The Signs of the End Times

Pr Stephen Armstrong

09-09-2020

Every age has a beginning and an end.

In the Bible, God used Daniel to interpret dreams.

Our present age is the age of the Gentiles.

Daniel 2 and 7 tell us about this age.

Babylon initiated the age of the Gentiles. That happened when Babylon took over in 605, followed by Medo-Persian, Greek and later Romans.

God instituted the age of the Gentiles.

The event that put an end to this age is the coming of the Messiah. The age of the Gentiles will continue until the Kingdom time begins.

We’re looking at the last days of the Present Age.

The last days of the Present Age began when the church began. The church is the final act of God in this age.

Jesus tells us to look for the signs in Matthew 24.

Jesus does not answer them in the order they are asked. He moves from the end of the age to the temple’s destruction and then to the signs again. The Bible says the church is with Jesus when He returns.

New life – Glory of Israel and the beginning of the kingdom.

The seven-year period is a time of tribulation. All of the events of tribulation are the last birth pangs.

Wars are not a sign of the end. If you look at Rabbinical writing

“Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom…” was a very special kind of war that began at the beginning of the last century. Refers to the war of wars in the last century. Nations were fighting against a common war.

We know according to Scriptures that another one is coming.

Famines are happening more frequently and more severe. There is an increasing movement of scarcity (famines and shortage of food in industrialised nations). The world will explain these in other ways (global warming, scientific or otherwise).

Earthquakes are easy to measure. The data shows that we should expect more earthquakes and more severe earthquakes.

The world at large is not aware that we are now experiencing the early birth pangs. But you’re starting to see in the world today that they are starting to think that maybe something is happening. For example, with Covid-19. Plagues can also mean pestilence or pandemic or epidemic. The world is just now beginning to sense that something is not normal anymore.

We have to be prepared for what is coming next.

Q&A:

What is the Christian’s response?

We are not to fear or worry. We are a privileged generation living in the last age. Be rejoicing that the age is coming to the end and the next age of living with Jesus is about to come. We are to show confidence and joy that the end is near. Reflect a joyful hope.

We are able to fulfil the mission to help the world what this means and understand God’s plan for this world and joining Him in a glorious future. If we are worried and fearful, we are not able to be powerful witnesses to influence them for Christ.

The Lord’s return for you is imminent. When the Lord comes for us, He comes to bring us to Him and at that moment, there will be a judgement. We will be there based on our faith alone. It is an opportunity for Christ to reward us for serving Him well. As a result, you should be careful of how you live for Christ in these last days. Your salvation is assured and cannot lose something that you gained by grace. Live your lives godly and in service to Jesus.

Q: Is the term end times and the term last days the same?

A: The last days is the period of the present age in which the church is on the earth. The church began about AD80 or so. We have been on the last days for about 2000 years. The age started in about 605 BC. The church about 2000 years ago. The end times are the time when the signs of the end began to happen. The first of those was around World War I in around 1914 or so. The church will be taken away before the very last part happens.

The age of the Gentiles will continue until everything that God has planned for that age is complete, i.e. until the age is over.

It is significant that Israel is back in her land. That happened in the 1940s. Israel’s return is another of those signs. Israel is increasingly finding allies. One treaty that is a major sign is when Israel signs a covenant or treaty to return to Temple Mount. That will be the event that starts tribulation.

Q: Would the next world war be in different form like digital war, trade war, culture (e.g. LGBTQ+) war etc?

A: Jesus says it will be worse because the birth pangs tell us that it will be progressively worse. It has to be something that the number of dead is higher than World War II. That could not be accomplished by trade wars etc.

Q: What is the purpose of the 1,000-year reign of Christ?

A: It is Christ’s time to rule the earth as the Father promised. The Kingdom period is a time when God shows the world how Christ rules over all the enemies. Six is the number of sin. Seven is the number of perfection.

Q: Daniel 8 tells us there is 2300 days (v.14). How does it fit into God's prophetic timeline?

A: In Daniel 12, we learn that there will be additional time after this age but before the kingdom. 75 days that follow the conclusion of this age before Jesus returns is when Jesus prepares the world before the Kingdom. Daniel 8 refers to the past.

Q: If the church is raptured, there won't be any believers left on earth during Tribulation? If so, no believers will be persecuted during the reign of 666?

A: The church is raptured before the tribulation. The Bible is clear. The tribulation is for Israel as the target. We are here now and the signs began over 100 years ago. We will be taken away before the worst things. The promise is that you will die eventually or you will be taken away before the tribulation. When He brings His wrath upon the earth, we will not be part of it.

Q: Is the fourth kingdom after Greece, Rome?

A: Daniel taught that there will be four periods. Rome begins the fourth kingdom. It is a period of history where no one nation is in control. The fourth kingdom starts with Rome and it is still in effect today, just that it doesn’t go by that name anymore.

Q: What is the 666 represented in Revelation? God said not to take on the right hand or on the forehead. What is it actually?

A: Learn from the study of Revelation. The Bible says that about 3.5 years into the 7 years, one man will rise and rule the entire earth. He will be entirely evil. He makes everyone to take a mark on their hand or forehand and in the form of a number or a name. He will have a long name. In Hebrew, each letter of the alphabet has a number assigned to it. When you add up all of the numbers, you can arise at a single number. We won’t know until it is revealed in tribulation. The Antichrist forces everyone to take this mark. The Bible tells us that if you take the mark of this man, you are forever lost.

Q: What is the difference between the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord (Wrath of God)?

A: The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord refer to the seven years that Daniel tells us will be the end of the age. The Day of the Lord refers to the time of tribulation (7 years). The Great Tribulation is Jesus’ term for the last path (3.5 years) of the 7 years.

Q: As we believe the Rapture is imminent but if He comes tomorrow, Israel will not be ready for the Tribulation (temple not built etc). Do you believe there’s going to be a time gap between the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation? If you do, what events do you believe will take place during this time? Any indication of how long this period is likely to be?

A: The Bible is silent on this. We only know the rapture will happen first, then the tribulation. The Bible does not say the rapture will be the start of tribulation. The starting point will be the signing of the covenant. We will not be around to see that. Paul says that when the Restrainer i.e. the Holy Spirit is removed, and that happens when the church is removed, then all hell breaks loose on earth. Before the start of tribulation, we can expect turmoil, hatred, etc. If you remove the church and Satan releases chaos, the world will look for someone. The Antichrist will restore order to the world after the chaos begins. But the world doesn’t realise that this man will bring more chaos in the long run. His form is in the form of a man. He will descend from one of the remnant pieces of the Roman empire. We know he will be from some parts of the Roman empire. He will be a political and military leader and finally the ruler of the planet.

Q: Do you think the prophesy of gathering of Israel is happening?

A: In the last days, God will be gathering Israel in preparation for the return of the Jews to Israel and in preparation for the coming of Christ at the end of tribulation. The Zionist movement in the late 1800s brought Jews back to the land. They were successful after World War II. Millions have come back to Israel.

Q: Do you think harvest is happening now and through this, the 12 tribes is formed? Do you think these 12 tribes or kingdom of priests need not come from Israel but new spiritual Israel from Gentile nations?

A: Revelation 7 is the chapter when God raises 144,000 Jewish men who are not believers before the tribulation. But God is not done offering salvation to the world. They begin a new period of evangelism. At the end of Chapter 7, John sees all of these people are already in heaven. The Antichrist is going to persecute and behead anyone who does not take the mark. The church saints began at Pentecost but when Christ comes for His bride, the church will be removed. Later, tribulation begins and many of the 144,000 of the tribulation saints will be martyred.

Q: How is Rosh Hashanah and the last trumpet related to the rapture of the church?

A: The feast of Trumpets celebrates the first of the three feasts of the fall. It is significant historically and it is also significant prophetically. Rosh Hashanah thanks God for the harvest. It also looks forward to Christ harvesting the church. God has always fulfilled the feasts on the appointed day. It also proves that the rapture happens before tribulation. The feast that pictures tribulation is Yom Kippur (the day of atonement). The Day of the Lord is a time of Israel’s atoning. Rosh Hashanah comes before Yom Kippur. Everything the Bible teaches must line up.

Q: Will the Antichrist know that he is the Antichrist?

A: Not exactly. Unbelievers don’t call themselves unbelievers. He doesn’t care what the Bible says. He will only think of himself as a world power and a god who is worthy of worship.

Q: Since Christians are raptured pre-Tribulation, could we monitor these activities (666, the Antichrist) from heaven?

A: It appears those who are in heaven do not have any awareness of what is going on on earth. We know what the Bible tells us. We understand the big picture. Our attention is solely on Jesus and the excitement among believers in heaven. We are not going to be interested in the things left behind.

Q: What does it mean for a new believer in terms of rewards in heaven?

A: Jesus says our service is judged according to our opportunity. God knows not everyone can do the same thing. Your reward is based on what we do with the opportunity that we had. The judgment will be fair for everyone. For example, the thief on the cross only had a few hours from the time he was saved to the time he was dead. The other man mocked Jesus. This thief witnessed to the other unbeliever. And he praised Jesus.

Closing Remarks on Matthew 25:

The Rapture happens before the Second Coming. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).