Bio Welcome to The Eschatology Dictionary.
Eschatology is the study of furthest out or last things.
It is one's view of the future.
Every worldview and belief system has an eschatology!

This will become a reference for explaining the vocabulary surrounding Bible prophecy.
It will be written in more general and practical terms as there many flavors within every view.
All you need is to consult a bookstore to see the variety of views within views wanting your attention and money.
If you should find some error please let me know at michael@criticalmass.pro. Thanks.

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A A-millenialism - The '1000 years' of Revelation 20 is symbolic of a long period of time. It will conclude with the return of Jesus for final judgement at the end of history when it looks as if evil is about to gain complete victory. There have been many times in history when this appeared to be true, but wasn't.
Antichrist - A person that will be possessed by Satan and rule the world.
 
B Beast - Also the Antichrist, a person that will be possessed by Satan and rule the world.
 
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D Dispensationalism - also called Dispensational Premillenialism, Premillenial Dispensationalism and Futurism - is the idea that history is divided up into 7 'dispensations' or 'ages'. The 'Church Age' of the last 2000 years is is also divided up into 7 ages, according to Revelation 2-3. The 'Rapture of the Church', followed by a 7 year tribulation period, is its most distinctive feature and seperates it from Classical Premillenialism.
Dominion Theology - God in Christ has already won the victory over all things and the future was in Christianizing the nations, thus fulfilling the Great Commission and Psalm 110:1, followed by final judgment.
 
E Eschatology - The study of furthest out or last things. One's view of the future. What people believe about tommorrow effects how they live and plan today.
 
F Futurism - the view that most Bible prophecy will be fulfilled in the future. The dominant idea of Dispensationalism.
 
G Great Commission - From Matt 28:18-20 which says we are to 'disciple all nations' and teach them to 'put into practice' all that Jesus taught. There are around 50 things that Jesus commanded that we do. Today the Great Commission has been reduced to 'making converts of individuals' rather than 'disciples of nations'. Evangelizing individuals is not the same as discipling nations. The global nature of the Great Commission is nearly lost in the West.
 
H Hyper-Preterism - or Full-Preterism, the view that ALL Bible prophecy has been fulfilled. Nothing is left.
 
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L Last Days - the time period between the Cross and the conquest of Jerusalem with the destruction of the temple, by the Romans, in 70 A.D, Acts 2:17, Heb 1:2, Matt 24:2. Also the time immediately prior to Jesus return at the end of history. This is frequently refered to as 'that day' or 'end of days'.
 
M Millenium - The '1000 year' period found 6 times in Revelation 20.
 
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O Optimistic Eschatology - the view that the Church will successfully evangelize and disciple all the nations of the earth as specified in the Great Commission, Matt 28:18-20, then Jesus will return.
 
P Partial-Preterism - the view that most, but not all, Bible prophecy has been fulfilled.
Pessimistic Eschatology - the view that the Church and the Gospel will fail to reach all the nations and Jesus will need to rescue the Church, in the rapture, before it gets wiped out.
Postmillenialism - The '1000 years' of Revelation 20 is symbolic of a long period of time, in which Jesus is now ruling at the right-hand of the Father. It will conclude with the return of Jesus for final judgement at the end of history when the Church has completed her mission. The influence of the Gospel has and will continue to increase over time. There may be setbacks but the overall trend is increasing. Isa 9:6-7, Dan 2:34-35, 7:13-14 Matt 13:33, 28:18-20, Luke 13:21
Premillenialism - Jesus will return and rule on earth for a literal 1000 year period.
Preterism - the view that most Bible prophecy has been fulfilled in the past. Matt 23:36, 24:34
 
Q Question & Answers
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R Rapture - the idea that Jesus will come and remove the Church from the earth before a great time of trouble. There are at least 6 views. The most common is called the 'Pre-Tribulation Rapture'. This says that following the rapture will be a 7 year tribulation period, the Antichrist will come to power, the Jewish temple will be rebuilt complete with animal sacrifices, half of earth's population will die including 2/3rds of all Jews. Jesus will return with the saints just in time to save humanity from extinction. Other views are mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, by faith and no-trib.
 
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T Tribulation - The most common idea says that 'the rapture' will trigger a time of trouble or a 7 year tribulation period broken into two parts: the Tribulation followed by a Great Tribulation. During the first half the Antichrist will come to power, the Jewish temple will be rebuilt complete with animal sacrifices, the earth will prosper, and non-conformists will be destroyed. During the second half the Antichrist will turn and demand to be worshipped as god and half of earth's population will die including 2/3rds of all Jews.
Daniel and Revelation, together, mention six 3 1/2 years periods. It turns out that the final battle to conquer Jerusalem by the Romans took 3 1/2 years from the fall of 66AD to the spring of 70AD.
 
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Email: michael@criticalmass.pro
11/9/17