OF THINGS TO COME
Let me begin by saying that it is my firm conviction that scriptures are inerrant (without any error), and I will add, “in the original manuscripts”, particularly since there are over 450 known versions of the Bible in the English language alone. And the matter of inerrancy can be further complicated as the Bible has been translated into over 700 languages.
Versions vs Translations.
When it comes to a Version of the Bible, translators will focus on conveying the meaning of the text instead of strictly mirroring the exact wording or syntax. Versions such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New Living Translation (NLT) can be easier to read and understand, especially for those without historical-linguistic expertise. This approach presents Scripture in a more contemporary style, though at times the original phrase structures are smoothed out to ensure greater readability.
However, this approach leaves open the possibility of the translator omitting certain words or phrases found in the original manuscripts, or adding a meaning to fit a particular denominational view, a political view, a social or economic view or a personal worldview. This can lead to errors in the original author’s intent and context of scriptures.
Paraphrased or expanded translated Versions take a looser approach to wording, aiming for clarity and devotionally oriented reading. Examples include The Message (MSG) and The Living Bible (TLB), which give fresh expressions but are not usually recommended as primary study Bibles. Some translators feel that they can, however, be helpful alongside more literal versions for additional nuances of meaning.
Translations emerge from a desire to make Scripture accessible in various languages and cultures. The ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament and the Koine Greek texts of the New Testament are the ultimate sources. Over centuries, scholars have pieced together the earliest manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (date range from about 3rd century BC to 1st century AD), the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures dated around the 3rd-2nd century BC), and numerous Greek New Testament manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, etc.) – to accurately transmit Scripture’s words.
Each translator or Translation committee must consider two primary goals: (1). Faithfulness to the original text and (2), readability in the receptor language. This tension has produced different philosophies of translation, each influencing how closely a modern Bible version adheres to precise wording or broader meaning.
So, please forgive me for being surprised to astounded that so much of the plain word of God has been and is being either misread, misinterpreted, misused or distorted and then taught as the truth of scriptures and formulated into a doctrine when it is clearly and obviously does not conform the earliest manuscripts or is sometimes deliberately taught as a way to achieve an agenda that is not Gospel centered.
I seriously and openly welcome you to challenge what I am presenting so we can discuss these matters if you will do so in a civil, responsible and reasonable way. I.e., no hostilities.
I have studied and written extensively on eschatological matters (relating to End Times and the End of This Age) using the Book of Matthew and the Book of Revelation as my primary sources and other relevant chapters and verses of the Bible for context, corroboration, collaboration and evidence of facts.
Furthermore, I am using, alternatively, the New American Standard Version of the Bible, the English Standard Version because of their close proximity to the original wording and intent of the authors of the Bible, and occasionally the King James and the Amplified versions to corroborate context. I will also use the BlueLetterBible.com, BibleHub.com and Biblegateway.com for translations to and from the Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament) languages, and for verb usage (tense), and for Strong’s Bible concordance definitions, context, historicity and for social, political and cultural nuances of wording and phraseology.
In this essay, I am corroborating my previous Bible and eschatological studies from the books Matthew and Revelation (used as my focus books), with the Book of Mark.
Here is my Thesis: The Bible, i.e., the Scriptures, have consistently foretold, (prophesied), the coming of a Messiah, both from the Hebrew Bible or the Torah and from the Christian Bible. The Messiah, or “Mashiach” meaning “Anointed One” is seen throughout many Old Testament passages, culminating in the New Testament with the person of Jesus, identified as the Christ – The Savior of the World. The arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, set in motion what the Bible calls the ‘Last Days’ or the ‘End of The Age’. The study of this subject is known as Christian ‘eschatology’. It can be most clearly seen, in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, Mark, Revelation with certain details and context given in other New Testament books such as 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:20, 1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 3:3. 1 John 2:18. Revelation 1:9.
- “The End of The Age” or the “Last Days” began in or around the time of the birth of Jesus through around A.D. 99. These prophesied and prophetic events are first described in the breaking of Tribulation Seals One through Five. (See Matthew 24:1-14, Mark 13:1-13, and Revelation 6:1-11.)
- The breaking or opening of these first Five Seals, known as the Birth Pains (phase) of the Tribulation, have been overlapping and intensifying to the present day, preparing us for the breaking of the two final Seals, the Judgement Seals (Six and Seven – see Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, and Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 7:1-17, Revelation 8:1.), followed by the sounding of the Seven Judgement Trumpets and finally, followed by the pouring out of the Seven Judgment Bowls of Wrath and the Wrath of the Lamb.
- The breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Judgment Seal, which is yet a future event, will usher in The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, also known as the Great Tribulation and initiates the final Seven years of the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of the Lamb.
Mark 13:1, “As Jesus was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What wonderful stones and [footnote b]what wonderful buildings!” verse 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
verse 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately, verse 4 “Tell us, when will these things come about,
(This verb “Tell” is in the Aorist Tense which is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. [It could also be said that this is how God sees time]. There is no direct or clear English equivalent for this tense, though it is generally rendered as a simple past tense in most translations. The events described by the aorist tense are classified into a number of categories by grammarians. The most common of these include a view of the action as having begun from a certain point (“inceptive aorist”), or having ended at a certain point (“cumulative aorist”), or merely existing at a certain point (“punctiliar aorist”). A continuous and continuing action. The categorization of other cases can be found in Greek reference grammars. The English reader need not concern himself with most of these finer points concerning the aorist tense, since in most cases they cannot be rendered accurately in English translation, being fine points of Greek exegesis only. The common practice of rendering an aorist by a simple English past tense should suffice in most cases.
This is important, because to the reader it may seem that these disciples, Peter, James, John and Andrew are asking Jesus a question about the FUTURE, and that Jesus’ response seems to be in the FUTURE TENSE, but Jesus’ answers in the AORIST TENSE, i.e., something has already occurred at a certain point in the past (“inceptive aorist”), or having ended at a certain point, (“cumulative aorist”) and is existing at a certain point (“punctiliar aorist”).
NOTE: The Bible uses this type of description of time (from God’s view of time) when it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” or ““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
verse 4 continued, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”
Once again this sounds as if it is a question about a future event, but these words, “what will be the sign” are actually a verb spoken and written in the PRESENT TENSE, which represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense. Some phrases which might be rendered as past tense in English will often occur in the present tense in Greek. These are termed “historical presents,” and such occurrences dramatize the event described as if the reader were there watching the event occur. Some English translations render such historical presents in the English past tense, while others permit the tense to remain in the present.
Again, this is important because we are hearing of an event or of events which are simultaneously past, present and future. There are evidentiary statements and testimonies of the disciples and of Jesus, regarding these Last Days events, were initially spoken in or around A.D. 1 through around A.D. 99, and were consistently referred to as LAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION”. These first Five Tribulation Seals had begun to be opened in or around A.D. 1 through A.D. 99, have continued to occur, overlap and intensify to this very day. In other words, the tribulation has already begun. We are in the tribulation period known as The Birth Pains and that period will both culminate, merge with and initiate the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Judgment Seal, marking the beginning of the Day of The Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb, initiating the rapture of the Elect of God off the earth and into the presence of God before His Throne.
verse 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. verse 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and they will mislead many.
verse 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. verse 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
there will be earthquakes in various places;
there will also be famines.
These things are only the beginning of birth pains.
verse 9 “But [e]be on your guard; for they will hand you over to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. verse 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. verse 11 And when they ]arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time; for you are not the ones speaking, but it is the Holy Spirit. verse 12 And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
verse 13 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
verse 14 “Now when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be—let the reader understand—then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. verse 15 Whoever is on the [l]housetop must not go down, nor go in to get anything out of his house. verse 16 And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. verse 17 But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! verse 18 Moreover, pray that it will not happen in winter.
verse 19 For those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will again. verse 20 And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no [n]life would have been saved; but for the sake of the [footnote “o”] elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
This marks the end of the Tribulation of The Birth Pains and the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
verse 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it; verse 22 for false christs and false prophets will arise, and will provide signs and wonders, in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. verse 23 But beware; I have told you everything in advance.
The Return of Christ
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
The word “after” in verse 24 is a preposition referring to “those days” that came before they days now being mentioned. The word “that” is a demonstrative pronoun referring to which entity, which in this case is “the tribulation periods that preceded this mention”. And the word “tribulation” is the Greek word, “thlipsis” which is the word that is always used for tribulation, whether Tribulation Seals one through five, or six through seven, or the Tribulation Trumpets or the Tribulation Bowl Judgments and is distinctively different from and separate from “persecutions” or “stresses”.
27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His [q]elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
We can also see in the corresponding scriptures in Revelation 6 and 7, “After these things (see Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:9), “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
In recapitulation, Jesus appears in the sky, the angels gather the elect and immediately, a number too great to be counted is standing before the Throne of God, giving praise! Don’t be misled. This is THE RAPTURE!!)
So, what can we learn and apply from what we know, and what can we gain?
- We can know that the Tribulation period of the first five Tribulation Seals began at or around the time of the Birth of Christ and that they have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity to this day.
- Most in the Church today are still waiting for events that have already begun and are not prepared for what is upon them. Jesus warned against this:
- 28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. verse 30 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. verse 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. verse 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
- verse 33 “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. verse 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. verse 35 Therefore, stay alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—verse 36 so that he does not come suddenly and find you asleep. verse 37 What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’”
- We also see in Matthew 24:48-51, “verse 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ verse 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; verse 50 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- We must be doing those things Jesus modeled, taught and commanded in preparation of the End of the Age and for His Return – nothing more and nothing less or one will hear the words, “Why do you call me Lord and have not done what I have told you? I do not know you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness!”
So, what will you do with what you have now read and heard? Will you continue to simply accept the word of another, or will you study it until you know for yourself? (And by the way, I realize that a lot of what I have presented is complicated and can be confusing. Some might say, ‘unnecessarily so’. But, like the old saying goes, ‘is anything that is easy or cheap really worth much?’ But, for those who are interested, I do have these very eschatological matters presented and discussed in several easier-to-understand versions. Sort of in an order of stepping stones, from simple to not-so-simple. But, I believe that each presentation leads to the same Biblically sound conclusion and will enable the disciple of Jesus, the fully devoted follower, to be informed and prepared for these Last Days. (Please see “God’s Plan Of Perfection – A Timeline from the Beginning to The End”, and “Is This The End of The Age?”, or “Did Jesus and His Apostles Really Say This?”).
While it would be easier and a lot less trouble to just say “I believe in Jesus, I go to church, I am active in various religious activities”, and to say you are saved, it is no easy thing to be saved and to really believe Him and follow Him. And although it is always God who does His Works through us, (it is never anything of or by ourselves), really following Jesus requires faith, obedience and action. We know that we walk by faith and not by sight, but it is not blind faith, but informed faith. We are informed by The Holy Spirit and Scriptures on how we are to believe, to think and to act. Scriptures tell us that He is the Lamp unto our feet. And though we may not know each step, we can know that when His Voice and circumstances line up with the revealed Word of God, we must move on it!
So, I encourage you to study to be approved by the Word of God. And I appeal to you to contact me with comments, questions or to discuss these matter further.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
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