Eschatology

Eschatology

the study of last things

Personal Eschatology

the study of individual destiny after death

Three views on Personal Eschatology

Immediate Judgment, Temporal Non-Existence, Intermediate Realm

Immediate Judgment

the view that individuals face judgment immediately after death

Temporal Non-Existence

the view that persons do not consciously exist between death and resurrection

Intermediate Realm

the view of conscious existence between death and final judgment

Purgatory

a post-death state of purification

Hades/Sheol

the realm of the dead

General Eschatology

the study of end-time events affecting all creation

Second Coming of Jesus

the future return of Christ

Second Coming passage

Matthew 24–25

Millennium

a defined period associated with Christ’s reign

Millennium passage

Revelation 20:1–10

Tribulation

a period of suffering associated with the end times

Three interpretive approaches

Idealist, Futurist, Preterist

Idealist

the view that Revelation symbolically represents ongoing spiritual realities

Futurist

the view that end-time events will occur in the future

Preterist

the view that many end-time events occurred in the past

Views on the Millennium

Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, Historical Premillennialism

Postmillennialism

the view that Christ returns after a golden age

Amillennialism

the view that no literal earthly millennium occurs

Dispensational Premillennialism

the view that Christ returns before a literal millennium with distinct dispensations

Historical Premillennialism

the view that Christ returns before a millennium without dispensational distinctions

Tribulation timing views

Pre-tribulationism, Post-tribulationism

Pre-tribulationism

the view that Christ returns before the tribulation

Post-tribulationism

the view that Christ returns after the tribulation

Nature of Hell views

Eternal Conscious Torment, Eternal Separation, Annihilationism, Universalism

Eternal Conscious Torment

the view of everlasting conscious punishment

Eternal Separation

the view of permanent separation from God

Annihilationism

the view that the wicked cease to exist

Universalism

the view that all are ultimately saved