The Chorological Order of Bible Prophecies for the Tribulation / Apocalypse Era

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CAUTION: This is not some 'novel' approach to the Bible, reading this may require a seatbelt.

Almost Tomorrow

THE TRIBULATION ERA  

Introduction...

Be careful what you wish for...  The question is not whether these events will take place, it is when will these events take place. 

Please understand, I freely admit my prophecy analysis is my best guesstimate based on personal research and study.  Anyone one can take a Bible verse out of context and write a story about it.  I have chronicled the major Biblical prophecies and added some current events commentary.  One must remember, we mere mortals are all students of prophecy, and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, that is what makes watching the signs interesting.  

It is important to understand just exactly what signs we are watching.  They are: the signs of the end of this Age of Grace leading to the Millennium Kingdom of the Messiah - not the end of the world.  The Messiah's coming does not mean the destruction of the Earth.  The Bible mentions about 120 times that our planet will go on forever (Ecc.1:4).  Although it will be the end of this world of evil.

This world is a compromise.  No one has it 100% their way, not Satan’s church, and not the Godly church.  The Parable of the Tares (Mat.13:24-30), says evil will be amongst us, and sometime in the future, almost tomorrow, YAHWEH will send the Messiah and destroy this corrupt system (Dan.2:44). 

The Bible says this is Satan’s world, and Satan counterfeits true knowledge (2Cor.4:4).  For example, one day the Messiah will rule the world, and Satan wants to counterfeit the Messiah’s rule of the world.  Satan has wanted the world to worship him since the Tower of Babel.  If he can’t get what he wants, his back-up plan is a scorched Earth policy.  Destroy humanity!  Destroy the Earth!  It’s nothing personal - just business.

Control your fear! "Fear Not!"  Believers need not fear GOD; Scriptures repeat this phrase over 300  times.   The message from the Messiah to humanity is simple, and it is similar to the message YAHWEH gave Adam and Eve, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me,” Jno.14:1.  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” Verse 27.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2Timothy 1:7.

Remember: Stay-on-target!  These will be perilous time. Do not give into hate or rioting, and DO NOT MURDER (Gen.9:5-6).  The Rainbow Covenant still stands, always trust YHWH and HIS plan for Humanity.  Help your neighbor, DO NOT give into rioting.  Our personal fate will be decided in our CREATOR'S Great White Throne Room according to ones individual actions.

Chronology

     The time given in the Bible of the Messiahs physical reign on Earth is approximately six thousand years from the time Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden; or approximately two thousand years from the birth of Yahshua-Jesus.  The problem is that chronology is not an exact science.  There is not enough known about the chronology of the ancient Biblical events to know precisely when the allotted time has expired.  Even the current, most modern, chronological tables and charts established by the scholars Larkin, Thiele, and Reese, do not all agree, they are within a ten to fifteen year span of one another. 

To further complicate the date setting for Armageddon is the curious prediction Yahshua made in His Olivet discourse Matthew 25:37, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  Most see this as a prophecy of the lawlessness preceding the Millennium Kingdom, but many forget that in Noah’s time YAHWEH postponed HIS judgment of destruction on the wicked planet 120 years (Gen.6:3). 

Some make an end-time date theory based on Yahshua’s prophecy in Luke 21:28-29, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”  Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.”  A Biblical generation is figured at approx. 40 years (Psalm 95:10), from 1967 C.E. (when the Jews captured Jerusalem), plus 40 years, adds up to the year 2007 C.E..  Additional corroboration comes from the Old Testament prophecies that anticipated Armageddon would occur a generation after the establishment of the Jewish state.

To set an exact date is fruitless, although many groups in the past have tried.  Eventually, they all have been disappointed and have been branded as false prophets. 

In Judaism, rabbinic literature specifically prohibits calculations of the coming Messiah, because it would be dependent on a Divine calendar, rather then human calculation.  In a way they are right, one cannot figure the dates by a Roman calendar.  The Divine calendar, as it is described in the Bible, is calculated by a lunar year of 360 days.

Yet, it has always been said by many rabbis that the world will last for a six thousand years or 120 Jubilees, then the son of David will come to usher in a 1,000-year sabbatical rest.  The tribulation years just before the Messiahs arrival are called "The Seven Mystery Years of Jacobs Trouble" (Jer.30:7).  They believe Israel will be violently attacked three times during these years, with the last one triggering the Messiah’s arrival.

Islam also forbids any Muslim to set dates, but they do discuss “signs” of an approaching judgment, such as widespread corruption and an evil tyrant ruling the world. They are also waiting for a messiah figure called the mythical twelfth Imam or Mahdi, and many of their end time prophecies run parallel to the Biblical Tribulation prophecies.  For example, there will be world chaos, wars, years of bloodshed, beheadings of unbelievers (and Islam has a rich tradition of beheading their enemies), and out of the chaos their Mahdi will appear to redeem earth, restore the creation and deliver its people.  There is one big difference, the Bible's bad guy is the Koran's good guy, there is a reference to what the Bible calls the Mark of the Beast, which we know to avoid at all costs even if it means death, but the Muslims will see it as a badge of honor and welcome the Mark - as I often say the Muslims are martyrs to misinformation.

Christianity teaches in Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”  The New Testament says in Matthew 24:36, "no one knows the day or the hour,” but in verse 33 believers are commanded to watch the signs given in prophecy and they will know when events are near that will lead to the end of this age.

The historian Gibbons, who wrote The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, noted that the early church fathers of the first three hundred years C.E. of Christianity believed that Christ would return after six thousand years of history or shortly after the year 2001 and rule the Earth for a thousand years (Vol.I pg.532). 

Martin Luther, the great religious reformer who began the Protestant movement and founded the Lutheran domination stated, “I believe the Antichrist shall come in the end time and he will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming,” (Historical Reformation Vol.II pg.166).  Luther also believed in the teaching of the Early Church leaders (first three hundred years), that the six days equals six thousand years theory with the events happening sometime around the year two thousand. 

Is the Messiah returning, or is He coming for the first time?  Put this question aside for another time, and generally speaking, all faithful Bible scholars among the Jews, the Catholic’s, the Protestant’s, quietly think the Messiah’s arrival will happen sometime in the early years of our new millennium. 

One time period is certain, the Tribulation period starts seven years prior to the Messiah’s arrival.  The whole seven-year Tribulation era has two phases.  It begins when a political leader from Europe, who is supported by the pope, and makes a seven-year peace contract with Israel.  Phase two - the Great Tribulation period - begins with Satan’s physical reign on Earth.  It starts about half way (approx 3 1/2 years) into the Tribulation period and continues for 3 1/2 years or 1260 days.  This is precisely given so humankind will know that there is an end to the suffering Satan and his demonic angels bring to the inhabitants of the Earth after they lose their access to the heavens.

The Prelude – “the Birth Pangs”

“Because the creation itself 

also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption

into the glorious liberty of the Children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors

with birth pangs together until now.”

– Roman 8:21-22

The world will not slip down an evil path on a moments notice, it will happen gradually, with waves of darkness coming quicker and quicker while growing stronger and stronger. Generally, people will not knowingly follow evil, they have to be tricked into thinking that it seems like it’s the right thing to do (Pro.14:12).

The metaphor used in the Bible for the end times events says it will be as “birth pangs” (Rom.8:22), which means natural disasters, lawless murders, and death of disease, will occur with increased frequency as the end of the age nears.  That is why many preachers say the apocalyptic judgments are in the initial stages and the Earth is already entering the Tribulation period.  (Maybe we are close, but we are not quite there yet.) 

             Generally, one can see a woman in the latter stages of pregnancy, and how close she is to birthing her child.  It is the same with prophecy.  The prelude to the actual Tribulation period would start showing characteristic signs of the coming events so that humanity can see it - if they are watching - and anticipate the coming events.  Many Biblical prophesies some written over 2000 years ago are running real close to today’s current events.  Some would say, “If you’re not paranoid, it’s because you’re not paying attention.”

Ground Zero of the Apocalypse is Jerusalem.  It is the center of our prophecy radar.  Sometimes when I talk about prophecy, some folks just roll their eyes and give me a condescending smirk.  Then I ask them, “In the Bible written 2500 years ago, the Prophet Zechariah clearly wrote in 12:3 “…I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the Earth are gathered against it.”  I ask, “Have you seen the current news on Jerusalem?  Who else but YHWH could make such a prediction?  Can you name any swami today who could predict what city, 2500 years from now, will be central in a world conflict?”

             Some Bible prophecies have a worldwide effect, but most of the prophecies relate to Israel and the surrounding Middle East.  For those who can see, there are many prophecies unfolding in our generation.  The initial Tribulation prophecies which set the stage for the arrival of the Conquering Messiah would be the same as it was for the Suffering Messiah: The first sign: A remnant of the Israelite nation must be in Jerusalem.  The second sign: The Jerusalem Temple needs to be up and running, because this would make “the way” ready for the promised Messiah (Dan.9:24-26). 

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,

which you do well to heed 

as a light that shines in a dark place,” - 2Peter 1:19

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Prophecies for the Earth pronounce plagues, pestilence, and famine (Mat.24:4-26; Mar.13:5-23; Luk.21:8-24).  Yesterday’s plague defeated by penicillin is tomorrow’s prophecy of mutated deadly strain of the next global super bug with little hope of a cure.  There will be devastating environmental disasters.  Water will become undrinkable.  The oceans will die. And the trees will burn. 

Today, we can see a deepening trouble in the land and the oceans.  They are overused, poorly managed, and badly polluted from the disposal of billions of gallons of toxic and nuclear waste. 

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Prophecies foretell of extreme weather changes and natural disasters, happening at greater frequencies.  Yesterday’s 100 year earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or tornado are regular features in today’s weather headlines. 

            The metaphor “birth pangs” for the Earth means natural disasters will occur with increased frequency as the end of the age nears.  One example is in major earthquakes 6.5 or greater.  Research shows that from 1900 to 1969 there were a total of 48 major earthquakes, or roughly 6 per decade; from 1970 to 1989 there were a total of 33, or 17 per decade; from 1990 to 1993 there were a total of 133 major earthquakes or 44 per year, a 2300% increase.  The skeptics say modern science has a better ability to detect earthquakes, which is why more of these events are reported.  Maybe so, but the earthquakes of this magnitude, that are capable of destroying cities, could clearly be noticed even without the sophisticated instrumentation of today.

Prophecies for Humanity: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” 1Timothy 4:1-2.  “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self‑control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” 2Timothy 3:1-4.

Prophecy says that there will be a falling away of Biblical based moral values and lessons.  They will be replaced slowly, step-by-step in the schools, homes, corporations and the government with newer age philosophy.  Basically, it is a new type of the same old ancient Babylonian paganism based on a religion of the self.  Today it is the ‘New Age’ belief of the same old tried humanistic philosophies, included in pluralism, visualization exercises, transcendental meditation, channeling, repeating mantras, etc.

Prophecy also says, take heed that no one deceives you, there will be many false messiahs (Mat.24:5).  These days there are so many who claim the title of messiah it is hard to catalog them all.  And they are in almost all the nations, Japan, South Korea, America, Europe, etc.  Even the Jews - a faction of the Lubavitchers, a worldwide Hasidic Jewish sect - had one in Brooklyn, New York, he never even stepped foot in Israel before he died of old age.  Then there are those New Age gurus who claim that everyone is part of the godhead, therefore we are all little gods.  This spiritual deception is still the same old con game Satan started in the Garden of Eden.  After all these centuries, it amazes me to see today how easy supposedly modern thinking people are taken in by this age-old deception.

The Prophets warn that in the last days an evil global dictator will rise to power through a form of a league of world nations, with the European nations that made up the nations of the ancient Roman Empire at it’s center.  This global politician will have a religious partner from the city of seven hills – believed to be the Vatican.

Through Humanities time line there will be seven world governments, (Rev.17:11).  They are listed in Daniel 2:31-45; 7:1-7 (and reviewed in ch. 3).  [1] Egyptians; [2] Assyrians; [3] Babylonians; [4] Mede-Persia; [5] Greece; [6] Rome; [7] in the last days a revived Roman Empire, from which a dreadful and terrible beast - the Antichrist - will rise to power (Rev.13:1).  The global type governments, armies, economies, and information systems, needed to stage these fantastic prophesies are all today’s realities. 

Prophecy foretells of a citizen tracking system.  Yesterday’s “Big Brother,” - the ever-present global computer control system described in George Orwell’s dark future world drama 1984 - is today’s technology of the instant, central access, computer data systems.  The computer mechanics available today are the smart cards, implantable computer chips, and the electronic funds transfer systems, are the Biblical prophecies of the cashless society of tomorrow - and have been available only in this generation.

The book 1984, describes a society whose people, because of economic reasons, are secured by an electronic data shadow, and monitored by the keepers at international database central.  As in the book, people today are giving up national sovereignty and personal freedom for economic and personal security reasons.  And soon, people will be embracing computer biometric technology.  It is a system of which a person’s identity is verified by unique physical characteristics such as fingerprints, hand or forehead geometry for secure access to personal information. 

Today’s super computers are already tracking people’s electronic transmissions, and buy/sell transactions.  The Earth-bound computers are now linked to satellites and are creating intelligent transportation systems, tracking the movements of people and material.  The only thing holding back the Biblical prophecies of computer chip implant is the people’s current resistance to the idea – but with the recent terrorist events that sentiment is changing. 

Prophecy says there will be an animated worship figure of the coming global god-king.  Think it’s bizarre?  Have you been to a Disney theme park lately?  The technology of “audio-animatronics,” to create the illusion of life by the building of life like figures (just don't call them robots), has been the wow of crowds for years now.  When coupled with advanced super computers you have something that the Disney imaginers dream about. 

The government wants them to take control as the next peacekeepers, with ability to think and even work motor vehicles, tanks, or even fly un-manned planes with laser bombs.

Prophecy says a great army of the “Kings of the East” is needed for the great battle at Armageddon.  Today’s Chinese laws on births are producing a large male population.  The prophecy continues that the kings of the East will cross the Euphrates River.  Today’s reality is in Turkey where they have the ability to dry up the river at the touch of a button, with dams it has recently completed.

The true end time signs would also be predicted by other religions.  Groups in all major religions Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc., are awaiting heavenly signs.  And some are getting nervous.  Predictions are also coming from the Native American Indians such as the shaman called No Eyes, detailed in the book Phoenix Rising by Mary Summer Rain.  Numerous end time predictions revolving around the new millennium come from secular prophets such as Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and many others.

            Even the Satanists are rallying their forces for what they call the Satanic Century - the time when they will rule the world.  They believe around the year 2000 or a short time after, the Satanists will be called on to denominate our society and purge the Earth of the influence of backward Messiah believers.  Devoid of love, they are ready to recreate the esthetics of beauty, build the new acropolises to enforce their will. 

Their mantra goes something like this: “I loath the Christian faith and all others which puts their GOD before the self.  I am my own god and I take responsibility for all my own actions, I bow down before no one and join the battle against the religion of lies.”  They do not want to suppress bloodshed, murder, violence, and war, because they believe it to be natural to the human physic.  They believe mankind is a predator, it is a natural part of every human being to be a killer, and that’s how it will always be.  They stand ready to kill the Christians, and the next group in line will be the Jews. 

There is a wonderful lesson all should read and ponder in Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, "To everything there is a season, a 'time' for every purpose under heaven:”  The Byrds, made it into a very popular song in the sixties, Turn, Turn, Turn.  Have patience and mark your time carefully. 

The 'signs' have been given, now is the 'time' to prepare and to learn.  

The Trigger-Event

Students of prophecy have always wondered, what kind of trigger-event would it take to pull the whole world together?  The answer is what makes watching prophecy interesting.  Some believe it will be a devastating series of earthquakes around what is called the “Ring of Fire.”  It extends along the northern Pacific rim of the US around to Japan.  And it could destroy everything from Los Angeles to Tokyo.  Some others might say it will be when a meteor strikes the Earth upsetting the natural balance of the ecosystem.  Some say it will be when the true believers are removed from the Earth, and some say it will be the result of terrorism and war.  Etc., etc..  

            The beginning of tribulation "sorrows" start with one sign that is certain.  Before the Antichrist rises to power on a peace platform, there has to be some years of escalating terrorism and war relating to Israel and the Middle East (Mat.24:6-8; Mar.13:7-8; Zec.12:3).  

            There are many trigger-event scenarios, and I’ll review the two best guesses in the next page.  My best guess is that the Tribulation era will begin when the Age of Grace closes.  Then the spiritual clock will reset to what it was in the time of John the Baptist – REPENT for the Kingdom is at hand!  The time for thinking over the Covenant proposal is over!  It’s decision time!  

    One time is certain, when Israel signs a seven year peace treaty with her enemies, the the world will begin to propel itself into a period of seven years of tribulation (Dan.9:27, 12:1), climaxing when the Conquering Messiah appears to save humanity from itself.  

During the Tribulation years, the misguided people will adopt a new religion based on the age-old theology of pluralism’s lowest common dominator, and then demand that all humanity join them, or else be persecuted by inquisition.  The early Greco-Roman secular belief was pluralistic, as in all roads lead to Rome.  It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you bow to all other beliefs.  The problem is the weak iron-clay mixture will have little tolerance for Scriptural truth.

             It will be Satan’s last attempt at establishing his New World order.  It will begin under the banner of peace and reform, complete with convincing spiritual psycho-babble, all leading to a fool’s paradise and certain destruction.  The peace will not last long, and “woe to them that are weak,” this society will turn on itself, and many people will die during these years.  This is not the talk of weird conspiracy nuts, shades of this story are in almost every culture.

This New Age Religion of Humanism will promote a fools paradise,

which will be very short lived.  

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Last modified: December 05, 2011