The End Times
the "days of noah" and "end-times" viewpoints
Matthew 24:37
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Genesis 6:11-13
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So, God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
Today’s society can be disheartening for some, but a positive outlook is possible by recognizing that all of God’s evidence is valid. He and Jesus warned us about what would come with the slide down the slope of disobedience and apostasy, and what we now see fits Biblical prophecy extremely well.
This section covers what is called “the end times”, “the latter days”, “the trouble of Jacob” and “Day of the Lord”. While the “end times” and “latter days” can describe general events and conditions leading up to the Tribulation, “the trouble of Jacob” and this reference to “the Day of the Lord” specifically describe that seven-year future event. The trouble of Jacob refers to the specific persecution of Israel (Jacob’s new name) and the Jews during the Tribulation.
Some see these prophesied times as having already occurred (preterist view), are occurring (historicist view) or are just purely allegorical (idealist, symbolic or spiritual view) but, at no time in the last 2000 years has society reached the level of God-lessness that must have been the case before He brought the Flood. However, Today’s Society clearly reveals we are approaching that level of disobedience and selfishness. While it is obvious that “end-times” apostasy is here, Sharing Jesus takes the futurist position that the Rapture, Tribulation and Millenium are future events though they may not be far off.
While many Bible verses indicate a pre-Tribulation Rapture, we cannot be 100% certain but Sharing Jesus supports this viewpoint. Also, it supports the idea of the 1000-year Millenium occurring after the end of the 7-year Tribulation. Regardless of how it plays out, we shouldn’t worry about that but simply obey Jesus and His invitation in Matthew 4:19 to “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
the coming gog-magog war explains our "season"
Ezekiel 38:1-9
… ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal … Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya … Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops … In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate (this clearly describes the return of Israel to its ancient home in 1948) … You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.’”
Warnings of Decay, scoffers and Mockery
1 Timothy 4:1-3
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“… in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
2 Peter 3:3-4
” … scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
the world's apostate condition precedes THE ANTICHRIST
The last section on Today’s Society clearly reveals that we have “fallen away.” We have seen many “antichrists” who deny Jesus is the Savior but we haven’t seen the Antichrist yet. However, with the downward trend of faith in Christ, the rise in glorifying sin, the increase in corruption all over the world, an incredible increase in Data Centers (more Big Brother) and a push for a one-world government, the stage is being set for him to appear.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-5
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (the Day of the Lord/the Tribulation) will not come unless the falling away (Greek apostacia or apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin (the Antichrist) is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped …
The False Trinity is Satan (the dragon), the Beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet who pose as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Mark of the Beast
The Bible speaks of an ID system that will control all commerce. It will require allegiance to the Beast (Antichrist) and his approaching system which will likely use digital currencies, Ai, iris scanning, facial recognition, huge data centers, etc. With these technologies, almost every act and conversation can be traced, digitized and recorded. Those accepting Christ during the Tribulation and refusing this mark will be unable to participate in the economy and will be beheaded.
Revelation 13:16-17
The Rapture and Second Coming explained
god historically saved believers from the wrath that was coming
- Noah and his family: They were saved from the Flood inside the Ark.
- Passover: God spared obedient Hebrews during the judgment on Egypt.
- Dividing the Red Sea during the Exodus before destroying Pharoah and his army.
- The Exile: He marked repentant believers before He destroyed many in Jerusalem and Judah.
The Rapture and the Second Coming confuse many, but they can be explained. Many verses suggest the Rapture is God’s way of removing believers (His ambassadors) before His wrath falls on an unrepentant world which is what one does before declaring war. At the Rapture, Jesus comes “in the clouds” to gather His bride (Christians) but does not come to the Earth. At the Second Coming, He returns “to the Earth” with the saints to fight Satan during Armageddon.
One day, God the Father will tell Jesus to retrieve His bride and then He will deliver His wrath upon the corrupt society that is left. The unique Galilean wedding protocol is a foreshadowing of the Rapture. The son would be engaged to his fiancé and then add their “room” to his father’s house. Only at the request of the father would the groom complete the ceremony, retrieve his bride and move them to the father’s house.
SOME SAY THE RAPTURE IS NEW THEOLOGY BUT THESE VERSES REFUTE THAT:
Isaiah 26:19-21 Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.
This verse clearly describes bodily resurrection and believers entering Heaven “to hide” just before “the indignation” comes and goes – a future event where God’s wrath punishes iniquity. The Rapture?
Matthew 24:29-31 Right after the tribulation (Greek thlipsis – anguish, persecution or trouble) of those days (more Christians are being martyred around the world now than ever before), the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from Heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet (His voice is described as a trumpet by John in Rev. 1:10), and they will gather together His elect (choice ones who chose Jesus) from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other.
This sounds similar to verses in Revelation after the Wrath begins but it does not say He comes to the Earth but He sends His angels to gather believers this time.
Matthew 24:36-44 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. … Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. … Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Once the Antichrist appears, true believers would be expecting the Rapture so it would not be a surprise.
John 14:2-3 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him (at the Second Coming) those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord (at the Rapture) will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout (sounds like a trumpet as John describes in Rev. 1:10), with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (Greek harpazo – to be snatched up) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (the Rapture), we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of the Lord (the Tribulation) had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (end-times apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin (the Antichrist) is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
After Paul previously explained the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians, the believers in Thessalonica were being heavily persecuted to the point they thought it was the Tribulation. So, Paul sent Timothy to explain they had not missed the Rapture after all. He then told them to stand fast with their faith and the traditions he had previously given them.
SUPPORT FOR A PRE-TRIB RAPTURE INCLUDES:
The parable of “the virgins” in Matthew 25 which speaks to being ready at all times
Jesus assuring the Philadelphia “persevering” Church of believers in Rev. 3 they will not experience “the hour of trial coming to the whole world”
Jesus describing the imminent timing of the Rapture with “An hour you do not expect”
Jesus’ voice being described as a trumpet in Rev. 1
John being told “Come up here” in Rev. 4 prior to the judgements beginning
The Greek word for “Church” does not appear again after Rev 3 until Rev. 22 after the Tribulation
A pre-Trib position by no means suggests the Church of believers will be spared from all end-times persecution and/or martyrdom. In fact, many tens or hundreds of thousands of born-again Christians are being martyred annually around the world right now. Regardless of the exact timing, we will all die a natural death unless Jesus comes soon so we should not fret over this but should get right with God and share Jesus with others.
The Seven-Year Tribulation and Armageddon
After the arrival of the Antichrist, the seven-year Tribulation will be a period of trial and anguish unlike anything ever experienced in human history. The reason God brings His “wrath” upon the entire world is due to society’s slide into the love of sin and a complete lack of worship for Him.
Terrible Persecution but some will be saved
- Two witnesses and 144,000 evangelists will share the Gospel during intense persecution.
- Satan will realize his time is short before his ultimate defeat and he will be ruthless.
- Those who reject the mark of the beast because of their new faith in Jesus will be unable to participate in the economy and will be beheaded when discovered.
The Second Coming and Rescue
The Second Coming occurs at the end of this seven-year period as the remnant of Israel is being battered during the campaign of Armageddon.
- Jesus will return to the Earth “with the saints” to battle the false trinity and their allies.
- He will rescue Israel before she is totally destroyed.
- Then, they will finally realize that Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) was the Messiah all along.
Zechariah 12:10
Revelation 1:7
Following Armageddon, Jesus will rule on Earth for a 1,000-year Millennium and will defeat a released Satan one more time and this leads to the Great White Throne Judgment and the beginning of Eternity.
Real Prepping: Getting Right with God
“Preppers” prepare for turmoil, government persecution, food and energy shortages, attacks, etc. but they likely are not considering God is the One bringing the wrath. The reason He will do this is society’s move toward the love of sin and its lack of worship of Him that He deserves. Real prepping should include getting right with God, eliminating the confusion that many have regarding the Bible and preparing for the deceit that is coming. Only then will they be able to withstand whatever trouble comes before the Tribulation and to be unafraid of physical death.