This act of desecrating the great Temple in Jerusalem is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24, in which he refers to Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9. Another desecration is mentioned in Daniel 11:31, and was fulfilled through the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, who ruled the Syrian empire from 175-164 BCE. Antiochus attempted to destroy the Jews' religion by desecrating their Temple. He did this by erecting a statue of a Greek god in the temple and by placing an unclean animal on the alter. This attempt to destroy the religion of the Jews led to the Maccabean Revolt. The second desecration (abomination of desolation) will occur three and a half years before the Second Coming of Christ. This necessitates the rebuilding of the Temple prior to Christ's return. See also Dome of the Rock.
Amillennialists believe that Christ will not in any physical sense appear on the earth again. Instead, the golden age of the Millennial Kingdom will be a spiritual one. This stands in sharp contrast to both Premillennialism and Postmillenialism.
See also Beast.
A satan-inspired human who will proclaim himself as the true Christ during the time of Tribulation. With great power, authority, and a magnetic personality, all derived from Satan, he will rule a ten-nation kingdom (Rome) in which he will proclaim peace and reassure the people that he will care for and nurture them all (Daniel 7 and Revelation 13). He will use his great power to become an international, authoritative dictator who will eventually rebuild the Jewish Temple in Israel and create peace among all Middle Eastern nations. As he creates world peace he will be seen as a savior by all people, which in turn will further emphasize his image of the true Christ. The peace and prosperity will all come to a drastic end though, after 42 months or 3 and 1/2 years (the half way mark of the Tribulation Period). This will be the time in which the Holy Spirit will leave the Earth, since the true Christian believers are to be taken to heaven with Christ, which will in turn allow the Antichrist to reveal his true identity, as Satan's follower. He will destroy the peace which he himself had created, abrogate his obligation to Israel, create a monolithic, economic order by the mark of the beast, and lead the world to Armageddon. To those persons who fail to follow his rule, he will kill immediately, but for the many followers who are too fearful to oppose him, he gives the mark 666. He will be a treacherous man with tremendous power that will give rise to the end of the world, but is he only a future terror or is he actually a present threat?
In past centuries many people have been identified as the Antichrist, such persons as King George III during the American Revolution, the Earl of Bute, John Burgoyne, Napoleon and even the Pope. During World War II it was Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini that were portrayed as the Antichrist. After the war, Moshe Dayan, Anwar el-Sadat, King Juan Carlos of Spain or Sun Myung Moon of Korea, were all at times given this label. All of these men were believed to be the Antichrist but they fell short for none of them brought about the destructive biblical prophecies that are to follow the rule of the Antichrist. In most recent times, the Antichrist has been portrayed as Saddam Hussein, Mikhail Gorbachev, and even US Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. Why them? Why were they chosen to be portrayed as the Antichrist? All of these figures were involved in some way with war, or they decreed peace treaties, or it was just that they had some connection with the number 666. Because of these activies, there was possible "evidence" that these men could have been the Antichrist.
Although no one, as of this moment, is believed to be the real Antichrist, many premillenialists have ideas about who he will really be. Some believe that he will be an Iraqi man who was or will be born at 6 p.m. on June 6th. Because of this obvious birth date, his mother will give him the name 666, yet the rest of the world will know him as Brother Bartholomew. Others feel that the Antichrist will rise to power in Europe and will become the head of organizations such as the European Economic Community to begin his unity of the ten-nation kingdom. Although premillenialists may disagree about the origin of the Antichrist, they almost all agree that modern technology will be the key of his power. With the use of computers, the Antichrist is believed to acquire international power and be able to enforce his laws after the 3 and 1/2 years of peace. Some popularizers even go so far as to suggest that the Antichrist will be a computer and not a real person, for computers can practically control themselves. So in conclusion, we know he will come and we know of his terrors, but when, from where, and what will be his true identity are the questions that we still need to have answered.
In most modern prophecy writings, Arabs and Moslems are usually treated as identical. As the descendants of both Ishmael (the disinherited son of Abraham and the concubine Hagar) and the followers of Mohammed (the prophet of Islam, the founder of Islam), they are considered the great enemies of Israel and obstacles to the final dispensation of the gospel. Although Mohammed is no longer considered the primary Antichrist, he, along with the Catholic Pope and others, are regarded by {John Darby} as lesser antichrists or demonic agents of Satan who preach(ed) false doctrines in an attempt to lure the righteous away from God.
The ancient empire of Assyria, the great enemy of Israel, dominated the ancient Biblical world and is linked in current times with Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, who is expected to invade Israel from the north in the last days. The peoples of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia who invaded, occupied, captured, or persecuted Israel in ancient history, as well as the peoples of modern Arab/Moslem countries who battle and try to destroy Israel today, will be severely judged and punished eternally by God following a final great battle of nations. The Jews, the descendants of Isaac, will remain God’s chosen people; the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael, seem destined to remain in disfavor.
In Millenarian circles, Armageddon is commonly known as the "final battle" ({Jeffrey}, p. 8). This final battle will begin three-and-a-half years into the seven year period of tribulation and continue to the second coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation period. According to {John Hagee}’s book, Beginning of the End, the battle will be the work of the Antichrist as he claims victory after victory over world challenges against him. "At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him (Antichrist) in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a greet fleet of ships" (Daniel 11:40). When the fighting reaches its climax, Christ will come down and claim total victory. As [Paul Boyer] observes, Christ will come with the "all-consuming ‘breath of God’."
In Hebrew, Armageddon means literally "Mount of Megiddo" {Hal Lindsey} holds in his book, The Late Great Planet Earth, that the Hebrew root of "Megiddo" means "to cut off, to slay." It is believed by some that Christ’s final victory will take place exactly on the mountain of Megiddo in northern Palestine. "Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon" (Revelation 16:16). As Hagee describes it, "On those plains, the Bible tells us, human blood will flow to the height of a horse’s bridle for two hundred miles." While it is generally agreed that Armageddon refers to the final battle in which Christ will conquer all, whether or not this will specifically take place at the Mount of Megiddo is a matter of debate.
Prophecy writers interpret Babylon in three different ways: (1) the city, (2) the nation, and (3) a religion--a.k.a the Harlot or the Whore of Babylon. Ancient Babylon can be identified with all three things. The (1) city Babylon was the capital of a great empire, the Babylonian Empire. Inside the empire thrived (3) a religious system that centered on emperor and goddess worship. Many prophecy writers believe that God destroyed ancient Babylon because of this wickedness.
In the latter days, Babylon will rise again. Many think the city Babylon will be Rome which was built upon seven hills. This comes from Revelation 17:3 where the harlot is seen sitting upon a beast with seven heads. Also, the beast also has ten horns, which are thought to represent the ten nations that will comprise the revived Roman Empire. Babylon is also associated with an economic system, the destruction of which will mark the end of commercialism, industrialism, and capitalism ({Boyer}, p. 107). Babylon will be destroyed by fire. Some believe this destruction by fire will be a supernatural act by the AntiChrist to prove his power (Terrel, p. 111), while others believe it will be done by the hands of God.
Parallels have been drawn between the United States and Babylon. In its day, Babylon was a major military power and boasted many technical and scientific advances. In the views of some writers, Babylon also harbored a false religion. America, like Babylon, has these same characteristics, according to many premillennialists. Since Babylon lived in moral defiance of God’s laws, America parallels it through its loosening of moral standards on television and in society as a whole. In this view, America will prepare the world for the next Babylonian Era and will suffer destruction by fire, like Babylon itself.
See also False Prophet and Antichrist.
As described in Revelation 13-17, the Beast, or antichrist, will come during the Great Tribulation to ravage the Earth. Rising from the sea, it will utter "proud boasts and blasphemies" (Rev. 13:5) against God, and force the people of Earth to follow it. It is by doing the opposite--claiming allegiance to God--that a person may be granted a place in Heaven (Rev. 14:6-7). The Beast’s reign will end with the battle of Armageddon, and those who "fear God and give him glory" (Rev. 14:7) will be saved.
The first Beast is pictured in Revelation 13:1-10. It has "ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s]." The seven horns are symbols for the seven hills of Rome, and also for the seven kings: five in the past, one in the present, and one to come. It "was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion." (Rev. 13:1-2) This Beast will lead the world astray--assisted by a second beast (Rev. 13:11-18) who is called the false prophet--and for 42 months will exert its power over the Earth.
According to premillenialists, the reign of the Beast during the Great Tribulation is the culmination of human acts during the Church Age (the time between Christ’s death and His return). Many prophecy writers believe that the Beast will take on an earthly form (Daniel 7:4). Modern belief that the Moslem/Asian world will constitute the antichrist’s army promises that the Beast will take on the guise of a supreme dictator, such as Yassar Arafat. Others believe that Hitler was the second Beast, or the false prophet, preparing for the Great Tribulation by attempting to wipe out all of Israel. Computers will also take on the antichrist’s role in the minds of anti-technology premillenialists.
The first and foremost claim about Jesus is that he was the Son of God. This is the general belief of prophecy writers such as {Hal Lindsey} and {John Hagee}. Hagee’s book, Beginning of the End, also states that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah of Israel. Jesus goes beyond being simply who he was when he was on earth. According to {John Walvoord}, Jesus is the "road to heaven." He is the source of eternal life. This belief comes from John 14:6 where Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
In modern-day prophecy writings, Jesus becomes important because of his major role in the end-time events. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 says, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." John Hagee identifies this as the Rapture, saying, "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Glory will appear suddenly in the heavens, brilliantly, in a way that no one will be able to miss." Jesus will return to earth after the Rapture in what is called the Second Coming. Lindsey says that he will physically return just as he departed two thousand years ago. Hagee believes that Christ’s return will occur at the end of the battle of Armageddon, at which point all the nations of the world will join together in one failure fated battle against him. Jesus is also seen in Revelation as the "Lion of Judah," the "Lamb of God" who opens the [seven seals] revealing the future and the end of the world. At the battle of Armageddon, Christ will return on white horse with the words "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" written on his thigh. Says Hagee, at the climax of the end times, every man will stand for Jesus at the Great White Throne to be judged. Those who have accepted him will live in eternity with God and those who have rejected Jesus will join Satan in hell.
Day of the Lord, The
The Day of the Lord is a common term used in many discussions of apocalyptic prophecy. Generally it is thought to be related to a day or time of God's great judgement upon humanity. The events that will characterize the Day of the Lord and it exact placement within millenialist schema are unclear and there is a good deal of dissention about the various explanations and definitions within millenial literature. In general, the Day of the Lord is thought to refer to the time either immediately after the Rapture and before the Great Tribulation or to refer to the time of the actions surrounding the second coming of Christ to Earth
Dispensational Premillennialism
In the mid to late 1800s, John Darby toured the United States and other countries preaching an distinctive form of prophecy interpretation known at dispensationalism, or premillennialist dispensationalism. This theology became quite popular and provides the basis for most premillenialist schemes put forth today. Darby taught that God has dealt and continues to deal with the human race in a series of seven epochs, or dispensations. During each of these, a different means was used by humanity to attain salvation. In the Age of Adam, for example, innocence was the means of salvation, while in the Church Age, acceptence of Jesus' sacrifice provides the means. Bible prophecy is silent about the current dispensation--that of the Church Age--but reveals much about past and future ones. Dispensationalism became popular in part because it resisted the temptation of date setting in relation to end-times prophecy. For an in-depth discussion of dispensationalism, including a description of the seven dispensations, read the [chronological description] of two of Darby's books elsewhere in this site.
The Dome of the Rock is the place where it is believed Mohammed's night visit to heaven began. It is located on top of the ruined Temple Mount in Jerusalem and it is usually thought to stand on the exact spot of the ancient Jewish Temple. The Moslems built it in 691. In the earliest years of Islam, Moslems prayed towards Jerusalem, until the direction was changed to Mecca. Jerusalem is the third holiest city to Moslems, behind Mecca and Medina. The Dome of the Rock is crucial to Christian prophecy because in order for the Temple to be rebuilt before the Second Coming of Christ, the Dome of the Rock must first be destroyed. The Moslems in Jerusalem are not exactly in favor of that idea.
Dragon See Satan
The Kingdom of God, which will begin after the Second Coming of Christ, will be a political kingdom, a spiritual kingdom and will also fulfill the promise of a king reigning on the throne of David. Christ will return and defeat the Antichrist and the new Roman Empire, and will reign over all the Earth. Initially upon his return, his kingdom will be spiritual in that it will be limited to those who are saved, those who are unsaved will be eliminated in the judgment. This new kingdom will be eternal as it is stated in the words of Daniel 2:44, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom...and it shall stand forever." This universal, eternal kingdom will be complete when Satan is cast into the lake of fire after the thousand-year reign of Christ.
False Church See Apostate Church
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Rev 13:11-18)
The beast that "came out of the earth" in this passage is referred to as the "false prophet" in Rev. 19:20, but chapter thirteen offers a more extensive look at the false prophet. The false prophet, according to premillenialists, will accompany the Antichrist during the Tribulation. The false prophet will be given control over the economic world system and force people to swear allegiance to the Antichrist ({Lindsey}, p. 101). Those that refuse to swear their allegiance to the Antichrist will either be put to death or prohibited from engaging in any economic activities. Those that support the Antichrist will be given the mark of the beast by the false prophet. The false prophet will also win support for the antichrist through the performance of impressive miracles ({Lalonde and Lalonde}, p. 155). However, his power will be from Satan, not from Christ (Lindsey, p. 101). In this way, the false prophet will complete the third leg of a perverse holy trinity. In "this hellish trinity...Satan represents God, while the first beast (the Antichrist) is the counterpart of Jesus, and the false prophet is the counterpart of the Holy Spirit" (Lalonde and Lalonde, p. 155). By performing great miracles and controlling the economic system, the false prophet will generate a lot of support for the Antichrist during their time on earth.
The First Coming of Christ was the period that marked Jesus of Nazareth's birth in Bethlehem through to his death, resurrection, and ascension. This was the period of Christ's teaching. Those that follow his teachings' will be among the chosen. They will be delivered from final pain and death. This should be contrasted against the Second Coming of Christ which will be the period when Christ returns to Earth to judge the living and the dead.
First Temple See Temple
The four horsemen appear at the opening of the first four of the Seven Seals. Of several ways of interpreting the modern implications of the four apocalyptic horsemen, two, in particular, standout. First, is the move to link the four horsemen with projected end-time events. Second, is the attempt to correlate the four apocalyptic riders to modern influences upon the church. In both definitions, one common thought pervades: the four apocalyptic horsemen of Revelation are used to signify events or influences humankind will experience in the Great Tribulation. Revelation 6:2-8 details the four grim horsemen of the apocalypse. They ride a white horse, a "fiery" red steed, a black horse, and a pale horse. According to modern prophecy interpreters, each horse, and corresponding rider, posses certain traits that characterize or define events in the end of days.
{Hal Lindsey} uses the apocalyptic riders to detail world events during his version of the Great Tribulation. In Lindsey's works, Planet Earth--2000 A.D. and The Late Great Planet Earth, the horsemen and their dreaded steeds bring an era of destruction upon the earth. In this scheme, the white horse and rider are manifested in the movement to war seen in the last days. Unwillingness and the inability to foster peace treaties during the Great Tribulation is the work of the red horse and rider. The black horse, and its rider's biblical linkage to barley, grain, and monetary wages, is used by Lindsey to foreshadow a global economic depression and famine seen before Christ's return to earth. Lastly, the coming of the pale horse and its rider "Death" is used to signify human death and suffering experienced in the global wars of the Great Tribulation. In The Final Victory: The Year 2000, {Marvin Byers} also uses the characteristics of the apocalyptic riders and entities of the Great Tribulation. In this construction, the riders and their evil beasts attempt to influence Christian believers (collectively coined the "church" by Byers--the body of all righteous Christian adherents) during the Great Tribulation. The horsemen endeavor to sway the righteous with tantalizing temptations of conquest (white horse), war (red and pale horses), and greed (black horse). According to Byers, only those who can resist the influence of the riders will remain righteous believers, and secure a favorable position in theGreat Judgement.
Fourth Temple See Temple
According to most prophecy writers, Magog is the land of the north that will attack Israel and begin the final battle of Armageddon. Gog is the ruler that will lead this land. Although the term Magog first appears in Genesis 10:2 as one of the seven sons of Japeth (Noah's third son), most prophesy writers define Gog and Magog in terms of Ezekiel 38.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set they face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I am against thee, O Gog the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (Ezekiel 38:1-3).
Many modern premillenialists believe that the land of Magog referred to in Ezekiel is the ancient land of the descendants of Magog, who they identify as a person. "These descendants of Magog were also known as the Scythians [who] were nomadic tribesmen who roamed the Russian steppes" ({Overbey}, p. 7). {Jeffrey Grant}, S. Overbey, and {Hal Lindsey} have used this connection to conclude that Magog is Russia. Grant states, "More than 25 centuries ago, the prophet Ezekiel prophesied concerning Russia and her allies (called Magog)" (Grant, p. 100).
Overbey and Lindsey both relate Magog to Russia because Russia is located in the north, and this is the direction Ezekiel says Magog will attack from. "Then you will come from your place out of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army" (Ezekiel 38: 15). Overbey states, "It is most likely that the land of Magog is equivalent to that area far to the north of the land of Israel that we know today as Russia" (Overbey, p. 6). According to Lindsey, "There is only one nation to the "utmost north" of Israel--the U.S.S.R."
Gog is the symbolic name for the leader of Magog. "The name Gog is a Hebrew word that literally means 'high, supreme, height, or a high mountain'" (Overbey, p. 4). According to Ezekiel 38: 15-16, this man Gog, will unite the forces of the north and lead the attack on Israel. Gog's attack will ultimately start the war, Armageddon, that leads to Christ's return. Many writers have equated Gog with rulers of the past and present, such as Hitler and Castro. For example, since Overbey sees Russia as Magog, then "this man who would be Gog is none other that Russian ultranationalist Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, who is the fastest rising political star in Russia today" (p. 10).
Prophesy writers have also drawn a connection between the fall of Magog in Ezekiel 39:4-6 and the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18:2-8. Ezekiel states, "And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord" (39:6). Revelation also speaks of destruction by fire. "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her" (Revelation 18:8).
The Great Judgment provides one of the most powerful and compelling images in biblical and Christian thought. At the Great Judgment, an individual gains, through some means, a divine decree, and is consequently "judged." In this judgment, an individual's eternal future is determined. Although there are several different interpretations regarding the Great Judgment, two stand out. In one mode of thought, some premillenialist writers portray the Great Judgment as a decision God makes of each individual based upon their adherence to Christian beliefs (namely loyalty to Jesus). In the eyes of {Hal Lindsey}, the Great Judgment is achieved through a physical catastrophe of war seen on the earth in the last days. In this scenario the Creator's judgment is manifested in an individual's survival or death in the conflict.
Whereas Hal Lindsey describes the Great Judgment occurring through a dreadful physical conflict, {Marvin Byers} offers a simpler picture of the Great Judgment. In Byers' work, The Final Victory: The Year 2000, the Great Judgment is a decision made by God (a judgment) allowing (or conversely denying) humans the privilege of living in the eternal kingdom of the Lord. God's judgment is simply based on individual devotion to Jesus Christ. In a method similar to the one described by Lindsey, the Creator judges all human beings from afar, with no direct correspondence. Righteous adherents are allowed into the Lord's Kingdom, while the "unbelievers" are shunned to a life outside that perfect realm (Byers does not speculate as to the nature of the outside life.) In this scenario, judgment occurs based upon individual characteristics (in this case loyalty to Christ) and its consequences determine one's eternal future.
Hal Lindsey speculates that the Great Judgment will be achieved through global warfare in the Great Tribulation. In Lindsey's books, Planet Earth--2000 A.D., and The Late Great Planet Earth, God judges all mortal individuals based upon their loyalty to Jesus Christ. In this scheme, judgment occurs without awareness on the part of God's people, and no immediate divine contact is made with human kind. According to Lindsey, God decrees two fates for individuals on earth during the terrifying wars of the Great Tribulation. If an individual has shown loyalty to Christ, they will survive the conflict, pass God's judgment, and live to physically exist in the Kingdom of Christ on earth. Damnation occurs when an individual fails to pass God's judgment, due to lack of faith in Jesus Christ. In Lindsey's mind, people failing judgment become, by divine ordination, faceless casualties in the traumatic end-time wars, never to live a day of life in the Lord's Kingdom.
The Great Tribulation is the period of time in which there is great turmoil in the world. This period of time comes after the Church Age, that is, the age we are in now. According to dispensational premillennialists, the Great Tribulation comes right after the Rapture. The Rapture is the period of time in which all the Christian people of the world are taken up into the heavens.
The Great Tribulation is a horrible time for the world. There is conflict in every aspect of life: military, spiritual, economics. There is also an increase in flood, famine, and disaster. Revelation 2:9 tells of a spiritual testing. Satan will throw people into a prison for ten days; this will be a test of spirit. God instructs these people not to lose faith. At the end of ten days, the true faith of the people will be revealed. Also, the whore of Babylon will come forth and try to tempt humanity as a test of the commitment to God and the Commandments He has decreed. The Great Tribulation is certainly the time of Satan. According to some prophecy writers, he will rule for the first half the Great Tribulation. During the second half of the Great Tribulation, Satan will raise an AntiChrist who will rule. This will be followed by Christ’s resurrection to defeat both Satan and the Antichrist. After this, Christ will rule for one thousand years.
The Great Tribulation is the period of time basically unaccounted for in Daniel 9:24-27. It is defined as the period after the Church Age and before the Millennial Kingdom, and will last seven years.
Great White Throne Judgment See Great Judgment
Islamic Federation See Arabs.
See also Jews.
The Bible, particularly the Old Testament, refers to Israel as a state and as a nation numerous times. But in antiquity the simplest meaning of Israel was the name of the people; those who were the descendants of Israel (Jacob). Israelites--citizens of the nation--lived in their country until 70 AD, when both the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed. Thus began the Jewish Diaspora; the Israelites (now usuall refered to as Jews) had no nation and were dispersed throughout the world. In 1948, Israel is reestablished as a nation, located in approximately the same vicinity as nearly two thousand years earlier. Jews were to return to their ancient land and end their Diaspora. The Jews "returning to their land" became an important element in prophecy belief--indeed it validates the very existence of biblical prophecy. The prophecy of the Jews returning to their land appears several times in the Old Testament and in 1948 this prophecy came true. The nation of Israel, according to the majority of premillenialist writers, plays an important role in the last days. Because the Jews reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah, they will be forced to endure the Tribulation while the Church is rescued in the Rapture. During the Tribulation, Israel will become desperate for peace from the suffering that surrounds her and will sign a treaty with the Antichrist. The nation of Israel has had a "shaky" history, therefore, when Israel entrusts the Antichrist with its security, this proves the power and credibility of the Antichrist. Following the Tribulation, Christ will return to earth and the Jews living in Israel will accept him as the Messiah. Once the Israelites recognize him, they will be delivered to the Kingdom of God.
See Also Israel.
The Jews, or the people of Israel, have been defined as either Natural Israel, who are descended from the twelve tribes, or as the Christian church. Most premillenialists define the Jews as Natural Israel now, since Israel has been reconstituted as a state. During the time of the Diaspora, the Jews were effectively dispossessed of their inheritance by the mainstream Christianity. The belief was that because the Jews were "responsible" for the death of Jesus, they no longer were the "children of the Covenant." Indeed, Christians believed the covenant was transferred to them. The after-effects of World War II and the Holocaust ended this belief in many of the premillenialist writers theories.
The fate of the Jews is heavily emphasized in end-time prophecy. For example, in order for the dating of the seven years of tribulation to start, the Antichrist needs to make a covenant with Israel. This means that the Jews have to have repossessed the "promised land," which they did in 1948.This was the regathering of Israel. They also need to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, in order for the Antichrist to make sacrifices there. 144,000 of the Jews are to be saved (Revelation 7), and it is generally thought this population will proselytize the Gentiles remaining after the Rapture. Israel will also be the place where Jesus and the Antichrist will clash on the Plains of Armageddon.
Judgment, Great See Great Judgment
Prohecy writers agree that China and other eastern allies make up the 200 million man army of Revelation 9:16. This is the "second woe" announced by an angel at the sound of the sixth trumpet of the seven trumpet judgements in Revelation 9:13-21. The sounding of the sixth trumpet signals the appearance of the "kings of the east"--also thought to be the subject of Daniel 11:44. The time of the troop movement is toward the end of the seven year period known as the Tribulation. (See Revelation 16:12-14). According to Revelation 16:12, the Euphrates River will dry up and the army of the eastern power will advance and engage in the battle of Armageddon. The massive army manages to kill one-third of mankind (Revelation 9:18).
The Kings, or nations, of the North are mentioned in Daniel 11:15 and Ezekiel 38:2. During the Tribulation, these verses prophesy, Gog will come from the North; the land of the North usually being referred to as Magog. Current speculation concerning the specific geographical location of this land sometimes equates it with Turkey, but more frequently with Russia. The biblical text can be translated as the "uttermost" parts of the North, thus leading to modern-day Russia. This nation of the North will conspire with a Pan-Islamic Confederation; the King of the North allies himself with the King of the South to attack Israel.
It is the consensus of prophecy writers that an Arab-African confederacy, led by Egypt, is the referent of the "kings of the south"--a term used in Daniel 11:40. The opening of the second seal in Revelation 6:3-4 signals the Red Horseman to go forth and take peace from the earth. It is the mid-point of the seven year period known as the Tribulation. When the angel opens the second seal, the "kings of the south" allied with the kings of the north invade the Middle East and attack Israel. (See Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 38). The attack is the beginning of a three and-a-half year war called Armageddon which lasts until the very end of the Tribulation period.
The kingdom of horror in which the world will become is the kingdom of the Antichrist for 7 years. It is a world which will be full of evil spirits that were released from the bottomless pits and wicked angels will be cast down from heaven. Here on Earth the devout Christians will be sent to heaven to be with Christ to leave only those who either follow the Antichrist in his satanistic ways or those who will convert to Christianity. Those that convert will be destroyed by the Antichrist but those who are his followers, he rewards by giving them the mark of the beast, or in other words the number 666. Most premillenialists believe that this mark will be found on credit cards, which are currently an international currency. This mark will be the Antichrist’s form of currency, for only those that have the mark will be given the right to buy and sell goods. It is call the mark of the beast because it is the Antichrist's ally, the Beast, also called the False Prophet, who places the number on the human followers. The Beast, believed by many premillenialists to be a computer, will influence all nations to worship the Antichrist. The followers will be so devout that they will even put up the Antichrist's image in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and even bow to an idol of the Antichrist in which the Beast will set up.
The Antichrist will control his kingdom by using electronic devices which will be able to read and control the minds of all humans. Therefore the Kingdom of the Antichrist will be formed from conformity, alienation, exceptional corporate power, the degradation of politics, and an exceptional use of the media.
The Lake of Fire as described in Revelation is the final destination of Satan and the damned, and is the second and final phase of "Hell" (for a description of the first death, see the Pit). On the day of the Great Judgment, anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life, a list of all those forgiven for their sins, will experience second death--eternal separation from God--in the Lake of Fire.
The first to be cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, also known as Gehenna, are the[Beast, also known as the AntiChrist, and False Prophet (Rev. 19:20). The lake is empty until this time at the end of the Great Tribulation. All those branded with the mark of the Beast follow their leaders into Gehenna. Some say that one third of all angels and a vast majority of the world’s adult population fit the description of the damned laid out in Revelation 21:8, and will consequently suffer this burning fate. These souls remain in the same state of torment until the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, when "the Devil who had led them astray [will be] thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur. . . . There they will be tormented day and night forever" (Rev. 20:10). From this place of eternal torment, Satan is no longer able to deceive God’s people.
In a modern sense, some see the Beast and False Prophet as a world ruler and his associate whose damnation, the first two to be cast into the pool, will be witnessed by all. They are followed by the unbelievers who rebel against God by making war and/or committing grave sin. These unsaved souls move from the first death, or their habitation of the Pit, to a state of eternal torment in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:13-14).
Magog See Gog and Magog.
Revelation 13:16-17 states that "He (the beast) also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark." The mark of the beast is the symbol of the true Antichrist, even though the second beast--the False Prophet--will bestow the mark. The second beast will force people to wear the mark of the beast in order to participate in any kind of economic endeavor, such as buying or selling commodities or holding a job. The mark of the beast thus becomes a necessity in order to function in a society. By wearing the mark of the beast, one pledges allegiance to the Antichrist. According to Revelation 13:18, the mark of the beast will be, either symbolically or literally, the number 666.
A martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious beliefs. Their death is often a violent death and a direct result of their beliefs. In Revelations 6:9-11 the breaking of the fifth seal reveals the souls of those who have been slaughtered for the word of God. The souls were reassureeir safekeeping at the altar, gally by God foll white robes and urged to rest a little longer. The martyrs were told of a time when they would be joined by other martyrs that would die for their commitment to God.
Martyred Tribulation of Saints
Megiddo See Armageddon
In Biblical times, Meshech and Tubal were ancient cities in Asia Minor, both named for their tribal leader. Modern millenarian writers have concluded that the equivalents of Meshech and Tubal in our time are the Russian cities of Moscow and Tobolsk. Ezekiel 38:1-9 refers to Meshech and Tubal and the role they play in the invasion of Israel. In the first four verses, God tells of his plan to make the chief ruler, Gog, move his armies into battle:
The Lord spoke his word to me, saying, 2"human, look toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him 3and say, 'The Lord God says this: I am against you, Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal. 4I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws. And I will bring you out with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all of whom will be dressed in beautiful uniforms.
In verses 8 and 9, God reveals that Israel is the land which the armies of Gog will invade:
...After a long time you (Gog) will be called for service. After those years you will come into a land that has been rebuilt from war. The people in the land will have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which were empty for a long time. These people were brought out from the nations, and they will all be living in safety. You will come like a storm. You, all your troops, and the many nations with you will be like a cloud covering the land.
Based on his initial identification of "Rosh" as Russia, Gesenius identified Meshech as Moscow, the western capital of Russia, and Tubal as Tobolsk, the eastern capital of Russia. Cyrus Scofield explained in more detail the relationship of these two cities with Russia. According to Scofield, Meshech and Tubal led their tribes north out of Asia Minor and settled them in Russia. Meshech settled his tribe in the area now known as Moscow, and Tubal with his followers settled in the vicinity of modern Tobolsk, southwest of Siberia in eastern Russia. These identifications of Meshech and Tubal, together with the identification of Russia as Gog and Rosh, serve as the primary basis for the millennialist belief that Russia will fulfill the prophesy of Ezekiel by invading Israel.
According to most modern Premillennialists, Christ will reign on Earth for 1000 years after his second coming. This period of time is called the Millennial Kingdom.
There are three main theories of the Millennial Kingdom. The theory of Amillennialism states that there will be no millennium. The 1000 year reign is only symbolic. Postmillennialists agree that we are living in the millennium, but they believe that the world is gradually improving until we reach the Golden Age. The Premillennialists believe that the Millennial Kingdom will be established after Christ's second coming. This is popular among many current theology writers.
John F. Walvoord says that Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2:32-34, symbolizes the establishment of a Millennial Kingdom. "This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest still that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces" (Daniel 2:32-34). According to Daniel's interpretation, the statue represents four kingdoms that are destroyed by God, the rock cut without human hands. Walvoord believes that this dream symbolizes the establishment of a Millennial Kingdom after Christ's return because during the second coming, Christ will replace the kingdoms of earth with the kingdoms of heaven.
In his book The Final Victory: the Year 2000, Marvin Byers also states that Christ will reign for a 1000 years after his second coming. 2 Peter 3:8 says, "One day with the Lord is as 1000 years." Byers uses 2 Peter to explain Hosea's statement that "After two days he will revive us: in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight" (Hosea 6:2). Byers believes that 2000 years after Christ's death and resurrection, he will return to establish a Millennial Kingdom for 1000 years. During the Millennial Kingdom, Satan and his servants cast into the lake of fire. He also says that the battle of Gog and Magog will occur at the end of the 1000-year reign.
Dan Juster and Keith Intrater agree that Satan will be bound and banished during the 1000-year reign. According to them, the Millennial Kingdom will begin after the battle of Armageddon. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released and allowed to form one last attack against God, which is ended by the Great Judgement.
The secular nations of the world, or the Gentiles, are seen in prophetic writings as the earthly order that currently controls the world. This order will be replaced by the spiritual order that will begin with the second coming of Jesus Christ and continue during his thousand-year reign. The Gentiles is also a common biblical term used to identify those who are not true Christians or who are non-believers. The "time of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) is characterized as the time in which the earth lies outside God's control. It is the Gentiles who will suffer the brunt of the Tribulation since they will not escape in the Rapture. In many texts, it is a gathering of these Gentile nations that signals the beginning of the events that will lead up to the final battle of Armageddon.
North, Kings of See King(s) of the North
Pan-Islamic Federation See Arabs.
In Revelation 20:13-14, John describes his vision of the Great Judgment, when "Death and Hades gave up their dead. All dead were judged according to their deeds. Then [the inhabitants of] Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (This pool of fire is the second death.)" A premillenialist concept of "Hell" is two-fold, and the distinction between the phases is made clear by this passage in Revelation. With their first death, the damned are sent down into the Pit. But this is not eternal judgment, or the second death.
Unlike Premillennialism, Postmillennialism believes that Christ will not appear on the earth until after the 1000-year peace of the Millennial Kingdom. Postmillennialists do not believe in the literal existence of 1000-year peace, but rather in the idea that this world will gradually improve until it becomes the golden age.
The difference between Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism focuses around their interpretation of the relationship between the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. In premillennialism, Jesus comes before the 1000 years of the Kingdom of God on earth. There are two main forms of premillennialism. Covenantal Premillennialism believes that the Rapture and the Second Coming happen at the same time, that is, at the end of the Tribulation period. Dispensational Premillennialism holds that the Rapture happens just before the seven years of Tribulation, while the Second Coming does not occur until the end of the Tribulation.
The Rapture is when the Church--all Christians alive and deceased--are caught up into the clouds to be with Jesus Christ, who will descend to meet them there. The word Rapture does not occur anywhere in the Bible. It derives from the Latin word rapio or rapto which means "to seize or snatch away." The pre-millenialist Christian community has embraced this word to describe the event outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, for example, and various other places in the Bible, where the dead and the living are caught up to meet Jesus in the air. This event transpires before the tribulation, according to some writers, or at the end of the seven years of tribulation, as other believers suppose. The premillenialists believe the Rapture will happen before the start of the tribulation. Jesus judges the saved at that time, and subsequently they return with him for the Judgment of Israel and the Christians saved during the tribulation period.
There are no substantive warnings before the saved are snatched, and the Rapture produces much chaos in the society that is left behind. According to some harbingers, the saved receive new bodies that are incorruptible. Others believe that the bodies that they have will be changed. Either way, they will no longer have the need to eat or sleep, and they become unconcerned with material things. Christians view the Rapture as a way to escape the perils of the seven-years tribulation period that is considered an integral part of the end-time scenario.
The restrainer is a person or a power that holds back the AntiChrist and his wickedness. According to the typical premillennialist interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, the Antichrist ("the lawless one") and his rebellion against God are chomping at the bit to get started. But they are being held back by a restraining force (2 Thess. 2:6) and a restraining "person" (2 Thess. 2:7). These are usually interpreted as either the Holy Spirit (which will supposedly be withdrawn from the world at the Rapture) or the Church. This removal will then enable the AntiChrist and Satan to begin the horrific events of the Tribulation.
Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, was the seat of power over much of the known world during Christ's time. In the Old Testament, the prophecy in Daniel 7 refers to a beast with ten horns. This beast was to exact much damage and have multitudes minister to him. In modern prophecy writing, the beast with the ten horns represents the Roman Empire which will rise again. The prophecy of Rome's rebirth also appears in Revelation 17, which describes a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The chapter goes on to interpret the seven heads as seven mountains. This points to Rome because Rome is known as the city of seven hills. The ten horns are said to represent ten kings. The ten kings of the ten nations are to unite and submit themselves to a dictator (the Antichrist). The ten nations of this new Roman Empire have been interpreted recently to signify the countries in the European Common Market, also known as the European Union. Although there are more than twelve countries in the European Common Market currently, it is believed that either nations will drop out of the union, or that an offshoot will form of ten countries, fulfilling the prophecy.
The translators of the 1611 King James version of the Bible translated "rosh" as a general term meaning "chief prince." This translation appears in most modern versions of the Bible. The New Century version, translated in 1987, presents Ezekiel 38:2 as follows; "Human, look toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal..." In the eighteenth century, British Bible scholar William Lowth asserted that "Rosh" was a proper name, which thus led to the translation "prince of Rosh." His theory was supported by the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek during the third century BC, which also treated "Rosh" as a proper name.
In 1828, Wilhelm Gesenius translated "Rosh" as a proper name in his Hebrew dictionary as referring to Russia. Shortly afterwards, under the influence of Gesenius, John Darby identified Russia as Gog, the force that will invade Israel as prophesied in Ezekiel 38:4-6:
I will turn you around and put hooks in you jaws. And I will bring you out with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all of whom will be dressed in beautiful uniforms. They will be a large army with large and small shields and all having swords. Persia, Cush, and Put will be with them, all of them having shields and helmets. There will also be Gomer with all its troops and the nation of Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—many nations with you.
The most obvious reason for the identification of Gog with Russia is based on the fact that Russia is geographically located north of Israel. The motive for its invasion of Israel is still somewhat obscure. Some writers have concluded that the invasion is simply God's will. Others have concluded that the economic as well as political activities of Russia since that nation was industrialized serve as evidence that Russia could very well be Gog. Darby wrote in 1840, "In the present day, we may observe Russia exerting her power exactly over the nations who will be found under Gog." In 1834, British prophesy writer M. Habershon defined the "king of the north" in Daniel 11 and Gog in Ezekiel 38 as Russia. His argument was based on the increase of Russia's industrialized growth, and the uncertainty of how greatly that growth would affect Russia's economic power in relation to the rest of the world. In 1909, Cyrus Scofield theorized that Russian anti-Semitism would be the primary reason for an attack on Israel. After the Bolsheviks took power in 1917, Russia denounced Christianity and embraced atheism. Because of this action many prophecy believers were encouraged in their identification of Russia as the future destroyer if Israel. During the cold War, prophecy writers such as Jack Van Impe were convinced that the communist satellite states controlled by Russia would fulfill the prophesy of all the nations of the North gathering as one army under the leadership of Gog.
Russia is the country most often identified as the Northern nation (Magog) from which springs the King of the North (Gog). In Ezekiel 38:2, the invasion from the North is foretold; it tells of the "chief prince" of this region attacking Israel. The Hebrew word rosh is most often translated as "chief," but this could also be interpreted as a proper name--Rosh--and would then read "Prince of Rosh," or Prince of Russia. The "Russia as Magog" theory has been perpetuated in numerous ways. The geographical argument has had the most influence on modern prophecy belief. When the Bolshevik Revolution seized power in 1917, they "embraced" atheism; this furthered the notion that Russia would be the nation to attack God's chosen people. The Cold War helped these sentiments as well. In Revelation 6:4, the enemy rides in on a "red horse"; Russia, and especially the Soviet Union, has long been associated with the color red. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a rising political star in Russia in 1993, has been specifically linked to Gog--he is characterized as a driven anti-Semitic who supposedly wanted to expand South and raise Russia to a dominant world position.
In prophecy writing, the saints are the people who follow Jesus and are one in him (i.e., the Christian Church). {Hal Lindsey} says that the word "saint" literally means "one who is set apart as God’s possession." The saints will resurrected before the wicked. Prophecy writers interpret Zechariah 14:5 as saying that Christ will come again "and all the saints" with him. The saints will be raptured before the Tribulation. They will be caught up into the heavens and given immortal bodies. They will then live with Christ in Heaven until the Second Coming.
According to the authors of these books, there are five main resurrections of the saints. 1) Christ is resurrected three days after his crucifixion on Calvary. 2) After Christ’s resurrection, the graves were opened and all of the righteous were awakened from their sleep. Several of these people were seen in the streets (Matt 27:50-53). 3) The dead in Christ will be resurrected during the Rapture of the Church right before the Great Tribulation. 4) According to Revelation 11, two witnesses of Christ will be killed during the Tribulation and left in the streets of Jerusalem to rot. After three days, they will rise again. 5) After the defeat of the AntiChrist, those martyred during the Tribulation for their beliefs in Christ will be risen unto their Lord. These people were killed for their belief in Christ.
In his book, {Steve Terrell} mentions two other resurrections. One he calls the "gleaning" which he says will come after the resurrection of the Tribulation saints, and the other one will occur after the Millennium, when the saints who died during this thousand years of peace will be raised from the dead.
Satan is the embodiment of evil. God created three archangels and one of them, Lucifer (Satan), rebelled against Him. Satan felt that he was stronger, more powerful and simply better than God. He was cast down from Heaven into Hell where he is ruler of the 1/3 of heaven's angels that fell from grace with him. These angels followed Lucifer in his rebellion. When Satan fell, he did not lose his powers as an archangel and it is still believed by Christians that he is forming a battle plan against God and the Earth. Premillenialists believe that this battle plan will be put into action when Satan tries once again to conquer heaven. He will fail and be cast down to earth with his minions and rule there through the AntiChrist. The Premillenialists believe that his rule will come to an end as Jesus returns and the final Judgment comes to be.
The image of Satan as the Dragon is found in Revelation 12:3-18. "Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth....The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it."
In the passage, the dragon waits to devour a woman's child as it is born. The child is "caught up to heaven" (Rev. 12:4-6) and the dragon chases after the woman who is hiding in the desert. The child is symbolic of Jesus Christ and the mother is the Virgin Mary. Satan, the epitome of sin, is never allowed to touch either of them, symbolizing the Christian belief that neither Jesus nor Mary had sin in their life.
In the Book of Revelation, the AntiChrist is introduced. The dragon controls the beast and does everything in its power to have the people follow the beast. Jesus and his minions return and hurl the beast and the dragon from the earth forever.
Second Temple See Temple
Revelation 16 describes seven angels who carry golden bowls filled with the wrath of God; they are instructed to empty them onto the earth during the end-times. When the first angel poured out the contents of his bowl, "evil sores" appeared on those who bore the mark of the beast. Modern end-times theologians interpret this as a description of the epidemic diseases made possible by over-population--especially AIDS, of course. {Hal Lindsey} also notes the resurgence of cholera and malaria in developing nations and the rise of antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis. The second angel poured his bowl of plague into the sea, where the water became as the blood of a dead man and all its inhabitants died. Lindsey suggests that this is a prediction of such environmental disasters as the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The third angel emptied his bowl "into the rivers and fountains" which also became bloody. Since people had shed the blood of prophets and saints, they now had blood to drink. When the fourth angel poured out his bowl, the sun flared up and was allowed to scorch men. Some modern thinkers equate this with the hole in the ozone layer. The fifth angel emptied his bowl onto the throne of the beast, whose kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men cursed heaven for their plagues, sores and pains, but still did not repent. Lindsey in particular equates this with AIDS again. He suggests that AIDS is a lifestyle disease and that people continue to contract it because they do not repent. When the sixth angel poured his bowl into the Euphrates river, it dried up. Three foul spirits emerged to assemble the leaders of the world for Armageddon. Modern theologians compare this to the drought and famine that have been making the news recently. And when the seventh angel poured out the contents of his bowl, a loud voice announced "It is Done!" and there were plagues of hail-among other disasters--which might be compared to some of the peculiar weather phenomena that scientists expect to accompany global warming.
Seven Plagues See Seven Bowls
The seven seals revealed in Revelations 6:1-17, 8:1-2, are the first set of judgments from God to the people of earth. They are the seals of a book of judgements which only Jesus can open (Rev. 5:1-6). Each breaking of a seal delivers an announcement in heaven of what is to take place on earth. According to premillenial time scales, the opening of the first seal begins the time of Tribulation. The Tribulation occurs after the Rapture and ends with the Second Coming of Christ. The first quarter of the Tribulation period consists of breaking the seals and announcing their judgments. The breaking of the seventh seal begins the second quarter of the Tribulation.
The first seal is a rider on a white horse. He represents the Antichrist and his kingdom offering false peace to all other nations. Prophecy writers often interpret the Antichrist’s kingdom as Communist Russia and its perceived conquer of Israel. The second seal, a symbol of war, is a rider on a red horse. It represents the spirit of Communism, Antichrist’s government, and Russian military buildup which takes peace from the earth. A rider on a black horse, third seal, is famine that will follow war, afflicting common people. Common people have no means of acquiring food, due to economic upheaval resulting from war. Seal four is the last rider who is on a pale horse and will cause one fourth of the world to die. The deaths are consequences of the first three seals and the Antichrist’s greedy power. Seal five is the Martyred Tribulation of Saints or harvest of souls. This period of the Tribulation results in mass slaying of Christians, especially those who became believers after the Rapture. The sixth seal is an announcement of the coming wrath of God through earthquakes. God will thus demonstrate his displeasure with those who persecuted his followers. Finally, seal seven introduces the seven trumpets of God. This begins the second quarter of the Tribulation and the pouring of God’s wrath onto earth. See also the four horsemen.
The seven trumpets are the seven judgments cast upon the earth by God during the Tribulation, following the opening of the seventh seal. The trumpets are discussed in Revelation 8, 9 and 11:15-19. With the breaking of the seventh seal, seven angels receive trumpets, which when blown, will introduce each of the seven judgments in the order specified by God. The first trumpet causes hail and fire mixed with blood to fall on the earth in addition to burning all the green grass and the third part of the trees. A great burning mountain, possibly a meteorite, falls into the sea, killing a third part of all living sea creatures and destroying a third part of the ships with the blowing of the second trumpet. The third trumpet introduces Wormwood, a star or a meteorite, which falls from the heavens and lands at the headwaters of the three great rivers, causing those dependent on them to die. One third of the light on Earth diminishes with the blowing of the fourth trumpet, causing day and night to switch roles. After the destruction of the fourth trumpet, an angel comes forth announcing the further destruction of the subsequent trumpets, which are the three woes. With the blowing of the fifth trumpet, an angel opens the bottomless pit, which releases a large amount of smoke and locustlike scorpions that will torment man for five months. The sixth trumpet unleashes the four angels bound in the Euphrates river. These four angels together with their army of two hundred million horsemen, will kill one third of all men still left on Earth. The people killed by the four angels' army are all unrepentant; many people feel that the Tribulation is very close because fornication, thievery, drug use and debauchery dominate society, which they view as unrepentant. Others point out that the combined surface area of Israel, the Persian Empire, the Arab area including Libya and Ethiopia, the former U.S.S.R., the Warsaw Pact nations, the ten nation pact and the United States is exactly one third of the earth's land mass. They think these countries could be the ones mentioned in the first, second, fourth and sixth trumpet judgments. The seventh trumpet, much like the seventh seal, is not a judgment in itself, but rather introduces the seven bowl judgments.
Seven Vials See Seven Bowls
The seventy weeks of Daniel signify the prophecy upon which many premillenialists base their predictions concerning the end of the world as we know it and the ushering in of the eternal kingdom. In Daniel 9:24-27, the prophet receives a message from God brought to him by the angel Gabriel. This message is "Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy..." (Daniel 9: 24). The Seventy weeks are symbolic rather than exact. Each 'week' is equivalent to seven years. Therefore, the time period would actually be equal to 70 x 7 or 490 years.
The Dispensationalist (the most wide-spread version of premillenialism) explanation of these 490 years in our "real" time is that the first seven weeks (49 yrs.) ended with the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem in 445 B.C. The next 62 weeks (434 yrs.) included all of the time up until the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews. At this point in the breakdown, 69 weeks (483 yrs.) have passed and the clock is "momentarily" stopped leaving one week unaccounted for.
According to the same theory, the final seven years leading to the end of time will start at an unknown time and shall be divided into two parts. These sections shall be separated by the coming and false rule of the Antichrist. At the end of this week, Judgment shall come and the eternal kingdom shall begin. This seventy week system is the most common base for most timelines created by premillenialists in attempt to predict the time when the end shall arrive.
Premillenialists argue that the final week of Daniel is nearly upon us because the Bible says that the final week shall arrive when peace is made with Israel. This peace would allow the placement of some unknown person (the Antichrist) in a position of great power over all peoples. Many believe that the attempts at peace with Israel occurring now are the beginning of the completion of this prophecy.
For over a millennium, the Temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship of God. It was built by Solomon after he came to Israel's throne in 961 BCE. It was the center of Israelite (later Judahite) worship from then until its destruction in 587 BCE by the Babylonians. This is known as the First Temple period. Rebuilt perhaps as early as 520 BCE, the Temple then stood until the Romans destroyed it, along with Jerusalem, in 70 CE. This is know as the Second Temple Period. During this time, it was the center of Israelite worship, with the priests offering sacrifices daily and thousands of Jews attending on the holy days (holidays). The Temple itself was a building surrounded by several courtyards. In the Court of the Priests stood the altar, which was the primary location for the sacrifices. The Temple building was divided into the outer Sanctuary--where priests came to light lamps, offer incense and perform other acts of worship--and the innermost room, the Holy of Holies. In this area, the Ark of Covenant (which supposedly contained the Ten Commandments) was kept as the throne upon which God Himself was believed to sit. Here, only the High Priest could enter, and then only on the Day of Atonement. The Third Temple Period will begin when the Temple is rebuilt before the Second Coming of Christ. It will be desecrated for a second time by the abomination of desolation as described in Matthew 24. The Fourth Temple Period will begin at the initiation of the millennial kingdom, after the Second Coming of Christ, and this period will last for eternity.
Third Temple See Temple
The three woes are the last three of the seven trumpet judgments God casts upon the earth during the Tribulation. They are found in Revelation 8:13-9:21 and 11:15-19. After the blowing of the fourth trumpet, an angel appears announcing the three woes, declaring "Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the three angels, which are yet to sound." This announcement declares that the next three judgments are far worse than any that have come before.
The first woe, or the fifth trumpet judgment, begins with the blowing of the fifth trumpet, in which an angel receives the key to and thus opens the bottomless pit. Out of this pit comes a great amount of smoke from which appear powerful locust-like scorpions, which may actually be spirit beings. Abaddon, the Destroyer, is the leader of these scorpions that torment man for five months. They will not affect vegetation, but rather torture those who do not have God's seal on their foreheads, a symbol indicating that a person is a decided follower of God. Although these scorpions will not kill, people will search for death, but not find it.
The second woe, or the sixth trumpet judgment, unleashes the four angels bound in the Euphrates River. They, together with two hundred million horsemen, kill one third of all men left on Earth. The people killed will be unrepentant. It is possible that they will be the ones who already have the mark of the beast; God will destroy these people first so that they will not hinder the decision of the undecided to follow Christ. Many hold that the mentioning of the Euphrates River is symbolic, as it is one of the boundaries of the Garden of Eden, the location of Babylon, and where Israel was led into captivity; they believe this will be the location of the final sin.
The third woe, or the seventh trumpet, is not a judgment in itself, but rather introduces the seven bowl judgments.
Modern prophecy writers apply the three woes apply to today's society. Some identify the locust-like scorpions that appear in the first woe with the Cobra helicopters used during the Vietnam War. Others believe that the two hundred million horsemen are members of the army of Red China allied with the Japanese and other oriental nations. Some believe that the horses are symbols for mobilized ballistic missile launchers and other writers note that idolatry, murder, sorcery, fornication and thievery dominate society; all of which are exemplary of unrepentant people.
Tribulation, Great See Great Tribulation
Tubal See Mesheq and Tubal.
As the end-of-time supposedly approaches, premillennialist thinkers are trying to define the role of the United States. The United States is a dominate world power and therefore believed to be involved in the last events of our world. There are two views of the United State’s role in these events as defined by premillennial and postmillenial thinkers.
The postmillenial view of the United States was dominate from its founding until the end of World War II. The founders thought they were creating the New Israel. The fact that they were beginning a country based on Christianity, fueled this thought. The prosperity of the United States further demonstrated God’s favor to postmillenialists. Finally, the immigration of Jews to America supported this idea of God’s favor and the United State’s identity as the New Israel. Chronologically, postmillenialists thought the Rapture would be the time of glory for the United States. Over half of the country’s population would be raptured leaving only those who did not have faith in Christ behind. Unfortunately, this sudden decrease in population would lead to the fall of the United States during the Tribulation. Due to America’s acceptance of the Jews, missionary work, and a foundation laid by Christianity, God would look upon America with favor. Therefore, the United States would be punished during the Tribulation, but not destroyed.
After the Second World War the role of the United States in the end-time scenario became quite grim. Premillenial thought focused on the rise of sinful behavior in the United States. As the wealth, abundance, and technology increased so does the greediness of man in their view. Furthermore, the supposed increase in sexual immorality and the apparent breakdown of the nuclear family indicated the fall of the United States from God’s favor. These characteristics identify the United States as the prophesied Babylon. Revelations 18 and 2 Timothy 3:1-7 describe the features of the future Babylon and its destruction. According to prophecy writers, the United States fits these passages’ description. Therefore, if the United States is Babylon, the chronological time scale concentrates on America and the Tribulation. After the Rapture, the Tribulation will begin and America will be punished for its sins. One third of the population will die and the country will be destroyed during the Tribulation.
The post and premillenialists agree the United States has had favor with God, but lost it through it’s unfaithfulness. The United States will be punished just as the other nations of the world, Jeremiah 18:7-10. Therefore, the United State’s role in Christianity will be judged during the Tribulation. Postmillenialists believe that God will not destroy the United States because of its past good role. Premillenialists believe God will destroy the United States because it has abandoned its Christian roots and turned to wicked practices fulfilling the role of the prophesied Babylon.
The Whore of Babylon is thought to represent a church system that is devoid of God, despite its claims to the contrary. A harlot or prostitute is a one who is not faithful. Like a whore, this church systemshows itself unfaithful to God by following false practices of religion. In Revelation 17: 4, the harlot is described as wearing fine clothes of purple and red. She also glitters with gold, precious stones, and pearls. This is interpreted to mean the apostate church will be beautiful and splendid on the outside, while being ugly and corrupt on the inside. {Hal Lindsey} says, "The apostate church is, always has been, and will be, the visible, physical gathering of people who may call themselves Christians" (Lindsey, p. 116). Other authors identify the Roman Catholic Church as the whore. {N.W. Hutchings} goes so far as to name Madonna, the American singer, as the actual Whore of Babylon.
The Whore of Babylon will eventually be destroyed by the AntiChrist. He will come to hate the church because it limits his power. The AntiChrist wants to set himself up as God, and to do so he needs to get rid of the church. Because she is no longer useful to the AntiChrist or his empire, Babylon the whore will be destroyed.
The woman clothed with the sun is a symbol which appears in the sky during a prophecy described in Revelation 12. She represents the Jewish people (Israel), clothed with supreme authority before giving birth to Christ and suffering severe persecution by the dragon (Satan). The woman also has the moon (her previous reflected state) at her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head. (Twelve signifies administrative power and is also the number of Christ's apostles.) She gives birth to the male child while a great red dragon--Satan--waits to consume the infant upon his birth. The child is the Messiah and is predestined to rule all nations with a rod of iron, but he is taken by God for a time. The woman flees into the wilderness to a place prepared by God, where she is to be given refuge and protected for 1,260 days, the gap between Christ's ascension and the Rapture, when the church rises to meet Christ in the air and is then taken up to God.
Following a subsequent war in heaven, during which Michael (the archangel, guardian and champion of Israel) and his angels battle the dragon, Satan and Satan's angels are cast out of heaven. Filled with wrath at his defeat and knowing he has just a short time and the church has already been taken safely out of his way, Satan persecutes the woman (Israel) even more harshly during a period of time called the Great Tribulation.
After receiving the wings of an eagle (the power of flight) from God, the woman escapes from the tribulation and finds refuge again in the wilderness. As she flees, the dragon spews a torrent of water out of his mouth in order to drown her, but the earth opens, swallows the flood, and saves the woman.
1000-year Reign of Christ See Millennial Kingdom
Referring to the mark of the beast, the prophet John writes, "If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666" (Rev 13:18). In addition to this explicit identification in Revelation 13:18, the symbolic meaning behind the number 666 also supports the claim of it representing the Antichrist. According to Bible numerology, the number six represents the number of man. Three is considered a number of perfection, symbolic of God. Thus, three sixes represent man attempting to become God (Lalonde and Lalonde, p. 158). Hal Lindsey concurs, stating that "when you triple six, it is the symbol of man making himself God" (Lindsey, p. 101). The numerology behind 666 supports its representation of the Antichrist because according to Bible prophecies, the Antichrist, a mortal, will claim to be God. This claim will mark the beginning of Armageddon.
7 Bowls See Seven Bowls
7 Plagues See Seven Bowls
7 Seals See Seven Seals
7 Trumpets See Seven Trumpets
7 Vials See Seven Bowls
70 years See Seventy years
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