Overview of the End-Times
Part 1
Dr. John Hoole
Last week, I mentioned that ever since we entered the nuclear age, people have feared that any moment the whole human race could be annihilated.
They say, “all you need to do is scan the daily headlines, and you’ll encounter one reason after another as to why the world is coming to an end.
Will we soon experience what is called TEOTWAWKI? The end of the world as we know it.
We have the spread of nuclear weapons… War in the Middle East… Terrorism … Biological and chemical warfare… Global warming… Covid Pandemic… A nuclear armed Iran… … The threats seem never ending.
Many believe the world is out-of-control and catastrophe is right around the corner. They believe it’s only a matter of time before the human race destroys itself. In the minds of the so-called experts, it’s not a matter of whether the human race will end. It’s a matter of when.
If that’s what you think, I’ve got good news.
The world won’t end by nuclear annihilation. Global warming won’t destroy the planet, and human beings won’t ever go extinct. Far from it. In reality, it’s just the opposite.
Why do I say this? Because everything happening in the world today is part of a grand plan and purpose. The Creator of the universe is in complete control, and through the Bible, He describes our future. He’s told us what’s coming, and He said it would get worse before it gets better.
This series of lessons will focus on the people, events, nations and spiritual beings pivotal to these times. We will learn about God’s purpose for the end times, and the major events set to take place, and what the future holds. Most of all, you’ll learn why the future can offer a great hope for you and everyone else on planet earth.
In our very first lesson in this series, we looked at what End-Time Prophecy represents. We also learned why a study of this topic is important. In that lesson we learned Predictive prophecy makes up 27% of the entire Bible. We covered the details of this chart in that lesson, so I will not today.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All Scripture ... is profitable." That includes prophecy.
It is my opinion – and I don’t think that I am going out on a limb here the Bible is the only reliable source for information about the end of the world as we know it today.
What is so important about knowing how things will end, or about knowing what is going to happen when I die” Knowing what is going to happen when you die just may change the way you live in the here-and-now
The Bible says that God has an intricate plan all worked out, and everything is going according to his schedule. He is going ahead with it whether you or I believe it or not. He won’t cancel part or the whole thing just because we deny it.
I think you owe it to yourself to see what the Bible says about God’s plan for the world…..and for you. Your life will depend on it and your life after death will be determined by it.
The very fact that the Bible contains predictive prophecies, many which have come to pass, makes it a unique book. And history has consistently taken the stand as a reliable and authentic witness to the accuracy of Bible prophecies.
The prophet Isaiah shows us why God considers predictive prophecy to be very important. He tells us how prophecy demonstrates the uniqueness of Jehovah God and how, because of already fulfilled prophecy, there is none like Him.
Let’s look at three Passages in the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV
9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'
Isaiah 42:9 NKJV
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Isaiah 48:5 NKJV
5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.'
The Scriptures we just read tell us that God is unique in that He alone knows the end from the beginning. He says, in effect: “You have seen things come to pass as I had told you beforehand. This proves that I am God.”
Then He goes on to tell us that, because former things have come to pass precisely as He had said, then we should also believe Him when He tells us things about the future which are yet to come to pass. We can trust biblical prophecies which are yet unfulfilled because of God’s past track record.
In my opinion, already fulfilled prophecy is quite possibly the greatest internal evidence of the divine inspiration of the Bible. You just don’t see these kinds of prediction and their complete fulfillment in the writings of other major world religions. The Bible says that God has a timetable. He has had one ever since the creation of this world. But, in His Word, He has given us a glimpse of some of the detail of this timetable.
Some of the things in God’s timetable have already occurred.
Galatians 4:4-5 NIV
4 But when the fullness of the time had come [That is, according to His timetable], God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
We all were born under the law of God, and all of us have broken that law and sinned. So, God sent His only Son to pay the penalty of that broken law – which was death. What’s more, He didn’t just set us free, but He adopted us as His sons & daughters.
Forty days after He paid the price for our sins and was resurrected, we find Jesus about ready to return to the Father. He and his disciples were standing atop the Mount of Olives. One moment they had been talking to Jesus, and the next moment…
Acts 1:9 (KJV)
“….while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
I can imagine that for a few second there was complete silence, and they gazed at the cloud that engulfed Him.
For 3+ years, they had been with Jesus nearly every moment. In the most recent 40 days following his resurrection from the dead, Jesus had been coming and going, as He showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive……and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)
There had been some times when He had left them alone. Sometimes He just disappeared out of their sight (Luke 24:31). But He always returned.
However, this time, somehow His return would be different.
I believe one of the most significant single truth in all the Bible – both in the O.T. and the N.T., is the certainty of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. While there may be some disagreement among believers as to when the second coming will happen there exists absolutely no disagreement among evangelical believers that Jesus is coming again.
There are literally dozens of Scriptures informing us about the return of Christ.
John 14:1-3 (KJV)
1. Let not your heart be troubled; Ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Acts 1:10-11 NKJV
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
While we do not know precisely when this event will take place, we are given some clues that indicate it seems to be close.
It could happen within the hour, or be delayed 5 to 10 years or more. But it will happen. And we can never take the chance of not being ready for when He does come.
And Paul gives the Thessalonian believers some much needed assurance concerning the return of Christ. He speaks of Christ in Heaven, … and we on earth…
1 Thess. 4:16-17 tells us….the Lord will descend …… from heaven…
And when He does, 3 things will accompany that descent.
He will descend with a shout,
…with the voice of the archangel
…and with the trump of God.
Then Paul turns towards the earth, and said…
…the dead in Christ will 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.
Then He gives a very comforting promise.
...and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This event, where we rise to meet Christ in the air, is called the Rapture.
Once all believers have met Christ in the air, we all go to heaven with Him. We go to the place He has been preparing for us. That is just what Christ told us in John 14:3.
Sometime after the rapture of the Church, there will begin a period of turmoil such as this world has never seen. This period is known as the Tribulation and lasts for 7 years. Most of the Book of Revelation deals with what happens during this time on earth.
One might ask: “If the dead in Christ have been resurrected at the Rapture, what happens to the ungodly dead, and when are they resurrected?
Revelation 20:5-6 NKJV
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Those who have died without knowing Christ as their personal savior, are not resurrected for another 1,000 years. What we see in these verses is that everybody will be resurrected, regardless of their relationship with God.
We also learn here that not all are resurrected at the same time. What we will learn as we study this subject in detail, .is how each resurrection takes place, and what happens to each of these groups of people.
IF CHRIST HAS MET US IN THE AIR AND TAKEN US WITH HIM TO HEAVEN, WHEN DOES HE COME TO THE EARTH?
A few minutes ago, I briefly mentioned some actions going on here on earth sometime after we are with Christ. The tribulation, and all that may portend, is taking place. When Christ come back to earth, He will bring an end to the Tribulation.
Matthew 24:29-30 NAS
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,
30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
“GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
OUR ENEMY ALSO HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
BE READY FOR BOTH.
JUST BE WISE ENOUGH TO KNOW WHICH ONE TO BATTLE
AND WHICH ONE TO EMBRACE.”