Christian concepts of the end times involve complex beliefs that have developed over the centuries. They range from popular ideas about the rapture when believers will be swept up to meet Christ in the air, to suspicions about the Antichrist who will deceive and enslave the world, to teachings about the millennium when Christ himself will return victoriously to reign in peace for a thousand years. Christians have disagreed, sometimes violently, on exactly how and when these events will occur—or whether they will occur at all. With insightful and broad knowledge of the historical, religious, and contemporary contexts of these writings, distinguished scholar Robert G. Clouse guides you through the fascinating and intricate world of apocalyptic literature. He examines key verses from Christian and Hebrew scriptures; visionary writings from Augustine and other church fathers; accounts of radical millennial movements of the seventeenth century; bold sermons from preachers such as Jonathan Edwards and Dwight L. Moody; and popular books circulating in our own day, including late twentieth-century prophecy sensation The Late Great Planet Earth and the mega-bestselling Left Behind novels. Clouse’s accessible commentary explains the apocalyptic writings, even for readers with no previous knowledge of Christian teachings on the end times.
“, but each tends to fall into one of three categories that have historically been called premillennial, postmillennial” (Page xi)