End Times; The Final Countdown
Good news introduction
Our temptation concerning life; like Jonah- sit back and wait for it to burn, complain about my problems
5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.
6 And the Lord God appointed a plant,[a] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.[b] 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant,[c] so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he was faint; and he asked that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?”[d] And he said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant,[e] for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nin′eveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
God’s perspective
Good news in the midst of bad news
Last time, so many weeks ago, we started talking about the millennial reign of Christ on earth. And it was a refreshing change from all the darkness, plagues, evil, and punishments we had been studying.
So, I wanted to start tonight’s study with good news, not bad news. These are Bible promises, regardless of what time in the world’s history we live.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.Psalm 37:23-24 The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Good news. And I think the millennium is like that for us. It is the anticipated glorious day after a dark night. It’s like when we take our kids to the doctor to get their shots. We tell them, “Yes, it’s going to hurt for a little bit. But after you the pain is over, you will be given the gift of health. So, the pain is worth it.” Yes, we may go through some dark times in this world, but it’s only “a little bit” compared to the kingdom that we are coming to.
So, to review, what can we expect will happen after the Battle of Armageddon, when Jesus takes His place on the throne of Israel to reign over the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
What can we expect to see in the Millennium? You say, will I be there. Yes, you will be there. All departed saints are coming back with Christ, all living Christians will be caught up to Him, and return with the multitude of believers.
Then will be completely fulfilled the words of Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 9: 6 For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever.
What will that Kingdom look like? So, let’s review from the point of Jesus’ return.
I. Worldwide terror at His return
Revelation 6:15-1715 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?”
II. Worldwide repentance/Jewish repentance at His return
Zechariah 12:10 (Jewish) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
There will only be 1/3 of the Jewish people who make it to the end of the Tribulation.
Zechariah 13: 8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds
in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third
shall be left in it:
9 I will
bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as
silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name,
And I will answer them. I will say, This is My people’; And
each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’
”
To put that in real terms, in 2021 the worldwide population of Jews was about 15 million. If the Tribulation were to begin today, that would mean that 10 million will die or be killed over 7 years, leaving 5 million to see Jesus’ return.
And many Jewish people will be hiding in the wilderness of Israel. Today, 7 million Jews live in Israel. It’s not hard to imagine that more will migrate to Israel as the world becomes more antagonistic toward them.
So, a massive population of Jews fleeing into the wilderness when the antichrist invades Israel and Jerusalem. And imagine how Jesus returns, fights the Battle of Armageddon, and then goes out toward the wilderness, entreating these Jewish people to come to Him.
Ezekiel 20:34-36 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.
And I am particularly fond of the notion that every last one of them will put their faith in the Lord. Paul said in Romans 11:26
Romans 11:26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
So, at His return, Jewish people repent and are saved. And the world will come to understand why the Jewish people have suffered so much.
Isaiah 63: 22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. 23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
And also Gentiles will repent at Jesus’ return.
But Revelation 1:7 also says
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
So, I think this is a worldwide moment of repentance. I think people can still repent and be saved at the return of Jesus. Why do I believe that? It’s simple math. If, when Jesus returns, all the Christians are raptured and get new bodies, and all the unbelievers are immediately judged and condemned to Hell, (which is implied in some Scriptures) then who populates the earth during the millennium? There have to be mortal men and women who live during the millennium.
So, after the Battle, Armageddon
Malachi 4:1-4 “For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble; and the day that comes will burn them up,” says the Lord of Hosts, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall. 3 You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
So, when the battle is over then comes the
III. Cleansing of the land
We mentioned that last time. The weapons of warfare will be burned. And there will be a group of people employed in Israel to search for dead bodies and bones, to mark them so another group can come along and properly bury them.
IV. Gathering of the Jewish remnant
There are lots of verses that indicate that the Jewish people will return to Israel under the rule of their Messiah as King. Let me just read a couple.
Isaiah 10: 20 It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
Hosea 3: 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.
Ezekial 34: 11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [b]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Ezekial 36: 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
V. New government—a definite hierarchy—it’s a kingdom, not a democracy
Christ
Isaiah 66: 18 It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.
Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the [i]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
Apostles
Matthew 19: 28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
This is Jesus talking specifically to the disciples. Their position during the kingdom is already known. They will each be appointed as judges over the twelve tribes of Israel. With the mass influx of Jewish people who have repented at the return of Christ, there will be a huge Jewish contingency who relocate to Israel. So, the disciples themselves will judge in Israel.
Christians
Remember Jesus’ parable of the talents? In Luke, instead of talents, it is pounds.
Luke 19:16-18 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
What is implied here is that believers will be rewarded, according to their faithfulness, with authority in the millennial kingdom.
Paul said,
1 Corinthians 6: 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Revelation 20:4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Any Christian who dies before the return of Christ, or is alive at the return of Christ, will be in new bodies. We will reign with Him for 1000 years.
VI. Elevation of Israel-epicenter of good things for the world
Zechariah 8: 20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” 22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’ 23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the [k]sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”
Isaiah 61: 2 to
proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to
comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for those who mourn
in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4 They
will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places.
They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many
generations. 5 Strangers will stand and feed your
flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards. 6 But
you will be called the Lord’s priests. Men will call you the servants of our
God. You will eat the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their glory.
7 Instead of your shame you will have double. Instead of
dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they will
possess double. Everlasting joy will be to them. 8 “For
I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and iniquity. I will give them their
reward in truth and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their
offspring will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the
peoples. All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the offspring
which the Lord has blessed.” 10 I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord! My soul will be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the
garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels.
11 For as the earth produces its bud, and as the garden
causes the things that are sown in it to spring up, so the
Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Leadership
Jeremiah 3: 17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 33:9 Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.’
Prosperity
Ezekial 36:28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.” 37 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock.
Jeremiah 31: 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. 5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; The planters shall plant and [b]eat them as ordinary food. 6 For there shall be a day When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’ ”
Isaiah 27:6 In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bud. They will fill the surface of the world with fruit.
Amos 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom,[k] And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the Lord who does this thing. 13 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it.
Healing
Jeremiah 31: 7 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’ 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.
Isaiah 35: 4 Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 2918 In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind will see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
If you want a picture of what the healing of that day will be, look at what Jesus did in Galilee during the three years that He traveled from village to village. He practically eradicated disease from the region. Think of that, except on a worldwide scale. And then multiply it further, because Christ’s ambassadors will be populating the earth as Christ’s agents, in transformed bodies. I can imagine that anyone faced with disease will have to do nothing more than ask of a resurrected believer, and they, in the name of Christ, will be able to offer them healing.
Unity of North and South
Ezek37:15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.
Restoring the land
Joel 3: 18 And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord And water the Valley of [h]Acacias.
Hosea 2:20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord. 21 “It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,” says the Lord; “I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth. 22 The earth shall answer With grain, With new wine, And with oil;
Isaiah 35: The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. 2 It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. Lebanon’s glory will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the Lord’s glory, the excellence of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm. 4 Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!
Isaiah 35:7 The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay. 8 A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called “The Holy Way”. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools shall not go there. 9 No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there. 10 Then the Lord’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Zechariah 14:8-11 8 It will happen in that day, that living waters will go out from Jerusalem: half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. It will be so in summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be King over all the earth.
Zechariah 14:20 In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, [j]every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them.