What do they mean?????

"millenium" refers to the predicted
1,000 year reign of Jesus on the throne of David

"pre-" means before
"post-" means after
"a-" means not

There is a set of terms related to
the relation of the Second Return of Jesus
with respect to the millenium:

pre-millennial -
Jesus will return before the millennium

post-millennial -
Jesus will return after the millennium

a-millennial -
some people spiritualize the millinniulm,
treating it as non-physical



[ March 18, 2004, 10:24 PM: Message edited by: Ed Edwards ]

 

"tribulation" refers to a period when
the Lord Jesus shall interfeer in the
affairs of man once again

"pre-" means before
"post-" means after
"a-" means not

There is a set of terms related to
the relation of the rapture/resurrection
with respect to the tribulation:

pre-tribulation -
the rapture/resurrection is before
the tribulation period

post-trilbulatin -
the rapture/resurrection is only
after the tribulation period

a-tribulation -
there is no literal rapture and/or
no literal resurrection,
or there is no literal tribulation
but usually all three. All these
terms refer to spiritual truths that
are generaly beyond the comprehension
of folks like you or i
(did i say i'm sure not a-trib?

There are a couple of compromise positions:

Mid-tribulation -
a rapture/resurrection will occur
at the mid-point of the tribulation period

Pre-wrath -
Sometime between the mid-tribulation crises
and the end of the second half of the
tribulation period the wrath of God
will be poured out. The rapture/resurrection
will be before the wrath of God.

 

To Ed's explanation I would add the word "earthly," as in "1000 year earthly reign of Jesus on the throne of David." That should go without saying because David's throne is only an earthly throne, but some have mistakenly tried to make the throne of David some mystical thing that Christ is ruling on now.

 

Regarding all those terminologies you will find some such as myself who hold a combination of them. Both the Postmill and Amill camp claim Augustine.

I would describe my End Times theology as a mixture of post-millennial and a-millennial.

 

Bro. James Reed,

An excellent book to help you understand the terms and the positions is "The Meaning of the Millennium," edited by Robert Clouse. Four men who believe in four different views (Amillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, and Postmillennialism) present their understanding, and then the others reply. I highly recommend it

 

These are theological debates, like predestination vs. free will, God's sovereignty vs. sin and suffering, etc.

They generally lead to dead ends after stirring much controversy and confusion.

Usually, as in dichotomies, they are false debates, based on faulty Western logic systems that deny paradox and simultaneous mutual contradictions.

God is love. God hates sin.

Things like that which theologians, who rarely witness to lost souls, love to argue about.

No offense to Ed Edwards or anyone else who has firm beliefs on eschatological topics. Just want to warn Bro. James Reed not to get tangled up.

Good night. Sleep tight. Dont let the exegetes bite.