ESCHATOLOGY on Our Horizon

​Now that we have a prophecy superstructure erected and have confidence that the yet unfulfilled prophecies described in scripture will indeed occur, let’s look at some you may have heard of, and others of importance you may not be familiar with.
 
The ‘End Times or Last Days’ events, characters, and plots/subplots most people know at least by label are; the Rapture, the Antichrist (666), the Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ and perhaps, the Third Jewish Temple.
 
For readers who want the abridged version of the most important scenarios or knowledge, we merely need to heed the words of Jesus himself where he describes the End Times in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 24. In this chapter Jesus was asked, “what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” He answered with descriptive statements for everyone listening, both then & now. How many of these do you recognize?
 
Starting in verse four (4) Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. (‘Fake News’ purveyors?)
(5)  For many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am the Messiah,’ and yet will deceive many.
(priest, pastor, pope?)
(6) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,
(7) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (ethnic group v. ethnic group)
There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
(9) Many will be persecuted and put to death, and [Israel] will be hated by all nations.
(10) Many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, (Capitol Hill Insurrection, Jan 6, 2021) 
(11) Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (TV evangelists/preachers)
(12) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, (blatant and demonstrative racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia)
(14) the Gospel (of Christ) will be preached across the whole world as a testimony to all nations
(internet and access to media)
Jesus tells us, “These are beginning of ‘Labor Pains’”      
[or, escalating preparations for his ‘re-birth’/re-appearance (“Second Coming”) of Christ.
 
This next group of statements pertain to the pivotal tribulation midpoint and “Great Tribulation” years of turmoil, death, and destruction before His Second Coming.
(15) When you see standing in the holy place (the Third Jewish Temple) “the abomination that causes desolation’ (the Antichrist and/or his image)
(16) Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
(21) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
(24) For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (carnal Christians/messianic Jews)
 
The following statements share information about Jesus’ Second Coming, or “Re-Appearance of Christ” (after the End Times labor pains);
(29) Immediately after the distress of those days (the ‘Great Tribulation’ days- final 3.5 years) “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
(30) “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
(31) And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
(33) Even so, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, right at the door.
(34) This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened
(“This Generation” refers to those born in and after 1948)
 
These statements refer to the “Rapture”
(36) But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
(37) As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
(38) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
(39) and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
(40) Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
(41) Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
(42) Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
 
It is important to note these are not in a chronological order of occurrence. For this reason, it is imperative believers be familiar overall with the events and their potential fallout affects, not the specific order transcribed in Matthew 24.
We have briefly touched on prophecy in general and End Times prophecy specifics as told by Jesus, but what about End Times event precursors in evidence right now? We hear, see, and read news headlines on a daily, sometimes hourly basis as our world events unfold. How can we look deeper to identify those foretold to us in prophecy that are occurring as we watch? Let’s look at these categorically so the mix of events and their prophetic importance is not lost in a complex shuffle of their appearance.
 
Join me for Part 3, when we look at what our own daily news headlines reveal about our future.