Great Battles in Prophecy

Christian Eschatology is replete with Posed Explanations as to how “the End of the World” will play out. Many Scenarios are built around Prophecies applied to situations to which they may or may not actually relate. We should carefully examine each of these Prophecies to be certain that they’re applied accurately and in their proper timeframes.

 

  © Rich Traver,  81520-1411,  4-24-12   [ 207 ]     www.goldensheaves.org 

As if there wasn't enough controversy in the wild world of religion, particularly among its prophecy buffs, a general concept seems to pervade most, having to do with “the-End-of-the-World”. The greater consensus is that this world will come to a spectacularly catastrophic end, with all who have been ‘converted’ (‘saved’) having been ‘taken’ from earth to spend eternity up in Heaven. And, that’s the explanation, so far as is foreseen of how this human experience here on earth will wind up.

Not So Fast!

What complicates the picture is the fact of, and the abundant biblical witness of, there being an age out beyond this present world order, one in which the returned Christ will rule the nations together with His Spirit Born Saints. Once we factor-in those clear biblical statements, we can see that the predictions of so many religious peoples are more than a little bit off base. In fact, correctly said, way off base!

What modern religion has missed is the amply supported fact of there being another 1000 years of civil society here on earth after the event they try to describe, but under a dramatically different administration. Among the Bible’s clear prophesies we have accounts of a whole new world order, one ruled by the firm hand of Christ together with His Spirit Born Saints, who then comprise His Bride!

What we should be talking about is not the end of the world per se - that term in itself is misleading - but “the-end-of-the-age”.[1] This is the end of the present age, ordered by mankind, and the beginning of the age ruled by God. Six thousand years are allotted to humanity to prove that man's ways don’t really work, (ways that produces all kinds of repressions and conflicts) and a final thousand to show how to live the right way. Those final 1000 years define the era known biblically as “the Kingdom of God”.

Further confounding the arena of understanding, modern religion typically misidentifies what is meant by the term, “Kingdom of God”. Most expect that it refers to the church in this age, the kingdom of saints in the world, or something along that line. Rather, it refers to the actual Millennial Kingdom that will be present on earth for 1000 years. The Kingdom of God is that age in which Christ will rule over the nations (yes, there will still be nations in the post-Advent era)!

The general consensus with regard to this passage is that the battle of the Day of the LORD is being described, or at least the result of it. But the picture represented may not be one so simple as that!

In Heaven or OF Heaven?

Just as a side note, the Gospel of Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven” where the rest of the Gospel writers and the New Testament uses the equivalent term “Kingdom of God”. Now to some, the Kingdom of Heaven refers to the Heavenly Realm, people having gone TO Heaven. But, with some of these same people, the Kingdom of God means the component of the Church living within civil society, here and now on earth. (In other words, the living Church.) Even this apparent discrepancy doesn’t seem to alert churchgoers to their casual mis-perceptions.

But we should be clear as to what the term means. We’ll see why this is important as we get deeper into this subject.

Read the entire article here

 


Footnotes:


[1]  The Greek word, translated “world” is Strong’s #2889, kosmos (world or world order) or #165, aion (age). It isn’t the world that will end, but its present administrations will.