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Eschatology is the branch of Bible study concerned with unfulfilled scripture: the future. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary says this:

"Etymology: Greek eschatos last, farthest
1 : a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of mankind
2 : a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of mankind; specifically : any of various Christian doctrines concerning the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, or the Last Judgment."

There are several Christian world views that hang on what you believe about the teaching of the prophets, the Apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ himself. This site seeks to illuminate the mind of the Bride of Christ with regard to these issues so that she may be prepared to face the coming tribulation.

The first major issue in eschatology deals with the literality of the Millenial Reign of Christ. The key heuristic in scriptural interpretation is this: "When the plain sense of a verse makes sense, seek no other sense." That is that all verses which speak plainly are to be interpreted plainly and therefore to be taken literally.

There are three positions on when the Millennial Reign will begin. The first is that the events described as future by the Prophets and Apostles have already taken place. This is the Position held by the Preterists. On the other extreme, those holding to Reformed Theology that is strict Calvinism hold to an "Amillennial" position; that is they deny the literal thousand year reign, preferring to hold to the teaching of 2nd Peter 3:8 that "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." The remainder hold to a Futurist position which is referred to as Pre-Millennial, that the Return of Christ will occur prior to the commencement of His literal reign on Earth which will last for exactly 1000 years of peace before he will conduct the final Great White Throne Judgement and then destroy the Earth and create the new heaven and the new Earth.

Within the body of believers holding to the Pre-Millennial position, there are another three positions which divide the body further. This time the issue is with regard to the so-called "rapture" of the Church. The first, is the most recent construct, which began to be expressed in the 1740's in America, and continues to be expressed to this day. This position has been greatly advanced by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins in their best-selling Left Behind Series. Unfortunately as we will see, in their books, while they get the sequence of most of the unfullfilled scriptures correct, to believe their position one has to ignore the teachings of our Lord Jesus Himself with regard to the Tribulation. Jesus' teaching in Mathew 24 parallels exactly with the instruction and timing of events given to Isaiah, to Daniel and to John in the Book of Revelation. The last position, that of a Post Tribulation rapture confuses the Glorious Appearing with the Commencement of the Millenial Reign and the Rapture, all of which are distinct events.

This site is designed to advance the Mid-Tribulation Rapture Position on the Premillennial Reign of Christ. It will counter the extremely popular but errant teaching of the Left-Behind series of books and will hopefully serve to illuminate the Bride of Christ with the light of Her Groom's teaching on this most important of subjects.

Events even this week in the news make it ever so apparent that we must even now be preparing for the imminent return of the Lord, for the Rise of the AntiChrist, to resist the taking of the AntiChrist's Mark, and to advance the Gospel into every corner of our planet so that the Great Commission may be completed and the Lord May return.

Maranatha,

Amen.

Thomas P. Milley,
Webmaster,and former Elder,
Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church