An End Times Synopsis
If you were to ask 100 pastors for a comprehensive but quick synopsis about what the Bible says would happen in the end times, you’d get about 40 different answers. Some will differ on the timing of the rapture in reference to The Great Tribulation, some will have different timing or a different means for Jesus second coming. Some will say there will be three raptures, and some will even say none of this will happen at all and the whole Book of Revelations is figurative.
It is all quite a lot of noise, which is astounding considering how straightforward Jesus was in the Olivet Discourse. To bring some clarity, I present to you what will happen and the crossroads that souls will traverse through what the Bible says and look at it through the logical lens of what we can and cannot know. By separating conjecture from stated prophecy, we can better identify where errors in judgment are likely to occur and cut through a lot of this confusion.
Let me start by providing this scripture map, courtesy of Dr. Hovind. Dr. Hovind has stated that it is free to distribute, so share it with whomever, but as conditions of sharing it, he said not to modify it or take credit for it. I will leave a lot of scripture references out of the text since they are also on the scripture map.
Source: Dr. Kent Hovind
Events Before and at the Start of the 70th Week of Daniel
The final days of the age of the Gentiles is envisioned in the 70th week of Daniel, which is recorded throughout chapters 7, 8, 9, 11, & 12 of his book. Through his visions, we get peeks of what The Great Tribulation and the time just prior to it will be like. I must start by saying there is a lot of conjecture out there concerning the four beasts, and what nations or alliances they represent. For example, I have heard that the lion with eagle’s wings represents an alliance between England and the United States; and the plucking of the wings shows the United States will suffer a decline of some sort and cease to be a world power. Another interpretation states the lion just represents England and the plucked wings are the losses of its colonies that took place over the last few centuries.
While fascinating, these and the rest of the interpretations of what the beasts represent are all conjecture. Some of the imagery and symbolism we see used by nations now have parallels with that of the beasts, but that does not mean that the theories we hear are correct. The exact meaning cannot be confirmed until we start to see the other segments of the prophecy falling into place.
One of the biggest events, and perhaps the easiest to watch for, will be the rebuilding of the temple on the Temple Mount in front of the Eastern Gate. I have heard many theorize that the rebuilding of the Temple will be part of the seven year treaty the Antichrist makes with Israel (Daniel 9:27). This may indeed be the case, but it is not explicitly stated so in the Bible. In any event, there must be a temple to desecrate in the Abomination of Desolation; and that must occur 3 1/2 years after the treaty is signed. (Daniel 9:27b) Modern building techniques and the preparations made by the Temple Institute could speed reconstruction to just a handful of months. In short, we may see the temple come before or after the treaty, and it may or may not be a condition of the treaty, but whatever the case it must exist at the 3 1/2 year mark to fulfill the prophecy.
The temple’s details aside, that treaty the Antichrist makes with Israel marks the official start of the 70th week. We have to be cautious here since the Bible does not state the covenant will be made public. Given the political power the Antichrist will have and the nature of the treaty, we will likely know when it is signed and goes into effect, but we must remember that is not necessarily the case. Since the devil knows Christians are looking for it, he may keep it as secret as possible, or at the very least, obscure it to cause confusion.
To dispel a quick rumor I have seen come up, I must mention that the Dome of the Rock does not have to be destroyed in order for the temple to be rebuilt. There is space to the eastern side of the Dome right in front of the Eastern Gate. Here is one possible configuration:
The 70th Week, the First 3 1/2 Years
Once the 70th week starts, the seals in the book of Revelations start to be broken. As per the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13), Christians are here during this time, but many are falling away in the Great Apostasy. The Antichrist takes the place of God in the Temple, acting as the most high. Jews, who now believe they have their long awaited messiah, begin assaulting Christians, and dragging them into synagogues to be tortured and executed. Nations and the other societal powers likely join in, as false prophets deceive many and families turn against each other, turning their Christian members in to the authorities for prosecution.
Just as all this causes the love of many to grow cold, wars, pestilences, animal attacks, raging weather, crime, and scarcity all take hold across the world. As mentioned above, this may be when the temple is rebuilt, but that is not necessarily the case.
The 70th Week, the Last 3 1/2 Years
At the 3 1/2 year mark (Daniel 7:27), the abomination of desolation takes place, leaving the temple desolate and marking the start of the time of Jacob’s trouble. The Great Tribulation, unlike anything the world has seen before, unfolds. War ravages the world, with Judaea getting hit exceptionally hard. I suspect this is because Judea and Jerusalem will be the source of the push to punish Christians. With the sting of losing loved ones still fresh for many, the Antichrist’s betrayal will prove he is not God, making obvious the fact that those loved ones died in vain because of the Antichrist’s lies. The desire for retribution will motivate many.
In short order, the map of the world becomes vastly different. Many nations are now firmly in the hands of Satan and the Beast, if not directly then by proxy. As a result, Christians are forced to either die for their faith or take the mark of the beast. Not many will be able to escape making a choice since taking the mark is also a condition for financial transactions. Many Christians will die at this time.
At the end of this period, the sixth seal is broken and the sun and the moon go dark. A great earthquake shakes the entire world. (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Rev 6:12) Jesus returns in the clouds and raptures and resurrects his elect, which move onto the Judgment Seat of Christ. From the judgment seat, Christians move onto the marriage supper of the lamb. Afterwards we prepare to join Jesus in the Second Advent, the Battle of Armageddon, and the subsequent Reign of Christ for 1,000 years.
One important caveat: there are many parables and teachings in the New Testament that show believers are not automatically entitled to a place in the Millennial Kingdom. The parables of the sower, ten virgins, fig tree, and the talents are just a few examples that speak of conditions for kingdom entry. Taken together, they show that there are standards of righteousness that apply. Don’t confuse the Kingdom’s standards with those for salvation in eternity, they are not the same. While some Christians will meet the standards and will have a place in the kingdom, others will not, instead being cast into “outer darkness” (as Matthew states) and with the unbelievers (as Luke states). There is debate about where exactly that is, but it is clear that there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The Sealing of the 144,000 and the Time of Wrath
Just before the seventh seal is opened, 12,000 virgin men of each of the 12 chosen tribes of Israel are selected as servants of God and have God’s seal placed in their forehead for all to see. These men are made immortal and prepared to spread the word of God throughout the nations during the time of wrath in an attempt to save as many souls as they can.
Next, the seventh seal is broken and the angels prepare to pour out God’s wrath with the 7 trumpets and 7 vials. The trumpets include a variety of harsh punishments ranging from hail to an angelic army riding horse-like creatures with fire-breathing lion-heads. The vials are worse in most cases, directly inflicting sores in one instance and even cranking up the sun’s thermal output so it scorches everyone in another.
The Battle of Armageddon
At the end of the marriage supper, the saints return with Christ to make war on the remaining nations, Satan and the Beast. After the battle, Satan and the Beast are thrown into the pit, and the rest of the living are judged on their righteousness. Those that have converted to follow Christ and are deemed worthy enter into the Kingdom, but are not given new bodies. Those that refuse Jesus are cast into the lake of fire and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:32-46)
The 1,000 Year Reign
After the judgment of the nations, the 1,000 year reign of Christ begins. This is a time of great blessing where the saints reign with Christ over the survivors of the nations that went through the Day of the Lord. As mentioned earlier, not every Christian gets a place in the Kingdom. Christians that were carnal, that denied Christ before others, and were lazy about following God’s commands are denied entry into the Kingdom.
The Brief Release of Satan
At the end of Christ’s reign, Satan is released to tempt the mortal men and women who descended from the survivors. They get a few to turn carnal and follow him, but God destroys Satan directly this time before he could cause a lot of trouble.
The Great White Throne
On the last day, God resurrects everyone that is still dead and the Christians that were cast out. Judgments are handed out and anyone not found in the Book of Life goes into the lake of fire. Afterwards, a new heaven and a new earth are made and a new Jerusalem descends. Christians get to enter into eternity living with God and Jesus while the defiant go to their eternal place in the lake of fire.
