The next few pages contain summaries of the major systems of thought regarding the end times. This section is comprised of views about the millennium (amil, postmil, preterism, dispensational premil, and historic premil), and Tribulation (Pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib).

These are not highly detailed summaries, as this would overwhelm most people. Many people don’t fall into any particular camp as they find strenghts and avoid weaknesses across multiple views. So even if they find one system fits better overall, they may not adhere to all tenets of a particular system. Therefore, if you think I have misrepresented a particular system, I ask that you patiently bear with me. I have tried to do each system justice, fairly representing its major views, as well as their weaknesses. You can access each view from the menu above.

My view

After considerable study, I am presently persuaded that historic premillennialism is correct. I hold this for a number of reasons. The summary of reasons below is intended to be a bit tongue-in-cheeck, as it is not possible to critique each view on this page.

Historic Premillennialism:

1. It is the only system that can explain the delay of Jesus’ return for 2000 years (or even tries to explain). Amil has no explanation except “we’re in a spiritual millennium” which as no clear parameters; Jesus could return today or in a million years. Post-millenialism, at least the semi-literal variety, similarly has no clue where we are in relation to Christ’s return. After almost having the world as “Christendom” to having no Christian nations in less than 80 years, they now have a massive internal fight about whether we’re near the end and Satan has been released, or we still have 200+ nations to convert to Christ and rule for 1000 years before Christ’s return, just as we did at the start of the church age. Dispensational pre-mil has no clue. It frantically looks at every war, especially in Israel (now that she’s come back) and thinks Jesus could return at any moment. Preterism thinks it’s all over, everything is just noise; partial-preterists know it’s all over and are perplexed why history hasn’t realised this, and caught up.
2. Consistent hermenutics. It doesn’t spiritualise or literalise anything to make it fit a system; it accepts both as possible, and looks to see fulfillment. Over time, as history has unfolded, it has seen Revelation and Daniel be fulfilled, in the same way that most of the above systems have interpreted Daniel in the past: as a mix of literal events, symbolic and figurative, but all except for Historic Premil adopt one extreme or another regarding Revelation and unfinished parts of Daniel.
3. Historic Premil can explain why Israel appeared when it did, and why. Dispensational pre-mil argues that Israel should appear, but has no mechanism to explain “why now?”. Amil and Postmil don’t believe Israel is real or important; it’s an inconvenient anachronism.

While I freely admit that Historic Pre-mil only occasionally foresees events before they happen; mostly they’re understanding fulfillment in hindsight. Even so, that is how most prophecy has been understood. Historic premil is the only system actually looking. Dispensational premil, thinks they won’t be here and there are no signs preceding their departure; so if you point out an actual fulfillment: you’re a heretic. Amil can get any spiritual truth you want out of any passage. Post-mil is not looking; they’re usually to busy trying to build a kingdom that Christ is going to burn with fire on his return. And if you point out actual fulfillments in history, you’re a new-covenant-denying heretic.

Oddly, historic premil, is also the only system that can unify all groups.

• Postmil, who believes in an actual earthly reign (albeit without Christ). gets to build an earthly reign, but with Christ, and gets to enjoy it for 1000 actual years.
• Dispensational premil, once they let go of hyper literalism, will see the events they’ve been telling the amil and premil to look out for.
• Preterists are looking for literal, physical fulfillment, but have run with the “vibe” because they couldn’t see fulfillment in the 1st century. They get physical fulfillment in historic premil, they just need to lose their committment to AD70.
• Amil, the ever-“spiritual” brother, will see that the “spiritual” and physical understandings aren’t at war. Instead of purely spiritual explainations, they will have physical fulfillment too. Christ’s received a physical body in his resurrection; physical and spiritual are not at odds.