An Introduction to End Times.

Part 1 Introduction (cont’d)

So what will happen? – Section 1b

Now, most people who deal with the Bible know that the book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, is a prophetic book. This is indeed true, but there are many other places in the Bible also dealing with the future and we should draw on these as well to create the best picture we can. I say ‘the best picture we can’ because the Bible doesn’t tell us everything. But it tells us a lot. No doubt God has his reasons for not revealing everything to us and perhaps one of them might be that our finite minds could not possibly take in all that the future will bring when one day we are faced with the infinite!

Perhaps things are getting clearer?

The world has, also, grown up over the centuries with the idea that the book of Revelation and some of the other prophecies in the Bible are unfathomable, which indeed they may be; but perhaps they are becoming less unfathomable as the years go by. Times have now moved on. For instance, the advent of nuclear and biological weaponry, and nuclear power (compared to the days when we didn’t even have gunpowder!) have brought some of the huge and horrific conflagrations (military and otherwise) that we read of in Revelation into a realistic, even current, realm.

With the advent of radio and TV, and the wider perspective these media bring we are now much more aware of worldly events and global politics – indeed, not so long ago we didn’t even have global politics! Also, events which at one time, could only be imagined in surreal terms, can now be perceived as actual earthly possibilities.

For instance, in one verse of Revelation it talks of two dead bodies, in one particular place, being seen by the whole world, over a period of a few days (Rev 11:8-10). Imagine the incomprehensibility of such a hideous and wide-scale viewing, even being possible, to our forefathers. Now we see such things almost every day on BBC News 24!

But, should we be looking?

But, is it right for us to look into the future? Should we allow ourselves to be concerned about what will come, didn’t Jesus say that even he did not know ‘the day or the hour’ of these events? (Mt 24:36). True, but in the same passage he also said “Therefore keep watch, …” (Mt 24:42), and “So you also must be ready …” (Mt 24:44), both referring to his return. Later on Jesus again exhorts us to “… keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Mt 25:13).

Another very important reason for staying aware is expressed by Jesus in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Doesn’t that inspire you to look further into the prophecies? To read, and re-read them. I think so, and, to keep looking at the prophecies afresh!

Possibly a good place to start is Matthew chapter 24. Read all of it. This passage is a master outline of end times and it is especially significant because it comes from Jesus himself (parallel passages can be found in Mark 13 and Luke 21). Here Jesus starts off with a prophecy about the Temple in Jerusalem and continues with a long prophecy about end times.

Before going into the whole prophecy the first thing to note is that the prediction about the Temple (Mt 24:2) was fulfilled precisely in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed it completely. Even Jesus’ words “… not one stone here will be left on another …” came true. The Romans, in their eagerness to recover any gold remaining from the Temple roof, turned over all the stones, one by one, to look for it.

The ‘Church Age’.

The prophecy then moves forward some 2000 years passing over most of the period sometimes referred to as the ‘Church Age’ (see Part 2, later), during which time Israel ceased to exist as a nation  – AD 134 to AD 1948 (cf. Deut 28:61-66). Since 1948 Israel has been reforming and Jews have been returning to their homeland. In many ways the prophecy has now started to come back into operation (cf. Amos 9:11-15). There are many signs in the wind and closer inspection of the scriptures will reveal them extensively, but Matthew 24 itself gives us an indication.

After his prophecy about the Temple, Jesus moves on in verses 4 to 8 of Matthew 24 to talk about “… the beginning of birth-pains.” Included here are references to “Nation will rise against nation …” and “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places”. Surely we have been seeing such events increase dramatically over the last 50 years or so?

I believe that verses 9 to 13 of Matthew 24 go on to describe the first half of the Tribulation period (see next paragraph) which is yet to come. The phrases “… you (Christians) will be hated by all nations because of me …” and “Because of the increase of wickedness the love of most (people) will grow cold …” are surely not too far fetched to be imagined.

The Tribulation.

 ‘The Tribulation’, is the seven years of great turmoil and suffering that we understand will precede the 2^nd coming of the Lord.

The word ‘Tribulation’ itself is not mentioned in the Bible until Revelation 7:14, but reference to the period concerned is first mentioned in Jeremiah 30:7 ‘It will be a time of trouble for Jacob (Israel)’. Isaiah in 61:2 refers to it as ‘the day of vengeance of our God’. Certainly it will be a time when the world experiences God’s wrath. Jesus himself makes reference to it in Matthew 24:21 “For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again”. The tribulation, and reference to its length of seven years, is also spoken of in Daniel 9:27.

At verse 15 of Matthew 24 we see the ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ mentioned (also found in Daniel 9:27b) when the antichrist, as he is known, declares himself to be God. However, throughout the Tribulation God takes, and continues to take, unprecedented steps (see in particular, Rev. chapters 7, 11, and 14) to see that ‘the gospel is preached in the whole world’ (Mt 24:14).

Nevertheless persecution becomes even worse and Jesus warns his followers, to flee immediately, ‘without even going back to fetch your cloak!’ (Mt 24:18) and ‘How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!’ (Mt 24:19).

The Second Coming.

There will be plenty of opportunity for deception about Jesus’ coming, but in the end there will be no doubt “… the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light … the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky …” (Mt 24:29-30).

Jesus then stresses the importance of developing an awareness, even early on, of the signs to come, and keeping watch, and being ready, for the timing of all this is unknown – but it will be when we least expect it. Meanwhile his servants must continue to look after his household and not abuse his absence (Mt 24:36-51).

If you are still in doubt that all these events will actually take place then we have Jesus’ personal assurance, expressed in Luke 24:44 “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms”.

Remember that this statement was made before the New Testament was written. Had it been, then, for good measure, I am sure it would have been included in this list as well.

We have to choose.

The whole purpose of the Tribulation surely, is to make man finally choose between Satan and God, and to bring judgement on unbelievers and unbelieving Israel. For thousands of years God has given people the free choice of worshiping him or rejecting him. Now before taking those who belong to him into his new kingdom he needs to finalise matters. Before that however, Jesus will return to reign over all the earth for a transition period of a thousand years, which maybe is not so far away. ‘Soon’ (Rev 22:7,12,20) is the word Jesus uses! This will be the ‘Millennium’, the thousand years referred to in Revelation 20:2-7.

However, before that happens the Bible shows that there will be a tremendous polarisation in world affairs. We have to accept that things are not just going to continue in the present apparently aimless way. The crunch is coming, and it is coming soon, in the form of major supernatural activity and divine intervention.

There are some ferocious times ahead, but it is not beyond our capabilities, based on what the Bible tells us, to find out a lot more about them. In the three parts which follow I have tried to express the likely turn of future events in accordance with the ‘best picture’ I believe that can be made out from the Bible. There is, of course, plenty of room for variation in the detail of this picture. However, the essential point to realise, is that whatever actually takes place, it will fit exactly with the prophecies we find in the Bible, and that furthermore, there will most certainly be an end! (see Eph 1:9-10, 1Pe 1:5, 2Pe 3:10, Mt 24:35, Mk 13:31 and Lk 21:32)

Will you and I have to live through such testing times in this world? – Or, even something far worse in the next? Well, that could depend on how freely and how soon we come to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

Jesus said to his disciples “I will not leave you as orphans…” (Jn 14:18), “I will come back and take you to be with me…” (Jn 14:3). Will YOU be joining him?

Next time: Daniel’s Prophecy