Word of the Week - Biblical End time Events and Timeline - Prophecy part 4
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because we do not know on what day the Lord will come.” Matthew 24:36-42
In follow up to my “Word of the Week” on Prophecy part 1,2,&3 – see below, this week I will attempt to frame the timeline and expected series of events that are recorded throughout scripture as it relates to end time prophecy. There are many views on this topic. Please note: Most of the content in this “WOW” was referenced from two sources: 1) Pastor Jimmy Evans book titled “Whats next Israel – Gaza War” and from 2) gotquestions.org website. I apologize in advance for the length of the “Word of the Week”, there is a lot here.
Biblical scholars differ on the exact chronology. I don’t think anyone can dogmatically claim certainty in this area as it is a bit of a mystery and not exactly clear in scripture. However, the general sequence of major events prophesied in the Bible appears consistent. All that said, based on my studies in this area, I believe we are indeed living in the last days preceding the major events of Christ’s return, which God’s Word repeatedly declares. Therefore, I encourage you to do your own homework, so are informed and “ready” for what is to come.
Israel stands at the center of End Times Prophecy. As covered over the past few weeks, what is unfolding in Israel today is likely not the final war but surely aligns prophetically with events leading up to major end time events. This is often referred to as birth pains of end times outlined in Matthew 24:1-14, which we are seeing first-hand with the war in Israel and developments around the world. As noted, the prophet Ezekial foretells of the Gog of Magog invasion of Israel, which is predicted to transpire around the first half of the seven-year Tribulation. This war is distinctly not Armageddon. While the identity of Gog remains unclear, Russia has been suggested. A coalition of hostile powers that include Russia (Rosh), Iran (Persia), and Turkey (Togarmah, Meshech, Tubal and Gomer) to Israel’s North is forming in ways consistent with Ezekiel’s prophecy. As always, we see through a glass dimly lit, yet God’s Word is trustworthy in foretelling the broader geopolitical alignments that are currently jeopardizing Israel’s security. This is all unfolding right before us, and we would be foolish not to pay close attention and do our best to understand how the pieces fit together with prophecy as events unfold.
Preface to End Time Events and Sequence: In eschatology, it is important to remember that almost all Christians agree on these three things: 1) there is coming a time of great tribulation such as the world has never seen, 2) after the Tribulation, Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth, and, 3) there will be a Rapture—a translation from mortality to immortality—for believers (John 14:1-3;1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The question is when does the Rapture occur in relation to the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ? Through the years three main theories have emerged concerning the timing of the Rapture: pretribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins), midtribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation), and posttribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation). Pretribulation seems to be the most accepted theory, so that is the one I am going with for the purposes of this exercise.
End Time Events and Sequence: The following is what my research suggests as the most likely End Time Events and Chronological Sequence of these events:
Rapture of the Church, 2) Rise of the Antichrist, 3) The Tribulation, 4) The Battle of Gog and Magog, 5) The abomination of desolation,
The Battle of Armageddon, 7) The Judgment of the Nations, 8) The binding of satan, 9) The Millennial Kingdom, 10) The Last Battle,
11) The Great white throne judgement, and 12) The new creation
I will cover first 3 in more detail this week and plan to cover the remaining 9 in coming weeks.
The Rapture of the Church is the event when God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time. “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 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 rapture will involve an instantaneous transformation of our bodies to fit us for eternity. “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). The rapture is to be distinguished from the second coming. At the rapture, the Lord comes “in the clouds” to meet us “in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, the Lord descends all the way to the earth to stand on the Mount of Olives, resulting in a great earthquake followed by a defeat of God’s enemies (Zechariah 14:3–4). The rapture of the church is a glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God’s presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, the rapture should be a comforting doctrine full of hope; God wants us to “encourage one another with these words”.
The rise of the Antichrist After the church is taken out of the way through the Rapture (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). The meaning of the term antichrist is simply “against Christ.” As the apostle John records in First and Second John, an antichrist denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22), does not acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:3), and denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). There have been many “antichrists,” as 1 John 2:18 states. But there is also coming the Antichrist. Most Bible prophecy/eschatology experts believe the Antichrist will be the ultimate embodiment of what it means to be against Christ. In the end times/last hour, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true Messiah, the Antichrist will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel.
The Tribulation is 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). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is associated with the day of the Lord, that time during which God personally intervenes in history to accomplish His plan (see Isaiah 2:12; 13:6–9; Joel 1:15; 2:1–31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). It is referred to as “tribulation . . . in the latter days” (Deuteronomy 4:30, ESV); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); “a time of distress” (Daniel 12:1); and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7, NKJV). And we have this description of the tribulation that attends the day of the Lord: The tribulation will be marked by various divine judgments, celestial disturbances, natural disasters, and terrible plagues (see Revelation 6—16). In His mercy, God sets a limit on the duration of the tribulation. As Jesus said, “Those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive” (Mark 13:19–20).
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:23
More to come next week. Be encouraged, we are victorious in Christ!!!! Have a great week….
Thanks,
-Duane