EndTimes *WhatistheEndTimes'? Theendtimes'arethosetimesdescribedinGod'sWordthatprophesytheendoftheworldasweknowit.Primarily,theendtimesincludestheraptureofallbelieversinJesus,secondcomingofJesus,thetribulation[referto"Tribulation"],theweddingfeastofJesusandHisbride,themillennium[referto"Millennium"],thefinaljudgment,andfinallythenewearthandnewheaven[referto"Heaven"]. *WhentheEndTimes'willtakeplace: God'sWordisveryclearthatonlyGodtheFatherknowswhentheendtimes'willoccur.Thisisfoundin: 1.Matthew24:36"Nooneknowsaboutthatdayorhour,noteventheangelsinheaven,northeSon,butonlytheFather." 2.Matthew24:42"Thereforekeepwatch,becauseyoudonotknowonwhatdayyourLordwillcome." 3.Matthew25:13"Thereforekeepwatch,becauseyoudonotknowthedayorthehour." 4.Acts1:7"Hesaidtothem:ItisnotforyoutoknowthetimesordatestheFatherhassetbyhisownauthority.'" *TheRaptureand/orSecondComing': ThewordrapturecomesfromtheLatinraeptius'whichmeanstoseize,snatchorseizeaway'.Itistakenfrom1Thessalonians4:17"...Afterthat,wewhoarestillaliveandareleftwillbecaughtuptogetherwiththeminthecloudstomeettheLordintheair.AndsowewillbewiththeLordforever."SomescholarsalsoputthistogetherwiththesecondcomingofJesus'.Otherscholarsbelievethatthisisatwopartprocedure.ThefirstpartistherapturewhereallbelieversinJesusaretakenuptobewithHimfoundin1Thessalonians4:15-17and1Corinthians15:51-57.WhilethesecondpartiswhereJesuscomesdowntoearthinallofHisglory(i.e.secondcoming')andjudgestheunbelieversfoundinMatthew24:21-31andMatthew25:31-33.Howeveritmayhappen,itwillbeaglorioustimeforallbelieversinJesus. Thereare3differingviewsregardingwhenthisrapturewilltakeplace: 1.Pre-tribulation'-Thisreferstojustbeforethetribulation.Mostscholarsbelieveinthisbeingthemostprobableviewpoint. 2.Mid-tribulation'-Thiswillhappenattheendofthe3yearswhenthebattlebetweenGodandSatanbegins. 3.Post-tribulation'-ThiswillhappenattheendofthetribulationrightbeforetheweddingfeastofJesusandHisbride(allbelieversinJesus). *TheTribulation: Thisisa7yearperiodoftimewheretheAnti-Christcomestopowerandreigns.Thefirst3yearsarefilledwithprosperityandhappiness,followedbythesecond3yearsofwar,terror,deathandsufferingsometimesreferredtoasArmageddon'.Attheendofthis7yearsSatanandhisfollowers[referto"Satan"]aredefeatedandthrownintotheLakeofFire[referto"Hell"].ThentheweddingfeastofJesusandHisbride(allbelievers)begins.Theweddingfeastincludesthethousandyearscalledthemillennium[referto"Millennium"]. *TheWeddingFeast: Attheendofthetribulation,SatanandhisfollowersaredefeatedandthrownintotheLakeofFireforathousandyears.ThisthousandyearsistheweddingfeastofJesusandHisbride(believersinJesus).ThisisalsoreferredtoasthemillenniumwhereJesus,withthehelpofHisbride,willruleovertheearth[referto"Millennium"]. *TheFinalJudgment: Attheendofthemillennium,SatanandhisfollowersarereleasedfromtheLakeofFireforashorttime.Thisshorttime'willbewheremanyonearth,eventhoughitisJesusrulingoverthem,willfollowafterSatan.Attheendofthisshorttime',Satanandallofhisfollowers(includesthenewfollowers)willbecastintotheLakeofFire.Infact,anyonewhosenameisnotfoundintheBookofLifewillbethrownintotheLakeofFire(someversesrefertoitastheLakeofSulfur) *NewHeavenandNewEarth: Afteralloftheaboveiscompleted,theearthwillbedestroyedandreplacedwithanewoneandJesuswillpresenttoHisbride(allbelieversinJesus)thenewheaventhatHehascreatedforallofusbelievers[referto"Heaven"].Revelation21:1-2describesthisindetail"ThenIsawanewheavenandanewearth,forthefirstheavenandthefirstearthhadpassedaway,andtherewasnolongeranysea.(2)IsawtheHolyCity,thenewJerusalem,comingdownoutofheavenfromGod,preparedasabridebeautifullydressedforherhusband.". *TheFirstandSecondResurrection: InRevelation20:5-6"(Therestofthedeaddidnotcometolifeuntilthethousandyearswereended.)Thisisthefirstresurrection.(6)Blessedandholyarethosewhohavepartinthefirstresurrection.Theseconddeathhasnopoweroverthem,buttheywillbepriestsofGodandofChristandwillreignwithhimforathousandyears."JohntellsusthatthefirstresurrectionarethosethatbelievedinJesus.Whichmeansthatthesecondresurrectionarealloftheothers. *BibleReferences: Matthew24:12-14"Becauseoftheincreaseofwickedness,theloveofmostwillgrowcold,13buthewhostandsfirmtotheendwillbesaved.(14)Andthisgospelofthekingdomwillbepreachedinthewholeworldasatestimonytoallnations,andthentheendwillcome."(NIV) Matthew24:21-24"Forthentherewillbegreatdistress,unequaledfromthebeginningoftheworlduntilnow-andnevertobeequaledagain.(22)Ifthosedayshadnotbeencutshort,noonewouldsurvive,butforthesakeoftheelectthosedayswillbeshortened.(23)Atthattimeifanyonesaystoyou,'Look,hereistheChrist!'or,'Thereheis!'donotbelieveit.(24)ForfalseChrist'sandfalseprophetswillappearandperformgreatsignsandmiraclestodeceiveeventheelect-ifthatwerepossible."(NIV) Matthew24:29"Immediatelyafterthedistressofthosedays'thesunwillbedarkened,andthemoonwillnotgiveitslight;thestarswillfallfromthesky,andtheheavenlybodieswillbeshaken.'"(NIV) Matthew24:30-31"AtthattimethesignoftheSonofManwillappearinthesky,andallthenationsoftheearthwillmourn.TheywillseetheSonofMancomingonthecloudsofthesky,withpowerandgreatglory.(31)Andhewillsendhisangelswithaloudtrumpetcall,andtheywillgatherhiselectfromthefourwinds,fromoneendoftheheavenstotheother."(NIV) Matthew24:36"Nooneknowsaboutthatdayorhour,noteventheangelsinheaven,northeSon,butonlytheFather."(NIV) Matthew24:40-42"Twomenwillbeinthefield;onewillbetakenandtheotherleft.(41)Twowomenwillbegrindingwithahandmill;onewillbetakenandtheotherleft.(42)Thereforekeepwatch,becauseyoudonotknowonwhatdayyourLordwillcome."(NIV) Matthew25:13"Thereforekeepwatch,becauseyoudonotknowthedayorthehour."(NIV) Matthew25:31-33"WhentheSonofMancomesinhisglory,andalltheangelswithhim,hewillsitonhisthroneinheavenlyglory.(32)Allthenationswillbegatheredbeforehim,andhewillseparatethepeopleonefromanotherasashepherdseparatesthesheepfromthegoats.(33)Hewillputthesheeponhisrightandthegoatsonhisleft."(NIV) John14:3"AndifIgoandprepareaplaceforyou,IwillcomebackandtakeyoutobewithmethatyoualsomaybewhereIam."(NIV) Acts1:7"Hesaidtothem:ItisnotforyoutoknowthetimesordatestheFatherhassetbyhisownauthority.'"(NIV) 1Corinthians15:50-55"Ideclaretoyou,brothers,thatfleshandbloodcannotinheritthekingdomofGod,nordoestheperishableinherittheimperishable.(51)Listen,Itellyouamystery:Wewillnotallsleep,butwewillallbechanged-(52)inaflash,inthetwinklingofaneye,atthelasttrumpet.Forthetrumpetwillsound,thedeadwillberaisedimperishable,andwewillbechanged.(53)Fortheperishablemustclotheitselfwiththeimperishable,andthemortalwithimmortality.(54)Whentheperishablehasbeenclothedwiththeimperishable,andthemortalwithimmortality,thenthesayingthatiswrittenwillcometrue:Deathhasbeenswallowedupinvictory.'(55)Where,Odeath,isyourvictory?Where,Odeath,isyoursting?'"(NIV) 1Thessalonians4:15-17"AccordingtotheLord'sownword,wetellyouthatwewhoarestillalive,whoarelefttillthecomingoftheLord,willcertainlynotprecedethosewhohavefallenasleep.(16)FortheLordhimselfwillcomedownfromheaven,withaloudcommand,withthevoiceofthearchangelandwiththetrumpetcallofGod,andthedeadinChristwillrisefirst.(17)Afterthat,wewhoarestillaliveandareleftwillbecaughtuptogetherwiththeminthecloudstomeettheLordintheair.AndsowewillbewiththeLordforever."(NIV) Revelation7:13-14"Thenoneoftheeldersaskedme,Theseinwhiterobes-whoarethey,andwheredidtheycomefrom?'(14)Ianswered,Sir,youknow.'Andhesaid,Thesearetheywhohavecomeoutofthegreattribulation;theyhavewashedtheirrobesandmadethemwhiteinthebloodoftheLamb."(NIV) Revelation11:1-2"Iwasgivenareedlikeameasuringrodandwastold,"GoandmeasurethetempleofGodandthealtar,andcounttheworshipersthere.(2)Butexcludetheoutercourt;donotmeasureit,becauseithasbeengiventotheGentiles.Theywilltrampleontheholycityfor42months."(NIV) Revelation12:6-8"ThewomanfledintothedeserttoaplacepreparedforherbyGod,whereshemightbetakencareoffor1,260days[3years].(7)Andtherewaswarinheaven.Michaelandhisangelsfoughtagainstthedragon,andthedragonandhisangelsfoughtback.(8)Buthewasnotstrongenough,andtheylosttheirplaceinheaven."(NIV) Revelation13:5"Thebeast[Anti-Christ]wasgivenamouthtoutterproudwordsandblasphemiesandtoexercisehisauthorityforforty-twomonths[3years]."(NIV) Revelation16:16-17"ThentheygatheredthekingstogethertotheplacethatinHebrewiscalledArmageddon."(NIV) Revelation20:3"HethrewhimintotheAbyss,andlockedandsealeditoverhim,tokeephimfromdeceivingthenationsanymoreuntilthethousandyearswereended.Afterthat,hemustbesetfreeforashorttime."(NIV) Revelation20:4"Isawthronesonwhichwereseatedthosewhohadbeengivenauthoritytojudge.AndIsawthesoulsofthosewhohadbeenbeheadedbecauseoftheirtestimonyforJesusandbecauseofthewordofGod.Theyhadnotworshipedthebeastorhisimageandhadnotreceivedhismarkontheirforeheadsortheirhands.TheycametolifeandreignedwithChristathousandyears."(NIV) Revelation20:5-6"(Therestofthedeaddidnotcometolifeuntilthethousandyearswereended.)Thisisthefirstresurrection.(6)Blessedandholyarethosewhohavepartinthefirstresurrection.Theseconddeathhasnopoweroverthem,buttheywillbepriestsofGodandofChristandwillreignwithhimforathousandyears."(NIV) Revelation20:13-15"Theseagaveupthedeadthatwereinit,anddeathandHadesgaveupthedeadthatwereinthem,andeachpersonwasjudgedaccordingtowhathehaddone.(14)ThendeathandHadeswerethrownintothelakeoffire.Thelakeoffireistheseconddeath.(15)Ifanyone'snamewasnotfoundwritteninthebookoflife,hewasthrownintothelakeoffire."(NIV) Revelation21:1-2"ThenIsawanewheavenandanewearth,forthefirstheavenandthefirstearthhadpassedaway,andtherewasnolongeranysea.(2)IsawtheHolyCity,thenewJerusalem,comingdownoutofheavenfromGod,preparedasabridebeautifullydressedforherhusband."(NIV) Revelation21:3-4"AndIheardaloudvoicefromthethronesaying,NowthedwellingofGodiswithmen,andhewilllivewiththem.Theywillbehispeople,andGodhimselfwillbewiththemandbetheirGod.(4)Hewillwipeeverytearfromtheireyes.Therewillbenomoredeathormourningorcryingorpain,fortheoldorderofthingshaspassedaway.'"(NIV) Revelation21:9-10"Oneofthesevenangelswhohadthesevenbowlsfullofthesevenlastplaguescameandsaidtome,Come,Iwillshowyouthebride,thewifeoftheLamb.'(10)AndhecarriedmeawayintheSpirittoamountaingreatandhigh,andshowedmetheHolyCity,Jerusalem,comingdownoutofheavenfromGod."(NIV) *Non-BiblicalReferences: Themediaandentertainmentindustriesliketohypothesizeonaspectsoftheendtimes.You'llnotethat,forthemostpart,theyliketotakeBibleinstancesandcreatetheirowninterpretation.Whichisusuallydesignedtoshockus.Thescarypartisthatthebadpartswill,inreality,befarworsethanwhattheyaretryingtoshockuswithandthegoodpartswillbefarbetterthanwhattheycaneverimagine. *Overview: Rememberthattheaboveinformationisaveryroughinterpretation.God'sWordwillgiveyoufarmoredetails,yetwillstillonlybearoughpicture.OnemustalwaysrememberthatevenGod'sAngelsarepuzzledandcuriouswithregardstowhatisinGod'sWord.Inessencetherewillbearaptureofallbelievers,followedby7yearsoftribulation,followedbyathousandyearmarriagefeast(millennium)andfinallyJesuswillprovideHisbrideaneternalhome(heaven). *AdditionalLinks: blank