The End Times: An Overview

By Bob Knopf

Whether you’re familiar with the Bible or not, almost everyone looks at world events today and wonders what lies ahead. Many fear that global Armageddon may be right around the corner.

This feature gives an overview of the Sequence of Events that the Bible tells us will happen during the final days of planet earth as we know it today. Whether you believe in the Bible or not, one fact should be very clear. The Bible is a book with thousands of predictions, dating back thousands of years, and every prediction has come true. The Bible has a perfect record of foretelling future events. Frankly, this would be impossible, unless the Bible was truly the Word of God. As events unfold outside our windows, you’ll see firsthand how these events compare to Bible predictions.

The book of Genesis tells us that planet earth, the heavens, the galaxies, humankind, the plants and animals we see today were created supernaturally by an Almighty God. They didn’t evolve. They didn’t begin from nothing. Each was created perfectly for the niche it occupies.

After Christ died on the cross for us, we entered into the period we are in today, which is called the Church Age. This period is of an unknown length, and so far, it has lasted about 2,000 years. In this period, the Bible tells us that conditions in the world will deteriorate leading to a One World Order led by a dictator, which the Bible calls the Antichrist.

In Matthew, Chapter 24, beginning at verse 4, it says: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,  pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The Bible compares the worsening world conditions we see outside our windows today as “birth pangs” that will increase in frequency and duration as the end approaches.

Then the Bible tells us the next event that will happen is the Rapture, or the taking of those who believe in Jesus Christ to heaven to be with Christ. This will be both the living and the dead who turned their lives over to Christ. They will be given new heavenly bodies, and will be forever with Christ. This next occurring event can happen at any moment. When it happens it won’t be a secret. The entire world population will know it happened because millions of people will vanish in the twinkling of an eye.

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4, Verse 16 says: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

After the Rapture, a world leader, the Antichrist will appear who will establish a One World Order, consisting of a One World Government and a One World Religion. To set the stage for this to happen, America will need to become a more “socialist” government, with power held by the government and not by the people. Christians will have to have been marginalized in order to set up the One World Religion. We see great movement in this today.

The Antichrist or world ruler will be aided by a person the Bible calls the “False Prophet.” Together they will oversee world government and religion.

America is truly the last republic and bastion of individual freedom, so we can expect to see continuing loss of freedom and individual liberty here in America. This will be and is being accomplished in America and worldwide today by groups of individuals who use created crises, both economic and environmental, to erode individual human rights. Global warming and the current economic crisis are being directed to end capitalism and move America toward socialism.

As all this happens, the U.N. will become more powerful.

I’d like to be able to say that the current economic problems, our loss of human rights, and the degrading of Christians we see today is just coincidence. But, it’s not. There is a group of very powerful leaders controlling the government, controlling the banks, controlling the news media, and controlling major industries, who are actively planning a socialist America where they are in charge. They plan to be the power brokers of a New World Order they will develop. They are driven by power and greed, and are knowingly or unknowingly the tools of Satan.

The Bible tells us at the time of the Antichrist, the world will be divided into 10 regions governed by 10 rulers. Individual countries will lose their sovereignty; individuals will lose individual freedom. In this period, the world will experience increasing famines, worldwide starvation and economic collapse. The decline of the world economy and increasing socialism among developed countries, including the U.S., will pave the way for the Antichrist to become the world leader. The world conditions will lead to several End Times wars. The most popularly known is a global battle called Armageddon. However, the truth is that the Bible tells us of three major End Time wars.

The first war will be the Magog War. To read about this war, read Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39. This is a war where Russia, Iran, Libya, Turkey, Ethiopia and others gather to attack Israel. There is indication that America and Britain may be attacked at the same time.

A huge army from these and other nations enter Israel and overrun the city of Jerusalem. At the point when all seems hopeless for Israel, God supernaturally intervenes. He annihilates the opposing forces, and simultaneously causes nation to fight against nation in a nuclear exchange.

Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 are so precise that the attacking nations are listed and the outcome is given. Chapter 39 even mentions HazMat teams. Yes, HazMat teams. Here are a couple passages from Ezekiel 38 and 39 written more than 2,000 years ago. “Then you (Russia) will come from your place out of the far north, you and many people with you, … a great company and a mighty army.  You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you ... before their eyes.” 

“Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. (This isn’t literally a bow and arrow but missiles and rockets.) You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.  You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD.  “And I will send fire on Russia and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” 

In this war, God supernaturally intervenes to protect Israel, which He has promised will never be destroyed. Through this event the nations will now know that God is Lord. Another important point is that some feel that the people “who live in security in the coastlands” is America, and that America will be attacked at the same time.

You can read these powerful verses for yourselves, but let me quickly go to Ezekiel 39, verse 11 where it talks about the aftermath of the war and even mentions Hazmat teams. It says:  "It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog (Russian and allies) a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. (This is downwind of Israel.) For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.  Indeed all the people of the land will be burying … says the Lord GOD.  They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it…”. 

Here, the Bible tells us that after seven months of burying bodies with bulldozers, fulltime search parties will go out and when they find a body, or even a bone, they will mark it and wait for “men regularly employed,” in other words a Hazmat team, to take it to the burial location. These are amazing statements considering these words were written on scrolls more than 2000 years ago. So many people will be killed that it will take all the people of Israel seven months to bury them.

At around this time, the world will enter a period the Bible calls the Tribulation Period. This period begins when the Antichrist makes a Seven-Year Peace treaty with Israel. A Jewish temple will be built in Jerusalem. However, there will be famines, war, and natural disasters as God Himself begins judging the peoples of the world.

During this time, God will send Two Witnesses who will have supernatural powers and they will preach the gospel of Christ. God will also send out 144,000 specially chosen Jewish ministers of God to spread the word of Jesus Christ around the world. They will be supernaturally protected by God Himself.

After 3-1/2 years, the Two Witnesses will be slain and their bodies will lay visible in the street for 3-1/2 days, as all the world watches them on TV and the Internet. Then, to the surprise of the world, the Two Witnesses will rise from the dead and return to heaven to be with God.

Three and a half years into the peace with Israel, the Antichrist will break the peace treaty and place his image in the Jerusalem temple. He will declare that he is god. During the next 3-1/2 years, Israel will be attacked and two of every three Jews will be killed.

At this time, the Antichrist will require everyone who wants to buy or sell goods to wear the mark of the beast: 666. Those who refuse will be killed. However, those who resist and accept Christ, and who are martyred, will be resurrected to spend eternity with God. Those who take the mark of the beast are doomed to spend eternity in the lake of fire with Satan.

When the Antichrist places his image in the temple and declares he is god, the one true God will immediately unleash His fury unlike any time in the world. This will begin a 3-1/2 year period of judgment by God that will be horrific beyond belief. Wars, famines, natural disasters, earthquakes, asteroids bombarding earth, and God’s direct wrath, along with wars coupled with Jewish and Christian persecution will characterize this 3-1/2 year period.

Let me read a couple verses describing some of the things that will happen. If you want more information, Read Revelation, Chapters 6, 8, 9, 15 and 16. In the following passage, the Bible is describing what are called the “bowl” judgments as God pours out His wrath on planet earth. “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”  So the first angel went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.”

“Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.”

“Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.  And I heard the angel of the waters saying:  “You are righteous,  O’ Lord,  The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink.  For it is their just due.”

“And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.  And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.”

“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.  They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”

“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

After 3-1/2 years, the period will end with the Battle of Armageddon when nations from around the world will gather in the Valley of Megiddo to war against God and against Israel. The horror of the Tribulation period will be so severe that everyone on planet earth will know that it comes from God Himself. So, with great audacity, the Antichrist and False Prophet will lead the armies of the world to attack God Himself and Israel.

At this time, Christ comes to earth to personally deal with the Antichrist and his armies. This is Christ’s 2^nd Coming where He comes in great power and glory. He annihilates the world armies with His spoken word. The Antichrist and False Prophet are captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire where all unbelievers will spend eternity. This is the battle of Armageddon. When Christ arrives, it isn’t really a battle, it’s an annihilation by God.

Here’s how it’s described in Revelation, Chapter 19. It says: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (This is Christ.) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many rowns… He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. (this isn’t a real sword,  but His powerful words that created the heavens and earth and which now will destroy the multitude who war against Him) And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Here’s the account in the book of Revelation on the battle of Armageddon. It isn’t very long. It says in Chapter 19, verse 19: “And I saw the beast, (this is the Antichrist), the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.” (Again, that’s the spoken word of God.)

At this time, the Devil, or Satan is captured, chained and thrown into the Bottomless pit. This begins a 1000 year rule on Earth by Jesus Christ, who will reign with a rod of iron and will enforce peace to all peoples.

Following this 1000 year period, Satan will again be released to again briefly deceive the nations. He will gather another huge army for one Final Battle against God Himself. This battle ends with God Almighty defeating Satan and his followers, and Satan is cast forever into the Lake of Fire with the False Prophet and Antichrist.

This is described in Revelation 20. Let me read beginning at verse 7: “Now when the thousand years have expired (this refers to Christ’s Millennial Reign), Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth… to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city (this is Jerusalem). And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.  The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Following this all sinners, living and dead are judged. This is called the White Throne Judgment. This is where sinners and followers of Satan are judged. By “followers of Satan” I mean anyone, anyone who hasn’t consciously chosen Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. All who rejected Christ will kneel before Him to be sentenced into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.

With evil and sin and Satan and all of Satan’s followers now defeated and the earth in shatters, Christ will then create a New Heaven and a New Earth and a New Jerusalem, where His followers will live with Almighty God Himself for all eternity.

So, as we look out our window today, it’s important to understand that time is short. The happenings we see around us today are molding the world economy and world religions into a new world order setting the stage for the Antichrist.

So, the big question is: What can we do about this?

The most important thing we need to do is to turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to be our personal Lord and Savior. But, because of political correctness, many people like to say that all religions pray to the same god, but that’s absolutely not true. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one way (one pathway) to heaven. It’s not by going to church, or attending a Bible study, or being nice to our neighbors (although all of these are things we ought to do). The only way to heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If not, when we die, we will face the judgment of God and eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire. Those who know Jesus Christ are guaranteed a place in heaven with God Himself.

Please make the commitment today, right now, to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. Pray to Him to forgive your sins. Pray to Him to become the Lord of your life. If you are a believer and know of someone who isn't saved, talk to them today about God's Salvation Promise. By all indications time is short. The Rapture could happen at any moment.