End Time Prophecy

Many religious cultural traditions including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity believe that there will be a period of tribulation before the world ends. Christians believe that this tribulation will end when Jesus returns to Earth, ends the current world order, and creates a new Heaven and Earth. However, they disagree on the events that will precede Jesus’s return. In Bible prophecy, the books of Daniel and Revelation provide the primary basis for Christians’ end time views.

The book of Revelation provides the primary description of the sequence of end time prophecy. The apostle John wrote this book about 95 A.D. with prophecies describing the end of the world. Christians have varying beliefs about the symbolic or literal nature of the prophecies as well as the timing of Christ’s second coming. Christians believe in a pre-tribulation, a mid-tribulation, or a post- tribulation rapture. This term refers to the time when Jesus returns to take his chosen people to Heaven — before, in the middle of, or after the tribulation period.

This variance of beliefs in Christian eschatology is because they have not established or agreed on rules to interpret apocalyptic prophecy. If there is no basis for interpreting apocalyptic prophecy, it is impossible for Christians to agree what lies ahead.