Revelation 19:21-20:4
He’s Back
We are getting closer to the end in our study of End Times, not
because we are out of texts. The Bible has many more references to
end-time events. Then why? Several reasons but one is that because
the further from our time period, the Church Age, we get, the more
fragmented and cryptic the prophecies get. That makes it harder and
harder to know what the verses are saying when they are to be placed.
Someone asks, “Why does God do that?” The Bible does not say; but my
guess is because it is none of our business. God did not give the New
Testament to the Old Testament saints and I don’t think He wants to
give to the New Testament saints too much information that the
Tribulational and Millennial saints will need. What God has given to
us is enough information and understanding to warn our generation and
whatever generations will live between now and the rapture, that they
need to be saved.
We have at least sketched out three of the five major future events.
1. The Rapture - In speaking of the rapture, I said that "I am a
Pre." I believe in the pretribulational, premillennial
return of Jesus Christ.
2. The Tribulation - A time period of seven years, where God
judges the world for their sin and wickedness.
a. Israel gets caught in that judgment because they rejected
God’s Son and Savior, Jesus, and joined with the world.
b. For the last several weeks, we have looked at some battles
that I believe will occur during that time period, and I
have "guessed" at when and why they MIGHT take place.
c. The last battles that we looked at were Ezekiel 38-39,
which I presently believe MAY BE the Battle of
Armageddon, and Joel’s, Zechariah’s, and John’s view of
it along with the last battle of the Tribulation, the
Battle at Jerusalem.
3. That battle ends with the Advent of Jesus Christ, the coming
of Jesus to set up His kingdom on earth.
4. Two more events are to come:
a. The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ
b. Eternity
I. The Advent of Christ does not necessary mark the beginning of the
Millennial Reign of Christ.
A. It may, but it may not.
1. John definitely gives us that impression, but the
Millennial Reign does not officially begin until Satan is
locked away in the Bottomless Pit.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the
sword of him that sat upon the horse, which
sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the
fowls were filled with their flesh.
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven,
having the key of the bottomless pit and a great
chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and
bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut
him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should
deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled: and after that he must
be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the
souls of them that were beheaded for the witness
of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
2. That may happen as soon as Jesus returns, but God has ways
of slipping time in-between His events.
B. Remember the list Daniel gave us things to be done during the
the seventieth week.
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy city, to FINISH the
transgression, and to make an END of sins, and
to make RECONCILATION for iniquity, and to bring
in everlasting RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to SEAL UP the
vision and prophecy, and to ANOINT the most Holy.
1. It seems that all of those things will not be DONE when
Jesus returns to the earth, only BEGUN.
a. God is God and God can do whatever God wants to do.
b. God could stand on the Mount of Olivet and speak the
word and everything He wanted would be incautiously
done; but that is NOT how God normally does things.
c. God seldom does for man what man can do for Himself.
2. And if God did it that way, there would be a lot of Bible
prophecies left Unfulfilled.
3. Most likely, our Lord will continue to accomplish some of
these things after His return.
4. I am not saying that Jesus is not in charge as soon as He
returns, just that I don’t know that the Millennial Reign
starts as soon as Jesus returns.
C. There are several Bible passages that mention additional days
in this time period which do not coincide with the 7 Jewish
years of the Tribulation.
1. 7 Jewish years would be 84 months of 30 days.
a. Measured in days, the Tribulation would be 2,520 days.
b. Half of the Tribulation would be 1,260 days.
2. Notice how God uses days to measure the ministry of the
two witnesses:
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two
hundred and threescore days, clothed in
sackcloth.
a. 1,260 days, exactly half of the 7 Jewish years of
Tribulation.
(1) I believe the Two Witnesses will minister during
the last half of the Tribulation, but most
believe it will be during the first half.
(2) It is even possible that it will be neither the
first or the last half of the Tribulation, but
some time across both halves.
(3) The Bible just gives us the duration, 1,260
years; we are just guessing at when during the
Tribulation those days will take place.
b. Those who see the two witnesses prophesying the first
half of the Tribulation typically want to rearrange
the chapters of the book of Revelation.
(1) As I have said numerous times as I have preached
and we have studied through that book, I don’t
see that need.
(2) Revelation flows very naturally and logically to
me in pretty much chronological order.
(3) There are some sections which step out of time.
(a) \\#Revelation 11:1-11\\ For example in this
section, John goes ahead in time to tell us
what will happen to the Two Witnesses.
(b) \\#Rev 12:1-11\\ John goes backward into
time to tell us what has happened to
Satan, his army of demons, and their
attack on Israel.
(c) But that is not changing the chronology of
the book.
(d) It is just understanding it.
c. But the two witnesses will prophecy through 1/2 of the
Tribulation, be it the first half, the last half, or
a cross section of it.
3. Notice two other periods of time in Daniel 12.
a. We have spent a good bit of time at the end of Daniel
11 and the first few verses of Daniel 12.
b. While much of Daniel 11 is historical, somewhere
around Daniel 11:29 or Daniel 11:31 the topic shifts
from historical to future.
c. A battle takes place in \\#Dan 11:39-45\\, which I am
thinking may take place around the middle of the
Tribulation.
(1) Some nations push against the anti-Christ, and he
will push back.
(2) During that time, the anti-Christ will enter the
"glorious land" \\#Dan 11:41\\, and Michael will
stand up to defend Israel \\#Dan 12:1\\.
(3) Then \\#Dan 12:2-3\\ skip ahead to summarize two
resurrections, one for the righteous and one for
the wicked.
(4) And that portion of Daniel’s dream seems to end
with Daniel be told in \\#Dan 12:4\\, that the
fulfillment of this dream is not until "the
end."
d. But then Daniel asked his guides a question about what
he had seen:
Dan 12:5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold,
there stood other two, the one on this side of
the bank of the river, and the other on that side
of the bank of the river.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which
was upon the waters of the river, How long shall
it be to the end of these wonders?
(1) Daniel’s question was "When?" or "How long do we
have to wait?"
(2) Look at part of the angel’s answer:
Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for
the words are closed up and sealed till the time
of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and
tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none
of the wicked shall understand; but the wise
shall understand.
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice
shall be taken away, and the abomination that
maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand
two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the
thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou
shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of
the days.
e. \\#11\\ The angel told Daniel that from the
abomination that would make the temple desolate until
some unmentioned event, would be 1,290 days.
(1) It is strange that the angel mentioned a time,
but no definite event that would happen when the
time had lapsed.
(2) If the Abomination of Desolations occurs on the
1,260th day of the Seventh Week, the time that
the angel speaks of would be 30 days past that.
(a) I know of no Bible verse that actually says
the abomination that makes the temple
desolate would actually occur on the
1,260th day.
(b) Even if we accept the fact that the temple
will be desecrated in the middle of the
Tribulation, it does not mean that it must
happen exactly on the middle DAY any more
than it means it must happen on the middle
SECOND.
(c) But since the God is counting the days, we
SUPPOSE the temple will be desecrated on
the 1,260th day of the Seventh Week.
(3) Yet, God is telling Daniel that something
important will happen 30 days after the 70th
Week is complete.
f. \\#12\\ Adds another event 45 days after the 30th!
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh
to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty
days.
(1) 1,335 days is 75 days after the Tribulation ends,
and 45 days after the 30 days mentioned in the
last verse.
(2) But again, the angel did not tell Daniel what
would happen on that date, just that those who
are there will be blessed.
g. It is possible that both of these dates are IN the
Millennial Reign of Jesus, but it is also possible
that they are not.
(1) Many think these are major dates in God getting
things ready for the Millennial to begin.
(2) We just don’t know, and will have to wait; but
the good news is that the glorified saints should
be here in our glorified bodies to see what
God is going to do.
(3) Regardless of what happens on these two days,
they will be the two of days of our lives.
II. The Advent of Christ is more than an Event.
A. There is more to the Advent of Jesus than Jesus simply
returning to the earth.
1. There are seven things the Bible makes clear must still
happen:
a. There will be some additional battles fought.
b. There will be some judgments given.
c. There will be some dead raised.
d. There will be a Jewish temple either purged or built.
e. There will be Jews to bring home.
f. The land will be redivided.
g. The priesthood will be restored.
2. The Bible speaks of all of these things happening and
MORE.
3. Perhaps some of these things will happen in the Millennial
or at least be completed once the Millennial Reign
begins, but we do not know that.
B. Let’s just consider one Bible passage about the additional
battles to be fought.
1. Jesus, speaking from the Mount of Olivet, destroys the
army that has come against Israel; but that does not deal
with the nations who sent the army.
2. In fact, it does not deal with the Jews and Christians who
actually fled to the RIGHT location.
a. We saw a week or two ago, that Jesus told the Jews
when they saw the Abomination of Desolations, NOT to
flee to Jerusalem but to the mountains.
Mr 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing where it ought not, (let him that
readeth understand,) then let them that be in
Judaea flee to the mountains:
b. And I shared that most today think that will be Petra,
located in Jordan which was called Edom in the Bible.
Isa 34:1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and
hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all
that is therein; the world, and all things that
come forth of it.
2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all
nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he
hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered
them to the slaughter.
3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their
stink shall come up out of their carcases, and
the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved,
and the heavens shall be rolled together as a
scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as
the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a
falling fig from the fig tree.
5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: be
old, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon
the people of my curse, to judgment.
6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood,
it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood
of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys
of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah,
and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them,
and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land
shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made
fat with fatness.
8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and
the year of recompences for the controversy of
Zion.
(1) This is definitely an end-time prophecy \\#4\\ of
Jesus leading a slaughter in Bozrah \\#6\\.
(2) The question is, "Is it literal or figurative"?
(a) Most should know my position on that.
(b) If we can accept it as literal, do so.
(3) Bozrah was a city in Edom, and this event is
mentioned several other times in the Bible.
Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with
dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious
in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his
strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to
save.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and
thy garments like him that treadeth in the
winefat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the
people there was none with me: for I will tread
them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury;
and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my
garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and
the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and
I wondered that there was none to uphold:
therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me;
and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine
anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will
bring down their strength to the earth.
(4) This will not be Jesus alone \\#Isa 11:10-16\\.
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