Lecture Notes

On

ESCHATOLOGY

VOLUME ONE

GLIMPSES OF PROPHECY

PST V KWARAMBA
LESSONS IN ESCHATOLOGY VOL. ONE VK

ESCHATOLOGY

ONE

A BRIEF SURVEY OF ESCHATOLOGY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

1.Three Main Views about the Coming of Christ ……………..

Main Arguments for the Mid-Tribulation and Post-
Tribulation Views...
Christ’s Coming for the Saints and His Coming with the
Saints………..
Arguments for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture View
……………….

2.What Exactly is the Tribulation? …………………………..

Length of the Tribulation Period
……………………………….
The Divisions of the Tribulation Period
……………………………….

3.The Rapture ………………………………………………

Facts about the Rapture
……………………………………………….
What the Rapture will Accomplish for Believers
……………….
Qualifications for Taking Part in the Rapture
……………………….

4.When the Church Goes to Heaven ………………………….

The Presentation of the Church to God the Father
………………
The Judgement Seat of Christ
………………………………………
The Motive for Godly Service
………………………………………

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The Reward System

………………………………………
The Crown Rewards
Various other Rewards

5.The State of the World after the Rapture ………………….

The Indefinite Period
……………………………………………..
The Rise of the World Church
……………………………………..
The Rise of the Ten-Nation Confederacy
……………………………...
The Rise of the Antichrist
……………………………………………...
The Tribulation Period
……………………………………………...
The Millennium
……………………………………………..
The Great White Throne Judgement
……………………………..
The Renovation of the Earth and Eternity
……………………..

6.Death and the Resurrections ……………………………….

Death
…………………………………………………………….
Bible Proofs that Death is Separation, not Cessation
…………….
The Resurrections
…………………………………………………….

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FOREWORD

Cameth mbedzi is one of AMFCC’s outstanding Bible students. He

has studied Eschatology as a subject at our Bible College for about
three years, and he is getting better as the years go by. He has
established himself as a specialist in this subject area. His research
resulting in this book and the sequels further confirm this. His
books have been long overdue for most of former and current
students who need simplified teaching material that has scriptural
balance on matters of the last days.

Eschatology is a subject that has been complicated by theologians

due to numerous theories. But the author’s approach helps one stick
to the biblical position thus avoiding the prospect of floundering in
the uncertain waters of confusion and speculation. Many Bible
students and lay leaders will benefit immensely from his books and
will be encouraged to witness for Jesus Christ more as their
understanding of the end times improves.

Dr. Joseph Guti

International Director

Africa Multination For Christ Colleges

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INTRODUCTION

The term Eschatology is derived from a combination of two Greek

words: Eschatos, meaning “last” and logos, meaning “subject
matter” or “study.” Therefore Eschatology is the study or subject
matter that concerns the last days or last things. Since these last
things are concerned with the future, the nature of the subject or
course is wholly prophetic. It is Prophecy.

The central theme of Eschatology is the Return to the earth of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning this Return of the Lord to the earth,
there are Scriptures that speak of His Coming to take the saints to
Himself and there are other Scriptures that speak of His Coming
with the saints to establish God’s millennial kingdom on this earth.
The Lord Jesus will therefore come FOR the saints and after that
come WITH the saints. Hence this lecture acknowledges the fact of
the TWO COMINGS of Christ. Furthermore, the lecture teaches
that the time of Tribulation, such as was not experienced by men
since the beginning of time, will intervene between the Two
Comings of Christ. A simple way of illustrating this view is
outlined below.

CHRIST COMES FOR CHRIST COMES WITH

THE SAINTS THE SAINTS

1 THREE MAIN VIEWS ABOUT THE

COMING OF CHRIST

There are generally three major views as regards the Return of Jesus
Christ in relation to the Tribulation period.

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1.The Pre-Tribulation View (Pre-Trib) – According to this view,

Jesus Christ will come and take His saints, called the Church, to
heaven before the Tribulation period begins. Consequently, the
Church will not enter into the time of Tribulation.

2.The Mid-Tribulation View (Mid-Trib) - According to this

view, the Church will enter into the Tribulation and suffer
persecution until Christ comes to deliver them at the midpoint of
this period. The Church will only be spared the latter half of the
Tribulation period.

3.The Post-Tribulation View (Post-Trib) - According to this

view, the Church will go through the entire Tribulation period.
Christ will come at the close of the Tribulation, take His Church
out of the world and into the clouds, then bring this Church with
Him to the earth.

Which One is the Right View? Obviously, the right view is the one
that has the most Scriptural support. The Pre-Tribulation view is
the one that harmoniously brings together all Scriptures that relate
to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Main Arguments for the Mid-Trib and Post-Trib Views

It is generally argued by both the Mid-Tribulation and Post-

Tribulation teachers that Christians have never been exempted from
tribulations since the beginning of the Church. They say that
Christians have always suffered persecutions and will not then be
exempted from the trials of the coming Tribulation. They teach that
Christ and New Testament writers stated that believers would
suffer tribulations in the world (See Matt. 10:16-23; John 16:33;
Acts 14:22; 1 Thess. 3:4; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 4:16, 19).

In response to this we must point out as we have already seen, that

Christ promised His followers exemption from the Tribulation,
although they may now suffer various trials and tribulations (Rev.
3:10). He said that if His followers would watch and pray, they

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would be accounted worthy to escape all the things of the

Tribulation period (Luke 21:36). Now, if they are to suffer the trials
of the first half of the Tribulation as the Mid-Tribulation teachers
assert, then the would escaped “some of these things” and not “all
of these things” as Christ promised; or if they are to suffer the trials
of the entire Tribulation period as the Post-Tribulationists
Tribulation period say, then Christ lied when He said that His
disciples would escape “all these things.” But as the Bible says,
“Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). The chief
problem with the Mid-Trib and Post-Trib teachers is that they fail
to distinguish the general tribulations that Christians now suffer and
THE TRIBULATION from which they shall be exempted.

Christ’s Coming for the Saints and

His Coming with the Saints

The following are Scriptures that speak of Christ’s coming for the
saints:

• John 14:1-3: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,

believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also.”

• Philippians 3:20-21: “But we are citizens of heaven and are

eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord
Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these
poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body” (Contemporary
English Version).

• 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10: “For they themselves shew of us what

manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God
from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,
which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

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• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself shall descend

from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.”

And now we will look at the Scriptures that speak of Christ’s

coming with the saints:

• Jude 14: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied
of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of
his saints.”

• Revelation 19:11-14: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a

white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he
was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is
called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven
followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean.”

NB: Notice that the armies coming with Christ from heaven are
wearing fine linen, white and clean. This is the raiment that all
overcoming saints will put on in heaven (See Rev.3:5, 18; 4:4;
6:11; 7:9, 13).

• Zechariah 14:4-5: “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east
and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and
half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it
toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains;
for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye

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shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days
of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come,
and all the saints with thee.”

From all the Scripture verses quoted above, we see that Christ will
come, first for His saints and then with His saints. The Coming for
saints shall occur before the Tribulation and the Coming with the
saints shall be after the Tribulation. We sometimes define these
Two Comings as the Rapture and the Revelation. The Rapture is
the event of the Lord’s Coming for His saints and the Revelation is
the event in which He is revealed to the world at His Coming with
the saints. It is the Revelation Coming that is commonly referred to
as the Second Coming or the Second Advent of Christ. The word
“advent” means “coming.”

Arguments for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture View

1.In His message to the Church of Philadelphia, Jesus made a

promise to believers that He will keep them from “the hour of
temptation that will come upon all the world to try them that
dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). The hour of temptation, or
trial, is a reference of the future Tribulation period.

2. Jesus promised His disciples that if they would watch and pray,
they would be accounted worthy to escape all the things of the
Tribulation period (Luke 21:36). Luke 21:1-35 describes the
signs and events that must precede His Second Advent. These
signs and events include the Tribulation period. So by watching
and praying, the Disciples of Christ shall be accounted worthy to
escape “all these things” including the things of the Tribulation.
The Pre-Tribulational Rapture shall be the means of escape.

3.Believers are not anticipating the Tribulation but Christ’s coming

to take them. This anticipation is the blessed hope of the Church:
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12).

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4.The positioning of the Church in the book of Revelation proves

that it is not in the world during the Tribulation. The Dispensation
of the Church or the Church Age is depicted in chapters 2-3 of
the book of Revelation. From chapters 4-19 the Tribulation
period is described. Not once is the Church mentioned referred to
in these chapters. This proves that the Church is absent from the
earth during the Tribulation and present in heaven.

5.Christians are called ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). An

ambassador is one who represents his government and country in
a foreign country. Christians represent the government and
kingdom of heaven on earth. Before one country wages war with
another it first withdraws its ambassadors from that country.
Similarly, the Lord Jesus will call out of the world His
ambassadors before God unleashes His wrath on the world during
the Tribulation period.

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WHAT EXACTLY IS THE TRIBULATION?

The word “tribulation” is in the KJV written 19 times in the New

Testament. In 18 of those times it is translated from the Greek word
thlipsis, which conveys the meaning of “pressure,” “affliction,”
“anguish,” “persecution,” “tribulation,” and “trouble.” It is once
given as thlibo, in 1Thessalonians 3:4, where it carries the same
meaning as thlipsis, that is “afflict,” “narrow,” “throng,” and
“suffer tribulation” or “trouble.” The common idea carried in the
word “tribulation” is of “something compressed,” “severe
constriction,” “narrowing” or “pressing together” as of grapes. The
English word “tribulation” is of Latin origin, where we find the
word tribulum. Tribulum refers to a threshing sledge, an instrument
used in olden times to separate the husks from the corn.

The Tribulation, with a capital T, technically describes a literal and

specific period of time that is still future, which must run its course
on earth after the removal of the Church. While the Bible speaks of
common tribulations that Christians face in the life, it also speaks
of a specific and unique Tribulation that will come upon the entire
world. The future Tribulation is unique in that the magnitude of
distress in it has never been experienced before since the creation
of man (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21-22).

Length of the Tribulation Period

The duration of the Tribulation shall be seven years according to

Jewish and prophetic reckoning of time. This means that the years
are not reckoned according to the common Roman calendar that we
use where a system of variation of days of the month exists. Some
months have 31 days while others have 30 days and every leap year
has 29 days. In the prophetic calendar every month has 30 days so

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that one prophetic year has 360 days, i.e. 30 x 12 = 360. This
scenario is illustrated in Revelation 11:2-3. On verse 2 we read that
the Outer Court of the future Tribulation Temple shall be trodden
under foot by the Gentiles for 42 months. 42 months give us 1 260
days (30 x 42 = 1 260) hence, on verse 3, the same period of time is
given as a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1 260 days).

We get the seven years of the Tribulation period from the prophecy
of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9:24-27:

“Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city
to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for
wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up
vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know and
understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there
will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt
with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-
two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have
nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the
city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will
continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He
will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle
of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on
a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes
desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
(NIV).

This prophetic time is interchangeably called “the Seventy Weeks

of Israel” and “the Seventy Weeks of Daniel.” The word “weeks”
in the King James Version, (Heb. shabua) actually means “sevens”
so that 70 weeks are 70 sevens, i.e. 490 years. These 490 years
concern Daniel’s people, Israel and Daniel’s Holy City, Jerusalem.
As such, these prophetic years are strictly Jewish and have nothing
to do with the Church or the Gentiles.

The 70 Weeks are placed in three categories:

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Category 1 - Seven weeks, i.e. 49 years (Dan. 9:25).

Category 2 - Sixty-two weeks, i.e. 434 years (Dan. 9:25-26).
Category 3 - One week, i.e. 7 years (Dan. 9:27).

The starting point of the 70 Weeks is said to be “from the going

forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Dan.
9:25). Most Bible scholars place this starting point at the year 445
BC, when the Persian king, Artaxerxes Longimanus authorized
Nehemiah to go and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 1:1-2:8). The end of
the 490 years will see the fulfillment of all the six prophetic details
outlined in Daniel 9:24. These six details concern Israel and the
time of their fulfillment shall be at the Second Advent of Jesus
Christ after the Tribulation.

The first 7 weeks or 49 years in category one was the years spent
by the Jews under Nehemiah in reconstructing the streets and walls
of the city of Jerusalem. These were troublous times because of
much opposition to this great work that came from their enemies,
among them, Sanballat and Tobiah (Neh. 2:19; 4:1-3).

The next 62 weeks or 434 years brought the time to the riding of
Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey when people received Him as
“Prince” (Dan. 9:25; Matt. 21:1-11). But four days later Messiah
the Prince was “cut off,” i.e. crucified (Dan. 9:26). Up to that time,
69 weeks or 483 years had elapsed.

Now, after the expiry of the 69 weeks at the crucifixion of Christ,

the 70th week did not subsequently follow. Time stopped running
for the Jews. Just before His crucifixion, Christ had proclaimed
God’s rejection of Israel because she had rejected Him the Messiah
and because of her general unbelief and sin (Matt. 23:37-39). When
God’s clock stopped, the time read 483 years. A gap in time
intervened from that time of the crucifixion of Christ until now
(2005). There is a gap in time between the 69th and 70th weeks of
Israel. Having officially rejected Israel God turned to the Gentiles
among whom He has called out a unique organism called the

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Church. God’s program with Israel is temporarily suspended as He

now deals with the Church of His dear Son. Israel is rejected but
not forsaken. Any Jew who receives Christ as his Saviour now,
becomes part of the body of Christ, which is composed of Jew and
Gentile (Eph. 3:1-9).

God’s program with the Church is placed in the epoch called the
Dispensation of the Church or the Church Age. This period of time
will end with the Coming of Christ for the Church at the Rapture.
When the Church has been taken out of the world, God will turn
again to the unbelieving Jews, whom He must chastise as a nation.
When this happens, the last seven years or the 70th week will
commence and run its course. This will be the time of the
Tribulation.

Two Divisions of the Tribulation Period

Daniel 9:27

The last seven years of Tribulation will start when a world figure
called the Antichrist and the Beast, will arise on the world scene
and enter into a seven-year covenant with Israel. But only after half
of that time, i.e. after 3½ years, he will break that covenant and
abolish all Jewish sacrifices and rituals in the Temple (It is evident
the Jewish Temple would have been built then). He will cause
abominations in this Temple by placing in it an idol and command
that people worship this idol under penalty of death. This
sacrilegious deed is described in the prophetic Scriptures as “the
abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:27; 12:11; Matt. 24:15-31; Rev.
13:14-15).

The event of the annulling of the covenant by the Antichrist and the
setting of his idol in the future Jewish Temple divides the
Tribulation period in half. The first 3½ years are known as the
Lesser Tribulation because Israel would be deceived and trusting in
the pseudo-peace of the Antichrist. Jesus called this period “the
beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:8) or “the beginning of birth
pains” (NIV). The second 3½ years will usher in an unprecedented

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time of affliction and trouble to both the Jews and the Gentiles.
This period is called the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21). It is also
variously called “the time of trouble,” (Dan. 12:1); “the time of
Jacob’s trouble,” (Jer. 30:7-9), “the indignation,” (Isa. 10:25;
26:20), and “the tribulation of those days” (Matt. 24:29). The
Second Advent of Christ will bring to an end this terrible period
and also the entire seven-year period of the Tribulation.

The following diagram illustrates the Seventieth Week of Daniel:

ANTICHRIST IDOL SET UP: THE SECOND

MAKES COVENANT ABOMINATION OF ADVENT OF
WITH ISRAEL DESOLATION CHRIST
(Dan. 9:27) (Matt. 24:15) (Rev. 19:11-21)

▲
ν THE LESSER TRIBULATION THE GREAT TRIBULATION
3 ½ YEARS 3 ½ YEARS

THE 70TTHH WEEK OF DANIEL

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THE RAPTURE

The word “rapture” is not found in our English translations of the

Bible. However, the word aptly describes the act or action of the
snatching up or catching up into the air of believers by Christ at His
Coming for them. At the Rapture, both the dead and living
believers shall be caught up to the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air:

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:15-
17).

The action of the Rapture is described in the expression “caught

up” used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The
expression is translated from the Greek word harpazo, “to seize,”
“catch away,” “pluck,” “pull,” and “take by force.” Harpazo is
elsewhere used in connection with:

• Philip, when he was, by the Spirit of God, “caught away”

(harpazo) so that “the eunuch saw him no more” (Acts 8:39).

• Paul, when he was “caught up” (harpazo) to paradise” (2 Cor.

12:2-4).

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• The Man-Child, who was “caught up” (harpazo) unto God out of
the reach of the dragon that wanted to devour Him (Rev. 12:5).

The Rapture, then, can be described as the harpazo of Christians

from the earth.

Facts about the Rapture

1.The Rapture is a mystery that was first revealed to the Apostle

Paul (1 Cor. 15:51-52). A mystery is a previously hidden truth
now revealed but still retains a hidden element about it despite
the revelation. In this way those who love God will understand
the mystery while those who hate Him will be in the dark as to
the meaning of the mystery (Matt. 13:11).

2.The resurrection of the dead in Christ will occur at the Rapture (1

Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-17). They shall be raised up with
incorruptible and immortal bodies, i.e. their bodies shall be
changed and glorified. Not all the dead shall be raised up at the
Rapture; only the dead in Christ, i.e. believers of the Church
Dispensation, shall be raised.

3.Living saints shall also experience a transformation of their

bodies from corruptible to incorruptible bodies and from
mortality to immortality. This change will occur to them without
dying (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-17).

4.The total time taken in the Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians

15: 51-52 as:

• “In a moment,” Gr. atomos, i.e. the smallest particle of

matter. We get the English word “atom” from atomos. What
we learn here is the stupendous fact that the time of the
Rapture shall be as quick as the atom is small.

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• “In the twinkling of an eye.” It takes the eye ⅛ of a second to

blink. From this we have some idea of the incredible time that
the Rapture shall take.

5.The Rapture is imminent and impending:

• Imminent means no signs precede the Rapture. It can occur at

any time without prior warning (Matt. 24:36, 42, 44-51;
25:13; Mark 13:32).

• Impending means the Rapture is unstoppable. Nothing shall

hinder it from coming to pass.

6.The Rapture is the blessed hope of the Church (Titus 2:13).

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4 What the Rapture will Accomplish for Believers

1.It will take Christians to heaven to a place prepared by Christ for

them (John 14:1-3).

2.It will bring believers before the throne of God the Father where
they shall behold His face (Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14).

3.It will cause believers to be like Christ in body, i.e. like Christ
they will have immortal and glorified bodies (1 John 3:2).

4.It will make believers to possess in heaven things never before

envisioned by the eyes or heard by the ears of men or understood
by their hearts (1 Cor. 2:9).

5.It will elevate Christians to positions of importance and power

higher than those held by angels in heaven (1 Cor. 6:2-3; Heb.
1:13-14).

Qualifications for Taking Part in the Rapture

1.One must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God (John
3:3-7). This comes through believing in Christ, confessing Him to
be Lord, renouncing the life of sin and receiving Him in the heart
as Saviour (John 1:12; 3:16; 14:23; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 16:31).

2.One must live a godly life, serve the Lord in this life and live in
expectancy of His Coming (Titus 2:11-13; Luke 19:12-13).

3.One must be diligent in watching and praying (Matt. 24:42, 44;

25:13; Luke 21:36).

4.One must be diligent in attending church services where believers

exhort each other in view of the coming of the Lord (Heb. 10:25).

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5 WHEN THE CHURCH GOES TO HEAVEN

At the Rapture the Church will make her entrance into heaven.
Three major events shall transpire there; Jesus Christ will present
the Church to God the Father, the Judgement Seat of Christ will
occur and the Marriage of the Lamb will be consummated.

The Presentation of the Church to God the Father

By Jesus Christ

The first major event that will take place in heaven after the Church
has been taken up there shall be its presentation to God the Father
by Christ. It appears this presentation shall be two-fold:

(1) The Apostles of Christ of the entire Dispensation of the Church

will present their believers to Christ. Paul writing to the Corinthian
believers said:

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have

espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2).

The only time that Paul will present the Christians of the church at
Corinth to Christ will be at the Rapture when the Church will make
its entrance into heaven.

Writing to the Thessalonian church Paul said:

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not

even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19-20).

Paul’s hope, joy and crown of rejoicing were anchored on his

founding and shepherding of the church at Thessalonica. For their
labour, Paul and his co-labourers in the Lord would receive from
the Lord the Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thess. 2:19-20).

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(2) Christ will in turn present the Church to God the Father. In 1
Thessalonians 3:13 we read the words of Paul:

“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness

before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ with all his saints.”

6 The Judgement Seat of Christ

(Romans 14:10-12)

The second major event that will take place in heaven after the
Church has been taken up there shall be the Judgement Seat of
Christ. Concerning this we read:

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So
then every one of us shall give account of himself to God”
(Rom. 14:10-12). (Emphasis added).

This will not be a judgement of believers’ sins but believers’

works. Paul amplifies this in writing to the Corinthian church:

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work
of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so
as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

There shall be two categories of works that shall be judged by fire.

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(1) Good Works, comprising gold, silver and precious stones.

(2) Bad Works, comprising wood, hay and stubble.

The good works shall endure the test of fire and the believer shall
receive a reward from the Lord. Bad works shall be burned up and
the believer will suffer loss of reward but he himself shall be saved.
The diagram below illustrates this.

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GOOD WORKS BAD WORKS

GOOD BAD

FIRE 1 COR. 3:11-15 FIRE

The Motive for Godly Service

The individual’s motive for working for God will decide whether
he must be rewarded for his service or must suffer loss. By motive
we are referring to the reason that drives you to the task of godly
service. What drives you to work for God? What are your
intentions? For what cause do you do what you do in the name of
God?

Bad Motives. Anything that is in the nature of serving God and is

done with the intention of receiving the praise of men or their
sympathy is a reflection of a bad motive. Any service that is done
in the name of the Lord by an individual for the purposes of
attaining power, position or prestige constitutes an evil motive. Any
so-called giving to the Lord, which is actually a giving to men for
the purpose of achieving favour or security from them, will not be
rewarded on the great day of reckoning. Any so-called labour of the
Lord done by a person for filthy lucre’s sake or for any other selfish
ambition is tainted with an evil motive. The Bible warns us against
such evil practices:

Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso

putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

Matthew 6:1-7: “Take heed that ye do not your alms BEFORE

MEN, TO BE SEEN OF THEM: otherwise ye have NO
REWARD of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when

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thou doest thine alms, DO NOT SOUND A TRUMPET

BEFORE THEE, AS THE HYPOCRITES DO IN THE
SYNAGOGUES AND IN THE STREETS, THAT THEY MAY
HAVE GLORY OF MEN. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand
know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in
secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward
thee openly. AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST, THOU SHALT
NOT BE AS THE HYPOCRITES ARE: FOR THEY LOVE TO
PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND IN THE
CORNERS OF THE STREETS, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN
OF MEN. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
(Emphasis mine)

3 John 9-11: “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, WHO

LOVETH TO HAVE THE PREEMINENCE AMONG THEM,
receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his
deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words:
and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the
brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out
of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that
which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth
evil hath not seen God.” (Emphasis mine)

Ephesians 6:5-9: “Servants, be obedient to them that are your

masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in
singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; NOT WITH
EYESERVICE, AS MENPLEASERS; but as the servants of
Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will
DOING SERVICE, AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT TO MEN:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same
shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye
masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening:

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knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there

respect of persons with him. (Emphasis mine)

Colossians 3:22-25: “Servants, obey in all things your masters

according to the flesh; NOT WITH EYESERVICE, AS
MENPLEASERS; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And
whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto
men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. BUT HE THAT
DOETH WRONG SHALL RECEIVE FOR THE WRONG
WHICH HE HATH DONE: AND THERE IS NO RESPECT
OF PERSONS.” (Emphasis mine)

1 Peter 5:2-4: “Feed the flock of God which is among you,

taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly;
NOT FOR FILTHY LUCRE, but of a ready mind; Neither as
being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall
receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (Emphasis mine;
see also 1 Tim. 3:3, 8; Tit. 1:7, 11)

Good Motives. Any labour for God that is done in the fear of God
stems from a good and godly motive. Any leadership task that is
performed in service for our Lord, the worker willing to set a godly
example for others will be rewarded. The labourer who works as
unto the Lord shall of the Lord receive a reward of the inheritance
(Prov. 29:25; Matt. 6:1-7; Col. 3:22-25; 1 Pet. 5:2-4).

7 The Reward System

In Matthew 10:40-42, The Lord Jesus Christ stated how believers

shall be rewarded in heaven:

“He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me

receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the
name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that
receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall

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receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to

drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the
name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose
his reward” (Matt. 10:40-42).

In the passage above we are informed that there is:

1.A prophet’s reward, i.e. the reward that the prophet shall
receive for faithfully fulfilling his work as a prophet.

2.A righteous man’s reward, i.e. the reward given to a believer

for being righteous, holy and just.

We also learn from these words of Jesus that some believers who
were not called to high offices, like that of the prophet, will
actually get the same rewards as those that shall be given to those
of high calling: “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a
prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.” For a believer to get a
prophet’s reward, he just needs to “receive” the prophet. The
intended lesson here is that it is as much a great service to God to
give hospitality to a prophet and to provide for his needs as it is for
the prophet to fulfill his calling. Similarly, it is as much a great
service to God to give hospitality to a righteous man as it is for the
man to continue to commit himself to righteous living. For those
who may not have the privilege of receiving a righteous man or a
prophet in their homes, they may get a handsome reward from the
Lord by merely giving a glass of cold water to “one of these little
ones…only in the name of a disciple.”

8 The Crown Rewards

There are five types of crowns that faithful Christians will receive:

1.The Crown of Rejoicing: the Apostle’s Crown - given to apostles

for soul-winning, church-planting and church-shepherding (1
Thess. 2:19-20).

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2.The Crown of Life - given to those who endure trial and

martyrdom (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 2:10).
3.The Crown of Righteousness - given to those who eagerly await
the Rapture and consequently strive to live righteously (2 Tim.
4:8).
4.The Crown of Glory - given to faithful shepherds, preachers and
teachers (Acts 20:26-28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 5:2-4).
5.The Incorruptible Crown - given to those who master the old
nature (I Cor. 9:25-27).

Various Other Rewards

In addition to the crowns, there shall be other rewards given. These

are generally the overcomers’ rewards and they are listed as:

• Hidden manna and a white stone with a new name only known to
the possessor of the stone (Rev. 2:17). The hidden manna
symbolizes sweet, secret communion with God the Father
enjoyed by the overcomer. The white stone was a symbol of
victory in an athletic competition. For the overcomer, it is a
demonstration of a unique approval and acceptance by God. The
new name given to the overcomer is title to glory.

• Power and authority to rule nations (Rev. 2:26-27). The

overcomer will rule together with Christ during the Millennium
and throughout eternity.

• The morning star (Rev. 2:28). The Lord promised to give to the
overcomer the morning star. This may probably mean that the
overcomer will not only be like Christ when he shall appear (1
John 3:1-2), but will be made to share and experience a part of
the awesome glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is the
Bright and Morning Star (22:16). Just as the morning star appears
in the heavens before the sun rises, so Christ will appear as the
Morning Star to rapture His Church to heaven before He appears
as the Sun of Righteousness to reign over the earth (1 Thess.

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4:13–18; Mal. 4:2). Thus the overcomer is promised a share in

that glory.

• White raiment (Rev. 3:5). The overcomer shall be clothed in

white and shall walk with Christ in white (Rev. 3:4). White
raiment signifies the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:8).

• A prestigious position in God’s heavenly Temple (Rev. 3:12).

The overcomer shall be a pillar in the heavenly Temple of God.
This symbolizes a position of honour in the immediate presence
of Deity.

• Ruling with Christ on His throne (Rev. 3:21). The overcomer

shall sit with Christ on His throne. He will share in Christ’s royal
authority, power, and glory.

• Ruling with Christ on various other thrones (Rev. 20:4; Luke

22:28-30; 1 Cor. 6:2-4; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 1:6; 5:10).

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9 The Marriage of the Lamb

(Rev. 19:1-10)

The third major event to take place in heaven shall be the Wedding
of Christ with His bride. The Marriage of the Lamb is described in
Revelation 19:6-9:

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the

voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,
saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us
be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of
the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto
the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These
are the true sayings of God.”

The word “marriage” in Revelation 19:7 is in Greek “gamos”,

meaning “marriage feast”. It is also translated “wedding” in
Matthew 22:3-12; Luke 12:36 and 14:8. All the saints in heaven
will constitute the wife of the Lamb who has made herself ready.
Christ will officially wed His wife in a very colourful ceremony in
heaven. Believers will certainly sing, “It is well with my soul!”
After the great event of the Marriage of the Lamb, Christ will
return to the earth, this time with His saints (Rev. 19:11-21). This
Return to the earth is the Revelation or the Second Advent of Christ
(Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14-15; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-21).

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10 THE STATE OF THE WORLD AFTER

THE RAPTURE

After the Church is taken up to heaven, the world will quickly

degenerate into lawlessness, immorality and sin in an
unrestrainedly manner. As the salt of the earth, the Church had
checked evil and had seasoned the earth, thus, it had, in a large
extent, restrained evil and corruption. But with the Church no
longer in the world, anarchy shall prevail. This shall create fertile
breeding grounds for the rise of the dreadful Antichrist and the start
of the last seven years of the Tribulation period.

The Indefinite Period

This is the intervening period that lies between the Rapture of the
Church and the beginning of the Tribulation period. The Rapture
does not immediately trigger the commencement of the Tribulation.
The Tribulation will be initiated by the event of the signing of a
covenant between the Antichrist and Israel for ONE WEEK or
ONE SEVEN (seven years, Dan. 9:27). The duration of the time
between the Rapture of the Church and the covenant between the
Antichrist and Israel that starts off the Tribulation period is not
stated in the Scriptures; hence we have called it THE INDEFINITE
PERIOD.

The Indefinite period will see the rise of three things to

prominence, the World Church, the Ten-Nation Confederacy and
the Antichrist. These three are closely knit to each other in the time
they take the world stage. The World Church will assume
dominance over the earth for a time even exercising power over the
empire of the Ten-Nation Confederacy during its existence. This is
seen in Revelation 17 where the World Church symbolized by the
Harlot Woman called Mystery Babylon is seen riding a seven-
headed and ten-horned beast. The beast is the Ten- Nation
Confederacy. This dominance and influence of the World Church

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over the Ten-Nation Confederacy will last until the midpoint of the
seven-year Tribulation period.

It is not far-fetched to state that the reason why the World Church
will dominate the Ten-Nation Confederacy is that it has had a key
role in bringing the latter into existence. In all probability, there
will be a concordat or agreement signed between the two with a
text that reads something like, “We, the World Church will
facilitate your transition to power and control of the world on
condition that you, as the Ten-Nation Confederacy, will pay
allegiance to us and function in subservience to our interests.”

The rise of the Antichrist will upset this arrangement however, for
the Ten-Nation Confederacy will turn against the World Church
and destroy it completely and its ten kings will transfer their
allegiance to the Antichrist (Rev. 17). Thus the Antichrist, with the
backing of the Ten Kings of the Ten-Nation Confederacy will form
yet another empire. This will be the eighth and last world empire
depicted in biblical prophecy.

11 The Rise of the World Church - Revelation 17

In Revelation 17 the World Church is pre-figured by a woman who

is called the great whore. The harlot is depicted as an extremely
wealthy woman who holds in her hand a golden cup full of the
abominations and filth of her fornication (17:4). Harlotry, in the
prophetic sense, symbolizes both the adulteration of pure biblical
religion and participation in a false, counterfeit and satanic religion.
In a nutshell, harlotry is idolatry (See Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20; 3:6). The
woman commits fornication with kings and makes the world
masses drunk with the wine of her fornication. This means that the
World Church has a false religion with a worldwide impact and
following.

The name on the forehead of the great whore is written in caps:

“MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (17:5).

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This name serves to inform us that the religious content of the

World Church, its system of worship, has its roots in ancient
Babylon, where the first great postdiluvian rebellion occurred.

This harlot woman who sits upon many waters is seen riding a
beast with seven heads and ten horns (17:1-3). The beast
symbolizes the Antichrist and his empire of ten kings (17:12-14)
and the waters symbolize the world populace (17:15). During the
first 3½ years of the Tribulation period, the World Church will have
power over the Antichrist and his empire but they will turn against
it and practically destroy it at some point in time in the middle of
the Tribulation period (17:16-17).

During its dominance of the world scene, the World Church shall
kill the saints of God (17:6). Where are these saints coming from,
since the saints are no longer on earth, having gone up in the
Rapture? The answer is there shall be Tribulation saints in the
Tribulation period. These shall suffer martyrdoms during this
period. The Gospel program shall not end with the Rapture but
shall continue. God shall raise 144 000 Jewish preachers who shall
preach the gospel to the world during the Tribulation period (See
Rev. 7). The great multitude of saints in Revelation 7:9-13, who are
the Tribulation saints, are the result of the ministry of the 144 000
Jewish preachers. It is this group of saints of the Tribulation that
shall be killed for their faith in Christ during the Tribulation (See
Rev. 6:9-11; 13:7; 17:6).

The headquarters of the World Church shall be the city of Rome in

Italy. We know this for the Scriptures inform us that the great
whore rides a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven
heads have a dual interpretation provided in the Scriptures (Rev.
17:9-10). Firstly, they represent the seven empires of history, which
are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and
the still future Ten-Nation Confederacy. In the time of John, five
of these empires were no more in existence, the sixth, i.e. Rome,
was existing, and the seventh is still to come (Rev. 17:10).
Secondly, they are said to be the seven mountains on which the

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harlot sits (17:9). The harlot woman is said to be “the great city”
(17:18). Therefore, we have a city here that is situated upon seven
hills or mountains. There is only one city under the earth that is so
situated and that city is Rome. Even now from Rome comes a false
religion with a worldwide impact and who does not know that this
religion is Roman Catholicism? Rome then, shall play a prominent
role in world affairs as the headquarters of the World Church,
which in reality shall be an amalgamation of all false religions
under one umbrella. The signs are clear to all today as we see the
drive towards ecumenicalism spearheaded by the World Council of
Churches (WCC).

12 The Rise of the Ten-Nation Confederacy - Daniel 7:7-8

The Indefinite Period shall see the emergence to the world scene of
a European and Mediterranean coalition comprising ten nations.
We call it the Ten-Nation Confederacy or the Ten-Nation
Coalition. It will be the seventh empire of history. The seven
empires of biblical prophecy are shown to be Egypt, Assyria,
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and the Ten-Nation
Confederacy. There will be one more empire after the Ten-Nation
Confederacy and it will be the eighth and last empire to reign on
earth before the Second Advent of Christ.

Daniel 2 and 7 detail five of the first seven empires of which the
first two empires of Egypt and Assyria are not included. In Daniel
2, King Nebuchadnezzar saw the empires in a dream under the
symbol of a great multi-metallic image. It had a HEAD OF GOLD,
symbolizing the Babylonian Empire, the BREAST AND ARMS
OF SILVER symbolizing the Medo-Persian Empire, the BELLY
AND THIGHS OF BRASS symbolizing the Grecian Empire, the
LEGS OF IRON symbolizing the Roman Empire and the TEN
TOES of the feet of iron mixed with clay symbolizing the Ten-
Nation Confederacy. In Daniel 7 Daniel the Prophet viewed the
same empires as a LION WITH WINGS - Babylon, a BEAR –
Medo-Persia, a LEOPARD WITH FOUR HEADS - Greece, a

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DREADFUL NON-DESCRIPT BEAST – Rome and the TEN

HORNS of the non-descript beast – the Ten-Nation Confederacy.

When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD, no empire

subsequently succeeded it. There has been no empire from that time
until the present times. There has however, been attempts at some
stages in history to unite Europe into an empire but such attempts
had failed. The ten horns of the fourth beast (Rome) are still a
future development and symbolize the future Ten-Nation
Confederacy (Dan. 7:23-24). Since the ten horns are on the head of
the beast, the Ten-Nation Confederacy shall evolve within the
boundaries of the Old Roman Empire. During their reign, the ten
kings of the Ten-Nation Confederacy shall be subservient to the
World Church as is depicted in the imagery of Revelation 17,
where we see the Harlot Woman (World Church) riding a beast
with seven heads and ten horns (The Ten-Nation Confederacy).

13 The Rise of the Antichrist - Daniel 7:7-8, 19-28

After the ten kings of the Ten-Nation Confederacy would have

arisen, a little horn shall crop up from among them. The boastful
and proud little horn shall fight against three of the ten kings and
defeat them (Dan. 7:8, 19, 20, 24, 25). The other seven kings shall
submit themselves under the little horn and at the end of the day he
shall assume headship of the Ten-Nation Confederacy (Rev. 17:12-
13). When this happens the eighth and last empire would be formed
(Rev. 17:11). The Ten-Nation Confederacy is the seventh empire
ruled by ten kings but the eighth empire has the ten kings under the
little horn. The Ten-Nation Confederacy shall exercise its power up
to the middle of the Tribulation period and the eighth empire of the
little horn shall rule from the mid point of the Tribulation up to the
Second Advent of Christ.

The little horn of the book of Daniel is the Antichrist. Although

many antichrists have already arisen, there is still a future
Antichrist who is to come (See 1 John 2:18). The word “antichrist”
in 1 John 2:18 is antichristos in Greek and it conveys the dual

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meaning of one who is either “against Christ” or is “in the stead of

Christ,” i.e. a counterfeit Christ. A careful analysis of all Scriptures
that relate to the Antichrist will reveal that he shall be one “against
Christ” and not merely one who pretends to be Christ (e.g., Dan.
7:25; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:6, 7). Apart from the names “the little
horn” and the “antichrist,” other names are stated. We provide here
a few of them. These are:

• The beast (Dan. 7:11; Rev. 13:1; 19:19). In Revelation 16:13;

19:20; 20:10, the Antichrist as the beast is mentioned together
with his right hand man, a figure called “the false prophet.”
• The prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26).
• The man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3).
• The son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3).
• The wicked (2 Thess. 2:8-12).

The Antichrist shall blaspheme God, His name, His tabernacle and
those that dwell in heaven (Rev. 13:5-6; Dan. 7:8, 11, 20). He shall
exercise his authority for 42 months, i.e. 3½ years (Rev. 13:5; Dan.
7:25). This is a reference to the last half of the Tribulation period.
He shall, in that same period, kill the saints of God, i.e. the
Tribulation saints. We see then that whereas the World Church
shall kill God’s saints in the first 3½ years, the Antichrist shall kill
saints in the last 3½ years of the Tribulation period. The Antichrist
shall meet his end at the Second Advent of Christ when the Lord
shall seize him and cast him into the Lake of Fire together with his
accomplice the false prophet (Dan.7:11; Rev. 19:20).

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14 The Tribulation Period

AWhen It Will Commence

• After the Rapture of the Church.

• Specifically, at the event of the confirming of the covenant
between the Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:27).

B Its Duration

• It will last seven years (Dan. 9:27).

• The seven years of Tribulation constitute Daniel’s 70th Week
(Dan. 9:27).
• The seven years are reckoned according to prophetic time;
one prophetic year has 360 days because each of the 12
prophetic months has 30 days.

CIts Divisions

• There are two equal divisions of the Tribulation period,

consisting of 3½ years each (Dan. 9:27, “and in the midst of the
week”).
• We call the first 3½ years the Lesser Tribulation because the
later 3½ years is specifically called the Great Tribulation (Matt.
24:21). Christ designated the first 3½ years as “the beginning of
sorrows” or, according to the NIV, “the beginning of birth
pains” (Matt. 24:8).

DIts Impact upon Humanity

• To Israel: The Tribulation shall affect Israel in particular and

the world in general. Israel shall be lulled into a false sense of
security during the first 3½ years after the Antichrist has signed
a pact with her (Dan. 9:27; 1 Thess. 5:3). Israel will hail the
Antichrist as her Messiah (John 5:43). But at the midpoint of

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the Tribulation an incident shall jostle them out of their slumber

and open their eyes to the fact that the man who had presented
himself to them as their deliverer is actually an impostor, a false
Messiah. At that time the Man of Sin shall abolish all Jewish
sacrifices in the Temple and shall set up an idol in it. Then he
shall make the astounding claim that he is God and shall
demand to be worshipped. This is the event called the
Abomination of Desolation spoken by Daniel and Christ (Dan.
9:27; 12:7; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4). The faithful remnant of
Israel will heed the word of Christ and flee to the mountains
and into the wilderness when the Abomination of Desolation is
set up (Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:6, 14-17; Isa. 26:20).

Other Jews will remain in Israel and will face the greatest ever
persecution and near annihilation. For Israel, it shall be a time
of trouble such as was not experienced by them ever since they
became a nation (Dan. 12:1; Jer. 30:4-7; Zech. 14:1-4). Toward
the end of the second half of the Tribulation, the nations of the
world, at the instigation and influence of powerful demonic
spirits, shall gather together to Israel to destroy her and also to
fight against Christ at His revelation. This Great War is called
the Battle of Armageddon and “the Battle of that great day of
God Almighty” (Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11-21). As the war against
the Jews will gather momentum, and as the defenses of Israel
will begin to teeter and collapse, and as she will stare
annihilation in the face, the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself from
the heavens and make a timely intervention for Israel (Zech.
13:8-9; 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-19).

Having experienced deliverance from their enemies, Israel’s

eyes shall be opened and she will recognize Jesus Christ as the
Messiah whom they had rejected for so long. The Jews shall
mourn for the Messiah in repentance and Israel’s transgression
shall be finished and an end of her sins shall be made (Dan.
9:24; Zech. 12:9-14; 13:1). Israel shall be saved as a nation on
that day (Rom.11:26). At this point in time the 70 Weeks of
Israel shall come to their end. After her repentance and her

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salvation, God will remember His covenant with Abraham and

the other covenants He made with Israel and Israel shall be
blessed and become head of the nations in the Millennium
(Gen. 12:1-3; 17:7; 22:17; Deut 28:1-14; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; 23:5;
2 Chr. 13:5).

• To the World: During the Tribulation period the world will

experience disastrous catastrophes such as earthquakes,
tsunamis, landslides and other topographical upheavals whose
human toll shall be incredible. There shall be signs in the
cosmos and men’s hearts shall fail them because of fear (Luke
21:25-28). There will also be severe famines and wars resulting
in wholesale death. The world will experience a visitation by
God in the form of judgements comprising destructive falling
meteorites, lethal heat waves, the destruction of the world’s
vegetation, the turning of fresh and sea waters into blood,
demon-inflicted torture, the failure of the solar system and
others. More than half of the earth’s population shall die as a
result of these catastrophic judgements. The book of Revelation
provides a grim picture indeed of the world of the Tribulation
period.

NB: The student can have the full details of the judgements of the
Tribulation period by reading the book of Revelation chapters 4-
19.

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15 The Millennium

The word “Millennium” is derived from two Latin words joined

together; mille, which means “a thousand” and annum, which
means “year.” The Millennium therefore, is the 1 000 year reign of
Jesus Christ on earth after His Second Advent.

Basic Facts about the Millennium

1.Christ will usher in the Millennium after His 2nd Advent; He will
first convene the Judgement of the Goat and Sheep Nations
(Matt. 25:31-46). The Goat nations are those that would have
persecuted the Jews, who are Christ’s “brethren” and the Sheep
nations are those peoples that now love Israel and would have
offered her their hospitality and care, especially during the period
of the Great Tribulation. Sheep will enter into the Millennium,
but Goats will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

2.Christ will be King of the earth during Millennium (Isa. 9:6-7;

42:1-6; Ezek. 43:7; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 6:12-13; 14:9; Luke1:31-
33).

3.Jerusalem shall be the millennial capital of the earth (Zech.

14:16-19) and all nations shall go there annually to keep the Feast
of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16-19).

4.King David will rule over Israel as the Vice-Regent of Christ (Jer.
30:9; Ezek. 34:24; 37:24-28; Hosea 3:4-5).

5.The 12 Apostles of Christ shall each rule over a tribe of Israel

(Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:29-30).

6.The saints of Christ will rule over nations (Rev. 2:26-27; Dan.
7:26-27).

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7.The devil will be locked in prison in the Bottomless Pit during the
Millennium (Rev. 20:1-3).

8.Ferocious animals shall be rendered harmless; poisonous snakes

shall not harm even a child (Isa. 11:6-9).

9.Deserts will blossom as a rose (Isa 35:1-7).

10. The millennium shall be God’s answer to the prayer, “Thy

kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
(Matt. 6:10-11).

11. There will be a Millennial Temple in Israel with daily morning

sacrifices offered by Priests and Levites (Ezek. 44:15-31; 48:10).

12. After the Millennium Satan will be released from his prison and
will immediately incite the nations, (not the saints) who entered
into it as Sheep, to rebellion. The rebellion will be put down and
all rebels destroyed by fire. After this Satan will be seized and
cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10).

13. There are three main theories or views regarding the

Millennium:

• Pre-Millennialism - the view that says that Christ will

personally return to this earth and rule for a period of 1 000
literal years. This is our view.

• Post-Millennialism - the view that says that the Millennium will

not come until the whole world is first converted to Christ, after
which Christ will come and rule the earth.

• A-Millennialism - the view that says that there will be no literal

1 000 years of Christ’s reign on earth, in other
words no Millennium.

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16 The Great White Throne Judgement

The Great White Throne Judgement is outlined in detail in

Revelation 20:11-15:

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was
found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and
they were judged every man according to their works. And death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.”

This shall be the last judgement and shall concern mainly the
unsaved dead. Books shall be opened and people shall be judged
according to their works as recorded in the books. Another book
shall be opened, which is called the book of life, and anyone whose
name will not be found written in that book shall be cast into the
lake of fire.

Many Old and New Testament Scriptures speak of this judgement

(Eccl. 12:13-14; Matt. 12:36; Acts 17:30-31; etc). The Great White
Throne Judgement is the seventh and last among the main
judgements of Scripture. All in all, the seven major judgements of
Scripture are:

1.Judgement of believers’ sins in the cross of Christ (Col. 2:14;

Gal. 3:13; John 12:31-32).
2.Believers’ self-judgement on a daily basis (2 Cor. 11:31-32).
3.Judgement of Israel for her many years of rebellion (Ezek. 20:33-
44).
4.Judgement of all fallen angels for rebellion (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6-7).

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5.Judgement of believers’ works (Rom. 14:10-13; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2

Cor. 5:10).
6.Judgement of the Goat and Sheep nations (Matt. 25:31-46).
7.The Great White Throne Judgement

17 The Renovation of the Earth and Eternity

The word “renovation” is a technical term used to describe the

burning up of the present heavens and earth by fire preparatory to
the creation by God of a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:7,
10-13). This great event shall occur soon after or simultaneously
with the Great White Throne Judgement. The fire shall burn the
earth and its works. All products and by-products of sin, such as
bacteria, germs, worrisome disease-carrying insects, pests, thorns
and thistles and all offending things shall be consumed. After that
God shall create a new heaven and a new earth “wherein dwelleth
righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13). It shall be a perfect kingdom into
which no offending thing or person shall enter (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal.
5:19-21; Rev. 21:8, 27; 22:15). There will be no sin, no death, no
sorrow, no crying, no pain, no curse and no sea, for the former
things will pass (Rev. 21:1-4). There will be a new capital of the
earth called the New Jerusalem. Its measurements shall be 1 500
miles square (2 400 km). All saints shall live in it (Rev. 21-22).

18 DEATH AND THE RESURRECTIONS

Death

According to scriptures death is not termination of existence. It is

not cessation or the state of unconsciousness. Death is not soul
sleep. What is death then?

Death is merely the separation of the spirit and soul of man from
body (Jas. 2:26). Man is triune. He is a tripartite being, composed
of spirit, soul and body (I Thess. 5:23). The spirit and soul form the
inner man. This inner man has feelings, a will, intellect, memory,

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knowledge and other spiritual powers and faculties. Both the

Hebrew and the Greek words for “spirit” i.e. Heb. ruach and Gr.
pneuma, refer to the intellectual and spiritual nature of man in
many Scriptures such as Genesis 26:35; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Isaiah
26:9; Ezekiel 13:3; Matthew 5:3; 26:41; Mark 2:8; Luke 1:47, 80;
Acts 7:59; 17:16; 20:22 and 1 Corinthians 2:11; 5:3-4. In Hebrew,
Genesis 26:35 reads, “bitterness of spirit,” where we read, “grief of
mind” in the KJV.

And both the Hebrew and the Greek words for soul, i.e. Heb.
nephesh and Gr. psuche are used in the Scriptures in essential
ways.

1.They refer to the principle of life in both men and animals e.g.:

Animals: (Gen. 9:4, where the word “life” is nephesh in Hebrew;

Deut. 12:23; Rev. 16:3; Prov. 12:10).

Men: (Num 31:8; Luke 12:22, where the word “life” is psuche
in Greek; Acts 20:10; I Cor. 15:45).

2.They refer to intellectual and spiritual man or the inward man,

who makes intelligent choices, has a will, emotions, appetites,
purpose, desires, and who reflects, ponders and perceives (Ps.
84:2; 139:14; Isa. 26:9; Luke 1:46; Matt. 22:37; Acts 4:32).

Sometimes it is quite difficult to clearly distinguish between the

spirit and the soul because of some similar faculties found in the
two entities. This difficulty is implied in Hebrews 4:12. The two
have many similarities in nature, character and activities. Yet the
soul and the spirit are distinct from each other as is proved in (I
Thess. 5:23). The distinction is that the spirit is the higher element
in man and the soul is the lower element.

The spirit and soul live in a body. The body is the house, tent or
tabernacle of the inner man. The Greek word for body is “soma”.

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N.B. The body and the spirit can be separated (Jas. 2:26) but the
spirit and the soul can only be distinguished.

19 Bible Proofs that Death is Separation, not Cessation

1 Paul says that if one died, (i.e. Christ) for all, it means all were
dead (2 Cor. 5:14). All were dead in their sins, but were they in a
state of unconsciousness? No, they were very much alive
physically but were dead, that is, separated from God because of
sin.

2 Again Paul says to the Ephesians that God quickened them, that
is, He made them alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins
(Eph. 2:1). Before their salvation the Ephesian Christians were
not unconscious, nor were they in a state of cessation. They were
merely separated from God because of sin.

3 At death the spirit leaves the body. It does not cease to exist nor
does it become unconscious (I Kings 17:20-21; Eccl. 12:7; Luke
8:49-55; Acts 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:8; 12:2-4; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11).

4 When the spirit leaves the body (separation), then death is the
result (Jas. 2:26).

5 In Ephesians 3:14-15 Paul says, “For this cause I bow my knees

unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named.” Here we see that God’s
family in heaven and earth is named after the Lord Jesus Christ,
i.e. “Christians.” Now of these Christians some are on earth and
some are in heaven. Those in heaven went there at death (2 Cor.
5:8; Phil. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11).

N.B There are Scriptures that some people generally quote to teach
that death is a state of unconsciousness, cessation and soul sleep.
These Scriptures are Psalms 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; Ecclesiastes
3:19-21; 9:5, 6, 10, to name but a few. However, all these
Scriptures refer to the body that returns to dust. In the grave,

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where the body goes, there is no memory or remembrance, but only

silence and inactivity. In the grave the body has nothing to do with
earthly affairs.

20 The Resurrections

Old Testament saints bear witness to the fact of the resurrection:

1.Job: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall
see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27).

2.Isaiah: “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body
shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy
dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead”
(Isa. 26:19).

3.Daniel: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2).

4.David: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall
be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15).

5.Martha: “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again
in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24).

6.Herod: “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of
Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is
risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth
themselves in him” (Matt. 14:1-2).

7.Peter: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a

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living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the

dead” (1 Pet. 1:3). And; “The like figure whereunto even baptism
doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21).

8.Paul: “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also
allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the
just and unjust… Except it be for this one voice, that I cried
standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am
called in question by you this day” (Acts 24:15, 21; see also Acts
17:8; 23:6).

There are two great Resurrections stated in Scripture:

1.The First Resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6; Dan. 12:2; John 5:28, 29).
This is the resurrection of all the righteous, the just and the holy.
However, this Resurrection is not confined to a single day
occurrence. It includes

• The Resurrection of Christ “the firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:20, 23).

• The “many bodies of the saints” resurrected after Christ’s
resurrection (Matt. 27:50-54).
• The Resurrection of the dead in Christ at the Rapture (1 Cor.
15:51-54; 1 Thess 4:13-18).
• The Resurrection of God’s Two Witnesses in the Tribulation
(Rev. 11:3-13).
• The Resurrection of the tribulation saints at the Second
Advent of Christ (Rev. 20:4-6; Dan.12:2; John 5: 28-29).

2.The Second resurrection (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:4-6)

This is the Resurrection of all the dead from Adam to the end of
the Millennium. The time of this Resurrection will be after the 1
000 years of the Millennium. The place will be at the Great White
Throne Judgement (Rev. 20:11-15). The wicked will be judged
and cast into the Lake of Fire (Matt. 10:28; John 5:28-29; Rev.
14:9-11; 20:11-15; Dan. 12:2).

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THE END

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