The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy

by Ron Rhodes

In other words, the original documents of the Bible were written by men who were permitted to exercise their own personalities and literary talents but who wrote under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the result being a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message God desired to give to humankind.

Second Peter 1:21 provides a key insight regarding the human– divine interchange in the process of inspiration. This verse informs us that “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

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when a literal interpretation would contradict other truths inside or outside the Bible, as when the Bible speaks of the “four corners of the earth” (Revelation 7:1)

I will add that one should not define everything in the bible by the physical senses. The four corners of the earth may not be something we can "see" in the physical realm, but who knows what the earth looks like in the Spiritual realm.

Israel is an earthly political entity (Exodus 19:5-6), but the universal church is the invisible spiritual body of Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Israel was composed of Jews, but the church is composed of both Jews and Gentiles (see Ephesians 2:15). And one becomes a Jew by physical birth, whereas one becomes a member of the church through a spiritual birth (John 3:3).

We conclude, then, that the genesis of the church was on the day of Pentecost, and that ever since then, we’ve been living in the church age.

Many believe Jesus was pointing to the incredible value of the true kingdom of heaven as opposed to counterfeit belief systems. Those who truly see its importance will do anything within their power to possess it. They will allow nothing to stand in their way.

Demas turned away from the apostle Paul because of his love for the present world (2 Timothy 4:10).

The consequences of an EMP attack would be especially harmful to American society today because the infrastructure of our society—civilian and military—virtually runs on electricity and electronic components. The commission estimated that “months to years” would be required to fully recover from such an attack.

The reason since the 90s gov't services have been steadily replacing copper wire transmission with fiber optic cable immune to EMPs. We just need that optical based PC now.

One final possibility is that the rapture will catastrophically weaken the United States—more so than it will affect most other nations—because of the high concentration of Christians in this country. Following the moment of the rapture, many business leaders and their employees will no longer show up for work; bills, mortgages, and other loans will go unpaid; law enforcement officers and other first responders will not be available; and the stock market will likely crash as panic ensues. This and much more will follow the rapture.

This means that one generation of Christians will never pass through death’s door. They will be alive on earth in their mortal bodies, and suddenly, in an instant, they will be with Christ in their immortal bodies. What a moment that will be!

In Revelation 3:10, for example, Jesus promises the church in Philadelphia, “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”

(He cannot come with them until He has first come for them.)

By contrast, our resurrection bodies in heaven will never again wear down, never again get sick, and never again die (they will be as solid and sturdy as a building).

All believers will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ (the bema) (Romans 14:8-10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 9:24-27).

Christ’s coming for us at the rapture and the prospect of living eternally with Him is something that should give each of us joy. And our joy will last for all eternity. Some people will fare better than others at the judgment seat of Christ, but all of us will be in heaven, and we will all dwell face-to-face with Christ forever!

Christ said that “people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matthew 12:35-37). This is an important aspect of judgment, for tremendous damage can be done through the human tongue (see James 3:1-12).

God is all-powerful (Jeremiah 32:17). He has the power to do all that He desires and wills. Some 56 times Scripture declares that God is almighty (see Revelation 19:6, for example). God is abundant in strength (Psalm 147:5 NASB) and has incomparably great power (2 Chronicles 20:6; Ephesians 1:19-21). No one can hold back His hand (Daniel 4:35), reverse His actions (Isaiah 43:13), or thwart Him (Isaiah 14:27 NIV). Nothing is impossible with Him (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37), and nothing is too difficult for Him (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17,27). The Almighty reigns (Revelation 19:6). Scripture reveals that this all-powerful God will utterly thwart the invasion of the northern military coalition.

The signal for the beginning of the tribulation is not the rapture, but rather the antichrist signing a covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:26-27).

We are never to set dates (Matthew 24:36)—we do not know the specific day or hour of Jesus’s coming (Acts 1:7)—but we can know the general season of the Lord’s return by virtue of the signs of the times.

People are far more interested in happiness than in holiness. They yearn more for pleasure than for praising God. Humanism, materialism, and hedonism reign in the end times!

with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

This is the only place in Revelation where Christ is called a Lion, whereas the word “Lamb” (arnion, “a small or young lamb”) is found 27 times in Revelation and nowhere else in the New Testament.1

This Lamb who is a Lion is all-powerful.

That He accepted worship and did not correct those who worshipped Him is yet another affirmation that He truly was God in the flesh.

The very fact that specific tribes are mentioned in this context, along with specific numbers for those tribes, removes all possibility that this is a figure of speech.

The Jews were to be God’s representatives to the Gentile peoples. Biblical history reveals that the Jews failed at this task, especially when they didn’t recognize Jesus as the divine Messiah. During the future tribulation, these 144,000 Jews—who become believers in Jesus the divine Messiah sometime following the rapture—will finally fulfill this mandate from God and be His witnesses all around the world. Their work will yield a mighty harvest of souls (see Revelation 7:9-14).

As for the chronology of when these 144,000 Jewish evangelists emerge on the scene, I personally believe this event occurs in the early part of the tribulation period, sometime after the rapture. Some Bible expositors suggest that the 144,000 must engage in their work of evangelism early in the tribulation, for the believers who are martyred in the fifth seal judgment (Revelation 6:9-11) are among the fruit of their labors, and the seal judgments are definitely in the first half of the tribulation period.

This resurrection will serve as a mighty testimony to the power of God during the tribulation.

Christians will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Unbelievers will be judged at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-15).

All Christians may expect a certain amount of general tribulation in their lives. Jesus Himself said to the disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Paul and Barnabas also warned that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). But the end-times tribulation period is distinct.

Notice the contrast between the “woe” and the rejoicing. Satan’s access to heaven is hereby removed, and he will no longer be able to stand before the throne of God and accuse the brethren. For this there is rejoicing in heaven (see verses 10-12a).

The false religious system that flourished during the first half of the tribulation period will be obliterated because the antichrist will be on the religious center stage. The final world religion will involve worship of the antichrist alone. No competing religious systems will be allowed, including that of the Jews.

Many will come to know the Lord during the tribulation period (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 7:9), so we can surmise that some of these conversions are likely due to the testimony and miracles of these witnesses.

In the book of Daniel, the term “abomination of desolation” conveys the outrage or horror of a barbaric act of idolatry within God’s holy temple (see the NASB rendering of 11:31; 12:11). Such an act utterly profanes and desecrates the temple.

The New Testament adds further clarity on this abomination that causes desolation. It will apparently take place midway through the future tribulation period, when the antichrist—the “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)—sets up an image of himself inside the Jewish temple (see Matthew 24:15).

but it would seem best to interpret Scripture literally, with the antichrist enthroning himself in the literal temple in Jerusalem.

But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” Greek scholars note that the two verbs in this verse—“cut short” and “shortened”—express action that was taken by God in the past. In this view, God in eternity past sovereignly decreed a limitation on the length of the great tribulation.

“For the only time in history, an outward indication will identify those who reject Christ and His gospel of forgiveness of sins.”

It is sobering to realize that receiving this mark of the beast is apparently an unpardonable sin (Revelation 14:9-10).

Receiving the mark signifies approval of the antichrist and his purpose. No one takes this mark accidentally. One must choose to do so with all the facts on the table. The choice will be deliberate and have eternal consequences. Those who choose to receive the mark will do so with the full knowledge of what they have done.

People in our present day think they can avoid God and His demands on their lives by feigning neutrality, but no such neutrality will be possible during the tribulation, for one’s very survival will be determined by a decision for or against God. One must choose to either receive the mark and live (being able to buy and sell) or reject the mark and face suffering and death. One must choose to follow antichrist and eat well or reject the antichrist and starve.

Though modern technology will enable the antichrist and false prophet to bring about a cashless society and control all commerce on earth, we must differentiate between this technology and the mark of the beast, for the technology itself is not the mark. I make this point because a number of prophecy expositors have claimed that the mark will be a high-tech chip inserted under the skin, a barcode on the hand or the forehead, some kind of universal product code, or some other such technology. This is not the case. The mark itself will identify allegiance to the antichrist, but that is separate and distinct from the technology that enables him to enforce his economic system.

Notice that this mark will be on people, not in them (like some kind of micro computer chip). It will be on the right hand or head and will be visible (perhaps like a tattoo), not hidden beneath the skin. It will be universally rejected by God’s people but universally accepted by unbelievers. Woe to those who receive the mark!

Those who turn to the King during the tribulation period will be granted entrance into Christ’s thousand-year millennial kingdom, but those who reject the King will be forbidden entrance. Indeed, at the judgment that takes place following Christ’s second coming, Christ will divide all people into two groups—sheep and goats (believers and unbelievers). The sheep (believers) will be invited into Christ’s millennial kingdom, but the goats (unbelievers) will be sent into punishment (see Matthew 25:31-46).

At some point in the latter half of the tribulation period—we are not told precisely when—the antichrist will shift his headquarters to Babylon,

What an irony we have here. While phase 1 of Armageddon is underway, with the antichrist preparing his armies to attack Israel, God will cause a military force to attack the antichrist’s headquarters of Babylon.

They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,” which is Jesus Christ

A 75-day interval apparently separates the end of the tribulation period from the beginning of the millennial kingdom.

but God will still be at work.