Pepuza.
That’s not a name that probably means anything to modern ears. In the late the second century, a radical self-proclaimed prophet named Montanus declared that Pepuza—a remote village in Phrygia (modern date Turkey)—would be the location of the second coming.
His prophecies were accompanied by ecstatic experiences and strange utterances, thought by his followers to be evidence he was filled with the Holy Spirit. So convincing were his prophecies about the second coming that people began to move to Pepuza, leaving their livelihoods behind. They expected, at any moment, a new Jerusalem to descend on that location, followed by a 1000-year reign of Jesus on earth.
Of course, Jesus did not return at the end of the second century, to Pepuza or anywhere else, and the teachings of Montanus were eventually condemned by the church.
Incredibly, Montanism itself did not end. It continued on for generations, still clinging to apocalyptic expectations about the second coming.
The story of Montanus highlights a well-known reality about early Christianity, namely that it held to a wide variety of views about the nature of the second coming. While there was widespread agreement that there would be a second coming, there was also widespread disagreement about what exactly it would look like.
The same is still true today. Modern Christians –like their ancient counterparts—are also remarkably diverse in their eschatological positions. Indeed, such differences have been the cause of many divisions between denominations, churches, and even individual believers.
This ongoing confusion over Christian eschatology, particularly as manifested in the book of Revelation, is the reason for a series of lectures I have given over the last few years at Queen’s University here in Charlotte.
These lectures have been part of an ongoing lecture series called the Tarwater Lectures and named after RTS Charlotte alumna, Ann Tarwater. The lecture is normally delivered by a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.
On October 5th at 5:30PM, I will be giving the next installment in this series of lectures entitled, “The End of the End: The Second Coming in the Book of Revelation.” In that lecture, I will explore what the book of Revelation itself says about the second coming and how that might correct common misconceptions still in circulation today.
If you are in the area and would like to join us, you can register here. Hope to see you there!