(photo - describes scene in Revelation 4)
1. The Church will continue to grow. But it will have varying degrees of success and difficulty. Jesus promised to continue to build His Church and empower it to attack the gates of hell (Matt. 16:18). But He also warned of persecution and rejection (Matt. 24:9-12).
2. Satanic opposition will intensify. Things will get worse as we get closer to the toime of the end. "Difficult times" will come (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Scoffers will mock the idea of Christ's second coming (2 Pet. 3:3-4; Jude 17-18). False prophets will increase and apostate religion will rival the true Church (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 11:13-14).
3. Israel will return to the Promised Land. The great end-times regathering has already begun (since 1948). Israel is once again a nation in her own land (Ezek. 20-:34; 37:12-21; Is. 43:5-6). But her return will touch off a storm of protest and conflict in the Middle East (Joel 3:2-14; Ezek 38:1-6).
4. The Church will be raptured to heaven. When our Lord departed to heaven, He promised His disciples He would return to take them home with Him (John 14:3). The apostle Paul predicted that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we that are alive and remain shall be caught up into heaven (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).
5. Judgements of the tribulaiton period will follow. The great judgments of the End Times vividly described in the book of Revelation are called "the hour of testing" (3:10), "the great day of their wrath" (6:17) or "great tribulation" (7:14). These judgments relate to the seals, trumpets, and bowls of the Apocalypse.
6. Marriage of Christ and the church. The Church's absence from chapter 4 through chapter 18 is best explained by the fact that she has already been raptured to heaven to participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7-9). Here she receives her rewards, crowns, and robes of righteousness prior to her procession back to earth with the Savior.
7. Triumphal return of Christ. The climax of the Apocalypse comes in 19:11-21, when the glorified Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords with His Bride, the Church, at His side. He returns to conquer all opposition to His reign and to establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth (19:19-20:4).
8. Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Christ will reign upon the earth for one thousand years (a millennium) while Satan is bound in the "abyss". During this time, God's promises to Israel will be fulfilled. The Messiah shall reign from Jerusalem over all the earth in peace, blessing, and prosperity (Rev. 20:1-6; Is. 2:2-4; 9:6-7).
9. Final triumph. Even after one thousand years of earthly blessing, Satan will once again attempt to destroy the kingdom of God by one final act of rebellion. This time his defeat is final, and he is cast into the lake of fire (20:7-10). The Great White Throne Judgment follows, when even death and hell are cast into the lake of fire (20:11-15).
10. Eternal state. The Revelation describes eternity as "a new heaven and new earth" (21:1). It also emphasizes the significance of the New Jersusalem in the celestial state (21:2). God is pictured dwelling with His people in an eternity of peace and blessing. Suffering and death are no more and every tear is wiped away. Paradise is truly restored, and the saved have access to the tree of life (21:3-22:5).
Source:
Video: youtube.com
Image: http://tankstotractors.blogspot.com/2011/01/revelation-of-peacenot-violence.html
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