In the book of Genesis, God gave Abraham a promise. When Abraham believed God’s promise, God forgave all of his sins and counted him as righteous. One aspect of God’s promise to Abraham was that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s Seed.

In Galatians 3, Paul explained that the Seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ and concluded that the promise will not come to those who keep the Law but to those who have faith like Abraham. His argument is supported by the fact that Abraham received the promise by faith 430 years before the Law was given.

The promise of the Law was that, if Israel would keep the Law, God would give her physical blessings such as health and wealth. However, God never said that He would give Israel eternal life or the promised kingdom as a reward for keeping the Law.

In Galatians 3, Paul explained that God gave the Law to serve as a guardian over Israel until Christ came. Christ’s blood of atonement made it possible for Israel to be made righteous through faith and to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The power of God’s indwelling Spirit made the purpose of the Law obsolete.

In Acts 15 we see Paul and Barnabas at the Jerusalem Council proclaiming that God was saving Gentiles who had never submitted to circumcision or the other rituals of the Law. When the Jewish leaders were reminded of the fact that Cornelius was saved by faith without circumcision, they concluded that the Gentiles did not need to comply with the legal requirements of the Law.

Given the truths expressed in Galatians, one has to wonder why the Jews continued to observe the Law. And since Paul wrote Galatians after the Jerusalem Council, one might wonder if Paul had come to the conclusion that even the Jews should stop observing the Law. After all, he said that Christ came to take Israel out from under the bondage of the Law.

On Paul’s final trip to Jerusalem, he was challenged about this very thing:

Acts 21:20-21
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
21 "but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

Paul was asked to participate in some Jewish rituals to prove that, according to his doctrine, it was appropriate for the Jews to observe the Law. Since he did participate in the requested rituals, we can conclude that during the Acts period Paul considered it appropriate for the Jews to observe the Law but inappropriate for the Gentiles to do so.

Galatians is typical of Paul’s Acts-period epistles in that he emphasized the hope of the kingdom which had been promised to Abraham, and it would appear that the observance of the Law by the Jews was connected to that hope. However, even in these epistles Paul taught the Jewish believers that their acceptance in the sight of God was based solely on their faith in Christ. Therefore, they were, indeed, set free from the bondage of the Law.

Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians were written after the Acts period, and in these epistles Paul revealed our present dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In these epistles, he never mentioned Abraham or the kingdom promised to Abraham, and he vehemently condemned those who continued to observe the Law.

Phil 3:2-3
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, (NKJ)

The book of Hebrews was written after Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, and in this book Paul wrote words of comfort for the Jewish believers who will suffer great persecution in the tribulation period. In this epistle, his message was once again dominated by the promises given to Abraham. His words paint a beautiful picture of that promised kingdom which will come down out of heaven.

Obviously, the revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians is surrounded by books, both before and after, whose dominant theme is the kingdom promised to Abraham. The fact that Paul did not mention Abraham’s hope in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians indicates that our present age of the Church which is the Body of Christ is a parenthetical age between God’s offer of Israel’s hope in the Acts period and God’s offer of Israel’s hope in the tribulation period. We can also safely conclude that the Church has no specific hope concerning the promises given to Abraham.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

In Galatians, Chapter 3, Paul reminded the believers that God had saved them simply as a result of their faith in Christ, and that He had done many miracles, wonders and signs to give evidence of their salvation. The works of the law had not contributed in the least to their salvation. To support this argument, he mentioned what had been a very overlooked detail of the Old Testament scriptures, that Abraham was saved by faith 430 years before the Law was ever given. Paul quoted from Genesis 15:

Gal 3:6-7
6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. (NKJ)

Gal 3:17-18
17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (NKJ)

Therefore, Abraham was saved by faith and received the promise of an earthly kingdom 430 years before the Law was given. With these facts in evidence, Paul asked this very pertinent question.

Gal 3:19
19 What purpose then does the law serve? . . .

His answer:

Gal 3:19
. . . It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; (NKJ)

Paul explained that God gave the law as a tutor or guardian to watch over the nation of Israel until the coming of Christ.

When Abraham left his home in the land of the Chaldeans, God had told Abraham that He would make a great nation out of his descendants, and then, several years after Isaac was born, God told Abraham that He would bless all of the nations of the world through his seed.

Gen 22:18
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (NKJ)

Paul revealed that the seed to which God referred was Jesus Christ.

Gal 3:16-18
16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. (NKJ)

The nation of Israel was like a minor child who had a great inheritance but was too young to receive it. She had been promised this great earthly kingdom but was still an infant nation. Minor children are usually placed under a guardian until a time set by their father.

At a certain time, set by God the Father, Jesus Christ came into the world to bring Israel to maturity through faith. Paul explained that from that time there was no further need for the guardianship of the Law.

Gal 3:21-25
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (NKJ)

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The Apostle Paul said that God had called him to preach the gospel of the grace of God to the Gentiles. He also said that his message was not something he had learned from the leaders of the Christian Church in Jerusalem.

Gal 1:15-19
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,
16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (NKJ)

In Galatians, Chapter 2, Paul spoke of another trip he made to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders of the Jerusalem Church. That meeting is known as the Jerusalem Council, and its events are recorded in Acts 15. In that meeting it was decided that the Gentiles did not have to observe the rituals of the Mosaic Law to be saved.

When Peter mentioned that God had saved Cornelius (Acts 10) even though Cornelius was uncircumcised, Peter, James, and John agreed that Paul’s ministry among the uncircumcised believers was a legitimate ministry of God. Consequently, they agreed that even though the Jews would continue observing the rituals of the law, the Gentiles would not be required to do so.

Gal 2:9
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (NKJ)

After explaining these things in Galatians, Chapter 2, Paul revealed that real spiritual power can only come through a spiritual identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Gal 2:20
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJ)

The Holy Spirit of God, living within him, had given him something that the Law of Moses never could: deliverance from the bondage of sin.

Gal 2:17-19
17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
18 "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. (NKJ)

When Paul thought about the tremendous change that Jesus Christ had made in his heart and in his life, he declared that he would never frustrate the grace of God by giving up on the pure gospel of the grace of God.

Gal 2:21
21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (NKJ)

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Church links:
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Shortly after the Apostle Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, he went to Antioch of Syria where he ministered with Barnabas preaching the gospel of the grace of God. This message is succinctly expressed in I Corinthians 15.

1 Cor 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (NKJ)

Paul taught in Galatians 2 that people are saved by faith in Jesus Christ apart from the works of the law.

Gal 2:16
16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (NKJ)

However, Paul wrote this Epistle to the Galatians because some Jewish believers had come teaching that God requires compliance with the law of Moses for salvation. We see his stern warning to the people in chapter 1.

Gal 1:6-8
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (NKJ)

Paul said that his message of grace had been given to him as a direct revelation from God.

Gal 1:11-12
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)

Paul had lived most of his life as a strict follower of the law of Moses.

Gal 1:13-14
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. (NKJ)

When Paul met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, everything changed.

Gal 1:22-24
22 . . . I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
23 But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy."
24 And they glorified God in me. (NKJ)

Paul had experienced the joy of salvation by faith apart from the works of the law, and he dedicated his life to sharing that joy with others.

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Church links:
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During the tribulation period, the antichrist will establish the ultimate evil empire. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth at the end of the tribulation period, He will destroy the antichrist and create a perfect world through the nation of Israel. However, Jesus Christ is the cure for all that is antichrist today as well. The Apostle John said:

I Jn 4:3-4
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (KJV)

The devil and his demonic agents are very active in the world today. Paul said that believers are in a constant battle with them.

Eph 6:12-13
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (NIV)

We have power over these principalities and powers because the Lord Jesus disarmed them at the cross.

Col 2:15
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (NIV)

Obviously, the spiritual armor God has provided for our battle is very effective.

Eph 6:14-18
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints– (NKJ)

One of the purposes of the Church which is the Body of Christ is to bring glory to God by putting on display the victory of the Church over the authorities and powers of the darkness of this world.

Eph 3:8-11
8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

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Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

James III’s link:
http://www.jeditime.blogspot.com

Daniel, the prophet, saw 70 weeks, or what we would call 490 years, between the return of the Jews to Jerusalem under Cyrus the Persian and the setting up of the New Covenant Kingdom. However, Daniel did not know about the present age in which we live. The Apostle Paul said God kept this age and the dispensation that relates to this age a secret until He revealed it through Paul.

Eph 3:1-5
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery . . .
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (NKJ)

As a result, Paul often charged believers to follow his doctrine. To the Philippians, he wrote:

Phil 3:17
17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. (NIV)

Phil 4:9
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV)

To Timothy, Paul wrote:

1 Tim 1:3,11
3 . . . that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. (NKJ)

2 Tim 2:2
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (NKJ)

2 Tim 3:10,14
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, . . .
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (NKJ)

Our present age of the Church, the Body of Christ, was a mystery, hidden from the prophets, until it was revealed through the Apostle Paul. Understanding this mystery and the fact that it was committed to Paul, helps believers to appropriately pattern their lives and their worship after the doctrine of the Apostle Paul. It also makes it possible for Bible students to appreciate all scripture as a consistent presentation of God’s dealings with different groups of people in different times.

2 Tim 3:16
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (NKJ)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
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After Daniel’s vision in Daniel, Chapter 8, an angel explained to him the meaning of the vision. The angel said that a great leader from Greece would overthrow the Medes and Persians and that his kingdom would then be divided among four of his generals. The angel said that the antichrist would come out of one of these four regions of the Greek Empire. The angel even gave a few details regarding the antichrist.

Dan 8:25
25 "Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means. (NKJ)

It strikes me that the antichrist will destroy many “in their prosperity”. For thousands of years, rulers have tried to maintain their grip over their subjects by stealing from them and oppressing them. I am reminded of the cruelty of a ruler like Saddam Hussein who kept his people in poverty and murdered those who did not pay homage to him. When the antichrist comes, he will be much more clever. He will first reward the masses with great prosperity, realizing that once people have experienced wealth, they will do anything to keep what they have. By this means, he can appear to be benevolent while exercising complete control over his subjects. However, his subjects will be destroyed in their prosperity.

My son, James, used to work for a charity group that does home repairs for needy people. One day, James told me about a man whose house was in desperate need of repair. James told the man that his group would be willing to make the needed repairs free of charge, and James was shocked when the man said, “The Lord has always been very good to me, and you might want to help someone who really needs it.”

This man knew the truth of I Timothy 6:6.

1 Tim 6:6
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. (KJV)

Such a person would not be a very easy target for the antichrist. He obviously had a moral compass which could not be swayed by a desire for the material things of this life. The Apostle Paul warned the believers at Philippi that many religious leaders actually have a greater desire for material success than they do for teaching the truth of God’s Word.

Phil 3:18-19
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-- who set their mind on earthly things. (NKJ)

Paul then warned Timothy about the pitfalls associated with greed.

1 Tim 6:8-10
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (NKJ)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
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In Daniel, Chapter 8, Daniel reveals his third vision. In this vision, Daniel saw a ram with two horns which was destroyed by a goat with one prominent horn.

Dan 8:3
3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. (NKJ)

The ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire, and history reveals that while the Medes dominated the empire first, their influence and power was superseded by that of the Persians. The Medes and Persians were able to overthrow the Babylonian Empire when Cyrus the Persian entered the city through a pair of doors which were left unlocked in the city wall. This had been prophesied by Isaiah.

Isa 45:1
1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: (NKJ)

The Medo-Persian Empire (the ram) was overthrown by Alexander the Great (the notable horn of the male goat in verse 5).

Dan 8:7
7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand. (NKJ)

Alexander the Great died at a relatively young age and left his empire to be divided among his four commanding generals.

Dan 8:8
8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. (NIV)

Daniel went on the say that one of these four remnants of the Greek Empire will ultimately produce the antichrist.

Dan 8:9-11
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.
10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.
11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. (NIV)

This vision is very interesting in that it narrows down the roots from which the antichrist will rise. Daniel’s previous visions show 10 nations that rise up out of the Roman Empire and yield their power to the antichrist, but this vision reveals that the antichrist, himself, will rise up out of the vestiges of the Greek Empire.

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Other church links:
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One of the many interesting parallels between God’s earthly kingdom and the kingdom of Satan is that God’s earthly kingdom has its capital city in the land of Palestine, while the empire of the devil has always had its capital city in the plain of Shinar of present day Iraq. Jerusalem is God’s capital city in the land of Palestine, and its roots go back to the city of Salem where Melchizedek was priest and king. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek after defeating the armies which had looted Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14). Jerusalem later became the capital city of the Old Covenant Kingdom under King David and will be the capital city of the New Covenant Kingdom when Christ rules the earth for 1,000 years.

Satan’s capital city of Babylon goes back to the tower of Babel in the land of Shinar and the apostate religion of Nimrod (Genesis 10:9,10). Later, the city of Babylon was established in the plain of Shinar and became the capital city of the Babylonian Empire. Babylon will also become the capital city of the empire of the antichrist in the tribulation period (Zechariah 5:5-11). It is interesting to note that one of the kings who looted Sodom and Gomorrah and was defeated by Abraham in Genesis 14 was the King of Shinar. This gives further evidence of the continuous rivalry that has existed throughout history between God’s power in Jerusalem and the Satan’s power in Babylon.

Another parallel between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil is seen in the trinity of the leadership. The Bible clearly teaches that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit dwell together as one. Satan will imitate that pattern during the tribulation period with the antichrist, the false prophet, and the dragon (who is Satan, himself).

Furthermore, this parallel is seen in the fact that Jesus Christ was killed by the religious leaders of His day. He was buried, and He rose again the third day. As the great impostor, Satan will manipulate the hearts of certain people during the tribulation period who will cause the antichrist to suffer a mortal wound. After this mortal wound the antichrist will appear to come back to life.

Finally, Jesus Christ was God in human form. He was born of a virgin and, therefore, had no human father. Satan, being the great imitator, will rise from the bottomless pit (Revelation 17: 8) to dwell within the body of the antichrist after the antichrist receives his mortal wound.

Regardless of Satan’s attempts to imitate God’s earthly kingdom, his empire of evil will be no match for the power of God. Satan’s empire of lies will crumble before the truth of Jesus Christ. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return to earth with the hosts of heaven to defeat the antichrist. Christ will cast the antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire and will cast Satan into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed for one final rebellion. His rebellion will be crushed, and he will be cast into the lake of fire with the antichrist and the false prophet.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

The antichrist of the tribulation period and his false prophet will support a powerful Satanic religion. The false prophet will do great miracles to deceive the people, but murder will be in his heart.

Rev 13:13-15
13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (NKJ)

He will make every person worship the image of the antichrist and receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead to buy or sell. The false prophet and the antichrist will be cast into the lake of fire when Christ returns to establish the New Covenant Kingdom.

Rev 19:20
20 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. (NKJ)

The religion of the antichrist and false prophet will be a blood thirsty religion which is centered in the city of Babylon.

Rev 17:3-6
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (NKJ)

It is interesting that the 10 nations who align themselves with the antichrist will hate his religion.

Rev 17:16-18
16 "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 "For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 "And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." (NKJ)

Apparently, their loyalty to the antichrist will be based solely upon political convenience.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
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The Prophet Daniel spoke in Daniel, Chapter 7, about the nations which would rule over Israel. He saw a lion, a bear, and a leopard which stood for the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Greek Empire.

In the Revelation, the Apostle John saw the total rule of the Gentiles as a beast with seven heads and ten horns, which was like a leopard but had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion.

Rev 13:1-2
1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. (NKJ)

John described a similar beast in Revelation 17 and said the seven heads represent seven kings of which 5 are fallen.

Rev 17:10
10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. (NKJ)

To see the full extent of Gentile dominion over Israel, one needs to go back to the Assyrian Empire which conquered the northern 10 tribes of Israel before Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. That would give 5 empires up to the time of John’s writing of the Revelation. They were Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. John spoke of the Roman Empire as the one which is, and he spoke of the empire of the antichrist as the empire yet to come.

Back in Rev 13, John said that one of the heads of the beast would receive a mortal wound but would either survive the wound or be revived after being clinically dead.

Rev 13:3-5
3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. (NKJ)

After receiving this mortal wound, the body of the antichrist will be possessed by Satan. The antichrist is the seventh head of the beast, but, after receiving the indwelling power of Satan, he will become the eighth head of the beast.

Rev 17:8 and 11
8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. (NKJ)

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The prophet Daniel was an old man by the time Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar, inherited the throne of Babylon. None the less, in Belshazzar’s first year as king, Daniel had a vision concerning the gentile nations destined to rule over Israel. He saw a lion, a bear, and a leopard which represented the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire and the Greek Empire, respectively.

Dan 7:4-6
4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (KJV)

Then Daniel saw a fourth beast which symbolized the Roman Empire.

Dan 7:7
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. (KJV)

The ten horns are like the 10 toes of Daniel chapter 2 in that they represent the 10 nations of the tribulation period who will make an alliance with the antichrist. The vision of Daniel 7, however, included an additional horn which specifically indicates the rise of the antichrist.

Dan 7:8
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (KJV)

Daniel ask for an explanation and was told:

Dan 7:24-25
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (KJV)

The antichrist will express his wrath toward God and those who are faithful to God for 3½ years. But then the Son of Man will come with the clouds of heaven to destroy the empire of the antichrist and establish the New Covenant Kingdom through the nation of Israel.

Dan 7:13-14
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (KJV)

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Paul wrote to Titus whom God had called as a pastor over the Church which is the Body of Christ. In Chapter 2 Paul said:

Titus 2:11-15
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. (NKJ)

Paul was reminding Titus that the hope of Abraham had passed away. No longer were believers to look for the heavenly city of God to come down to the earth (Heb 11:16), but believers were to rejoice in the hope of their calling, namely, the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Paul taught the believers at Colosse that:

Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJ)

Paul explained to Titus that all believers today share this same hope for the grace of God has now appeared to all men. However, Paul knew that this message had to be taught with zeal for it was a new message. The program for the Church had been kept as a secret in the heart and mind of God since before the creation itself. Therefore, Paul told Titus to "speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority." Paul told the Ephesians about this great hope and was very concerned that they understand the importance of the message. He prayed:

Ephesians 1:17-18
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (NKJ)

In Ephesians 1:14, Paul referred to the catching up of the Church, the Body of Christ, as the redemption of Christ's purchased possession.

Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (NKJ)

According to Ephesians 1:7, we already have spiritual redemption through His blood, but we are waiting for the redemption of our bodies which will occur at the appearing of the Lord and the rapture of the Church.

Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (NKJ)

The Church which is the Body of Christ is the purchased possession which is now waiting for its final redemption. In the mean time, we live on this earth learning how to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, all to the praise of the glory of His grace.

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In Matthew 24, the Lord Jesus spoke with his disciples of the end of the age. He said:

Matthew 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (KJV)

The disciples may have thought the Lord Jesus was referring to the end of the world because they knew from the prophets that a new heaven and new earth would follow the coming of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13, Isaiah 65:17). However, God revealed to Paul that our present age of the Church which is the Body of Christ will have to run its full course before the appearance of the new heaven and new earth, and God revealed to the Apostle John that Christ will reign on this earth for 1000 years before the new heaven and new earth.

With these things in mind, it would appear that when Christ spoke of the end, He was actually referring to the end of Gentile dominion over Israel, which will coincide with the second coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation period.

God had promised Israel a worldwide kingdom. However, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the prophet Daniel to Babylon. There in captivity, Daniel had the opportunity to interpret a dream for Nebuchadnezzar which opened his eyes to the future.

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the king saw a great statue with a head of gold, with breast and arms of silver, with belly and thighs of brass, with legs of iron and with feet of part iron and part clay. The dream included a great stone which struck the feet of the statue and caused the entire statue to crumble.

The statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented the gentile nations which would rule over Israel from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of Israel’s promised kingdom. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he, as the king of Babylon, was the head of gold. History reveals that the arms of silver represented the empires of the Medes and the Persians while the belly and thighs of brass symbolized the Greek Empire headed by Alexander the Great. The feet of iron and clay stood for the Roman Empire, and the toes represented nations of the tribulation period.

Although Daniel, Chapter 2, does not mention the antichrist, Daniel’s later prophecies and the prophecies of the Revelation confirm that the 10 toes represent the 10 nations of the tribulation period which will conspire with the antichrist to rule the world. Jesus Christ, the stone made without hands, will deal the final blow to Gentile dominion when He destroys the antichrist and his evil empire.

Daniel 2:44-45
44 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45 "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold-- the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure." (NKJ)

Today, we live in an age which is dedicated solely to the Church which is the Body of Christ. This a unique period of time in which God has set aside His plan and purpose for the nation of Israel. Paul said to Titus that being a member of the Church is a special calling.

Titus 2:14
14 (Christ) gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (NKJ)

Our present Church age began with the setting aside of Israel's program about 30 years after the death of the Lord Jesus, and it will end with the rapture and resurrection of the Church. After the rapture and resurrection of the Church, God will once again call unto Himself the believing remnant of Israel as the antichrist rules the world in the final manifestation of gentile dominion over Israel.

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During the tribulation period, the antichrist will rise to power through great deception. He will make a treaty with the Jews, but after 3½ years, he will break that treaty. He will turn on the Jews with all of the fury of Satan’s power. Paul warned the Thessalonian believers about the antichrist.

II Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (NKJ)

Paul said that, during the tribulation period, there will be a great falling away in which the religious world will be given strong delusion and will be deceived by the antichrist.

II Thessalonians 2:8-12
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (NKJ)

However, Paul told Timothy that there will be a Satanic plot to corrupt doctrine within the Christian churches even during our present age.

I Timothy 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, (NKJ)

I once heard a minister say that anyone who criticizes Christian churches has attacked Jesus Christ because the churches are the Body of Christ. In light of what Paul told Timothy, it would appear that we should be particularly critical of the earthly Christian churches. The earthly Christian churches have a long history of deception and tyranny. Are we to think that the earthly Christian churches of our time are immune to the demonic influences of the past? No. Paul says that those influences will increase in the latter times.

It would behoove each believer to question every doctrine taught in the Christian churches to see that the word of God is faithfully taught. As the Apostle Paul went preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, he found resistance in every city, but he praised those in Berea because they searched the scriptures to see if the things he taught were true.

Acts 17:10-11
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (NKJ)

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The 70th week of Daniel is often called the tribulation period, and because each week in Daniel’s prophecy represents 7 years, we say that the tribulation period will last 7 years. However, Daniel never referred to the 70th week as the tribulation period. He simply said that in the middle of the 70th week the antichrist will break his treaty with the Jews, destroy Jerusalem and prohibit the offering of sacrifices in the temple.

We refer to the 70th week of Daniel as the tribulation period because of the Lord’s description of the 70th week in Matthew 24. In that description, Jesus referred to the cessation of temple sacrifices as the "abomination of desolation".

Matt 24:15-16,21
15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (NKJ)

Although the antichrist is the cause of this terrible tribulation, Daniel said the antichrist will rise to power through a promise of peace and prosperity.

Dan 8:23-25
23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise.
24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.
25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. (NIV)

Though the antichrist preaches peace and prosperity, his promises will all be lies. In the middle of the 70th week, the antichrist will turn on his subjects and try to destroy all who do not worship him.

Rev 13:5-8
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (KJV)

After the abomination of desolation, the antichrist will consolidate his power on earth to such an extent that no human power will be able to oppose him. He will rule unopposed until Jesus Christ returns with the clouds of heaven, followed by his army of immortal saints. When Christ returns at the end of the tribulation period, He will destroy the antichrist and cast him into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).

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A little more than 2500 years ago, a man named Nebuchadnezzar ruled the Babylonian Empire, which was then the greatest empire in the world. He ruled from the city of Babylon which was about 30 miles south of present day Baghdad, Iraq. The prophet, Daniel, had been captured in Jerusalem and taken to Babylon, but Daniel was aware of Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the return of the Jews to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity (Daniel 9:2, Jeremiah 25:11). Daniel must have also known about Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Israel’s New Covenant Kingdom (Jeremiah 31:31) because he asked God when that kingdom would come. In Daniel 9:24 the answer came.

Daniel 9:24-27
24 "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." (NKJ)

It would be 70 weeks from the Jews’ return to Jerusalem to the New Covenant Kingdom. Daniel also found out that it would be a total of 69 weeks before the Messiah would come and be killed. After 69 weeks and the “cutting off” of the Messiah, a dark prince, know as the antichrist, would come and destroy Jerusalem and the temple. This evil prince would make a treaty with the Jews for one week and rule until the kingdom was established.

Did Daniel know how long each week would be? We do not know. But from the time Cyrus the Persian made the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem until Jesus Christ was killed was 483 years. This would make 69 weeks if each week is 7 years. Following the same time scale, the antichrist was to make a treaty with the Jews for 7 years before the New Covenant Kingdom was established.

This 7 year period is known as the 70th Week of Daniel, and, because of the Lord’s description of the 70th week in Matthew 24, it is also called the tribulation period. Daniel 9:27 is the only scriptural reference to indicate that the tribulation period will last 7 years. As John wrote about the tribulation period in the book of the Revelation, he never mentioned this seven year period, but in three different ways, he referred to a 3½ year period of tribulation. He referred to “time, times and a half time” (Revelation 12:14). He referred to 42 months (Revelation 11:2, Revelation 13:5). And he referred to 1260 days (Revelation 11:3, Revelation 12:6 – The Jewish calendar had 360 days per year). Daniel said the antichrist would break his treaty with the Jews in the middle of the 70th week, and it seems that the Apostle John’s prophecies in the Revelation concentrate more on those last 3½ years of Daniel’s 70th week.

As one reads Daniel’s prophecy, it is clear that the 70th week is set apart from the other 69 weeks, but there is no indication of a break in time between the 69th and the 70th week. It has now been nearly 2000 years since Jesus Christ was killed and neither the antichrist nor the kingdom has appeared.

It is obvious that Daniel did not see the age in which we now live. Our present age is a parenthetical age with a unique program which God did not reveal to the Old Testament prophets. This program was revealed to the Apostle Paul as a special stewardship concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Colossians 1:24-26
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)

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The disciples may have thought the world was about to come to an end as they asked the Lord Jesus about the end of the age in Matthew 24.

Matt 24:3
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NKJ)

One has to wonder why the disciples would ask about the Lord’s coming when the Lord was already there. It seems apparent they understood that the coming of the Son of Man was going to be a grand and glorious event which was yet to come. The Lord had told them in Matthew 10:

Matt 10:23
23 "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (NKJ)

The disciples may have known that Daniel said the Son of Man would come with the clouds of heaven to establish the kingdom.

Dan 7:13-14
13 "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. (NKJ)

The Lord used similar terms as He described the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24.

Matt 24:29-30
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (NKJ)

Questions about the glorious coming of the Son of Man may have served to increase the mystery and sorrow when the Lord announced that He was going to be killed and raised again.

Matt 17:22-23
22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,
23 "and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (NKJ)

We know now that it was His death, burial, resurrection and ascension that will bring to fruition the coming of the Son of Man.

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Shortly before the Lord Jesus was crucified, the disciples ask Him the question recorded in Matthew 24:3.

Matt 24:3
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (KJV)

The word translated world is aion which means age. The disciples knew that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and that the promise of the kingdom included the hope of a new heaven and a new earth.

Isa 65:17
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (KJV)

The Apostle John revealed in Revelation 20 that the Lord Jesus will rule the present earth for one thousand years before the New Heaven and New Earth is established.

Rev 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (NKJ)

Since John did not reveal this information until 30 years after Christ’s death, the disciples would not have been aware of it. Neither did the disciples know about the age of our present dispensation concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ. The Apostle Paul said that the dispensation of the Church was revealed to him but had been kept secret even from the prophets of other ages.

Col 1:24-26
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)

Since the Church age and the 1000 year reign of Christ lie between the crucifixion of Christ and the New Heaven and New Earth in God’s timeline for mankind, and since the disciples were aware of neither, it is reasonable to assume that, as the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age, they may have thought that the world as they knew it was about to come to an end.

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In our present age, when people believe that Christ died for their sins, they enter into a spiritual union with Christ. Instantaneously, the believer is spiritually united with Christ and seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6) as a member the Church which is the Body of Christ.

God’s earthly program, on the other hand, has always been administered by the nation of Israel, and Israel has always been required to perform certain earthly rituals in their worship. Circumcision was given through Abraham in Genesis 17, and the Passover was given through Moses in Exodus 12. As the children of Israel prepared to eat the first Passover and leave the land of Egypt, God instructed them that no uncircumcised male could partake of the Passover.

Three months after leaving Egypt, the nation of Israel came to the foot of Mt. Sinai where they received the Old Covenant Law. Circumcision and the Passover were both required observances of the law. Ten months after they arrived at Mt. Sinai, they partook of the second Passover feast, and one month later the nation of Israel left for the promised land.

The Lord led them to the border of the land of Canaan, and there at Kadesh Barnea the nation of Israel refused to enter the land. Their lack of faith brought the judgment of God, and they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness for forty years. After forty years, they came back to the land of Canaan, crossed the Jordan River and entered the promised land.

While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they did not practice circumcision.

Joshua 5:5
5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. (NKJ)

After forty years in the wilderness, the nation of Israel entered the promised land, and there on the plains of Jericho, the men were circumcised. Only then could they partake of the Passover, which they did immediately after being circumcised.

Joshua 5:10
10 So the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. (NKJ)

Obviously, the rituals of the kingdom were set aside during the forty year postponement of the kingdom.

John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus and the disciples went to Israel preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. After the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, Paul revealed that this kingdom was to be none other than the New Covenant Kingdom promised by the prophets.

As God offered the New Covenant Kingdom, the believing Jews practiced all of the Old Covenant rituals as well as the New Covenant ritual of water baptism. God did many miracles to confirm the fact that they were on the border of the promised land once again. This time the promised land was planet earth, but as their forefathers had done so many years before, Israel refused to enter the kingdom because of their unbelief.

When Israel’s kingdom program was set aside as the end of the Acts period, God used the Apostle Paul to fully reveal the heavenly Church to which we belong today. The Church of our present age has no association with any earthly kingdom and, therefore, has no earthly rituals of worship.
.
Col 2:10-12
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (NKJ)

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Comparing the Lord's description of the end times in Matthew 24 with Paul's thoughts concerning the perilous last days of the Church in II Timothy 3 provides us with much food for thought. In Matthew 24, the Lord is clearly describing the tribulation period. He said that believers of that time should be looking for the abomination of desolation.

Matthew 24:15-16
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (KJV)

Daniel taught that the antichrist will make a treaty with Israel during the 7 year period that immediately precedes the kingdom. He also taught that in the middle of that 7 year period, the antichrist will break that treaty, capture the Jerusalem temple and prevent the daily sacrifices from being offered. The temple will, therefore, become desolate, and that will be an abomination to the Lord. In Matthew 24, the Lord said that this period of time will include the greatest tribulation the world has ever or will ever see.

Jesus also said that immediately after the tribulation of these days the Son of Man would come on the clouds of heaven and gather His elect from the four winds of heaven. This period of great tribulation, the second coming of Christ, and catching up of the elect all await a future fulfillment.

However, in II Timothy 3:1-5, Paul speaks of the last days of the Church which is the Body of Christ but does not include any mention of the antichrist, the abomination of desolation, or the extreme tribulation that the Lord Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24.

II Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (KJV)

This is clear evidence that the Church age will end before God resumes His dealings with Israel in the tribulation period. Paul indicated that the Church age will also end with the catching up of believers into the glory of heaven.

Col 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJ)

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The Lord told Martha that He, Himself, is the resurrection and the life. He said that those who believe and then die, shall live again, while those who are alive at the time of the resurrection will never die.

In Matthew 24, the Lord Jesus said that there will be a resurrection and rapture of believers toward the end of the tribulation period just before the Lord comes to rule the earth. This was confirmed by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15 and I Thessalonians 4.

In his prison epistles, Paul also taught that there will be a catching up of believers toward the end of our present age of the Church, the Body of Christ. In Colossians 3, he said:

Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJ)

In each case, those caught up and those resurrected will be given immortal bodies like that of the Lord Jesus. But what happens to the believer between the time of death and the resurrection? Paul talked about that in II Corinthians 5.

II Corinthians 5:1-8
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (NKJ)

Paul was saying that if we die and this body returns to dust, God has prepared for us a new, eternal body. Since the time of the resurrection of Christ, the spirits of believers who die go directly into the presence of God, but those spirits go without a body. Paul essentially said he would much rather go to be with God in the rapture because then he could go into heaven with a body. However, Paul said that he was more than willing for his spirit to go into heaven without a body if that was God’s will, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Later, Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi and seemed much more at home with the idea of entering glory without a body.

Philippians 1:21-24
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. (NKJ)

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The day when Christ returns to defeat the antichrist and rule the earth is often called the “Day of the Lord”. In II Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul instructed the believers that, according to prophecy, the antichrist has to be revealed before the Day of the Lord can occur. As he spoke of the rule of the antichrist, he said that something is holding the antichrist back until God’s appointed time.

II Thessalonians 2:6-8
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (NKJ)

The devil resists any authority other than his own, and it would appear that Paul was saying it is the power of civil laws that restrains the lawlessness of the devil. The terrorism, pestilence and disease of the early years of the tribulation period will make people more than willing to give up the liberties that are guaranteed by law in exchange for the security that is offered by a leader who promises to eliminate their suffering.

Some have suggested that the restraining force of verse 7 is the Church which is the Body of Christ. However, this epistle was written about 52 A.D., and Paul did not reveal the institution of the Church which is the Body of Christ until about 62 A.D. The first hint of the Body of Christ was in I Corinthians 12 which was written about 57 A.D. With this point in mind, Paul said in verse 6 of II Thessalonians 2 that whatever was restraining the devil was something they already knew about. Therefore, Paul could not have been talking about the Church.

Is it possible that Paul was referring to the catching up of the believers of the tribulation period? That is not likely because that rapture will occur at the sound of the last trumpet which is described in Revelation 11 and will occur at the end of the antichrist’s reign of terror. The believers of the tribulation period can not be taken out of the way before the antichrist is revealed because they will be the primary target of his wrath. However, they will be protected from his wrath because God has not appointed them unto wrath (I Thessalonians 5: 9).

It has also been suggested that the force to be removed is the Holy Spirit. However, we know that the Holy Spirit will be very active in the lives of the believers of the tribulation period, especially during the intense persecution they will experience at the hands of the antichrist.

Therefore, it seems most reasonable that Paul was saying that it is the power of civil law that will be taken out of the way before the antichrist is revealed. Other noted scholars agree. In their Bible commentary, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown quote Olshausen who said:

. . . the power that has restrained the man of sin from his full and final development, is the moral and conservative influence of political states.

They also quote Alford who said:

. . . He who (now restrains) refers to those who rule those (political states) by which the great upbursting of godlessness is kept down.

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During the tribulation period, there will be a great religious apostasy which will allow a religion from the depths of hell to rise to power while the protections of human government are obliterated. These things do not apply directly to those of us in this dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. Before the tribulation period begins, our dispensation will end with the appearing of the Lord in heaven and the catching up of the Church.

However, there is every reason for us to be on guard for many of the same dangers that will exist during the tribulation period. Paul wrote to Timothy about the last days of the Church age and said,

II Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (KJV)

Obviously, the evil of the last days of the Church will not be as extreme as the evil of the tribulation period, but things will be moving in that direction.

Paul wrote Timothy about the seducing spirits of the latter times of the Church age.

I Timothy 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (KJV)

Again, this is but a foreshadowing of what will happen in the tribulation period when God will send “strong delusion” upon the people (II Thess 2:11).

To combat this evil in our dispensation, we are to study God’s word, rightly divided.

II Timothy 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)

We are to preach God’s word.

II Timothy 4:2
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (KJV)

We are to turn away from all that is not consistent with the truth of God’s word. Paul describes the people of the last days of the Church as:


II Timothy 3:5
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (KJV)

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Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians were among his first epistles. During the time he wrote these letters, Paul's ministry was based on the New Covenant as he offered the Kingdom to the Jews and the grace of God to the Gentiles. Paul knew from Daniel’s prophecies that there would be a period of great tribulation before the kingdom was established, and He assured the Thessalonian believers that their tribulation did not escape the notice of God. He taught that Jesus Christ would return to earth with great vengeance on those who were causing their suffering.

II Th 1:5-8
5 (Your persecution and tribulation are) a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

However, Paul instructed these believers that the antichrist would have to be revealed before Christ’s return.

II Th 2:3-4
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (NKJ)

Paul indicated that the antichrist would rise to power during a time of great religious apostasy which he called “the falling away”. In the book of the Revelation, the Apostle John described the murderous religion of the antichrist.

Rev 17:5-6
5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (NKJ)

Paul said that, during the tribulation period, the forces which restrain this murderous religion will be taken out of the way, and the antichrist will be revealed.

II Th 2:7-8
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (NKJ)

The devil has such great opportunity within the realm of religion because he can hide his sinister deeds behind a veil of piety and self-righteous works. From an historical perspective, human government has often protected God’s people from religious tyranny. Martin Luther was protected by a German chancellor while the Catholic Church sought to kill him for preaching the grace of God. The Constitution of the United States was written to ensure, among other things, that no injustice such as the Salem witch trials would ever again take place in our country. It is likely that society’s commitment to the rule of law is what will hinder the devil in the early years of the tribulation period.

Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians while he was in a Roman prison after Israel’s promise of the New Covenant Kingdom was set aside. In these prison epistles, there is no discussion of the antichrist or the return of the Lord to the earth to punish the ungodly and exalt the righteous. Our present dispensation will end with the rapture of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and then God will once again offer the New Covenant Kingdom to Israel. When that happens, the scenario of the tribulation period will become very real to the believers of that time.

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Not long before the Lord Jesus was crucified, His friend, Lazarus, died. Jesus went to Bethany to comfort Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, and as the Lord arrived, Martha went out to greet Him. They had the following conversation:

John 11:21-26
21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (NKJ)

It is interesting that Martha was aware of the fact that the Old Testament scriptures teach that there is life after death. I have heard secular scholars say that the Old Testament says nothing about life after death. Although the resurrection of the dead is rarely talked about in the Old Testament, the fact of the resurrection is certainly taught. One of the most famous resurrection verses is found in one of Job’s discourses.

Job 19:25-27
25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-- I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (NIV)

As you may recall, the subject of the resurrection was one of the hotly debated topics of Jesus’ day. The Sadducees said there would be no resurrection, while the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. Apparently, the Pharisees were more conservative and interpreted the scriptures more literally. Clearly, Martha had been given the benefit of exposure to a literal interpretation of the scriptures.

However, Martha is a good example to us all that we should never become complacent in our understanding of the scriptures in that, regardless of our understanding of the scriptures, we always have more to learn. In John 11, the Lord Jesus shared with Martha something that would not become general knowledge for another 20 years or so.

In verse 25, the Lord confirmed the resurrection of the dead, but in verse 26, He taught that there would be some believers who would never die. About twenty years later, the Apostle Paul taught the church at Corinth about the catching up of believers who would never die.

1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (NKJ)

The Apostle Paul hoped that he would be among those who would never die. All believers since the resurrection of Christ have been able to rejoice in the fact that they may be one of those who never taste of death.

Phil 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (NKJ)

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After the Acts period, while in a Roman prison, Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians as well as the pastoral epistles of I and II Timothy and Titus. They are, therefore, among those epistles known as the prison epistles. These epistles are unique in many ways. There is no mention of water baptism, the Lord’s Supper, physical circumcision or miracles. There is no mention of Abraham, while Paul mentioned Abraham 9 times in Romans, once in II Corinthians, 8 times in Galatians, and 6 times in the book of Hebrews. In the prison epistles there is no mention of the New Covenant, while he specifically referred to the New Covenant in I and II Corinthians and Hebrews, and he alluded to the New Covenant in various other places such as in Galatians 4. The only three places where the Church, the Body of Christ, is specifically referred to is in these prison epistles, and those three places are Ephesians 1:22–23, Colossians 1:18 and Colossians 1:24.

Another important distinction between Paul’s pre-prison and prison epistles is found in Paul’s use of the word parousia (coming) and the words epiphaneia (appearing) and phaneroo (shall appear). Paul consistently uses the word parousia in the pre-prison epistles when speaking of the return of the Lord, but he consistently uses the words epiphaneia or phaneroo in the prison epistles when referring to the return of the Lord. For example, to the Corinthians he wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:22-23
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (NKJ)

But to the Colossians, he wrote:

Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (KJV)

Paul’s description of the coming of the Lord in I Thessalonians 4 is very similar to Christ’s description of the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24. In both passages we see the rapture of believers, the trumpet sound of angels, and Christ’s return in or on the clouds.

1Thessalonians 4:15-17
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 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.
17 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. (NKJ)

Matthew 24:29-31
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (NKJ)

It is significant that Jesus said the coming of the Son of Man would occur after the tribulation period, and it is also significant that the coming of the Son of Man was a subject of Old Testament prophesy as seen in Daniel 7.

Daniel 7:13
13 "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. (NKJ)

By contrast, the appearing of the Lord is revealed only in the prison epistles as part of the revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. It is also evident that the Church, the Body of Christ, will be raptured before the tribulation period because Paul’s description of the perilous last days of the Church in II Timothy 3 have no similarity to the events of the tribulation period.

After the rapture of the Church, many people will put their faith in Jesus Christ as great tribulation shakes the foundations of the earth. After the tribulation of those days,

1Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 . . . 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.
17 Then (believers) who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus shall always be with the Lord. (Jim Roberts’ interpretation)

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