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The Millennial Kingdom (Prophecy Studies #11)

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The Millennial Kingdom brings us to the end of present history. It concerns the Kingdom Age, or what is also known as the Millennium. “Millennium” is the English form of the Latin words mille annus, meaning a thousand years. This designation is taken from Revelation 20:4, where John observed the saints living and reigning with Christ “for a thousand years.” What is in view is the earthly reign of Christ, which comes after Armageddon, and before the beginning of the eternal state.

It is well to remind ourselves at this point that no interpretation of Bible prophecy can answer all the questions, or completely explain every passage of Scripture on the subject. We “know in part” (I Cor. 13:12). However, a careful and literal interpretation of the Bible will provide a logical and consistent view of future events that is correct in all the essential details. For simplicity’s sake, we have not dealt much with opposing views, in this series. But one of the areas on which there is disagreement is the Millennium. Here are the three main positions.

Postmillennialism teaches that Christ will not come back until after the Millennium. That it is up to Christians to conquer the world for Christ, and as we do, things will get better and better, until society is “christianized.” Then the Lord will return and claim the kingdom His servants have prepared for Him. Postlmillennialism was quite popular in the 1800s, when it seemed like a golden age might be just around the corner. Two world wars have done much to dim this hope, and there are few postmillennialists today–though their numbers have had a recent resurgence. God’s Word does not tell us the world will get better and better. It says “in the last days perilous times will come….[and] evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse” (II Tim. 3:1, 13).

Amillennialism teaches that there is no such thing as a millennium, no earthly reign of Christ yet to come. Most of those who are liberal in theology are amillennialists. (They also deny Christ’s virgin birth, and His bodily resurrection, so it is not surprising they reject His coming again to reign.) However, there are also evangelicals who hold this view of prophecy. They come to this conclusion by rejecting the distinction between Israel and the church. Israel, to them, is simply the “Old Testament church.” And all the great covenants God made with Israel, and the many promises, are simply symbolic, and are to be fulfilled by us in a “spiritual” sense. The great problem with this latter view is that it interprets some Scripture literally, and other passages are spiritualized. But this puts an understanding of God’s Word at the whim of the interpreter. Who determines which verses are only meant in a “spiritual” or symbolic way? Such an approach to the Bible is truly dangerous. If the plain text does not actually mean what it says, we can make it mean almost anything!

Premillennialism (the view followed in this series) teaches that Christ will return before the Millennium and set up a literal kingdom on earth. The Scriptures teaching about this future time are extensive. Many passages clearly predict an earthly kingdom of peace and plenty, ruled over by the Messiah, and in which Israel is specially blessed. Isaiah says, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder….Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom…(Isa. 9:6-7).The angel Gabriel confirms that Christ will be given “the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob” (Lk. 1:31-33). It is an unjustified leap to turn the throne of David into God’s throne in heaven, and Israel into the church. (Especially when Christ Himself says that, seated at the right hand of the Father, He is not yet seated on the throne that has been promised to Him, Rev. 3:21). Israel is not the church. God has His specific plan for each.

Insight: As we compare Scripture with Scripture, three distinct purposes can be seen for the Kingdom Age, or the Millennium. First, there is a purpose related to the physical seed of Abraham, the nation of Israel.

1) What promise did the Lord make to Abraham (Gen. 15:18)?

2) How long was this possession to be theirs (Gen. 17:8)?

3) Centuries later, what did the prophet Amos predict (Amos 9:14-15)?

Insight: Though Israel has been cast out of her land by the Lord several times, He has not forgotten His promise. Her final regathering has begun, and restoration will take place when Christ returns to put down Israel’s enemies, when “in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zech. 14:3-4). “The Lord shall be King over all the earth,” and Zechariah describes the literal rebuilding of Israel at that time, saying, “No longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (Zech. 14:9-10). This hasn’t happened yet. But if God keeps His promises to Israel, it will happen.

Insight: A second purpose of God in the Kingdom Age is the earthly exaltation of His Son. In the same place where Christ was once rejected and crowned with thorns, He will be exalted and His rule will be obeyed. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed….[But God says] “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:2, 6). He will receive the nations as His inheritance, and rule them with a rod of iron (vs. 8-9). Then it will be said, “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15).

Insight: The third purpose of the Millennium will be discussed in a moment. First, consider some of the things the Bible says about conditions during this time. One of these concerns the removal of the curse placed upon creation in Genesis 3:17-19.

4) What are some things this will mean in terms of changes in nature (Isa. 11:6-9)?

5) What else will happen in the natural world (Isa. 35:1-2)?

6) How will human age spans differ in the Millennium (Isa. 65:19-20)?

Insight: There are several things worthy of note in this passage. The meaning is that if someone dies at the age of a hundred, he will be seen as merely a “child.” Death will be uncommon, and will mainly result from the Lord striking down an individual for doing evil. Otherwise, many may live right through the entire Millennium. (Remember that in the beginning the age spans approached a thousand years. Adam lived to be 930, and Methuselah 969, Gen. 5:5, 27.) The reality of death–even under unusual circumstances–reminds us that those who are on earth as the Kingdom is ushered in are still in their mortal bodies. This is confirmed by the fact that many children will be born during the thousand years (Isa. 65:23; Ezek. 47:21-22; Zech. 8:4-5; 10:8). Earth’s population will rapidly recover from the seven years of terrible Tribulation.

Insight: With Israel once more in possession of her land, and unmolested by her enemies, a Millennial temple will be constructed. There the Jews will worship somewhat according to the Old Testament pattern, including the use of animal sacrifices. However, with this difference: the ceremonies, instead of pointing forward to the cross, will look backward to it, in remembrance and praise (much as the Lord’s Supper does for us now). This temple is described in detail in Ezekiel 40:1–47:12. Unlike the temple of New Testament times that had become “a den of thieves,” or the temple of the Tribulation that will be desecrated by the Antichrist, the glory of the Lord will be seen in this Millennial temple (Ezek. 42:4).

7) What kind of reign will Christ have, according to the following verses (Isa. 9:7; Ps. 46:8-10)?

8) Who will assist Christ in His rule over the earth (Rev. 5:9-10; 20:4)?

Insight: Some of the details here are yet unknown. We of the Church Age will be in our resurrection bodies, and yet have responsibility over mortals still on earth. We know that after the Millennium, and after the creation of the “new heaven and new earth,” the heavenly city will descend to the earth (Rev. 21:1-2). Some believe that during the Millennium the New Jerusalem will be brought into position over the earth (perhaps above the earthly Jerusalem) hovering there as a huge satellite city. While this is only a theory, it is certainly possible. Then, the glorified saints would have their residence in the “many mansions” (Jn. 14:2), but have access to the earth to carry out their responsibilities there. Christ certainly carried out a ministry on earth in His glorified body–following His resurrection (as did Moses and Elijah, briefly, Matt. 17:1-3).

Insight: At the beginning of the Millennium, there will be weapons of war scattered across the earth. The Bible speaks in terms of bows and spears–weapons known in ancient times. It is possible that, with the mass devastation of the Tribulation, there will be a return to these former weapons. Or perhaps we are to understand these things as representing the modern day equivalent–bullets and nuclear bombs.

9) What is one thing that will be done with the weapons of war?

9b) And for how long (Ezek. 39:9-10)?

9c) What practical purpose could this serve (compare Rev. 8:7)?

10) What else will be done with these weapons (Isa. 2:4)?

Insight: This age of unparalleled peace will also be a time of abounding material prosperity (Jer. 31:12; Ezek. 34:26; Zech. 8:11-12).

11) What blessing will restored Israel experience in the Millennium (Ezek. 36:27-28; and 39:28-29)?

Insight: In Zephaniah 3:9 the Lord says He will “restore to the peoples a pure language.” Some see this as a removal of the judgment of Babel, so that all the peoples of the earth can serve the Lord in unity, and worship Him with one voice.

12) What will be the spiritual character of Israel during this time (Isa. 60:21)?

Insight: This will also be true of the Gentiles nations (Ps. 22:27-28; Mal. 1:11).

13) What about people’s knowledge of the things of God, at this time (Isa. 2:2-3; 11:9)?

Insight: All peoples will enjoy a unique revelation of the presence and power of God on earth, in that day (Isa. 60:1-3; Zech. 2:10-11).

14) What will be the prevailing mood of the age (Isa. 9:3; 52:9; 61:7)?

15) What else will characterize the Millennium (Zech. 14:16)?

16) The feast of tabernacles was originally a celebration of what (Lev. 23:34, 42-43)? (The “booths” were temporary shelters of branches and grass, etc.)

17) Why do you think this celebration will be kept during the Kingdom Age? (Possible clue: Rev. 12:13-14.)

Insight: Note that “all nations” are involved. Though Israel is specially blessed, in keeping with God’s promises, all peoples will be included in worship. No more will the temple be exclusively a Jewish centre. In that day, God’s house “shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa. 56:7). The Lord will even use some Gentiles as priests and Levites (Isa. 66:20-21).

18) What will happen to any who refuse to worship the Lord or keep the feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:17-18)?

Insight: This is an example of the way Christ will rule with a rod of iron. Obedience will be mandatory (but that does not mean each heart will be transformed).

19) What will become of the devil during the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-3)?

Insight: The Millennial Kingdom fulfills God’s covenants with Israel, and fulfills His purpose to exalt His Son as King over all nations. But this period has a third purpose. It is God’s final test of mankind’s willingness to obey and serve Him.

Only believers will enter the Kingdom Age (since all God’s enemies will be destroyed). But millions will be born during this time. As with all who have been born on earth, they will need salvation through faith in Christ. Many will trust in Him. But others will refuse. Christ’s “iron rule” will keep these people in check, but they will not be truly born again. In the Church Age, Satan, “the god of this age,” has blinded the minds of unbelievers (II Cor. 4:4). During the thousand years, they will not be able to blame the devil for their condition, so this removes the final excuse of unbelievers, “The devil made me do it!”

20) What will happen when Satan is released from his prison, at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-9)?

Insight: Those who have remained unregenerate will seize the opportunity to rebel against Christ, but the rebellion will quickly be put down. “Gog and Magog” are spoken of in Ezekiel 38–39, where Magog seems to represent Russia and her allies, and “Gog” is the ruler of this people. Ezekiel describes a battle which takes place before Armageddon, in which Gog and Magog are destroyed. This is not the same battle as John describes in Revelation 20:8-9, where all nations are involved. The use of the terms Gog and Magog in Revelation is not explained. But perhaps it recalls the earlier defeat, much the same as we sometimes talk about people reaching their “Waterloo,” recalling Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon.

Insight: Thus the utter depravity of the human heart will be displayed for the final time on earth. The philosophy that man is “naturally good” will be repudiated forever.

21) There is a point that God has been seeking to make with man since the very beginning. Based on the following verses, what is it (II Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:13; or see Jn. 15:5)?

Insight: The Millennial Kingdom is virtually an ideal earthly environment, though because of the presence of fallen human beings, it is not perfect. Even so, many of the conditions evident in the Millennium will continue on into the eternal state. The experience of the saints within the New Jerusalem will be that heaven has already begun for them. Nevertheless, there are a couple of matters to be dealt with before eternity is ushered in. These will be discussed in the next and final lesson in this series.

The Second Coming (Prophecy Studies #10)

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The Second Coming of Christ is clearly taught in Scripture. And in our study of prophecy we have come to that great subject.

Even though we sometimes speak of either or both the rapture and the second coming in similar terms–as the return of Christ— the two are distinct and different.

  1. The rapture occurs at the beginning of the Tribulation, the second coming takes place seven years later, at the end of the Tribulation.
  2. Jesus predicts certain signs that will be evident before His second coming, but there are no necessary signs to take place before the rapture.
  3. We look forward to the rapture happening at any moment, while the second coming won’t occur until the events of Revelation 6-18 take place, and the Antichrist has had his day.
  4. At the rapture, Christ will be unseen by the unbelieving world. At His second coming, “every eye shall see Him.”
  5. The rapture is Christ’s catching away of His church unto Himself. At the second coming, He descends in glory with His church.
  6. At the rapture, Christ comes as a Bridegroom to claim His bride (the church). At His second coming He returns as King of kings to claim His throne and His earthly kingdom.

Irenaeus wrote of the second coming as follows, back before 200 AD: “When this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who followed him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom…and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance.”

The second coming will fulfil the promise of Acts 1:11, that “this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” And it will fulfil a prayer that has been uttered countless times that “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). It’s an event Daniel witnessed in a vision of which he wrote, “Behold, One like the Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven!…Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away” (Dan. 7:13-14).

It’s what Job longed for when he said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth….In my flesh [that is, in a resurrection body] I shall see God” (Job 19:25-26). And it’s what godly Enoch foresaw, long before the time of Job, when he said, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all” (Jude 14-15). That is the event we shall study in this lesson.

1) What will appear at the time of Christ’s coming in glory? And what result will it have (Matt. 24:30)?

Insight: What this sign will be is not known, but its meaning will be unmistakable. Perhaps it will be the shekinah, the glory light that shone above the ark of the covenant, revealing the presence of God (Ps. 80:1), but this time shining over all the earth. There will be a huge processional, as Christ descends with the armies of heaven, and the resurrected church in attendance. Some think perhaps it will take many hours to descend through the sky, and as the earth revolves beneath, all will see the glory of His coming, as we now see the sun when the earth rotates on its axis. Whatever the exact details, the armies gathered at Armageddon will divert their attention from one another in a futile attempt to prevent Christ from claiming His earthly throne.

(Please read Psalm 2:1-6, with this scene in mind.)

2) What is the Father’s response to man’s attempt to keep His Son from reigning? And why (Ps. 2:4)?

Insight: In verse 7 of the psalm the Father says, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You [brought You forth].” There is a sense in which Christ was the Son of God from all eternity. But this expression is used in Scripture in a number of ways. At His first coming, He was brought forth from the womb of Mary. After His crucifixion, Christ was “begotten” (brought forth) from the tomb (Acts 13:33). In the context here, Christ is brought forth on earth as the rightful King (vs. 8).

3) What will the Son do to those who oppose His rule (Ps. 2:9)?

(Next, please read Revelation 19:11-21, to see how the Apostle John describes this scene.)

4) What two names are given to the One who descends from heaven at this time (Rev. 19:11, 13)?

Insight: The fact that He is wearing a blood-stained garment may seem to be a reminder of His death, when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” the first time (Jn. 1:14). But it is more likely as the result of the trampling down of His enemies (cf. Rev. 14:19-20).

5) What are two other names given to this Person (Rev. 19:12, 16)?

6) What two tasks does Christ undertake at His return (Rev. 19:11)?

Insight: Christ came the first time “full of grace” (Jn. 1:14). But this is quite a different picture.

7) According to Rev. 19:15, what does Christ come to dispense at this time?

Insight: The “sharp sword” coming from the mouth of the Lord in John’s vision likely depicts His word of judgment. He will not grapple and struggle with the enemy. He need only speak and they will be destroyed. The One who once spoke and worlds came into being (Heb. 12:1-2) will now utter the word that brings about the destruction of His enemies.

8) Who attempts to make war against Christ (Rev. 19:19)?

9) What gruesome invitation is given to “the supper of the great God” (Rev. 19:17-18, not to be confused with the marriage supper of the Lamb)?

10) What will happen to the Beast (the Antichrist) and his false prophet (Rev. 19:20)?

11) And what happens to the armies gathered at Armageddon (Rev. 19:21)?

Insight: This scene of bloody and terrible destruction is also prophesied in Ezekiel 39:17-20. There we learn that not only the birds, but also “the beasts of the field” (undomesticated animals) will partake in God’s “supper.” Recall that during the Tribulation death will come by “the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8). Here they are given a grisly opportunity to satisfy their thirst for blood. Take a few moments to read about what follows–Ezekiel 39:21-29.

12) What does the Lord do at this time? And with whom (Ezek. 39:27, 29)?

Insight: When God first called Abraham and made a covenant with him, He said, “I will bless those who bless you [including the nation of Israel to come from Abraham], and I will curse him who curses you” (Gen. 12:3). In sovereign grace, God has made Israel a specially chosen nation (I Chron. 16:13), calling her “Israel My glory” (Isa. 46:13). She is “the apple of His eye” (Zech. 2:8). Since the beginning, God has showered special favour upon the Jews, above all other peoples (the Gentile nations). In the eyes of men, this may not seem “fair,” but the Lord owes us no explanation (Rom. 9:9-15). And returning to His program of Israel in this future day, God will hold other peoples accountable for how they have treated the Jews–especially during the Great Tribulation.

13) What will the Lord do, at this time (Joel 3:1-2)?

14) What are two things that the Lord says belong to Him (Joel 3:2)?

Insight: God’s declaration “They have also divided up My land” is a startling condemnation of the current struggle in the Holy Land. Arabs, Palestinians and Jews argue over the territory, and divide it between them. But the Lord says that is “My land,” and I have given it into the permanent custody of the nation of Israel (Gen. 13:14-15).

Insight: The event described in Joel is known in prophecy as the Judgment of the Nations. This is an earthly judgment to determine who has a right to enter into the Kingdom Age. All peoples of the earth will be brought together to face this earthly judgment, following the destruction of the rebel armies at Armageddon. Israel as a nation will be judged (Ezek. 20:36-38). And for the rest, the chief question will be, “How have you treated My Chosen People?” The same event is described in a little different way in Matthew 25.

15) To what is the Lord’s division of earth’s peoples compared (Matt. 25:31-32)?

Insight: In Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, this judgment is pictured as separating wheat and tares. In Matthew 25, two groups are formed, one gathered on the Lord’s right hand, and the other on His left hand.

16) What will happen to those on His right (Matt. 25:34)?

Insight: Keep in mind that these are not resurrected saints. They are those who have survived the seven-year Tribulation (Matt. 24:13, 22). They are still in their mortal bodies, and are about to enter into the Millennial Kingdom.

17) What will happen to those on His left (Matt. 25:41)?

18) What issue is the determining factor in this judgment (Matt. 25:40)?

19) What things have been done for “My brethren” (Matt. 25:35-36)?

Insight: This verse is often used today in a general way–to say that any act of kindness we do in Jesus’ name will be blessed. This is true (cf. Mk. 9:41). But the passage in Matthew is prophetic, and has a primary application to a future event. “My brethren,” in the context, refers to Christ’s own earthly people, the Jews. And as we have seen elsewhere, how the other peoples of earth have treated Israel will be the basis for this judgment. It is not that there is no issue of faith in Christ involved. There is. But in the Tribulation, a time when any who profess allegiance to Christ will face persecution, imprisonment and death, the chief way of demonstrating that faith in Christ will be to assist others who are loyal to Him, especially the Jews.

Insight: This same event is prophesied in Zephaniah Chapter 3, where the prophet says Jehovah will “gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms” (vs. 8). After He pours out on the wicked His “fierce anger,” the righteous will be prepared to enter into the Kingdom Age. God says, “Then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord” (vs. 9). Some suggest this simply means a new holiness in worship. However, there seems a possibility that it refers to a restoration of one unified language for all the peoples of the earth–a return to the way things were before the judgment at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). This could be a key factor in uniting the nations during Christ’s earthly reign.

20) What reassurance does the Lord give to Israel at this time (Zeph. 3:15)?

21) And what is Israel encouraged to do, by the Lord (Zeph. 3:14)?

Insight: There are many other references to this (Isa. 51:11; Jer. 31:12, etc.). If you were to attend a service in an orthodox Jewish synagogue today, you would hear lots of singing, but no instruments are ever used. You would be told this is based on Psalm 137, which speaks of the time when the Jews were in captivity. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it” (Ps. 137:1-2). In other words, they put away their instruments, because they didn’t feel like making music. And the orthodox rabbi would tell you, “We don’t use instruments now, but when Messiah comes we will sing like we’ve never sung before, and we’ll play like we’ve never played before!”

22) What beautiful picture is given to us of the Lord consoling His people after all they have come through (Zeph. 3:17)?

Israel In The Tribulation (Prophecy Studies #9)

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Israel in the Tribulation experiences the loving chastisement of God. The presence of Israel in the Tribulation is established by Jeremiah (Jer. 30:5-7) and confirmed by Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27, where the prophecy of the “Seventy Weeks” is “for your people and for your holy city”). In Matthew 24-25, Jesus also deals with the Jews who will face this terrible trial. However, we begin our study in the book of Revelation, Chapter 12.

Insight: Concerning the seven-sealed scroll. In the book of Revelation, John describes a scroll in the right hand of God the Father, sealed with seven seals (5:1). The scroll is almost certainly the title deed to the earth. (This use of a sealed scroll to certify property ownership is found elsewhere in Scripture, Jer. 32:6-15). Hebrew title deeds required a minimum of three seals, placed there by three separate witnesses. The more important the deed, the more witness seals were required. Since seven, in Scripture, is the number of completeness, this scroll is represented as fully witnessed.

Could it be that the witness comes from the seven-fold Spirit before the throne (1:4; 3:1; 4:5–a depiction of the Holy Spirit in all His fullness)? (This way of describing the Spirit of God may be related to His seven titles in the book of Isaiah, Isa. 11:2.) His role as the Witness in this case would be in keeping with His ministry elsewhere as the One who testifies to the truth (cf. Jn. 15:26). This would mean the full triune Godhead is involved in this transaction, since the Father hands the scroll to the Son (vs. 5-7).

As each of the seals on this scroll is broken by the Son of God, judgment is poured out on the earth. In fact, all of the earthly judgments of the book of Revelation are released in this way, since the seventh seal incorporates the seven trumpet judgments (8:1-2), and the seventh trumpet announcing Christ’s coming earthly reign (11:15) introduces the seven bowl judgments which follow in rapid succession to complete the full measure of God’s wrath (15:1; 16:1).

The judgments on earthly powers are logically connected to the meaning of the scroll. If it represents Christ’s ownership and Lordship over all the earth, the unbelieving earth is rightly condemned because of its rejection of that Lordship. In this judgment the church has no part (since our salvation itself requires at least a basic acceptance of His Lordship, Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 12:3). But as a nation that also rejected Christ, Israel certainly does have a place in the Tribulation.

1) What visionary sign does John see (Rev. 12:1)?

2) What notable thing does this person do (Rev. 12:5)?

3) Based on what we know from other Scriptures, what is the identity of the Child (Ps. 2:7-9; Rev. 19:11-16)?

Insight: Some commentators have suggested that the “woman” is therefore Mary. However, the experiences described in Rev. 12:6 and following are certainly never recorded of Mary.

4) In a broader sense, whom does the Bible say produced the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 9:4-5)?

Insight: This identification of the “woman” as Israel is confirmed by other things. For example: the use of the sun, moon and stars to symbolize the sons of Jacob (Gen. 37:9); the use of the number twelve which corresponds to Israel’s twelve tribes; God’s protection of Israel in the “wilderness” (Rev. 12:6, 14) paralleling her Old Testament experience; and the repeated use of the word “woman” in the Old Testament to refer to Israel (Isa. 54:5-6; Jer. 4:31; Mic. 4:9-10, etc.). Though the church is to be the bride of Christ, she is never specifically called a “woman.” Added to that, it is not the church which produced Christ (as in Rev. 12:5), but Christ who produced the church!

5) In John’s vision, who opposes Israel? And what does he hope to do with the Child that comes forth from her (Rev. 12:3-4, 9)?

Insight: Some suggest that “a third of the stars of heaven” (Rev. 12:4) perhaps represents the number of angels who originally rebelled with Lucifer (the devil).

6) What will happen to Israel in the latter half of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:6, 13-14)?

Insight: In Edom, the fortress city of Petra (Sela, in Hebrew) is carved out of solid rock, and is almost inaccessible. Some prophetic scholars to think it will be the place God sends the believing remnant of Israel to protect her from Satan and the Antichrist (who will fail to conquer Edom, Dan. 11:41). Jesus Himself urges this flight of the Jews in Matthew 24:16. As God provided water and manna for Israel in the wilderness long before, and protected her from her enemies, so He will care for the believing remnant of Israel in this terrible time.

Revelation 12:15-16 speaks of Satan attacking this Jewish remnant with something “like a flood” and God again protecting them. Some take this to be a literal flood of water, but the word “like” allows for it to be a symbolic flood, perhaps an attack by the Antichrist’s forces.

Insight: The Tribulation will be a time of spiritual repentance and revival for Israel as a nation. At the present time, in the Church Age, individual Jews are saved through faith in Christ, and become a part of the body of Christ (Gal. 3:26-28). But Israel as a nation is blind to the claims of Christ. This blindness, in part, is a judgment of God upon her unbelief (Isa. 6:9-11), and has been used by God in this age for the salvation of the Gentiles (Acts 28:25-28; Rom. 11:25). After the church is caught up to be with Christ, God will return again to His plans for Israel as a nation. He promises her restoration in the last days (Deut. 4:30-31; Rom. 11:26-29).

7) What will be the response of Israel at this time (Zech. 12:9-10)?

Insight: During the Tribulation, God will use a large number of believing Jews as His servants, protecting them so that they can carry on a ministry in spite of danger from the earthly judgments and from satanic attack. Two particular individuals are mentioned separately in Revelation Chapter 11.

8) How long will these two men testify Rev. 11:3)?

9) What happens to those who try to oppose their “testimony” during this time (Rev. 11:5-6)?

10) What finally happens to the two witnesses (Rev. 11:7)?

Insight: Some believe the time period in vs. 3 refers to the first half of the seven year Tribulation period, rather than the latter half. Their deaths would thus correspond to the beginning of the latter three and a half years, and may be the first brutal act of the Antichrist when he breaks his covenant with Israel.

11) Where has all of this apparently taken place (Rev. 11:8)?

12) What effect will the death of the two witnesses have on the people of the earth?

12b) In what way will they commemorate the event (Rev. 11:9-10)?

Insight: Various attempts have been made to identify these two men. Some say they are Enoch and Elijah come back to earth, since both ascended to heaven without dying. Others see them as Moses and Elijah, because of the similarity to the miracles worked by these men. The Bible does promise that Elijah’s ministry will precede the coming of Christ (Mal. 4:4-6), but this can apparently be fulfilled if one comes “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (as was said of John the Baptist, Lk. 1:17)–which to two certainly do. The bottom line is the identity of the two witnesses is uncertain.

Insight: This local ministry is to be augmented by the conscription of 144,000 Jewish believers, 12,000 from each tribe (Rev. 11:1-14).

13) What does God do for these Jews (Rev. 7:3)?

Insight: This seal seems to protect them in some way from the judgments to come (Rev. 9:4), and from Satan and the Antichrist. Their work, carried on in the latter part of the Tribulation, when the seven trumpet judgments and the seven bowl judgments occur, seems to be similar to that of the seventy witnesses Jesus sent out during His time on earth (Lk. 10:1). (Interestingly, some ancient texts of the New Testament give this latter number as 72, rather than 70. And 72 x 2,000 = 144,000.) In the ministry of the seventy: 1) They are sent out in pairs (Lk.10:1) as at least two are required by Jewish law to confirm the truth of a witness (Deut. 19:15); 2) Satan’s power is overcome by them (Lk. 10:18-19); 3) The witnesses are given miraculous protection (Lk. 10:19); 4) They are to announce “the kingdom of God has come near” (Lk. 10:9). This is “the gospel [good news] of the kingdom” which will be proclaimed during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:14), likely by the 144,000. Their success is indicated by the multitudes who are saved, not only of Jews, but of every nation (Rev. 7:9-10, 13-14). The 144,000 will be rewarded for their faithfulness when Christ returns to reign from Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1-5).

Insight: Those who are saved in the Tribulation will be saved “by grace through faith,” just as we are today (Eph. 2:8-9)–and as all are, at any time in history, for that matter. They will be saved on the basis of the shed blood of Christ (Rev. 7:14; 12:11), and by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (because no one will see God’s kingdom apart from the new birth, Jn. 3:3). The Spirit’s “restraining” of evil through the church (II Thess. 2:6-7) will end when the church is raptured, but this does not mean the Holy Spirit is no longer present or at work in the Tribulation. He will convict Israel of her rejection of Christ (Zech. 12:10; 13:1), and regenerate all who believe.

Insight: Why is only Israel involved in this witness? Long ago, Jehovah God designed that the Jews be His witnesses to the nations of the world (Isa. 44:6-8). Though they failed in this responsibility before, the believing remnant will courageously stand for the truth in the Tribulation. That this task is given to Israel, and that Satan’s assault is upon Israel (Rev. 12:13), is a further evidence that the church is not present.

As a final passage, please turn to Matthew 25. The position taken in this study is that the Olivet Discourse (Chapters 24 and 25) concerns what will happen to Israel in the Tribulation. Thus Jesus is teaching His people what they can expect on earth, after the church is raptured. Many signs will indicate the soon return of the Messiah. And special danger awaits the Jews when the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and demands the worship of his image, set up in the holy place of the rebuilt temple (Matt. 24:15). The 24th chapter describes the return of Christ (vs. 30), and encourages the Jews to be watching for this great event (vs. 42, 44). The parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) speaks to this same issue.

14) For what event are the ten virgins to be prepared (Matt. 25:1)?

Insight: “The kingdom of heaven” is not a reference to heaven, but to heaven’s (or God’s) rule over the earth. It includes both believers and unbelievers (Matt. 13:47-50), since God is sovereign over all.

15) In the prophetic picture described in a previous lesson, who is the Bridegroom, and who is His bride (Rev. 19:7)?

Insight: This indicates that the marriage supper (the celebration) will take place on the earth, in the Millennial Kingdom, after Christ returns to reign, with His church.

16) Why are five of the young women described as “foolish” (Matt. 25:3)?

17) And what happens to the foolish ones when the Bridegroom suddenly appears (Matt. 25:8)?

Insight: The ten virgins (representing Israel) are among “those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9)–that is, they are invited guests. When dealing with a parable, it is not always the case that every detail has some specific meaning. (Some details are simply needed to make a coherent story.) But it is possible the oil in the lamps of the virgins is a picture of the Holy Spirit. Anointing with oil us used in Scripture as a symbol of the sanctifying and empowering presence of the Spirit (I Sam. 16:13; Isa. 61:1; I Jn. 2:20, 27, etc.). If this is a correct interpretation, it is one more indication of the activity of the Holy Spirit in the Tribulation.

18) What response does the Bridegroom make to those without the “oil” (Matt. 25:12)?

19) What is the meaning of this statement (Jn. 10:27-28; II Tim. 2:19)?

20) What is the moral of this story for the Jewish people (Matt. 25:13)?

Insight: While the parable of the ten virgins speaks of Israel’s spiritual preparedness for Christ’s coming, the following parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) has a slightly different focus. Those who are truly looking for the Lord’s coming will also be active in serving Him. Of course this applies to Christians in the Church Age, but in the context it is again an exhortation to Israel and perhaps including others who will put their faith in Christ during the Tribulation.

21) In the story, when the master is about to go on a journey (vs. 14), what does he do with his three servants (Matt. 25:15)?

Insight: A talent in this case does not mean a special skill. It is a unit of weight, weighing between 58 and 80 pounds. And the word “money” in Matt. 25:18 means literally “silver money.” Thus a considerable fortune was involved.

22) When the master returns (vs. 19), what kind of conduct meets with his approval (Matt. 25:20-23)?

23) What behaviour causes the master to respond in anger (Matt. 25:24-30)?

Insight: This parable is not teaching that it is possible to be saved by works. But it is an indication that works reveal the state of one’s heart. As Jesus says, “by their fruits you will know them” (Matt. 7:20). The master describes the third servant as “wicked” (Matt. 25:26). Perhaps he even doubted whether the master would return at all. To invest the money or place it in a bank would likely require that he identify it as belonging to his master, and being invested on his behalf. By simply burying the money, he may have hoped to keep it for himself if the master failed to come back.

Insight: Even when a passage has a primary application to some specific group other than ourselves, it always contains principles and lessons that we can take as our own. (This is true of all Scripture.)

24) What does Matthew 25:20 and 22 suggest about what God expects of different individuals in our service for Christ until He comes again?

The Great Tribulation (Prophecy Studies #8)

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The Great Tribulation is described for us in several Bible passages. A previous study dealt with the church, raptured and resurrected, glorified and rewarded. Meanwhile, on earth, a very different scene will be unfolding. The entire period constitutes the 70th “week” of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27). Daniel himself divides the seven years in two, with the setting up of the “abomination that brings desolation” as the defining mid-point. The latter three and a half years in particular is known as “the Great Tribulation” (Rev. 7:14; cf. Matt. 24:15, 21), though for convenience’ sake we often speak of the entire seven years as the Tribulation.

Though it occurs after the rapture of the church, there is no Scripture indicating that the Tribulation must follow immediately after. A number of prophetic scholars suggest the possibility of a brief interval between the two–of perhaps a few months. This would allow time for various things to be put in place that relate to the last seven years (such as the completion of Israel’s temple).

There has been suffering on earth, at various times, and in various places–rampant disease, natural disasters, and the persecution of believers. However, nothing will compare to the Tribulation. Jeremiah cries, “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it” (Jer. 30:7). Similar language is used by Daniel (Dan. 12:1) and by Jesus Himself, who says, “That Day…will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Lk. 21:34-35; cf. Matt. 24:21). Thus, if language means anything, this is a time of total, unprecedented, world-wide trouble that affects every human being left on the globe.

Putting the many Scriptures together that deal with this subject, it is clear that the Tribulation has two distinct purposes.

  1. It is a period of divine judgment upon the unbelieving nations of earth. The “Times of the Gentiles” ends with the wicked arrogance of the Antichrist seeking to rule the world and demanding the worship of men. This final rebellion will bring down the wrath of heaven. “For the Lord has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword….Behold, disaster shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the earth. And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth” (Jer. 25:31-33).
  2. It is a period when God returns to His program for the Jews, and prepares Israel for her Messiah’s coming. Israel as a nation will repent of her treatment of Christ and be redeemed and spiritually restored, in readiness for His return. As Zechariah prophesies, “It shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people;’ and each one will say, ‘The Lord [Jehovah] is my God’” (Zech. 13:8-9). Or as Jeremiah says, “It is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7, cf. vs. 4-10).

This lesson relates particularly to the Gentile nations, and the wrath of God against the unbelieving. However, during this period, the nation of Israel will receive special attention and divine protection. Their experiences will be covered in the next lesson.

To get an overview of the multiple judgments of the Tribulation, please turn to the book of Revelation. Chapters 6 through 18 of the book deal with this subject. Before each judgment falls on earth, something happens in heaven. Seven seals on a great scroll are broken, seven trumpets are sounded, and the contents of seven bowls are poured out. This alerts us to the Source of these earthly events. They are neither random nor accidental. God is at work. Just how they are spread over the seven years is somewhat debated. But it is clear that the judgments come closer together and are more intense as the period draws to a close.

Insight: In ancient times, official documents were sealed with a blob of melted wax. Only the one directly concerned with the contents had the right to break the seal. In Revelation 5:1 we see God Himself holding such a scroll. It is sealed with seven seals. Though the contents of the scroll are not specified, some believe it is the title deed to the earth. Then the question comes “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” (vs. 2). At first, it seems no one is (vs. 3-4).

1) Who finally steps forward and is recognized to have rightful claim to dominion over the earth (Rev. 5:5-7)?

2) Why would He have a right to “the title deed to the earth,” a right that was forfeited by all others (I Pet. 2:22; I Jn. 3:5, etc.)?

Insight: As each seal is broken, something significant happens on the earth below. It will be seen that these are often an expansion of the “signs” Jesus describes in Matthew 24.

3) What occurs when the Lamb breaks the first seal (6:1-2)?

Insight: This personage is sometimes mistaken for Christ. But keep in mind that it is Christ who is opening the scroll. This is the Antichrist, pictured as a warrior going forth to gain power by his conquests. At first he will present himself as a benevolent dictator, determined to bring peace to the earth. But “when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them” (II Thess. 5:3).

4) What happens with the breaking of the second seal (6:3-4)?

5) What does the breaking of the third seal depict (6:5-6)? (Note: a denarius–the coin mentioned–was a day’s wages for a common labourer.)

Insight: The breaking of the fourth seal brings forth Death, riding on a pale horse (Rev. 6:7-8). Added to the continuing violence of war, and spreading famine, death will come by plagues and disease (“pestilences,” Lk. 21:11). Then the animals will turn on man, and death will come “by the beasts of the earth.” Since the time of Noah, God has placed a fear of man in animals (Gen. 9:2). Most will not attack unless cornered or threatened. But that will change in the Tribulation. Apparently, the whole animal kingdom will thirst for human blood and go on the attack.

6) As the fifth seal is broken, who cries out for justice? And what are they told (6:9-11)?

7) What natural disasters does the breaking of the sixth seal bring (6:12-14)?

8) What is the response of the people on earth (vs. 15-17)?

Insight: Chapter 7 steps aside from the toll of judgment to tell a little of what is happening to Israel during this time. The seventh seal is broken in Rev. 8:1. All of the seven trumpet judgments to follow are telescoped within it (vs. 2), so it is significant indeed. Perhaps that is the reason for a half hour of silence in heaven at this time. All will pause to consider the terrible events to come, as the intensity of these plagues increases.

9) What happens when the first trumpet is sounded (8:7)?

10) What disasters follow the sounding of the second trumpet (8:8-9)?

Insight: The destruction of ships at sea may come as a result of monster tidal waves created by what seems to be a giant meteor striking the waters.

11) What judgment comes after the third trumpet sounds (8:10-11)?

12) What happens when the fourth trumpet sounds (8:12-13)?

Insight: As the fifth trumpet blast is heard, a horde of demons in the form of biting insects is released upon the earth, with their leader, Apollyon (Rev. 9:1-4, 11). The bite of these creatures is not fatal, but the pain will be so intense people will want to die, but they will be unable to do so (vs. 5-6). As a further important note, these insects will not bite those who “have the seal of God on their foreheads” (vs. 4). In Chapter 7, 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) will be sealed for their protection. LaHaye and Jenkins, in the “Left Behind” series, suggest the idea that all who put their faith in Christ are sealed with a supernatural seal that only other believers can see. They see this as a means God will use to protect this endangered group. It is a guess, but perhaps it will be so.

Insight: When the sixth trumpet blows, an army from the East, from beyond the Euphrates, begins to march against the Antichrist–whose headquarters by this time will be in Israel. The army (likely made up of military contingents from China, Japan and India) is two million strong (Rev. 9:13-15).

13) Will these terrible trials bring the unbelieving world to faith in Christ (9:20-21)?

14) What does Proverbs 29:1 say will happen to people like Revelation describes?

15) Does this fact suggest what the attitude of sinners will be in eternal hell?

Insight: The Greek word for “sorceries” (KJV) is pharmakeia–from which we get our English word pharmacy. Occult worship sometimes makes use of hallucinogenic drugs. This may be the connection. Or the passage may hint at rampant drug addiction, an attempt by wicked men to dull the pain of God’s wrathful judgment.

Insight: Chapter 10 and a bit of Chapter 11 deal with other matters, including the testimony of two supernatural witnesses. Then, like the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15) has telescoped within it the next (and final) seven judgments. Each will be visited upon the earth when one of seven bowls is poured out, “bowls full of the wrath of God” (15:7).

16) At this time, war breaks out elsewhere. Where? And between whom (Rev. 12:7)?

17) What will be the outcome of the war (12:8-9)?

Insight: It may seem strange to see Satan in “heaven,” but there he is. Long ago (likely before the creation of the world), Satan rebelled against God, and lost the exalted position before the throne of God he once had (Ezek. 28:14-16). However, we know that he still has some access to the throne, since he came before God to accuse Job of hypocrisy (Job 1:6-11; 2:1-5). With his defeat here (at the mid-point of the Tribulation), even that limited access will be denied. He will be confined to the earth (vs. 9).

18) Two of the devil’s most basic destructive works are described in Revelation.

¤ What does he do in the unbelieving world (12:9)?

¤ What does he do in relation to the people of God (12:10)?

19) What is Satan’s reaction to what has happened to him? And what result does it bring (12:12)?

Insight: From this passage we can see that, in the wisdom of God, Satan’s defeat comes about in stages.

  1. Because of his prideful rebellion, Satan lost his exalted position before God’s throne (Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14-16).
  2. At the cross, his attempt to destroy man, the crown of God’s earthly creation, was thwarted. Through personal faith in Christ, individuals are rescued from Satan’s domain (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14).
  3. At the present time, individual believers are given the power to “resist” the devil, by faith, and through the equipping of “the whole armour of God” (Eph. 6:10-18; I Pet. 5:8-9; Jas. 4:7).
  4. In the Tribulation, he will be cast down to the earth, becoming, in effect, a further instrument of God in bringing awful judgment on sinners.
  5. During the Millennium he will be bound, and unable to deceive for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2-3). 6) At the end of the thousand years, after being released, his final act of rebellion will be quelled and he will be cast into hell forever (20:7-10).

20) What judgment does the pouring of the first bowl bring (16:1-2)?

21) How does the judgment of the second bowl (16:3) compare with that of the second trumpet (8:9)?

Insight: The pollution of earth’s fresh water (8:10-11) also seems to be tripled with the pouring out of the third bowl (16:4-6).

22) What does the pouring of the fourth bowl bring (16:8)? And with what result (16:9)?

23) What is the fifth bowl judgment (16:10)? And the result (16:11)?

24) What happens when the sixth bowl is poured forth (16:12)?

Insight: This opens the way for the advancing army from the East, mentioned earlier (9:16). These forces prepare to clash with the Antichrist at a place called Armageddon (16:16). This is another name given to the Plain of Jezreel, stretching across the middle of the Holy Land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River. With the pouring of the seventh bowl, a voice from heaven announces “It is done!” (16:17). Hailstones weighing 75-100 pounds fall from the heavens (vs. 21), bringing more blasphemous hatred from those who remain alive. This is accompanied by thunder, lightning, and history’s greatest earthquake (vs. 18), shaking the proud cities of men to their foundations and causing them to fall.

What is sometimes called the “Battle” of Armageddon is actually a series of manoeuvres, a military campaign, described in more detail in Daniel Chapter 11. The prophecy concerns “the time of the end” (vs. 35), and a ruler who “shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, [and] speak blasphemies against the God of gods.” Daniel says “[He] shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done” (vs. 36). After the abomination of his idol image is set up in the temple, threats to the Antichrist’s domination come from all directions (vs. 40-45). We should not be dogmatic about the details, but events seem to unfold somewhat as follows:

  1. A confederacy of Arab nations, led by Egypt, attacks him from the south.
  2. Russia and her allies attack from the north. (Ezekiel describes this strike more extensively–Chapt. 38-39, where Russia is called “Magog”).
  3. After doing some damage in the Holy Land, the Russian confederacy moves south to strike at Egypt and her allies.
  4. Then news comes of the advancing army from the East, and the mobilization of the Antichrist’s European forces.
  5. The armies of the Antichrist defeat the Russian allies, after which the Eastern and Western armies prepare to clash at Armageddon, where they are all destroyed at the coming of Christ in glory (cf. Rev. 19:11-21).

The Antichrist (Prophecy Studies #7)

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The Antichrist will be a world leader in the end times.

When we looked at the series of world empires Daniel prophesies will dominate and oppress Israel during the Times of the Gentiles (Daniel Chapters 2 and 7), we saw that the final world power will involve a revival of the old Roman Empire, but in a more fragmented, unstable form. There will be a loose alliance of nations, pictured by the image’s ten toes or iron mixed with clay, and by the ten horns on the fourth beast. The nations of Europe will be bound together in a federation that will come to dominate world affairs. The dictator who will rule over this “United States of Europe” as the seven-year Tribulation period begins, is a personage commonly known as the Antichrist. He is the subject of this study.

It is helpful to consider how dictators come to power. They do not simply walk in and take over. There has to be some reason why people are willing to surrender authority to one man. The Oxford Dictionary defines a “dictator” as “one who assumes absolute power in seasons of emergency.” In other words, there is some crisis situation that the present leadership is failing to deal with adequately. At that point, a person steps in who seems to hold a solution. Adolf Hitler is an example. He came to power during the Depression years of the 1930’s, offering the people of Germany an answer to their economic woes. And the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is just such a situation. No one seems to have an answer. As historian Arnold Toynbee has said, “We are ripe for the deifying of any new Caesar who might succeed in giving the world unity and peace.”

The one who will offer such a peace in the last days is Satan’s counterfeit Christ. He is known variously in Scripture by such descriptive titles as: “the little horn” (of Dan. 7:8), “the man of sin,” II Thess. 2:3), and “the beast” (of Rev. 13:1).We often speak of him as the Antichrist–which is not inaccurate. However, the Bible uses this term more generally, to represent the motivating force in the heart of this man and others as well. The Apostle John says, “Every spirit that does not confess that Christ [Messiah] has come in the flesh is not of God. That is the spirit of Antichrist which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (I Jn. 4:3; cf. 2:22).

The word Antichrist has two important meanings. “Anti” means both in place of, and also against. And this kind of spirit has always been around, but it will be personified during the Tribulation by one man. He will offer himself as Israel’s Messiah in place of Christ. And, because of his satanic hatred for Christ, he will violently oppose and fight against any who seek to follow Him.

The first passage we shall consider on this subject is Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2:1-8. In vs. 1 the Antichrist is called “the man of sin,” or in some versions “the lawless one” (as in vs. 8)–meaning he rejects God’s righteous standard.

1) What other phrase is used to describe him in vs. 1?

2) Whom does Jesus describe as another person with the same inner nature (Jn. 17:12)?

Insight: In the King James Version, they are each called “the son of perdition.” “Son of,” in ancient times, meant having the nature of…, or destined for…by nature. When Jesus says, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:13), it is the same Greek word as that translated “perdition.” Putting these facts together, we learn that, by their sinful fallen natures, both Judas and the Antichrist are men destined for eternal ruin.

3) What blasphemous thing does this “son of perdition” do (II Thess. 2:4)?

4) Where does this individual get his power (vs. 9)?

Insight: With the church already taken to be with Christ, only unbelievers will be left on earth at the beginning of the Tribulation. Yet there will be many who will turn to Christ and be saved during this period (Rev. 7:9, 13-14).

5) Does this mean that those who purposefully rejected Christ before the rapture will have another chance to be saved after? (Why? vs. 10-12?)

6) What will happen to this evil personage? And when (vs. 8)?

Insight: Someone had been telling the Thessalonian Christians that Christ had already raptured His church, and they had missed it–that they had been left behind to face the terrible suffering of the Tribulation (vs. 1-2). Paul assures them this is false, saying that must involve a final apostasy and the unveiling of the Antichrist (vs. 3). Satan might want to usher in this evil day, but he is being “restrained,” and cannot do it until the Restrainer is removed (vs. 6-7).

Opinions vary as to the identity of the “Restrainer.” Most likely it is the Holy Spirit indwelling and working through the church. As John says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (I Jn. 4:4). The Spirit of God will still be active in the Tribulation (because individuals will be born again), but His restraining work will be done when the church is caught up to be with Christ. Then evil will sweep the earth like a massive flood.

Another passage that deals with the Antichrist’s appearance and rule is Revelation 13:1-18. John’s introduction to this person comes in the form of a vision. But many of the details parallel what we read of the same individual elsewhere.

7) “The sea” in this vision could represent what, according to the way the symbol is used elsewhere (compare Isa. 57:20)?

Insight: This is reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of the fourth of four beasts (which also arise out of the sea). (See Daniel 7:7-11 and vs. 23-27.) The Beast of Revelation 13 appears to be the “little horn” of Daniel 7:8, who will rise to power out of the nations of the world, at a time when they are in chaos and crisis. He will dominate the revived Roman Empire, and from that power base seek the mastery of the earth.

8) Who is it that gives “the Beast” his power (Rev. 13:2; compare 12:9)?

Insight: In vs. 3, John says, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marvelled and followed the beast.” The seven “heads” (vs. 1) may simply picture various power blocks struggling for supremacy within his empire, as some suggest. However the “deadly wound” is spoken of again in 13:14, and it seems to be a wounding of the Beast himself. Perhaps Satan will engineer some kind of counterfeit resurrection for the Antichrist, which will cause wonder and amazement.

9) How long will his terrible blasphemy continue (vs. 5)?

Insight: This refers to the latter half of the seven-year Tribulation. For awhile, the Antichrist will even gain the upper hand over those who turn to Christ in this time (vs. 7). However, finally victory is still assured to these (Rev. 15:2)–though victory will be at the cost of martyrdom (Rev. 12:11; 17:6). Multitudes will pay for their stand by being killed.

10) What will happen to the Beast (vs. 4-5, and vs. 8) that parallels what Paul describes in Second Thessalonians?

Insight: Beginning in vs. 11, a second important personage is described, a second “beast” who will make his appearance during the Tribulation. Elsewhere, he is described as “the false prophet” (19:20) and he directs worship to the Antichrist (13:12-14). He somewhat counterfeits the ministry of John the Baptist pointing to the true Christ.

11) What special project will the false prophet direct? And what will become of it (Rev. 13:14-15)?

Insight: This is the abomination that brings desolation, predicted centuries earlier by Daniel (Dan. 9:27). An idol image of the Antichrist, set up in the holy place of the Jewish temple (Matt. 24:15), will signal the end of the covenant he makes with the Jews allowing them to worship, according to Old Testament law. Those Jews that are appalled at this blasphemy and resist, will be in mortal danger.

Insight: The Antichrist’s original power base is European–the revived Roman Empire. (This could well include Canada and the United States, whose roots are European.) He is quickly accepted as the leader of the world, receives world-wide adoration, and gains global domination (vs. 3, “all the world followed the beast;” and vs. 8, “all who dwell on the earth will worship him”). He is the final Gentile world ruler of the Times of the Gentiles.

12) How will the false prophet arrange for the Antichrist to control the trade and commerce of the earth (vs. 16-18)?

Insight: The technology is already available to do this and have a “cashless society,” by inserting a tiny computer chip under the person’s skin. This idea has some things to recommend it. (No need to worry about stolen wallets or lost credit cards!) But it will give the ability of those who control it to have absolute power over all the earth’s population. Personal freedom will virtually cease to exist. It is probably just a coincidence, but it is startling to realize that the Bible calls the Antichrist “the man of sin,” and the number by which the government identifies each of us is called our Single Identification Number, (in Canada, our Social Insurance Number) or SIN Number!

13) What if Canada introduced this system? (Would you get the computer chip inserted if it were voluntary? What if it were compulsory?)

Insight: The number 666, which symbolizes the Antichrist, may be the most famous number in history. By assigning a number value to each of the letters of the alphabet, some have tried to figure out his identity. For instance, in the opening paragraph of his novel War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy has one of the characters identify Napoleon as the Antichrist, by working out the number of his name. Then, in 1941, a pamphlet was published which showed if you call the letter “A” 100, “B” 101, “C” 102, and so on, you reach the total 666 with the name “Hitler” (H=107 + I=108 + T=119 + L=111 + E=104 + R=117). But this is silly! Who says that “A” must be equal to 100, and not some other number? In any event, John wrote in Greek, not English.

What we do know is that seven is often the number of completeness and perfection (as the seven days of creation, and the seven days making up a complete week). And a “trinity” of sevens would be a fitting symbol for Almighty God. Six is “the number of a man” (vs. 6), created on the sixth day, in the image of God, but less than God. A trinity of sixes (666) might relate to man’s final attempt (motivated by Satan) to replace God–a temptation he originally held out to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:5, “you will be like God”).

The beast reappears in Revelation Chapter 17:1-13, where we are given another dimension of the Antichrist’s evil rule.

14) Whom does John see riding on the Beast, in Revelation 17:3)?

15) And what is the name of this individual (vs. 5)?

16) What do the waters represent from which she rises (vs. 1, 15)?

17) In the Bible, what is meant by spiritual “adultery” and “harlotry” (or prostitution) (Jer. 3:6, 9, 13-14)?

18) To whom does the wealth really belong that is being showered upon these “lovers” (Ezek. 16:16-20)?

Insight: This world religion will grow in power to the point where it threatens to dominate and control the Antichrist himself (pictured by the harlot riding upon the Beast, vs. 3).

Insight: Babylon was the centre and origin of the first false religious system that ever existed (at the tower of Babel, Gen. 11:1-9). There was unbelief before this, but not in such an organized way. The purpose of the multitude gathered a Babel is expressed in Genesis 11:4, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Since God had told man, after the flood, to multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 9:1) this was an act of rebellion. The words, “whose top is in the heavens” may be rendered “whose top is unto, or devoted to, the heavens.” The purpose of the tower was the worship of heathen gods associated with the stars. Babylon is the origin of star worship and astrology (cf. Isa. 47:1, 12-13).

The Bible tells us that Nimrod founded Babel, or Babylon (Gen. 10:8-10). Ancient legends may suggest some helpful details augmenting the biblical record about him, explaining more of the significance of this early rebellion. We are told that the wife of Nimrod was Semiramis I. The high priestess of the Babylonian religion, she bore a son named Tammuz, whom she claimed was miraculously conceived. Semiramis presented him to the people, hailing him as the promised deliverer (cf. Gen. 3:15). Centuries later, one of the gods worshipped by the idolatrous Israelites was Tammuz (Ezek. 8:14).

Babylon (which is modern-day Iraq) will figure prominently in the events of the last days. Shortly after he came to power in 1979, Saddam Hussein started rebuilding the city of Babylon, including its ancient temples and the palace of Nebuchanezzar. Then he began holding an annual “Babylon Festival.” A poster advertising this event shows Hussein standing beside another person– Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s greatest king. The now deposed and executed Hussein saw himself as a latter-day Nebuchadnezzar. A great theatrical pageant was put on as part of the Babylon Festival. As it ended participants bowed before a woman representing Ishtar, the supposed wife of Tammuz. As the mother goddess of Babylon, she was credited with bringing the city back.

19) What kind of wickedness will the religion of the Antichrist promote (Rev. 17:6)?

20) How will this ancient religion and it’s city come to an end (vs. 16-17; 18:7-8)?

21) How complete will the final destruction of Babylon be (Isa. 13:19-20)?

22) Two things happen in the context which reveal the time when Babylon with its false religion will be destroyed.

a) It is accompanied by what (Isa. 13:9-11)?

b) Then what happens (Isa. 14:1-7)?

Insight: These events are coming. They rest upon the sure Word of God. But Christians need not fear. We have a prior appointment with Christ!

23) What focus should believers have (I Thess. 1:10a)?

23b) To what can we look forward in the future (II Tim. 4:8)?

23) And what should we be doing, meanwhile?

¤ Tit. 3:11-13

¤ I Thess. 1:9b

The Church In Glory (Prophecy Studies #6)

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The church in glory will be rewarded by the Son of God. It is a wonderful thing to hear, “Well done!” from someone who knows the effort we have made. As I write this, we have just come through an exciting Winter Olympics. Contests of speed and skill, on ice and snow, entertained many of us for a couple of weeks. After each competition, medals were awarded to the winners. Medals that, in the minds of the athletes, not only recognized they were the best at what they did on that given day, but acknowledged all the discipline and hard work it took to get there. Sometimes, years of training went into a race that was decided in hundredths of a second!

We all enjoy being appreciated. And in this study we shall look at the day when, in the presence of Christ, our service for Him will be recognized and rewarded. In our consideration of God’s prophetic plan, the church has been raptured, caught up to be with Christ. Meanwhile, on the earth, a scene of escalating chaos and divine judgment is unfolding. This will climax at the end of seven years with the return of Christ at Armageddon. But what of Christ and His church in the meantime? That is the main focus of our discussion in this lesson.

To begin, please turn to the book of Revelation. The “revelation” John received on the island of Patmos is the most extensive prophetic book in the New Testament. It is written with a particular plan in mind which is quite easy to discern.

1) What are the three categories of things about which John is instructed to write (Rev. 1:19)?

2) What is it that John already “has seen” by the time he hears these words (Rev. 1:12-18)?

3) “The things which are” concern conditions in seven what, of John’s day (Chapters 2-3).

Insight: The location and order of the seven congregations to which John was instructed to write was both practical and providential. A look at the map will show that if a messenger came ashore from Patmos, with John’s seven letters, the nearest city to him would be Ephesus. And each of the other cities follows in a definite loop, just the way a letter carrier might travel.

The providential order of the seven churches needs a bit more explanation. Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation may actually have a kind of triple application to three different settings. 1) Each was a real church, active in Johns day, with specific characteristics–both good and bad–that are addressed by the Lord. 2) We know that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” (II Tim. 3:16-17). Therefore, there are lessons conveyed in the seven letters that apply to our own churches today. 3) It is possible (though we cannot be certain about it) that God chose these seven churches to provide a kind of prophetic summary of the Church Age, from beginning to end. A number of Bible scholars take this view, and it is remarkable how the seven seem to relate to the flow of church history since Pentecost. (Some dates are approximate, in the following list.)

  1. Ephesus – The Apostolic Church (30-100 AD), when those who walked and talked with Jesus were still alive
  2. Smyrna – The Heroic Church (100-313 AD), during over two centuries of terrible persecution
  3. Pergamos – The Institutional Church (313-590 AD) when Christianity became the favoured and protected state religion
  4. Thyatira – The Roman Church (590-1517) when the church was ruled by the bishop of Rome, and church tradition dominated
  5. Sardis – The Reformation Church (1517-1727) witnessing a return to the Scriptures and salvation by grace through faith
  6. Philadelphia – The Renewed Church (1727-1910), a time of extensive evangelism, revival, and world missions
  7. Laodicea – The World Church (approximately 1910-Present) the church of the last days, struggling with worldliness, and a drive for “unity” that too often ignores sound doctrine

Insight: With Chapter 4 of Revelation we step beyond the life of the church on earth into the area of future things–“the things which will take place after this” (1:19). (Note that Chapter 4 begins “after these things.”) The last section of the book describes three periods: 1) John is caught up into heaven, as the church will one day be raptured. “The first voice I heard was like a trumpet…saying, ‘Come up here’” (Rev. 4:1). And John sees the scene around the throne of God (Chapters 4-5). 2) A series of judgments are poured out on the unbelieving earth (Chapter 6-18) during the Tribulation. (The church is nowhere in sight in these chapters.) 3) Christ’s return with His glorified church, to put down His enemies and set up His thousand-year earthly reign, followed by the ushering in of eternity. (Chapters 19-22).

4) What does Christ promise will happen in connection with His return (Rev. 22:12)?

5) We know that salvation is “not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9). How is that truth pictured in First Corinthians 3:11?

6) We are to build on this foundation works of enduring value (I Cor. 3:14). What would you say are some characteristics of such works?

7) Writing to Christians, in Romans 14:10, Paul identifies where this evaluation and rewarding will take place. Where is that?

Insight: Later, all the unsaved will be called before “the Great White Throne” (God’s royal throne) to be condemned to a lost eternity (Rev. 20:11-15). The “judgment seat of Christ” is quite different. The judgment seat (the bema, in Greek) was what they called the judge’s stand, in the ancient Olympics. That is the word the Bible uses for the place Christians will be rewarded. It is not a place of condemnation, because our condemnation has already been borne by Christ (Jn. 5:25; Rom. 8:1).

Olympic winners were summoned before the judge’s stand to receive their prizes. In those days the prize was not a medal, but a laurel wreath (sometimes made of real leaves, other times of gold fashioned as leaves). That is the word our English versions often translate as “crowns” when speaking of our future rewards. It is not a royal crown that is meant in each of the following passages, but a laurel wreath rewarding the victor.

Insight: Two of the crowns mentioned we could call the Saint’s Crowns, awarded for holy living.

8) According to First Corinthians 9:24-27, what kind of conduct is the “imperishable crown” awarded for?

9) And what about the reason for awarding the “crown of righteousness” (II Tim. 4:6-8)?

Insight: The expression “the faith” does not refer to personal faith, but to the teachings of the Word of God in which we are to put our faith. Jude uses the word this way also, when he says we are to “contend for the faith [God’s revealed truth] which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

10) How is the conduct of Demas a contrast with Paul’s (II Tim. 4:10; or see I Jn. 2:15-17)?

Insight: The next two crowns might be described as the Servant’s Crowns, awarded for Christian service. There is “the crown of rejoicing” (I Thess. 2:19-20). Paul is speaking to the Christians in Thessalonica, whom he’d had the privilege of bringing to Christ (1:5-6). And he says the believers themselves will be his “crown” when Christ returns. However, it could well be that a “laurel wreath” will be awarded as well. We could call it the Soul-winner’s crown. Daniel says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

11) For what kind of service is “the crown of glory” presented (I Pet. 5:2-4)?

Insight: The last crowns mentioned in the New Testament are the Sufferer’s Crowns. There are two kinds of suffering described, but for both there is “the crown of life” to be won.

12) The first category is the general trials and burdens of life that all must bear. Under what circumstances can they actually have a positive effect (Jas. 1:2-4, 12)?

13) The second kind of suffering is more specific. What is the reason for it (Rev. 2:10)?

Insight: From this brief review, you can see that there are three pairs of crowns mentioned. 1) The first pair relates to holy living, both avoiding the negative (that which displeases God) and embracing the positive. 2) The second pair relates to serving the Lord, both among the unsaved, and among believers. 3) And the third pair concerns being steadfast in trials, both in a general sense of the kind of suffering all human beings face, and as they come upon the people of God from those who oppose us. It should also be observed that the Lord not only considers outward behaviour, but the attitudes and intentions of the heart. When “the Lord comes, [He] will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (I Cor. 4:5).

Insight: In Second Corinthians 5:10 we read: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” The “bad” in this context does not refer to wickedness which must be punished–since our punishment was borne by Christ on the cross. Rather, the word is used in the sense of worthless, good for nothing–like waste that is discarded. We see the same concept in First Corinthians 3:11-15, where behaviour worthy of eternal reward is pictured as “gold, silver [and] precious stones,” while that which is unworthy of reward is called “wood, hay, [and] straw,” fit only to be burned as refuse. Perhaps some of the tears to be wiped away in heaven (Rev. 21:4) will be shed at the thought of what might have been.

Insight: When John views the scene surrounding the throne of God in heaven, he observes twenty-four “elders” seated on thrones around the central one (Rev. 4:4). Many believe these are representative of the church, reigning with Christ in glory. They are clothed in white robes and have golden crowns (again the word for laurel wreaths) on their heads. John describes what he sees when these engage in worship. Read Rev. 4:9-11.

14) What happens to the crowns during this time of worship? And why do you think this is done?

Insight: This happens “whenever…” (vs. 9), indicating it will not be simply a one-time act, but repeated many times.

Insight: When we move to Revelation Chapter 19, the period of terrible judgment on earth is nearing its conclusion (“after these things,” 19:1). John returns to what has been happening meanwhile to the church in heaven. The time of distributing rewards has concluded. And he reveals that our behaviour will not only be recognized with crowns of gold, but with robes of fine white linen (vs. 8), which represent “the righteous acts of the saints” (NKJV).

15) What significant event takes place at this time (Rev. 19:7)?

16) How do you think the Bridegroom will feel on this occasion (Eph. 5:25-27; Heb. 12:2)?

17) And how do you think we will feel, as His bride? (Though the story has a slightly different application, there is perhaps a clue in Luke 15:21-24.)

18) What is the next significant event in which the church will participate (Rev. 19:9)?

Insight: This celebration may take place at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. “Those who are called to the marriage supper” are obviously not the bride and Groom! Rather, they are the guests who witness the occasion. These will include the resurrected saints from before Pentecost, and likely the martyrs of the Tribulation as well. (The resurrection of Old Testament believers comes after the Tribulation, Dan. 12:1-2.)

19) Who describes himself as “the friend of the Bridegroom” (similar to our “best man”) (Jn. 3:28-29)?

Insight: In Luke 12:35-40 there is a parable relating to Christ’s return. While we must be cautious about trying to prove too much from a made-up story, this parable hints at a startling occurrence when “the Master” returns.

20) What startling act does Jesus portray in the parable (Lk. 12:37)?

21) How do you think this will make the guests feel? And why?

The Signs Of The End (Prophecy Studies #5)

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The signs of the end are described in the Bible, but not the date! There are some teachers of the prophetic Scriptures who insist on trying to set the date of Christ’s return, in spite of Jesus’ words that “you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matt. 25:13), and “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Often all this does is bring discredit to the cause of Christ. Date-setters have thus far been proven wrong, and it has led the uniformed to conclude that the Bible itself must therefore be wrong.

We need to take the words of Moses to heart: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut. 29:29). So, regarding the subject of Christ’s return, what are “those things which are revealed”? Are there some specific signs that the end is approaching, even if we cannot pin down a precise date? That will be the subject of this study. Home base will be Chapter 24 of Matthew–though we shall compare some other Scriptures along the way.

Matthew 24 and 25 has been called the “Olivet Discourse,” based on the fact that Jesus delivered the teaching on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:3). In His discourse, Jesus mentions a number of key signs–war, famine, earthquakes, and so on. Depending on exactly how these are divided, the precise number of signs may vary slightly, but we shall identify ten of them.

1) What brought grief to the heart of Jesus, in Matthew 23:37?

Insight: When He cleansed the temple of the corrupt trade that was taking place there, Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ (Matt. 21:13–quoting a statement made by Jehovah God in Isaiah 56:7).

2) Given that the temple was intended to be the house of God, do you see any significance to how Christ refers to it in Matthew 23:38?

2b) Under what conditions could this be said of a church building, today?

3) Where were Jesus and His disciples as the discussion of Matthew 24 began (vs. 1)?

4) What prediction did Jesus make at this time (vs. 2)?

5) As they reach the Mount of Olives, what two questions do the disciples ask the Lord (vs. 3)?

Insight: The first concern of Christ’s followers has to do with the destruction of their beautiful temple (a devastation which, unknown to them, would occur in 70 A.D.). This in turn led them to wonder how this terrible event would fit in with all the great Old Testament promises to Israel, promises of peace and prosperity in their land, under Messiah’s rule. The disciples had no awareness that (as of now) about 2,000 years would separate those two events.

6) According to Matthew 24:29-30 (see especially the end of vs. 30) what is the great event preceded by the signs mentioned earlier in the chapter?

Insight: This is the important key to understanding the Olivet Discourse. Namely, that it concerns Christ’s second coming to the earth in power and glory, to reign as Israel’s Messiah. It is not about the church, or the rapture of the church. What precipitates the discussion is some questions raised by Jesus’ Jewish disciples relating to the future of their nation. That Jesus has the Jews in mind, as He answers, is clear from vs. 20, where He warns that the Old Testament Sabbath law might restrict their flight from the enemy.

Thus the signs described by Jesus are not signs that must precede the coming rapture of the church. (This is to be an at-any-moment event, not announced by signs.) The signs point rather to Christ’s return with His saints to reign.

That does not mean, however, that they have nothing to do with us, as Christians. The signs will not likely appear all of a sudden. There will be a build-up of these things. And if the signs point to Christ’s return to the earth, and if the rapture must occur at least seven years before that event, we have every reason to believe that the rapture of the church is close indeed! This anticipation should give us both comfort and joy.

Notice vs. 8. The signs mentioned in vs. 5-7 are called “the beginning of sorrows”–literally, the beginning of birth pains, or labour pains. The imagery is quite suggestive. It implies that the signs will come closer together and be more intense as the end nears. Then…

7) In the mini-parable of vs. 32-33, how did the Jews know when the summer season was about to begin?

8) And how would they know when “it” (Christ’s coming) is near (vs. 33)?

Insight: “When you see all these things…” meaning when all the signs coming together. There have always been wars, and many of the other things mentioned. But when “it is near” (or it could be rendered when “He is near”) all of the various signs will occur at once with maximum intensity. Also, the ninth sign, below, seems to require that Israel be able to act as a national entity once more (to rebuild her temple in Jerusalem). Until 1948, this possibility did not exist.

9) What is the first sign that the end is approaching (vs. 4-5)?

10) What will convince many to follow these counterfeits (vs. 11, 24)?

10b) What do you see going on today that might relate to this?

Insight: These men (or women) will represent false and heretical religions which will also be on the rise. And the appearance of false messiahs and prophets will be accompanied by increased demonic activity (I Tim. 4:1).

11) What is the second sign of the end (vs. 6-7a; or see Rev. 6:2-4)?

Insight: No imagination is necessary to see the intensifying of international conflict, terrorist attacks, and the threat of war in our day!

12) What is the third sign (vs. 7; or see Rev. 6:5-6)?

Insight: Given the steadily increasing world population (now at about 6 billion), and unusual weather patterns bringing drought and poor crop yields, we could be seeing the approach of unprecedented shortages. Revelation 6:6 describes a time during the Tribulation when a quart of wheat (enough for a day’s use), will cost a denarius (a day’s wages).

Insight: The fourth sign in Matthew 24:7 is omitted by some Bible versions. It is “pestilences” (NKJV, or see the parallel passage, Lk. 21:11). This has to do with plagues and widespread disease. The immoral lifestyle of many has made AIDS a worldwide epidemic. (British disease expert, Dr. John Seale, calls it the “biological equivalent of nuclear war.”) Further, new strains of infectious diseases are developing which are resistant to current antibiotics. Scourges like smallpox and cholera could soon make a comeback.

13) What is the fifth sign described by Jesus (vs. 7; or see Rev. 6:12)?

Insight: Natural disasters such as earthquakes do seem to be on the rise. Also, because of the increase in the world’s population, and the concentration of people in large cities, quakes can now have a more devastating effect in terms of loss of life.

14) What is the sixth sign of the approaching end (vs. 9-10)?

Insight: If the teaching of Jesus refers to the seven-year Tribulation, after the church has been caught up, these sufferers are believers of that time, and especially Jews. (Jeremiah calls it “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” Jer. 30:5-7.) Yes, we can expect Christians to suffer more opposition before Christ comes for His church (II Tim. 3:12-13), but it will be nothing like the deadly worldwide attack in that time upon any who do not bear the mark of the beast (Rev, 13:16-17).

15) How does vs. 21 indicate the intensity of persecution against believers in that time (or compare Dan. 12:1)?

16) And what does vs. 22 add to our understanding of how severe it will be?

Insight: Since the period of “great tribulation,” the last half of the seven years, is repeatedly described as lasting precisely 42 months (lunar months of 30 days each), or 1,260 days (Rev. 11:2-3), the “shortening” does not seem to mean the three and a half year time period will be cut short. Commentator William MacDonald suggests the intriguing idea that perhaps the daylight hours will be shortened, making it more difficult to hunt down believers.

Insight: The promise of vs. 13 that “he who endures to the end shall be saved” should be understood in its context. Rather than speaking of eternal salvation, Jesus is saying that those who are faithful to Him during the Tribulation will be physically rescued and delivered from death by His glorious return. This interpretation is supported by vs. 22 when it says “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (“flesh” being a reference to the physical body, as in the expression “the Word was made flesh,” Jn. 1:14).

In vs. 34, Jesus promises, “This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” He cannot be referring to those who were listening to Him at the time, since we know the events of Matthew 24, including His glorious return, have yet to occur. “Generation” translates the Greek word genea. It can also mean race, or family. It is possible the Lord is referring to Israel as a nation, saying that the Jewish nation as a whole would not be utterly destroyed by the terrible events He has described. The other possibility is that He means the generation of Jews alive at the time these events occur will not be utterly destroyed.

17) What is the seventh sign of the end–two characteristics–(vs. 12)?

Insight: The love that grows cold could be a love for the Lord, but it is not qualified in that way. Perhaps it is just a reference to human love–real love–being on the decline. Paul predicts that in the last days men will be lovers of themselves (proud), lovers of money (greedy), and lovers of pleasure (lustful), but that in fact they will be “unloving” in the best sense of the word (II Tim. 3:1-5).

18) How do the two negative characteristics of vs. 12 fit together? And what do you see happening today that relates to this?

Insight: Jesus compares the attitudes of people in the Tribulation to those that existed in the days of Noah (vs. 37-39).

19) How are these pre-flood days described in Genesis 6:5, 11? Is this already evident in our own time?

20) What is the eighth sign to precede the return of Christ (vs. 14)?

Insight: Though they are closely related, the “gospel of the kingdom” is not precisely the same as the gospel of grace proclaimed in the Church Age. (It is more a difference in focus, than an entirely different message.) The gospel we share today is the good news that “Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:1, 3). The gospel of the kingdom includes this, but emphasizes the good news that Christ will soon return to set up His kingdom (compare Matt. 25:31, 34). This will be an especially welcome message to those enduring the Tribulation.

Insight: It is possible the 144,000 Jews who are sealed and protected then will be the “missionaries” carrying this message across the world (Rev. 7:3-14). They will be hugely successful in this, since “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues” (vs. 14) will “come out of the great tribulation [having] washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (vs. 14). While this outreach is to take place after the church is caught up, perhaps the technology of today (computers, satellites, etc.) is preparing the way for it.

21) What is the ninth sign that the end is approaching (vs. 15)?

Insight: “The abomination of desolation” (the abomination that brings the final desolating judgments of the Tribulation) was predicted by Daniel to occur at the mid-point of the seventieth “week” of his 490 year prophecy (Dan. 9:27). Jesus says the abomination will be found standing in “the holy place,” referring to the sanctuary, in the temple. Putting the various references to this together, it appears that the Antichrist, will make a seven-year covenant with the Jews, allowing them freedom of worship in their own temple in Jerusalem. Then, after three and a half years, he will break his covenant (Dan. 9:27), enter the temple and demand that he himself be worshipped (II Thess. 2:3-4). An image of the Antichrist will be erected (perhaps in the temple as well) and all will be commanded to worship it or be killed (Rev. 13:14-15).

Insight: This will require the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which could occur during the first three and a half years of relative peace, when Israel is under the protection of the Antichrist. Or it might happen in a brief interval of time between the rapture and the start of the Tribulation. (There is nothing in Scripture to suggest that the seven years must start immediately after the church is caught away.) Even today Israel is hungering to have her temple again and the Jews are collecting the funds necessary to do it.

A Muslim mosque now stands on the temple mount. It was once thought that this mosque would have to be destroyed in order for the temple to be built. But some have calculated that this would not be necessary. Ancient texts suggest that Solomon’s temple was built in an open area north of the mosque. This means the mosque actually stands in that part of the wider temple area known as “the court of the Gentiles.” Possibly the Antichrist will try to settle the present conflict by allowing both Moslems and Jews access to their own place of worship on the mount.

22) Immediately preceding the coming of Christ “with power and great glory” (vs. 30-31) what will the tenth sign be (vs. 29)?

Insight: Compare: Isa. 13:9-10; Ezek. 32:6-8; Amos 8:9; Rev. 6:12-13; 8:12, etc. Common to all these passages is a prediction of coming darkness. But as Christians we shall be delivered from that day. The darkness of God’s wrath was borne by Christ, on the cross for us (Matt. 27:45), and we will miss this time of earthly judgment. “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess. 5:9). Instead, we “wait for His Son from heaven…who delivers us from the wrath to come” (I Thess. 1:10). Not wrath, but rapture! We look expectantly for Christ, not for the Antichrist!

Daniel 9:24-27

This prophecy was discussed in an earlier lesson. But because of its importance, a summary note is given here. Properly understood, the prophecy of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” provides an outline of major events in Israel’s history–especially concerning the city of Jerusalem, all the way from the time of Nehemiah to the second coming of Christ. The prophecy covers 70 heptads, 70 “7’s” of years, or 490 years, with the exclusion of the Church Age which was invisible to the Old Testament Prophets and is passed over in silence. To understand the passage, keep in mind that “Messiah the Prince” and “the prince who is to come” (the Antichrist) are two different people. The key events are as follows:

1) The decree is issued by Artaxerxes in 445 BC, allowing the Jews to “restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9: 25a; cf. Neh. 2:5-8), and the rebuilding completed “in troublesome times,” which Nehemiah certainly experienced (Dan. 9:25b)

2) Christ (“Messiah the Prince”) presents Himself to Israel as King at His Triumphal Entry (cf. Zech. 9:9) but He is rejected and crucified (“Messiah shall be cut off,” Dan. 9:26a)

3) The people of the prince who is to come (the Romans) “destroy the city and the sanctuary” in 70 AD (Dan. 9:26b)

[The Church Age in which we now live ending with the rapture]

4) The “prince” (the Antichrist) makes a covenant with Israel, perhaps allowing the rebuilding of their temple (Dan. 9:27a). This begins the seven-year earthly Tribulation of Bible prophecy.

5) The Antichrist stops regular sacrifices and desecrates the temple (“the abomination of desolation” referred to by Jesus), after three and a half years (Dan. 9:27b; cf. Matt. 24:15-16)

6) Destruction is poured out on the Antichrist and his followers at the second coming of Christ (Armageddon) (Dan. 9:27c)

7) The fulfillment of the blessings promised to Israel in the Millennial Kingdom (Dan. 9:24). “To anoint the Most Holy” could refer to the crowning of Messiah as King (the Most Holy One), or to the consecration of the new Millennial Temple (the Most Holy Place) described by Ezekiel (Ezek. 40–47).

The Rapture of the Church (Prophecy Studies #4)

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The rapture of the church of Christ is our subject now. In First Corinthians 10:32, the Apostle Paul mentions three key groups. He says, “Give no offense, either to the JEWS, or to the Greeks [the Gentiles], or to the Church of God.” So far, in our study of Bible prophecy, after establishing the fundamental truth that Jesus is coming back again, we have looked at the Jews (Israel), and at the Gentiles. There are prophetic details related to each of these groups. They will be explored further in later studies. Today, we turn our attention to “the church of God” to see what the future holds for it.

The church is the spiritual body of Christ (I Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:22-23), made up of all those who put their faith in Christ (Gal. 3:26-28) during the period from Pentecost (in Acts 2) to the event called the rapture of the church–which we shall discuss in a moment. (The saved of other ages can be called believers, or saints of God, but strictly speaking they are not “Christians,” and they are not a part of the church.) And though there are many nominal or professing Christians today, it is only those who have been born again by the Spirit of God, through faith in the Saviour (Jn. 1:12-13)–whatever the church “denomination” to which they belong–who truly deserve that designation. They are the “Christ-ones.”

There is a phrase used dozens of times in the epistles to describe those who are part of the church, the spiritual body of Christ. They are said to be “in Christ,” or “in Him.” This is a legal term, indicating how God views the Christian and how He therefore treats him, because of his legal standing “in Christ.” It is as though, when we trust in Christ as Saviour, we are clothed in Christ. We have “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). When God looks at us, from that point on, He sees us, as it were, through Christ, and deals with us as He would His own dear Son.

It is instructive to explore some of the many uses of this little phrase, in order to understand more fully our legal position “in Christ.” For example, we are “one body in Christ” (Rom. 12:5); “new creations” in Christ (II Cor. 5:17; cf. Eph. 2:10); “blessed with every spiritual blessing” in Him, and “accepted” by God in Him (Eph. 1:3, 6); and we are “complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). What great and glorious privileges are given to the child of God! And as members of the body of Christ we can look forward to an even more glorious future. It is that we shall now explore.

Insight: Please begin by reading First Corinthians 15:51-53. In vs. 51 Paul uses a word that has a special, theological meaning. He calls the truths he is about to share a “mystery.” This word means: a sacred secret, previously unknown, but now at last revealed. (What is to happen to the church was unknown and unforeseen by the Old Testament prophets because the Church Age itself was a “mystery” (Eph. 3:1-7).

1) What is the meaning of the expression “we shall not all sleep” (vs. 51; compare Acts 13:36)?

2) Does this mean that we shall forever be trapped in our present weak, sickly bodies (vs. 51)?

3) Why is this necessary (vs. 50, 53)?

Insight: When Christ rose from the dead, He was the same Person. His body even had the marks of His crucifixion upon it. And yet it was a transformed body, a resurrection body–sometimes called a “glorified body.” The Bible promises that when the Lord returns He will “transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21). All that this will mean has not been revealed, but these will be never-aging, never-dying bodies fitted for the eternal kingdom.

4) How quickly will this transformation occur (vs. 52)?

Insight: “Moment” translates the Greek word atomos, which gives us the English word atom. It signifies the smallest possible particle of time.

5) How many of the Christians living at the time of Christ’s coming will experience this (vs. 51)?

Insight: This is significant, as some have suggested only those who are “ready” will be raptured, that carnal Christians will be left on earth to suffer through the Great Tribulation. (This is called the “partial rapture theory.”) But God says “all” who are “in Christ” “shall be made alive” (I Cor. 15:22-23). It is the privilege of “those who are Christ’s,” with no exceptions. (And this was written to a church which Paul severely criticized for sin and carnality within the congregation.)

6) When this transformation occurs for those alive at the time of Christ’s return, what happens to those Christians who have already died (vs. 52)?

7) When will this all happen, according to vs. 52?

Insight: When the nation of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, it was a tremendous task to get everyone organized for the day’s march. A series of trumpet blasts provided agreed upon signals when assigned preparations were to be carried out (cf. Num. 10:1-10). Then, when all was in readiness, the last trumpet sounded. It meant “Move out!” That is the idea here.

Please turn now to First Thessalonians 4, and read vs. 13-18.

8) How is our departure from this earth described in vs. 17?

Insight: In Latin, the phrase “caught up” is rapturo, which gives us the English word rapture. This event is commonly called “the rapture of the church,” when the living saints will be snatched away into the presence of the Lord, in the blink of an eye. Apparently this was causing some anxiety in the Thessalonian church (vs. 13). They wondered, would those who had already died miss this gathering of the saints into the presence of Christ?

9) What two expressions are used to describe Christians who have already died (vs. 14, 16)?

10) Where are these departed Christians now (vs. 14; or see I Cor. 5:8)?

11) What is the order of events for the two groups (living and departed Christians) (vs. 16-17)?

Insight: Notice again the mention of the sounding of the trumpet (vs. 16), along with the announcement of the event by an archangel. In addition, the Lord Himself will “shout.” We are not told what He will shout, but perhaps with the steady advance of evil in the world, the Son of God will suddenly cry, “Enough!” and take His people home.

12) Where will we all meet together with the Lord (vs. 17)?

13) The “clouds” may well be atmospheric clouds. But what else could they possibly be (suggested by Heb. 12:1)?

14) What should be the result of Christians studying the doctrine of the rapture of the church (vs. 18)?

Insight: Theologians speak of the rapture of the church as being “imminent,” meaning it could happen at any moment. There are no predicted events or signs described in the Bible which must come before the rapture. (The significance of the signs Jesus mentions in Matthew 24 will be dealt with in our next study.) It seems clear that Paul was expecting the possibility of the rapture in his own lifetime, since he speaks of “we who are alive…” being caught up. He himself was joyfully waiting for the Saviour (Phil. 3:20), and commends other Christians for watching eagerly for Christ’s coming (I Thess. 1:9-10). James writes that “the coming of the Lord is at hand…behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (Jas. 5:8-9). From these and other such statements we conclude that the catching away of the church could happen at any time. We are to live in continuing expectation of it (Tit. 2:13). Christians should not be looking for the undertaker but for the “Up-taker”!

Next, please read John 14:1-6.

15) What is one purpose for which Christ returned to heaven (vs. 3)?

Insight: The Father’s house is another name for heaven, also called “the heavenly Jerusalem,” “the city of the living God” (Heb. 12:22-23), also “the holy city,” or “New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2). In it are “many mansions” (or dwelling places). And we may be assured that each one will be prepared and furnished by the Lord to exactly suit its occupant.

16) What is Christ’s reason for preparing these dwellings (vs. 3; also see Jn. 17:24)?

17) What words in vs. 3 indicate Jesus is speaking of catching up believers to heaven rather than coming down to earth to reign?

Insight: Though we sometimes group them together as both pertaining to the Lord’s return, the rapture and the second coming are distinctly different events, separated by a seven-year period of time. Here are a few basic differences: a) The rapture is imminent (meaning it can happen at any moment), with no predicted signs needed first. But the second coming follows a time of “great tribulation” on the earth, with many signs which must be fulfilled first. b) At the rapture, Christ comes in the air for His church. But at the second coming Christ comes to the earth with His church. c) Christ’s purpose in the rapture is to claim and reward His bride (the church). Christ’s purpose at His second coming is to reward the believing remnant of Israel and set up His earthly kingdom. d) At the rapture, Christ will be invisible to the unsaved of earth. At His second coming, “every eye shall see Him.” e) Following the rapture, Christ will reward His church at His Judgment Seat (or Bema). Following His second coming, Christ will judge the nations for their treatment of the Jews, and then bless believing Israel in her Land. f) The rapture is a “mystery” unknown and unforeseen in Old Testament times. The second coming of Christ to reign is taught extensively in the Old Testament.

18) As to how we are to reach the heavenly mansions described in John 14, what does Jesus say (vs. 6)?

19) Based on the following Scriptures, what is the meaning of the statement, “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 3:16; 10:9; Acts 4:12; 16:31a)?

20) How should Christians be affected, if we are living in expectation of Christ calling us to Himself at any moment (Tit. 2:12-13; or I Jn. 3:2-3)? (In other words, what difference should the at-any-moment return of Christ for His church make to our priorities and conduct?)

The Times Of The Gentiles (Prophecy Studies #3)

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The Times of the Gentiles are upon us, though many may not be familiar with the term. Events in recent years are connected with this prophetic period.

It didn’t seem to raise much excitement at the time. It didn’t get much notice in the papers. There were no big parades. But something happened on January 1st, 1993, that was revolutionary. It will eventually affect the lives of everyone on earth. On that day, twelve nations in Western Europe became a single economic unit, linking 345 million people in a single common market. With that step, the European continent was on its way to forming the mightiest power base on earth–what we could call the United States of Europe. We need to look at this entity now, as it relates to prophecy.

At the present time, during the Church Age, God has temporarily set aside His program for Israel as a nation. Things have changed for the Jews. They have been scattered across the earth. And though the little country of Israel was reestablished in 1948, it suffers constant oppression and attacks from its neighbours. Israel today has no king on the throne, no temple, no priesthood, no sacrifices. She is only a shadow of what she was in the glory days of David and Solomon.

What we looking at today is a period of time when Israel is dominated by Gentile powers. This is not the same as the Church Age, because it began in the Old Testament, with the Babylonian Captivity, and it will continue on after the rapture of the church, under the rule of the Antichrist. Jesus referred to this era as “the Times of the Gentiles.” He says, “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk. 21:24).

This does not mean necessarily a constant and unbroken “trampling.” Rather, it is similar to having a chronic cough. Not constant coughing, but persistent and repeated coughing over time. In a similar way, Israel will repeatedly be threatened, attacked, and sometimes oppressed by other nations until Christ’s return. An entire book of the Bible deals in a major way with the Times of the Gentiles: the book of Daniel. Daniel was a slave in Babylon, along with many of the Jews. Their captivity, beginning the Times of the Gentiles was a judgment of God upon their idolatry and sin. The king of Babylon in that day was Nebuchadnezzar.

1) What happened that troubled the Babylonian king (Dan. 2:1)?

2) When the king’s heathen astrologers and magicians could not tell him what he wanted to know, what did he do (vs. 12)?

3) This decree included Daniel, who was serving in the court as a counsellor to the king (vs. 13). But what did Daniel do about it (vs. 16-18)?

4) To whom did Daniel give the credit for revealing the secret information the king wanted (vs. 28)?

Insight: Daniel went on to reveal to the king what his dream had been, and what it meant. Its full meaning spans centuries of time.

5) What did the king see in his dream (vs. 31)? And what was unusual about it (vs. 32-33)?

6) What happened to the dream image (vs. 34)? And what eventually became of the stone (vs. 35)?

7) According to verses 37-38, what did the golden head of the image represent?

Insight: As the prophecies of Daniel unfold, we see that the head of gold pictures not the king only, but Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, the empire of Babylon under its most powerful king.

8) What did the chest and arms of silver portray (vs. 39)? And how is it described in the verse, in comparison to Babylon?

Insight: Daniel was still alive, an old man in his eighties, when this second empire came to power. At the time of King Belshazzar, an alliance of the Medes and the Persians (note the two arms of this part of the image) conquered the Babylonians.

9) What is pictured by the bronze belly and thighs of the image (vs. 39)?

Insight: Some versions read “brass,” and some “bronze,” describing the belly and thighs of the image. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, bronze combines copper and tin. But Hebrew had only one word for copper and all its alloys.

Insight: Under Alexander the Great, the Greeks quickly conquered the Middle East all the way to the borders of India, as well as the northern part of Africa. In time, the Grecian Empire spread the influence of its ideas, culture and language all over the world.

10) What do the legs and feet of iron represent (vs. 40)? And how is this described?

Insight: The Roman Empire took over from the Greeks during the period between the Old and New Testaments. Known it history as “the Iron Kingdom,” it was in power at the time of Christ, and dominated with military might. But a couple of centuries later the empire split in two (pictured by the two legs). Greatly weakened, several centuries afterward, first the western, and then the eastern segment of the empire fell.

11) What is unusual about the feet of the image? And what effect does this have (vs. 42)?

12) Finally, what does “the stone cut out of the mountain without hands” picture (vs. 44-45)? And what is the significance of it being formed “without hands”?

13) What does the stone do to the kingdoms that preceded it?

Insight: These are the five major kingdoms that relate to Israel in a special way during the Times of the Gentiles. As Nebuchadnezzar sees them, the first four are portrayed as a gigantic man. But in a later vision of Daniel (in Chapter 7), we see them in God’s sight, as wild, ravening beasts.

Insight: At this point we need to consider a peculiarity of the viewpoint of the Old Testament prophets. When they describe the future coming of Christ, they sometimes bring details of both His first and second coming together in one passage. An example of this is Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus said He fulfilled the first one and a half verses at the time He was on earth (cf. Lk. 4:16-21). But “the day of vengeance of our God” awaits His return, as does the restoration of Israel described in Isaiah 61:3.

It is as though the Old Testament prophets saw the two comings as two distant mountain peaks, one beyond the other, with no view of the valley between. That valley represents a period that (as of now) is 2,000 years long. This means that the entire Church Age in which we live was invisible to the Old Testament prophets. They say nothing about it. Their focus is on the future of Israel–in which the Church Age is a kind of gap or interruption.

Insight: The Roman Empire did not fully come to an end in ancient times, as the other empires did. Though it does not bear that name today, it has continued to exercise influence, through the world-wide exploration, trade, commerce, and scientific discoveries of the European nations. In the last days, the nations of Europe will unite in a new form of the Roman Empire. (What we are seeing in Europe today seems to be the beginning of this.) Rather than the complete unity of the original empire, the final form will depend on alliances of nations (the iron will be mixed with clay), and be less cohesive. There are now more than ten nations in this federation. Perhaps several will unite to bring the final total to “ten,” as in the prophecies of Daniel. Daniel

Chapter 7 introduces us to the mysterious leader of this powerful empire, describing him as a “little horn” that rises up among the ten (vs. 8).

14) What actions are ascribed to the “little horn” (7:8)?

Insight: We will take a closer look at this “little horn” a person, sometimes called the Antichrist or the Beast, in a later lesson. But take a moment to read Daniel 7:9-14, an awesome description of Christ and His coming kingdom (the stone that smashes the image, in Chapter 2.)

15) What general impressions to you get from the scene described in verses 9 and 10?

16) What will happen to the “little horn” and his kingdom (vs. 11)?

17) How does the kingdom of the Son of Man differ from the kingdoms that come before it (7:14; or see 2:44)?

Insight: The last portion of Daniel we shall consider concerns his vision of the “Seventy Weeks.” It is remarkable in that it gives the precise date of Christ’s “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem, 500 years before it happened. So that we can have the same text before us for study purposes, the entire text of Daniel 9:24-27 is given here in the New King James Version:

24. Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

26. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

18) Who is the subject of this prophecy (vs. 24)?

Insight: The time span of the prophecy is “seventy heptads” (in Hebrew). Literally, seventy sevens. Sometimes heptad is translated by our English word “weeks,” but not always. And that will not fit here. It is far too short a time to encompass the whole prophecy. The Jews, with their Sabbatical years, tended to think in seven year periods (or heptads of years). In this case we have a prophecy that is going to take, in total 70 x 7 years (or 490 years).

19) What is to be the starting point of the prophecy (vs. 25)?

Insight: That involved the Persian decree that sent Nehemiah back to his homeland to begin the rebuilding process. The date of the decree has been established as 445 BC. That is where the 490 years for Israel begins. The terminal point of the prophecy is the complete spiritual and national restoration of Israel, under her Messiah-king, as described in the six characteristics of vs. 24, including the bringing in of everlasting righteousness and the anointing of the Most Holy (possibly referring to the enthroning of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords).

Insight: According to vs. 25, the first 69 weeks (or 483) years of the prophecy can be divided into two segments of 7 weeks, plus 62 weeks. The seven weeks (or 49 years) take us to the end of the Old Testament period. Then, the additional 62 weeks (or 434 years) take us from the end of the Old Testament, through what are sometimes called the “400 Silent Years” between the Testaments, and on through the earthly life and ministry of Christ.

20) What is the major event that ends the first 483 years of the prophecy (vs. 25)?

Insight: This is the event prophesied in Zechariah 9:9 as follows: “Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The significance of this is revealed in a statement by Jesus (see Lk. 19:41-44). Years ago, a man named Sir Robert Anderson calculated the revealed time of this “Triumphal Entry” and found that Daniel’s prophecy predicted it exactly, to the very day.

21) What event is described at the beginning of Daniel 9:26?

22) What is the meaning of the phrase “but not for Himself” (vs. 26)?

Insight: When Israel rejected her Messiah-king, her story came to a temporary end. God turned from His national program with Israel to deal with the church. But the Church Age does not concern Daniel. (Note again the perspective of the Old Testament prophets.) The crucifixion of Christ took place after the 483 year, and God’s program with Israel will not be taken up until the church is raptured. It is at that time that the last of the “seventy weeks”–the last seven years for Israel, will transpire, before her Messiah comes to reign over her.

23) To what “people” does the coming world leader belong, according to what we saw in Daniel 7:7-8?

Insight: It was the army of the Roman Empire that attacked and destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD, under the Roman general Titus. The latter part of vs. 26 indicates that Israel will continue to be oppressed until the end–the end of “the Times of the Gentiles.” During that period, Israel will long for peace. At one point, it will seem that perhaps peace is within her grasp.

24) What significant thing will “the prince who is to come” do in relation to Israel (vs. 27)?

25) But what will happen to this after three and one half years?

Insight: Our look at this will be taken up again in a later study. For now, consider the sovereignty of God. When Nebuchadnezzar reigned, Babylon seemed like an unstoppable force. But it came to an end, just as God said it would. And nations that were insignificant in Daniel’s time (Greece and Rome) took their place as world empires, just as God had said. Can we not, from this find renewed confidence that the kingdom of Christ, which will never pass away, is just as certain to come? God is still on the throne.

The Chosen People (Prophecy Studies #2)

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The Chosen People of God (Israel, cf. Deut. 7:6) is important in prophecy. Have you ever met a Babylonian? Or an Assyrian? Or a Philistine? Or an Amalekite? Probably not. In ancient times those were significant groups of people. But they are all gone now. That is one thing that makes the story of Israel and the Jews the most remarkable saga in the history of world nations. It is not a very big country. All of Israel would fit inside our little province of New Brunswick–yet it is constantly in the news.

When the Israelites finally reached Canaan, they were to present the firstfruits of their initial crop to the Lord, saying, “My father was a Syrian [or an Aramean], about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation great and mighty, and populous” (Deut. 26:5). The reference is to Jacob and his wanderings. And when he and his family were about to perish in a famine, God providentially arranged for them (through Jacob’s son Joseph) to go and live in Egypt. There they multiplied, and yet, certainly by today’s standards, they were still few in number.

But no other nation, big or small, has survived 4,000 years of trouble and oppression, remaining all the while a major focus of world affairs. This study will explore why that is so, as we take a look at what God has to say about this nation. He has called her “Israel My glory” (Isa. 46:13). No proper understanding of prophecy can be achieved without including God’s plan and program for Israel.

Israel was given many specific blessings not enjoyed by other nations. They were to have God dwelling in their midst, specially accessible to them (Exod. 25:21-22; Deut. 4:7). To that nation God revealed His Holy Word, the Old Testament (Rom. 3:1-2), and they were to be His witnesses to the idolatrous nations around (Isa. 43:10). With Israel, God made a number of important covenants, including the Mosaic Law (Deut. 4:8; Rom. 9:4), and through that nation Christ came to be a blessing to all mankind (Rom. 9:5).

1) What reason does God give for this special treatment that others did not receive (Deut. 7:6-8; or see 4:37)?

2) And what later reason does God give for His unique blessing of these people (Rom. 9:9-12)?

Insight: The Lord first showed His grace and love to one man, in approximately 2000 BC. That man was a Babylonian (or Chaldean) named Abram (or Abraham). According to Joshua 24:14 it seems that Abraham, like the rest of his family, was an idolater before God appeared to him. He did not earn God’s favour by how he was living. It was bestowed as an act of sovereign grace.

“Abram” means Exalted Father. God later changed this to “Abraham,” meaning Father of a Multitude, as a reminder of His promise to make of him a great nation. This promise and others are contained in an often-repeated covenant that has come to be known as the Abrahamic Covenant. Beyond some personal blessings for Abraham, the covenant includes three main promises.

3) What is one pledge God makes in this covenant (Gen. 12:2a)?

4) What is a second pledge God makes (Gen. 12:3b)?

5) The third pledge is merely suggested in Genesis 12:1, but it is later explained in greater detail. What is it (Gen. 12:7; 3:14-15)?

6) How long was the land of Canaan to belong to Israel (Gen. 13:15; or 48:3-4)?

7) What warning and promise does the Abrahamic Covenant contain regarding how other peoples are to relate to Israel (Gen. 12:3a; or see Zech. 2:8-9)?

Insight: This enduring ownership of Canaan needs to be qualified. First, since we are later taught that God is going to create a new heavens and a new earth (II Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1), words like “forever” must be understood in that context to mean for all time, or as long as this present earth endures. (That is later explained through the prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 31:35-37.) Second, Israel’s right to the land does not necessarily mean she will dwell in the land without interruption. As we shall see, the people’s enjoyment of that privilege depended on certain conditions. But the land remains theirs by divine covenant, even when sin robs them of the blessing of it.

Insight: The importance of the Abrahamic Covenant can be seen in the fact that it is repeated several times through the book of Genesis (15:5, 18-21; 18:17-18; 50:24). It is confirmed to Isaac (Gen. 26:3, 24) and Jacob (Gen. 28:13-14). Then, as the Old Testament revelation unfolds, each of the three main promises is reinforced and expanded by another covenant: the promise of the Land, in the Palestinian Covenant; the promise of descendants (seed) in the Davidic Covenant; the promise of blessing for all nations in the New Covenant.

The Palestinian Covenant is found in Deuteronomy 29-30, with Chapter 28 a closely related preparation for it. It spells out the conditions under which Israel will actually be allowed to dwell in the Land and enjoy its bounty.

8) What would cause the Lord to uproot them from the Land (Deut. 29:24-28)?

9) And what would cause the Lord to bring them back to the Land again (Deut. 30:1-2)?

Insight: The Abrahamic Covenant promises that a great nation would come from Abraham. Later the “seed” promise focuses on one particular family line in that nation in the “Davidic Covenant” (II Sam. 7:1-17). In that, there is a play on words using the word “house.” God promises that David’s son, Solomon, would build a house for Him (Israel’s temple in Jerusalem). And God promises that He is going to raise up a “house” for David (meaning, in this case, a family, a royal dynasty to sit upon Israel’s throne).

10) How long is this royal line to last (II Sam. 7:16)?

11) Based on Isaiah’s prophecy, who is it that will ultimately fulfil this promise (Isa. (9:6-7)?

Insight: Because of repeated sin, God judged the Jews by allowing the Babylonians to carry them off into bondage. With the Babylonian Captivity, the throne of Israel became empty. When the Jews returned from 70 years in bondage, they had no king. But that was not the end of the promise to David. The One Isaiah speaks of still has a right to the throne. And Amos prophesies that David’s dynasty will be restored in the end times (Amos 9:8-15).

12) When the monarchy is restored (Amos 9:11) what great promise is going to be fulfilled at the same time (vs. 15)?

13) According to the following verses, what will the living conditions be like for Israel at that time?

13b) Amos 9:14 (or see Isa. 35:1-2; Joel 3:17-18)

13c) Isa. 2:2-4

13d) Isa. 11:6-9

Insight: Sometimes it is suggested that perhaps Israel lost all of these promised blessings, because of her disobedience. It is supposed that after her captivity in Babylon at the end of the Old Testament she could no longer look forward to the fulfillment of these covenants. Yet the New Testament continues to predict these same blessings. Stephen draws particular attention to them before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:2-5).

14) Who was the Davidic Covenant confirmed with in the New Testament? And by whom (Lk. 1:26, 30-33)?

15) What petition in the Lord’s prayer is related to this promise (Matt. 6:10)?

16) Christ is not yet sitting on the Davidic throne He has been promised. Whose throne does He occupy at the present time (Rev. 3:21)?

Insight: Others have suggested that by crucifying her Messiah-king, Israel has lost any hope of this promise being fulfilled. But Christ does not say this. When, after His resurrection, the disciples ask when His earthly kingdom will be set up. He only says, “It is not for you to know the times…” (Acts 1:6-7). Even after Calvary, the covenant with David’s family is stated again as having a future fulfillment (Acts 15:13-18).

17) How do you know that the crucifying of His Son did not catch God by surprise (Acts 15:18)?

Insight: Something important did happen after Calvary, however. Something that affected the present place of Israel. On the Day of Pentecost described in Acts Chapter 2, God set His plan for Israel aside temporarily, and created a new body, the church of Jesus Christ. In it, Jew and Gentile are united on a equal footing (I Cor. 12:12-13). This arrangement is to remain in place “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom. 11:25). Then Christ will return. At that time Israel will be restored and revived, and God will fulfil His many earthly promises to her (Rom. 11:26-29).

18) What is the reason we can count on this to happen (Rom. 11:29)?

Insight: One aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant remains to be considered–the promise of blessing to “all the families of the earth.” Though the covenant was made with Israel, this particular promise is too great to be contained by one nation. It spills over and blesses us all. This is also seen in the companion covenant, called the New Covenant. It was definitely made with Israel (Jer. 31:31), and its national and physical promises to Israel include her final and permanent possession of the Land of Promise (Jer. 31:38-4). Ezekiel’s statement of these spiritual blessings is likewise tied to her occupation of the land (Ezek. 36:24-28). However, the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant spill over and bless all mankind.

19) What kind of spiritual blessings are included in the New Covenant (Jer. 31:33-34)?

20) What further promise does God make through Ezekiel (Ezek. 36:27)?

21) According to the following verses, how do we know that these spiritual blessings of the New Covenant are also meant for us today–even if we are not Jews?

21b) Who is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15)? (A “mediator” is one who steps in to restore peace.)

21c) What gives Him this right (Lk. 22:20)?

21d) How is the New Covenant connected with our present service for Christ (II Cor. 3:5-6)?

Insight: The point of this study has been to show something of the great promises God has made to the nation of Israel. These “covenants” were made sovereignly, simply because God chose to do it, not because the nation had somehow earned His special favour. The prophesies relate to the Land of Canaan, and the Seed of Abraham. And yet, the spiritual blessings included in them bless all mankind. These are presently available to all, Jew and Gentile, through the church. But this in no way cancels those aspects of the covenants that are particularly national and earthly promises to Israel. In spite of Israel’s centuries of disobedience and unbelief, the promises will be fulfilled at Christ’s return, as later studies will show.

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