The End Times Sequence
No one with even a passing interest in prophecy or biblical eschatology can deny that the world is very close to experiencing its final events. Just look at Israel, which has rightly been called ‘God’s Timepiece.’
This post is merely an overview of events that will shortly come to pass. Each aspect will be examined in more detail in subsequent posts.
All the players are in place for the Gog/Magog/Persian attack prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Turkey, Iran, and Russia, led by Putin (at least a ‘Gog-esque’ figure are aleady allied in Syria.
Daniel 12:4 seems to describe the last days as being a time ‘many will go back and forth and knowledge will increase.’ Jet travel and the internet certainly have made this prediction come true and it speaks of our time.
Luke 19:44 (“…because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”) emphasizes that Jesus expects us to know and understand prophecy, and there can be an incredible penalty for failing to do so. He was referring to the fact that the angel Gabriel had revealed to Daniel (in chapter 9 verse 25) the exact day when the Messiah would be revealed (69 weeks of years (173,880 days, using a 360 day year, and including leap years) from the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus, March 14, 445 B.C.). They failed to recognize Him as their king as He rode into Jerusalem on a colt, but instead delivered him up for crucifixion after stating many lies about Him. In so doing, they missed out on the blessing that was supposed to be theirs. We cannot make the same mistake in failing to be aware of the season of His return or it will come upon us unexpectedly.
Though we cannot know the exact day of Christ’s return (the harpazo) we are commanded to be cognizant of the season (Luke 21:28 and Matthew 25:1-13). And the season is nigh.
Prophecy also speaks of the Jewish diaspora returning to Israel near the last days –(Jeremiah 30:3, Ezekiel 37:21, Zechariah 8:7,8, among others) and that is certainly well underway today, especially from Europe, as the Muslim ‘invasion’ occurs with the European leaders’ blessings (Marcon, Merkel, etc. – Sweden for example is already largely Muslim). And wherever Muslims are a majority, Jews are not welcome. Therefore, the Jews are ‘returning’ to Israel from all over at a record pace.
Israel was reestablished as a nation on May 14, 1948 and were immediately attacked by several Muslim armies (Arab-Israeli war) as an extension of a civil war already in progress -and won, expanding their borders as a result. They were attacked again in 1967 by five Muslim nations who were in turn supported by eight additional Muslim powers (The Six-Day War) and miraculously defeated all of their enemies again, while again expanding their territories. In fact, I am told there is a t-shirt for sale in Israel that says ‘Attack Israel Again, We Need the Real Estate!’ The Yom Kippur war (second Arab-Israeli war) (Israel vs. 10 armies) in 1973 further proved God’s protection of Israel.
Prophecy concerning Israel coming to pass is one of the greatest reassurances to believers that we are not deluded in our beliefs. What other faith system can claim something like this, specific ancient prophecies coming true? None. No other religious writing contains fulfilled prophecies!
It is a miracle that Israel has survived as a nation for over 3000 years with the same language. The people have been decimated time and again, but still they have been preserved as a people (there is always a remnant). If this isn’t ‘proof’ that the bible is true, then little else will be convincing to you.
The original boundaries of Israel declared by God to Abraham in Genesis 15:18 stretched from the Nile River, eastward to the Euphrates River, a territory about 100 times or more expansive than today’s borders. In the millennial reign of Christ, it will see those borders realized. In God’s eyes, Israel is the center of the world, the navel if you will. All directional references are in relation to Israel. The kings of the south, are Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and allies. The king of the north is Gog, leading an alliance of Russia, Turkey, Iran and others. The king of the west is Antichrist (who bears many other names such as ‘the Little Horn’, and The Syrian’). Later in Revelation, the kings of the east are mentioned (China, Malaysia, North Korea, and allies) who will march along the dried up Euphrates to Armageddon.
Israel is the ‘apple of God’s eye’ (Zechariah 2:8) but they have rejected Him and rebelled against Him many, many times through the centuries, like a perpetually adolescent son. And God has disciplined them repeatedly over the millennia, always gently and patiently at first, then when they proved to be stiff-necked and stubborn, more harshly, to bring them to repentance. The Assyrian captivity, then the Babylonian captivity, then the Persian captivity, then the Greek occupation and eventually the Roman occupation – rarely have they not been under some sort of God’s discipline.
Even though they continue to rebel to this day, God will still keep the promise He made to Abraham. God did not forsake Israel after they delivered the Messiah up for brutal Roman crucifixion. He did not transfer the blessings to the Christians (replacement theology). Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11 address this, as do other passages. Again, their very existence today despite the repeated attempts to wipe them out, and the supernatural hatred for them around the world, both serve as reassurance to the Christian, even though the people themselves reject Christ.
He will continue to demonstrate His love for His chosen people and will miraculously fight on their behalf. Then, after witnessing more miraculous deliverances, as explained below, they still will not turn from their wickedness, and He will allow them to suffer almost unimaginably (two-thirds of all Jews will be killed in the tribulation, twice that of the holocaust Zechariah 13:8,9), until they do finally cry out to Him and beg for his return (Hosea 5:14-15). The purpose of the tribulation is to bring Israel to repentance and ask for Christ to return. And once He does, Israel will ‘look upon Him who they have pierced and mourn like for an only son’. (Zechariah 12:10,11).
Much of the prophecy concerning Israel has already come to pass. God will demonstrate His power to Israel and her enemies in several ways, as a final call to Israel to repent and acknowledge Him as Lord, and as a warning to her enemies, which will not be heeded.
My guess is that the rapture (‘harpazo’ – Greek for ‘seizing or snatching away violently’) will occur next, possibly accompanied by a cataclysmic event (such as the eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano, and earthquakes along the San Andreas and/or the Cascadia subduction zone), and/or perhaps a nuclear strike on the eastern seaboard as well, to distract people from the rapture and help ‘explain away’ some of the disappearances .
Some instead may view the disappearance of Christians as an alien abduction for reeducation in how to be more inclusive and environmentally responsible.
In any case, some of those remaining on earth will celebrate that the Christians are gone, and now the world can truly evolve. The world will celebrate again for this same reason when Islam falls. Others will finally realize that scripture is true, and many will receive Christ into their hearts.
There will be another blog post soon on the rapture with scripture references. Please read that post too for a deeper understanding.
Once the rapture occurs, the Antichrist can be revealed (II Thess. 2:3-4 and 2:6-9), and Israel’s blindness will be removed, now that the ‘fulness of the gentiles has come in.’ (Luke 19:42 (If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.) until Romans 11:25). (‘a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.’)
Believers experience the Bema judgement (I Corinthians chapter 3) and marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10) during the seven-year tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week). The marriage SUPPER of the lamb occurs on earth after Christ returns, while the marriage itself occurs in heaven. (Matthew 25 speaks of the ten virgins waiting for the groom – in Jewish tradition, at this point in the wedding festivities, the groom is always with his bride. The church is the bride of Christ. The virgins waiting represent Israel. The oil represents the Holy Spirit.)
There will likely be a ‘gap period’ for one to three years following the rapture (three year hypothesis is supported in the ten day Yamim Noraim – the traditional 10 day ‘period of affliction’ after each Feast of Trumpets (which itself likely represents the rapture) in which the first three days may represent the gap period and the final seven days the tribulation). A gap period is also proposed by Bill Salus and others, where some important things will take place, prior to Daniel’s 70th week (the 7-year Tribulation, the last 3.5 years of which is referred to as the Great Tribulation)
Think of how chaotic the US will be after the rapture. If many in government and the military suddenly disappear, and much of the US tax base vanishes with them, (though the government, once reestablished, will eventually confiscate the wealth of those no longer accounted for), the US will not be in any position to come to Israel’s defense (or anyone else’s such as Taiwan or South Korea or others we have defense treaties with including NATO).
Israel, being very intelligent, will perceive this and, realizing their vulnerability, will ‘strike first’ against all of its regional enemies.
Isaiah 17:1 prophesies that Damascus “is about to be removed from being a city, And it will become a fallen ruin.” Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth right now and still exists, though it has been heavily battered, proving that this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Hezbollah, based in Damascus, has 100,000 missiles pointed at Israel right now. God promises cataclysmic destruction for Damascus making it a ‘fallen ruin.’ This will be a relief to Israel though northern Israel and the Golan will be damaged too (Isaiah 17:4 and on).
I also suspect this will happen about the time of the Psalm 83 war – “Thine enemies make an uproar; And those who hate Thee have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Thy people, And conspire against thy treasured ones.. They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.’ For they have conspired together with one mind; Against Thee do they make a covenant:” (here many currently Muslim nations are listed). The psalmist then prays for destruction of Israel’s enemies who surround her.
Some feel like this prophecy was fulfilled when Israel won the 6 days war in 1967. But I have my doubts, as Israel’s enemies were not destroyed entirely at that time, they did not repent as the psalmist prayed for and the plea that they be ‘ashamed and dismayed forever; And let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord, Art the Most High over all the earth,’ has not occurred.
The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization), PA (Palestinian Authority), ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Fatah, which currently surround Israel certainly have not repented, nor been ‘ashamed and dismayed forever.’ No, in fact, they swear to their moon god ‘Allah’ daily that they will try again and succeed next time. I believe God will cause Israel to soundly defeat all these regional enemies, (including Damascus), causing the UN to propose a peace arrangement with Israel (Daniel 9:27 speaks of the antichrist enforcing a pre-existing peace covenant with Israel, so it is likely forged at this time, to be executed later by the Antichrist).
Jeremiah 49 also prophesies against many regional enemies, including Elam (modern day Iran) and Edom (modern day Jordan), as well as Damascus, that God will ‘shatter Elam before their enemies’ and defeat them, BUT ‘it will come about in the last days that I shall restore the fortunes of Elam,’ declares the Lord.
That peace treaty will then be crafted between a shocked world and Israel, but not yet executed.
Once this memorandum of understanding is made, with all of Israel’s regional enemies defeated, and the world recognizes that Israel can defend itself without the US (though God has much to do with it), Israel will relax, likely deciding that God will always fight their battles so there is no need for major defenses. An alternate idea proposed by Mark Hitchcock in ‘Russia Rising’ is that Israel is at peace because of a treaty brokered by Antichrist (king of the west). Gog (king of the north and rival to the king of the west) ) decides now is a great time to attack. Ether way, Gog gets an ‘evil thought’…
Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of a war where Russia (Magog), Iran (Persia), Sudan (Ethiopia), Libya (Put), Turkey (Gomer, Beth-Togermah), Ukraine (part of Gomer) and others led by a leader the bible refers to as Gog, come against Israel.
Saudi Arabia and her regional allies (Sheba and Dedan) sit back and watch asking if Gog is attacking to acquire the riches of the land. Sheba and Dedan may have been defeated by a war with Iran at this point and can only whine from the sidelines. I suspect Russia not only wants the oil and natural gas reserves of Israel and its territorial waters (and associated pipelines) , but are pulled into fighting Israel because of its alliance with Persia (Iran). Israel has declared that they will not tolerate any Iranian military bases near their border in Syria and in fact recently attacked one. Russia will be pulled into the war through its mutual covenants with Iran. Saudi Arabia has been warming ties with Israel since they have a common enemy in Iran/Hezbollah.
(Take time to open your bible and read those two chapters now.) Because of the defeat of Gog and Magog, as well as the Psalm 83 war, Jerusalem will once again ‘be a cup of trembling and immovable rock’ (Zechariah 12:1-3)
Gog and Magog will be crushed as described in Ezekiel 38:18 – 39:20).
But it won’t always be victory for Israel – in fact Zechariah 14:2-4 speaks of the fall of Jerusalem. Isaiah 17:4 speaks of Israel weakening in the same time Damascus falls. God allows this as Israel still does not recognize the Yeshua Ha Maschiach (Jesus the Messiah). They will remain stubborn and stiff-necked…
“Since Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer,” (Hosea 4:16)
Acts 7:51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (the end of Stephen’s sermon to the Jews right before they stoned him to death).
Exodus 32:9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.”
Nehemiah 9:28b, 29 ‘And many times Thou didst rescue them according to Thy compassion, and admonished them in order to turn them back to Thy law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Thy commandments but sinned against Thine ordinances, by which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder, and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.”
There are many more passages describing God’s chosen as ‘stiff -necked, obstinate and stubborn’ but you get the point.
After the Gog/Magog defeat, Islam will be decimated (and the survivors too discouraged to continue in their now defeated faith, as their Mahdi did not arrive) and Christians of course have already disappeared. This gives an opening for someone to create a new religion, a hybrid of remaining practitioners of Catholicism (Virgin Mary mysticism) who were not raptured and the Eastern religions that remain (Hinduism, New Age, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc). This Assyrian (Micah 5:5, Isaiah 10) of the old Eastern Roman Empire, will arise with great power and authority. (Revelation 13:4 – “Who can wage war against the beast?” (reminiscent of Babylon’s pride in their ‘impenetrable city’ which was soon penetrated by the Persians).
The peace treaty previously hammered out will now be executed by Antichrist for seven years.
Israel will be allowed to build the third temple (Solomon’s was the first, Zerubbabel’s was the second, with Herod’s modifications/improvements making the second temple thought of as the ‘second’ temple still, even though it was a ‘third’ in effect) though Israel will only be allowed to do so by honoring the treaty made with Antichrist. Israel will possibly believe (as Bill Salus suggests) that building the third temple will hasten the arrival of the Messiah (who they still believe has not yet come) and He will free them militarily from the world dictator.
So to Israel the ends (getting the Messiah to come) justifies the means (making a deal with the world dictator who Christians refer to as the Antichrist). Yet 3.5 years into this covenant, the dictator will enter the holy of holies himself (reminiscent of when Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the temple in 168 BC by sacrificing a pig on the altar), declare himself to be God, and demand worship from everyone….
Daniel 9:27 ‘And he will make a firm covenant with many for one week (seven years), 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.”
Matthew 24:15,16 ‘Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…’ (Matthew 24:15,16)
Isaiah 28:15-16 ‘Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, for we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception. Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.’
The Jews will then be persecuted as never before not even in Hitler’s holocaust. Again, Zechariah 13:8 and 9 speaks of two out of every three Jews being killed during this time.
God will supernaturally provide a safe haven for many Jews at this time in Petra, Jordan.
From the ‘Grace Thru Faith’ website…
‘There are three clues that hint at Petra being the hiding place for the Jew during the Great Tribulation. One is in Daniel 11:41 where we learn that Jordan will be one of the only places that elude the Anti-Christ’s control during the Great Tribulation.
The second is in Rev. 12:14 which says that the woman, who represents the believing remnant of Israel, will flee into the desert to a place prepared for them during the Great Tribulation. The closest desert hiding place is Petra.
And the third is in Isaiah 63:1 where the Lord is shown coming from Bozrah, the region where Petra is located, having defeated His enemies there. Many scholars believe that He will do this just prior to arriving in Jerusalem at the 2nd Coming, to protect the believing remnant.
From the non-Biblical side, Jordan does have a peace treaty with Israel, and Petra is an ideal location for the Jews to seek refuge.’
Many will turn to Christ during the tribulation due to the testimonies of 144,000 Jews sanctified for this task (12,000 from each tribe), Elijah and Moses, (who reappear (the two witnesses of Revelation 11) but will be slain by Antichrist, then resurrected publicly for all the world to witness via CNN and other news networks), and the angels who proclaim the truth to the whole world (Revelation 14:6-9). The Holy Spirit will be very active during this time. ‘The restrainer’ that was taken away at the rapture is the bride of Christ, the Holy Spirit filled believers, not the Holy Spirit Himself.
Anyone who turns to Christ and does not receive the Antichrist’s mark will be executed or starved.
’And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And all who dwell on the earth shall worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Revelation 13:7,8)
‘And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak, and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” (Revelation 13:15)
Revelation 13:16,17 goes on to tell of how no one will be able to buy or sell, presumably to include food or health care, without the mark.
Dr. Chuck Missler speculates that the mark may be an emulation of the wounds Antichrist is said to have in Zechariah 11:17 (injuries to his arm and right eye, possibly due to the assassination from which he will be resurrected) (Revelation 13:3 ‘And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.’)
I speculate the mark(s) may be some kind of tattoo(es) with technology, (like an implanted iPhone) that allows tracking and real-time communications from the world leader. Perhaps bearers of the mark are instructed to key in a code at the leader’s whim to prove their continued worship. Perhaps the implant will leak poison into the body should they refuse., or perhaps will infuse an antidote to one of the plagues if the bearer signals worship by entering a code into the ‘technological tattoo.’ (pure speculation on my part.).
The actual number, 666, can represent man falling short of God (perfect 7) in each aspect of His being (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or 777). Man’s nature is body, mind, and spirit = 666.
(It is interesting that the ‘star of Remphan’ or ‘the star of the God Rompha’ which Stephen mentions in his speech (Acts 7:43) before he was stoned to death, recalling from Amos 5:26, 27, is the modern day ‘star of David’ made of 6 triangles, 6 points around a 6 sided shape (hexagon).)
In addition to the oppression discussed above, there will be worldwide natural disasters and decimating diseases to contend with as outlined in the seals, trumpet, and bowl judgements of Revelation.
The world will then be spurred to declare war on God, via the unclean spirits that come out of the unholy trinity, (dragon, beast (Antichrist), and false prophet) leading up to the battle of Armageddon.
Psalm 2 is a conversation amongst the Trinity, ‘Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed;’ For their declaration of war against Him, he says in verse 9 that ‘Thou (speaking to the second person of the trinity) shall break them with a rod of iron.’ A rod of iron is what is repeatedly used to describe Jesus ruling with at His second coming – ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy’. He came like a lamb the first time, but will come as a lion (of Judah) the second time.
What would make the armies of the world declare war on God, or even let them think they would have a chance? Maybe they don’t know it is God. Perhaps they are convinced, God’s return to judge the earth is an alien invasion, related to the rapture (including the widely observed resurrection of the two witnesses who were slain by Antichrist), which the world may have mistaken for a mass alien abduction. Their battle against the ‘aliens’ may be an attempt to keep the aliens from landing. Again, pure speculation.
Maybe the hordes are actually demon possessed people who are driven supernaturally to fight God.
Perhaps the world will simply not know what else to do when they see the Lion of Judah coming to judge them. In fear, they will strike out with what they have, though it will be futile. Perhaps Satan convinces them they have a chance at success, even if it means dying for him in the effort.
Satan, via Antichrist, certainly orchestrates some kind of delusion on the people, causing them to take up arms against God. Perhaps seeing the Antichrist resurrected builds their faith in him, so they follow him into battle.
But God Himself will personally fight and win the battle at ‘Har-Megiddo’ which we call Armageddon. (Actually Har-Megiddo is just the staging area for the armies, just like England was the staging area for the attack on Normandy)
All of His enemies will be defeated, followed by the ‘Sheep and Goats’ judgment of people (Matthew 25:31-46) to judge those who helped or harmed God’s people during this time. Satan will be bound in the Abousso (abyss) for 1000 years, and the earth will enjoy 1000 years with Christ as its king (benign Monarchy). Believers will all then participate in the ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb.’
At the end of his millennium in prison, Satan will be released to once more delude inhabitants of earth. At the end of this last rampage, Satan will be forever bound in the Abousso followed by the Great White Throne judgment.
During the Millennial Reign – surviving believers of Tribulation go on to populate the new earth.
Note ‘The Millennial reign of Christ’ is not yet eternal Heaven.
The new Jerusalem ‘descending from the sky’ (Revelation 21:2) will occur after the Millennium and then ‘Eternal Heaven’ will commence.
As Dr. Missler says,
‘’Mercy’ is not getting what you deserve. ‘Grace’ is getting what you don’t deserve.’
Are you ready to have mercy and grace for your past mistakes, miss the tribulation, and have peace with God? Accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness of your sins now, believe that He rose from the dead, and be determined to ‘go and sin no more’. See my blog post ‘Peace with God’ for more information.
Maranatha!