Skip to main content
God’s intention was always to have a glorious bride for His Son.

The video link is at the bottom of the page.


1. Introduction

There are two significant views to end-times – the optimistic Victorious Eschatology view and the pessimistic Futurist view. Eschatology is the study of end times. Awakening Impact Ministries holds to the Victorious Eschatology worldview of the church entering heaven as a glorious bride rather than a defeated minority raptured away from the future anti-Christ. There have never been as many Christians as in the world today, baptised in the Holy Spirit. The Bride of Christ is more glorious and powerful than at any historical stage, including the early church.


2. Victorious Eschatology


A. History of Victorious Eschatology:

The early church fathers taught Victorious Eschatology. The Schofield Reference Bible, published in 1909, changed the general education on the end times to Futurist Eschatology.


B. Victorious Eschatology and Father-Son Theology:

According to Father-Son Theology, God originally intended to have sons and daughters.

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

Ephesians 1:4-5

Our Father’s desire is for His children to be blessed and succeed. Contrary to original Futurist teaching, it is not a remnant that will be “saved” at the end.


C. Victorious Eschatology and Glorious Sons & Daughters:

Further to this, God desires His sons and daughters to be glorious:

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:10

Futurists say that the sons of glory refer to when they are in heaven or the millennium. However, Hebrews 2:11 clarifies that the writer of the Hebrews was referring to now, not in the future.

For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Hebrews 2:11

Victorious Eschatology believes that before Jesus Christ’s final return, the sons and daughters of God will become influential to the world through a significant thrust of power evangelism and the church ruling and reigning in the spirit realm as it should.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Romans 8:18-19

D. Victorious Eschatology and Glory Fills the Earth:

It believes that before the final return of Jesus Christ, the glory of the Lord will fill the earth through the glorious sons and daughters of God ruling and reigning.

For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
As the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

The earth is filled with His glory as opposed to Futurist teaching. Their false teaching is only a few will be saved, and a remnant will be left!


E. Victorious Eschatology and the Millennium:

Victorious Eschatology believes that the millennial reign started sometime after the Great Tribulation of the first-generation church. It teaches that the kingdom began at Jesus Christ’s ascension and continues until Jesus returns the domain to the Father. We will look further into the millennium in a separate study.

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:24

Scripture is unequivocal that His kingdom has come NOW!

If you believe in Victorious Eschatology, that the kingdom is here now, you will have complete freedom to heal the sick because correct teaching will strengthen your heart. Proverbs teach us:

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

Proverbs 23:7


3. Futurist Eschatology

Where people are in a church teaching against speaking in tongues today, they generally have difficulty receiving their heavenly prayer language. The same is true of Futurist Eschatology—if you believe that things are getting worse rather than better, you will focus on the negative rather than building your faith by strengthening your heart.

Therefore, if your theology is of a remnant saved, your heart will not allow you to believe in great things, and your faith level will suffer. If your theology is the glory of the Lord will fill the earth, then your heart will allow you to believe in great things.


A. History of Futurist View:

John Nelson Darby was a member of the Plymouth Brethren. Leaving them, he founded the Exclusive Brethren. Neither of these denominations believed that miracles and healings happen today. Rather than changing his erroneous mindset, Darby changed his theology to suit his personal experience—a dangerous thing to do.

Darby held numerous false doctrines. Most seriously, he neither believed in imputed righteousness nor as a gift; on the contrary, Jesus kept the law for us! The Bible teaches this; Jesus fulfilled the law, and righteousness is a gift.

Futurist Eschatology purists must also hold to the Dispensational view. The dispensational view teaches that one day is a thousand years. Therefore, there were six days of creation followed by one day of rest. John Nelson Darby considered that there were 4000 years from Adam to Jesus. There are 6000 years from Adam to now, then the millennium.

Dispensationalism states that after the death of the first 14 apostles (Paul being the last, Matthias replacing Judas Iscariot), there will be no more apostles or prophets, only teachers, evangelists, and pastors. This heresy teaches only apostles can do miracles, and now the New Testament writings are completed, there are no more healings or miracles today (Cessationist View). However, Pentecostals and Charismatics who still hold to the Futurist View have chosen to remove some teaching (Cessationist View) but retain the remainder.


B. Futurist View and the Millennium:

To explain scriptures that teach healing and miracles as a sign of the kingdom of God, they then put the kingdom of God into a future millennial reign. In this natural kingdom, Jesus and the church reign from Israel. Yet Jesus said the kingdom of God is within you.

According to the Dispensational view, we have a further 270 years before the 6000 years are complete.


C. Futurist View and the AntiChrist:

Unlike Victorious Eschatology, the Futurist View believes that the AntiChrist is still to come. The devil will possess the AntiChrist. He will institute a one-world government, an economic system, and a one-world religious system. Some people holding this view believe that the devil (or God) always has an anti-Christ ready for Jesus’ return!

D. Futurist View and the Great Tribulation:

They will refer to the coming Great Tribulation or apostasy, discounting Jesus’ clear prophecy that it will occur within one generation. Jesus linked the Great Tribulation to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 and AD130, and He prophesied it would be the Romans who brought the persecution. If I were blunt, adherents to Futurist Eschatology could only declare Jesus’ prophecy of Matthew 24 to be false.

E. Futurist View and the Rapture:

There will be a rapture before, during, or after the Great Tribulation. John Nelson Darby taught there would be not one but two raptures! One for the elect (his wife and followers) and one for people like you and me. The Exclusive Brethren, describing themselves as the true church, still hold to this absolute separation from the world. This teaching, along with Futurist Eschatology, is a deception.


F. Futurist View and the Apostasy:

As opposed to Victorious Eschatology, they will refer to a great falling away, and only a few will be saved at the end, resulting in a fear-based gospel. It isn’t very optimistic because it believes that only a few will go to heaven.

This pessimistic view ties in with the Reformed Theology view of an angry God pouring His wrath on humanity.


4. Summary of Victorious Versus Futurist Eschatology

  • Victorious Eschatology births out of the teaching that a loving Father desires to have sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.
  • Futurist Eschatology is birthed out of the view of a distant God, wrathful against sinners (the Greek mythology view).
  • Victorious Eschatology believes that the last days finished in 70 CE, in accordance with Jesus’ prophecy. It believes we are in a new age of grace. It separates the last days from the End of the Age.
  • Futurist Eschatology believes that Jesus’ prophesy was delayed for some reason (therefore, Jesus made a mistake). It believes that the last days and the End of the Age are still to come.
  • Victorious Eschatology says that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the whole earth.
  • Futurist Eschatology believes that only a few will be saved.
  • Victorious Eschatology believes that the sons of God will grow from glory to glory.
  • Futurist Eschatology believes there will be a great turning away from the gospel.
  • Victorious Eschatology was the prime teaching for the first 1900 years of church history.
  • Futurist Eschatology was popularised by a man who did not believe miracles were for today, nor that righteousness is imputed or a free gift. Today, the church he founded believes that they cannot associate with anyone else in the world!

5. Which View Better Describes our Abba Father?

Which one sounds like the heart of a mighty God and a loving Father to you? God always intended to have sons and daughters who would be holy and blameless. He did this through Jesus Christ. God will then present this glorious bride to Jesus to be His wife. God always intended for the Holy Spirit to have one majestic Temple – the church and millions of living temples – individual believers filled with the Spirit of God. Victorious Eschatology has always allowed this; Futurist Eschatology must change regularly to make this possible.

 

© Use by Permission Awakening Impact Ministries / Dr Neville Westerbeek van Eerten D. Miss. 2024

Leave a Comment