There are a number of issues in considering the "end-times" or the "end of this
present evil age" when we look
at the Word of God. Here is a list of a few very significant items.
1. There is an underlying and growing world strategy being unleashed to destroy
the nation of Israel from the face of the earth.
What was true in Psalms 83 remains true today. And what was prophesied regarding the end-times and Israel in Zechariah 12:1-3 will take place.
1O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
2For
behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
3They make
shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
4They have
said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more."
5For they
have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:
Psalm 83:1-5 NASB
1The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,2"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.
3"It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
Zechariah 12:1-3 NASB
This hatred by the world toward Israel is really hatred against the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Mount Sinai and the resultant Holy Commandments - which the world ultimately despises and which the Jewish people still represent.
2. It would seem there will be a "set-up" war toward the end of the age to attempt to defeat Israel.
This war will be lead by Russia with Arab allies against Israel. The way things are going in the Middle East right now - this war may be very close! You can read about this conflict in Ezekiel 38 & 39. (There is some debate among Christians about whether this text is in fact a separate war and distinct from what is called the Battle of Armegeddon.) Because GOD is a God of covenant with Israel - He will be on Israel's side and they will win this war, not by their own hand, but by the hand of God. (See Ezekiel 38:16)
3. Because of (1) above - and either the rumblings of war or the war itself in (2) above - the stage will be set for a final world-wide system of rule.
The exact timing of the Russian-Arab attempt to destroy Israel compared to the amount of time left before the end of the world is somewhat debatable. But it would seem that it couldn't be a large amount of time. The masses do not realize that God is beginning to allow a "world corporate fist" to be raised up against Him just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
4. There is a definitive time-frame marked off by God for His dealings with mankind and Israel at the end of this present evil age.
This whole time-frame is popularly termed "The Great Tribulation" (GREAT tribulation is only the last 3 1/2 years - See Matthew 24:21) and this "tribulation period" will last for 7 "prophetic" years. Each of these "prophetic" years is 360 days long. We know this time-frame because of the prophet Daniel (for your further study).
24"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.25"So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
26"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
27"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."
Daniel 9:24-27 NASB
5. The rise of a world-wide system of rule will be headed up by a world ruler who is popularly termed the Antichrist.
And he will not initially look like what he finally becomes!!! He will be the world's greatest change-agent (See Daniel 7:25) and - because he is shrewd, of ambiguous speech, and powerfully observant of human nature - people will probably not notice his haughtiness nor anticipate his ruthlessness (See Daniel 8:23-25). And evidently he is a man of peace since he will rise in the midst of a deluded world that believes in peace. (See I Thessalonians 5:3). He will have an "unbridled" will and powerful mesmerizing abilities in exalting himself. (See Daniel 11:36-37) This doesn't necessarily sound like someone who will end up murdering Jews and Christians - does it?
6. Evidently this Antichrist will have a powerful western military machine at his disposal.
Read Daniel 11:38-45 to see the military accomplishments of this final world ruler.
7. The Antichrist will simultaneously with (6) above have succeeded in establishing his world rule through a revived Roman Empire/western world economic rule.
Read Revelation 13:17 to see that the particular aspect of the first beasts actual rule is specifically defined as economic. We should be careful to define it as the Scripture defines it. This rule will ultimately be over-arching and pervasive.
8. The economic rule of the Antichrist system is enhanced through the social and political rule that is catalyzed and maintained by the False Prophet.
Read Revelation 13:11-18. This false prophet can be described in our modern terms as the Great World Social Engineer. He is enabled ultimately to actually perform "signs" which are very "real" and one of which may be to heal the fatal head wound of the "first beast". His is the social and cultural agenda over the world to enhance and ultimately move the world toward the worship of the first beast. See Revelation 13:3
9. The beginning of the "7 prophetic years" as described in (4) above is when the Antichrist signs a covenant with Israel.
This covenant will include Israel being able to either initiate-maintain or maintain their re-instituted sacrifices on the Temple Mount. (See Daniel 9:27) But in the midst of this final 7 years - the Antichrist will bring about an "abomination" in said location (see Matthew 24) which will be of such severe repulsion to the Jewish people and of such consequence that they will flee for their lives.
10. "Babylon" will arise during the time of 1-9 in the above scenario.
It does not seem that current day people who occupy the ancient land area (Iraq mainly, and Iran) of this ancient empire are in mind here. They do not seem to occupy a large political scenario at the end of the age in the list of nations. But the "Babylon" in Revelation has a significant role in the end time scenario! Babylon is thus probably used in a figurative and mystical sense. It is mankind as a whole rising up against God. (See ancient Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 for a previous example in history.) It is described in an overlapping mosaic as:
a. "Religious Babylon" (Revelation 17:5)
b. "Socially Immoral Babylon" (Revelation 14:8)
c. "Economic Babylon" which is a representative city (Revelation 18:1-20) that will be destroyed by fire
d. "The Great Babylon" which is all the nations of the world (Revelation 16:19).
11. A Great Harlot will sit on top of the beast displaying her relationship with him. This woman is a description of the false religious system at the end of the age.
It encompasses the whole world and would seem to be centered in Rome. When the Antichrist is done using her as an adornment atop him - he will be done with her. (See Revelation 17) The world is willing to seamlessly worship the Antichrist and his "image" (Revelation 13). They do this because they have already embraced "Mystery Babylon" - the religious nature of the writing on the Woman's forehead. This "mystery" ultimately refers back to the lie of the serpent in the Garden of Eden "you shall be as god." It is the Lucifer inspired and false identification of the "fallen human image of God in man" as if that image, individually and corporately, is God himself. The mystery is "self-worship." It is mystical, ecumenical and panentheistic to its very core - no matter its outward labels! And it is why this woman is not only referred to as a harlot herself but as the "mother" of harlots and abominations. She is "destroyed" not because they abandon her - she is "destroyed" in fulfilling her greater "purpose" of use by the Antichrist in the world turning their attention to him. The world thus is shown to not really worship any particular "religion" but in fact worships its own fallen image as reflected and now magnified in the One Antichrist. And God will allow Satan to enact this worship of the Beast to prove at the judgment that: in fact man does worship; in fact each one wants to worship themselves just like their own fallen nature and the nature of the Serpent; and in fact they will not and do not worship the true God who is the real object of worship of the entire universe. They will finally acknowledge this rule at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and will be made to "submit" to this rule in the eternal lake of fire.
12. At some point in time during the tribulation period multitudes of the Jewish people will finally realize that Jesus is their Messiah.
Read Zechariah 12:10 and consider the 144,000 sealed servants of Israel in Revelation 7:1-8.
13. During the final part of the Great Tribulation God will sound His trumpets of judgment in preparation to pour forth His bowls of wrath.
Read Revelation 8-11 & 16-19. The world will come under severe judgment and wrath from a Holy God. The Antichrist and the world will be brought to the "Battle of Armageddon" to there be defeated by the great conqueror, the Lord Jesus Christ, riding from heaven on a white horse with His armies. He will visibly reign from that time forward and forever!
14. The "Coming" Antichrist will initially be revealed in the midst of an Apostate Church.
Many have seen in various texts of Scripture ideas of what the final Antichrist might be like, his nature and qualities, and what he will actually do. But the key thing to remember is where and when he is to be revealed. Then we will know who he is. There is only one text in the Scripture where it tells us when and in what circumstances he is "revealed." The Antichrist is to be revealed in the midst of The Apostasy. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) He heads up the falling away of a deluded and self-centered Christendom towards his role as world leader. It is "The Apostasy" because it is "The Revealing" of "The Antichrist." Yes - believe it or not - the first people to follow the fake Christ - the Antichrist - will be fake Christians.
15. Repent and trust Jesus the Messiah as your Lord and Savior from sin!
Otherwise - you will end up giving yourself to a lie!!! I beg you - don't do that!
Copyright 2009, David Sheldon, all rights reserved. Please freely copy this in its entirety and give it to your friends or lovingly distribute to others or give them the link. Not to be sold. "A Final End-Time World Scenario"
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