Millennialism and Secular Apocalyptic teachings

Y2K (1999) · Computers would fail worldwide at the turn of the century as they automatically programmed to only deal with two digit 1900’s dates (e.g. 1977- ’77) · Problem – when the year hit 2000, the computers would think it was 1900 · Banks, ATMS, airlines, hospitals all ran on the old systems · Some built doomsday bunkers, belief in cyber terrorism, pregnant women given y2k kits if baby due was on the millennium day · A lot of updates and specials measures were taken, little effect on 1st Jan 2000 · Lots of commercialisation - Simpsons MAYAN CALENDAR (2012) · 21st December 2012 seen as the day that the end of civilisation was to commence · Long count calendar – used this to count the number of days after the “last creation” (3114 bc) · The day that the Mayan calendar clicks over to a whole new baktun (395 years approx) – some saw this as the end of the world, others see this as a whole new era THE BIG CRUNCH · Follow on from the Big Bang · According to this theory, the universe will one day stop expanding. · Then, as gravity pulls on the matter, the universe will begin to contract, falling inward until it has collapsed back into a super-hot, super-dense singularity · Cosmologists debate on whether this means the Earth will eventually collapse or it will expand forever NAZISM AND MARXISM · But both share an apocalyptic / millenarian view as both look forward to a final struggle, a great judgement visited upon an evil world, out of which will emerge a purified world.MARXISM · It starts with feudalism, moves into the era of the bourgeoisie, then into the proletarian utopia. (COMMUNISM) · Appropriate roles for everyone to play, and brings them all together in a universal drama which is going to reach a culmination in some utopia, either the Kingdom of God or the perfect socialist state. · Around the beginning of the 20th century, just before the First World War, most Marxists thought that the coming of socialism was somehow inevitable NAZISM · And they looked for turning points that led ultimately to the Third Reich, the third empire, and the thousand year empire (very apocalyptic idea). · Use of Martin Luther’s anti-Jewish writings · Hitler -the Aryan race was the proper race to bring in this thousand year reign. The enemy of the Aryan race was the Jews. - to realize his vision, he had to get rid of the Jews. (attempted to do in the Holocaust, Final Solution) YELLOWSTONE PARK VOLCANO · super volcano is to erupt in Yellowstone Park, USA · Scientist discovered that there is massive swelling underneath the park · The volcano erupts with a near clockwork cycle of every 600,000 years · Last eruption was 640,000 years ago – we are overdue · Before the eruption, there will be large earthquakes in the region · Then pressure on rock will release magma – virtually all life will be killed by falling ash and lava – can spread up to the Gulf of Mexico · Tens of thousands will die · The thousands of cubic kilometres of ash that would shoot into the atmosphere could block out light from the sun, making global temperatures plummet - called a nuclear winter. · If the temperatures plummet by 21 degrees, the Yellowstone super volcano could lead to extinction·CAN LEAD TO MANY THINKING THAT THE APOCALYPSE IS BEGINNING NUCLEAR APOCALYPSE · A typical nuclear warhead might have a power of one megaton. – i.e. the power of 1,000,000 tons of TNT, the most powerful non-nuclear explosive. · More than 40K nuclear weapons in the world – most are US and USSR accountable · Hiroshima · The missile would be denoted above the ground, to maximise devastation. · The first effect would be the heat, which would travel out form the bomb at the speed of light, burning everything for miles in 10,000°C flames. The air itself would seem to catch fire. Gas mains would explode; anyone seeing the blast from virtually any distance would be blinded · Then shock-wave would follow - falling skyscrapers and blasting cars hundreds of feet into the air. (Hurricane- like but more powerful ) - It would sweep through a city, destroying any structure within 15 kilometres of the blast.· APOCALYPTIC - Mass global devastation, could lead to a nuclear war, seen as the beginning of the apocalypse GLOBAL WARMING/ ICE CAPS MELTING + TEMPERATURE RISE · rise in sea levels – mass floods especially of coastal cities · lead to loss of farmland and vegetation - massive food shortages around the overpopulated world · Rising global temperatures make the sea warmer and expanding expand – i.e. without any more water entering the sea, it is getting deeper - effects inhabitants of small islands as the coastline recedes. · Increased temperature will make Antarctica start to melt - more water into the sea. If all of Antarctica melts sea levels would rise by 55 metres (would have to take a very large temperature rise for this to happen) · A large amount of separate research suggests that it is already happening, and the rate of this can only increase if the predicted rise in the rate of global warming occurs. · Since the 1950s the Arctic ice sheet has become 40% thinner during the summer and covers 15% less area. · Arctic temperatures are the warmest for 400 years · Since the 1960s snow cover has declined by 10% · In just seven years, Pine Island Glacier, part of the Antarctic ice sheet, has thinned by more than 5 feet. · 2038 – Greenpeace (environmental group) predict massive starvation, melting ice caps, coastal flooding and extinction of many species due to global warming and over population MILLENNIALISM · Christ will rule the earth for a1000 years of peace then he will judge the living and dead · 4 KEY EVENTS THAT ARE EVIDENT IN THE BIBLE - anti-Christ, rapture, tribulation, Parousia and last judgement · Differing beliefs on the time of the rapture – just before tribulation so the saved won’t feel pain, faithful endure the whole tribulation, rapture will occur 42 months into tribulation or no rapture at all PREMILLENNIALISM · Post-tribulational Premillennialism · Work of Papias, Irenaeus and first 3 Centuries of Christian Era – JEHOVAH’S WITNESS, EXCLUSIVE BRETHREN, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS · based upon a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1–6 Anti-Christ first appears on earth tribulation begins the Rapture Christ and Church will return and rule peacefully for 1000 years Faithful will spend eternity in New Jerusalem that has descended to Earth After 1000 years, battle of Armageddon all will be judged · TEND TO BELIEVE THAT OPPOSITION TO EXTRMELY SINFUL BEHAVIOURS (E.G. ABORTION, EUTHANIASIA, PROMISCUIRTY, HOMOSEXUALITY) WILL SLOW DOWN THE MILLENNIUM PERIOD. DISPENSATIONALISM · Pre-Tribulation Premillennialism · Reintroduced 1830s by John Darby · Most Fundamentalists and Evangelicals supported - Scofield · Holds to premillennialism and most hold to a pretribulation rapture. (Rapture will occur immediately after the tribulation) · believe that the nation of Israel is distinct from the Christian Church · the millennium will be the period of history in which God reverts back to fulfilling his Old Testament promises made to ethnic Israel, after this parenthetical “Church Age” in which we live is concluded · the millennium will be a state of Jewish ascendency over all the world, complete with a renewed Jewish temple and priesthood. - The Christians who reign with Christ will all have been given eternity and will reign spiritually, while the Jews will own the world physically · only after this thousand-year period, in which God fulfils his promises to ethnic Israel, that Christ will put down a final rebellion and usher in the eternal state, with its New Heavens and New Earth AMILLENNIALISM · “realised millennialism” · SUPPORTED BY ROMAN CATHOLICS · The millennium not a physical realm on earth · Will not last 1000 years as it began from the birth of Jesus and will end at Parousia · This is via presence of Christ’s reign now , Bible, Holy Spirit and active Christian groups · Both good and evil will come to earth – lawlessness, secularisation, Christian persecution · The current Church Age will end at Parousia · Then rapture · Then all will return shortly for final judgement · Matthew 24, Mark 13,Luke 13, Revelation are seen as already occurred events or symbolic · Antichrist is figurative and not a real person POST MILLENNIALISM · 19th century CE · Predicted a massive religious revival, spiritual awakening and occurrence of purification · Entire race will move towards Christianity (incl. Jesus) · Millennium period follows · Then Parousia · Then dead will resurrect · Then Judgement Day · Rapture and Tribulation are ignored PRETERISM/REALISED ESCHATOLOGY · Events prophesised in NT have already happened · Armageddon occurred in late 60-70 CE when the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, Jewish execution and diaspora · Jesus didn’t mean the end of the world, he meant end of the physical world · Old Jewish views coming to the end and be replaced with the Kingdom of God view · The majority of elements in the Book of Revelation (the key events) all occurred in first Century CE · We are already in the Millennium – since Christ’s resurrection – believe that the second coming of Christ will come at the end of the Millennium and will mark the full achievement of the kingdom of God on earth