A Guided Tour of the End Times

A question that has fascinated Christians through the years is one asked by the Prophet Daniel at Dan 12.8, "...what shall be the end of these things?" So, this time, we'll take a look at the end times. There are several questions that need to be asked in order to understand eschatology, or the end times. The first is, 'Why should we bother studying end times? A valid question, and one that is answered in several places in Scripture:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3

The main idea is knowing to a degree what is coming is impetus to live for our Lord Jesus. We also have Jesus' own commandments:

"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mark 13:35-37

This takes us to our next question: What is to come of the Church? We submit the Church is to be caught away and NOT be subjected to the wrath of God described in Rv 4.1-19.10. Consider the following Scriptures:

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thessalonians 4:14-18, 5:9

Someone said, "Well, God has never taken His people out of tribulation before." We submit this is EXACTLY what happened with Lot and his people at Sodom, Noah and his family in the Ark, Israel being taken out of Egypt, and the Apostle Paul's many deliverances from the hand of those that intended to kill him. This is also when the Judgement Seat Of Christ occurs (I Cor 3.12-15) where we are rewarded for good works done in fellowship with God. Have you ever heard we'll rule and reign with Christ? (I Cor 6.2, Rev 2.26-27, 20. 4) Well, these good works (specifically, the faithfulness evidenced thereby) will determine our status in the 1000 Year Reign. You see, during this period, the world's governments are replaced by the Church under the literal, visible headship of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Rev 20.4). The fact of the existance of a 1000 year reign is a Bible truth, as it is mentioned SIX times in one chapter, Rv 20. It is also referred to in Eph 1.10 as "... the dispensation of the fullness of times..." There are several purposes for this:

2) The elimination of all rebellion to God and Christ (I Cor 15.24)

3) Restoring the world to its original perfect state (Acts 3.21)

As we said, saints are judged before this 1000 year period. The lost are judged at the close of this period.

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revalation 20:11-15

While our works stood to reward us at ther Judgement Seat Of Christ, works stand against the lost person at this Great White Throne (Rm 3.23).While at the Judgement Seat of Christ we have our Advocate, Jesus (I Jn 2.1-2), to plead our case, the lost person has only their works to persent to God; religion, the devil's counterfeit Christianity. Now, we come into what is referred to as the Eternal Perfect State, and we'll let Scripture be its own commentary:

?And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Revelation 21:1-7

So, we've come from the catching away of the saints all the way to the removal of all rebellion adn the restoration of the Universe to the way it was before the fall; Eph 2.7's "...ages to come..." where, according to II Ptr 3.13, dwelleth righteousness. This is the complete fulfillment of God's plan for His creation that He loved so much He sent His Son to die for it. In closing, let us say, "Even so, COME LORD JESUS!" (Rev 22.20) May God's best be yours in this new milinnium.

E-mail: rhema6@juno.com

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