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What does the Bible Say About the End Times?
This is an enormous question, but we will simplify as much as possible and give a brief answer. The "end times" is somewhat vague, but for purposes of this article, everything from now on will be considered the end times. Initially, it is helpful to know that there are different periods of time ahead that we can throw into five general categories:
1) The End of the "Church" Time Period (the present and short term future, ending with the rapture, unknown duration)
2) The "Tribulation" Period (7 years of judgement by God, ending with the Lord coming to set up His kingdom on earth)
3) The "Millenium" (1000 year reign of Christ on the earth)
4) The "Little Season" (Satan's last attempt to have his way, unknown short term duration)
5) The "Eternal State" (all created beings will be in one of two places forever: the new heavens and new earth, or the lake of fire)
These five time periods are consecutive in the order they are listed above. Now let's discuss these different time periods in a little more detail.
The Present Time (Church Period)
We are in a time at present characterised by God's longsuffering and grace. At this time, GRACE reigns "through righteousness." (Romans 5:21) Evil carries on and seems to become worse as each year passes, and as of yet, God has not acted to judge the situation. He is bearing with the evil until the time is right for judgement. God desires that everyman be saved, and is sending His people forth with the "good news" of the gospel to bring as many as will come to Him (2 Peter 3:9). If you are not a believer yet, do not wait! We do not know how long God will continue to bear with foolish and wicked men! When the judgement comes, Jesus tells us that men will be continuing on as usual, just as they did before the great flood of Noah came (Matthew 24:38-39). They had no expectation of the coming judgement, and suddenly it swallowed them up. Do not delay to come to the Lord now, confessing your sins, so that you will not be caught by surpise like the rest! Do not rest in complacency, looking back on the last two thousand years, thinking that this time of grace will continue forever, because it will not! You may not have opportunity later to change your mind. Strike while the iron is hot, and come to the Lord Jesus. His death on the cross was a sacrifice for sins- for yours, if you put your faith in Him.
Jesus said that during this time, the Jewish temple would be destroyed (Luke 21:20-24, see also Daniel 9:26). The bible also says that people, even those who say they are christians, will become greedy, proud, ungrateful, wicked, unmerciful, stubborn, wicked, without natural affection, disobedient to parents, lovers of pleasure more than of God, yet having an appearance of godliness on the surface. Some will arise performing false miracles, imitating real miracles as Pharoah's magicians did in Moses' time (II Timothy 3:1-9). Some will forbid to marry and teach it is wrong to eat meats (I Timothy 4:1-3). There is little prophecy pertaining to the church period and most of what does pertain touches on moral qualities rather than prophetic events, the Lord's prediction of the destruction of the temple (A.D. 70) being the main exception. Since, at the beginning of the tribulation, Israel is in the land and the revived roman empire is in power (Daniel 9:27), it is sometimes inferred that Israel will be in the land and the revived roman empire may come into power before the close of the church period, but this would not necessarily have to be the case- neither Daniel nor any other prophecy specifically states that the rapture demarks the beginning of the seven year tribulation; besides this, God could easily usher in these events very quickly after the rapture if He desired.
The bible says that this present age will end with the "rapture" or carrying away to heaven, of all who believe in Jesus (the Church). We do not know when, but Jesus will come down personally into the air, and by his power take all His born again followers off the earth to be with Himself forever, and it will all happen in a moment (I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 4:15-17). How men will explain and deal with such a disappearance we do not know, but the recent popularity of UFO abduction stories may provide one approach. We can be fairly confident that most of those left behind will not accept the biblical explanation.
Tribulation
The tribulation period is what most of the old testament prophets spoke about and what most of the book of Revelation covers (chapters 4-19). The book of Daniel is most clear in distinguishing this time. In verses 9:24-27, it prophesies a period of 69 weeks(of years- 483 years) from the command to rebuild the temple (after the Babylonian exile, Nehemiah 2:1) to the cutting off of the Messiah. After the Messiah was cut off, there was another week of years left, the 7 year period referred to as the tribulation, or time of "Jacob's trouble" (referring to Israel) in passages such as Jeremiah 30:5-7. The church period intervened between the 69th and 70th weeks, and the 7 year tribulation is yet to come. A 7 year political agreement for this time period will be made between the revived roman empire (the beast out of the sea in Revelation 13:1) and the nation of Israel (the beast out of the earth in Revelation 13:11). Satan gives power to these two beasts to deceive and cause men to worship them, and oppose God and His people (Revelation 13:1-8). The professing church (those who were not born again) left behind after the rapture also plays an important role with the revived roman empire both economically, politically, and of course, religiously.
This tribulation period is split into two parts, each 3.5 years (see Daniel 7:25, 9:27, 12:7-12, Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6, and 13:5). The Lord refers to the first half as the "beginning of sorrows" in Matthew 24:5-8 during which there will be wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places, corresponding to the 1st four seal judgements of Revelation 6:1-8. The born again Jews (believing in Jesus) are persecuted in all nations (5th seal of Revelation 6:9-11), and there will be a breakdown of relationships, anarchy, the love of most will grow cold (6th seal of Revelation 6:12), but yet the gospel of the kingdom will be preached all over the world, calling for sinners to repent and get ready for the coming of Christ and His kingdom (Matthew 24:9-14).
The last 3.5 years of the 7 year "week" is a time of unprecedented "great tribulation", which the Lord says will be worse than any other time in the history of the earth (Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21). This second 3.5 years begins with the "abomination of desolation" referred to by Jesus (Matthew 24:15) and Daniel (9:27 and 12:11) directly. The abomination is the Jewish antichrist (the beast of the earth, the leader of Israel) sitting in temple at Jerusalem claiming to be God and performing miracles in connection with the claim (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 13). At the same time, Satan is cast out of heaven, down to the earth, and energizes the roman and Jewish beasts to persecute the believing Jews who flee Jerusalem (Revelation 12). God keeps two witnesses to preach in Jerusalem (in the character of Moses and Elisha) for the 3.5 years, and then they are killed, resurrected three days later, and then raptured to heaven (Revelation 12). False prophets and antichrists abound (energized by demons), even performing signs and wonders, and the Jewish antichrist is the preeminent example of such (5th trumpet of Revelation). Numerous judgements befall men throughout the period, unfortunately causing most men to hard their hearts and curse God rather than to turn to Him for salvation (1st four trumpets of Revelation 8).
At the end of the tribulation, the Jewish remnant, fleeing persecution, are finally met by the Lord Himself coming down from heaven in great power and glory, with the army of the saints resurrected at the rapture. This meeting will take place at the Mount of Olives (Olivet) (Zechariah 14:4, Acts 1:11-12). The Lord will be gathering his people to Himself while the roman beast and kings of the earth gather their armies together to fight against the Lord. They are destroyed at the battle and the roman beast and Jewish antichrist are both thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-20). Satan and his demons are bound and cast into the bottomless pit so they have no ability to tempt and influence men (Revelation 20:1-3).
This is the beginning of the
Millenium
The Millenium, as the name implies, is a 1,000 year period of peace and blessing centering in Israel and flowing out to all nations (Revelation 20:1-7). It is during this time that all the blessings promised to Israel since the time of Abraham will be completely fulfilled. They will have all of their promised land, which they have never yet completely possessed. Ancient curses, resulting from sin, laid upon the earth and humanity will be lifted: the desert will blosom as a rose (Isaiah 35:1-2); animals will no longer prey on each other and humans and animals will no longer fear each other (Isaiah 11:5-8, 65:25); weapons will be turned into agricultural tools (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3); men will not die, except in the case of open sin (Isaiah 65:20). It will be a joyous time- the Church and those killed for Jesus' sake reigning with Christ; Israel the center of blessing on the earth; all nations blessed by the presence of the great and glorius King, Jesus Christ.
The "Little Season"
At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed again for a short time, and he will again influence men to rebel against God, and attempt to war against His people again at Jerusalem. Fire from heaven destoys them and Satan is cast into the lake of fire forever. Those who have died rejecting God and His Son are then raised from the dead, officially judged before the "great white throne" and all cast into the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 20:7-15).
The New Heavens and New Earth
After the Millenium and "Little Season" the entire earth and heavens are changed and reconfigured for eternity. The change is physical as well as spiritual, the very elements of the earth being melted with fervent heat. Jesus having enjoyed his 1,000 year reign as man, gives up his earthly kingdom that "God may be all in all." (I Corinthians 15:24-28) There will be no more day or night, no more death, or sin, or sorrow, or tears (Revelation 21 and 22). Scripture does not speak extensively about this time, perhaps because it will be hard for us to comprehend until the time comes. But it will be an eternity of blessing and preminently a time of enjoyment of the presence of the Lord.
Have another question? Email Todd Asselborn your question by clicking on the contact link on the top or bottom of this page.