The Great Christian Hope What Was the Message of Jesus?
If you were to ask the average person what Jesus' preached - even the average Christian - you'd no doubt hear something about love: "Jesus taught about love. He said we should all love each other." While it is true that love figured prominently in the message of Jesus, it was not the core of his proclamation and didn't get Him crucified. Neither the Romans nor the Jewish authorities would have been particularly bothered by a Jewish prophet who ran around telling people to love God and people. The Kingdom ... When?
Much controversy has surrounded Matthew 16:27-28 and the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, in which Jesus says that some who were present there with Him would not die until they saw the coming of the kingdom... words which obviously have a huge bearing on the sequence of end-time events. These words have led so some some entirely erroneous (even bizarre) conclusions. The problem lies in the fact that most people interpret Jesus’ use of the phrase "the kingdom of God" as referring to the age to come or, in other words, Heaven. The Intermediate State
The one fact that is taught by both the Gospels and Paul is that the righteous dead - believers - are with Christ in the presence of God, awaiting the resurrection. However there are more than a few clues as to the state of the unrighteous dead. The Great Christian Hope Of Glorification
Over and over again, the Bible calls us to be people of hope… a hope that is centered around the good things to come in the future. However if you don't know very much about, or haven’t given much thought to what God has in store for you, you certainly will not be able to give anyone else hope beyond the present world and the better things to come. A general overview of what happens in glorification, and an in-depth look at the nature of our resurrection bodies.
Road Map To The End of Days The Signs Of The Times
Many people believe there is nothing that can be known about the timing of the Lord's return because Jesus said He would return like a thief in the night. But Paul makes it clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 that Jesus' statement does not apply to believers: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. However the prophet Daniel warned centuries ago that only the ‘wise’ would be able to understand the prophecies. As It Was In The The Days Of Noah
It is very important that we understand what our Lord meant when he said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man," Luke 17:26. (cf, Matt 24:37). Our Lord linked these two epochs together and said that one is the parallel of the other. If we are living in the days immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ we shall find similar conditions to the days of Noah, therefore to know what to expect one must focus on the questions.. Who were these sons of God? What kind of beings did these strange things? The Abomination of Desolation
Jesus predicted one particular sign that will stand as the beginning of the end times...Could this sign be completely different from what we have long believed?
The Book of Revelation The Dating of Revelation
The argument has been made that if Revelation was written in the final decade of the first century (the traditional view), then its prophecies probably do not concern the destruction of Jerusalem, an event that would have already taken place. On the other hand, if Revelation was written before A.D. 70, then a case could be made that it describes chiefly those events leading up to Jerusalem's fall. However in the light of the Hebrew view of prophecy it really does not matter all that much... but for those that are interested. An Overview of Revelation
In the original New Testament Greek the last book of the Bible was called Apocalypsis, which means unveiling or uncovering. In this case the word signifies the revealing of previously unknown facts… a supernatural disclosure of matters pertaining to human existence or the world. In other words … A Revelation. Far from being the territory of the lunatic fringe, eagerly anticipating the end of the world, Revelation is the only sure hope we have today.. the capstone of all God's promises about the world to come. While there is no question that much is the book is not pleasant, your future, mine and the future of all of humanity depends on those promises”. Certainly, no one can understand God’s purpose for history apart from the study of Biblical prophecy.
The Antichrist Antichrists and The Antichrist
It might surprise many that John considered himself to be living in the last hour with contemporary "Antichrists” and that he saw the need to warn Christians about such individuals. Many consider an "Antichrist” to be a person who is "against” Christ. If that were the case, it would seem odd that any Christian would be fooled by such a person. However, careful study of the Scriptures reveals that Antichrists are subtle actually presenting a message which appeals to many Christians. However The Antichrists that arise in church history are not the end of the story, there being many clear references to a literal Antichrist at the end of the age.. John himself clearly distinguishing between Antichrists and The Antichrist, who is likely to be …. A Powerful World Leader
The purpose of the following is not to rehash all that has already been said about the antichrist, but to give the reader an inkling of the magnitude of the great darkness that is already sweeping the world. Over the last few decades a movement has gradually been gathering momentum over the face of this earth.. a movement fueled by the unholy forces that oppose both God and man... shepherded by humans outside the church who have no comprehension of the dark forces they deal with, and by an “evil and adulterous generation” inside the church who so blithely ignore the warnings from the God they profess to serve. From the United Nations down, hundreds of thousands on New Agers, under the direct guidance of apparitions from hell (supposedly the ‘ascended masters’ Kuthumi, Djwhal Khul and Morya) are actively working towards creating the conditions necessary for the ‘Reappearance of the Christ’, except that this Christ has nothing to do with Jesus Christ of the Bible. [Includes The Lessons of Hitler’s Amazing Rise To Power!]
The Persecution of The Church The Seven Seals and Matthew 24
What is really interesting here is that the Seven Seals (Revelation 6-7) exactly parallel the Olivet Discourse. In summary, both the Olivet Discourse and the Seals include, in the same sequence, both the events leading up to, and the actual tribulation of the church, followed by the wrath and judgment of God, or the Great Tribulation such as the world has never seen.. End Time Revival Or End Time Apostasy?
In this age of great apostasy the one thing the church needs above all else is revival. However while the Bible speaks lot about end-time apostasy ("When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" Luke 18:8), what does it say, if anything, about end-time revival.
The Wrath, Judgment and Salvation of God The Wrath of God
The Bible labours the point in both Old and New Testament that God is good to those who trust Him and is terrible to those who do not. Both Testaments emphasize the reality and terror of God’s wrath. Today’s powerless, sickly sweet, sentimental Easy Christianity has chosen to babble on and on about the goodness and love of God, but totally ignore (to our peril) His wrath and judgment. The Judgment of God... The First Six Trumpets
Both Jesus and Paul imply that world conditions would not necessarily allow people to suspect the approach of Armageddon. The “day of the Lord” is described as coming suddenly, catching the non believer unawares. One often hears of the media describing one of nature’s calamities as being “of biblical proportions”. This extreme language makes one wonder how they would describe the true plagues that God will send on the earth, which will indeed be “of biblical proportions”. Jesus describes this time as one of Great Tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be again, then goes on to say “... if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved”. The first six of these plagues are each heralded by an angel blowing a Trumpet. That Earth Shaking Seventh Trumpet
However it is the Seventh Trumpet that is, in a sense, the most consequential of all the judgments, since at this call significant and apparently rapid changes take place. This last Trumpet brings an end to the mystery of God... Jesus appears before the Face of God for us and the atonement complete, He reaps the earth (what we call the Rapture) and the doors to the Kingdom are closed forever. The Rapture
This page has been confined to the reasons the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a figment of the imagination. See the article immediately above for details of exactly when the Rapture takes place. The End of The Age..The Seven Bowls
God publicly reclaims His rightful rule over the earth as He makes an end of all things in the Seven Bowls and Jesus returns to earth to establish His kingdom. (See The Millennium Below)
The Interludes
Revelation, for various reasons, pauses more than once in it’s recital of ongoing events. However these interludes give us significant information. The Two Witnesses
The two individuals known as the "Two Witnesses" are only mentioned in eleven verses in the entire Bible, and yet they play a major role in the End Times. The general tenor of the verses is that of a straight forward description of two exceptional individuals, although, who they are and when it is that they make their appearance on the world stage is close to impossible to surmise from the text. While their identity has caused much speculation, the fact that God has not named them, probably means that He does not intend for us to identify them ahead of time. A Dragon and Two Beasts
Revelation interrupts the judgments, between the Sixth and Seventh Trumpet, to show John (in chapters 12, 13 and part of 14) a symbolic panorama of events and people sweeping backwards over the last two thousand years, then forward to the major players and events of the tribulation period, winding up with the return of Christ, depicted as standing on Mt. Zion. Two Babylons
Chapters 17 and 18 are not part of the chronological sequence of Revelation, and do not follow the seven bowls which finish God’s Wrath, but are one more break taken in the sequence of events to describe two different aspects of “Babylon”, and the resulting judgment. Chapter 17 deals with the spiritual side of Babylon (“Mystery Babylon”), while chapter 18 deals with Babylon as a political and commercial system. Two faces of the same coin, a religious and an economic system, both of which endeavor to operate independently of and in opposition to the true God.
The Millenium The Millenium
There are three main views regarding Jesus’ thousand year reign as found in Rev 20. Only one is correct
The Bema Seat Judgment and Heaven The Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ and Rewards in Heaven
Unfortunately many Christians, draw the conclusion that since all our sins have been forgiven, our works cannot possibly be considered at the judgment Seat of Christ.. Not true according to I Corinthians 3:9-13. Apparently there are those that will make it to heaven, but who have earned little or no additional
rewards. Life in the Land of the Promise Made to Abraham
The message of Jesus' famous beatitude, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land" can no longer be heard above the din of endless funeral sermons announcing that the dead have gone to heaven! In one of the most solemn declarations of all time the Almighty God promised to give to Abraham an entire country yet traditional Christian theology has almost no interest in the land promised to Abraham. Heaven
A fascinating look at the question of whether there will be time and space in Heaven. The Truth About Heaven
What is Heaven really like? Is Heaven even something we should spend much time thinking about? Or should we relegate thoughts of Heaven to the dusty corners of our mind, lest we render ourselves of little earthly good?
The Second Resurrection and Hell How Many Resurrections Will There Be?
Although some Christians believe there will be only one general resurrection at the end of time, Scripture seems to speak of more than one resurrection. The first resurrection will be that of believers while the second resurrection will be that of unbelievers. What and Where is Hell?
The importance of the subjects of Heaven and Hell cannot possibly be over stated, since one or the other is the final, unalterable and eternal destination of every one of us. The belief that Hell is a place of unending torment has been so strongly held throughout the history of Christianity that few have dared to challenge it. Besides which since most modern challenges have come from the cults, a person who dares to question the traditional viewpoint runs the risk of being labeled a cultist. However, the deeper one delves into the subject the less persuasive the argument in favor of the traditional view become. For example, there is not a single verse in the entire Bible that says anything remotely similar to "everyone has eternal life; it's only a matter of where each will spend it." Yet, this is what most of the church believes, assuming that the idea has it's origins in the Bible. It does not. Of the many references to the spirit in the Bible, never once is it said to be immortal, imperishable, or eternal. On the contrary, the Bible tells us that God alone possesses immortality. Additionally, over and over again, Christians routinely go through some astounding verbal and theological gymnastics to take the word death, and make it mean eternal ‘life’ in hell, and take the word “perish” and make it mean "never perish". However, it is totally pointless to embark on a investigation unless one is prepared to set aside one's denominational presuppositions, and other biases, and rely strictly on what the Word says. This seems to be easier said than done for many, if not most, Christians. | 
