End Times

End Times:

Jesus died in 30 AD, rose from the dead, and 40 days later poured out His Holy Spirit on believers. Here the Church started. Today it still stands though many have tried to destroy it. God holds us strong and will one day bring us to Himself.

Jesus predicted the Temple’s destruction in Matt 24:1-2 “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” 40 years later in 70 AD, Titus the Roman leader came in and set fire to the Temple. He watched as the gold from the Temple melted into the stones of the Temple. He commanded that every stone be unturned to get the gold! From this time Jews were scattered across the world, and Israel was no longer a Jewish owned land. We see Jews getting ready to rebuild the Temple for worship today. All the implements and plans are ready. (Rev. 11 talks about a Temple in Jerusalem, there hasn’t been one since that destruction in 70 AD)

Isaiah predicted that God would bring back His people into their land in the last days. Isaiah 43:5-6 “Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather them from the west, I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth----“ Israel has never become a nation run by Jews until 1948 when Israel was granted by the United Nations to become a nation! How close are we to his return? For almost 1900 years nothing happened, and now a short while ago it happened!

We live in the information age today. For many thousands of years people traveled at the speed of horses or train, lived off the land, and made cloths out of those fabrics. In the past 100 years we have traveled at the speed of sound, can go anywhere in the world through the World Wide Web, live off each other, and make our own synthetic fabrics for cloths. We have increased in knowledge in all areas. Daniel predicted it would happen this way in Daniel 12:4, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

We hear more about the new world order, the one world economy, and a unified government constantly. Starting Jan 1, 1999 the common currency of Europe went into effect (this is where the one world government comes from – Dan. 2:41-44); the pope has declared a unified religion by Jan 1, 2000. We see the technology for identification chips of which the Antichrist will use for his mark. All people will soon use visa “Smart Cards”, and this technology has already been experimented with for the implanting of computer chips into the human body (Rev. 13:16-17 “And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark IN their right hands, 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.” KJV) Jesus talked about the great apostasy (falling away from the faith) in the last days. Today we see more and more “Christians” leaving Jesus for some experience. We see people seeking for what sounds good, rather than the Word of God and His truth. The stage is set for the final days and there isn’t one thing needed to happen before the rapture of the Church. Are you ready?

Once the Church is gone the antichrist comes on the scene with the One World Government. He will be a genius and probably solve the tension in Israel between Jews, Muslims, and Arabs. He will set up the Temple there in Jerusalem and will be hailed as the Messiah. Meanwhile God will have His gospel proclaimed by the 144,000 and the 2 witnesses (Rev. 11). Jews and Gentiles will be saved, but probably be martyred for their faith (yes they do go to Heaven). 3 ½ years into the tribulation the Antichrist will walk into the holiest place of the Temple and set up an image of himself and declare himself God. He will turn on the Jews and Christians and persecute them intensely. God’s wrath is being poured out on the earth at this time in aboundance (over half of the world will be destroyed by the first!). After the 7 years, Jesus will return at the battle of Armegeddon with the believers following on horses. He will destroy the Antichrist, false prophet, and those nations gathered against Him in the valley of Megeddio. He will bind up Satan for 1000 years as he physically reigns on the earth. Righteousness will prevail. Satan is let loose at the end of the 1000 years for one last battle and he will draw some men to himself thinking they can beat Jesus. Fire comes out from heaven and destroyes them all and Satan is sent into the lake of fire forever. God creates a new heaven and new earth (New Jerusalem – Rev. 21-22). Here we will live forever with Him, no more sin.

-Taken from a Bible Study flyer made by Jesse Claycamp, from Calvary Chapel North Phoenix, AZ. 5-5-98

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