End of the Age:  From the journal of one left behind:  The Tribulation has been raging on for nearly seven years.  It all began after the disappearance of millions of people, Christians who claimed their God was Jesus Christ.  These people were a constant irritant always pressuring the people around them to follow this Jesus or their souls would be lost.  Then Russia and a large Muslim army from various Mid-East nations launched a massive attack against Israel.  All we can say is that this army was somehow supernaturally destroyed then chaos broke out around the planet until the man emerged, this great orator and statesman.  He was the greatest leader this world had ever seen and he was able to establish peace between Israel and her fiercest enemies.   He even enabled Israel to build a temple to their God.  He came out of the European Union but eventually he established his headquarters in the rebuilt ruins of Babylon in Iraq and from there he was able to secure all the reigns of power worldwide.  Then the two witnesses came to power in Jerusalem.  They shut up the sky for three and one half years and called down every kind of plague on the world imaginable.  They also claimed that this Jesus was God and that he was coming back again.  There was war, drought, fire, starvation and devastating earthquakes all around the world because of the works of these two men.   News organizations from around the world kept constant vigil of their activities.  Then this man, our new world leader, the one we looked to for our salvation, was murdered by some renegade Jew.  He was dead for about three days but by some miracle he came to life again!  With renewed power and vigorous resolve, he was able to subdue the two witnesses and kill them.  We celebrated and worshipped our leader for the great victory he had achieved.   But after three and a half days, the two witnesses rose to their feet and ascended into the heavens!!  We were horrified and since that time the world has turned into hell on earth….

 

A world without God:   As it was prior to the great flood, so it will be in the last days before the return of Jesus, for seven years Satan will have his way on the earth and the earth will be plunged into deep chaos and distress.  Jesus, speaking to the disciples said, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matt 24: 22)  Those days will be dark indeed.  Men will curse God even as he is pouring out punishment on them.  “Every Island fled away and the mountains could not be found.  From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men.  And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” (Rev. 16: 20-12, also see Rev 16: 8-11)

 

The Battle of Armageddon:  Satan will muster his forces together for one last assault against the God of heaven. He will assemble an army of 200 million soldiers from the kings of the east who will meet together with the antichrist’s forces in the Jezreel Valley in Northern Israel. (Rev. 16: 12-16, see also Rev. 19: 11-21)  When Jesus comes to slay this great multitude with the breath of His mouth and the splendor of His coming, the account says that the blood will be up to the bridal of a horse for a distance of 180 miles.  (Rev 14: 14-20)

 

Who are the Kings of the East?   That question may be answered from the aspect that normally all geographic directions given in Biblical text are rendered from Jerusalem.   As you head due east from Jerusalem on the map you run through Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally China.  China has about one fifth of the world’s population with over 1.3 billion people.  It has the world’s largest standing army with a combined force of over seven million troops.  The Chinese have boasted for many years that, if required, they could field an army of 200 million soldiers.  At the time of John’s vision in Revelation of this massive army, it is believed that there were not even 200 million people alive worldwide.

 

A mighty army:  Joel Chapter 2 gives another account of that day.  (Joel 2: 1-11)   On the day that the mighty army comes, God will protect His people Israel. (Joel 2: 18-20)  The entire book of Joel deals with the last days of the Tribulation and God’s judgment of the nations.

 

Reaping the Harvest:   The Tribulation, although terrible will bring a great harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God.  Because of man’s rebellious nature and his general tendency toward sin, many people will never come to God unless they are placed in extreme situations. (See Rev. 7: 9, 13-14)  It will be a death sentence for anyone claiming Jesus as Lord in that day.

Jesus gave His disciples a parable about the world, the evil in it and the final harvesting of all souls before God.  (Matt 13: 24-30)  Later He gave them the plain sense meaning of the parable:                   As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears, let him hear. (Matt 13: 40-43). 

 

The winepress of God’s wrath:  And so comes the end of the Tribulation with the outpouring of God’s full fury on an unrepentant, unregenerate world.  (Isaiah 2: 12-21, 13: 12-13, 63: 1-6)  Jesus speaking to His disciples said, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matt 24: 22)

 

On that Day, the Jews will finally understand:  As it was two thousand years ago, Orthodox Jews today flatly reject Jesus as the Jewish Messiah but scripture indicates that will change.  (See Zech 12: 10-14)

God will cleanse them from their sins and He will be their God and they will be His people.               (Zech 13: 1-6, Malachi 3: 1-5)

 

Christ comes to reign, the Millennium:   The days of Christ return to earth will usher in a great period of peace and security for the dwellers of Planet Earth.  Satan and his demonic angels will be taken away and Jesus will take His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of Lords.  (Rev 20: 1-6, Isaiah 2: 1-5)  Christ will rule the world from a new temple built not by human hands but by God.  A description of this temple and customs and regulations, divisions of the land for Israel, etc. may be found in Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48.  A note about the east gate of the temple, in Ezekiel 44: 1-3, the east gate is to remain closed and that it is reserved only for the prince to enter it.

 

Sheep and Goats:  One of the first orders of that day will be the winnowing out of the unsaved people that have survived the Tribulation while still in the flesh.   This is also known as the “The Judgment of the Nations”.  In Daniel 12: 11-12, we see an extra period of time lasting 45 days following the last 1290 days of the Tribulation.   During that time, the inhabitants of the world will gather before Christ who will open the books and pronounce on them what their eternal rewards or fate will be. (Matt 25: 31-46)   From this passage we see that what they did in terms of ‘works’ for Jesus during the Tribulation will determine where they spend eternity.  Many who claim to know Jesus as their savior will be turned away. (Matt 7: 21-23) (also see Matt 24: 36-51- Rapture of the Wicked)

 

A beautiful new life:  In those days when Christ rules, life on earth will be safe and secure under the righteous reign of Jesus.  (Micah 4: 1-5, Micah 5: 1-5)  Jerusalem will become Christ’s seat of power and the headquarters of the world for all those living in the flesh who have survived the Great Tribulation.   The Jewish remnant that survive will become an esteemed people.  This will stand in start contrast to the hatred and violence that have been directed toward God’s chosen ones from time immemorial. (Zechariah chapter 8)

 

Feast of Tabernacles:  The feast of Tabernacles is the last of the trilogy of ‘Jewish Fall Feasts’ following the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.  God has ordained this feast day to be kept year after year.  It first of all commemorates Israel’s forty year exodus through the wilderness on their way to the “Promised Land”.  During that time they tabernacled in small temporary portable shelters called booths.   It will also be a remembrance of when Jesus came the first time in the form of a man.   It is said that He tabernacled amongst us in the flesh. (John 1: 14)  (See Zech 14: 16-21, Ezekiel 45: 25)

 

God will fulfill all His promises to His people:  During Christ’s thousand year reign, the Jews will finally experience the fullness of God’s promises to them as a nation.  (See Isaiah 61, 62, & 65: 17-25) Jewish individuals will be highly esteemed. (Zech 8: 23)

 

Satan’s last stand:  At the close of the thousand year reign of Christ, Satan will be released for one last revolt against God and His chosen.  This time Satan’s rebellion will be over for good.  Never again will he be allowed to tempt and torment the residents of Planet Earth. (Rev 20: 7-10, Ezekiel 28: 17-19)  One may ask, “Why would God imprison Satan for a thousand years to once again release him into the world for another rebellion?”  Throughout scripture it is taught that man is depraved and fallen, irreversibly lost and unfit for the Kingdom of God.  That of course is why Jesus came into the world and paid the price for our sins with His own blood.  That stands in stark opposition to the message of the world.  There is a philosophy in the world today called Secular Humanism.  It seeks to elevate man to his own position of divinity.  This ideology states that man is basically good and that any social evils can be corrected by changing his environment, providing more education or better supplying a host of other varying needs.  Through Satan’s second revolt, God is going to prove what the heart of unsaved man  really is still in rebellion against God .  During Christ’s thousand year reign, the world will be flooded with peace, righteousness and safety.  Every man will be able to sit under his own vine and fig tree.  But after his release, Satan will again be able to stir up a large revolt against Christ which will finally prove without a doubt that the unsaved heart of man is inclined toward evil against God. 

 

Great White Throne Judgment:  (Rev 20: 11-15)   Following the thousand year reign of Christ on earth comes the Great White Throne judgment. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians declares the sovereignty over all creation of Jesus Christ over all creation.  (Phil 2: 9-11)ImHim

 

 

Christ is offered to everyone as a free gift but not everyone will accept Him and what He did for us on the cross.  At this particular time every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is King but for this great multitude, it will all be too late. (Phil 2: 9-11)

 

The “Eternal State”:   In Revelation 21 and 22, we see a brief description of our glorified eternal home, the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.  Whether God creates a whole new heaven and earth or rather reconstitutes the old ones is uncertain from the text but it is certain to be beautiful and majestic.  There will be nothing unholy in it since the collateral damage and uncleanness from Satan’s rebellion will have been wiped away from God’s creation.  Once again, Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 15: 42-44, 51-57.  The perishable must cloth itself with the imperishable.    

AMEN.  COME, LORD JESUS.