A Bible Study on the Last Days (Eschatology)

Introduction

Eschatology means the study of the last days, latter times. In the Greek language, last days mean ‘eschatos’ that's where the word Eschatology was coined.

Making a good study of the word of God is very important. It's necessary to dig deep into all the theologies but truth must be set on fire so that we won't be carrying only head knowledge. We will be prepared ourselves and we will move to get people ready for the coming of the Lord.

This study was initially borne out of a post making rounds on social media that the tribulation will come before rapture. During this season, it has become fully obvious that we all need to go back to our Bibles again and be sure of the things that we have been instructed on so that we will not fall for anything

We must study to show ourselves approved unto God. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2 vs 15

The reason many are thinking that the tribulation will take place before the rapture is not far-fetched...the current plague of the Coronavirus. It seemed like it would sweep the world but no, it is coming to an end soon in Jesus' name. It is only coming in fulfillment of events that will precede the rapture of saints

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Matthew 24 vs 7

Several people have been speculating on what will lead to the end of the world. The Bible presents the authentic answer to that. It is imperative that we take a deep study on the ‘rapture’, ‘great tribulation’ and the ‘second coming of Christ’. In Matthew 24, Jesus captures these three events. However, it is very necessary to pay attention to the verses so as to understand the sequence and the events

The two phases of the coming of the Lord

Anytime you see the phrase the ‘coming of the Lord’ in the scriptures, you have to decipher whether it is referring to the rapture or the second advent of Christ. The second coming of Christ is going to occur in two phases

The first phase is the rapture which is when the Lord appears in the air to take away the saints

1 Corinthians 15:51 & 2 Thessalonians 4:14-17

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The rapture will take place in the twinkle of an eye.

The second advent of Christ occurs after the great tribulation (the same period when the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place). The Lord Jesus Christ will appear bodily and His feet will be on Mt Olives.

Zechariah 14 was exactly where He prophesied His second coming and all eyes shall see Him.

In rapture, He comes for His saints, at the Second Advent (coming), He comes with His saints.

Acts 1:9-11

[9] And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

[10] And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

[11] Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

He will come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven

After rapture, there will be 7 years of great tribulation upon the earth. The rapture signals the beginning of the end.

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Once, the gospel of the kingdom is effectively disseminated to all the nations of the world, the rapture takes place. (Matt 24:14)

Between verses 14 & 15 of Matthew 24, we have three and a half years of the period of the Great Tribulation

The next programme for the church age will be the rapture of saints (those who are alive and those who are dead). Take note that it will include the Old Testament saints as well. Are you prepared for Christ's coming?

The Abomination of Desolation

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus talks about the abomination of desolation. And in the same verse, he asks the reader to seek to understand the meaning of those words. There is a parallel verse to this in Daniel 9:27. The term - abomination of desolation refers to the desolation that will come to the temple of worship in Jerusalem in the very middle of the great tribulation by the Antichrist. We shall look more intently at the personality of the Antichrist later.

Daniel 9:27

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9 vs 27)

Immediately after the rapture, the Antichrist will emerge and get into peace talks with Israel. There will sign a treaty of peace and this tranquility will last for a period of three and a half years

Daniel 12:7

And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Actually, all is getting set for the emergence and smooth administration of the Antichrist.

Why do we say this?

1. After COVID-19, there will be more push for a globally unified government.

2. The concept of trash is cash will be more pronounced and people will make more cashless transactions. More people have had to acquire their ATMs this period. Also, the use of crypto currency will become more pronounced as well.

3. There is news trending about 5G. This will improve connectivity and access to information including the ones considered as classified.

4. AI technology is already in use and as you know it can accurately predict your taste, preference and other details about you even when you think you haven't given such knowledge to anyone

5. Google maps has done a lot of work in identifying locations (even remote areas) and so everyone is more locatable

After the first three and a half years…

...the Antichrist will renege on the treaty. He will demand worship. He will project himself as God. It is then that the Jews will detect that he is fake. They will now believe that Jesus Christ had truly come (the first coming of Christ)

Daniel 12:7 KJV

At this time, the Jews would begin to seek the face of God. The spirit of grace and supplication would be poured out. They will consider that they crucified Christ.

Zechariah 12:10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son , and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn

In the book of Romans 11, Paul spoke of God resuming His program again with the Jews (Israelites).

[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

[26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob

God's programme began with the gentiles when the house of Isreal rejected Jesus when He came for the salvation of the world. The Bible says He came to His own but they received Him not (John 1:11).

But during the great tribulation and as they begin to seek God, His programme for them would resume

The Antichrist, the Great Tribulation and the mark of the beast

The Antichrist brings abomination to the temple by demanding worship and this will cause the Jews to desert the temple thereby making it desolate. This is the meaning of the phrase abomination of desolation. The Antichrist will deceive the people of the world into receiving the mark of the beast (666). He will also use force them to take the mark by denying them of their rights such as buying and selling. This mark is to be inscribed on the receiver’s right hand or forehead

Revelation 13:16, 17

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. The tribulation period is referred to as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

It will be marked with several terrible occurrences (more terrible than 'pre-rapture' occurrences)

(Read more about them in Matthew 24:16)

One thing to note is that although God's programme now is primarily for the Gentiles, it doesn't mean that some Jews have not been saved or are not being saved. Even in the time of Christ, Nicodemus who was a Jew was saved. In the book of Acts, we also read that some priests were obedient to the faith.

On the flip side, while the focus will be on the Jews during the Great Tribulation, some gentiles will be saved as well. After the great tribulation, Christ will come with His saints (after the seven year marriage supper of the Lamb

Revelation 19:8-9

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

When He comes, He would come with His saints and gather all the other saints who survived the rapture. He would resurrect tribulation saints as well

Revelation 20:4-5

[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years

[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Conclusions

Together with all His saints, they would execute judgement on all the ungodly people living on earth at that time. That's why the Bible said in Rev 11:15 that the kingdoms of this world are become of the LORD and His Christ.

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Also, Jude affirms in verse 14 and 15 that Christ will come with His saints and judgement will be executed on all ungodly

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, [15] To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

After this, the devil would be bound for a thousand years and the millennial reign of Christ would be established and begin.

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

After the millennial reign, the devil would be released. He would go and gather his cohorts and at the battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 20:7-9

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them

After the battle of Armageddon, the devil, the false prophet and the beast would be cast into the lake of fire. This would open the chapter of the resurrection of the dead and the great white throne judgement.

All who are yet to be bodily resurrected (dead unbelievers) will be resurrected and they will face the great white throne judgement.

All who have placed their faith in Christ have been judged already and they will not be a part of God's great white throne judgement again.

As believers, we learn also that if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged of God. It means that once we are convicted of sin, we need to repent and make necessary corrections/restitutions immediately as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:31

Books will be opened and the book of life will be opened as well. Those who are saved and continue to be saved (not those who believe in once saved always saved and going back to sin afterwards) will be found written there and they will be granted access into the heavenly city

God will establish a new heaven and a new earth - His new kingdom where we will all dwell Revelation 21:1