End Times Doctrines

Greeting, brothers and sisters in Christ.

As I’ve stated before on this blog, I grew up in a churchy environment. My grandaddy was a preacher.

As a young child, we were only exposed to simple concepts in Sunday School: mostly Bible stories presented at the level of young children.

But as I got older, I got exposed to more advanced ideas, such as the “End Times”. Our own denomination was pretty rigid about what would would happen at that time. But I was always an independent thinker. I didn’t easily accept anything at face value without thorough analyses, especially when I was getting conflicting information. If I couldn’t come to a logical conclusion, I would shelve the conundrum until more information was forthcoming.

Since I interacted with people of various faiths, and I read a wide variety of subjects, fairly early on I came to the conclusion that no single denomination had all the answers. Humans made the rules, and humans are fallible. My own denomination had the attitude that members of certain other denominations weren’t really Christians, but that didn’t wash with me.

Over the years I’ve come to know Christians of many denominations, and I’ve attended services at a number of churches of different denominations. I have become very sure that each one has congregants who truly know Jesus, and those who seem to be lost.

Over the years, I encountered many different ideas about the End Times, Apocalypse, or whatever else you want to call it. Some of the beliefs I’ve encountered includes:

RAPTURE & TRIBULATION

• Christians will be raptured, then a seven-year tribulation will occur.
• Christians will be raptured halfway through a seven-year tribulation
• Christians will suffer through a seven-year tribulation, and will be raptured afterwards.
• Christians will suffer through a seven-year tribulation, and will not be raptured, but instead will meet Christ when He comes back after the tribulation.
• Christ will return without benefit of tribulation or rapture.
• Some believe none of the above will happen.

That’s an incomplete list; they’re what I seem to have run into most often.

Next are the two events accompanying (or not), the above.

ARMAGEDDON & MILLENNIAL REIGN

• Armageddon will happen immediately after the tribulation and/or rapture. The millennial reign will then begin.
• The millennial reign will begin after the tribulation and/or rapture, and then Armageddon will happen.
• Rather than a millennial reign, the entire world will become Christianized for a thousand years, then Christ will return. Armageddon may or may not happen.
• Some believe none of the above will happen.

Lifeway Research surveyed a thousand pastors (across multiple denominations), by phone to see how different beliefs about the rapture compared. The following image breaks down the results (click to see it full size).

So what is going to happen or not happen? I have no idea. I’m not telling anyone what to believe about the matter. Whatever you, the reader, believes is not going to affect your salvation.

As for me, I finally came to the conclusion that whatever happens or doesn’t happen, will happen or not happen, regardless of what anyone believes about it. I decided to “Rest in the Lord”, and tarry until whatever happens. The important thing is that I continue being God’s hands and feet as long as I’m able.

 
Please Note: This post is “hidden” to keep it off the front page. Unfortunately, hidden posts can’t have a comment box. If you want to reply to this one, return to the Primary Christians Only post to comment, and indicate which post you’re discussing.