CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE END TIME EVENTS
In last week’s article, I was reflecting on prophecy and thinking how fortunate I am to see Bible prophecy in my time, unfolding right before my very eyes. How exciting it is to see God working behind the scenes and we are witnesses to all of this today. How God is setting the stage for Russia and her allies to attack Israel. Some 2500 years ago the prophet Ezekiel recorded in great detail one of the most horrific battles in biblical history and today God is laying out the groundwork for this battle – prophecy unfolding right before our eyes. Yes, God not only exists, but He is in control of the future and has given us His book, the Bible, so we can read and understand what will happen in the future.
Yes, there is a God-ordained order to Bible prophecy. The following chronology will be helpful in showing the order in which prophetic events will occur and give you a picture of God’s prophetic agenda for the end times. Although, we don’t know the precise timing of the prophetic events, only God knows that; but we can show the general outline and schedule. I believe in the popular futurist and pre-tribulation view of prophecy and from that perspective, here is what I believe is the order of end time events that the Bible reveals.
– THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL – The 2500-year prophecy of Ezekiel was fulfilled on May 14, 1948. The prophecy of the return of Jews from all over the world to the land of Israel to re-establish the nation of Israel, after they were dispersed in 70 A.D and taken captive into all nations, then against all odds, the return took place in 1948 just as Ezekiel had prophesied. This was the greatest miracle of the last 1900 years. For it is written: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you (back) into your own land (Ezekiel 36:24).” For the end time prophecies to be fulfilled, Israel had to be a nation again.
– RAPTURE – Jesus Comes For The Church (Christ’s body of believers). Saints are resurrected and the true church is removed from the earth (Matthew 24:36-44). Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him (1 Cor. 15:52). This is the NEXT event on God’s timeline as no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the rapture takes place.
– GOG AND MAGOG WAR – God purposely lures Russia and her allies to attack Israel and supernaturally destroys them (Ezekiel 38). God displays His glory and exalts Himself before all nations. Israel officially recognizes God’s involvement in her affairs (Ezekiel 39:28, 29).
– THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST – The meteoric rise of a satanically empowered man, the Antichrist, the end time world ruler is revealed (2 Thess. 2:3, 8). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up an apostate religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist (Rev. 19:20).
– START OF DANIEL’S 70th Week – START OF THE 7-YEAR
TRIBULATION PERIOD – The Antichrist makes a (false) covenant or peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27a). Also, starting in the first half of the tribulation because the church has been taken to heaven in the rapture, there will be 144,000 Israelis “sealed” for God’s service during the tribulation period (Rev. 7:4). They will be preserved, sealed, and protected by God so that they cannot be killed by the Antichrist while they complete their service to God. The 144,000 protected Israelis will be evangelists, and there will be a great harvest of souls coming to the Lord during those terrible tribulation days.
– MID-WEEK OF DANIEL’S 70th – After 3 ½ years the Antichrist breaks the peace treaty and invades Israel. The Antichrist sets himself up in God’s temple and demands to be worshipped, claiming himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). World religions accelerate into apostasy, blending into a “harlot” religion – Mystery Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Of The Abominations Of The Earth (Rev. 17). No one may buy or sell without the mark of the Beast (Rev. 13). Great persecution breaks out against all of those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Rev. 12:17). The world enters the final 3 ½ years of God’s wrath on earth known as the Great Tribulation (Matt 24:21) of unparalleled trouble – wars, famine, death, and martyrdom. Two thirds of Israel’s population and over half of the world’s population will be destroyed. It’s going to be so bad that men will seek to die to escape this horror but apparently death will not be possible: “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them (Rev. 9:6).”
– THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON – At the end of the Tribulation period the Antichrist gathers all nations for war against Israel. Christ returns with the armies of heaven and is visible to the world. This is the Second Coming (Zechariah 14:3, 5, 12; Rev. 19:11-16, 19). Jesus saves Jerusalem from annihilation and supernaturally defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Rev. 19:11-21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20).
– POST ARMAGEDDON – We have the judgement of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the Tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matt. 25:31-46). The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom and the wicked will be cast into hell. We also have the binding of Satan. Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).
– THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM – Jesus Himself will rule the world for 1000 years, and Jerusalem will be the capital (Zechariah 14:8, 9). We, as Christ’s body of believers, the church, shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev 20:6). There will be a 1000-year period of peace, prosperity, and righteousness on earth (Isaiah 60-62; Rev. 20). The Millennium is essential for the fulfilment of all the promises that God has made to the Jews, to the church, to the nations, and to creation. When Christ rules in the Millennial Kingdom, His love, justice, mercy, righteousness, and peace will be found throughout the earth. During this golden age, the earth will be what God intended it to be.
– POST MILLENNIUM – At the end of 1000 years, Satan will be released from his confinement for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly squashed (Rev: 20:7-10) – the “final” Gog-Magog War. Afterwards Satan will be cast into the lake of fire.
– THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT – All unbelievers, all those held in confinement in Hades will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before our Lord, Christ Jesus, in a final judgement (Rev. 20:11-15). Jesus will read out the verdicts, and all of sinful humanity will be cast into the lake of fire – eternal separation from God, where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).
– THE ETERNAL STATE – A new heaven and a new earth are established where believers will live for eternity with the Lord (Rev.21-22). The ushering in of the Eternal state marks the conclusion of God’s purpose for the earth in which we live. There will be no night because our heavenly home will be illuminated by the glory of God and the Lamb (Jesus). God will be its light. There will be no temple because Christ Himself will be the temple. We will see the face of God and bear His name on our forehead. We will have access forever to the tree of life.
What I’ve shown you here is what I believe will be the chronological outline of the end time events. Other views of eschatology such as mid-tribulation and post-tribulation will have different timelines of the end times – we can agree to disagree. I hope I have made it easier for individuals to understand biblical prophecy and show you the order in which the end time prophetic events will unfold. I find this exciting and I’m thinking how fortunate I am to see Bible prophecy in my time, unfolding right before my own eyes. How exciting it is to see God working behind the scenes and we are all witnesses to all of this today.
Oscar
Comment:
– We are living in the most significant and important time in Bible prophecy history. People should feel honored, privileged, and blessed to be living in this time.
Prophetically, we are living in a time like no other generation before us where the Bible is coming to life and playing out right before our eyes, yet many in our churches have not noticed because Bible prophecy is not taught from the pulpit. How unfortunate, as a result, many churchgoers don’t see the Bible coming to life and don’t understand the significance of what’s happening all around them, prophetically.
>Oscar Leske
F/B – Signs Of Our Times
www.Understanding The Signs Of Our Times.com