This is an important question and reveals a lot about where our culture is right now including within the American Christian church. The truth is that most pastors tend to be AMILLENNIALISTS, which means THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL 1000 YEAR MILLENNIUM OR IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. And because that’s their perspective, they don’t teach their church members about these topics.
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. After that, WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE and are left WILL BE CAUGHT UP (harpazō: to catch or snatch away) together WITH THEM in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) “…the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but THE ONE (the Holy Spirit in the Church) WHO NOW HOLDS IT BACK (holds back the revealing of the anti-christ) will continue to do so till HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY (the Holy Spirit takes the Church up in the rapture). And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8) We will go with Jesus, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)
Amillennialism is the official position of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Most Protestant denominations in America are also amillennial in practice if not in official doctrine. Not believing in this is troubling, because Revelation 20 says that the Millennium will be A THOUSAND YEARS long after Jesus returns at the Second Coming. Amillennialism rejects that truth. So, despite CLEAR BIBLICAL EVIDENCE, many Christians and churches choose to allegorize Scripture. They see it as symbolic and not literal. Therefore, they do not believe in a literal interpretation of Bible prophecy. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for A THOUSAND YEARS. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan COULD NOT DECEIVE THE NATIONS ANYMORE until the THOUSAND YEARS were finished. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus… they all CAME TO LIFE AGAIN, and they reigned with Christ for A THOUSAND YEARS. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the THOUSAND YEARS had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him A THOUSAND YEARS. When the THOUSAND YEARS come to an end…” (Revelation 20:1-7)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham