https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_2bvbPNJ9A
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“What
is going to happen according to end times prophecy?”
The Bible has a lot to say about the end times.
Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times.
Taking all of these prophecies and organizing them can be difficult. Following
is a very brief summary of what the Bible declares will happen in the end
times.
Christ will remove all born-again believers from the
earth in an event known as the rapture (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1
Corinthians 15:51-54). At the judgment seat of Christ, these
believers will be rewarded for good works and faithful service during their
time on earth or will lose rewards, but not eternal life, for lack of service
and obedience (1
Corinthians 3:11-15; 2
Corinthians 5:10).
The Antichrist (the beast) will come into power and will
sign a covenant with Israel for seven years (Daniel
9:27).
This seven-year period of time is known as the “tribulation.” During the
tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural
disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness.
The tribulation will include the appearance of the four horsemen of the
Apocalypse, and the seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.
About halfway through the seven years, the
Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and make war against it.
The Antichrist will commit “the abomination of desolation” and set up an image
of himself to be worshipped in the Jerusalem temple (Daniel
9:27;
2 Thessalonians 2:3-10),
which will have been rebuilt. The second half of the tribulation is known as
“the great tribulation” (Revelation
7:14)
and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah
30:7).
At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the
Antichrist will launch a final attack on Jerusalem, culminating in the battle
of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will return, destroy the Antichrist and his armies,
and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation
19:11-21). Christ will then bind Satan in the Abyss for 1000
years and He will rule His earthly kingdom for this thousand-year period (Revelation
20:1-6).
At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10) for eternity. Christ then judges all unbelievers (Revelation 20:10-15) at the great white throne judgment, casting them all into the lake of fire. Christ will then usher in a new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of believers. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or death (Revelation 21–22).
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Pretribulational approach to eschatology. From that perspective, here is
the order of end-times events that the Bible reveals:
1. The rapture
of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those
who trust in Him (1
Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in
Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective
today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture
is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the
rapture happens.
2. The
rise of the Antichrist. After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8),
a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace
(Revelation
13:1;
Daniel
9:27).
He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a
religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist
(Revelation
19:20).
3. The tribulation.
A period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful
humanity (Revelation 6–16). The
Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulation
on earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the
Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in
heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation
19:6–10).
4. The
Battle of Gog and Magog. In the first part of the tribulation, a great
army
from the north, in alliance with several other
countries from the Middle East and Africa, attacks Israel and is defeated by
God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel
38–39). (Some commentators place this battle just before
the start of the tribulation.)
5. The
abomination of desolation. At the midway point of the seven-year
tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true
colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing
that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those
who believe in Christ (Daniel
12:11; Mark
13:14; Revelation
12:17).
6. The
Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns
with the armies of heaven (Mark
14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats
the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation
19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured
and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation
19:20).
7. The
judgment of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the
tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew
25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old
Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the
Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell.
8. The
binding of Satan. Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for
the next 1,000 years (Revelation
20:1–3).
9. The
Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Himself will rule the world, and Jerusalem
will be the capital. This will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity
on earth (Revelation 20; Isaiah
60–62). Memorial sacrifices will be offered in a rebuilt
temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel
40–48). There will
be two distinct groups occupying the Earth during the millennial kingdom—those
with glorified bodies, and those with earthly bodies who lived through the
tribulation and on into the millennial kingdom.
10. The
last battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released
from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and
there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation
20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never
to reappear.
11. The
Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth,
and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before
God in a final
judgment (Revelation
20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity
is cast into the lake of fire. Whichever
view one holds of the great white throne judgment, it is important to never
lose sight of the facts concerning the coming judgment(s). First, Jesus Christ
will be the judge, all unbelievers will be judged by Christ, and they will be
punished according to the works they have done. The Bible is very clear that
unbelievers are storing up wrath against themselves (Romans
2:5)
and that God will “give to each person according to what he has done” (Romans
2:6).
Believers will also be judged by Christ, but since Christ’s righteousness has
been imputed to us and our names are written in the book of life, we will be
rewarded, but not punished, according to our deeds. Romans
14:10-12 says that we will all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ and that each one of us will give an account to God.
12. The new creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him (Revelation 21–22).
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“What is the
Tribulation? How do we know the Tribulation will last seven years?”
The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. The church, made up of all who have trusted in the person and work of the Lord Jesus to save them from being punished for sin, will not be present during the tribulation. The church will be removed from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The church is saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names such as the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2); trouble or tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15); time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).
An understanding of Daniel 9:24-27 is necessary in order to understand the purpose and time of the tribulation. This passage speaks of 70 weeks that have been declared against “your people.” Daniel’s people are the Jews, the nation of Israel, and Daniel 9:24 speaks of a period of time that God has given “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” God declares that “seventy sevens” will fulfill all these things. This is 70 sevens of years, or 490 years. (Some translations refer to 70 weeks of years.) This is confirmed by another part of this passage in Daniel. In verses 25 and 26, Daniel is told that the Messiah will be cut off after “seven sevens and sixty-two sevens” (69 total), beginning with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. In other words, 69 sevens of years (483 years) after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah will be cut off. Biblical historians confirm that 483 years passed from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the time when Jesus was crucified. Most Christian scholars, regardless of their view of eschatology (future things/events), have the above understanding of Daniel’s 70 sevens.
With 483 years having passed from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the
cutting off of the Messiah, this leaves one seven-year period to be fulfilled
in terms of Daniel 9:24: “to finish
transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
most holy.” This final seven-year period is known as the tribulation period—it
is a time when God finishes judging Israel for its sin.
Daniel
9:27
gives a few highlights of the seven-year tribulation period: “He will confirm a
covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an
end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an
abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out
on him.” The person of whom this verse speaks is the person Jesus calls the
“abomination that causes desolation” (Matthew
24:15) and is called “the beast” in Revelation
13.
Daniel
9:27
says that the beast will make a covenant for seven years, but in the middle of
this week (3 1/2 years into the tribulation), he will break the covenant,
putting a stop to sacrifice. Revelation
13
explains that the beast will place an image of himself in the temple and
require the world to worship him. Revelation
13:5
says that this will go on for 42 months, which is 3 1/2 years. Since Daniel
9:27
says that this will happen in the middle of the week, and Revelation
13:5
says that the beast will do this for a period of 42 months, it is easy to see
that the total length of time is 84 months or seven years. Also see Daniel
7:25,
where the “time, times, and half a time” (time=1 year; times=2 years; half a
time=1/2 year; total of 3 1/2 years) also refers to “great tribulation,” the
last half of the seven-year tribulation period when the beast will be in power.
For further references about the tribulation, see Revelation
11:2-3, which speaks of 1260 days and 42 months, and Daniel
12:11-12, which speaks of 1290 days and 1335 days. These
days have a reference to the midpoint of the tribulation. The additional days
in Daniel
12
may include the time at the end for the judgment of the nations (Matthew
25:31-46) and time for the setting up of Christ’s millennial
kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).
In summary, the Tribulation is the 7-year time period in the end times in which
humanity’s decadence and depravity will reach its fullness, with God judging
accordingly.
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“What is the Great Tribulation?”
The
Tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two
aspects of His plan: 1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel
9:24),
and 2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth (Revelation
6 – 18). The length of the Tribulation is seven years.
This is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel
9:24-27; also see the article on the Tribulation).
The Great Tribulation is the last half of the Tribulation period, three and
one-half years in length. It is distinguished from the Tribulation period
because the Beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed, and the wrath of God will
greatly intensify during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to
emphasize that the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous
terms. Within eschatology (the study of future things), the Tribulation refers
to the full seven-year period while the “Great Tribulation” refers to the
second half of the Tribulation.
It is Christ Himself who used the phrase “Great Tribulation” with
reference to the last half of the Tribulation. In Matthew
24:21, Jesus says, “For then there will be a great
tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until
now, nor ever shall.” In this verse Jesus is referring to the event of Matthew
24:15, which describes the revealing of the abomination
of desolation, the man also known as the Antichrist. Also, Jesus in Matthew
24:29-30 states, “Immediately after the tribulation of those
days . . . the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of
the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
the sky with power and great glory.” In this passage, Jesus defines the
Great Tribulation (v.21) as beginning with the revealing of the abomination of
desolation (v.15) and ending with Christ’s second coming (v.30).
Other passages that refer to the Great Tribulation are Daniel
12:1b, which says, “And there will be a time of
distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.”
It seems that Jesus was quoting this verse when He spoke the words recorded in Matthew
24:21. Also referring to the Great Tribulation is Jeremiah
30:7,
“Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of
Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it.” The phrase “Jacob’s
distress” refers to the nation of Israel, which will experience persecution and
natural disasters such as have never before been seen.
Considering the information Christ gave us in Matthew
24:15-30, it is easy to conclude that the beginning of the
Great Tribulation has much to do with the abomination of desolation, an action
of the Antichrist. In Daniel
9:26-27, we find that this man will make a
“covenant” (a peace pact) with the world for seven years (one “week”;
again, see the article on the Tribulation). Halfway through the seven-year
period—”in the middle of the week”—we are told this man will break
the covenant he made, stopping sacrifice and grain offering, which specifically
refers to his actions in the rebuilt temple of the future. Revelation
13:1-10 gives even more detail concerning the Beast’s
actions, and just as important, it also verifies the length of time he will be
in power. Revelation 13:5 says he will be
in power for 42 months, which is three and one-half years, the length of the
Great Tribulation.
Revelation offers us the most information about the Great Tribulation. From Revelation
13
when the Beast is revealed until Christ returns in Revelation
19,
we are given a picture of God’s wrath on the earth because of unbelief and
rebellion (Revelation 16-18). It is also a
picture of how God disciplines and at the same time protects His people Israel
(Revelation
14:1-5) until He keeps His promise to Israel by
establishing an earthly kingdom (Revelation
20:4-6).
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“Are
we living in the end times?”
The Bible prophesies of many events that will occur in the end times. These events can be categorized as natural signs, spiritual signs, sociological signs, technological signs, and political signs. We can look to what the Bible says about these things, and, if the signs are present in abundance, we can be certain that we are, in fact, living in the end times.
Luke
21:11 lists some of the natural signs that will occur
before Jesus’ second coming: “There will be great earthquakes, famines and
pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
While we shouldn’t interpret every natural disaster as a sign of the end times,
an increase in natural disasters seems to be a warm-up to what is coming
next—“birth pangs,” as Jesus called them (Matthew
24:8).
The Bible lists both positive and negative spiritual signs. In 2
Timothy 4:3–4 we discover that many people will
follow false teachers. We see now an increase in cultic groups, heresy,
deception, and occultism, with many choosing to follow New Age or pagan
religions. On the positive side, Joel
2:28–29 prophesies that there will be a great outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:16),
and we are still seeing the effects of that outpouring in revivals and
Spirit-led Christian movements, and in the worldwide preaching of the gospel
message.
Along with the signs in the natural and spiritual realms, there are signs in
society. The immorality rampant in society today is a symptom of mankind’s
rebellion against God. Abortion, homosexuality, drug abuse, and child
molestation are proof that “evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse”
(2 Timothy 3:13). We are now
living in a hedonistic and materialistic society. People are lovers of
themselves—“looking out for number one”—and doing what is right in their own
eyes. All these things, and many more, can be seen around us every day (see 2
Timothy 3:1–4).
The fulfillment of some end-times prophecies seemed impossible until the advent
of modern technology. Some of the judgments in Revelation are more easily
imagined in a nuclear age. In Revelation
13,
the Antichrist is said to control commerce by forcing people to take the mark of the
beast, and, given today’s advances in computer chip
technology, the tools he will use may very well be here already. And through
the internet, radio, and television, the gospel can now be proclaimed to the
entire world (Mark 13:10).
And there are political signs. The restoration of Israel to her land in 1948 is
the single most impressive fulfilled prophecy proving that we live in the end
times. At the turn of the 20th century, no one would have dreamed that Israel
would be back in her land, let alone occupying Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
definitely at the center of geopolitics and stands alone against many enemies; Zechariah
12:3
confirms this: “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered
against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All
who try to move it will injure themselves.” Matthew
24:6–7 predicted that “nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.” “Wars and rumors of wars” are definitely
characteristic of this present age.
These are just a few of the signs that we are living in the end of the age. There
are many more. God gave us these prophecies because He does not want anyone to
perish, and He always gives ample warning before pouring out His wrath (2
Peter 3:9).
Are we living in the end times? No one knows when Jesus will return, but the
rapture could occur at any moment. God will deal with sin either by grace or by
wrath. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes
in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for
God’s wrath remains on them.” Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their
savior will remain under the Lord’s wrath.
The good news is that it’s not too late to choose eternal life. All that is
required is acceptance, by faith, of God’s free gift of grace. There is nothing
you can do to earn grace; Jesus has paid the price for you (Romans
3:24).
Are you ready for the Lord’s return? Or will you experience His wrath?
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“Have any aspects of end times prophecy been fulfilled?”
Revelation
4:1
introduces a section of Scripture that details “things which must be
hereafter.” What follows are prophecies of the “end times.” We have not yet
reached the tribulation, the revelation of the Antichrist, or other “end-time”
events. What we do see is a “preparation” for those events.
Jesus said that the last days would be preceded by several things: many false Christs would come, deceiving many; we would “hear of wars and rumors of wars”; and there would be an increase in “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:5-8). Today’s news is full of false religions, warfare, and natural disasters. We know that events of the tribulation period will include all that Jesus predicted (Revelation 6:1-8); current events seem to be a build-up for greater trouble ahead.
Paul warned that the last days would bring a marked increase in false teaching.
“In later times, some will abandon the faith, and follow deceiving spirits and
things taught by demons” (1
Timothy 4:1). The last days are described as
“perilous times” because of the increasingly evil character of man and because
of people who actively “oppose the truth” (2
Timothy 3:1-9; also see 2
Thessalonians 2:3). The list of things people will be in
the last days—lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of
godliness but denying its power—(2
Timothy 3:1-2) seems to fit our modern age exactly.
Can there be any doubt that the prophecies concerning apostasy are being
fulfilled? Our 21st-century world has embraced moral relativism, a philosophy
which is tainting even the church. For example, many denominations are having a
hard time defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, and many
religious leaders today are openly supporting homosexuality. The Bible has
become subordinate to the modern church’s quest for a more appealing “truth.”
These are indeed “perilous times” spiritually.
The formation of the European Union—and the fact that we have a reunified
Germany—is very interesting in light of biblical prophecy. The “ten toes” of Daniel
2:42
and the ten-horned beasts of Daniel
7:20
and Revelation
13:1
are references to a “revived” Roman Empire which will hold power before Christ
returns. Although the precise political structure has yet to be formed, the
pieces can be seen as falling into place.
In 1948, Israel was recognized as a sovereign state, and this, too, has
ramifications for the student of Scripture. God promised Abram that his
posterity would have Canaan as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis
17:8),
and Ezekiel prophesied a physical and spiritual resuscitation of Israel (Ezekiel
37).
Having Israel as a nation in its own land is important in light of end-time
prophecy, because of Israel’s prominence in eschatology (Daniel
10:14; 11:41;
Revelation
11:8).
While there is no biblical proof that the things mentioned above are prophecy
fulfilled, we can see how many of these events are similar to what the Bible
describes. In any case, we are to be watching for prophecy fulfilled because
Jesus told us that the day of the Lord—His return for His own—would come like a
thief in the night (2
Peter 3:10), unexpected and unannounced. “Be always on the
watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and
that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke
21:36).
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Who will occupy the Millennial Kingdom?
There
will be two distinct groups occupying the Earth during the millennial
kingdom—those with glorified bodies, and those with earthly bodies who lived
through the tribulation and on into the millennial kingdom. Those with
glorified bodies consist of the Church, receiving glorified bodies at the
rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
1 Corinthians 15:21-23,
51-53), and those who are
resurrected after Christ returns to Earth (Revelation
20:4-6). Those who have earthly bodies can be subdivided
into two groups: believing Gentiles and believing Jews (Israel).
In Revelation 19:11-16,
we find the return of Jesus Christ to Earth, known as His second coming. The
rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
is an appearing of Christ in the air, not His second coming. I mention this to
make a distinction between the rapture and the second coming of Christ. There
is no mention in Revelation 19-20 of any kind of
rapture event. The implication is that saints who are on Earth when Christ
returns will remain on Earth to enter the millennial kingdom in their natural
bodies. If the rapture or any kind of event where a living believer receives a
glorified body were included in the second coming of Christ to Earth, one would
expect to find reference to such a major event in Revelation
19.
But no such reference is to be found. The only event that results in believers
receiving glorified bodies is found in Revelation
20:4-6 where those who became believers during the
Tribulation and were killed because of their faith are resurrected. It is also
believed that at this same time Old Testament saints will be resurrected, also
receiving glorified bodies (see Daniel
12:2).
Matthew 25:31-46 is another
passage that should be considered. This passage is commonly called the
separation or judgment of the sheep and the goats. The sheep and goats refer to
righteous and unrighteous Gentiles. Christ will judge the unrighteous Gentiles
(goats), and they will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal punishment (Matthew
25:46). Therefore, no unbelieving Gentile will survive to
live on into the millennial kingdom. The righteous Gentiles, or sheep, will
live on into the millennial kingdom. They will give birth to children and will
populate the Earth. However, these are not the only ones who will be producing
children during the millennial kingdom.
The impression is given that when Christ returns, all Israel will trust in Him
(Zechariah
12:10). They, too, will not receive glorified bodies (as
did those who were raptured prior to the tribulation and those resurrected
afterward). They also will produce children during the millennial kingdom.
So, believing Gentiles, Israel, and resurrected/raptured believers (all of whom
have glorified bodies) will occupy the Earth. It should be noted, however, that
believers with glorified bodies will not be reproducing. There is no marriage
after this life (Matthew 22:30).
Children born during the millennial kingdom will have the responsibility of
faith in Christ as all people of past ages have (faith in Christ since His
coming; faith in God before—Genesis
15:2-6; Habakkuk
2:4;
Romans
3:20).
Unfortunately, not all of the children that are born during the millennial
kingdom will come to faith in Christ. Those that do not will be led away by
Satan into rebellion against God at the end of the millennial kingdom when
Satan is let loose for a short time (Revelation
20:7-10).
For a further look at this subject (who will live into the millennial kingdom),
look also at the following passages: Isaiah
2:2-4; Zechariah
14:8-21; Ezekiel
34:17-24; Daniel
7:13-14; Micah
4:1-5.