Summation, A Timeline, and Conclusion

(Seventh in a Series of Seven titled “Are These Days the End Times?”)

Dr. Roger G. Ford, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr-Ford.net

2019

Introduction

Over the last weeks we have covered different areas of prophecy so that we can all grasp what the Almighty God wants us to know about our future while we are still on this Earth in corruptible bodies. We have covered: (1) What We Need to Understand Bible Prophecy; (2) Foundational Concepts to Understanding Bible Prophecy; (3) Old Testament References to the End Times; (4) Sequence of Events to Come and Why – New Testament References to the End Times; (5) Pre-Tribulation Rapture Explanation and Justification; and (6) Resurrections and Judgments in God’s Word. In this last in a series of seven titles “Are These Days the End Times?”, we will look at the Christian’s necessary, sufficient, and Spirit-led attitude and approach to God’s Word that we all need to understand fully what God has revealed to us through prophecy. We will examine what is the proper attitude last days Christians must have when reading, studying, and realizing prophetic Scripture and why many Christians do not understand and grasp what God wants us to know and understand. Last, we will present a comprehensive overview of the End Times recognizing that we have arrived there, in fact, we are in the last days of the last days of the End Times!

In order to fully and completely know how to do something and do it right, we all need to be sure we are very familiar with the subject. None of us would attempt to install a 220-volt range-top requiring connecting electrical power capable of killing us unless we knew what we were doing, had extensive experience, or had been trained by experts. The consequences of doing it incorrectly might ruin the new range-top, but our very lives might be in danger of electrocution. Because of the jeopardy of incorrect installation of high voltage equipment, care must be taken even if the knowledge is there. So, let me ask just why do we not see that our approach to God’s Word, our respect for the God-breathed words of Almighty God, the acceptance of the inspiration, the inerrancy, the authority, the infallibility of each and every revelation of God in His Word can affect our eternal existence in either Heaven or Hell? Should we spend more time in studying God’s Word? Should we be excited to learn what God is like, what He expects from us, what He has planned for us and for the rest of humanity? Of course, the answer is a resounding YES!

The Word of God

When we consider the Word of God that we call the Bible, where do we begin? The critical beginning point of any consideration of God’s Word is God Himself. God is completely unique and different from us. Of course, we are made in His image, but He is not as we are. He is infinite, holy, just, sovereign, all powerful, present everywhere, all knowing, inescapable, and, most important to our salvation, God is merciful and gracious. But, do we really view Him this way, or do we see Him as a grandfather type with a long white beard looking down upon His Creation with a critical but loving eye?

It is a major mistake to visualize God as anything we can totally understand. Why? Because He is above us in every way. His power is never diminished, and neither is His Love. He is always just, expects obedience, but has forgiven confessed sin in all of us that He never remembers. But we cannot conceive of God as He really is because we are not as He is. What I mean by that is God is outside all that we know, therefore we cannot know all about Him because we are inside His Creation. Then there is the human fact that as we expend energy, we must rest and eat and sleep to restore ourselves. God does NOT have to do that because all that He is infinite never decreasing! His love is always there, never diminished. His holiness is always there just as His expectation of obedience. When disobedience (sin) occurs, God is infinitely just and requires punishment. That’s why we need Jesus so that God Almighty sees us through the shed blood of our Savior and we are kept from the wrath of God caused by His being just.

One more thing most Christians and certainly most humans cannot conceive of is that God and all of His attributes are all in effect always. This means that God never makes a decision, never acts, never speaks, does nothing that all His holiness, all His love, all His Truth, all His Mercy, all His Grace are not fully involved. His being perfectly just is always working as well. God does not use one or two or a few of His attributes, He uses them all and all at once all the time. A.W. Tozer said, “All of God does all that God does!” Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?

So, if our merciful and gracious God is always just, always true, then when He wanted us to have His written Word so that we can know His Will, His commandments, His direction, His provision, His love, but also His power and might in holiness and righteousness that brings His Wrath to satisfy His justice, shouldn’t we stand in reverent awe when we approach His Holy Word? Don’t we, as saved sinners by the blood of Jesus Christ to an eternity with Him, owe God the respect and reverence to deem His very Word to us in the Bible with the same wonder and majesty and glory as we do to Him? To treat God’s Word casually or not at all is to demean God Himself!

The Bible was written down by different human authors of varying backgrounds. Some were fishermen, others, shepherds. One was a tax collector! Yet behind each one of them was God the Holy Spirit who inspired what they wrote. “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21). “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

We should respect the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Respect means “to regard with honor; to have a high opinion of; to place a great value upon; to reverence; to submit to the judgment or authority of another.”

Current Conditions

At present, one of the most neglected teachings in many modern churches is the respectful fear of the Lord. At church conferences and meetings, in Christian magazines and television shows for churchgoers, the topic of the fear of the Lord seems to be mostly shunned as something from a past irrelevant era. One reason for this is the infiltration of humanism into the church. This infiltration has resulted in a dislike by many churchgoers of mentions of God’s holiness, His wrath against sin, His future judgement, hell, church discipline, rebuking in preaching, correction, the fear of the Lord, repentance and a call to greater obedience to Him. Also, an excessive sub-dividing of the Bible which some Christians practice has encouraged the unbiblical attitude that these topics are better suited to the Old Mosaic Covenant than to the New Covenant. It is wrong to overemphasize these Biblical topics at the expense of the glorious teachings on God’s grace, mercy, love, redemption, forgiveness of sin, our legal standing in Christ, knowing Jesus intimately and so on. But it is equally wrong to underemphasize or ignore the Old Testament and the fact that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever meaning that He is holy and rejects ALL sin regardless of the degree of it. We must maintain our awe of Almighty God because keeping that foremost in our minds is the basis for knowing and accepting our sinful natures which are unacceptable to God and the very reason for our needing the saving Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Revealing Statistics of the Average American

An indication of how little real reverence, respect and awe of God and Jesus Christ there is at present can be seen in the following from surveys of normal Americans:

• sleeping 9 hours per day
• actual work per day – 4 hours
• watching screens of any kind – 6 hours per day
• eating, drinking, shopping, travel per day 3 hours
• sports or exercising about 30 minutes per day
• games/hobbies/arts/crafts 30 minutes per day
• religious activities like reading God’s Word and/or praying average per day less than 15 minutes

To make it worse, 88% of American homes own Bibles with an average of 5 Bibles per home. But, only 37% of Americans read their Bibles once per week or more, only 11% have read through the Bible completely once, and only 9% more than once. Couple that with the average American spending less that 15 minutes per day on any sort of religious activity and you see how little devotion our country has to God and His Word.

Would it be so hard to carve out of those 9 hours of sleep or those 6 hours of watching screens to devote one simple hour to reading God’s Word and praying to the Creator of the Universe?

Attitudes toward the Bible

There is much misunderstanding about the history of the Bible. For instance, according to Barna Research, four out of every ten adults (38%) believe that the entire Bible was written several decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. While this appears to be true for the New Testament, the entire Old Testament was written hundreds of years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ. Almost two out of three adults (62%) know that the Book of Isaiah is in the Old Testament. One out of ten people (11%) believe it is in the New Testament. One out of four (27%) don’t know. It is always amazing that even when asked a question that only has two options, there are people who would rather claim ignorance rather than guess which makes them look ignorant anyway.

This is depressing information, but now we get to the ridiculous. 12% of adults believe that the name of Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc. The Bible does not actually provide her name. One out of six people (16%) believe that one of the books in the New Testament is the Book of Thomas, written by the apostle Thomas. Another one-third of the population are not sure whether or not there is such a book in the New testament of the Bible. Half of all adults (49%) believe that the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil. One-third (37%) disagree with this contention. The actual teaching indicates that it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Three-quarters of Americans (75%) believe that the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves.

When we consider how relevant the Bible is to our lives today, we find out that most Americans really don’t know or don’t care. 60% of all adults agree that “the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings (44% agree strongly, 16% agree somewhat) Blacks are more likely than are whites to agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings (75% to 58% respectively). 13% of born-again Christians disagree that “the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings.”

While millions believe the Bible is accurate in its recording of information, a substantial number of adults do not believe that all of the information is relevant for today. One out of every five adults (18%) contend that one of the renowned portions of the Bible – the Ten Commandments – is not relevant for people living today. Most people take the Bible at face value when it comes to the descriptions of the miracles that took place. Three out of four adults (73%) believe that all of the miracles described in the Bible actually took place.

Evangelical Surprise

It’s one thing for Americans in general to lack basic theological knowledge. After all, many of the 75 percent of the country who call themselves Christians don’t take their faith that seriously, and the rest are either members of other religions, or have no religion. But what about those who wear their Christianity on their sleeve? Surely such a group, evangelicals, would perform much better.

In a survey only two years ago, participants who called the Bible their highest authority, said personal evangelism is important, and indicated that trusting in Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way of salvation, were labeled “evangelical.” They totaled 586 survey-takers. Everyone expected them to perform better than most Americans. No one expected them to perform worse.

Seven in ten evangelicals, more than the population at large, said that Jesus was the first being God created. Fifty-six percent agreed that “the Holy Spirit is a divine force but not a personal being.” They also saw a huge increase in evangelicals (28 percent, up from 9 percent) who indicated that the Third Person of the Trinity is not equal with God the Father or Jesus, a direct contradiction of orthodox Christianity.

The contradictory answers, not the outright heresies, should most concern us all. By definition, the evangelicals in this survey believed that “only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.” Yet nearly half agreed that “God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” Two-thirds of evangelicals, more than Americans in general, said Heaven is a place where all people will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones. The most striking thing is how many of these folks evidently see no contradiction between their casual universalism and the evangelical creed that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone.

How, then, do we educate ourselves to God’s Truth? We read, study, meditate, and repeat on a daily basis, continually, never missing a day, devoting time to God, for God alone, spending more time in personal prayer with God again daily. With this practice comes wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God’s Will for us in our lives. Without God’s Word and the knowledge of it, we are blown by the wind of the world, signifying nothing!

What is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament or Old Covenant, and 27 in the New Testament or New Covenant. We can think of the Old Covenant as being the old contract or the old deal between God and men, while the New Covenant is the new contract or the new deal between God and man. The Old Testament contains the Law of Moses, books of history, books of poetry, books of wisdom, and books of prophecy, many of which are fulfilled today in amazing detail. The New Testament contains the story of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the story of the early church in the book of Acts, letters written to various churches and church leaders, and a book of prophecy – Revelation.

All the books of the Bible, written over a period starting about 2,000 years before Christ and extending to about 95 A.D., give a consistent picture of who God is, who we are, what God wants, what His plan for mankind is, what we can expect depending on our choices in this life, and what we can expect in our future here on Earth and in the everlasting life to come. The Bible reveals the story of how God has dealt with mankind, His chosen nation of Israel, and His New Covenant people, the Church. The Bible speaks with the same authority and relevance today regarding who He is and what He is doing in our times. It speaks to us regarding what will happen in the future and how God will change everything.

The Bible is not just a book of rules and ancient history. It contains thousands of wonderful promises which are applicable to all who believe in all times. The challenge that faces mankind today is to know, understand and experience the wonderful things that God promises to do for those who believe. God’s promises in the Bible guarantee us more than enough for all our needs in every area. The only condition is to trust and obey God and expect Him to do what He says He will do. If we do not trust Him, we are the losers with eternal effect. If we know the New Testament or the New Contract well, and apply it intelligently to our lives, we will be blessed both now and in eternity. If we reject its warnings and disregard its promises, we do so to our own hurt both now and especially for eternity.

The Old Testament begins in the book of Genesis with an account of the creation of the world by God, and then continues with the story of the beginnings of human history. The rest of the Old Testament reveals mostly the history and the heart condition of the people of Israel in different periods before the coming of the promised Messiah. The New Testament shows us the most important events of the life and work of Jesus the Messiah, how many Jewish people rejected their own Messiah, and how from there God’s offer of salvation began to go out into all the world. It uncovers more of God’s promises and more information about our enemy, Satan, and how we can overcome his plans by trusting and obeying God.

The Message of the Bible

The Bible is God’s Plan to bring mankind back into intimate relationship with Him. The Bible tells us about God and how we can come back to Him. It shows us the character and ways of God, the person of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, who we are, and how we ought to live. It tells us our origins, our identity, and our destiny.

Reasons to Believe in the Inspiration of the Bible

Large books have been written presenting in detail powerful evidences which give strong reasons for believing in the divine inspiration of the Bible. Here are some in very short form:

1. No other religious book has specific fulfilled prophecies that the Bible contains. We have today manuscripts dating well before the time of Jesus, containing Biblical prophecies which directly point to Him. In fact, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies of Old Testament prophecies in his lifetime. Some of the strongest are found in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. These passages are so strong that in Jewish synagogues today they are skipped over in the reading of the law since they point so directly and unmistakably to Jesus Christ.

The emergence of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires was prophesied by Daniel at a time when the Babylonian empire covered the world. The re-creation of the state of Israel in 1948 is a fulfilment of both Old and New Testament prophecy. Present world conditions were prophesied by Jesus almost 2000 years ago in Matthew 24. Large books have been written showing the detailed fulfilment of hundreds of Bible prophecies. No other religious or occultic book comes even close to the Bible when it comes to prophecy.

2. Events and places described in the Bible are confirmed more and more by archaeology and other historical writings as discoveries are made. Ancient peoples such as the Hittites were believed to be a myth but were confirmed in 1887. Archaeologists have discovered ancient tablets and city sites which confirm time after time the historical accuracy of the Bible. Those who have speculated otherwise have been proved wrong again and again.

3. The internal consistency of doctrine right across the 66 books of the Bible, despite widely different authors in different periods of time, points to the common source of inspiration of the Bible. If we asked 20 people in this country to each write a separate book about God, we would certainly have conflicting opinions and doctrines. Yet because the Holy Spirit inspired the many human authors, this didn’t happen in the writing of the different books of the Bible, even though the books were written at different times. They all reveal God as a God of mercy and justice.

4. One of the most important reasons for believing in the Bible is the fact that it works today.  Hundreds of millions of people around the world today testify that Jesus Christ has changed their lives, and that the promises of God work when believed and applied. People have been healed physically and emotionally while reading the Bible or acting on its teaching. Thousands have been miraculously delivered from the effects of drug abuse or other harmful practices. The character of the man believing the Bible from the heart is changed from selfishness to love. All kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds in all countries of the world will testify to the reality of all this. While not all have heard these testimonies, more and more are hearing and believing every day going on to experience the same things for themselves.

5. Then there is the historical evidence for the physical resurrection of Christ. The apostles preached this message right from the start, and most of them died for this faith. They knew what they saw. They would not all die for something they knew to be a lie of their own making. And the plain fact was, after many saw Jesus die and be buried, three days later, Jesus’ grave was empty. Hundreds testified to seeing Jesus alive from the dead. Hundreds of thousands today, a number of them formerly Muslims, testify to having seen him in a vision or a dream speaking to them in a way that changed their lives altogether. Miracles happen in Jesus’ name today. All this shows that Jesus is alive. And if Jesus is alive, His book, the Bible, can be trusted. Since Christ rose, we should listen to him, believe his claims, share his attitude to the Scriptures, and trust his ability to preserve his written Word to us.

6. Israel’s 490 Year Cycles

Have you ever wondered why Christ commanded us to forgive our brothers “490 times” (Matt 18:21-22) or why “490 years” was the great prophetic timeline revealed to Daniel? God seems to have divided Israel’s history into four 490-year cycles:

• From Abraham to the Exodus (490 Years).

From Abraham’s birth until the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and the beginning of a new era (Galatians 3:17) are 505 years (Note: This time frame is obtained by simply adding the numbers of years given in Scripture). However, the 15 years when Abraham had lapsed from faith in God’s promise and went in to Hagar (Genesis 16:3) until the promised seed was finally born (Genesis 21:5) must be deducted from this, leaving 490 years during which Abraham and his descendants were abiding under the covenant promise.

• From Exodus to the Dedication of the Temple (490 Years).

From the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai in about 1446 B.C. until the dedication of Solomon’s temple in about 956 B.C. are 490 years.

• From the Temple to Ezra’s finished projects of rebuilding Jerusalem, its walls and buildings (490 Years).

From the dedication of the temple in about 956 B.C. to Ezra’s leading to build Jerusalem in 457 BC (Ezra 9:9) and the completion of the projects are about 490 years.

• From Ezra’s return to the fulfillment of Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy (490 Years).

The fourth cycle is actually stated in Scripture in the great “seventy week” prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. The opening words of the prophecy make this clear: “Seventy weeks have been declared for your people and your holy city…” (Daniel 9:24). The phrase “seventy weeks” literally means in Hebrew “70 sevens” (70 x 7), and the context demands that the sevens be reckoned in years-seventy sevens of years, which would be a total of 490 years. Furthermore, Daniel’s prophecy states that the 490 years are divided into three periods. After the first two periods (69 weeks or 483 years), the cycle terminates in the crucifixion of the Messiah (Daniel 9:25-26) as God breaks His covenant relation with His people. The cycle starts again when the last seven-year period begins-the so-called “70th week of Daniel” (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 6-19). Thus, Daniel’s prophecy is a major confirmation that God determines and measures the redemptive history of Israel in cycles of 490 (70 x 7) years!

But the most amazing part of the prophecy is that it pinpoints the year of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem-over 600 years before it occurred! In Daniel 9:25 we read, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks…” According to the prophecy, from the command to rebuild Jerusalem there would be seven weeks (49 years) and sixty-two more weeks (434 years), a total of 483 years, until Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (which is when Jesus publicly declared that he was the Messiah). We know from history that the command to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was given Ezra (Ezra 9:9). Adding 483years to 457 BC gives 27 A.D. the exact year of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem!

7. Israel’s 70/7 Year Pattern

As seen above, the numbers 70 and 7 are very significant numbers related to Israel (Dan. 9:2; 24). Throughout the Old Testament, Israel’s inextricable link to the number 70 is unmistakable:

•     Terah, the father of Abraham, was 70 years old when Abraham was born (Gen. 11:26)

•     The Nation of Israel began with 70 Hebrews who migrated to Egypt (Ex. 1:1-5)

•     The children of Israel camped at an oasis of 70 palm trees, following the liberation from bondage in Egypt (Ex. 15:27)

•     Moses appointed 70 elders to be the governing body of Israel (Num. 11:16)

•     The Jews were liberated from captivity in Babylon after 70 years (Jer. 29:10)

•     God’s plan of redemption for Israel and Jerusalem is comprised of 70 weeks (Dan. 9:24-27)

•     Israel’s greatest ruler, King David, died at the age of 70 as well as his son, Solomon (2 Sam. 5:4)

Seeing the recurring pattern of 70’s throughout Scripture relating to Israel, it’s interesting that there are seven other instances of seventy (7 x 70) in Israel’s history:

•     Israel went into Babylonian exile in 606 BC and returned to Jerusalem in 537 BC (70 years)

•     Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC and then rebuilt in 518 BC (70 years)

•     The Second Jewish Temple was completed in 515 BC. The wall around Jerusalem was completed in 445 BC (70 years)

•     Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD

•     The first modern Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel (Petah Tikvah) in 1878 until the modern State of Israel was born in 1948 (70 years)

•     The first [major] step in reestablishing the State of Israel (First Zionist Congress) in 1897 until the final step (restoration of Jerusalem) in 1967 (70 years)

•     The UN vote in favor of the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1947 until the first recognition by a foreign power (US) that Jerusalem is its capital in 2017 (70 years)

Have you noticed that the events occurring after 70-year intervals are restoration-themed? Given that the number 70 symbolizes restoration in the Bible, the odds against this occurring by chance are astronomical, suggesting divine orchestration. If the recurring pattern of 70’s in Israel’s significant historical events isn’t uncanny enough, consider the following prophetically significant events that shaped the modern nation of Israel:

1897-First Zionist Congress (the intent to establish the nation of Israel)

1917-Balfour Declaration (end of Ottoman rule in WWI)

1947-UN Partition Plan approved (declaration of Israel)

1967-Six Day War (reunification of Jerusalem)

1977-Camp David Accords (beginning of “Land for Peace”)

1987-Temple Mount Institute founded

2017-Jerusalem recognized by Trump to be capital of Israel

Have you noticed that all these significant dates end in a “7”? Once again, the odds against this occurring by chance are astronomical, suggesting divine orchestration.

8. The Significance of 1948

We’ve seen that the numbers 70 and 7 are significant in Israel’s history. But what about the date/number 1948? Surely, the year in which one of the most significant prophetic events in history took place, the rebirth of Israel, wasn’t just some random date in human history. As it turns out, the significance of this date/number may be more than what you realize:

• The 19th book and 48th chapter in the Bible (Psalm 48) describes the rebirth of Israel. It’s also interesting that this chapter has 14 verses. Is it a coincidence that the rebirth of Israel took place on May 14th?

• Not only is Psalm the 19th book of the Bible, but it is also the 48th book from the end of the Bible. This is interesting, considering the book of Psalms is right in the CENTER of the Bible and Israel is CENTRAL to God’s redemptive plan.

• If you add 19 to 48 (19 + 48) you have 67. Is it a coincidence that the next most significant prophetic event since New Testament times, the liberation of Jerusalem, happened in 1967?

• Gold is heated to exactly 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit during the refining process. Interestingly, Scripture compares Israel’s deliverance during Jacob’s trouble to the refining and purification process of precious metal (Zech. 13:9).

• Even the sun and moon appear to point towards the significance of the numbers 19 and 48. Of the eight rare blood-moon tetrads since the time of Christ, three have been in the last 100 years, falling on feast days in 1949-1950, 1967-1968, and 2014-2015. Note the following pattern within this triad of tetrads:

1968 – 1949 = 19

2015 – 1967 = 48

• But that’s not all-there was another span of three tetrads within 100 years falling on feast days, in 795-796, 842-843, and 860-861. Note the same pattern within this triad of tetrads:

861 – 842 = 19

843 – 795 = 48

• The number of years from the first man, Adam, to the first Hebrew, Abraham, is easily determined to be 1,948 years by simply adding up the years found in Genesis chapters 5 and 11. Coincidently, from the second man Adam, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:45), to the rebirth of “Abraham’s seed” (Israel) as a nation, there were also 1,948 years!

Has the Bible Been Changed?

Nevertheless, some people, especially those who don’t like the moral constraints of the Bible, want to say that the Bible has changed since it was written. The textual evidence for the integrity of the Bible is better than for any other ancient book or document. Compared to other ancient writings, we have more manuscripts still in existence, and manuscripts whose age we know is much closer to the time of original writing, than it is in the case of other ancient writings like those of Julius Caesar or Plato. All variations which exist are of a very minor nature which do not affect any major doctrine of the Bible.

There are amazing mathematical patterns in Bible when looked at in the original Hebrew and Greek languages. Hundreds of facts based around the number 7 appear in every passage of the Bible when you look at the numerical values of the words in the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible. Many of these patterns were discovered by Ivan Panin in the 19th century. This discovery turned him from being an agnostic into being a Christian. His subsequent research provides a virtually irrefutable evidence that the Bible is not simply the product of human minds. No computer today could create such a text. The conclusion is once again that the Bible is the Word of God.

There will always be people however who refuse to believe. This is basically because they are not willing to consider the evidence honestly. Human beings often believe things for reasons other than logic or persuasive argument. Many times, people believe what they want to believe, because it is convenient that way or too emotionally painful to recognize that they and their family have been fundamentally deceived all this time. People today are often “lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4). Hiding in their pride and communal ignorance, they do not want to consider the evidence for the Bible, in case they are forced to admit it is true and they have to give up their ungodly passions and pleasures. The Bible makes it clear that God is looking for a change in our lives. But that change will be good, because God is good, wise, and able to help us be what we were created to be.

Since God is manifest in Creation, in our consciences and our personhood, we are without excuse if we do not believe in a personal God. The Bible points this out in Romans 1:18-20. The truth is that a person who rejects the message of the Bible will often believe something very improbable or ridiculous from a rational point of view. This is actually part of God’s judgment on those who willfully suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:11,12).

The Authority of the Bible

Authority and author are directly related concepts. Because the Holy Spirit (who is God) is the author of the Bible, the authority of the Bible is the authority of God. That means, when the Bible speaks to us, then God is speaking to us. To disobey the New Testament is to disobey God. Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)

“He who rejects Me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” (John 12:48). The Word has authority to judge and will judge in the last day. Therefore, it is indeed wise to “tremble at God’s Word” (Isaiah 66:2). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7).

Jesus said, “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46). Lord means master, and just calling Jesus ‘Lord’ is not enough. In vain we call Him ‘Lord’ if by our lives we demonstrate that we do not know what we say, or we do not mean what we say. Jesus is Lord of your Life if and only if the true intention of your heart is to do what he says in His Word. We must come to Jesus, hear His sayings, AND do them. (Luke 6:47-49). We must dig past all the traditions, prejudices and errors of men. We must get to the solid rock of Christ’s Word and put it into practice if our lives are to pass the test.

God has promised to preserve His words forever (Psalm 12:7). If we believe in the faithful God who causes the sun to rise every day, then we should believe He has preserved his Word to us also. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) The true doctrine of Christianity may never contradict the clear meaning of Scripture. We have the right to rebuke and correct people using Scripture, as long as we ourselves are being led by the Spirit as the Scripture commands us to be (Galatians 5:16).

Who Can Interpret the Bible?

Some religious leaders have the idea that only certain people have the right to read and pray to God in order to understand what God is saying to them through the Bible. For this reason, in some churches the Bible was kept for centuries untranslated in the language of the people. In this way religious leaders could claim to represent Christ and teach the truth without people being able to check them out. Just as Jesus said to the Pharisees, so we say to such leaders: “Hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13).

We do not need to have a perfect interpretation of all things in the Bible in order for God to able to speak to us through it. Those who want to do God’s will shall be guided into all truth (John 7:17), step by step. We are commanded to be filled with the Word of God, and we must begin. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). All who want to be disciples of Jesus (true Christians, Acts 11:26) must remain in His Word. “If you remain in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” (John 8:30-32; John 15:7; John 14:21,23). True believers must know what they believe and in whom. It is not just a matter of believing that Jesus existed and is somehow a savior.

Religious leaders who tell us not to read the Bible are telling us to disobey Jesus. God has exalted His Word above all his name (Psalm 138:2). This means that the Word has the ultimate authority, not traditions of churches. Traditions can only be good when they don’t contradict the Bible, and when they don’t seek to replace the need for a personal dynamic relationship with God. Scripture is never superseded by man’s tradition (Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:8,13). Jesus condemned those who put their own traditions before the written word of God. We are commanded to test all things. (1 Thessalonians 5:21). How? By the Standard of God’s Word, Scripture. “To the law and the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20).

All church leaders and those claiming to be Christians who reject Christ’s words will one day be judged according to the words of Christ which are recorded in Scripture (John 12:48). God reveals the truth about doctrine to those who want to do his will (John 7:17). We cannot trust those who willingly and consistently disobey God’s Word to interpret the Bible correctly to us. Such men do not have the Holy Spirit. They are blind leaders of the blind. Thus, everyone who wants to follow Christ must seek first-hand knowledge of the Scriptures diligently. Laziness and indifference are not excuses, they are disobedience. This matter is urgent. Our response to God’s Word has eternal consequences and must be attended to now!

Principles of Interpreting the Scripture

Being the Word of God, the Scripture is consistent with itself and Scripture always interprets Scripture (2 Peter 1:21; Psalm 12:6-7). We cannot build a doctrine just based on one verse taken out of context. This principle gives us an important safeguard against false interpretations and doctrines. So, we must know Scripture well. The Holy Spirit, as author, is the ultimate interpreter. No man can say that he is always right about Scripture and its application simply because he claims a position of religious authority. Even Peter the apostle was wrong at times and had to be corrected. See Galatians 2:11-14.

The Holy Spirit never contradicts himself. So, if an interpretation of Scripture contradicts another part of Scripture, taken in the context of the whole Bible, that interpretation cannot be right. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16.13). We should therefore ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in our search for truth in the Bible, without being afraid. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God (Acts 5.32). Let us therefore seek to please God by believing and acting on what He has already revealed to us through the Bible and our consciences.

Daniel studied Jeremiah to understand it (Daniel 9:2). Likewise, we are commanded to study it (2 Timothy 2:15). We should ask God for wisdom in our study of the Scripture (James 1:5). God promises to give us the wisdom we need. Everyone must be fully convinced in his own mind about issues of importance (Romans 14:5). Much study, prayer and listening to godly men will help us to know the truth. We should not allow ourselves to be full of doubts on issues of major importance such as salvation.

The Nature and Power of the Word of God

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) God’s Word is at work in the world today. It is an active force. It governs the spiritual activity in the Universe. It changes things, especially when spoken and believed, both in the hearts of men and in their circumstances. God is watching over his Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).

God’s Word is compared to a seed (Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14; 1 Peter 1:23). This seed produces new life if planted well. Like seed, it is growing in hearts and multiplying and spreading all over the world today. Satan, his demons and antichrist people cannot stop the inevitable progress of this seed. Every seed produces life after its own kind. The seed of God’s Word, if planted well in soft hearts, open hearts, will produce the life, character and faith of God in its hearers. For hard hearts, the Word correctly applied will be like a hammer to break the hard heart open (Jeremiah 23:19).

The Word of God is compared to a fire, “‘Is not my Word like a fire?’, says the LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:29). It can act as a fire (Jeremiah 5:14; 20:9). Fire spreads, gives light, warmth, energy and comfort, but it can also destroy. God’s Word destroys the power of evil as it is believed and applied. It can break Satan’s influence in our hearts and lives.

The Word of God is compared also to water (Ephesians 5:26; Psalm 1:1-3). Water brings cleansing, refreshing, life and encouragement and satisfies the thirsty. The Word of God can do this for us also. God’s Word is also compared a mirror which shows us our true spiritual state (James 1:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18). It shows us how we need to be cleansed.

What the Word of God Can Produce in Your Life

In a world that is many times casual and uninterested in the things of God, the Word of God can produce conviction of sin (Romans 7:7). The Holy Spirit works through the knowledge of the law to show us how unrighteous we are and how we deserve condemnation. But praise God, the Word of God does more than that. By the Word of God also comes salvation (Romans 1:16). We receive wisdom for salvation through the Word (2 Timothy 3:15). “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17). If you don’t have enough faith, you can get it by paying attention to the preached Word.

“Your Word has given me life” (Psalm 119:50). The Word gives a new spiritual life when received. It produces the new birth of the human spirit (1 Peter 1:23). The Word gives us hope (Romans 15:4; Psalm 119:49) both for this life and for the life to come. The Word acts to wash and cleanse us (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus said, “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17). So, the Word can produce in us true holiness. It gives us truth. And that truth, if we really know it, will make us free (John 8:31-32). Through the Word we can cleanse our way and keep sin out of our lives (Psalm 119:9,11). We can have victory over Satan through the Word, as Jesus did (Matthew 4:4,7,10,11; 1 John 2:14).

We can find wisdom in the Word when we don’t know what to do. “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7). To God we can truly say, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105). So, in this way the Word gives guidance. God can “strengthen us according to His Word” (Psalm 119:28). His Word gives us comfort (Romans 15:4) The Word of God can work in our spiritual and emotional lives to produce joy and rejoicing (Nehemiah 8:12; Psalm 119:14; 1 Corinthians 13:6). Its purpose is to produce in us a true love, that we will live by (1 Timothy 1:5; Ephesians 5:2).

Paul commended the Ephesian believers to the word of God’s grace, “which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). So, the Word produces spiritual growth.

If we need physical healing, we should apply God’s Words and promises. “For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:22). Note that it is for the flesh, not just for the soul. Many times, God will send his Word and heal us (Psalm 107:20) if we need healing.

True prosperity and success will come to you if you consistently “meditate on the Word night and day, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3). If our souls prosper through obedience to the Word (3 John 2), then God wants our bodies to be in health too and for us to prosper. Concerning the works of men, by the Word of God’s lips, we can keep ourselves from the paths of the destroyer (Psalm 17:4). This means protection. It comes to those who obey the Word and abide in the presence of God (Psalm 91; John 15:10).

Everything that is really important for the man of God in his ministry can be obtained through the Word. The Word is given, “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17).

When the Word of God is spread to enough hearts, and put thoroughly into practice in at least a few, the Word will bring revival or spiritual awakening (Acts 19:20; Psalm 119:25; Nehemiah 9:3). The value of a true spiritual revival of God is beyond human calculation. This is because the salvation of even one soul is worth more to God than all the material things that exist that He made.

Different Attitudes of People for Prophecy

Many people have negative attitudes toward the study of biblical prophecy. For example, first, there are those who say, “I’m only concerned about the present, so don’t bother me with ideas about the future.”

Other people express a second negative attitude toward the study of biblical prophecy. It goes like this: “Nobody can understand the prophecies in the Bible, especially Revelation(S), so why bother to study them? Such effort is a useless waste of time.” This negative attitude toward the study of the Book of Revelation (the Revelation of Jesus Christ which is ONE Mighty Revelation, not more than one) is tragic for at least two reasons. First, those who ignore Revelation will miss the following special blessing that Jesus Christ proclaimed in conjunction with that book, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein” (Revelation 1:3). Second, the very fact that the Book of Revelation and all other biblical prophecies were given by God to mankind through divine revelation and were recorded accurately through the means of divine inspiration (1 Corinthians 2:9-13; 2 Peter 1:19-21) indicates that God wants human beings to possess these prophecies and to pay attention to them. Otherwise He would never have given them to mankind. In light of this, those persons, who for any reason fail to heed them, will miss what God intends and desires for them.

A third negative attitude toward the study of biblical prophecy is expressed by some Christians. In essence it is this: “There are very few, if any, prophecies in the Bible concerning events that will transpire in the future beyond our present time. Almost all biblical prophecies were fulfilled by the end of the First Century A.D. For example, the great tribulation to which Jesus Christ referred in Matthew 24:21-22 was fulfilled by the events associated with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and Israel as a nation state in 70 A.D. This was Christ’s coming in judgment upon the Jewish nation that had rejected Him.” This sort of argument is easily seen as incorrect because, for instance, when was the last time you saw 70-pound hailstones falling from the sky? Revelation 16:21 tells us that will part of the seventh Bowl Judgment that occurs near the end of the Tribulation. And that has certainly never happened before nor could it since that would take a divine intervention since natural laws of hydrology make it impossible. There are many other prophecies that have never happened not the least of which Jesus coming back and setting foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4)

A fourth negative attitude toward the study of biblical prophecy is the result of the mishandling of the prophetic Scriptures by some Bible teachers and preachers. Tragically, over the years some have claimed that the prophetic Scriptures gave them information that enabled them to set a date for the Rapture or Second Coming of Christ, or to identify the personal name of the Antichrist. For example, during the era of World War II, some prominent Bible teachers and preachers in Great Britain and North America claimed that Bible prophecy indicated that Hitler or Mussolini was the Antichrist. More recently, a prominent Christian leader used a book, radio broadcasts, billboards and other means to promote the idea that Christ would return in His Second Coming to destroy the world in the fall of a specific year that is now past. When time proved these men to be wrong, this not only seriously wounded the credibility of their personal ministries, but it also gave the unsaved more cause to ridicule biblical Christianity and soured the attitude of many Christians toward the study and teaching of biblical prophecy.

Two things should be noted in conjunction with this fourth negative attitude. First, instead of learning from the past mistakes of teachers and preachers, some today continue the same mishandling of the prophetic Scriptures by setting dates for the Rapture or Second Coming of Christ, or by claiming that a certain prominent individual today is the Antichrist. Second, those Christians who are negative toward the study and teaching of biblical prophecy because of these past or present abuses are guilty of throwing out the baby with the dirty bath water. Instead of rejecting the study and teaching of biblical prophecy because of abuses, they should reject the abuses, but hold on to the valid study and teaching of the prophetic Scriptures. They should do so because there are significant reasons why the study and teaching of biblical prophecy is important.

Reasons for Studying Biblical Prophecy

The four negative attitudes that people have toward the study of biblical prophecy are unfortunate because there are four significant reasons why the study of biblical prophecy is important. First, originally, almost a third of the Bible was prophecy. Many unfulfilled prophecies remain. In light of this, those people who reject the study of biblical prophecy because of a negative attitude toward it choose to avoid the biblical revelation that God has given to mankind, revelation that God wants human beings to possess and heed. This avoidance amounts to willful rejection of a major portion of God’s truth and, therefore, has serious implications.

Second, it is impossible to understand God’s purpose for history apart from the study of biblical prophecy. Isaiah 46:9-11 quotes the following divine declaration, “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:…I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” Isaiah 14:24, 26-27 states, “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:…This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall annul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”

These Scriptures reveal that there is one true God, and that He has a sovereign purpose for this earth’s history. The evidence that He is the true God and that He has a sovereign purpose for history is that in the past He planned and purposed what would happen on earth throughout history. On the basis of what He planned and purposed, through His prophets God declared to mankind what would happen in the future, even to the end of this earth’s history. Then, during the course of history, He sovereignly causes to happen all that He planned and purposed and declared through His prophets. No one can prevent God from fulfilling His sovereign purpose for history.

Nebuchadnezzar, ancient Babylon’s greatest king, learned by personal experience that the God of the Bible has a sovereign purpose for what happens in history. After God had completed His infliction of the king with a form of mental illness that caused him to live like a wild animal, Nebuchadnezzar wrote, “I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34-35).

The prophetic Scriptures are the written record of what God through the prophets declared to mankind would happen even to the end of this earth’s history. Since those divine declarations were based upon what God had planned and purposed for history, no one can understand God’s purpose for history apart from the study of biblical prophecy. In light of the facts that God has a sovereign purpose for this earth’s history, that on the basis of that purpose He declared to mankind what would happen to the end of history, and that the prophetic Scriptures are the written record of that divine declaration, it is no mistake that the Book of Revelation was the last book of the Bible written. God intended it to be the capstone of His divine declaration to mankind, because it foretells how He will complete His purpose for history. Because of this, the person who decides to avoid the study of Revelation will remain completely oblivious to how God will complete His purpose.

Third, the study of biblical prophecy is an effective evangelistic tool. God had His declarations of future events recorded in written form in the Scriptures, not to satisfy the curiosity of people concerning what will happen, but to be a life-changing tool for people of every generation. God uses the study of biblical prophecy to serve as a warning to unsaved people: To warn them of the future wrathful judgment that He has purposed for this rebellious world and for all people who fail to receive His gracious gift of salvation through faith in His crucified, buried and resurrected Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit uses biblical prophecy to impress unsaved people with the urgency of their trusting Christ as their Savior now, before it may be too late for them. Any Christian who avoids the study and teaching of biblical prophecy thereby fails to use a very effective evangelistic tool that God has given to us.

Fourth, it is impossible to understand God’s plan and purpose for Israel apart from the study of biblical prophecy. The Bible reveals that God established a unique relationship with Israel as a nation. Moses made the following statements to the generation of Israelites who were to enter the land of Canaan years after Israel’s exodus out of Egypt, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2).

In addition, the Scriptures indicate that God established this unique relationship with Israel forever. 2 Samuel 7:24 records the following statement of King David to God, “For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever.” In addition, the Apostle Paul indicated that, in spite of Israel’s unbelief, God’s election or calling of the nation Israel for this unique relationship will never change (Romans 11:26-29).

The Bible also reveals that God did not establish this unique relationship with Israel because they were greater in number than any other people. Moses told them, “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people” (Deuteronomy 7:7). Instead, God established it because He had a unique, sovereign purpose for Israel as a nation.

God sovereignly purposed that the nation of Israel play a key role in the fulfillment of His purpose for history. One aspect of that key role was this: God determined to bring great blessing to the whole world through Israel. God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s offspring, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). The fact that God repeated that promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac (Genesis 26:4), and grandson, Jacob (Genesis 28:14), whose twelve sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, indicates that God purposed to bring this promised blessing to the world through the nation Israel.

God has already brought great blessings to the world through Israel. The Bible came through that nation. The Apostle Paul wrote that unto the Jews “were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2). The Messiah-Savior came to the world by birth through Israel. Concerning the Israelites, Paul said, “of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came” (Romans 9:4-5). Since the Messiah, who provided salvation for all people, was a Jew in His humanity, then salvation came through Israel. Jesus Himself said, “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).

Biblical prophecy indicates that another aspect of Israel’s key role is yet future. God will not totally crush Satan and his forces and establish His future theocratic kingdom rule to the world until the nation of Israel repents by recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as its Messiah-Savior.

Zechariah 12-14 reveals that, when the rulers and armies of all the Gentile nations of the world will come against Israel in the future (12:1-9), the remnant of Jews who are still alive will see the Messiah coming out of Heaven. When they see the evidences of His past crucifixion, they will repent (change their minds toward Him) and will mourn over His past rejection (12:10-14). God will cleanse them from their sin (13:1). Messiah will then go to battle and destroy the rulers and armies of the world (14:1-3, 12-15; Revelation 19:11-21) and have Satan imprisoned in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). Then He will establish God’s theocratic kingdom and will rule as “king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9, 16-21; Revelation 20:4-6). In that theocratic kingdom, Israel will be the spiritual leader of the world. The people of Israel will “be named the Priests of the LORD” and the Gentiles will call them “the Ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6). The Gentiles will take hold of the Jews, “saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you” (Zechariah 8:23).

Contrary to the divinely inspired statements of King David (2 Samuel 7:24) and the Apostle Paul (Romans 11:26-29) noted earlier, some professing Christians insist that God did not establish His unique relationship with Israel forever. They believe that, because Israel as a nation rejected Jesus Christ in His First Coming, God permanently removed Israel as a nation from that unique relationship and replaced it with the New Testament Church. They claim that God will save individual Jews, but that He has no present or future national program for Israel. This belief, referred to as Replacement Theology, definitely affects their thinking concerning the right of Israel to exist as a national entity in the Middle East today and fuels the abandonment of Israel over the support of the Palestinians who have NO right to any land in Israel. It also causes them to reject the idea that God has purposed Israel to play a future key role in the fulfillment of His purpose for history. A significant part of the reason for this belief is the neglect or allegorical interpretation of biblical prophecy which is not only incorrect but very dangerous to those who espouse it (Genesis 12:3).

From all of this, it can be seen by those with Holy Spirit vision that unfulfilled prophecy brings clarity of God’s plan and purpose, provides blessing and joy in the knowledge of God’s care for each of us in these troubling times when we seek righteousness and find very little, and encourages our hearts that God is in control! Without these, our lives would be filled with worry or, at least, concern for our futures, for our families, for our nation. When we study Scripture and prophecy, we find peace, reliance on God, and joy in the knowledge that He alone is sovereign. The conclusion of all of these appeals is one simple thing – respect God’s Word, read it, study it, gain from it, apply it, rejoice in it because Almighty God gave it to us! What better gift could a loving and just God give in addition to giving us eternal life through His only Son?

An End Times Biblical Prophetic End of Days Current Timeline

We now need to put all of the End Times prophecies into a visual form so that we can better understand what God is saying. This interpretation comes from my many years of careful Bible study, but cannot be attested to as 100% accurate, just very close to that high standard. Can anyone know with perfect clarity exactly what and when and how any of these immediate future prophecies will be sequences and come to fruition? Of course not, but Jesus told us that we would know the general time of all of these things and to look because our redemption, the Rapture of the Church, is drawing near.

We will now take the chart of the End Times and endeavor to explain the interpretation of it.

The Timeline is meant to be a guideline only since we cannot be 100% sure of some of the detail of the chart. However, the general sequencing is purely from the Bible and free of wild speculation. There is much that will occur prophetically, and all of it, with little room for doubt, WILL happen AFTER the Rapture. That makes the Rapture THE key to the End Times for today. Those you know, your family members, some in your church need to see this timeline since it depicts what they will experience here on the Earth IF they do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The chart starts with the Rapture and assumes that it is a Pre-Tribulation Rapture which Scripture supports clearly. At the very bottom left of the chart, there is a reference to Ezekiel 38 & 39 and the burning of weapons of war. This is a result of God defeating the armies of Gog and Magog (Russia), Iran, Turkey, and others when God says Israel will be burning the weapons of that war, which occurs in the “In-Between” Times between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation. It is for this reason alone that the “In-Between” Times exist because Israel will be hiding and protected by God from Satan and the Antichrist during the last half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:4). This means the burning of the weapons of the Ezekiel 38 & 39 War must start three and one-half years BEFORE the Tribulation begins!

There are other wars during this “In-Between” Time such as the Psalm 83 war in which God removes all of Israel’s “close-in” enemies so that they can live in peace and safety which is the criterion for the Ezekiel war to take place. Consequently, I place the Psalm 83 war in front of the Ezekiel war. The destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17 comes at this time, and we can see this literally taking place as we look at the city today which is not quite yet fully destroyed. The Elam or Southern Iran area is to be destroyed (Jeremiah 49:34-39) which also probably occurs during this time since it leads to Israel’s peace. There could be further events happen at this time, but we will be gone in the Rapture and will not see them happen from Earth’s perspective.

Another very important aspect of the “In-Between” years is that the world’s objection to a one-world leader will disappear primarily because of the Muslims being all but eliminated through the Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 & 39 wars. Total devastation will result from the Rapture of the Church, of course, since the Christian influence is very strong on this world, but the sudden disappearance of many while driving cars and trucks, flying airplanes, controlling electronically enabled services, and many other essential aspects of daily life will cause utter chaos. Add to that the total destruction of all of Israel’s enemies both near and far through the Psalm 83 war and then, soon after, the Ezekiel 38 & 39 war plus all the “islands” which is also translated “continents” associated with the Muslim and Russian nations, and you have a world that will be ready for a “messiah” in the form of a world leader to arise and gain control over the devastation. That person is the Antichrist!

After approximately three and one-half years, the actual Tribulation will begin with Daniel 9:27 and the Antichrist’s emerging due to Jesus opening the scroll in Heaven and the first seal which contains the first rider of the Apocalypse or the Antichrist. The Antichrist will, as his first act, strike a peace treaty with Israel, again from Daniel 9:27. Most Prophecy students call this peace treaty a guarantee that Israel will not be attacked because the Antichrist will protect them (read that Satan will protect them). But, since God has been wiping out all of Israel’s enemies causing world panic because of God’s awesome power displayed on Israel’s behalf, I believe the Antichrist draws up a treaty that Israel promises to plead with Jehovah to stop destroying the nations that are Israel’s enemies so that the world can live in peace. Israel, now at peace themselves because of God’s intervention, naturally signs the peace treaty with the Antichrist thus starting the actual Tribulation period of seven years otherwise called the Time of Jacob’s Trouble or Daniel’s 70^th Week.

What also happens at this time is Jesus anoints 12,000 Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to be an army of 144,000 Jewish evangelists for Christ to proclaim the Gospel for three and one-half years. Jesus also sends His Two Witnesses, could be either Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah or even two others we do not expect, to reside at the Temple in Jerusalem, proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, completely enraging the Antichrist because he cannot kill them nor the 144,000. These Two Witnesses and the 144,000 expand the Gospel all over the world untouched and safe until the Mid-Tribulation point where God allows them to be martyred. The most dramatic display of all that completely astounds the whole Earth and makes the Antichrist raving mad at the Jews is the three days the Two Witnesses lie dead in Jerusalem. All of a sudden, a voice from Heaven tells them to “Come up here” in the same manner that the Church was called to Heaven, and the three-days-dead Two Witnesses, in front of the world’s cameras and everyone’s cell phones, rise to their feet and ascend to Heaven spiting the Antichrist in the eye in front of the world!

So, what is happening to the raptured Church during this “In-Between” time? The Bema Judgment Seat of Christ. Judgment? Yes, but NOT for sin, for works done in Jesus’ Name! We all will face the Bema Seat, “bema” means judgment, where our works, deeds, thoughts, and actions are all evaluated as to whether we did them for Him or for some other reason such as self-promoting reasons. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 describes the difference in works for Jesus (gold, silver, precious stones) or for selfish reasons (wood, hay, stubble). All these works will be subjected to the Lord’s fire of Judgment, and the works done for selfish reasons will be burned up, but those done for Christ shall remain. This is the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ from 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10-12. Then, the Church of Jesus Christ, purified, will experience the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Bema and the Marriage Supper will occupy the time between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth where His Church, that’s us, will accompany Him back to Earth from Heaven to witness Jesus end the Battle of Armageddon, bind Satan for a thousand years, throw the Antichrist and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire alive, conduct the Sheep and Goat Judgment to separate out the believers who will inhabit the Millennium from the unbelievers who will be sent to Hell.

Back on Earth before the Second Coming, the Tribulation has to take place to bring the unbelieving Jews, Israel, back to their God, Jehovah. The Wrath of God is contained in the little scroll of Revelation Chapter 5 that only Jesus is worthy to open because of the terrible wrath it contains. That scroll contains ALL of the Wrath of God that the entire Earth will be subject to, the seven Seal Judgments, the seven Trumpet Judgments, and the seven Bowl Judgments. The Seal and Trumpet Judgments occur during the first half of the Tribulation, and the Bowl Judgments during the second half. The middle of the tribulation is significant for several reasons.

The Antichrist grows in power and influence during the first half of the Tribulation because of the False Prophet’s efforts to make him look special even divine. A talking statue or anthropomorphic robot is made in the Antichrist’s image, and people are made to bow down to it. It even speaks! Because of all of this adulation, at the Mid-Tribulation point, three and one-half years after the Peace Treaty which started the Tribulation, the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, the Antichrist is quite literally possessed by none other than Satan himself, goes into the Tribulation Temple in Jerusalem which had been built as a result of the Peace Treaty, and declares himself to be God thereby committing what is called in Daniel, the Abomination of Desolation. The possessed Antichrist then declares he is going after the Jews to completely destroy them which sends the Jews into hiding “in the wilderness” (we think to Petra, although that is not specified in the Bible) to be protected by God Himself for the last half of the Tribulation. This protection by God of the Jews throws the Antichrist into a rage that turns against all Christians causing him to seek them all out and beheadings begin that last the rest of the Tribulation time.

The second half of the Tribulation is filled with the despotic rage of the Antichrist and Satan aimed at God’s people who accept Christ during the Tribulation. But God’s Bowl Judgments come upon the Earth which are unlike anything ever seen or ever will be seen, All in the seas die because all salt water is turned into blood, mankind gets covered with boils, all fresh water becomes blood so there is nothing to drink, the sun increases in intensity and burns all men, the Antichrist’s kingdom is plunged into a darkness that can be felt, the river Euphrates dries up allowing the kings of the East to proceed to Armageddon, and an earthquake never seen before levels all mountains, makes all islands disappear, 70-pound hailstones fall everywhere killing many, and the rest blaspheme God for all the devastation. This all ends with the Battle of Armageddon which takes place in the Valley of Megiddo, a flat plain surrounded by low mountains in Israel that is 50 miles wide and 200 miles long. In this valley, this so-called battle of Earth’s armies against the King of kings and Lord of lords takes place when Jesus returns with His Church at the very end of the Tribulation. Jesus defeats the millions warring against Him with the Sword of His Word! All Jesus has to do to defeat these enemies is utter a Word and it is over. Jesus then proceeds to Jerusalem where His foot touches down again on the Earth in the same place He left from so many years before – the Mount of Olives. At that instant, the mount splits in two, separates toward the North and the South creating a valley running East and West where living water from Jerusalem will flow toward the Mediterranean to the West and the Dead Sea to the East.

The Sheep and Goat Judgment takes place at this time also to separate the believers in Christ (sheep) from the unbelievers (goats) because only the sheep get to walk into the Millennial Kingdom as human beings. The goats get to go to Hell. Then, according to Daniel Chapter 12, there is a period of 30 days and then 45 additional days before the Millennial Kingdom begins. The Bible does not explain these “extra” days that go beyond the three and one-half years or 1,260 days. We have to speculate here, but the 30 days could be for the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem, and the 45 days leads up to the Feast of dedication which could be for dedicating the Millennial Temple.

What also occurs at this time is the resurrection and transformation into new, immortal bodies the Old Testament Saints and the Tribulation Saints that died during the Tribulation. The living Tribulation Saints will populate the Millennium, but those that dies in Christ get their immortal bodies just like Jesus’ Church did at the Rapture. We get this knowledge from Daniel 12:2 and Revelation 20:4. Now, the Millennium reign of Christ begins! Try to envision a restored Earth with no devil, everyone is a believer (at least at the start), and Jesus ruling and reigning In Person in Jerusalem in a new Millennium Temple for a thousand years! What a different Earth will result. Questions answered, lives of purpose and fulfillment, worship direct and awesome! But, sin is still present and many will reject Christ in spite of His very presence in the flesh! Isaiah 65:20 suggests that if a person born during the Millennium reaches and age of 100 years and does not accept Christ as Lord and Savior, they will be accursed and be sent to the Lake of Fire. But that does not stop the final rebellion.

Something that has never happened will also happen at the end of the Tribulation and after Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives. Satan is bound for a thousand years! Revelation 20:1-3 tells how an angel (maybe Michael) comes down from Heaven with the keys to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He grabs Satan, the old serpent, the dragon, and binds him and casts him into the bottomless pit with a seal of no escape. He, his fallen angelic horde, and the demons will be powerless for the thousand-year Millennium until just before the end of the Millennium when Satan will be loosed again (Revelation 20:7). The result of his being loosed is very difficult and sad to imagine. What he does in a very short time is go throughout the world and gather literally millions of humans to rebel against the very presence of Jesus Christ, God Almighty, who has been visible on the Earth for the entire thousand years. This rebellious army surrounds Jerusalem, then is destroyed with fire that descends from Heaven. The devil is then thrown into the Lake of Fire to join the Antichrist and the False Prophet for ever and ever.

The next event is one that will never be repeated nor has anything like it ever happened. First, Christ must destroy the present Creation. Why? The Creation has been cursed ever since the Fall of Adam. The sin of man has caused the Earth and the Universe to be accursed which simply means that God’s entire Creation is in travail or agony because of man’s sin. In order to restore Creation, all of it, to its original state of being “very good”, as God declared it to be in Genesis 1:31, God has to re-create everything. Revelation 20:11 tells us that, “…the Earth and Heaven fled away; and there was no place found for them.” While there is no more Earth or Universe, the Great White Throne Judgment takes place. This is the time when all the unredeemed dead are brought before Jesus Christ on His Great White Throne of Judgment and all the books are opened that contain records of everything ever said, thought, or done in every ungodly persons’ life who has ever lived from Cain to the last person born in the Millennium. There is no excuse for anyone without God, so all who come before Jesus at this Judgment will not be able to explain away their selfishness or their sin against Almighty God. They will individually be examined by Jesus, found wanting, and then thrown into the Lake of Fire to be punished for eternity. At the culmination of that horrific event, Jesus as Creator God will remake a new Heaven and a New Earth.

Then, a most spectacular event will take place. The New Jerusalem in all of its splendor and majesty will descend from Heaven (Revelation 21:10) with the Glory of God shining like a jasper stone completely enveloping its 1,500 mile width, its 1,500 mile depth, and its 1,500 mile height! The Throne of God and the Lamb are in it from which a pure river of water of life flows clear as crystal. On either side of that river is the tree of life which produces twelve different types of fruit, one per month. And the Face of God and the Lamb will be seen there in perpetual light with no more darkness ever. There, in the New Jerusalem, we will dwell and serve our Lord Jesus for eternity, learning from Him, worshipping Him, being ever joyful in His presence!

Conclusion and Challenge

The purpose of these seven presentations on Bible Prophecy has attempted to accentuate, enlighten, stir up, and encourage all who heard or read what has been presented. The Bible is God’s gift of enlightenment to us so that we can know Him better, understand His expectations for us, know how to please Him, and how to be guaranteed to be with Him for eternity. All of God’s Word is God-breathed which means that God is speaking directly to our hearts from His. He tells us the Truth, God’s Truth, so that we can be sure of what He tells us. And, we know that almost a third of the Bible was prophecy when it was written, foretold future events before they happened, and most of those prophecies have come to pass exactly as the Bible said they would. But there are many prophecies that still lie in OUR future that have not taken place yet, but soon will!

How do I know that they will take place? Because God never lies and never misleads. So, what He says will happen and what He tells us is the Truth. How do I know that these future events will happen soon? Because Jesus gave us signs to look for which tell us that He is going to come back to Earth in the very near future. The most significant and often overlooked by many in the Christian Church today is the Nation of Israel. Israel is a nation once again after over 1,800 years of “wilderness wandering”. Their language is again being used, they are continuing to return to the Promised Land where almost 7 million reside out of the 14 million Jews worldwide. Israel is an exporter of vegetables to Europe and other countries, has one of the top 5 militaries in the world, is a nuclear power, and is truly a “cup of trembling” to all, a “burdensome stone” for all the people of Earth as Zechariah 12 tells us.

Jesus told His disciples, which includes us, that the signs of the end would be like birth pains in a woman about to give birth. They start out relatively low in pain and occur infrequently. So have the wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom (read ethnic or racial group against ethnic or racial group), famines, pestilences, and earthquakes – all of which we have seen and heard happening. But, as a woman approaches the point of giving birth to a new baby, the birth pains gain in intensity, become more and more painful, and they increase in frequency, getting closer and closer together. The signs of the times are coming together in what Bible Prophecy Watchers call “Convergence” which simply means ALL OF THEM are happening more and more with little space between happenings.

The condition of our planet today is one that is out of control due to financial upheaval, a return to the often failed and always deadly socialism/Marxism/communism philosophies where, for obvious selfish reasons, people think that there is the ability to get something for nothing and someone else has to “pay the piper”! Worldwide economic disaster is at the doorstep with almost all countries borrowing so much money to maintain a sinful lifestyle that there is no way to ever pay it all back. The U.S. says it is $22 Trillion dollars in debt when the actual number due to retirement plans, unfunded entitlements such as Welfare and Hospitalization (read Obamacare), Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security, the proposal of the Green New Deal, unending and seemingly unwinnable wars in such places as Syria, Afghanistan, many in Africa, and others, illegal immigration both here and in Europe, the drug wars, human trafficking, just an unrighteous lifestyle outside of God, and a lenient justice system, is closer to $200 Trillion dollars which is a number inconceivable to any mind and definitely unpayable ever! This is a loud confirmation of the nearness of the Rapture! As soon as the Rapture happens, I believe the entire world will be thrown into financial collapse leaving no foothold for even the very rich. Again, this is just a necessary set-up for the Antichrist to rise to power and to gain control over everyone left behind!

Our challenge, each and every true Christian who believes in Jesus Christ and has made Him both Savior and Lord, is to be a watchman! What does it mean to be a watchman? Ezekiel 33:7 says, “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” God appointed Ezekiel to be a watchman to Israel. We should be watchmen to not only watch Israel and care for Israel but watch out for the signs of the times so that we can relate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone we know or meet so that they will not have to endure the very Wrath of God that is coming soon. In order to watch out for the signs, to be a watchman for God, we must KNOW the Scriptures and Prophecies! And we do that by reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, sharing, and teaching God’s Word as often as we can so that the Holy Spirit can complete the work and bring those that will listen into His Kingdom.

One of the obstacles that the enemy has placed in our path to clarity and understanding of the Scriptures is false teaching. There are many spouting unbiblical half-truths on radio, cable, and on DVD and CD. Many preach a prosperity gospel which leaves out the true nature of man being sinful in need of redemption. Others avoid prophecy claiming the subject unnecessary as some say applies to the Old Testament as well. Others are deep into self-promotion and audience building because there are mountains of money to be extorted to uneducated minds. Then there are those false teachers that claim to have all the answers and persuade their followers to listen to them and never read God’s Word for themselves since it is too difficult to understand with an “uneducated” or “un-initiated” mind.

I have found over the years that there are reliable Bible scholars and theologians that can be trusted to augment our understanding of God’s Word. This clarity comes through commentaries that explain the culture and times of the writers of the Bible which clarify difficult areas, from understanding of the original languages and the increased clarity of the knowledge that brings, from those that are gifted in their ability to cross-reference subject matter in the Bible with all the many times the Word covers the subject in other books of the Bible, and much more. The resources that I have found to be very reliable start with John MacArthur and GTY.org, The Institute for Creation Research (Henry Morris) and ICR.org, Answers in Genesis (Ken Ham) and answersingenesis.org, David Jeremiah and DavidJeremiah.org, RaptureReady.com, Bruce Malone and Searchforthetruth.net, and many others. A general rule of thumb is to avoid the mega-churches and rely on the local church if it is sound and has a Bible-preaching Pastor as mine does.

So, my challenge to every one of us is to continue to make God’s Word PRIORITY in our lives, to read God’s Word every day, pray every day, repent of our sins daily, and be filled with the Holy Spirit’s Wisdom so that our lives will be pleasing to God through the works His Spirit leads into! And, as I always tell you, “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!”