Copyright © 2026 Michael A. Brown
Irenaeus lived from 120/140
– c202 AD and eventually became bishop of Lyons. In his youth, he was a disciple of Polycarp,
bishop of Smyrna (who was himself a disciple of the apostle John), and he gained
much of his early understanding of the Christian faith from him.
Among the Early
Fathers, Irenaeus stands out as one whose legacy included, among other things, an
in-depth and detailed exposition of what will take place in the end-times. When we make a careful study of
his work Against Heresies, we can discern the outline of eschatological
events as he understood them, supported by copious references to the
Scriptures. To the objective believer,
it becomes clear that Irenaeus’ eschatology bears many of the hallmarks of what
today we call ‘dispensational premillennialism.’ This is demonstrated, for example, by the
facts that he distinguished between the different
dispensations in God’s purposes (iv.15.2; iv.21.3); that he distinguished
(along with other Early Fathers) between Judaism and Christianity, and
therefore between (generally unbelieving) national Israel and God’s purposes
for the Jewish people in the end-times, and the (mainly Gentile) Church of
Christ (iv.7.4; iv.21.3; cf. iv.14.3; iv.15.2; iv.16.5);[1] that he taught a ‘catching
away’ (i.e. rapture) of believers as an event distinct from the Second Advent
of Christ; and that he believed in a literal, earthly millennial reign of
Christ.
Irenaeus’ premillennial
beliefs were consistent with the general structure of Jewish eschatological
belief which developed in the Old Testament writings and then on through the intertestamental
period into the first century AD, viewed through the lens of Jesus as the
redeeming Jewish Messiah and the new covenant in him. His teaching
about the rapture is consistent with that of some other Early Fathers who,
unless we are to simply live in denial of the plain statements that they made,
also held to this belief. The reader can easily see from the summary below that what
is taught in these blogs is consistent with Irenaeus’ beliefs.
Regarding
the notation of references used herein to Irenaeus’ work, the reference v.25.2,
for example, means book 5 (of Against Heresies and using lower-case Roman
numerals), chapter 25, section 2.
Against Heresies:
Book V
· The source of Irenaeus’ beliefs
o Apart from his own study of the Scriptures, Irenaeus traced his eschatological beliefs back to the teachings of Jesus, which the apostle John then passed on to his own disciples, such as Papias and Polycarp. Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp. He says that Jesus taught John about, for example, the restoration of creation in a future earthly millennial reign. John then passed this and other teachings on to ‘the elders’, i.e. those who were his own disciples (v.5.1; v.30.1; v.33.3-4; v.36.1,2).
· His hermeneutic
o
Irenaeus therefore held to a literal understanding of
prophetic/eschatological scriptures, and he opposed allegorical interpretations
(v.35.1-2). So, for example, there would
a literal resurrection of the bodies of believers, and the millennial reign of
Christ would be a literal earthly reign.
· The regathering of the Jews to their ancient homeland in the
end-times
o
Irenaeus taught that the Jews would be gathered from the nations
back to their ancient homeland in the end-times, in fulfilment of OT prophecy
and in preparation for the coming millennial kingdom (v.34.1). God would judge the surrounding nations for
the dishonour and hostility they have demonstrated towards the Jewish people
(v.34.1).
That God works to
fulfil this purpose, therefore distinguishes between the believing worldwide (and
mainly Gentile) body of Christ as we know it today, and the Jewish people of
(presently generally unbelieving) national Israel. He is working out his redemptive purposes for
Jews and Gentiles in and through both of these entities in the end-times.
· Antichrist
o
Irenaeus believed that the rider on the white horse of Revelation
6:2 represented the victorious Jesus, rather than the rise of Antichrist
(iv.21.3).
o
Antichrist will arise in the midst of a kingdom having ten parts,
so having ten kings. This kingdom will
already be established before Antichrist arises (v.25.3; v.30.2). The ten kings will be disunited (v.26.1). Three of these kings will be uprooted before
a ‘little horn’ which will arise in their midst (v.25.3). So Antichrist will be the eighth king (v.26.1). These kings will give their kingdom to the
beast, and they will destroy Babylon with fire and lay her waste (v.26.1). They will themselves be destroyed at the
coming of the Lord (v.26.1).
o
His kingdom will be the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s vision in ch.7
and the ten-toed kingdom of Daniel ch.2 (v.25.3; v.26.1).
o
He will arise from the tribe of Dan (v.30.2). This implies that Antichrist will have a
Jewish heritage.
o
He will be the first beast of Revelation ch.13 (various refs.).
o
His number is 666 (not 616), but his actual name is unknown. There is no point trying to guess what his
name is, since, in gematria, the number 666 can clearly apply to many people (v.29.2;
v.28.2; v.30.1,3). Irenaeus thought that
the name LATEINOS might be a probable solution, since the Roman kingdom was the
last of the four kingdoms seen by Daniel in ch.7, or perhaps TEITAN (v.30.3). Rather than playing guessing games, he
encouraged believers to wait and watch for the signs of Scripture being
fulfilled in the world, and they would correctly discern what was happening and
could then live and respond accordingly (v.30.2,4).
o
Antichrist will move the hub of his rule to Jerusalem, and he will
reign from there (v.25.4).
o
He will reign for 3½ years (the second half of the ‘week’ of years
of Daniel 9:27) (v.25.3-4; v.28.2; v.30.4).
So the ‘seventieth week’ of Daniel 9:27 is fulfilled as the future
7-year tribulation period.
o
He will lead a great apostasy, sitting in the temple of God and
exalting himself above all that is called God (v.25.2,4; v.28.2; v.30.4).
o
He will be accompanied by the False Prophet (v.28.2). This man will perform wonders through the
power of Satan, as demons and apostate spirits will be at his service (v.28.2).
o
When Antichrist sits in the temple, this is the abomination of
desolation prophesied by both Daniel and Jesus (v.25.2,4,5; v.30.2). This will take place half-way through the
seven-year period (v.25.4).
Being that Irenaeus
lived and wrote well after 70 AD (when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by
the Romans and thereafter ceased to exist), his belief in a literal end-times
temple in Jerusalem where Antichrist will sit necessarily implies that he
believed that the temple (what we today refer to as the ‘third temple’) must be
rebuilt at some stage before the reign of Antichrist begins. Evidently therefore, after the Jews have been
gathered back to their ancient homeland, becoming national Israel once again, they
will at some stage re-build their temple before the reign of Antichrist, and
will re-establish the sacrificial system (v.25.4).
o
People will worship Antichrist as if he were Christ (v.25.4; v.28.2).
o
The whole human apostasy of 6,000 years is gathered up and concentrated
in Antichrist (v.29.2).
o
At the end of the 3½ years, Jesus will return in the clouds in the
glory of his Father, and he will send this man and his followers into the lake
of fire (v.30.4).
o
So Antichrist’s fate will be in the eternal furnace of fire (v.29.2).
· The
tribulation, the Church and the rapture
o
The tribulation
The
tribulation will come upon this world during the reign of Antichrist, due to
its apostasy from God (v.28.4; v.29.1).
At its end, Jesus will return again to earth in the glory of his Father
(v.30.4).
o The Church
It seems clear from Irenaeus’ words
in v.29.1 that he taught a pre-tribulation rapture: ‘…when in
the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation…” However,
it also seems at first sight that in v.26.1
there is an opposite and contradictory view, vis. that the Church will
go through the tribulation: ‘And they shall… put the Church to flight…’ This seeming contradiction can well cause
confusion in believers’ minds when they read Irenaeus’ work.
To understand what Irenaeus taught
about ‘the Church’ in the end-times, we need to understand the different ways
in which he uses this term. His generic
definition of the church is as the seed of Abraham (v.34.1; v.32.2). So the Church therefore includes both Gentile
believers and Jewish believers in Christ as Messiah. But this also means that ‘national Israel’
(i.e. unbelieving ethnic Jews) is left as another entity which is also related
to God’s end-times purposes, because God has not cast off and rejected his
ancient covenant people. They have
experienced a hardening in part, but God will reveal himself to them in the
end-times (cf. Rom. ch.11).
As we would expect, in
his writing Irenaeus used the Greek word ἐκκλησία
(ekklesia) to describe ‘the Church.’ However, we should also understand that whenever
he wanted to quote from the Old Testament, like the apostle Paul he used the Greek
Septuagint version (LXX) to do this. This uses
the same word ἐκκλησία in many places to describe the assembling
of the people of Israel (e.g. Deut. 4:10, 23:3; Judg. 20:2; 1 Sam. 17:47; 1
Chr. 29:1; 2 Chr. 6:3; Ps. 22:22/21:23 LXX; Ps. 89:5/88:6 LXX; Ez. 10:8). This word simply refers to an assembly of
people gathered together for whatever purpose.
Irenaeus was therefore conditioned by his use of the Septuagint to use ἐκκλησία to describe the Jewish community of Israel. We can also see this in Luke’s writing when
he used this same word to describe the community of God’s ancient people in the
wilderness. When he reported Stephen’s
speech before the Sanhedrin, he wrote: ‘This is he, that was in the church
in the wilderness…’ (Acts 7:38 AV), referring to Israel.
In his writing, Irenaeus therefore used
the term ‘church’ in two distinct dispensational senses in referring to what we
today call ‘the church’ (i.e. the mainly Gentile bride of Christ which will be
raptured before the tribulation begins) and ‘the tribulation saints’ (i.e.
those who become believers during the tribulation and who are mostly
Jews). Whereas today we use these two
different terms to distinguish clearly between these two groups, Irenaeus did
not. He simply used the same word
‘church’ to describe both (because they both believe in Jesus). It is this that gives rise to the potential
for confusion in the minds of modern-day believers when they read Irenaeus’
work. He referred to ‘the Church’
(i.e. the present mainly Gentile bride of Christ) being raptured before the
tribulation begins (v.29.1), and to ‘the Church’ (i.e. Jews who have become
believers in Jesus as Messiah and who are offering pure sacrifices in the
temple, but who will be put to flight by Antichrist) going through the
tribulation (v.26.1).
o The rapture
§ Irenaeus distinguished
between the ‘translation’ (i.e. rapture) of believers and the ‘resurrection of
the just.’ The former is a ‘sudden catching
up’ (v.5.1; v.29.1), whereas the latter is an actual physical resurrection (see
below).
§ The physical ‘translations’ of
Enoch and Elijah are prophetic of the future ‘catching away’ or ‘translation’
of believers. Those who are raptured
will remain in heaven ‘until the consummation of all things, as a prelude to
immortality.’ (v.5.1). This was affirmed
to Irenaeus by ‘the elders who were disciples of the apostles’ (v.5.1), so by men
such as Papias, Ignatius and Polycarp.
These words of v.5.1 and those of v.29.1 taken together therefore
indicate that there will be a rapture of believers before the tribulation
begins, and that this therefore is separate from and prior to the Second Advent. This was taught by those who were disciples
of the apostles (v.5.1). So ‘the Church’
(i.e. the present mainly Gentile body of Christ) will be suddenly caught up
from the future time of tribulation before it begins.
§ Other believers will go through the
tribulation, ‘the last contest of the righteous’ (v.29.1), being refined and
fitted for the kingdom banquet which will follow the Second Advent of Christ
(v.28.4). They (‘the Church,’ ‘the
saints’) will be put to flight during the tribulation (v.25.4; v.26.1). These are believers who will be offering a
pure sacrifice to God in the temple in Jerusalem (v.25.4), which is clearly
referring to Jewish believers (and who must therefore have come to faith in
Jesus as Messiah at some point prior to the reign of Antichrist). Irenaeus’ use of the word ‘saints’ in v.25.4 recalls
its use by Daniel who used it to refer to Jewish believers. John also used it in the book of
Revelation. The tribulation will a time
of Antichrist’s wrath against righteous Jewish believers who are going through
it (v.29.2), but they can prove themselves to be overcomers (v.29.1). So these Jewish believers will suffer through
the tribulation, but some will survive, having escaped from the hands of
Antichrist (v.35.1). They will avoid
Antichrist, having been aware of who he is (v.30.4), and they will still be physically
alive and awaiting the return of Jesus their Messiah from heaven (v.35.1).
· The
resurrection of the just
o
The souls of deceased believers will reside and remain in heaven
until the appointed time of their resurrection, at which time their bodies will
be raised literally and physically (v.31.2).
o
The resurrection of believers will be literal and physical (v.31.1;
v.33.1; v.34.2; v.36.3). This is known
as the ‘first resurrection’ (v.34.2; Rev. 20:4-5), and Irenaeus called it ‘the resurrection
of the just.’ (v.32.2,
v.33.2, v.34.1, v.35.1, v.36.3; cf. Luke 14:14).
o
It will take place ‘after the coming of Antichrist, and the
destruction of all nations under his rule’, and therefore after the end of the
tribulation at the Second Advent of Christ (v.35.1).
o
The Old Testament patriarchs and believers, as well as those who
were martyred during the tribulation period, will be raised to rule and reign
with Christ during his millennial reign, as a fulfilment of their promised
covenant inheritance (v.32.2;
v.33.3; v.34.1-3; Rev. 20:4-5).
o Irenaeus does not discuss the resurrection of the dead in Christ which will take place immediately prior to the rapture before the beginning of the tribulation. Howbeit, this is a specific and clear teaching of Scripture, and is an event distinct from the ‘resurrection of the just’ at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thess. 4:16-17). It is the first part of the ‘first resurrection,’ which is a generic term referring to the resurrection of believers.
· The millennial reign of Christ
o
Irenaeus
held to a chiliastic view of redemptive history (v.28.3, cf. v.23.2).
§
The
apostasy of the earth will last for 6,000 years (v.28.3).
§
There
will be a literal, physical, earthly reign of Christ the Messiah after he
returns in glory (v.30.4; v.35.2). This
millennial kingdom is the hallowed seventh day of rest (v.30.4; v.33.2). It will therefore last for 1,000 years.
o
This
is the fulfilment of the promise of the inheritance which God gave to the
patriarchs (v.30.4; v.32.1,2).
o
Believers
that are still alive on earth when Christ returns will multiply, and they will
live under the rule of the saints (v.35.1).
o
Creation will be under the dominion of the righteous
(v.32.1). The righteous will rule and reign
with Christ (v.35.1), and they shall enjoy communion with the holy
angels (v.35.1).
o
There will be a feast in this millennial kingdom of God (v.34.3).
o
Jerusalem shall be restored and rebuilt (v.35.1,2).
o
The earth will be restored and returned to its pristine condition
(v.32.1; v.33.4; v.35.2). It will become
abundant in fruitfulness (v.33.3).
o
The animals will be in subjection to humans and will revert to the
food originally intended by God (v.33.4).
o
The physical longevity of the prediluvian age is an earnest of the
longevity of the millennial age (v.5.2; v.36.1,2).
· The general resurrection and the final judgement
o
The
general resurrection will happen after the earthly millennial reign of Christ,
and it will be followed by the final judgement (v.32.1; v.35.2).
o
Satan,
Antichrist and all the unrepentant wicked will be sent to Gehenna, the eternal furnace
(or lake) of fire. This will be an
eternal and never-ending fate (v.26.2; v.27.1-2; v.28.1; v.29.2; v.35.2).
· The new creation
o
After
the final judgement, there will be a new heaven and a new earth (v.35.2; v.36.1).
o
The
New Jerusalem will descend to the new earth and believers will dwell in this
city of God (v.35.2).
o
There
will be gradations in eternity as to what individual believers are allotted,
according to their rank (v.36.1,2).
[1] Irenaeus’
distinguishing between Christianity and unbelieving Judaism is similar to that found
in the writings of other Early Fathers.
For example, see Ignatius’ Epistle to the Magnesians, ch.10; and,
the Epistle of Barnabas.
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