our part in Christ's own suffering.
When Jesus said that the tribulation will be "such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be," amillennialists understand this as a hyperbolic expression of judgment. In other words, it was an exaggeration.
They argue that the "great tribulation" referred to the local, historical tribulation events (the siege of Jerusalem, the fall of the Temple, etc.) rather than to a unique, global event at the end of history.
They interpret the “wrath of God” as actually an ongoing, spiritual reality that manifests throughout history, rather than a future event or literal end-time judgment. Their understanding of God's wrath is also a symbolic and non-literal reading of prophetic texts, with an emphasis on God's present reign and judgment through Christ.
“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…”(1 Thessalonians 5:9).
The Second Coming
They teach that the second coming of Christ is futuristic. It will be a time when Christ will fully establish His kingdom, but they do not believe that a literal period of tribulation must precede it. Rather, Christ’s return will occur at a time when the church has continued through suffering and tribulation, culminating in the final judgment and the establishment of the new heavens and new earth.
Does this teaching seem to indicate that we would have no clue what to look for when Jesus is ready to return?
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”(Luke 21:28)
Amillennialists often point to passages like Revelation 7:14 (which refers to believers coming "out of the great tribulation") as evidence that the church’s tribulation is not something that will be avoided, but rather something they are guaranteed to go through, knowing that Christ has already overcome the world (John 16:33).
To be continued…
Today’s Question
Verses to Explore
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”(2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
“But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”(Daniel 12:4)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”(Ephesians 6:12).
“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”(Luke 21:36)
“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”(2 Peter 3:3-4)
Today’s Prayer
Father your Word tells me that a day will come when you will reign over the whole earth; on that we all agree. Your Word also assures me that we have a great hope in our future. As I study the various teachings about how your plan will unfold, I pray that you will help us see what it is that you want us to understand in our time. There are many prophecies that remain unfulfilled, and many that seem to be on the cusp of reality. No matter how it goes, I look to you as our blessed hope. I pray as we look at the place of your people - both the Church and Israel - in the Last Days of earth, that we understand it through your character and how you interact with us. Give us a heart that humbly accepts that we can’t always prove exact details, but we can rest assured that you are a Father that loves and protects those who are loyal to Him. May all honor and glory be yours. Amen.❤️