Eschatology is a difficult topic to study because there are a wide range of opinions about it and people get SO worked up over their own position that they become totally non-objective.
Take your time and search out well established and orthodox sources ... and remember that this is NOT a salvation issue, so Christians can have different opinions and still should not get into such heated arguments.
Amen to the above, although there are times when peoples refusal to interpret scripture in the manner that Jesus and the apostles did leans towards rejecting his lordship.
Differences in Eschatology stem from differences in Hermeneutics.
Some claim the 'literal' interpretation principle while denying the 'literary' principle which includes an open allowance for figurative, typological and Spiritual fulfillment.
I would also view those types of hermeneutic doctrine which push the kingdom of God off into a future time to have association with those who shut up the kingdom of God while they themselves would not enter. The teachings of John about denying that the Messiah (for the Jews and the whole world) had already come come in the flesh, are also issues relavant to some eschatological positions.
http://www.pretertistarchive.com weighs different outlooks of prophecy.
http://www.historist.com is a partial pretertist view and views the dating of the book of Revelation after the desolation of Jerusalem. Most Pretertist views date the Revelation before the desolation and associate the plagues and judgments and description of the events that fell upon the non believing jews during the siege of Jerusalem and desolations in Judea as a fulfillment of the Plagues and judgments promised to the nation if they did not keep the old Covenant (Deut 32)
Some Futurists view most of Daniel and all of Revelation as well as the Olivet disourse and some of the minor prophets as applying to some final 7 week period of a final "end times". Thus they say that all (remaining) prophecy will be fulfilled after a rapture and in the 'end' times.
Thus a study of the date of the writing of the book of Revelation is part of understanding the different views. In addition, you'll need to understand that furturists impose a 'gap' in the 70 weeks of Daniel in order to allow for some prophecies to be 'literally' fulfilled rather than fulfilled in a Spiritual believing Israel of all nations, peoples and languages of the new coveant as mentioned in Dan 7:13,14;27
Daniel is an important part as it prefigures from different visions the next 4 kingdoms to come during the 490 yr prophecy.
One commentary would be Four views of the Millenium. I'd also recomend, The great tribulation, past or future, by Gentry. It's a comparison of dispensational/futurists view and pretertist view. And things by Philip Mauro including 'the hope of Israel, what is it, and his dissertation on Daniels 70 weeks.
Most of all, you need to decide if this request for understanding of Eschatology is for your head knowledge to lord over others, or is it for your own personal growth and part of your personal walk with and obedience to Christ. If it is the latter, and you ask Him for wisdom face to face with the Lord, you can allow yourself patience to sift and think through and test some of the theories and views.
Futurism sees God working in events, Historicism does to some extent also. Pretertism sees how God did work in events and fulfilled prophecy and now focuses on God working and manifesting Christ in the inner man in a walk and obedience to Christ's teachings.
