| BibleFacts |
The End Times
|
On the early
church |
Here is what the early church fathers said about the end times:
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A literal 1000 year reign of Christ
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Antichrist
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A literal rebuilt temple.
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Papias 70-155
- Fragment 6 - After the resurrection of the dead,
Jesus will personally reign for 1000 years. Papias was taught this by the apostle
John himself.
-
Justin Martyr 110-165
- Dialogue 32 - The man of sin, spoken of by Daniel, will rule two [three] times
and a half, before the second advent.
- Dialogue 110 - The man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the
Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us, the
Christians.
- Irenaeus 178 AD
- Against Heresies 4.26 - Daniel the prophet says "Shut up the words, and seal the
book even to the time of consummation, until many learn, and knowledge be
completed. For at that time, when the dispersion shall be accomplished, they
shall know all these things."
- Against Heresies 5.25 - In 2 Thessalonians the falling away is an apostasy
and there will be a literal rebuilt temple. In Matthew 24 the "abomination
spoken by Daniel" is the Antichrist setting in the temple as if he were
Christ. The abomination will start in the middle of Daniel's 70th week and
last for 3 years and six months. The little (11th) horn is the
Antichrist.
- Against Heresies 5.26 - The Roman Empire will first be divided and then
be dissolved. Ten kings will arise from what used to be the Roman empire.
The Antichrist slays three of the kings and is then the eighth king among
them. The kings will destroy Babylon then give the Babylonian kingdom to the
beast and put the church to flight. After that they will be destroyed by the
coming of the Lord. Daniel's horns are the same as the ten toes. The toes
being part of iron and clay mean some will be active and strong while others
weak and inactive and the kings will not agree with each other.
- Against Heresies 5.27 - In Matthew 24 the two men, one taken and the other left,
does not refer to the rapture but second coming. They are taken to never ending fire.
- Against Heresies 5.30 - The name of the Antichrist equals 666 if
spelled out in Greek. Do not even try to find out the name until the
ten kings arise. The Antichrist shall be from the tribe of Dan. That is why
the tribe of Dan is not mentioned in the Apocalypse. The fourth kingdom seen
by Daniel is Rome. Titan is one Greek word that comes out to 666. The
rebuilt temple will be in Jerusalem.
- Against Heresies 5.35 - The resurrection of the just takes place after
the destruction of the Antichrist and all nations under his rule. Many
believers will make it through the tribulation and replenish the earth. In
the resurrection we will have fellowship and communion with the holy
angels, and union with spiritual beings. The new heavens and earth are
created and then the new Jerusalem descends. These are all literal things, and
Christians who allegorize them are immature Christians.
- Tertullian 190-210 AD
-
Marcion 3.25 - Millennial rain, resurrection, and the New
Jerusalem are literal. In the resurrection we shall then be changed in a
moment into the substance of angels.
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Marcion 5.16 - The Antichrist will be a real man and set in a
real temple.
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Treatise of the Soul 1.50 Enoch and Elias will come back to die.
They are the two witnesses of Revelation.
- Origen 230 AD
- Against Celsus 2:49 - Quotes Paul to prove the Antichrist will be a literal person who works false
miracles.
- Against Celsus 6:45 - There is a literal future Antichrist coming.
- Against Celsus 6:46 - The prophecies in 1 Thessalonians and Daniel are real prophesies
about the end of the world. There will be a literal rebuilt temple.
- Commodianus: 240 AD
- 35 - Resurrection is at the end of the 6000 years.
- 41 - Notes about the Antichrist
- 43 - Notes about the end of the age
- 44 - Notes on the first resurrection. Those who were not martyred under the
Antichrist will
marry and have children during the 1000 years. There will be no rains, snow, cold during the
Millennium.
- 80 - Physical resurrections will occur when six thousand years are completed, and
then again after the 1000 years when the world comes to an end.
- Lactantius
285 AD
- Divine Institutes 7:14 – 6000 yrs until the Millennium.
(Some do not think Book 7 was really written by
Lactantius.)
- Divine Institutes 7:16-17 – Notes on the end times (very good)
- Divine Institutes 7:19 – The 1st paragraph is about the Antichrist's four battles
- Divine Institutes 7:25 – After the six thousand years. The end of days will
come after the fall of Rome [AD 476]. The Sibyls agree.
- Divine Institutes 7:26 – The Millennium ends with the battle of Gog, when the sun stands
still for 3 days.
The righteous that hid in the mountains then come out, all evil is gone. There
will be no more
nations, and for 7 years the woods are untouched because they use the weapons
of the nations for fuel.
- Epitome of Divine Institutes 71 – On the last times: [very good]
- Epitome of Divine Institutes 72 – There will be a literal
thousand-year reign of Christ.
Hippolytus; Fragment 8:
And what am I to say with respect to men, when the very elements themselves will disown their order? There will be earthquakes in every city, and plagues in every country; and monstrous thunderings and frightful lightnings will burn up both houses and fields. Storms of winds will disturb both sea and land excessively; and there will be unfruitfulness on the earth, and a roaring in the sea, and an intolerable agitation on account of souls and the destruction of men. There will be signs in the sun, and signs in the moon, deflections in the stars, distresses of nations, intemperateness in the atmosphere, discharges of hail upon the face of the earth, winters of excessive severity, different frosts, inexorable scorching winds, unexpected thunderings, unlooked-for conflagrations; and in general, lamentation and mourning in the whole earth, without consolation. For, "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." By reason of the agitation and confusion of all these, the Lord of the universe cries in the
gospel, saying, "Take heed that ye be not deceived; for many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet by and by." Let us observe the word of the
Savior, how He always admonished us with a view to our security: "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in
My name, saying, I am Christ."
- Victorinus 240 AD
- Commentary on Revelation 2 - the church begins to allow fornication under a "pretext for
mercy"
and grant "unlawful peace" over new forms of prophecy. The name written on the white stone is "Christian."
- Commentary on Revelation 4 - The red and blue rainbow above God's head symbolizes the judgments of water and fire.
The 24 elders are the 12 apostles and
12 patriarchs.
- Commentary on Revelation 6 - Heaven withdrawing like a scroll is the
church taken away.
- Commentary on Revelation 7 - Elijah is the ascending angel. The seven angels (shepherds)
attack the Antichrist's kingdom. Babylon is the ruined Roman kingdom. Do
not look to the order of Revelation, the vials and trumpets are the same
events.
- Commentary on Revelation 11 - The great wings given to the woman are the two
prophets and those who help her.
- Commentary on Revelation 13 - The 2nd beast is the false prophet.