This blog is a rather long discussion of eschatology, i.e., the End Times. In it I have attempted to explain the Biblical End Times based upon what Scripture tells us. Why read a long writing about Biblical doctrines which do not affect your salvation? Because the more you know about Biblical prophecy and how it fits into your Christian life - that should give you a greater sense of eternal security, a firmer knowledge that you, a believer and follower of Jesus Christ - have His promise, His absolute guaranty of eternal, never ending, joy in the presence of God.
Some may read the blog in its entirety, others may scan it only for "golden nuggets." And then some may look at the blog, decide it is too long, and delete it. No hard feelings either way, for I have gained knowledge in doing the writing. But I do pray that YOU are one of the readers or scanners and that you will find something here that is worth the effort.
In September 2012 I wrote this blog discussing one of our Wednesday Bible Studies. We began John 14 and in verses 1 to 3 the obvious observation was made – that passage is describing the Rapture. And that is where such a discussion can often go south. Why? Because believers are not always on the same page when it comes to understanding the Rapture and why and when it will happen.
Yes, a discussion of the Rapture is about prophecy. Prophecy is about the future – but, such a study is also about fulfilled prophecy; which shows that those past events, are proven history. Why study prophecy? First, prophecy is one key element which validates our Bible, showing that it is truly the inspired Written Word of God. Why do I say this? Well, the Bible is the only sacred book, including those of all world religions, which offers prophecies. And, to date, Bible prophecy has been proven to be 100% accurate.
The Bible has over 1800 prophecies in the Old and New Testaments. Except for the prophecies of His Second Coming, i.e., the End Times – all of those prophecies have been fulfilled, proven by both religious and secular writings. To date, Bible prophecies are 100% accurate, not one has failed to be fulfilled. That, in my mind is rock solid evidence that the Bible is the Written Word of God.
My second reason for believing we should study prophecy is a bit more pragmatic and practical. Over the years, I have driven across America a number of times. And once, I drove around America on an 8000 mile solo journey. Each time, before starting my driving adventure, I sat down with my Auto Club map and marked my route. Today we might use Google Map, but same principle.
Why did I do this? I wanted to be sure I was taking the best route considering current highway conditions, and I wanted to know how far I should drive each day. In other words, I planned my trip, noting any detours or delays I might encounter, the 24-hour truck stops where I might rest and find the services I would need - all to make sure that I arrived safely at my final destination.
That is what we do when we study prophecy. Based upon past experience with prophecies, and what we have learned more recently through further study of prophecy – we plan the best possible route to make sure we arrive at our final destination, heaven, on schedule.
So, let me share what I believe the Bible is telling us about the End Times, and specifically the Rapture - when it will happen, what happens before the Rapture, and what will happen after the Rapture.
Let’s back up to the beginning and take a quick overview of Biblical time. In my Bible Timeline Chart below, the Eternity on the left is Eternity Past, when only the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) existed. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Some thousands of years ago, and we are not sure just how many thousands, God created the universe and all within it. That included we humans and all other living creatures, our earth, all the sciences, and all the laws governing those sciences.
On the chart we are given two important dates: The year that Christ was crucified (33 AD), and the year that Creation began (about 4004 BC) – give or take a few more (but not less) thousand years. Certainly not the millions or billions of years which atheists, secularists, and evolutionists must have to make Darwinian Evolution viable.
DATE OF THE CREATION: I have shown that the Creation happened “about 4004" BC. Why? This is the date set by James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, in his book “Annals Of The Word.” He was one of the most famous theologians of the English Reformation. One of his principle claims to fame was that he calculated the date of creation to 4004 BC by tracing the lineages in the King James Bible.
The idea that the Bible gives us enough information to exactly date the creation of the heavens and the earth is held by many theologians, Bible scholars, and teachers. Traditional Judaism views the year 2000 as 5780 years after the creation of the universe. In the seventeenth century Irish Archbishop James Ussher, after extensive research, put the date of creation in the year 4004 B.C.
Time calculations based upon genealogies found in Genesis 5 and 10 were used to establish his date of the creation. When the different ages of the men in those genealogies were totaled, it was believed the result was the number of years between Adam and Abraham. Figuring backward from the time of Christ Ussher arrived at the year 4004 BC.
There are problems with doing this. The genealogies in the Scripture are not complete. There are gaps in them:
"Matthew's
genealogy traces the ancestors of Joseph, the legal father
of Jesus. The structure of the genealogy descends from
father to son, beginning with Abraham. Additionally, Matthew
divides the genealogy into three groups of fourteen
generations, separated by important historic points." (For more
on this subject, please visit: GotQuestions dot Org - "14 Generations')
Matthew 1:17, "So all the generations from Abraham
to David are fourteen generations, from David
until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen
generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until
the Christ are fourteen generations."
Much of the Hebrew writing in the Old Testament is
poetic, and we find that also flowing into New Testament
writings, as in the groupings in Matthew 1:17 which seem to
follow that pattern.
"Because there’s so much poetry in the Hebrew Bible, it’s
fitting to familiarize ourselves with the basics of Hebrew
poetry. What is it that makes a Hebrew poem poetic? In a
word, (it is) parallelism." (From: GotQuestions dot Org - "Synthetic Parallelism")
Thus Archbishop James Ussher's year 4004 calculation may not be fully accurate, but it does give us a guideline which shows us that the date of the Creation was in the thousands of years ago - and most certainly not millions or billions of years ago as science and Darwinian Evolution claim and need.
DATE OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION: Looking at the day that the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26), i.e, when Christ entered Jerusalem, His Triumphal Entry (now called Palm Sunday), and one week later was crucified - that date is shown as 33 AD.
In 1894, Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918), Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, intelligence officer, theologian, and writer - did extensive research and published his book “The Coming Prince” – which today is quoted by many Bible scholars and theologians. That book can be downloaded free in PDF format at: http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Text.Only/pdfs/The_Coming_Prince_Text.pdf
In his book, “The Coming Prince” Anderson lists the dates for the Passover between 22 AD and 37 AD. Note that the Passover would start at sundown of the previous day, and end at sundown for the date shown. The Passover meal would be eaten the previous evening.
Passover meal on Thursday evening (considered part of the Jewish day of Friday) - arrest, trial, and crucifixion on Friday - resurrection on Sunday. That is three days by Jewish accounting.
These possible dates from 22 AD to 37 AD listed in“The Coming Prince” (pages 45-46) are:
22
AD, Sunday April 22
23 AD,
Thursday March 25
24 AD,
Wednesday April 12
25 AD,
Sunday April 1
26 AD,
Thursday March 21
27 AD,
Wednesday April 9
28 AD,
Monday March 29
29 AD,
Sunday April 17
30 AD,
Thursday April 6
31 AD,
Tuesday March 27
32 AD,
Monday April 14
33
AD, Friday April 3
34 AD,
Tuesday March 23
35 AD,
Monday April 11
36
AD, Friday March 30
37 AD,
Thursday April 18
Since we know that His crucifixion had to have occurred on Friday the only viable dates are 33 AD and 36 AD. Most scholars and theologians will go with the 33 AD date.
My chart below is an overview of all time – from Eternity Past to Eternity Future. But, let’s focus on key events:
1. CHRIST WAS “CUT OFF” and crucified: Daniel 9:26
2. CHRISTIAN CHURCH BORN in the Upper Room: Acts 2
3. THE RAPTURE: John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We will begin with the Rapture. Jesus Christ will come in the air to take His church, His worldwide body of Christian believers, out of this world which is about to experience the closest thing to “hell on earth” ever to happen, the seven year Tribulation. Scripture passages which describe this imminent Rapture are:
John 14:1-3, "Do
not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe
also in Me. (2) In My Father's house are many dwelling
places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go
to prepare a place for you. (3) If I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you to
Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-54,
“Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; nor does the perishable
inherit the imperishable. (51) Behold, I tell you a
mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will
all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and
we will be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on
the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
But when this perishable will have put on the
imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then will come about the saying that is
written, ‘Death Is Swallowed Up in
victory (Isaiah 25:8).’ ”
Isaiah 25:8-9, “He
will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will
wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the
reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD
has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, ‘Behold,
this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save
us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us
rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’ "
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But
we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those
who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest
who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you
by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain
until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who
have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain
will be caught up (in Greek, harpazō - in
Latin, rapiemur
- in the English transliteration, Rapture) together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore
comfort one another with these words.”
Based upon the following Scripture verses, I believe the Bible teaches that the Christian church will be taken out before the Tribulation begins, i.e. a “PreTribulation” Rapture:
Revelation
3:10, “Because you have kept the word of My
perseverance, I
also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come
upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on
the earth.”
1
Thessalonians 5:9-10, “For God has not destined us for
wrath, but for obtaining salvation through
our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we
are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”
Are the Rapture and His Second Coming the same event? No. And this does not mean that there will be a Second and Third Coming of Christ.
At the Rapture, Jesus Christ returns to remove His church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected, and along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. Thus, the world will not see it happen; they will only see the after-effects – when millions of people instantly disappear.
At His Second Coming, the whole world will see Jesus as He returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His Millennial Kingdom, His Millennial Reign as King from the throne of David in Jerusalem for 1000 years (Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32). His Second Coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.
Important differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming are:
1.
At the Rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1
Thessalonians 4:17) ~ At His Second Coming, believers
return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).
2. The Rapture
occurs before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9;
Revelation 3:10)
~ The Second Coming occurs after the
Tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19).
3. The
Rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54) ~ The Second
Coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew
24:29-30).
4. The
Rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54) ~ The Second
Coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other
end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Matthew
24:15-30; Revelation 6-18, Revelation 19:6-9).
5. And,
a strong reason for belief that the PreTribulation Rapture
and His Second Coming are two separate events, separated by
the seven year Tribulation – is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb ~ The
Wedding Feast occurs in Revelation 19:6-9 – and the Bride of
Christ has to prepare herself prior to the
wedding. When is this preparation finalized so that Bride
of Christ is ready for her Bridegroom? It happens at the
Believers’ Judgment (Bema Seat Judgment) - BEFORE the
wedding (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians
3:11-15, Revelation 19:8).
4. THE TRIBULATION: Daniel 9:24-27
The Tribulation is a seven year period of Refiner’s Fire for the nation Israel.
Daniel
9:24, "Seventy weeks
have been decreed for your people (Israel) and your holy city (Jerusalem), to
finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make
atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to
anoint the most holy place.
Daniel
9:25, "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to
restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince
there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times
of distress.
Daniel 9:26, "Then after the
sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and
have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come
will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will
come with a flood; even to the end there will be war;
desolations are determined.
Daniel 9:27, "And
he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the
many (the nation
Israel) for one week, but in the middle of the week he
will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on
the wing of abominations will come one who makes
desolate, even until a complete
destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one
who makes desolate."
The “seventy weeks” are seventy weeks of years, i.e., 490 years. This is the time God has given the nation Israel to get right with Him. The 490 years began when King Artaxerxes issued the decree which would allow Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. (Nehemiah 2:1-8)
After 49 years (7 weeks of years), the city was rebuilt. The nation of Israel then had 434 years (62 weeks) to get right with their God.
God sent their Messiah, who, on the last day of the 483 years (69 weeks) – entered the city of Jerusalem declaring Himself to be the Son of God, their Messiah. This was the day of His Triumphal Entry which we celebrate as Palm Sunday.
After the 69 weeks, their Messiah, Jesus Christ, was “cut off” – crucified.
Christ Is Cut Off: Christ was crucified and buried. After three days, He resurrected and, for forty days, He appeared to over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Then, after telling His apostles to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised – the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit – He ascended into heaven. In prayer, the disciples, 120 total, waited in the Upper Room for ten days, and then the Holy Spirit came upon them, indwelling each of them. And, the Holy Spirit was not subtle about His works this time:
Acts
2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from heaven a
noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled
the whole house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared to them tongues as of
fire distributing themselves, and
they rested on each one of them. (4) And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit.”
Why did the Holy Spirit come with such a flourish? I do not believe it was to scare anyone - but to get the attention of those non-believers outside in the streets.
Acts
2:6-11, “And when this
sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were
bewildered because each one of them was hearing them
(the apostles) speak in his (the visitor) own language.
(7) They were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Why,
are not all these who are speaking Galileans? (8) "And
how is it that we each hear them in our own language to
which we were born? (9) Parthians and Medes and Elamites,
and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, (10) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the
districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
both Jews and proselytes, (11) Cretans and Arabs – we hear
them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of
God.’ "
That day, when the apostles went outside and shared the Gospel, about 3000 souls became Christian believers. That day, the church went from the initial 120 disciples in the Upper Room, to over 3000 believers. Several days later, in Acts 4:4 we are told that, “But many of those who had heard the message (the Gospel) believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”
Notice that this time, Scripture tells us “the number of men” which was a Jewish way of counting crowds. Very likely there could have been hundreds, or even a few thousand, women and children. Within a week, the number of believers grew from 120 disciples to well over 5000. Thus, the Christian Church was born.
The Church Age: When Christ died and resurrected, He took us from under the Law to living under the Grace of God. This period of Grace has lasted for over 2000 years. How much longer will it last? No one knows!
Matthew
24:36-42, "But of
that day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (37)
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just
like the days of Noah. (38) For as in those days before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the
ark, (39) and they did not understand until the flood came
and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of
Man be. (40) Then there will be two men in the field; one
will be taken and one will be left. (41) Two women will
be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be
left. (42) Therefore
be on the alert, for
you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
This is telling us that the Rapture, when Jesus Christ will appear in the air and all believers will be “caught up” or “snatched out” - harpazo in the Greek language, which in the Latin Vulgate was translated as rapiemur from which we get our English transliteration “Rapture” – is imminent.
In other words, it could happen at any moment – or it may not happen for many years. We do not know. However, we do know that all the signs, all the prophecies, which would precede the Rapture have occurred. There are no more signs left to hasten or to prevent the Rapture from happening today. Are you ready?
The Rapture will happen, and some time after that (it could be days, weeks, months, etc.) the Antichrist will ascend rapidly to world power. In Daniel 9:27 we read, "And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the nation Israel) for one week. . .”
The signing of that covenant with Israel is the event which will start the seven year Tribulation clock ticking! And, from that time, you can set your clock by the events we know will happen. There will be 3 ½ years of relative peace, when Israel actually believes the Antichrist to be their friend. The Antichrist will somehow convince the Muslims to share the Temple Mount and the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, full worship and sacrifices will resume, and Israel will be blessing their friend, the Antichrist.
Then, in the middle of the seven year Tribulation, the Antichrist turns and shows his true evil nature. He enters the Jewish Temple, sits on a throne in the Holy of Holies – and declares himself to be God. This is the desecration, abomination, or “abomination of desolation” of the Temple (Daniel 9:27) which begins what Jesus described in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15-28) as the Great Tribulation, the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation when the full wrath of God will be poured out on the world.
5. CHRIST’S SECOND COMING! Revelation 19:11-21
Seven years, to the day, after the Tribulation begins – Jesus Christ will return to earth. The first time He came as the Sacrificial Lamb. The second time He comes, He will come as the Lion of Judah, in all power and glory (Revelation 19:11-21).
The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:14-16, 19:17-19) will be fought and the armies of the Antichrist will be destroyed. The Antichrist and his False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be locked the abyss for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). And the survivors of the Tribulation will stand before Christ at the Sheep and Goat Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
Believers who have survived the Tribulation will go into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ in their mortal bodies. Non-believers who have survived the Tribulation will be sent into the lake of fire to join the Antichrist and his False Prophet.
Christ will establish His Millennial Reign, the Kingdom of God on earth, from the throne of David in the holy city Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32). From there He will rule the nations, the world – the perfect theocracy.
During the 1000 years, the Millennial Kingdom will be populated by those who returned with Christ at His Second Coming: (1) the Bride of Christ, the church, (2) all the Old Testament saints, and (3) the Tribulation saints – all in our immortal bodies.
And, the Tribulation saints who survived the Tribulation will enter the Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies. They will still be marrying, having children, and raising families – all the things we do now; except with Satan locked in the abyss and with the Antichrist and his False Prophet in the lake of fire – there will be no temptations or attempts to lure them away from Christ.
However, all those still in their mortal bodies – those who came from the Tribulation and those born during the Millennial Kingdom – will still have their Adamic sin nature. Those survivors coming from the Tribulation will be believers. But those born during the Millennium, because they still have their sin nature, will have to invite Christ into their hearts (Revelation 3:20). They will still need to believe, receive Christ, and be sealed by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, Ephesians 1:13).
In Isaiah 65:20-21 God tells us about those Millennium mortals, through the prophet Isaiah, "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. (21) They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
But, unfortunately, even though everyone will have a Garden of Eden lifestyle, and although Satan and his demons are not there to tempt Millennial mortals – many will still be apathetic, not rebelling against Christ - just not showing any real interest in becoming children of God.
During the 1000 years of the Millennium, billions will be born – many receiving Christ, many others still rejecting Him.
And, I believe this is why Satan is released from the abyss after the 1000 years – to test those who have been apathetic toward Christ.
6. THE FINAL BATTLE WITH SATAN: Revelation 20:7-10
Satan is released from the abyss and will travel the world one last time, recruiting all those ambivalent, apathetic souls who never bothered to have a saving relationship with Christ. Now, Satan is free to tempt them – and he will build a huge army, “the number of them is like the sand of the seashore” (Revelation 20:8) and will lead them against Jesus Christ, the saints, and the holy city Jerusalem. This is the final battle of history.
Revelation
20:7-10, “When
the thousand years are completed, Satan will be
released from his prison, (8) and will come out to deceive the
nations which are in the four
corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them
together for the war; the number of them is like the sand
of the seashore. (9) And they came up on the broad plain
of the earth and surrounded
the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and
fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (10)
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake
of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false
prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night
forever and ever.”
7. GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT: Revelation 20:11-15
When Christ was crucified and went into Hades/Paradise for three day; He led the Old Testament saints out of Paradise and into heaven (Ephesians 4:8). Yet, those non-believers whose spirits were in Hades/Torment (Luke 16:19-31) stayed there, waiting to be resurrected into their immortal bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation
20:5a, “The rest of the dead did not come
to life until the thousand years were completed. . .”
They will stand before Christ in judgment. But it is only a judgment of punishment for they sealed their eternal fate when they died still denying Christ. Christ, in His perfect justice, allows them to stand before the Holy Tribunal to hear the fate they chose for themselves while still in this mortal life.
8. NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH, NEW JERUSALEM: Revelation 21 and 22.
After the Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgment, Christ will take all believers into Eternity Future to be with Him forever. Isn't that where you want to be, in the never ending, eternal presence of Jesus Christ?
This has been a rather long discussion of eschatology, i.e., the End Times. As I wrote earlier, some may read the blog in its entirety, others may scan it only for "golden nuggets." And then some may look at the blog, decide it is too long, and delete it. No hard feelings either way, for I have gained knowledge in doing the writing. But I do pray that YOU are one of the readers or scanners and that you will find something here that is worth the effort.
Let me close with this absolute fact: no one is saved - or not saved - based upon his/her belief concerning eschatology, or any other non-essential Christian belief. Our salvation is based upon our relationship with Jesus Christ, alone. This relationship will include (1) believing that He is the eternal preexisting deity, the Son of God, (2) believing in the Triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, three Persons in one Godhead, all equally sharing the same attributes, and (3) believing that the Bible is the Written Word of God, was Holy Spirit inspired in its entirety, and is the sole authority for salvation and for guiding us in our daily Christian walk.
Belief, or non-belief, in other Biblical issues - such as the date and length of the Creation, the Rapture, other End Times events, method of baptism, etc., will not affect our salvation. What is affected is our Biblical maturity, our knowledge of God's Word, and to a degree, our sense of eternal security in Christ.
Why do I like to discuss these non-essential issues? Well, for one thing, I am an Eschatology buff, I love studying prophecy. And, I often discuss Eschatology and other non-essential beliefs to encourage myself, and others, to dig deeper into God's Word, to get more involved in personal and corporate Bible studies. The more mature we grow in our knowledge of His Word - the greater our sense of eternal security. And that Biblical maturity can help us to be more confident, more effective witnesses for our Lord. I pray you have enjoyed our journey through the End Times.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
