When solving a mystery or looking for clues to a mystery, it is best to start by looking for the threads from the beginnings. Be pragmatic, watch for facts versus assumptions. Glean the who, what, when and where then sort what is inferred from what is known.
Take Biblical eschatology (the study of End Times or final things) for example: How can we be certain about what is being assumed? For example, what about the tribulation period? What about the rapture? What about the second coming of Jesus? What about the antichrist? Where did these ideas come from, and if they are true, what should I know about them? What can I know about them?
The best place to start when unravelling a mystery is at the beginning. Where can we find the threads of the idea that the world, as we know it, will end?
The first hint can be found “in the beginning” of creation, in the Bible. God created the heavens and the earth, then something went horribly wrong. (Or so we assume). God’s created ones, Adam and Eve, it is said, rebelled against God by defying His command found in Genesis 2:16. “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; verse 17, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat”.
It is usually assumed that this is ‘where things went wrong,’ but since God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful) then He knew what He had created, and He knew how things would go – He created it, after all. So, this was His plan all along. (Otherwise you deny God’s sovereignty).
This was the first example of the End of an Age. The Age of “and it was very good” had come to an end? Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and condemned to “hard labor” and to “return to the dust” from whence they came. This was an end of all things and a new beginning. A harbinger of sorts? (before 4,000 B.C.)
The next example is found in the Biblical narrative of Noah and the flood. God announced that “The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.”
Things had gone terribly wrong, again – or had it? Once again, God knew. He has known all things. It was part of His plan. And end of all things and a new beginning. (before 2,500 B.C.)
Then there was the incident of the Tower of Babel. (2,100 B.C.)
But then we come to the Book of Daniel, (Sixth century B.C.). And this is where things get interesting and the clues to our mystery become clearer.
Reading in Daniel 10:1, In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true, and it concerned great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.
Daniel 12:1, “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. And, those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.”
Daniel 12:8, But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time.
A key to our puzzle and it is rightly called a ‘mystery’ – found in Ephesians 1, verse 9, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, verse 10, regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth”.
This is the revealing of the mystery of God’s will – His plan of the fullness of the times – to bring all things together (from Strong’s concordance #346, anakephalaíomai, to “bring to a head, recapitulate” – properly, summing up all the parts as a comprehensive (organized) whole.)
Daniel’s vision is God revealing the course of events of creation to the End. Here are the prophecies as proclaimed in Daniel and affirmed in following scriptures.
(Daniel 12:1), And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, (The Word of God through Daniel).
Which has been affirmed and confirmed by Jesus…
(Matthew 24:21), For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. (The Word of God through Jesus).
NEXT:
(Daniel 12:2), everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (The Word of God through Daniel).
Which has been affirmed and confirmed by Jesus:
(Revelation 20:12-15), And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (The Word of God through Jesus).
NEXT:
(Daniel 12:3), And, those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (The Word of God through Daniel).
Which, has been affirmed and confirmed by Jesus:
(Matthew 13:43), “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (The Word of God through Jesus).
Which, also has been affirmed and confirmed by Jesus:
NEXT:
(Daniel 12:4), “But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.” (The Word of God through Daniel).
PLUS,
Daniel 12:8, But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time. (The Word of God through Daniel).
Which, also has been affirmed and confirmed by Jesus:
(Ephesians 1:9), He, (God the Father), made known to us the mystery of His will (God the Father’s will), according to His, (God the Father), good pleasure which He, (God the Father), set forth in Him (Jesus – God the Son), regarding His, (God the Father’s), plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” (The Word of God through the Apostle Paul).
RECAP:
Daniel 12 gives the compressed blueprint.
Matthew 24 gives the teaching expansion.
Revelation 19–22 gives the apocalyptic detail.
This is why Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and Timothy said what they said:
Matthew 24:4-31, (Jesus), describing a panorama of the tribulation and the Last Days. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, (see Matthew 24:3-4),
(1). “In the Last Days, there will be a rise of false Christs and false prophets. (This was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5).
(2). In the Last Days, there will be famines and earthquakes. (This has been a regular occurrence since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:7 and the 4th Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8).
(3). In the Last Days, there are wars and rumors of wars. (Wars and rumors of war have been occurring since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:6 and the 2nd Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:3-4).
(4). In the Last Days, there will be a persecution and martyrdom of Christians. (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:9 and the 5th tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:9-11).
(5). In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith. (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).
These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation, are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals have been broken, and the effects had begun between the time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.
Jesus calls the 1st phase of the tribulation the ‘Birth Pangs’ (Matthew 24:8). Jesus then calls the 2nd phase of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), also known as the 6th Tribulation Seal (Revelation 6:12-14), and the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31), and the Wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16).. (Please click these links for verification and understanding).
Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be…’ (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
These verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
These verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
These verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).
RECAP:
The Book of Revelation – The Book of Matthew
the 1st Tribulation Seal – Global conquest and political intrigue
the 2nd Tribulation Seal – Wars and Rumors of War
the 3rd Tribulation Seal – Famine
the 4th Tribulation Seal – Death
the 5th Tribulation Seal – Martyrs, persecution,Anti-Christ, falling away
By all appearances in scriptures, the first Five Tribulation Seals (the Birth Pains seals) have been broken and we are now standing at the precipice of the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal .
(PS: One last matter. The dispensational view says Jesus’ Return is IMMINENT, but 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and (#2), the man of lawlessness is revealed,the son of destruction”; that being the rise of the Antichrist.
After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist. (Revelation 19:20).
There are two events that must take place before the day of the Lord comes. First, the apostasy must come. Second, the man of lawlessness must be revealed. So, knowing when the Birth Pains of the tribulation began, and when the Great Tribulation, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb begins or important time-markers.
(To be fair, this can be confusing and the facts are seeminly contradictory. Beside that, there are honest attempts but varying views on this matter. One can fairly say these men “did the best they could with the knowledge and information they had”, but that would be too generous. They had an idea that has created inaccuracies and has led to complacency in the Body of Christ concerning the End Days, His return and the tribulation, the Great and Terrible day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb. Poor exegesis and awful hermeneutics).
So, the code is broken. The mystery is being solved. The inaccuracies of John Darby’ (inventor and perpetuator of the dispensational pretribulation rapture theory in which he assumed the entire tribulation period is seven years), and Cyrus I. Scofield, (1843-1921), creator and author of the Scofield Reference Bible, 1909-1917) and perpetuator of dispensational pretribulation rapture in which he incorrectly taught, published and assumed that the entire Tribulation period was for Seven Years, are now debunked.
Regardless – get ready, stay ready, be found doing what He has instructed and commanded, and endure to the end.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
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