In Left Behind I, we saw a picture of our world that relates to the Jewish Prophet Ezekiel’s Chapter 38-39 prophecy of a multi-nation attack on Israel, written in the year 587 B.C. We saw Israel being prosperous, while most of the world was suffering from famine. We saw Israel being attacked by many opposing nations, with the attacking aircraft being shot out of the sky, without any Israeli ground to air missiles being fired, or without any Jewish fighter aircraft being launched to confront the attackers. Early morning dawn quickly turned to darkness. As the movie progressed, a young charismatic European leader emerged onto the scene, making a pitch for world peace and adequate food supplies.
Very abruptly, millions of people around the world became missing, with small children being the cornerstone of that “rapture,” or catching away that had been predicted by Bible scriptures. Many of those people thought that they were secure in life as “nominal” Christians (in name only), only to come to the reality that they did not have a real relationship with Christ.
There were people who had been left behind, having missed the rapture, who began to study prophetic scriptures. Many of those people thought that they had been secure in life as “nominal” Christians, only to come to the reality that they had not had a real relationship with Christ, that was sealed by saving faith.
Worldwide unrest escalated.
Being supported by a United Nations government-controlled worldwide press, pressure was being mounted for a one-world banking system, and an assault on religion. An alignment of nations, under the rule of the United Nations, confirmed a peace treaty which included Israel. That treaty was brokered by the “young charismatic European,” who had become the Secretary General of the United Nations, and would come to be known as the Anti-Christ.
Some of those who missed the rapture, and were “left behind,” learned that seven years of tribulation would follow the rapture. Worldwide chaos, famines, pestilences and cosmic disturbances were learned to occur during that time of tribulation.
In Left Behind II, we will see a tribulation force of some of those who had been left behind from the rapture. We will see their response to the reality of the emerging Anti-Christ, and to his one-world government, to include that of religion and banking.
The oppression of the Anti-Christ against Jews, and to gentiles who will come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, will escalate.
The following verses relate to the situation that will face Jews, and gentiles who accept Christ after the rapture takes place.
Matthew 24:6-12 The Passion Translation (TPT)
6 “You will hear of wars nearby and revolutions on every side, with more rumors of wars to come. Don’t panic or give in to your fears, for the breaking apart of the world’s systems is destined to happen. But it won’t yet be the end; it will still be unfolding.
7 “Nations will go to war against each other and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be terrible earthquakes—seismic events of epic proportion, horrible epidemics and famines in place after place. 8 This is how the first contractions and birth pains of the new age will begin!”
9 “You can expect to be persecuted, even killed; for you will be hated by all the nations because of your love for me. 10 Then many will stop following me and fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many lying prophets will arise, deceiving multitudes and leading them away from the path of truth. 12 There will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold.
Consider nominal Christians, which are those who will be left behind to face the tribulation after the rapture takes place.
John 17:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
In John 17:3, “to know” is to have an intimate relationship with Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Consider the words of Christ,” I never knew you.” He was saying, I have never had an intimate relationship with you.
Nominal, “in name only,” such a ticket to the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).
Revelation 20:11-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Judgment at the Throne of God
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The “great white throne judgment” is a place where the only people who will be assembled there will be those who have not been born again. Many of those will be those which were left behind from the rapture.
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Unfortunately, there are many families today who will have “a ticket to the lake of fire, on the family plan.” We are told in scripture, “teach your children,” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
Israel: Key to Understanding Bible Prophecy
See bio below.
Comments related to this series of posts on the Book of Ezekiel. Comments come from the Ryrie Study Bible.
Ezekiel was a Jewish priest who had been carried off to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar with other Jews from Jerusalem in the year 597 B.C. Ezekiel’s ministry to the exiles in Babylon was at the same time as that of Jeremiah to the Jews of Palestine, and of the early years of the ministry of Daniel.
The prophet Daniel had already been taken captive to Babylon in 605 B.C.
The posts that will be published in this study of Ezekiel will be prophetic, as opposed to being chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. A teaching video will also be included in each chapter study. The selected video may actually cover more scripture than that which is shown in the text breakdown which precedes the video.
Chapters 1-24: Prophesied judgments on the kingdom of Judah.
Chapters 25- 32: Prophesied judgments on the gentile nations.
Chapters 33- 48: Prophesied blessings on Israel.
Ezekiel #1: Age and Experience
See bio below.
Life Essentials Videos
Published on Mar 8, 2016
When we are selecting those who are to lead and shepherd the church at the highest levels of leadership, we should consider chronological age.
Ezekiel. 1:1-3; p. 1074
Bio. Dr. Ron Rhodes
Ron Rhodes http://ronrhodes.org/meet-ron.html
Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary (1986). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with High Honors.
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary (1983). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with Honors. Elected to Dean’s List.
B.A., Houston Baptist University (1979). Recipient of the Greek Excellence Award. Chief nominee for the Riverside Scholarship.
Consider the news reports from all around the world.
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE MISSING ! WHERE ARE THEY?
Airplanes crashing – flight crews missing! Cars and trucks colliding – drivers missing! Hospitals report, “No babies anywhere!”
School teachers frantically looking for young children! Clothing seen in restaurants and businesses where people had been seated!
Chaos everywhere! Network news anchors and theologians attribute the situation to global warming and alien abductions!
Congress convenes, and grasps for an explanation as to why, “a scattering of them” is missing.
Many pastors can’t be found – many others are being interviewed by CNN!
WHERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE MISSING?
The answer is found in “The Rapture Of The Church.”
WILL YOU, “ALSO,” BE SEARCHING FOR THOSE WHO ARE MISSING?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3 – New American Standard 1977 http://biblehub.com
The Prophecy Of The Messiah
What does Daniel 9:27 tell us about when the Messiah would come?
Consider God and Ezekiel
Text
Lesson Preview
Ezekiel Chapter 11
Date: 594 B.C. (Scofield Study Bible)
Place: Ezekiel in exile in Babylon; his visions of Jerusalem, in the Southern Kingdom Of Judah and during the Millennium.
Consider the following verses that illumine the relationship that existed between God and Ezekiel.
Ezekiel Chapter 11
vs 1, 2, 4, 13, 14, 24, 25 (Key phrases of each verse)
Ezekiel 11:1 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house which faced eastward”
Ezekiel 11:2 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“And He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city”
Ezekiel 11:4 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!”
Ezekiel 11:13 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Wilt Thou bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”
Ezekiel 11:14 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,”
Ezekiel 11:24 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me”
Ezekiel 11:25 New American Standard 1977 Bible Hub
“Then I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.”
Consider the honor that Ezekiel was given in visions by God, in that he was allowed to see the Glory of God departing the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:23), and that he was allowed to see the Glory of God returning to the temple again, also in Jerusalem during the Millennium (1,000 year reign of Christ, Revelation 20:4). It will not be until the time that the Millennial temple is present, that the Glory of God will return to the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-5). Even though the temple will be rebuilt (515 B.C.), after the Jews return to Jerusalem, after having spent 70 in exile in Babylon, the Glory of God will not return to any man-made temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The vision of Ezekiel 43 will not occur until after the tribulation and the second coming of Christ to earth have taken place (Zechariah 14:1-16, Revelation 19:11-21, Matthew 24:29-31). Present in the Millennial temple will be God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 43:1-7; 44:4-5; Revelation 20:4-6).
Ezekiel’s vision of the Glory of God departing the temple in Jerusalem, and returning to the return to the temple
Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C., in the first of three deportations of Jews from Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s vision of the destruction of the temple took place in 594 B.C. The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C (2 Kings 25:8-11/2 Chronicles 36:19). The story of the deportations of Jews by the forces of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, and of the destruction by his forces of the temple and city of Jerusalem, can be found in 2 Kings 24-25, and 2 Chronicles 36:5-21.
Ezekiel 11:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (Bible Gateway) 1995
23 The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.
Ezekiel 43:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Bible Gateway 1995
Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple
1 Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; 2 and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. 5 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
Consider the diary of God that illumines your relationship with Him.
1 Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city, 3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.’ 4 Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!”
5 Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, filling its streets with them.” 7 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it. 8 You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you,” the Lord God declares. 9 “And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. 10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel. 12 Thus you will know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”
13 Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord God! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”
Promise of Restoration
14 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; this land has been given us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18 When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. 19 And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God.
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. 23 The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me. 25 Then I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me.
Notes – Ezekiel Chapter 11 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible) Bible Gateway
11:1 twenty-five men. Ezekiel, though at the temple only in the vision (cf. 8:3, and see note there), saw because God, who was everywhere present and all-knowing, impressed specific details on him in the vision. The wicked leaders (cf. v. 2) were part of God’s reason for the judgment (vv. 8, 10). Ezekiel was taken in spirit to the very place which the glory of God had left in 10:19 and was given a vision of “twenty-five men,” who represented, not priests, but influential leaders among the people, who gave fatal advice to the people (v. 2). Jaazaniah the son of Azzur. See note on 8:11.
11:3 caldron…meat. Though this is obscure, it may be that the bad advice these leaders were giving was that the people should not be engaged in business as usual, “building houses” or taking care of their comfort and futures, when they were about to be cooked like meat in a pot over a blazing fire. The idea must have been that the people should get ready for battle, and be prepared to fight, not focusing on comfort, but survival. Jeremiah had told the people to surrender to the Babylonians and save their lives, rather than fight and be killed (cf. Jer. 27:9–17). These false leaders, like the prophets and priests whom Jeremiah confronted for telling the people not to submit, scorned Jeremiah’s words from God and would pay for it (v. 4). Cf. 24:1–14.
11:6 multiplied your slain. Leaders who misled Israel by inciting false expectations of a victorious defense, rather than peaceful surrender, were responsible for the deadly results. Many people died in resisting Babylon.
11:7 I shall bring you out. The false leaders thought that unless they fought, they would all be in a caldron, i.e., the city. But here the Lord promised that some would be delivered from the city, only to die on Israel’s border in the wilderness (vv. 8–11). This was literally fulfilled at Riblah (cf. 2 Kin. 25:18–21; Jer. 52:24–27).
11:13 Pelatiah…died. The death of one leader from v. 1 was a sign that God would indeed carry out His word. Apparently this leader did die suddenly at the time Ezekiel was shown the vision, so that the prophet feared that this death meant death for all Israelites (9:8).
11:14, 15 Ezekiel was told he had a new family, not the priests at Jerusalem to whom he was tied by blood, but his fellow exiles in Babylon, identified as those who were treated as outcasts. The priesthood was about to be ended and he was to have a new family.
11:15 Get far away. The contemptuous words of those still left in Jerusalem at the carrying away of Jeconiah and the exiles indicated that they felt smugly secure and believed the land was their possession.
11:16 little sanctuary. This is better rendered “for a little while,” i.e., however long the captivity lasted. God was to be the protection and provision for those who had been scattered through all the 70 years until they were restored. The exiles may have cast off the Jews, but God had not (Is. 8:14). This holds true for the future restoration of the Jews (vv. 17, 18).
11:19, 20 a new spirit. God pledged not only to restore Ezekiel’s people to their ancient land, but to bring the New Covenant with its blessings. Cf. 36:25–28, and see note on Jer. 31:31–34.
11:23 the mountain…east. The glory of God moved to the Mt. of Olives to which the glorious Son of God will return at the Second Advent (cf. 43:1–5; Zech. 14:4).
11:24 brought me in a vision. Again, Ezekiel has remained bodily in his Babylonian house, seen by his visitors (v. 25; 8:1). God, who supernaturally showed him a vision in Jerusalem, caused his sense of awareness to return to Chaldea, thus ending the vision state. Once the vision was completed, Ezekiel was able to tell his exiled countrymen what God had shown him (v. 25).
Comments related to this post.
The book of Ezekiel show’s God’s prophetic purposes being fulfilled in the lives and nation of Israel. Jimmy DeYoung has called the book of Ezekiel, “the timeline of the Jews,” and the Book of Daniel, “the timeline of the Gentiles.”
Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s Kingdom will come.
For information that relates to the preparation of this post, and to sources of information, please click onto the following link.
The Anchor Holds – First Baptist Church Jacksonville, FL
Marriage of the Lamb – First Baptist Church Jacksonville, FL
Luke 23:42-43J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus answered, “I tell you truly, this day you will be with me in paradise.”
The above short conversation took place when Christ and a thief were hanging “side by side” on a cross in Jerusalem. Both knew that death was imminent. Our Lord, God the Son, knew that after His death he would be in the Presence of God the Father. The thief, based on His exhibited faith in Christ, knew that he could be saved from the eternal absence from God, and be placed in God’s immediate Presence. So, the thief “called on the Name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13). Based on this introduction, let’s continue with our discussion of whether the thief ended up that day in Heaven, or in Paradise. Let’s consider a key verse of this whole discussion.
Key verse: John 3:3
New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
When we consider Heaven, the thought is often related to the “eternal state,” which occurs after the Great White Throne Judgment (for unrighteous people) has taken place (Revelation 20:11-15). In the eternal state we find the New Heaven and New Earth and New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2). The eternal state is the place where all born again, righteous, saints of God will spend their eternity, in the Presence of God. That is the place where the thief on the cross will be found, but not yet. All righteous, born again saints of God/believers in Christ, will find their place with the thief on the cross, “in the eternal state,” where all of the saints of God, of all of the ages, will be present and will see the face of God (Rev 22:4). (Repetition was used here to ensure that all designations of: righteous, born again, saints of God, believers in Christ relate to the same group of people who will spend their eternity in the eternal state with God.)
The normal usage of “heaven,” as is spoken today, relates to the place of “righteous spirits,” whether they are of righteous people who may be alive, dead, resurrected or caught up and in the Presence of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). So, let’s consider the word, “spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 New American Standard Bible
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Spirit, soul and body. The body is our “fingers, toes and nose, etc.” Soul relates to our “mind,” our emotions, our intellect, in essence, it is “who we are,” the three words of a lady who is now in the Presence of God. I like to say that my spirit is in the center of my chest, immediately above my heart. I often make a fist and pound it on the heart area of my chest, and say, “God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), I know that you’re there; thank you!” Our spirit is that part of us that prompts our mind to thoughts of righteousness or unrighteousness, depending on whether we have been born again, which is actually, “whether our spirit has been born again.” We have no control over our spirit. If our spirit has been born again, God will prompt our mind to righteous thoughts. If we have not been born again, Satan prompts our mind to unrighteous thoughts. Those who have not been born again, have no Godly wisdom residing within them. A born-again believer in Christ is the recipient of God’s wisdom, and receives His wisdom each and every day of life (John 16:7-11). So, let’s consider the reason that our mind is so easily swayed. We must go back to the Garden Of Eden.
After the creation of the world by God (Elohim), we read the following:
Genesis 1:21 New American Standard Bible
“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Yes! Everything in the garden, in creation everywhere, was “very good.” All remained “very good” until the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:6), and the curse that quickly followed (Gen 3:8-22), which was a curse on all of God’s creation. Up until the time of the sin of Adam and Eve, there was total perfection in the Garden. There was no sickness or death. Alligators didn’t eat little dogs, etc. There were no imperfections of nature..no storms, earthquakes, etc. But, after the sin of Adam and Eve, sin and death entered the world, with catastrophic results.
Romans 5:12 GOD’S WORD® Translation
“Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned.”
We can also see that, today, the state of nature is no longer present in the world, as it was in the garden..it is no longer perfect. The perfect state of mankind (body, soul and spirit), also became cursed. The mind and body entered a death spiral upon conception. Our spirit does not die; it is eternal. It’s eternal place depends on its state, whether it is righteous or unrighteous. Upon the moment that we were conceived, our mind and body began developing (sorry pro-choice people; check out Dr. Louis Pasteur’s “Law of Biogenesis;” life comes from existing life.”) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogenesis …Each of us is flawed at birth, due to the curse, even in our embryonic state. Within each embryo is a mature spirit, that has been flawed. A body and soul are developing. Life comes from life, due to the “life” that is present in each sperm and egg. That life will come into our world, and will find its way to death (body and soul). The spirit will have a flawed and unrighteous presence, which will exist into eternity, unless it is made righteous. A righteous and non-flawed spirit comes from our spirit being born again (John 3:3), which is a result of the action of God’s Holy Spirit (John 3:8).
Consider the following verses that show a transition from flawed sinner to perfected saint of God.
John 1:29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
The sin of the world that needs to be taken away, which will allow unsaved people to have eternal life with Christ, “is the sin of unbelief.”
John 3:16-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
belief in Christ (vs 16) or unbelief (vs 18). Belief results in eternal life with Christ. Unbelief results in condemnation, such as is shown in the tribulation (Revelation 6-18 Judgments of God), and in the lake of fire (final and eternal judgment)
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
God’s Holy Spirit causes the new birth to happen.
If you believe in Christ, you have been born again. If you have been born again, you believe in Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
A simple faith in Christ as Lord and Savior makes all of the above happen (John 1:29 to Ephesians 2:8-9).
The following things happen after a person has been born again.
Our spirit dwells with the spirit of Father/Son/Holy Spirit
John 14:20 New American Standard Bible – This verse relates to the knowledge that the Apostles will have after the resurrection of Christ. This intermingling of Spirits includes the spirits of all born again believers of all times.
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
Romans 8:1 New American Standard Bible – After we have been born again, no condemnation of God, awaits any believer in Christ.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 5:8 New American Standard Bible – Upon the deaths of believers, their souls and spirits are in the Presence of God
.
“we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Relate vs 8 to vs 10. In vs 8 Paul is discussing where believers will be, if they are not in the body, whether by death, resurrection or rapture. From vs 10, the next step is the marriage of the Lamb, Rev 19:7, where the raptured and resurrected saints of God, step out from Heaven (Paradise/3rd Heaven/Presence of God), with Christ and begin their descent to earth for the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 19 11-21). More of the discussion of things related to the return of Christ to earth will be discussed later on in this post.
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
2 Corinthians 5:17 New American Standard Bible – Upon new birth, the saint has a new spirit which will prompt the believer to righteous living. The original, sinful spirit, has passed away; it will no more prompt the believer to unrighteousness.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 New American Standard Bible – Upon our new birth, Christ has taken our sin on Him, making Him to be “sin” (not a sinner) so that He can take sin’s judgment. Our spirit of sin has been replaced by a spirit that is as perfect as the Spirit of Christ.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Colossians 1:27 New American Standard Bible – After we have been born again, the Spirit of Christ dwells within our born again spirits.
“to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
1 John 5:19 New American Standard Bible – This verse explains that which makes it all possible for us to be “in God.” Until we were born again, we were “darkness.” Upon our new birth, we became “light.” Without the new birth, we would have continued to be “darkness,” and would not have been permitted to be “in God.” (John 1:9)
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
Now, let’s consider Lazarus and the rich man.
Luke 16:22-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
In the following discussion, “Kingdom of God,” and “Millennial reign of Christ,” both relate to the same thousand year period which immediately follows the tribulation and second coming of Christ to earth. A saint is any righteous person. A righteous person is anyone whose spirit has been born again. Tribulation is the time of the judgment of God on unrighteous people, which is also known as “the 70th week of Daniel, which follows the rapture of the church, and ends when Christ returns to earth with His raptured saints.
Lazarus was the righteous poor man. He died and was taken to the bosom of Abraham, which is the Old Testament name for the Presence of God. The rich unrighteous man died, and was placed in Hades (see note below), which is the place of death for unrighteous people, where their souls and spirits remain until the bodily resurrection of unrighteous people takes place at the end of the Kingdom of God (Revelation 20:5). The translation of “hell” is incorrectly used in Luke 16 in some translations. In Luke 16, both of the bodies (Lazarus and rich man) are in the grave. Notice that both men are conscious of their surroundings, with the rich man being in torment, experiencing “God’s condemnation.” His next stop is the resurrection of the unrighteous (Rev 20:5), with the Great White Throne Judgment and the lake of fire soon to follow (Revelation 20:11-15). Lazarus was also conscious of His surroundings, and was having “the time of His life,” in the Presence of God. His next stop is the resurrection of the Old Testament saints (Rev 20:4). (The Old Testament lasts until the crucifixion of Christ; “it is finished,” John 19:30.) At the resurrection of the saints, which is at the end of the tribulation, and at the beginning of the Kingdom of God, the bodies of the Old Testament saints, and tribulation saints, will be resurrected, and reunited with their souls and spirits. All righteous saints (Old Testament, New Testament and Tribulation), will go through the Kingdom, and then enter the eternal state, Rev 21:1-7. These saints are over-comers through their faith in Christ (1 John 5:4).
MacArthur Study Bible note, Dr. John MacArthur.
Luke 16:23. “Hades” was the Gr. term for the abode of the dead. In the LXX, it was used to translate the Heb. Sheol, which referred to the realm of the dead in general, without necessarily distinguishing between righteous or unrighteous souls. However, in NT usage, “Hades” always refers to the place of the wicked prior to final judgment in hell. The imagery Jesus used paralleled the common rabbinical idea that Sheol had two parts, one for the souls of the righteous and the other for the souls of the wicked—separated by an impassable gulf.
Before we arrive at the cross, where the conversation took place between Christ and the thief (also on the cross), we must consider two occurrences that took place, that use the words, “Paradise and third Heaven.”
To set the stage, we must consider a passage where the Apostle Paul is taken up to the third heaven, also called Paradise, while he is still alive. Paul is talking about himself. He mentions Paradise and the third heaven as being the location of God.
2 Corinthians 12:1-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Paul’s Vision
1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
Paul’s conversation with God follows.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Consider the three heavens.
1 Corinthians 15:40 King James Bible – The first heaven is terrestrial, and is where birds fly. The second heaven is celestial, and is where space ships fly. The third heaven is where God resides, and is also known as Paradise. The third heaven is where Paul was taken, and is generally known as Heaven.
“There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial”
Heaven, the third heaven, the location of God, is also the place where the born again, new testament, believers in Christ will be taken when the rapture of the church takes place. (Rapture: English for “caught up, snatch away.” Latin, rapio. Greek, harpazo). Remember that these are the bodies of New Testament saints, and are not of Old Testament saints. Those caught up, will have their bodies, whether in the grave or alive, to be caught up to the third heaven, where their bodies, souls and spirits will be taken to the judgment seat of Christ for rewards and the marriage of the lamb.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (also, 1 Cor 15:50-54 and John 14:1-3)
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) – Works are judged. This is not a place for determining the salvation of believers; that took place at the time of the new birth. These believers are the church, the bride of Christ. They are treated with the respect of a cherished bride, the bride of all brides, by Christ, the bridegroom of all bridegrooms. Eph 5:25, “Husbands love your wives.” Christ is not going to humiliate His bride prior to the marriage of the Lamb, which will take place in Heaven at the end of the tribulation, when Christ and His bride begin their ascent to earth at His second coming to earth. Neither will Christ cause His bride to go through the judgments of the tribulation. (The bride of Christ can not be in Heaven, and on earth, at the same time.)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
Revelation 19:7-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Marriage of the Lamb
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The marriage of the Lamb, Christ and his saints (the Church), has taken place. They now ascend to earth, where Christ will be successful in a spiritual battle and victory over the followers of Satan, and where Christ will stand on the mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-4).
The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Doom of the Beast and False Prophet
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
At the second coming of Christ, after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29), he will judge the nations/gentiles for how they treated the Jews during the tribulation (Matthew 25:31-32…33-46).
Since we have “thoroughly” discussed Paradise and Heaven, let’s consider the thief on the cross. Did the thief go to heaven, or did he go to Paradise?
Luke 23:39-44 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
Question. Did the thief go to Heaven? Because he was not a bird, he did not go to the first heaven. Because the thief was not a space ship, he did not go to the second heaven. But, just as Paul found himself (spirit and soul), in the third heaven, which is Paradise, in the Presence of God, that is where the thief on the cross had his reunion (spirit and soul) with Christ. It appears that the death of the thief took place prior to the death of Christ, which would have him dying before the age of the New Covenant began. With that understanding, the thief died as an old testament saint. Therefore, he will not be bodily caught up in the rapture of the new testament saints, as is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The thief will not experience a bodily resurrection, where his body, soul and spirit will be reunited, until after the end of the tribulation (Rev 20:4). But, until that time, the thief, along with all other Old Testament saints, will be in the Presence of God in Paradise.
As a parting thought, at the time of the rapture of the church, which includes the resurrection of the deceased new testament saints, all bodies, souls, and spirits will be united and reunited in perfection. Bodies will never age and die. Minds/souls will never think a sinful thought. Spirits will continue their dwelling within the Spirit of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The term “dead in Christ, and we who are alive,” shows that it will be born again new testament believers in Christ who are caught up in the rapture (1 Thes 4:16-17).
When the saints are caught up in the rapture, they will be given perfect, glorified, imperishable bodies. The tribulation saints (those who miss the rapture, but come to know Christ during the tribulation, those who will be martyred during the tribulation), will also be given perfect, glorified, imperishable bodies when they have their bodily resurrection, at the end of the tribulation, with their bodies, souls and spirits reunited (Rev 20:4). Such will be the case for the old testament saints who are also bodily resurrected at the end of the tribulation (Rev 20:4).
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Mystery of Resurrection
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.
Throughout this discussion, it has been shown that there is one thing that has made the salvation of saints possible, which is the born again spirit. Whenever a person has been born again, that person can not be unborn. Our Lord made that fact clear in John 10:27-30
John 10:27-30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The born again spirit is the anchor that holds each believer secure in Christ. It was the spirit of Lazarus, and of the thief on the cross, that kept their total beings of body, soul and spirit, anchored to Christ. The words of the opening song say, “the anchor holds.” Lazarus, the thief on the cross, and anyone else who has been born again, will receive a raptured or resurrected glorified “being,” (body, soul, spirit). We, too, will have the same perfection of “being,” as that which Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden before they sinned…if we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, and have been born again. Only perfect beings of “spirit, soul, and body,” will be present in the eternal state, as will be the perfect things of nature (there is no Mother Nature), as was its presence during the time of the Garden of Eden. (Revelation 22:1-5)
For information that relates to the preparation of this post, and to sources of information, please click onto the following link.
Left Behind? Miss the Rapture? Ed Hindson on What To Do.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The following note is one that I sent to an internet friend. The question about unbelievers coming to Christ during the tribulation is one that many people may share.
It has been a year since you raised a very good question about “a strong delusion..” Let me give you some verses that show great support for that verse (2 Thes 2:11). The term “earth dweller” is shown in the following verses to show that there will be people who miss the rapture, who will not accept the truth of Christ, even though they see the world falling apart all around them. You and I are “citizens of heaven,” Phil (3:20), but the earth dwellers will not let go of their love for this world, and will be the recipients of the judgments of God during the tribulation. See, Rev 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8. But, still, there will be those who will miss the rapture and will come to know Christ as Lord and Savior. See Rev 20:4, “they did not take the mark of the beast.” Rev 8:9-14, tells of those martyred tribulation believers…It will be difficult for unbelievers, who accept Christ during the tribulation, to avoid being put to death by the forces of the Anti-Christ….It has been 41 years since I first heard anything about the end times. But, God has put a deep desire within me to study that part of God’s Word that is often ignored, rejected, neglected, and improperly taught. I encourage you to check out and follow my blog, which deals heavily with the end times. The link follows.
What are the signs of the Lord’s coming? Listen to what Drs. Ed Hindson Mark Hitchcock say about the Bible’s warnings for the end times.
The Rapture Of the Church: English (to seize, catch up, snatch away); Latin (rapio); Greek (harpazo).
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; John 14:1-3. The coming of Christ in the air to take His saints to heaven for rewards and the marriage of the Lamb. This takes place while the tribulation is taking place on earth.
The Second Coming Of Christ, in the air, with his previously raptured saints, at the end of the tribulation, to stand on planet earth at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The reason is to set up His earthly kingdom of 1,000 years, and to bring judgment on sin. Zechariah 14:1-16; Matthew 24:21-31; Revelation 19:11-21, 20:1-15.
Consider the bios of Drs. Ed Hindson, Mark Hitchcoek
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Dr. Mark Hitchcock http://marklhitchcock.com/about/
Mark Hitchcock is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Click onto any highlighted word to see the videos and text on the blog.
Valid Arguments Against The Pre-Tribulation #Rapture ? NO!
The opening video shows a wonderful discussion that relates to the rapture of the church. Drs. David Reagan and Thomas Ice are recognized as being Bible scholars, having an exceptional understanding of the scriptures that relate to the end times, which is also known as eschatology.
Many people discount the truth of the rapture (English, rapture, from “to seize, catch up, snatch away;” Latin, rapio; Greek, harpazo). The people with whom I have had such a discussion have not taken the time that is necessary to study scriptures that explain the end times. A key verse of scripture that explains the severity of the time of tribulation is Matthew 24:21, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will,” (commentary on verse shown below).
By having an understanding of how bad it will be during the tribulation, it will be easier to understand why Christ will not leave His saints, “the bride of Christ,” on earth during that time. For someone to think that the church will have to go through the tribulation, is to believe that every born again man and woman, as well as every infant and little child, will be present when the Judgments of God are unleashed upon the earth. Those judgments, “seal, trumpet and bowl” judgments, are fully described in Revelation, Chapters 6-19. The rapture is for born again believers of Christ. The tribulation is for those people who are not born again, and are known as “earth dwellers,” Revelation 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8. Please take time to study this post; study it often.
Christ discusses the great tribulation with His disciples, who are Jews.
21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
24:21 great tribulation. The words “has not been” and “nor ever shall be”—along with the description that follows—identify this as the yet-future time in which God’s wrath shall be poured out upon the earth (see note on Rev. 7:14). Jesus’ descriptions of the cataclysms that follow closely resemble the outpouring of divine wrath described in the bowl judgments of Rev. 16 and His subsequent appearing in Rev. 19 (see note on v. 30).(MacArthur Study note)
Bios of Drs. Ice and Reagan can be seen in the following links.
A prior post was written, which has a very detailed study of the things that lead to, and beyond, the rapture. Click onto the following link and that post will be shown to you.
Click onto any highlighted word to see the videos and text on the blog.
We Are Standing On Holy Ground – First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL
When will the Ezekiel 38 war take place?
John Ankerberg Show
God’s Love For Israel
Text
Jeremiah 30:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’”
Lesson Preview
Ezekiel 9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Date: 594 B.C. (Scofield Study Bible)
Place: Jerusalem, Southern Kingdom Of Judah
Notice the personal involvement of God in His judgment of the sin of Jerusalem. We can easily see that “sin is serious stuff!”
Consider verse 9.
9 …“The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity;”
Notice the note on verse 3.
3 “Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple…” (My note) In due time, the Glory of the Lord will leave the temple in Jerusalem, and will not return until the time of “the Millennium/Kingdom of God/future kingdom of Messiah/Millennial reign of Christ.” When the Glory of the Lord leaves the temple,(having fully departed (Ez 11:22, 23), the Glory will not return until (Ez 43:2–7). There will be no such return of the Glory of the Lord when the temple is rebuilt in 515 BC (Ezra 6:16), or when a temple is built during the tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; Second Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:14-15). Without the Glory of the Lord, a “temple” is only a “structure,” having a floor, four walls and a roof.)
Notice in verse 4 how righteous Jews will escape God’s judgment by having a mark placed on their foreheads. (“put a mark on the foreheads;” see MacArthur note.)
Notice in verses 5-7 that God’s judgment was all-encompassing, beginning in the temple.
Notice in verses 8-11, the conversation between Ezekiel and God. Ezekiel was pleading for mercy. God reaffirmed that sin must be judged, using the word “perversity, to describe the actions of the Jews of Jerusalem (that which is perverted, perverted justice…Hebrew 4297. “mutteh”)
Lesson Text: Ezekiel 9
The Wicked Are Slain
1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
The Romans Road
Consider the following verses that explain the road to salvation.
Romans 3:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 5:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Consider the following video discussion of sin, as it relates to those living in the world today.
Will God overlook our sin, or must He deal with it?
In Ezekiel 9, Jerusalem Jews were saved from the judgment of God because of their righteousness (9:4). In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul explains in Romans 3:21-22 that righteousness comes through faith in Christ, to all who believe in Him as Savior and Lord.
Romans 3:21-22 New International Version (NIV)
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
Notes – Ezekiel 9 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
9:1 charge over the city. God summoned His servant angels to carry out His judgments. These angelic executioners (cf. Dan. 4:13, 17, 23) came equipped with weapons of destruction.
9:2 six men. Angels can appear like men when ministering on earth (cf. Gen. 18:1; Dan. 9:20–23). One man. He was superior to the others. Linen indicates high rank (cf. Dan. 10:5; 12:6). Perhaps this was the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ (see note on Ex. 3:2). He had all the instruments of an oriental scribe to carry out His task (vv. 4, 11).
9:3 the glory…had gone up. The glory of God departs before the destruction of the city and temple. The gradual departure of God from His temple is depicted in stages: the glory resides in the temple’s Most Holy Place, between the wings of the cherubs on each side of the ark of the covenant over the mercy seat, then leaves to the front door (9:3; 10:4), later to the E gate by the outer wall (10:18, 19), and finally to the Mt. of Olives to the E, having fully departed (11:22, 23). The glory will return in the future kingdom of Messiah (43:2–7).
9:4 a mark on the foreheads. Since God’s departure removed all protection and gave the people over to destruction, it was necessary for the angelic scribe (Angel of the Lord) to mark for God’s preservation the righteous who had been faithful to Him. Those left unmarked were subject to death in Babylon’s siege (v. 5). The mark was the indication of God’s elect, identified personally by the pre-incarnate Christ. He was marking the elect (cf. Ex. 12:7). Malachi 3:16–18 indicates a similar idea. Cf. Rev. 7:3; 9:4. The marked ones were penitent and were identified for protection. Here was a respite of grace for the remnant. The rest were to be killed (vv. 5–7).
9:8 Will You destroy all? Ezekiel is fearfully aroused in prayer because the judgment on Jerusalem and Israel is so vast. God replies that pervasive sin demands thorough judgment (vv. 9, 10), yet comforts him by the report that the faithful had been marked to be spared (v. 11). Cf. Rom 11:1, 2, 25–27.
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This post is one of many others that you can find in this blog that deal with God’s Plan For The Ages. All posts in this series can be found under the category of Journey. Please follow this blog so that you can receive updates automatically..
The book of Ezekiel show’s God’s prophetic purposes being fulfilled in the lives and nation of Israel. Jimmy DeYoung has called the book of Ezekiel “the timeline of the Jews.”
Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s Kingdom will come.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events, follow, but are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
Background
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized for their knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance. It is easy to research their qualifications through the internet.
Sources
John Ankerberg, Darrell Bock, Jimmy DeYoung, Andrew Hill, Ed Hindson, Mark Hitchcock, Tommie Ice, Grant R. Jeffrey, David Jeremiah, Walter Kaiser, Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, Tremper Longman, III, John MacArthur, Shawn C. Madden, J. Vernon McGee, Henry Morris, Richard Patterson, J. Dwight Pentecost, John Phillips, David Reagan, Ron Rhodes, Adrian Rogers, Charles C. Ryrie, C.I. Scofield, Renald Showers, Charles Swindoll, Frank Charles Thompson, Merrill Unger, Jack Van Impe, John F. Walvoord, Andy Woods, Roy Zuck, and others.
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Dr. Mark Hitchcock http://marklhitchcock.com/about/
Mark Hitchcock is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Ron Rhodes http://ronrhodes.org/meet-ron.html
Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary (1986). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with High Honors.
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary (1983). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with Honors. Elected to Dean’s List.
B.A., Houston Baptist University (1979). Recipient of the Greek Excellence Award. Chief nominee for the Riverside Scholarship.
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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com
The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.
The Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard Bible, was used for lesson preparation.
Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com
Everyone should own the Ryrie and MacArthur Study Bibles.
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It Is Well With My Soul – FBC Jacksonville, FL
How Close are we to the Events in Ezekiel 38?
John Ankerberg Show
Published on Sep 8, 2015
Our exciting new programs with prophecy experts Dr. Renald Showers and Dr. Jimmy DeYoung. In this four program series we investigate what the Bible teaches about the timing and events that will take place when Jesus returns at the Rapture. Dr. DeYoung also gives us an up to moment report on what is happening in the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 today.
Revelation 19:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Note: 19:19 kings of the earth. See 17:12–17. their armies. See 16:13, 14. His army. Zechariah describes this army of the Lord as “all the saints” (14:5). (MacArthur Study Bible)
God’s Love For Israel
Text
Revelation 21:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.
Revelation 21:10-12 NASB
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.
My note: The names of the twelve tribes of Israel will be written on the 12 gates of the of the walls of the New Jerusalem
Lesson Text
Ezekiel 8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Date: 594 B.C. (Scofield Study Bible)
Notice the personal involvement of God in all but two verses (10 and 11).
Abominations in the Temple
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court,where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.
6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.
9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’”
13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
Consider why God would be drawn to jealousy in verse 1-6.
Consider the honor of Ezekiel being called “son of man.”
Ezekiel and Daniel were “all man.” Christ was “all God and all man.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible (Ezekiel 2:1)
Son of man – This phrase (which occurs elsewhere in Scripture) is applied especially to Ezekiel and Daniel, the prophets of the captivity. Ezekiel is thus reminded of his humanity, at the time when he is especially permitted to have contact with God.
Question: “What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man?”
Answer: Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.
A second meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is that Jesus was truly a human being. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. A son of a man is a man. Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also a human being (John 1:14). First John 4:2 tells us, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Yes, Jesus was the Son of God—He was in His essence God. Yes, Jesus was also the Son of Man—He was in His essence a human being. In summary, the phrase “Son of Man” indicates that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is truly a human being.
Consider why God would be drawn to Jealousy. The Message translation is very informative in this matter.
Ezekiel 8:1-6 The Message (MSG)
The Spirit Carried Me in Visions
8 1-4 In the sixth year, in the sixth month and the fifth day, while I was sitting at home meeting with the leaders of Judah, it happened that the hand of my Master, God, gripped me. When I looked, I was astonished. What I saw looked like a man—from the waist down like fire and from the waist up like highly burnished bronze. He reached out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair. The Spirit swept me high in the air and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple’s inside court where the image of the sex goddess that makes God so angry had been set up. Right before me was the Glory of the God of Israel, exactly like the vision I had seen out on the plain.
5 He said to me, “Son of man, look north.” I looked north and saw it: Just north of the entrance loomed the altar of the sex goddess, Asherah, that makes God so angry.
6 Then he said, “Son of man, do you see what they’re doing? Outrageous obscenities! And doing them right here! It’s enough to drive me right out of my own Temple. But you’re going to see worse yet.”
Notes – Ezekiel 8 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
8:1 the sixth year. 592 B.C. (cf. 1:2) in Aug./Sep., a year and two months after the first vision (1:1). the hand of the Lord. This ushered the prophet into a series of visions (v. 3) stretching to the end of chap. 11.
8:2 a likeness. He saw the glory of the Lord (v. 4) as in 1:26–28.
8:3 in visions of God. Ezekiel 8–11 deals with details conveyed only to Ezekiel in visions. Ezekiel’s trip to Jerusalem was in spirit only, while his body physically remained in his house. In visions, he went to Jerusalem and in visions he returned to Babylon (11:24). After God finished the visions, Ezekiel told his home audience what he had seen. The visions are not a description of deeds done in the past in Israel, but a survey of Israel’s current condition, as they existed at that very time. the seat…image of jealousy. God represents to Ezekiel the image of an idol (cf. Deut. 4:16) in the entrance to the inner court of the temple. It is called “the image of jealousy” because it provoked the Lord to jealousy (5:13; 16:38; 36:6; 38:19; Ex. 20:5).
8:4 the glory of…God. God was also there in glory, but was ignored while the people worshiped the idol (v. 6).
8:6 to make Me go far away. Sin would expel the people from their land and God from His sanctuary.
8:7–12 This section describes “greater abominations” (v. 6) of idolatry, namely a secret cult of idolatrous elders.
8:8 dig into the wall…a door. This indicates the clandestine (cf. v. 12) secrecy of these idolaters, practicing their cult in hiding.
8:10 portrayed…on the walls. The temple’s walls are ugly with graffiti featuring creatures linked with Egyptian animal cults (cf. Rom 1:23) and other idols. Leaders of Israel, who should be worshiping the God of the temple, are offering incense to them (v. 11).
8:11 seventy…elders. Obviously not the Sanhedrin, since it was not formed until after the restoration from Babylon, though the pattern had been suggested much earlier (cf. Ex. 24:9, 10; Num. 11:16). These men were appointed to guard against idolatry! Jaazaniah…son of Shaphan. If he was the son of the Shaphan who read God’s Word to Josiah (2 Kin. 22:8–11), we have some concept of the depth of sin to which the leaders had fallen. He is not to be confused with the man in 11:1, who had a different father.
8:14 weeping for Tammuz. Yet a greater abomination than the secret cult was Israel’s engaging in the Babylonian worship of Tammuz or Dumuzi (Duzu), beloved of Ishtar, the god of spring vegetation. Vegetation burned in the summer, died in the winter, and came to life in the spring. The women mourned over the god’s demise in July and longed for his revival. The fourth month of the Hebrew calendar still bears the name Tammuz. With the worship of this idol were connected the basest immoralities.
8:16 worshiping the sun. In the most sacred inner court where only priests could go (Joel 2:17), there was the crowning insult to God. Twenty-five men were worshiping the sun as an idol (cf. Deut. 4:19; 2 Kin. 23:5, 11; Job 31:26; Jer. 44:17). These 25 represent the 24 orders of priests plus the High-Priest.
8:17 put the branch to their nose. The meaning is uncertain, but it seems to have been some act of contempt toward God. The Gr. OT translators rendered it, “they are as mockers.”
8:18 I…will act in fury. God must judge intensely due to such horrible sins (cf. 24:9, 10).
Comments on this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study.
The book of Ezekiel show’s God’s prophetic purposes being fulfilled in the lives and nation of Israel. Jimmy DeYoung has called the book of Ezekiel “the timeline of the Jews.”
Ezekiel ministered to his generation who were both exceedingly sinful and thoroughly hopeless. By means of his prophetic ministry he attempted to bring them to immediate repentance and to confidence in the distant future. He taught that: (1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s Word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshiped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s Kingdom will come.
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Dr. Mark Hitchcock http://marklhitchcock.com/about/
Mark Hitchcock is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Ron Rhodes http://ronrhodes.org/meet-ron.html
Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary (1986). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with High Honors.
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary (1983). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with Honors. Elected to Dean’s List.
B.A., Houston Baptist University (1979). Recipient of the Greek Excellence Award. Chief nominee for the Riverside Scholarship.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events, follow, but are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
Background
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized for their knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance. It is easy to research their qualifications through the internet.
Sources
John Ankerberg, Darrell Bock, Jimmy DeYoung, Ed Hindson, Mark Hitchcock, Tommie Ice, Grant R. Jeffrey, David Jeremiah, Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, John MacArthur, J. Vernon McGee, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, John Phillips, David Reagan, Ron Rhodes, Adrian Rogers, Charles C. Ryrie, C.I. Scofield, Renald Showers, Charles Swindoll, Frank Charles Thompson, Merrill Unger, Jack Van Impe, John F. Walvoord, Andy Woods, Roy Zuck, and others.
Key Verse: Daniel 9:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God,
In Daniel 9:20, we have the key to understanding the 70th week of Daniel, which we will come to know as the tribulation, which ends with the second coming of Christ. In this verse, Daniel is seen praying for the sin of himself and for the sin of Israel. He is not praying for any other people, or for any other land. The focus on Daniel and Israel is the key to understanding eschatology (rapture, tribulation, second coming of Christ, millennium/kingdom age, eternal state), which is about Israel and the church, with the focus being on Israel. The church will not replace Israel for the promises that were made to Israel by God. The church is not a brick and mortar structure, but is the born again body of believers in Christ, which may, or may not, assemble in a brick and mortar structure. God is using His prophecy to Daniel to tell of His plan to restore “His chosen people,” Israel (Genesis 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 7:6), to their promised land (Genesis 13:14-15; 15:18-21; 17:6-8; 28:13-15). The 70th week of Daniel was designed for the Jews and Gentiles who are not believers in Christ. There is no purpose for born again believers in Christ to have a place in the tribulation, whether they are Jew or Gentile.
This article discusses the purposes of the 70th week of Daniel, and shows that week as being the tribulation, as depicted in Matthew 24, and is the key to understanding the tribulation and second coming of Christ. The rapture of the church takes place before the events of Matthew 24. Born again believers in Christ have no place in Matthew 24, or in any other passage that relates to the tribulation. The 70th week of Daniel/the tribulation, is designed for the purpose of God for judging sin, and for bringing Israel to saving faith in Christ as the Messiah. Following the tribulation will be the second coming of Christ, which will be followed by the Millennium/Kingdom age. The word “tribulation” is often used in ways that understate its severity. It will be a time of escalating severity that has never been experienced, per Matthew 24:21, “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” Yes! People go through times of tribulation, but no one will ever experience the kind of tribulation that awaits the 70th week of Daniel.
“The mountain of my God. ” Thy holy mountain – Jerusalem was built on hills, and the city in general might be designated by this phrase. Or, more probably, there is allusion either to Mount Zion, or to Mount Moriah. Barnes Commentary, Daniel 9:16)
Terms for reference. The terms, “1,000 Year Reign of Christ, Millennium, Kingdom, Kingdom Age, and Kingdom Of God,” are synonymous in respect to this article.
Book Introduction – Daniel
Date of Book of Daniel,607 B.C., to 534 B.C.
Date of Daniel 9, 538 B.C.
Scofield Reference Note
Daniel, like Ezekiel was a Jewish captive in Babylon. He was of royal or princely descent ( Daniel 1:3 ). For his rank and comeliness he was trained for palace service. In the polluted atmosphere of an oriental court he lived a life of singular piety and usefulness. His long life extended from Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel ( Daniel 14:20 ), Joshua, the high priest of the restoration, Ezra, and Zerubbabel.
Daniel is the indispensable introduction to New Testament prophecy, the themes of which are, the apostasy of the Church, the manifestation of the man of sin, the great tribulation, the return of the Lord, the resurrections and the judgments. These, except the first, are Daniel’s themes also. But Daniel is distinctively the prophet of the “times of the Gentiles” ( Luke 21:24 ), (See Scofield “Luke 21:24”) . His vision sweeps the whole course of Gentile world-rule to its end in catastrophe, and to the setting up of the Messianic kingdom.
Daniel is in four broad divisions:
Introduction. The personal history of Daniel from the conquest of Jerusalem to the second year of Nebuchadnezzar, 1:1-21.
The visions of Nebuchadnezzar and their results, 2:1-4:37.
The personal history of Daniel under Belshazzar and Darius, 5:1-6:28.
The visions of Daniel, 7:1-12:13.
The events recorded in Daniel cover a period of 73 years (Ussher).
Re: The Times Of The Gentiles
Luke 21:24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Macarthur Study Bible Note: 21:24 the times of the Gentiles. This expression is unique to Luke. It identifies the era from Israel’s captivity (ca. 586 B.C. to Babylon; cf. 2 Kin. 25) to her restoration in the kingdom (Rev. 20:1–6). It has been a time during which, in accord with God’s purpose, Gentiles have dominated or threatened Jerusalem. The era has also been marked by vast spiritual privileges for the Gentile nations (cf. Is. 66:12; Mal. 1:11; Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10).
trodden down of the Gentiles: Scofield Reference Note: The “times of the Gentiles” began with the captivity of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar 2 Chronicles 36:1-21, since which time Jerusalem has been under Gentile overlordship.
Daniel 9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Daniel’s Prayer for His People
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6 Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8 Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12 Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Comments: All following notes come from the MacArthur Study Bible.
9:1 the first year. Ca. 539 B.C. made king. This may mean that Darius (a title, not a proper name, see note on 5:31) refers to Cyrus who was made king by God’s allowance (cf. Ps. 75:6, 7). Since Cyrus was the first monarch of the Medo-Persian empire, this time note was also the first year after the death of Belshazzar, when Babylon fell.
9:2 seventy years. Daniel’s study of “the books” (OT scrolls) focused on the years prophesied for the captivity by Jeremiah in Jer. 25:11, 12 and 29:10. Since the end of that span was near, he prayed for God’s next move on behalf of Israel. Cf. 2 Chr. 36:21, where it is indicated that the 70 years of exile were intended to restore the Sabbath rests that Israel had ignored for so many years (cf. Lev. 25:4, 5; 26:34–43).
Jeremiah 25:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
25:11 seventy years. Here is the first specific statement on the length of the exile (cf. 29:10). This period probably began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Jerusalem was first captured and the temple treasures were taken. It ends with the decree of Cyrus to let the Jews return, spanning from ca. 605/04 B.C. to 536/35 B.C. The exact number of Sabbath years is 490 years, the period from Saul to the Babylonian captivity. This was retribution for their violation of the Sabbath law (cf. Lev. 26:34, 35; 2 Chr. 36:21).
Jeremiah 29:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
29:4–10 Jeremiah’s counsel to Israelites in Babylon was to take all the steps in living as colonists planning to be there for a long time (70 years, 29:10, as 25:11).
Daniel 9:4–19 I prayed. Various aspects of the passage give rich instruction regarding prayer. True prayer is: in response to the Word (v. 2), characterized by fervency and self-denial (v. 3), identified unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5), strengthened by confession (vv. 5–15), dependent on God’s character (vv. 4, 7, 9, 15), and has as its goal, God’s glory (vv. 16–19)
Daniel 9:11 the curse. This refers to the judgment that God brought, as promised, for Israel’s disobedience in the Land (Lev. 26:21–42; Deut. 28:15–68). This is in contrast to the blessings associated with faith and obedience (Lev. 26:3–20; Deut. 28:1–14). God had given the promise that even in a time of judgment, if Israel would confess their sin, He would bring blessing again (Lev. 26:40–42).
9:16. Daniel prayed for restoration in 3 aspects. In effect he asked God to bring back “Your city” (vv. 16, 18), “Your sanctuary (v. 17), and “Your people”(v. 19). God’s answer embraced all three (v. 24).
Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.
9:21 the man Gabriel. This angel, called a “man” because he appeared in the form of a man, appeared also in 8:16. Cf. the angel Michael in 10:13, 21; 12:1. the evening offering. This was the second lamb of two offered daily (cf. 8:14 and see note there), this one at 3 p.m., a common time for prayer (Ezra 9:5).
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
My note: To gain an understanding of the 70 weeks of Daniel is to gain an understanding of how long it will be until the world that we know is destroyed, with a new one replacing it… New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2). The study of the timing of the 70 weeks of Daniel shows that we, who are living in the church age, are living in the time between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel. The remaining events on the calendar of God are the rapture of the church, the tribulation, the 1,000 year reign of Christ/the Kingdom Age/The Kingdom Of God, the Great White Throne Judgment (for unbelievers), and the eternal state (for those who have been born again). Revelation 21:5 “I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:12, “the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons are inscribed on the gates” (of the New Jerusalem”)
Seventy Weeks and the Messiah
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, 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.”
My note: It is important to read these notes on verses 24-27 until they are easily understood. The key to determining the time line of the 70 weeks of Daniel (weeks of years/490 years) is to use “360 day years.” At present time we are living in the time that exists between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel (weeks of years.we are in the dispensation of grace). The 69th week (the 483rd of 490 years) ended when Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. From the time that our Lord was crucified, until the time of the tribulation, born again believers in Christ await the rapture of the church, which precedes the tribulation. For unbelievers, they are not caught up in the rapture, but enter into the 7 year tribulation (the 70th week of Daniel, years 484-490).
9:24–26 Seventy weeks…from…until. These are weeks of years, whereas weeks of days are described in a different way (10:2, 3). The time spans from the Persian Artaxerxes’ decree to rebuild Jerusalem, ca. 445 B.C. (Neh. 2:1–8), to the Messiah’s kingdom. This panorama includes: 1) 7 weeks or 49 years, possibly closing Nehemiah’s career in the rebuilding of the “street and wall,” as well as the end of the ministry of Malachi and the close of the OT; 2) 62 weeks or 434 more years for a total of 483 years to the first advent of Messiah. This was fulfilled at the triumphal entry on 9 Nisan, A.D. 30 (see notes on Matt. 21:1–9). The Messiah will be “cut off,” (a common reference to death); and 3) the final 7 years or 70th week of the time of Antichrist (cf. v. 27). Roman people, from whom the Antichrist will come, will “destroy the city” of Jerusalem and its temple in A.D. 70.
9:24. This highly complex and startlingly accurate prophecy answers Daniel’s prayer, not with reference to near history, but by giving the future of Israel in the final end of the age. God promises 2 sets of 3 accomplishments each.
First, those related to sin are: 1) finish the transgression, i.e., restrain sin and Israel’s in particular in its long trend of apostasy, as in v. 11; 2) make an end of sins, i.e., to judge it with finality (cf. Heb. 9:26); and 3) make reconciliation for iniquity, signifies to furnish the actual basis of covering sin by full atonement, the blood of the crucified Messiah who is “cut off” (v. 26), which affects the first two realities (cf. the fountain, Zech. 13:1).
Second, those accomplishments related to righteousness are: 1) bring in…righteousness, the eternal righteousness of Daniel’s people in their great change from centuries of apostasy; 2) seal up vision…, i.e., no more revelation is needed and God will bring these anticipations to completion by their fulfillment in Israel’s blessing as a nation; and 3) anoint the Most Holy, consecrate the Holy Place in a temple of the future that will be the center of worship in the millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 40–48). Clearly this must be understood to sweep to the end of Gentile power and the time of Antichrist right before Christ’s return. Summing up, the first 3 are fulfilled in principle at Christ’s first coming, in full at His return. The last 3 complete the plan at His Second Advent.
9:27 Then. This is clearly the end of the age, the Second Advent judgment, because the bringing in of righteousness did not occur 7 years after the death of the Messiah, nor did the destruction of Jerusalem fit the 7 year period (occurring 37 years later). This is the future 7 year period which ends with sin’s final judgment and Christ’s reign of righteousness; i.e., the return of Christ and the establishment of His rule. These 7 years constitute the 70th week of Daniel. he shall confirm. “He” is the last-mentioned prince (v. 26), leader of the Roman sphere (cf. chaps. 2 and 7), the Antichrist who comes in the latter days. The time is in the future tribulation period of “one week,” i.e., the final 7 years of v. 24. He confirms (lit., causes to prevail) a 7 year covenant, his own pact with Israel for what will turn out actually to be for a shorter time. The leader in this covenant is the “little horn” of 7:7, 8, 20, 21, 24–26, and the evil leader of NT prophecy (Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:3–10; Rev. 13:1–10). That he is in the future, even after Christ’s First Advent, is shown by 1) Matt. 24:15; 2) by the time references that match (7:25; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5); and 3) by the end here extending to the Second Advent, matching the duration elsewhere mentioned in Daniel (2:35, 45; 7:15ff.; 12:1–3) and Rev. 11:2; 12:14; 13:5. middle of the week. This is the halfway point of the 70th week of years, i.e., 7 years leading to Christ’s second coming. The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel (v. 27a), which has resumed its ancient sacrificial system. Three and a half years of tribulation remain, agreeing with the time in other Scriptures (7:25; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5, called “Great Tribulation,” cf. Matt. 24:21) as God’s wrath intensifies. abominations…one who makes desolate. The Antichrist will cause abomination against Jewish religion. This violation will desolate or ruin what Jews regard as sacred, namely their holy temple and the honoring of God’s presence there (cf. 1 Kin. 9:3; 2 Thess. 2:4). Jesus refers directly to this text in His Olivet discourse (Matt. 24:15). See note on 11:31. the consummation. God permits this tribulation under the Antichrist’s persecutions and ultimately triumphs, achieving judgment of the sin and sinners in Israel (12:7) and in the world (cf. Jer. 25:31). This includes the Antichrist (11:45; Rev. 19:20), and all who deserve judgment (9:24; Matt. 13:41–43).
Christ relates the 70th week of Daniel to the tribulation and His second coming.
Matthew 24:3-8 Introduction
Christ tells His disciples, who are Jews, about the coming tribulation.
Christ will continue with a discussion about the great tribulation and His second coming.
The Jews who find themselves in the tribulation will be those who had not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, which means they were not born again. From this point, forward, any mention of Jew, or Gentile, relates to those who had not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior; had not been born again; and had missed the rapture and were left behind to face the oppression of the anti-Christ and the wrath of God (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.)
Matthew 24:3-8 New American Standard Translation (NASB)
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
24:8 sorrows. The word means “birth pangs.” Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, He indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21; 16:1–21; see note on v. 14.
Matthew 24:9-12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
This discussion relates to those who will be left behind from the rapture of the church. Christ is speaking to Jews.
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
Matthew 24:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Note: It is the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of Christ, that will be preached.
14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
24:14 preached in all the world. Despite all the tribulations that would come—the deception of false teachers, the wars, persecutions, natural disasters, defections from Christ, and all the obstacles to the spread of the gospel—the message ultimately penetrates every part of the globe. God is never without a witness, and He will proclaim the gospel from heaven itself if necessary (cf. Rev. 14:6). and then the end will come. “The end” refers to the final, excruciating birth pangs (see note on v. 8). This is how Christ characterizes the time of Great Tribulation described in the verses that follow.
Matthew 24:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Notice the reference to Daniel that Christ uses to explain the tribulation.
Perilous Times
15 “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),
24:15 abomination of desolation. See notes on Daniel 9:27; 11:31. This phrase originally referred to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria in the second century B.C. Antiochus invaded Jerusalem in 168 B.C., made the altar into a shrine to Zeus, and even sacrificed pigs on it. However, Jesus clearly was looking toward a yet-future “abomination of desolation.” Some suggest that this prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple (see note on v. 2). However, the Apostle Paul saw a still-future fulfillment (2 Thess. 2:3, 4), as did John (Rev. 13:14, 15)—when the Antichrist sets up an image in the temple during the future tribulation. Christ’s words here therefore look beyond the events of A.D. 70 to a time of even greater global cataclysm that will immediately precede His coming (cf. vv. 29–31).
Matthew 24:16-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Notice the reference that Christ makes to the Sabbath (vs 20). Such a reference would have no meaning to Gentiles. Also, Christ did not have such a discussion with Gentiles. This discussion at the Mount of Olives was made by Christ, to Jews, about Jews.
16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
24:1—25:46 This is the last of the 5 discourses Matthew features (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes). It is known as the Olivet Discourse, and it contains some of the most important prophetic material in all of Scripture
Matthew 24:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Christ discusses the great tribulation with His disciples, who are Jews.
21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
24:21 great tribulation. The words “has not been” and “nor ever shall be”—along with the description that follows—identify this as the yet-future time in which God’s wrath shall be poured out upon the earth (see note on Rev. 7:14). Jesus’ descriptions of the cataclysms that follow closely resemble the outpouring of divine wrath described in the bowl judgments of Rev. 16 and His subsequent appearing in Rev. 19 (see note on v. 30).
Matthew 24:22-28 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
My comment. 24:22 those days will be shortened. If the afflictions of this time were to continue, “no flesh would be saved,” meaning that no Jews would survive. But “for the elect’s sake” (the elect are Israel, Deuteronomy 7:6); the attack of the anti-Christ is against Israel. Gentiles who come to Christ will also suffer, but the focus of the tribulation is the attack by the anti-Christ on Israel. Daniel 7:25, 7:27 and Revelation 12:14 suggest that the actual length of time that the Beast will be permitted to terrorize the world will be set at 3½ years, which will occur after the anti-Christ breaks the covenant with Israel, which will be the last half of the tribulation.
24:26 do not believe it. No one should consider the claims of self-styled messiahs because all of them are false. When Christ returns, no one will miss it (vv. 27, 28).24:28 the eagles will be gathered together. The location of a carcass is visible from great distances because of the circling carrion birds overhead (cf. Job 39:27–30). Similarly, Christ’s return will be clearly evident to all near and far. The same point is made by the lightning in v. 27. The eagle-carcass imagery here also speaks of the judgment that will accompany His return (Rev. 19:21).
Matthew 24:29-31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Glorious Return Of Christ “After” The Tribulation
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
vs 29, “after the tribulation”
24:29 the sun will be darkened. Such phenomena are a common feature of Day of the Lord prophecy (see Is. 13:9, 10; Ezek. 32:7, 8; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9). The ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies takes place during the time of the Beast’s reign (Rev. 6:12, 13; 8:12).
24:30 the sign of the Son of Man. I.e., the Son of Man Himself is the sign. The events described here precisely parallel the description in Dan. 7:13; Rev. 19:11–21. all the tribes of the earth will mourn. I.e., over their own rebellion. Israel in particular will mourn over their rejection of the Messiah (cf. Zech 12:10–12).
My note: 24:31 from one end of heaven to the other. All the “elect/Jews”. from heaven and earth are gathered and assembled before Christ. This is the culmination of world history, ushering in the millennial reign of Christ (cf. Rev. 20:4).See the following verses:
Ezekiel 36:24-29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you.
Ezekiel 37:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”
Jeremiah 16:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.
Jeremiah 29:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
Jeremiah 30:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’”
My note: Not all Jews will be saved. All will be gathered, but not all will enter into the Millennial Kingdom. Consider Luke 16:19-31, where two Jews had died (Lazarus, a righteous Jew, and the rich man, who was not righteous). Lazarus is shown as being in the bosom of Abraham, which is the Presence of God. Scripture consistently teaches that the spirits of the righteous dead go immediately into the presence of God (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). The rich man is shown to be confined to Hades where he was being tormented. “Hades” always refers to the place of the wicked prior to final judgment in hell. Both places of residence are permanent, with no way of going from one place to the other, and with no end to either. (Reference made to MacArthur Study Bible notes)
Matthew 24:40-41 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
John Walvoord’s Note: 24:40, 41 the one who is left, is left to enter the kingdom; the one who is taken, is taken in judgment. I.e., taken in judgment
MacArthur Note: (cf. v. 39) just as in Noah’s day (“took them”; v. 39). This is clearly “not” a reference to the catching away of believers described in 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
Matthew 25:31-34 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:40 New King James Version (NKJV)
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:41 New King James Version (NKJV)
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25:45-46 New King James Version (NKJV)
45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The eternal destiny is the same for those in Matthew 25:45-46, as for those who were taken in Matthew 24:40-41. In the Judgment of the Nations, also known as the Sheep and Goat Judgment, Christ is judging the Gentiles as to how they treated the Jews (My brethren) during the tribulation. Because of the compassion that the “sheep” gentiles had for the Jews, it showed that they recognized the Jews as being the elect of God, and that they had come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Because the sheep gentiles were granted entry into the Millennium, thereby gaining entry into the eternal state, they would have been given immortal/imperishable bodies, per 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. This passage (1 Cor 15:50-54) relates to the rapture of the church, prior to the tribulation. However, the truth that relates to the sheep gentiles of Matthew 25, is that in order for people to spend eternity with Christ, “they must be given a body that is immortal/imperrishable.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 New King James Version (NKJV)
Our Final Victory
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Let’s consider the two events that surround the 70th week of Daniel, which are the tribulation and the second coming of Christ. At the second coming of Christ, He sets foot on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel.
The rapture, from rapio (Latin), and harpazo (Greek).
Preceding the tribulation is the rapture, which is a time of comfort for believers in Christ. It is a time where believers are looking for “the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Savior” (notice that Christ is called God and Savior). The rapture is an event where Christ delivers His saints from the wrath that will fall upon all people who are present during the tribulation. All of the wrath that occurs during the 70th week of Daniel is the wrath of God, which begins with Revelation 6:1 and ends with Revelation 19:21. In the rapture, Christ comes to take His people to heaven. It happens quickly, with no notice to unbelievers, and where deceased believers are resurrected, given immortal and imperrishable bodies, caught up in the air to meet Christ in the clouds, and then are taken to heaven. Believers who are alive will also be given immortal and imperrishable bodies, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and will also be taken to heaven. Those living believers will never die, but will live eternally with God, as will the resurrected saints. Dead believers will be caught up first; living believers will follow. Christ will come in the air to take His saints to Heaven. The destination of Christ and His saints is Heaven, where the saints go before the bema judgment (the Judgment Seat of Christ) and receive rewards, which is followed by the marriage of the Lamb, which takes place in Heaven. (John 14:1-3; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Titus 1:13; 1 Thes 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55; 2 Corinthians 5:10…the Holman Christian Standard Bible has the best translation…; Revelation 19:7-9)
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
The second coming of Christ.
At the end of the tribulation Christ will return to earth with His previously resurrected saints and angels; He will stand on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel. The tribulation will be a time of God’s vengeance on unbelievers, with a resulting eternal separation of them from God. There will be conflict and public disorder all over the earth. Jews and Gentiles who accept Christ during the tribulation will experience famine, pestilence and cosmic disorders, and will be murdered and come under great persecution by the forces of the anti-Christ. Total worldly conditions will be worse than anyone in the world has ever experienced. The murders of those who turn to Christ will be so numerous that God will shorten the time of tribulation, so that all of God’s people will not be murdered. But, all Jews will be targeted by the anti-Christ. The second coming of Christ will be seen by all who live on the earth. There will be great cosmic disturbances. Those who see Christ coming to earth (with His saints and angels) will mourn at the sight of Him coming on the clouds; that will not be a time of joyful mourning. The angels will be sent by Christ to gather all of the Jews from the four corners of the earth and take them to Jerusalem, but not all Jews will enter the Kingdom of God. Christ will reward the gentiles who showed compassion for the Jews (My brethren), by giving them an immortal/imperrishable body (1 Cor 15:50.53) and allowing them to enter the Millennium/Kingdom. For the Gentiles who did not show compassion of the Jews, they will be taken to judgment, for eternal punishment. The gentiles who showed compassion on the Jews, recognized the Jews as being the elect of God (Christ referred to the Jews as being “My brethren”), which was a result of their coming to know Christ as Lord and Savior. All of the wrath that comes upon the “earth dwellers” (those who were not raptured), comes by the will of God, Christ, and the angels. (2 Thes 2:8-9; Matt 24:4-31; 40-41; 25:31-46; Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8; 13:14; 17:8; 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9,12; 8:1, 5; 8:7, 8, 10, 12, 9:1, 13, 11:15; 15:1,16:1, 16:3,16:4, 16:8, 16:10, 16:12, 16:17; 19:11-21; 20:1-15; Zechariah 14:1-16)
Before we close this post, we must consider dispensations, or “times of testing.” The following information comes from the Scofield Study Bible, as a note to Genesis 1:28. The same information is shown in Scofield Reference Notes and Scofield Reference Notes Bible Commentary, both of which are contained on the internet.
In the church age, we are under the dispensation of grace. We have already been tested as to whether we will come to salvation by “grace through faith,” per Ephesians 2:8. We, who have come by grace through faith in Christ have passed God’s test of the dispensation of grace. We will not be present during the tribulation, to be tested again. Those who will be left behind after the rapture of the church takes place, those who are called “earth dwellers,” will be given the opportunity to pass the test of accepting Christ as Messiah, as their Lord and Savior, per Revelation 3:10. However, they will probably be martyred because of that decision.
Revelation 3:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
My note: The testing of this verse is for people who had not been born again at the time of the rapture. Believers in Christ persevere because of their new birth by the Holy Spirit. Their spirit dwells within the Spirit of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwells within the spirit of the believer who has been born again (John 14:20). Notice the words “My perseverance.” The words of Jude 1:24 show that God keeps us from falling from the Presence of God; it is God’s perseverance, and not ours, that keeps us secure in Him. The truth of God’s Word is that after we have been born again, we can not be unborn from the Spirit of God. John 10:28-29 tells us that “no can can snatch us from God.” “No one” includes those of us who have been born again.
Genesis 1:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
DISPENSATION: A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God. Seven such dispensations are distinguished in Scripture. (See Scofield “Genesis 1:28”), note 5.
“And God blessed them”
The First Dispensation: Innocency. Man was created in innocency, placed in a perfect environment, subjected to an absolutely simple test, and warned of the consequence of disobedience. The woman fell through pride; the man deliberately. 1 Timothy 2:14 God restored His sinning creatures, but the dispensation of innocency ended in the judgment of the Expulsion Genesis 3:24 See, for the other dispensations:
Conscience (See Scofield “Genesis 3:23”)
Human Government (See Scofield “Genesis 8:21”)
Promise (See Scofield “Genesis 12:1”)
Law (See Scofield “Exodus 19:8”)
Grace (See Scofield “John 1:17”)
Kingdom (See Scofield “Ephesians 1:10”)
Make this article relevant for today.
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Ed Hindson – Can We Still Believe in the Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
John 14:1-3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Way to the Father
1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Victorious Resurrection
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Considering: The Judgment Seat Of Christ, The BEMA Judgment,
The speaker in this video is one of great understanding of God’s Holy Word, especially in relation to eschatology. There are differences of opinion, among the great teachers of the end times. My understanding of the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is known as the bema judgment, holds closer to that which is held by John MacArthur who is also held in great acclaim for his teachings of the end times. Consider his comments that follow 2 Corinthians 5:10.
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
NOTE: MacArthur Study Bible. 5:10 This describes the believer’s deepest motivation and highest aim in pleasing God—the realization that every Christian is inevitably and ultimately accountable to Him. the judgment seat of Christ. “Judgment seat” metaphorically refers to the place where the Lord will sit to evaluate believers’ lives for the purpose of giving them eternal rewards. It is translated from the Gr. word be¯ma, which was an elevated platform where victorious athletes (e.g., during the Olympics) went to receive their crowns. The term is also used in the NT to refer to the place of judging, as when Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13), but here the reference is definitely from the athletic analogy. Corinth had such a platform where both athletic rewards and legal justice were dispensed (Acts 18:12–16), so the Corinthians understood Paul’s reference. the things done in the body. Actions which happened during the believer’s time of earthly ministry. This does not include sins, since their judgment took place at the cross (Eph. 1:7). Paul was referring to all those activities believers do during their lifetimes, which relate to their eternal reward and praise from God. What Christians do in their temporal bodies will, in His eyes, have an impact for eternity (see notes on 1 Cor. 4:3–5; cf. Rom. 12:1, 2: Rev. 22:12). whether good or bad. These Gr. terms do not refer to moral good and moral evil. Matters of sin have been completely dealt with by the death of the Savior. Rather, Paul was comparing worthwhile, eternally valuable activities with useless ones. His point was not that believers should not enjoy certain wholesome, earthly things, but that they should glorify God in them and spend most of their energy and time with what has eternal value (see notes on 1 Cor. 3:8–14).
Strong’s Concordance – Lexicon – 968.bema – 2 Corinthians 5:10
béma: a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal
Original Word: βῆμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: béma
Phonetic Spelling: (bay’-ma)
Short Definition: the space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Definition: an elevated place ascended by steps, a throne, tribunal.
the judgment seat βήματος bēmatos 968 a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal from the same as basis
My note:
John MacArthur relates his understanding of the Judgment Seat Of Christ (bema judgment) to the picture of an athletic event. After the end of a track and field event, such as the 1500 meter run, the top three finishers stand before an official who will give rewards for their accomplishments. The runners stand on a platform that has three individual platforms/steps, each of which has a greater elevation from the ground. The winner of the event stands on the top step and is given a gold medal for his, or her, accomplishment. The runner who finished second stands on a step that is on the right side of the winner’s step, and lower than the step of the winner of the event. The second place runner receives a silver medal. The runner who finished third in the event, stands on the left side of the winner, and two steps below the winner, and one step below the second place finisher. A bronze medal is given to the third place winner. In this setting, all finishers receive rewards for their accomplishments; there is no rebuking of any of the runners for their lack of a greater performance.
There is no great announcement to those who have viewed that race, or to those elsewhere, as to the fact that the runners did not run as many miles as they should have run, in preparation for this particular race; the runners were given their rewards, without chastisement. Those who will be present at the 2 Cor 5:10 Judgment Seat Of Christ will be those who have been born again, are the body of Christ, and are known as the bride of Christ. At the bema judgment, the bride of Christ is given rewards and will take place in the marriage of the lamb. The bride of Christ is the “bride of all brides.” Christ is the “groom of all grooms.” Ephesians 5:25 says for husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. It will not be the purpose of Christ to take His bride to the marriage of the lamb, and beat her up on the way to the altar, either physically or verbally.
The bema judgment takes place in heaven after the body of born again believers in Christ, the bride of Christ, has been “caught up” from earth. Consider Revelation 19:7: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” The next stop for the bride of Christ is planet earth, as it accompanies the groom, “Christ,” back to planet earth, after the tribulation. for the second coming of Christ, the Battle of Armageddon, to land on the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:1-16; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-34; 41, 46; Mark 13:24-27)
How was the bride of Christ made herself ready?” It was through the new birth, where the spirit of every born again believer in Christ had been made to be as pure as the Spirit of Christ, and at the time of the rapture, or resurrection, (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) is given a body that is without blemish. The same principle applies to the bride of Christ being removed from plant Earth prior to the Tribulation. Revelation 3:10 explains that the severity of the Tribulation, that will come upon “everyone” who is present. “Because you have kept the word of “My” perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” The testing is designed to cause those who are left behind to come to know Christ as their Messiah, as their Lord and Savior. The perseverance of the saints comes from God (notice “My”). The bride of Christ is kept “from the hour of testing,” because those who are “the church,” came to saving faith in Christ prior to the rapture of the church, which was when “they passed the test;” no further testing is needed. The purpose of Christ is not to “beat up” on His bride on the way to the marriage altar. The tribulation is brought on all of those who are left behind (from the rapture/catching up of the saints/bride), “by Christ” (Revelation 6:1), and “by the angels” (Revelation 8:1; 16:1). The severity of the tribulation will be as Christ describes it in Matthew 24:21. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” It will not be the purpose of Christ to put His bride into the midst of things that will be worse than those which had ever happened.
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Gordon Mote – Mercy Walked In
The Ezekiel 38 War and the Battle of Armageddon
Published on Oct 28, 2016
Dr. Mark Hitchcock, Dr. Ron Rhodes and Dr. Ed Hindson explain what the Bible teaches about the Ezekiel 38 war and what happens in the final battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 19:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Note: 19:19 kings of the earth. See 17:12–17. their armies. See 16:13, 14. His army. Zechariah describes this army of the Lord as “all the saints” (14:5). (MacArthur Study Bible)
God’s Love For Israel
Text
Isaiah 53:2-5 King James Version (KJV)
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24 King James Version (KJV)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Notes: Isaiah MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
My note: The message is from God to Israel. 53:5 tells of a spiritual healing for the nation of Israel through Christ.
Isaiah
53:2 before Him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed carefully by God, who ordered every minute circumstance of His life. dry ground…no beauty that we should desire Him. The Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making His true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.
53:3 despised…rejected…despised. The prophet foresees the hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal grief over the lack of response from those He came to save (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). we hid…we did not esteem. By using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation’s aversion to a crucified Messiah and their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.
53:4 borne…carried. Cf. vv. 11, 12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah’s time, i.e., “prophetic perfects” in Heb. here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched Him die thought He was being punished by God for His own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16, 17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with His life (vv. 7, 8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it is included in the benefits of the atonement.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions…bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis here is on Christ being the substitute recipient of God’s wrath on sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10). chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement of God in order to procure our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24.
1 Peter
My note: Physical healing comes at glorification. The curse that came as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden, often seems like it will never go away but, it will (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 21:4).
2:24 by whose stripes you were healed. From Is. 53:5 (see note). Through the wounds of Christ at the cross, believers are healed spiritually from the deadly disease of sin. Physical healing comes at glorification only, when there is no more physical pain, illness, or death (Rev. 21:4). See notes on Is. 53:4–6; Matt. 8:17 for comments on healing in the atonement.
Lesson Text
Ezekiel 7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Punishment for Wickedness Foretold
1 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land.3 Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. 4 For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the Lord!’
5 “Thus says the Lord God, ‘A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming! 6 An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! 7 Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near—tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations.9 My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, do the smiting.
10 ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. 11 Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent among them. 12 The time has come, the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for wrath is against all their multitude. 13 Indeed, the seller will not regain what he sold as long as they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his iniquity.
14 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all their multitude. 15 The sword is outside and the plague and the famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those in the city. 16 Even when their survivors escape, they will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each over his own iniquity. 17 All hands will hang limp and all knees will become like water. 18 They will gird themselves with sackcloth and shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces and baldness on all their heads. 19 They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling.
The Temple Profaned
20 They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. 21 I will give it into the hands of the foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. 22 I will also turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it.
23 ‘Make the chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.24 Therefore, I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong ones cease, and their holy places will be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. 26 Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law will be lost from the priest and counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Notes – Ezekiel 7 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
4:1—7:27 Here is the first series of prophecies given over a year’s time, of Jerusalem’s conquest by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
7:1–9 This lament declared that the entire land of Israel was ripe for judgment. God’s patience had ended. The final destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar was in view (586 B.C.).
7:10 rod has blossomed. Verse 11 explains this. Violence had grown up into a rod of wickedness, which likely refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the instrument of God’s vengeance (cf. Is. 10:5; Jer. 51:20).
7:12 buyer rejoice…seller mourn. Such matters of business were meaningless because the Chaldeans (Babylonians) took all the land and killed those they didn’t take captive (v. 15) and the rest escaped (v. 16). Wealth was useless (vv. 19, 20).
7:13 seller shall not return to…sold. There was to be no Jubilee year in which all lands were returned to their original owners (cf. Lev. 25).
7:17–22 This section described the mourning of the helpless and frightened people. In distress, they recognized the uselessness of the things in which they trusted. Their wealth provided nothing. Their “silver and gold” (v. 19), their “ornaments” (v. 20) were as useless as the idols they made with them.
7:22 My secret place. The Holy of Holies in the temple will be desecrated by pagans, that place where only once a year the High-Priest could enter to make atonement in God’s presence
7:23 Make a chain. Ezekiel is to perform another emblematic act of captivity (cf. Jer. 27:2; Nah. 3:10).
7:24 the worst of the Gentiles. Babylonian pagans.
Comments on this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Dr. Mark Hitchcock http://marklhitchcock.com/about/
Mark Hitchcock is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Ron Rhodes http://ronrhodes.org/meet-ron.html
Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary (1986). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with High Honors.
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary (1983). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with Honors. Elected to Dean’s List.
B.A., Houston Baptist University (1979). Recipient of the Greek Excellence Award. Chief nominee for the Riverside Scholarship.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events, follow, but are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
Background
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized for their knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance. It is easy to research their qualifications through the internet.
Sources
C.I. Scofield, Merrill Unger, Charles C. Ryrie, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Frank Charles Thompson, Grant R. Jeffrey, John F. Walvoord, J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, John Phillips, Ed Hindson, Tim LaHaye, Ron Rhodes, David Reagan, Jimmy DeYoung, Renald Showers, John Ankerberg, Hal Lindsey, Mark Hitchcock, Ron Rhodes, Jack Van Impe, Adrian Rogers, and others.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The word “rapture” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 – caught up) does not appear in our English Bible. So, why is the word used, and what does it mean?
There are people throughout the world, of which many are believers in Christ, who believe that the rapture of the church is merely an allegory. If the allegory assumption is correct, should we also believe that the “allegory belief” should extend to the resurrection and ascension of Christ into Heaven, as well as the teaching of the anti-Christ and the tribulation? Should we believe that the Battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ with His saints are also allegories? Should we believe that the 1,000 year reign of Christ (the Millennium), and the Great White Throne Judgment, and the eternal state are allegories? Should we believe that the new heaven, new Earth and new Jerusalem are allegories, as well as the first eleven chapters of Genesis? Since 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is to be considered to be an allegory, because it tells of Christ coming to take His believers with Him to Heaven, should we not also consider John 14:3 to be an allegory, because it also tells of the return of Christ to take his born again believers to heaven with Him? Since those two verses are suspected of being allegories, should we not also consider the entire books of John and 1 Thessalonians to be allegories? Because 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 tells of the Apostle Paul being “caught up” to the third heaven, to be in the Presence of God, should not that incident and that book of the Bible also be considered to be allegories? Should not both letters to the believers in Christ, at Corinth and at Thessalonica, also be considered to be allegories? Should not the entire Book of Acts be considered to be an allegory because of the teaching of Christ being taken up to Heaven (Acts 1:9), and Philip being “caught up,” and taken to another location, for the purposes of God (8:39)? Should not Revelation 11:12 be considered to be an allegory because the “two witnesses” are taken up to Heaven? Should not the teaching of Revelation 12:5, where Christ is caught up to Heaven, also considered to be an allegory? Should we not consider the books of Genesis and Hebrews to be allegories because Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 state that God “took Enoch up?” Should we not consider the book of 2 Kings to be an allegory because in 2 Kings 2:11 it states that God took Elijah up. And, should not the entire book of Revelation be treated as an allegory because of its controversial teachings on the tribulation, the anti-Christ, the 144,000 Jewish missionaries (none of whom were martyred by the forces of the anti-Christ during the tribulation)? We can add to the list of “suggested allegories,” the Battle of Armageddon with the return of Christ to earth with His saints, the 1,000 year reign of Christ, the Battle of Gog and Magog, the Great White Throne Judgment and the Lake of Fire?
Because of all of those examples of “suggested allegories of scripture,” should not we say that the Bible is “just one big allegory”, and totally worthless? I think not. I believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, per the following verses of scripture. Notice the first two words, “All scripture.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The purpose of God “taking up, catching up,” a believer in Christ, or a group of believers in Christ, to heaven, is to take those people to heaven without causing them to experience death. The word for such taking up is known as Harpazo in Greek, Rapio in Latin, and Rapture in English. Whichever translation is used, the purpose is to show that God is catching up believers in Christ to go to heaven without them experiencing death. (See John 14:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
Many people teach that the catching up of the saints and the second coming of Christ are the same event. But, there are great differences in those two events. Consider the immediacy of those two happenings. The catching up of the saints is said to be, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The same act of immediacy is also recorded in John 14:2-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The second coming of Christ takes much longer to take place. Per scripture, Christ will not land on planet Earth, and no one on Earth who has not been born again will see Christ coming out of Heaven to catch up His saints. Those who will see Christ coming to earth, at His second coming, will not be comforted to see His appearing; they will be deeply grieved! The destination of Christ, and of those who are “caught up,” is heaven, where there will be the giving of rewards to the saints, the marriage of the lamb, and the return to Earth with the previously raptured saints of Christ. Then, Christ will inflict judgment on those who had not been raptured, and will set up His earthly millennial Kingdom; the saints will rule and reign with Christ. The destination of Christ, at His second coming, will be the Mount of Olives. Judgment on those, who were left behind from the rapture of the saints, will immediately commence. There is great comfort in the rapture, per 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “…comfort one another with these words.” Opposite emotions will be present among those who are “left behind” from the rapture, when they see Christ returning to stand on planet earth at the end of the tribulation (Matthew 24:29); “they will mourn at His sight” (Matthew 24:30); with “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world (Luke 21:26). The rapture of the church is described quickly in John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. The scriptures that discuss the second coming of Christ show a much greater sequence of events and time, much longer than “the twinkling of an eye,” as follows: (Zechariah 14:1-14; Matthew 24:29-44; Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-36; Revelation 19:7-8…marriage of the Lamb in Heaven to the raptured saints (the bride of Christ) (1 Thes 4:16-17) …Revelation 19:11-21 …the second coming of Christ with the raptured saints/the Battle of Armageddon…Revelation 20:1-6…the 1,000 year reign of Christ/the millennium; Satan bound; saints rule and reign with Christ, those returning/raptured saints, and those resurrected saints of the Old Testament and tribulation.) Notice the words, “immediately after the tribulation,” (Matthew 24:29); and, “in those days, after that tribulation,” (Mark 13:24), which show that the events of the second coming of Christ will happen after the tribulation.
The teaching of the end times, to include the rapture of the church, is a subject that is sorely neglected by pastors. It was forty-one years ago that a pastor introduced me to the teaching of eschatology. That pastor was twenty years my senior. His mentor was twenty years his senior. Both of those brothers in Christ are now with the Lord. But, their teachings go on through the people that they taught, to include this grateful student. It is my hope that more pastors will realize a sense of urgency, as it relates to the end times teaching. There are far too many “people in the pews” who are ignorant of the facts of the end times, and that is because they are sitting under the teachings of pastors who share that same ignorance of God’s Holy Word. Ignorance does not mean “stupid;” it means “not taught.” The MacArthur Study Bible provides excellent notes on all teachings of the Bible, to include the scriptures that relate to eschatology. A limited amount of notes from the MacArthur Study Bible can also be found in biblegateway.com A membership to Biblegateway provides the full extent of the MacArthur notes.
The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380’s AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian (from the following link). http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/
Whether the Latin or Greek translation is used to translate 1 Thessalonaians 4:17 into English, the meaning of both translations is that Christ is going to descend from Heaven (in the air, not coming to earth), and catch up those living believers (at the time of the “catching up”), and take them to Heaven with Him. For a full explanation of the teaching of the “catching up,” (of those living in Christ), and resurrection (of those dead in Christ), read the commentary notes at the bottom of the page.
Posts will follow that address specifics of different end times subjects.
Consider The Following Verses, And Other Data, That Relate To The Catching Up Of The Saints, Which Is Also Known As The Rapture Of The Church.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Those Who Are Dead, And Those Who Are Living, “in Christ,” At The Time Of The Rapture
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 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, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
John 14:2-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Christ Tells The Apostles That He Will Come Back To Earth And Take Them To Heaven With Him
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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.
See study notes at the bottom of the page.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Mystery of Resurrection
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
(My quip) A notice was posted in a Church nursery. The notice read, “we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” (vs 51)
Differences Between the Rapture & Second Coming (28:30)
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (seize, catch up, snatch away).
1 Thessalonians 4:17 King James Bible
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Etymology
“Rapture” is derived from Middle French rapture, via the Medieval Latin raptura (“seizure, kidnapping”), which derives from the Latin raptus (“a carrying off”).[17]
Greek
The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagisometha), which means “we shall be caught up” or “taken away”, with the connotation that this is a sudden event. The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω).[18] This use is also seen in such texts as Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; Revelation 12:5
Latin
The Latin Vulgate translates the Greek ἁρπαγησόμεθα as rapiemur[19] meaning “we are caught up” or “we are taken away” from the Latin verb rapio meaning “to catch up” or “take away”.[20]
1 Thessalonians 4:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Strong’s Concordance With Greek Lexicon – 726
harpazó: to seize, catch up, snatch away
Original Word: ἁρπάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: harpazó
Phonetic Spelling: (har-pad’-zo)
Short Definition: I seize, snatch, obtain by robbery
Definition: I seize, snatch, obtain by robbery.
Notice that the transliteration of “to seize, catch up, snatch away,” is “harpazo.” Through the use of transliteration, one word tells the meaning of many more translated words. Check out the following link.
The following are just a few more examples of transliterated words in the New Testament:
Apostle comes from apostlos and means “one who is sent.”
Baptism comes from baptisma and means “immersion.”
Christ comes from cristos and means “anointed one.”
Deacon comes from diakonos and means “servant.”
Epistle comes from epistole and means “letter.”
Strong’s Concordance With Greek Lexicon
1 Thessalonians 4:17 King James Bible
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
will be caught ἁρπαγησόμεθα arpagēsometha 726 to seize, catch up, snatch away from a prim. root harp-
Acts 8:39 King James Bible – caught away – 726
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
snatched ἥρπασεν ērpasen 726 to seize, catch up, snatch away from a prim. root harp-
2 Corinthians 12:2 King James Bible – caught up – 726
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
was caught ἁρπαγέντα arpagenta 726 to seize, catch up, snatch away from a prim. root harp-
2 Corinthians 12:4 King James Bible – caught up – 726
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
was caught ἡρπάγη ērpagē 726 to seize, catch up, snatch away from a prim. root harp-
Revelation 12:5 King James Bible – caught up – 726
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
was caught ἡρπάσθη ērpasthē 726 to seize, catch up, snatch away from a prim. root harp-
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
4:13–18 Even though Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica was brief, it is clear the people had come to believe in and hope for the reality of their Savior’s return (cf. 1:3, 9, 10; 2:19; 5:1, 2; 2 Thess. 2:1, 5). They were living in expectation of that coming, eagerly awaiting Christ. Verse 13 (cf. 2 Thess. 2:1–3) indicates they were even agitated about some things that were happening to them that might affect their participation in it. They knew Christ’s return was the climactic event in redemptive history and didn’t want to miss it. The major question they had was “What happens to the Christians who die before He comes? Do they miss His return?” Clearly, they had an imminent view of Christ’s return and Paul had left the impression it could happen in their lifetime. Their confusion came as they were being persecuted, an experience they thought they were to be delivered from by the Lord’s return (cf. 3:3, 4).4:13 those who have fallen asleep. Sleep is the familiar NT euphemism for death which describes the appearance of the deceased (see note on 1 Cor. 11:30). It describes the dead body, not the soul (cf. 2 Cor. 5:1–9; Phil. 1:23). Sleep is used of Jarius’ daughter (Matt. 9:24) whom Jesus raised from the dead and Stephen who was stoned to death (Acts 7:60; cf. John 11:11; 1 Cor. 7:39; 15:6, 18, 51; 2 Pet. 3:4). Those who sleep are identified in v. 16 as “the dead in Christ.” The people, in ignorance, had come to the conclusion that those who die miss the Lord’s return and they were grieved over their absence at such a glorious event. Thus the departure of a loved one brought great anguish to the soul. But there is no reason for Christians to sorrow when a brother dies as if some great loss to that person has come.4:14 God will bring with Him. As Jesus died and rose, so also will those who die believing in Him rise again so they can be taken to heaven with the Lord (see notes on John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 15:51–58). These texts describe the rapture of the church, which takes place when Jesus comes to collect His redeemed and take them back to heaven. Those who have died before that time (called “those who sleep”) will be gathered and taken back to heaven with the Lord.4:15 the word of the Lord. Was Paul referring to some saying of Jesus found in the gospels? No. There are none exact or even close. The only explicit reference to the Rapture in the gospels is John 14:1–3. Some suggest that Jesus had said the words while on earth, their substance being recorded later in such places as Matt. 24:30, 31 and John 6:39, 40; 11:25, 26. Similarities between this passage in 1 Thess. and the gospel accounts include a trumpet (Matt. 24:31), a resurrection (John 1:26), and a gathering of the elect (Matt. 24:31). Yet dissimilarities between it and the canonical sayings of Christ far outweigh the resemblances. Some of the differences between Matt. 24:30, 31 and vv. 15–17 are as follows: 1) in Matt. the Son of Man is coming on the clouds (but see Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27), in 1 Thess. ascending believers are in them; 2) in the former the angels gather, in the latter Christ does personally; 3) in the former nothing is said about resurrection, while in the latter this is the main theme; and 4) Matthew records nothing about the order of ascent, which is the principal lesson in Thessalonians. On the other hand, did he mean a statement of Jesus that was spoken but not recorded in the gospels (Acts 20:35)? No. There is reason to conclude this since Paul affirmed that he taught the Rapture as a heretofore hidden truth (1 Cor. 15:51), i.e., “mystery.” Apparently, the Thessalonians were informed fully about the Day of the Lord judgment (cf. 5:1, 2), but not the preceding event—the rapture of the church. Until Paul revealed it as the revelation from God to him, it had been a secret, with the only prior mention being Jesus’ teaching in John 14:1–3. This was new revelation of what had previously been an unrevealed mystery. we who are alive and remain. This refers to Christians alive at the time of the Rapture, those who live on this earth to see the coming of the Lord for His own. Since Paul didn’t know God’s timing, he lived and spoke as if it could happen in his lifetime. As with all early Christians, he believed the event was near (cf. Rom. 13:11; 1 Cor. 6:14; 10:11; 16:22; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 Tim. 6:14; Titus 2:13). Those alive at the Rapture will follow those dead who rise first (v. 16).
4:16 the Lord Himself will descend. This fulfills the pledge of John 14:1–3 (cf. Acts 1:11). Until then, He remains in heaven (cf. 1:10; Heb. 1:1–3). archangel. Very little is known about the organization or rank of angels (cf. Col. 1:17). While only Michael is named as an archangel (Jude 9), there seems to be more than one in the archangelic ranks (Dan. 10:13). Perhaps it is Michael, the archangel, whose voice is heard as he is identified with Israel’s resurrection in Dan. 12:1–3. At that moment (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52, “twinkling of an eye”), the dead rise first. They will not miss the Rapture, but be the first participants. trumpet of God. Cf. 1 Cor. 15:52. This trumpet is not the judgment trumpets of Rev. 8–11, but is illustrated by the trumpet of Ex. 19:16–19, which called the people out of the camp to meet God. It will be a trumpet of deliverance (cf. Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14).
4:17 caught up. After the dead come forth, their spirits, already with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23), are now being joined to resurrected new bodies (see notes on 1 Cor. 15:35–50); the living Christians will be raptured, lit. snatched away (cf. John 10:28; Acts 8:39). This passage, along with John 14:1–3 and 1 Cor. 15:51, 52, forms the biblical basis for “the Rapture” of the church. The time of the Rapture cannot be conclusively determined from this passage alone. However, when other texts such as Rev. 3:10 and John 14:3 are consulted and compared to the texts about Christ’s coming in judgment (Matt. 13:34–50; 24:29–44; Rev. 19:11–21) at the end of a 7 year tribulation, it has to be noted that there is a clear difference between the character of the “Rapture” in that there is no mention of any judgment, while the other texts feature judgment. So then, it is best to understand that the Rapture occurs at a time different from the coming of Christ in judgment. Thus, the Rapture has been described as pretribulational (before the wrath of God unfolded in the judgments of Rev. 6–19). This event includes complete transformation (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; Phil 3:20, 21) and union with the Lord Jesus Christ that never ends.
4:18 comfort one another. The primary purpose of this passage is not to teach a scheme of prophecy, but rather to provide encouragement to those Christians whose loved ones have died. The comfort here is based on the following: 1) the dead will be resurrected and will participate in the Lord’s coming for His own; 2) when Christ comes the living will be reunited forever with their loved ones; and 3) they all will be with the Lord eternally (v. 17).
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible – John 14:2-3
14:2, 3 I go to prepare. His departure would be for their advantage since He was going away to prepare a heavenly home for them and will return to take them so that they may be with Him. This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev. 19:11–15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Matt. 13:36–43, 47–50). Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:13–18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7–10), be rewarded (1 Cor. 3:10–15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev. 19:11—20:6).
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
15:1–58 This chapter is the most extensive treatment of resurrection in the Bible. Both the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels and the resurrection of believers as promised in the gospels are here explained.
15:50 People cannot live in God’s eternal heavenly glory the way they are. See notes on Rom. 8:23. We have to be changed (v. 51).
15:51 mystery. This term refers to truth hidden in the past and revealed in the NT. See notes on 2:7 and Eph. 3:4, 5. In this case, the rapture of the church was never revealed in the OT. It was first mentioned in John 14:1–3, when it is specifically explained and is detailed in 1 Thess. 4:13–18 (see notes there). sleep. See note on v. 18.
15:52 twinkling of an eye. This was Paul’s way of showing how brief the “moment” will be. The Gr. word for “twinkling” refers to any rapid movement. Since the eye can move more rapidly than any other part of our visible bodies, it seems to well illustrate the sudden transformation of raptured believers. trumpet will sound.To herald the end of the church era, when all believers will be removed from the earth at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16). dead…raised. According to 1 Thess. 4:16, they are first and the living saints follow (1 Thess. 4:17).
15:54–57 Paul enhanced his joy at the reality of resurrection by quoting from Is. 25:8 and Hos. 13:14. The latter quote taunts death as if it were a bee whose sting was removed. That sting was the sin that was exposed by the law of God (see notes on Rom. 3:23; 4:15; 6:23; Gal. 3:10–13), but conquered by Christ in His death (see notes on Rom. 5:17; 2 Cor. 5:21).
15:58 The hope of resurrection makes all the efforts and sacrifices in the Lord’s work worth it. No work done in His name is wasted in light of eternal glory and reward.
Biographies of speakers of this post.
Consider the qualifications of the speakers in the videos.
Signs of the Last Days – Dr. Jimmy DeYoung
Bio – http://jimmydeyoung.com/aboutdrd.shtml
Dr. Jimmy DeYoung resided in Jerusalem for at least a portion of the year each year for the last 23 years where he held full credentials as a journalist in the second most populated journalistic city in the world.
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
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What does the Bible say about the battle of Armageddon?
Revelation 16:12-16 New King James Version (NKJV)
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
What is the battle of Armageddon? What happens there?
Muslims, Jews, campaign of Armageddon
God’s Love For Israel
Text
Psalm 47:4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.”
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Text
Isaiah 43:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Israel Redeemed
“But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Psalm 47:4 He will choose. Again, “He chooses,” serves as a timeless truth. Cf. the election of Israel in Deut. 7:6ff.; Ps. 135:4. On the land of promise as “inheritance,” cf. Deut. 32:8, 9; Ps. 105:11. See notes on Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2 for a discussion of the doctrine of divine election. The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. The “excellence” or “pride” of Jacob also refers to the land of Canaan (cf. the term illustratively in Is. 13:19; then in Is. 60:15; Nah. 2:2; etc.). “Whom He loves” is signal terminology for God’s special, elective, covenantal “love” (cf., e.g., Mal. 1:2ff.). This special focus on God’s covenant with Israel does not negate the bigger picture involving blessing to all nations sketched out in the original Abrahamic Covenant of Gen. 12:1–3.
Isaiah 43:1 created…formed. The only explanation for the ongoing existence of the nation of Israel is God’s sovereign grace, which brought her into existence from nothing (cf. Deut. 7:6–11) and sustains her. Since she was God’s creation, she could find comfort in knowing that no one or nothing can destroy her, not even her own wickedness (cf. 43:18–25; Rom. 11:1, 2, 25–27). Jacob…Israel. This double designation (cf. Gen. 32:28) for God’s chosen nation is used by Isaiah 21 times, 16 of them in chaps. 40–49 (9:8; 10:20; 14:1; 27:6; 29:23; 40:27; 41:8, 14; 42:24; 43:1, 22, 28; 44:1, 21, 23; 45:4; 46:3; 48:1, 12; 49:5, 6). This speaks of the Lord’s special attachment to Abraham’s physical seed. Fear not. The Lord repeated His word, relieving Israel’s fear (35:4; 41:10, 13, 14; cf. 7:4). redeemed. God’s redemption of His people from exile is not to be complete until His Servant returns to reign over the faithful remnant in the land of Israel who have believed on Jesus Christ (cf. Zech. 12:10—13:1; Rom. 11:25–27; Rev. 11:13). The limited return from Babylon only typified the final return. See note on 43:14.
Text
Ezekiel 6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Idolatrous Worship Denounced
1 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them 3 and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places. 4 So your altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. 5 I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. 7 The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.
8 “However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. 9 Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them.”’
11 “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Clap your hand, stamp your foot and say, “Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, famine and plague! 12 He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols. 14 So throughout all their habitations I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the Lord.”’”
Notes – Ezekiel 6 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
6:3 says the Lord…to the mountains. God had the prophet do this because the people worshiped at idol altars in the “high places” (cf. Lev. 26:30–33; Is. 65:7; Jer. 3:6; Hos. 4:13; Mic. 6:1, 2).
6:7 you shall know that I am the Lord. This clause recurs in vv. 10, 13, 14 and 60 times elsewhere in the book. It shows that the essential reason for judgment is the violation of the character of God. This is repeatedly acknowledged in Lev. 18–26, where the motive for all obedience to God’s law is the fact that He is the Lord God.
6:8–10 The mass of people was rejected, but grace and mercy were given to a godly group in the nation. There never has been nor ever will be a complete end to Israel. The doctrine of the remnant can be studied in Is. 1:9; 10:20; Jer. 43:5; Zeph. 2:7; 3:13; Zech. 10:9; Rom. 9:6–13; 11:5.
6:14 Diblah. A reference to Diblathaim, a city on the eastern edge of Moab (Num. 33:46; Jer. 48:22), near the desert E and S of the Dead Sea.
Comments on this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events, follow, but are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
Background
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized for their knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance. It is easy to research their qualifications through the internet.
Sources
C.I. Scofield, Merrill Unger, Charles C. Ryrie, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Frank Charles Thompson, Grant R. Jeffrey, John F. Walvoord, J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, John Phillips, Ed Hindson, Tim LaHaye, Ron Rhodes, David Reagan, Jimmy DeYoung, Renald Showers, John Ankerberg, Hal Lindsey, Mark Hitchcock, Ron Rhodes, Jack Van Impe, Adrian Rogers, and others.
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Left Behind: The Movie – Raptured!
The above video was taken from the Left Behind I movie. The truth of the catching up of the church, also known as the rapture of the church, is greatly criticized, but without credible scriptural basis. The following video provides a good study of the rapture of the church and of the second coming of Christ, which are two separate events. Please understand that the teaching of the end times rapture and second coming of Christ is not an allegory. The scriptures that explain both events are very clear as to their being actual things that happen, and NOT AN ALLEGORY.
The Timing of the Rapture and the Second Coming
Consider the following scriptures that discuss the rapture of the church, also known as the catching up of the saints and the snatching away of the saints. The Greek word for this event is “harpazo.”
Consider Enoch – God took him. God took him up.
Genesis 5:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
MacArthur Study Bible note.5:24 walked with God…was not, for God took him. Enoch is the only break in the chapter from the incessant comment, “and he died.” Cf. 4:17, 18; 1 Chr. 1:3; Luke 3:37; Heb. 11:5; Jude 14. Only one other man is said to have enjoyed this intimacy of relationship in walking with God, Noah (6:9). Enoch experienced being taken to heaven alive by God, as did Elijah later (2 Kin. 2:1–12).
Hebrews 11:5 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
MacArthur Study Bible note. 11:5 The quote is from Gen. 5:24. Enoch. See note on Gen. 5:24.The LXX translated the Heb. idiom “Enoch walked with God” with “he pleased God.” The writer combines both in the reference. Enoch was miraculously taken to heaven without dying (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17).
Consider Elijah – “Elijah went up…into heaven”
2 Kings 2:11 New King James Version (NKJV)
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Consider the discussion of Christ with His disciples/apostles. – Christ will return for His followers and take them to Heaven. This is the coming of Christ in the air, to not set foot on the earth. Shortly following this event, the time of tribulation will occur on earth, when the Judgments of Christ will be unleashed on the earth, and the anti-Christ will begin persecuting the Jews and those who accept Christ during the tribulation.
John 14:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 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. 3 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.
MacArthur Study Bible 14:1 Instead of the disciples lending support to Jesus in the hours before His cross, He had to support them spiritually as well as emotionally. This reveals His heart of serving love (cf. Matt. 20:26–28). troubled. Faith in Him can stop the heart from being agitated. See note on 12:27.
MacArthur Study Bible 14:2 mansions. Lit. dwelling places, rooms, or even apartments (in modern terms). All are in the large “Father’s house.”
MacArthur Study Bible 14:2, 3 I go to prepare. His departure would be for their advantage since He was going away to prepare a heavenly home for them and will return to take them so that they may be with Him. This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev. 19:11–15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Matt. 13:36–43, 47–50). Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:13–18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7–10), be rewarded (1 Cor. 3:10–15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev. 19:11—20:6).
In The Presence Of God
2 Corinthians 5:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) We are translated out of our bodies, or graves, and taken to the Presence of God.
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) (This is a better translation
Once in the Presence of God, we appear before the Judgment Seat Of Christ, not to determine the fate of our salvation, but to be given rewards, and to be prepared for the Marriage of the Lamb.
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
The next stop is the Marriage of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7-9 King James Version (KJV)
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
MacArthur Study Bible 19:7 marriage of the Lamb. Hebrew weddings consisted of 3 phases: 1) betrothal (often when the couple were children); 2) presentation (the festivities, often lasting several days, that preceded the ceremony); and 3) the ceremony (the exchanging of vows). The church was betrothed to Christ by His sovereign choice in eternity past (Eph. 1:4; Heb. 13:20) and will be presented to Him at the Rapture (John 14:1–3; 1 Thess. 4:13–18). The final supper will signify the end of the ceremony. This symbolic meal will take place at the establishment of the millennial kingdom and last throughout that 1,000 year period (cf. 21:2). While the term “bride” often refers to the church, and does so here (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22–24), it ultimately expands to include all the redeemed of all ages, which becomes clear in the remainder of the book.
MacArthur Study Bible 19:8 righteous acts of the saints. Not Christ’s imputed righteousness granted to believers at salvation, but the practical results of that righteousness in believers’ lives, i.e., the outward manifestation of inward virtue.
MacArthur Study Bible 19:9 Blessed. See note on 1:3. those who are called. This is not the bride (the church) but the guests. The bride doesn’t get invited, she invites. These are those saved before Pentecost, all the faithful believers saved by grace through faith up to the birth of the church (Acts 2:1ff.). Though they are not the bride, they still are glorified and reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. It is really differing imagery rather than differing reality. The guests also will include tribulation saints and believers alive in earthly bodies in the kingdom. The church is the bride, pure and faithful—never a harlot, like Israel was (see Hos. 2). So the church is the bride during the presentation feast in heaven, then comes to earth for the celebration of the final meal (the Millennium). After that event, the new order comes and the marriage is consummated (see notes on 21:1, 2). true sayings of God. This refers to everything since 17:1. It is all true—the marriage will take place after judgment.
Revelation 19:7 – We, the bride of Christ, will come under the protection of the Bride Groom, “Christ.” We are the bride of all brides. Christ is the Bride Groom of all Bride Grooms.
Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. This is the coming of Christ in the air, to not set foot on the earth. In this passage, “the dead in Christ” will rise first. The “dead in Christ” is a phrase that excludes the dead who never had a saving relationship with Christ. “We who are alive and remain, will be caught up…..” Only living believers in Christ will be caught up (snatched away, caught up, raptured). Both classes of believers (dead and alive), will be taken away to heaven to the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). While the saints of God are in the Presence of God, those who were left behind will be coming under the judgments of God and the persecution of the anti-Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 King James Version (KJV)
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
MacArthur Study Bible 4:16 the Lord Himself will descend. This fulfills the pledge of John 14:1–3 (cf. Acts 1:11). Until then, He remains in heaven (cf. 1:10; Heb. 1:1–3). archangel. Very little is known about the organization or rank of angels (cf. Col. 1:17). While only Michael is named as an archangel (Jude 9), there seems to be more than one in the archangelic ranks (Dan. 10:13). Perhaps it is Michael, the archangel, whose voice is heard as he is identified with Israel’s resurrection in Dan. 12:1–3. At that moment (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52, “twinkling of an eye”), the dead rise first. They will not miss the Rapture, but be the first participants. trumpet of God. Cf. 1 Cor. 15:52. This trumpet is not the judgment trumpets of Rev. 8–11, but is illustrated by the trumpet of Ex. 19:16–19, which called the people out of the camp to meet God. It will be a trumpet of deliverance (cf. Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14).
MacArthur Study Bible 4:17 caught up. After the dead come forth, their spirits, already with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23), are now being joined to resurrected new bodies (see notes on 1 Cor. 15:35–50); the living Christians will be raptured, lit. snatched away (cf. John 10:28; Acts 8:39). This passage, along with John 14:1–3 and 1 Cor. 15:51, 52, forms the biblical basis for “the Rapture” of the church. The time of the Rapture cannot be conclusively determined from this passage alone. However, when other texts such as Rev. 3:10 and John 14:3 are consulted and compared to the texts about Christ’s coming in judgment (Matt. 13:34–50; 24:29–44; Rev. 19:11–21) at the end of a 7 year tribulation, it has to be noted that there is a clear difference between the character of the “Rapture” in that there is no mention of any judgment, while the other texts feature judgment. So then, it is best to understand that the Rapture occurs at a time different from the coming of Christ in judgment. Thus, the Rapture has been described as pretribulational (before the wrath of God unfolded in the judgments of Rev. 6–19). This event includes complete transformation (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; Phil 3:20, 21) and union with the Lord Jesus Christ that never ends.
MacArthur Study Bible 1 Thessalonians 4:18 comfort one another. The primary purpose of this passage is not to teach a scheme of prophecy, but rather to provide encouragement to those Christians whose loved ones have died. The comfort here is based on the following: 1) the dead will be resurrected and will participate in the Lord’s coming for His own; 2) when Christ comes the living will be reunited forever with their loved ones; and 3) they all will be with the Lord eternally (v. 17).
1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Caught up #726, seize, catch up, snatch away, harpazo (see below)
harpazó: to seize, catch up, snatch away
Original Word: ἁρπάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: harpazó
Phonetic Spelling: (har-pad’-zo)
Short Definition: I seize, snatch, obtain by robbery
Definition: I seize, snatch, obtain by robbery.
Consider the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, about the return of Christ in the air to take His believers to Heaven with Him, away from the earth, before the tribulation takes place. Earthly believers will be given immortal bodies, “in the twinkling of an eye,” and will be raised just as quickly. Our earthly, corruptible, bodies must be changed into heavenly, incorruptible, bodies in order for us to enter into heaven. Such an incorruptible, or imperishable body of our birth, will be a body that will never decay in heaven; it will live forever; we will live forever in the Presence of God.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 King James Version (KJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
MacArthur Study Bible 15:51 mystery. This term refers to truth hidden in the past and revealed in the NT. See notes on 2:7 and Eph. 3:4, 5. In this case, the rapture of the church was never revealed in the OT. It was first mentioned in John 14:1–3, when it is specifically explained and is detailed in 1 Thess. 4:13–18 (see notes there). sleep. See note on v. 18.
MacArthur Study Bible 15:52 twinkling of an eye. This was Paul’s way of showing how brief the “moment” will be. The Gr. word for “twinkling” refers to any rapid movement. Since the eye can move more rapidly than any other part of our visible bodies, it seems to well illustrate the sudden transformation of raptured believers. trumpet will sound.To herald the end of the church era, when all believers will be removed from the earth at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16). dead…raised. According to 1 Thess. 4:16, they are first and the living saints follow (1 Thess. 4:17)
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
After the rapture of the church takes place, the unwelcomed promise of Revelation 3:10 will soon follow. Those “who dwell on the earth,” is a phrase that is repeated throughout the book of Revelation, and relates to those people who did not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, but aligned themselves with the things of the earth. Believers in Christ do not need to be tested, as will happen to the earth dwellers. When we came to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, we passed “the test.” The judgments of Christ on the earth will begin with the Seal Judgments (Rev 6:1-8:6)), will continue with the Trumpet Judgments (Rev 8:7-9:21), and will end in the Bowl Judgments (Rev 15:1-16:21). The judgments will increase in severity. At the same time, the anti-Christ will be persecuting the Jews, and anyone else who aligns themselves with a belief in Christ as their Lord and Savior. As opposed to being earth dwellers, believers in Christ are Citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20).
Revelation 3:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
MacArthur Study Bible 3:10 keep you from the hour of trial. Christ’s description—an event still future that for a short time severely tests the whole world—must refer to the time of tribulation, the 7 year period before Christ’s earthly kingdom is consummated, featuring the unleashing of divine wrath in judgments expressed as seals, trumpets, and bowls. This period is described in detail throughout chaps. 6–19. The latter half is called “the Great Tribulation” (7:14; Matt. 24:21) and is identified as to time in 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5. The verb “to keep” is followed by a preposition whose normal meaning is “from” or “out of”—this phrase, “keep…from” supports the pretribulational rapture of the church (see notes on John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13–17). This period is the same as Daniel’s 70th week (see notes on Dan. 9:24–27) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (see notes on Jer. 30:7).
Other scriptures that identify “earth dwellers” are: Rev 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8; 13:14; 17:8. These verses show a hostility of those left behind people toward Christ. Consider the fact that their names were not written in the Book of Life.
Revelation 17:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
Who will be raptured?
In order for someone to be raptured, they must have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits. They must have a spirit just as pure as the Spirit of Christ. In order for that spiritual indwelling and purity to take place, a person must have been born again.
1 John 1:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Spirit of God is pure (lack of darkness).
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
2 Corinthians 5:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) To dwell within the Spirit of Christ, we must have a spirit that is just as pure as the Spirit of Christ.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Colossians 1:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB) To have the Spirit of Christ “in us” is the expectant “hope of glory.”
27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The New Birth: It makes our spirits as pure as the Spirit of Father/Son/Holy Spirit.
John 3:3 New King James Version (NKJV) – The need to be born again.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:8 New King James Version (NKJV) – The Holy Spirit performs the new birth.
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV) – If we believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have been born again. If we have been born again, we believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:18 New King James Version (NKJV) – Without a belief in Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have condemnation as our eternal promise. This condemnation relates to Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and anyone else in the world who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior – even to those “who say” that they are Christians, but show no spiritual fruit of the new birth (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit “is,” explains that all of the individual items of spiritual fruit come into a person’s spiritual being when they are born again. Galatians 5:22-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB) “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;…”
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 14:16-17 New King James Version (NKJV) – When we have been born again, we have the indwelling Presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:20 New King James Version (NKJV) – The indwelling of the Spirit in our born again spirit.
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
John 14:26 New King James Version (NKJV) – the Holy Spirit is our never-ending teacher of the things of God.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 16:8-11 New King James Version (NKJV) – God’s Holy Spirit will convict the world, through His born again believers, of sin, and righteousness and judgment.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:13 New King James Version (NKJV) – the Holy Spirit teaches us in all matters of truth.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Summing it up.
When we are born again, God’s Spirit is always in us and teaching us, and prompting us to do the things of righteousness. People will make mistakes, but someone who has been born again, having the daily prompting to righteousness, will lead a life of holiness. Consider the following verses of scripture that discuss people who show no evidence of having been born again, not having the Spirit of God dwelling within them, and not being prompted to lifestyles of righteousness.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) These are people whose lifestyles showed that they had not been born again, and did not have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits. There are also people who came out those sinful lifestyles and “were washes, were sanctified, and were justified in the Name of the Lord,” which shows that they had been born again and had left their sinful lifestyles.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Revelation 21:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB) All of these character traits show a lack of personal relationships in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Conclusion
Remember the opening video. Consider the people in the airliner. Families were seated side-by-side. In the “twinkling of an eye,” those who had been born again were removed from their mortal bodies in the cabin of the aircraft, and were immediately caught up to be the Presence of God. (2 Cor 5:8). Consider those who were left behind; they had not been born again.
Consider the realities of life. Consider the things that show that certain people have not been born again. In today’s world, it is quite easy to identify “earth dwellers.”
Consider murder. Consider abortion on demand. Consider people who perform such practices. Consider people who vote to put people in public office, who will also vote to use the force of law to promote abortion on demand.
Consider homosexual marriage. Consider people who conduct such weddings, and those who enter into such abominable unions. Consider the people who vote to put people in public, who will also vote to use the force of law to promote homosexual marriage and will use the force of law to make normal people accept the abomination of homosexuality.
Consider personal thoughts
Matthew 5:28 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
James 1:14-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
For someone to think of committing the act of adultery begins a slippery slope that may lead to the fulfillment of that act. For someone to think of committing the act of homosexuality is also the beginning of a slippery slope, which may lead to a lifestyle of homosexuality, or of condoning that abomination. For someone to think of killing an unborn baby, is to climb onto yet another slippery slope. Yet the slippery slope that leads to abortion is an act that destroys life. Life comes from existing life (Dr. Louis Pasteur, Law of Biogenesis). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogenesis The aorta pumps blood from the heart to the rest of the body. During an abortion, the blood of the unborn baby is seen as the baby is being destroyed. A video will be shown at the bottom of this page which shows the blood of an unborn baby which is being butchered. The blood that will be seen will not be the blood of the mother, but of the baby http://www.webmd.com/heart/picture-of-the-aorta#1
At present time, in America, the Democrat party has on its party platform a statement for abortion, with no limits being imposed. Yet, many “so called” Christians continue to vote for Democrats. The liberal media (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC) supports the Democrat party in its pro-abortion legislation. Yet, many “so called” Christians continue to watch those networks, thereby improving the ratings of those networks, and also take into their minds the pro-death reporting that will affect the beliefs of the parents and children of those “so called” Christian families. The Democrat Party also has on it party platform the support of same-sex marriage. The same liberal media outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC) also support same-sex marriage. Still, many “so called” Christians continue to watch the pro-homosexual propaganda that is reported by the liberal media. The Democrat Party platform can be seen in the following link. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/papers_pdf/117717.pdf
Let’s make this personal. If you see nothing wrong with the killing of unborn babies, you should have no problem viewing the video of the abortion that follows. If you see nothing wrong with the killing of unborn babies, you do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within your spirit, prompting you to righteousness. Also, if you see nothing wrong with people of the same-sex having sexual relations, or entering into same-sex unions, you do not have the spirit of God dwelling within your spirit and prompting you to righteousness. In either instance, you have not been born again! Your destiny is the Lake of Fire!(Revelation 20:15). It is a personal choice as to whether you will be standing in the line with other people having such similar beliefs that are the result of not having been born again.
The road which leads to the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which also leads to the lake of fire and eternal suffering, is a road that is not forced upon anyone. It is only by a personal choice that anyone will take such a trip. Consider such a journey that has only been set aside for people who have not been born again.
Revelation 20:11-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Judgment at the Throne of God
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Consider your family. Do you want you and your family to be cast into the lake of fire on the family plan? A better decision for you and your family to make is to spend eternity in the Kingdom of God, by being born again (John 3:3).
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the video of an abortion. When you watch it consider how the people, who are involved in the killing of that unborn baby, have become so ridiculously numb to the taking of life that it seems like a tv reality show.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the teachings in the Bible concerning the end times and of the period of time dealing with the return of Christ and the events that follow. Those events, follow, but are not in the order as shown: the Resurrection, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses, the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth. In one form or another most of the books of the Bible deal with end-times subjects.
My study of the end times goes back to the year of 1976. There have been many people who have helped me to understand this exciting part of God’s Holy Word. There have also been many credible source documents that I have studied, “over and over.” The following individuals (some alive, and some deceased) are recognized for their knowledgeable of matters that relate to the end times. Their study materials have helped me to prepare this series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” Their names are presented below in no special order of importance. It is easy to research their qualifications through the internet.
C.I. Scofield, Merrill Unger, Charles C. Ryrie, Henry Morris, J. Dwight Pentecost, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Frank Charles Thompson, Grant R. Jeffrey, John F. Walvoord, J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, John Phillips, Ed Hindson, Tim LaHaye, Ron Rhodes, David Reagan, Jimmy DeYoung, Renald Showers, John Ankerberg, Hal Lindsey, Mark Hitchcock, Jack Van Impe, Adrian Rogers, and others.
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
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As you consider this post, also consider the fact that there have been too many American Presidents who have been trying to legislate peace in the middle east for too long of a period of time. The truth of the matter is that there will not be peace in the middle east, or anywhere else on earth, until Christ comes back to earth and sets up His millennial (1,000 year) Kingdom (Zechariah 14, Revelation 19-20, Matthew 24-25). The subject of the tribulation has been described as: “pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib.” Unfortunately, there have been far too many pastors who have added “pan-trib,” saying that it will “all pan out” in the end. Folks, such a statement shows a great lack of respect for the teachings of the Bible that clearly show that the rapture of the church will come, “as directed by God,” prior to the beginning of the tribulation, and is know as the “pre-tribulation rapture of the church. (Mid-trib means that all believers in Christ (including little babies) will have to go through the first half of the judgments of the tribulation. Post tribulation means that all believers in Christ (including little babies) will have to through all of the judgments of the tribulation. The “off the cuff” insult to God’s Holy Word, that things “will just pan out,” is totally incorrect. God has a plan, which will not just “pan out,” as a result of “happen stance.”) This subject is too serious not to be taught. Too many believers in Christ think that they will have to go through the tribulation, or parts of it, and will also be subjected to the Battle of Armageddon, which is also totally false. Remember the purpose of the leaders of the church, Ephesians 4:11, “equip the saints.”
The following link tells us about the man who authored the Left Behind Series of books.
The man who wrote the Left Behind series, Tim LeHaye, was traveling on an airliner. He noticed a pilot flirting with a stewardess. He also noticed that the pilot was wearing a wedding ring. The thought came to Dr. LeHaye about the coming of Christ in the air for the rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) at such a time that he was observing. Dr. LeHaye soon wrote his first book on the events that surround the rapture of the church, which was titled “Left Behind.” The rapture of the church, which is the coming of Christ in the air to take His believers out of this world, prior to the beginning of the tribulation period (the 70th week of Daniel). This event precedes the second coming of Christ when He will come for judgment of the world, which will come at the end of the tribulation (7 years after the rapture of the church) (Matthew 24:21, 29-30). The teaching of this subject is greatly ignored, and often scorned. The subject of the rapture of the church is taught in clear detail in the Bible, but is not being taught in many Christian congregations; it is an event that is like none other. Let me encourage you to follow this blog and study the posts that relate to this subject. The posts that relate to the end of times can be found by selecting the category of “Journey.” As is shown in the linked article, Tim LeHaye had been the pastor of the congregation where Dr. David Jeremiah is now the Senior Pastor.
God has been very good to me by putting very gifted teachers of the end times in my life. He has also given me a great desire to study things that relate to the end times. Let me encourage you to equip yourselves with study tools that will help you to gain a better understanding of “the Revelation (singular) of Christ (Revelation 1:1). One such tool is the MacArthur Study Bible. Its notes in the book of Revelation, and other books of the Bible, will provide you with information about the end times that may not have been provided to you by other pastors or teachers.
Consider the teaching of this post, “Left Behind I.” Other posts that relate to the Left Behind series and the end times will follow.
Matthew 24:8-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
(note) It is important to know that Christ is speaking to Jews (the church had not yet been established) about things that relate to “left behind Jews” who will experience the judgments of God during the tribulation. Much of that which Christ said in this passage would not have had any meaning to Gentiles; e.g., “the Sabbath.” The Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jews, and is to be kept by the Jews (Exodus 33:13). During the time of tribulation, “left behind Gentiles” will also be subjected to the judgments of God (seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments).
8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.10 Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
The persecutions that are discussed are also known as “birth pains,” “birth pangs,” and sorrows, vs 8. Consider the commentary on verse 8 from the MacArthur Study Bible.
Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, Christ indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era, as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thes. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21;16:1–21;
The rapture of the church is not the second coming of Christ, when our Lord will return from Heaven and stand on the Mount Of Olives in Jerusalem. During the tribulation Christ will inflict a series of judgments on all “earth dwellers” (those who missed the rapture because they had not been born again). The purpose of the events of the tribulation will be to judge sin and to bring Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah (Daniel 9:24). The Anti-Christ will be under the control of God. God will not be just an observer; He will be in control of the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments, which will come upon all of those that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10). No one who is present during the tribulation will be exempted from God’s judgment. Those whom have been born again, and have the Spirit of God dwelling within their Spirits, will not be among those “earth dwellers.” At the time of the rapture of the church, all of those whom have been born again will be removed from the earth. At that time, the only dwellers on earth will be those whom have not been born again; those whom do not have the Spirit of God dwelling within their spirits. Those “unborn again” earth dwellers, and only they, will be the objects of God’s judgments. Such people cling to the things that are not of God, and Heaven. We, whom are born again, are citizens of Heaven and therefore cling to Heavenly matters because of the influence that God’s Holy Spirit places within our spirits (John 16:7-11). Those, whom have not been born again, are minus the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within their spirits, have no understanding of spiritual things (1 Cor 1:18; 2:14), and have no Spiritual leading and influence in their lives. Such people, which have not been born again, (Gentile or Jew) will have the opportunity to accept Jesus as Messiah during the tribulation, and will most likely become martyrs of the Anti-Christ and become tribulation martyrs. To believe that “all” people in the world will go through any part of the tribulation, is to also believe that little children and little babies will also be the objects of the judgments of God. If anyone has any misunderstanding about the severity of the judgments of God, a quick look at those judgments should provide a much clearer understanding of God’s love vs his stern judgment. Check out the seal judgments (Rev 6:1-17); the trumpet judgments (Rev 8:2-9:21; 11:15-19); and the bowl judgments (Rev 15-16). As opposed to the harshness of God’s wrath that will follow when Christ returns to earth for judgment, there is a verse of encouragement for those of us who will have been raptured out of this world.
Titus 2:11-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is a “blessed hope” that we believers in Christ have, as we await his coming in the air to take us out of this world, which will protect us from the tribulation and judgments that will soon follow.
Consider the Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, as they relate to His protection and love for His people.
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The love of Christ for his people is very clear in Mt 11:28-30. But, did He “very conveniently” leave out of that conversation that His people would have to suffer, along with all those whom are not His people, the horrible conditions of the judgments of the tribulation? I think not! Consider, also, the love that Christ expressed for His Church, which is His Bride/His born again believers of the world that is expressed in Eph 5:25.
Ephesians 5:25 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Jesus is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” He tells all of us that His love for us (the born again body of Christ/his bride) is such that he loved us so much that “He died for us.” Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, courted us and “stole our hearts from the unbelieving world.” His Word told husbands to love “their wives.” But, are we to believe that Jesus is going to leave His bride in the world to face the persecution of the Anti-Christ and God’s directed seal, trumpet and bowl judgments? I think not!
During the tribulation, Christ will not be present on earth; He will be judging the earth. Consider where His believers will be; we will be with Him, in Him. When we were born again, our spirits became inhabitants of the Spirit of Christ, and Christ became an inhabitant of our Spirits, as we read in the following verses.
John 10:30 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
30 The Father and I are one.” (note: God the Father and God the Son are literally “One”)
John 14:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves (note: God the Father and God the Son dwell within “The Other”)
John 14:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. (note: the Spirit of God dwells literally “in our spirits.” He does not dwell within the spirits of the unborn again world)
John 14:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. (note: we see the literal dwelling of the God-Head in us, and us in the God-Head ‘Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. (note: we are literally, “in Christ”)
Colossians 1:27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (note: Christ is literally, “in us)
Future posts will discuss scriptures that describe the rapture of the church and the Judgment Seat Of Christ “for rewards for believers in Christ;” the tribulation, the Anti-Christ, and the judgments of God (seal, trumpet, bowl judgments); the martyred tribulation saints (those which came to Christ during the tribulation) and the two slain witnesses which are resurrected; the dragon/Satan, the Anti-Christ/the Beast, the false prophet/a religious leader; the woman of Revelation 12 and the 144,000 Jewish missionaries; the mark of the beast; the preparation for the Battle of Armageddon; the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper; the second coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon (with the accompanying raptured saints and angels); the resurrection of the other saints of all times (Old Testament and tribulation saints); the 1,000 year reign of Christ and the binding of Satan; the loosing of Satan and the Battle of Gog and Magog; the resurrection of those which were not born again and the Great White Throne Judgment (for those not born again); the lake of fire (for Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and for those not born again); the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem; eternity for God’s born again people with God and the Lamb.
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What nations will be involved in the Ezekiel 38 war?
The Ezekiel 38 War and the Battle of Armageddon
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Text
Isaiah 14:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
1 When the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
Isaiah 60:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
21 “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Isaiah 14:1 The strangers. These are Jewish proselytes who join themselves to the nation in the final earthly kingdom of Christ.
Isaiah 60:21 inherit the land forever. Israel will inherit the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 12:1, 7; 13:15; 15:18). During the millennial kingdom, that will be the land of Israel as we know it today. In the eternal kingdom, it will be the New Jerusalem, capital of the new creation. I may be glorified. The ultimate mission of Israel is to glorify the Lord (49:3; 61:3).
Text
Ezekiel 5 – New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Ezekiel Dramatizes Jerusalem’s Fall
1 “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. 2 One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. 3 Take also a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your robes. 4 Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.
5 “Thus says the Lord God, ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands around her. 6 But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’ 7 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have more turmoil than the nations which surround you and have not walked in My statutes, nor observed My ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations which surround you,’ 8 therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Therefore, fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and scatter all your remnant to every wind. 11 So as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare. 12 One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.
13 ‘Thus My anger will be spent and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased; then they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them. 14 Moreover, I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations which surround you, in the sight of all who pass by. 15 So it will be a reproach, a reviling, a warning and an object of horror to the nations who surround you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath and raging rebukes. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16 When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will also intensify the famine upon you and break the staff of bread.17 Moreover, I will send on you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you of children; plague and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’”
Notes – Ezekiel 5 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
5:1–4 a barber’s razor. The sign in shaving his hair illustrated the severe humiliation to come at the hand of enemies, emphasizing calamities to three segments of Jerusalem due to the Babylonian conquest. Some were punished by fire, i.e., pestilence and famine (v. 12), others died by the enemy’s sword, and some were dispersed and pursued by death (cf. v. 12). A small part of his hair clinging to his garment (v. 3) depicted a remaining remnant, some of whom were subject to further calamity (v. 4; cf. 6:8; Jer. 41–44)
5:5 Jerusalem. Here the great city alone was not meant, but was used as a representative of the whole land which, despite its strategic opportunity and responsibility, rejected God (vv. 6, 7).
5:7 Instead of being a witness to the heathen nations, Israel had exceeded them in idolatrous practices. The nations maintained their familiar idols, while Israel defected from their true and living God. God’s people were worse than the pagans in proportion to spiritual knowledge and privileges. The judgments of God are always relative to light and privilege granted. Since Ezekiel’s people were unique in their disobedience, they were to be outstanding in their punishment.
5:8–10 The book of Lamentations reveals how literally these promises were realized when parents ate their children and sons ate their fathers in the times of starvation. Down through the centuries had come the threats of Lev. 26:29 and Deut. 28:53, taken up by Jeremiah (Jer. 19:9; Lam. 2:22; 4:10; cf. Is. 9:20), and sealed in the life of the disobedient nation. Even the remnant would be scattered and suffer.
5:11 as I live. Here was a solemn oath pledging the very existence of God for the fulfillment of the prophecy. It is found 14 times in this book. Their greatest sin was defiling the sanctuary, showing the height of their wickedness.
5:12 The 4 well known judgments (cf. vv. 2–4) of pestilence, famine, sword, and scattering were their judgment. They had no place to offer atoning blood, thus bearing their sins without relief.
5:13–15 Ezekiel’s purpose was to impress on Israel’s conscience God’s intense hatred of idolatry and apostasy. “Fury” and “anger” are repeated 6 times.
5:16 arrows of famine. The evil arrows included hail, rain, mice, locusts, and mildew (cf. Deut. 32:23, 24).
5:17 I, the Lord, have spoken. Cf. vv. 13, 15 for the same expression, which was God’s personal signature on their doom.
Comments on this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Dr. Mark Hitchcock http://marklhitchcock.com/about/
Mark Hitchcock is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Ron Rhodes http://ronrhodes.org/meet-ron.html
Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary (1986). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with High Honors.
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary (1983). Major: Systematic Theology. Graduated with Honors. Elected to Dean’s List.
B.A., Houston Baptist University (1979). Recipient of the Greek Excellence Award. Chief nominee for the Riverside Scholarship.
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How close are we to the Ezekiel 38 war?
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Text
Amos 9:11-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995)
The Restoration of Israel
11“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its
ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the Lord who does this. 13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. 14 “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 “I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the Lord your God.
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Amos 9:11–15 Millennial blessings await the final faithful remnant, when Messiah personally reigns over all nations in Jerusalem upon the throne of David, and the Jews are never again pulled up from their divinely inherited land.
Text
Ezekiel 4 – New American Standard Bible (NASB 1977)
Siege of Jerusalem Predicted – Consider Israel and Judah
1 “Now you son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. 2 “Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps, and place battering rams against it all around.
3 “Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel.
4 “As for you, lie down on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the number of days that you lie on it. 5 “For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity, three hundred and ninety days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 “When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. 7 “Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8 “Now behold, I will put ropes on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, until you have completed the days of your siege.
Defiled Bread
9 “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days. 10 “And your food which you eat shall be twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. 11 “And the water you drink will be the sixth part of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. 12 “And you shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human dung.” 13 Then the LORD said, “Thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I shall banish them.” 14 But I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.” 15 Then He said to me, “See, I shall give you cow’s dung in place of human dung over which you will prepare your bread.” 16 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and in horror, 17 because bread and water will be scarce; and they will be appalled with one another and waste away in their iniquity.
Notes: Ezekiel 4 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
4:1—7:27 Here is the first series of prophecies given over a year’s time, of Jerusalem’s conquest by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.
4:1–3 portray…Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s object lesson was to use a soft tile to create a miniature city layout of Jerusalem with walls and siege objects to illustrate Babylon’s final coming siege of Jerusalem (588–586 B.C.).
4:4–6 Lie…on your left side…right side. Lying on his side, likely facing N, illustrated God’s applying judgment to Israel, and facing S pointed to judgment on Judah. It is not necessary to assume that Ezekiel was in the prone position all the time. It was doubtless part of each day, as his need for preparing food (v. 9) indicates.
4:4, 6 you shall bear their iniquity. Ezekiel’s action was not to represent the time of Israel’s sinning, but the time of its punishment.
4:5 three hundred and ninety. Each day symbolized a year (v. 6). Israel in the N was accountable during this span of time whose beginning and end is uncertain.
4:6 forty. Judah was also guilty, but the 40 cannot represent less guilt (cf. 23:11). It may extend the time beyond the 390 to 430 or they may run concurrently, but the exact timing is uncertain.
4:7 arm…uncovered. A symbol for being ready for action, as a soldier would do (cf. Is. 52:10).
4:8 I will restrain you. This was to symbolize the impossibility of the Jews being able to shake off their punishment.
4:9–13 make bread. Scarcity of food in the 18 month siege especially made necessary the mixing of all kinds of grain for bread. The “20 shekels” would be about 8 ounces, while “one-sixth of a hin” would be less than a quart. There would be minimums for daily rations. It must be noted that the command of v. 12 regarding “human waste” relates only to the fuel used to prepare the food. Bread was baked on hot stones (cf. 1 Kin. 19:6) heated by human waste because no other fuel was available. This was repulsive and polluting (cf. Deut. 23:12–14) and the Lord calls it “defiled bread” (v. 13).
4:14, 15 never defiled. Ezekiel, like Daniel, had convictions to be undefiled even in his food (cf. Dan. 1:8 and see note there). God permitted fuel of dried cow chips for cooking his food in gracious deference to His spokesman’s sensitivity (cf. 44:31).
4:16, 17 They were soon to have neither bread nor water in any amount, and they were to grieve over the famine and their iniquity (cf. Lev. 26:21–26).
Comments on this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
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Jimmy DeYoung: Ezekiel 38 War – Nations mentioned in the Bible
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Texts
Jeremiah 31:31-34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Jeremiah 31:31–34 a new covenant. In contrast to the Mosaic Covenant under which Israel failed, God promised a New Covenant with a spiritual, divine dynamic by which those who know Him would participate in the blessings of salvation. The fulfillment was to individuals, yet also to Israel as a nation (v. 36; Rom. 11:16–27). It is set 1) in the framework of a reestablishment in their land (e.g., chaps. 30–33 and in vv. 38–40) and 2) in the time after the ultimate difficulty (30:7). In principle, this covenant, also announced by Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20), begins to be exercised with spiritual aspects realized for Jewish and Gentile believers in the church era (1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:7–13; 9:15; 10:14–17; 12:24; 13:20). It has already begun to take effect with “the remnant according to the election of grace” (Rom. 11:5). It will be also realized by the people of Israel in the last days, including the regathering to their ancient land, Palestine (chaps. 30–33). The streams of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants find their confluence in the millennial kingdom ruled over by the Messiah.
Text
Ezekiel 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Ezekiel’s Commission
1 Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you;7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely.
CONSIDER THE HOLINESS OF GOD (VS 11-14) THE LORD GOD; THE SPIRIT; THE GLORY OF THE LORD; THE HAND OF THE LORD
11 Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’” 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.” 13 And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound.14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me.
15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.
CONSIDER THE HOLINESS OF GOD (VS 16) THE WORD OF THE LORD
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
17 “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. 20 Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”
CONSIDER THE HOLINESS OF GOD (VS 22-24) THE HAND OF THE LORD; THE GLORY OF THE LORD; THE SPIRIT
22 The hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. 24 The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself up in your house.
25 As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them. 26 Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house.
CONSIDER THE HOLINESS OF GOD (VS 27) THE LORD GOD
27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Notes – Ezekiel 3 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
3:1–3 eat this scroll…So I ate. God’s messenger must first internalize God’s truth for himself, then preach it.
3:3 like honey. Even though the message was judgment on Israel, the scroll was sweet because it was God’s Word (cf. Pss. 19:10; 119:103) and because it vindicated God in holiness, righteousness, glory, and faithfulness, in which Jeremiah also delighted (Jer. 15:16). Bitterness also was experienced by the prophet (3:14) in this message of judgment confronting Judah’s rebellion (v. 9). The Apostle John records a similar bittersweet experience with the Word of God in Rev. 10:9, 10.
3:7 Cf. John 15:20.
3:8, 9 I have made your face strong. What God commands (“do not be afraid”) He gives sufficiency to do (“I have made”), so God will enable the prophet to live up to his name (which means “strengthened by God”). Cf. 2:2; 3:14, 24; Is. 41:10; Jer. 1:8, 17.
3:9 rebellious. It is sad to observe that the exile and affliction did not make the Jews more responsive to God; rather, they were hardened by their sufferings. God gave Ezekiel a “hardness” to surpass the people and sustain his ministry as prophet to the exiles.
3:12, 14 the Spirit lifted me up. This is a phrase used to describe the prophet being elevated to a heavenly vision, as in the experiences of 8:3 and 11:1.
3:14 bitterness. See note on 3:3.
3:15 the captives. Tel Abib was the main city for the Jewish captives, who may have included some of the 10 tribes taken long before in the conquering of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C., as 2 Kin. 17:6 may indicate (“Habor” is the same river as Chebar). remained…seven days. Ezekiel sat with the sorrowing people for 7 days, the usual period for manifesting deep grief (cf. Job 2:13). He identified with them in their suffering (cf. Ps. 137:1), thus trying to win their trust when he spoke God’s Word.
3:17 a watchman. This role was spiritually analogous to the role of watchmen on a city wall, vigilant to spot the approach of an enemy and warn the residents to muster a defense. The prophet gave timely warnings of approaching judgment. The work of a watchman is vividly set forth in 2 Sam. 18:24–27 and 2 Kin. 9:17–20. See notes on 33:1–20.
3:18–21 Cf. chap. 18, and see notes there.
3:18 the wicked…him…his. The emphasis of singular pronouns was on individuals. The ministries of Habakkuk (2:1), Jeremiah (6:17), and Isaiah (56:10) were more national than individual. Ezekiel’s ministry was more personal, focused on individual responsibility to trust and obey God. Disobedience or obedience to God’s messages was a matter of life or death; Ezek. 18:1–20 is particularly devoted to this emphasis. no warning…die. Men are not to assume that ignorance, even owing to the negligence of preachers, will be any excuse to save them from divine punishment. Cf. Rom. 2:12. save his life. This refers to physical death, not eternal damnation, though that would be a consequence for many. In the Pentateuch, God had commanded death for many violations of His law and warned that it could be a consequence of any kind of consistent sin (cf. Josh. 1:16–18). The people of Israel had long abandoned that severe standard of purification, so God took execution back into His own hands, as in the destruction of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. On the other hand, God had also promised special protection and life to the obedient. Cf. 18:9–32; 33:11–16; Prov. 4:4; 7:2; Amos 5:4, 6.
3:20 a righteous man. Here is a person who was obeying God by doing what was right, but fell into sin and God took his life in chastisement. The “stumbling block” was a stone of judgment that kills. Ps. 119:165 says: “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” The crushing stone always falls on the disobedient. Hebrews 12:9 says it is better to obey and “live.” Cf. 1 Cor. 11:30; James 1:21; 1 John 5:16.
3:21 delivered your soul. The prophet had done his duty.
3:23 the glory of the Lord. The “glory of the Lord” is central to Ezekiel, appearing in 1:28; 3:12, 23; 10:4, 18; 11:23; 43:4, 5; 44:4.
3:24 shut yourself inside your house. He was to fulfill much of his ministry at home (8:1; 12:1–7), thereby limiting it to those who came to hear him there.
3:25 they will put ropes on you. These were not literal, but spiritual. On one hand, they could be the inner ropes of depressing influence which the rebellious Jews exerted on his spirit. Their perversity, like ropes, would repress his freedom in preaching. More likely, they imply the restraint that God placed on him by supernatural power, so that he could only go and speak where and when God chose (cf. vv. 26, 27).
3:26, 27 you shall be mute. He was not to speak primarily, but to act out God’s message. The prohibition was only partial, for on any occasion (v. 27) when God did open his mouth, as He often did in chaps. 5–7, he was to speak (3:22; 11:25; 12:10, 19, 23, 28). The end of such intermittent dumbness with regard to his own people closely synchronized with Ezekiel’s receiving a refugee’s report of Jerusalem’s fall (24:25–27; 33:21, 22). He also spoke with regard to judgments on other nations (chaps. 25–32).
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Click onto any highlighted word to see the video and text on the blog.
Hal Lindsey Show: The Prophecies of Ezekiel
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Texts
Isaiah 27:13 New American Standard 1977
It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 30:3 New American Standard 1977
‘For, behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.’”
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Isaiah 27:13 worship the Lord…at Jerusalem. The prophet reiterates one of his great themes: future worship of regathered Israel on Mt. Zion (24:23; 25:6, 7, 10).
Jeremiah 30:3 I will bring back. This theme verse gives in capsule form the pledge of chaps. 30–33. God’s restoration of the whole nation to their own land (cf. 29:10; Amos 9:14, 15; Rom. 11:26) has in view a final regathering never to be removed again (see note on 16:15) and not just a return in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (vv. 8, 9; 31:31ff.; 32:39, 40; 33:8, 9, 15, 16). This verse is a summary of the prophecy given in vv. 4–9.
Review
Ezekiel 1:28 NASB 1977
As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
Text – Ezekiel 2 – NASB 1977
The Prophet’s Call
1 Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” 2 And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
Consider Ezekiel 1:28 and 2:1-2. Consider the Holiness God (Elohim, Genesis 1:1).
3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4“And I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5“As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6“And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. 7“But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.
8 “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” 9 Then I looked, behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. 10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back; and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.
Consider God
Genesis 1:1 God
God אֱלֹהִ֑ים e·lo·him; 430 God, god pl. of eloah
430. elohim
elohim: God, god
Original Word: אֱלֹהִים
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: elohim
Phonetic Spelling: (el-o-heem’)
Short Definition: God
433. eloah
eloah: God, god
Original Word: אֱל֫וֹהַּ,
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: eloah
Phonetic Spelling: ((shortened) >eloahh {el-o’-ah)
Short Definition: God
Ezekiel 1:28 glory
of the glory כְּבֹוד־ ke·vo·vd- 3519b abundance, honor, glory from kabad
kabod: abundance, honor, glory
Transliteration: kabod
Short Definition: glory
Ezekiel 1:28 LORD
of the LORD. יְהוָ֑ה Yah·weh 3068 the proper name of the God of Israel from havah
Yhvh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהֹוָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhvh
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw’)
Short Definition: LORD
Ezekiel 2:2 Spirit
to me the Spirit ר֗וּחַ ru·ach 7307 breath, wind, spirit from an unused word
ruach: breath, wind, spirit
Original Word: ר֫וּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ruach
Phonetic Spelling: (roo’-akh)
Short Definition: spirit
Notice that the Name of God is “not” Jehovah. It never was, and never will be Jehovah.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
is spirit, πνεῦμα pneuma 4151 wind, spirit from pneó
pneuma: wind, spirit
Original Word: πνεῦμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: pneuma
Phonetic Spelling: (pnyoo’-mah)
Short Definition: wind, breath, spirit
Definition: wind, breath, spirit.
Notice that God is not “a spirit, ” but “spirit.” Had God been “a spirit” He would have been one of many spirits. But! No! God is spirit. He is Elohim, which is in the plural form, the trinity, one God in three persons. From the time of the creation in Genesis 1:1, there was no creation of “the Spirit of God,” (Gen 1:2) or of “Us” or “Our” (Gen 1:26).
Genesis 1:2 NASB 1977 “the Spirit of God”
And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters
Genesis 1:26 NASB 1977 “Let Us; Our image; Our likeness”
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness
Consider the plural form of the singular “name” of God in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), “God, three persons in one.”
Matthew 28:19 NASB1977 “in the name” (singular)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
them in the name ὄνομα onoma 3686 a name, authority, cause a prim. word
onoma: a name, authority, cause
Original Word: ὄνομα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: onoma
Phonetic Spelling: (on’-om-ah)
Short Definition: name, character, reputation
Definition: name, character, fame, reputation.
Notes – Ezekiel 2 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
2:1 Son of man. A term used over 90 times by Ezekiel to indicate his humanness.
2:2 the Spirit entered me. What God commands a servant to do (v. 1), He gives power to fulfill by His Spirit (cf. 3:14; Zech. 4:6). This pictures the selective empowering by the Holy Spirit to enable an individual for special service to the Lord, which occurred frequently in the OT. For examples see 11:5; 37:1; Num. 24:2; Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 1 Sam. 10:10; 16:13, 14; 19:20; 2 Chr. 15:1; Luke 4:18.
2:5 The people cannot plead ignorance.
2:6 briers and thorns…scorpions. Cf. 3:7, 9; 22:29. These are figures of speech God used to describe the people of Judah whose obstinate rejection of His Word was like the barbs of thorns and stings of scorpions to Ezekiel. The wicked were often so called (cf. 2 Sam. 23:6; Song 2:2; Is. 9:18).
2:8 open your mouth and eat. Ezekiel was to obey the command, not literally eating a scroll (vv. 9, 10), but in a spiritual sense by receiving God’s message so that it became an inward passion. Cf. also 3:1–3, 10 and Jer. 15:16.
2:10 writing on the inside and…outside. Scrolls were normally written on one side only, but this judgment message was so full it required all the available space (cf. Zech. 5:3; Rev. 5:1) to chronicle the suffering and sorrow that sin had brought, as recorded in chaps. 2–32.
Comments related to this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Hal Lindsey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey
Harold Lee Lindsey (born November 23, 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree, majoring in the New Testament and early Greek literature.
Click onto any highlighted word to see the video and text on the blog.
Ezekiel, Israel and the Middle East
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Texts
Isaiah 14:1 New Living Translation 1 But the LORD will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again. He will bring them back to settle once again in their own land. And people from many different nations will come and join them there and unite with the people of Israel.
Jeremiah 31:31-33 New American Stand Bible 1977 31“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Hebrews 8:8 New American Standard Bible 1977 “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Isaiah 14:1 The strangers. These are Jewish proselytes who join themselves to the nation in the final earthly kingdom of Christ.
Jeremiah 31:31–33 a new covenant. In contrast to the Mosaic Covenant under which Israel failed, God promised a New Covenant with a spiritual, divine dynamic by which those who know Him would participate in the blessings of salvation. The fulfillment was to individuals, yet also to Israel as a nation (v. 36; Rom. 11:16–27). It is set 1) in the framework of a reestablishment in their land (e.g., chaps. 30–33 and in vv. 38–40) and 2) in the time after the ultimate difficulty (30:7). In principle, this covenant, also announced by Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20), begins to be exercised with spiritual aspects realized for Jewish and Gentile believers in the church era (1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:7–13; 9:15; 10:14–17; 12:24; 13:20). It has already begun to take effect with “the remnant according to the election of grace” (Rom. 11:5). It will be also realized by the people of Israel in the last days, including the regathering to their ancient land, Palestine (chaps. 30–33). The streams of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants find their confluence in the millennial kingdom ruled over by the Messiah.
Hebrews 8:8–12 Quoted from Jer. 31:31–33 (see notes there).
Text – Ezekiel 1 – NASB 1977
The Vision of Four Figures
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2(On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.)
4 And as I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.5 And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 And their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being,and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions, without turning as they moved.18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about.19 And whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. 21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
Vision of Divine Glory
22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, extended over their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering their bodies on the one side and on the other. 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. 27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
Notes – Ezekiel 1 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
1:1 thirtieth year. Most likely this was Ezekiel’s age, since the date relative to the king’s reign is given in 1:2. Thirty was the age when a priest (cf. v. 3 with Num. 4) began his priestly duties. River Chebar. A major canal off of the Euphrates River, S of Babylon. visions of God. This scene has similarities to the visions of God’s throne in Rev. 4, 5, where the emphasis is also on a glimpse of that throne just before judgment is released in Rev. 6–19.
1:2 fifth year. This is 593 B.C. The king, Ezekiel, and 10,000 others (2 Kin. 24:14) had been deported to Babylon in 597 B.C., Ezekiel at the age of 25.
1:3 word of the Lord…hand of the Lord. As God prepared Isaiah (Is. 6:5–13) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4–19), so the Lord prepares Ezekiel to receive revelation and strengthens him for his high and arduous task to speak as His prophet. Ezekiel the priest. See note on v. 1.
1:4–14 The opening vision focuses on angels surrounding God’s presence.
1:4 whirlwind…fire. Judgment on Judah in a further and totally devastating phase (beyond the 597 B.C. deportation) is to come out of the N, and did come from Babylon in 588–586 (as Jer. 39, 40). Its terror is depicted by a fiery whirlwind emblematic of God’s judgments and the golden brightness signifying dazzling glory.
1:5 four living creatures. Four angels, most likely the cherubs in 10:1–22, appearing in the erect posture and figure of man (note face, legs, feet, hands in vv. 6–8) emerge to serve God who judges. The number 4 may have respect to the 4 corners of the earth, implying that God’s angels execute His commands everywhere.
1:6 four faces. See note on v. 10. four wings. Four wings instead of two symbolize speed in performing God’s will (cf. v. 14).
1:7 legs. They were not bent like an animal’s, but “straight” like pillars, showing strength. calves’ feet. This points to their stability and firm stance.
1:8 hands of a man. This is a symbol of their skillful service.
1:9 did not turn. They were able to move in any direction without needing to turn, giving swift access to do God’s will. Apparently all were in harmony as to the way they moved (v. 12).
1:10 faces. These symbols identify the angels as intelligent (“man”), powerful (“lion”), servile (“ox”), and swift (“eagle”).
1:12 the spirit. This refers to the divine impulse by which God moved them to do His will (cf. 1:20).
1:13 like…fire…torches. Their appearance conveyed God’s glory and pure, burning justice (cf. Is. 6) which they assisted in carrying out even on Israel, who had for so long hardened themselves against His patience.
1:14 Intense, relentless motion signifies God’s constant work of judgment.
1:15–25 This section looks at the glory of God’s throne in heaven.
1:15 a wheel. This depicts God’s judgment as a war machine (like a massive chariot) moving where He is to judge. The cherubim above the ark are called chariots in 1 Chr. 28:18.
1:16 wheel in the middle of a wheel. This depicted the gigantic (v. 15, “on the earth” and “so high,” v. 18) energy of the complicated revolutions of God’s massive judgment machinery bringing about His purposes with unerring certainty.
1:17 did not turn aside. Cf. vv. 9, 12. The judgment machine moved where the angels went (cf. vv. 19, 20).
1:18 eyes. These may picture God’s omniscience, i.e., perfect knowledge, given to these angelic servants so that they can act in judgment unerringly. God does nothing by blind impulse.
1:20 spirit. See note on 1:12.
1:24 noise of many waters. This imagery could have in mind a thunderous rush of heavy rain or the washing of surf on rocks (cf. 43:2; Rev. 1:15; 14:2; 19:6).
1:25 voice. No doubt this is the “voice of the Almighty” (v. 24), since God’s throne (v. 25) was “over their heads.”
1:26 a throne. Cf. Ps. 103:19; Rev. 4:2–8. a man. The Godhead appears in the likeness of humanity, though God is a spirit (John 4:24). The Messiah, God incarnate, is the representative of the “fullness of the Godhead” (Col. 2:9), so this can be a prelude to the incarnation of Messiah in His character as Savior and Judge (cf. Rev. 19:11–16).
1:28 the glory of the Lord. That glory shines fully in the person of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:6), which is a constant theme in Ezekiel. fell on my face. John, in Rev. 1:17, had the same reaction to seeing the glory of the Lord.
Comments related to this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
Click onto any highlighted word to see the videos and text on the blog.
Introduction to Ezekiel
God’s Promises For Israel’s Restoration
Texts
Romans 11:29 New American Standard Bible
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Isaiah 2:2-4 New American Standard Bible
2. Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
3. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everybody should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
Romans
11:29 the gifts…are irrevocable. See note on v. 1. God’s sovereign election of Israel, like that of individual believers, is unconditional and unchangeable, because it is rooted in His immutable nature and expressed in the unilateral, eternal Abrahamic Covenant (see note on 9:4).
Isaiah
2:2–4 The book of Micah contains this portion of Isaiah’s prophecy almost word for word (Mic. 4:1–3), indicating that the younger contemporary of Isaiah may have obtained the words from him. Both passages present a prophetic picture of Zion in the future messianic kingdom when all people will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the world.
2:3 mountain of the Lord. Isaiah frequently calls Mt. Zion the “holy mountain” (11:9; 27:13; 56:7; 57:13; 65:11, 25; 66:20).
Biblical Timelines
Per past information that has been provided by Dr.Jimmy DeYoung, the book of Ezekiel is the timeline of the Jews. The book of Daniel is the timeline of the gentiles. These two books provide key information that is necessary for a clear understanding of the end times, as they show fruition in the book of Revelation.
Study Bible Introduction Notes To Ezekiel
Introduction to Ezekiel (MacArthur Study Bible)
Title
The book has always been named for its author, Ezekiel (1:3; 24:24), who is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture. His name means “strengthened by God,” which, indeed, he was for the prophetic ministry to which God called him (3:8, 9). Ezekiel uses visions, prophecies, parables, signs, and symbols to proclaim and dramatize the message of God to His exiled people.
Author and Date
If the “thirtieth year” of 1:1 refers to Ezekiel’s age, he was 25 when taken captive and 30 when called into ministry. Thirty was the age when priests commenced their office, so it was a notable year for Ezekiel. His ministry began in 593/92 B.C. and extended at least 22 years until 571/70 B.C. (cf. 25:17). He was a contemporary of both Jeremiah (who was about 20 years older) and Daniel (who was the same age), whom he names in 14:14, 20; 28:3 as an already well known prophet. Like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1) and Zechariah (cf. Zech. 1:1 with Neh. 12:16), Ezekiel was both a prophet and a priest (1:3). Because of his priestly background, he was particularly interested in and familiar with the temple details; so God used him to write much about them (8:1—11:25; 40:1–47:12).
Ezekiel and his wife (who is mentioned in 24:15–27) were among 10,000 Jews taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kin. 24:11–18). They lived in Tel-Abib (3:15) on the bank of the Chebar River, probably SE of Babylon. Ezekiel writes of his wife’s death in exile (Ezek. 24:18), but the book does not mention Ezekiel’s death, which rabbinical tradition suggests occurred at the hands of an Israelite prince whose idolatry he rebuked around 560 B.C.
The author received his call to prophesy in 593 B.C. (1:2), in Babylon (“the land of the Chaldeans”), during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, which began in 597 B.C. Frequently, Ezekiel dates his prophecies from 597 B.C. (8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 26:1; 29:1; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1, 17; 33:21; 40:1). He also dates the message in 40:1 as 573/72, the 14th year after 586 B.C., i.e., Jerusalem’s final fall. The last dated utterance of Ezekiel was in 571/70 B.C. (29:17).
Prophecies in chaps. 1-28 are in chronological order. In 29:1, the prophet regresses to a year earlier than in 26:1. But from 30:1 on (cf. 31:1; 32:1, 17), he is close to being strictly chronological.
Introduction To Ezekiel, Ryrie Study Bible
Ezekiel’s ministry was to keep before the exiles the sins that had brought God’s judgment on them and to assure them o God’s future blessing in keeping with His covenant. Chapters 1-24 were written before the fall of Jerusalem to remind his fellow captives that God’s judgment on the city and Temple was surely coming. Chapters 33-48 contain prophecies of the still future restoration of Israel in the millennial kingdom.
Introduction To Ezekiel, Jeremiah Study Bible
The 48 chapters of Ezekiel cover such areas as: The Watchman; The Glory Of God; The Valley Of Dry Bones; The Restored Temple; Gog and Magog; Israel’s Shepherds; and the New Covenant.
Ezekiel’s messages concentrate on four themes: Holiness, Visions, Judgment and Consolation.
Introduction To Ezekiel, Scofield Reference Notes
Ezekiel was carried away to Babylon between the first and final deportation of Judah (2 Kings 24:11-16). Like Daniel and the Apostle John, he prophesied out of the land, and his prophecy, like theirs, follows the method of symbol and vision. Unlike the pre-exilic prophets, whose ministry was primarily to either Judah or the ten-tribe kingdom, Ezekiel is the voice of God to “the whole house of Israel.”
Speaking broadly, the purpose of his ministry is to keep before the generation born in exile the national sins which had brought Israel so low (e.g. Ezekiel 14:23); to sustain the faith of the exiles by predictions of national restoration, of the execution of justice upon their oppressors, and of national glory under the Davidic monarchy.
Ezekiel is in seven great prophetic strains indicated by the expression, “The hand of the Lord was upon me.” (Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 3:14; Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 33:22; Ezekiel 37:1; Ezekiel 40:1).
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, in the order of their being published. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study. The purpose of the study of Ezekiel will be to relate it to the end times.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
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Are the “rapture” and the “second coming of Christ” the same event, or are they two separate events?
1 Timothy 1:10 NET Bible
“sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, any who live contrary to sound teaching”
Revelation 21 – NASB 1977
Text
The New Heaven and Earth
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, 4 and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
9 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
The New Jerusalem
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. 18 And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. 25 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; 26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Who Removes People from the Earth at the Rapture and at the Second Coming?
Comments: Revelation 21 – MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible).
21:1 As the chapter opens, all the sinners of all the ages, both demons and men, including Satan, the beast, and false prophet, are in the lake of fire forever. The whole universe has been destroyed, and God creates a new universe to be the eternal dwelling place of the redeemed. a new heaven and a new earth. The entire universe as we now know it will be destroyed (2 Pet. 3:10–13) and be replaced by a new creation that will last forever. This is an OT reality (Ps. 102:25, 26; Is. 65:17; 66:22), as well as a NT one (Luke 21:33; Heb. 1:10–12). See note on 20:11–15. no more sea. Currently three-fourths of the earth’s surface is water, but the new environment will no longer be water-based and will have completely different climatic conditions. See notes on 22:1, 2.
21:2—22:5 By this point in the chronology of Revelation, OT saints, tribulation saints, and all those converted during the millennial kingdom will be incorporated into the ultimate redeemed bride and will dwell in the New Jerusalem. John described the consummation of all things in Christ and the New Jerusalem descending into the eternal state (cf. 19:7; 20:6; 1 Cor. 15:28; Heb. 12:22–24).
21:2 New Jerusalem. Cf. 3:12; Heb. 11:10; 12:22–24; 13:14. This is the capital city of heaven, a place of perfect holiness. It is seen “coming down out of heaven” indicating it already existed; but it descends into the new heavens and new earth from its place on high. This is the city where the saints will live (cf. John 14:1–3). bride. An important NT metaphor for the church (cf. Matt. 25:1–13; Eph. 5:25–27). John’s imagery here extends from the third part of the Jewish wedding, the ceremony. Believers (the bride) in the New Jerusalem come to meet Christ (the bridegroom) in the final ceremony of redemptive history (see note on 19:7). The whole city, occupied by all the saints, is called the bride, so that all saints must be finally included in the bride imagery and bridal blessing. God has brought home a bride for His beloved Son. All the saints live with Christ in the Father’s house (a promise made before the church began; John 14:2).
21:3 the tabernacle of God. The word translated “tabernacle” means place of abode. This is God’s house, the place where He lives (cf. Lev. 26:11, 12; Deut. 12:5).
21:4 wipe away every tear. Since there will never be a tear in heaven, nothing will be sad, disappointing, deficient, or wrong (cf. Is. 53:4, 5; 1 Cor. 15:54–57).
21:5 true and faithful. Cf. 3:14; 19:11. God always speaks truth (John 17:17).
21:6 the Alpha and the Omega. See note on 1:8. water of life. Cf. 7:17; 22:1, 17. The lasting spiritual water of which Jesus spoke (John 4:13, 14; 7:37, 38; cf. Is. 55:1, 2). him who thirsts. Heaven belongs to those who, knowing their souls are parched by sin, have earnestly sought the satisfaction of salvation and eternal life (cf. Ps. 42:1, 2; Is. 55:1, 2; John 7:37, 38).
21:7 He who overcomes. Cf. 1 John 5:4, 5. Anyone who exercises saving faith in Jesus Christ (see note on 2:7). inherit. The spiritual inheritance all believers will receive (1 Pet. 1:4; cf. Matt. 25:23) is the fullness of the new creation. Cf. Rom. 8:16, 17.
21:8 A solemn, serious warning about the kinds of people who will be outcasts from the new heaven and the new earth in the lake of fire. The NT often goes beyond just citing unbelief in listing character and lifestyle traits of the outcast, so that believers can identify such people (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19; cf. John 8:31). sorcerers. See note on 9:21. lake which burns with fire. See note on 19:20. brimstone. See note on 9:17. second death. See note on 20:6.
21:9 seven bowls. See note on 15:7. seven last plagues. See note on 15:1–8.
21:10 in the Spirit. See note on 1:10.
21:11 jasper. A transliteration, not a translation, of the Gr. word. Rather than the modern opaque jasper, the term actually refers to a completely clear diamond, a perfect gem with the brilliant light of God’s glory shining out of it and streaming over the new heaven and the new earth (cf. 4:3).
21:12–14 wall. See v. 16 for the dimensions of the city and, thus, the length of the wall.
21:15 gold reed. See note on Ezek. 40:3. The reed was about 10 ft. long, which was a standard for measure. measure the city. This action indicates that the capital of heaven belongs to God and He is measuring what is His (cf. 11:1; Ezek. 40:3).
21:16 twelve thousand furlongs. This would be nearly 1,400 mi. cubed or about two million square miles of ground space, offering plenty of room for all the glorified saints to live. length, breadth, and height. The city has the symmetrical dimensions of a perfect cube, which parallels its closest earthly counterpart, the inner sanctuary in the tabernacle and temple (cf. 1 Kin. 6:20).
21:17 one hundred and forty-four cubits. 72 yards or 216 feet. This is likely the width of the wall.
21:18 jasper. See note on v. 11. This is the material of the thick wall—diamond! pure gold, like clear glass. Unlike earth’s gold, this gold will be transparent so the overpowering radiance of God’s glory can refract and glisten through the entire city.
21:19, 20 Because some of the names of these gems have changed through the centuries, it is difficult to identify each one with certainty. Eight of the 12 stones are found in the breastplate of the High-Priest (Ex. 28, 39), and the other 4 may also be related to the breastplate. The gems picture a brilliant, indescribable panoply of beautiful colors that send forth the light of God’s glory. The following are possible identifications for these gems
21:19 chalcedony. This name derives from Chalcedon, an ancient name for a city in modern Turkey. The gem is a sky-blue agate stone with translucent, colored stripes.
21:20 sardonyx. A variety of chalcedony with parallel layers of red and white (see note on v. 19). sardius. A common stone from the quartz family, which ranged in color from orange-red to brownish-red to blood-red (4:3). chrysolite. A gem with a transparent gold or yellowish tone. beryl. A mineral with several varieties of gems, ranging from the green emerald to the golden yellow beryl to the light blue aquamarine. topaz. Ancient topaz was a softer stone with a yellow or yellow-green color. chrysoprase. The modern form of this jewel is an apple-green variety of quartz. The Gr. name suggests a gold-tinted, green gemstone. jacinth. Today this stone is a transparent zircon, usually red or reddish-brown. The one John saw was blue or shining violet in color. amethyst. A clear quartz crystal that ranges in color from a faint purple tint to an intense purple.
21:21 one pearl. Each of the gates of the city is a single, almost 1,400-mile-high pearl. Even as earthly pearls are formed in response to the wounding of oyster flesh, so these gigantic, supernatural pearls will remind saints throughout eternity of the magnitude of Christ’s suffering and its eternal benefit.
21:22 no temple. Several passages affirm that there is a temple in heaven (3:12; 7:15; 11:19; 15:5). Here, it is clear there is none in eternity. How can this be? The temple is not a building; it is the Lord God Himself. Revelation 7:15 implies this when it says, “He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” Verse 23 continues the thought of no temple, except God and the Lamb. The glory of God which illuminates all heaven defines it as His temple. There is no need for a temple in the eternal state since God Himself will be the temple in which everything exists. The presence of God lit. fills the entire new heaven and new earth (cf. v. 3). Going to heaven will be entering the limitless presence of the Lord (cf. John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17).
21:24 the nations. Lit. “the peoples.” Redeemed people from every nation and ethnic group will dwell in heaven’s light. In the eternal city, there will be no more divisions, barriers, or exclusions because of race or politics. All kinds of peoples in eternity dissolve into the people of God, and they will move freely in and about the city.
21:27 Lamb’s Book of Life. See note on 3:5.
Where will Jesus meet Believers at the Rapture and at the Second Coming?
Consider the following verse very carefully. Words are very important.
Matthew 24:14 NASB 1977 – Notice: “the gospel of the Kingdom; not the gospel of Christ.”
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.”
What does the parable of the dragnet teach us about the rapture and the second coming?
Consider the blessed hope of the appearing of Christ for the rapture of the church. (Titus 2:13).
NASB 1977
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus
The blessed hope of the appearing of Christ for the rapture of the church is that believers in Christ will not be subject to the judgments of God on those “who dwell on the earth” during the tribulation (Revelation 6-19; “seal judgments, trumpet judgments, bowl judgments.”), and will not be subject to the persecutions of the anti-Christ, as they also occur during those Revelation chapters. There is no blessed hope in the appearing of Christ, with His judgments being readied, for the earth dwellers who will be left behind after the rapture occurs.
Consider the Earth Dwellers
It is important to know the identity of the people who will undergo the judgments of God, which will be poured out on “all of those” that are living throughout the whole world. These people, which were “left behind” from the rapture of the church, will not have been born again at the time of the catching up of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). They will be present during the time of the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel” (the time when the tribulation occurs) and will endure the judgments of God and will suffer from the oppressiveness of the anti-Christ” (Seventieth Week of Daniel – Daniel 9:27).
The events of this passage take place when the Great Tribulation is taking place, with the Judgments of God being poured out on the earth, during which time the anti-Christ is persecuting those left-behind people who have come to know Christ as Lord and Savior; their identity is “earth dwellers,” and “those who dwell on the earth,” (identifying scriptures are listed below in the comments section).
Notice in Rev 14:6 that the angel is proclaiming the gospel of Christ to “those who dwell on the earth.” Let’s consider the belief of many people who the church will not be raptured from the earth, but will remain on earth during the tribulation. But, here is the problem with such a teaching. If those people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have been born again, and find themselves on earth during the tribulation, but still must have the Gospel preached to them during the tribulation, they are having to accept Christ a second time. None of this scenario makes any sense. Those who will have already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, prior to the rapture of the church, will have no reason to have the gospel preached to them again. Here is the truth of the matter. Believers in Christ, who have believed the gospel, prior to the rapture, will be taken from the earth, and will not be present during the tribulation. Those people, who have not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, will stay behind on earth when the rapture of the church takes place. Those unbelievers will undergo the judgments of God and the oppression of the anti-Christ. God’s mercy will cause the angel to “proclaim the Gospel to those who dwell on the earth,” those of “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev 14:6), which are those who are left behind.
The words, “dead in Christ,” (1 Thes 4:16) are key. “Dead in Christ” represents those believers in Christ who died, prior to the catching up/rapture of the saints (believers in Christ). The “dead in Christ,” will be caught up immediately before “we who are alive and remain,” (living believers in Christ) (1 Thes 4:17) who will also be caught up to be with Christ, “and shall always be with the Lord,” (1 Thes 4:17). In Rev 14:13, we see the words, “blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” Such a statement refers to the ones who were “left behind,” those who had not accepted Christ as Savior, and had not been born again, prior to the rapture of the church, but who had come to accept His gospel while undergoing the Judgments of God and the torture and oppression of the anti-christ, during the Seventieth Week Of Daniel.
What does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 tell us about “the dead in Christ:” they are those who are dead, and knew Christ as their Lord and Savior before their death. They are the “righteous dead;” they had been born again prior to their death. Rev 20:12, “the dead:” they are those who are dead, are the unrighteous dead, and had not been born again. The “dead in Christ” will not stand before the Great White Throne Judgment. The “dead” will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.
What does the Bible say about when Jesus will Come for the Saints?
It is important for everyone to understand that anyone who has not been born again, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within their spirit, anyone who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, will be among those people who are known as “earth dwellers,” and will be subject to the effects of the bowl judgments. There is no purpose for those of us who have been born again to endure the Judgments of God. Christ is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” No bridegroom, such as Christ, will put His bride (the church/the born again believers in Christ) in the midst of such judgments of God. If there is no rapture of the church, consider the fact that every child will also be the subjects of the judgments.
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Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
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How Can Someone be Sure They Will Live for Eternity with God in his New Kingdom?
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period equal to 1000 years.
1 Corinthians 6:9 NET Bible
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,
Revelation 20 – NASB 1977
Text
Satan Bound
1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Satan Freed, Doomed
7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Judgment at the Throne of God
11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
What does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 tell us about
(Note: 1 Thes 4:16, “the dead in Christ:” they are those who are dead, and knew Christ as their Lord and Savior before their death. They are the “righteous dead;” they had been born again prior to their death. Rev 20:12, “the dead:” they are those who are dead, are the unrighteous dead, and had not been born again. The “dead in Christ” will not stand before the Great White Throne Judgment. The “dead” will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.)
Comments: Revelation – MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible).
20:1—22:21 Chapter 19 ends with the Battle of Armageddon and Christ’s second coming—events that mark the close of the Tribulation. The events of chap. 20—the binding of Satan, Christ’s 1,000 year earthly kingdom, Satan’s final rebellion, and the Great White Throne Judgment—fit chronologically between the close of the Tribulation and the creation of the new heaven and the new earth described in chaps. 21, 22.
20:1 bottomless pit. The place where demons are incarcerated pending their final sentencing to the lake of fire (see notes on 9:1; 2 Pet. 2:4).
20:2 laid hold. This includes not only Satan, but the demons as well. Their imprisonment will dramatically alter the world during the kingdom, since their destructive influence in all areas of human thought and life will be removed. dragon. Likening Satan to a dragon emphasizes his ferocity, and cruelty (see note on 12:3). serpent of old. A reference to Satan’s first appearance in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1ff.), where he deceived Eve (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14). Devil…Satan. See note on 12:9. a thousand years. This is the first of 6 references to the length of the millennial kingdom (cf. vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). There are 3 main views of the duration and nature of this period: 1) Premillennialism sees this as a literal 1,000 year period during which Jesus Christ, in fulfillment of numerous prophecies (e.g., 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Ps. 2; Is. 11:6–12; 24:23; Hos. 3:4, 5; Joel 3:9–21; Amos 9:8–15; Mic. 4:1–8; Zeph. 3:14–20; Zech. 14:1–11; Matt. 24:29–31, 36–44), reigns on the earth. Using the same general principles of interpretation for both prophetic and non-prophetic passages leads most naturally to Premillennialism. Another strong argument supporting this view is that so many biblical prophecies have already been literally fulfilled, suggesting that future prophecies will likewise be fulfilled literally. 2) Postmillennialism understands the reference to a 1,000 year period as only symbolic of a golden age of righteousness and spiritual prosperity. It will be ushered in by the spread of the gospel during the present church age and brought to completion when Christ returns. According to this view, references to Christ’s reign on earth primarily describe His spiritual reign in the hearts of believers in the church. 3) Amillennialism understands the 1,000 years to be merely symbolic of a long period of time. This view interprets OT prophecies of a Millennium as being fulfilled spiritually now in the church (either on earth or in heaven) or as references to the eternal state. Using the same literal, historical, grammatical principles of interpretation so as to determine the normal sense of language, one is left with the inescapable conclusion that Christ will return and reign in a real kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. There is nothing in the text to render the conclusion that “a thousand years” is symbolic. Never in Scripture when “year” is used with a number is its meaning not literal (see note on 2 Pet. 3:8).
20:3 bottomless pit. All 7 times that this appears in Revelation, it refers to the place where fallen angels and evil spirits are kept captive, waiting to be sent to the lake of fire—the final hell prepared for them (Matt. 25:41). released for a little while. Satan will be released so God can make a permanent end of sin before establishing the new heaven and earth. All who survive the Tribulation and enter the kingdom will be believers. However, despite that and the personal presence and rule of the Lord Jesus Christ, many of their descendants will refuse to believe in Him. Satan will then gather those unbelievers for one final, futile rebellion against God. It will be quickly and decisively crushed, followed by the Great White Throne Judgment and the establishment of the eternal state.
20:4 the souls of those who had been beheaded. These are tribulation martyrs (cf. 6:9; 18:24; 19:2). The Gr. word translated “beheaded” became a general term for execution, not necessarily a particular method. his mark. See note on 13:16. Tribulation martyrs will be executed for refusing the mark of the beast. reigned. Tribulation believers, along with the redeemed from both the OT and NT eras, will reign with Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:12) during the 1,000 year kingdom.
20:5 the rest of the dead. The bodies of unbelievers of all ages will not be resurrected until the Great White Throne Judgment (vv. 12, 13). first resurrection. Scripture teaches two kinds of resurrections: the “resurrection of life” and “the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29; cf. Dan. 12:2; Acts 24:15). The first kind of resurrection is described as “the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14), the resurrection of “those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:23), and the “better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35). It includes only the redeemed of the church age (1 Thess. 4:13–18), the OT (Dan. 12:2), and the Tribulation (v. 4). They will enter the kingdom in resurrection bodies, along with believers who survived the Tribulation. The second kind of resurrection, then, will be the resurrection of the unconverted who will receive their final bodies suited for torment in hell.
20:6 Blessed. Those who die in the Lord (14:13) are blessed with the privilege of entering His kingdom (see note on 1:3). second death. The first death is only physical, the second is spiritual and eternal in the lake of fire, the final, eternal hell (v. 14). It could exist outside the created universe as we know it, outside of space and time, and be presently unoccupied (see note on 19:20). thousand years. See note on v. 2.
20:7 Satan…released. He is loosed to bring cohesive leadership to the world of rebels born to the believers who entered the kingdom at the beginning. He is loosed to reveal the character of Christ-rejecting sinners who are brought into judgment for the last time ever.
20:8 Gog and Magog. The name given to the army of rebels and its leader at the end of the Millennium. They were names of ancient enemies of the Lord. Magog was the grandson of Noah (Gen. 10:2) and founder of a kingdom located N of the Black and Caspian Seas. Gog is apparently the leader of a rebel army known collectively as Magog. The battle depicted in vv. 8, 9 is like the one in Ezek. 38, 39; it is best to see this one as taking place at the end of the Millennium. For the difference, see notes on Ezek. 38, 39.
20:9 beloved city. Jerusalem (cf. Pss. 78:68; 87:2), the capital city during Christ’s millennial reign (Jer. 3:17). The saints will be living around the city where Christ reigns (cf. Is. 24:23; Jer. 3:17; Zech. 14:9–11). fire. Frequently associated in Scripture with divine judgment of wicked men (Gen. 19:24; 2 Kin. 1:10, 12, 14; Luke 9:54; 17:29).
20:10 deceived. Just as his demons will entice the world’s armies into the Battle of Armageddon, Satan will draw them into a suicidal assault against Christ and His people (16:13, 14). lake of fire and brimstone. See note on 19:20. tormented day and night. See note on 14:11. Continuous, unrelieved torment will be the final state of Satan, fallen angels, and unredeemed men.
20:11–15 These verses describe the final judgment of all the unbelievers of all ages (Matt. 10:15; 11:22, 24; 12:36, 41, 42; Luke 10:14; John 12:48; Acts 17:31; 24:25; Rom. 2:5, 16; Heb. 9:27; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; Jude 6). Our Lord referred to this event as the “resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29). This judgment takes place in the indescribable void between the end of the present universe (v. 11) and the creation of the new heaven and earth (21:1).
20:11 great white throne. Nearly 50 times in Revelation there is the mention of a throne. This is a judgment throne, elevated, pure, and holy. God sits on it as judge (cf. 4:2, 3, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15) in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. See 21:5, 6; John 5:22–29; Acts 17:31. earth and the heaven fled away. John saw the contaminated universe go out of existence. Peter described this moment in 2 Pet. 3:10–13 (see notes there). The universe is “uncreated,” going into non-existence (cf. Matt. 24:35).
20:12 standing before God. In a judicial sense, as guilty, condemned prisoners before the bar of divine justice. There are no living sinners left in the destroyed universe since all sinners were killed and all believers glorified. books. These books record every thought, word, and deed of sinful men—all recorded by divine omniscience (see note on Dan. 7:9, 10, the verse that is the source of this text). They will provide the evidence for eternal condemnation. Cf. 18:6, 7. Book of Life. It contains the names of all the redeemed (Dan. 12:1; see notes on 3:5). judged according to their works. Their thoughts (Luke 8:17; Rom. 2:16), words (Matt. 12:37), and actions (Matt. 16:27) will be compared to God’s perfect, holy standard (Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16) and will be found wanting (Rom. 3:23). This also implies that there are degrees of punishment in hell (cf. Matt. 10:14, 15; 11:22; Mark 12:38–40; Luke 12:47, 48; Heb. 10:29).
20:13 Death and Hades. See note on 1:18. Both terms describe the state of death. All unrighteous dead will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment; none will escape. All the places that have held the bodies of the unrighteous dead will yield up new bodies suited for hell.
20:14 second death. See note on v. 6.
20:15 lake of fire. See note on 19:20.
What does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 teach about who takes people out of the world?
Consider the following verse very carefully. Words are very important.
Matthew 24:14 NASB 1977 – Notice: “the gospel of the Kingdom; not the gospel of Christ.”
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.”
Are the “rapture” and the “second coming of Christ” the same event, or are they two separate events?
Consider the blessed hope of the appearing of Christ for the rapture of the church. (Titus 2:13).
NASB 1977
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus
The blessed hope of the appearing of Christ for the rapture of the church is that believers in Christ will not be subject to the judgments of God on those “who dwell on the earth” during the tribulation (Revelation 6-19; “seal judgments, trumpet judgments, bowl judgments.”), and will not be subject to the persecutions of the anti-Christ, as they also occur during those Revelation chapters. There is no blessed hope in the appearing of Christ, with His judgments being readied, for the earth dwellers who will be left behind after the rapture occurs.
Consider the Earth Dwellers
It is important to know the identity of the people who will undergo the judgments of God, which will be poured out on “all of those” that are living throughout the whole world. These people, which were “left behind” from the rapture of the church, will not have been born again at the time of the catching up of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). They will be present during the time of the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel” (the time when the tribulation occurs) and will endure the judgments of God and will suffer from the oppressiveness of the anti-Christ” (Seventieth Week of Daniel – Daniel 9:27).
The events of this passage take place when the Great Tribulation is taking place, with the Judgments of God being poured out on the earth, during which time the anti-Christ is persecuting those left-behind people who have come to know Christ as Lord and Savior; their identity is “earth dwellers,” and “those who dwell on the earth,” (identifying scriptures are listed below in the comments section).
Notice in Rev 14:6 that the angel is proclaiming the gospel of Christ to “those who dwell on the earth.” Let’s consider the belief of many people who the church will not be raptured from the earth, but will remain on earth during the tribulation. But, here is the problem with such a teaching. If those people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have been born again, and find themselves on earth during the tribulation, but still must have the Gospel preached to them during the tribulation, they are having to accept Christ a second time. None of this scenario makes any sense. Those who will have already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, prior to the rapture of the church, will have no reason to have the gospel preached to them again. Here is the truth of the matter. Believers in Christ, who have believed the gospel, prior to the rapture, will be taken from the earth, and will not be present during the tribulation. Those people, who have not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, will stay behind on earth when the rapture of the church takes place. Those unbelievers will undergo the judgments of God and the oppression of the anti-Christ. God’s mercy will cause the angel to “proclaim the Gospel to those who dwell on the earth,” those of “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev 14:6), which are those who are left behind.
The words, “dead in Christ,” (1 Thes 4:16) are key. “Dead in Christ” represents those believers in Christ who died, prior to the catching up/rapture of the saints (believers in Christ). The “dead in Christ,” will be caught up immediately before “we who are alive and remain,” (living believers in Christ) (1 Thes 4:17) who will also be caught up to be with Christ, “and shall always be with the Lord,” (1 Thes 4:17). In Rev 14:13, we see the words, “blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” Such a statement refers to the ones who were “left behind,” those who had not accepted Christ as Savior, and had not been born again, prior to the rapture of the church, but who had come to accept His gospel while undergoing the Judgments of God and the torture and oppression of the anti-christ, during the Seventieth Week Of Daniel.
The events of this passage of scripture will take place during the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel.” We have discussed that subject, and will go back to it later, for greater understanding.
It is important for everyone to understand that anyone who has not been born again, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within their spirit, anyone who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, will be among those people who are known as “earth dwellers,” and will be subject to the effects of the bowl judgments. There is no purpose for those of us who have been born again to endure the Judgments of God. Christ is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” No bridegroom, such as Christ, will put His bride (the church/the born again believers in Christ) in the midst of such judgments of God. If there is no rapture of the church, consider the fact that every child will also be the subjects of the judgments.
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Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
Dr. Ed Hindson, http://thekingiscoming.com/about-dr-ed-hindson/
Dr. Ed Hindson is the Bible Teacher on The King Is Coming telecast. He is also the Assistant Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, and Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies and the School of Religion at Liberty University in Virginia.
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What will happen during the end-times mentioned in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 6:9 NET Bible
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,
Revelation 19 – NASB 1977
Text
The Fourfold Hallelujah
1 After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Marriage of the Lamb
7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God; 18 in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army.
Doom of the Beast and False Prophet
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
What does the Bible say about what will happen when Jesus returns to earth?
Comments: MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible).
19:1–6 Alleluia. The transliteration of this Heb. word appears 4 times in the NT, all in this chapter (vv. 1, 3, 4, 6). This exclamation, meaning “Praise the Lord,” occurs frequently in the OT (cf. Pss. 104:35; 105:45; 106:1; 111:1; 112:1; 113:1; 117:1; 135:1; 146:1). Five reasons for their praise emerge: 1) God’s deliverance of His people from their enemies (v. 1); 2) God’s meting out of justice (v. 2); 3) God’s permanent crushing of man’s rebellion (v. 3); 4) God’s sovereignty (v. 6); and 5) God’s communion with His people (v. 7).
19:1 After these things. This is a time key. After the destruction of Babylon at the end of the Great Tribulation, just before the kingdom is established (chap. 20). This section bridges the Tribulation and the millennial kingdom. great multitude. Probably angels, since the saints join in later (vv. 5ff.; cf. 5:11, 12; 7:11, 12). The imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ prompts this outburst of praise.
19:2 judgments. Saints long for the day of judgment (cf. 6:10; 16:7; Is. 9:7; Jer. 23:5). Godly people love righteousness and hate sin, for righteousness honors God and sin mocks Him. Believers long for a world of justice and it will come (v. 15; 2:27; 12:5).
19:3 smoke rises. This is because of the fire (cf. 17:16, 18; 18:8, 9, 18; 14:8–11).
19:4 twenty-four elders. Best understood as representatives of the church (see note on 4:4). four living creatures. A special order of angelic beings (see note on 4:6). These compose the same group as in 7:11 and are associated with worship frequently (4:8, 11; 5:9–12, 14; 11:16–18).
19:5 small and great. All distinctions and ranks are to be transcended.
19:6 Omnipotent. Or “Almighty.” Used 9 times in Revelation as a title for God (cf. v. 15; 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 21:22). The great praise of the multitude sounds like a massive crashing of waves.
19:7 marriage of the Lamb. Hebrew weddings consisted of 3 phases: 1) betrothal (often when the couple were children); 2) presentation (the festivities, often lasting several days, that preceded the ceremony); and 3) the ceremony (the exchanging of vows). The church was betrothed to Christ by His sovereign choice in eternity past (Eph. 1:4; Heb. 13:20) and will be presented to Him at the Rapture (John 14:1–3; 1 Thess. 4:13–18). The final supper will signify the end of the ceremony. This symbolic meal will take place at the establishment of the millennial kingdom and last throughout that 1,000 year period (cf. 21:2). While the term “bride” often refers to the church, and does so here (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22–24), it ultimately expands to include all the redeemed of all ages, which becomes clear in the remainder of the book.
19:8 righteous acts of the saints. Not Christ’s imputed righteousness granted to believers at salvation, but the practical results of that righteousness in believers’ lives, i.e., the outward manifestation of inward virtue.
19:9 Blessed. See note on 1:3. those who are called. This is not the bride (the church) but the guests. The bride doesn’t get invited, she invites. These are those saved before Pentecost, all the faithful believers saved by grace through faith up to the birth of the church (Acts 2:1ff.). Though they are not the bride, they still are glorified and reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. It is really differing imagery rather than differing reality. The guests also will include tribulation saints and believers alive in earthly bodies in the kingdom. The church is the bride, pure and faithful—never a harlot, like Israel was (see Hos. 2). So the church is the bride during the presentation feast in heaven, then comes to earth for the celebration of the final meal (the Millennium). After that event, the new order comes and the marriage is consummated (see notes on 21:1, 2). true sayings of God. This refers to everything since 17:1. It is all true—the marriage will take place after judgment.
19:10 fell at his feet. Overwhelmed by the grandeur of the vision, John collapsed in worship before the angel (cf. 1:17; 22:8). do not do that. Cf. 22:8, 9. The Bible forbids the worship of angels (Col. 2:18, 19). the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The central theme of both OT prophecy and NT preaching is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
19:11 heaven opened. The One who ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9–11) and had been seated at the Father’s right hand (Heb. 8:1; 10:12; 1 Pet. 3:22) will return to take back the earth from the usurper and establish His kingdom (5:1–10). The nature of this event shows how it differs from the Rapture. At the Rapture, Christ meets His own in the air—in this event He comes with them to earth. At the Rapture, there is no judgment, in this event it is all judgment. This event is preceded by blackness—the darkened sun, moon gone out, stars fallen, smoke—then lightning and blinding glory as Jesus comes. Such details are not included in Rapture passages (John 14:1–3; 1 Thess. 4:13–18). white horse. In the Roman triumphal processions, the victorious general rode his white war horse up the Via Sacra to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. Jesus’ first coming was in humiliation on a colt (Zech. 9:9). John’s vision portrays Him as the conqueror on His war horse, coming to destroy the wicked, to overthrow the Antichrist, to defeat Satan, and to take control of the earth (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14). Faithful and True. True to His word, Jesus will return to earth (Matt. 24:27–31; see note on 3:14). in righteousness He judges. See 20:11–15; cf. Matt. 25:31ff.; John 5:25–30; Acts 17:31. makes war. This startling statement, appearing only here and 2:16, vividly portrays the holy wrath of God against sinners (cf. Ps. 7:11). God’s patience will be exhausted with sinful, rebellious mankind.
19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire. Nothing escapes His penetrating vision, so His judgments are always just and accurate (see note on 1:14). a name…no one knew. John could see the name, but was unable to comprehend it (cf. 2 Cor. 12:4). There are unfathomable mysteries in the Godhead that even glorified saints will be unable to grasp.
19:13 a robe dipped in blood. This is not from the battle of Armageddon, which will not have begun until v. 15. Christ’s blood-spattered garments symbolize the great battles He has already fought against sin, Satan, and death and been stained with the blood of His enemies. The Word. Only John uses this title for the Lord (see Introduction: Author and Date). As the Word of God, Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15); the express image of His person (Heb. 1:3); and the final, full revelation from God (Heb. 1:1, 2).
19:14 armies in heaven. Composed of the church (v. 8), tribulation saints (7:13), OT believers (Jude 14; cf. Dan. 12:1, 2), and even angels (Matt. 25:31). They return not to help Jesus in the battle (they are unarmed), but to reign with Him after He defeats His enemies (20:4; 1 Cor. 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:12). Cf. Ps. 149:5–9.
19:15 sharp sword. This symbolizes Christ’s power to kill His enemies (1:16; cf. Is. 11:4; Heb. 4:12, 13). That the sword comes out of His mouth indicates that He wins the battle with the power of His word. Though the saints return with Christ to reign and rule, they are not the executioners. That is His task, and that of His angels (Matt. 13:37–50). rod of iron. Swift, righteous judgment will mark Christ’s rule in the kingdom. Believers will share His authority (2:26; 1 Cor. 6:2; see notes on 2:27; 12:5; Ps. 2:9). winepress. A vivid symbol of judgment (see note on 14:19). Cf. Is. 63:3; Joel 3:13.
19:16 on His thigh. Jesus will wear a banner across His robe and down His thigh with a title emblazoned on it that emphasizes His absolute sovereignty over all human rulers (see note on 17:14).
19:17–21 These verses depict the frightening holocaust unparalleled in human history—the Battle of Armageddon, the pinnacle of the Day of the Lord (see note on 1 Thess. 5:2). It is not so much a battle as an execution, as the remaining rebels are killed by the Lord Jesus (v. 21; see notes on 14:19, 20; cf. Ps. 2:1–9; Is. 66:15, 16; Ezek. 39:1ff.; Joel 3:12ff.; Matt. 24, 25; 2 Thess. 1:7–9). This Day of the Lord was seen by Isaiah (66:15, 16), Joel (3:12–21), Ezekiel (39:1–4, 17–20), Paul (2 Thess. 1:6ff.; 2:8) and our Lord (Matt. 25:31–46).
19:17, 18 supper of the great God. Cf. Ezek. 39:17. Also called “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (16:14), it will begin with an angel summoning birds to feed on the corpses of those who will be slain (cf. Matt. 24:27, 28). God will declare His victory before the battle even begins. The OT frequently pictures the indignity of carrion birds feasting on human dead (Deut. 28:26; Ps. 79:2; Is. 18:6; Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezek. 29:5).
19:19 kings of the earth. See 17:12–17. their armies. See 16:13, 14. His army. Zechariah describes this army of the Lord as “all the saints” (14:5).
19:20 beast was captured, and…the false prophet. In an instant, the world’s armies are without their leaders. The beast is Antichrist (see notes on 13:1–8); the false prophet is his religious cohort (see notes on 13:11–17). cast alive. The bodies of the beast and the false prophet will be transformed, and they will be banished directly to the lake of fire (Dan. 7:11)—the first of countless millions of unregenerate men (20:15) and fallen angels (cf. Matt. 25:41) to arrive in that dreadful place. That these two still appear there 1,000 years later (20:10) refutes the false doctrine of annihilationism (cf. 14:11; Is. 66:24; Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:48; Luke 3:17; 2 Thess. 1:9). lake of fire. The final hell, the place of eternal punishment for all unrepentant rebels, angelic or human (cf. 20:10, 15). The NT says much of eternal punishment (cf. 14:10, 11; Matt. 13:40–42; 25:41; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 3:17; 12:47, 48). fire…brimstone. See note on 9:17. These two are frequently associated with divine judgment (14:10; 20:10; 21:8; Gen. 19:24; Ps. 11:6; Is. 30:33; Ezek. 38:22; Luke 17:29)
19:21 NOTE: WALVOORD COMMENTARY ON REVELATION. Dr. John F. Walvoord. Those not killed in the first stage of the battle are now put to death. The slaughter is so great that the birds are able to gorge on the flesh of the dead,
What Signs Must Take Place Before the Second Coming of Christ?
Consider the following verse very carefully. Words are very important.
Matthew 24:14 NASB 1977 – Notice: “the gospel of the Kingdom; not the gospel of Christ.”
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.”
Consider the Earth Dwellers
It is important to know the identity of the people who will undergo the judgments of God, which will be poured out on “all of those” that are living throughout the whole world. These people, which were “left behind” from the rapture of the church, will not have been born again at the time of the catching up of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). They will be present during the time of the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel” (the time when the tribulation occurs) and will endure the judgments of God and will suffer from the oppressiveness of the anti-Christ” (Seventieth Week of Daniel – Daniel 9:27).
The events of this passage take place when the Great Tribulation is taking place, with the Judgments of God being poured out on the earth, during which time the anti-Christ is persecuting those left-behind people who have come to know Christ as Lord and Savior; their identity is “earth dwellers,” and “those who dwell on the earth,” (identifying scriptures are listed below in the comments section).
Notice in Rev 14:6 that the angel is proclaiming the gospel of Christ to “those who dwell on the earth.” Let’s consider the belief of many people who the church will not be raptured from the earth, but will remain on earth during the tribulation. But, here is the problem with such a teaching. If those people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have been born again, and find themselves on earth during the tribulation, but still must have the Gospel preached to them during the tribulation, they are having to accept Christ a second time. None of this scenario makes any sense. Those who will have already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, prior to the rapture of the church, will have no reason to have the gospel preached to them again. Here is the truth of the matter. Believers in Christ, who have believed the gospel, prior to the rapture, will be taken from the earth, and will not be present during the tribulation. Those people, who have not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, will stay behind on earth when the rapture of the church takes place. Those unbelievers will undergo the judgments of God and the oppression of the anti-Christ. God’s mercy will cause the angel to “proclaim the Gospel to those who dwell on the earth,” those of “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev 14:6), which are those who are left behind.
The words, “dead in Christ,” (1 Thes 4:16) are key. “Dead in Christ” represents those believers in Christ who died, prior to the catching up/rapture of the saints (believers in Christ). The “dead in Christ,” will be caught up immediately before “we who are alive and remain,” (living believers in Christ) (1 Thes 4:17) who will also be caught up to be with Christ, “and shall always be with the Lord,” (1 Thes 4:17). In Rev 14:13, we see the words, “blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” Such a statement refers to the ones who were “left behind,” those who had not accepted Christ as Savior, and had not been born again, prior to the rapture of the church, but who had come to accept His gospel while undergoing the Judgments of God and the torture and oppression of the anti-christ, during the Seventieth Week Of Daniel.
The events of this passage of scripture will take place during the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel.” We have discussed that subject, and will go back to it later, for greater understanding.
It is important for everyone to understand that anyone who has not been born again, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within their spirit, anyone who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, will be among those people who are known as “earth dwellers,” and will be subject to the effects of the bowl judgments. There is no purpose for those of us who have been born again to endure the Judgments of God. Christ is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” No bridegroom, such as Christ, will put His bride (the church/the born again believers in Christ) in the midst of such judgments of God. If there is no rapture of the church, consider the fact that every child will also be the subjects of the judgments.
Comments related to this post.
This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, which will appear in the order of their being published. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive future posts automatically. Such an option is important for people who receive posts directly from me because, from time to time, email addresses are dropped from my list of contacts. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study.
If you want to make a comment, please place that comment on this blog in the appropriate space at the bottom of this page. If you do not want your comment to be shown, please let me know. I moderate all comments, and will not violate anybody’s trust.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, (1910-2012) long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. He is considered perhaps the world’s foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.
Bio – https://bible.org/users/john-f-walvoord
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What Signs Must Take Place Before the Second Coming of Christ?
“But for the abominable and murderers, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 NASB 1977
‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22 NASB 1977
“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” Exodus 1:15-16 NASB 1977
It is important to know the identity of the people who will undergo the judgments of God, which will be poured out on “all of those” that are living throughout the whole world. These people, which were “left behind” from the rapture of the church, will not have been born again at the time of the catching up of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). They will be present during the time of the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel” (the time when the tribulation occurs) and will endure the judgments of God and will suffer from the oppressiveness of the anti-Christ” (Seventieth Week of Daniel – Daniel 9:27).
The events of this passage take place when the Great Tribulation is taking place, with the Judgments of God being poured out on the earth, during which time the anti-christ is persecuting those left-behind people who have come to know Christ as Lord and Savior; their identity is “earth dwellers,” and “those who dwell on the earth,” (identifying scriptures are listed below in the comments section).
Notice in Rev 14:6 that the angel is proclaiming the gospel of Christ to “those who dwell on the earth.” Let’s consider the belief of many people who the church will not be raptured from the earth, but will remain on earth during the tribulation. But, here is the problem with such a teaching. If those people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have been born again, and find themselves on earth during the tribulation, but still must have the Gospel preached to them during the tribulation, they are having to accept Christ a second time. None of this scenario makes any sense. Those who will have already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, prior to the rapture of the church, will have no reason to have the gospel preached to them again. Here is the truth of the matter. Believers in Christ, who have believed the gospel, prior to the rapture, will be taken from the earth, and will not be present during the tribulation. Those people, who have not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, will stay behind on earth when the rapture of the church takes place. Those unbelievers will undergo the judgments of God and the oppression of the anti-Christ. God’s mercy will cause the angel to “proclaim the Gospel to those who dwell on the earth,” those of “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev 14:6), which are those who are left behind.
The words, “dead in Christ,” (1 Thes 4:16) are key. “Dead in Christ” represents those believers in Christ who died, prior to the catching up/rapture of the saints (believers in Christ). The “dead in Christ,” will be caught up immediately before “we who are alive and remain,” (living believers in Christ) (1 Thes 4:17) who will also be caught up to be with Christ, “and shall always be with the Lord,” (1 Thes 4:17). In Rev 14:13, we see the words, “blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” Such a statement refers to the ones who were “left behind,” those who had not accepted Christ as Savior, and had not been born again, prior to the rapture of the church, but who had come to accept His gospel while undergoing the Judgments of God and the torture and oppression of the anti-christ, during the Seventieth Week Of Daniel.
The events of this passage of scripture will take place during the “Seventieth Week Of Daniel.” We have discussed that subject, and will go back to it later, for greater understanding.
It is important for everyone to understand that anyone who has not been born again, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within their spirit, anyone who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior, will be among those people who are known as “earth dwellers,” and will be subject to the effects of the bowl judgments. There is no purpose for those of us who have been born again to endure the Judgments of God. Christ is the “bridegroom of all bridegrooms.” No bridegroom, such as Christ, will put His bride (the church/the born again believers in Christ) in the midst of such judgments of God. If there is no rapture of the church, consider the fact that every child will also be the subjects of the judgments.
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Differences Between the Rapture & Second Coming
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Revelation 18
NASB 1977
Babylon Is Fallen
1After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. 2And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. 3“For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”
4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; 5for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6“Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. 7“To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’8“For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
Lament for Babylon
9“And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ 11“And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more; 12cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article madefrom very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, 13and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. 14“And the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. 15“The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; 17for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, 18and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19“And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ 20“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”
21And a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. 22“And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24“And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Notes: Revelation – MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible).
18:1 earth was illuminated with his glory. The fifth bowl (16:10) will have plunged the world into darkness. Against that backdrop, the sudden, blazing appearance of another angel (not the same as in 17:1, 7, 15) will certainly rivet the world’s attention on him and his message of judgment on Babylon (cf. 14:8).
18:2 Babylon the great is fallen. Cf. 14:8; see note on Is. 21:9, the verse from which these words come. The Gr. text views the results of this as if it had already taken place (see note on 14:8). But the seventh bowl is being referred to here and it is yet to come at this point (16:17–21). When it comes, devastation and annihilation will take place, leaving the place to demons.
18:3 wine…of her fornication. Religious Babylon (chap. 17) lures the nations into spiritual drunkenness and fornication with false gods (17:2, 4); commercial Babylon (chap. 18) seduces the unbelieving world into a materialistic stupor, so that the people of the world will become drunk with passion because of their relationship with Babylon. kings…merchants. Political rulers and corporate leaders alike are swept up in this worldwide system of commerce (14:8; 17:2).
18:4 Come out of her, my people. God will call His own to disentangle themselves from this evil system. This may also be God’s calling the elect to abandon the world system and come to faith in the Savior. In either case, the message is to abandon the system before it is destroyed (cf. 2 Cor. 6:17; 1 John 2:15). The judgment of God on that society living in sinful, arrogant self-indulgence can be avoided. Cf. Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s message to their people to leave Babylon (Is. 48:20; Jer. 50:8; 51:6–9, 45) (Elect, The children of Israel, Dr. John F. Walvoord commentary on Revelation).(Elect: the saved remnant of Israel, Dr. Merrill F. Unger, Matthew 24:22, Unger’s Commentary On The Gospels).
18:5 remembered. See 16:19. God does not remember the iniquities of His people (Jer. 31:34), but does remember to protect them (Mal. 3:16—4:2). For unrepentant Babylon, there will be no such forgiveness, only judgment..
18:6, 7a repay. The angel calls for God to recompense wrath to Babylon in her own cup to repay her according to her deeds (see note on 17:4). This is an echo of the OT law of retaliation (Ex. 21:24) which will be implemented by God (Rom. 12:17–21).
18:6 double. Has the sense of “full,” or “overflowing.” The punishment will fit the crime (cf. Jer. 16:18). cup. The cup of wickedness from which so many have drunk (14:8; 17:2, 4, 6) will call for the cup of wrath (14:10; 16:19).
18:7b am no widow. A proud, but empty, boast of self-sufficiency, also made by historical Babylon (Is. 47:8). Cf. 1 Cor. 10:12.
18:8 her plagues. These could include those of 16:1ff., but must be the special destruction of the city as well, described as “death, mourning and famine.” in one day. See vv. 10, 17, 19. The special judgments on Babylon take place in a brief period of time. Daniel 5:30 records that Babylon of old fell in one day.
18:9–20 This section records the lament over Babylon’s destruction, not her sin, by those who were part of her system.
18:9 kings. The political leaders of the world will weep because the loss of his capital city will signal the doom of Antichrist’s empire, and with it, the source of their power. Cf. v. 3; 17:2. weep and lament for her. “Weep” means “to sob openly.” “Lament” translates the same Gr. word used to express the despair of the unbelieving world at the return of Christ (1:7).
18:10 one hour. Cf. vv. 8, 17, 19.
18:12, 13 Over half of their commodities appear in the list of Ezek. 27:12–22.
18:12 purple. This refers to garments laboriously dyed with purple dye extracted from shellfish. Lydia (Acts 16:14) was a seller of such expensive garments. A distinctive mark of the Caesars was their purple robes. citron wood. Wood from North African citrus trees, highly valued because of its color, which was used to make extremely expensive pieces of furniture. marble. Marble, imported from Africa, Egypt, and Greece, was widely used in Roman buildings.
18:13 fragrant oil. A very costly perfume (cf. Matt. 26:7, 12; John 12:3). frankincense. A fragrant gum or resin imported from Arabia and used in incense and perfume (Song 3:6; Matt. 2:11). bodies and souls of men. The slave trade, long banned by the civilized nations of the world, will reappear in Antichrist’s debauched commercial system.
18:17 shipmaster. Ship captains will mourn the loss of Babylon and the lucrative transport business that went with it.
18:19 threw dust on their heads. An ancient expression of grief (cf. Josh. 7:6; 1 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 1:2; 15:32; Job 2:12; Lam. 2:10; Ezek. 27:30). in one hour. Not just 60 minutes, but one brief period of swift judgment (see note on v. 8).
18:20 God has avenged you on her. The angel will exhort the tribulation martyrs (6:9–11) to rejoice, not over the deaths of those doomed to eternal hell, but, because God’s righteousness and justice will have prevailed.
18:21 great millstone. Millstones were large, heavy stones used to grind grain. This metaphor portrays the violence of Babylon’s overthrow. Cf. Jer. 51:61–64; see note on Matt. 18:6.
18:22, 23 The fall of Babylon ends whatever semblance of normalcy will still exist in the world after all the seals, trumpets, and bowls. Life will be totally disrupted and the end near. No more music, no industry, no preparing of food (“millstone”), no more power for light, and no more weddings because God will destroy the deceivers and deceived.
18:24 blood of prophets and saints. The religious and commercial/political systems embodied in Babylon will commit unspeakable atrocities against God’s people (cf. 6:10; 11:7; 13:7, 15; 17:6; 19:2). God will avenge that slaughter of His people (19:2).
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This post is one of others that you can find in the blog under the category of “Journey.” There, you will be able to locate the Journey posts, which will appear in the order of their being published. If you click onto the following link you will be able to follow the blog and receive future posts automatically. Such an option is important for people who receive posts directly from me because, from time to time, email addresses are dropped from my list of contacts. Please follow this blog. Select Category, “Journey” to see all of the posts that relate to the end times study.
If you want to make a comment, please place that comment on this blog in the appropriate space at the bottom of this page. If you do not want your comment to be shown, please let me know. I moderate all comments, and will not violate anybody’s trust.
Renald E. Showers is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished theologians in America. A graduate of Philadelphia College of Bible (now Cairn University), he also holds a BA degree in history from Wheaton College, a ThM in church history from Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Showers spent many years as a university professor and served on the faculties of Lancaster School of the Bible, Moody Bible Institute, and Philadelphia College of Bible, as well as being a visiting lecturer and conference speaker around the world. For 27 years until his retirement in 2016, he served as a Bible teacher, author, and speaker for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., and a contributing editor for Israel My Glory magazine.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&Keyword=Dr.%5ERenald%5EShowers
Dr. Renald Showers is an author and Bible teacher for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. He is the author of numerous books, including What on Earth is God Doing?, There Really Is a Difference, and Maranatha: Our Lord Come. Dr. Showers has served in the pastorate, and as a member of the faculties of Lancaster Bible College, Moody Bible Institute and Philadelphia College of the Bible, and as a visiting lecturer at Word of Life Bible Institute, Calvary Bible College and Baptist Bible Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, Dallas Theological Seminary and Grace Theological Seminary. Dr. Showers and his wife Eleanor reside in Willow Street, Penn
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When is Pentecost Sunday? What is Pentecost Sunday?
June 4, 2017 – Pentecost Sunday
https://www.gotquestions.org/Pentecost-Sunday.html
Pentecost Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church. John the Baptist prophesied of the first Pentecost when Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus confirmed this prophecy with the promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in John 14:26.
http://www.calendarpedia.com/when-is/pentecost-sunday.html
An Eastern Orthodox icon of Pentecost An Eastern Orthodox icon of Pentecost Sunday is the day of the Pentecost festival, a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the remaining eleven disciples of Christ (Judas had hanged himself) after the Resurrection of Jesus. It always falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter. Pentecost means “fiftieth day”: it is celebrated 50 days from Easter Sunday (including Easter Sunday in the counting), hence its name.
See Acts 1:6-8 and, 2:1-11 below.
When Is Shavuot? What is Shavuot?
Sunset May 30, 2017 – Nightfall June 1, 2017 Jewish Year 5778: http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm
Shavu’ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). The period from Passover to Shavu’ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu’ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks,
Acts 1:1-15 NASB 1977
Introduction
1The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
The Ascension
9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; 11and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
The Upper Room
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15And at this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together),
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible)
1:1 former account. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:1–4; see Introduction: Background and Setting). That account chronicled the life and teaching of Jesus, through His death, resurrection, and ascension (Luke 24:51). Theophilus. The original recipient of this book.
1:2 taken up. Christ’s ascension to the Father (cf. Luke 24:51). Luke uses this term 3 other times (vv. 9, 11, 22) to describe the end of the Lord’s earthly ministry (cf. John 6:62; 13:1, 3; 16:28; 17:13; 20:17). through the Holy Spirit had given commandments. The Spirit was the source and power of Jesus’ earthly ministry (cf. Matt. 4:1; 12:18; Mark 1:12; Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18) and of the apostles’ service (cf. Luke 24:49; John 14:16, 17; 16:7). “Commandments” are authoritative NT truths, revealed to the apostles (cf. John 14:26; 16:13–15). He had chosen. The Lord sovereignly chose the apostles for salvation and service (cf. John 6:70; 15:16).
1:5 John…baptized with water. See note on 2:38. baptized with the Holy Spirit. The apostles had to wait until the Day of Pentecost, but since then all believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit at salvation (see note on 1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Titus 3:5, 6). not many days from now. God’s promise was fulfilled just 10 days later.
1:6 restore the kingdom to Israel. The apostles still believed the earthly form of the kingdom of Messiah would soon be re-established (cf. Luke 19:11; 24:21). They also knew that Ezek. 36 and Joel 2 connected the coming of the kingdom with the outpouring of the Spirit whom Jesus had promised.
1:8 The apostles’ mission of spreading the gospel was the major reason the Holy Spirit empowered them.receive power. The apostles had already experienced the Holy Spirit’s saving, guiding, teaching, and miracle-working power. Soon they would receive His indwelling presence and a new dimension of power for witness (see notes on 2:4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Eph. 3:16, 20). witnesses.
1:9 taken up. See note on v. 2. God the Father took Jesus, in His resurrection body, from this world to His rightful place at the Father’s right hand (Luke 24:51; cf. 2:33; John 17:1–6). a cloud. A visible reminder that God’s glory was present as the apostles watched the ascension. For some of them, this was not the first time they had witnessed divine glory (Mark 9:26);
1:10 two men…in white apparel. Two angels in the form of men (cf. Gen. 18:2; Josh. 5:13–15; Mark 16:5).
1:11 Men of Galilee. All the apostles were from Galilee except for Judas, who had killed himself by this time (cf. v. 18). in like manner. Christ one day will return to earth (to the Mt. of Olives), in the same way He ascended (with clouds), to set up His kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:13; Zech. 14:4; Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7; 14:14).
1:13 upper room. Where the Last Supper may have been celebrated (Mark 14:15) and where Jesus had appeared to the apostles after His resurrection.
1:14 continued…in prayer. The pattern of praying in the name of Jesus started at this time (cf. John 14:13, 14). with the women. Doubtless they included Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas, the sisters Mary and Martha, and Salome. Some of the apostles’ wives also may have been present (cf. 1 Cor. 9:5). Mary the mother of Jesus
1:15 in those days. Some unspecified time during the believers’ 10 days of prayer and fellowship between the ascension and Pentecost. Peter. See note on Matt. 10:2. The acknowledged leader of the apostles took charge.
Acts 2:1-11 NASB 1977
The Day of Pentecost
1And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and marveled, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9“Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
Notes: MacArthur Study Bible
2:1 Day of Pentecost. “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” and refers to the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22, 23) or Harvest (Lev. 23:16), which was celebrated 50 days after Passover in May/June (Lev. 23:15–22). It was one of 3 annual feasts for which the nation was to come to Jerusalem (see note on Ex. 23:14–19). At Pentecost, an offering of firstfruits was made (Lev. 23:20). The Holy Spirit came on this day as the firstfruits of the believer’s inheritance (cf. 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:11, 14). Those gathered into the church then were also the firstfruits of the full harvest of all believers to come after. in one place. The upper room mentioned in 1:13.
2:2 a sound…as…mighty wind. Luke’s simile described God’s action of sending the Holy Spirit. Wind is frequently used in Scripture as a picture of the Spirit (cf. Ezek. 37:9, 10; John 3:8)
2:3 The disciples could not comprehend the significance of the Spirit’s arrival without the Lord sovereignly illustrating what was occurring with a visible phenomenon. tongues, as of fire. Just as the sound, like wind, was symbolic, these were not literal flames of fire but supernatural indicators, like fire, that God had sent the Holy Spirit upon each believer. In Scripture, fire often denoted the divine presence (cf. Ex. 3:2–6). God’s use of a fire-like appearance here parallels what He did with the dove when Jesus was baptized (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).
2:4 all. The apostles and the 120. Cf. Joel 2:28–32. filled with the Holy Spirit. In contrast to the baptism with the Spirit, which is the one-time act by which God places believers into His body (see notes on 1 Cor. 12:13), the filling is a repeated reality of Spirit-controlled behavior that God commands believers to maintain (see notes on Eph. 5:18). with other tongues. Known languages (see notes on v. 6; 1 Cor. 14:1–25), not ecstatic utterances. These languages given by the Spirit were a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:21, 22). They also showed that from then on, God’s people would come from all nations, and marked the transition from Israel to the church.
2:5 Jews, devout men. Hebrew males who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They were expected to celebrate Pentecost (see note on v. 1) in Jerusalem, as part of observing the Jewish religious calendar. See note on Ex. 23:14–19.***** See my comment below.
2:6 this sound. The noise like gusty wind (v. 2), not the sound of the various languages. speak in his own language. As the believers were speaking, each pilgrim in the crowd recognized the language or dialect from his own country.
2:7 Galileans. Inhabitants of the mostly rural area of northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee. Galilean Jews spoke with a distinct regional accent and were considered to be unsophisticated and uneducated by the southern Judean Jews. When Galileans were seen to be speaking so many different languages, the Judean Jews were astonished.
2:9–11 The listing of specific countries and ethnic groups proves again that these utterances were known human languages.
2:9 Parthians. They lived in what is modern Iran. Medes. In Daniel’s time, they ruled with the Persians, but had settled in Parthia. Elamites. They were from the southwestern part of the Parthian Empire. Mesopotamia. This means “between the rivers” (the Tigris and Euphrates). Many Jews still lived there, descendants of those who were in captivity and who never returned to the land of Israel (cf. 2 Chr. 36:22, 23). Judea. All the region once controlled by David and Solomon, including Syria.
2:9, 10 Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. All were districts in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey.
2:10 Egypt. Many Jews lived there, especially in the city of Alexandria. The nation then covered the same general area as modern Egypt. Libya adjoining Cyrene. These districts were W of Egypt, along the North African coast. Rome. The capital of the Empire had a sizeable Jewish population, dating from the second century B.C. proselytes. Gentile converts to Judaism. Jews in Rome were especially active in seeking such converts.
2:11 Cretans. Residents of the island of Crete, off the southern coast of Greece. Arabs. Jews who lived S of Damascus, among the Nabatean Arabs (cf. Gal. 1:17). we hear them speaking.See note on v. 6. wonderful works of God. The Christians were quoting from the OT what God had done for His people (cf. Ex. 15:11; Pss. 40:5; 77:11; 96:3; 107:21). Such praises were often heard in Jerusalem during festival times.
My note: The miracle of Pentecost is explained, as follows.
This Pentecost happened in 33 A.D (Scofield Study Bible). The foundation for the miracle of Pentecost goes back to the year. 1491 B.C.(Exodus 23).
Exodus 23:14-17 NASB 1977
Three National Feasts
14“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15“You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. 16“Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Three times a year, all Jewish males were required go to three specified feasts at a central sanctuary (MacArthur)
Fast forward to the year 722 B.C., when the Jews in the northern kingdom were taken away from their homes to Assyria (2 Kings 17)
2 Kings 17:6 NASB 1977
Israel Captive
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Fast forward again to the year 586 B.C., when the Jews in the southern kingdom were taken away from their homes to Babylon (2 Kings 25).
2 Kings 24:8-11 NASB 1977
Jerusalem Burned and Plundered
8Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9And he burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 10So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile.
Ancient Jewish History: The Diaspora
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-diaspora
When the Assyrians conquered Israel in 722, the Hebrew inhabitants were scattered all over the Middle East; these early victims of the dispersion disappeared utterly from the pages of history. However, when Nebuchadnezzar deported the Judaeans in 597 and 586 BC, he allowed them to remain in a unified community in Babylon.
From the time of the initial dispersion of the Jews in 722 B.C., until the date of Acts 2, the dispersed Jewish males traveled to Jerusalem each year for the three required feasts (Unleavened Bread, Pentecost/Weeks/Shavuot, Tabernacles/Ingathering). As was documented in Acts 2:1-11, Jews from all over the middle east assembled in Jerusalem. As was also documented in Acts 2:4-11, those Jews, from their dispersed countries, heard those Jewish believers in Christ, who were assembled in the upper room (Acts 2:2) speaking the mighty deeds of God (2:11) in their own languages (2:11). The miracle of Pentecost was the ability of the Jews, who had come from foreign lands, to hear “Galileans,” speaking in the languages of the dispersed Jews, in their “own dispersed tongues.” The situation was much like that of the United Nations of today. Each speaker delivers a message that is understood in the language of each delegate, of each delegate’s home nation. The “tongues” of Acts 2 relates to languages, which is not the context of spiritual gifts that we find in Romans 12:6 and 1 Corinthians 12-14.
What Is Shavuot?
Sunset May 30, 2017 – Nightfall June 1, 2017 Jewish Year 5778:
http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm
Shavu’ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). The period from Passover to Shavu’ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu’ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks,
Deuteronomy 16:9-12 NASB 1977
The Feast of Weeks
9“You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10“Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the LORD your God blesses you; 11and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name.12“And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
Study Notes: MacArthur Study Bible
16:10–12 the Feast of Weeks. Seven weeks later this second feast was celebrated. It was also called the “Feast of Harvest” (Ex. 23:16) or the “day of firstfruits” (Lev. 23:9–22; Num. 28:26–31) and later came to be known as “Pentecost” (Acts 2:1). With the grain harvest completed, this one-day festival was a time of rejoicing. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 50 days after the death of Christ at the Passover, was on Pentecost and gives special meaning to that day for Christians (cf. Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:14–18).
Christ Fulfills Israel’s Feasts
The Feasts (Lev. 23) Christ’s Fulfillment
Passover (March/April) Death of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7)
Unleavened Bread (March/April) Sinlessness of Christ (1 Cor. 5:8) *See below notes on three national feasts
Firstfruits (March/April) Resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15:23)
Pentecost (May/June) Outpouring of Spirit of Christ (Acts 1:5; 2:4) * See below notes on three national feasts.
Trumpets (Sept./Oct.) Israel’s Regathering by Christ (Matt. 24:31)
Atonement (Sept./Oct.) Substitutionary Sacrifice by Christ (Rom. 11:26)
Tabernacles (Sept./Oct.) Rest and Reunion with Christ (Zech. 14:16-19) * See below notes on three national feasts.
*The three major feasts for which all males of Israel were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem (Ex. 23:14-19).
Exodus 23:14-17 NASB 1977
Three National Feasts
14“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15“You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. 16“Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Study Notes: MacArthur Study Bible
23:14–19 Requiring all males to be present for 3 specified feasts at a central sanctuary would have had a socially and religiously uniting effect on the nation. The men must trust the Lord to protect their landholdings while on pilgrimage to the tabernacle (cf. 34:23, 24). All 3 feasts were joyful occasions, being a commemoration of the Exodus (the Feast of Unleavened Bread), an expression of gratitude to God for all the grain He had provided (the Feast of Harvest), and a thanksgiving for the final harvest (the Feast of Ingathering). Alternative names appear in the biblical record for the second and third feasts: the Feast of Weeks (34:22) or Firstfruits (34:22; Acts 2:1), and the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Lev. 23:33–36). For additional discussions, see, Lev. 23:1—24:9; Num. 28, 29; Deut. 16.
Level: Basic
Significance: Remembers the giving of the Torah; also a harvest festival
Observances: Studying Torah
Length: 2 days (Some: 1 day)
Customs: Eating dairy foods
You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days… You shall convoke on this very day — there shall be a holy convocation for yourselves — you shall do no laborious work; it is an eternal decree in your dwelling places for your generations. -Leviticus 21:15-16, 21
(The following comments on Shavuot are gleaned from the article that is contained in the link.)
Shavu’ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).
The period from Passover to Shavu’ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu’ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks, hence the name of the festival. The counting reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Shavu’ot: Passover freed us physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu’ot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. Shavu’ot is also known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day..
It is noteworthy that the holiday is called the time of the giving of the Torah,
Shavu’ot is not tied to a particular calendar date, but to a counting from Passover. Because the length of the months used to be variable, determined by observation, and there are two new moons between Passover and Shavu’ot, Shavu’ot could occur on the 5th or 6th of Sivan. However, now that we have a mathematically determined calendar, and the months between Passover and Shavu’ot do not change length on the mathematical calendar, Shavu’ot is always on the 6th of Sivan (the 6th and 7th outside of Israel.
List of Dates
Shavu’ot will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:
Jewish Year 5777: sunset May 30, 2017 – nightfall June 1, 2017
Jewish Year 5778: sunset May 19, 2018 – nightfall May 21, 2018
Jewish Year 5779: sunset June 8, 2019 – nightfall June 10, 2019
Jewish Year 5780: sunset May 28, 2020 – nightfall May 30, 2020
Jewish Year 5781: sunset May 16, 2021 – nightfall May 18, 2021
In order to see other posts that relate to this series, select category “Journey.”
Eternity 