Prophecy

Christ’s First Coming

The countdown to the end times began with Jesus Christ’s first coming to earth. As prophesied in the Old Testament, He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) in Bethlehem in around 6 to 4 BC.

After about three years of Jesus’s ministry, the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, because He claimed to be the Son of God and conspired to have Him executed

Jesus was never convicted, but the Prefect Pontius Pilate caved into political pressure and crucified Jesus. This occurred during Passover, which is important. Jesus was a “lamb without blemish or defect” because His life was completely free from sin. He represented the final Passover lamb, whose blood was shed for our sins.

Christ’s Resurrection and
Ascension into Heaven

Three days after Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead, fulfilling the purpose of the Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6) and First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10) feasts. Jesus’s body was in the grave during the feast of Unleavened Bread, acknowledging His sinless life (leaven represents sin in the Bible). Jesus was resurrected on Sunday during the feast of First Fruits, acknowledging that all believers who accept Jesus as Savior will likewise rise from the dead in the future.

After Jesus’s resurrection, He spent forty days (Acts 1:3) on earth, appearing to His disciples, friends, and five hundred other people (1 Corinthians 15:6). Then He ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem (Acts 1:6–11).

Pentecost

The feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15), in Greek called Pentecost, celebrated the end of the grain harvest and occurred fifty days after Passover and ten days after Jesus’s ascension. This Pentecost foreshadowed the great harvest of souls brought into the kingdom of God during the church age and the gift of the Holy Spirit for all believers.

The disciples met in a house to observe the feast in Jerusalem. Suddenly, a loud noise, like a violent wind, came from heaven. Tongues of fire appeared to rest on each of the disciples as they received the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in foreign languages (Acts 2:1–4).

The noise attracted a big crowd of Jews in town from many countries, and they were amazed as the disciples spoke in the native tongues of the visitors (Acts 2:5–8). With the promised receipt of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–5), the church age began.

There are three remaining feasts yet to be fulfilled. Some prophecy scholars believe that the rapture of the church will occur on the feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). The second coming will occur on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27), and during the millennial kingdom, the nations will come to Jerusalem on the feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34) to honor King Jesus on His throne.

Church Age

The church age is called the age of grace because Jesus died on the cross for our sins as the promised Savior. The church age began at Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, and will last until the rapture, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17.

Israel Reestablished

After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in AD 70, the Jewish people were dispersed around the world. The Bible predicted in Isaiah 11:11–12 that the Jews would return to the land of Israel.

The State of Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. President Harry Truman recognized Israel within its first hour of existence. Israel grew from 806,000 people in 1948 to 9.3 million in 2020, a mere seventy-two years later.

We Are Here

Many prophecy scholars believe we are very close to the rapture, mere minutes before the clock strikes midnight.

Rapture of the Church

The rapture of the church is revealed by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17. The word rapture is derived from the Latin word rapturo, which meant “caught up.” Rapturo originally was translated from the Greek word harpazo, which meant “snatched” or “taken away.” The rapture will occur very rapidly, “in the twinkling of an eye” as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 15:51–52.

At this time, all believers—those currently alive and those dead—will receive their resurrection bodies (“we will all be changed” referred to above) and lifted up to the clouds, like Jesus when He ascended to heaven forty days after the resurrection (Acts 1:9–11).

Prophecy scholars believe the rapture will occur on the feast of Trumpets because of the “trumpet call of God” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Judgment Seat of Christ
(Bema Seat)

At the time of the rapture, those who have claimed Jesus as Lord and Savior will participate in an awards ceremony called the judgment seat, or bema seat, of Christ. A bema seat in the ancient Olympics was the place where a judge rewarded first, second, and third place finishers. The Greek word bema is translated “judgment seat” in English (2 Corinthians 5:10).

All believers will collectively stand before Christ’s judgment seat. Jesus will judge their motives, desires, and reasons for serving God.

Good deeds, done for God’s glory, are exposed. Bad deeds, done for self-glorification, are burned up and not exposed, as disclosed in the following verse 1 Corinthians 3:12–15.

Sins are not exposed. There is no condemnation for those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 8:1–2).

The bema seat judgment is for believers. The great white throne judgment, in contrast, is for unbelievers, which we discuss later.

Invasion of Israel

A Russian-Muslim alliance will attack Israel, perhaps motivated by the oil and gas reserves newly discovered in Israel (Ezekiel 38:1–8). (Some prophecy scholars place this invasion not before the Tribulation but during the tribulation.)

For the first time in history, these countries have aligned with a common self-interest.

After the rapture, no one, including the United States, will help Israel. She is totally on her own and dreadfully outnumbered. If not for God’s intervention, Israel would be totally destroyed. Ezekiel 38 describes how God defeats the Russian/Muslim coalition with a devastating earthquake (verses 19–20), infighting (verse 21), disease (verse 22), and torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur (verse 22). The invasion force is totally destroyed and buried in Israel.

This will pave the way for the Antichrist to rise to power and will allow Israel to rebuild her temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem, now occupied by the Muslim Dome of the Rock shrine and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Tribulation

After the church (all believers) is taken from the earth and united with Jesus during the rapture, the seven-year tribulation will take place. According to a pretribulation interpretation of Scripture, the church avoids the tribulation, as the following verses suggest: 1 Thessalonians 1:9b–10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Revelation 3:10.

The word tribulation appears in the King James Version of the Bible and is translated as “distress” in the New International Version (Matthew 24:21).

This seven-year period is prophesied in the following verse, where it refers to the tribulation period as “one seven,” the length of a seven-year “peace” treaty the Antichrist will initiate (Daniel 9:27). The seven represents seven years.

Mideast Peace Treaty Signed

The tribulation begins when the Antichrist signs a seven-year covenant with Israel and other countries (Daniel 9:27a).

Who is the Antichrist?

Sometime after the rapture and before the Israel invasion, a ten-nation group, representing the revival of the Roman Empire, will emerge.

Described as the fourth beast, this Roman Empire has ten horns, which represents a revived Roman Empire, perhaps similar to the European Union today. Then, another smaller horn comes up among the other ten horns. This is the Antichrist, a leader who will gain control of first three, then all ten, members of the confederation (Daniel 7:7–8), (Daniel 7:24–25).

First Half Tribulation

One World Religion. A false one-world religion, outwardly devout, but inwardly idolatrous (“great prostitute”), will dominate the world (“sits many waters”). Secular leaders will support this religion (“with her the kings of the earth committed adultery”) (Revelation 17:1–5).

Satan Cast Out. Satan, who had previously stood before God in heaven accusing the believers, is cast out and falls to earth. Satan will ratchet up his persecution of believers (“woman who had given birth to the male child,” representing Jesus), realizing the time is short before his judgment (Revelation 12:12–13).

144,000 Witnesses. During the tribulation, 144,000 Jewish men, 12,000 from each tribe, will become evangelists (Revelation 7:2–4).

These men will be sealed, or divinely protected, during the tribulation and will harvest many souls (Revelation 7:9–14).

Two Witnesses. During this period, God will also raise up two witnesses, who will possess great powers, similar to those exercised by Elijah (drought) and Moses (bloody water and plagues). Perhaps Elijah and Moses will actually come back to earth (Revelation 11:3–6).

Seven Seal Judgments in Revelation 6:1–17 will occur, including the Antichrist, global war, famines, plagues, martyred believers, and earthquakes, and in Revelation 8:1 include the final seal judgment, which is the commencement of the trumpet judgments.

Seven Trumpet Judgments will occur, including hail and fire burning up one-third of earth; a fiery mountain plunging into the sea, killing one-third of the sea creatures; a star falling from heaven, contaminating one-third of the drinking water; severe cosmic disturbances, darkening one-third of the sun, moon, and stars; demons released from a bottomless pit, led by Apollyon, to torment people; angels released at the Euphrates River killing one-third of the world by fire, smoke, and sulfur (Revelation 8:7–13; 9:1–21); and announcement of Jesus’s imminent reign, preceded by another earthquake and hailstorm (Revelation 11:15–19).

Antichrist Declares Himself God

During the middle of the tribulation (three-and-a-half years), the Antichrist will break the covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27b).

The following prophecy by the apostle Paul confirms the Antichrist (“man of lawlessness”) will desecrate the temple and proclaim himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

A false prophet will also emerge, someone who is appealing, a great preacher, orator, and cunning deceiver. He will force the world to worship the Antichrist. Empowered by Satan, the false prophet will produce miraculous signs and set up an idol (image of the beast) that can talk and condemn to death those who refuse to worship the Antichrist. Perhaps this image is an android, human-animal hybrid, or a hologram powered by artificial intelligence (Revelation 13:11–15).

Towards the end of Revelation 17, the Antichrist and his revived Roman Empire leaders (“beast and the ten horns”) will turn on and destroy the false one-world religion. The beast (Antichrist) will no longer tolerate a counterfeit religion. He will declare himself to be God and demand worship (Revelation 17:16–17).

The Antichrist will kill the two witnesses. The bodies will lie in Jerusalem for the world to view for three-and-one-half days. Then, God will resurrect them to heaven as an amazed world watches (Revelation 11:7–12).

Second Half Tribulation

Mark of the Beast. All people must worship the Antichrist and as evidence, must receive the mark of the beast, a visible mark, like a tattoo. In addition, those people will receive a “commerce passport,” perhaps resembling a RFID chip implant (Revelation 13:16–18).

Seven Bowl Judgments will occur. Painful sores plague the population; the sea is contaminated, killing the sea life; rivers and springs are contaminated, destroying drinking water; the sun scorches people; the world is plunged into darkness; the Euphrates River dries up, and demonic spirits gather the kings of the world at Armageddon; a great earthquake occurs unlike any in history that levels cities, mountains, and islands; and one-hundred-pound hailstones fall on the people (Revelation 16:2–21).

Armageddon

Armageddon means “Mount of Megiddo” and is located about sixty miles north of Jerusalem. The nations of the world, perhaps with the United States, gather at Armageddon to destroy the Jews (Revelation 16:16).

A dried-up Euphrates River facilitates the transport of mighty armies. Only the second coming of Jesus will prevent the obliteration of the Jewish people.

Those heeding Jesus’s warning to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15–20) after the temple is desecrated will find a place of refuge prepared by God (Revelation 12:6).

This woman represents Israel, not to be confused with the woman sitting on the scarlet beast, which represents the false religion. Trapped by overwhelming force, the Jewish remnant will cry out to God for salvation (Hosea 6:1–3).

Second Coming of Jesus.

Jesus comes to earth a second time as a conquering king, when he arrives with the armies of heaven (Matthew 24:30) (Revelation 1:7).

Jesus will defeat the Antichrist and his army, cast the Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire, and end the tribulation (Revelation 19:19–21).

Satan Bound. Satan will be bound for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1–3).

Sheep and Goats Judgment. Jesus will judge the nations, as specified in Matthew 25:31–46. Christ will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The sheep represent believers who came to the aid of persecuted Jewish brothers during the tribulation. The unbelieving goats refused to aid the Jewish brothers. The sheep are welcomed into the millennial kingdom. The goats are sent to eternal punishment.

The marriage supper of the lamb will likely occur during this period (Revelation 19:7–9).

Millennial Kingdom

Jesus will begin His millennial reign, lasting one thousand years (Revelation 20:4).

Mortal believers, both Gentile and Jew, who have survived the tribulation, will enter the millennial kingdom to live, have children, and die, although with longer life spans.

Jesus will reign on David’s throne in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Great White Throne Judgment

At the end of the millennial reign of Jesus, God releases Satan, who was bound during the one thousand years. Satan will deceive people again, cause one more rebellion against the Lord, but will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10).

During the millennial kingdom, some people will sin and reject Jesus, despite the perfect conditions in the world. This proves conclusively that humans need a Savior. All humans are inherently sinful and incapable of perfecting themselves, even in a perfect society.

The final judgment of all unbelievers is called the great white throne judgment. It is described in Revelation 20:11–13.

All people will appear in a courtroom-like setting before God, the divine judge. Each sinner comes before the bar of God. Books are opened, and nonbelievers are judged according to their works, but of course works will not save them.

Another book, called the Book of Life is also opened. The Book of Life is mentioned throughout the Bible. For example, the prophet Daniel wrote (Daniel 12:1).

People whose names are written in the Book of Life are spared and excluded from the great white throne judgment.

Lake of Fire

Call people whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be condemned and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

New Heaven and New Earth

Once all unsaved sinners, Satan, and his demons are cast into the lake of fire, God will finalize the roster of those who will live with Him for eternity. At this time, He will demolish the old universe and restore it to the pristine condition of Eden. This was prophesied by Isaiah in the 700s BC (Isaiah 65:17) and the apostle Peter in the AD 60s (2 Peter 3:10–13

The apostle John describes his vision about the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1–4).

This is ultimately our final goal, the new heaven and new earth, where we will live with Jesus forever.