Monday 19 March 2012

An Introduction to End Times.

Part 4 The Tribulation and On (cont’d)

End Notes – Section 4g

Postscript

I am certain that the actual events of the end times will not be entirely as I have suggested here. There will be many differences, major and minor. However, the whole purpose of these four parts of ‘What on Earth will happen Next?’ is not to try to second guess God. Perish the thought. No, my aim, and I hope I have succeeded somewhat, is to awaken you to the reality and certainty of some of the events to come and to show you how they might impact this earth.

Whatever I may have got right or wrong is as nothing compared to your realisation that such things will happen and that they will culminate in the return of our Lord.

So, do not lose the faith. Keep alert. Watch for the signs and do not fall short. For surely, as our Lord has said in Rev 22:7 “Behold I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book”.

End Notes:

a. The believers rewards:

Rev 22:12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.”

(1) The Victor’s Crown.

Given to those who overcome the flesh                                                     1Cor 9:25-27

(2) The soul-winner’s Crown.

Given to those who win the lost at any cost                                               1Thess 2:19

(3) The Crown of Glory

Given to faithful Pastors and Teachers                                                       1Pet 5:2-4

(4) The Crown of Righteousness

Given to those who live their lives in expectation of the Rapture                2Tim 4:8

(5) The Crown of Life

Given to those believers who successfully overcome temptation, tests, trials and persecutions for the gospel’s sake                                                                                                              Jas 1:12, Rev 2:10

(6) The Crown of Gold                                                                                  Rev 4:4

(7) The Overcomer’s inheritance                                                                 Rev 2 & 3

b. Babylon:

(Taken from Unger’s Bible Handbook)

The Babylon of chapter 18 of Revelation is the Satanic world system in its godless commercial and economic aspects. This system honeycombs all phases of life of unregenerate mankind organised as a system under Satan. Chapter 17 of Revelation highlights the religious aspects of Babylon, but its ramifications are cultural, scientific, educational and governmental as well. The Satanic world system of Babylon is mentioned in more than 30 NT passages. Satan is directing its head (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1Jn 5:19; Rev 2:13). The system is pronounced by God as wholly evil (Gal 1:4; Col 1:13; 2Pet 2:20; Jas 4:4; 1Jn 4:3). It is shown to be limited and temporary (1Jn 4:4), as Rev 17-18 proves. It is doomed to destruction at Christ’s second advent (1 Jn 2:17; Rev 17-18; 19:11-16; 20:1-3) It is characterised by greed, pride and war (Jas 4:1-4), and is a perpetual snare to God’s people (1 Jn 2:16; Rev 18:4-5).

c. The Millennium:

So, at the start of this significant period, Jesus’ millennial reign, let’s try to get some idea of who we believe will be there. First of all there will be the normal human beings we mentioned in the last paragraph of chapter 19 as described in Zec 14:4-5 and Rev 12:6. Then there will be believers who died naturally during the Tribulation, together with the martyrs of the same period (Rev 6:9-11) plus the NT saints from between the time of Jesus and the beginning of the Tribulation, ie. those believers who have died over the last 2000 years plus those still living, all of whom have been raptured. And, last but not least, if Job 19:25-27 is anything to go by, all the OT believers as seen in Rev 4:4. All these people will be in their resurrection bodies of course otherwise they could not operate on earth. No doubt this list can in no way be considered authoritative or complete because who are we to imagine that we might even hazard a guess at who might be there? Jesus is Lord; he is the king of kings and everything is in his domain. This list however might just begin to indicate what a disparate group it could be.

Furthermore, whether or not some unbelievers go through to the Millennium (the one thousand years of Christ’s rule) such as, those who perhaps lived in remote areas, surviving off the land, and did not actually receive the ‘mark of the beast’ is not certain. Views are divided on this (see Rev 13:16 and Heb 9:28 and the concept of instantaneous death revealed in Acts 5:1-11).

In addition to this possibility it seems likely that children actually born within the Millennium, even those born to believers, will still have to decide for themselves as to whether or not they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, even though they are living under his rule! Thus one way or another it seems that we should expect to see unbelievers on the earth during that era.

The essence of this fascinating period is summed up in some extracts from the Bible itself, and whilst an analysis of all this is more than worthwhile, it is, of course, a study on its own:

Isa 2:1-4

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days the mountain of the LORD'S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Isa 11:1-12

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.  In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

Amos 9:11-15

“In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name,” declares the LORD, who will do these things.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.

I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.

Luke 19:17-19

“ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

“His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

Acts 15:16-18

“ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ that have been known for ages.

John Puddicombe

Copyright © December 2009

The End

Monday 5 March 2012

An Introduction to End Times.

Part 4 The Tribulation and On (cont’d)

The Millennial Kingdom – Section 4f

Revelation Chapter 19

In verses 1 to 5 we have the rejoicing in heaven at Babylon’s fall followed by the announcement of the wedding of the Lamb in verses 6 to 10. Those called to the wedding supper (v.9) include friends as well as the bride (the church). Friends include OT saints, Abraham through to John the Baptist (see Jn 3:29), and Tribulation martyrs. John is so overwhelmed by this scene (v.10) that he wants to worship the angel!

In verses 11 to 16 we see the armies of heaven (saints, martyrs and angels) accompanying Jesus (Faithful and True) to earth. His name is ‘The Word of God’ (v.13) and as such he has the right to come and rule the earth as God and Creator-Redeemer (Jn 1:1,3,14; Eph 1:13-14; Rev 5:1-7). The battle of Armageddon ensues.

Initially, in verses 17 to 19 the forces of the East (c. 200 million) have been fighting against those of the Antichrist (c. 100 million) (see Rev 16:12-14) but then both sides turn against the Lord, to their downfall.

Verse 20. The Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown alive into the fiery lake and, in verse 21, at a word from the Lord, all those, world-wide, bearing the ‘mark of the beast’, die.

The Lord has returned, as he always said he would and after 2000 years of leaving his increasing number of followers to subdue the earth he, Jesus, finally arrives to take control and complete the task.

At this point it is probably useful to remind ourselves of what Zechariah chapter 14 says about this event. Please read it.

Revelation Chapter 20

As we move into the Millennium the first thing to note, from verses 1 to 3, is that Satan is not yet eradicated. He is cast into the Abyss until later. Jesus has plans for him.

Verses 4 to 6 now tell us who John saw in his vision and we note that he does not mention the mortals who survive the Tribulation as described above and in Zec 14:4-5 and Rev 12:6. It would seem that the essential difference is that John, in this vision, is seeing only spiritual beings, although they would now be with the Lord on earth in their resurrection bodies.

Those who were given authority to judge sat on thrones (cf. 1Cor 6:2-3) and they would reign with Christ for 1000 years. According to Matthew 25:31-46 this would also be the time when the nations are judged. (For a further discussion on who might actually be present in the Millennium and how it might operate please see End Note c) – to follow in the next section.

From verses 7 to 10 we see that at the end of the millennium Satan is released and allowed to entice all those who truly still do not believe in Christ, and gather them for a final showdown around Jerusalem. Needless to say, they do not survive.

In verse 11 to 15 the spiritually dead are confirmed by the non-appearance of their names in the ‘book of life’, and then the degree of their punishment is determined according to the record of their lives. In any case they are thrown into the lake of fire for ever (Isa 33:14, Isa 66:24, Mk 9:48, Jude 7). Death (holding the body) and Hades (holding the soul) are no more. (Jn 5:24-27).

Revelation Chapter 21

In verse 1 God reveals his new heaven and earth, and the earth as we know it has gone (see 2Pet 3:10).

In verses 2 to 5 we read that everything will always be new as God comes to earth to live permanently with his sinless people, those made perfect through Jesus, in the new heaven and earth. Death and pain and distress are no more. The former things will pass away. Verses 6 to 8 go on to confirm that God is the Beginning and the End and that all who overcome (see 1John 5:4-5) will inherit all this and drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. On the other hand the place for those who do not, will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur.

Verses 9 to 11 give us a glimpse of the New Jerusalem. The description is breathtaking. Note its size; 1500 miles long, wide and high – about the size of a cube occupying all of Europe! The outlook is glorious for those who have been faithful to the Lord.

Revelation Chapter 22

In verses 1 to 6 we have a description of life in the New Jerusalem and in verses 7 to 21 we get the essential final message to keep this whole prophecy alive and not seal it up, for the time is near.

Next time: End Notes