Signs of the Last Days - Updated

Mark Absher
California

Scripture affirms that there are definitive signs marking the arrival of the end times.  The end times or "last days" culminate in the Day of the Lord, a very special moment in time that will undoubtedly be the greatest physical/spiritual event on Earth after the creation.  The Day of the Lord is, in essence, the explosive, universal heralding of the arrival of Jesus Christ to Earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  This time Jesus comes to Earth not as a baby, quietly crying in the humility of a stable, having assumed the form of man as a means to offer him salvation, but as the unquestionable, holy and righteous power of the universe--exacting substantial judgment upon mankind at His arrival.  We can actually look for the signs of the last days, having the confidence that, when we see them, we know the arrival of the King of Kings is near. Many of the signs are noted below:

Signs of the Last Days
Sign	Texts	Considerations
Signs Generally
Celestials	Genesis 1:14 - "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.'"	God uses the movements and activities of the sun, moon and stars as His event markers, so when unique celestial events occur, we should pay attention, recognizing that God may have marked the beginning of some end time event.
End Times Generally
The gospel is preached to all nations	Mark 13:10 - “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”
Likely marked by people traveling extensively	Daniel 12:4 - "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth ....”
Knowledge will increase	Daniel 12:4 - "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; ,,, and knowledge will increase.”	No doubt the development of the internet has fostered an environment wherein knowledge is increasing at a rate that is historic.
"The Beginning of Birth Pangs" (Matthew 24:8)
Difficult times marked by the presence of intensely selfish, hedonistic and evil people--even in the Church	2 Timothy 3:1-7 - “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
People Questioning the Return of Jesus	2 Peter 3:3-4 - “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’”
The love of many will grow cold	Matthew 24:12b - most people’s love will grow cold.
Lawlessness increases	Matthew 24:12a - "Because lawlessness is increased, ..."
People will have dreams and visions and prophecies	Joel 2:28 - “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy; Your old men will dream dreams; Your young men will see visions."	Peter quotes this passage in Acts 2--talking about the last days.
Antichrists and persons who claim to be the Messiah appear, perform miracles and deceive many	1 John 2:18 - "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour."	Many websites provide information regarding the increasing number of persons who claim or have claimed to be the Messiah.
	Matthew 24:4b-5 - "See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many."
	Matthew 24:11 - "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many."
	Matthew 24:24-25 - "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance."
	Matthew 24:23 - "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him."
	Matthew 24:26-27 - "So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be."
	Mark 13:5-6 - "And Jesus began to say to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, "I am He!" and will mislead many.'"
	Mark 13:22-23 - “for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.”
	Luke 21:8 - "And He said, 'See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, "I am He," and, "The time is near." Do not go after them.'"
People gathering around the false christs	Matthew 24:28 - “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
Removal of peace from the Earth	Revelation 6:4 - “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”	SEALS: Note that when the 2nd Seal, as described in Revelation 6, is broken, peace is taken from the earth.
Wars and rumors of wars	Daniel 9:26b - "even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined."	SEALS: Note that when the 2nd Seal, as described in Revelation 6, is broken, peace is taken from the earth. In addition, when the 4th Seal is broken, death follows by, among other things, a sword--further suggesting wars or violence.
	Matthew 24:6-7a - "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,"
	Mark 13:7-8a - "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened;those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ..."
	Luke 21:9-10 - "'When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.' Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, ...'"
	Revelation 6:4 - “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”
Famines and earthquakes	Matthew 24:7b - "and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."	SEALS: Note that when the 3rd and 4th Seals, as described in Revelation 6, are broken, famine follows.
	Mark 13:8b - "there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs."
	Luke 21:11a - "And there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines."
	Revelation 6:5-6 - “When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.'"
Plagues	Luke 21:11a - "And there will be ... in various places plagues ...."	Note that the Revelation reference refers to plagues that will come during the Tribulation period--the 3.5 year period immediately prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. SEALS: Note that when the 4th Seal, as described in Revelation 6, is broken, plague follows. In addition, the 1st Seal is not fully described and could include a plague.
	Revelation 6:8 - "I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and famine, and plague, and by the wild animals of the earth."
	Revelation 11:3-6 - "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they ... have the power ... to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire."
Rapture
A gathering of believers from the Earth by Jesus--taking them prior to the release of the wrath of God	See Scriptural discussion here: http://markabsher.blogspot.com/2021/04/scriptural-support-for-pre-tribulation.html	The timing of the rapture is disputed by many Christians for a variety of reasons. Some suggest that the rapture occurs prior to the Tribulation. Others suggest that believers will go through part of the Great Tribulation. Still, others suggest that believers must completely go through the Tribulation. Notwithstanding the question of whether and when such event might take place, the discussion at the link provided suggests a pre-Tribulation or pre-Bowls of Wrath rapture event.
Tribulation
Apostasy - a "falling away from the faith"	1 Timothy 4:1-3 - “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”	Note that many have suggested the I Timothy and Matthew 24 falling away describe a general trend, whereas the matter referred to in 2 Thessalonians is a unique event--"the apostasy"--suggesting that this is, in fact, discussing the rapture as a gathering event as opposed to a general trend of "falling away."
	Matthew 24:10a - "At that time many will fall away."
	2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a - "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, ..."
A powerful 10 nation union is formed; it is referred to in Revelation as "the beast"; it gets power from Satan; one of its member nations recovers from apparent demise; all the world subjects itself to the union except for believers, whom the beast attacks.	Revelation 13:1-4 - "And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain."	The beast appears to be a world kingdom/power that will encompass or have influence over Israel, similar to the world kingdoms of the past (see Revelation 17:8-13 - "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth,whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen [i.e., the world empires of the past that encompassed Israel: Assyrian, Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Grecian], one is [i.e., the Roman Empire, in existence at the time of John], the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.") A group of 4 nations in the union collectively have one representative--thus enabling the 10 nation union to have 7 heads. "Coming out of the sea" refers to arising out of or representing a substantial number of people in the world. The demise of one of the 10 nations may be economic or political, but its quick recovery inspires awe and incites the people of the world to worship Satan and the 10 nation union. The description in Revelation 17 about the beast being an entity that was but is not and yet will be, suggests that the 10 nation union will be a resurrected version of one of the world kingdoms that preceded the Roman Empire. Those prior empires included areas that are today known as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, and in some instances Egypt, Libya, Greece, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. Given these considerations, and the dominance of Islam in nearly all of these nations it is fair to say that the 10 nation union will likely be Islamic in nature.
"Man of Lawlessness" (the "Antichrist") revealed; he performs signs and wonders	2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 - “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”	Note that the "man of lawlessness" is not revealed until "he who now restrains ... is taken out of the way." Many have suggested that the one who restrains is the Holy Spirit, whose influence is removed with the gathering of the believers in Jesus at the Rapture. The one who restrains could also possibly be an angel (see Daniel 10:10-14 wherein an angel explains that he would have come to Daniel more quickly had he not been restrained by another angel). In this regard, it is interesting to note that there is an angel assigned to the Abyss, whose name is Abaddon (Revelation 9:11), and that the antichrist beast is noted to come from the Abyss (Revelation 17:8).
The false prophet also appears, directing the world to worship the Beast and to take a mark of the Beast as a means to participate in commerce--rejecting it on the penalty of death.	Revelation 13:11-18 - "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six."	People who accept the mark of the beast will be subject to the judgment of God (see Revelation 14:9-12 - "Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented withfire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.' Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.") Thus, believers absolutely must reject the mark of the beast (overcome; endure to the end) in order to be saved.
Declarations of “Peace and Safety”	1 Thessalonians 5:3 - “While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.”
Death by sword, famine and plague	Revelation 6:7-8 - "When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and famine, and plague, and by the wild animals of the earth."	SEALS: Though death by sword, famine and plague occurred earlier as "birth pangs," this death following the opening of the 4th Seal is uniquely severe--causing the loss of 25% of the world's population.
Persecution and execution of Christians	Matthew 24:9 - "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name."	SEALS: Note that when the 5th Seal, as described in Revelation 6, is opened, the many people who have been martyred for the name of Jesus will call out to Jesus and ask "How long" until His vengeance is exacted.
	Mark 13:9 - “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.”
	Mark 13:13a - “You will be hated by all because of My name.”
	Luke 21:12-15, 17 - "'But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.... and you will be hated by all because of My name...."
	2 Timothy 3:1 - "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come."
	Revelation 12:17 - "So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus."
	Revelation 13:9-10 - "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints."
People will betray and hate each other	Matthew 10:21 - "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death."
	Matthew 24:10b - "and will betray one another and hate one another."
	Mark 13:12 - “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.”
	Luke 21:16 - "But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ..."
The gospel will require that believers endure to the end	Matthew 24:13-14 - "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."	It is possible that believers must refuse to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ even to the point of death.
	Matthew 10:22b - "but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved."
	Mark 13:13b - “but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
	Luke 21:19 - “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
	Revelation 12:10-11 - "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.'"
The existence of a temple in Israel and idolatry taking place therein	Matthew 24:15 - "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),"
	Mark 13:14a - "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), ..."
	Daniel 9:27 - “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”	Daniel 12:11 - “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days" (i.e., there is approximately a 3.5 year period from the time the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and the time of the defilement of the temple).
Christians, particularly in Israel and Jerusalem, fleeing for their lives from persecution	Matthew 10:22a - "You will be hated by all because of My name ...."	It is quite possible that, if a rapture event occurs, true Christians at this time will be found only in Israel, which would explain why the complete focus of the end times events during the Tribulation period principally develop in Israel.
	Matthew 24:16-22 - "Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short."
	Mark 13:14b-20 - "then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house;  and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter.  For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurredsince the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days."
	Luke 21:21-24 - “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Jerusalem is trampled by the armies of nations for 3.5 years	Revelation 11:1-2 - "Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, 'Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.'"	The 10 nation union gains control over Israel and Jerusalem. The 3.5 year period is further confirmed by Daniel 12:6-8 - "And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, 'How long will it be until the end of these wonders?' I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed."
Signs Immediately Preceding and Occuring on the Day of the Lord
Wonders in the Sky and on Earth	Joel 2:31-32 - “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”	SEALS: These events seem to be consistent with the opening of the 6th Seal as described in Revelation 6:12-17 - "And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'”
	Matthew 24:29 - "But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
	Mark 13:24-25 - "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken."
	Luke 21:11b - “and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
	Luke 21:25a - “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars,”
Roaring of the sea and waves	Luke 21:25b - “and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,”
People extremely fearful of what they anticipate is coming	Luke 21:26 - “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
1/3 of the Earth burned up	Revelation 8:7 - "The first sounded, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up."	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 1st Trumpet.
1/3 of sea creatures and sea life destroyed	Revelation 8:8-9 - "The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 2nd Trumpet.
1/3 of waters become unusable	Revelation 8-10-11 - "The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The star is named Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they were made bitter."	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 3rd Trumpet.
1/3 of heavenly bodies darkened	Revelation 8:12 - "The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way."	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 4th Trumpet.
Stinging locusts attack non-believers	Revelation 9:1-11 - "Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon."	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 5th Trumpet.
1/3 of mankind killed by fire, brimstone and smoke	Revelation 9:13-19 - "Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm."	TRUMPETS: This event occurs in connection with the sounding of the 6th Trumpet.
A messenger of God arrives--along with a 2nd witness	Malachi 3:1 - "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.	Just as John the Baptist heralded the arrival of Jesus at His first coming, this messenger, as well as a second witness, who may well be among the following list of prominent prophets: John the Baptist, Enoch, Elijah and Moses, will herald the arrival of Jesus' Second Coming.
	Malachi 4:5 - "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord."
	Revelation 11:3-6 - "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire."
	Mark 13:26 - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory."
	Luke 21:27 - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ..."
The beast kills the 2 witnesses/prophets, but they come back to life	Revelation 11:7-12 -"When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.  And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them."	These events appear to occur in Jerusalem.
Painful sores on those with the mark	Revelation 16:2 - "So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and a harmful and painful sore afflicted the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 1st Bowl of Wrath.
Oceans turn to blood, and everything in them dies	Revelation 16:3 - "The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 2nd Bowl of Wrath.
All freshwater is turned to blood	Revelation 16:4 - "Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 3rd Bowl of Wrath.
Sun scorches people with fire and fierce heat	Revelation 16:8-9 - "And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given power to scorch people with fire. And the people were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 4th Bowl of Wrath.
Darkness poured out on the kingdom of the Beast	Revelation 16:10-11 - "And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 5th Bowl of Wrath.
The Euphrates River is dried up.	Revelation 16:12 - "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east."	BOWLS: This is the consequence of the 6th Bowl of Wrath.
A trumpet sounds, and the elect are gathered	Matthew 24:31 - "And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other."	Jesus suggests, not directly but through the chronology that He lays out, this event occurs immediately prior to His 2nd Coming. Paul similarly discusses a gathering of believers in I Thessalonians 4:15-17 - "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." However, the timing of Paul's described gathering is not given clarity in in this scriptural context, and notably in Paul's gathering it seems to be done by Jesus and not by angels. Thus, either there is a post-Tribulation gathering rapture as described by Jesus, or this represents a second gathering of believers (see also Amos 7:1-4)--this time a taking of the believing Jews prior to the Second Coming of Jesus.
	Mark 13:27 - "And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven."
	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."
Second Coming of Jesus Christ and Armageddon
Evil spirits summon the nations to gather them for battle against Jesus Christ at His 2nd Coming.	Revelation 16:13-16 - "And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the entire world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ('Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.') And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon."	Note that this gathering parallels the gathering of the elect as described by Jesus in Matthew 24:31.
Earthquake in Jerusalem	Revelation 11:13 - "And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."	This earthquake is reminiscent of the earthquake that struck Jerusalem following the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27:51-54)--an appropriate precursor to the return of Jesus Christ in power.
Jerusalem is surrounded by armies	Daniel 9:26b - "and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined."	The 10 nation union led by the antichrist will prepare to assault Israel.
	Luke 21:20 - “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.”
The nations gathered against Israel appear to include nations or people groups from areas such as Russia, the "-Stans," Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and perhaps others.	Ezekiel 39:1-6 And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; and I will turn you around, lead you on a rope, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows fall from your right hand. You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and animal of the field. You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord God. “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord. Revelation 19:17-21 - Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.	Gog refers to a nation or people group that is situated north of the Black Sea; Magog is the land of the Sythians, which is situated in Afghanistan and some of the surrounding areas. The prophet, Joel, describes the invasion of Israel to be as destructive as waves of locusts (see Joel 1). The prophet, Amos, also sees the invasion as locust like (see Amos 7:1-7). See also Zechariah 14:2. Note that Ezekiel 38 appears to refer to the battle described in Revelation 20:7-10, which occurs AFTER the millennial reign of Christ--the judgment of which is marked by the raining down of fire on the armies of God and Magog (compare to Ezekiel 38:22). These areas appear to include lands such as Turkey, Russia, Germany, Iran, Arabia and Africa. Conversely, Ezekiel 39 appears to refer to the separate and distinct battle of the nations gathered to war against Christ at His 2nd Coming--Armageddon--and who die at the Word of Christ and whose bodies are given as food to the birds of the air (Ezekiel 3:4-5) (compare to Revelation 19:17-21).
The arrival of the King of Kings	Revelation 19:11-16 - "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'"
The Battle of Armageddon and judgment upon the Beast, the Antichrist and mankind	Revelation 19:17-21 - "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.' And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh."
	2 Thessalonians 2:8 - "Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; ..."

The Bible in a Nutshell

 1.        God created everything, including us. 

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” 

2.         God provided a simple commandment to His newly created man and woman.  God also gave them a warning regarding the consequences of disobedience. 

Genesis 2:16-17  - “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.’” 

[Note: God could have designed people to do only what He wanted people to do--essentially like robots, but instead He instituted commandments--thereby giving people the ability to make choices for themselves.  In so doing, God could see if people would choose to obey Him or to pursue their own desires.]

3.        The very first persons created by God, Adam and Eve, broke the only commandment that God gave to them. 

Genesis 3:6-7 – “When the woman saw that the tree [of the knowledge of good and evil] was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings. 

4.        The first created man and woman suffered the promised consequences for disobedience, including death. 

Genesis 3:17-19 – “Then to Adam He [God] said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat from it”; 

Cursed is the ground because of you;

With hard labor you shall eat from it

All the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;

Yet you shall eat the plants of the field;

By the sweat of your face

You shall eat bread,

Until you return to the ground,

Because from it you were taken;

For you are dust,

And to dust you shall return.’” 

Genesis 3:23 – “Therefore the Lord God sent him [Adam] out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.” 

5.       Thereafter, mankind continued to do evil actions. 

Genesis 6:5 – “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” 

Genesis 6:11 – “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.”  

6.        God decided to judge the entire earth with a flood because it had become so evil and corrupted. 

Genesis 6:6-7 – “So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, ‘I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.’” 

7.        God decided to save 1 righteous man and his family. 

Genesis 6:8, 9b – “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord ….  Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” 

8.        God told Noah to build an ark into which Noah, Noah’s family and 2 of each kind of animal would hide during the flood that God was going to bring on the earth. 

Genesis 6:13-15 – “Then God said to Noah, ‘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. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it ….’”

 Genesis 6:18-20 – “’But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kind, and of the animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.” 

9.        Noah did what God commanded him to do. 

Genesis 6:22 – “So Noah did these things; according to everything that God had commanded him, so he did.” 

Genesis 7:13b-16 – “… Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, they and every animal according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kind, and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, all sorts of birds. So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed the door behind him.” 

10.      Then God brought the flood. 

Genesis 7:17-24 – “Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. So all creatures that moved on the earth perished: birds, livestock, animals, and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. So He wiped out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from mankind to animals, to crawling things, and the birds of the sky, and they were wiped out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. The water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.” 

11.      God decided and declared that He would never again punish mankind and the earth with a flood. 

Genesis 8:21b – “… the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.’” 

Genesis 9:11-17 – “’I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be eliminated by the waters of a flood, nor shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations; I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall serve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I make a cloud appear over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look at it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ And God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.’” 

12.      As people again filled the earth, God began to unfold His plan, which He would reveal in much greater detail later, to provide a way for people to be saved from the judgment that falls on those who break His commandments.  He introduced His plan by delivering it to a single people group—with instructions to distribute it to the world.  The people group would be the nation of Israel, whose ancestor, Abram [later changed by God to “Abraham”], found favor in the eyes of God. 

Genesis 12:1-3 – “Now the Lord said to Abram, 

‘Go from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you;

And I will make you into a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing;

And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” 

13.      Abram did as God instructed, and God provided something very special to Abram—a “credit of righteousness.”  The “credit of righteousness” means that God gave His own righteousness to Abram—making Abram saved from the judgment due to each person because of his or her violations of God’s commandments (“sin”).  

Genesis 15:1-2a – “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, 

‘Do not fear, Abram,

I am a shield to you;

Your reward shall be very great.’ 

But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless ….’” 

Genesis 15:4-6 – “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘… one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Then he believed in the Lord; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” 

[Note that God’s credit of righteousness came to Abram because he believed in the Lord--taking God at His Word; despite the fact that he was an old man, Abram believed that God would indeed give Abram an heir and that heir would turn into innumerable descendants.] 

[Note that this credit of righteousness from God foreshadows God's plan to offer a credit of His righteousness in the future to everyone who believes what God says.]

14.      God later tells Abram [now Abraham] that God’s covenant with Abraham will pass to Abraham’s son, Isaac. 

Genesis 17:19, 21 – “But God said, ‘No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him’ …. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah [Abraham’s wife] will bear to you at this season next year.” 

15.      In a foreshadowing of God’s plan to provide salvation to mankind, God asks Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, on an altar as a burnt offering to God. 

Genesis 22:1-3 – “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’ So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him.” 

Genesis 22:9-18 – “Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’ Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’" 

Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 

[In this event, we see the plan of God unfolded—a picture of what God’s plan would be—a plan whereby God the Father would offer His only son, Jesus, as a sacrifice—one that would atone for the sins of mankind and "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."] 

16.      The blessing and promise of God given to Abraham and transferred to Abraham’s son, Isaac, was, in turn, transferred to Isaac’s son, Jacob, whose name would later be changed by God to Israel. 

            Genesis 27:26-29 – “Then his father Isaac said to him [Jacob], ‘Please come close and kiss me, my son.’  So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, 

‘See, the smell of my son

Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;

Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,

And of the fatness of the earth,

And an abundance of grain and new wine;

May peoples serve you,

And nations bow down to you;

Be master of your brothers,

And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be those who curse you,

And blessed be those who bless you.” 

Genesis 28:13-15 – “Then behold, the Lord was standing above it and said [to Jacob in a dream], ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 

17.      Because of a famine, all of Jacob’s family moved from the land that they inhabited (Canaan) to Egypt—where one of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, had become a prominent leader.

Genesis 46:6-7 – “They also took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.”   

18.      The family of Jacob grew extensively in Egypt—until Egypt decided to enslave and oppress them. 

Exodus 1:8-14 – “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.’ So they appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel. The Egyptians used violence to compel the sons of Israel to labor; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.” 

19.      God decided to rescue the people of Israel from Egypt.  He appointed one man, Moses, to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. 

            Exodus 3:7, 10 – “And the Lord said, ‘I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. …  And now come, and I will send you [Moses] to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.’” 

Exodus 3:13-14 – “Then Moses said to God, ‘Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” Now they may say to me, “What is His name?” What shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘YAHWEH’ [meaning ‘I AM WHO I AM’ or ‘I AM BECAUSE I AM’]; and He said, ‘This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’” 

20.      The Pharaoh of Egypt refused to allow the people of Israel to leave Egypt, so God punished Egypt with plagues. 

Exodus 3:19-20 – “’But I [Yahweh] know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. So I will reach out with My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.’” 

21.      The final plague from God that persuaded the Pharaoh to release the people of Israel was the plague of the death of the first born of every person and every animal in Egypt.  The people of Israel were told to avoid the plague by putting the blood of a spotless lamb on the doorposts of their homes, so that the Angel of Death would pass over them.  

Exodus 12:12-13 – “’For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.’” 

Exodus 12:29-32 – “Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, ‘Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said. Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.’” 

[Note: The salvation of the people of Israel from the Angel of Death who passed over them because of the blood on the doorposts became known as the “Passover,” and God commanded the people of Israel to remember it each year.]

22.      The Israelites accordingly left Egypt and inhabited the wilderness between Egypt and the area that we now know as Israel for 40 years before they entered into their land.  During this time, God gave through Moses a number of commandments for the people of Israel.  The most notable of these commandments are what we refer to today as the Ten Commandments—which were inscribed on stone tablets by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai: 

Exodus 20:1-17 – “Then God spoke all these words, saying, 

                ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

                You shall have no other gods before Me. 

                You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 

                You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 

                Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  For six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your resident who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

                Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you. 

                You shall not murder. 

                You shall not commit adultery. 

                You shall not steal. 

                You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 

                You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’” 

23.      Because the people of Israel were unable to comply with God’s commandments, Yahweh God instituted a tabernacle (like a movable, tent-like temple) and system of sacrifices whereby the death of animals would atone for the sins of the people of Israel. 

Leviticus 16:15-16 – “’Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities.” 

24.      The people of Israel eventually settled into their land (located generally in the modern day area of Israel), and they were led by prophets and kings—the most prominent of which was King David, because he was a man after God’s own heart. 

            1 Samuel 13:14 – [The prophet Samuel to Saul, the first king of Israel, who was king before David] “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 

25.      God made a special promise to King David regarding his descendants: 

2 Samuel 7:12-16 – [The prophet Nathan to King David] “When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 

[Note that the prophecy was two-fold—referring both to David’s son, Solomon, who would eventually become the next King of Israel, and also to a future descendant who would establish David’s house and throne forever—the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.] 

26.      Many of the prophets issued prophecies regarding the coming Messiah--some of which are noted below: 

Isaiah 7:14 – [God to Ahaz, King of Judah (part of the divided kingdom of Israel)] “Then he said, ‘Listen now, house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.’”

[Note that “Immanuel” means “God with us.”] 

Isaiah 53:3-7, 11-12 – “He was despised and abandoned by men,

A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;

And like one from whom people hide their faces,

He was despised, and we had no regard for Him. 

However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,

And our pains that He carried;

Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,

Struck down by God, and humiliated.

But He was pierced for our offenses,

He was crushed for our wrongdoings;

The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,

And by His wounds we are healed.

All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all

To fall on Him. 

He was oppressed and afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth. 

* * * 

As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

For He will bear their wrongdoings.

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the plunder with the strong,

Because He poured out His life unto death,

And was counted with wrongdoers;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the wrongdoers.” 

[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will be harmed by people and thereby take on Himself the punishment of the sins of mankind.] 

Daniel 7:13-14 – “I kept looking in the night visions,

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a son of man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

And to Him was given dominion,

Honor, and a kingdom,

So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.” 

[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will have a powerful and everlasting kingdom over all mankind.] 

Micah 5:2 – “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His times of coming forth are from long ago,

From the days of eternity.” 

[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.] 

[Note: The people of Israel did not understand that the prophets were indicating that the Messiah would both suffer and also rule the world—that He would come to the earth twice: first as a baby and then as the unmistakable King of Kings.  Their confusion regarding the dual purposes and arrivals of the Messiah may have contributed to the failure of the people of Israel to recognize their Messiah when he came first as the baby--born for the purpose of becoming the ultimate sacrifice for mankind--the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.  They were expecting a preeminent king, and when they didn't see that king, they assumed that Jesus was merely an imposter.  Of course, their misunderstanding enabled Jesus to accomplish His first objective--to become their sacrifice.] 

27.      In fulfillment of the prophecies, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, Israel. 

Matthew 2:1-2 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” 

Luke 1:26-38 – “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ But Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” 

28.      At the start of Jesus’ ministry, a prophet who is described (in the 4 books of the Bible known as the Gospels) as the Isaiah prophesied "Voice of one crying out in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord," John the Baptist, who was baptizing many people in Israel, saw Jesus and announced that Jesus was the sacrifice for mankind. 

John 1:29 – “The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” 

29.      During His approximately 3-year ministry, Jesus performed many miracles, including the following:

Luke 5:12-13 [healing a man’s skin disease] – “While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately the leprosy left him."

Luke 5:24b-26 [healing a paralytic] – “He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.’ And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.  And they were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God. They were also filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen remarkable things today!’” 

Matthew 8:23-27 [calming a storm] – “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” 

Matthew 9:20-22 [healing a woman with internal bleeding] – “And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.’ But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, ‘Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.’ And at once the woman was made well."

Matthew 9:32-33 [casting out a demon from a person] “And as they were going out, behold, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him. And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’” 

John 6:8-14 [feeding of a large crowd with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread] – “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people recline to eat.’ Now there was plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted.  And when they had eaten their fill, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’” 

Matthew 14:24-33 [walking on the sea] – “But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’  Peter responded and said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are truly God’s Son!’” 

John 11:38-44 [raising the dead] – “So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Remove the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.’ And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” 

30.      While many of the people in Israel recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the religious leaders in Israel were blinded to who He was and substantially concerned about the admiration the crowds held for Him, and they looked for opportunities to have Jesus killed for blasphemy—claiming to be God. 

John 11:47-48, 53 – “Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, ‘What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.’ … So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.” 

31.      Jesus indeed claimed to be God, and the people of Israel, considering Jesus’ statement to be blasphemy, picked up stones to stone Him—the punishment for blasphemy. 

John 8:58-59 – “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’  Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds. 

[Note: Jesus was claiming to be the person who told Moses that His name is Yahweh (“I AM BECAUSE I AM”) and that He existed even before Abraham—the ancestor of Israel.] 

32.      Jesus explained how people could be saved from eternal judgment and instead be given forgiveness of sins and eternal life—by believing that He was the Son of God and the Lamb who would be given as the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. 

John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” 

33.      Eventually, the religious leaders apprehended Jesus and incited the local Roman leader to have Jesus crucified.

John 19:14-18 – “Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he [Pilate—the Roman leader of the area] said to the Jews, ‘Look, your King!’ So they shouted, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king except Caesar.’ So he [Pilate] then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.”   

34.      Though Jesus was buried in a tomb, which was sealed and guarded, He rose from the dead.

Matthew 25:65-66 – “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.’ And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.” 

Mark 16:1-7 – “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him.  And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?’ And looking up, they noticed that the stone had been rolled away; for it was extremely large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.”’ 

36.      Following His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to His disciples many times, and before He ascended to heaven, He gave a Great Commission to His disciples to tell the world about Jesus. 

Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” 

37.      Following His command, Jesus' followers spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and they wrote many letters to churches and followers of Jesus, and those letters now comprise a significant portion of the New Testament--read by people around the world—thus fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission.  Their message is to urge everyone to believe and acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, that Jesus died for us, and that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. 

Acts 10:42-43 [Peter, a close disciple of Jesus, to a non-Jew and his family] – “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 

Romans 10:9-10 [Paul, a special Apostle of Jesus, to churches in Rome] – “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” 

Ephesians 2:8-9  [Paul to the church in Ephesus] – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

1 Peter 1:7-9 [Peter to some Christians in Eastern Europe and Asia] – “So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 

1 Peter 1:18-21 – “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.  For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 

1 John 3:23 [believed to be the John who was a disciple of Jesus to those who believe in Jesus] – “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” 

38.      Jesus is coming again—this time as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will reign on Earth as such for 1,000 years. 

Revelation 19:11-16 [a prophecy of John, a disciple of Jesus] – “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’” 

Revelation 20:4 – “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” 

39.      After Jesus’ earthly reign of 1,000 years, He will execute a final judgment on everyone.

Revelation 20:11-15 – “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 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.”

40.       For those who have placed their faith and belief in Jesus, having been thereby forgiven of their sins, they will someday see their final reward of eternal life with God in Heaven.

Revelation 21:1-6 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost.’” 

Revelation 22:12-13 – “’Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’” 

In view of God’s written expression of His great plan for mankind, as summarized here, the invitation of God to you is to believe in Jesus Christ.  If you want to accept the invitation of God, here is a prayer that you can pray to God—acknowledging your belief in Jesus: 

“Dear God, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died to take away the sin of the world—including my sin.  Right now in this moment, I place my faith and trust in Him.  I believe that He will forgive all my sin and give me eternal life with Him.” 

If you sincerely said that prayer to God, congratulations! Your sins have been forgiven by God, and you have become "saved" from the wrath of God!  You are promised eternal life with God!  The Bible explains that the Spirit of God will now seal you and dwell in you.  As a new follower of Jesus, you are encouraged to read the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see what Jesus asked His followers to do, and then help to spread the good news of Jesus to others that you know so that even more people can come to know Him.

Reinstituting the Tabernacle Sacrifices in the City of David

Israel’s conducting of the sacrifices as mandated by G-d ceased with the destruction by the Romans of the Temple in 70 A.D. (See https://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm). It was and has continued to be believed that it is improper to conduct sacrifices without the Temple.  While perfectly understandable from the perspective of Evangelical Christians, who believe the declaration of John the Baptist that Jesus is “the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)—eliminating the need for sacrifice until the time of the Millennial reign of the Messiah (Revelation 20:4) when the next Temple will accommodate G-d’s program of sacrifice (Ezekiel 40-48), G-d’s mandate for sacrifice is unconditional and does not require a temple.  Accordingly, the Kohanim should immediately reinstitute the sacrifice system in Israel. 

1.      In connection with G-d’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses, He declared: “You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.  If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.” Exodus 20:24-25. The mandate was unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

2.      In Exodus 12:14 we see that G-d instituted the Passover sacrifice—an event that was to be celebrated “as a feast to Y—H; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.” In Exodus 34:25 we see that was to be conducted annually.  Again, this mandate is unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

3.      The Tabernacle sacrifices were instituted later: 

* Exodus 29 – Records the sacrifices associated with the Tabernacle.

* Leviticus 3, 4, 7, 10, 17, 22 – G-d provides details regarding the Tabernacle sacrifices.

* Leviticus 9 – The Tabernacle sacrifices begin--in a tabernacle structure--not a temple.

4.      With regard to the place of the sacrifices, in Deuteronomy 12:5-6 Moses declared, “But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.”  Here again is another unconditional mandate, and notably there is no requirement that the sacrifices be conducted in a temple.  G-d reiterated many times that the sacrifices were to be conducted in the place where He chooses for His Name to dwell.  See Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 12:13-14, 12:17-18, 16:2 and 16:5-6. 

5.      Where is the place that G-d chose? 

a.  Mount Ebal - Deuteronomy 27:2-7 & Joshua 8:31 - Specifically declared 

b.  Shiloh - Jeremiah 7:12 - Where Eli and Samuel resided

c.  Ramah - 1 Samuel 7:15-17 - Not directed expressly; however, Samuel offered sacrifices there, and it is unlikely that Samuel would have done so without authorization from G-d.

d.  In Jerusalem - 2 Chronicles 6:6 – “I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there.”

e.  Very specifically, in the Tabernacle of David in the City of David in Jerusalem – Not directly mandated; however, it appears to have been accepted by G-d: 

o   “So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts” (2 Samuel 6:17-18; see also 1 Chronicles 16:1). 

§  Note that David’s decision is highly likely to have been guided by the Spirit of G-d. 

o   I Samuel 16:13 – “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah” (emphasis added). 

o   Psalm 27:6b – (a Psalm of David) –“… And I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Y—H.” 

o   Psalm 76:2 – (a Psalm of Asaph) – “His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion.” 

§  2 Samuel 5:7 – “Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” 

§  Isaiah 40:9-10 – “Go up on a high mountain, Zion, messenger of good news, Raise your voice forcefully, Jerusalem, messenger of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His compensation is with Him, And His reward before Him.” 

f.  Note that for some unknown reason, Solomon offered sacrifices to G-d in Gibeon (about 5 miles north of the Temple Mount), before he built the First Temple - 1 Kings 3:2-5 - apparently accepted by G-d, because G-d spoke favorably to Solomon after this offering.

g.  Later, the Ark of the Covenant is moved under the direction of Solomon from the City of David to the Temple Mount and into the Temple that Solomon had built, using the plans of his father, King David: 

o   1 Kings 8:1 – “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion.” 

o   I Kings 8:62-64 – “Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.  On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.” 

o   There is no question that this relocation was significant, considering that after placing the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple, “[a]nd it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”  1 Kings 8:10-11. 

6.      Note that it was David’s idea to build a temple in the first place. 2 Samuel 7.  G-d even said to Nathan that a temple was not what G-d requested, 2 Samuel 7:7, but He informed David that one of David’s descendants would build a temple. 2 Samuel 7:13 (a prophetic passage--looking forward to the Messiah yet simultaneously indicating that Solomon would build the Temple). 

7.      Note, too, that Solomon built the First Temple—probably at the Temple Mount area—not because of G-d’s instruction, but because of Solomon’s decision (although perhaps guided by G-d). 1 Kings 8. 2 Chronicles 6:19-20. 

8.      The Messiah will rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David. See Acts 15, Amos 9:11-12.  This Tabernacle of David appears to be distinct from the Temple as described by Ezekiel where sacrifices will be conducted (see Ezekiel 40-48). 

Thus, considering the relevant passages of Scripture, it is clear that G-d's mandate for sacrifices is unconditional, and the place ordered by G-d for His Name to dwell is Jerusalem.  King David’s decision to place the Ark of the Covenant and conduct sacrifices at the area of Mount Zion and the City of David was not objected to by G-d, may indeed have been guided by G-d, and is foretold by the prophet, Isaiah.  Since Israel has significant control over this area, action should be taken immediately by the Kohanim to reinstitute the sacrifice system in the area of Mount Zion and the City of David.

If G-d wants Ezekiel's temple (the likely 3rd temple design) (Ezekiel 40-48) to be constructed on the Temple Mount, He will sovereignly clear the way for this to occur.  However, until that happens, there is no reason to delay the implementation of the mandate of sacrifice, given from the Almighty Creator and Sovereign of the Universe.