Word of the Week - Biblical End time Events and Timeline - Prophecy part 6
“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 1,2,3,4 & 5 – see below, this week I will cover 3 more of the 12 major Biblical End time events outlined below. As mentioned, there is no certainty to the exact sequence or timing of these events. My hope is that this summary gives good insight and context to these biblical end time events and prophecies. 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.
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 covered the first 6 in prior weeks and will cover 7-9 this week.
The Judgment of the Nation – The judgment that Jesus describes in Matthew 25, is for those who are alive at the Second Coming. Most people imagine that God will judge them only after they die. For the vast majority, that will be true. However, the judgment of the nations is a judgement of the living. Jesus said that “before Him shall be gathered all the nations”. This event is called the “judgement of the nations” to distinguish it from God’s other judgements. Although this judgement is called the judgment of nations, it is not a judgment of national groups of people. The Greek word translated “nations” implies Gentiles; and the context indicates that individuals, not groups, will be evaluated. These individuals, from all the nations of the earth, will consist of both unbelievers and believers. Jesus shall separate the sheep from the goats.
Those who survive the horrible years of God’s Tribulation wrath will meet Jesus face to face. He will determine who enters His earthly, Millennial Kingdom. The believers will become the first people to populate the earthly Kingdom. They will consist of the righteous Gentiles living with righteous Israel in its restored Kingdom. Jesus declared, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory…then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory”. Matthew 25:31 It is believed that this verse describes the Lord’s Second coming at the end of the seven-year Tribulation period. The New Testament truth finds roots in Old Testament prophecy. Although Jesus came once, His reign of justice on this earth has not yet begun. He spoke of His return to be when that reign will commence. Then all the prophecies will find fulfillment when the Messiah, the son of David, reigns in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6-7; Hosea 3:4-5; Daniel 7:13-14, Zech 9:9-10).
The binding of satan - Of all the captivating events covered in Revelation, Satan being bound for a thousand years is one of the most discussed and debated. We take a literal view of the thousand years of Satan’s captivity. The battle that rages in Armageddon the precursor to Satan’s captivity. Jesus returns to completely route the beast, the false prophet, and the vast armies gathered to defeat Israel. At the end of the battle, “the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. . . The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh” (Revelation 19:20–21). By simply speaking, Jesus (the rider) is instantaneously victorious against the forces of evil. His power is ever evident in Scripture, and His victory at the battle of Armageddon is yet one more proof that He is Lord.
With the human foes out of the way, Jesus turns His attention to Satan. Revelation 20:1–3 tells us, “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.” This thousand-year period is commonly referred to as the millennial kingdom. During this time, Satan no longer has influence over the inhabitants of the earth.
The Millennial Kingdom - The millennial kingdom is the title given to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. Some interpret the 1,000 years in an allegorical manner. However, six times in Revelation 20:2-7, the millennial kingdom is specifically said to be 1,000 years in length. If God wished to communicate “a long period of time,” He could have easily done so without explicitly and repeatedly mentioning an exact time frame. The Bible tells us that when Christ returns to the earth He will establish Himself as king in Jerusalem, sitting on the throne of David (Luke 1:32–33). The unconditional covenants demand a literal, physical return of Christ to establish the kingdom.
At the second coming, these covenants will be fulfilled as Israel is re-gathered from the nations (Matthew 24:31), converted (Zechariah 12:10–14), and restored to the land under the rule of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks of the conditions during the millennium as a perfect environment physically and spiritually. It will be a time of peace (Micah 4:2–4; Isaiah 32:17–18), joy (Isaiah 61:7, 10), and comfort (Isaiah 40:1–2). The Bible also tells us that only believers will enter the millennial kingdom. Because of this, it will be a time of obedience (Jeremiah 31:33), holiness (Isaiah 35:8), truth (Isaiah 65:16), and the knowledge of God (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). Christ will rule as king (Isaiah 9:3–7; 11:1–10). Nobles and governors will also rule (Isaiah 32:1; Matthew 19:28), and Jerusalem will be the political center of the world (Zechariah 8:3).
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:23
I plan to complete this series on prophecy next week.
Have a great week!!!!
-Duane