The Bible Explained, part 31/40: The End Times

Recently published book available for sale.
Details follow:

-----<front cover text>

THE BIBLE EXPLAINED

A Guide to the Holy Bible
for Parents and Teenagers

-----<back cover text>

Where did you come from?
What is your purpose?
What happens when you die?

These questions--and more--are answered in 'The
Bible Explained', which is based on the teachings
of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection
of ancient books which claim to be the word of the
one and only God. This one and only God claims to
be the sole creator, owner, and sustainer of all
things; he further claims to hold the one and only
key to eternal life. Are these claims true? Get
the facts and then decide for yourself.

This document is meant to be understood by everyone,
and is therefore written in plain, simple language,
avoiding complex religious jargon.

Understand the Bible like never before.

-----<table of contents>

Introduction
Quest for Truth
The Holy Bible
Origin and Destiny
The Big Picture: Good and Evil
The Story of Man
The Purpose of the Earth
The Standard and the Test
Work: The Key to Success and Life
Pyramid Society
Failure of Man
Male and Female
Family Relationships
Marriage and Family
Sexual Immorality
The Value of Life
Multiplication and Overpopulation
Racism
Creation and Evolution
Government
Politics
Justice
Words, Speech, and Censorship
Church Matters
Monotheism, Jews, and Christians
Temptation
The Nature of Evil
Life and Death of Satan
Reincarnation
The Rapture
The End Times
The Near Future
Preparing for the Future
Groups and Labels
Understanding Judgement
Preparing for Death
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions and Answers
Appendix B: The Ten Commandments
Appendix C: Marriage

-----<availability>

The above book is available for purchase at:

http://www.amazon.com

Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"

Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061

-----<excerpt from book>

The End Times

The 'end times' refers to the period of time leading up to the coming of the Messiah to rule the earth for 1000 years -- the Millennium. The 'end times' is sometimes referred to as 'the tribulation period', which lasts for about seven years.

End of the World: There are some who believe that the world will soon come to an end, which, however, is false. Nevertheless, the earth will be cleansed of evil via a bloody revolution as described in the book of Revelation (The Apocalypse). The earth must continue for at least another thousand years, since the prophesied Millennium -- which lasts for one thousand years -- has not yet begun. The Millennium will begin when the true Messiah comes to the earth and rules it from the city of Jerusalem. When the true Messiah comes, he will descend from heaven to the Mount of Olives, which will split in two halves -- that's the sign of the true Messiah.

Future History: The complete history of man -- from his beginning to his end -- is recorded in the word of God. If you want to know how ends the saga of man, simply refer to the book containing the final act: the book of Revelation.

Prophecies Fulfilled: All prophecies relating to man and recorded in the scriptures must be fulfilled before eternity begins, since eternity marks a new beginning: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'" [Revelation 21:1,5] Here is a chronological list of prophetic events yet to be fulfilled: the Tribulation Period; the First Resurrection; the Millennium; the Final Battle Between Good and Evil; the Second Resurrection; the Day of Judgement; Eternity. Here is the same list in more detail:

1) The Tribulation Period is a time in which evil reaches its apex on the earth; a time of intense testing, designed to separate the good from the evil in preparation for the Harvest of Matthew 13. The Tribulation Period is marked by wars, famines, poisoned waters, diseases, death on a massive scale, and intense natural disasters -- including powerful earthquakes and a large meteor (the size of a great mountain) falling into the sea, destroying one third of the sea creatures and ships.

2) After the Tribulation Period, the Christ/Messiah comes to bind and imprison Satan (the god of this world) for one thousand years, ushering in the Millennium -- a one-thousand-year period in which the Messiah and his saints will rule the earth in peace and prosperity. The beginning of the Millennium marks the end of man's rule on the earth and the end of man teaching man about God: for the saints are both kings (rulers) and priests (teachers) under God.

3) When the Christ/Messiah comes to the earth, he will resurrect the saints, which is the First Resurrection (which is sometimes referred to as 'the Rapture'). The saints are not subject to the Judgement, but are resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium to reign and rule with the Messiah during said Millennium; furthermore, when the saints are resurrected they inherit incorruption and eternal life (they are no longer subject to decay and death).

4) After the Millennium is complete, Satan is released from his prison and the Final Battle between good and evil ensues; good prevails over evil, and evil is destroyed forever. This is the point at which Satan is destroyed forever: "And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." [Revelation 20:10]

5) After the Final Battle between good and evil, the Second Resurrection occurs. Every human who ever lived -- except those of the First Resurrection -- are resurrected here for judgement.

6) The Day of Judgement ensues, in which the good and evil are divided according to the standard (the Ten Commandments) of God. The evil are destroyed forever; decay and death are destroyed forever; the good are reserved for eternity.

7) God restores his creation to its initial state of perfection (not subject to decay and death); God then marries his followers and they enter into eternity, where all things remain perfect forever.

What to Expect: Here are some things to expect in the near future:

The Next Major Event: As of this writing, the next major event in prophecy is the trampling of the earth by the Four Horsemen of Revelation 6, resulting in the destruction of one fourth of the human population: "And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword (war), with hunger (famine), with death (heart failure due to fear), and by the beasts of the earth (diseases from animals)." [Revelation 6:8]

The Tribulation Period: The Tribulation Period is a time of transformation on the earth. God will take the rulership of the earth away from man and give it to Satan, who will rule the earth for 42 months; God will then take the rulership of the earth away from Satan and give it to his Christ/Messiah, who will rule forever. The Tribulation Period is approximately seven years in length and is composed of two parts: the first part lasts for 1260 days and is ruled by the Two Witnesses; the second part lasts for 42 months and is ruled by Satan.

The Two Witnesses: The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11:3 are two Moses-like figures who will preach the word of God to the entire world for 1260 days. The ministry of the Two Witnesses will be marked by a global drought and all manner of plagues reminiscent of ancient Egypt as recorded in the book of Exodus. The Two Witnesses will call for plagues on the earth in order to get the attention of the world, so that the inhabitants of the earth may hear the word of God -- and choose between life and death. The purpose of the Two Witnesses is to prepare the earth for the arrival of the Christ/Messiah: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." [Malachi 4:5-6] God will not permit his Two Witnesses to be killed until their allotted time is complete. After their testimony, the Two Witnesses will be struck dead by Satan, but, after three and one half days, God will raise them to life and receive them into heaven. After receiving his Two Witnesses into heaven, God will cleanse heaven of evil by casting Satan and his angels (demons) to the earth.

Understanding Antichrist: Before proceeding any further, the term 'antichrist' needs to be defined. 'Antichrist' denotes a certain attitude or spirit. Specifically, those who possess the spirit of antichrist refuse to acknowledge that God has come in the flesh of a man -- namely Jesus of Nazareth: "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." [1 John 4:2-3] "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." [2 John 7] That said, the term 'antichrist' has come to refer to a specific person who will be a global dictator, and who will falsely claim to be God: the False Messiah. Why is it imperative that God should come in the flesh? To destroy Satan and his work (of destruction); there is only one way Satan and his work can be destroyed: God must come in the flesh and live a sinless life while in the flesh -- there is no other way (I explain this elsewhere). Furthermore, God must come in the flesh -- and remain sinless while in the flesh -- in order that he may gain authority over death and the flesh, so that he may qualify to raise the dead and judge the flesh (also explained elsewhere).

Reign of Satan/Antichrist: God will cleanse heaven of evil by casting Satan and his angels (demons) to the earth. When Satan is cast to the earth, he will take control of a prominent man, commonly referred to as the Antichrist. The Antichrist will be a global dictator under the power and influence of the devil. Satan will rule the earth by pretending to be God: "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." [2 Corinthians 11:14] (Satan often masquerades as God, thereby deceiving men into doing his will. Those ignorant of God's word are easily deceived.) Human governments will yield their power to Satan, thinking that he is the Saviour. Thus, Satan will become a global dictator; and he will rule by force, plunging the world into global military conflicts in an effort to destroy mankind in order to preserve his own life (I explain this elsewhere).

Antichrist's Government: The power of Satan is approaching its apex, and the children of the devil are screaming for freedom from the "oppressive" laws of God. However, they lack a leader, but this will soon be remedied by the arrival of a global dictator on the world scene. This global dictator is commonly referred to as the 'Antichrist'. The Antichrist is the one who pretends to be God's Messiah, and in so doing deceives the majority of mankind. The government of the Antichrist will be composed of the children of the lawless one, mainly socialists, homosexuals, and feminists. Children of the lawless one (the devil) are those who fight against the laws of God: Socialists seek to obtain their sustenance from the sweat of another man's brow, contrary to the word of God: "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." [2 Thessalonians 3:10] Homosexuals seek to destroy the God-ordained relationship between male and female, which is evident by their attack on God's definitions of marriage and family: "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" [Matthew 19:4-5] Feminists seek to overthrow the God-ordained authority given to husbands and fathers: "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." [1 Corinthians 11:3] "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." [Ephesians 6:4] Notice that it is the father's responsibility to raise his children, however, feminists seek to drive a wedge between fathers and children in a bid to destroy the family unit.

Why Satan: God will give the earth to Satan in order that man may see for himself the fullness of evil. Why will God give the earth to Satan? There is a popular saying: 'People get the leaders they deserve.' Right now, man is crying out for freedom from law and order, and God will grant man his desire by setting over him the god of lawlessness: Satan. Thus, each man will be permitted to do whatever seems right in his own eyes -- and anarchy and chaos will ensue. Remember that the spirit of Satan will be manifested in the person of a man, who is commonly referred to as the Antichrist.

Recognizing the Antichrist: The Antichrist is the false Christ/Messiah and is easy to recognize: He will precede the arrival of God's true Messiah on the earth; he will be a global dictator; he will claim to be God; his false prophet will call down fire from heaven in the sight of men, and will perform other seemingly miraculous signs; he will try to corrupt the human genome in a bid to destroy mankind; he will attempt to change the fundamental laws of the universe in a bid to destroy God's physical creation in order to preserve his own (spiritual) existence. At first, the Antichrist will bring peace to the earth (particularly the Middle East), however, this peace will be built on force (not love) and therefore short-lived.

Confusion and Paranoia: The arrival of the Antichrist will bring confusion and paranoia to the earth. Some will recognize him as Satan, however, most will believe him to be God. This time of confusion and paranoia will turn a son against his father; a father against his son; a mother against her daughter; a daughter against her mother; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. This time of anarchy will be caused by confusion over the truth. Only a few souls (those who know God) will stand firm.

Avoiding Deception: Trust no one to be your teacher or your minister -- except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments. How do you know if someone is a man of God? You must have a standard by which to measure him: the word of God. This means that you must personally know the word of God. You may think the word of God is too difficult for you to understand, but this is a lie from the devil, designed to keep you in darkness and bondage. The truth sets you free; God's word is truth. The word of God is described as a sharp two-edged sword, which is used to divide the truth from lies: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." [Hebrews 4:12] If you do not know the word of God, you will not be able to distinguish between truth and lies, and you will become susceptible to deception.

Recognizing the True Messiah: God has given us a sign by which we will know the arrival of the true Messiah on the earth. When the true Messiah comes to the earth to establish his kingdom, he will descend from heaven to the Mount of Olives, which will split in two halves from east to west, creating a large valley; half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half will move toward the south: "Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south." [Zechariah 14:3-
4] Therefore, while the Mount of Olives is not split as described, you can be certain that the true Messiah is not on the earth. Lest you forget, I suggest you keep a copy of Zechariah 14:3-4 pasted to your television screen, so you will not be deceived by false messiahs: "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many.'" [Matthew 24:4-5]

Judgement of the Antichrist's Kingdom: Before the one-thousand-year reign of the Christ/Messiah can begin, the kingdom of Satan must first be destroyed via God's perfect judgement. This judgement is referred to as the seven bowls (vials) containing the wrath of God which is poured out on the kingdom of Satan. (See Revelation 16 for details.) After Satan's kingdom has been judged, he will be captured, bound, and imprisoned for 1000 years, so that he may not deceive humans during this period. Satan's imprisonment begins the Millennium -- a 1000-year period in which the earth will be ruled by God's Messiah and his saints.

Purpose of the Messiah: The Messiah comes to prevent the destruction of life on earth and to establish his kingdom on the earth for one thousand years -- the Millennium: "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh." [Revelation 19:11,19-21] Before the Messiah can establish his kingdom on the earth, he must first bring an end to the governments and teachings of man, symbolized by the beast and false prophet, respectively. (Incidentally, this is the time when the image of the man (symbolizing man's rule on the earth) of Daniel 2 is destroyed.)

The Millennium Begins: The Millennium begins when the Messiah comes to the earth and binds and imprisons Satan for one thousand years: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgement was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (the Rapture). Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (the Millennium)." [Revelation 20:1-6]

Life in the Millennium: What will life be like in the Millennium? The meek will inherit the earth and it will be restored like the Garden of Eden: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." [Isaiah 11:6-9]

-----<availability>

The above book is available for purchase at:

http://www.amazon.com

Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"

Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061

-----<copyright notice>

The above excerpt from 'The Bible Explained' is copyright
2010 by Arrant Knave. All rights reserved. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be
printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the New King James Version (R). Copyright (C)
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.

-----<end of book promotion>