The purpose of this site is to explore and compare the four approaches to Christian eschatology, or end-time doctrine, which are historicism, futurism, preterism and idealism. Before addressing our subject it is important to note that universal Christian core doctrine regarding such as the whole subject of the Gospel, which is the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah "Yeshua" - who rescues all from sin who have faith in His shed blood - have remained very much intact for nearly 2,000 years. The same goes for most other subjects that are covered in literal language of literal passages of scripture, that are largely not open to interpretation. There are however, and not surprisingly, differences of opinion within the church regarding interpretation, of the figurative language, of apocalyptic dreams and visions in Old and New Testament prophecy. Indeed entire adult lifetimes are spent visiting and revisiting, prodding and probing, the rich texture of these passages. Differences in interpretation can lead to spirited debate, that further encourages participants to dig ever deeper into the scriptures, toward increasing understanding. For discussion of any of the topics covered on this website please join us in the Islam-Christian Forum at this link.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines "eschatology" as:
1: a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind
2: a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humankind; specifically: any of various Christian doctrines concerning the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, or the Last Judgment
While Wikipedia certainly cannot be considered a definitive source - particularly when it comes to perpetually falsified subjects like Islamic "tradition" and cults - we will quote and link to some of Wikipedia's less combative pages. Other links may simply take you to Internet searches with the subject line conveniently filled in for your own perusal. Still others may lead to our companion sites that include more in-depth coverage of a particular subject, or to discussion in the Islam-Christian Forum, where members are often on hand to respond to questions regarding the content of these sites.
Why Only Four Approaches? (URL)
The reason there are only four approaches to eschatology is because interpretation of the figurative language of apocalyptic dreams and visions in prophecy cannot stand alone but must be integrated with the entirety of scripture to arrive at a cohesive, consistent and chronological whole. All Jews and Christians are familiar with the traditional approach of historicism since it is the context through which we all understand Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled.
From a Wikipedia article: "Historicism is a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which attempts to associate biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identify symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. The main texts of interest are apocalyptic literature, such as the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, and historicist methods have been applied to ancient Jewish history, the Roman Empire, Mohammedism, the Papacy, the Modern era and even into the End time."
Historicism is also the approach through which the church, up until a couple centuries ago, understood New Testament prophecy was being fulfilled. Then in the 19th century the approaches of partial-preterism and futurism began to come into vogue. While adherents of any eschatology can search the early church fathers and find bits and pieces that suggest support for their approach, some credit the presence of these doctrines in the modern church to 16th and 17th century Roman Catholic Jesuits, who may have penned these eschatological schemes in counter-reformation efforts.
Unfortunately, also in the 19th century the traditional context of historicism was applied by some modern cults in their approach New Testament prophecy. As a result, some futurists and preterists cite these cults in attempts to discredit the entire traditional historicist approach through association, in efforts to boost their chosen eschatology. However if the entire context of historicism could be discredited by a couple of modern cults that choose to employ it, then it would follow that Jews and Christians must also reject historicism as an approach to Old Testament prophecy - a patently absurd idea. Similarly, just because Arnold Murray's Serpent Seed cult holds a futurist eschatology doesn't mean that all futurists must believe that Eve had sex with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose seed are today's Zionists, or abandon the futurist approach. Or just because the Roman Catholic Church tends toward partial-preterism, doesn't mean that all preterists must accept Mariology, or throw out their partial-preterist approach to prophecy.
Adding to the confusion, church unfamiliarity with the historicist approach contributes to attaching views of millennialism, to futurism and preterism. Terms like preterism and amillennialism, are sometimes used as if they were interchangeable and codependent, even though amillennialism can integrate with the traditional approach of historicism.
Interestingly, preterists and futurists must each believe the other to be virtually 100% in error, regarding their interpretations of the book of Revelation after chapter three, because a gulf of 1900 years separates the two views. Perterists believing that the book of Revelation was fulfilled by the end of the first century, while futurists believe that virtually none of the book of Revelation will be fulfilled until some seven-year period yet in the future. Thus both approaches to prophecy must essentially ignore 1900 years of Christian era history as well as present-day reality, regarding preterist expectation of the kingdoms of this world being fixed by fallen mankind even as John's "whole world" has already fallen to Islam, or futurist expectation of a "revived Roman Empire" even as we witness Europe fall to Islam:
From Soeren Kern at the Gatestone Institute: "Muslims in Europe are increasingly converting empty Christian churches into mosques. The proliferation of mosques housed in former churches reflects the rise of Islam as the fastest growing religion in post-Christian Europe.
As Islam replaces Christianity as the dominant religion in Europe, more and more churches are set to become mosques, which increasingly serve not only as religious institutions but also function as the foundational political building blocks for the establishment of separate, parallel Muslim communities in Europe that are based on Islamic Sharia law." - more on apostasy at this link
Limitations of Futurism and Preterism (URL)
Both futurism and preterism necessarily require "that man of sin", "the false prophet" and the "beast" for example, to be subjects that were either over and done with in the first century, or are to be fulfilled during some future someday. Perhaps even more interesting than each having to consider the other to be virtually 100% in error, is that both approaches to the book of Revelation necessarily preclude devotees from even considering that Muhammad could be THE false prophet, or his Islamic kingdom "beast" the final foe of God's people. This even though a billion and a half people - one quarter of mankind in the world today - deny the Son of God and reject His shed blood, as articles of faith in the false prophet Muhammad.
Sura 19:88 They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" 89 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!
Surah 9.29 Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. 30 The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
Indeed if a Muslim were to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, or even pray in Jesus name, he will have committed the most egregious, and only unforgivable sin according to the false prophet Muhammad. A sin worse than, for example, cold-blooded mass murder or raping a child.
http://petewaldo.com/unforgivable_shirk.htmYet in the Gospel we read:
John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
KJV Bible search - in my name
There is one mediator between God and men:
1Timothy 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
According to Muhammad, his "Allah" may forgive all sins except "shirk".
Sura 4.48 Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.
Yet: 1John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
As one Muslim member of a popular Christian forum finally replied regarding this Christian confession, and after being asked repeatedly as to whether "shirk" is a sin worse than child rape or murder:
"Enough of the condescension - OF COURSE I - and even you and anybody else making that 'confession' would be committing the one HEINOUS sin that God does not forgive."
I had to press pretty hard for that reply, as it seems this subject may be very convicting to followers of Muhammad, since even they may be able to recognize what an unjust god it would indicate that they serve. Others refuse to answer, but thus far, none have denied it. Thus a billion and a half people in the world today are antichrist as an article of their faith in Muhammad:
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:.....
Since Islam is antichrist - indeed is to Christianity as the negative is to a photograph - the only anti-a-specific-religion, cult, on earth - it should come as no surprise that each and every Muslim must reject the crucifixion of Christ and His shed blood as another article of their faith in the false prophet Muhammad:
Surah 4:157 That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-
Thus the enemy, Satan, through his prophet Muhammad fills his followers with complete resolve as to what to DISbelieve, DENY and REJECT.
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Since the enemy is the opposer of God, it should also not be a surprise to find that Muhammad's followers are commanded to fight, even the "People of the Book" - that is Jews and Christians - until all people on earth are bent into submission to Muhammad's followers. Indeed for 1400 years the followers of Muhammad have been commanded to conquer all kingdoms of the world, and subjugate all people, to denying the Son of God and rejecting His shed blood. It is the dar al Salaam (house of peace - Islam) at war against the dar al Harb (house of war - non-Muslims). While you may not be at war against Islam, if you are a non-Muslim Islam has been at war against you, for 1400 years.
From Islam's most highly respected Hadith collection: Bukhari, V1 B2 #24 Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform a that, then they save their lives an property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."
Of course it would be pure blasphemy for a Christian to testify to that since Muhammad proclaimed the exact opposite of the whole subject of the Gospel. Indeed with the exception of the tiny strip of land of Israel protected by the democracy of the Jewish State, Muhammad's Islamic kingdom beast has already conquered the prophet John's "whole world", where virtually everyone is marked by the name of the beast - Islam.
Quran Sura 9.111 Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah. then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.
Muhammad of course lying in regard to the Gospel binding anyone to fight and slay others:
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
However as that sura indicates, fighting and slaying non-Muslims is binding on Muhammad's followers, in the Quran. While some deluded Muslims try in vain to argue against being commanded to subjugate humanity to Muhammad's followers who would be expected to ultimately prevail? A true fundamental follower of Muhammad with a beheading knife in one hand supported by his Quran and hadith in the other, or a western Islamic "renegade" apostate, who wishes in vain to invent his own version of a peaceful Muhammad?
"Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari" page 580
Chapter 2. The best among the people is that believer who strives his utmost in Allah's Cause with both his life and property.
footnote:
[1] "Al-Jihad (the holy fighting) in Allah's Cause (with full force of number and weaponry) is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillars (on which it stands). By Jihad Islam is established, Allah's Word is made superior, [His Word being La ilaha ill-Allah (which means: none has the right to be worshipped by Allah] and His Religion (Islam) is propagated. By abandoning Jihad (may Allah protect us from that) Islam is destroyed and the Muslims fall into an inferior position; there honour is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim, and he who tries to escape from this duty, or does not in his innermost heart wish to fulfill this duty, dies with one of the qualities of a hypocrite."
This is the reason that so many young Muslims are so eager to fight, that they even travel to foreign lands, for the opportunity to do so. They are convicted by their sins and suspect they will separate them from "Allah", but if they die a so-called "martyr's" death, they get fast-tracked to paradise and multiple virgins to defile.
A Christian martyr says: "I will die for what I believe in", while proclaiming his God, and defending his family and community.
A Muslim so-called martyr says "You will die for what I believe in", but dies inadvertantly while engaged in imperialistic aggression and conquest and slaughter of innocents.
Bukhari B59 #377: Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: On the day of the battle of Uhud, a man came to the Prophet and said, "Can you tell me where I will be if I should get martyred?" The Prophet replied, "In Paradise." The man threw away some dates he was carrying in his hand, and fought till he was martyred.
Modern day terrorists are simply doing their best to follow in the footsteps of one of the most consummate, and self-admitted, terrorists in human history:
Sura 8:12 I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them
John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Muhammad's followers nearly succeeded in their assigned task, having conquered nearly the whole known world during the Islamic First Jihad, before being turned back in the Battle of Tours France. Date-pinned by Daniel's "1335".
Futurists recognize the restoration of Jews to their land as having been prophesied as did Christians from centuries before that restoration ever began to take place. Preterists must reject the matter of fact reality of six million Jews ruling Israel, as the focus of the whole world today, as being of the Lord. Tragically their replacement theology, or punitive supersessionism, leads them toward anti-Zionism and even anti-Semitism. Thus helping to advance the 1400 year goal of Islam of conquest of the world through the Islamic conquest of Israel, and subjugation of Israeli Jews, Christians and non-Muslim Arabs, to Muhammad's followers.
Sahih Bukhari B52 #177 Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "the Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."
In the following pages we will explore the consequences of the church having abandoned the traditional approach of historicism to New Testament prophecy, in favor of the pop-eschatologies of futurism and preterism, that came into vogue during the 19th and 20th centuries. Also the blindness to 1900 years of Christian era history in prophecy these eschatologies necessitate, and particularly to the false prophet Muhammad and his Islamic kingdom "beast", as the prophesied final foe of God's people. Simply click on the link to each approach to eschatology at the top of the page. Also explored are a few related issues to eschatology such as "Zionism", replacement theology and prophesied apostasy.
