End Time Study - Section 2, Part 1
Bible Study 2
Part 1
The END Time Outline given to us by Jesus:
Matthew 24 and Revelation 6
The 7 Seals on Revelation's Scroll
and Jesus’ words to his followers match up perfectly!
But First…
A quick word about the scroll and the 7 seals that keep it closed. Scrolls were the books and important documents
of Jesus’ day. Seals of clay were adhered to the outside edge or binding cords and signified the persons and/or conditions
that were to be present for the document to be legally opened. We believe the scroll contains the Trumpet Judgments.
All 7 Seals must be broken (fulfilled) before The Scroll is opened
and God’s wrath pours out on all that is evil.
So, what is this scroll and where is it? In chapter 5 of Revelation, we're shown what will happen in the End time. In the throne room of heaven, Jesus will one day receive The Scroll of judgment from his Father. He alone is worthy to open it because he crushed the serpent’s (Satan's) head (Gen 3:14,15; Col 2:15). He sacrificed his life on the cross to pay our debt of sin and, by rising from the grave, ransomed people from every tribe and language, bringing them out of the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light. (Rev 5:7-14) Col 1:13,14 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” One day, when Jesus takes the scroll from His Father, praise will start at the throne and pour out on all creation to awaken hearts around the world. This Shout of Spirit-led worship will be a call to salvation for all people. Each person must choose whom they trust : Jesus or Satan.
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and
on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" Rev 5:13.
We believe this shout will start the final 7 years!
The Backstory...
You see, Christ came the first time to take back the authority that Adam and Eve gave over to Satan when they obeyed him, rather than God. Adam and Eve exchanged their birthright of life for the curse of death! (Genesis 3:1) Romans 6:16 "Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?" Jesus, the Son of God, took that curse on himself and died in our place. He rose again from the grave with the keys of death in his hand and invites us into eternal life through him. (Rev 1:17-18) Jesus "suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man (Adam), death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Hebrews 2:8,9,14,15. Have you received his gift of life? John 8:31.32,36 Jesus says to those who believe Him: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
So now...
When we believe Jesus, confessing our sins and receiving his forgiveness, we are made new and given authority to fight evil with love and power. Ask Jesus to teach you how to use His authority. “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority.” Titus 2:15 In the following verses, we see that the real battle is in the unseen realm. Faith helps us to see the fiery darts of Satan: his lies that feed our pride and our doubts or fears. These lies turn into strongholds that we have authority to tear down in our own lives and in the lives around us. You can pray: “I stand in the authority of Jesus Christ my Lord and I command every lie to come down in Jesus’ name. I pull down the strongholds of pride and doubts and command humility and truth to flood in. I take every thought captive so that ____’s mind will be transformed, and think Christ’s thoughts. I thank you Lord for the victory. Amen.” "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but...against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10ff "...in truthful speech and in the power of God...we destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:6; 10:4-5 (GNT) "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword..." Hebrews 4:12 We are made alive with Christ and now have His a_______ and power to resist Satan, “the god of this world”, and help bring people out of his kingdom of darkness into Christ’s kingdom of l_____ (Acts 26:18; Eph 6:10-18). Satan fights this and tries to intimidate believers, but “greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world.” "Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings." 1 John 4:4; Peter 5:8-9 We are to be a______ and r______ Satan.
How do we resist Satan?
We resist him by not accepting every thought that comes our way.
If it doesn’t line up with God’s truth, reject it and immediately declare the truth
by praising God in a worship song or Bible verse.
Do life God’s way and Satan will flee.
Read James 4:6,7.
And then, one day...
All creation will shout praise to Jesus and the final 7 years will begin. We believe the Satan-filled Antichrist will claim that praise for himself and deceive people into thinking he is their savior (Seal 1). He will promise peace, do miracles and be the world leader people are looking for. We will then experience the next 4 Seals (events) on the Revelation Scroll. We are not whisked away, but are left here to be lights shining in a dark world, leading people to God. Before God's wrath falls, Jesus will take those who love him out of this world at His second coming (Seal 6) and immediately usher in the Day of God’s Judgments (Seal 7: Silence before judgment, as the Scroll is opened). After we leave, God pours out his wrath on all evil (Isaiah 34:1-10) and the remnant of Israel will repent and be saved. (Heb 8:10,11,12).
We will reign with Jesus on a renewed earth for 1000 years and for eternity in a new heaven and earth with no more death, sickness or pain! 2 Peter 3:13 "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." (Rev 16:10-11; 20:1-10)
Study on,
so you will know the truth
The Bible warns us: "...the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
The 7 Seals on the Revelation Scroll
The 7 Seals on Revelation's Scroll
and Jesus’ words to his followers, match up perfectly.
He is preparing us for the last 7 years of the world as we know it now!
NOTE: Fill in the blanks verbally, or keep a notebook, to help cement the facts in your heart and mind.
ANTICHRIST :
Seal 1 and Matthew 24:4,5,24,25
The final Antichrist is the False Messiah. He will oppose Jesus and seek to replace Christ and mislead many.
Revelation 6:1.2 “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.“ He may appear as a great leader at first. 2 Cor. 11:14,15 “...for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 1 Thes. 5:3,4 “While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” Rev. 13:3,8,10 “The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life…This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” Matthew 24:4,5 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. For *false Christs...will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the **elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you (disciples/church) ahead of time…” Note that the “elect” will see the Antichrist (2 Thes 2:1-3 ). * We will learn more about Antichrist in just a bit
But, who are the elect, according to 1 Peter 1:1,2? How are the **elect described? __________ 1 PETER 1:1,2 “To God's **elect, strangers in the world...chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.” True believers (the church) are God's elect. Paul, called the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote in 2 Timothy 2:10 "Therefore I endure all things for the **elects’ sake…” The Greek word is translated as 'chosen"... Nowhere in the New Testament does the Greek, "eklektos" refer to only Israel.
WAR, FAMINE, DEATH :
Seals 2, 3, 4a and Matthew 24:6-8
Jesus continues to outline the events of the last seven years. He says that they’re like birth pains that start small and end in intense, final contractions. These events lead up to a 'birth' - our deliverance in the rapture!
Revelation 6:3-8 “When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other (war). To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (famine) When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts (or the Beast) of the earth.” Matthew 24:6-8 Jesus said “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (2 Cor. 5:1; Romans 8:22,23 ) Luke 21:11 (Amplified Bible) "There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven. ." Things will get difficult as the ‘birth pains’ of war and famine and disease increase in intensity, leading to many deaths. Jesus told us to not be alarmed or deceived. Just as a woman’s labor has a definite end and result, so too, these events have a definite end and result.
Why do you think Jesus used birthing terms to describe the events of the end? __________________________________. Jesus told us to not be alarmed. He foretold these things so we know he has a plan that has a great ending! John 14:27 “My peace I give to you…do not be afraid.” What can keep you calm?
a. Sing Praise Songs b. Study the Bible with friends c. Take a nice deep breath and talk to God throughout the day
Jesus implores us to have him as our foundation: Know God’s Word, obey it and trust God. We will be given opportunities to lift others out of the sinking sand of fear and to Christ the Solid Rock. (Matt. 7:24). Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
MARTYRS :
SEALS 4b,5 and Matthew 24:15,21,22
At the midpoint of these final 7 years,
the Antichrist will demand full obedience to himself.
Anyone resisting the Antichrist will be sought out for destruction. Jesus calls this time period the Great Tribulation. But Satan will not be able to kill us until God is ready to bring us to heaven. Revelation 6:9 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained (martyrs). 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of ... their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. Matthew 24:15,21,22 "...when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (man of lawlessness declaring himself to be God, the Beast revealed) ... then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be again.” Luke 21:15-19 "...I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. Stand firm, and you will win life. " 2 Thes 2:1,3 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him...that day will not come until ...the man of lawlessness is revealed.” Halfway through Seal 4 (Death), martyrs slain for their faith will become increasingly common as the Antichrist’s true nature is revealed.This is called the great tribulation/squeezing. (Mark 8:34-38) Only those with genuine faith will stand firm. How will we persevere and not be fooled?
Know and practice these truths so you can endure and not be deceived
“...the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” JOHN 14:26
2 TIM 3:12-14
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived… continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of…”
JAMES 1:21,22
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and
humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you...Do what it says.”
1 PETER 3: 8,9,14,-17
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 4:7,13,17 “...rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. The end of all things is near.” Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” 5:10,11 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast... for ever and ever. Amen.”
JOHN 16:33
Jesus said: “I’ve told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
HEB 12:1-3
“...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart…” 12:6,11 “...the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” 13:5,6 Be “content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.”
MATT 24:25-27
“See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (obvious and in the sky).”
Know and practice these truths so that you stand strong and victorious now
and in the Great Tribulation!
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When is the Great Tribulation and What will happen?