End Times Education (Part 1): Important Definitions

From the Rapture to the Second Coming to the Millennial Reign

Around 30 percent of the Bible is prophetic in nature and most of the prophecies are about the end times—events that take place in the final generation of humanity as we understand it. As I read and interpret the Bible, I believe that our generation is that final generation.

The reason I write these articles is to make sure that you are prepared for the dramatic events that are coming and the fulfillment of prophecy. My goals are encouragement, preparation and education.

With that in mind, I thought it also might be useful for me to put my understanding about the end times in the context of other interpretations of Scripture—because while pastors and theologians and scholars are all reading the same Bible passages, over the centuries they have come to different ideas of what these passages mean.

As a result, in some circles, how you interpret the Bible’s predictions about the end of the world can be controversial. It’s important to know what you believe and why you believe it.

To start this series, we should define some terms. When you hear other pastors or preachers talk about the end times, you may hear several big words. Many of them are used in popular Christian culture—and even in the secular world—but are not always used accurately. And while you may hear them frequently, you may not know exactly what they mean. I want to help you understand these terms.

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Eschatology: This is the theological study of the end of human history. Eschatology is not just a Christian study, because other religions (like Islam) have their own teachings about the end of the world. Anything related to death, judgment and the final destiny of humankind falls under the heading of eschatology.

Christian eschatology focuses on the conclusion of God’s purposes for humanity and the final events of history as predicted in the Bible.

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The Rapture: The moment when Jesus descends from heaven with a shout and a trumpet blast. All believers who are alive at that moment will be taken up with Him. In an instant, believers will go from here on earth directly into the presence of Jesus in the skies. This group of people will never die—if you’re alive and saved when Jesus comes, you will not see death. Paul describes this moment in 1 Thessalonians:

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”—1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

The word rapture isn’t specifically used in the Bible, though the concept is very clear. We get the word rapture from the Latin word rapturo, which means “to seize hastily, to snatch away.” If you remember the best-selling Left Behind book series, it begins with the vanishing of Christians and what happens after the Rapture.

Also—many Christians don’t understand this—but there are actually two Rapture events prophesied in the Bible. The first one happens before the Tribulation, as Paul describes above. But another rapture that takes place simultaneously with the Second Coming, after the Tribulation. Jesus describes this Himself in Matthew 24.

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The Tribulation: A period of worldwide trauma predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24:21.

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Based on descriptions in the Bible, I believe the Tribulation will last seven years and will start after Christians are raptured. In the first half of this period, the Antichrist will come to power and the Temple will be rebuilt in Israel. The Antichrist will commit blasphemy by proclaiming himself God. (Over the past several months, I have written several articles about the Antichrist.)

This will be followed by the second half of the Tribulation, which will be the most severe time human history has ever seen. It will be marked by immense suffering, famine, pain, war and disasters. The Tribulation is the wrath of God poured out on the whole earth, but thankfully, Christians living today will not have to experience it.

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The Second Coming: The biblical concept that Jesus will return again, physically, to earth after the Tribulation. When Jesus ascended to heaven after the resurrection, He disappeared in a cloud. While the disciples were watching this unfold, two angels appeared to them and said this:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”—Acts 1:11

Mistakenly, many believers refer to the Rapture and the Second Coming interchangeably, especially because Paul describes raptured Christians as meeting the Lord “in the air.”

And while the pre-Tribulation rapture does involve believers meeting Jesus in the air, it is a private event. The full Second Coming is after the Tribulation. Jesus returns in glory—very publicly—to cast the Antichrist into the Lake of Fire, bind Satan for a thousand years, and begin the Millennial reign. As described in Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14, it begins in the air with the revelation of Jesus and culminates on the Mount of Olives in Israel.

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Armageddon: A geographical location mentioned in the book of Revelation, where the final battle between good and evil takes place as all the nations of the world march against Israel, seeking to destroy it. This battle is also referenced in Joel 3:2, when the Lord speaks of gathering all nations “down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat” to enter into judgment.

The name comes from Revelation 16:16: “And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” The reference is to a hill near the town of Megiddo, in Palestine, a place where many ancient battles occurred. You might hear people reference anything related to the end of the world as “Armageddon,” but the usage in the Bible is very specific.

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Millennial Rule: At the end of the Tribulation, after overthrowing the Antichrist, Jesus will return to earth to establish His throne in the restored temple in Jerusalem for a thousand years (a millennium). Following the final battle between the Antichrist, the kings of the earth and their armies march against Jesus, human history ends as we know it. This ushers in the thousand-year rule of Christ. During this time the Church (the bride of Christ) will rule and reign with Jesus over the “sheep nations” who helped the Jews and survived the Tribulation, as described by Jesus in Matthew 25.

This begins after Satan is bound in the bottomless pit:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”—Revelation 20:4

This golden age, also known as the Messianic Kingdom, comes before the final judgment.

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The Great White Throne Judgment: God’s final judgment of every person and every nation. This is described in several places in the Bible, including the Book of Revelation.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books… 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”—Revelation 20:11-15

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I hope these definitions have been helpful to you. I will continue this series going forward as we talk about the different ways some believers have interpreted the Bible about the end times—and why I believe and teach the way I do. Jesus is coming for His church very soon. The time is now to understand what the Bible says will happen, so you can be prepared.