What Eschatology views are there?

[Palinator]

Can someone briefly outline a simple list for me what different Eschatology views there are like orthodox preterism and partial preterism and futurism and I don't know what else there might be?

[Hitch]

There is preterism, locally defined as 'partial preterism' or Othodox Preterrism' and a host of mistaken views.

[Sheepdog]

Can someone briefly outline a simple list for me what different Eschatology views there are like orthodox preterism and partial preterism and futurism and I don't know what else there might be?

What are some of the eschatological positions out there?

There are a few that I know of offhand. The ones I list here seem to be the most popular.

Dispensationalism is the name of the most popular view of eschatology in mainstream American Christianity. If you are familiar with the Left Behind series of books, you may have already been acquainted with a popular form of Dispensationalism. Technically, however, Dispensationalism is a broader theological position than just eschatology, as it covers topics in other forms of theology. The Dispensational view of eschatology is unique compared to other views, so it is often dealt with in its own category.

The basic gist of Dispensationalism is that over various lengths of time, God has had "His people," by which they were characterized by the unique duties or responsibilities which God "dispensed" to them.2 A "dispensation" is often associated with a certain time. For instance, the time from when the OT Law was established to the time of Christ is often called the Dispensation of Law, while we Christians are in the Dispensation of Grace. The number of dispensations seems to very depending on which variation of Dispensationalism an individual subscribes to, but 7 or 8 total dispensations are common numbers. I've seen one presentation which had as many as 12 dispensations. Though they have been accused of denying salvation by grace before the "Church Age," most dispensationalists simply consider the required response to grace to be different. There are a few heretical extremists, but most dipsensationalists are orthodox in theology.

In terms of eschatology, dispensationalists interpret most of NT prophecy as being future, seeing it within the dispensational framework. Usually, Revelation is interpreted as describing the last dispensations and events that mark the transition between them.

Futurism is a generic term to denote any eschatological position which holds that the majority of eschatological prophecy is to still be fulfilled in the future. Dispensationalism is futuristic for example, though not all futurists are dispensationalists.

Historicism describes a view of eschatology which considers much of eschatological prophecy as describing events that are unfolding over all of the history of the last couple of millennia. For instance, they consider the Roman Catholic Papacy to be the "Antichrist," or the Beast in Revelation. "To put it another way, Historicism is the method of interpreting Biblical prophecy by comparing history to the prophecy in question. Historicists believe that prophecy is history pre-written."3

Preterism (also known as Partial Preterism or Orthodox Preterism) teaches many prophesies otherwise considered to be talking about "the end of the world" were actually fulfilled sometime in the past. This can include some of the Olivet Discourse or all of it, The Seventy Weeks, the Book of Revelation up to a point (usually up to the beginning of the "Millenium," Rev. 20:2), and other key passages. Now, obviously the end of the world didn't happen in the past (since, umm, we are here right now). Rather, Preterists interpret such passages to be fulfilled in the events leading up to and including the destruction of the Jewish Temple and Jerusalem in AD 70. This event essentially marks the end of the age of the Old Testament sacrificial system. Preterists believe that the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection are still yet to occur.

Pantelism (also known as Full Preterism, Hyper-Preterism, Neohymeneanism, and unfortunately also just Preterism) holds that all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled in the past. In some ways, Pantelism is similar to Preterism, which leads to a lot of confusion-- this isn't helped at all by the fact that some Pantelists openly call themselves Preterists. However, Pantelists are considered heretical because they deny the future bodily Resurrection: a doctrine which is held universally by all orthodox Christian churches.

from my page here: http://www.john15.net/pd4x.php?r=eschatology

also, look at the Millennial views as they tend to vary as well.

[TuckEverlasting]

My eschatology is 'Surprise Me!' And, good post, sheep.

[studyhound]

Can someone briefly outline a simple list for me what different Eschatology views there are like orthodox preterism and partial preterism and futurism and I don't know what else there might be?
Check out this thread I did with Stephen: http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10992&highlight=stephen%2C+preterism%2C+overview

[Chief of Staff Lizard]

There is also idealism, which views Revelation as a symbolic of the daily struggled of Christian life (or something like that). I am not overly familiar with idealism, but I know that it is a form of eschatology.

[barryrob]

Can someone briefly outline a simple list for me what different Eschatology views there are like orthodox preterism and partial preterism and futurism and I don't know what else there might be?

Dear Mr. Moderator am I allowed to make a comment on this open question here or not?
Barryrob

[Palinator]

I don't understand the difference between historicism and preterism.

[Chief of Staff Lizard]

Dear Mr. Moderator am I allowed to make a comment on this open question here or not?
BarryrobAs long as you are talking about a view that is an orthodox eschatology as defined by the eschatology guidlines (i.e. no hyper preterism/pantelism, etc.)

[Chief of Staff Lizard]

I don't understand the difference between historicism and preterism.
This is an oversimplification but here is my "best guess"

Preterist belive that the last prophetic event fulfilled was AD70 and the destruction of the Temple/Jerusalem and the next prophetic event is the Second Coming/Resurrection/Judgment. With nothing in between

Historicist see a contiueing (more or less) unfolding of prophetic events. (Some historicist may also hold to a future "great tribulation" )

If I butchered historicism, some nice historicist please make undersanding corrections.

[Raptor]

My eschatology is 'Surprise Me!' And, good post, sheep.

:rofl: I think I'm beginning to support your view.

[Palinator]

:rofl: I think I'm beginning to support your view.
Let's call it Tuckism.

[studyhound]

This is an oversimplification but here is my "best guess"

Preterist belive that the last prophetic event fulfilled was AD70 and the destruction of the Temple/Jerusalem and the next prophetic event is the Second Coming/Resurrection/Judgment. With nothing in between

Historicist see a contiueing (more or less) unfolding of prophetic events. (Some historicist may also hold to a future "great tribulation" )

If I butchered historicism, some nice historicist please make undersanding corrections.
I would like to add one thing to the historicist view, the unfolding is over the church age starting (depending on who you ask) with the the death of the apostles to the Resurrection.

:sh:

[barryrob]

Can someone briefly outline a simple list for me what different Eschatology views there are like orthodox preterism and partial preterism and futurism and I don't know what else there might be?

I can give you an over view of what Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses believe.

“eschatology n. theology of death and final destiny. eschatological adj. [Greek eskhatos last].”-Oxford Dic.


Matthew 24:3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”


Here is that sign of The Return of Christ as from 1914 onward thus showing we are deep into the “last days”:-


SOME FEATURES OF THE LAST DAYS
Unprecedented warfare.—Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:4.
Famine.—Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:5, 6, 8.
Pestilences.—Luke 21:11; Revelation 6:8.
Increasing lawlessness.—Matthew 24:12.
Ruining of the earth.—Revelation 11:18.
Earthquakes.—Matthew 24:7.
Critical times hard to deal with.—2 Timothy 3:1.
Inordinate love of money.—2 Timothy 3:2.
Disobedience to parents.—2 Timothy 3:2.
A lack of natural affection.—2 Timothy 3:3.
Loving pleasures rather than God.—2 Timothy 3:4.
A lack of self-control.—2 Timothy 3:3.
Without love of goodness.—2 Timothy 3:3.
Taking no note of the impending danger.—Matthew 24:39.
Ridiculers reject proof of the last days.—2 Peter 3:3, 4.
Global preaching of God’s Kingdom.—Matthew 24:14.



A parallel to the above is found at:-

Revelation 6:1-7 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice as of thunder: “Come!” 2 And I saw, and, look! a white horse* and the one seated upon it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest.

3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say: “Come!” 4 And another came forth, a fiery-colored horse**; and to the one seated upon it there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him.

5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say: “Come!” And I saw, and, look! a black horse***; and the one seated upon it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice as if in the midst of the four living creatures say: “A quart of wheat for a de·nar´i·us, and three quarts of barley for a de·nar´i·us; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”

7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say: “Come!” 8 And I saw, and, look! a pale horse****; and the one seated upon it had the name Death. And Ha´des was closely following him. And authority was given them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with a long sword and with food shortage and with deadly plague and by the wild beasts of the earth.

*Symbolic of Jesus in 1914
**Symbolic of World Wars etc.
***Symbolic of Food shortage and Famine.
****Symbolic of disease and unexpected death in many ways.


And then “the conclusion of the system of things”:-


Christendom’s religious systems [along with pagandom], and any claims she makes to being a “holy place,” will be desolated just as completely as was the anti-Christian Jewish system in 70 C.E. As Revelation 17:5, 16, 17 shows, all segments of false religion worldwide—“Babylon the Great”—will be devastated at that same time, preliminary to the war at Armageddon, the finale of the “great tribulation.”—Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21.


Just a few thoughts on The “Last Days.”
Barryrob

[Palinator]

There is also idealism, which views Revelation as a symbolic of the daily struggled of Christian life (or something like that). I am not overly familiar with idealism, but I know that it is a form of eschatology.
The glossary of my phrophecy Bible says that Idealism is "the belief that the timing of major phrophetic events is undetermined." Darn, I just told my mom something that might not be quite true-about idealism.