Issue 61: A History of the Second Coming A History of the Second Coming: Did You Know? - Hall of Infamy Hall of Antichrists: Nine (of many) who were thought to be forbearers of the End Nero (d. 68): "He will descend from his firmament in the form of a man, a king of iniquity, a murderer of his mother—this is the king of this world. … He will act and speak like the Beloved, and will say, 'I am the Lord, and before me there was no one.' " —Martyrdom of Isaiah (late first-century apocalyptic text) Justinian (d. 565): "Many men have been born who … have shown themselves terrible beings. But to destroy all men and to ruin the whole earth has been granted to none save … Justinian, Prince of demons." —Procopius, Secret History (late 6th-century) Hitler (d. 1945):"I believe today that I am acting in the sense of the Almighty Creator. By warding off the Jews, I am fighting for the Lord's work." —Adolf Hitler Mein Kampf Frederick II (d. 1250): "What other Antichrist should we await, when as is evident in his works, he is already come in the person of Frederick? He is the author of every crime, stained by every cruelty, and he has invaded the patrimony of Christ seeking to destroy it with Saracen aid." —Pope Gregory IX Napoleon (d. 1821): A friend of Samuel Johnson's " … was always happy to cite evidence of [the French Revolution's] Antichrist-like character, culminating in Napoleon, whose name she believed meant 'the Destroyer.' " —historian Bernard McGinn, Antichrist Reagan: "The beast recovers from a mortal wound, which, in the 1980s, caused quite a stir in evangelical circles when Ronald Wilson Reagan—each name having six letters—was shot and yet survived." —Robert Fuller Naming the Antichrist Gorbachev:Gorbachev! Has the Real Antichrist Come? —title of a 1988 book by Robert Faird Luther (d. 1546): "He has rejected the sacraments, repudiated the expunging of sins through fasts, and rejects the daily celebration of the Mass. … Does this sound to you like Christ or Antichrist?" —Pope Hadrian VI John Paul II:"[This man] will be increasingly called upon to bring peace to a troubled world. His recovery from a deadly wound directed world attention and admiration to his personage, and he, like those before him, would seemingly like to establish authority over the Holy Hill of Zion." —radio host Noah Hutchings Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian History Magazine. Resources: Antichrist by Notre Dame historian Bernard McGinn covers all the major apocalyptic movements and beliefs from the New Testament to today, with special emphasis on the dark side of the world's end. Naming the Antichrist by cultural historian Robert Fuller examines the subject in a more American context, and while McGinn usually maintains academic distance, Fuller doesn't (chapter five, for example, on conservative campaigns against socialism, unions, and modernism, is titled "Crusades of Hate"). If you're looking for a scholarly book with an edge, this is it. Links: Walter Sundberg, professor of church history at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., reviewed McGinn's Antichrist in the June/ July 1995 issue of First Things. It's a great review of a good book. Procopius's Secret History is available online. His identification of Justinian as Antichrist is the first recorded instance of the character's association with a Christian. Issue 61: A History of the Second Coming A History of the Second Coming: From the Editor - Sliver in a Forest Mark Galli The kingdom of God is near." These are, according to the Gospel of Mark, the first words from Jesus' mouth as he begins his ministry. His last words to the church, revealed to John in a vision, are no less telling: "Yes, I am coming soon." If we're wondering why so many Christians obsess about last things, we have Jesus to blame. And obsessed we've been for 2,000 years. Eschatology (the study of last things) is not so much a slice of church history as it is—much like Jesus' ministry—the theme. Every era has been alternately haunted and electrified by the thought of Jesus' second coming, and with all manner of consequences, from passive resignation to apocalyptic warfare. But I'll refrain from spoiling the story as told in these pages. About that story: it is only a sliver from the forest of stories that could be told. We've not only left out key chapters in Western history (for example, the millennial expectations during the English Civil War), but we've completely ignored non-Western millennial movements (like the bloody Taiping Rebellion in 1850s China, a violent movement by a Christian convert who believed he could usher in the Millennium). Another thing about this story: the cast of characters rivals a Cecil B. DeMille film, and their opinions about last things vary wildly. Though most of Christendom has subscribed to amillennialism, and much of modern evangelicalism to premillennialism, you'll see enough variety to give each of us, no matter our eschatology, pause for thought. Jesus didn't know the hour or the day of the end. We know fewer things still. But this we do know: to paraphrase Paul, if for this life only we have been saved, we are of all people most to be pitied. We live and strive to do God's will not simply to guarantee our own salvation—that would simply be spiritual selfishness—but in hope that all creation will be transformed into something more glorious. We noted the last words of Jesus in the Book of Revelation, but we do well also to recall the last words of John, which are really the first and last words of the Christian church: "Come, Lord Jesus." What do you think? It's been years since we've done an issue like this, in which we take one theme and gallop with it over 2,000 years of church history. The question is, what do you think? Would you like us to do overviews like this more often? If so, what topics would you like to see overviewed? While we're seeking your input, let me turn your attention to the survey on page 46 (not available online). As our salute to the end of the century, we're thinking about producing an issue, "The Most Influential Christians of the Twentieth Century." What's your opinion? Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian History Magazine. Issue 61: A History of the Second Coming Historic Premillennialism: Taking the Long View Most early Christian thinkers weren't troubled by the delay of Jesus' return. They were troubled by those who thought he was coming soon. Dana Netherton The days will come in which vines shall grow," imagined Papias of Hierapolis, "each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give two hundred gallons of wine. And when any of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, 'I am a better cluster, take me; bless the Lord through me.'" Papias (c.60-120) was perhaps the first post-biblical author to describe the thousand-year visible Kingdom of Christ—the Millennium. The early Gnostic heretic Cerinthus (c.100) elaborated on the physical pleasures of the Millennium— including "nuptial" pleasures—to a degree that scandalized the orthodox. Some early orthodox and heretical Christians found the tangible, sensual expectations of the Millennium irresistible. But as Christians gained more experience with these expectations, they found sufficient reason to be wary. The first premillennialist As years turned into decades, and decades into centuries, it became clear that, in spite of the hopes of some, the Millennium hadn't started with Jesus' resurrection. Although some modern scholars speculate this might have caused dismay, there is no evidence—either in internal exhortations or in answers to external critics—that it bothered anyone. Christians routinely prayed that the end of the world be postponed. It appears that the delay was simply not an issue. Those who expected the Millennium were confident that it would come. The question was simply when. As the years wore on, those who thought about the Millennium began to rethink the event that would initiate it. If the Resurrection had not started the Millennium, perhaps the Second Coming would. Justin Martyr (c.100-c.165) shared Papias's millennial expectation. In his Dialogue with Trypho, Justin affirmed his expectation that the faithful departed would rise from the dead and reign with Christ for a thousand years in a rebuilt Jerusalem. Still, he differed from Papias in two interesting ways. First, Justin said openly that not all Christians shared his expectation: "I and many others are of this opinion, and believe that such will take place … but, on the other hand, many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise." Such tolerance was not given for other doctrines, such as the resurrection of the dead. "Some who are called Christians … say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians" Second, Justin linked the beginning of the Millennium he expected not to Christ's resurrection, as Papias had done, but to Christ's "second advent." He believed faithful Christians would rise from the dead to live with Christ in the new Jerusalem.