For those of you fairly new to Bible prophecy you may be asking where are we on Gods timeline for mankind?
The tribulation period is fairly peaceful for the first three and a half years and after that it doesn't look to promising for mankind to fix things, only Christ can do that. (We loose about 80% of the worlds population at this time due to Satan's full reign over mankind.)
That is a good question to be asking and let me help you get there by going over some basics of Bible prophecy that have already been fulfilled.
If you are new in the christian faith and have recently come to recognize Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, congratulations and welcome to the family! Your Eternity is secured in Him!(John 14:6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.) Now that your eyes have been opened to the truth let us get on with some prophecy 101.
A key prophetic event to occur in this generation was when Israel became a nation again in 1948. Everything revolves around Israel because it is the apple of Gods eye. (1Ki 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”) Almost immediately Israel was attacked by the Arab nations that surrounded it just for the sake of existence.
Presently we our experiencing what Jesus referred to when asked by His disciples when would be the end of the age and the signs of His coming.
(MATTHEW 24:3 As 7 he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things 8 happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4 Jesus answered them, 9 “Watch out 10 that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ 11 and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 12 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms 13 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines 14 and earthquakes 15 in various places. 24:8 All 16 these things are the beginning of birth pains.)
Now there is speculation as to whether or not the war in Ezekiel 38 is to occur during or before the last seven years of mans rule of this earth.
(EZEKIEL 38:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 38:2 “Son of man, turn toward 1 Gog, 2 of the land of Magog, 3 the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 Prophesy against him 38:3 and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, 5 I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them fully armed, a great company with shields of different types, 6 all of them armed with swords. 38:5 Persia, 7 Ethiopia, and Put 8 are with them, all of them with shields and helmets. 38:6 They are joined by 9 Gomer with all its troops, and by Beth Togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops – many peoples are with you. 10
38:7 “‘Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies assembled around you, and be a guard for them. 11 38:8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come to a land restored from the ravages of war, 12 with many peoples gathered on the mountains of Israel that had long been in ruins. Its people 13 were brought out from the peoples, and all of them will be living securely. 38:9 You will advance; 14 you will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the earth, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you.
38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, 15 and you will devise an evil plan. 38:11 You will say, “I will invade 16 a land of unwalled towns; I will advance against 17 those living quietly in security – all of them living without walls and barred gates – 38:12 to loot and plunder, to attack 18 the inhabited ruins and the people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and goods, who live at the center 19 of the earth.” 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the traders of Tarshish with all its young warriors 20 will say to you, “Have you come to loot? Have you assembled your armies to plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to haul away a great amount of spoils?”’
38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice 21 38:15 and come from your place, from the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a vast army. 38:16 You will advance 22 against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may acknowledge me, when before their eyes I magnify myself 23 through you, O Gog.
38:17 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants 24 the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days 25 that I would bring you against them? 38:18 On that day, when Gog invades 26 the land of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, my rage will mount up in my anger. 38:19 In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, 27 I declare that on that day there will be a great earthquake 28 in the land of Israel. 38:20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, all the things that creep on the ground, and all people who live on the face of the earth will shake 29 at my presence. The mountains will topple, the cliffs 30 will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 38:21 I will call for a sword to attack 31 Gog 32 on all my mountains, declares the sovereign Lord; every man’s sword will be against his brother. 38:22 I will judge him with plague and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, his troops and the many peoples who are with him a torrential downpour, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 38:23 I will exalt and magnify myself; I will reveal myself before many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’)
38:7 “‘Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies assembled around you, and be a guard for them. 11 38:8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come to a land restored from the ravages of war, 12 with many peoples gathered on the mountains of Israel that had long been in ruins. Its people 13 were brought out from the peoples, and all of them will be living securely. 38:9 You will advance; 14 you will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the earth, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you.
38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, 15 and you will devise an evil plan. 38:11 You will say, “I will invade 16 a land of unwalled towns; I will advance against 17 those living quietly in security – all of them living without walls and barred gates – 38:12 to loot and plunder, to attack 18 the inhabited ruins and the people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and goods, who live at the center 19 of the earth.” 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the traders of Tarshish with all its young warriors 20 will say to you, “Have you come to loot? Have you assembled your armies to plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to haul away a great amount of spoils?”’
38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice 21 38:15 and come from your place, from the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a vast army. 38:16 You will advance 22 against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may acknowledge me, when before their eyes I magnify myself 23 through you, O Gog.
38:17 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants 24 the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days 25 that I would bring you against them? 38:18 On that day, when Gog invades 26 the land of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, my rage will mount up in my anger. 38:19 In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, 27 I declare that on that day there will be a great earthquake 28 in the land of Israel. 38:20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, all the things that creep on the ground, and all people who live on the face of the earth will shake 29 at my presence. The mountains will topple, the cliffs 30 will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 38:21 I will call for a sword to attack 31 Gog 32 on all my mountains, declares the sovereign Lord; every man’s sword will be against his brother. 38:22 I will judge him with plague and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, his troops and the many peoples who are with him a torrential downpour, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 38:23 I will exalt and magnify myself; I will reveal myself before many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’)
I will go into more detail on Ezekiel 38 in one of my future posts.
Today I want to touch upon what is commonly refferred to as " The Tribulation" also known as " The time of Jacob's trouble". This will be the final seven years of mans rule over the earth before Jesus Christ returns. After the tribulation period, Christ will rule & reign from Jerusalem with all His saints for a period of one thousand years which is referred to as " The Millenium Kingdom".This next passage of scripture is what is to happen at the end of the tribulation period, the return of our glorious king! (REV. 19:11 Then 26 I saw heaven opened and here came 27 a white horse! The 28 one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice 29 he judges and goes to war. 19:12 His eyes are like a fiery 30 flame and there are many diadem crowns 31 on his head. He has 32 a name written 33 that no one knows except himself. 19:13 He is dressed in clothing dipped 34 in blood, and he is called 35 the Word of God. 19:14 The 36 armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, 37 were following him on white horses. 19:15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. 38 He 39 will rule 40 them with an iron rod, 41 and he stomps the winepress 42 of the furious 43 wrath of God, the All-Powerful. 44 19:16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
19:17 Then 45 I saw one angel standing in 46 the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: 47
“Come, gather around for the great banquet 48 of God,
19:18 to eat 49 your fill 50 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 51
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 52
and small and great!”)
19:17 Then 45 I saw one angel standing in 46 the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: 47
“Come, gather around for the great banquet 48 of God,
19:18 to eat 49 your fill 50 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 51
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 52
and small and great!”)
Most information on the tribulation period can be found in the bible in the book of Daniel & Revelation. This period could begin at any time with a very visible kick-off and that will be discussed in the next post.
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