Chasing the Beautiful God

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PREFACE

Now in part 4 I’d like to give you an overview of the key events in the End Time storyline if you read the Bible literally as I believe we should. The details are important but we must view them primarily through the lens of seeking to know our beautiful God more deeply. That is the point – it’s the revelation of Jesus Christ not the revelation of the End Time events that we’re primarily interested in (see previous post).

This post will answer the first 3 questions described in parts 1 and 2 of this series (Rapture, millennial Kingdom, Great Tribulation). Throughout this post I have included an ‘Attribute of our God to meditate on’ section which will help us view the event details through the lens of the Lord’s beauty.

INTRODUCTION

Did you know there are 150 chapters in the Bible directly relating to the unique time in history when Jesus returns? I was shocked when I discovered this. It’s clear that the Father has a plan and He wants us, His sons and daughters, to know about it. We need to know the Jesus who is to come, not only He who was and is. Yet, I believe, the Lord is not after us rote learning facts. Don’t take as gospel what I say. Read the verses, study the material, make it your own. Don’t trust anything you can’t see for yourself in your own bible. We must take these chapters and verses to the Lord and let our understanding be formed by the Spirit.

 Attribute of our God to meditate on:

The God who wants to share His plans with His children. 

STAGE 1: BIRTH PANGS/BEGINNING OF SORROWS

• Season of intensification, natural disruptions, nations in conflict: Matt. 24:4-8
• Famine – food & drought: Matt. 24:4-8
• Pestilence (plagues of illness and pest) – increased trouble: Matt. 24:4-8
• Deception: Matt. 24:4-8
• Antichrist begins political career in secret: Dan. 7:8; 11:23
• Antichrist consolidates his power base / removes 3 kings: Dan. 7:8; 11;22-23; Rev. 17:13
• The establishment of Houses of Prayer across the earth: Isa. 56:6-7; Amos 9:11-12; Mark 11:17
• Daniel Seals released: Dan. 12:4, 9-10

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

 The God who longs to give His people an irreplaceable role in His story through prayer. (See point 11 above) As I was writing this section I had a picture of the Father in a playground and He was building bigger slides and higher swings. He said, “I have a bigger story for you my children. You’re adventuring on a little playground right now but I’m going to put you in a much bigger adventure very soon.”

STAGE 2: FIRST 3.5 YEARS – DECEPTION + GREAT HARVEST

• Rise of the Antichrist: Ez. 38:8-9; Dan. 7:19-25; Hos. 11:5; 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 13
• Sin of people on earth reaches fullness: Dan. 8:23 / Gen. 15:16
• Appearance of the False Prophet: Rev. 13:11-14
• Covenant of Death made by the Antichrist with Israel: Dan. 9:27; Isa. 28:15, 18; 57:7-10; Hos. 10:3-6; 5:13; 12:1
• The third Temple Built: Dan. 8:11-13; 9:26-27; 11:31; Mt. 24:15
• Antichrist Given Great Influence in Israel: Ez. 21:25-27; Jn. 5:43; Isa. 57:7-10; Hos. 5:13; 10:6;11:5
• Includes a Season of “False Peace”: I Thess. 5:1-3; Rev. 17:6
• The Harlot Babylon rises to prominence with its false religious system: Rev. 17-18; Zech. 5:5-11
• The Great Falling Away of Christians: 2 Thes. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1
• Israel Apostate: Dan. 9:27; Isa. 49:7; Rev. 11:8; Ps. 81:8-13
• Fiery Messianic Messengers: Rev. 7; 15:1-5
• Believers Persecuted: Dan. 7:21, 25; 8:24; 11:33-35; 12:7b; Matt. 24:9; Isa. 66:5
• Antichrist’s head-wound / Resurrected: Rev. 13:3
• The Great End Time Harvest: Matt. 24:14; Lk. 21:12-15; Jn. 14:12; Acts 2:17; Rev. 7:9, 14; 15:15; Hab. 1:5, 2:2, 14; Hag. 2:6-7; Zech. 10:1; Mal. 4:5-6
• Maturity Level of Christians Increased: Dan. 12:4; Eph. 5:26-27; Rev. 19:7
• Gospel of the Kingdom Preached w/signs & wonders: Matt. 24:14; Acts 2:17-21; Dan. 11:32; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7-8; Matt. 24:14; Jn. 14:12

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

The good Father who disciplines and purifies His children. I heard 2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory… and I saw a picture of the Lord pouring revelation into our hearts about the worth and beauty of His work inside of us. See also Heb. 12:7-11.

STAGE 3: SECOND 3.5 YEARS – THE GREAT TRIBULATION

• Abomination of Desolation set up in the Third Temple/ The beginning of Jacob’s Trouble: Jer. 30:5-7; Dan. 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-4
• Satan gives Antichrist Unprecedented Authority: Rev. 13:1-2
• Jews in Prison Camps: Isa. 42:7,22; Ez. 6:8-9; 22:15; Joel 3:1-3
• Talking Statue: Rev. 13:15
• Mark of the Beast: Rev. 13:16-18; 14:9-11
• Global Economic Crisis & Famine: Rev. 6:5-6; 11:6
• Harlot Babylon’s Economic System Destroyed: Rev. 18; Jer.51; Isa. 13;14:4,47; 47:9,11,14
• Antichrist Worship Movement: Rev. 13:4, 8, 12
• Believer’s Intensely Persecuted / Purified: Dan. 11:33-35; 12:7,10; Rev. 13:7; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7-8; Matt. 24:14; Jn. 14:12
• Antichrist’s Army Subdues Nations: Rev. 6:1-2; Dan. 7:7; 8:24; 11:40-44; Hab. 2:4-5; Joel 2:2-11
• 14 Numbered Judgments (Seals and Trumpets): Rev. 6-11
• Jews placed in Prison Camps: Isa. 42:22; Ez. 6:8-9; 22:15 … Why? Isa. 50:1-2
• Earth’s Population Greatly Reduced: Isa. 13:12; 24:6; Jer. 25:33; Rev. 6:8; 9:18
• Two Witnesses: Rev. 11
• Pockets of Mercy / Geographic: Joel 3:16b; Ps. 91; Pro. 18:10; 29:25; Ps. 20:1; 27:5; 31:20; 32:7; 37:39-40; 46:1; 50:15; 138:7

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

Our God who protects and preserves His people. See Joel 3:16b; Ps. 91; Pro. 18:10; 29:25; Ps. 20:1; 27:5; 31:20; 32:7; 37:39-40; 46:1; 50:15; 138:7

STAGE ? : THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

• In my opinion, the exact timing of this event within the second 3.5 years is unclear in scripture.
• Church removed at the rapture / Sound of the Trumpet: 1 Thess. 4:16; 2nd Thes 2:1-4, 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 10:7; 11:15;
• Saints Receive Resurrected Bodies: 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

 Jesus, our passionate bridegroom. See Matt. 23:37-39; Song of Songs 8:6; Matt. 22

STAGE 4: SEASON OF WRATH AND 2^ND COMING PROCESSION (30 DAYS, DANIEL 12:11)

• Starts 1,260 days after Abomination of Desolation: Dan. 12:11
• Seven Bowls of Wrath – Last 7 of 21 Numbered Judgments: Rev. 16
• Nations Gather to Destroy Jesus: Ps. 2; Joel 2; 3:1,9-17; Rev. 17:13-15; 19:19; 16:13-16; Jer. 25:32-33
• Believer’s Operating in Resurrected Bodies: 1 Cor. 15:51-52
• The Second Coming procession:  Mt. 10:23; 16:27; 23:39; 24:27-31, 38-44; 25:31-32; Lk. 9:26; 13:35; 18:8; Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14-17; 5:1-6; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-21.

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

 Jesus, the righteous judge. See Ps. 2; Is. 63:1-5; Rev. 19:11-16

STAGE 5: THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM

• Reign of Jesus over the nations on a restored earth after a time of worldwide unprecedented tribulation (Matt. 24; Is. 24, 25; Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 14
• Old Testament evidence of a period of time – an intermediate kingdom that appears to be distinct from the present age and from the eternal kingdom (Is. 24, 25, 65; Zech. 8, 14)
• Explicit prediction of an intermediate kingdom that is one thousand years long (Rev. 20:1-10)

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

Jesus, our glorious King. see Ps. 45

STAGE 6: THE ETERNAL KINGDOM COMES AT THE END OF THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM (see Revelation 20:7 – 22: 5)

Attribute of our God to meditate on:

Our Father who fulfils His promises. All of them! See Jn. 17: 24; Ps. 2; 2 Cor. 1:20

Well done if you’ve made it this far! Seriously! 🙂

J. Ratcliffe

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