Chapter 8: The End Times

Come out of her!
Where does the Bible tell you to leave? Of Babylon, the Great
Congregation, Ekklesia
Congregation in Laodicea, compared with congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia
How does God want us to believe and live?
How much faith has God given you?
What kind of world are we living in?
Away from worldly life?
What is worldly life like?
We, believers, are all Jews
Should Christians try to adapt to this world?
What happens at the end of time?
Get away, but where?

 

(2 Cor 6:17 and Rev 18:4)

Come out of her!

Rev 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues,

5 for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Do to her as she herself has done. Give her double for her deeds. Mix a double drink for her in the cup she mixed.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, ‘I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.’
8 Because of this, in one day her plagues shall come: death, and mourning, and famine; and she will be consumed with fire, for the Lord God judging her is strong.”

Why is it important to leave the wrong religion and the wrong church? You may say that all churches have the right faith, but also the wrong interpretation and practice. That’s probably the case. I have not found a church, not a big one, not a small one, that would correctly interpret the word of God and also follow the teachings of the Bible. God also knows the pros and cons of every church. The most important thing is your faith. Bring it up to your God and avoid participating in clearly wrong teachings. The apostles warned, e.g., Luke wrote 21:36  “Therefore be watchful all the time, asking that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

 

Where does the Bible tell you to leave? Of Babylon the Great.

The Bible’s call to leave is in Revelation 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues. In verse 18:2 the Bible says: And he cried in a strong, great voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen! It has fallen, and it has become a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, even having been hated, 18:24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”

Verse 21 tells us what this ‘great Babylon’ really is. It is a great city and a great religion. 21 “Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, The great city Babylon will be thrown down with violent force—and will never be found again.”

Isaiah already predicted the same: 21:9 “… Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.” And Jeremiah 51:37 “Babylon shall become heaps, a home for jackals, a horror and a hissing, without a dweller.”

Strong’s defines Babylon Βαβυλών:

1. allegorically, of Rome as the most corrupt seat of idolatry and the enemy of Christianity

The great city in question, Babylon, is Rome. Rome was called Babylon so that the whereabouts of its congregation would not be revealed during the persecutions. 1 Pet 5:13 “Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son.” – Christians did not have a church in Babylon. Babylon was used as a pseudonym from Rome because it did not want to lead Roman rulers to the church.

According to the Bible, Babylon the Great is “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.” It is not just a church of false religion, but especially its leadership, who dresses in purple and adorns themselves with gold, precious stones, and pearls. The Great Babylon, which has its roots in Mesopotamia, still today has considerable wealth, has even its state and its bank. This religious Babylon has been the founder of the Christian church since the apostolic era. It has shaped it into huge machinery, forgetting the ideal of the apostolic age. It is still the most significant Christian church today, the Roman Catholic Church.

Its history is full of the persecution and torture of those who believed otherwise. It has raised money by selling indulgences for the remission of sins, by which the Catholic Church was funded, e.g., St. Peter’s Church in Rome, built during the 16th and 16th centuries.

Revelation 17 describes this great harlot. Remember, Revelation says, “Come out of her…” The harlot rules the nations, the tribes, and the tongues: 17:15 “He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.” – The number of members of the Catholic Church is estimated at 1.3 billion.

The Roman Catholic Church has been identified as the harlot of the Bible a city built on seven hills. The beast in Revelation 13 refers to the Catholic Church as a political power. In the religious sense, it is a system of false faith, taught by Satan himself. Babylon the Great is not limited to the Roman Catholic Church, but to all the denominations that keep in touch with Rome and the ecumenical movement, it advocates.

God’s appeal to leave it also applies to other churches whose doctrine is not biblical. The problem is that there is no consensus among Christianity, even on the central issues of Christian doctrine. How could a small person solve doctrinal questions when even church leaders have not been able to do so? Some churches may forbid all members to use alcohol as a sin. For another, drinking alcohol is acceptable, but smoking is prohibited under the threat of separation. There are certainly hundreds of doctrinal disputes, both large and small.

However, I would say that Babylon is not just a church; it is a kingdom of Satan that has spread worldwide. Satan’s kingdom encompasses the whole world. It is an invisible kingdom, but it also contains a large visible and physical part, the church led by Satan. Its headquarters is described in the Book of Revelation (a large city built on seven hills). Even if you are not even a member of any church, you can still belong to the kingdom of Satan if you sin and do not apologize to God for it. No church can save you just because you belong to it as a member. Being born again is a personal event that you don’t have to be a member of the “true” church to experience rebirth and whose priest will forgive you of your sins. Only Jesus Christ can forgive sins, and faith will give birth to you again.

 

Congregation, Ekklesia 

 The word church (or congregation) is based on the Greek word ‘ekklesia,’ which means ‘called out.’ The church is described in the Bible as the body of Christ and the temple of God: Ephesians 2:19  “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Christ wants his glorified church should be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:27), separated from worldliness to God.

1 Cor 12:27 adds to the description: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Ephesians speaks of building the body of Christ: 4:10 “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds [The word for “shepherds” (poimenas) can also be correctly translated “pastors.”] and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;” 2 Cor, in turn, describes the temple of God; 6:16 “What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

In its purest form, the church is thus made up of Christ’s believers who have been called out (and left) of the world. 2 Cor 6:17 “Therefore, come out from among them, and be separated, says the Lord, touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.”

Does the biblical exhortation “come out of it” mean leaving the world, or leaving a particular church or doctrine?

  

The congregation in Laodicea compared with congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia 

Jesus says he is vomiting such a person out of his mouth (i.e., out of his body, out of his connection). So revolting is, in Jesus’ view, half-hearted faith.

Mar 8:38 “For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus thinks it would be ideal if a person were burning in spirit, but if he is not, it is better to be openly godless than to be a lukewarm, “odorless and tasteless” intermediate form. Jesus uses the language of “vomiting such a person out of his mouth,” which means he is expelling such a person out of his connection. Jesus does not at all accept as his own other than those believers who are his with all their hearts.

Such a Christian has a very deficient understanding of the doctrines of his church. He does not know what the church teaches, nor can he take a position on the correctness or inaccuracy of the church’s teachings. Such lukewarm believers are nominal Christians who belong to the church but attend services well if once a year, many never do. As early as the OT, the prophet Elijah said to the Israelites: 1 Kin 18:21-22 “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Jehovah is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. The people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah; but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.” – Today, it could be said that the earth is full of priests, but few hold to the truth of the Bible.

The letters to the churches in Revelation and the descriptions of the churches describe the churches of the first century in the territory of present-day Turkey. However, biblical scholars have seen the description of congregations in a broader area of history; the present day is mainly similar to the Laodicean church of the first century of Revelation, which Jesus said he vomited from his mouth. The opposite of Laodicea was the congregation of Smyrna; while the Laodiceans believed they were rich, the Smyrnans considered themselves wretched and poor. However, Jesus testified quite the opposite; Rev 2:9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

God wants people to be powerful in their faith. However, there is a problem with this; if God has given a man faith but little, how could he be like those in Smyrna? Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” 3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.” – Verse 3 contains an important observation; God has given each a certain amount of faith. Some have received a lot and others a little. Presumably, one who has received much faith is more burning in his faith than the one who has received it only a little. It is logical to think that the people of today who live “according to the course of this world” are precisely those who have little faith. Many of them may well be Christians and church members, but they are precisely like the lukewarm that Christ spits out.

And with the final judgment, what kind of judgment will these ‘lukewarm’ receive? Can they plead that they received only a small amount of faith from God? Surely God will consider all such things. After all, he is righteous. A similar figure of speech tells of vessels made by God for regular use, while others are made for a special occasion. Rom 9:21 “Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? 22 Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can’t he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?

Romans deals with the question who are the true children of God, whom God calls: 9:18 “So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?
21  Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the Gentiles as well?
25 As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; And her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
26 It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’
27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, It is the remnant who will be saved; (Along the same lines, Isaiah 10:22 “For though your people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.”)

Do these Bible verses mean that God has already predetermined some people to be “vessels of wrath” and to be destroyed? Is salvation already ruled out for them? Or, is it the case that the Last Judgment treats such people with more tolerance and does not require deeds and the same faith as those who have been given a better starting point in their lives?

 

Congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia

The letters written two millennia ago to the congregations of Smyrna, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are also addressed to future generations i.e. to the present day, and even to the future. How can we know this? If you look at the letter to the angel of the Philadelphia church in Revelation 3:12, you will find that it concerns time in the future; “I [Jesus Christ] will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.“. The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to earth after the Last Judgment, when only the saved believers remain on the earth, to whom the New Jerusalem will descend, and God himself will dwell with them, and he and Jesus Christ will sit on their thrones.

2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
9 I know your suffering, your poverty—though you are rich—and the slander on the part of those who claim to be Jews but aren’t. They are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life.
11 Let the person who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt by the second death.”

To the people of Smyrna, the Lord said he knew their poverty, though they were actually rich. They would be ridiculed and even imprisoned for a short time. By being faithful until death, the Lord gives them the “crown of life,” or eternal life. 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: These things says the Holy One, the True One, the One having “the key of David,” “the One opening, and no one shuts; and shuts, and no one opens:
8 I know your works. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who belong to the synagogue of Satan—those who claim to be Jews and aren’t, but are lying—come and bow down at your feet. Then they will realize that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept my command to endure,  I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth.

11 I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your victor’s crown.
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.
13 Let the person who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

To the people of Smyrna, the Lord said he knew their poverty, though they were actually rich. They would be ridiculed and even imprisoned for a short time. By being faithful until death, the Lord gives them the “crown of life,” or eternal life.

The church in Philadelphia was weak in strength but had heeded the word of God. The Lord promised the church those who said they were Jews but were not them. The Lord said He loved this church and vowed to save them from the world’s plight. “Keep what you have,” the Lord said, promising to make them pillars in the temple of God and take them to the New Jerusalem that descends from heaven to earth.

 

How does God want us to believe and live?

Is believing in God necessary? Many say, “I can be a good person even if I don’t believe in God.” True, many atheists have been better as human beings than many baptized church members. Many freethinkers are more tolerant in their neighbors than Christians, who are willing to send to hell all those who do not biblically believe in God and Christ, that is, in the way that he has defined as right.

The Bible emphasizes your faith. You cannot decide on behalf of another, whether he will be saved or not. It is not for you to pass judgment on your neighbor – if you do, you may be lost.  Act 16:31 “They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” – I interpret this promise to mean that the faith of the head of the family can bring other members of the family into salvation. However, this is not any automation.

In these writings, I have dealt mainly salvation of man’s point of view. Sure, you can worry about saving others and working for it: you can go on a mission to Africa or walk door-to-door in your hometown and try to turn people to the religion you represent. Ask yourself first; do I live my life according to the will of God? What should I do to do God’s will as well I can? What does the Bible give as a guide?

Churches have been making creeds for nearly two millennia. It has been descriptive to them that a believer must obey every word, or else he will not be saved. Salvation depends on the grace of God and Christ. No ecclesiastical assembly has been given the authority to decide the terms of man’s future salvation.

I stated my opinion that in these articles, the Apostles’ Creed is not only the oldest but also the best creed to follow Christ’s teaching. Its first sentences state the most essential: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary…”

It says that God the Father is omnipotent, the creator of heaven and earth. Faith includes believing in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord, born as a human of the Virgin Mary, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. The scholars have debated these few sentences alone over the centuries to explain how Jesus was the creator of the world and how Jesus existed before everything else, etc. What is the result? It is that the churches of the world are doctrinally divided and cannot find a common Christian faith.

How could a simple little man be wiser in this matter than the theologians of the churches? How could one resolve doctrinal controversies and interpretations when even churches are unable to do so? No human salvation can depend on choosing the right doctrinal understanding. It is enough to believe in God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, for example, according to the Apostles’ Creed. 

 

How much faith has God given you?

 Is faith the gift of the Holy Spirit in the same way as many other gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians? In his Romans, Paul says: 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.”

I drew my attention to the phrase “on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.” So, God determines the amount of faith to be given to each. When I look at the society around me and the whole world, it feels like there is very little faith, and very few have got it. So worldly are people’s lives. If one has gained little faith, he can ask God for more. Even the apostles did! Luk 17:5 “Then the apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”

Faith is the central pillar of the Christian life. It is worth cherishing and asking for more. God doesn’t mind, even if you ask for more every day. 1 Cor 12:8-9 “ [it is God who works all things in all.] 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;… to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit.”

I believe the blessing consequences of faith are enormous:

Joh 3:15 “  that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life..
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”

Joh 11:26 “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Joh 14:12 “Most assuredly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these will he do; because I am going to my Father.”

The Bible says that man is judged according to his deeds. Over the centuries, scholars have emphasized in gaining salvation, sometimes deeds, sometimes faith, or the grace of God. I can say with certainty that man cannot guarantee himself salvation based on his own merits. Faith saves by the grace of God – deeds are the result of faith. Jacob’s letter aptly describes the relationship between these factors: 2:18 “But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without any works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

 

What kind of world are we living in?

If I tell a believer that the world is in the power of Satan and not God or Christ, he will look at me in disbelief. If I add saying that God himself has given the world control over Satan, he may outright get angry and ask me which satanic sect I am preaching.

How do we know that God has given this world to Satan? Satan himself assured Jesus that this was the case: Luk 4:6 “The  devil said to Jesus,  “I will give you all this authority and the glory of these kingdoms.  For it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.”

 

How can we believe Satan; after all, he is the father of lies? Jesus did not deny that it was not as Satan said. The apostles also confirmed Satan’s power in the world: 1 Joh 5:19 “ We know that we are from God and that the whole world lies under the control of the evil one.” 2 Cor 4:4 “In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God .” – Paul speaks of Satan using the phrase “god of this world.”

Very few know that Satan rules this world. God gave the world to Satan under his power but not permanently. Man cannot take it away from him. We can only wait until Christ comes and captures Satan for a thousand years. In the meantime, we can only do as the Bible says: “Therefore, Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord, ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.” (2 Kor 6:17) or as the Revelation says: 18:4 “ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.”

The book of Ephesians:
2:2 “ in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;”

The following are central to the relationship between man and God:

– God created man in His image. The purpose of God is to restore man from the present state of humiliation to the image of God and to restore to man all the qualities and powers which man had after the creation of God.

– After the Fall, God gave control of the world to Satan. The Bible warns against wandering and adapting to “the king of this world.”

– God will soon destroy the world ruled by Satan. Satan, who is still the king of this world, rejoices when the instruction he pursues the conduct of humanity, has supplanted Christ’s direction. Satan’s Guidelines are: life is short, make the most of it, live on this day.

– According to what kind of faith does God want us to live? What is the faith from which God wants us to depart? For example, should one believe that even though God is one, he is still triune? See. e.g., the Creed of Athanasius.

Paul describes humanity in his letter to Timothy:

2 Tim 3:1 “ But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come..
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
4 traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5  holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. Turn away from these, also.”

Rom 16:17 “Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.” James sanoi: 4:4 “You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Joh 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Romans 11:23: “They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” – The result will be that there is only one Israel — natural (historical) Israel plus reborn believers from among the nations — both grafted into one and the same olive tree.
Because of his unbelief, the branches of natural Israel have been folded out of Israel’s olive tree. Jesus said in John 6:37 “Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never turn away.” – Most Jews, natural Israel, have not turned to Christ. A small part has been converted, and they are called Messianic Jews. It is also to be expected at the end of time that a large number of Jews will turn to Christ. Rom 11:25 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are. A partial hardening has come on Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob..” 

Jam 4:4 “You adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

Jesus taught us saying: “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mat 6:33)   – However, people have begun to look for everything else, and the search for the kingdom of God has been left entirely in the background.

 

Away from worldly life?

God’s exhortation to “get out of it” is about leaving the wrong religion and breaking away from the worldly way of life. Jesus said he was humble and also wanted his followers to be alike. To a rich young man who asked how he could enter the kingdom of God, Jesus said as a guide Mat 19:21 “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

– This should not be understood as meaning that every Christian must sell his possessions and then live from hand to mouth and day to day. The instruction probably concerned the possibility that the rich man wanted to become one of the apostles. There were also wealthy believers in Jesus’ circle of acquaintances, and Jesus did not instruct them to sell their possessions. Wealth and its pursuit can easily lead to excesses, and a person loses the most important thing in his life. As Jesus said to Satan, who tempted him Mat 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus also instructed, “Seek first God’s kingdom” Mat 6:31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed? 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”

In this chapter of Matthew, Jesus instructed how to pray to God. 6:8 “Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. 6:19 Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But treasure up for you treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust cause to vanish, and where thieves do not dig through and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Rom 8:35 “Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a sword? 8:39 nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

 

What is worldly life like?

When the Bible urges us to ‘get out of it’, it can mean two different things: most may feel the command to separate from a church that offers false doctrine. Another thing that we should keep out is the wrong way of life, worldly life. Worldliness is the word that describes the vast majority of the world’s people.

Joh 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you..” 

1 Tim 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – Paul had made this observation about two thousand years ago, and we can say that the way the world is going is the same.

Paul writes instructions to the Philippians: 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputes, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,”

The crooked and perverse generation is already spoken of in Deuteronomy 32:5: “They have corrupted themselves; they are not his sons; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation..

What other than money do the people of the world seek? Everything starts with money, because it gives you everything you can only hope for. Each person has their dreams; A great car is number one on the wish list for many. A long vacation in the Caribbean, a new bigger house, beautiful clothes, and jewelry, etc.

Paul was a tentmaker by profession. For that work, he supported himself and did not expect others to pay for his life. He must have received a grant for his travels and was taken care of by local parishioners. However, he understood that God had chosen His followers from an impoverished population. James wrote: 2:5 “Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?”

Luke was on the same lines: Luk 6:20 “He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.”

Does the poor have better opportunities than others, middle-income people? Jesus urged the rich young man to sell his possessions and follow him. In the second passage, Jesus rebuked his disciples, Mar 14:7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.”

As early as the time of Moses, the Bible recalls: Deuteronomy 15:11 “For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.”

John instructs, 1 Joh 2:15 “Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.”

If God wants us not to love the world, does God want us to remain poor? How does God view human prosperity?

Christ says in  Joh 10:10: “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” 3 Joh 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.” – Success εὐοδόω euodoō G2137 means to prosper, be successful. Prov 10:4 tells: “He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, But the hand of the diligent brings wealth.”

Job was a prosperous man, as the book of Job says. Satan claimed to God that Job’s obedience was because God had given Job worldly success and wealth. God allowed Satan to deprive Job of all his possessions and health. When Satan’s plot failed, God restored Job to his position as a rich man: Job 42:12 “And Jehovah blessed the latter days of Job more than the earlier days. And to him were fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.”

I just quoted Paul’s letter to Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain.” God does not oppose success and prosperity. It’s about the attitude of the heart and the order of importance of values. When you first seek the kingdom of God,… wealth may come. The most important things, however, first.

1 Joh 2:15 “Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.”

Isaac called his eldest son Esau, saying: 1 Moos 27:4 “ And make for me delicious things, such as I love, and bring to me, and I will eat; so that my soul may bless you before I die.” – Everyday food was probably simple, but on holidays like weddings, gourmet food and wine were offered.

We remember the story of the wedding in Canaan. The mother of Jesus was in pain and said to Jesus in this way; Jesus, what do we do now? We have no more win! Maybe it would have been time for the guests to go home, but Jesus understood the situation and asked to bring six large containers of water. It was his first miracle to turn water into wine, in large barrels. When we read the Bible carefully and thoughtfully, we find out that the guests were already drunk. The groom said, wondering, ” Everyone serves the best wine first, and the cheap kind when people are drunk. But you have kept the best wine until now!” Jesus had turned water into excellent wine. (John 2: 1-11) Jesus condemned heavy drinkers but understood that in particular situations, one could deviate from the limits of reasonableness.

At the beginning of Ecclesiastes, the author, probably Solomon, writes: 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” – Perhaps not all of man’s deeds are in vain, but many of the things that man seeks and dreams of indeed are. Many could look in their wardrobes; are all beautiful clothes and shoes necessary? Is it essential to replace the car with a new one? What about expensive vacations? Do these bring happiness and content to life?

Galatians describes the unhealthy behaviors and pleasures of life: 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” –In contrast, the Holy Spirit offers its fruit: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Many religious organizations outright condemn smoking tobacco, playing cards, watching television, alcohol etc. I once asked a Jehovah’s Witness why they ban their members from smoking under the threat of being fired if he disobeyed. In answer to my question, I only got a question “do you believe smoking is healthy for you?”. These ban lists are special in that some religious group bans smoking but allows drinking wine. Another group strictly forbids the consumption of wine and all alcohol, but allows smoking, even for children.

Eccl 10:19 “A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes the life glad; And money is the answer for all things.” But, there is a limit to everything: 1 Cor 6:10 “nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

What about our appearance? How much money we spend on improving the way we look! Clothes, make-up accessories, cosmetic surgeries, etc. If nothing is enough, so go to a tattoo shop and take your whole body full of tattoos. I guess such behavior was already familiar in the days of Moses. Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Jehovah.”

Such behavior degrades the relationship between man and God; Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” – God created man in his image. Over the millennia, man has degenerated in many ways, including in appearance. However, a full-body tattoo does not restore a person to the image of God. It will happen after the resurrection.

Jam 4:4 “You adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.”

2 Cor 6:14 “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? 15 What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people. 17 Therefore, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. 18 I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Hos 1:10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured nor numbered; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, they will be called ‘sons of the living God.”

Ilm 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.”

Eccl 1:17 “I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

Luk 17:26 “As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built,
29  but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all,
30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”

Jesus will come during the great tribulation in the last days. At that time, the first resurrection takes place; the dead in Christ rise first, and Christ’s own still living on earth, rise next to meet Christ “in the clouds.” The same way Christ ascended to heaven. Surely Christ did not stay in the clouds or the sky. He went to God, but where God’s heaven is, no one can explain. I guess that he is here close to us but in a different dimension. Scientists have estimated that there are 10-11 different dimensions. No one has been able to explain these dimensions outside the four dimensions that we all know.

When Christ establishes his Millennial kingdom, the leadership of the kingdom may be near us, but invisible in heaven, yet it guides the events of the world. Luk 17:33 “Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left. 35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.”

 

Same-sex relationships, even marriages, are legalized and are considered perfectly acceptable.

When God had decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the men of Sodom invaded Lot’s house to have sex with the guests of Lot. However, the guests were angels and had come to warn Lot. If a man sleeps with a man as he does with a woman, they have both committed a horrible act and must be killed. They have deserved to die. (Leviticus 20:13) – This commandment of the Bible is now superseded. Instead of being killed, they are married!

Rom 1:26 “For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature; 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.”

1 Cor 6:9 “Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,”

1 Tim 1:9 “as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine.”

At least the Lutheran Church tacitly accepts homosexual relationships. Even gay couples are married. Many smaller religious communities, for whom it is still essential to keep the word of God, categorically refuse to accept such a sinful practice forbidden in the Bible. Were the above quotations not explicit prohibitions? How many scholars spin these bans in an attempt to interpret them differently? Can a Christian choose from the instructions in the Bible some that he does not want to follow? Can a Christian disobey any of the clear commandments of the Bible because “society has changed and become more tolerant?”

 

What to think about the female priesthood?

All of Jesus’ apostles were men. From those days, first the Catholic Church and even after the Reformation, other churches followed this practice that only a man could be ordained a priest. It seemed to form as if a ‘divine’ instruction. In the Bible, we find several arguments in favor of men, but none in favor of a woman being worthy of the office of priest of the congregation.

But, to be honest, nowhere does the Bible explicitly forbid appointing a woman to be a priest.

In his letter to Romans, Paul sends greetings to Priska:16:3 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,” – Does Paul mean with fellow worker a partner like a priest? KJV talks about Priska as an assistant, helper. The Greek word συνεργός synergos has been translated as ‘fellow workers’ in many parts of the UT.

This is probably quite right because there were no ordained priests to serve the congregation at that time. The priests and bishops did appear in the Catholic Church fairly soon when the apostolic faith also began to crumble. The office of priest remained in the hands of men until very recently.

However, there are verses in the Bible that, for a good reason, can be considered to mean that women should not take on a priest-like role in the church. In the role of the priest, I highlight the speaking and explanation of the word of God. The following terms of Corinthians are evident in this regard:1 Cor 14:34 “Let your women be silent in the churches, for it is not allowed to them to speak, but to be in subjection, as also the Law says. 35 But if they desire to learn anything, let them question their husbands at home; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in a church.” This means that

Wives should be silent in church meetings

They are not allowed to speak

They must be obedient to their husbands according to the law

If they want information about something, they should ask their husband at home

It is a disgrace for a woman to speak in a church

Someone has explained this silence of wives that it concerns the prohibition of disruptive behavior. Women, you know, how they babble all the time. I don’t think that’s the point. Paul, I think, found women’s level of knowledge so low that he urged women to be quiet and ask their better-informed men. Paul’s conception of women was not very modern. 1 Tim 2:9 “In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing, 10 but what becomes women professing fear of God, through good works. 11 Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection; 12 But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.”

According to Paul, women should be decent in dressing and adorning themselves. Women should learn in silence and be in all respects submissive. Paul does not allow a woman to teach, nor does a wife rule over her husband. Wives must live in silence. – What if the wife has a doctorate in theology, couldn’t the husband ask her for advice on a question of Bible interpretation?

However, these teachings of Paul contradict other notions presented by Paul. He assures that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). Is it to be understood, then, that according to Paul, a woman is also equal in Christ, as long as she is silent and submissive?

However, Paul’s writings must be given full value, for he has received his office ”not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal 1:1) 

 

We, believers, are all Jews

It is Paul who says: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.” (Rom 2:28-29)

“Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.” – All who receive Jesus Christ in faith are ‘children of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.’ Jews have no privilege. Today they are not in high numbers seeking to become disciples of Christ. But that time is still to be seen! 1 Joh 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

5:18 “We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.” 

 

Should Christians try to adapt to this world?

The course of this world is accelerating. It is related to rising living standards. It is connected to technological development, and humanity will have access to new and excellent technical services; 3G – 4G – now 5G is making its coming, etc. Think of the development over the last hundred years compared to the first century, when there was no technical development at all. Luk 17:26 “As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all.
30  It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”

The development of society and humanity is linked to the course of development described by Luke above. It culminates in the second coming of Jesus Christ. As we now live in the last days, the end times, everyone should ask themselves these important questions: Will I continue my life on this “squirrel wheel”, that is, will I try to adapt to the lifestyle led by the king of this world. Am I trying to persevere in this modern way of life, trying to make sure I don’t let Satan get hold of me. Or, should I leave this Satan-led religious and worldly system altogether?

The world is fast becoming like it was in the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.

Peter encourages: 1 Piet 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;  2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries. 4 They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming: 5 who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

 

What happens at the end of time?

In my previous article, I wrote about preterists who claim, by their interpretation, that Satan has already been destroyed and that Christ rules the world from his invisible Kingdom. Even if Christ ruled his invisible Kingdom, this visible and concrete kingdom is strictly under Satan’s control.

Rev 12:9 tells of the near future: “The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.. – The above verse shows that Satan’s influence is worldwide. It does not mean that Satan has taken possession of every human being, but that he has people under his control everywhere. The next verse tells us that Satan will be cast out of heaven. 10 “I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.”

– Has this already happened? Many believe so and interpret it that Christ, in receiving all power from God in heaven and on earth, two thousand years ago cast Satan out of heaven with a great multitude of angels. Could this interpretation be correct? I have already proposed that the words of the verse, “The time has come … the kingdom of God and his anointed power” must be interpreted strictly. When Satan is cast out of heaven, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ come at the same time. After all, the kingdom of God has been in heaven forever, so this refers to the coming of the kingdom of God to earth. The coming of the kingdom of God to earth means the coming of the Millennial reign of Christ. At the same time comes the power of God’s anointed one, or Christ, as he rules the Millennial Kingdom together with the saints. That has not yet happened, which means that this fulfillment of the verse in Revelation is in the future.

However, the above reasoning does not mean that Satan and his angels and demons did not do their mole work right from the time God gave the world Satan control. Ephesians testifies to this. The New Testament contains descriptions of the activities of demons during Jesus’ earthly activity. This is recorded in Ephesians 2: 2 “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience.”

God’s own people Israel faced great calamity and destruction in 586 BC when Israel was taken into exile. There were only a fraction of the migrants when the nation was allowed to return after 50 years. The return to poverty did not attract, but the returnees made every effort to build the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. Another destruction occurred in 70 A.D. when the Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem and its second temple on the ground. The tribes of Israel were scattered among the nations of the world. They were in this state until the 20th century. In the German-ruled countries, about six million Jews were persecuted and exterminated in concentration camps in the 1940s. However, the world woke up to the persecution of the people of Israel, and a desire arose to help Israel return to the land God promised them. Jews from all over returned to the Promised Land, which declared independence in 1948.The Jews have still not received Christ except for a small number of Messianic Jews. In the end times, according to the Bible, Israel will experience a powerful revival.

Already Jeremiah prophesied the end times of 30:23 “Behold, the tempest of Jehovah: fury goes forth, a sweeping tempest; it shall swirl on the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of Jehovah shall not turn back until he has finished, and until he has fulfilled the intentions of his heart. In latter days you will understand it.” 31:1 “At that time, says Jehovah, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people..” 2 So says Jehovah, Israel, the people, the survivors of the sword, have found grace in the wilderness, I will go to give rest to him.” God promises: 31:4 “Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: again shall you be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry.”

Only the remains of two tribes returned from Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerns the times to come when God brings into His land all the tribes of Israel. It is the end of the second diaspora in the late 1940s, at the “end of time.” Did all the tribes of Israel return at that time? Or even representatives of all tribes? Where had they been? They were among all nations, but even there, the Jews have been isolated and remained in their communities. The RCG Church has written a book on lost tribes, but how reliable is it? After this, according to the Bible, it will still be the case that Israel, adhering to the Old covenant, will find salvation: Hos 3: 5“Afterward the sons of Israel shall return and seek Jehovah their God and David their king. And they shall fear Jehovah and his goodness in the ends of the days.”

The Bible promises that the twelve apostles will each be ruling one of the twelve tribes of Israel. David is raised to be the king of all Israel. Jesus Christ will be the king of the world throughout the Millennium.

Zechariah prophesies: 13: 8 “It shall happen that in all the land,” says Jehovah, Two parts in it will be cut off and die; But the third will be left in it. 9 I will bring the third part into the fire, And will refine them as silver is refined, And will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is my people;’ And they will say, ‘Jehovah is my God..”

“The Times of the Gentiles” began in 70 A.D. and ended in 1967 in the War Between Israel and the Arab powers and resulted in reclaiming the whole of Jerusalem, and especially its Temple Mountain, to the Jews. Luke 21:24 “They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

In his Romans, Paul testifies of the coming conversion of Israel: 11:25 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are. A partial hardening has come on Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

From this, we can read between the lines that Israel’s hardening will end, and it will turn to Christ when “the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” What do these mean: this time, the full number of the Gentiles, and has come in? I interpret it to say that God has decided that a certain minimum number of Gentiles will turn to him. Entered, that is, converted into Christianity and believers worthy of the kingdom of God.

Already in the time of Moses, it was prophesied to happen to Israel during the end times: Deu 4:27 “And Jehovah shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations to which Jehovah shall lead you away. 4:29 And if you shall seek Jehovah your God from there, then you shall find him, if you seek Him with your whole heart, and with all your soul, 30 in your distress, when all these things have found you, in the latter days, then you shall return to Jehovah your God, and shall listen to his voice.”

The above verses testify to the return of the Jews to God. When Christ sits on the throne next to God, it is impossible to think that the Jews would return only to God the Father and ignore Christ, the Christ who has all power both in heaven and on earth. The return will take place at the end phase of the last times. In the end, two-thirds of the Jewish people will be destroyed, and the remaining third will be the one who returns to the Father and Christ (see Zechariah 13:8 above).

After the time of great tribulation, in the Lord’s day. Then, during the 3.5 years, various trials will follow for humanity, especially for the beast’s followers. “Seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God”. Rev 15:7 > “One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.” War against the Lamb: Rev 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful.” – The forces of Christ win. The beast (the Antichrist) will be overthrown, as will Babylon the Great, whom the Antichrist hates.

Then comes God’s call: “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.” (Rev 18:4) Followed by: Rev 19:6 “And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty, reigns. 19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”

God Almighty will rule from now on. He will destroy all resistance. Rev 19:19 “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with 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 that burns with sulfur.” 

 

Get away! But where?

God urges us to depart from false religion and worldly lifestyles. However, God does not say unequivocally where one should go so as not to share in the sins of false religion and the world.

I resigned from the Church in 1969. At the time, as a young student, I was not yet interested in doctrinal issues. At that time, a new and as I thought, a horribly expensive church was being built in my hometown. I thought that money could have been better used to help people. The Church became beautiful, and now I would not resist building such a church. I have seen many old and beautiful churches, and I understand people’s desire to construct churches to God’s glory. Many small religious communities have their meeting facilities, simpler and cheaper. Often these are built by the parishioners, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The reason for my leaving was also the institutionalization of the Church. The Church seemed to be more concerned about the Church’s economy than bringing people into contact with God. Priests are like civil servants. I don’t approve of female priesthood either, but I do accept other roles for women in the Church.

I later read a lot of different church programs when I felt God calling me. The Mormons visited me once, Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years. I want to say good things about them as people. The individual witnesses were God-loving, kind people. However, their doctrine was not entirely in accordance with the Bible, so I abandoned them.

I could not choose any other church to replace but was left alone with my God. I have published these articles since 2016 also in English, my third language, in this site “Bibleconcealed.com.”

So, if you leave, then where do you go? I was recently contacted by a person who, like me, left his Church. Now he too writes on biblical topics. A small circle of similar individuals accompanies him. Such rings of believers certainly are here and there. At least these individuals are strong in their faith and probably want new members to join them.

 

 

 

 

Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.  (2 Cor 11:14)

2 Tim 3:1 You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, braggarts, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural feeling, unyielding, slanderers, without self-control, savage, haters of good, 4 betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.

2 Cor 11:13 For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  15 It is not a great thing, then, if also his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

In the last days Satan will do everything to mislead people to believe wrong, and he will not find it difficult because people just want to hear the words of their own mind. If Satan has become the “angel of light,” he will be followed by the priests of church. Often these may mean well but without understanding who they actually are serving. Rev 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you don’t participate in her sins and suffer from her plagues.

In Matthew 24, Jesus warns of the ministers of the Church who prove that Jesus is the Christ, but they deceive many by misrepresenting the word of the gospel. Mat 24:4 Jesus answered them: See to it that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name and say, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many people.  6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn’t come yet.  7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are only the beginning of the birth pains.  9 Then they will hand you over to suffering and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 10 Then many people will fall by the way and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people, 12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold.  13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

Jde 1:14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

2 Tim 4:3 For a time will be when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, they will heap up to themselves teachers tickling the ear; – People just want to hear nice teachings that “tickle their ears”.

2 Pet 2:1 Now there were false prophets among the people, just as there also will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Today, it is fashionable to support same-sex marriages in the spirit of equality. Homosexual relationships in general are acceptable. Today, they are said to be different than before. Now they are said to be based on love, whereas before they were strictly forbidden in God’s word. What should be said about the present day churches and the priests of the Church? There is little teaching in services. Perhaps a couple of verses from a gospel are read. Church service has become an entertaining event with choirs, singers and music. The Church has accepted the doctrines contrary to the Bible, there are female priests and gay marriages. The condemning word of the Bible is no longer heard in our time.

Biblical faith is currently weak. According to a survey 4/2015 only 46 per cent of those who are members in a Christian denomination believe God sent his son Jesus on earth. Only 42 per cent believe in God and only 13 per cent believe in him the way he is presented in the Bible. Jesus said, Luke 18: 8 … “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?“

2 Tim 3:1 They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people. – People are like this even today. This has been said, especially of young people, even in ancient times. Yes, pleasures people long for. Professing believers rarely use their time prospecting Bible truth.
Isa 29:13 says: And the Lord says, Because this people draws near with its mouth, and they honor me with its lip; but its heart is far from me, and their fear of me is taught by the command of men;
14 So, behold, I am adding to do a wonders with this people, the wonder, even a wonder. For the wisdom of his wise ones shall perish, and the wit of his witty ones shall be hidden.

In the Revelation, Christ states about a church that there are few names that have not tarnished their clothes, and they can walk with Him in white clothes, for they are worthy of it (Rev. 3: 4). Today, Christians live largely in ‘Laodicean’ church; they say they are rich, but they are neither cold nor hot. Such people Jesus spits out of his mouth.

 

There is a great tribulation in the world.

Here are some Bible verses:

Mat 24:6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed. These things must take place, but the end hasn’t come yet. 7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

These verses describe the wars of the world, which have killed tens of millions of people, both in military action and in epidemics during and after the wars. There may still be new and more terrible wars that maybe even nuclear wars.

8 But all these things are only the beginning of the birth pains.

Worse is still to come.

9 Then they will hand you over to suffering and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name. – Many of the believers and the reborn hope that God would save them before the start of the whole tribulation. This verse of the Bible also confirms that the chosen ones are also experiencing martyrdom. The Antichrist (beast) persecutes Christians of conviction.

10 Then many people will fall by the way and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people, 12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold.
13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.

The Bible or a part of it (the Gospels) have already been translated as far as I know into over two hundred languages. In the verse above, it is said that “as a testimony to all the nations”. It does not mean that every person on earth should receive accurate information on the gospel. But every nation must be aware of it. This is also evidenced by the Bible by telling how in the millennial kingdom teachers are sent to the gentiles to evangelize God’s kingdom. There will be enough work in the future, but no one will be left without knowledge.

15 So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note)
21 For then shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be;
22 And except those days were shortened, not any flesh would be saved. But on account of the elect, those days will be shortened.

Humanity is on the brink of destruction, but for the sake of the chosen ones the duration of the tribulation and destruction has been shortened. Even so, despite the fact that the chosen ones have been betrayed and abandon faith by the great miracles of the false prophet.

23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’, don’t believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. – This verse speaks of false Christs and false prophets in the plural. Surely this is so, but the Book of Revelation speaks of another beast, which performs amazing miracles, and even the chosen ones believe in false the Christ.

27 For as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of man.
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends.

Many interpret this verse to mean gathering of the members of the resurrection and rapture. In my view, at this stage, the rapture has already happened and these people are the survivors of the so-called great multitude who are still on earth and are being gathered together in the Mount Zion.

Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah. 32 For it shall be, all who shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved. For salvation shall be in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, as Jehovah has said, and among the saved whom Jehovah shall call.

Mat 24:42 So keep on watching, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming. 25:13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Jesus urges us to be awake because we do not know the day nor the hour. In other words, He tells His own to be careful and to observe all the signs. Wars and diseases are a clear sign despite the fact that wars and diseases have been through time.

Mat 24:32 But learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts out its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

Another sign is revealed by His fig tree parable. Fig tree has long been regarded as a symbol of the state of Israel. When Israel had been in diaspora after the destruction of Jerusalem in the seventies, there seemed to be not the slightest sign of Israel returning to its promised land, not to speak of establishing its own state. However, the events proceeded and the state of Israel was established in 1948! “Summer is near”!

See also the next article.

 

Jesus Rescues His Own: … and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 The 1:10)

God has not destined us to wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 The 5:9)

God has promised that his faithful will be rescued from this horrible trial of the wrath of the Lord’s Day, which, as 2 Peter 3:10 says … But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with rushing sound, and having burned the elements will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be burned up.

Dan 12:1 … And at that time, Michael shall stand up, the great ruler who stands for the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of distress, such as has not been from the existence of a nation until that time. And at that time, your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the Book. – מָלַט mâlaṭ, Strong’s H4422: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.

… and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 The 1:10) Rescue: ῥύομαι rhyomai G 4506: to draw to one’s self, to rescue, to deliver. – God’s wrath meets this world, but Jesus saves everyone whose name is written in the Book. The book refers to the Book of Life.

Rev 3:10 [to the church in Philadelphia] Because you have kept my command to endure, I will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth.

Rom 5:9 Now that we have been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from wrath through him! [Christ].

Gen 19:15 And when the dawn rose, then the angels urged Lot, saying, rise up, take your wife and your two daughters who are present, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city. … 19:22 Hurry, escape there, for I am not able to do anything until you have come there. So the name of the city was called Zoar. 19:24 And Jehovah rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from Jehovah out of the heavens. – In this familiar story, God had decided to destroy Sodom because it was full of sin. However, the Lord waited for Lot and his family to escape from the city. If God waited in the Old Testament’s time that Lot’s family reached safety, then today it is a matter of a lot more people because in the Bible Christ promises to rescue his own. After all, every born-again is protected by the seal of God.

 

 

 

PART 1: The Rapture and the Lord’s day (written Nov. 2016)

When Is the Rapture going to take place?
The Great Tribulation
The Lord’s Day of Wrath
Are the Christ’s own still on Earth during the Lord’s Day?
The Marriage of the Lamb

PART 2: End-time misinterpretations   (written Oct. 2020)

The prophecy of Daniel 9
Defining the beginning of prophecy
Two alternative explanations of Daniel 9’s prophecy
The traditional interpretation of the last episode
Another interpretation.
Why is the traditional interpretation of Dan 9:24 wrong?
End time – last days 
Will the rapture take place before the coming of the Antichrist and the times of tribulation?
Section 1: Johan Malan’s interpretation
The one who restrains  
Section 2: I comment on the above in my own view
Great apostasy, what is it?
The Antichrist and the Day of the Lord
Will the rapture take place before the coming of the Antichrist and the times of tribulation?

 

When Is the Rapture going to take place? 

Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 The 4:17)

… in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1 Cor 15:52)

The rapture is related to both the first resurrection and the second coming of Jesus. 1 Cor 15:52 “In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.

 1 The 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

The dead rise up in the spirit body and change with the living resurrected into angel-like spirits. Both groups are gathered in the clouds to meet Christ, and they will always be with the Lord Jesus. However, Jesus does not yet come to earth right away. The Bible does not specify the exact date but describes the earth’s conditions where the resurrection takes place.

Only when the 7th trumpet is sounding the resurrection occurs – it follows that the believers will have to be on the earth for a long time, waiting for the rapture. The resurrection/rapture takes place according to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians close to Jesus’ coming:1 Cor 15:52″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.”

1 The 4:16 “Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel’s voice, and with God’s trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Matthew also writes about what happens after the days of the great tribulation: the sun is darkened, the powers of the heavens are shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven and people see Jesus coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory (Mat 24:30 KJV).

Mat 24:29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from Heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory.

31 And He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to another.

Verse 29 fixes the time of these events in time after the tribulation. Then in the sky happen something which all people see: the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky … Then the sign of Christ appears in the sky, and people will see Christ coming in the clouds of Heaven in glory. The cry is loud. Jesus sends his angels when the seventh, i.e., the last trump sounds, then his angel compile previously selected survivors from all over the world. Even before them, dead in Christ have risen, and these living ones are combined. All the resurrected have changed and have received their new spirit bodies.

Is the great trumpet of Mat 24:31, the same and final trumpet, of which is spoken of in Cor 15:52 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. – The seventh and final trumpet (Hebr. Zophar) is the one and the same. The Bible does not speak of the eighth trumpet. When we consider what happens when the last i.e. seventh trumpet is sounding loud, the answer is:

1) The dead referred to by the Cor. letter rise, and immediately with Christ, the living ones on earth will be transformed into spiritual bodies, and they will rise (together) up to meet Jesus.

2) When the resurrected are meeting Jesus in the clouds, Jesus sends his angels down to the earth to assemble the chosen Christians, the so-called great multitude of saved ones. Many of them are spared at the very last moment. They shall continue living on the earth, and they shall be gathered in mount Zion in Jerusalem.

 

The Great Tribulation.

The Great Tribulation, which Christ tells in Matthew 24th, precedes his second coming. World Wars, Natural Disasters, and False Prophets are all Satan’s accomplishments. The punishment for mankind, to which all this culminates, is God’s punishment for the sins of mankind.

Mat 24:3: “As he [Jesus] 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.
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.
13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
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.
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),
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. 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.
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.”

It is described, for example, by Daniel, who connects it to the last week in the 70 weeks. A “week” in the prophetic time count means seven years, i.e., each day of the week corresponds to one year. The last, i.e., the seventieth week in Daniel’s terminology, begins when The Antichrist makes an alliance with Israel for seven years. The time of the tribulation is divided into two periods of three and a half years. These calculations use a so-called prophetic year, which has 360 days a year. For example, this is well demonstrated in Rev 11:2, “But don’t measure the courtyard outside the temple. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the Holy City [Jerusalem] for forty-two months. 3 I will give my two witnesses who wear sackcloth the authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.” – 1260 days = 3 ½ years.

The first part is the tribulation period and is affected by Satan and his deputies; power is in the world with the beasts described in the Revelation: the Dragon [Satan] and the people who serve him, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

Eph 6:12 tells us clearly against whom Christians must fight: “For our struggle is not against a human opponent, [Lit. flesh and blood] but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers in the darkness around us, against evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.”

During tribulation time, the world is influenced by the Dragon (the devil), who gives power to the beast. Who is this beast? There are a lot of opinions and guesswork about this. The beast, probably a governmental organization (confederation of ten), is the biggest policymaker in the near future for all the worst. The Bible describes the beast with symbolic words: Rev 13:1 “And I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten diadems, and on its heads names of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and its feet as of a bear, and its mouth as a lion’s mouth. And the Dragon gave its power to it, and its throne, and great authority.”

Daniel explains what the beast is: Dan 7:23 “And He said: The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down and crush it.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings; they shall rise, and another shall rise after them. And he shall be different from the first, and he shall humble three kings.
25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High. And he intends to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one half time [42 months].
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his rulership, to cut off and to destroy until the end.
27 And the kingdom and rulership, and the greatness of the kingdom under all the heavens shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And all kingdoms shall serve and obey Him.“

Dan 12:1: “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.”
Rev 13: “And they worshiped the Dragon [Satan] who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast; who is able to make war with it?
5 The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for forty-two months.
6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God and to blaspheme his name and his residence, [Lit. tent], that is, those who are living in Heaven.
7 It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

There are God’s chosen ones in all nations around the world. In verse 13:7, it is told how the beast will conquer the chosen ones and the saints of God. The beast will have under his authority, all the tribes, peoples, all tongues, i.e., the entire world. This is a remarkable announcement that should be kept in mind when examining the beast’s kingdom’s extent and the beast’s grip on people’s lives.

A similar expression is used in Rev. 5:9 “They sang a new song: You [Christ] are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.“ – We also know that Christ bought all people with his blood. All people means all people around the world who ask to be part of Christ’s redemption work. Does the kingdom of the beast, in the same way, force the subjects to take the mark of a beast in their hands or foreheads, and do all people have to make homage in front of the image of the beast? An interpretation is expressed that the beast’s realm, although broad in scope and massive in population, is confined to the Middle East. I’ll revert to this a bit later.

Dan 7:25 states the same as Revelation: “And he shall speak words against the Most High, and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High. And he intends to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one half time [42 months].” – The beast has the power to dispose of Christ’s own during the three and a half years. Believers will suffer the persecution of the beast during the end before being raptured. This would suggest that, at least not before the tribulation period, no rapture occurs. In verse 7:25, Daniel states that he (the Antichrist) wears down the Saints of the Most High; Antichrist has 3½ years for this work. After this time given to him, the heavenly court will take away his power, and all power will be given to the Most High people. The saints have to suffer the Antichrist’s persecution on earth half of the whole tribulation time. They are therefore not raptured away, at least not before the start of the tribulation.

It is, in my view, the first period of three and a half years of anxiety. After that, the time of God’s wrath begins; the Antichrist has made an agreement, but he then eats his word after 3½ years, and then he [in the reconstructed Temple of Jerusalem?] proclaims that he is God. 2 The 2:4 “the one opposing and exalting himself over everything being called God, or object of worship, so as for him “to sit in the temple of God” as God, proclaiming that he himself is God.”

The breach of the contract will take place three and a half years after its commencement, and as a result, “the Gentiles will tread the sacred city for forty-two months” (Rev 11:2).

The time of God’s wrath begins, and the coming of Jesus is approaching. Once again, the Bible resembles the timetable; Satan has only 42 months left. 

 

The Lord’s Day of Wrath.

Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land waste. And He shall destroy its sinners out of it. (Isa 13:9)

For when they say, peace and safety! Then suddenly destruction comes upon them, like travail to the pregnant woman, and they shall not at all escape. (1 The 5:3)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with rushing sound, and having burned the elements will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be burned up. (2 Pet 3:10)

Here the penalty of mankind is told and is warned in many Old Testament prophecies.

For example:

Lam 2:22 “You have called my terrors all around, as in a day of appointment; and there was not an escaped one or a survivor in the day of the anger of Jehovah. Those whom I have nursed and multiplied, my enemy has consumed.”
Zep 1: “That day is a day of wrath, a day of adversity and distress, a day of waste and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 1:18 Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah. But all the earth shall be consumed by the fire of His jealousy. He shall make a full, yea, a speedy end of all the inhabitants of the earth.“
2:3 “Seek Jehovah, all the meek of the earth who have done His justice; seek righteousness; seek meekness. It may be you shall be hidden in the day of the anger of Jehovah.“
3:8 “… For My judgment is to gather the nations, for me to gather the kingdoms, to pour my fury out on them, all my hot anger. For all the earth shall be burned up with the fire of my jealousy.“
Joel 1:15 “Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is at hand. And it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 2:1 … Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. For the day of Jehovah approaches; it is near,
2 a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread out on the mountains, a great and a strong people. There has never been the like, nor shall there ever be again to the years of many generations;
3 a fire devours before it, and a flame burns behind it. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them is a desolate wilderness; yea, also, there is no escape to them.
12 Yet even now turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, declares Jehovah.
13 Yea, tear your heart, and not your robes; and turn to Jehovah your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He pities concerning the evil.
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah.
32 For it shall be, all who shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved. For salvation shall be in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, as Jehovah has said, and among the saved whom Jehovah shall call.”

Rev 9:4 “And it was said to them [locusts] that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

God’s judgment is severe; the wicked sinners will be destroyed. Who has the opportunity to belong to the few who are saved?

Joel prophesies in the same way as Act 2:21: “And everyone who calls the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Among those who are saved are those who are chosen by God. The Greek text Act 2:21 translates the word of the Lord as Kyrios, which refers to Jesus Christ. Joel 2:32 says that Yĕhovah is the name in which there is salvation. I believe that both are eligible. – The phrase of Joel is exactly the same, but the Lord is Jehovah. For a reason understandable, the Prophet Joel could not write Christ or Messiah in the Old Testament. In Acts, it could read Jehovah, but when it reads Kyrios, i.e. Lord Jesus, both names will do for a man in distress.

This involves pressing a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants. They are safe from the plagues of the Lord’s Day.

What is the point in time that people rejoice “Peace and safety”? (1 The 5:3) It is a period at the end of the first period of the tribulation, when people believe “all is well.” However, it means the beginning of the last three and a half years of the Lord’s Day (or Lord’s wrath).

Rom 1:18 “For God’s wrath is being revealed from Heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth. … the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night“ (1 The 5:2).

Before starting the day of God’s wrath, there is a short period of peace, when people are carefree and confident that peace will remain. 2 The 2:3 tells what must happen before God launches His anger: “Let not anyone deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the Son of perdition; [Antichrist]. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the temple of God and declares himself to be God.” – God’s “day of vengeance” comes when, the force blocking the Antichrist – “the man of sin”– exits.
2 The 2:7 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” – Before the rapture of the saints living on earth, God does not pour out his revenge on the planet. What is that force that prevents the Antichrist from appearing? What else could it be except the power of the Holy Spirit of God that protects God’s own? As soon as the saints are taken out of the earth, the Antichrist can control the world.

The latter period is the day of the Lord and called the day of God’s wrath and the Lamb (Rev 6:16). Then the Lord God will retaliate against those people who work for Satan; most of mankind belongs to this group deceived by Satan. Rev 6:16 describes these judgments of God. People groan piteously to the mountains and the rocks; they said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb.”

– So far, I have written of the wrath of God. However, this Scripture states that the wrath comes from the one who sits on the Throne [God the Father] and from the Wrath of the Lamb [Christ]. It shows that Christ acts as the leader of God’s angelic hosts.

This great tribulation touches the whole world, although Israel and the Middle East are at the focus of events.

Rev 6:12 “And I saw when he opened the sixth seal. And behold, a great earthquake occurred. And the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair; and the moon became as blood;
13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind.
14 The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people hid themselves in caves and among the rocks in the mountains.
They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb.”
17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

From verse 6:12 forward, the Bible tells how the powers of the sky are shaken when the six seals are broken:
• There is a great earthquake.
• The sun is darkened.
• The whole moon turns into blood.
• The stars of the sky fall to the ground.
• The sky itself has split apart like a scroll rolled up, and every mountain and island moved away.
Are these earthly trials and events in the skies concrete or figurative – or both? We can imagine great earthquakes in our minds. These happen all the time. We also know that the earth’s surface has risen and fallen; the sea has swallowed the land into the depths, and for the second time, the bottom of the sea has risen sharply upwards. We understand solar eclipse happening from time to time, which was a couple of thousand years ago unexplainable events for the people of that time. Such events are very understandable for modern people.

Then, what about verse 13 telling you that” stars of the sky fell to the earth”; how the stars far away there in space could fly and hit the ground from the distance of millions of light-years? Space is expanding and not narrowing, so the stars and planets are not approaching us, quite the opposite. It seems that this must be a figurative expression.

One of the explanations I have read is that in a nuclear war, the intercontinental missiles fly from space to the earth, and when they reached their target, they would loosen the nuclear warheads, and these fly around the target area. Thus, even in the video, wherein this was described, the warheads glittered like stars as they burned against the night sky. They seemed to fall in the ground like brightly shining stars. Such a threat from the future could also be possible.

These stars falling from the sky may mean those Satan troops expelled from Heaven to Earth upon their loss of the war in Heaven. The Bible confirms Satan’s defeat and his angels, and they are being thrown over the earth. The Bible does not tell when this happens. The Book of Revelation, which says the event is a prophecy that describes what will happen in the future. Therefore, Satan’s deportation is for John, an event in the future. This is also evidenced by Rev 12:10:” the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (perfect tense). War in Heaven and casting Satan’s forces on the earth is the Prophecy of the Bible. When will it happen? I will reflect a little later.

When Satan tempted Adam and Eve to break God’s only command, God punished them by deporting them from paradise. However, God did not immediately punish Satan as you could imagine. Satan was allowed to continue as an accuser; This we can read from Job’s book. God plans that Satan tries to attract mankind to his side within the time limit given to him. He is called in the Bible, “God of this world.” His power ends when Christ comes for the second time, and Satan with his troops is bound for a thousand years. Until then, Satan’s victory continues …

1 The 5:3 “When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.” Rom 1:18 “For God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the truth.” – It is about the beginning of the last three and a half years of the Lord’s Day; … the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (1 The 5:2).

Before the start of God’s day of wrath, therefore, there is a time of peace, when people are carefree and confident in maintaining peace. 2 The 2:3 tells what needs to happen before God launches his wrath: “Let not anyone deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the Son of perdition; 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the temple of God and declares himself to be God.” – This great tribulation affects the whole world.

 

Are Christ’s own still on earth during the Lord’s Day?

During Lord’s Day, God’s wrath is poured out over the inhabitants of the earth. After the sixth trumpet, one-third of humanity dies, and only after the 7th trumpet follows the resurrection – this means that believers will have to be on the earth for a long time, waiting for the rapture. The seventh trumpet is the last of the trumpets!

The resurrection/rapture takes place according to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians in the coming of Jesus: 1 Cor 15:52 “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.“

1 The 4:16 “Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel’s voice, and with God’s trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first.”

Rev 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded. And I heard one voice out of the four horns of the golden altar before God,

14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet: Release the four angels, those having been bound at the great river Euphrates.

15 And the four angels were released, those having been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men

The sixth trumpet sounds, and the four angels are ready to kill one-third of the people. Only four angels are needed to execute God’s will – killing one-third of humanity. How great are the forces of Heaven in power! When the next, i.e., the 7th trumpet sounds, Christ comes with his angels. One of the trumpet sounds separates the saints and the living Christ’s own from the first resurrection and rapture to meet Jesus in the clouds.

Also, Matthew writes about what happens after the days of tribulation: the sun is darkened, the powers of the heavens are shaken, and the sign of the Son of Man can be seen in the sky, and people see Jesus come with great power and glory.

 

The Marriage of the Lamb.

Rev 19:6 “And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty reigned.
7 Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself.
8 And it was given to her that she be clothed in fine linen, pure and bright; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.
9 And he says to me, Write: Blessed are the ones having been called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These words of God are true.”

When is the wedding banquet to be celebrated?

These verses of the Revelation (19:6) conclude that” the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Governance means that the kingdom of God is established, and Christ rules it with his saints. The next verse, 19:7, states that the Lamb’s wedding has come. I think this means that the wedding is not directly related to the resurrection and the rapture. Some seem to believe that the wedding would be straight after the rapture and the Jewish wedding celebration would last as long as 7 days. That is to say, the celebration might last throughout the tribulation and the wrath of God. If the wedding is held after Christ and the saints have begun to rule, the wedding is not an event to take place immediately after the rapture. A long wedding celebration would require the rapture to take place “pre-trib” and last throughout God’s day. It will not be possible if resurrection and rapture happen as I understand, only very close to Jesus’ second coming.

 

PART 2: End-time misinterpretations (written Oct. 2020)

The Prophecy of Daniel 9                      

Although I have written about the events of the end times and the people involved, I have not written about the Prophecy in the book of Daniel, which involves a difficult problem of interpretation; whether the last week of Daniel’s Prophecy of events have already realized, as I have interpreted, or whether they are still ahead of us, as most think. Getting an answer was behind complicated investigation and deliberation.

I show that the traditional interpretation of moving the last seven weeks of the Prophecy to over two thousand years is a misinterpretation of the Bible.

 

Defining the beginning of Prophecy

The reign of King Artahsastan (Artakserkses) of Persia began in 465 BC; in the seventh year of the king’s reign, the Israelites left to reconstruct Jerusalem. Thus says Ezra 7:7 “There went up some of the children of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king’s reign. – The reconstruction of Jerusalem thus began in 458 BC.

The Israelites’ return from the captivity of Babylon enabled the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s destroyed city and which is most important, the temple. Ezra 7:7-8 confirms the beginning of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Daniel’s Prophecy begins at this moment and lasts 490 years. The Prophecy divides it into three parts: 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and the culmination of 1 week, for a total of 70 weeks. As the name implies, the week lasts 7 years.

I just wrote an article titled “The Incomprehensible God.” In it, I asked why God did not ensure that the word of the Bible was unambiguous and easy to understand. Daniel’s Prophecy is an example of the most difficult word in the Bible. Many points are easily misunderstood. The Antichrist seeks to appear as Christ. Read my reasoning carefully and open-mindedly, considering what is at stake in Prophecy.

 

Two alternative explanations of Daniel 9’s Prophecy.

Dan 9:24 “Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.” – Verse 24 states that a prophecy was given to Israel and the holy city, Jerusalem. So, it does not apply to Gentiles or other enemies of God and Christ. Part of the holy city is to be occupied and destroyed by the Roman Empire. Until now, sin has always resulted in death, but now people have the opportunity to break out of the power of sin and partake of eternal righteousness.

25 “Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven’ sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.“ – Jerusalem will be rebuilt, but soon it will be destroyed by the invader.

26 “After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.”

– 62 weeks [plus in the past seven declared seven weeks], and three and a half years, God’s anointed Jesus Christ has fulfilled the task given to him by God. The ‘anointed’ described in this verse is Jesus Christ, who else in the Bible would be called anointed, who will be destroyed. The destruction took place by crucifixion. Roman legions in 70 AD will destroy the temple of Jerusalem and the entire city.

27 “He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate.“

– Until now, people’s sins had been atoned for by sacrifice. From now on, it was not necessary to sacrifice animals for the remission of sins, but the sacrifice of Christ’s own life was enough as a one-time sacrifice to forgive the sins of all people. The destroyer will be “on the wing of abominations” has been interpreted as referring to the legions of the Roman Empire and the symbol of an eagle with expanding wings. The whole week of the year, seven years is a difficult time for both the Church, which is being persecuted, and Christ himself, crucified in the middle of the week.

’70 weeks’ means seventy weeks each week being seven years. It is divided into three parts.

Part 1: 7 weeks (49 years) means when the Israelites got out of Babylonian captivity to rebuild Jerusalem. Another temple is being built.

Part 2: 62 weeks (434 years) means the time when Jerusalem and its destroyed temple will be rebuilt. Towards the end of this period, Jesus Christ will be born and ready to begin his three-and-a-half-year public ministry. At the end of this period, we are in the year 26 AD.

There are now 7 years left of Daniel’s Prophecy. 490-year prophecy has been fulfilled for 483 years. Has the rest of the Prophecy been carried over to the distant future, as is very commonly claimed? No, everything projected will happen without interruption in 1 week (7 years).

So, what would happen in the last week of seven years?

Part 3: 1 week (7 years), from 26 to 33 AD. Christ was crucified in the middle of this period, in 30 AD.

 

The traditional interpretation of the last episode.

According to the traditional and generally accepted interpretation, God has postponed realizing this last period (i.e., from 26 to 33) to a later time, and now we are just waiting for it to be completed.

The content of this section, according to the traditional interpretation, essentially includes the coming of the Antichrist and his activities. The Antichrist has not yet appeared, so the last episode of 7 years has not yet begun to materialize.

 

Another interpretation.

There may be another way of fulfilling Daniel’s Prophecy. Why would God not have included in the fulfillment of the Prophecy the activity of his Son, Jesus Christ, who is essentially related to it? That is why God sent him into the world. There is time left for the fulfilment of Prophecy, so why omit from Prophecy the description of the most important event in Christianity? Why make the cut of two thousand years by omitting the action of Christ and bring to the Prophecy an explanation of the deceptive act of the Antichrist in the end times. The coming of the Antichrist and his actions are described in detail elsewhere in the Bible. Why should it be included in Daniel’s Prophecy?

With this reasoning, I understand that few scholars interpret the last part of the Prophecy, that is, one week (7 years) as a direct continuation after 69 weeks: Christ has accomplished the mission God has given him. This means that the death of Christ on the cross in 30 AD is included in the Prophecy. Central to Christianity is the remission of sins of the entire mankind through Christ’s death and redemption. The end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant, proclaimed by Christ, are also included in Prophecy.

At the end of the Prophecy in 33 AD, there is also Holy Spirit poured out on Pentecost to a large crowd. Jesus had previously stated to his disciples that he had been sent only for Israel’s lost sheep. Still, now that he has died and been resurrected, a mission commissioned by Christ has begun with the goal of taking the gospel from the kingdom of God to the whole world. If these significant events of Christianity are left out of the last week of Prophecy, it means that they will never be brought up in Daniel’s Prophecy!

Many argue against such an interpretation. Why? Suppose a description of the work of the Antichrist is offered in its place. In that case, it is, in my view, very insignificant in comparison with the realization of Christ’s redemptive work and its description as the culmination of 490 years of Prophecy. The Apostles have reported Antichrist’s actions, and I do not think the Antichrist deserves a place in the culmination of Daniel’s Prophecy. The Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks has been fulfilled in an intact and logical manner for Christ’s death and with it the redemption of sins.

 

Why is the traditional interpretation of Dan 9:24 wrong?

Verse 24 includes the following items; pay particular attention to the last-listed “most holy anointed.” That alone is sufficient to prove the erroneous interpretation of the traditional interpretation and that the last week’s share of 490 years of Prophecy has been fully fulfilled.

• Wickedness ends; With the preaching of the gospel of Christ and the kingdom of God, it will come to an end
• Sin comes to an end; the commission of sin does not end. It will not end until the last judgment has been given, and all sins have been atoned for, and the saved people in God’s new world will no longer sin.
• Evil deeds are reconciled; After all, Jesus already reconciled the evil deeds of mankind with his blood. There is no need to reconcile them.
• Eternal justice is enforced; this, too, has been brought about by the death of Christ.
• vision and Prophecy are sealed; What is this seal that confirms vision and Prophecy? Would it be God’s anointing of Christ?
• the most holy one is anointed.

Who is this most holy one who is anointed? Would he be anointed sometime in the future as part of the events of the last week? If it is Christ, he is the only holy anointed of God who can come into question. But, Christ has already been anointed! Will Christ be anointed for the second time sometime soon? That must be the case if we believe that the last week’s events will be in the future.

Wasn’t Christ anointed while he lived? The Bible speaks of God’s anointing in Acts 10:38, “Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” The apostles were also anointed: 2 Cor 1:21 “He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint us, is God.”

 

End time – last days

The last days have already begun in the time of Jesus. This we can conclude because Hebrews 1:2 says that God has spoken “in these last days” through the Son. The “last days” have continued for two thousand years, even though Jesus promised to come back soon.

Heb 1:1 “God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.”

Heb 1:2 uses the same word ἔσχατος eschatos for these two slightly different expressions; In Heb 1:1 and 1:2, “Last days” and “end of these days” is expressed by the same Greek word, ἔσχατος eschatos. In these last days, he has spoken to us… This does not exclude the possibility of interpretation, that ‘the end time’ or ‘the end times’ are an expression of the time of later ‘tribulation’ and the ‘day of the Lord.’

The “last days” refer to the time when Christ was on earth and proclaimed his gospel and also the time after that, but the “end time” especially describes the short period of time from which Daniel used the term “last week,” which is seven years.

From the end of time, a couple of examples that show that it refers specifically to the very last times, the day of the Lord:

Dan 11:35 “Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, “even to the time of the end” because it is yet for the time appointed.”

Dan 12: “He said, go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”

End time means time at the end of this world age. For example, Dan 12:13 can also be translated… “and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.” (NASB) On the NT side, John 6:40 says, “For it is the will of my Father that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” “…and I will raise him up at the last day.” which could just as well have been translated as above.

These last times are traditionally divided into two parts: a) the time of great tribulation, and b) the day of the Lord. After the day of the Lord comes the resurrection of the rest of the dead and the final judgment.

 

Will the rapture take place before the coming of the Antichrist and the times of tribulation?

 Section 1: Johan Malan’s interpretation (abbreviated) 

Johan Malan, University of the North, South Africa, has written an article “The Great Falling Away after the Departure of the Church.” The Church’s departure means the first resurrection to those who are resurrected from the dead who have been Christ’s own at death. Another group allowed to participate in the first resurrection is those of Christ who are currently alive. These are drawn up into the clouds to receive Christ when he arrives a second time.

Johan Malan treats the issue as a translation problem, but he also believes that believers will be saved out of the way of the Antichrist before he comes. I ponder the same questions and present my arguments based on the word of the Bible.

The appearance of the Antichrist (the man of lawlessness) can take place only after the first resurrection. The Bible says, “Not until the apostasy first occurs.” Some speak of the departure of the Church of Christ as if it was an escape from the persecution. 2 Thes 2:3 says clearly: “Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,” What does departure or apostasy, or rebellion or mean?

Malan has picked word choices from old translations: “But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27). You can read more examples here.

Malan interprets it as follows: The primary meaning of the word ‘apostasia’ is “departure,” which in this verse refers to the rapture of the Church of the first resurrection. Already many hundred years ago, the word apostasy was translated to leave, and the word used was, according to Malan, ‘departure.‘ He interprets it as meaning to refer to the rapture described in the Bible.

When a large number of believers are taken up to meet Christ in the clouds along with believers who have died before and are now ascended, an even greater apostasy will follow on earth, and the Antichrist will have a free field to act to present Christ. After all, the Antichrist signifies the substitute for Christ, and the Antichrist makes every effort to believe that he is Christ. At the same time, the Antichrist will enforce its illegal and exceedingly sinful reforms. That time is characterized by a worldwide moral and spiritual apostasy.

 

Definition of Srong’s:

ἀποστασία apostasía, feminine of the same as G647; defection from truth (properly, the state) (“apostasy”): – falling away, forsake. From this it is derived, e.g., KJV-version depart -word, in Greek ἀφίστημι aphístēmi, to go away, to depart from anyone from G575 and G2476; to remove, i.e. (actively) instigate to revolt; usually (reflexively) to desist, desert, etc.:—depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self.

Luke 8:13 “Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who for a time believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (aphistemi)

According to Malan, translating the word apostasy with the words “rebellion,” “apostasy,” or “falling away” in most English Bibles is unfortunate, he says, because these are secondary, or derived, meanings of the word. There is a great deal of speculation regarding the rapture and the appearance of the Antichrist. Some spiritualize these concepts; others accept both events but place them in the wrong chronological order, while many deny them altogether or claim that the Antichrist was some figure in history. These conflicting opinions cause great uncertainty and confusion among Christians. However, this is not the first time in the church’s history that conflicting perceptions and false teachings about the end times have caused believers to worry. It happened as early as the first century in the church of Thessaloniki. In his first letter, Paul taught the church that the Lord Jesus would, at the end of the church dispensation, take the true believers to Heaven: “For the Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  (1 The 4:16-18).

The word rapture comes from the Greek word harpazo. According to Malan, there is a clear promise in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians and also in his later letter to them that the Lord Jesus will take away Christians before the appearance of the Antichrist and the beginning of the judgments of the Lord’s Day during the great tribulation. He encouraged them in “1 Thessalonians 1:10,” and to wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raised from the dead- Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.” “For God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5: 9).

Christians are saved from the moment of God’s wrath over the sinful world. They will flee the time of judgment through rapture, as Jesus promised in his speech at Mount of Olives, “Therefore be watchful all the time, asking that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36).

For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. (1 Thes 5:3). The congregation in Thessaloniki believed this explanation of the events of the end times. They eagerly awaited the salvation that the Lord Jesus promised them through the rapture. False Teachings The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire caused considerable concern among believers and raised many end-time questions — including in Thessalonica. These false teachings claimed that the day of the Lord (a time of judgment and tribulation) had already begun and that Christians would have to go through it.

Paul wrote, “But as for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, we beseech you, brethren, that ye be not given any spirit, nor any word, nor any letter, which we have sent; let them be dismayed, as though the day of the Lord were at hand. That day will not come until the apostasy first occurs and the man of lawlessness appears, the child of perdition, that adversary who exalts himself above all that is called God or to be worshiped, so that he settles in the temple of God and declares himself to be God.”

2 The 2:3-12: 3 “Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 6 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nothing by the brightness of his coming; 9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12 that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

It was believed among Christians that the Roman emperor who proclaimed God was the Antichrist. The persecution of Christians was easy to see as part of the anguish and suffering of the day of the Lord. Paul had a full job in correcting misconceptions. According to 2 The 2: 3-4, he assured that “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day cannot come unless the rebellion [Or apostasy] takes place first and the man of sin, who is destined for destruction, is revealed.”

Departure (apostasy)

The word apostasy translated “falling away” in the KJV translation, is problematic for many. Based on this translation, it is assumed that Christians will not only experience the apostasy of the last days, but they will also be here when the Antichrist appears. A careful explanation of this verse shows that these assumptions are unfounded.

The Greek word apostasy means departure, withdrawal, or resignation. Spiritual and moral apostasy can be read in this word only in a secondary sense. Apostasis is derived from the particle apo, which means loose or away (from something close) in different meanings of time, place, or relationship. It means resignation, departure, or cessation. The verb corresponding to the word apostasy is aphistemi, which according to the Strongs dictionary means to leave, to withdraw, to pull away, to remove.

Aphistemi

Even in cases where the word aphistemi has been used to mean spiritual apostasy (e.g., Luke 8:13, “Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.” 1 Tim 4:1 “But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away (ἀφίστημι aphistēmi) from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,”

Heb. 3:12 “Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God.”

In light of these examples, it is clear that the word apostasy’s basic meaning and verb form aphistemi are to leave. For this reason, the word apostasy in 2 Thes 2: 3 was first translated as a starting point in the following seven English Bible translations before the KJV translation: Wycliffe Bible (1384), Tyndale Bible (1526), ​​Coverdale Bible (1535), Cranmer Bible (1539), Breeches Bible ), Beza Bible (1583) and Geneva Bible (1608). The Amplified Bible makes the following remark in footnote 2 of 2 The 2:3: “A possible interpretation of the word apostasy is the departure of [the church].” In its true sense, this verse reads: “Let no man deceive you in any way: for the day [of the Lord] shall not come, except there come first the departure of [the church], and that man of sin [the Antichrist], the child of perdition, shall be revealed…

Rather than ignorance, dogmatic prejudice may explain the conflicting views that still prevail regarding the word apostasy’s true meaning in this verse. In their blind allegiance to their church’s theologians, many refuse to believe in the pretribulation rapture. It is more acceptable for them to cling to the word apostasy in a narrow secondary sense, interpreting it as a mere spiritual decline in the last days following the appearance of the Antichrist.

If the context of verse 2 The 2:3 is taken into account, it is evident that the word apostasy is meant here to cover its full meaning – both departing and spiritual falling away.

One of the main consequences of this departure is that great spiritual darkness will reign on earth – when the world’s light is taken away. It allows the Antichrist to appear. Sin and evil will multiply very rapidly during his reign, leading to the most significant abandonment of biblical norms and Christian models in all of human history.

 

The one who restrains   

Negative perceptions of the pretribulation rapture also lead to distorted views of what holds the Antichrist. Clearly, there is only one power that is greater than Satan and the Antichrist, and that is the power of God. No earthly or human force could effectively resist the devil or defeat it. In the present dispensation, before Christ and the Antichrist’s appearance, there is a spiritual struggle to control the world. The Spirit of God and the deceptive spirits of Satan work through men to achieve their goal. John says, “We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6). The phrase “he who now restrains” in 2 The 2:7 refers to the church as the body of Christ on earth. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we arrest the appearance of the Antichrist. The subsequent rise to power. Only when the true church is taken out of the way in the rapture can the Antichrist personally reveal himself. Then deceived and spiritually dead, humanity will accept him without opposition as the universal Messiah and world leader. Millions will be saved during the seven-year tribulation (Rev 7:9>), and that is possible only through the Spirit of God (1 Cor 12:3).

Before the public coming of Jesus at the end of the seven years, there is even a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Israel to prepare them for reconciliation with His Messiah: “I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.” (Zec 12:10)

 

Section 2: I comment on the above in my own view:

Now we are on the crucial matter of interpretation: is “apostasy” merely a renunciation of true doctrine, or did Paul also assure that before the arrival of the Antichrist, there will be a rapture of departed believers.

 

Great apostasy, what is it?

Above, we read John saying that “the spirit of the antichrist that ye have heard is coming, and it is already in the world.” The Antichrist’s spirit has manifested for hundreds and thousands of years as an influence on human behavior by the master of the Antichrist, Satan, who is called the king of this world.

2 The 2:3 “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day cannot come, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,” What is “that day?” Surely it means the day of the Lord, which is the culmination of the end times’ horrific events.

Apostasy should also happen! What does apostasy entail? By spiritual apostasy, I mean massive apostasy (fall away) from the Christian faith. We are right in front of it, and it is this apostasy that will make it possible for the Antichrist to emerge in the end times. Secular life and its temptations occupy people’s minds and fill people’s lives. Remember how a few generations ago it was customary to go to church every Sunday. Often the church was far away, and on the way, it was sometimes even overnight. It was not always about love for God and his word, but it was also about the church intimidating with going to hell. Since Christianity had been strengthened, society has not seen such secularization as it does today, living according to the way of ‘god of this world.’

The apostasy from the Christian faith accelerates as the time given to Satan decreases. If the rapture occurs, renunciation will be facilitated by removing the core of believers from the earth. One would think that if the rest of the population realized this had happened, people would gain a testimony and an impetus to improve their faith and connection with God and Christ. However, I am terribly afraid that it would allow the action of the Antichrist to intensify and the world to plunge deeper and deeper into spiritual darkness.

However, I believe that religions’ ecumenical unification is intensifying; soon, the great world religion will accept anything and everything within its circle. It will be led by Satan’s closest assistant, the Antichrist, and his assistant in religion, the false Prophet. 2 The 2:4 tells the culmination of the future: “He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary of God and declares himself to be God.” Does this require the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem? In principle, all churches are dedicated to God.

A few years ago, I wrote about the future like this: Satan wants to become the whole world’s ruler. Therefore, I believe that he is not content with declaring himself God of Christians through the Antichrist but wants all religions to recognize him as God. Could the growing ecumenical movement be so advanced that it would include the gods of all religions? One possibility I haven’t noticed anyone offering to declare the Antichrist God: The Antichrist could name a mosque in Jerusalem, say, a Temple of God. When he makes his proclamation there, he may proclaim in this way. “All you that believe in one God, believe me, I am. I am Jehovah, and I am Allah. When you believe in me and do my will, I will give you heavenly peace and earthly abundance.” If the timing is right, and people are worried about how the world will stand. But, then such a proclamation will come along with great miracles – for example, a large number of angels will testify the declaration – the declaration of the Antichrist will unite the faith of billions of people. People will be excited about the coming divine peace and worldly time of happiness. Such a horrifying vision of the future can come true if the world has matured into “sufficiently ecumenical.”

If a third temple is to be built in Jerusalem, technically, it can happen quickly. Political obstacles only need to be overcome first. There would be room at the Temple Mount, but Muslims do not easily swallow this. I do not consider this impossible at all during political trading.

If one speaks of the great apostasy, most will understand the apostasy from true faith by apostasy. Usually, apostasy does not mean conversion to another religion but a complete renunciation of faith; faith is left in the background of people’s lives and the secularization of life. Jesus promised to take the believers with him, out of the tribulation of the world. John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.” To this, I say this: Were people and scholars at the time completely wrong, or have we fallen off the carts at some point? The conclusion of John 14:3 is: first, “Jesus will come back,” and secondly, “I will take you to me.”

 

The Antichrist and the Day of the Lord.

Although the Bible said that the end times began as early as the time of Jesus, the real Antichrist has not yet appeared. 2 The 2:8 says, “Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nothing by the brightness of his coming;” John, for his part, said in 1 John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you heard that an antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.” – Did you notice John say that “now is the last hour.” Even then, 2,000 years ago, at the beginning of the end of time, many “little antichrists” had appeared.

Instead, Jesus’ statement, “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains …” is a warning related to the coming of the Roman army to destruct Jerusalem and the Temple (realized in 70 AD). (Matthew 24:15-16) – Statements should always be verified what time they refer to.

Revelation 19:19-20, On that day, the Antichrist and the false prophet will be destroyed: “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with 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 that burns with sulfur.” – The prophecies of the appearance of the ‘true’ Antichrist are therefore still in the future.

Matthew 24:21-31 tells of the coming great tribulation

21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world till now, no, nor may be. 22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. 23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’, don’t believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Remember, I have told you this beforehand. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Look! He’s in the wilderness,’ don’t go out looking for him. And if they say, ‘Look! He’s in the storeroom,’ don’t believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there’s a dead body, there the vultures will gather. 29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, 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. 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 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

 

Will the rapture take place before the coming of the Antichrist and the times of tribulation?

It is generally believed that the Lord will draw believers to Heaven to be saved from the persecution of the Antichrist. I don’t think that’s the question. It is a question of a vast resurrection rather than believers’ salvation from the Antichrist’s persecution. First, those who have died in Christ over millennia are raised from the dead. After them, the angels gather the living elect of Christ (see verse 31 above) from all over the world.

If it were only a matter of protecting the elect on earth from the wrath of the Antichrist, the angels could have protected them on earth. Rev 89:3 “Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like the power of earthly scorpions.”

After all, all the believers went to mark the seal of God with the seal of God, and the flocks of locusts sent could not stab them. Revelation 9:4 “They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. 9:7 The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like iron, and the noise of their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle. “- From the Bible’s description, it is evident that these locusts were not ordinary insects.

The seal of God could have protected believers from the wrath of the Antichrist, no matter how long a time the congregation needed.

 

The seal of God.

Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” Earlier, Paul says, e.g., 4:5, “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. 7 But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” 2 Cor 1:21 “Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.“

Ephesians 1:13 “You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,”

Christ’s own are secured by the Holy Spirit’s seal in our hearts. So why try to escape by rapture? The greatest joy of the rapture comes from seeing Jesus Christ as he is. 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.” We know we will be like Christ, like the essence of His glory. Therefore, Christians seek Christ when he comes the second time.

When Matthew says that for the sake of the elect, these days of tribulation will be shortened, why is this? Are not the elect raptured to meet Christ? Instead, this mention of “for the elect’s sake” would suggest that the elect remain on earth during the tribulation. If the elect were with Christ, there would be only sinful people on earth, and there would be no need to shorten the days of tribulation. Verse Mat 24:31 also states that “when Christ comes, he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.”

These couple verses seem to refute the theory of the rapture of the entire church. The church will remain on earth, but the time of tribulation will be shortened for their sake. Let us return to interpretation.

We might still consider the question of who is “chosen?” Are they the same as “Christ’s own?” 1 Cor 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.” – Christ was ‘made alive’ by God the Father, who gave his son eternal life. This verse of 1 Corinthians testifies and provides hope to those who have the spirit of Christ, to receive the gift of eternal life, to be made alive, in the coming of Christ. When Christ comes:

• The days of tribulation have been shortened for the sake of the elect.
• All of Christ’s own will be made alive (receive eternal life) when Christ comes. Christ’s own are his elect, those who have the faith of Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

These concluding statements could be interpreted as meaning that the elect of Christ receive eternal salvation and eternal life, even though they are on earth during the tribulation.

1 The 1:9 “For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from Heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath.” – According to verse 10, believers are saved from future anger. Coming anger means the Day of the Lord (Lord’s wrath).

However, Revelation’s book says: 2:10, “Don’t be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Satan, or probably his assistant, the Antichrist, will cast some of Christ’s elect into captivity. For them, tribulation lasts for “ten days,” which means a short time. This is the last test of the chosen ones.

The Thessalonians letter continues:

1 The 4:16 “For the Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”

Therefore, it is true that in connection with the second coming of Christ, the first resurrection takes place (the so-called resurrection of the church, the rapture). The first to rise are those who once died in the faith of Christ. Immediately afterward, the living ones of Christ, his elect, will rise, or be caught, up in the clouds against Christ.

The resurrection does not occur so that Christ’s own would be saved from the Antichrist’s clutches. The resurrection also does not take place in Heaven, but in the clouds, in the upper air. The resurrection affects the elect of Christ who are alive on earth and some of the dead. If one wanted only to protect the elect from the destruction of the Antichrist, there would be no need to raise any of the dead at this point.

During the Lord’s Day, God’s wrath is actually poured out over the inhabitants of the earth. After the sixth trumpet, one-third of humanity dies, and only after the 7th trumpet follows the resurrection – this means that believers will have to be on the earth for a long time, waiting for the rapture.

The resurrection/rapture takes place according to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians in the coming of Jesus: 1 Cor 15:52 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.

1 The 4:16 Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel’s voice, and with God’s trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first.

Rev 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded. And I heard one voice out of the four horns of the golden altar before God,
14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet: Release the four angels, those having been bound at the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were released, those having been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men

The sixth trumpet sounds and the four angels are ready to kill one-third of the people. Only four angels are needed to execute God’s will – killing one-third of humanity. How great are the forces of heaven in power! When the next i.e. the 7th trumpet sounds, Christ comes with his angels. One of the trumpet sounds separates the saints and the living Christ’s own from the first resurrection and rapture to meet Jesus in the clouds.

Also, Matthew writes about what happens after the days of tribulation: the sun is darkened, the powers of the heavens are shaken and the sign of the Son of Man can be seen in the sky and people see Jesus come with great power and glory.

 

This is the rapture:

Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 The 4:17)

… in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1 Cor 15:52)

The rapture is related to both the first resurrection and the second coming of Jesus. 1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.
1 The 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The dead rise up in the spirit body and change with the living resurrected into angel-like spirits. Both groups are gathered in the clouds to meet Christ and they will always be with the Lord Jesus. However, Jesus does not yet come to earth right away.

The Bible does not specify the exact date, but describes the conditions on earth where the resurrection takes place.

Only when the 7th trumpet is sounding the resurrection takes place – it follows that the believers will have to be on the earth for a long time, waiting for the rapture. The resurrection/rapture takes place according to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians close to Jesus’ coming:1 Cor 15:52 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.

1 The 4:16 Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel’s voice, and with God’s trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first. Matthew also writes about what happens after the days of the great tribulation: the sun is darkened, the powers of the heavens are shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven and people see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Mat 24:30 KJV).

Mat 24:29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.

Verse 29 fixes the time of these events in time after the tribulation. Then in the sky happen something which all people see: the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky … Then the sign of Christ appears in the sky, and people will see Christ coming in the clouds of heaven in glory. The cry is loud. Jesus sends His angels when the seventh i.e. the last trump sounds, then his angel compile previously selected survivors from all over the country. Even before them, dead in Christ have risen up, and these living ones are combined with them. All the resurrected have changed and have received their new spirit bodies.

Is the great trumpet of Mat 24:31, the same and final trumpet, of which is spoken of in Cor 15:52 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. – The seventh and last trumpet (Hebr. Zophar) are the one and same. The Bible does not speak of the eighth trumpet. When we consider what happens when the last i.e seventh trumpet is sounding loud, the answer is:

1) The dead referred to by the Cor. letter rise up and immediately with Christ the living ones on earth will be transformed into spiritual bodies, and they will rise (together) up to meet Jesus.

2) When the resurrected are meeting Jesus is in the clouds, Jesus sends His angels down to the earth to assemble the chosen Christians, the so-called great multitude of saved ones. Many of them are spared at the very last moment. They shall continue living on the earth, and they shall be gathered in mount Zion in Jerusalem.

 

Gathering of the Great Multitude: When Jesus sends His angels down to earth to assemble the believers, the so-called Great multitude, they will remain on earth and will be gathered on Mount Zion and Jerusalem. This big crowd should not be confused with the resurrection.. They will not rise up in the spirit body but instead they keep their fleshly bodies. Many of them are last-minute converts. For saving one’s life it was enough to just call mercy with one word – Jesus or Jehovah.

Matthew’s account differs in a certain way from the description of the Thessaloniki letter: 1 The 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. – Matthew speaks of how the angels gather Christ’s own around the earth. Otherwise, for the resurrection: The Thessaloniki letter says that the living are being raptured to meet the Lord with resurrected dead, which Matthew does not mention in this regard. In addition, the difference to the events of the resurrection is that in the resurrection you change; you will have a new spirit body, while these assembled by the angels will remain in their existing physical bodies. Many interpret these verses of Matthew chapter 24 as belonging to the resurrection, but as a result of these differences, I interpret them as describing the great end-time salvation of those who have chosen the faith in the last moment of the God’s wrath. In any case, it is clear that the second coming of Jesus takes place after the days of tribulation. The rapture has taken place just before Jesus’ coming; Jesus’ own alive on earth together with the resurrected dead, are being raptured. Jesus and the saints come together to earth and establish the government of the kingdom of God and their government rules over the millennial kingdom for a thousand years.

According to the Bible’s testimony, I would see that the first resurrection and the rapture in the clouds will only occur very close to Jesus’ second coming. Those awaiting resurrection and rapture are in the midst of terrible events, but the seal of God protects them.

 

Scholars have three compelling views of the time of Jesus’ coming in relation to the end-time events reported in the Bible.
Before the Tribulation, those who believe that God saves the righteous before they are involved in the world of provocative acts of the tribulation. After-Trib are said by others who also appeal to the Bible’s testimony. Then there are those who believe in Jesus’ coming and first resurrection to happen Mid-Trib.

Do righteous people experience these times of affliction and events together with the whole world?

Dan 8:8 Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was mighty, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones toward the four winds of the heavens.
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which became very great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.
10 And it became great, even to the host of the heavens. And it caused some of the host and of the stars to fall to the ground, and it trampled them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the leader of the host. And the regular sacrifice was taken away by him, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And a host was given with the regular sacrifice because of transgression. And it threw the truth down to the ground, and it worked and prospered.
13 Then I heard a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that one who spoke, Until when is the vision, the regular sacrifice and the desolating transgression, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?
14 And he said to me, For two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be vindicated.
15 And it happened when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, then I sought the meaning. And, behold, the form of a man stood before me.
16 … And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, and he called and said, Gabriel, make this one understand the vision.
17 … But he said to me, O son of man, understand, for the vision is for the time of the end.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall happen in the last end of the indignation. For it is for the time appointed for the end.
20 The ram which you saw with two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the shaggy goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
22 And as for that which was broken, and four stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in its power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king, strong of face and skilled at intrigues, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wondrously, and he shall prosper, and work, and destroy the mighty, and the holy people.
25 And also through his skill, he will make deceit succeed in his land. And he will lift himself up in his heart, and be at ease; he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Ruler of rulers, but he shall be broken without a hand.
26 And the morning and evening vision that was told is true. But you shall close up the vision, for it is for many days to come.

In a vision, Daniel can see how Alexander the Great’s huge empire is divided after his death. Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. It takes a long time to complete the vision’s events, measured in terms of human beings. 2300 evenings and mornings mean 2300 years. Then we will come to this last period of tribulation that lasts for a total of seven years (the last ‘week’ of Daniel).

Angel Gabriel said to Daniel: I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, it is for the time appointed for the end. (8:19)

And when will this be? For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be vindicated. (8:14). “The holy place will be vindicated” can mean either the construction of the third temple of God in Jerusalem, or it may mean that Jesus Christ (the temple of God himself) is set to rule the whole world.

Let’s see what else Revelation reveals. In the fifth chapter, John sees how the Lamb (Jesus Christ) is to open with seven seals sealed scroll of future end-time events.

Rev 5:8 When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints.
9 They sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth.

Here is the vision of the future; With his blood, the lamb has bought men of all generations and tongues and peoples and tribes and made them kingdoms and priests to our God, and they shall rule over the earth.

This little group of the kingdom of God is therefore composed of all peoples, the God of Israel, not just of natural Israel.

When the Lamb opens the 1st seal, earth-shattering events take place. These warlike events are described with horses of different colors. For example a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him (Rev 6:4) When the 6th seal is opened .. 6:12 Then I saw the lamb open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon turned as red as blood. 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind.

Matthew writes about this: Mat 24:29-31: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends.

The resurrection has not yet happened, but the chosen ones are on earth. It is manifested in verse Rev 9:3, in which “out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power” but not hurt those who have the seal of God on their forehead, but only those who do not have it. The seal of God protects the chosen ones on earth.

Just as in Matthew, it is described in Revelation how God’s angel seals the chosen ones: Rev 7:2 I saw another angel coming from the east having the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been permitted to harm the land and sea, 3 Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads. 4 I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel:

Let us define once again what is this little group (’flock’): Rev 5:9 … You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

These verses tell two most important things about the kingdom of God: 1) Christ has bought “Men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation“. They are not natural Israel and of the tribes of Jacob, but from around the world! 2) They form the kingdom of God; “To be a kingdom and priests to our God” and they will reign upon the earth.

After this John sees a great multitude: Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” – Matthew adds to this description one item, a great trumpet: He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends (Mat 24:41). Trumpets play a significant role in the description of end-time events: Then I saw the seven angels who stand in God’s presence, and seven trumpets were given to them (Rev 8:2).

So now John has seen both a small group of 144,000 saved ones and a great multitude likewise saved. Of the great multitude says Rev 7:14, And I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are those coming out of the great tribulation; and they washed their robes and whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.

Let us read further:

Trombone calls, and the related description partially coincides with the opening of the seal events. When the 5th trumpet sounds, 9:1 And the fifth angel trumpeted. And I saw a star out of the heaven falling onto the earth. And the key to the pit of the abyss was given to it.
2 And the fifth angel trumpeted. And I saw a star out of the heaven falling onto the earth. And the key to the pit of the abyss was given to it.
3 And out of the smoke locusts came forth to the earth. And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority.
4 And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor every green thing, nor every tree, except only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

What is the star that had fallen to the earth? It seems to be an angel, because in verse 9:1 it says that the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. The angel is also from God’s troops; It is evident from the fact that the locusts released from the bottomless pit were told not to harm the people with God’s seal. The angels were called sons of God, but also stars. Satan is called the Morning Son, the Son of the morning.
Isa 14:12 says: How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! heylel (star) ben (son) Shachar (of the dawn)

The angel is also from God’s troops; it is evident from the fact that the locusts freed from the bottomless pit were forbidden from harming the people with God’s seal. The angels were called sons of God, but also stars. Satan is called the Morning Star, the Son of the morning.

Jesus is according to the Bible the bright morning star (Rev 22:16) Lampros prōïnos astēr λαμπρός πρωϊνός ἀστήρ

The sixth trumpet call means that one-third of humanity will die in battle of huge armies.

(9: 15>). And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.” – Even so, people “did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (9:21)

In the tenth chapter of John hears a mighty angel to speak, as well as seven thunders uttered their voices to speak, however, John was told to seal heard and not allowed her to write about it. The angel swore in the name of the creator of the heaven and earth: Rev 10:5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay. 7 In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the secret of God will be fulfilled, as he had announced to his servants, the prophets.

The secret of God is implemented: Jesus Christ returns with the saints of the resurrection, and the kingdom of God is established. Jesus Christ is ruling the world a thousand years with the saints, and Satan is bound and cannot tempt mankind.

 

Preteristic understanding of the Christian faith
Life now in the Kingdom of Christ according to the Preterists
The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
When will Christ come? What are the conditions that must be met?
Luke Chapter 21: Times of the Gentiles
“This generation”
Mark Chapter 13: The great tribulation
Matthew Chapter 24: The Prophecies of Jesus to the Apostles on the Mount of Olives
”Taste death”
Mat 10:23 … you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes”
What happens, when a believer dies today?
What is the Lord’s Day? How does it relate to the Second Coming of Christ?
Does the Revelation tell of the destruction of Jerusalem?
Have the claims of the preterists come true?
Did Jesus come already?
What is the rule of Christ on earth like?
What promises in the Bible have not been fulfilled?
Christ and the Saints rule with iron scepter
Earth is a paradise of peace and happiness
Has Satan already been destroyed?
Jesus, Israel and the Jews
The Last Judgment and God’s Punishment

 

Preteristic understanding of the Christian faith   

Preterism is the belief that claims Jesus came to earth for the second time in 70 AD. Also, the Preterists believe that all the prophecies that the Bible speaks of at the Second Coming of Christ are fulfilled. Futurists, the opposite of the preterists, consider that most of the Bible predictions of the end time are still to be fulfilled. Such predictions include, in particular, the Second Coming, the Resurrection of Jesus, and the Last Judgment. Preterists, therefore, believe that these key predictions have already been fulfilled.

The three core evidence of the Preterists for the Second Coming of Jesus are Mat 10:23, 16:28 and 23:24.

Mat 10:23 “So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Mat 16:28 “Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Mat 24:34 “Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.”

 

If the timing question of the second coming of Jesus were to be solved solely by the three verses above, the solution would surely be clear: Jesus returned to earth before the destruction of Jerusalem in year 70 and the destruction of the Jewish people. I will examine these in more detail in this article. You will find that it is not as simple as one might deduce from these core fractions.

Key points are “this generation,” “before all of these happen,” and “preaching the gospel to all” before the end. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 also meant the destruction of the Jewish people. At the same time, it was the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant of Christ.

In this writing, I will try to explain the core of the preterist doctrine and will also provide my answers to the arguments put forward and their reasoning. Preterists have indeed worked hard and found learned theologians to justify their positions. That’s a tribute to them. And no doubt, one must admit that many times in the Bible the message of Christ, “I am coming soon,” is emphasized. That is so, and I cannot but say that God’s concept of time is different from that of us humans. The Bible uses the word yowm to denote the day, but it is also term for an indefinite period. A thousand years to God is like one day.

While presenting the doctrines of the Preterists, I use my arguments to substantiate my own, mainly futuristic view. The language used by the Bible and Jesus’ many promises of his upcoming schedule, “soon” or “fast,” easily lead the Bible reader to believe like the preterists. Too often, we are the first to grasp the explanation that comes to mind without noticing what the second Bible says. For example: Jesus made a parable known as the “fig tree”. The fig tree is an emblem of Israel and has been used to make predictions about Israel’s future. However, the whole phrase used by Jesus says, “And he spoke unto them the parable: See the fig tree and all the trees” (Luke 21:29). So, consider all the relevant Bible verses.

There are many Christian beliefs in the world. They are all based on a particular interpretation of the Bible. This also applies to Preterism; its proponents have done thorough work and present numerous Bible verses in support of the doctrine. God has undoubtedly seen the doctrinal chaos of the various interpretations of the Bible. What is his purpose when he has allowed such a doctrinal mess to occur? After all, there were different interpretations of the Old Testament in Israel in the time of Jesus, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. I dare say that the salvation of man is not dependent on whether he has chosen the “right” faith. Even in times of the great tribulation, just shouting one word, Jesus, is enough.

According to the teachings of the Preterists, when Christ came to earth for the second time, the first resurrection took place: 1 Cor 15:51 “Let me tell you a secret. Not all of us will die, but all of us will 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.”

If this happened, as the preterists claim in 70 AD, why did some of the apostles stay on earth and died only after year 70? All the apostles were to come to rule under Christ in the spiritual kingdom he led.

Second question: Suppose the Apostles and other Saints began to rule the world with Christ with an iron scepter, as the Bible tells us. Why has it lasted nearly two thousand years, and the world is still in a state of disarray? Christianity is divided and is only part of the religions of the world. Shouldn’t the administration of Christ, if it were ruling, have had better results in the two millennia?

Some preterists believe that the coming of the Son of Man in his glory was already fulfilled at the death of Jesus on the cross. They believe that the apocalyptic signs are already fulfilled, e.g., the sun is darkening (cf. Mar 13:24-15:33), Mat 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give his light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (14: 63, 15: 5) and “they will see” (cf. Mark 13: 26-15: 31, 15:39) However, some critics point out that something is missing, as 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” Mat 24:30, “and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. 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.” (Wikipedia)

 

Preterist org justifies their teaching by as follows:

“Preterist” means past in fulfillment, and “Futurist” means the future in fulfillment. Preterist basically means the opposite of Futurist. Futurists believe most end-time prophecies (especially the big three events — the Second Coming, Resurrection, and Judgment) are yet to be fulfilled. Preterists believe that most or all of Bible Prophecy (especially the big three events) has already been fulfilled in Christ and the on-going expansion of His Eternal Kingdom. Many Futurists do not really believe that Christ has been successful in fully establishing His Kingdom. They think it was indefinitely postponed when the Jews rejected and crucified Jesus. (Preterist org.)

It becomes crystal clear that the “Last Days” and the “Great and Terrible Day of the Lord” was referring to that terminal generation of Jews who lived right before Jerusalem was destroyed. At AD 70, Jesus returned and ended the last days of the Jewish nation. It was God’s Great and Glorious Day for the vindication of His people, and an Awesome Day of Judgment and destruction for those who had rejected and crucified Him and persecuted His followers. Acts 2:16-20 had its fulfillment at AD 70! The last days of the Jewish nation ended then. The new Eternal Kingdom age began. We are no longer living in “the Last Days,” nor is the “Great and Terrible Day of the Lord” still ahead of us. We are in the Eternal Kingdom now.

Thus, the establishment of the eternal kingdom of Christ at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was the fulfillment of all things promised to God’s chosen people, a true spiritual Israel, which included both believing Jews and believing Gentiles. (cf. Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.)

We have seen that the kingdom had to arrive during the lifetime of some of Jesus’ disciples. It came in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem when “all these things happened,” and Jesus came to judge between sheep and goats. It is spiritual in nature and will last forever.

Rom 9:6-8 “Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,
7 and not all of Abraham’s descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.”
8 That is, it is not the children of natural descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as descendants.”

9:22-24 “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the Gentiles as well?
25 As he says in Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and the one who was not loved I will call my loved one.”

Rom 11:7 “What is it then? What Israel seeks for, that he has not obtained; but the election has obtained, and the rest have been blinded,”

 

Life now in the Kingdom of Christ according to the Preterists

“If Christ has already returned and established His Eternal Kingdom, what does that mean for us saints today? Some think that our life now should be like heaven on earth. But that is not the description of life in the Kingdom that Jesus and the apostles gave us. They taught a lot about what life on earth would be like after the Kingdom arrived. And now that the kingdom has arrived, all of that teaching about how to live in the kingdom fully applies to us. It did not somehow lose its relevancy to us at AD 70. Instead, it only just began to be fully relevant and applicable to us after AD 70.”

“Jesus taught many parables about what life in the kingdom would be like. Some of those parables talk about the afterlife in heaven, while others talk about how we should live our lives here on earth. The kingdom exists in both realms. That is why Jesus taught us to pray that His kingdom would come on earth as it already is in heaven. Things here in this physical life have always been and will always be imperfect. Perfection is only found in heaven. But when the eternal kingdom arrived in AD 70, it began the process of renewal and regeneration. And even though longed for. It is exactly what those first-century saints hoped for and expected and wait life on this earth will never reach perfection, the good news of the kingdom will continue to purify the culture and heal the nations throughout all generations to come” (Ezek 47:8-12)

“This means that Hades was emptied at the coming of Christ. Saints no longer go there at death. Instead, we receive our new immortal bodies and go to heaven. Since we do not go to Hades, we will not need to be raised back out of Hades. This means that there is a “better hope” and a “better resurrection” and a “better country” to live in forever.”

“This is the same afterlife hope that saints of all ages have ed anxiously for. And that hope was fulfilled. Now we saints no longer have to go to Hades and wait for a resurrection back out of there. Instead, at death we immediately receive our new immortal bodies and go to heaven. That fulfilled hope is a better hope.”

“So, Jesus’ predictions were fulfilled. He did not fail, nor do we need to engage in theological gymnastics to try to explain-away the seeming delay or postponement of His return. It happened right on schedule. Many theologians know that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was important in God’s scheme of redemption, but never understood its full significance. It has to do with the consummation of the plan of redemption. The final events of the redemptive drama came to pass in the first century within the apostles’ generation (before A.D. 70). Christ’s kingdom is here now. Paradise has been restored in Christ (for our afterlife in heaven above). Christ has conquered all His enemies and has given us His Eternal Kingdom, “of the increase of which there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7). Preterist .org

 

The Millennial Kingdom of Christ

Isa 2:1 “This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall happen in the end of days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 And many peoples shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and Jehovah’s word from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations, And will decide concerning many peoples; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.”

Already at the turn of the 700s and 600s BC, the Prophet Isaiah saw a vision of the Kingdom of God at the end of time. It appears from the vision that it is a description of the Millennial reign of Christ and the Saints. In verse 4, “He” means Christ. This Kingdom will rule at the end of time. A taste of God’s Kingdom was received on the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on a large crowd in Jerusalem.

Preterists calculate that the kingdom of God began in 70 AD, when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and when Christ came to earth to rule for the second time in spirit form. So, in their view, the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. In this way, it is easy to explain why the changes in the physical world that Isaiah tells us, are not visible. So, the lion is eating grass spiritually, but in the real world, it is a meat-eating beast.

Has such a millennial period been in the history of mankind? If that were the case, there would probably be plenty of evidence, writings, works of art etc. Satan is bound, too, and he cannot attract and deceive humanity. All this wonderfulness has happened in the real, physical world. The millennial Kingdom of Christ will be realized in the real world, at least according to Isaiah. Not in another world, that is, in the spiritual realm. The duration of a millennial kingdom may not be precisely 1000 years. The ‘Millennium’ may also be a figurative expression of an extended period. Preterists, in fact, believe that the Millennium lasted only 40 years, from the death of Christ to 70 AD.

About the time after the Millennium, John states in his revelation: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev 21:1-2)

We must live in the last days, for Paul says: 2 Tim 3:1 “But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,,
4  traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. Turn away from these, also.”

 

When will Christ come? What are the conditions that must be met?

Luk 21:29 “He told them a parable. “See the fig tree, and all the trees.
30 When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.
31  Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.
32 Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
34 “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.
35 For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.”
Luke warns of future Tribulation: God’s Kingdom is near when the signs (see the earlier verses) are fulfilled. Tribulation reaches all people on earth. It is not a local destruction on Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem also meant great distress to the Jewish population. Luke 21:35 says, however, that the Tribulation will come like a snare to all who dwell on the surface of the earth, not just the small Jewish population. Again, this shows that persecution and the transfer of Jews among the nations of the world is not the end of the Old Testament Jewish world, nor is it an affliction for everyone on earth.

In the first half of chapter 21, Jerusalem is said to be surrounded by troops, but then we jump into time and expressions such as “trampled down by the Gentiles” and “the times of the Gentiles.” Luk 21:24 “they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive into all the nations … “Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

What does “times of the Gentiles” mean? After the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and especially its temple, the people of Israel are being destroyed or displaced by the Roman Empire. Gentiles inhabit Jerusalem, “trampled on” until 1967, when the Israeli army also invaded East Jerusalem.

Mat 24:33 “In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that he is near, right at the door. 34 Verily I say to you, this generation will not have passed away until all these things shall have taken place.”

A couple of questions to what Matthew says: When you see all this – what’s all? Second, this generation is not going to disappear. The generation is 70 years. Jerusalem is being trampled on by the Gentiles. Pulling these together, we can conclude that once the signs of Tribulation have been fulfilled and Jerusalem is no longer trampled upon by the Gentiles, from that moment count the time of the generation and then Christ will come.

 

Luke Chapter 21: Times of the Gentiles

Luk 21:23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.
24 They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves.
26 People will faint with fear and apprehension because of the things that are to come on the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
31 In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.

In verse 24, “they will fall by the sword, they will be taken captive among all nations,” is well suited to the destruction of the Roman legions and the associated destruction and dissolution of the Jewish people among all nations. Its central feature is that Jerusalem will be “trampled down by the Gentiles” and, of course, the complete destruction of a large and beautiful temple.

 

“This generation” Mat 24:34 (likewise Mar 13:30 Luk 21:32)

“Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.” What are those events?

What does Luke and also Matthew and Mark mean when they say, ‘this generation’? He refers to the events he said above. Now we have to think carefully about when these things in chapter 21 will happen? Some of the events described already took place in the year 70. However, the mention of the times of Gentiles cannot be correct at the time. Yes, Jerusalem was trampled upon by the Gentiles, but the times of the Gentiles were not fulfilled.

Luke depicts the signs of the time of Christ’s coming: the Israelites will be led among all nations, Jerusalem will remain “trampled on” by the Gentiles until the time is up. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and in the nations, there will be anxiety and despair. AND THEN, they see Christ coming in the cloud with great power and glory.

This is accompanied by Luke’s 21st Chapter fig tree metaphor.

Luk 21:29 “He told them a parable.  See the fig tree, and all the trees.
30 When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.
31  In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the kingdom of God is near..
32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place.”

Verse 29 invites you to look at the fig and all trees. The fig tree depicts Israel, and  other “trees” describe other peoples, other Bible predictions, and their fulfillment. Often only the fig tree is remembered and what has happened to Israel.

For Israel, fig tree leaves have erupted, and ‘summer’ is near. The State of Israel was born in 1948. This prophecy is also known to reflect the coming of the Kingdom of God. “This generation” expression again! Many count 70-80 years for a generation. Since the birth of the State of Israel, there is today hardly any time left for “this generation” to end. Clear signs are preceding Christ’s Second Coming, such as Jerusalem being held by the Gentiles [being trampled on]and Jerusalem is no longer the Holy City of the Jews. Christ comes after the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. We know from history that this has now happened to Jews. The Romans conquered Jerusalem in 70 AD, and that meant the end and destruction of the Jewish religion and destruction of the entire Kingdom – until the diaspora ended about a hundred years ago and the return of the Jews began.

 

Mark Chapter 13: The great tribulation

Mark writes: 13:19 “For in those days there will be a time of tribulation a kind that has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God made until now and certainly will never happen again.
24 But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

Mark also shows that the Tribulation will be so great that such has not been since the beginning of all creation, and that there will never be such anymore. It is understandable that the Jews feel the destruction of Jerusalem and the persecution and expulsion of the Jewish people from Israel among the nations, is a great distress. If you look at the map, you will see that on a global scale it is a question of the suffering of a small land and a small nation. Jesus Christ, however, in my view, spoke of the worldwide Tribulation (42 months) and following the Tribulation even more horrible Day of the Lord (42 months):

2 Pet 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

Such a terrifying global day must come before Christ comes. How do the preterists explain that history does not know that such phenomena have occurred?

 

Matthew Chapter 24: The Prophecies of Jesus to the Apostles on the Mount of Olives

 24:2 “But he answered them, Don’t you see all of these things? Most assuredly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down. 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

The disciples asked three questions. When would the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, take place. Second, what is the sign of Jesus’ second coming? And yet, What is the sign of the end of the age? – It was not about the end of the world, but the end of the (world) age.

24:5 “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they shall mislead many.”

Jesus warned the disciples of the coming delusion, the false Christs. These deceive gullible people by tricking them into believing in the ‘miracles’ they have done.

24:6 “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.”

The wars and news of wars were coming – several wars, not just one war on Israel. In verse 7, Jesus specifies that there are many wars all over the world; nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 8 “but all these things are the beginning of birth pains.”

24:9 “Then shall they deliver you up to tribulation, and shall kill you; and you will be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake.”

Does “you” in verse 9, refer to the affliction and hatred of the apostles? My understanding is that hatred and persecution are widespread among Christians. There were persecutions during several Roman emperors, and they finally came to an end when Emperor Constantine made Christianity a state religion in the early 300s.

24:10 “Then many people will fall by the way and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people,
12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold.”

Jesus predicted that as a result of persecution, many would give up their faith, and false prophets would cause confusion. Lawlessness in societies is increasing.

However, verse 13 promises: “But the person who endures to the end will be saved.”

14 “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

What is the interpretation of verse 14 ‘in the whole world’? Or Colossians 1:23, which testifies: “you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” – According to the apostles’ understanding, the gospel had already been proclaimed to all nations: Rom 16:26, “but which has now been made manifest, and by prophetic scriptures, according to the commandment of the eternal God, made known for obedience of faith to all the nations.”

However, at the time of Apostle Paul, the gospel was not preached to all nations. Isaiah predicts 66:19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.” – Isaiah mentions that “those who are escaped” will be sent to the Gentiles to proclaim the gospel message. Who are these that escaped? They are the ones who have survived the great Tribulation by calling on the name of Jesus.

Joel 2:32 “It will happen that whoever will call on the name of Jehovah shall be saved; For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, As Jehovah has said, And among the remnant, those whom Jehovah calls.”

If the phrase “all nations in the world” is judged by modern knowledge, one cannot agree with the apostles’ view. This is evidenced by the Lord’s promise, recorded above by Isaiah, to send fugitives to proclaim the gospel to Gentiles who have not even heard of God. And the gospel was to be preached to all nations! Indeed, evangelistic work is now done around the world, and the Bible or part of it is now printed in a few thousand languages.

What about, “then comes the end”? Does this mean that great tribulation will end? Or that the world ends? The world does not end end; God has promised that “the earth shall remain forever” (Eccl. 1:4). The end means the end of all upheaval and turmoil when Christ comes the second time, and the first resurrection takes place. Christ takes over the leadership of the Kingdom of God on earth, the so-called Millennial kingdom, where the Saints who have resurrected reign under Christ.

Mat 24:15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), – 16  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

It is so urgent to escape that you do not even have time to return to retrieve your coat. Jesus urges you to pray that you do not have to flee in the cold winter season or on the Sabbath. Escape is difficult for pregnant and infants and their mothers.

In the time of Jesus, Judea was a large area centered on Jerusalem. This would suggest that the issue is the gathering of Roman troops to destroy Jerusalem. As one reads on a few verses, it is clear that a disaster far greater than the destruction of Jerusalem is coming.

24:21 “For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again. 22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.”      – ”For the sake of the chosen ones,” tells that the living Saints participating in the first resurrection are still on earth. They, too, have to suffer from Tribulation.

Verses 21-22 emphasize that tribulation is so great that the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again. What conclusions can you draw from the two verses above? They have an excellent description of the intensity and effects of the tribulation. One might ask, when Israel was only a tiny land and an insignificant land compared to the Roman Empire as a whole, how would the rebellion and disorder that it caused be in any way significant to the great world power? However, Rome sent a small army, just a few legions, to defeat the rebellion to teach others. This minor frontier frenzy does not fulfill the hallmarks of the Great Tribulation described in verse 21, a tribulation of unprecedented magnitude and never to be. Surely there have been many  more considerable anxieties! An example is the 20th century World Wars, which killed about one hundred million people. Of course, the destruction of Jerusalem was significant for a small Jewish nation, but Matthew speaks of the whole world.

Matthew continues. When the anxiety is over, the sun and moon darken, the stars fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens shake.

24:29 “But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, 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. 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.”

Many signs that must be fulfilled for Jesus Christ to come the second time. When we see these signs, we can rest assured that Christ’s coming is near, ‘at the door.’ Verse 34 affirms:

24:31 “He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. 32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.”

When he comes, Christ sends his angels, who, as the trumpet sounds, gather Christ’s own from all over the world.

When will all this happen, only our God Jehovah knows. Not even the Son knows (or knew when he told the Apostles about these coming events). Despite all the signs, these devastating events come as a surprise to most of humanity, just like the flood did.

Again, I ask, what is ‘this generation’ during which everything happens? We can also put it this way: (a) Is this generation the one which lived in Israel just before 70 AD? Or, b) is ‘this generation’ one that has not yet emerged?

If you support the preterist view, you answer a. If you support the futuristic view, your answer is b.

How do we know which is the correct answer? There are many signs. To find the right answer, all you have to do is decide: could the criteria have all been fulfilled before 70 AD? Or, are there one or more of the hallmarks that could not be filled before the year of 70? Or has it even been shown that some or all of the signs are still not fulfilled?

 

“Taste death” 

The next Matthew 16:28 (and Mark 9:1 and Luke 8:52) are obscure. Mat 16:28 “Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

What explains Jesus saying, “there are some among you who do not taste death …” What does it mean to taste death? Why not say directly, die? Numerous passages in the Bible use the word ἀποθνῄσκω apothnöskō to die, which means natural death, violent death, eternal death. Could the phrase used by the apostles suggest that tasting death means merely dying for a short time, unlike the usual meaning of death for a long time in the tomb, awaiting the resurrection sometimes to come. ‘Tasting death’ would be a death as a short-lived expectation of the Lord.

If the preterists are wrong and Christ did not return to earth around 70 AD, what does it mean? Few understand! This means that the people whom Christ referred to in his promise (“do not taste death”) are still living, waiting, nearly 2,000 years old, for Christ’s promise – that they will not die until he returns as king.

 

Mat 10:23 … “you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

The preterists have chosen this verse as an important verse to show how soon Christ will return; the apostles would not have time to fulfill Christ’s commandment (Mat. 28:19) to spread the gospel message to the whole world and would not even go through the cities of Israel before his return.

How many cities might Israel have at that time? Today, with over 5 million inhabitants in Israel, there are about 70 cities. What was Israel like two thousand years ago? Perhaps in Jesus’ time, there was a smaller population and fewer cities than at present. If each apostle visited the towns assigned to him – on average, six – how long would it take? What did Jesus mean by “visiting the cities of Israel”. Probably preaching the word of the gospel and traveling to six cities and traveling, in a geographically small area, would roughly take 5 to 6 weeks. Even if the apostles had traveled together from one city to another, it could not have taken forty years, from the time of Jesus’ death to 70 AD, when, according to Preterists, he was to come to earth the second time.

This verse in Matthew 10:23 is one of Jesus’ significant verses used to describe his speedy return to earth. However, this verse does not prove the message of Jesus, but rather shows that Jesus’ purpose does not appear in the verse as it is generally interpreted.

Going through the cities of Israel would have been an effortless task compared to the other duty assigned to the apostles, preaching the gospel to all nations as a testimony. The fulfillment of this condition is explained as “all nations” or “the whole world” at that time meant the Roman Empire, that is, the countries around the Mediterranean. At that time, the world was not even understood to be a globe, and the ‘whole world’ is much, much larger than the Roman Empire and includes countless nations. The Apostles would not have had an opportunity to evangelize the peoples of the world. The first task Jesus said was impossible for the disciples, was however easy and possible. The second task was difficult, if not impossible, for the disciples. How do we explain this contradiction?

 

What happens when a believer dies today?

According to the Preterist view, “We born Christians are now living our spiritual lives after 70 AD in the spiritual realm of the New Covenant, in complete security in Christ.” We will survive on this earth for a fixed period of time, after which we will die. At that time, we will immediately put on our new immortal, glorified, visible, spiritual, individual, heavenly bodies, and celebrate eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Further, “we shall not remain in our tombs waiting for the resurrection and the final judgment and entry into the kingdom of God.”

According to the Preterists, “The Kingdom that was to come soon, was spiritual. It was not a physical realm. The Pharisees and the Jews in general were waiting for a physical kingdom for Israel. Jesus rejected the whole idea. His Kingdom was a spiritual one that belonged to believers (Jewish believers and other believers). Those who defend the physical kingdom, either then or in the future, will promote something that Christ opposed.”

Luk 17:20 “And having been asked by the Pharisees, When is the kingdom of God coming? he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

Preterists say: “It includes all born-again believers who are all spiritually placed in the Body of Christ. In God’s eternal perspective, His New Covenant kingdom is a spiritual one in which righteousness dwells.” From the perspective of God’s eternity, the kingdom of His New Covenant is a spiritual kingdom in which righteousness dwells. Phil 4:5; Titus 3:5; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 22:10 “And he said unto me, Do not lock the words of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

From the perspective of God’s eternity, the Kingdom of His New Covenant is a spiritual realm where righteousness dwells.

The Apostles longed to come to Christ after his resurrection. Paul especially wrote about it; Phl 1:23 ”Indeed, I cannot decide between the two. I have the desire to leave this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Is it so that Paul would have come to Christ immediately after his death, without having to wait for the first resurrection?

According to Preterists, “the dead are still alive” (i.e., conscious) in the unseen spiritual realm (Hades). They weren’t annihilated, or unconscious like the Sadducees believed. ” According to them, the dead are still “alive” (aware of their condition) in the invisible spirit world (Hades). According to Old Testament teaching, when a person dies, his soul, both righteous and unbelieving, “died” and remained in the state of unconsciousness until the resurrection. During the time of Jesus, the Sadducees did not believe in the afterlife, even for the righteous. They did not believe that the souls or spirits of the dead were in any state of consciousness.

Preterists say, Jesus disagreed with the Sadducees and rejected the Sadducees’ claim that the dead know nothing and that they are unconscious. The Preterists claim, the dead will remain in the state of consciousness until the resurrection.

Preterists also refer to verses 1 Peter 3:18-19 and verses 4:6, asking: Why did Jesus preach to the dead if they were completely unconscious and knew nothing? 18 “Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison,

 1 Pet “4:6 For to this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh but live as to God in the spirit.”

The Bible says in Eccl 9:5, “For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” If this is literally true, how was it possible that Jesus did not believe it but went to preach to the dead and completely unconscious. Preterists might still ask how it was possible at all if Jesus died, and God had not yet brought him to life. Wasn’t Jesus really “dead” in the crucifixion? Or did God give him the gift of eternal life at the time of death? John 5:26. “For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.” John testifies in his gospel that obtaining eternal life goes even further; John 17: 2, “For you have given him authority over all humanity so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him.”

Preterists’ sure evidence of consciousness after death.

Luke 23:43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  

The three crucified were on the verge of death. One of the criminals beside Jesus said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come to your kingdom.” To this Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Those who believe this verse signifies Jesus’ promise to the crucified next to him that “this day” he will enter into paradise with Jesus, will consider this a sure testimony of post-mortal consciousness.

Unfortunately, this is not all that certain. It’s about the place of the comma. During that time, no commas were used in the Greek language, but commas were added afterward. The meaning of the sentence changes entirely as the comma is moved: “Verily I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” C.f. “Verily I say you today, you will be with me in Paradise.” In the second sentence, Jesus does not promise a place in paradise on the same day, but it will come true later.

 

What is the Lord’s Day? How does it relate to the Second Coming of Christ?

2 Tes 2:1 “Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you
2 not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come.
3 Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of destruction;

4 he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”

Paul specifies the signs of the Second Coming of Jesus and calls for restraint.

Already during Paul’s time, there were “Preterists of the time.” In his second epistle to Timothy, Paul mentions Hymeneus and Philetus. 2:17 “and what they say will spread everywhere like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that.  18 They have abandoned the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place, and so they destroy the faith of others.”

Paul gives instructions to his congregants for the coming of the Lord’s Day. The letter was written around 50-54. There were rumors about the coming of Christ or the beginning of the prophesied Lord’s day, and the congregation was troubled. It was not clear to everyone that the coming of Christ was preceded by certain events that Paul described in his epistle. First, the apostasy occurs, and the man of lawlessness appears. The adversary, the child of perdition, who exalts himself above all and declares himself to be God. This is the Antichrist, Satan’s closest helper. The ‘apostasy’ is currently underway. People call themselves Christians, but they are not interested in God’s word, and they want to live the life of this world.

The life of the people described in Ephesians was similar: 2:1 “You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; 3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Is there historical evidence of the Antichrist, who would have declared himself to be God in the temple of God? If the Preterist timetable were correct, this declaration would have taken place before the temple was destroyed in 70. No such statement is known to history. Such a proclamation is not possible because after 70 AD, God’s temple no longer exists.

The Bible tells about the Lord’s Day in the Old Testament, through many prophets. This is the day of the Lord’s wrath, following the 3.5 years of tribulation I wrote above. Matthew 24 records that the Tribulation preceding Lord’s Day is so great that such never has been and will never be. However, this period does not compare to the following Day of the Lord.

John writes: Rev 1:10, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” …  John was believed to have written the book of Revelation in about 94-96, meaning that the destruction of Jerusalem was well known to him.

There is also a conflicting testimony of the writing of Revelation. Rev 11:1 ”A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the gentiles. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.” – The angel gave John a yardstick to measure the temple of God in Jerusalem. Verse 2 specifies the measurement task and says that the court has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city for 42 months. When John wrote the book of Revelation, the temple at Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. On this basis, perhaps the writing of the book of Revelation might be in the 60s.

Isa 2:12 “For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon everything proud and lofty, and upon everything lifted up, and it shall be brought low;
4:2 In that day there shall be a sprout of Jehovah for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth for excellency and for ornament for those that are escaped of Israel.
13:6 Howl, for the day of Jehovah is at hand; it cometh as destruction from the Almighty.
13:9 Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth desolate; and he will destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Joel 1:15 “Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is at hand;
2:11 Jehovah thunders his voice before his army; For his forces are very great; For he is strong who obeys his command; For the day of Jehovah is great and very awesome, And who can endure it?”

2:31 “The sun shall be changed to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.”

Amos 5:20 “Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?”

Obadja 1:15 “For the day of Jehovah is near all the nations: as you have done, it shall be done to you. Your deeds will return upon thine own head.”

Sefanja 2:2 “before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah comes on you, before the day of Jehovah’s anger comes on you. 3 Seek Jehovah, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”

Malakia 4:5 “Behold, I send unto you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and terrible day of Jehovah.”

Act 2:20 “The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.”

1 The 5:2 “For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.”

2 Pet 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

 

Does the Revelation tell of the destruction of Jerusalem?

For the Revelation to tell of the destruction of Jerusalem, John should have written it before the year of 70. John is believed to have written it in 94-96 when he was exiled to Patmos, well after 70. John’s death is thought to have occurred perhaps in 96. However, the Preterists disagree and believe that the book of Revelation was written before the year 70 and describes the destruction of Jerusalem. “It was during this four-year great tribulation” (c. AD 62-66) that James, Paul, and Peter undertook martyrdom. Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.”

The most important question, however, is Jesus’ assurance that he will come soon and what will happen with his coming.

Rev 22:6 “He said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon.”

7 Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

10 He said to me, Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.

12 Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. 22:20 He who testifies these things says, Yes, I come quickly.” Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus.”

The Preterists believe that Jesus meant by the quick coming that he would witness the destruction of Jerusalem and Judaism, when the Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. Is the “Great City, Babylon” of Revelation Jerusalem? It has traditionally been believed that Babylon means Rome. However, the Preterists want to confirm their interpretation that the Revelation was written before 70 and describes the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. If John wrote the book of Revelation after year 70 AD,  what upcoming events does it refer to, if not the destruction of Jerusalem and the collapse of the status of Judaism? There was no catastrophe of this magnitude in the “world” of the first century. Wouldn’t God have written in the Bible a prophecy and a warned about the grim future for Jerusalem and His people?

Rev 18:16-17 describes the ‘great city’ as saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! Every hour such great riches are made desolate. Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and Mariners, and as many as gain their living by the sea, stood far away, 19 “How terrible, how terrible is it for the great city, where all the ships at sea have become rich because of her Wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!”

– It is unlikely that Jerusalem would have accumulated so much wealth and splendor, but Rome did. It should also be noted that Jerusalem is not a coastal city with owners of ships at sea. It must be possible to determine the place and time of events according to historical facts.

Jesus prophesies of Jerusalem in Mat 23:35-38 “that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Most assuredly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate.” – Again the question of ‘this generation’ arises.

If Jesus did not come at that time, as he promised to come back “soon,” we are still waiting for his coming, almost two thousand years after the promise. It is good to remember and understand that “a thousand years to God is like one day.” I cannot say with certainty which interpretation is correct.

 

Have the claims of the Preterists come true?

Mat 19:28 “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Luk 22:30 “that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Christ promised each apostle, as a reward for following him, permission to sit on the throne of a Jewish tribe and judge this one tribe of Israel. Second, the apostles were promised to sit at Christ’s table to eat and drink. Eating and drinking only occurs in the physical world. However, the Preterists explain that the Christ-led Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, where you neither eat nor drink. If eating and drinking is a figurative expression, what could it mean?

Isaiah’s descriptions of the New World, the Millennial kingdom:

Isa 65:19 “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more there an infant of days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Is Jerusalem currently, or has it ever been, after the year 70 AD, a kingdom of happiness as pictured in the verses above? Infant mortality has been eliminated, and people have a life span of over 100 years. The sinner has time to repent until his centenary. – I do not believe that infant mortality has been eradicated, nor people’s life expectancy increased significantly.

22 “They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands”.  

24 “It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” 

This is the most significant upheaval in the communication between God and man. Of course, even now, we can trust God to hear and listen to our requests and prayers. In the Kingdom of Christ, God answers as soon as man speaks to him. This is not the case in our physical world, but Preterists claim that the kingdom of Christ is spiritual.

25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says Jehovah.”

The relationship between mankind and animal life has undergone a complete change: wolves and other predators have become vegetarians. Humans are vegetarians, provided they are in the physical bodies. This must be the case with the above examples; Humans have not yet attained immortality. It is after the prophecies of Revelation have been fulfilled that men are in the spiritual bodies and have received the gift of immortality from God.

Such a society of happiness and contentment can only materialize in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. Is there any evidence that these promises have been fulfilled. If it can be shown that these promises or predictions have been achieved after 70 AD, it also means that Christ and the Saints are ruling. If these descriptions are not met, it is likely that either

– Christ has not come, and the first resurrection has not happened, or

– Christ and the Saints reign in the invisible spirit world, and Isaiah’s prophecies have not been fulfilled. I do not even consider the possibility that the lion and the sheep, as spirit creatures, would eat grass in all harmony.

 

Did Jesus come already?

What else does the Bible say about the coming of the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God does not come in a visible way. The Kingdom of God is in your midst.

Luk 17:20 “Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them,  The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

If the coming of God’s Kingdom happens in an unseen way, likely, the Kingdom’s administration and its leadership will also be invisible. This raises an important question; Are the coming of the kingdom of God (not visible) and the coming of Christ Himself (visible, seen by all the people of the earth) two different events? What we can say with certainty from the Bible is that the Second Coming of Christ is an event that is visible to every person in the world. Mat 24:30, “and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. 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.”

If the coming of God’s kingdom happens in an unseen way, likely, the kingdom’s administration and its leadership will also be invisible. This raises an important question; Are the coming of the kingdom of God (not visible) and the coming of Christ Himself (visible, seen by all the people of the earth) two different events? What we can say with certainty from the Bible is that the Second Coming of Christ is an event that is visible to every person in the world.

Could it be that the Kingdom of God has come, but Christ has not yet come? Had these been linked together, the public coming of Christ would surely have been noted and much written about. Or else, Christ comes in a very open and visible way. Still, when he comes, his kingdom’s administration is not visible. Maybe that’s just it. The coming of Christ is, according to the Bible, a very visible event. We do not know how visible the government of the Kingdom of Christ is, only that Christ rules with an iron scepter.

Already, we can experience the Kingdom of God within us if we are born again. When Christ and the Saints reign, the government may be invisible.  Christ and the Saints may, if necessary, take on a visible, physical body as Christ did when he appeared to the Apostles after his resurrection.

 

The coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God is near.

Jam 5:8-9 “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.

1 Pet 4:7 But the end of all things is near. Therefore, be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most assuredly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.

Mat 16:28 Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Mat 24:34 Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.”

Here are some interpretations of the Preterists for a few verses of Revelation. I added my opinion:

Rev 6:9-10 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. 10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

“Here we see the “Souls” broken down in the heavenly temple (under the altar) before the final resurrection and judgment, while life proceeds as usual on earth. These martyrs, whose bodies were clearly “dead,” have their own memories, and remember that they have become martyrs and they are suing their murderers. They are apparently “conscious” without their bodies in the heavenly kingdom before the final resurrection when they would have received their new immortal bodies. If the “soul-sleeping doctrine” is correct, this passage would be completely inexplicable, hopelessly mysterious, and a blatant misrepresentation of reality in the invisible spiritual realm.”

Personally, I think this could be a vision the same way the rest of the book of Revelation is. John was given visions, and this vision of executed believers was one of them. God knows all that has happened and knows how to convey the message to whom he wants. Eccl 9:5 “For the living know that they must die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no place, but their memories are forgotten.”

Rev 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

“Preterists regard the above passage in Revelation as a text that sweeps beliefs such as belief in Annihilation and Universalism. ‘Note that this text speaks of the condition of the dead after the final resurrection (AD 70). The righteous have their new immortal bodies and are inside the heavenly city. The unsaved are still conscious and located outside the gates of the heavenly city. The unsaved did not receive “immortality” at the last judgment, but they are still in awareness, so this necessarily means that “immortality” is not the same as “soul consciousness”. These unsaved people are still aware after the resurrection, even though their bodies are dead, and they did not receive immortality” in the resurrection. They will consciously remain outside of heaven forever after the resurrection event. Not only does this undo the idea of ​​”soul dreaming,” but it shows that the wicked not only cease to be (annihilation) and are not given a “second chance” to repent and accept Christ and “get to heaven” (universalism).”

The above is what Preterists think. The last chapter in this article explains my view of the final judgment and the punishment of God.

Preterism seems to include the belief that in 70 AD was the “last resurrection,” defining who was saved and who was not. But where is the final judgment? According to the Preterists, when the Saints die, they receive in 1 Cor 15: 51-52 the promised Spiritual body and ascend to heaven.

I have interpreted this change leading to the first resurrection together with Christ’s own (who rise from their graves) to meet Christ at his coming the second time. Preterists believe that they will ascend to heaven in the spiritual resurrection body. The Resurrected Saints will serve as co-rulers with Christ. When they are in the Kingdom of God (that is, the Millennial Kingdom led by Christ), they have spiritual bodies just as Christ did when he resurrected. They are invisible or, if desired, they may take a physical body as Christ did after his resurrection. They can suddenly move from place to place, just like Christ. 2 Cor 5:1 says: “For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 5:8 We are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.”

Preterists may rely on this passage in the Corinthians that Paul believes that believers have a “tabernacle” in heaven. Jesus said as the reason for his ascension to heaven, “I go to make a place for you, and I will come back and take you to be where I am.” Will Christ make preparations in heaven and take the apostles there? On the other hand, Christ said he would come back to earth, and the apostles would be there with Christ to reign over one tribe of Israel. Readers, when talking about heaven, are probably lifting their gaze upwards towards heaven. Still, as I interpret it, heaven is not the place up there. It may well be here with us, invisible. Jesus also told of the coming of the Kingdom of God, that is, the Kingdom of heaven, that its coming cannot be seen, and it cannot be said that it is here or there. The Kingdom of God is within you. (The Kingdom of God is within you, is in your midst)

The common Christian today believes that when he dies, his body will be laid in a grave and the soul that has become detached from the body will travel to Hades to await the resurrection. Then, we will regain our physical body and live forever in the New World on earth. Or in heaven; Revelation tells us that God descends to earth. Rev 21:10 “and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.”  What do the ordinary Christians believe about the afterlife? His body will be put in a grave, yes. What about the soul? Does the soul go to heaven? Where do we wait for our resurrection and the resurrection bodies, in heaven or the grave?

 

What is the rule of Christ on earth like?

Paul describes the yearning of believers in the physical body to “go home” to the Lord. Home in heaven means the kingdom of God, also called the Kingdom of heaven. Now it has just happened, according to the Preterists, that Christ has already come to us and established with the Saints his Millennial Kingdom from which he rules us and all the nations of the world.

The Saints of the First Resurrection have been tasked to lead people on earth and in the physical body under Christ, with iron rods if necessary.

Rev 2:27 “He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots; as I also have received of my Father:
12:5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.
19:15 Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.”

If the Preterist view is correct, Christ and the saints still rule the nations of the world with an iron scepter. They have to do this because there are all sorts of false doctrines in the world. Of course, there is also a possible interpretation that the administration of Christ does not interfere with the administration of the physical world. Still, in the invisible Kingdom, they control the dead who have entered there and have received the resurrection body. But those who enter Christ’s Kingdom do not need to be ruled by an iron scepter because they are born again of God’s children.

When Christ comes the second time, the nations will be amazed at everything that has happened. Gradually, the situations begin to clear up, and the leadership of Christ, and the Saints becomes apparent to all. Not all world leaders want to submit to “some Christ.” Then he can feel the iron scepter of Christ – and submit to his will. Christ’s coming has destroyed all the powers of the world, and the leaders of the world cannot but submit to the will of Christ. Christ places his faithful Saints in leading positions of the world, one to lead five cities, another ten, according to the parable of Jesus.

The rule of Christ and the Saints is called the Millennial kingdom. Does it last for a thousand years or more or less? However, in my interpretation, it is just a thousand years. It began six thousand years from the days of Adam and Eve, or six days of God. The Millennium is the 7th day. After that comes the final judgment and, for those who have survived, the new world in New Jerusalem. This is called the Eighth Day in the Apocrypha. 

 

What promises in the Bible have not been fulfilled?

 Not everyone was accepted into the kingdom of Christ?

Believers in Christ, both apostles and other believers, waited for his return in faith and hope. If the Preterists are right in their doctrine and Christ returned in 70 AD, he must have accepted all 12 apostles to his invisible kingdom, according to his promise. But no. What can we conclude from this? About the fact that a few apostles were alive and lived normal human lives and died years after 70 AD.

Preterists write in their publication: “He told the apostles that all twelve of them (including those still alive) would be received to Him and sit on twelve thrones and dwell in the places He had prepared for them in His Father’s house (heaven).” Christ told the apostles that all the twelve, including those who were alive, would come to him to sit on the twelve thrones and live in the place he had prepared for them in his Father’s house (in heaven). – However, a few apostles lived and died the deaths of a normal human being in the human physical society – not in the spiritual realm of Christ.

 

Christ and the Saints rule with an iron scepter

Rev 2:27 “He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots; as I also have received of my Father. 12:5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.

2 Tim 4:1 “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.”

– This is a meaningful verse. The actual judgment is to be given to humanity after the Second Resurrection. It is called the “resurrection of judgment.” I interpret this verse written by Paul to mean that when he comes for the second time, Christ will judge (punish) evil people. As Christ reigns for a thousand years, he also condemns humanity. Would it be a better word for “punishment” instead of condemnation? The Greek word κρίνω krínō also contains the meaning of punish. ‘Judgment’ in the context of Christ, on the other hand, carries the meaning of finality, and punishment leaves the possibility of a final judgment.

People who have entered the kingdom of Christ do not need to be governed by the iron hand because they are Christ’s. Instead, the external, physical world is still full of sin. However, the Bible states that Satan is the king of this world, which I interpret to mean that Christ has not yet intervened in the world ruled by Satan. According to the Bible, when Christ comes the second time, Satan will be imprisoned for a thousand years, and the world will be liberated from Satan’s power. Joh 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. 16:11 … the prince of this world has been judged.”

If Christ has already come, as the Preterists believe, Christ and the Saints have already, almost two thousand years ago, overthrown the sinful part of the world with an iron scepter. Satan has also been chained, but he has been released hundreds of years ago. Satan was able to seduce a real large crowd of people to fight the Saints. The Bible predicted this and the loss of Satan. The Bible tells how Satan and his aides were thrown into the fiery lake. Is this how it went according to the Preterists?

I should think that history books would be full of accounts of Satan’s loss, but nothing like that can be read. At this point, I think I’m leaning towards futurists.

New people are born into the Millennial kingdom of Christ. Some will get there after the trials of the Lord’s Day; they are the saved ones (the “escaped ones”) who have called on Jesus or God the Father for help. At that time, there are still many in the world who have not heard of Christ.

My interpretation is that all the inhabitants of the Millennial kingdom are mortal and in the physical body. There is no sickness and no poverty. Death is removed last, that is, at the end of the 1000-year kingdom when Satan is destroyed. Isaiah speaks of a physical kingdom where people of the nations are taught and where priests are also called among the people of the nations.

Isa 66:19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 66:21 Of them also will I take for priests and for Levites, says Jehovah. – These verses of Isaiah make clear the nature of the Kingdom of Christ. If there were only born-again Christians in the kingdom, there would be no need to send teachers to teach distant countries the basics of Christianity.

 

Earth is a paradise of peace and happiness

Isa 65:19 “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.”

It’s a time of peace: Mic 4:2 “Many nations will go and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, And to the house of the God of Jacob; And he will teach us of his ways, And we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion will go forth the law, And the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.” 3 And he will judge between many peoples, And will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Neither will they learn war any more.”

– It has not been realized yet, even though Christ’s second coming – according to the Preterists – happened almost 2000 years ago.

4 “But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; And no one will make them afraid: For the mouth of Jehovah of Hosts has spoken. – There are many nations and states where most live in starvation and poverty without ‘fig trees’.”

Isa 32:17 “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. – This is what we expect, but the present physical world is not under Christ’s control.

Isa 65:21 “They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.

Isaiah witnesses how infant mortality is overcome, and infants can play safely, even with snakes. The inhabitants of the Millennial kingdom are the people on earth who will gradually build the globe over a thousand years. People spend their lives, work, get married, and have children and the elderly die. However, life expectancy increases, and even the 100-year-old is mourned as a young dead (Isa 65:20). However, death has not yet been overcome. It is not until the end of the millennium; in the final judgment, the well-judged “sheep” will at the same time have (eternal) life, and the evil will experience the “second death,” which is eternal separation from God’s communion. The fact that people are still mortal also proves that they are not really in the Kingdom of God. After all, the reigning saints received the gift of eternal life in the resurrection, and they have no power over their second death:

Rev 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he who has 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 one thousand years.” – The purpose of the first resurrection is to awaken righteous believers in the leadership Christ’s administration. Verse 20: 6 states that they will be priests of God and of Christ. Administration does not seem to require knowledge of the law, but true faith.

 

People’s life expectancy is increasing

Isa 65:20 “There shall be no more there an infant of days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”

God and man talk to each other

24 “It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together.

25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says Jehovah.”

 

Has Satan already been destroyed?

Rev 20:2 “He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 20:7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,”

The book of Revelation tells how an angel became from heaven and he captured Satan and bound him for a thousand years i.e. for the whole millennium. Satan was thrown into the “abyss” so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were over.” Why was Satan then set free to deceive the nations? Certainly, it was known that Satan would bring about the same wars that had prevailed a thousand years earlier. Why was Satan not destroyed at the beginning of the millennium? Why was Satan imprisoned and bound for a thousand years? Why had it been decided beforehand that Satan, after a thousand years in prison, was to be released?

Preterists claim that Satan has been destroyed. The fact that there is so much evil and sin rampant in the world is not, in their view, due to Satan, but due to man’s own evil nature.

My interpretation is that Satan is not yet bound, but has free authority over humanity. The Millennial kingdom has not yet begun, but I believe it will happen soon, when Satan will be imprisoned.

When Paul wrote the following verse of the Roman epistle, he conveys God’s promise that God will soon crush Satan. Rom 16:20, “And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” This is one of the many verses in the Bible that promises that events will happen soon or quickly. How many Christians have been waiting for such promises to be fulfilled?

The fulfillment of the promise comes together at the end of Christ’s millennium when the bound Satan is released. Satan mobilizes huge masses of supporters who seek to destroy the reign of Christ by attacking the “camp of the saints.” Revelation tells of Satan’s defeat: 20:9 “ They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them.”

1 Pet 5:8 “Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – This is how Peter warned the elders of the church about the dangers of Satan. How did the situation change when (and if) Christ established the kingdom of God on the earth to rule a period, which the Bible calls the Millennium. In fact, the Preterists interpret verse 8 to indicate that Satan has been destroyed. There is no sign of anything like this; Satan works as before and looks for whom to swallow. When Satan is liberated in due course, its action is far more ambitious than attracting individual believers. Satan is warring against the whole world of Christ.

It looks to me that Preterists find it difficult to believe in the very existence of Satan:

 “We could personalize our lust (James 1: 13-15) and call them the influence of Satan, or we could actually believe that there is a fallen angel (Satan) who was spiritually the father of the Jews; Jesus said: ”You are of your father the devil.” This Satan caused the Jews not to receive Jesus. But who tempted Jesus in the wilderness? It must have been a real angelic being. Preterists believe that “the ruler of this world” was cast out and his rule was taken away.

What if the Devil still exists? The Preterists say: “He has now no real spiritual power over us. It is our own lusts that affect us today (James 1:13 ss).” The Bible does not say that Satan must exist for there to be evil in the world.”

Q&A: “If Jesus Christ has returned, why is sin still rampant?”  Jesus won over us the control of sin, not the existence of sin. Sin always exists, but it no longer dominates us. The last enemy (spiritual death, judgment, or separation from the friendship of God) resulting from the control of sin is defeated. We now have access to God. While we can still sin, it can no longer hold us. Christ has set us free. Death and Hades are removed. (Edward E. Stevens)

This is how the doctrine of the Preterists goes:  According to Peter who wrote at this very time (AD 63-64), Satan had been released and was “prowling about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Peter knew his martyrdom was near (2 Pet. 1:14) because Satan was released, and the great tribulation was underway.

– This “tribulation” fell first on the Christians (1 Pet 4:17), and immediately provoked Christ to descend with His angels in AD 66 to begin the outpouring of wrath and judgment upon the Jewish nation for three and a half years (AD 66-70).

What happens? Revelation tells us: 20:7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,
8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them.
10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

What do the Preterists say? They believe that Christ founded his Millennial kingdom as early as 70 AD. Satan was captured and imprisoned for a thousand years. Preterist doctrine means, according to simple calculus, that Satan was liberated in about 1070. What do history books tell us about this time? History does not recognize such an event.

When the Millennial kingdom ends, significant things will happen:

• The second or last resurrection follows
• Satan will be released after he has been imprisoned for a thousand years
• Satan mobilizes a great rebellion and his forces attack the saints
• Satan will lose and will be condemned to eternal punishment with his associates
• All the resurrected will receive their judgment

Ezekiel tells about Satan’s furious fight in the war of Gog:

Eze 38:16 “and you shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land: it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.”

The great attack on Israel in the end-time is referred to in Ezekiel 38-39 as the “War of Gog” Zechariah 12: 1-8 and Joel 2:20 also tell about this same end-time war. So, there are prophets other than Ezekiel talking about Gog.

Sak 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, and on Judah also will it be in the siege against Jerusalem..
3  It will happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it.
4 In that day,” says Jehovah, “I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

5 The chieftains of Judah will say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of Hosts their God.’
6 In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they will devour all the surrounding peoples, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem will yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 Jehovah also will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem not be magnified above Judah..
8  In that day Jehovah will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Jehovah before them.
9 It will happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.

Joel 2:18 Then Jehovah was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.
19 Yahweh answered his people, “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied with them; And I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

Eze 38:17 “Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?”

 

Jesus, Israel and the Jews

Rom 2:28 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh;
29  but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God. 

9:6-8; But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel.
7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “In Isaac will your seed be called.”
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

9:22-24 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,,
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; And her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”

11:5-7 “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace..
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.”

Rom 11:17 “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree;

18 don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you..
21 for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off..
23 They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24  For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I don’t desire, brothers, to have you ignorant of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,”

In this verse, Paul states that Israel has encountered a hardening that ends when the number of Gentiles is full.

26 “and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” – And so Israel shall be saved; both natural Israel and Christians brought by the New Covenant.

The Preterists say: Thus, the establishment of the Eternal Kingdom of Christ at the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was the fulfillment of all the things that were promised to God’s chosen people, the true spiritual Israel, which included both believing Jews and believing Gentiles

 

The Last Judgment and God’s Punishment

 Christians believe in the Word of the Bible, which says that after the Second Resurrection, people must face Christ at the final judgment. If the Millennial Kingdom, led by Christ and the Saints, has already come to an end, when has the second or so-called “resurrection of judgment” happened?

It also seems that the new world after the Last Judgment, as described in the last two chapters of Revelation, is not at least emphasized in the Preterist doctrine. Who do God and Christ accept in the New World? What punishment will be imposed on those whose name is not in the Book of Life?

Revelation 21 says: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.
2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband.   3  I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell them, and they will be his with people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”                                                                                                                                5 He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”

Preterists do not stress at all the collective nature of the final judgment. According to their doctrine, every human being on earth will determine his or her future individually, and that will happen as soon as man dies. Those who have lived the will of God will go to heaven as soon as they die. What happens to others?

I have always believed that there is a resurrection of judgment, followed by the final judgment. Those who are judged, are facing the “lake of fire”, which I have explained to be a figurative expression of God’s punishment. I am now writing this time ready to consider another kind of explanation of the punishment of the Last Judgment. The last two chapters of Revelation are about the time of the last judgment.

The book of Revelation tells of the end time and especially the time after the last judgment. Rev 21:2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…

 

Who have access to this City of God?

22:14 “Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter in by the gates into the city.”

Who are denied access to this city, the New Jerusalem?

 Revelation verses explain: 21:27 “There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22:15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

The saved will go to New Jerusalem, where God also dwells. The condemned are sentenced to life outside the city walls. Notice what this means. Those who have been condemned by the last judgment are not constantly tortured by the lake of fire, though Revelation 21:8 says: “But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,  idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

However, the last chapter of Revelation reveals where the condemned are. They are outside the holy city. I have explained before, the fiery lake to be a metaphor of the punishment that faces those whose names are not written in the Book of life. Separation from God’s communion as the punishment, and denying a person access to God’s city, must surely be a perpetual punishment.

That’s the punishment of God’s last judgment! Those who are condemned will not enter New Jerusalem but will have to look outside the city forever when those whose names are written in the Book of Life live in the city where the throne of God and Christ are. 22:5 There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.

The punishment of the condemned is the eternal separation from God’s communion. They will remain outside of God’s New Jerusalem forever.

 

 

Rev 19:6 And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty reigned.
7 Let us rejoice and let us exult, and we will give glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself.
8 And it was given to her that she be clothed in fine linen, pure and bright; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.
9 And he says to me, Write: Blessed are the ones having been called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These words of God are true.

When is the wedding banquet to be celebrated? These verses of the Revelation (19:6) conclude that ”the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns”. Governance means that the kingdom of God is established and Christ rules it with his saints. The next verse, 19:7, states that the Lamb’s wedding has come. I think this means that the wedding is not directly related to the resurrection and the rapture. Some seem to believe that the wedding would be straight after the rapture and the Jewish wedding celebration would last as long as 7 years, that is to say, throughout the tribulation and the wrath of the God. If it is, as I have just mentioned above, the wedding is held only after Christ and the saints have begun to rule, the wedding is not an event to take place immediately after the rapture. Above said long wedding celebration would require the rapture to take place “pre-trib” and last throughout the God’s day. It will not be possible if resurrection and rapture happen as I understand, only very close to Jesus’ second coming.

 

• Dragon, beast, false prophet and the harlot
• Satanic trinity
• First beast
• Second beast
• Harlot
• God’s seal and the mark of the beast
• Image of God and the image of the beast

 

Dragon: Satan

First beast: The end-time kingdom (alliance), “fourth kingdom”

Second beast: The Antichrist, man, uses the power of the first beast, the  false prophet, religious leader, miracle maker

Harlot: False world religion, Babylon the great, end-time  church

A large part of Christians believe in the Triune God. When Satan with his aides attempts to capture the religious field, he creates a similar trinity. Satan himself is God’s mendacious counterpart. He has been trying to become like God Himself from the very beginning. The Antichrist counterfeits himself to be like Christ and strives to replace the true Christ. The false prophet makes spectacular wonders and tries to replace the Holy Spirit in the trinity. All the members of the trinity are counterfeited so that the mainstream Christians see two of the trinity members on earth “alive” and inaction. How do we know that such an unholy trinity truly dominates the last days?

Rev. 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. – The Revelation’s verse, in which these three beasts appear together, is strongly affirmed; out of the mouth of each of them, three frog-like unclean spirits are coming out.

Jhn 12:31 Now is the time for the judgment of this world to begin. Now will the ruler of this world be thrown out. So far, Satan is still king of this world. He tried to attract Jesus by promising Him the power and glory of this world.

Luk 4:5 The devil also took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. 6 He said to Jesus: I will give you all this authority and the glory of these kingdoms. For it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 So if you will worship me, all this will be yours.

A hopeless attempt: Jesus the Son of God had already been promised that He would receive divine power and would be raised higher than any other created being once He had accomplished His assignment on earth. Satan, therefore, had nothing to offer to Jesus that would not be His at any rate.

It should be noted in verse 4:6, which states: … to me it was given ... God has given the kingdom of this world to Satan, but only for a certain time and to indicate a particular purpose. That time is getting full. Satan tries to show that people choose him and reject God the Father and Jesus and the Holy Ghost, and therefore he frantically promotes the creation of the kingdom of the beast, the success of the coming Antichrist through the wonders of deceit and the False prophet in order to obtain a worldwide apostasy. People are not aware of Satan’s role and position in this world. People often blame God for their accidents. “Where were you when my family died in a fire,” they might say, blaming God. Wrong address! God does not want evil for people, and Satan does not care. The rulership of Christ is approaching and Satan will be bound for a thousand years.

During the time of the end, mankind is dominated and misled not only by the ‘dragon’ [Satan], but also by the other beasts working with him. These actions are described In Revelation 16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.

14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs. They go to the kings of the whole earth and gather them for the war of the great day of God Almighty.

Mar 13:22 For false christs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens to deceive, if possible, the elect.

 

Who or what is this first Beast?

The beast is the fourth kingdom, which Daniel describes (Dan 2:40): And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Inasmuch as iron crushes and smashes all things, and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter.. … And after this, I was looking in the night visions. And, behold, the fourth beast was fearful and terrifying, and very strong! And to it were great iron teeth. It devoured, and crushed, and stamped what was left with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts before it; and it had ten horns (Dan 7:7).

– Now we just have to decide which kingdom is the fourth kingdom. But that’s what many scientists agree on!: However, this is accompanied by an ambiguous interpretation question; The four kingdoms of Daniel have already come true. John’s vision is, however, about the future. Should we believe that the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s vision would resume in some form? Interpretation could go further, to the feet of the character.

The human-shaped figure depicted the different kingdoms and the fourth had the character’s legs. It depicts the Roman Empire divided into two. The figure’s legs were iron, but the feet were partly clay. Scientists have so far been unanimous about the first kingdoms and the fact that the feet depict the divided Roman Empire. What if we accepted the interpretation that the feet are Islamic confederation? What are the two legs (with or without feet) symbolizing? Islam’s two interpretations, Sunni and Shi’a?

About the Beast we know for sure that

• It is the fourth beast, it was fearful and terrifying, and very strong! And it had large iron teeth. It devoured, and crushed, and trampled down what was left with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts before it; and it had ten horns (Dan 7:7).
• … a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on its heads. (Rev 12:3).
• Seven heads are seven mountains and on the other hand they are also seven kings.
• And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings; they shall rise, and another shall rise after them. And he shall be different from the first, and he shall humble three kings (Dan 7:24).
• The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down and crush it. (Dan 7:23).

What does the Bible say about these seven and ten kings:

Seven kings:
Rev 17:9 Here is the mind having wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sits on them.
17:10 Five of them have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for a little while.
17:11 The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king, but it belongs with the seven kings and goes to its destruction.

I understand from this that these kings are first referring to history, as five of them are found to have fallen (dead). One king exists. From the future, it is said that the last i.e seventh has not yet come. The beast has been, but is no longer, is the eighth and is one of those seven heads/kings. Difficult phrase.

Ten kings (horns)

Rev 17:12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour.
13 They have one purpose: to give their power and authority to the beast.
14 They will wage war against the lamb, but the lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.

The ten kings depict the future kingdom of the beast. The kings have not yet received power, but when they receive, they give their power to one of them, i.e. to the beast. Ten kings will fight the returning Lamb, Jesus Christ himself. This is the culmination of the end of the battle against the power of evil: The Lamb and his Saints (the called and the chosen and faithful) will win.

The Revelation and the Book of Daniel are the Bible’s most difficult books to explain. Luther was of the opinion that Revelation should not be included at all in the whole Bible. For years, the aim has been to explain the identity of the beast, the harlot and the antichrist to identify the identity or the name of the kingdom of the beast. I do not claim to know the whole truth. On the contrary, I’m very confused about this diversity of figurative expressions; therefore I present two alternatives. Firstly, a traditional interpretation that has long been a perception of most scientists. In addition, I will present an alternative interpretation from Stephen Allen and Hanoch Ben Keshet.

More in the following articles.

Daniel:
7:2 Daniel spoke and said, In my vision by night I was looking. And, behold, the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the Great Sea.7 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, different from one another…
7 And after this, I was looking in the night visions. And, behold, the fourth beast was fearful and terrifying, and very strong! And to it were great iron teeth. It devoured, and crushed, and stamped what was left with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts before it; and it had ten horns.
7:17 These great beasts are four, four kings; they shall rise up out of the earth.
7:23 … And He said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down and crush it.

Revelation:
Also, the Revelation says that the beast has ten horns (horns depict king or ruler)
13:1 And I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten diadems, and on its heads names of blasphemy. Rev 13:2 tells us how … the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and its feet as of a bear, and its mouth as a lion’s mouth. And the dragon [Satan] gave its power to it, and its throne, and great authority.
13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. And it had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.”

First beast is told in Daniel chapter 2:
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Inasmuch as iron crushes and smashes all things, and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter.
41 And as to that you saw, the feet and the toes were partly of potters’ clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of iron, because you saw the iron mixed with clay of the potter.
42 And as to that you saw, the feet and the toes were partly of potters’ clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of iron, because you saw the iron mixed with clay of the potter
43 And as you saw the iron mixed with the clay of the clay, they shall be mixed with the seed of men. But they shall not adhere to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. – The Kingdom verse 44 talks about, is the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

This final, ‘fourth kingdom’ of the end-time is awesome, but also fragmented. It is depicted by Daniel’s vision of the human figure’s feet, which are a mixture of clay in iron.

The 7th chapter of Daniel confirms the coming of the fourth kingdom mentioned in the second chapter. 7:3 “And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. 7:23 … And He said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down and crush it.

The fourth beast is according to Daniel the fourth kingdom. The former were Babylon, Meedo-Persia, and Greece of Alexander the Great. This last i.e. the fourth kingdom is different from every other. It crushes the others and ’eats all land’. Eating means taking all of the land under its power. The beast has seven heads: Rev 13:3: And I saw one of its heads, as having been slain to death, and its deadly wound was healed. And all the earth marveled after the beast.
4 And they worshiped the dragon [Satan] who gave authority to the beast [Antichrist]; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast; who is able to make war with it?
5 And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to it. And authority to act forty-two months was given to it.
7 And it was given to it “to war with the saints, and to overcome them.” And authority was given to it over every tribe and tongue and nation.

What is this fourth kingdom that is so strong that it has power over all nations? World conquest takes place quickly – in 42 months according to Bible. It should be noted, however, that when the Bible speaks of the whole world, it may well mean just the known world of those days. Expressions like Rev 16:14 “the kings of the whole world” have to be interpreted in context: is it really “all the kings of the earth” to ”gather them together for the war of the great day of God”? Sometimes phrases can really mean global-wide activities. Conquering both the Christian world and the Islamic world for the beast is not possible without the help of the beast’s assistants – the Antichrist and the False Prophet by the overwhelming miracles prove both Christ and Mahdi – to have landed on the earth. It is noteworthy that power comes from Satan, called the Dragon. And what was Satan called? He is the king of this world!

 

Traditional interpretation – for and against

’Traditional interpretation’ has evolved over the centuries with several variations. It is common for them, however, that the beasts represent the ascending four kingdoms on earth; Babylon, Meedo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Fourth Beast, i.e. the Ten Horns of Rome, represents ten new stages or revivals in the Roman Empire. The small horn that appears in the picture means the pope of the Catholic Church. Whether a horn is a pope or something else, it is generally considered to be the Antichrist. The three horns of the vision, which were torn apart, depict pagan tribes – vandals, after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The remaining seven horns belong to the Sacrum Romanum Imperium, the Holy German-Roman Empire. There have been six revivals and one is coming. This seventh is born on a religious and political field when Europe (the European Union) and the Papal administration make a new agreement to govern the recreated Roman Empire.

Are the four kingdoms successive or are they on the scene at the same time? And are there four of them or perhaps five?

These four kingdoms have in any case been successive kingdoms in the history of nations, there is no doubt about it. However, these past kingdoms may emerge in the future as geographic areas and empires with new names will be known. Both interpretations are possible. It is, therefore, possible that these kingdoms will ally themselves to fight against their enemies (Israel) and have other countries to join them.

The critics of this traditionally accepted interpretation say that there are good reasons to believe that these four beasts are in operation at the same time in the end-times. “And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.” (Dan 7:3) This suggests that they are coming up simultaneously not successively. In addition, Dan 7:12 says: As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away; but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. – These beasts lost their power, suggesting that they existed simultaneously and that power was taken away simultaneously. For them, God also decided to end their life, but it does not happen at the same time as the beast of verse 7:11 Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I was looking until the beast was killed, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame.

The portrait of beasts in Daniel 7 is, in my opinion, a vision to be fulfilled at the end-time. In particular, I am arguing that in addition to the beasts, there is a small horn in Daniel’s vision that depicts the Antichrist. The Antichrist is a man: Dan 7:8 says, … I was thinking about the horns. And behold! Another little horn came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And behold! In this horn were eyes like the eyes of the man, and a mouth speaking great things. – The Antichrist has 42 months (i.e 3.5 years) at the end of time to act. Verse 25 confirms this: 7:25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High. And he intends to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one half time. [i.e. 3.5 years] “. – After this time, the Antichrist is thrown into fire.

In the vision these beasts lose their power, suggesting that they existed simultaneously and lost their powers simultaneously. For them, God also determined the end of their life.

 

In Daniel’s explanation, the statue is divided into five parts, and not four as it is generally interpreted. The fifth part is the feet with toes, which according to the description, differ from the legs so that the feet are made of iron and clay.

Dan 2:31 You, O king, were seeing. And, behold, a certain great image! That great image stood before you with a brilliant brightness, and its form was dreadful. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its belly and its thighs were of bronze, its legs were of iron, its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay.

Kingdoms:

Dan. 2:32: 1) Head 2) chest and arms 3) belly and lashes 4) legs
Dan. 2:33: 5) feet

The statue has five parts. Daniel 2:32 lists four parts and in verse 33 legs are added as a fifth part. The fact that there are five parts is confirmed in verse 34 … “… it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them”. The feet are separated from the rest of the body to form their own body part. Sometimes you can talk about “legs” without separating the legs and feet. NASB makes this distinction: ”its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay” (2:33).

The Fourth Kingdom is Rome, which is depicted in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:33) as the iron legs of the statue. Two legs because the Roman Empire split into two, eastern and western Rome. Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Inasmuch as iron crushes and smashes all things, and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter.

– Rome really is the empire that fulfilled the above description. But what kind of kingdom is the future “Rome”? The vision is of the future and the future of Rome should be of iron as its first appearance. It is difficult today to imagine the European Union becoming such a roman heir.

How does Daniel describe the kingdom that the feet represent? 2:41 And as to that you saw, the feet and the toes were partly of potters’ clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of iron, because you saw the iron mixed with clay of the potter. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 And as you saw the iron mixed with the clay of the clay, they shall be mixed with the seed of men. But they shall not adhere to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

– What does it mean to be ”mixed with the seed of men”? Marriages? Who? Although marriages have been used to strengthen kingdoms’ covenants, this does not produce the desired result.

What about the Roman Empire? What is the counterpart of the Roman Empire in modern times? It has been, it is no longer – is it coming? Rome was divided into two parts (Daniel’s beast two feet) in the fifth century, the western Roman Empire formed in the 800’s the Holy German-Roman Empire (lat. Sacrum Romanum Imperium), which remained until 1806. Thereafter it is no longer. But would it be in some form coming? The European Union was born in the 1950’s, initially as a coal and steel community, but I would be a 27-nation union that has consolidated its essence over the years. The Bible tells how people wondered about the beast; so I would be wondering if the EU would perform in the same way as the Beast of Scripture.

Equally, the first EU Treaty was concluded in 1951 – in Rome.

 

When the traditional interpretation of Daniel and Revelation explains the future kingdom of the Beast, it says that this coming kingdom is the heir of the Roman Empire as a result of several transformations. The most important argument to the alternative interpretation is that Israel is surrounded by states and their religious background is – ISLAM.

If so, what are the four beasts that exist at the same time at the end of time? Babylon / Iraq and Persia / Iran are quite possible, but what about Greece and Rome? Daniel’s vision of Greece was a conquering Alexander and his kingdom, but from the current Greece it is unthinkable in this sense. Similarly, it is with Rome. However, it seems that a vision of the four successive states depicted only historical consecutive states. Instead, it is worth exploring the fifth part of the body and its petition. If it is Islam, what is its core power, or is it the union of ten states described by the toes?

In the place of traditional interpretation, nowadays, Islam is the kingdom of the beast. The Ottoman Empire wished to expand strongly and managed to reach even the gates of Vienna. From the other direction, the Empire of the Mohammedans penetrated from north Africa to Spain, the European side of the Mediterranean. The Ottoman Empire, however, ceased to exist in the 1920s. The “wound of the sword” that Rev 13: 1> mentioned on one head of the beast with seven heads, but the beast has healed and is experiencing a new rise on a religious-political front. However, the Islamic field is fragmented and suffers from strong religious conflicts between Sunnis and Shiites. Two feet depict the two directions of Islam, and the clay between the ten toes depicts the loose essence of the alliance. Recently, terrorist movements have emerged among Muslims, such as Al Qaida and Isis. If this Islamic interpretation of the kingdom of beast turns out to be true, it means that in order to be realized, the Islamic world power must be able to bury its disagreements. The Antichrist appearing as Mahdi could be of great help.

The covenant of the Islamic beast includes Iraq, Iran and possibly Afghanistan and Pakistan, Turkey, Syria and other Islamic Middle East Arab states (Saudi Arabia?).

Psa 83 describes the alliance with Israel: 83:4 They have said, Come, and we will cut them off from being a nation; and, The name of Israel will not be recalled again.
5 For they plotted to together with one heart; they have cut a covenant against you;
6 even the tents of Edom, and of the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagarites;
7 Gebal and Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Also, Assyria has joined with them; they were an arm to the sons of Lot. Selah.

The core of the alliance is in the Middle East, around Israel. However, the book of Revelation describes the kingdom of the beast: Rev 13:7 And it was given to it to war with the saints, and to overcome them. And authority was given to it over every tribe and tongue and nation. – The kingdom of the Beast will be world-wide, but short-lived.

The second alternative for the first beast is Islam, a covenant of Islamic states. This is accompanied by an interpretation that the feet of the person whom Nebuchadnezzar saw did not represent the “kings” of the European Union, but Islamic states. The clay between the toes depicts the fragmentation and looseness of the states in this union. Two feet could describe the division between the Islamic world in Sunnis and Shiites.

There is one feature in this interpretation that may cause it to fall: in the new interpretation, the feet are designated as the fifth body part. However, it should be a question of the fourth beast (Dan) and the fourth kingdom! Feet can be interpreted as a fifth part of the figure, but the beast is always depicted in the Bible as the fourth kingdom. Pins belong together with the leg. They do not show that the feet are weak. Their reinforcement is in iron pin bones. The clay between the toes can describe the alliance’s looseness. What if the eight clay parts describe weak states in alliance? And if we abandon the interpretation of feet being the fifth body part and accept them to be part of the body’s legs?

An Islamic beast might otherwise be possible, but how does it fit with the Harlot and the and the harlot Christian churches? Can the Antichrist connect two different religious worlds?

Rev 17:12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 They have one purpose: to give their power and authority to the beast.

14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and the ones with Him are the called and elect and faithful ones.

17 For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to act in one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

In these end-time visions, God emphasizes through his servants Daniel and the Apostle John: … the fourth beast … the fourth kingdom … again and again. It must be central when interpreting the end-time events.

Read about Satan’s role in the next article.

(Revelation; fourth beast; Daniel 7)

Satan has become familiar to Bible readers from the first pages, when he in the form of a serpent deceived Adam and Eve. Whoever broke the commandments of God, immediately Satan “night and day accused them in front of our God”. Also, Job, whom God had found to be a righteous man, made Satan doubt his true righteousness. Job 1:7 tells: And Jehovah said to Satan, From where have you come? And Satan answered Jehovah and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

–  Peter tells us something similar to the functioning of Satan: 1 Pet 5:8 Be sensible, watch, because your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking someone he may devour; – Satan has been doing this throughout the history of mankind. And now that the end time is at hand? What will be the role of Satan in end-time events?

Rev 12:3 And another sign was seen in the heavens. And, behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns! And on his heads were seven diadems. 

Remember the seven kings and the ten kings (horns that depict a king) we read in the previous article: Satan – the great red dragon!

The beast of this verse is found in Revelation as well as in Daniel’s book. It will play a significant role in end-time battles. The dragon is identified as Satan. The dragon and the seven heads and the ten horns depict a confederation the purpose of which is to destroy the state of Israel.

12:4 Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and threw them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born.

The dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven (angels) on the earth. The question is about war in heaven, which is described in verse 7:

War in heaven. Rev 12:7 Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels fought back.
8 But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 The huge dragon was thrown down. That ancient serpent, called devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to the earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.

An important question which preoccupies many is: when will this war be waged and when will Satan and his angels be cast out of heaven to earth? The following verses give this a hint.

Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, Now the salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ have come. For the one accusing our brothers, the one who accuses them day and night in the presence of our God, has been thrown out.

John heard in the vision a great voice to say that Satan and his angel – one-third of the angels – have been cast out of heaven on earth and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come. (Rev 12:10) The kingdom of God has not yet been born, so war will happen in the near future as part of the end-time events. It is also related to the Second Coming of Christ when he takes the kingdom of God and rules together with the resurrected Saints. Christ comes with his mighty angelic force and strikes against Satan’s troops winning them. This is preceded by a time of great tribulation of seven years including the Lord’s Day of wrath.

So be glad, heavens, and those who live in them! How terrible it is for the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that his time is short! (12:12). When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it persecuted the woman who had given birth to the boy. (12:13).

In his great anger Satan starts to persecute the church of the believers: Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went away to do battle against the rest of her children, the ones who keep God’s commandments and hold on to the testimony about Jesus. (12:17). 12:14: However, the woman was given the two wings of a large eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time [3.5 years, 42 months from the presence of the serpent].

– The persecution of the church will take half of the seven-year tribulation in its second half.

In his great anger, Satan begins to persecute the church of believers on earth.

 

Another beast with two horns is described in Revelation chapter 13:

Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. And it had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.
12 t uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13 It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people.
14 It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.
15 The second beast was allowed to give a spirit to the image of the first beast so that the image of the beast could talk and put to death those who would not worship the image of the beast.
16 The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves—to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads,
17 so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.
18 Here is wisdom: Let the one having reason count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

The healing of the deadly wound (v.13:12) refers to the world power of which the Revelation says: he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed and 17:8 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; V.13:15 says, that the second beast was allowed to give a spiri to the image of the first beast so that the image of the beast could talk and put to death those who would not worship the image of the beast.

– Which beast is the Bible speaking when it comes to giving breath to the beast’s image? The beast’s image cannot be the first beast which is a world power. Or can it? What does the Bible say?

13:14 It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.

One might think that the beast whose image is made and the image bowed should present the Antichrist. I also thought that the Antichrist, proclaiming God, would be the beast that requires to be worshiped and whose image people should bow the way people had to bow to the king’s statue in Daniel’s days: Dan 3:5 at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

– Rev 13:14 however tells, that those who dwell on the earth will make an image to the beast who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. Generally, it is accepted that, the beast is a world power that has lost its power (wounded by the sword), but who may, after a long time, re-emerge for a new blossoming. Biblical scholars have traditionally been of the opinion that the so-called ” the fourth kingdom, i.e. Rome, now wounded by the sword, will rise again. With al-Qaeda and Isis’s caliphate, however, Islam has received strong support for being the world power beast. Islam fulfills the requirements very well in this respect.

In Rev 13 the second beast is spoken of, there is no third beast. Is this second beast the False prophet or the Antichrist? Pay attention to Rev 13:14 he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform. 2 Jhn 1:7 says that many deceivers are entered into the world, who do not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This deceiver is the Antichrist (ἀντίχριστος).

In fact, I was of the opinion that the second beast describes the Antichrist, but there are many scholars who are of the opinion that the second beast is the the False prophet. Both cannot be beasts, can they?

Could it be a double-beast? One horn depicts the Antichrist and the other one the False prophet. Even Daniel wrote in his prophecies of his visions e.g. 7:24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom, ten kings will arise … 7:21 … that Horn was waging war with the Saints and overpowering them. – Similar expressions are also found in Revelation. The horns depict kings or similar men of power. Why then, cannot this lamb with two horns describe both the False prophet and the Antichrist? The False prophet acts like John the Baptist; he only prepares the way to the Antichrist!

The Dragon i.e. Satan has so far been in the background when the Fifth Angel blows the Trumpet (Rev 9:1), so John says: When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky. The star was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.

– Satan releases from the captives of the bottomless his own troops such in order to haunt people of the earth. We are now in the midst of the tribulation. Satan still does not appear publicly, but utilises his ’apostles’, the False prophet and Antichrist. The Antichrist introduces himself in the name of Christ instead of his own name (the word anti means against, instead of).

The Bible calls upon the one who has understanding, to determine the name of the beast by counting the number. Both the Hebrew and Greek and Latin languages, the letters are each assigned a numeric value. When adding the number of a word or words together, it should be summed up to 666 in order to be the number of the Beast meant by the Bible. For example, Jesus, in Greek Ἰησοῦς, produces a numerical value of 888. Scriptural languages are the Hebrew of OT and Greek of the NT. A pretty popular candidate for the Beast is the Pope. One of the Pope’s titles is Vicarius Filii Dei, the Vicar of God’s Son. These words amount to 666. Latin is not the original language of the Bible, and one should not use it to derive the name of the Beast. Numerous people in history have calculated names this way and have received as result 666, but unanimity is not achieved with this method.

The identity of this false counterpart of Christ in devil’s staff has been tried to identify since the days of the apostles. Popular candidates for this post have been the Roman emperors Nero, Domitianus and Caligula, and some of the most recent propositions are Prophet Muhammad, Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. These suggestions are right only in one sense: they are humans. Lesser Antichrists have been in the world since Jesus’ times. Of course, the above mentioned examples also include these. The Antichrist is indeed a man, not an organization, an unpleasant idea, etc. In the Bible, anticrist is described by the Greek word Anthropos (ἄνθρωπος). Those who do not agree with The Catholic Church’s have named the pope to be the Antichrist. Pope or papacy does not, however, fulfill the Bible’s conditions, the clearest of which is this: 1 Jhn 2:22 The person who denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist.

1 Jhn 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you heard that an antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
4:3 But every spirit who does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. You have heard that he is coming, and now he is already in the world.

The word Antichrist consists of two parts. The anti-prefix signifies “against”, but also instead of someone else. The Antichrist, therefore, means a person who opposes God and His Christ, and also someone who seeks to replace them of their position. The Pope has had a tiara, where was written the words Vicarius Filii Dei, which means vicar of the Son of God. The total numeric value of these words in Latin is 666.

Matthew 23:9 instructs: “Do not call anyone on earth your Father; for ONE is your Father, He who is in Heaven. “- The priests in the Catholic Church are called as Father and the Pope is as high as the Holy Father. All the popes have not been ungodly. Among them there have been pious popes, and none of them has renounce the Father or the Son. The pope cannot therefore be the Antichrist, unless there will be new popes who fulfill this condition.

When does the Antichrist appear? During the end-times, it’s clear. We also know that the Antichrist emerges before the second coming of Christ and when three things have happened:

1) apostasia (ἀποστασία), a falling away come first, and
2) man of sin [antichrist] is revealed, the son of perdition (KJV). 2 The 2:3 … and the man of sin [lawlessness] is revealed, the son of destruction.
3) The Antichrist settles in the temple of God and proclaiming himself to be God. 2:4 the one opposing and exalting himself over everything being called God, or object of worship, so as for him to sit in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God.

Which temple is this? Many are confident that this is the third temple to be built in Jerusalem. I would not be so sure of that, but God’s temple, though. Why not even in St. Peter’s Church in the Vatican, if Catholicism should play a significant role in the appearance of the Antichrist? The Antichrist is the counterpart of Satan to Christ. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ never declares himself to be God, even less Almighty God El Shaddai. What kind of god the Antichrist proclaims to be? Hardly any Almighty God the Father whom no one has seen and survived. People would not swallow this claim. This remains to be seen, but this declaration is in any case a most clear sign of Satan’s deception. From this proclamation we know that this is the Antichrist, and the second coming of Jesus is near.

Satan wants to become the ruler of the whole world. That is why I believe that he does not content himself with the proclamation God of then Christians through the Antichrist but wants all religions to acknowledge him as god. Could a growing ecumenical movement be developed to include the gods of all religions? One possibility for the proclamation of the Antichrist: He could name the mosque in Jerusalem, for example, as the Temple of God. When he makes his declaration there, he may declare this way: “All of you who believe in God believe in me; I am. I am Jehovah, and I am Allah. When you believe in me and do my will, I will give you heavenly peace and earthly abundance.”

If the timing is right and people are worried about what is happening to the world and then comes such a proclamation together with great miracles – for example, a large number of angels testify to the proclamation – the Antichrist’s declaration unites the faiths of billions of people’s. People will be excited about the coming divine peace and the earthly time of happiness.

 

For false christs and false prophets will rise up. And they will give great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (Mat 24:24)

Even the apostles warned of future time and the future false Christs and false prophets with it. These false Christs, have been of minor importance in relation to the actual false (beast) prophet to come.

The False prophet works with the Jews so that they believe that he is the prophet Elijah whom the Scripture says will come before Messiah. In this way is hampered the Jewish accepting The Antichrist as a Messiah sent by God. And how does the Antichrist overcome the hearts of a billion Muslims? By proving that he is the 12th prophet of the Muslims been waiting for – Mahdi.

It pertains to Islamic faith that its believers do not make pictures or statues of Allah or, any of the Islamic leaders. Making an image of the Antichrist would therefore not serve the goal of winning the praise of the Mohammedans. Instead, making an image of the first beast i.e the new world power could well suit Muslims. But how could such an image be bowed? Probably bowing is not the same kind of bowing as Daniel’s praying of the royal statue by bowing. Kowtowing does not always mean in the Bible worshiping. In this case, bowing can simply simply mean accepting of the world power. All kinds of protests are forbidden, also posters are banned etc. Those who protest (i.e. refuse to “bow”) are sentenced to at least imprisonment or even death. This is not very far from today. What happens to the opponents of the country? What will happen to those who express their opinions in Turkey today? When extreme Islamists gain power, only one step forward is needed for action already seen today. This step has been taken by the Islamic extremist Isis, who has executed large numbers of people on very arbitrary grounds; even small opposing behavior of Isis has led to the execution of people.

As I have already written, the False prophet works like John the Baptist: he does not, however, prepare the way for Christ’s coming, but for the Antichrist. The Antichrist tries to purloin the place of the true Christ. The mission statement of the False Prophet and the Antichrist also includes the Islamic Supreme Prophet (under whom Christ is in the view of Islamic teaching), that is, the indication of the coming of Mahdi and ensuring the Antichrist as a leader of this Islamic faith. There are three major religions in the world that have the guiding principle of having one God. They are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Antichrist tries to guide all of them with the help of the False Prophet. Some people think that the (first) beast will not or even seek to take over the world.

Revelation, however, says: 13:3 One of the beast’s heads looked like it had a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. And in amazement, the whole world followed the beast.
4 They worshiped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?
5 The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for forty-two months.
6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God and to blaspheme his name and his residence, that is, those who are living in heaven.
7 It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

However, the False prophet is not the true teacher of false religion. The harlot i.e the false end-time church will take care of the doctrine manipulation.

 

And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot sitting on the many waters, [‘waters’ are peoples and crowds, folk and languages] (Rev 17:1)

‘The judgment of the Great Harlot’; who is this harlot? Verse 4 tells us: The woman wore purple and scarlet clothes and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable things and the impurities of her immorality. – This is how the Catholic Church popes and cardinals are dressed. The harlot in question seems to be the Catholic church. More hints: The Great Harlot sits on many waters. Verse 15 explains what they mean: The waters that you saw where the Harlot is, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. The Catholic Church is the world’s largest church with members over a billion!

17:2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her immorality.
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was filled with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns.

I have presented the generally accepted idea of the identity of the harlot; it is the Catholic church. If that is the case, it is to be assumed that the Beast is doctrinally close to the faith represented by the harlot. If, on the other hand, the beast is, for example, an option advocated by many – Islam – it is not plausible that a Catholic Christian church should be allowed to sit on its back. Beast-power, however, hates the harlot, which would be understandable if a different religion of the earthly beast and the religious harlot church would cause discord. When Islam is the Beast, the harlot should be sought from the Islamic world. Mecca has been suggested. Here, the reader can decide whichever one meets the Bible criteria for the city of the beast, Rome or Mecca. In fact, for the comparison of evidence, you can take some other city as well, but here it is a comparison between Rome and the Mecca:

Rev 17:1 The angel also said to me, The waters you saw, on which the harlot is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

Christianity represented by Rome is the largest Christian denomination; in it and its ‘daughters’, i.e other than Catholic Christian churches, there are a total of over a billion people. The Islam represented by Mecca has also more than a billion Muslims. Both meet the condition.

17:2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her immorality. – The Church of Rome has certainly been with the kings of the land plotting, both in politics and faith. As far as Islam is concerned, I cannot say with certainty, although it is divided by the doctrinal disputes and it forms two main camps that are in dispute with each other.

17:4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothes and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable things and the impurities of her immorality. – Rome is full of the external splendor that the Bible best describes. The description, in fact, also resembles the garments of the highest priests of Israel and their decorations. Mecca’s religious leaders may not be so dressy. Mecca does not fulfill the Bible’s condition in this respect.

17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her. – Rome fulfills the condition clearly; how it has in the past persecuted people with apostolic faith over the centuries. Lots of people with different faith have lost their lives in persecution. With regard to the Mecca, it can be said that the Koran expects Muslims to persecute Christians and other dissidents, but does not necessarily and straightforwardly persuade them. A Christian can survive by paying tax on his life and submitting to humiliating treatment. Rome is yes ‘the winner’.

17:9 This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. – Rome is built on seven hills. The hill is not exactly the same as the mountain, but the clear distinctive character of Rome is the seven hills.

The seven mountains are Aventinus, Caelius, Capitolium, Esquilinus, Palatium, Quirinalis and Viminalis. All the hills are located inside the Servius wall, meaning the very heart of old Rome. The wall is believed to have been built by Servius Tullius in 400 B.C. Together with the other hints of the Bible, I think it is perfectly justified to consider that the city we are looking for is the city of Rome and the Roman Empire.

Mecca is not known for this feature.

Rev 18:3 For all the nations have drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her. The merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her luxury. – Rome was the center of the world at the time of John and probably also the world trade center. The description is correct at that time, and now Rome is still a million city after two thousand years. Mecca, I do not understand, has never been such an important trading venue where traders would be so enriched.

Mecca, if I understand right, has never been such an important trading venue where traders would get so rich.

18:17 For in one hour all this wealth has been destroyed! Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living by the sea stood far away.
18 When they saw the smoke from her fire, they began to cry out, “What city was like the great city?
19 Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich because of her wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!

– The city is located by the sea as seafarers mourn that the city has lost the wealth. Rome fulfills the condition, but Mecca does not, as it is about 80 km inland.

Rome fills the Biblical description of the city of Harlot, but Mecca does not.

Rev 17:5 On her forehead was written a secret name: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

The secret of the Great Babylon has been tried by many to find out. For centuries, it has long been clear that it is a Catholic church and that great city is Rome. With the rise of Islam, many scholars have chosen the Harlot of Revelation to be Islam and the city be one of the great cities of Islam world such as Mecca.

Hanoch Ben Keshet presents Jerusalem as the city. He states that Jerusalem, at the time of Ezekiel and Isaiah, was accused of being a harlot: Isa 1:21 Oh how the faithful city has become a harlot! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it. But now, murderers! – Rome is out of the question, because there was no such thing as Rome, at the time of these two prophets saying Jerusalem has become a harlot. Hanoch Ben Keshet seems to forget that this is a vision of the future that was shown to John during the Roman Empire. If we place Jerusalem on the above comparison between Rome and Mecca, we can conclude that Jerusalem does not fulfill the qualities brought forth by many verses. Yet it is true that, in God’s eyes, Jerusalem has lost its early-time position as God’s loyal capital.

The scholar says however he has heard from the National Radio Station Voice of Israel that Jerusalem has literally been built on seven mountains. At least this description seems to be true for Jerusalem. But what about the other features I compared between Rome and the Mecca?

Rev 17:18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. – John was told in the vision of the Harlot and the city of Harlot, that it is a great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. At that time, Israel was a remote Roman province, and Jerusalem could not be described as a great city and far from having the sovereignty of the kings of the earth. If the vision has to be placed at the end of time, the meaning of Jerusalem has not changed. Jerusalem is not the dwelling place of any kingdom of the earth and even less a dwelling place of many kings. On the contrary, the ten kings of countries surrounding Israel make a covenant with the aim of destroying Israel and Jerusalem.

Whether the city of the Harlot is Rome, Mecca, Jerusalem, or any other, the fate of the Harlot city is explained in Rev 17:16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the harlot. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire.

Catholic Rome has a leading role in the world, now mainly in religious but in the future, also in the political sense. Whether the leading city is Rome, Mecca or some other, Rev 17:18 depicts the forces of the predominant beast of this great religious city and its kings: the Harlot sits on the back of the Beast. This illustrates the fact that religious leadership is dominating the earthly and the military Beast. When we consider the city of Harlot, it is important to remember this remarkable city feature; the administration of the kingdom of the Beast is probably in this Harlot city. Jerusalem cannot be a Harlot meant by Daniel and Revelation because the Harlot in the religious sense dominates (rides) the Beast or the union of ten states. The Harlot is sitting on the back of the beast, which I think is proof of this close relationship. But the beast and his king cannot tolerate this interference in their affairs. The end of the Harlot comes after the short power period, by the troops of the beast.

Israel and Jerusalem can be described as a harlot because they have been unfaithful to the covenant with God and the prophets have warned of the consequences. Israel is described as an unfaithful wife and called to return to his God. The unbelieving Jerusalem is punished, but the humble and the little residue that believes in the Messiah will be preserved. Old Jerusalem will be replaced by New Jerusalem and God will fulfill his covenant with this city.

Eze 16:58 You are bearing your wickedness and your abominations, declares Jehovah. 59 For so says the Lord Jehovah: I will even deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

60 But I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will raise up to you an everlasting covenant.

Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel coming down out of Heaven having great authority, and the earth was lighted up from his glory.
2 And he cried in a strong, great voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen! It has fallen, and it has become a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, even having been hated,
3 For all the nations have drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her. The merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her luxury.

18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you don’t participate in her sins and suffer from her plagues.

Christians are urged to distinguish themselves from the excruciating power of the world order of the Beast (the Antichrist) and the deceiving religion that the Harlot church declares in the end. The Catholic Church and its Harlot daughters have many doctrines that are not in the Bible. How can a person know whether or not something has been taught, or so, when the learned have so many disagreements? The salvation does not depend on whether you have understood right everything the Bible says. God only warns you by saying this: go away from the Harlot church, but if you do not leave, you will become part of Harlot’s sins and you will suffer from the scourges of the Harlot. God has previously warned his people about Babylon:

Jer 51:6 Flee out of the middle of Babylon; yea, each man deliver his soul. Do not be silenced in her iniquity, for the time of the vengeance of Jehovah is here; He will give her a just reward.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of Jehovah, making all the earth drunk. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations rage.
8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen, and it is broken. Wail for her, take balm for her pain, if perhaps she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go, each one into his own country. For her judgment reaches to the heavens, and is lifted up to the skies.

2 Cor 6:17 Because of this, come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing, and I will receive you.

At the end-times, many feel important to believe and to assure themselves and their loved ones of salvation. Someone may well experience that the Church does not offer him the truth and finds himself elsewhere. Even the churches will not remain idle; they summarize their declaration and take a stronger hold on their members. Without personally acquired information, people are dependent on the information provided by their church priests and the information they filter. Those preachers receive the greatest masses of hearers who proclaim such promises what people want to hear.

– For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. (2 The 2:11-12)

Rev 18:5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Do to her as she herself has done. Give her double for her deeds. Mix a double drink for her in the cup she mixed.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.
8 For this reason her plagues of death, misery, and famine will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because powerful is the Lord God who judges her.
9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from her fire.
10 Frightened by her torture, they will stand far away and say, How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon! For in one hour your judgment has come!

Rev 18:9 and 18:18 ‘the smoke of her burning’ the verses 10 and 19 ‘in one hour she has been laid waste’ may very well mean the destruction caused by nuclear weapons. What else could destroy a major city in one moment?

18:11 The merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her because no one buys their cargo anymore,
15 Frightened by her torture, the merchants of these wares who had become rich from her will stand far away. They will cry and mourn,
16 saying, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls!
17 For in one hour all this wealth has been destroyed! Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living by the sea stood far away.

19 Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich because of her wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!

18:21 Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, The great city Babylon will be thrown down with violent force—and will never be found again.

The great city in question, Babylon, is probably Rome. Rome was named Babylon in order to keep the location of the congregation hidden from persecution. 1 Peter 5:13 KJV “The church that is at Babylon [Rome], elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son”.

17:16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire, – This verse of the Revelation tells about the relationship between the Harlot and the Beast; kings and their leader the Beast hate the Harlot (the religious leader of the world) and “eat his flesh” and “burn him in fire”. The end of the Harlot is, according to the description, taken place in one instant. Burning fire is likely to come from a nuclear weapon that is shot by the Beast troops. There is no longer Harlot riding on the beast. Why would the Beast hate the Harlot that rides on its back? They should work together. Perhaps the secular state union does not like it being controlled by a religious actor, especially if their religion is different.

The destiny of Satan, the Beast, and the False prophet is clear: The beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf. By these signs, the false prophet had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur [brimstone]. (Rev 19:20)

 

There are two kinds of people: there are the children of God (sons of God) who do the will of God and receive the seal of the Holy Spirit and others who are Satan’s own, those who ignore the will of God and seek their own good and their own enjoyment in life. On the basis of this division, I studied the seal of God and the Mark of the Beast. There is also a third group: those who have not heard of God and Christ or who are children and too young to understand.

Matthew and Luke write Jesus have said, “He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters (Mat 12:30 and Luke 11:23). If a man hears and understands the gospel, he must make a choice; either he believes and begins to change his life to the will of God or then he does not believe. It may take some time to make a decision, but sometimes it has to be done. Some may think “it was interesting, but I do not …”. Then, in fact, he will choose his destiny according to Matthew 15:13: But He answered and said, every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.

– Such a man does not receive the seal of God, but rather the mark of the beast. Those who take the mark of the beast and believe in his lies will receive their judgment because as 2 The 2:12 says, Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.

 

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. 5 And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
6 And these words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart..
7 And you shall teach them to your sons, and shall speak of them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you are lying down, and as you are rising up.
8 And you shall bind them for a sign on your hand; and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates.

Although God said that His word was to be a sign bonded on the hand and that they should be a frontal on the forehead, it was God’s purpose to emphasize the meaning of God’s word in the hearts and minds of men: Jer 31:33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and will write it in their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Isa 51:7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness, a people in whose heart is my law; do not fear the reproach of man, and do not be bowed from their blasphemings.

Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts and will write them on their minds, Likewise: Hebr. 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The Jews took these sentences literally; there was a little hole at the gate of the homes where these instructions were kept. Well, this beautiful custom cannot be blamed, though the most important thing is that the words is sank deep into people’s minds and hearts. The purpose was probably that people would study them in their minds and hearts. Luke 2:19 but Mary continued to treasure in her heart all these things and to ponder them.

– When the Bible (2 Timothy 2:19) says that “The Lord knows those who are His,” it is not based on the fact that there is a small box on the person’s forehead that contains some Bible passages; the Lord and His angels see the minds (hearts) of the people. At present, we do not believe there is any thought or emotion in the heart, but they are in the minds of men, i.e. brains. Sometimes in the 1970s, Jehovah’s Witnesses seriously supported the literal interpretation of these Bible verses and witnessed strongly the thinking activity taking place in the heart.

Then: Law in heart and mind, not a little box on your forehead. The angels read from the brain of the men if they are the children of God or the beast’s own. For example, when God was appalled at the behavior of people in Sodom and Gomorrah, people were found out if they were righteous. Abraham insisted God to save the cities from destruction, if only a few of the townspeople could be found a few dozen of righteous people. These could not be found. Not because there were no small boxes on the foreheads of the people, but because the commandments of God had not fallen on people’s minds (hearts) or hearts and their hands (in the form of deeds).

Similarly, it is a matter of emblem when God sent angels to kill people who did not have the name of the Lord on the forehead. Eze 9:4 And Jehovah said to him, pass through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and are mourning over all the abominations that are done in her midst.

Read also the following articles on the subject.

Exo 31:16 And the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to do the Sabbath for their generations; it is a never ending covenant. 31:13 And you speak to the sons of Israel, saying, You shall surely keep my sabbaths; for it is a sign between me and you for your generation; to know that I am Jehovah your sanctifier.

It is true that God said the Sabbath is a sign between Him and the Israelis. Jesus said Mar 2:27 …The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. – Jesus did not say that the Sabbath celebration belongs to all people, including converts. Nor did the apostles confirm this kind of doctrine. However, it is in force as part of ten commands “to keep it holy,” and the rest day is somewhat sabbatical, but does not include the pedantic commandments of the Sabbath. For example, the Sabbath rules stipulated how many steps a man could walk on the Sabbath. When the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, it was told to be “at sabbatical distance”. Act 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. – Jesus also said that he was the Lord of the Sabbath!

Thus, the Sabbath was given to the Israelis. OT is full of affirmations for this. This is a typical example (Mar 2:27) where the doctrine is constructed on the basis of one verse and overlooking many others.

 

Eph 1:13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed to the day of redemption.

According to the Ephesians letter, a person receives the seal of the Holy Spirit of God upon becoming a believer. If a person remains in faith, the seal is secured until the day of redemption. Luke 21:28 But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near. – The day of redemption refers to the events of the end-time when the world will be liberalized from this satanic world order.

Also, the angels can press the seal of God to man. The Revelation says: 7:2 And I saw another angel coming up from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living God. And he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to them to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 3 Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads 4 I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel:
9:4 And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor every green thing, nor every tree, except only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

The seal of God is a sign for the angels of God that they do not direct measures against the people with the seal. The beast, in turn, persecutes these people by killing them.

 

Is microchip the mark of the beast? A popular theory of modern times tells us that the microchip, which is implanted in the human body under the skin, is the mark of the beast told in the Bible. The microchip contains information about the human being, but also about its giver. Only a person with a microchip can buy or sell (Rev 13:17).

The microchip cannot, however, be the mark of the beast mentioned in the Bible.

Rev 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their 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 on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

In verse 20:4 are described the saints who receive the authority to govern together with Christ. There are two kinds of these saints: 1. Those who have been executed for Christ, and 2. those who refused to bow to the beast image and to take the mark.

These saints of the first resurrection are those who have died in Christ for the last two thousand years, or were Christ’s own at the time of his parousia. It is often thought that the mark of the beast is only in use at the end-time. However, it has been available for two thousand years. Microchip is, however, a very recent invention. During two thousand years, no one has been able to take the chip on the forehead or hand simply because they have not existed. Rev. 20:4 proves that the saints had not taken the beast’s mark on his forehead or hand and had not bowed the image of the beast. However, when the saints were required to take the mark of the beast, and there was no microchip, the beast’s mark must have been something else than a modern microchip. It is characteristic for the saints, instead, that they have received another sign i.e. God’s seal from the Holy Spirit.

Rev 14:9 “And a third angel followed them, saying in a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or in his hand,” – the chip cannot be taken on the forehead! Thus, the mark of the beast can not be a microchip!

How could a microchip be installed in the hands of people around the world? Although installing a chip would be as easy as administering a vaccine, the “vaccination” of the billions of people with the microchip is not possible within the 42 months that the beast has time given.

Why would the beast, on the whole, require people to take a physical mark to admit that he was a servant of the beast? If a man does not have the seal of God, the beast has got him! At the end of time there are two kinds of seals in the people: the seals of God and the marks of the beast. Both are invisible to the human eye, but God and his angels see and recognize theirs. Of course, Satan knows his own as God knows those of His.

The seal of God is not a physical, outwardly visible characteristic. When a man is told that he is the image of God, it is visible only in his behavior, and only after the death of man and after his resurrection, he becomes like an image of the glorified Christ.

2 Cor 1:22 who [God] having sealed us, and having given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
5:5 God has prepared us for this and has given us his Spirit as a guarantee. 5:8 We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from this body and to live with the Lord.
Eph 1:13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Eph 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

The beast’s mark as well as the beast’s image are not literal marks or images. The mark of the beast is the opposite of God’s seal. How should the beast’s mark be literally interpreted when there is no concrete seal of God? When God knows His own even though they do not have any physical mark, Satan will probably also recognize those who are his own in the same way. The seal of the Holy Spirit no more than the mark of the beast are physical signs, but the information stored in the human brain is what tells the truth about a person’s choice between God and the beast.

What does the denial of purchase and sale mean in connection with the description of the beast’s mark? No one should be allowed to buy or sell if he has not the mark in his hand or forehead. During history, people have been persecuted for religious reasons, different groups of people. Many times Jews have been subject to persecution, but also Christians who have believed in a different way than would have been required by religious beliefs of Catholic origin. The life of such groups of people has become very difficult. Certain trade types may have been banned from them altogether and only trade in a particular part of the town has been open to them. Such groups of people have also had to live in one of the neighborhoods reserved for them, so they can be better controlled.

The number of the beast is, therefore, according to the Bible, man’s number 666. In order to buy or sell people should have it written in either the right hand or on their foreheads, this figure 666 (or the name of the beast). This means that almost all people would have the number 666 in their hands. The information value of this mark would be very limited. Should it be put into the hands of children too, so that they could buy a candy bar at the store? Would such markings be of any use to the beast? Is it even technically possible to put a microchip in the hands of all the people in the short period of time that a beast has, i.e. 42 months. I think that people are mistaken at this point; the mark of the beast is not a physical mark in the hand or on the forehead as it was not a sign of God in Deut. 6th chapter, when people mistakenly believe that God wants people to hang their little cocoons in their foreheads.

Having the Seal of God takes place in a spiritual renewal in which man is born again from above. To have the seal of God, we must strive and compete. On the other hand, having the mark of the beast is easy: man simply rejects God’s call and decides for himself that pursuit of the earthly pleasures is enough for him. In both cases, in human mind remain a track of the decision made. God and the angels, as well as the beast or Satan itself, can read what it reads in the human’s forehead (in the brain); what kind of deeds or decisions a person has made, God’s deeds or Satan’s.

In the future, if current development continues, genuine Christians are a marginal group. Other mainstream Christians have become ecumenical under the Catholic Pope. Those who stick to the Apostolic faith are a spike in the flesh of nominal Christians. The true Christians need not be labeled, but the surrounding society recognizes them from other people. The distinctive sign is, and has previously been, a different religious belief in the minds and hearts of people.

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and—look!—all things have become new! (2 Cor 5:17).

2 Cor 3:18 As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are being transformed into the same image with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit.
Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
1 Cor 15:49 And as we bore the image of the earthly man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
2 Cor 4:4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. 1 Jhn 3:2 … We know that when Christ is revealed, we will be like him…

If man is not the image of God he is the image of the beast.

A statue cannot be the image of the beast spoken in the Bible because they would require an unlimited number so that all people could bow to them. Man has an image of himself. The children of God and the followers of Jesus are “images of God” and “new creations”. The believer and the person who does the will of God will change and become the image of his creator and glory.

If the image of the beast is understood figuratively, it means the person lives according to the way of this world, as Paul has pointed out. Such people are, in the best case, be baptized as Christians, but spiritual truth does not interest them. They should buy “eyesalve” like all members of the Laodicean church who are indifferent – not cold or hot. By acquiring ’eyesalve’ that Jesus advised man receives spiritual wisdom and understanding, and they will see the truth. Otherwise, these people are “in the flesh,” and cannot please God:

Rom 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 To set our minds on the flesh leads to death, but to set our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace.
7 That is why the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God. For it refuses to submit to the authority of God’s law because it is powerless to do so.
8 And those being in the flesh are not able to please God.
9 You, however, are not of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit, since God’s Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.
2 Cor 3:5 By ourselves we are not qualified to claim that anything comes from us. Rather, our credentials come from God,

To the image of the beast will be given breath so that the image would speak and those who do not worship the image will lose their lives. Rev 13:15 The second beast was allowed to give breath to the image of the [first] beast so that the image of the beast could talk and put to death those who would not worship the image of the beast.

– I am inclined in my interpretations of the image of the beast to figurative explanation. Bowing the image of the beast and taking the beast’s mark would thus mean spiritual death. Spiritual death can in practical life mean that a person submits to the will of the rulers, even though he does not accept their political-religious command. That interpretation I have reached also by thinking about what in practice could follow from negligence to bow the image of the beast. Instead of literal killing, the punishment could be at the slightest separation from the church, followed by shunning of other members of the church. When a person is separated from the church and when no one even speaks to him, the life of such a person is like that of a dead person. In this way, people are forced to stay with the end-time apostate church when people should actually leave it. Bearing in mind that the whole world is subjected to the devil by the beast (the dragon), the self-preservation of the beast is enough for Satan. Satan is not interested in bowing, but from getting people rid of God’s connection, from the promised eternal life prize to the perdition with Satan. Satan will do anything that people would not buy Jesus’ eye cream.

 

For the Lord Jehovah does nothing unless he reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets (Amo 3:7)

When we pause to reflect the importance of the above Bible verse, we realize the message to all of us is that all Jehovah our God has done or will do, is pre-announced to the prophets, which in accordance with the command have delivered these words of God to us.

In 70 AD the temple of Jerusalem was broken up to earth, and the people of Israel were carried out all over the world. This diaspora has lasted nearly 2,000 years. The Jews have returned to the promised land since the late 19th century and established their own state. Israel’s coming into the diaspora and returning to one’s own country is an important omen of the Bible. Old prophets announced the punishment of God hundreds of years before their fulfillment, and Jesus told his disciples the emblem of fig tree describing the end of the diaspora almost two thousand years ago. It is, therefore, appropriate to study these Bible verses.

The main themes of these predictions are therefore:
– The Jews break their covenant with God
– The Lord punishes and scatters his people around the world                                          – The Lord will bring his people back to the promised land                                                – The punishment continues and heavy incidents occur in Israel until the last residue is rescued.

The Jews break their covenant with God: Jos 23:15 And it shall be, as every good thing which Jehovah your God has spoken to you comes to you, so shall Jehovah bring on you every evil thing, until He destroys you from off this good land which Jehovah your God has given to you,

The Lord punishes and scatters his people around the world: Jer 29:17 o says Jehovah of Hosts, Behold, I am sending on them the sword, the famine, and the plague, and will make them like worthless figs which cannot be eaten from badness.

The Lord will bring his people back to the promised land

Jer 3:14 Return, O apostate sons, declares Jehovah; for I am Lord over you. And I will take you, one from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Jer 12:15 And it shall be, after I have torn them out, I will return and have pity on them and will bring them again, each man to his inheritance and each man to his land.

Jer 23:7 Behold, so the days come, says Jehovah, that they shall no more say, As Jehovah lives, who brought the sons of Israel up out of the land of Egypt; 8 but, As Jehovah lives, who brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the land of the north, and from all the lands where I have driven them there. And they shall dwell on their own land.

Jer 30:3 For, lo, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will turn the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says Jehovah; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Jer 29:14 And I will be found by you, says Jehovah. And I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Jehovah. And I will bring you again into the place from which I sent you into exile, from there.

Isa 27:12 And it shall be in that day, Jehovah shall thresh from the channel of the River to the torrent of Egypt; and you shall be gathered one by one, sons of Israel.

27:13 and it shall be in that day, the great ram’s horn shall be blown; and those perishing in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt shall come and shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
41:18 I will open rivers in bare places, and fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make the desert for a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Isa 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel. For you are my servant; I have formed you; you are my servant, O Israel; you shall not be forgotten of me.
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a thick cloud; and your sins like a cloud. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Zep 3:14 Shout for joy, daughter of Zion; shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, daughter of Jerusalem!
3:15 Jehovah has turned off your judgments; He has turned away your enemy. Jehovah, the King of Israel, is in your midst; you shall not fear evil any more.
3:19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you. And I will save her who is lame, and gather her who was thrust out. And I will give them for a praise and for a name in all the land of their shame.
3:20 In that time I will bring you, even in the time I gather you. For I will give you for a name and for a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says Jehovah.

Eze 20:34 And I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands in which you are scattered among them with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.
41 I will accept you with a soothing aroma when I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been scattered in them. And I will be sanctified among you in the eyes of the nations.
44 And you shall know that I am Jehovah when I have worked with you for my name’s sake, and not by your evil ways, nor by your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah.
Isa 51:11 Yea, the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be on their head; gladness and joy shall overtake them; sorrow and sighing shall flee.

Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeks his flock in the day that he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep and will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered in a day of cloud and thick cloud. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the lands, and I will bring them to their land and feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the dwelling places of the land.

Eze 36:7 So the Lord Jehovah says this: I have lifted up my hand, surely the nations that surround you, they shall bear their shame.
36:10 And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it, and the cities shall be inhabited…
37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be for a king to all of them. And they shall not be two nations still. And they will not be split into two kingdoms anymore.
37:24 nd My Servant, David, shall be King over them. And there shall be one Shepherd to all of them. And they shall walk in My judgments and keep my statutes, and do them.
37:25 And they shall dwell on the land that I have given to my servant, to Jacob, there where your fathers dwelt in it. And they shall dwell on it, they and their sons, and the sons of their sons, forever. And my Servant David shall be a ruler to them forever.
39:28 then they shall know that I am Jehovah their God who exiled them among the nations. But I have gathered them to their own land and have not left any of them there.

The punishment continues and heavy incidents occur in Israel until the last residue is rescued:

Jer 29:18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with the famine, and with the plague. And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and a terror, and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations, there where I have driven them.

Jer 30:10 And you, O my servant Jacob, do not fear, says Jehovah. Do not be terrified, O Israel. For, lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and have quiet, and be untroubled, and no one will make him afraid.

11 For I am with you, says Jehovah, to save you. Though I make a full end among all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a full end with you. But I will correct you justly, and I will not leave you unpunished.

Jer 30:22 And you shall be My people, and I will be your God.  23 Behold, the tempest of Jehovah: fury goes forth, a sweeping tempest; it shall swirl on the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of Jehovah shall not turn back until He has finished, and until He has fulfilled the intentions of His heart. In latter days you will understand it.

Isa 14:1 For Jehovah will have pity on Jacob, and will yet choose among Israel, and set them in their own land. And the stranger shall be joined to them; and they shall cling to the house of Jacob.

Eze 12:16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they shall come; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

Hos 6:2 After two days He will bring us to life. In the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him.

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day is coming, burning like a fire pot; and all the proud and every doer of wickedness shall be chaff. And the coming day will set them ablaze, says Jehovah of hosts, which will not leave root or branches to them.

Luk 21:29 And He spoke a parable to them: You see the fig tree and all the trees. 30 As soon as they produce leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place.

Israel is portrayed figuratively with fig tree. What does ‘this generation’ mean in this context? It is, therefore, a generation in Israel. The state of Israel was founded in 1948, but establishing Israel has passed already over a generation. What other time than the establishment of the State could come into question? One could be the year 1967, when the Israeli forces in the war invaded all of Jerusalem, and it (the eastern part) was no longer trampled underfoot by the Gentiles. We can read from Jerusalem how Jerusalem is to be trampled by the Gentiles:

Luk 21:24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be carried off as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Fig Tree parable describes the evolution of time. The ripening of figs can, therefore, be interpreted as signifying the birth of Israel; the diaspora has partially disbanded, but the return of Jews has not yet ended. There are different interpretations of the times of the Gentiles and their ending. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses have interpreted that the times of the Gentiles, which lasted 2520 years, ended in 1914. From this year they began to calculate the “end of this generation”, which ends with the reign of God. The interpretation is obviously erroneous since more than a hundred years have passed since 1914 without the Kingdom of God coming to earth. Nor is there any consensus on the duration of generation; Most often, 70 or 80 years of length of the generation is announced.

Amo 3:7 For the Lord Jehovah will do nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

– The secret is often given as a metaphor. The fig tree is a clear symbol of Israel. God, however, also speaks more clearly in words, such as, for example, Eze 36:24 For I will take you from the nations and gather you out of all the lands and bring you into your land. – This has already happened since the 1880s, after which millions of Jews from many countries have returned from their diaspora to their promised land, built cities and got the country to flourish. However, Israel is a small country and its people is negligible in relation to the surrounding land of the enemy.

From the above verses, it is apparent that God announces many, many times through different prophets and at different times, about future events. The purpose of the repetition is to emphasize the certainty of the announcement; this is what will happen for both Israel and the rest of the world.

 

• Jesus promised to come back
• Jesus came back on Pentecost 50 days after Easter.
• The coming of the Kingdom of God
• The Second Coming of Jesus into the World 
• Proclamation of the Angels
• The arrival of Christ is preceded by a wide variety of events
• Signs of the return of Jesus Christ in the sky
• The return of Christ is a visible event on the Day of the Lord
• What will happen to those who remain on earth?
• The last great war in Harmaggedon
• The beast that gets the world domination
• The first resurrection
• What is the fate of false religion?
• After the Millennial kingdom

 

 

 

Jesus promised to come back

Mat 10:23 “So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Mat 10:23 Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

From the verses referred to above, when interpreted literally, it may be inferred that Jesus promises to come back quite soon; in interpreting these verses, I have estimated that going through the cities of Israel would have taken only a few months, in no case more than a year.

However, the second coming of Jesus could not happen soon! Why? Because the conditions for coming described in the Bible were not met. It is only during these modern times that everything begins to be fulfilled. Let us take perhaps the most essential condition: Matthew 24:14 ”And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Only in modern times can it be said that the message of the Bible has been made known throughout the world. The Bible has also been translated into a few thousand languages. Who in the world can say that they have never heard of the God of Christians and his Kingdom? In this writing, I examine other foreshadowing signs and conditions for Jesus’ coming.

Mat 24:33 ”In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that he is near, right at the door. 34 Most assuredly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.”

Jesus told His disciples about the events of the world to come. The Bible tells of them as if they were happening in the time of the apostles. History has shown that the events reported do not take place until two millennia later. Yet Jesus said 24:34, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus also told the parable of the fig tree – the symbol of Israel:32 “Now learn a parable from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near.”

James also wrote: 5:8-9 ”You, too, must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.”

When Jesus has not yet physically returned, did he make a mistake, or could it be a question of us interpreting Jesus’ figurative expression as a literal promise? I consider this question in this article.

Could there be a correct interpretation that Jesus has already returned? By this, I do not mean the notion adopted by the preterists that Christ came back already in the time of the apostles and still rules the world today from his invisible kingdom.

The return of Jesus is of two kinds. Most people in the Bible only know its description of Jesus coming with an army of angels and how Jesus establishes His Millennial Kingdom and captures Satan. The coming of Jesus is also an individual, internally experienced influence of the Holy Ghost.

 

Jesus came back on Pentecost 50 days after Easter.

Acts of the Apostles:

2:1 “When the day of Pentecost came, all of them were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them that ability.”

2:41 “So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 persons were added to them.”

Jesus promised to return soon. In Mat 10:23: “So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Did Jesus err in promising to come back soon? I am convinced that we Bible readers and scholars have erred in our interpretation. Perhaps it is correct to say that Jesus was not clear enough in his promises of return.

What if Jesus meant that he would return in the form of the Holy Spirit! Of the kingdom of God, Jesus said it is a) among you b) it is within you. God and Jesus Christ send the Holy Spirit. On this basis, I could interpret that Christ came on Pentecost; not as his own bodily person but as the sender of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus / the Holy Spirit came to a large number of people on Pentecost. The apostles also received the Holy Spirit. Is this coming of the Holy Spirit the same thing as coming of the kingdom of God internally? Does the coming of Jesus happen because God promises His Holy Spirit to new believers? Jesus and God promise to dwell in believers.

God and Jesus come to dwell in people who love them:

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him, and we will go to him and make our home within him.

Isn’t this the coming of the kingdom of God?

Not only will Christ dwell in those who love him and keep his commandments, also God the Father will dwell in these believers.

Pro 8:17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.

Joh 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.

1 Cor 3:16 Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

1 Cor 6:19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,

2 Cor 6:16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

In Old Testament times, promises like those above were given only to God’s own people, but now they have been extended to all believers in God and His Son.

The coming of Jesus and God to dwell in a person is quiet and invisible to the outside world. Of course, it can be seen in other people in that with the abode of God and Jesus; the man also receives the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Holy Spirit; Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”

Ephesians 5:9, therefore, calls the goodness, the truth, and the righteousness in men the fruit of light. Not only the person himself, who receives these fruits for himself and enjoys them with satisfaction, the people who come into contact with him also notice a change in the nature of the believing person.  

Paul wrote in Eph 3:16 ”that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17 and that Christ would make his home in your hearts through faith.

Rom 8:9 You, however, are not of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit, since God’s Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 8:11 And if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you. 8:14 For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children.

It is clear from the above verses that if the Spirit of God or Christ dwells in us, we are not “flesh,” i.e., in the power of worldly needs. It is the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, whom the Son can also send to dwell in a believing person. God, who raised Christ from the dead, must also raise us through his Spirit. God recognizes as his own sons all who his Spirit leads.

The Holy Spirit of God unites us to God and Jesus Christ and other believers in God. When God and Christ dwell in us, it means that we are spiritually connected to both.  1 Joh 4:15 God abides in the one who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and he abides in God. 4:13 “This is how we know that we abide in him and he in us: he has given us his Spirit.”

When God the Father and Christ dwell in us, it is easy for the angel to find us in the world to be saved for the first Resurrection on the last day.

 

The coming of the kingdom of God

Speaking of the coming of the kingdom of God shows that the kingdom of God is not on earth. It is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven, meaning the kingdom of God is in heaven. The kingdom of God means that God rules the whole world from heaven. He is assisted by the angels and his son Jesus Christ, whom God has exalted as Lord and Christ and given him all authority on earth and in heaven. Will the kingdom of God come to earth because Christ has promised to return to earth a second time?

Jesus told his disciples that they were allowed to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to the outside, all things were told in parables that they would not understand. Luke 8:10” He said, To you it is given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”

What kind of secrets might have been in question?

Luuk 17:20 ”Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with a visible display. 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

In this verse of Luke, Christ tells how the kingdom of God will come to earth. It is not a realm similar to worldly realms. I have already written above about how God and Jesus promise to live in believing people. This dwelling could also be called the kingdom of God or the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in man. In any case, it is not like a worldly, visible realm. Nor is the kingdom of God the same as the millennial kingdom of Christ, which will come to pass when Christ comes with his angels.

The Jews generally imagined God establishing a kingdom in Israel that would be free from the Roman yoke. This was also the dream of the deceitful apostle Judas Iscariot. When it did not materialize, but Jesus was surrendering to the Roman soldiers, the dream world of Judas collapsed. Of course, other apostles had similar hopes – even when Christ was crucified, risen from the dead, and ascending into heaven. The apostles asked Jesus: Act 1:6, “Now those who had come together began to ask him, Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

The apostles’ idea of building a kingdom for Israel was wrong. The kingdom was given not only to the Jews but to all the believers in the world. And it is not an earthly kingdom, but the kingdom of God is within man. The translation “among you” can be just as correct. After all, the Pharisees surrounded Jesus, and if we believe Jesus represented the kingdom of God, he was indeed among the Pharisees, surrounded by them.

As long as people do not have access to the kingdom of God, we can still enjoy the kingdom through the coming of Jesus. Key Elements of the Kingdom,

Faith in God and Jesus Christ is realized even without the kingdom through the receiving of the Holy Spirit and the fact that God and Jesus dwell in a believer. If something may be missing, then it is the connection between other believers in the kingdom.

Jesus instructed Nicodemus, a recognized religious teacher in Israel, saying: Joh 3:3  “Jesus replied to him, “Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born from above [or born again] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Probably the apostles knew this too. After all, Jesus had told them that “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it hasn’t been given to them. (Mat 13:11).” However, the apostles might have been hard-earned when they did not seem to believe but still sustained the tremendous worldly power of the kingdom of God and the overthrow of the Roman regime. The kingdom of God cannot be seen yet because no one has gotten there yet. “Seeing” means knowing, experiencing.

There are two things worth noting in this verse of John 3: 3: First, you are required to be born again from above. Second, if you are born again (in faith), you can “see” the kingdom of God. So, this is not to say that you will enter the kingdom of God. What is “seeing”? If it does not mean entering the kingdom of God, seeing is probably knowing, understanding, and enjoying the assurance of salvation.

We can also say that heaven is the kingdom of God because God and his angels dwell there. Except for Jesus, no one has ascended into heaven (John 3:13). Jesus spoke this way to Nicodemus while he was living, and he had not yet ascended to heaven. So what do Jesus’ words mean to Peter: Mat 16:19, “I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind (prohibit) on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.”

According to my interpretation, it is not a question of who would enter the kingdom of heaven and who would not. Peter was not given such power. I agree with the view that Peter was given the power to resolve the affairs of the church on earth and to obtain God’s approval for his decisions. Such a question had to do with the Gentiles’ circumcision or abandonment. Food regulations were similarly matters to be decided.

What does the Bible teach about the kingdom of God? What does the Bible teach about the kingdom of God?

Mat 6:33 “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Seek first the kingdom of God and seek righteousness. All this, too, will be granted to you. “All this” means the needs of everyday life that so many care about.

Mat 12:28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”
21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you.”

Jesus equated the Pharisees with hard-hearted people who, though they saw and understood it, did not repent even afterward, so that they would have believed in John, unlike the publicans and prostitutes who received the word offered by John.

21:43 “That is why I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce fruit for it.”

From whom does Jesus say the kingdom of God will be taken away? From the Jews who did not receive Jesus. Yes, they accepted as long as they believed Jesus to be the kind of Messiah who would remove the Roman yoke. There were many believers in Jesus because of all the miracles Jesus performed. A nation to which the kingdom of God is given?

What is the nation to whom the kingdom of God will be given? All those believers who pray God for Holy Spirit and want God and Jesus to dwell with them. What is the nation to whom the kingdom of God will be given? All those believers, who pray God for Holy Spirit and want God and Jesus to dwell with them.

Luk 4:43 “But he said to them, I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.”

It is surprising to many that Jesus was sent into the world only to bring back to God the “lost sheep” of God’s own people. Mat 15:24 “But he [Jesus] answered, I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Jesus had been sent to earth only because of the lost sheep of the Jews. Was it the case that the kingdom of God had to be proclaimed to the Jews because the salvation of the Jews was uncertain due to the uncertainty of the observance of the Law Covenant?

Luke 6:20 “He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.”

Why would the poor take precedence over entering the kingdom of God? After all, Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. I came up with no reason other than that wealth, maintaining, and nurturing require all the attention of the rich, leaving no time even for the development of things of faith. On the other hand, the poor can focus on matters of faith free from the burden of wealth.

7:28 “For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Who is the least in the kingdom of God? Is there anyone else but celestial angels? After all, no resurrection has yet taken place. Perhaps it is the case that all [angels] in the kingdom of God are greater than John, and neither has John been in the kingdom of God. And there are no humans there other than Jesus Christ.

Luke 13:29 “People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God.”

Having meals do not specifically mean eating; after all, in the kingdom of God, you do not eat in the same way as on earth. It is about participating in the celebration and joy. There are newcomers from all walks of life, all over the world.

What is the kingdom of God? It is not the millennial kingdom of Christ, and it is not a geographical area. It is a community of the saved, where the saved are in the spirit body. God is “all in all.” God “descends” from heaven to New Jerusalem and dwells among the saved, among God’s co-workers. Before that, however, significant things happen:

• – Christ comes from heaven to earth and fights against the forces of Satan
• – Satan is captured
• – Christ will establish his Millennial Kingdom on earth, where he will reign with the resurrected saints

As promised, Jesus has returned to individual believers for two millennia. The coming of Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit to individual people is not the same thing as the second coming of Jesus in the end times. Then Jesus will come with the army of angels and will be joined by the 1st Resurrection at the time of the great tribulation of the day of the Lord on earth, which will last a total of seven years. When Christ comes to the world for the second time, the millennial kingdom of Christ begins.

 

The coming of Jesus into the world

Jesus promised his apostles: Joh 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.”

Many believe that here Jesus promises to take his own to heaven. No, Jesus himself is coming to earth and taking his own to rule his Millennial Kingdom. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet” (1 Tes 4:16).

What kind of world is Christ coming to with his angelic hosts?

Mark writes about upcoming events: Mar 13:19 For those days will be a time of suffering, [or tribulation] a kind that has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God made until now and certainly will never happen again.
20 If the Lord did not limit those days, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has limited those days.
21 Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.
22 For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
23 So be on your guard! I’ve told you everything before it happens.”
24 “But after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.
26 Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

27 Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.

The day of the wrath of the Lord is lived in the world. It is accompanied by events that shake the heavens and the earth: the heavens shall tremble, and the earth shall be shaken because of the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his wrath. (Isaiah 13: 10-13). The sun is darkening, and the moon is staining in the blood before the day of the Lord comes, great and frightening. “But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken” (Mark 13:24-25). – The wrath of the Lord is described as a time of great tribulation. Then…  after the suffering of those days,

Then people will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory (Mark 13:26). “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet” (1 The 4:16). In addition to this, it happens that “and then he shall send his angels, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven” (Mark 13:27). – The dead in Christ will rise first.

According to the Bible, the saints chosen by God for the first resurrection will have to be on earth during this great tribulation. However, God protects them, and after that tribulation, the angels gather the Lord’s own to receive Christ. Even the apostles will then see the return of the Lord they have been waiting for and will be able to rule with him the Millennial kingdom. The ruling takes place “with a rod of iron” when necessary (Rev 2:27, 12:5, 19:5).

The apostles must have been eager to hear when these shocking events would take place. “Tell us, “when shall this be, and what is the sign of your coming and the end of the world?” Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us what Jesus answered — the parable of the fig tree:

Mar 13:28 Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near;
29 In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that he is near, right at the door.
30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 No one knows when that day or hour will come, not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.
33 Be careful! Watch out! For you don’t know when the time will come.

What could Jesus mean by saying that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place“?

First, this generation. Did Jesus mean the living generation at that time? Many believe so and testify that the legions of the Roman Empire destroyed the temple of God and the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD, one generation after the message of Jesus. This could fit Jesus’ warning, but that was not all Jesus said was happening.

“This generation” should therefore coincide with a time and avalanche of events in which all the destruction experienced by all mankind described by the apostles will take place. Jesus himself was also to descend from heaven with the angels, and there was no such thing. There was also no resurrection of the dead, and the angels did not gather God’s elect to rise up against Jesus.

The time for “this generation” has not yet come. Luke has recorded Jesus’ statement about the fig tree in more detail than others.

Luke 21:29 “Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.” The fig tree is widely regarded as a symbol of the people and state of Israel. Verse 30 says, “As soon as they produce leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.”

This is interpreted to mean that the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 marked the outbreak of the fig tree, i.e., the arrival of summer. Jesus added, “and all the trees,” that is, all the other characteristics must be taken into account, not just the ‘fig tree.’

If the age of the generation is 70 or 80 years, it is easy to calculate that the events described by Jesus are only a few years away. But, as Jesus said, “No man knoweth that day or the hour, neither the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Watch out!

What significant event is all this related to?

 

Proclamation of the Angels

Rev 14:6 I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
8 Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”

9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand,

10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

11 The smoke from their torture goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.

Such angels flying in the middle sky have not yet appeared. They declare that the moment of God’s judgment has come. That great Babylon which “drunk all the nations with the wine of the wrath of her fornication” has been overthrown. And again: If any man worships the beast and his image and makes his mark in his hand or forehead, he shall receive a severe punishment.

When will this declaration be given? It follows the overthrow of Babylon described above. Angels warn that no one should bow to the beast or take its mark. The mark of the beast is a figure of speech that can be compared to taking the mark of God. Jews have been accustomed to wear the sign of God, a small enclosure with Bible texts, on their foreheads. I have stated in a previous article that God does not need such a forehead sign to distinguish His own from those of Satan. Yes, Satan may recognize his own, even if they do not have any sign of Satan, such as “666” mentioned in the Bible.

God gives many signs in advance. The end will come only after “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mat 24:14).

 

The arrival of Christ is preceded by a wide variety of events

Mat 24:3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus told:

• For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places (Mat 24:7).
• Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake (24:9).
• Then many people will fall by the way and will betray one another and hate one another (24:10).
• Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (24:11).
• This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come (24:14).
• For at that time there will be great tribulation the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again (24:21).
• Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened (24:22).
• Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it (24:23).
• For false christs and false prophets will appear and display great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (24:24).

Signs of the end times are great wars. World Wars had already been waged twice in the 20th century. The great wars were political and did not specifically target Christians. However, it must be remembered that the end times or the last days are a long period in human history. It also accommodates the persecution of Christians: both the Catholic Church and the Protestant movement during the Reformation wrongly persecuted believers. No matter how many false prophets have appeared. Overall, the religious world has been in great turmoil since the departure of Christ.

The extreme action of Satan precedes the return of Christ. It manifests itself in many kinds of delusions, such as false prophets. The Antichrist appears. Verse 24:22 testifies that the elect are on earth in the midst of tribulation. Not all scholars share this view but believe God will pull them away before the situation escalates. Verse 22 says, however,

that the length of the tribulation will be shortened for the sake of the elect. However, the elect will suffer with others during the tribulation period.

The coming of the day of the Lord is like the coming of a thief (1 Thes 5: 2). It has led many to think that coming is a secret. However, the coming of Christ is a visible event for all. His sign is visible in the sky (Matt. 24:30). Christ comes on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. The sound of the great trumpet is heard so that all the people of the world will surely know of his coming. As the trumpet roars, the angels gather Christ’s elect to safety around the world.

What is the purpose of Christ’s coming?

The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will reward each, according to what he has done (Mat 16:27). However, it must be borne in mind that this “payment of wages” differs from the sanction under the last judgment. Good people, those who believe in Christ, get paid. Many of the wicked will perish in the commotion of the nations described above.

It is only now that the Millennium Reign of Christ, which precedes the Last Judgment, begins. Only after its end will the second resurrection and the final judgment follow.

 

Signs of the return of Jesus Christ in the sky

Luke also recorded the hallmarks of the last days:

Luke 21:25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there will be distress on earth among the nations that are confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves.
26 People will faint with fear and apprehension because of the things that are to come on the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Adventists in particular have recorded such celestial events and interpret them as biblical prophecies. Joel also prophesied writing, Joel 2:31 “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” Adventists highlight the unusual and sudden darkness that occurred in the northeastern United States on May 19, 1780. This prediction involves a change in the color of the moon to blood red. This indeed happened in 1780.

Rev 6:12 “I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood, 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind.”

Such natural phenomena occurred in 1780. Modern science has elucidated the cause of the eclipse and found that a widespread forest fire caused it. The effect of the fire can be seen in the annual rings of the trees, but not all natural phenomena in 1780 can be explained.

Luke, however, shows that this phenomenon was not spoken of in the Bible; Luke 21:27 requires that, as a result of natural wonders, men will “then” see Christ coming in the cloud with great power and glory. At that time, however, Christ did not arrive, but on the other hand, it is good if people are made to stop and ponder God’s future actions.

Fig tree parable

Matthew also speaks of the signs of the end times.

24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.
30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. 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 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Christ sends His angels to gather his elect throughout the world.

Mat 24:32 “Now learn a parable from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 “Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until these things happen.

Jesus’ parable of the fig tree means two things: First when the fig tree’s leaves burst, it shows that summer is near. Likewise, when the signs listed by Jesus are fulfilled, his coming is near.

Another point of the fig tree parable: the fig tree is the emblem of Israel. When the leaves of the fig tree burst, it has been interpreted to mean, in modern times, the establishment of the state of Israel. That is what happened in 1948. What does it mean in this context “this generation will not disappear until all these happen”? The age of the generation in the Bible is 70-80 years. Some stretch it to 120 years, but this is the so-called “man’s age.” Gen 6:3 “Jehovah said, My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.” – It is a different matter than the age of the generation.

“This generation” would thus be the one that began in 1948, and the time of this generation will end in 2018-2028, when “all this” will happen. Many Bible scholars have counted the years of Christ’s return. Most of them should have already materialized. The only thing I dare say with certainty is that we are living in the last days.

 

The return of Christ is a visible event on the Day of the Lord

Christianity has waited for nearly two millennia for Christ to fulfill the promise of his return to earth. After all, he promised to come back “soon.” Jesus even described his imminent return by saying that the apostles would not have time to visit all the cities of Israel before he would return. After pondering these promises of Jesus to come soon, I concluded, as I wrote above, that Jesus could not mean to come very soon. I did so because many important hallmarks of return had not materialized by “soon” but are only now occurring.

A little over sixty years after this promise of Jesus, John received a revelation of the future on the island of Patmos. Its central message is the second coming of Christ. Revelation 1:7 says, “Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. So be it! Amen.”

The arrival of Christ will surprise the world: 1 Thes 5:3 “For when they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.”

Everyone can see Christ coming in the clouds. How is it possible that everyone will see his coming – on the other side of the globe as well? Will the return be televised?    Mat 24:40 “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;    42 So keep on watching, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known at what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 So you, too, must be ready, because at an hour you are not expecting him the Son of Man will come.”

In the description of Matthew, there are two men in the field; one comes to Christ, the other does not. In another description, two women are grinding grain; one is taken, the other not. The Son of Man comes unexpectedly, at a moment no one can foresee. So be prepared. Numerous preconditions and pre-coming events have been given for the coming of Jesus. So, people should follow the “signs of the time.” However, people are lulled into a false sense of security.

When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.  For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night” (1 Thes 5:1-3).

How does the Lord’s day relate to the second coming of Christ? Peter writes of this: “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will disappear with a roaring sound, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be exposed” (2 Piet 3:10).

The Day of the Lord is considered to be a period after the time of tribulation. Together, both are seven years in the end. The return of Christ involves the revolutionary events of a period called the Lord’s day. The heavens disappear with a roar, and the elements dissipate from the earth’s heat, and all that is done in it burns. Matthew compares the second coming of Christ to the flood of Noah’s day:

Mat 24:37 For just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.
38  In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark.
39 They were unaware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That’s how it will be when the Son of Man comes. – Will all men really be destroyed in the day of the Lord, as in the flood of Noah?

 

What will happen to those who remain on earth?

Will all those whom Christ does not take with him be destroyed? However, not all are destroyed, even if one could deduce so from the above verses. What about God’s own people, the Jews? “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, It is the remnant who will be saved.”

Salvation, in this case, means the survival of life, not the attainment of final salvation or perish in the final judgment.

Revelation 9: 14-15 tells of the number of mankind destroyed by the angels of God: “It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are held at the great Euphrates River. 15 So the four angels who were ready for that hour, day, month, and year were released to kill one-third of humanity.”

Christ pays the reward when he comes

Matthew and Luke describe the choice made by the angels, saying, “One shall be gathered, and the other left.” Those of Christ who are partakers of the first resurrection join Christ. Those who are left will be left on earth for the destruction of the Day of the Lord.  Mat 16:27 “For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he will reward each, according to his work.” The Thessalonians Letter further states 2 The 1:6 “Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,
7 and to give relief to you that are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
8 in blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who do not know God and on those who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 Such people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power.

10 when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be regarded with wonder on that day by all who have believed—including you because you believed our testimony.”

Yes, the “eternal loss of the face of the Lord” in verse 9 refers to the finality of punishment. Nonetheless, I believe that the anguish and death of many experienced at the coming of Christ is, for the dead, their first death, not their second death. The second death is that final death, the harsh punishment of the last judgment to which verse 9 refers. It is, of course, possible that those who died at the Second Coming of Christ will be the same ones who will be condemned to eternal perdition from the face of the Lord in the final judgment after the Millennium and the subsequent resurrection.

Whether a person perishes or retains his life depends on the last act of man: God promises salvation to all who call upon him for help: Act 2:21 “Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Such a man who cries out for the name of the Lord will preserve his life. And by maintaining his life, he can build his faith stronger in his future life and thus avoid the punishment of the Last Judgment.

Isaiah prophesies 66:16: “For by fire will Jehovah execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah shall be many.”

66:19 I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the [pagan] nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.

66:21 And also of them I take for priests, For Levites, said Jehovah.” – Verse 21 does not really fit into this description of the future, because Levitical priests are no longer needed at the time of Christ’s coming.

So how do we know that not everyone will be destroyed? When Christ and his saints establish their Millennial Kingdom, Gentiles will be left in the kingdom who have not even heard of Christ. Preachers are sent to these.

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. – Believers in Christ are paid. When a large proportion of people die on the day of the Lord, it can, of course, be said that they received their wages — according to what they deserved. However, the arrival of Jesus is not the last judgment that will result in everyone receiving either eternal life or perdition.” (Mat 16:27).

Although the destruction will befall a large crowd, it will only be their first death. The “second death” may be in turn after the Last Judgment and after the Millennial kingdom of Christ. If a lot of people die at Christ’s arrival, will those who die have the opportunity to repent and change their attitude toward God?

 

The last great war in Harmaggedon

Rev 16:13 “I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs;

14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs. They go to the kings of the whole earth and gather them for the war of the great day of God Almighty.”

In a vision he writes in Revelation, John sees the “unclean spirits” of Satan set out to gather the kingdoms of the whole world into the war on the day of the Lord. The gathering place is Harmaggedon.

The seven angels are given the commission, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.” The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air: Rev 16:18 “A loud voice came from the throne in the temple and said, It has happened! There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.

19 The great city [Babylon] was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine filled with the fury of his wrath.

20 Every island vanished, and the mountains could no longer be found.
21 Huge hailstones, each weighing about 100 pounds, [about a talent] fell from the sky on people. They cursed God because the plague of hail was such a terrible plague.”

Here we live in a time of the last plagues, or cups of wrath, just before the Second Coming of Jesus. The revelation of the coming of Jesus is placed between the verses telling of these plagues before the seventh and final plague. Rev 16:15 “See, I am coming like a thief. How blessed is the person who remains alert and keeps his clothes on! He won’t have to go naked and let others see his shame.” – Jesus says he will come like a thief, that is, suddenly.

The revelation is accompanied by the figurative phrase ‘wear clothes,’ which means the appeal to remain in pure faith without yielding to the beast. The verse referring to the coming of Jesus is just before the description of the last plague. From this, it can be inferred that believers will have to be on earth waiting for Jesus and experiencing plagues’ coming. Those people who have the seal of God in their shelter see everything happen but do not have to experience these horrors facing humanity.

John wrote the Book of Revelation while on the island of Patmos in the 90s, more than 60 years after the death of Jesus and the “soon” promises made by Jesus. Jesus renews his promise in the Book of Revelation of his coming soon. The disciples and the faithful of the congregations were, of course, impatient and did not come to think that “With the Lord, a single day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a single day” (2 Piet 3:8), so let us proportion Jesus’ promise of the second coming “soon” and remember to wait patiently.

According to Jewish temple service, the high Priest performs the animal sacrifice once a year to forgiveness of Sins. Jesus Christ sacrificed his life once; “For Christ did not go into a sanctuary made by human hands and just a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in God’s presence on our behalf” (Heb 9:24). Indeed, the book of Hebrews promises that Christ will again appear without sin as salvation to those who await him (v. 28). “Without sin” is an inadequate translation, but “not to deal with sin” instead is a better one.

 

The beast that gets the world domination

Rev 13:4 “They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for forty-two months [3 yr 6 mth, half the time of the tribulation].
6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God and to blaspheme his name and his residence, that is, those who are living in heaven.
7 It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

8 All those living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that was slaughtered from the foundation of the world.

The dragon is Satan, who gives power to another beast, which is the Antichrist. This beast receives great power from Satan, even to make war against the saints (God’s elect) and defeat them. The beast takes over all the nations, languages, and tribes of the world.

 

Then another beast rises:

13:11 “I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
12 It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

13 It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people..
14 It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.
15 The second beast was allowed to give breath to the image of the first beast so that the image of the beast could talk and put to death those who would not worship the image of the beast.

16 The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves—to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads,
17 so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom: Let the person who has understanding figure out the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.”

 

The first resurrection

First arise those who have died as believers in Christ. “We who are still alive and left here will then be caught up with them in the clouds in the upper air against the Lord. This is how we can always be with the Lord.”  (1 Tes 4:16–17). “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,” (1 Tes 4:16).

The first resurrection takes place; those who have died in faith will be resurrected. Believers alive follow them, and both groups are drawn into the sky to meet Christ.

The first coming of Jesus and his death on the cross marked the liberation of mankind from the power of Satan. Now humanity has the opportunity to have God and Jesus dwell with Him and receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of them. We have not yet received everything and therefore look forward to his second coming, the resurrection of all, and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

1 The 5:2 “for you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

Mat 24:44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Matthew compares the surprise of Christ’s coming to the flood of Noah’s day; 24:38  “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” – The fact that people feel that the great upheavals in the world are over and peace has returned is not in itself surprising. If only they knew the word of the Bible that warns of lulling into a brief moment of peace.

The dead in Christ, therefore, rise first; 1 The 4:17 “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Two groups will be able to participate in the first resurrection:

• a) Those who believed in Christ when they died
• b) Those living who believe in God and Christ

The dead who ascend to Christ are in the spirit body. Even if they died of any disease or in whatever war they lost their lives and their bodies were destroyed, they receive from God a new resurrection body similar to the body of the glory of Christ.

Those believers who are alive at the coming of Christ will change; 1 Cor 15:51 “Let me tell you a secret. Not all of us will die, but all of us will be changed.” 2 Cor 3:18 says how they all will change: …  “we are being transformed into the same image with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit.”

The Epistle to the Corinthians shows that Paul believed that Christ would come very shortly. It is evident from the fact that he says “we all change (in the spirit bodies)” that is, Paul believes he is alive and, like other believers, will become like the body of the glory of Christ.

 

What happens to those who cannot reach the resurrection?

People living in these times of great destruction for humanity have two possibilities; either they turn and believe in God and Christ, or they are stubborn to the end.

Jesus Christ has made conversion easy. It is enough to cry out to Jesus or God Jehovah for help. One word is enough, Jesus. If a person wants to use a long formula, he can cry out: Jesus Christ the Son of God, have mercy on me. You will find this promise in the following Bible passages: Act 2:21 “It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” And also Rom 10:13  and earlier Joel 2:32.

And what is the fate of those who do not repent, even though they realize that they are doomed?

Luke 23:30 “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’, and to the hills, Cover us up!

Rev 6:16 They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb!”

Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. ”And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

 

What is the fate of false religion?

The book of Revelation speaks of the fate of non-individuals. The false religion and its leader will be destroyed; Rev 18:2 “He [angel] cried out in a powerful voice, Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!

Not only is Babylon a world power represented by false religion, but it also describes social influences allied with religion:

3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury. 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues, 5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.”

18:16 “saying, “How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls! And they say: 17 For in one hour all this wealth has been destroyed!”   – The verses describe not only the city of Rome but especially the Vatican City State and the papacy in its center. The description shows this: “for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls!” and “for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived” (v.16) and in her blood of prophets and of saints was found, and of all those who have been slain on the earth.” (verses 18:23-24).

Rev 18:9 “The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning;
10 Frightened by her torture, they will stand far away and say,  How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon! For in one hour your judgment has come!
11The merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore.”

“Babylon” will be destroyed. The verses above tell how the kings of the world have practiced a lustful life with “Babylon,” and when they see the destruction of Babylon, they are tanned. The world’s traders cry and mourn over their lost trade opportunities when no one buys the merchants’ goods anymore. It is essential to understand what this Biblical Babylon is; when Christianity was not yet allowed to be practiced freely, the congregation in Rome was nicknamed the Church of Babylon during the apostles. Babylon has survived in biblical language to live and depict Rome, its religious world power, and related matters. The bishop of Rome wrongly possessed the position of Christ’s representative in Christianity. The Pope also adopted the title of Vicarius Filii Dei, the Deputy Son of God. The next great goal for Babylonia is to attain the position of leader of all Christianity through the Ecumenical Movement.

This is the last warning: Get out of it, you my people, that you may not partake of her sins.

The emergence of the Antichrist and the false prophet

In the end times and just before the coming of Christ, Satan will send two key helpers into the world. Paul describes them as follows:

2 Tes 2:3 “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day cannot come unless the apostasy takes place first and the man of sin, who is the son of destruction [Antichrist] is revealed.

4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary of God and declares himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you?
6 You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes.
7 For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way,
8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming,
9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 and every type of evil to deceive those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.

11 For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.
12 Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.”

The Antichrist declares himself to be God! It even happens in the temple of God. Is this the third temple built in Jerusalem called the Temple of God? If one is built, it will be a strong sign of future upheavals. Satan is behind all this, even though he does not appear as God himself, but gives it to his assistant.

God allows this. It is evident from verse 2:11, which directly states that God sends a strong delusion into men. The grains are separated from the chaff.

“Man of sin [or man of lawlessness] ,” which refers to the Antichrist, will appear in the end-time religious scene along with his partner “False prophet.” The word Anti means ‘against’ or ‘substitute.’ The Antichrist exalts himself and declares in the temple of God that he is God. It is a maneuver of Satan, and their end is near.

 

After the Millennial Kingdom of Christ

This is followed by a second resurrection and the final judgment. Then the saved will enter the Kingdom of God described in the Book of Revelation. The book of Revelation describes those who were judged to be excluded, but it is a figurative expression that they were judged and were not allowed to enter the New World.

In the New World, the Bible says it produces many fruits (all are metaphors), e.g., the tree of eternal life. Already in Adam and Eve’s paradise was not only the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil (why shouldn’t man eat of it to understand the difference between good and evil?) There was also another tree in Paradise, the tree of life that God feared Adam and Eve would eat and become” like one of us,” To prevent it, an angel was placed to guard it with a sword. Wouldn’t it have been simpler to cut down the whole tree?

Genesis:

2:9 “Out of the ground Jehovah God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
3:22 Jehovah God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…”
3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Often people remember only one thing about paradise, the tree whose fruit Adam and Eve ate contrary to God’s prohibition. In my view, this report has been a paradise, figurative narrative; the whole creation account and the subsequent account of Noah’s ark and the great flood are also such narratives. I am by no means saying that the stories could not contain some truthful content, but they are not precisely God’s literal words.

I have asked God why Adam and Eve would not have been allowed to know what the good and evil knowledge was. Isn’t that the main content of all Bible teaching? The tree of life has been ignored; if Adam and Eve had not broken God’s command, they would probably have been allowed to eat from the tree of life as well. When they were expelled from paradise, they became mortal. According to Revelation, there is also a tree of life in God’s New World. Is the eternal life of saved people dependent on eating the fruit of some tree? This is also a symbolic narrative because the saved people are in the spirit body, and the spirits do not need fruit to eat.

Another rather remarkable message is recorded as the message of God: “The Lord God said:” Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” – Did man become “like any of us” as a result of transgression and punishable sin? Who are we? After all, there was no one but the angels. Adam and Eve had become like angels to know what is good and what is evil. For this acquisition of knowledge, they were punished by death. Shouldn’t this have been taught to them among the very first things? They were punished so that God made them mortal and had to give his son to remove the sin and death of mankind. Was God’s purpose in creating people to maintain their innocent ignorance and not learn to know evil and Satan’s role in it?

Or is there something we don’t know or understand?

I have also wondered why God’s harsh punishment was upon Adam and Eve and by no means Satan, who lied and lured the inhabitants of Paradise into the sin of which they knew virtually nothing. Sure, the rebuke would have been in place, but the real culprit was Satan. Satan was not punished. On the contrary, God gave the whole world dominion over Satan.

I have not yet learned to understand this.

God Himself dwells among men in the New World or New Jerusalem. Christ also lives there: the thrones of God and the Son are there side by side. The throne of the Holy Spirit is not there, nor is it in heaven because the Holy Spirit is not a person like God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God sent by God and Jesus Christ to perform the duties assigned to the Spirit.

Let it be remembered that all who dwell in the New Jerusalem are spirits, as are God the Father and Jesus Christ. Spirits do not need food or fruit to eat; The description of the tree of life in the New World in the book of Revelation is as figurative as the description of the tree of life in paradise. The saved are now completely sinless and have received eternal life as God’s co-workers (1 Cor 3:9).

In my earlier article, I wrote like this: Gen 1:27 “God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.”

I have interpreted Jesus’ position as meaning that he does not exercise executive power in the New World in the same way as he does now that the times of the tribulation of the last days and the day of the Lord are coming. There is no need for that either because there are only people in the world who are images of God as humans were originally. All are God’s co-workers, working hard like the Father, fulfilling the tasks God has given them. In the New World, Christ is the High Priest of God.

Jesus said: Joh 14:12 “Truly, truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father,”

What did Jesus tell the apostles about the powers they could have: Matthew 17:20 “He told them, “Because of your lack of faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Would it be too bold to interpret God, who created man in his image and endowed him with superhuman powers without ever having an actual use as God’s co-worker? According to Jesus, both God and Jesus are constantly working (John 5:17). What about the people created by God? Would they be lazy in God’s new world? I am convinced that they are constantly getting new jobs from God. Whatever they are, time will tell.