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Introductory Discussion

1. Introduction
1. from the Greek words:
1. eskhatos - last, as in last in a sequence
2. logia - discourse or study
3. Eschatology: the study of last things
2. reasons for study
1. it's important for us to understand what God has taught us through His word about the last days
1. Dan. 9:23b - "...therefore, understand the matter, and consider the vision
1. the context regards God's future for Israel
2. we shouldn't stay away from Bible prophecy; we should understand and diligently regard and think on it
3. if God took the time to tell us, we should take the time to know and understand it
2. The Last Days
1. Three types of references to the "last days" in Scripture
1. Is. 2:1-4 - a period leading to the ultimate consummation of the time, what we call the Millennial Reign or Kingdom
2. Acts 2:16-21 - the age inaugurated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh (Pentecost, the birth of the Church), which ends with the Second Coming
3. John 6:40 c.f. 12:48 - the period from the Rapture to the Second Coming, the Tribulation
4. So, quite possibly, although Scripture speaks of these types/phases of the last days in three periods, the "last days" can simply be said to stretch from the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to the end of the Millennial Reign; although most people end it at the Second Coming, even though the Is. 2 passage includes the Millennial period
3. The state of the Church toward the end of the last days, once things begin to come to a head
1. 1 Ti. 4:1-3 - latter times are the times toward the end of the last days
1. a departing from the faith - not disagreement over various doctrines but a departure from the fundamental tenets of Christianity
1. NOTE: there will still be doctrines in these groups, and they will still call themselves "the Church", but they will be doctrines of devils
2. these doctrines will include:
1. forbidding to marry
2. commanding to abstain from certain foods
3. as bad as it sounds, the Bible explicitly shows us that these doctrinal deceptions seem to perfectly characterize Roman Catholic doctrine and practices
1. monks, nuns, and priests are forbidden to marry, although the Bible says that marriage is an honorable institution (Heb. 13:4), a reflection of Christ's love for His Church
• 1 Co. 7:2 actually promotes marriage as a deterrent to sexual immorality, something that the Roman Catholic church has had a large issue with in the priesthood
2. they are also commanded not to eat meat on Fridays
• devout Catholics don't eat meat on any Fridays, while secular Catholics only abstain during Lent, but official Catholic doctrine actually commands abstinence on all Fridays
2. it's possible that this description is solely of Roman Catholicism, considering her possible identity as the whore of Babylon, but we shouldn't turn a blind eye to non-Catholic churches that teach such demonically instigated doctrines
2. 2 Ti. 3:1-5 - perilous times "shall" come, meaning they aren't around in the beginning of the last days period, again speaking to the signs of the end of the age
1. NOTE: these things have always been in the world, but toward the end of the Last Days, they will be prevalent in the Church, accepted as the norm
2. People will:
1. be self-centered, motivated solely out of selfish ambition, almost to the point of self-worship
2. be motivated out of a love for money, and Scripture clearly shows that we cannot serve both God and riches at the same time (Matt. 6:24)
3. constantly point to themselves as the source of their achievements and take glory from God, when His glory should be our goal and aim (Matt. 5:16)
4. think much more highly of themselves than they should
5. speak out against God, particular of His Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31)
6. disobey their parents
7. have an entitlement complex, which means that they will not feel or express gratitude (to people nor to God)
8. not pursue holiness, but will be content to simply be who they are
9. not express love, even though Jesus said that the expression of love is our distinguishing characteristic as Christians (Jn. 13:35), they'll be hardhearted and unaffectionate
10. hold grudges and walk in unforgiveness
11. speak out against others particularly their Christian brethren), dragging their names in the mud
12. no longer exercise control, which could be interpreted two ways, 1) claiming the Holy Spirit forces actions, or 2) letting their emotions (or other things) dictate their actions rather than their inner, spirit-man
13. be disconnected with the consequences of their actions, particularly as they relate to others, unsympathetic and uncaring, which will lead to extremes in treatment
14. be hostile to those who pursue righteousness; they'll quite possibly commonly use the phrase "holier than thou" to justify their hostility
15. be untrustworthy, back-stabbers
16. make hasty decisions without considering the consequences because of their confidence in their own opinions
17. be conceited and put themselves on pedestals (or allow themselves to be put on pedestals by others)
18. love and pursue what makes them happy rather than seeking to be a God-pleaser
19. have a look or appearance of godliness, but deny its power (dunamis), it's dynamic, abundant, miraculous (supernatural) might; consider how many are denying the charismata today
3. even though these things characterize the Church toward the end of the last days, we are commanded to stay away from such people, not to simply accept it as the norm ourselves
3. 2 Pe. 3:3-9 - not speaking to the Rapture, but the Second Coming
1. people will scoff at the idea of the return of the Lord since it's taking so long
1. again, this refers not to the world, but to the Church
2. we're reminded that the word that promised Christ's return is the very same word that created the worlds, so we should be able to "take it to the bank"
3. we're also reminded that with God, time is perceived on a totally different scale, so we shouldn't restrict our way of thinking to our limited perspectives
2. building on this, it's amazing that people put more trust in what they see than they do in what the word of God says, even though Scripture clearly states that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Co. 5:7), and that the just live (or make it) by faith (Heb. 10:38 - important implications in this verse)
1. we shouldn't put so much stock in the five senses, but rather in the word of God, for this entire world will pass away before even the smallest piece of His word does (Matt. 24:35)
4. So, this will be the state of the Church when the Rapture takes place
4. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel
1. vs. 22-23 - we shouldn't just gloss over this reading, but should dissect and understand it
2. v. 24 - "weeks" is literally "sevens", so "seventy-sevens"
1. seventy period of 7 years (not of 7 days), which makes a total of 490 years
1. notice that all 70 of these sevens (weeks of years) deal with Israel and of the Holy City (Jerusalem), not with the Gentiles nor the Church
2. the context, Daniel's prayer for the deliverance, regarded the ending of Jewish captivity in Babylon, a captivity determined by God because of Judah's violation of God's Sabbath year observance for the resting of the land
1. the Sabbath rest was ordered by God in order that the land could rest from being worked (cultivated) every seventh year - Lev. 25:2-6 c.f. 26:34-35, 43
2. God told them the punishment they'd have if they didn't honor the Sabbath rest of the land in 2Chr. 36:20-21
• Jeremiah's prophecy spoken of in the 2Chr. passage is found in Jer. 25:11; 29:10
• they were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years, including during Daniel's day - Dan. 1:1-2
• apparently, they violated the Sabbath rest observance 70 times, since God determined that the land needed to recover for 70 years of rest that it didn't receive under Judah
• since each Sabbath rest was every 7^th year, that would mean that seventy 7-year periods were violated over a 490 year time frame (which may or may not have been consecutive)
• consider the parallels between God's then-present judgment and the prophetic message given by Gabriel regarding their future and the ultimate consummation of the times
2. "determined", meaning that it's firmly established and won't change
3. so, there were seventy sevens violated in the past that put Daniel's present generation in Babylon for 70 years, and the prophetic word spoke of a future seventy sevens, at the conclusion of which 6 things would be established
1. Three that spoke of the people's sin
1. a finished of the transgression of Israel (the reject of their Messiah)
2. an ending of sins, sin in general
3. a reconciliation for the twisted state of God's people, iniquity (not just the commission of sin, but of the very propensity to sin, the sin nature)
2. Three that spoke of the righteousness of God
1. the bringing in of everlasting righteousness
2. the sealing up (concluding) of the age of vision and prophecy as a necessary thing (1Co. 13:9-10,12 c.f. Rev. 22:4)
3. the anointing of the Most Holy, not the Person of the Messiah, but of the consecration of the Holy Temple
• there will be sacrifices taking place during the Millennial Reign, but not in order to accomplish atonement, but to remember
3. v. 25 - "know and understand", we can and should understand this matter
1. command to rebuild - there were actually three edicts issued by Jerusalem's captors since this prophecy was written, so which one is the edict that actually begins Daniel's countdown?
1. King Cyrus (Ezra 1:2-4), 537 BC - commanded the Temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt
2. King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11-26), 457 BC - commanded to re-establish the rituals of the Temple and to furnish it
3. Second decree of King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:5-8, 17-18), 444BC - letters given (decree) commanding for the rebuilding of Jerusalem
4. the only decree that reflects the description of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:25 - to actually restore the city of Jerusalem itself, not just the Temple) is the third edict listed, the second given by King Artaxerxes in 444BC
1. the very day of the giving of this decree starts the countdown of Daniel's prophecy to the day the Messiah would be revealed
2. the specific date of the decree: March 5, 444 BC, indicated by Neh. 2:1
• because no specific day of the Jewish month of Nisan was specified, Jewish custom dictates that the first day of the month is assumed, which translates into March 5 on our calendar
2. Seven sevens and sixty-two sevens from the command of March 5, 444BC to the revealing of Messiah (it doesn't get any more specific than that)
3. the problem is that the Jewish calendar of the day was not our solar calendar of 365 days (Gregorian calendar), but only 12 months of 30 days each (360 days total)
1. Consider Gen. 7:24 - the flood lasted 150 days, c.f. Gen. 7:11 (flood started on the 17^th day of the second month) and Gen. 8:4 (flood subsided on the 17^th day of the seventh month), a five month period of time that lasted exactly 150 days, or dive months of 30 days each
2. so, in order to translated this into our current calendar system, we have to do some calculations
1. 69 (number of sevens between the decree and Messiah) multiplied by 7 (because they're periods of 7 years each) = 483 Jewish years
• first step in converting this to our number of 365 day years is to convert these years into days
• 483 years * 360 days/Jewish year = 173,880 days according to Jewish years
2. we convert these days into our years: 173,880 / 365.24219879 (the precise length of our year) = 476 of our solar years (plus a few leftover days, which we'll deal with later)
3. 444BC (the year of the decree) + 476 (of our years) = 32 AD, but we must add an additional year to this figure because from 1BC to 1 AD is only ONE year, not 2: 33 AD
4. so, 476 solar years from the day the decree went forward bring us to March 5, 33 AD, but we still have to add those leftover days
5. to calculate the additional days, let's calculate how many days are in 476 solar years: 476 * 365.24219879 = 173,855 days
6. simple subtraction to see how many days are remaining: 173,880 days (from the Jewish years) - 173,855 days (from our calendar) = 25 days remaining
7. we add the remaining days to our March 5, 33AD date to arrive to the exact day according to our calendar that Messiah would be revealed according to this prophecy: March 5^th + 25 days = March 30, 33 AD
4. Now, the Passover feast is dependent upon the cycles of the moon (which is why Resurrection is not celebrated on the same day of the year in our calendar)
1. through the use of computer programs, the moon's orbit can be retraced back to the year 33 AD to determine when Passover would have taken place that year
2. it was determined that Passover began on Friday evening (the beginning of Sabbath for the Jews), April 3, 33AD
1. Jesus ate a meal with His disciples the day before the first Passover meal, Thursday, April 2^nd
2. we know it wasn't the actual Passover meal because they'd eat lamb at Passover, but at the last supper, there was only bread and wine, consider John 13:1-2 (the day before the first Passover meal) and John 13:21-29 (why get things to prepare if they were already eating the meal?)
3. He was then crucified the following day, Friday, April 3^rd 33 AD, and Passover wouldn't begin until sundown
1. this explains why the soldiers had to break the knees of the men on the cross in order to make them die quicker, so that they'd be taken down before the Sabbath, which happened to also be Passover, making it a "high day" (John 19:31)
5. if Jesus is the Messiah that Daniel prophesied about, that would mean that He would have to have revealed Himself to the people as their Messiah just 4 days prior to His crucifixion (on March 30^th), which was the day before Passover
1. John 12:1, 9-16 - 5 days before Passover, on March 30, 33 AD, and in perfect fulfillement of Daniel's prophecy, Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah, riding into Jerusalem sitting on the donkey (just as prophesied in Zech. 9:9)
1. Notice that before this revealing, Jesus would not allow His disciples to tell anyone that He was the Messiah (Matt. 16:13-20)
2. this entry into Jerusalem (the Triumphal Entry) took place exactly 483 Jewish years (476 solar years) after the decree went out to rebuild Jerusalem, a fulfillment to the day of Daniel's prophecy given over 600 years before
1. also in perfect harmony with Daniel's prophecy was the fact that shortly after Jesus' revelation to the people as the Messiah, He was cut off (crucified), "not for Himself", but us! (Dan. 9:26a)
4. v. 26 - some time after the 62 weeks (when Messiah present Himself as Messiah), He will be cut off (or killed)
1. John 12:1, 9-13 - Jesus was actually crucified 5 days after entering Jerusalem
1. notice that before the Triumphal Entry, Jesus wouldn't permit people to publicize that He was the Messiah; but this time, He received their praise
2. Messiah was cut off, but not for Himself, exactly as Jesus did, dying for our sins
3. to determine who's being spoken of in the 2^nd phrase, we must figure out, historically, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple after Jesus died
1. this is certainly referring to the people of Rome, because they are the people who destroyed the city and the Temple in 70 AD, after Messiah was cut off
2. the "prince who is to come" - indicates that when the Temple was actually destroyed by the Romans, the prince spoken of hadn't arrived on the world scene yet, so it was speaking of a future leader of the Roman people
5. v. 27
1. "he" is the "prince who is to come", the future leader of the Romans, the antichrist
1. 2 Th. 2:3-4 - "that" is the abomination of desolation, the same one Jesus spoke about in Matt. 24:15
2. "many" is national Israel - we know that because when the future leader breaks the covenant, he brings an end to the sacrifices and offerings, which is what the people of Israel do (so this covenant was apparently with them)
1. this also means that during this time, the Temple must be rebuilt, because it hasn't existed since it was destroyed in AD 70, even to this day
1. since Jerusalem's destruction, the spotless red heifer, which was necessary for ritual purification in order to make the sacrifice (Num. 19), hasn't existed
• the first spotless red heifer in 1900 years was born in Israel in 1997, which indicates to us that the time is very near for all these things to come to pass
3. so, this future prince of the Roman people makes a covenant with the nation of Israel for one week (on seven, 7 years)
1. this final week (7 year period) is the last week of Daniel, the 70^th seven, what we have come to call the Tribulation
4. notice, national Israel hasn't existed since Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed by Rome in AD 70, so in order for this coming prince to make a covenant with them, Israel must have become a nation again
1. this miraculously happened in 1948, almost 1900 years later; Israel is the only nation in the history of the world that was ever reborn (including its language) over anywhere near that long a period of time
5. notice also that if the antichrist is the prince (or leader) of the people of the Roman Empire, even the Roman empire will need to be revived, because it hasn't existed in 1500 years
1. but, the European Union is the Roman Empire revived
2. notice that the European Union is made up of many of the nations that once formed the Roman Empire
1. certainly, there are nations in the EU that were never a part of the Roman Empire, but it's symbolic standing as Rome cannot be denied
6. Dissecting the weeks
1. the weeks (sevens) of Daniel are split into three groups by Daniel
1. v. 25 - seven weeks (49 Jewish lunar years, approx. 48.3 of our solar years) - from 444BC - 396 BC
1. from the going forth of Artaxerxes' decree to the dedication of the newly rebuilt Temple
2. v. 25 - sixty-two weeks (434 Jewish lunar years, approx. 427.77 of our solar years) - from 396 BC - 33 AD (remember to add back the "0" year, and an additional year for the coversion remainders (.3 years for the first group of years, and .77 for the second group)
1. from the dedication of the rebuilt Temple to the revelation of Messiah at the Triumphal Entry
3. v. 27 - the final week (7 years) - unfulfilled
1. in our lunar years, this final week will only last 6 years and 328 days
5. The Time of the Gentiles
1. Luke 21:24 c.f. Rom. 11:11, 25, 32-33 - the time of the Gentiles began with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70
1. so, in His unsearchable wisdom (Rom. 11:33), God allowed disobedience to come upon Israel so that redemption could be extended to the Gentiles - PRAISE GOD!
1. notice that God doesn't deal with Israel and the Gentiles at the same time
1. this doesn't mean it's exclusive, like the other group doesn't exist to God, but His focus is on one at a time
2. while Israel was in obedience, we were in disobedience; while they are in disobedience, we have been brought near to God
1. vs. 23-24 - in the end, the Jews will be grafted back into their own tree by accepting their Messiah (ending the sin of Dan. 9:24)
• so, there's going to be a spiritual revival among the Jews during the Tribulation, which explains the role of the 144,000 sealed Jews of Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5
• they were the firstfruits of the Tribulation, the first group saved during the Tribulation (Rev. 14:4)
• quite possibly, they are Jewish preachers who proclaim the gospel through the first half of the Tribulation and are then caught up to Heaven in Rev. 14:3, which explains why God gave them divine protection for their ministry
• notice they were called "servants of God" in Rev. 7:3
2. of necessity, the question then becomes: What will happen to the redeemed Church when God's focus returns to Israel during Daniel's 70^th week
6. The Rapture
1. Defining the term: Rapture
1. from the Latin rapiemur, for "to drag off, carry off, or snatch"
1. root word raptus meaning a violent snatching or carrying away, as in a robbery or an abduction
2. rapiemur translated from the Latin Bible (called the Latin Vulgate) passage in 1 Th. 4:17 as "caught up"
2. Greek word used in the original text is harpazo (har-pad´-zoe), which means to pluck, pull, or take by force
2. Describing the occasion
1. 1 Th. 4:16-17 - we should dissect this verse rather than just gloss over it with a quick reading just because it's a well-known passage
1. "the Lord Himself", Paul uses this language for a reason
1. this is a literal, physical event, not a figurative or allegorical statement
2. Jesus Himself is coming back (John 14:1-3)
2. He's going to descend from heaven, but not to earth, He'll descend only to the sky (clouds)
1. this is important because it proves that this isn't the Second Coming, during which He'll actually descend to the earth
3. The dead will rise first and we'll be caught up with them
1. it didn't say "the dead bodies", but the dead themselves (spirit, soul, body), meaning that they won't be going to heaven before this event
2. one group (the dead) won't precede the other (the living) and vice versa
4. We meet the Lord in the air, this emphasizes the fact that Jesus will not descend to the earth in the Rapture
5. Once we are caught up, we'll never be away from the Lord again, so when He comes back to earth, we'll be coming with Him
1. but, Jesus returns to heaven after retrieving His church, as Jn. 14:3 says... "that where I am, ye may be also"
2. 1 Co. 15:51-55 - there will be no more death for the raptured saints
3. Full or partial rapture, meaning will all Christians be taken up, or only some?
1. Matt. 25:1-13 - these people are called virgins, not just women, indicating that they were, in fact, religiously pure (Christians, in terms of what the parable is talking about)
1. being a virgin alone is not enough, one must be ready
2. v. 9 - you cannot make it off the holiness (preparedness) of those around you, c.f. Heb. 12:14 - holy living is what prepares us to go back with Him
3. vs. 11-12 - we see Jesus saying to believers that He didn't know them
1. some people believe He's talking about unbelievers here because He said He didn't know them
• they therefore believe that all Christians will be caught up
2. what would cause God to tell someone that He doesn't know them? - Is. 59:1-2
• sin separates us from God (not from His love, but from the right relationship), and we must be reconciled through repentance because of the blood of Jesus
3. Matt. 7:21-27
• v. 21 - only he that does God's will has access to Heaven
• vs. 22-23 - they weren't accused of lying about their kingdom accomplishments, but of how they were living
• the fact that they actually DID what they claimed, particularly in that they did these things in Christ's name, proves they were born again believers, c.f. Mark 16:17-18; Acts 19:14-16
• vs. 24-27
• those who live prepared for His return (rapture-ready) are called wise, just as the prepared virgins in ch. 25:2 were
• those who live unprepared are called foolish, just as the unprepared virgins
4. v. 13 - we are to anticipate/watch for His coming, which means that we're to always be ready
2. Luke 21:36 – must be found worthy to escape the Tribulation, so salvation is not enough
4. The Scripture's perception of the Rapture
1. Titus 2:13 - the blessed hope
2. 1 Peter 1:3 - the living (lively) hope
3. 1 John 3:2-3 - the purifying hope
5. When will it take place (in relation to the Tribulation)?
1. four main positions - pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, pre-wrath, post-tribulation
1. each persepective will be taught like they're the correct perspective, and we'll determine which is the correct one afterward
2. Post-Tribulation Rapture position
1. The Bible doesn't make a distinction when talking about the coming of the Lord, so it's the same event
1. the Greek word Parousia is almost always used to reference His coming
2. Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 - according to this (v. 40), the righteous aren't gathered together to Christ until the end of the world, not any time prior, c.f. Rev. 14:14-16
1. Matt. 24:29-31 and Mark 13:24-27, c.f. Rev. 6:12-17 - the people of God aren't gathered to Christ until the Second Coming
• Notice in Matt. 24:3 that this entire discourse about the end was the result of the disciples' question of what the signs would be of his coming, and Jesus' answer was to describe the Tribulation
3. Matt. 28:20 - the Church will be here carrying out Christ's Great Commission until the end of the world, including the Great Tribulation period
4. 2 Th. 2:1-3 - our "gathering together unto Him" (v. 1) will not take place until after the "man of lawlessness [the Antichrist] is revealed" (v. 3)
1. the "gathering together" (catching away) won't happen until after the Antichrist is revealed, meaning that the Tribulation has already commenced
5. Rev. 20:4-5 - if the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation, how could this resurrection at the Second Coming (At the start of the Millennial Reign) be the first resurrection? The Rapture and the first resurrection must be the same event
6. 1 Co. 15:23-24 - we will be resurrected at His coming, but at this same coming, He'll abolish all earthly rule and authority and deliver the Kingdom to God, a clear indication that it's at the Second Coming that we'll be resurrected
3. Pre-Wrath Rapture position
1. people confuse the Tribulation with the wrath of God; they either think they're the same thing or that the wrath of God is a short period at the very end of the Tribulation
1. but, the wrath of God takes place immediately after the Tribulation, which puts it some time in the latter half of Daniel's 70^th week, since the Tribulation doesn't begin until halfway through (with the breaking of the antichrist's covenant with Israel)
2. Christians will be saved from God's wrath to come, but not from satan's or the antichrist's wrath
1. Matt. 24:9-13; 21-22 (for the elect's sake; Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:7
3. notice, Matt. 24:29-31 clearly states that Jesus will return after the Tribulation, and in this return, He will gather the believers (the Rapture)
1. notice that the saints are still here, because v. 13 says that he that endures to the end will be saved
2. Rev. 6:12-17 c.f. Matt. 24:29-31 - the Rapture takes place right after the 6^th seal is opened
4. Mid-Tribulation Rapture position
1. the "last trump" of 1Co. 15:52 (c.f. 1Th. 4:16) is the 7^th trump of Revelation 11:15
2. the sounding of the 7^th trump marks the beginning of the 2^nd half of the Tribulation
1. notice that the 6^th trump marked the signs that Jesus spoke of regarding His return in Matt. 24:30-31, indicating that the church was raptured at this mid-point mark
2. at this mid-point, the abomination of desolation occurs (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15)
3. the seven seals and trumpets of Revelation are not the wrath of God, they're the wrath of man
1. since we are promised protection from the wrath of God, we will be raptured before the actual wrath of God is unleased upon the earth, at MID-Tribulation

Notes will continue to be added to this page as the series progresses.