Three Views on Eschatology

By Patrick Zukeran

Christians generally hold various views concerning the end of the age.  Before we examine some of these different views on eschatology, I will share what we all believe in common.  First of all, Christians agree with the immortality of the soul, acknowledging that man is composed of material and immaterial components.  At death, the physical body dies but the immaterial essence of man, comprised of his soul and spirit, lives in an eternal and conscious state either in heaven with Christ or in Hell, eternally separated from Him.

Secondly, the immaterial essence of man exists in an intermediate state awaiting the resurrection of the physical body, which will occur at a future time.  Thirdly, the Bible teaches that at some appointed time, the physical body will be resurrected, transformed into its eternal state and united with the soul and spirit of the individual.

Fourthly, the Bible teaches that there will be a divine judgment at the end of the age when the righteous will receive their rewards and the unrighteous will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire.  Furthermore, Christians agree that Christ will one day return physically to rule over the earth.  Finally, all Christians look forward to the eternal state.  Christ will one day create a new heaven and a new earth and judge evil once and for all.  Afterwards, we will enter into the eternal state as described in Revelation 22.

 These are some basic beliefs all evangelical Christians share in agreement.  However, differences occur when attempting to interpret the millennial kingdom mentioned in Revelation 20:1-3.  Questions such as whether the thousand-year rule of Christ should be interpreted literally or symbolically begin to arise. This leads to an even bigger issue of how the book of Revelation should be explained.  Are we to interpret the prophecies literally or allegorically?  Are these future prophecies or do they describe events in church history?

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