A common topic of debate in modern churches is the sequence of end-times events, particularly the rapture and the millennium. The millennium refers to a thousand-year period of time described in Revelation 20:

• “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” – Revelation 20:1-6

Other than a couple descriptive passages in Isaiah, these six verses provide all the detail we know about the millennium. As a result, believers for nearly 2,000 years have speculated as to when the millennium will occur. Following are the three main positions:

• Premillennialists believe that at the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will return and reign on the earth for a thousand years. Anabaptist, Baptist, Brethren, and Pentecostal churches typically hold to this view.
• Postmillennialists believe that Christians will usher in an extended period of righteousness on the earth, and that Jesus will return after this time period. Some Presbyterian, Reformed, and Orthodox churches hold to this viewpoint, although it has become less popular in recent days.
• Amillennialists believe that the millennium is symbolic of the current reign of Christ in the hearts of believers. They believe that the second coming will occur at the end of this spiritual millennium. This is the prevailing view in Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches.

Premillennialists (those who believe that Jesus will return before the millennium) divide themselves into three main groups based on whether they believe the rapture will occur before the Tribulation (pre-tribulation), after it (post-tribulation), or sometime in the middle of it (mid-tribulation). The term rapture, unfamiliar to many in the postmillennial and amillennial traditions, simply means “to seize” or “to snatch away” and refers to Christ’s future return to take believers from the world into His presence. The teaching of the rapture (which will be discussed in more detail later) is taken from this passage in 1 Thessalonians:

• “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Admittedly, these end-times viewpoints are confusing; and many churches do not help the situation, as they dogmatically proclaim what their denomination teaches and refuse to accept people who hold to a different view. Were the early Christians any different? The answer is yes – and no.

The millennium

The earliest Christians believed that the millennium would be a literal reign of Christ on the earth, which would occur after the Tribulation. (They believed in historic premillennialism, in contrast to dispensational premillennialism – a topic beyond the scope of this article.)

• “Among these things, Papias [who learned from the apostle John] says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth.” – Eusebius, citing Papias (c. 120)
• “John, one of the apostles of Christ, . . . prophesied by a revelation that was made to him, that those who believed in our Christ would dwell a thousand years in Jerusalem.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “I and others who are right-minded Christians on all points are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built. . . . For Isaiah spoke in that manner concerning this period of a thousand years.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “The predicted blessing, therefore, belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom, when the righteous will bear rule, after their rising from the dead. It is also the time when the creation will bear fruit with an abundance of all kinds of food, having been renovated and set free. . . . And all of the animals will feed on the vegetation of the earth. They will become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and they will be in perfect subjection to man. And these things are borne witness to in the fourth book of the writings of Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “Therefore, when man will have again made his way back to his natural condition and no longer does evil, the [animals] will also be restored to their original gentleness [Isa. 11:6-9].” – Theophilus (c. 180)
• “The promise of God that He gave to Abraham remains steadfast. . . . God promised him the inheritance of the land. Yet, Abraham did not receive it during all the time of his journey there. Accordingly, it must be that Abraham, together with his seed (that is, those who fear God and believe in Him), will receive it at the resurrection of the just.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “In the times of the kingdom, the earth will be called again by Christ. And Jerusalem will be rebuilt after the pattern of the Jerusalem above.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven. Only, it will be in another state of existence. For it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem ‘let down from heaven’ [Rev. 21:2].” – Tertullian (c. 207)

Around the middle of the third century, a few writers (most notably Origen) began to allegorize the passage in Revelation 20, believing that it referred to a spiritual reign of Christ rather than a literal reign:

• “Certain persons, . . . are of the opinion that the fulfillment of the promises of the future are to be looked for in bodily pleasure and luxury. Therefore, they especially desire after the resurrection to have again bodies that will always have the power of eating, drinking, and performing all the functions of flesh and blood. . . . Consequently, they say that after the resurrection, there will be marriages and the begetting of children. They imagine to themselves that the earthly city of Jerusalem is to be rebuilt, its foundations being laid in precious stones. . . . Moreover, they think that the natives of other countries are to be given them as the servants of their pleasures. . . . These views they think to establish on the authority of the prophets, by those promises that are written regarding Jerusalem. . . . [They] desire the fulfillment of all things looked for in the promises, all according to the manner of things in this life and in all similar matters. . . . However, those who receive the interpretations of Scripture according to the understanding of the apostles, entertain the hope that the saints will indeed eat – but that it will be the bread of life that can nourish the soul with the food of truth and wisdom.” – Origen (c. 225)

While Origen may have been referring to other believers of his time, it is probably more likely that he was referring to the Gnostics, a heretical group whose followers lived for the pleasures of the flesh. Other writers specifically refer to the Gnostic understanding of the millennium:

• “Cerinthus [a heretic], through written revelation by a ‘great apostle’ (as he would have us believe), brings before us marvelous things – which he pretends were shown to him by angels. He alleges that after the resurrection, the kingdom of Christ is to be on the earth and that the flesh dwelling in Jerusalem will again be subject to desires and pleasures.” – Eusebius, quoting Caius (c. 215)
• “They are not to be heard who assure themselves that there is to be an earthly reign of a thousand years. They think like the heretic Cerinthus. For the kingdom of Christ is already eternal in the saints – even though the glory of the saints will be manifested after the resurrection.” – Victorinus (c. 280)

Perhaps the strongest evidence in favor of a literal millennium is Papias’ understanding, as he was a disciple of the apostle John. Church historian Eusebius speculates:

• “I suppose [Papias] got these ideas [of a literal millennium] through a misunderstanding of the apostolic accounts, not perceiving that the things said by them were spoken mystically in figures. . . . It was due to him that so many of the Church Fathers after him adopted a like opinion.” – Eusebius (c. 325)

Following in Origen’s footsteps, later writers Jerome (c. 347-420) and Augustine (354-430) understood the millennium as symbolic, and most churches today follow their interpretation.

Was the literal understanding of the millennium an apostolic doctrine, or was it a corruption of Gnosticism? Did Origen deviate from the original interpretation, or did he restore it? The answers are unclear – and perhaps unnecessary.

In his Dialogue with Trypho, early Christian apologist Justin Martyr records an interesting conversation between himself and Trypho, a Jew:

• Trypho: “Do you really admit that this place, Jerusalem, is to be rebuilt? Do you expect your people to be gathered together, and made joyful with Christ, the patriarchs, and the prophets – both the men of our nation, and other proselytes who joined them before your Christ came?”

  Justin: “I and many others are of this opinion, and believe that such will take place. Of this, you assuredly are aware. On the other hand, I indicated to you that many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise.”

Justin’s response is interesting because it shows that not all Christians – even in AD 160 – were in agreement about end-times events. Yet Justin didn’t say that those who disagreed with him were unsaved, heretics, or separated from the true church. Rather, he said that, even though they disagreed, they were all part of the one true faith.

The rapture

Did the early Christians believe in the rapture? The word rapture was not used during the first few centuries of Christianity, but the early Christians did believe the words of 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 – that the Lord will come, the dead in Christ will rise, and believers who are still living will be caught up to meet Him. Here is a selection of their writings that reference this specific event:

• “He says that those who remain unto the coming of Christ, along with the dead in Christ, shall rise first, being ‘caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air’ [1 Thess. 4:17]. . . . By the mouth of Isaiah, it was said long ago, ‘Who are these that fly as clouds unto me, as doves with their young ones?’ [Isa. 60:8].” – Tertullian (c. 207)
• “When in the end the church will suddenly be caught up from this, it is said, ‘There will be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, nor will be’ [Matt. 24:21]. For this is the last contest of the righteous. When they overcome in this contest, they are crowned with incorruption.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “In the crisis of the last moment, and from their instantaneous death while encountering the oppression of the Antichrist, these persons will also undergo a change. They obtain thereby, not so much a divestiture of the body, as a clothing superimposed upon it with the garment that is from heaven. These persons will put on this heavenly garment over their bodies. Meanwhile, the dead, for their part, will also recover their bodies. Over their bodies, they too have a garment to put on – the incorruption of heaven. . . . The one group puts on this apparel when they recover their bodies. The others put it on as overcoats, for indeed they hardly lose their bodies.” – Tertullian (c. 207)

The early Christian writers did not seem to make a distinction between the rapture and the second coming. The passage in 1 Thessalonians indicates that the rapture will occur at “the coming of the Lord,” and the early Christians seemed to view the rapture and second coming as the same event:

• “The prophets have announced two advents of Christ. In the first one, which is already past, He came as a dishonored and suffering man. However, in the second advent, according to prophecy, He will come from heaven with glory, accompanied by His angelic host. At that time, He will raise the bodies of all men who have lived.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “How, indeed, will the soul mount up to heaven, . . . when as yet those whom the coming of the Lord is to find on the earth have not yet been caught up into the air to meet Him at His coming? For they will be in company with the dead in Christ, who will be the first to rise.” – Tertullian (c. 210)
• “The Scriptures indicate there will be two advents of our Lord and Savior. The one is His first advent in the flesh, which took place without honor. . . . However, His second advent is foretold as being glorious, when He will come from heaven with the host of angels.” – Hippolytus (c. 200)
• “Believing on Him, we may be saved in His second glorious advent.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “But what a spectacle is that fast-approaching return of our Lord! For He will now be acknowledged by all; He will now be highly exalted; He will now be a triumphant One! What an exultation of the angelic hosts there will be! What a glorious rising of the saints! What a kingdom of the just there will be thereafter! How great will be the city of New Jerusalem! Yes, and there are other sights: that last Day of Judgment.” – Tertullian (c. 197)
• “He speaks of the day of His appearing, when He will come and redeem us, each one according to his works.” – Second Clement (c. 150)

Like believers today, the early Christians were unsure of the timing of the future rapture/second coming of Christ. However, they seemed to think it would occur sometime near the end of the Tribulation:

• “In the last days, there will be many false prophets and corruptors, and the sheep will be turned into wolves, and love will be turned to hate. For when lawlessness increases, they will hate and persecute and betray one another. At that time, the world-deceiver will appear as a son of God. He will do signs and wonders, and the earth will be delivered into his hands; and he will do unlawful things that have never happened since the beginning of time. Then mankind will come into the fire of testing, and many will stumble and perish; but those who endure in their faith will be saved from the curse. Then the signs of the truth shall appear: first, the sign of the heavens opening; then the sound of the trumpet; and third, the resurrection of the dead. This is not the resurrection of all, but as it is said, ‘The Lord will come and all His holy ones with Him’ [Matt. 25:31]. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.” – Didache (c. 50-120)
• “Two advents of Christ have been announced. In the first one, He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified. However, in the other advent, He will come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy . . . speaks strange things.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “Before we put off the garment of the flesh, we wish to be clothed with the celestial glory of immortality. Now, the privilege of this favor awaits those who are found in the flesh at the coming of the Lord. These – owing to the oppression of the times of the Antichrist – deserve by an instantaneous death (which is accomplished by a sudden change) to become qualified to join the rising saints. Paul writes of this to the Thessalonians. . . . For who is there that will not desire, while he is in the flesh, to put on immortality and to continue his life by a happy escape from death through the transformation that must be experienced instead of [death] – without encountering too that Hades that will exact the very last farthing?” – Tertullian (c. 210)
• “When in the end the church will suddenly be caught up from this, it is said, ‘There will be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, nor will be’ [Matt. 24:21]. For this is the last contest of the righteous. When they overcome in this contest, they are crowned with incorruption.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “When He comes from heaven with His mighty angels, the whole earth will be shaken, as He Himself declares.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “He will come from heaven for the punishment of the devil and for the judgment of the human race, with the force of an avenger and with the power of a judge.” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “At His coming, only the righteous will rejoice. For they look for the things that have been promised them. And the subsistence of the affairs of this world will no longer be maintained. Rather, all things will be destroyed.” – Disputation of Archelaus and Manes (c. 320)

Conclusion

The earliest Christians believed in a literal millennium and generally agreed that the rapture/second coming would be at the end of the Tribulation. However, as Justin Martyr indicated, they were by no means in universal agreement about the sequence of end-times events. If the people who lived a few generations removed from the apostles were unsure, how could believers 2,000 years later claim any of these positions with 100% certainty?

Rather than criticizing those who disagree with our understanding of end-times prophecy, let us examine our own lives to be sure that we are ready for the Lord’s coming. The Didache, a first-century document written for new believers, gives these timely instructions:

• “Watch for the sake of your life. Do not let your lamps be quenched or be unprepared, but be ready; for you do not know the hour when our Lord will come. But come together often, seeking the things pertaining to your souls; for the whole time of your faith will profit you nothing if you are not made perfect in the last days.” – Didache (c. 50-120)