SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY ESCHATOLOGY
By RANDALL J. HILLEBRAND
OUTLINE:
ESCHATOLOGY
I. Hermeneutics and eschatology
A. Literal interpretation
B. Historical interpretation
C. Grammatical interpretation
D. Contextual interpretation
E. Dispensational interpretation
1. Definition of dispensations
2. Dispensations (economies)
3. Means of salvation in each economy — By faith
II. Millennial views
A. Postmillennialism
B. Amillennialism
C. Premillenialism
III. Rapture views
A. Posttribulational
B. Midtribulational
C. Partial rapture
D. Prewrath
E. Pretribulational
IV. Understanding the “Day of the Lord”
A. What is the day of the Lord?
1. Definition — Isaiah 13:6-16,14:1-7; 2 Peter 3:10
2. Characteristics of the tribulation portion of the day of the Lord.
B. When will the day of the Lord occur? — Mal. 4:5; 1 Thes. 5:1-3;
2 Thes. 2:1-12
1. After the coming of Elijah the prophet — Malachi 4:5-6;
Luke 1:13-17
2. After the rapture of the church — 2 Thes. 2:1-3,7-8
3. Like a thief in the night — 1 Thes. 5:1-3
V. Understanding 2 Thessalonians 2
A. Issue: The rapture and the day of the Lord — vss. 1-2
B. Chronology of the onset of: The day of the Lord — vss. 3-12
1. The apostasy must come first — vs. 3a
2. The man of lawlessness is then revealed — vss. 3b-5
3. The man of lawlessness will be revealed after the restrainer is
removed — vss. 6-12
VI. Tribulation Period events
A. Chronology from Matthew 24-25
1. Chronology of tribulation events: Matthew 24:1-31
2. Preparation for the tribulation and related events — Matthew
24:32-25:46
B. Chronology from the book Revelation and other passages
VII. Tribulation period progresses like labor pains (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
VIII. Trumpet Issues Relating to End Time Events
IX. Miscellaneous note on Prophecy
A. Pretribulational rapture
B. Judgment
C. Tribulation period
D. Millennial kingdom
E. Eternity
VI. Tribulation Period events
A. Chronology from Matthew 24-25
1. Chronology of tribulation events: Matthew 24:1-31
a. Jesus speaks to disciples about destruction of the temple in
A.D. 70 — vss. 1-2
b. Jesus’ Disciples wanted clarification on temple, His coming
and end of the age — vs. 3
c. Jesus told them about the end of the age and His coming —
vss. 4-31
NOTE: Jesus spoke about the temple’s destruction (Luke 21:20-24)
though Matthew did not record this, though Luke did.
d. Jesus describes the first half of the tribulation period —
vss. 4-14
Some understand verses 4-14 as the time in which we are now
living — as a precursor (what comes before) to the
tribulation period. They do not see it as a description of
the first half of the tribulation period itself. This is not
a correct interpretation of this passage, even though there
may be some similarities to the days leading up to the
tribulation period.
1. First seal judgment — vss. 4-5 (cf. Rev. 6:2)
2. Second seal judgments — vss. 6-7a-b (Rev. 6:3-4)
3. Third seal judgments — vs. 7c (Rev. 6:4-5)
4. Fourth seal judgments — vs. 7c (cf. Rev. 6:7-8)
5. Fifth seal judgment — vss. 9-10 (cf. Rev. 6:9-11)
6. Sixth seal judgment — vs. 7d-8 (Rev. 6:12a)
7. Other events during this time — vss. 11-14
a. Many false prophets will arise — vs. 11
b. Lawlessness will increase — vs. 12
c. Ones that endure to the end will be saved — vs. 13
d. Gospel will be preached to the whole world — vs. 14
(Rev. 7:9,14)
e) Jesus describes the second half of the tribulation period —
vss. 15-31
1) Desolation of the temple and its results — vss. 15-22
(Dan. 9:27; Rev. 13:11-18)
2) Many false Christ’s will arise — vss. 23-26
3) How the true Christ will come — vss. 27-28
4) Christ’s coming — vss. 29-31
a. The cosmic events will take place — vs. 29 (Isa.
13:9-13; Rev. 6:12; 6th seal; 8:12, 7th seal)
b. Son of Man will come in the sky — vs. 30 (Zech. 14:3-
4; Rev. 19:11-19)
c. The elect (Israel and those who became believers
during the tribulation period) will be gathered —
vs. 31 (Isa. 66:18-24)
EVENT
First seal (false Christ) Matt. 24:4-5 (Rev. 6:2)
Second seal (war) Matt. 24:6-7a-b (Rev. 6:3-4)
Third seal (famine) Matt. 24:7c (Rev. 6:5-6)
Fourth seal (death) Matt. 24:7c (Rev. 6:7-8)
Fifth seal (martyrs) Matt. 24:9-10 (Rev. 6:9-11)
Sixth seal (earthquake) Matt. 24:7d-8 (Rev. 6:12a)
People saved from every tribe… Matt. 24:14 (Rev. 7:9,13-14)
Desolation of temple Matt. 24:15-22 (Rev. 13:11-18)
Christ’s second coming
Cosmic events Matt. 24:29 (Rev. 6:12; 8:12)
Christ’s return Matt. 24:30 (Rev. 19:11-19)
2. Preparation for the tribulation and related events (note: these
are warnings to the “generation” that will see these things) —
Matthew 24:32-25:46; Rev. 16:15
a) Jesus speaks in parables about being prepared for the end
time — vss. 24:32-51
1) Parable about the fig tree — vss. 32-44
a. Recognize that the time is near — vss. 32-35
b. Only the Father knows when this will occur — vs. 36
c. His second coming will be like in the days of Noah —
vss. 37-44 (cf. Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43; 47-50)
2) Parable of the slaves — vss. 45-51
a. The faithful slave who awaits Christ’s return will be
blessed — vss. 45-47
b. The evil slave shall be punished — vss. 48-51
3) Parable about the ten virgins — vss. 25:1-13
a. Five foolish virgins were not prepared for Christ’s
coming — vss. 1-9
b. Five prudent virgins were prepared and entered the
wedding feast — vs. 10
c. One needs to be prepared — vss. 11-13
4) Parable about the talents — vss. 25:14-30
a. Three slaves were given responsibility by their
master — vss. 14-15
b. The actions of the slaves after their master departed —
vss. 16-18
c. The first slave (5 talents) — vs. 16
d. The second slave (2 talents) — vs. 17
e. The third slave (1 talent) — vs. 18
f. The results of the slaves upon their master’s return —
vss. 19-30
1. The first slave was rewarded — vss. 19-21
2. The second slave was rewarded — vss. 22-23
3. The third slave was punished — vss. 24-30
b) Jesus speaks about the sheep/goat judgment of the nations at
His coming — vss. 25:31-46
1) Jesus will separate the believers from the unbelievers —
vss. 31-33
2) Jesus will reward the believers with life in the kingdom —
vss. 34-40
3) Jesus will punish the unbelievers with eternal punishment –
– vss. 41-46
B. Chronology from the book Revelation and other passages
1. Rapture (resurrection) — 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 2 Thes. 2:1-2; 1 Cor.
15:50-52
2. In heaven: Bema seat judgment of Christians — 2 Cor. 5:10; cf. 1
Cor. 3:10-15
3. Antichrist signs agreement with Israel — Rev. 6:1-2; Dan. 9:24-
27; cf. 2 Thes. 2:3
4. Two prophets arise — Rev. 11:1-14 (placed in ch. 11 due to the
timing of their demise)
5. Six seal judgments – Rev. 6:1-17
a. 1st False Christ
b. 2nd War
c. 3rd Famine
d. 4th Death
e. 5th Martyrs
f. 6th Terror on earth (including an earthquake where
mountains and islands moved out of their place
like the 7th seal) (Attempted invasion of
Israel by Russian alliance, Ezek. 38-39; cf.
38:11,14, 19)
6. 144,000 Jews sealed — Rev. 7:4-8
7. Seventh seal judgment – Rev. 8:1
7th Earthquake (mountains and islands moved out of their place;
lightening and peals of thunder); also a preparation for the
seven trumpets (cf. Rev. 8:1)
8. Midtrib: THE GREAT TRIBULATION BEGINS (cf. Mat. 24:21) — Rev. 12-
13
a. Satan cast out of heaven — Rev. 12:7-12 (cf. Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2)
b. God protects Israel — Rev. 12:13-17
c. Ultimate rise of the Antichrist and the rise of his False
Prophet — Rev. 13:1-18; cf. Dan. 7:23-25; 2 Thes. 2:3
(Antichrist revealed)
9. 144,000 martyred are with Christ in heaven — Rev. 14
10. Six trumpet judgments — Rev. 8:6 – 9:21 (cf. Matt. 24:1-10
[seals], 21 [great trib.]; 1 Thes. 5:3)
a. 1st Hail, fire and blood
b. 2nd One third of the sea and its life and ships
destroyed
c. 3rd Wormwood: One third of drinking water made
bitter
d. 4th One third of the sun, moon and stars darkened
INTENSITY OF TRIBULATION INCREASES FROM THIS POINT ON — cf. 8:13
e. 5th Demons released upon the earth (First woe; cf.
8:13) (cf. Luke 8:31; Jude 6)
f. 6th Army from the East (Second woe; cf. 8:13)
11. Seventh trumpet judgment — Rev. 11:15-19
7th Earthquake and great hailstorm (lightening and peals of
thunder)
(third woe; cf. 8:13) 7th trumpet depicts Christ as reigning
in His kingdom
12. Seven bowl judgments — Rev. 16:1-21 (these judgment intensified
from trumpet judgments)
a. 1st Loathsome and malignant sores
b. 2nd Sea turned to blood and everything in it died
c. 3rd All drinking water turned to blood
d. 4th Men were scorched with fierce heat
e. 5th Kingdom of the beast darkened and great pain
f. 6th Euphrates dried up for the kings of the East to
advance
g. 7th Great Earthquake (islands and mountains gone)
with hailstorm 100 pounds each) (lightening and
peals of thunder)
13. Judgment of religious Babylon — Rev. 17:1-18
14. Judgment of economic Babylon — Rev. 18:1-24
15. Invitation to the marriage of the Lamb — Rev. 19:7-10
16. The second coming of Christ
a. He returns on horseback with His saints and angels — Rev.
19:11-19 cf. vss. 7-8; Matt. 16:27)
b. Battle of Armageddon — Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11-19; Jude 14-16;
Dan. 7:25-26
c. Antichrist and false prophet judged — Rev. 19:20-21
d. Jesus enters Jerusalem to set up His kingdom — Zech. 14:1-7
e. Judgment of the nations — Matt. 13:41-43,49-50; 25:31-46
f. Judgment of Israel — Ezek. 20:33-38
g. Satan bound — Rev. 20:1-3
h. Resurrection of tribulation saints — Rev. 20:4-6
i. Resurrection of believing Israel — Dan. 12:1-3; Ezek. 37:1-14
17. The millennial kingdom
a. Millennial kingdom begins — Rev. 20:5-6; Zech. 14:8-11;
Ezek. 37:15-28; Dan. 7:27
b. Jews are returned to Israel — Isa. 11:11-12; Ezek. 20:39-44;
36:24-27; 37:21-22
c. Marriage feast of the Lamb — Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke
14:16-24
d. Satan loosened, unbelievers rise up against Christ — Rev.
20:7-1
18. Heavens and earth destroyed — Rev. 20:11; 2 Pet. 3:10
19. Great white throne judgment — Rev. 20:11-15
20. Angels are judged — 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6
21. New heavens and earth — Rev. 21:1
22. New Jerusalem — Rev. 21:2 – 22:5
VII. Tribulation period progresses like labor pains (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
This information has been provided to help the student understand the
theory presented that the 7th seal judgment contains the 7 trumpet
judgments and that the 7th trumpet judgment contains the 7 bowl judgments.
6th seal Rev. 6:12 (an earthquake where mountains and islands
moved out of their place)
7th seal Rev. 8:5 (lightening and peals of thunder, and earthquake)
7th trumpet Rev. 11:19 (lightening and peals of thunder, great
earthquake and hailstorm) 7th trumpet depicts Christ as
reigning in His kingdom
7th bowl Rev. 16:18 (lightening and peals of thunder, great
earthquake where mountains and islands are gone and
hailstorm with 100 pound hailstones)
So we see that the 7th seal, the 7th trumpet and the 7th bowl all end at
the same time with an earthquake.
VIII. Trumpet Issues Relating to End Time Events
A. Matthew 24:31
“And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they
will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of
the sky to the other.
This trumpet will sound at the end of the tribulation period. This
trumpet signals the gathering of the children of Israel and
believers from the tribulation period to Jerusalem.
B. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will
all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishabe, and we will be changed.”
This trumpet will be sounded at the rapture, just before the dead in
Christ are raised. See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 below. We see that it
is the last trumpet. How is it the last trumpet? Let’s look at
three possibilities.
1. Some see this as the last of the trumpet judgments — the
seventh trumpet — therefore holding to a rapture and
resurrection that takes place during the tribulation period.
For the reasons stated above, Scripture clearly shows that the
rapture will take place before the tribulation period, so this
trumpet cannot be referring to the seventh trumpet judgment.
Also, this trumpet has nothing to do with judgment as the
seventh trumpet does in the book of Revelation.
2. Another view is that this trumpet coincides with the Jewish
Feast of Trumpets, and that the church’s removal from the earth
will coincide with this feast. The feast of trumpets had three
facets to it. It says in Leviticus 23:23-25 about this feast:
“Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of
Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month
you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy
convocation. ‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall
present an offering by fire to the LORD.'”
We see in this passage that the three facets of the feast of
trumpets are:
a. A time of rest
b. A holy convocation or assembly
c. A time to present an offering
Therefore when the final trumpet is blown, the church will then:
a. Experience her rest — Heb. 4:9-10
b. Be assembled together in heaven — 1 Thes. 4:16-17
c. Be offered to the Lord Jesus Christ — Eph. 5:25-27
3. Another view is that the last trumpet represents the church
being summoned to assemble in heaven (cf. Num. 10:2; Joel 2:15)
to meet God as when the children of Israel met God in the
wilderness (cf. Exo. 19:16-17).
4. A final view would be that the last trumpet represents a call of
victory to a victorious church who is being called home because
it has completed its purpose in the plan of God.
C. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead
in Christ will rise first.”
This trumpet will be sounded at the rapture, just before the dead in
Christ are raised.
IX. Miscellaneous note on Prophecy
A. Pretribulational rapture
1. People from every nation, tribe, peoples and tongue will be saved
before the tribulation period — Rev. 5:9-10
2. Imminent return of Christ — Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:3, 10, 13; Matt.
24:32-50; 25:1-13; Mark 13:28-37; Acts 1:6-7; 1 Thes. 5:1-3,6 (cf.
2 Pet. 3:10)
B. Judgment
1. Saints will judge the world — 1 Cor. 6:2
2. Jesus is the ultimate judge — John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:30-31; Rom.
2:16; 2 Tim. 4:1
3. Eternal punishment will be in proportion to one’s wickedness —
Rom. 2:5-6; Rev. 20:12-13; Psa. 62:12; Mark 12:40
C. Tribulation period
1. The Day of the Lord is from the beginning of the tribulation
period through the destruction of the heavens and the earth —
2 Pet. 3:10
2. Not all Israel will be saved during the tribulation period —
Ezek. 20:33-38; Zech. 13:8
3. People from every nation, tribe, peoples and tongue will be saved
during the tribulation period — Matt. 24:14; Rev. 7:9,14
4. Tribulation and the millennial kingdom in the Old Testament–
Zech. 13:8; 14:21; Isa. 2:12-22; 11:1-9; 13:9-16; 26:20-21; 65:18-
25; Jer. 4:4-24; Micah 4:3-4
D. Millennial kingdom
1. Christ’s second coming to deliver Israel — Zech. 14:1-7
2. The resurrection of believing Israel — Ezek. 37; Dan. 12:1-2;
Matt. 8:11
3. Resurrections in the Old and New Testaments — Dan. 12:1-2; John
5:26-29; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:4; Rev. 20:5; Rev. 20:11-15
4. An Old Testament picture of the millennial kingdom — Isa. 2:1-4;
4:2-6; 11; 25:6-12; 32:15-26; 49; 60-62; 65:18-25; 66:18-24; Jer.
3:11-18; 31; 32:36-44; Ezek. 34:25-31; 36:1ff; 37; Hosea 2:14-20;
Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-8; 5:2-5; Zeph. 3:8-20; Hag. 2:6-9; Zech.
2:10-13; 3:8-10; 6:12-15; 8:1-23; 9:11-17; 12:10-14; 14:4-21
5. Environmental change in Palestine — Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 36:34-35;
Zech. 14:4
6. King David will be the Prince during the millennial kingdom —
Ezek. 34:24
7. Long life during the millennial kingdom — Isa. 65:20
8. Saints reign with Christ during the millennial kingdom — Dan.
7:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 5:6-10; 19:8,14
9. Egypt and Assyria in the millennial kingdom — Isa. 19:12ff
E. Eternity
1. The heavens and earth will pass away — Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10-13
NOTE: All Bible references were taken from the New American Standard version of
the Bible unless other wise noted.