As we begin this exploration of current events, Revelation 18, Revelation 12, and related scripture, it would seem prudent to set forth the signs of the times.
Matthew 24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
I personally tend to like to “go slow”. I want to avoid false assumptions that cause people to “blur things together”. False assumptions cause people to rush to false conclusions. For example, I find it interesting that Jesus was asked three questions:
1. When shall these things be?
2. What shall be the sign of thy coming?
3. What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
I stop and consider: this world will “end as we know it” at the marriage supper of the Lamb. That is when the 666 beast kingdom is destroyed.
Revelation 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Yet the world will not truly “end”. Because after the 666 beast system is destroyed, then shall commence the 1000 year reign of Christ. After the end of the 1000 years is Final Armageddon.
Revelation 201And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season…. 7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Revelation 16:15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
We see from scripture that the final “end of the world” occurs at the end of the 1000 year period. After the 1000 years, Satan is loosed “for a little season”. How long is a “little season” to God? To God, a 1000 years is as a day. “How long” is the “little season” after the end of the 1000 years? No man knows.
It occurs to me that as human beings living in this present time before the marriage supper of the Lamb, before the 1000 year reign of Christ, we don’t have a human understanding of those 1000 years. We don’t have a comprehension of Satan being cast into the abyss for a 1000 years then loosed for a little season. We don’t have a comprehension of Satan gathering all of his forces at that time to attack the holy people.
Most of us aren’t considering the 1000 year reign of Christ as we consider “the end of the world”.
It would seem to me that Christians are more prone to think only of the “here and now”. The “here and now” for Christians is the time and season before the 1000 years.
Naturally, we tend to believe that the “here and now” closing of this period of time (preceding the 1000 year reign of Christ) is “the end”. Well, it is “the end of the world” as we know it according to this present season. But, it’s not really “the end”. Many events occur during and after the 1000 year reign of Christ.
Therefore, I would ask Christians to “slow down”. Please let’s consider that the world does not end when the 666 beast and his kingdom is destroyed. The world “goes on” during the 1000 year reign of Christ. People live on earth during that time.
Revelation 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
It appears Christians martyred for the faith, especially during the reign of the 666 beast system, are all resurrected. It appears they live on earth for 1000 years after Satan is bound.
Then, after Satan is released after those thousand years, those saints face a “final conflict” with Satan. This “final conflict” is Final Armageddon. In this Final Armageddon, the 7th vial of wrath is poured out. Only when final wrath is poured out at final conflict in Final Armageddon, “It is done”.
Revelation 16:15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Even as we consider “the end of the world”, we must expand the horizon of the eyes of our faith. We must see beyond this current time before the 1000 year reign of Christ. To see “the end of the world”, we must let the eyes of our faith stretch past the end of the 7 year period, straight through the 1000 year reign of Christ, past Satan being released from the abyss “for a little season”, past Satan then gathering a great number of people against the camp of the saints, and straight into the outpouring of the 7th vial of wrath upon them burning and destroying that army so that the great voice out of the temple from Heaven and the throne says, “It is done.”
It’s not over until it’s over. And it’s not over until God says, “It is done”. God says “It is done” after the end of the 1000 years when the 7th vial of wrath is poured out upon the armies of the devil at Final Armageddon.
So, as we examine “the end”, please let’s consider that there is a “closing” to this present season of time. The 666 beast’s kingdom is destroyed at the end of the 7 year period. We can examine the present time. We can examine all the scripture states regarding this present time up to the destruction of the 666 beast’s kingdom.
Yet, that is not “the end of the world”. Rather, it is the beginning of the 1000 year reign of Christ.
Grace.
Laura
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