The end times are a heavy subject to breakdown and digest and so I think because of that, a lot of people would rather just avoid it. Reading the book of Revelation can be hard to understand (or maybe even a little scary to some people) but I don’t think we should avoid any book in the Bible just because we don’t understand it. My hope in writing this post is to break down the key points of the end times in chronological order to help make learning about this a little less daunting.
There are many passages throughout the Bible that link to the end times, not just in Revelation. But when you start studying the Bible as a whole you will understand Revelation a lot better. I absolutely LOVE digging deeper in the word because there is ALWAYS something new to learn. I have been reading and taking notes for awhile now for this post and I don’t know about you, but when I read one scripture it leads me to another and another and well, I can probably write a book on The End times. It’s fascinating to me. But I tried my best to stay in simple terms and focus on a few key points to make it easier to understand the overall message of what is to come. (I also will say, I don’t think we are currently in “the end times” but I do think it is getting closer.) I encourage you to read this post once through and then reread it with your Bible in hand.
Like anything in life, there are different views on the end times and I think that is mostly because there is confusion when reading the passages about it. Like Post-Tribulation vs Pre-Tribulation. In the words of Chuck Missler, “If the rapture happened after the tribulation, it would be like the Bridegroom saying: come let’s get married, then I will beat the living daylights out of you and then we’ll go have dinner.” —-Jesus says to us in the Word, that we as believers will be spared from the wrath. “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” Revelation 3:10 We also know that it says in 1 Thessalonians, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” People argue that this is speaking about sparing us from Hell, but notice how the promise is not preservation through the trial, but from the time period of the trial. It isn’t saying we will be spared from hell, because we already know that as Christians we are spared from that because Jesus died on the cross.
Something I think people confuse often is, The Rapture vs. The Second Coming. These are two separate events. The rapture will be without warning and can happen at any time. Which is why it is important to know your salvation. Not just believing that you’re “a Christian” and thinking you are all set for Heaven. But truly living your life for Jesus Christ and obeying God’s commandments for us. We are told to “be watchful and ready.” Meaning, to stay focused on Jesus and living a Godly life. Truly following His commandments and being Christ-like. When it’s all said and done. There is only one way to Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) The Rapture is when “the Church” (true believers) will be taken up in the air with Jesus. It’s worth mentioning why I say, true believers. Because the term “Christian” is so casually thrown around. Jesus despises wishy-washy Christians. “So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 It is easy to think you have all the time in the world to “get right with God.” But like I said, the rapture can come at any moment and your salvation is not something you want to be unsure about.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Matthew 7:21-23
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 –The Greek translation of the words “caught up.” mean “harpazõ” meaning “to seize upon with force, or snatch up.”
The word “church” appears 19 times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but significantly, the word is not used again until chapter 22. In the entire description of the tribulation in Revelation, the word church is absent. The Bible never uses the word “church” in a passage relating to the tribulation. (I assume you know that the word “church” refers to Christians, not a building. :)
The second coming will be after the tribulation period. Unlike the rapture, it will be known and seen by everyone. The Second coming is after 7 years of tribulation, when Jesus returns to Earth and defeats the Antichrist to overthrow evil. He throws the devil into the Abyss (a bottomless pit) to keep him bound and locked up so that he can not deceive the nations until the thousand years are over. (The Millennial Reign of Christ.) During the second coming, the Lord will return to Earth. (As opposed to the Rapture where he comes in the air.) “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Revelation 19:14 He will set up His Kingdom on Earth for a thousand year reign.
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
During the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be revealed. He will rise to power during this period. (hence it being hell on earth basically.) During the tribulation period, God will pour out His wrath on the Earth. It will be a horrible time of pain and suffering like you’ve never experienced (and don’t want to.) During this time, many people will still deny God and want nothing to do with Him. (These people will spend eternity in Hell.) But there will also be many people who wholeheartedly repent and become Christians during this time. These people will repopulate the Earth during the Millennial Reign. When Christ followers are taken up with Jesus during the Rapture, we will all be given “Heavenly bodies.” Which means we will not be able to reproduce. But those who were not taken up originally in the Rapture and become Christians during the Tribulation period will still be in their Earthly bodies and they will repopulate the Earth. “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” Matthew 22:30 So only people in their natural, Earthly bodies will be able to have children. “So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28 The word “regeneration” means, “repopulation.”
The Millennial Reign of Christ. This is seven years after the rapture, Jesus will return. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31-32 He will divide the people into two groups. Those who believe and those who do not. Those who put their faith in Him, will enter into the millennial kingdom where Christ Himself rules over the Nations. During this time, Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years. It will be a thousand years of peaceful, glorious living without Satan. It says in the Word that everything and everyone will get along. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, Says the Lord.” Isaiah 65:25 The Millennial Kingdom will be filled with Christians from all throughout history as well as those who came to know Christ after the rapture.
The Millennial Reign of Christ will be on a new Earth and nothing like we can even fathom. “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:20-22
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be let back out of the bottomless pit for a short time. “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” Notice how it says, “he will go out to deceive the nations….” So he was locked up for 1,000 years and gets let out and the FIRST thing he does is, deceive again! Why was he put in the abyss in the first place? So that he would not deceive the nations any longer. But Satan is the great deceiver. Period. There is no changing him. And that is one reason he will be released, to show that Satan is and always will be evil. I know it may be hard to imagine but when he comes back you see from that verse, that he gathers an army together to go against God, which is the final rebellion of man. It’s impossible to wrap my head around how these people who lived 1,000 years in a utopian environment where everything is perfect. Blessed and in abundance can turn against God. But it just goes to show you that apart from grace, man is a rebel. Now go back to how the Millennial will be populated…by the newly saved people who were saved during the tribulation. So those people are saved, but their children will not be saved and they will need salvation found through Jesus Christ. And not all of them will seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pretty crazy to think about, but that is just human nature…..But then digging a little deeper, you will see that the sinful nature of man is not because of his environment, but because of his heart. Following the final rebellion of man, Satan is thrown into a lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever. “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10 I know some people and religions like to believe that there is no hell. But there is. Hell is VERY real and is the exact opposite of where you want to be. It is eternal pain and suffering apart from God. The Bible tells us that the reason Hell exists is for the devil and his angels. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41
God creates a new Heaven and a new Earth. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4
I know this is a lot of info to take in so let’s wrap it up with this. The New Jerusalem. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1-2 “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Revelation 21:21 And the scripture that makes me tear up just imagining it is this. “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Friends! Heaven will be a pain-free, joy filled eternity with our Lord and creator, God. Wow! Just typing those words makes my heart sing! I hope this post helped give you a little more understanding about the end times. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at: elizabeth@graceinhisbeauty
xo,
Elizabeth