In this series, End of of the World, we have been examining the four major events that make up what is often referred to as the “end times.”  According the the Bible, the end times will begin with an event called the rapture.  The rapture is an unknown time when Jesus will appear in the clouds and receive all those who have believed in Him into heaven (John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55).  The only people left on earth following the rapture will be those who have either rejected or ignored the forgiveness of sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  Unbelievers will experience the wrath of God during a seven-year period termed the tribulation where a series of natural and supernatural disasters will bring massive destruction on human life as well as the environment.  These judgments are described in Revelation 6-18.  The seven years of tribulation will be followed by the millennial reign of Christ, which is the establishment of Jesus Christ’s kingdom on earth.  This time on earth will be characterized by peace, joy, righteousness, and comfort.  In case you need a timeline of these events, here is the chart we have been using:

These three events – the rapture, tribulation, and the millennial reign of Christ – will lead up to the final moment of human history on earth.  Immediately following the millennial reign of Christ, the entire universe as we know it will be destroyed and there was no place for the unbelieving dead to go (Revelation 20:11; 2 Peter 3:10); therefore, the unbelieving from all ages will stand before God in an event called the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-15).  God will take a book called the Book of Life, which contains the names of everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as the One who brought forgiveness of sin through His sacrifice, and other books will also be open (Revelation 20:12a).  These “other books” document every sin committed by every person who appears at this judgment.  All who stand before God at this judgment have rejected Jesus’ payment for their sin and, therefore, the penalty must be paid by them.  John reveals what their punishment is when he writes, “…And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (20:15).  This means that all people at this judgment are without the forgiveness of Jesus and will experience eternal punishment in the lake of fire (hell).  There is no return.  There is no escape.  There is no end to their suffering.  So what is this lake of fire?  I believe the Bible teaches that it is a literal place of torment and Jesus often calls it a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13; 24:15).  Those who die without believing in Jesus’ death for sin and resurrection will spend eternity in hell.

Eternity is much different for those who have believed in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin (John 3:16).  Revelation 21 reveals that God has prepared a new universe, which will become the eternal home of all believers (Revelation 21:1-3).  This eternal home is described with the following words, “…there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).  Several other details concerning this eternal dwelling place are described in Revelation 21; however, the most important thing about this place is that believers will forever be in the presence of God.

The Bible is very clear that there are only two places to spend eternity: hell or heaven.  John 3:36 summarizes the future for those who believe and those who don’t: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  Jesus Christ gave His life so that you could experience eternal life.  You must simply believe.

This series, End of the World, includes the following posts:
End of the World
End of the World – Rapture
End of the World – Tribulation
End of the World – Millennial Reign of Christ
End of the World – Eternity

We are currently living in the church age where God is using the church to spread the message of hope through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  According to Scripture the next major event on God’s prophetic timeline is the rapture, an unknown time when Jesus will appear in the clouds and receive all those who have believed in Him into heaven (John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55).  This means that all Christians will be removed from the earth during the rapture.  The rapture will set in motion a series of events such as the tribulation, the millennial reign of Christ, and eternity.  Immediately following the rapture, a seven-year tribulation period will be experienced by all unbelievers on earth when God pours out His wrath on them.  These judgments will be composed of natural and supernatural disasters that will bring unparalleled destruction on human life as well as the environment.  Revelation 6-18 provides the details surrounding the tribulation period.

At the conclusion of the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth in order to establish His kingdom.  Christ’s return, following the tribulation, should not be confused with the rapture, when Christ only appears in the air.  This particular event taking place in Revelation 19 is known as the second coming of Christ.  Heaven opens and Christ descends riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16).  Believers from all ages will also return to earth with Jesus, but His first order of business is to destroy His enemies.  He enters into a battle known as the Battle of Armageddon; however, this battle will not be much of a fight since Christ will quickly capture the Antichrist and the false prophet and cast them into the lake of fire  (Revelation 19:17-20).  After the world’s leaders are removed, Christ swiftly defeats the rest of His enemies (Revelation 19:21).  An angel then descends from heaven and casts Satan into the “bottomless pit” for 1,000 years so that he cannot deceive people during the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-3).  The removal of Satan will drastically alter the happenings on earth during this time. Without their tempting forces, people will only be left to deal with temptations through the world and the flesh.

Although the book of Revelation does not give us a ton of details about the 1,000 year that Christ will reign on the earth, John does provide a little glimpse of the things which will govern this kingdom.  He writes, “I saw thrones, and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them…and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years…they shall be priests of God and of Christ” (Revelation 20:4-6).  These verses imply that believers from all ages will rule with Christ during His millennial reign; furthermore, His reign on earth will bring a different type of kingdom.  Instead of being characterized by sin and rebellion, the earthly kingdom of God will be established in righteousness.  Here are some Old Testament references that reveal interesting things concerning the Millennial Reign of Christ:

• It will be popular to do right (Psalms 72:6-7)
• War and crime will cease (Isaiah 2:4)
• People will live a long lives (Isaiah 65:20)
• There will be pure hearts and speech (Zephaniah 3:9)
• Animals will be tame (Isaiah 11:6-9)
• There will be joy (Isaiah 61:7, 10)
• There will be much comfort (Isaiah 40:1-2)
• There will be no poverty or sickness (Amos 9:13-15; Joel 2:28-29)

In case you need to visualize where the Millennial Reign of Christ fits into the prophetic timeline, here is the chart we have been using:
This series, End of the World, includes the following posts:
End of the World
End of the World – Rapture
End of the World – Tribulation
End of the World – Millennial Reign of Christ
End of the World – Eternity

All Christians, dead and living, will be removed from earth before God pours out His wrath on those who have rejected or ignored the forgiveness offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.  This removal of all who believe (the church) is known as the rapture and is described in John 14:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:50-55.  The only people left on earth immediately following the rapture will be individuals who have not believed in Jesus’ death for sin, burial, and resurrection.  Since these individuals rejected the offer of forgiveness and eternal life, they will experience God’s wrath.  God certainly will not judge them in a moment of anger because He has been extremely patient in awaiting their repentance (2 Peter 3:9); however, at this point, His patience will have run out and his judgment upon the unbelieving is imminent.  God’s punishment upon the unbelieving will be unleashed in a series of three judgments during this seven-year time period known as the tribulation.  Each series of judgments will include seven different forms of punishment.  The three series of judgments are known as the seven seal judgments (Revelation 6:1-8:6), seven trumpet judgments (Revelation 8:7-11:21), and seven vial judgments (Revelation 15:1-16:21).  Here is a brief description of what will happen during each series of judgments:

Seven Seal Judgments (Revelation 6:1-8:6)
1^st seal – a deceitful world ruler, known as the Antichrist, will be revealed (Rev. 6:1-2)
2^nd seal – worldwide war (Rev. 6:3-4)
3^rd seal – famine (Rev. 6:5-6)
4^th seal – death, 25% of the world’s population will die (Rev. 6:7-8)
5^th seal – a cry for vengeance on the earth (Rev. 6:9-11)
6^th seal – cosmic events (Rev.6:12-17)

• A great earthquake
• Sun turns black (probably due to the volcanic ash caused by the great earthquake)
• Moon turns red (also due to the volcanic ash caused by the great earthquake)
• Meteor shower and large asteroids hitting the earth
• Sky is removed
• Continents shift

Before Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind, He spoke to His disciples and told them He would be leaving (John 13:31-35).  The disciples reacted with worry but Jesus calmed their fears saying, “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” (John 14:2-3).  Jesus informs His disciples that He is departing to prepare a place in heaven for them, which they would inhabit when He returned for them.  The event Jesus was referring to is known as the rapture, an unknown time when Jesus will appear in the clouds and receive all those who have believed in Him into heaven.  The church is awaiting the rapture as the next event on God’s timeline of prophetic history and it will set it motion the end times.

Paul described the details surrounding the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  As one of the earliest writings of the New Testament (AD 51-52), Paul provides instructions to the early Christians regarding the rapture of the church. The church at Thessalonica had some misunderstandings concerning those who had died prior to Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  They apparently thought that dead Christians would miss this event because they were no longer alive, but Paul wrote to correct their thinking and fully explain the “mystery” of the rapture.  Paul makes it clear that anyone, dead or alive, who believes in Jesus’ death for sin and resurrection will experience the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:14).  If any person believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth that Jesus’ death paid for sin and that His resurrection guaranteed that they will live again, the rapture will become a reality for them (John 3:16, 36; Romans 10:9-13).  Paul then reveals what will occur during the rapture.

• First, Jesus Christ will appear in the clouds and a trumpet will sound, which will be the call for believers to ascend to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16a).
• Second, the bodies of dead Christians (whose spirits are already in the presence of God) will come out of their graves and begin their ascension to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16b).
• Third, the bodies of living Christians will then be “caught up” with the bodies of the dead in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17a).  The word rapture never appears in Scripture, but it is a Latin word which is related to the words “caught up.”
• Although Paul does not mention it here, the fourth happening during the rapture is that the bodies of both the living and dead believers will be changed instantaneously (1 Corinthians 15:50-55).  New bodies are necessary so that Christians will be able to survive in a heavenly environment.
• Last, the rapture of believers will begin their unending dwelling in the presence of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17b).

Although this will be a great time of joy for those who have believed in Jesus’ death for sin, it will also be a time of great sorrow for those left on the earth because they will soon experience the seven-year tribulation period.  The tribulation will be a time when God will pour out His wrath on those who have rejected the forgiveness provided through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Many people ask, “If Jesus is going to return, what is taking Him so long?”  The answer is found in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”  God delays His return in order to give people time to repent of their sin.  The only punishment for sin is death and Jesus took that penalty upon Himself when He gave His life in place of the sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Any person can be forgiven when he puts his faith in the death of Jesus Christ for sin.

Have put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin?

This series, End of the World, includes the following posts:
End of the World
End of the World – Rapture
End of the World – Tribulation
End of the World – Millennial Reign of Christ
End of the World – Eternity

In case you missed it yesterday, here is the timeline we are using for this series of posts:

The end of the world has been a topic that has captured the attention of thousands, if not millions, of people for many centuries.  I must admit that it is also a subject that has intrigued me for years, but so much misinformation and misunderstanding has resulted in lots of confusion inside and outside the church.  Even after reading and studying the book of Revelation, I certainly don’t have all the answers concerning the end times, but I would like to make an attempt to simplify the major events that will characterize the end of the world.  These series of posts are not meant to be an exhaustive study, but a very basic one that focuses on the event rather than all the details.  If you desire a detailed study of the book of Revelation, I wrote out all my thoughts and you can view/download them here.  Before I begin, I would also like to admit that there are varying opinions regarding the timeline of events referred to as the end times; therefore, my purpose is not to spark a debate, but simply spark our thinking about the eventual end to our world.  You have every right to disagree with me, but I will not argue with you.

In my opinion, there are FOUR major events that characterize the end times: the rapture, the tribulation, the millennial reign of Christ, and eternity (heaven or hell).  Maybe these terms are not familiar to you, so let me provide a brief description of each for future reference.

Rapture (instantaneous) – Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will suddenly appear in the clouds at an unknown time (this event should not be confused with the second coming of Christ, which occurs following the seven-year tribulation period).  All those on earth who have believed in Jesus’ death for sin, burial, and resurrection will be removed from earth and taken to heaven.  During their transport to heaven, their bodies will be transformed into ones suited to live in heaven.  But those who have either rejected or ignored Jesus Christ as their Savior from sin will be left on earth to experience the tribulation period.  The major Scriptures teaching about the rapture are 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Tribulation (lasts seven years) – Following the removal of Christians from the earth, God will pour out His wrath on all who have rejected or ignored the forgiveness of sin that was offered through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Natural and supernatural disasters will be instruments of God’s wrath on the unbelieving world. This part of future history includes characters such as the anti-christ, the false prophet, the two witnesses, and the 144,000 witnesses.  This time of  judgment will last seven years and the primary Scripture that teaches about the tribulation period is Revelation 4-16.

Millennial Reign of Christ (lasts 1,000 years) –  At the conclusion of the seven-year tribulation period, Christ will return to the earth (known as the second coming of Christ) with those who have believed in Him and He will set up a righteous rule for 1,000 years.  Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit for the duration of Christ’s reign on earth.  His kingdom will exemplify a perfect environment of peace and righteousness.  The major Scriptures used to teach concerning the Millennial Reign are Revelation 20:4-6 as well as some prophetic Old Testament passages.

Eternity (lasts forever)-  After the millennial reign of Christ has been completed, the unbelieving dead from all ages will stand before God and be cast into the lake of fire as their final judgment.  Those who have rejected or ignored Christ’s death for sin, burial, and resurrection will spend forever in hell.  The major Scripture teaching about unbelievers being cast into hell is Revelation 20:14-15.  In contrast to those who have rejected Christ, all those who believe will spend forever in the presence of God.  The major Scripture describing heaven is Revelation 21-22.

I do not believe that anyone knows the timing of these events but once the rapture occurs, the rest of the events will be set in motion.  In case you are completely confused at this point, here is a chart that will provide a reference for our end of the world timeline.  It’s nothing fancy, but it will be helpful for the future.

This series, End of the World, includes the following posts:
End of the World
End of the World – Rapture
End of the World – Tribulation
End of the World – Millennial Reign of Christ
End of the World – Eternity