The Word of God
This page is designed to provide a practical summary of what God’s Word has to say in reference to the last days of this world. It will be helpful to reference the Word Reference Diagram as you read or listen to this summary.
The “S” icons represent four biblical principles that are evident throughout scripture.
The “R”, “T”, “K”, and “H” icons represent times and events. An understanding of these topics should provide encouragement to those that come to faith in Christ after the resurrection (“R”) of the church.
Be sure to understand the Prayer page and approach The Word of God with a humble heart. And remember to ASK for wisdom as often as needed. Pray persistently.
0. EXAMINE
2. "S" SEEDS
7. "K" KINGDOM
1. Sovereign: Who God Is
God is sovereign over His Creation, and as you examine The Word of God it will not be difficult to see that He is in control of everything.
However, you may be left with questions such as “Why would God do that?”, or “How does this serve God's purpose?”
Our Creator anticipated such questions and He reminds us in scripture that He is the Potter and we are the clay. And in Isaiah He says:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
While we may not always understand God’s actions, we can trust Him. God keeps His promises, and He does exactly that which He says He will do.
2. Seeds: Who We Are
In Mat 13:24-30 and Mat 13:36-43 “Parable of the Weeds” we see two types of “seeds”, wheat and weeds. Jesus differentiates the two seed types as “the sons of the kingdom”, and "the sons of the evil one”. We may refer to these two very different seeds as “His” (God’s seed), and “Not His” (Satan’s seed).
Here are three terms found in scripture that help define who “we” are:
Spirit:
The term spirit is often used in a personal manner and is considered as part of our unique soul. We should not confuse this spirit with God’s perfect Spirit. God’s Spirit enters us the moment we are saved through faith and become a believer.
Scripture gives examples of each, the spirit that is part of the soul, and “God's” Spirit:
“My” spirit (soul):
Psalms 143:4 (ESV) “Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”
God’s Spirit (in all believers):
Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,"
Body:
There are two body types, flesh and eternal, or perishable and imperishable. The bodies of flesh live naturally on this earth. Eternal bodies can live on, or under, this physical earth and of course they can also live apart from the natural realm, in Eternity.
1 Corinthians 15:42 (ESV) “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.”
Soul:
Before the foundation of the world, God foreknew us. He created each soul uniquely, and it is our soul that ultimately distinguishes us as individuals.
The term “soul" is understood to encompass our heart, mind, and strength which may include physical strength while in the flesh, but more likely means our determination or willingness, or our spirit (not God’s Spirit).
A believer’s soul is the “battleground” for the struggle between the flesh and God’s perfect Spirit in a believer. The “momentary and light afflictions” faced while in the flesh are part of the sanctification process. The trials and the results vary from soul to soul, and have Kingdom consequences. Many parables speak to this.
As a reminder, “we” didn't start here on earth and this is not our home. We are sojourners and exiles. And we won't be here for very long.
1Pe 2:11 (ESV)
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
3. Salvation: God's Choice
A "believer" refers to salvation and is defined in His Word:
"if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9 (ESV)
Scripture says that when we make a genuine confession of faith, we are saved. So we confess, and we are saved.
This seems straightforward and yet, concerning this important truth there has been a divide among believers. The discussion centers on the question, “Did God choose me, or did I choose God?”
Perhaps we all begin our new life in Christ believing that we chose God, and if so, this is understandable because Paul, speaking of unbelievers, the “natural man” says:
“The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14
When we first come to faith we have little or no “spiritual discernment” so we naturally assume that salvation was our choice, a decision of our own freewill.
Now, as believers, we can prayerfully examine His Word, and if the spirit permits, we should have a full understanding of this foundational “S” truth.
4. Sanctification: Our Response
The last of the four “S” truths is the process of our sanctification. We inherited “sin” from Adam. Thankfully we, as believers, have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Our sanctification process can be described as the battle between the perfect spirit given to us, and our sinful flesh. And this is the spiritual battle of our lifetime. For the brief time that we are in the flesh we have an opportunity to reflect God’s glory, as his workmanship, while we face trials and tribulation.
During our time in the flesh, the choices we make will be rewarded, according to what we have done with what we have been given. And there are Kingdom consequences.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
2 Cor 5:10
5. "R" Resurrection or Rapture
Make note of the "R" on the Word-Reference diagram
Our resurrection, or “the coming of the Lord” was often confused with “Christ’s 2nd Coming”, or the “Day of the Lord”. Christ’s 2nd Coming occurs at the end of Tribulation when He conquers, and then reigns on the earth for 1,000 years in His Kingdom.
The resurrection, or the “coming of the Lord”, when Christ came to “meet us in the clouds.” does not come to the earth to get us, but rather we meet Him “in the clouds”.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1Th 4:16 (ESV)
The "rapture" was part of the resurrection with a distinction. As noted in the verse above, “the dead in Christ will rise first.” The distinction is that many saints were still alive at the resurrection. The very next verse explains what happened next.
“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Th 4:17 (ESV)
When Christ came to resurrect His Bride, every saint that was still alive at that time was directly "caught up" or raptured. Because this website was created before the resurrection, we could only go by our understanding of what scripture offers, but we assume that our resurrection was an event that shocked the world.
Some scholars view this resurrection for the New Testament “Church” saints, and remain uncertain concerning the timing of the resurrection of Old Testament saints. We believe the terms Church, Congregation, and Bride of Christ are synonymous and that all saints, from Adam to the criminal on the cross the “OT” saints, were resurrected together with the “NT” saints.
This is strongly supported throughout scripture, and we share more in Examine if we were not yet resurrected.
Consideration
Make note of "???" on the Word-Reference diagram between the "R" and the "T".
It is interesting to note that there was no specific time interval between the “R” and “T.” We speculated that the resurrection, which removed the “righteous” men and women from the earth, would accelerate events towards the tribulation.
In Revelation 7:9 we learn that “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” have come to faith after the resurrection and into Tribulation. And in Rev. 19:9 we learn that these men and women (the great multitude) are "blessed" because they are "invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." The saints (the Bride of Christ) are not on the “invited guests” list because a Bride doesn’t invite herself to her own wedding.
6. "T" Tribulation, 7 years
Make note of the "T" on the Word-Reference diagram
The purpose of Tribulation is primarily to account for Israel's sins under the terms of the Old Covenant, and it also serves to usher in the 1000 year Kingdom.
The start of the seven year period of Tribulation begins the moment that Israel signs a covenant with the Antichrist bringing “peace” and allowing the Jews to make sacrifices in a temple of their own. Halfway into the seven years the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and will commit “the abomination of desolation” and much more.
Tribulation also gives an opportunity for a great multitude to come to faith in Christ Jesus!
Wait a Little Longer?
Make note of "??????" on the Word-Reference diagram between the "T" and the "K".
What is this time period, and what does it represent? The answer is found in Daniel 12:11-12, and it is actually TWO time periods.
In Daniel and in Revelation the terms “1,260 days”, “42 months”, “times, time, and half a time” each refer to 3 1/2 years, which is half of the 7 year tribulation. Halfway into tribulation the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and will commit “the abomination of desolation”, defiling the temple.
The first time period is 30 days and is stated in Dan 12:11.
“And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.” Dan 12:11 (BSB)
So these first 30 days (1290 days minus 1260 days) are to cleanse the temple from the abomination and to “renew” or rebuild this entire world in preparation for the 1,000 year Kingdom.
The second time period is 45 days and is stated in Dan 12:12.
Dan 12:12 (BSB) Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.
1,335 days minus 1290 days = 45 days.
Notice this time period refers to people, “blessed is he who waits”. This likely refers to the few survivors of the tribulation including the Jewish remnant that survives tribulation. These are devoted Jews that do not believe that Christ is their Messiah and they still practice the Law of Moses. There are likely Gentile survivors as well. Any survivors that enter the Kingdom in the flesh will still be in their sinful bodies. Sin still exists in the 1,000 year Kingdom.
7. "K" Kingdom, 1000 years
Make note of "K" on the Word-Reference diagram
The Kingdom is established on this renewed earth after Christ's 2nd Coming, at the end of Tribulation. Satan is bound up for 1000 years “then he must be released for a little while.”
Time still exists, and sin still exists but is tightly controlled as King Jesus rules from His throne in the temple during the 1,000 year Kingdom period. During this period God still inhabits Eternity.
Details of the Kingdom come mostly from the Old Testament prophets. Ezekiel, in chapters 40-48, offers a detailed physical description of the Kingdom as well as many operational details. Please note that to date we have seen no such place on earth.
8. "H" Father's House, Throne
Make note of "H" on the Word-Reference diagram
This is where God dwells, in Eternity. Scripture also refers to this place as “the third heaven”, and “paradise” in 2Cor 12:2-4. This is the place that God “foreknew us before the foundation of the earth”. We were then predestined, and chosen as His seed, “the sons of the Kingdom” and placed here in His creation, Earth.
In Revelation 21 and 22 The Word of God gives specific detail of this “new heaven and new earth” which should not be confused with the 1,000 year Kingdom.
At the end of the 1,000 year Kingdom we return to Eternity to live forever in the Father’s House.