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 Babylon Babylon Col
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
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
I will plant Israel
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
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