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Potential End Times Timeline

 

 

On God’s plan for Israel. 

 

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob.  And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."  As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the Patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.  Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.  Rom. 11: 25-28

 

Note:  All verses referenced herein should be read within the context of the surrounding scriptures.  Emphasis should be placed on signs over dates.  Trends should be interpreted within the context of signs.

 

 

Approach of the End Times

 

 

Historic events that point to the approach of the Last Days

 

 

*  Rise of nation states (end of 5,000+ years of empires & colonialism - especially in Europe, the Middle East, and around the Mediterranean Sea?)  [20th Century]  Dan. 2: 40-45 

 

(Note:  Of the world's 192 nations, 145 gained independence in the 20th Century, [CIA World Factbook – cia.gov] 30 gained independence since 1990 [geography.about.com/cs/countries/a/newcountries.htm])

 

*  Return of Israel to the Promised Land [1948]  Ezek. 36: 17-25 (God always delivers on His promises); Isa. 11: 10-16 (Israel in the Millennial Kingdom); Isa. 66: 7-10 (created with suddenness); Ezek. 38 & 39, Dan. 9: 26, Mat. 24:15-17, II Thes. 2: 4, Rev. 11: 1-13 (implied by places & future events described) 

 

Notes: 

1. The ingathering of the Jewish nation will not be completed until after the Tribulation [Isa. 11: 11-16, Ezek. 37: 16-28, Zech. 10: 6-12, Rev. 7: 4-8] when all 12 tribes will occupy Greater Israel – the land originally promised to Abraham by God – 'from the river of Egypt [Nile River?] to the great river, the Euphrates' [in eastern Syria and Iraq].  Gen. 15: 17-21  2. 2. During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israeli forces advanced to within 60 miles of Cairo [on the Nile] and to within 25 miles [artillery range] of Damascus [in Syria], before agreeing to a cease-fire and withdrawal [MSN Encarta Encyclopedia - encarta.msn.com.]

 

*  Israel hated by surrounding nations (Rev. 12) & considered an obstacle to world peace  Zech. 12: 2-3

 

Note:  Since its creation in 1948, Israel has been involved in 10 wars with its Arab neighbors [Wikapedia.com – search 'Arab-Israeli conflict']

 

*  Israel takes back Jerusalem from the Gentiles  [1967]  Luke 21:24 (implied) 

 

Note:  During the 6 Day War of 1967, Israeli forces occupied Jerusalem, unifying the city under Jewish sovereignty for the first time in over 2,000 years [Jewish Virtual Library - jewishvirtuallibrary.org]

 

*  Rise of federations - & of confederations as a new form of empire?  (Russian Federation; NATO; European Union [europa.eu.int/] & Arab League [arableagueonline.org/] in loose confederation as the Revived Roman Empire? [Euro-Mediterranean Partnership - europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/]; etc.)  Dan. 2: 40-45, Rev. 13: 1-4, Rev. 17: 7-15 

 

Note:  At no time since Babel has an empire formed through a voluntary union of peoples (Gen. 11: 1-9).  All subsequent empires formed primarily through military conquests.  The European Union could become a modern-day 'empire of the willing' – the first since Babel.

 

*  Rise of apostasy, false prophets, & persecutions  Mat. 24: 9-12, II Thes. 2: 1-3

 

*  Gospel preached globally (missionaries, radio, television, internet, & mass print?)  Mat. 24: 14, Rev. 14: 6-7

 

*  Increases in knowledge, travel, & understanding of the End Times prophecies  Dan 12: 4 & 9, Acts 2: 17-21 

 

*  Disbelief in the End Times prophecies  Mat. 24: 37-39, I Thes. 5: 3-4; II Peter 3: 3

 

*  Increases in unnatural affections & hatreds  Mat. 24: 12, II Tim. 3: 1-5, Rev. 13: 5-18

 

*  Increases in apostate Christianity and apostate churches  II Tim. 3: 5, II Tim. 4: 3-4, Jude 1: 17-19 

 

Note:  85% of Americans claim a 'Christian preference' in religion, while 45% attend church services regularly.  Only 30% affirm that they have a commitment to Christ that is important to them today & acknowledge that they know they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior.  Statistics based on surveys & research conducted by the North American Mission Board [namb.net] & The Barna Group [barna.org]

 

*  Signs & wonders in the sky (modern knowledge of asteroids, & of their potential destructiveness?)  Luke 21: 25 

 

Note:  The first asteroid discovered was Ceres, in 1801; by 1980 scientist recognized that an asteroid strike might have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs; in 1981 the first conference was held on the hazards due to comets and asteroids [The Spacewatch Project, University of Arizona spacewatch.lpl.arizona.edu/arsw.html]

 

 

Current / near-future events?  (2005 & beyond)

 

(Note:  Significant deviations from this suggested pattern of future events might require additional analysis of events leading up to the Tribulation.)

 

 

*  America withdraws from Middle East entanglements and becomes preoccupied with its own problems - increasing national debt, oil shortages, declining economy, collapse of social security, terrorism at home, illegal aliens, etc. 

 

Notes: 

1. America is not mentioned in the bible, & it may not feature prominently in the events of End Times prophecy – I hope 

2. America may soon enter a cyclical period of crisis that could end with the nation weakened [William Strauss & Neil Howe The Fourth Turning, an American Prophecy Broadway Books 1998]

 

*  Iraq splits into Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish autonomous areas – political base of the Anti-Christ?  Dan 7: 3-8, Rev. 13: 2 & 17: 16-17  

 

Notes: 

Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli Kirkuk: Between Kurdish Separatism and Iraqi Federalism 3/31/05 No.215 Middle East Media Research Institute [memri.org]

Peter W. Galbraith As Iraqis Celebrate, the Kurds Hesitate The New York Times 2/1/05 [also reported in the Kurdistan Observer – [KurdistanObserver.com]

Thanassis Cambanis Fractured Iraq sees a Sunni call to arms Boston Globe 3/27/05

 

*  European Union (EU) & Arab League (AL) work to stabilize the Middle East - Nebuchadnezzar’s image, with feet of iron & clay?  Dan. 2: 41-43 

 

*  Islamist influence in Europe grows as Muslims populate Europe & oil prices soar?  Rise of Eurabia

 

Notes:

Robert Spencer The Rise of "Eurabia" FrontPageMagazine.com 3/18/04, 

Bat Ye’or European Fears of the Gathering Jihad FrontPageMagazine.com 2/21/03, 

Niall Ferguson Eurabia? New York Times 4/4/04

 

*  Israel partners with this expanding Euro-Arab confederacy, distancing itself from America & seeking a closer relationship with Europe, as America's regional/global influence wanes?  Dan. 9: 27 

 

Notes:

NATO update 2/23/05 NATO Secretary General visits Israel to discuss greater cooperation [nato.int]

European Union, External Relations, Israel [europa.eu.int]

Martin Walker Analysis: Israel weighing EU membership United Press International 5/21/2003

Foreign Ministry warns Israel, Europe on collision course  Haaretz Service and the Associated Press 10/13/04 [haaretz.com]

 

*  Asian nations compete with the West for resources – rise of the kings of the east?  Rev. 16: 12 

 

Notes:

India And China: Oil-Patch Partners? BusinessWeek Online 2/7/05 [businessweek.com]

China, India seek cooperation in global oil quest Reuters 4/11/05

 

*  Emergence of Russia, in alliance with other nations, as a global power – Gog/Magog?  Ezek.  38-39, Isa. 66: 18-19  

 

Notes:

Paul M. Kennedy Watch Out for the BRICs - Will Brazil, Russia, India, China Be Superpower? The Seoul Times 4/27/05

F. William Engdahl Running into a ‘BRIC wall’ with Eurasia? Energy Bulletin 1/7/05 [energybulletin.net]

 

*  Russia develops alliances in the Middle East 

 

Notes:

Putin reassures Israel over Iran BBC News 4/23/05

Putin wants Moscow Mideast talks CNN 4/27/05 [cnn.com]

Hisham Abu Taha  Missile Sale to Syria Is No Threat to Israel, Says Putin Aljazeerah 4/23/05 [aljazeerah.info/]

Lyuba Pronina Russia Says It's Ready to Arm Saudi Arabia The Moscow Times 2/10/05 [themoscowtimes.com]

Saudi leader's visit to Russia brings key oil accord, closer ties Center for Defense Information #10 - RW 272 9/4/03 [cdi.org]

 

*  Rise of Messianic Judaism, especially in Israel –  the 144,000  tribulation servants?  Rev. 7 (implied by future events described) 

 

Notes: 

1.  U.S has ~ 100,000 Messianic Jews & 200+ Messianic congregations.  Israel has ~ 50 Messianic congregations.  Additional Messianic congregations exist in other countries  [Religioustolerance.org ])

 

Larry Derfner & Ksenia Svetlova Messianic Jews in Israel claim 10,000 The Jerusalem Post  4/28/05 [jpost.com]

Messianic Jewish web pages: Shalach Ministries [shalach.org/], Jews for Jesus [jewsforjesus.org], etc.

 

 

Rise of the Anti-Christ & False Prophet. 

Dan. 7 & 8, Rev. 13 & 17

 

 

*  From 1 of the 10 tribes of Israel settled by the Assyrians in the lands of the Medes - modern day Kurdistan?  Little horn that subdues 3 horns: (Turkey, Syria, Iran after Kurdistan gains independence upon break-up of Iraq?)  Leopard (Empire of Grecia), bear (Empire of Media), & lion (Empire of Babylon) – geography of the easternmost reaches of the Roman Empire – modern Lebanon, Syria & Iraq.  Dan 7: 3-8, Rev. 13: 2 & 17: 16-17 

 

Note:  Ancient Jewish & Christian historians placed the 10 tribes of Israel in the Mountains of Medea, east of the Euphrates, in the regions of N. Iraq, N. Iran, N. Afghanistan, & Central Asia [Grant R. Jeffery The Coming Judgment of the Nations – Bantam edition 1994]

 

*  The next Pan-Arabic or Pan-Muslim leader, or khilafah?

 

Notes:

National Intelligence Council Mapping the Global Future 12/04, Fictional Scenario: A New Caliphate [cia.gov]

 

Khilafah.com – 'what is the khilafah?'

The Heritage Foundation [heritage.org/] – word search 'khilafah')

 

Note:  Scripture suggests that Eurabia may be the 7th empire to have dealings with Israel as a sovereign nation (Nebchadnezzar's feet of iron & clay) and that Anti-Christ's kingdom will be the 8th (Rev. 17: 9-13).  If Eurabia is the 'Revived Roman Empire', then Anti-Christ most likely will not be its leader, but the leader of a separate 10-nation confederation.

 

*  Anti-Christ becomes the leader of all or part of the Arab League (AL)?  (10 kings who give their authority to Anti-Christ?) Rev. 17: 10-14, 16-17

 

*  Anti-Christ gains great influence in the West (EU) & in the Middle East (Rev. 13: 1-2), extends influence throughout the world (Rev. 13: 3-4), & ushers in a period of temporary peace & prosperity.  Mat. 24: 37- 39, I Thes. 5:3 (based on free-flowing, but expensive, oil?)

 

Note:  By 2024, the Middle East will supply 2/3 of oil on global market [National Geographic 6/04] & have 85%+ of global oil reserves [Institute For Analysis of Global Security - iags.org]

 

 

Seven Year Tribulation

 

 

Anti-Christ & False Prophet make a 7-year security alliance with Israel. 

Dan. 9: 27

 

 

*  Jerusalem internationalized?  (Outer courts of the temple given over to the Gentiles)  Rev. 11: 1-2 

 

Note:  In 1947, the United Nations suggested internationalizing Jerusalem as part of the partitioning of Palestine – Untied Nations [un.org/Depts/dpa/ngo/history.html]

 

*  Anti-Christ & False Prophet establish a new world order (based on Middle East oil & economic union between European & Arab nations [Eurabia?] ) & a new/old religion (demagoguery & demon worship), & begin to pressure the faithful (Jew, Christian & Muslim?)  Rev. 13: 11-18

 

*  Secular Israel grows wealthy at the center of world political, economic & religious commerce? (Mystery Babylon?), & trades with Persian Gulf States?  Ezek. 38: 12-13

 

*  Mystery Babylon: Secular/apostate Judaism, centered in Jerusalem - the harlot who rides the 7 empires (the 7-headed beast) with whom she fornicates: 1. Egypt,  2. Assyria, 3. Babylon, 4. Persia, 5. Grecia, 6. Rome, (Church Age: Israel dispersed & the Church does God's work – the Mystery of God, hidden from the Jewish prophets.  [Rom. 11, Col. 1: 25-27]) & 7. EU/AL alliance? (after God gathers a part of Israel back into the Promised Land)  Mat. 23: 29- 39, Rev. 17 & 18 (in retrospect),  Isa. 1: 21, Jer. 2 & 3, Ezek 16 (archetype), Hos. (all), Zech. 5: 5-11

 

 

Gog-Magog war

 

 

*  Gog and allies (Turkey [?], Russia [?] Sudan [ancient Ethiopia], Libya, Iran [ancient Persia], Central Asian nations [?] etc.) attack Israel, which has been 'gathered out of many people' & 'at rest, dwelling in safety' in 'unwalled cities' (Ezek.  38-39, Isa. 66: 18-19), taking the AL (Saudi Arabia = ancient Sheba & Dedan?) & EU (Britain &/or Spain = ancient Tarshish?) by surprise.  Ezek. 38: 13

 

*  Gog attacked by God (earthquake, thunder, disease, torrential rain, hail, fire, brimstone) & driven into the mountains of Israel, before reaching Jerusalem, & fire rains down on allied nations.  Terror & panic grip Gog's armies, which attack each other.  Gog, & 85% of Gog's forces, are destroyed in the mountains of Israel.  Ezek 38: 19-22, & 39: 1-6; Zech. 12: 1-9

 

*  Many Israelis turn to God, recognizing His hand in Gog's defeat (Ezek. 39;  Zech. 12: 10) as Israel cleans up the war debris (Ezek 39) & rebuilds the Temple n Jerusalem?  Dan. 12: 11, Mat. 24: 15, Mark 13: 14 II Thes. 2: 3-4 (implied)

 

*  Anti-Christ & False Prophet to take credit for Gog's defeat, deceiving many Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc.  Rev. 13: 12-14  

 

Notes: 

1.  Jewish, Muslim, & even Christian beliefs about the Messiah are varied, to include denial of the Messiah's divinity or that Jesus is the Christ, allowing Anti-Christ and the False Prophet to deceive of many.  [II Cor. 11: 13-15, II Thes. 2: 9-12, Rev. 19:20] 

 

2.  See also: jewishencyclopedia.com - word search 'Armilus'; wikipedia.org/ & answers.com – word search 'Christian eschatology', 'Jewish eschatology' & 'Islamic eschatology'

 

 

First 3 1/2 years

The Church is tested

 

 

*  Persecution of the Faithful Church  Mat. 24: 9-14, Rev. 6: 7-11, Rev. 7: 13-17, Rev. 10: 1-7, Rev. 13: 9-10, Rev. 14: 13)  Many are enticed away from the faith by Anti-Christ's deceptions, or abandon the faith to avoid persecution.  Many who remain faithful are imprisoned &/or killed.   

 

Note:  Christ's parable of the 10 virgins, 5 foolish [without extra oil] and 5 wise [with extra oil], might suggest that Christians today should prepare themselves against the possibility that they may have to endure Tribulation persecutions.  Mat. 25: 1-13

 

*  2 Witnesses prophesy in apostate Jerusalem for 1,260 days.  Rev. 11: 3-11  (Moses & Elijah? Faithful Church & Faithful Jews?)  The two olive trees (Rev. 11: 4).  Israel and the grafted Church?  (Rom. 11: 11-24)

 

*  1st 4 Trumpets:  (1.)  Hail & fire destroys 1/3 of vegetation (meteoroids?)  (2.)  Mountain of fire (asteroid?) fouls 1/3 of ‘the sea’ (Western Mediterranean?), & destroys 1/3 of life in the sea, & 1/3 of ships on the sea  (3.)  1/3 of fresh waters poisoned, & many die drinking this water (acid rain fallout from the asteroid strike?)  (4.)  1/3 of light of sun, moon & stars dimmed (global dust clouds?) Rev. 8: 7-13  (Also Mat. 24: 29, Mark 13: 24-25, Luke 21: 25)

 

*  5th Trumpet: (1st Woe)  Satan cast to earth & opens the bottomless pit, unleashing smoke & darkness (super-volcanic eruption in Yellowstone, Indonesia, etc.?).  Abaddon the destroyer, & many demons, released from hell, & torment unbelievers for 5 months.  Rev. 9: 1-12

*  6th Trumpet: (2nd Woe) Release of the 4 angels bound in the Euphrates River (Kurdistan [Kurds], Turkey [Turkmen], Syria [Arabs] & Iraq [Arabs & Persians]?) - attack of 200,000,000 warriors who will, by the end of the tribulation, kill 1/3 of humanity (biological, chemical  & nuclear weapons?)  Rev. 9: 13-19

 

Notes:

1.  Oceans, lakes & rivers often represent nations & peoples in bible prophecy 

2.  Military manpower of Anti-Christ's kingdom & allies [AL & EU] in 2004: 180 million+ [men aged 15-49: CIA World Fact Book '04 – cia.gov] 

3.  Control of Russian, Iranian & Central Asian oil & gas resources would give Anti-Christ control of most of the world's oil & gas reserves & production capacity)

 

*  2 Witnesses killed in Jerusalem (which is likened unto Sodom & Egypt) by the beast from the bottomless pit (Abaddon, - released in the 5th Trumpet plague?) & resurrected 3 days later (at the 7th Trumpet?)  Rev. 11: 7-11

 

*  7th, & last, Trumpet: (3rd Woe) Rev. 11: 15-19  Mystery of God accomplished? (Rev. 10: 7)  Resurrection of the dead in Christ? (1Cor. 15: 20-24 & 51-53)  Rapture of the Church? (Mat. 24: 31, I Thes. 4: 15-17; Rev. 15: 2-5)  Resurrection of the 2 Witnesses? (Rev. 11: 11-12)  Holy Spirit taken out of the way?  (II Thes. 2: 6-8)  Christ is coming  (Rev. 11: 15-18)  Lightening, thunder, earthquake, & hail  (Rev. 11: 19)  Harvest of the Righteous (grain harvest)?  Rev. 14: 14-16

 

 

Second 3 1/2 years

Israel is tested

 

 

*  Redeemed in Heaven witness the Vials of Wrath poured out on unrepentant humanity.  Rev. 15: 1-4 

 

Note: Without the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit, humanity will not repent of sin & turn to God.  John 16: 7-11, Rom. 8: 5-16, I Cor. 2: 14-16, II Cor. 1: 22 & 3: 16-18, Gal. 4: 6, Eph. 1: 13-14 & 4: 30

 

*  Global war – 1/3 of humanity killed by fire, smoke & brimstone (WMD?), by disease, & by famine. Rev. 6: 1-9, Rev. 9: 13-19  Harvest of the Wicked (grape harvest – wine of God's wrath)?  Rev. 14: 10, 17-20,  Isa. 63: 1-4,  Joel 2: 12-14

 

*  Anti-Christ given authority to act for 42 months (Rev. 13: 5) from Jerusalem (Dan. 7: 23-25, Rev. 11: 2) & is revealed to be a false messiah  (II Thes. 2: 6-8)  (Upon removal of that which restrains him: the 2 Witnesses, the Holy Spirit & the true Church, at the 7th Trumpet?)

 

*  1st 5 Vials of God's Wrath Rev. 16: 1-11  (Reserved for rebellious humanity & poured out after the rapture [Rom. 2: 5-11; Rev. 11:18]):  (1.)  Disease on followers of the Beast (the faithful are gone)  Zech. 14: 12-13  (2.)  Oceans die (Mediterranean?  All?)  (3.)  Fresh waters completely polluted  (4.)  Sun scorches  (5.)  Physical (& spiritual?) darkness (the light of the world – the Church - is gone)

 

*  Israel attacked by surrounding Islamic nations (Anti-Christ's reaction to Israel's Messianic revival?)  Zech. 12-14.

 

*  2/3 Israelis killed, but 1/3 protected by God (the purified remnant)  Zech. 13: 7- 14: 5

 

*  Mystery Babylon/Jerusalem sacked by 10 kings allied to Anti-Christ (Secular/apostate Judaism: the Great Harlot & Mother of Harlots)  Rev. 17: 16-17

 

*  1/2 population of Jerusalem taken captive  Zech: 14: 1-2

 

*  The remaining population is called out of Mystery Babylon/Jerusalem.  (Rev. 18: 4), and rescued by God Zech. 14: 3-5

 

*  Disease, terror & panic overtake the attackers.  Zech. 14: 12-13  (See also Joel 3 [all])

 

*  6th Vial:  Euphrates dries up (Anti-Christ's empire weakened by war & pestilence?) allowing the (oil-hungry?) kings of the east to march westward.  (China, India, etc.?)  Isa. 11: 15-16, Rev. 16: 12

 

*  All the Jewish people, including the 10 'lost' tribes of Israel, return to reclaim their inheritance?  Isa. 11: 11-16 & 63: 16-19, Ezek. 37: 15-22, Zech. 10: 6-10, Acts 26: 6-7, Rev. 7: 4-8

 

*  Satan, Anti-Christ & False Prophet summon the rulers of the earth & their armies to Armageddon, to oppose Christ's coming.  Rev. 16: 12-16

 

*  7th Vial:  Thunder, lightening, earthquake - destruction of Babylon (Apostate Jerusalem?), & destruction of cities, coasts, islands & mountains.  100 # hail falls on humanity, who curse God  (Rev. 16: 17-21) & mourn the loss of Babylon's (Jerusalem’s?) wealth.  Rev. 18: 9-18

 

 

Christ Returns

 

 

*  Christ Returns: casts Anti-Christ & False Prophet into Hell, destroys the gathered kings & their armies with His Word & binds Satan in Hell for 1,000 years.  Rev. 16: 17-21, 19: 19-20:3

 

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