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"...But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." | |
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Overview Two common erroneous beliefs concerning the end times are also dealt with in this section. The first is the notion of a "Secret Rapture" which supposedly takes place before the Great Tribulation. The Bible does not reveal such a thing, however, describing the "rapture" as happening when Christ is revealed to the whole world and every eye sees him. The other erroneous doctrine concerns the fate of those who refuse to believe. The Bible speaks repeatedly of the Destruction of the Wicked and not of an endless, conscious torture. When all is said and done, in The Age To Come God will finally have what He has wanted from the beginning - an earth full of people who love Him and worship Him. The world will be restored to its original perfect state, and all evil will have been done away with. This is the ultimate goal of all God has done, and the destiny of the earth which God has planned.
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Many people, even non-Christians, are fascinated by prophecy. They are intrigued and curious to know what is going to happen in the future and how the world will end. But many Bible students and teachers start off on the wrong foot, because they fail to observe certain foundational principles in understanding Biblical Prophecy. I used to shy away from the subject, but have recently found that it is relatively easy to understand, in light of the overall message of the whole Bible. One of the main reasons people have problems with prophecy is that they don't understand the overall message of the Kingdom of God. If they start out believing that the dead are conscious in heaven, or that the Kingdom of God is a figurative kingdom in the heart, or that it's only for Israel while the Church has a different destination, and then try to interpret other Scriptures in light of these erroneous ideas, the result is a compounding of error. But we have seen the clear message of the Scriptures, that the Kingdom of God is primarily a literal one on earth, at which time the dead shall be raised to life. The coming of the Kingdom is an eschatological event, which means it is involved with the end times. As seen on the Old Testament Foundation and Kingdom Come pages, the Bible teaches us that when Jesus Christ returns it will be a cataclysmic event which will bring an end to the present evil age and begin what is called the "Age To Come." There are certain theological terms to describe the different beliefs that exist. They sound complicated but really aren't. The word "millennium" means a period of 1000 years. When you read about THE Millennium, or Millennial Reign, it is referring to the 1000 year reign mentioned in Revelation 20. There are basically three views concerning its relation to the return of Christ. Premillenialism is the belief that Christ returns "PRE" or BEFORE the Millennial reign (i.e. to set it up). Postmillenialism is the belief that Christ returns "POST" or AFTER the Millennium (i.e. the 1000 years leads up to his return). And Amillennialism is the belief that there IS NO Millennial reign (i.e., it is figuratively representing something else). Personally I believe in Premillennialism, and I will demonstrate why in the course of these articles. However I would hasten to add that many good-hearted Christians may hold differing opinions. These are not issues on which our salvation depends, nor are they issues over which we should have division or antagonism. The Bible actually says quite a lot about the events leading up to and surrounding Christ's return, but there are many different opinions about how to interpret these prophecies. One of the reasons is the lack of understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures. Many people start with the Book of Revelation and try to interpret it without understanding its background. Revelation makes many, many references to things in the Old Testament, and without understanding those Old Testament references, it is impossible to understand Revelation. One of the foundational sections of Scripture regarding prophecy is the Book of Daniel. Jesus himself referred to the words of the Prophet Daniel, so it would be well to have a basic understanding of it if we are to understand what Jesus said about the end of this age. There are also other prophecies that form the background of things that are mentioned in the New Testament, and it is crucial to start with an understanding of these. As we saw in our look at the Kingdom in the Prophets, Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the giant image in chapter two as representing four kingdoms, each of which would succeed the previous one. The fourth kingdom would be directly replaced by the Kingdom which the God of heaven shall set up, which will obliterate all previous worldly kingdoms (Daniel 2:44). That prophecy alone shows that a worldly kingdom is God's ultimate plan. The vision in Daniel 7 describes four beasts, which also represent four kingdoms. The "Little Horn" in this vision represents a leader who will rise up out of the fourth kingdom, and make war with the saints until the Ancient of Days (God) delivers the Kingdom to the Son of Man. At that time, "...the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." This ties in with the Nebuchadnezzar's vision, establishing that the fourth kingdom shall immediately precede the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. The vision in chapter 8 describes the division of the Greek empire among four heads. This was fulfilled historically when Alexander the Great died and the empire was divided among his four generals. This was still future at the time Daniel was written (although skeptics claim it was written later, but with no valid proof). Thus we can deduce that the first three kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The fourth beast, described as "different from all the others and exceedingly dreadful," is not identified. But in verse 9 we are told that out of one of the divisions of the Greek empire, the Little Horn will come. It is further stated in verse 17 that it is "at the time of the end" that the vision deals with, and a fierce king will rise up "in the latter time of their kingdom." It ties this king together with other references to the Little Horn when it says in verse 25, "he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." In chapter 9, Daniel prays, and Gabriel responds to his prayer, with a reference to "seventy weeks." Most Christians have heard of the "seventy weeks" in Daniel, but there are differences of opinion as to how they should be interpreted. Daniel 9: The word translated "weeks" here is the Hebrew word shabua, which literally means a "heptad" or period of seven. It can refer to seven days, or seven years. The "seventy weeks" in Daniel refer to seventy periods of seven years. Daniel knew that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2). In light of this, he prayed for the complete restoration of the holy mountain of God in the first part of chapter nine, and Gabriel's revelation is in direct response to Daniel's prayer. It is revealed that an additional 70 - this time 70 sevens rather than just 70 years - have been determined, to complete everything that verse 24 says. There are basically two theories regarding this prophecy. One is that the seventy weeks are continuous, while the other holds that there is a gap between the 69th and 70th year. Within the "continuous" interpretation, at least four possibilities have been proposed. One is that the last seven years were fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees and Antiochus Epiphanes. Another is that the prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (although this would be almost forty years after the 69th week). Another is that the prophecy refers to an indefinite period from the time of Christ, lasting until the end. A fourth possibility is that the last "week" of years began with Christ's ministry and ended about three and a half years after his death (sometime in the Acts period). The problem with all of these is that there is no significant event which fits the prophecies to mark the end of the period. Specifically, while certain events may seem cataclysmic (such as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD), the Age to Come which is clearly predicted has not taken place. Messiah has not returned, the dead have not been raised, war has not been done away with, and regarding Daniel 9:24, there has not been an end to transgression and sin, a bringing in of everlasting righteousness, a sealing up of the vision and prophecy, or an anointing of the most holy place, all of which are prophesied as being accomplished by the end of the seventy "weeks" as we read. The other theory about the seventieth week is that there is a gap between the 69th and 70th week. The possibility of a gap is allowed for by the wording of Gabriel's prophecy in the verses following verse 24. Daniel 9: The division of the seventy weeks into seven weeks, then threescore and two (sixty-two) weeks, then one week, in verse 25 indicates that the seventy weeks are to be further divided. It also indicates that the three subgroups are not necessarily consecutive. After the second group, 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off. Then it refers to the people of the prince and the things that would happen, and then verse 27 refers to the last week. This implies that there is a gap. If the last (70th) week followed immediately, it would be more logical to simply say, "during the 70th week." But the wording used allows for the possibility of a gap of time between the 69th and 70th weeks. There are other examples of gaps of time in Biblical prophecies, such as Isaiah 9:6-7; 61:1-2; and Zechariah 9:9-10, all referring to Christ's first and second comings. "The end thereof" in verse 26 is translated "its end" or "his end" in other versions. The word for "end" has a masculine singular pronoun ending, indicating that it refers back to the prince that shall come and destroy. "His end" would be the better translation according to several sources, including the Jewish Publication Society Old Testament. Verse 27 begins with "he" which would not fit unless the previous pronoun referred to a person and not the city and sanctuary. (Also, if the "end" in verse 26 referred to the city and sanctuary, it would be plural, i.e., "their end".) Since the prophecy states that the wicked prince would meet his end at the time he destroys the city and the sanctuary, it could not be referring to Antiochus Epiphanes, even though there were similar events at that time. Antiochus set up an idol in the holy place in the Temple, and later destroyed the Temple. But he did not come to his end at that time. (It could also not refer to Nero, since he likewise did not meet his end at the time he destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.) In addition, Jesus referred to the abomination of desolation in Daniel as something to watch for in the future, so he clearly did not consider it to have been fulfilled by Antiochus. But there is more to consider. Verse 27 said he would confirm the covenant and then in the midst of the week would stop the sacrifices, and cause "the overspreading of abominations." This abomination of desolation is also referred to in chapter 11. That passage is referring to the wicked king of the north, who is identified with this prince in chapter 9, by similarly referring to the stopping of the sacrifice and the placing of the abomination of desolation. Daniel 11: Chapters 11 and 12 go on to describe the wicked king's activities. Daniel 11: Again we read that the coming wicked tyrant will attack Jerusalem (the holy mountain) and he will come to his end. None of the suggested historical fulfillments came to their end at their respective times. In addition, we are told in this passage that at the time of these events, there would be a time of trouble "such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" and following that there would be a resurrection of "them that sleep in the dust of the earth." Not only did the historical figures that have been suggested not meet their ends, but these events - the Great Tribulation and the resurrection of the dead - did not occur in history and have not yet occurred. This establishes that the events referred to in this context are at the time of the end of the age, just prior to the return of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. To further establish this point, Gabriel tells Daniel that "the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" and then tells him to "...go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." The duration of the time of the Great Tribulation is specifically defined in chapter 12. Daniel 12: When Daniel asked how long it would be to the end of those signs, he was given the mysterious answer of "a time, times, and half a time." He didn't understand and so he asked what shall be the end. He was then told that from the abomination of desolation until the end would be 1290 days, and that "he that waiteth" comes to the 1335 days. If you take "a time" to mean one year and "times" to mean two years, then "a time, times, and half a time" refers to 3 1/2 years, which fits with other references to this period, and is also close to both 1290 and 1335 days (a difference of 45 days, which may also have its own significance). This fits with the reference to the "Little Horn" in chapters 7 and 8 (identified as existing at "the time of the end" in 8:17), who "..shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time" (7:25). This also fits with the prophecy of the abomination being set up "in the midst of the week" in chapter nine - half of seven years is three and a half years. Revelation 12:14 also refers to "time, and times, and half a time," and there are also references to 1260 days in Revelation 11:2-3 and 12:6, and to 42 months in Revelation 13:5, both of which equal 3 1/2 years (using the Hebrew reckoning of a year as 360 days). All of these references speak of a time of unprecedented tribulation brought about by a wicked tyrant shortly before the return of Christ and the setting up of God's Kingdom. Other references speak of Israel being attacked by someone called The Assyrian. Micah 5:5-6 says that the Messiah shall "be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land." And Isaiah refers to the remnant of Israel being delivered, and mentions Assyria by name. Isaiah 10: Historically, Assyria only defeated the northern kingdom of Israel, and was afterward conquered by Babylon. Yet this prophecy (and others) describe Assyria as being around at the time of the end. The rest of chapter 10 speaks of this Assyrian having come against other cities, but only being able to shake his fist at Mt. Zion (verse 32). Yet it cannot be referring to Assyria's unsuccessful siege of Jerusalem, because the context is the time leading up to the Messiah establishing God's Kingdom. The beginning of the Messianic Age follows immediately, as described in chapter 11. Isaiah 11: It is not uncommon for there to be historical events that are similar to those prophesied, to serve as a type of the ultimate fulfillment. But several prophesies refer to the wicked tyrant's defeat. Isaiah 10:23 describes the destruction of Assyrian as, "a consumption, even determined." The NASB renders it as, "a complete destruction, one that is decreed." The exact same words are used in Daniel 9:27 (quoted above) to describe the end of the wicked prince. The King of Assyria did not meet his end following his unsuccessful attack of Jerusalem, nor did the Messianic Age begin at that time. This tells us that Assyria will be in the picture again, sometime in the future. Paul quotes from Isaiah in connection with the Son of Perdition and the Man of Sin in II Thessalonians 2:8, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." This is a quote from Isaiah 11:4, and it is here connected with the Man of Sin, otherwise known as Antichrist and the Beast in the New Testament. John in his first epistle says, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time" (I John 2:18). Notice he does not challenge or question the coming of a single Antichrist, which they had heard of, but simply points out that we know it is the last time because there are many antichrists (defined as those who deny the Father and the Son, in verse 22). I John 4:3 specifically refers to this as "the spirit of antichrist" but nowhere does he state that the antichrist is not coming, which would contradict the many prophecies that deal with him. So a major key in understanding prophecy is to "connect the dots" between different passages of Scripture that use the same word or phrase. When we join together the connected ideas, all the prophecies fit together to give a unified picture of the events that are to come just before the return of Christ to set up his Kingdom on earth. The most important key to the interpretation of prophecy, however, is what Jesus himself taught his disciples concerning the end times, which we will examine next.
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The Hebrew Prophets, especially Daniel, laid the foundation for prophecies concerning the end of the present evil age and the coming new age. Jesus himself gave his disciples the most comprehensive teaching about the end times in what is referred to as his Olivet Discourse (so named because it took place on the Mount of Olives). When he and his disciples were walking in Jerusalem and approaching the great Temple, the disciples marveled at the magnificence of the structure. Jesus said that there would not be one stone left upon another. The disciples asked him, "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" He was therefore not discussing only the destruction of the Temple, but the signs of his coming and the end of the age (the word for "world" in this verse is aion, or age). He began by describing things that would continue from his time. Matthew 24: There are basically three schools of thought regarding the words of Jesus and the understanding of prophecy in general. They are called Preterism, Historicism, and Futurism. There are certain variations within each school, but most systems of interpreting prophecy fall within one of these three categories. (Another school of thought regarding prophecy is called Idealism, which holds that all of the prophecies, especially the Book of Revelation, are merely symbols of a spiritual conflict between Satan and God, and not to be taken literally at all. Having established the physical nature of the Kingdom of God in other articles on this site, I won't take the time to examine this view here.) Preterism (from the Hebrew language's preterit, or past perfect tense) is a system which holds that all, or nearly all, of the prophecies have been completed and fulfilled. There are two subdivisions, "Full Preterism" which says that all of the prophecies are fulfilled, and "Partial Preterism" which says that most of the prophecies have been fulfilled, with the exception of Christ's bodily return and the final judgment, which are yet future. Christ's return in 70 AD was in judgment, but not bodily. Preterism believes that Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the Temple was fulfilled in 70 AD. The emperor Titus in that year oversaw the destruction of the Temple and the driving out of the Jews from Jerusalem. The biggest problem Preterists have with other ways of understanding eschatology (the study of the end times), is that Jesus said, "This generation shall not pass until all these things have been fulfilled." This is understood as the contemporaries of Jesus, who were around at the time that he spoke these words. It is held that if the events of 70 AD were not the fulfillment of Jesus' predictions, then he was wrong and the disciples were all mistaken about the timing of his return. (More about this below.) The problem with this system of interpretation is that it doesn't fit with the prophecies we examined in the previous article. According to Daniel, the antichrist would meet his end at the time of the destruction of the Temple following a period of Great Tribulation, such as has never been or ever would be. This would then be followed by the resurrection of the dead and the ushering in of the Messianic Age. But General Titus did not meet his end at that time, and while the suffering of the Jews at the time could be described as tribulation, it was not THE Great Tribulation, because it was not followed by the resurrection and the ushering in of the Kingdom. Preterists reinterpret the Kingdom and the Age to Come as spiritual things which are fulfilled in the Church, and consider "the end of the age" to be the end of the Old Covenant. However, the Kingdom is never redefined that way in the New Testament. Jesus' partial fulfillment of Kingdom prophecies involved literal healing and miracles (see here). Furthermore, the Old Covenant was never called an age in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Age to Come is a term that is repeatedly used in Scripture to refer to a literal reign of righteousness on a renewed earth ruled by the Messiah. Preterists consider the resurrection and return of Christ to have happened spiritually, and invisibly. However Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Another school of thought regarding eschatology is known as Historicism. This view holds that the prophesied events have been taking place throughout history since the first century. There are a number of different versions of this view. Virtually all of them hold that the Roman Catholic Church in general, and/or the Pope in particular, is the Beast and the Antichrist referred to in prophecy. Some versions of historicism claim that the Tribulation ended three and a half years after Christ, and that the Millennial Reign has been in place since then, but it is not literally a thousand years. Others see the Great Tribulation as the entire period of Church history, while others assign a date to the time when the Tribulation ended and the Millennium began. Such dates include 1799, when Napoleon captured the Pope of his day, or 1914, when the Jehovah's Witnesses say the return of Christ happened, albeit invisibly. All versions of this theory have the same problems that Preterism had, that is, they don't fit with the prophecies from the Old Testament. Many versions of Historicism simply declare the meaning and interpretation of various symbols in Revelation without offering any Biblical basis for such interpretation. The Bible itself enables us to interpret prophecy when we adhere to the principles discussed in the previous article, especially that of linking different passages which use the same terminology. As mentioned before, the Book of Revelation makes many references to the Old Testament, and those references must be understood in order to properly understand Revelation. One of the principles on which Historicism is based is the "day-year" theory. This states that in prophecy a day represents a year. As a result, when Revelation refers to 1260 days, it is interpreted as 1260 years, and various schemes of setting times and identifying events result. The problem with the day-year theory is that it was only referred to indirectly, in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:5-6. Both of these scriptures speak of a day for a year in regards to specific instances. There is nothing to indicate that this is a general principle to be applied to all prophecies, any more than Peter's declaration "...that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day" (II Peter 3:8) is to be interpreted literally regarding the timing of prophecies. Some versions of Historicism identify the 70th "week" of Daniel to include Jesus' ministry plus another three and one half years. But there is no historical evidence that anything changed three and a half years after his ministry, much less the resurrection of the just and the ushering in of a new age. It is obvious that Satan is not bound today, but continues to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:3). Many versions identify a particular point in history as the time when the Tribulation ended and the Millennium began. But without a visible resurrection from the dead and return of Christ to reign on earth, none of these theories fit the prophecies. And those that consider the Tribulation to be still continuing, with the Millennium yet future, must deal with how the Great Tribulation can have lasted throughout the last two thousand years. It was said to be a time that would be "cut short" (Matthew 24:22). Could it really be referring to a period that is now longer than the Millennial Reign? And we still have to consider the words of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse. The Futurist view fits best with the words of Jesus. Many have misread verses 5-14 of Matthew 24 as saying that these would be signs of the end, and they point out that these events have taken place throughout history. But these things (wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, etc.) are described as "the beginning of sorrows." The word literally means "birth pangs" and is translated as such in the NRSV and the NASB. The beginnings of birth pangs are to go on for a while, and perhaps get more frequent and more intense towards the end as labor pains do, but the end would not be yet. But "this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, and then shall the end come." This is one of the key Bible verses that indicate the timing of the end of the age. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world and then shall the end come. But the specific events leading directly to the end will begin with one specific sign that Jesus refers to in verses 15 and following. The Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel is identified by Jesus as the event that begins the Great Tribulation. Since Jesus referred to it as a future event in his time, it could obviously not have been fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees. In addition, Mark 13:14 says "when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not..." The masculine singular pronoun implies that it is either an object or a person standing where it (or he) shouldn't. This also fits with Paul's description of the Man of Lawlessness. II Thessalonians 2: There was a historic event that was similar, at the time of the Maccabees, when Antiochus Epiphanes placed a statue of Jupiter in the Temple at Jerusalem. While this can be regarded as a type or preview of the fulfillment, it can't be the ultimate fulfillment, as we saw, since Jesus spoke of it as an event that was still future in his time. The Abomination of Desolation is the trigger that will start the Great Tribulation, and we know that this will be just before the return of Christ, from the timing given in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. Matthew 24: Notice it says that immediately after the tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The prophet Joel wrote that the sun would be darkened and the moon turned to blood "before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:31). Putting these prophecies together (along with what we read in Daniel), we conclude that the Great Tribulation will be immediately followed by the sun and moon being darkened, and then comes the Day of the Lord, when Christ returns, at which time the dead in Christ are raised. This further establishes that the prophecy was not fulfilled in 70 AD, since these events obviously did not happen then. The description in Luke 21 is sometimes thought to be referring to the events of 70 AD as well. This is the parallel record to Matthew 24, and in it Jesus mentions the armies surrounding Jerusalem. Luke 21: While the events of 70 AD can certainly be viewed as a foreshadowing of God's judgment, they are not the fulfillment of prophecies. Verse 20 does not say that Jerusalem surrounded by armies is the Abomination of Desolation. It just says that when you see Jerusalem surrounded, you will know that the desolation is near. Jesus links the Abomination of Desolation with the evil tyrant of Daniel, and states that it will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Furthermore, the events of 70 AD are not the only possible understanding of Jerusalem surrounded by armies. Revelation 11:2 links the holy city being trodden underfoot by the Gentiles with the Great Tribulation, and with the period of "forty-two months" (also referred to in Revelation 13:5). This trodding underfoot will end when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled. These things in Luke, like those in Matthew and Mark, are all linked to the prophecies in Daniel and Joel (and others), and refer to what will happen just prior to the end of the age marked by "signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars" (verse 25) followed by seeing "the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (verse 27). The various events in history that have been suggested as fulfillment of prophecies are at best types or foreshadows of the events that the Prophets say are to take place. In order for the prophecies to be fulfilled, there must be a wicked prince who sets up the Abomination of Desolation, and begins the period of the Great Tribulation, which will last for three and a half years. Immediately after that, there will be signs in the heavens, the Son of Man will return, the dead shall be raised, and a new age of God's reign will begin. All these events are inextricably linked, and will be seen in succession at the time of the end. This is why I believe it is yet future.
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One of the main reasons that other viewpoints don't like the idea of a futurist interpretation is that certain sections of Scripture appear to have Jesus say that the end would come before that generation passed away. There has been much speculation about whether Jesus was mistaken or misunderstood, since the Kingdom apparently did not come to pass in the lifetime of his disciples. C. S. Lewis wrote in his essay, "The World's Last Night" (in 1960), "Say what you like," we shall be told by the skeptic, "the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, 'this generation shall not pass away till all these things be done.' And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else." The three schools of eschatology have three different ways of avoiding the skeptics' conclusion that Jesus was wrong or mistaken. The Historicist and Preterist views both consider that the things which Jesus said would take place "before this generation passes" were realized in the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. But we saw that those events did not match the prophecies of either the Hebrew Prophets or Jesus himself, because the dead were not raised, Jesus did not return visibly, and the Kingdom was not established. All these things are said to happen immediately after the Tribulation of those days. The only other explanation is that the Tribulation and subsequent events are yet to happen in the future. Then what about the statement that "this generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled" in Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32? They are all in the context of Jesus' parable of the fig tree. The point of the parable is not to tell when the end would come, relative to the time at which he spoke. Rather, the point of the parable is to illustrate how the things he referred to would be signs that the end was near. This is not to suggest, however, that Jesus was referring to the generation that would be alive when the signs began to be seen, as some suggest. If that were what he meant, he would have said "that generation" rather than "this generation." The key is to understand how the word "generation" is used by the Gospel writers, especially Matthew. The Greek word is genea, and has more than one possible meaning. Strong's defines it as, "A generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons):- age, generation, nation, time." E. W. Bullinger defines it as, "Birth; race, descent; offspring. It denotes an age or generation from the point of view of race (as aion does from that of duration)." W.D. Davies and D.C. Allison state, "The term refers firstly, not to chronological duration, but to character, and it is pejorative." In Cranfield's commentary on the Gospel of Mark, he states that genea is the Greek word used in the Septuagint for the Hebrew word dor, meaning seed, family, and people. He continues:
Several other commentaries also refer to the use of this word.
Nevertheless, these scholars don't prove the point as much as a simple observation of how the word "generation" is frequently used in the Hebrew mindset. Deuteronomy 32:5 and 20 both refer to a "perverse generation." The moral character is used to define the present generation, the same way Paul refers to this "present evil age" (aion) in Galatians 1:4. The Gospel writers use this thinking particularly. In Matthew 11:16-24, Jesus condemns "this generation." He says in Matthew 12:39 that it is an "evil and adulterous generation" that seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah. Was the sign of Jonah (i.e., that the Son of Man would rise from the grave after three days and nights) only given to those contemporaries of Jesus who lived at that time? The sign of the resurrection is given to all people of this evil generation. (See also Mark 8:12.) Matthew uses the term "this generation" repeatedly in his Gospel. Matthew 12: (See also the parallel record in Luke 11:29-32.) Further, in Matthew 16:1-4, Jesus repeats his statement about an "evil and adulterous generation." He refers to this "faithless and perverse generation" in Matthew 17:17. Then in Matthew 23:13-39 he condemns the Scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites. He refers to the blood of prophets having been shed, from Abel to Zecharias, saying "you slew them." Obviously he was not accusing the specific men to whom he was speaking, but rather spoke corporately of those who were like them. He then says, "All these things shall come upon this generation." "This generation" is a way of referring to the people in this whole evil age with such characteristics. So what Jesus was saying in his parable of the fig tree was that this present evil generation will not pass away until all of the signs to which he referred are fulfilled. The point of comparing it to a fig tree was to illustrate that the signs would be shortly before the end, and indicate that it was near. It had nothing to do with how soon it would happen, whether in their lifetimes or not. Now there was an even more specific statement Jesus made in another place, that "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1). Read in context, we see that this was actually fulfilled a few verses later, when Peter, James, and John went up the mountain with Jesus and saw the transfiguration. This was a vision (Matthew 17:9) of Christ's glory which will come to pass when he returns to reign in his Kingdom. Peter specifically states, in II Peter 1:16-18, that they were eyewitnesses of his majesty, related to his power and coming (parousia). One other verse that has puzzled many theologians is when Jesus said in Matthew 10:23, "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come." Does this mean that Jesus thought his coming in power and glory would be in such a short time? That couldn't be the case, because he told his disciples he didn't know when his return would be (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). Also, it would imply that the disciples were to continue preaching to Israel up to the coming of the Lord, which does not account for the command (after Christ's resurrection) to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. In addition, verses 14 and 15 say that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for the cities who do not receive the words of the disciples. If the disciples would not complete the preaching of the Kingdom in Israel before the coming of the Son of Man, then not all of the cities would have had the opportunity to receive the word. So on what will the Son of Man base his judgment? Because of these difficulties, some have proposed theories which interpret this phrase "till the Son of Man be come" as something other than the return of Christ. Some suggest that it refers to the outpouring of the holy spirit on Pentecost, but nowhere else is that called the coming of the Son of Man. Dispensationalists often interpret this entire passage as dealing with believers in a future time, but then why would Jesus have said "you will not have gone over the cities of Israel..."? Still others suggest that it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, but unlike the preterist view, they see it as being part of the Lord's judgment (referred to as his "coming") but not to the complete fulfillment of it. Some have even suggested that Jesus was referring, not to his coming in glory, but to his catching up with them during their missionary journey. All these interpretations neglect to consider the context in which this verse appears. Chapter 10 of Matthew begins with Jesus selecting his twelve apostles. He then sends them out with the instructions recorded in the rest of the chapter. Matthew 10: This passage has many elements in common with Luke 21. There, after referring to the "beginnings of sorrows" in verses 8-11, he says in verse 12, "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you..." The instructions he then gives in verses 12-19 are very similar to those which we just read in Matthew 10. Then in verse 20 he begins to talk about Jerusalem surrounded by armies, which we saw before was linked with the Great Tribulation. The scope of this chapter, like Matthew 24, includes what would happen from Christ's time up through the beginning of the end, which would be marked by the Abomination of Desolation. This scope, along with the statement, "he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 10:22), show that many of his instructions were not limited to just that first mission of the twelve. Evangelism was to be the overall purpose of all of his followers, including those who came later. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world...and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14). Jesus was warning his disciples of the difficulties that would be encountered when preaching the Gospel. There would be some places where the people would not hear their words, and even some where they would be persecuted and mistreated. In the cities where they met with resistance and hostility, they were not to make any special efforts to reach the people, but flee to the next city. When read in this context, we can begin to see that the purpose of Jesus' statement in Matthew 10:23 was not to tell the disciples when he would return (he said he didn't know). The word for "gone over" in that verse is teleo which means to finish or accomplish a task. He was not saying that they wouldn't have time to visit every city before his return, but rather, that they would not be able to complete the task of preaching in all the cities of Israel due to resistance, hostility, and the need to sometimes flee. This has proven to be true even to this day. Those who have tried to preach the Gospel in the cities of Israel (or among the people of Israel) are still met with such opposition, as they are elsewhere at times. This is the point of the passage, not the timing of the Lord's return. As we have noted, the end of this age did not happen in 70 AD. The one passage that specifically answers the question of "when" the end would come is Matthew 24:14, where Jesus specifically stated that the Gospel would be preached to all the world, and then the end would come. It could be argued from this wording that the preaching of the Gospel is what needs to be finished before the end comes. One might even conclude that at least part of the reason the end has not come yet is because the Church has failed to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in all the world. Peter indicates another reason in II Peter 3:9, namely that God is being patient (longsuffering) because He is not willing that any should perish. He is giving as much time as possible for man to repent and accept His gift of life in the coming age. In any case, from the time of Christ until today, we have been seeing the "beginnings of sorrows." The beginning of the very last events will be indicated by the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel, which will mark the start of the Great Tribulation. That three and a half year period will be immediately followed by signs in the heavens and the Day of the Lord, when Christ returns. At that time the dead in Christ will rise, and the Kingdom of God will be inaugurated on earth. The Bible prophecies all fit with this time frame which our Lord declared. Since the prophecies of the events leading up to the end involve the coming evil tyrant defiling the Temple and stopping the sacrifices, we know that another Temple will be built sometime before these events. This will be a carnal undertaking, not in accordance with God's will, since God no longer requires physical sacrifices. The establishing of the modern state of Israel in 1948 began to set the stage for these prophecies to be fulfilled. There is even now talk of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Time will tell how these events play out. There are many other details in the prophecies; these articles are meant to be just a brief overview. For anyone interested in studying the subject in detail, I recommend the following resources:
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A common doctrine exists among Christians, which also formed the basis for a popular series of novels. The doctrine holds that Christ's return will be in two stages: one in which he comes unseen by the world to gather together the church, and a second when he comes to the earth in glory. In the first stage, those Christians who have died will be raised, and then the Christians who are alive at the time will be caught up to the clouds to join them. Those who are not gathered at this time are "left behind" to face the Great Tribulation, after which Jesus and the previously gathered believers return to earth, at which time the Day of Judgment and Christ's Millennial Kingdom begin. Because the rapture is thought to happen before the Tribulation, and before any other prophecies are fulfilled, it is generally held that it could happen at any time. Thus it is called a "Pre-Tribulation" Rapture ("Pre-Trib" for short), as opposed to a "Post-Trib" or "Mid-Trib" Rapture. The problem with this doctrine is that the Bible does not teach a rapture before the Tribulation, or one in which Jesus returns "secretly" before he is revealed to the world in all his glory. The word "rapture" does not occur in the English Bible, but it comes from the Latin word rapare, which occurs in the Latin translation of I Thessalonians 4:17. The Greek equivalent is harpazo and both words mean to "catch up" or "snatch away" or "pluck." It is translated "caught up" in most English versions. It occurs as a verb, and there is no corresponding noun used to refer to the event in which believers are caught up. A better term might be the "gathering together" which is used in II Thessalonians 2:1, but "rapture" is not incorrect. Please do not misunderstand. I am not questioning the fact that there will be a rapture or gathering together. What I question is the belief that it will happen before the Tribulation, at a time when the rest of the world does not see the Lord return. Consider the passage in I Thessalonians. I Thessalonians 4: First off, notice that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the trump of God will sound. How could this go unnoticed by the rest of the world? Revelation 1:7 says that "every eye shall see him." Furthermore, this "trump of God" agrees with the other scriptures that deal with the return of Christ. Matthew 24: The "last trump" of I Corinthians must be the "seventh trumpet" in Revelation. What other series of trumpets is there? And Jesus clearly states that it is after the Tribulation. I Thessalonians 4 can only be interpreted as a "secret" rapture before the Tribulation if you read that into it. There is no basis for concluding that. And if you keep reading in I Thessalonians (remember there were no chapters in the original) the context refers to the "day of the Lord" (I Thessalonians 5:2) which comes as a thief in the night. This is referring to the suddenness of it and the fact that it is unexpected by those in the world who are not watching. At that time, "...sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." This is not an unnoticed, "secret" thing. People frequently quote "like a thief in the night" out of context without realizing what it really means. Paul spoke of the resurrection from the dead as his hope (Acts 24:14-15; 26:6-8; Philippians 3:10-11), which is the same hope that was expressed in the Old Testament. Jesus agreed with Daniel that the resurrection was at the end of the Tribulation period. Nowhere does Paul say that anything had changed. The only information added by the passage in I Thessalonians 4 was that not everyone would be dead at that time (which agrees with I Corinthians 15:51). The dead will be raised and the living Christians will be caught up to meet them in the air. Notice also, it does not say that we will stay in the air. It says "so (in that way) shall we ever be with the Lord." We will be with the Lord from that point on, but where will he be? The Bible teaches that he is coming to earth to judge it and to rule over God's Kingdom. The center of the Kingdom will specifically be the throne of the Lord in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 3:17). We will be with him, ruling God's Kingdom on earth. The gathering together, or rapture, is when we will meet him. The word used for "meet" in I Thessalonians 4:17 is the Greek word apantesis. It only occurs here and three other places. In Matthew 25:1 and 6 it describes the virgins going out to meet the bridegroom, to escort him back into the house. In Acts 28:14-16 it is used to describe brethren from Rome coming out to Appii Forum, to meet Paul and his company, and escort them back to Rome. These are the only occurrences of the word, besides I Thessalonians 4. The Christians are gathered in the air to meet Jesus and accompany him to earth. Why would Jesus come all that way and stop in the clouds, and then turn around and go back to heaven? He is coming to earth and we meet him in the air, to welcome him and then join him as he descends to earth. In the discourses about his return, Jesus instructs his followers to flee to the mountains when they see the Abomination of Desolation. Why would he say that if they were going to be plucked off the earth and brought to heaven at that time? He also warns them not to be deceived by false prophets during the Tribulation, and mentions that expectant and nursing mothers would have difficulty. Again, why would he point those things out if they were going to be removed from earth? Part of the reason many Christians hold to this belief and reject the notion that we will go through the Tribulation, is that we have been "spared from the wrath to come" according to Romans 5:9. But that verse says we are saved from God's wrath; it does not say we are spared from tribulation. The Great Tribulation is the hard times that come about when the devil has his way for a short time, and brings the Antichrist to power. It is not the same as the wrath of God which follows. Nowhere is it said that we are spared from it; in fact we are specifically told that we must endure tribulation (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; I Thessalonians 3:4). Paul refers to the coming of our Lord and our gathering together unto him, in II Thessalonians 2:1-2. He then equates those with "the day of Christ." In I Thessalonians he had equated the "rapture" or gathering of the saints in the clouds with the Day of the Lord, which throughout the Old Testament always referred to the coming judgment and the end of this present age. Nothing in the Bible indicates a change of plans or introduces the notion of a "secret" rapture some time beforehand. Those who profess this doctrine sometimes even admit that it is not explicitly stated, but comes about as a logical conclusion from dispensational thinking. The following is from the CES booklet, 23 Reasons to Believe in a Rapture before the Great Tribulation. A pre-tribulation Rapture is demanded by a dispensational / administrational view of Scripture, which sees a distinction between the Kingdom purpose of God and the "Mystery" (Secret) purpose that was not yet prophesied in the Old Testament. Since there is no one verse that would establish the timing of the Rapture as pre, mid or post Tribulation, it is the scope of Scripture by which we must determine how to rightly divide the Word of truth regarding this issue. If a doctrine is not specifically stated in the Scriptures, and in fact contradicts certain truths that are specifically stated, can it be considered a Biblical doctrine? The fact is, there are clear verses that establish the timing of the Rapture. We saw above that it occurs at the last trumpet, which Jesus said would take place after the Tribulation. This notion of a pre-tribulation rapture, in fact, was not heard of before the early 1800's and originated among the Plymouth Brethren in England. It was first revealed in an ecstatic utterance, or "word of prophecy." Even some members of the Brethren denounced the idea as unbiblical, however. There are a number of books written by theologians which refute the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. Among them are George Ladd's The Blessed Hope, Alexander Reese's The Approaching Advent of Christ, and Robert Gundry's The Church and the Tribulation. There are also several articles by Anthony Buzzard on the subject, found on his site.
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Another very common doctrine among Christians presents an erroneous view of God's judgment. It is commonly held that the wicked will "burn in hell" for all eternity. There are a few variations. The more traditional holds that everyone goes to either heaven or hell depending on what kind of lives they lived. Another version holds that a person goes to heaven if he has accepted Christ as his savior, but if not, he will go to hell and be tormented for all eternity. Just on the surface there are several things wrong with such an idea. God is a just judge, and would not mete out a punishment that exceeds the severity of the sin. What kind of sin would deserve an eternity of everlasting conscious torment, with no hope of reprieve? Even Jesus who paid the price for our sins, did not have to endure that in order to pay the price. Some Christians will get around it by claiming that it is not eternal torture necessarily, but simply the unending grief of being consciously separated from God forever. But consider this. God is everywhere present, and even the Psalmist asked, "where can I go to flee from Your presence?" Psalm 139: If there is nowhere one could go to flee God's presence, where could the wicked be put that would be eternally separated from God? The only way to be separated from God is to no longer exist. That is exactly what the Scriptures say the destiny of the wicked is. Psalm 37: Part of the confusion comes from the fact that the word "hell" in the King James Version is used as the translation of more than one word. One of them is the Greek word hades. The Hebrew equivalent is sheol, and both words, as used in the Bible, simply mean the state of being dead. Everyone that dies goes to sheol/hades. Another Greek word translated "hell" is ge'enna, which is the lake of fire into which the wicked are cast. Yet a third Greek word translated "hell" in KJV is tartaros. This word refers to the place in which the wicked angels from before the flood are held imprisoned (II Peter 2:4). It only occurs once. These three words must be carefully distinguished, since everyone that dies goes to sheol/hades but only the wicked are cast into ge'enna, the lake of fire, and then only at the end. It will exist in the future but does not exist yet. The lake of fire is not a place of endless torment, but rather a place of final destruction. As seen in Revelation 21:8 (above) it is called "the second death." The wicked are to be destroyed, not kept alive and tortured unendingly. Man is not inherently immortal, as we discussed in the Closer Look article on the State of the Dead. In order to keep sinners alive to torture them unendingly, God would have to grant them eternal life. But we read that eternal life is the gift of God for those who believe in the Son of God. The wages of sin is death, not endless suffering. "He that does not have the Son of God does not have life" (I John 5:12). The flood in Noah's time and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were meant to be examples of God's judgment (II Peter 2:4-6). In both cases, the judgment resulted in destruction, not endless torment. Jude 7 says that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered "the vengeance of eternal fire." Does that mean they are endlessly burning? Do they still exist, smoldering somewhere? The fire is not eternal, but its effects are. Likewise, II Thessalonians 1:7-9 refers to the vengeance on those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It says that they "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord." The process of destruction is not everlasting, but the result of it is. When they are destroyed, it is forever. It is important to understand the Greek word for "everlasting" and "eternal" in these verses. We saw before that the word for eternal or everlasting is aionios. It literally means "age-lasting" or "belonging to the age." It does not in and of itself mean "without end" but refers to the duration of a period of time. The context in which it is used determines how long it is. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), aionios is used to translate the Hebrew word, olam, which has the same meaning. We are told that God is everlasting (Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 41:13; 90:2) and in that context it means unending, because God has no end. However, we also read of "everlasting hills" in Genesis 49:26, which will only last as long as this earth, and we read of an "everlasting priesthood" in Exodus 40:15 and Numbers 25:13, which was done away with when Jesus completed his ultimate sacrifice. Jonah says that while he was in the whale's belly, "the earth with her bars was about me for ever" (Jonah 2:6). "For ever" is the same word here (Hebrew olam, Greek aionios) even though he was only there three days! None of these examples is "unending" but lasting for the duration of the time to which they apply. So when we read in the New Testament of "eternal" or "everlasting" life, using aionios, which means age-lasting, the context of those references shows that it is referring to life in the age to come. When we read of Christ's "everlasting kingdom" it is referring to the Kingdom of the coming age. The word for "eternal" or "everlasting" does not mean unending by itself, but we are told elsewhere that Christ's kingdom will not pass away (Daniel 7:14) and will have no end (Luke 1:33). Likewise, we know our life will be unending because we are told that we will be given immortality (Romans 2:7; I Corinthians 15:53-54; II Timothy 1:10). It is these other words that carry the sense of unending, not the word aionios. When the word aionios is used referring to punishment or torment, it is in the context of the coming judgment. References to "everlasting punishment" in Matthew 25:46 and to "eternal judgment" in Hebrews 6:2 are in the context of future judgment and ultimate destruction. The "eternal fire" that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah according to Jude 7, referred to above, is referring to the age-lasting effect of the fire. It was set forth as an example of the final destruction by fire that is to come. That will be more than a temporary punishment, such as the first death. It is of that coming age and will be final and permanent. Mark 9 refers to "the fire that never quenches." this is another passage that people misunderstand and interpret it as a never-ending torture. Mark 9: The worm and the fire in these verses are not unending. The fire cannot be quenched or extinguished, that is, no one can put it out. But when there is no longer anything to burn, it will go out by itself. Likewise the worms which devour dead flesh. They are not immortal, but they will die out when all the decaying matter is consumed. This passage is a reference to Isaiah 66:24, where it says, "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Notice it says "they shall look upon the carcases." This means the men that have transgressed are dead, not endlessly suffering. Also in Isaiah 66, verses 15 and 16 say, "For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many." Notice again, it refers to the slain of the Lord, not the eternally tormented. Matthew 3:12 also refers to "unquenchable fire" for those who are judged ungodly. But it says it will "burn up the chaff," not endlessly torture the ungodly. Isaiah 5:24 and Malachi 4:1 also refer to burning up the stubble so that nothing is left. The fire cannot be "quenched" but eventually it will have completely consumed that which it is burning. Isaiah 33 also contains a prophecy about God's judgment with fire. Isaiah 33: The Jerusalem Bible renders verse 14 as follows: "Sinners in Zion are struck with horror and fear seizes on the godless. Which of us can live with this devouring fire, which of us exist in everlasting flames?" Again the fire is for the purpose of destruction, not endless torment. God destroyed the world once with a flood, and He says He will judge the current world with fire (II Peter 3:7,12; II Thessalonians 1:7-9). One passage which at first glance might seem to support the idea of endless torment is in Revelation 14. Revelation 14: We have been conditioned to think that this passage describes unending torment, because of the prevalence of that belief. There are several things to consider here, however. First of all, if it did refer to endless torment of the wicked, it would contradict the many Scriptures that speak of the destruction, or annihilation, of wicked ones. Second, this passage is assumed to be about endless torment in the lake of fire, but it is not talking about that. We saw II Thessalonians 1:9 above, which said that the unsaved "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord." Note it says from the presence of the Lord, and is referring to all those who do not obey the Gospel. In contrast, this passage in Revelation 14:9-11 is specifically referring to those who worshipped the beast and his image, and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the angels and of the Lamb. This is not referring to the Lake of Fire, which no one is cast into until after the last judgment in chapter 20 (with the exception of the beast and the false prophet in chapter 19). This torment with fire and brimstone in chapter 14 is referring to the judgment that is taking place right after the Lord returns. It says that they have no rest day and night, but does it say that it lasts forever? No, it only says that the smoke from their torment ascends up for ever and ever. Again, the word aion is used, "for ever and ever" is literally "age to age" which implies a long time but is not unending. The language used here is taken from the destruction of Edom in Isaiah 34:8-10. In that instance as well, it was not unending. Malachi 4:3 says, "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." The NASB says, "they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing." Notice the wicked shall be ashes, not alive and endlessly tormented. Revelation 15:1 says that the seven last plagues complete the wrath of God. The KJV says "in them is filled up the wrath of God," while the NASB renders it, "in them the wrath of God is finished." the wrath of God is what causes the torment day and night during that time, but once completed only the smoke remains, as a testimony to the utter ruin resulting from God's final judgment. Furthermore, I Corinthians 15:26 says that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. All other enemies are destroyed before that, and no enemy will exist beyond the destruction of death. Death and hell (hades) are thrown into the lake of fire in Revelation 20, and then the new heaven and earth are revealed in chapter 21. God's judgment is just, and when it comes it will be complete, and all evil and unrighteousness will be destroyed. There will not be a never-ending torture of sinners. Verse 8 of chapter 21 says that for all the wicked, "their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." It is death, not eternal torment. And the last enemy to be destroyed will be death itself. At that point the new heaven and earth in all their perfection are ready to be inhabited for all eternity.
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Many prophecies refer to the nation of Israel being gathered from among the nations and returned to their land, as we have seen previously. A first step toward setting the stage has already taken place, since the modern state of Israel was established in 1948. But they have not yet turned their hearts to God as a nation and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, although individuals within that nation have done so (especially the majority of the first Christians). Yet it is prophesied that a remnant of national Israel will repent and be saved, when the temporary blindness is ended. This will be when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled (Romans 11:25). The Prophets, especially Daniel, described events that will take place leading up to the end of the present evil age and the start of the Age to Come. Jesus confirmed the prophecies, and referred to the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel as taking place in the Temple. For this to happen, the Jews must be in the land and have re-established the daily sacrifices in the Temple. The Antichrist will break the covenant he will have made with them, put a stop to the sacrifices, and set up the Abomination. These events were said by Jesus to be the signal of the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Immediately following the Great Tribulation there will be signs in the heavens, and the Son of Man will be seen coming in glory. At that time, Christ will return and defeat the Antichrist, and all of the faithful throughout history will be raised from the dead. This will include those Old Testament believers who looked forward to the coming of Messiah, as well as those Christians who have died. In addition, those believers who are alive at the time will be caught up to meet them in the air. After defeating Israel's enemies, the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. The glory of Israel will be restored, and they will fully receive the land promised to Abraham (Jeremiah 23:5-8; Ezekiel 34:13-14). Christians have also been given the marvelous privilege of sharing in Israel's promises (Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 3:6). The "saints of the most high," referred to in Daniel 7 as receiving the kingdom, will include all who have trusted in God's plan of salvation, whether by looking forward to the coming Messiah, or by believing that Jesus of Nazareth is that Messiah. Once the kingdom is given to the saints, a new age will begin, and these immortal saints will rule with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20: Today we do not see the devil bound. He is still very hard at work deceiving the nations. But when the Lord returns, Satan will be bound for a thousand years. At that time all the faithful will have been resurrected, and the immortal saints will rule over those that are left of the nations after the great battle and the wrath of God. The nations will still be mortal, but they will live much longer (Isaiah 65:20). All nations will worship God and the center of worship and government will be at Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4; Jeremiah 3:16-18; Micah 4:1-3). They will go up to Jerusalem from year to year to worship and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19). Jesus Christ the King will rule all the nations, and his judgment will be absolutely just (Isaiah 2:4; 9:6-7). He will have perfect wisdom and understanding, and be able to render right decisions at the right times (Isaiah 11:1-5). His righteous judgment will bring abundance of peace (Psalm 72; Isaiah 32:16-18). People then will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil hearts (Jeremiah 3:17-18). God will pour out His spirit on all flesh, and put His Word in their hearts, in complete fulfillment of the promised New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 59:21; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-29). The world will be free of evil (Isaiah 16:4-5; Zephaniah 3:13-15). Men will have peace with each other, animals will have peace with each other, and men and animals will live in peace together (Isaiah 11:6-10; 65:25). The curse that was put on earth will be reversed during the thousand years (Revelation 22:3), and the land will again yield its abundance (Joel 2:18-27; Amos 9:11-15). The earth will once again become a paradise as it was in the beginning (Ezekiel 36:35; Revelation 2:7; Romans 8:19-23). The deserts will blossom and sickness will be eliminated (Isaiah 35:1-10; 33:24). There will be no more war, and the weapons of war will be turned into tools of agriculture (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). The wealth of the world will come to the people of God, and the Lord and His people will be exalted (Isaiah 60:1-22). It will be a wonderful new world (Isaiah 65:17-25). "All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD" (Numbers 14:21), and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). Isaiah 25: After the thousand year reign, the devil will be loosed for a short season. Those who were born and raised during the millennium and had never known his deception will experience it for the first time. Many of them will be deceived enough to try to attack the saints, but they will be destroyed. Revelation 20: After the devil is cast into the lake of fire, all the rest of the dead are raised and judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. Notice that it says "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." This implies that there will be some among these dead who are in the book of life. The Bible does not say much about those who never had a chance to hear the Gospel, but this reference would allow for those people to be dealt with justly and fairly. God is a righteous judge. When the final judgment is complete, and all of the enemies of God and of His Christ are overcome, Jesus hands over the Kingdom to God. I Corinthians 15: Jesus must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. Those who do not want to be ruled by him will be destroyed, and then the last enemy to be destroyed is death. At that point the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. Revelation 21: At this point all will be fulfilled. Everything that God ever wanted for those who love Him will be complete. For the rest of eternity, there will be unending perfect fellowship between man and his Creator. The whole purpose for creation will be complete. God has set His marvelous plan in motion to bring about His ultimate desire. He paid for it with the price of His only-begotten Son. It is going to come to pass, no matter how many people try to hinder God's purposes. He invites all of us to participate in His restoring the world to its original glorious state. All we need to do is believe the Good News and repent. That is, change our agenda to His, make His goals our goals. When we do that, God promises to give us everlasting life in the coming age, as well as a foretaste during this life. No wonder we are told to pray "Thy Kingdom come." What else can I say but echo the words of John in Revelation 22:20, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"
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