End Time Prophecies
End Times Bible Verses
In the KJV Bible, "End Times" refers to the "last days" and the "second coming of Jesus Christ," characterized by wars, famines, earthquakes, spiritual and moral decline, false prophets, and an increase in wickedness, but also the preaching of the gospel to all nations before the final events.
Key verses describing the End Time:
· Matthew 24 primarily focuses on themes of the Second Coming of Christ, the signs that will precede it, the need for believers to remain watchful and prepared for His return, the importance of endurance and steadfastness in faith despite persecution, and a final judgment for both believers and unbelievers. The chapter serves as a warning of false prophets, wars, famines, and earthquakes, but ultimately directs followers to live faithfully until Christ returns. Here's a breakdown of the key themes:
o The Second Coming of Christ: Jesus answers the disciples' questions about His coming and the end of the age by describing the events that will lead up to it and emphasizing that He will indeed return.
o Signs of the Times: Jesus details various signs that will characterize the period before His return, including false messiahs, wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution of believers.
o Watchfulness and Preparedness: Believers are instructed to live in a state of constant readiness and to be vigilant for Christ's return, as the exact timing is unknown.
o Persecution and Endurance: Chapter warns that followers of Christ will face tribulation and persecution, highlighting the importance of remaining faithful to the end.
o The Proclamation of the Gospel: A sign of the end will be the global preaching of the gospel to all nations, serving as a testimony before the end comes.
o Judgment and Accountability: Jesus gives final warnings and instructions, emphasizing that believers are to be faithful in their service, and that those who reject His coming will face destruction.
o The End of an Age: The chapter confirms that the current age will end, and all that is happening will ultimately culminate in Christ's return and the subsequent judgment.
· 2 Timothy 3 States they will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.
· Revelation 22 offers lessons on the eternal rewards of faith, including living in God's presence, the restoration of the Tree of Life, and the absence of sin, suffering, and darkness in the New Jerusalem. It emphasizes a hopeful future where believers will worship God, reign with Christ, and receive life-giving sustenance from the River of Life. The chapter also serves as a call to mission and preparedness, urging people to heed the prophecies and prepare for Christ's imminent return.
Characteristics of the End Times
· Challenging and Dangerous Times: A period of significant hardship, adversity, and danger.
· Moral and Spiritual Decline: A rise in wickedness, moral decay, spiritual decline, and an increase in rebellion against God.
· Signs of the End: Specific events such as wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and the breakdown of family structures, including children being disobedient to parents.
· False Prophets: Deceitful workers and false apostles who mislead others.
· Love of Self and Pleasure: People becoming lovers of themselves, covetous, and lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.
Responses for Believers
· Remain Obedient to God: Obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith.. The Bible says that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him in all things: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
· Stay Grounded in Faith: Rooted in the truth, resisting negative influences and godless world.
· Be Alert and Discern: Be vigilant and aware of the signs of the times, but also do not be alarmed by them.
· Preach the Gospel: The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations before the end.
· Stand Firm: Endure through persecution and stand firm in their faith and commitment to godly living.
THE FLOOD
Genesis 6 gives the sad account of the state of humanity prior to the worldwide flood during the days of Noah. Genesis 6:5 states, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:6 states, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart". “And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD,” Gensis 6:7-8. All people on earth died except the eight people who were found righteous in the eyes of God: Noah, Noah’s wife, and Noah’s three sons and their wives. Scripture indicates that Noah testified to the world about the coming flood for 120 years. The people who perished in the flood died because they refused to acknowledge God or seek His forgiveness. Noah, on the other hand, is described as righteous, blameless, and obedient in that he “walked with God,” Genesis 6:9.
FIRE NEXT TIME
2 Peter 3:7 means that the current heavens and earth, just like the original world destroyed by the flood, are being preserved by the same power of God's word, but for a future judgment by fire, when the ungodly will be destroyed. The verse serves to counter mockers who deny Christ's return and final judgment, emphasizing that God's word created the world and will also bring about its fiery destruction. This event is followed by God's promise to create "new heavens and a new earth" where only righteousness will dwell. This fiery cleansing is not a complete annihilation but a purification and renewal of the present earth.
2 Peter 3:10 (kjv) states: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." This verse emphasizes the fiery nature of the end times, indicating that the heavens will be consumed and the earth will be destroyed.
Key Events of the End Times
The Apocalypse. The word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apocalupsis which means “revealing, disclosure, to take off the cover.” The term “apocalypse” is often used to refer to the end times in general, or to the last end times events specifically. End-times events such as the second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon are sometimes referred to as the Apocalypse. The Apocalypse will be the ultimate revealing of God, His wrath, His justice, and, ultimately, His love. Jesus Christ is the supreme “apocalypse” of God, as He revealed God to us (John 14:9; Hebrews 1:2).
The rapture of the church.
Is the common belief in the Rapture actually true? We first need to define what we mean by the word rapture because people use it to say many different things. Most use the word to indicate their belief that before Jesus Christ returns to rule the world and before the time of trouble and suffering known as the Great Tribulation Christians all over the world will be raptured “Into Thin Air;” that is, taken to Heaven. Those who are not Christians will simply see that many people have suddenly vanished without explanation. Planes will plummet from the sky as their Christian Pilots disappear. Non-Christian husbands or wives will despair as they wonder where their Christian spouse has disappeared to and as the world sorts through the mass disappearances. The Great Tribulation will be Unleashed on those who are left behind. The word “rapture” does not occur in English translations of the Bible. The term comes from a Latin word meaning “a carrying off, a transport, or a snatching away.” While the word rapture is not in the Bible, the concept of the “carrying off” is clearly taught in Scripture. The rapture is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth. In order to determine if “the rapture” as defined by many is true, we must read what the bible says and keep in mind three crucial questions:
1. Will Christians vanish around the world without explanation?
No, they will not. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 Apostle Paul tells us that no they will not. Christians will join Christ at the first resurrection. At the same time when all the tribes of the earth will see Jesus returning. Paul is not talking about a “Secret Rapture” as many believe. Paul says that this is the time of the resurrection of those who died in Christ. Those he describes as asleep saying the dead in Christ will rise first. He also states that “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.” This doesn't describe a quiet mysterious vanishing, but a triumphant event announced to the World by the returning Jesus Christ.
2. Will Christians be caught up into the air years before Jesus returns to rule?
No. No one will vanish “Into Thin Air” as unsaved loved ones wonder where their Christian love ones have gone. All eyes will see and all ears will hear. The resurrection of true Christians occurs when the very last trumpet is blown, Revelation 11:15. The Rapture is simply a misunderstanding that conceals the magnificent truth of scripture still that might leave some worried does this mean that every Christian must go through the tribulation.
3. Will Christians spend the Great Tribulation in heaven?
No. Christians will not spend the Great Tribulation in heaven. Some will while others are protected though not by a rapture. They rise to meet Christ at the commencement of his Reign after the tribulation. Indeed from that moment on they will reign alongside him ruling on this Earth with him for 1,000 years at the same time some Christians will be protected during the tribulation but they will be protected here on Earth.
The Great Tribulation. The tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two aspects of His plan:
1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel 9:24), and
2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth (Revelation Chapters 6-18).
The length of the tribulation is seven years. This is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24–27). The Great Tribulation is the last half of the tribulation period, three and one-half years in length. It is distinguished from the tribulation period because the beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed, and the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to emphasize that the tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous events. Within eschatology (the study of future things), the tribulation refers to the full seven-year period while the “Great Tribulation” refers to the second half of the tribulation.
The False Prophet. The false prophet of the end times is described in Revelation 13:11-15. He is also referred to as the “second beast” (Revelation 13:11; 16:13, 19:20, 20:10). Together with the Antichristand Satan, who empowers both of them, the false prophet is the third party in the unholy trinity.
The Antichrist (Revelation 13:11). The meaning of the term antichrist is simply “against Christ.” As the apostle John records in First and Second John, an antichrist denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22), does not acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:3), and denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:20). What is the Antichrist? In summary, the Antichrist is the end-times false messiah who seeks, and likely achieves, world domination so that he can destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ.
The Mark of the Beast. The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “mark of the beast” is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4. This mark acts as a seal for the followers of the Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist. So, rather than speculating on what exactly it will be, it is far more important to understand how to avoid it. Revelation 14:10-11 states that anyone who receives the mark of the beast is eternally condemned, it is very important that the mark of the beast be correctly identified. From what the Bible says about the mark of the beast, here is what we can know for certain:
(1) It will be instituted in the end times during the reign of the Antichrist. See Revelation chapter 13.
(2) It will be required for anyone to be able to buy or sell, Revelation 13:17.
(3) Some form of worship of and/or allegiance to the Antichrist will be required to receive it, Revelation 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; and 20:4.
(4) It will somehow relate to the number 666, Revelation 13:18.
(5) Anyone who refuses to take the mark of the beast will be killed, Revelation 13:15.
The mark of the beast will be identifiable by the five characteristics above. If something does not match the above description, it is not the mark of the beast.
The Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15-22,Revelation 12:14-17), An abomination is “something that causes disgust or hatred”; and desolation is “a state of complete emptiness or destruction.” At the midway point of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 12:17).
The Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns with the armies of heaven (Mark 14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
The Judgment of the Nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew 25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell.
The Binding of Satan. Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).
The Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6) , The millennial kingdom, described in Revelation 20, will be a 1,000-year period where Jesus reigns from Jerusalem. Believers in Christ will be present during this time, experiencing peace and justice under Christ's rule. Those who come to faith during the tribulation and survive will also enter the kingdom alive, where they will marry and have children. Ezekiel and Isaiah suggest that those who believed before Christ's death will dwell in the Promised Land during this time. The truth of a future millennial kingdom clearly calls us to live faithfully and to share the gospel in preparation for Christ's return.
The Last Battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never to reappear.
The Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity is cast into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life (Revelation 20:12), Revelation 20:15 declares, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” The Book of Life, in this context, is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. It is the roll of those who are saved. This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). God keeps good records. He knows His own, and He has set the names of His children permanently in His book.
The Judgement Seat of Christ involves a time in the future when believers will give an account of themselves to Christ. This is the plain teaching of Scripture: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Bible speaks of believers receiving crowns for different things. The various crowns are described in:
· 2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
· James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
· 1 Peter 5:4, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
· Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The Final Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15), The first thing to understand about the final judgment is that it cannot be avoided. Regardless of how we may choose to interpret prophecy on the end times, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We all have a divine appointment with our Creator. The apostle John recorded some details of the final judgment: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15).
The New World Order (Revelation 21:3-7), The New World Order is a conspiracy theory which posits a new period of history bringing about a major change in the world with the balance of world power. This New World Order is theorized by some to involve a group or groups of elitist people bent on ruling the world through a single worldwide system of government. The appeal of this New World Order lies in its proposal to free the world of wars and political strife, and its promises to eradicate poverty, disease, and hunger. Its purpose is to meet the needs and hopes of all mankind through worldwide peace. Those who desire the New World Order, whether secular or religious, are in for a rude awakening. The truth is that false religious teachings cannot bring utopia into being, regardless of man’s creativity and ingenuity. Only heaven brings lasting peace and happiness. The Bible makes it very clear that all things associated with this life on earth with its sufferings, its decay, its discontent, and death will continue with this physical life (2 Corinthians 4:16; Hebrews 9:27). It is also clear that all these things are completely unknown in the heavenly city (Revelation 21:3-7 and Revelation 22). They will be done away with. Yes, hope is needed. But it is the hope of heaven we need, not the false hope of a New World Order. The one hope for all believers lies only in heaven (John 14:1-4). It is not here on this earth.
The New Creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him (Revelation 21–22).
