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 What is Left in God’s Prophetic Calendar?

The Bible is reasonably clear on what has yet to happen but not so clear on the timing and the order of events. Listed in the chronological order I believe to be the most consistent with the revelation of Scripture, I would order events as follows:

1. The Rapture of the Church
2. The Battle of Psalm 83
3. The Battle of Gog and Magog
4. The signing of the covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist
5. The beginning of the Tribulation
6. The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ
7. The beginning of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ
8. The second battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium.
9. The destruction of the present heavens and earth and the Great White Throne Judgment.
10. The creation of the new heaven and earth and the beginning of eternity.

The first three events are the subject of much debate and discussion as to their order and timing; events four through eight are clearly ordered and timed in Scripture. The order of events nine and ten is reasonably certain but the timing is not specified in Scripture. In the remainder of this article I will provide brief comments on events 1-6.

1. The Rapture of the Church

There is nothing prophetic that remains to be done before the church is taken home; the rapture could occur at any second at a time known only to God. The rapture will have a very disruptive impact on the United States and to lesser degrees in other countries as the percentage of Christians in those countries is far lower. It is impossible to determine in advance exactly how devastating the removal of the Christian population in the United States will be for our nation. I believe it will produce sufficient chaos to encourage Islamic groups to attack both the United States and Israel. The “Big Satan,” the United States will be in chaos so how could there be a more opportune time to attack both the “Big Satan” and the “Little Satan,” Israel.

2. The Battle of Psalm 83

While Israel will be under the protection of God, there will be no comparable protection for the United States; this explains why the United States is absent from the world stage in the end times, it is only a shell of its former self. Israel survives this attack but the United States suffers a devastating blow. God’s hand in the protection of Israel will be clear enough to grant Israel a time of peace. It will become, under God’s protective hand, a nation finally at peace.

3. The Battle of Gog and Magog

How long that peace will last is not revealed in the Bible. We are told in Ezekiel 38:8 where Gog is being warned, ⁸ After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

In Ezekiel 38:11, and again speaking to Gog, “¹¹ You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.” I believe it will be the decisive victory in the Battle of Psalm 83 which sets the stage for this time of peace.

This battle will be ended decisively by the intervention of God in such a powerful display that Israel will again enjoy a time of peace. You may recall from a previous blog that earthquakes will be a part of God’s judgment on the attacking forces. I think it is these earthquakes that will clear the ground for the rebuilding of the temple. This time there will be no serious objections to the rebuilding.

4. The signing of the covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist

Although the dry bones have been returned to the land and God has demonstrated His care for Israel, they have not yet received spiritual life from God as a nation; Israel, in its historic perversity, finds itself looking for a protector to replace the United States and what do you know, they find a volunteer, the Antichrist. It is the signing of this covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist that is the actual beginning of the Tribulation. With the signing of this document, Israel has pushed the start button on a time so terrible that if it were not cut short no flesh should survive.

5. The beginning of the Tribulation

The Tribulation is the last seven years of the last 490 years promised to Israel by God. The 490 years was brought to an abrupt close on March 30, 33 AD, the day the Lord Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on the week of His crucifixion. The divine clock had stopped but will start again with the signing of the covenant with the Antichrist. God does not mix Israel and the church, Israel’s countdown clock stopped at year 483 at the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem; the church did not have its beginning for another 57 days when the Holy Spirit indwelt Christians at Pentecost on May 25, 33 AD

The Tribulation will be divided into two parts, the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation; as the name suggests, the second half will be very severe. Initially the Antichrist will appear as a messianic figure who promises to cure all the world’s ills. At mid-point, Satan is cast out of heaven and indwells the Antichrist and things take a dramatic turn for the worse.

6. The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

As Israel’s last seven years draws to a close a terrible battle will take place in the vicinity of the Valley of Megiddo, the battle is called the Battle of Armageddon and will cost hundreds of thousands of lives. At the peak of this battle the Lord Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and bring the battle to an end. The church will return with the Lord as observers.

Those who have survived the Tribulation will be divided into two groups, those who have been faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and those who have not. Those who have not will be thrown into the Lake of Fire with the Antichrist and the false prophet while those who have been faithful will join the Lord as mortal believers during the Millennium.

Next The Millennial and Eternal reigns of the Lord Jesus Christ and events 7 through 10 see “What Does the Future Hold for Us?