Christian Interpretations of the Signs of the End Times

Religious texts of Abrahamic Religions are replete with prophecies about a future which is filled with dramatic events and disasters. According to the most famous interpretation, these prophecies speak of the signs of the end times. However, a review of Christian exegetical works suggests that there is not a unanimous agreement among Christians in this respect and various Christian groups have understood these verses of the Bible in a different way. The Christian views in this regard can be classified into four groups/schools: allegorical interpretation, historicism, preterism, and futurism. These schools have been reviewed in this paper. In the introduction of each school, I will try to describe the main issues such as the general orientation, history, principles and exegetical methods. I will also refer to some of their advantages and disadvantages. In addition to this introduction, two issues have also been taken into account: the social and political context of each school and how it has considered the course of history, because socio-political situation and religious disputes have had a significant impact on the development and prevalence of exegetical views. Moreover, about the second coming of Jesus Christ and his reign on the earth, the advocates of each school have chosen a standpoint which is in harmony with other principles of the same school. Therefore, a meaningful correlation between the principles of each school and its view about the earthly kingdom of Christ could be demonstrated.