End-Times Biblical Prophecies
Good and Bad News on the
Future
Contents
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Unit A: The Antichrist & End-time Judgements 1. The War Between Two Kingdoms 2. Appearance and Actions of the Antichrist 3. A Universal Christ for All Faiths 4. Globalism and the Reign of the Antichrist 5. The Writing on the Wall 6. End-time Destruction of the Nations’ Kingdoms
Unit B: The Important Sign of Israel & Jerusalem
7.
The Spiritual Birth of a Nation 8. A Demonic
Strategy for the Deception of Israel 9. Our Duty
Towards Jerusalem 10. The Literal
Fulfilment of Israel’s Seven Feasts
Unit
C: The Role of Christ and His Word
11. Falling Away from the True Jesus 12. The Twelve
Final Pronouncements of the Bible 13. Capacities in
which the Lord Jesus will Appear |
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Unit D:Challenges in the Spiritual Battle 14. Demands of the End-time Conflict 15. Sanctification and the Second Coming Unit E: Judgements Upon Unbelievers 16. Signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars 17. Why the World has to be Judged Unit F: The Future Expectation of Believers 18. The Future: What can we Expect? 19. Reasons for the Rapture 20. The New Jerusalem 21. Harvest time: The Final Separation |
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About the Author: Johan Malan
Mossel Bay, January 2014
Preface
In a rapidly changing world it becomes increasingly important to take notice of biblical prophecies on the last days before the second coming of Christ. Only informed people who have acquainted themselves with the prophetic Word will not be caught unprepared by new developments in the world. Since the restoration of Israel in the mid 20th century, many prophecies are being fulfilled in various spheres of life. In this way, clear evidence is forthcoming on an emerging new world order which is inherently evil, and within which Israel and evangelical Christianity are both marginalised.
Only Jews who worship and serve the coming Antichrist as Messiah, as well as Christians who are ecumenically orientated to the extent of fully identifying with the interfaith messiah and his false prophet, will be accepted in the new dispensation, thereby joining hands with other religions as equal partners. Increased pressure is exerted on Israel as well as evangelical Christianity to relinquish rigid views on their own identity and conform to the international community, or to vanish from the scene. Strong exclusivism is not tolerated within an inclusive ideology which is committed to the ideal that all people should converge into a new global society which is harmonious and democratic, in accordance with the will of the majority.
In the prophetic word, much is said on spiritual and moral issues and there is often a very thin line between the truth and the lie. A high degree of discernment is needed to be able to correctly assess problems from a biblical perspective. We should, beyond any doubt, know what is negative and must be resisted, and what is positive and should be supported. It is only when we correctly discern global trends in the light of the Word that we will be able to react appropriately to various situations. We need to have fixed norms to evaluate the rising number of new ideas and lifestyles, as well as a strong commitment to uphold our convictions and refrain from succumbing to unacceptable pressure.
Certain prophecies describe conditions which will prevail at the end of the church dispensation, with particular reference to a spiritual and moral falling away. Others focus on the global government of the Antichrist, which will function for seven years after the conclusion of the church dispensation. At the same time, we observe Israel’s restoration to their land, being faced with a severe battle for survival. All these things occur as preparations for the last year-week of Israel’s history of salvation before they will be reconciled with the Messiah when He comes. Only then will they enter the age of everlasting righteousness (Dan. 9:24-27; Jer. 31:31-34).
In order to achieve a balanced view of the whole scenario we should be able to eschatologically discern various categories of events, i.e.: (a) The Antichrist and end-time judgements; (b) Israel’s physical and spiritual restoration; (c) the role of Christ and His Word; (d) challenges in the spiritual battle; (e) judgements upon unbelievers; and (f) the future expectation of believers. The content of the book is ordered accordingly:
Firstly, we review the emergence of an antichristian new world order which will be fully revealed directly after the conclusion of the church dispensation. The Antichrist will be the supreme leaders and, according to Revelation 13:2, Satan will give him his power, his throne, and great authority. The evil principalities, powers, and world rulers which have influenced and manipulated humanity from the spiritual sphere for thousands of years (Eph. 6:12), will be physically manifested in a world government. Apostasy and unrighteousness will then be enforced upon humanity on a much larger scale than in the past.
The initial appearance of the Antichrist will be in the guise of a multireligious prince of peace. From the perspective of the major world religions, we will indicate how all of them are preparing to receive the common, universal “Christ” of all faiths. Under the banner of a global government, he will unite the world in the political, religious and economic spheres. Initially, all people will follow him in amazement because of the seemingly impossible task which he will accomplish by harmoniously unifying people from different nationalities and religions – even though it will only be temporary.
The Bible describes this new order of planetary citizens as a superficial combination of peoples and cultures which will never develop into a fully unified and coherent group. In Daniel 2:41-44, this international alliance is likened to a failed effort to mix clay and iron: the end product is brittle, without any solidarity or cohesion. When the Antichrist’s policy of globalism starts failing and an assassination attempt is made on him, he will be transformed into a military dictator and enforce his policy upon the world population. He will also muster powers to fight against Christ when He comes. Particular attention will be given to the judgements of the Lord upon the Antichrist and his empire.
Secondly, attention will be given to specific developments in Israel. The Antichrist will be highly hostile towards promises on Israel as a fully restored people who are spiritually reconciled with the Messiah, and who will play a major role in a future Messianic state in the world. The Antichrist will first resort to deception in an effort to offer himself as the promised Messiah to Israel, and conclude a covenant with them. His purpose with this strategy will be to declare himself to be Messiah and God in Jerusalem (John 5:43; 2 Thess. 2:4) with a view to averting the establishment of an Israel-based reign of peace on earth. However, when Israel discovers the deception of the false Messiah and revoke their covenant with him, he will order genocide of the Jews, thereby forcing them to flee from Jerusalem to the mountains in great haste (Matt. 24:15-21).
It stands to reason that Christians have a big responsibility to support Israel’s restoration and to recognise their biblical mandate to the land as well as their capital city, Jerusalem (Ezek. 11:17; Jer. 31:38). In the process, we should not neglect to proclaim Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah to them, particularly in view of the demonic-inspired campaign to alienate Israel from Him. According to the Bible, Israel will be in the centre of two big wars in the end-time – the Russo-Arab invasion in Israel, as well as the battle of Armageddon (Ezek. 38-39; Rev. 16:13-16).
Thirdly, in the light of the above-mentioned events, we can expect a worldwide campaign against the Person and divine attributes of the Lord Jesus. He is the major target of the devil because He stands in the way of revealing a satanical new world order under the leadership of the Antichrist. This conflict will take on greater proportions in the future until the image of Christ has been dismantled to such an extent that the world will be ready to accept the false Christ in His place (Rev. 13:3-4). That is part of the great falling away of the last days, which will lead to the rejection of the truth and the acceptance of a false Christ (Matt. 24:4-5). It is more than ever before imperative that we are absolutely acquainted with the basic facts on who the biblical Jesus is and what He has done to save us.
Fourthly, it is important to gain clarity on how to fight the good fight of faith, and at the end of the race to appear before Christ as overcomers (1 Tim. 6:12). It is important to know exactly by which demands we are faced during the end-time transformation from a former Christian to a future antichristian dispensation. We must take a strong stand for the observance of recognised Christian values, while resisting the movement towards a postmodern and post-Christian way of life. In order to do that, we need to clearly understand the doctrine of sanctification as a deeper word of grace, and also experience it as a practical reality.
Without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit we will not be able to remain standing against temptations, to resist spiritual deception, or to correctly understand biblical prophecies. The Spirit of God proclaims to us things to come (John 16:13), and for that reason we should hold fast to the promise of the Lord Jesus that He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, after which He will come again to take us away to our heavenly home (John 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 4:16-18).
Fifthly, we will look at some of the spectacular signs on the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the disasters caused on earth by cosmic phenomena. The inevitability of divine judgements upon an evil world is also discussed, as well as the need to destroy the present apostatised world.
In the sixth and last place, the future expectation of Christians is discussed in terms of different interpretations of biblical prophecies. People who do not entertain the correct interpretation are guilty of spiritualising prophecies and then wilfully assigning alternative meanings to them. In this way they lose touch with the Bible and also with Jesus Christ Himself: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).
There are two very important reasons why we should study biblical prophecies: it enables us to be informed on future world events, and furthermore its fulfilment offers irrefutable evidence on the inerrancy and authenticity of the Bible and therefore also its divine inspiration. Prophecies that were uttered and recorded thousands of years ago are so literally fulfilled that even an agnostic world finds it hard and even impossible to deny that only a God who has perfect foreknowledge could have recorded all these facts in His Word, thus enabling His disciples to proclaim it with great confidence to the world.
A complete discussion is offered on the promise of escape from the disaster area of divine judgements (Luke 21:36). The coming tribulation period will be characterised by terrible judgements of God upon an unrepentant world. However, Christians are not destined for the judgements and will therefore be removed to a place of safety before the time (1 Thess. 1:10; Luke 21:36). Knowledge of this promise will help us to more clearly discern between the kingdom of Christ and the false new world order of the Antichrist. We are called upon to be adversaries of this impostor and his global culture of sin.
As part of the good news in biblical prophecies we will also consider the final destination of believers in the New Jerusalem. This city will be the eternal home which Christ is preparing for us and to which He will snatch us away (John 14:2-3). This expectation has positive consequences in a believer’s life: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).
The end of the church dispensation is rapidly approaching – then, a final separation will occur between the disciples of Christ and the hostile, unsaved world in which they lived and worked. It will be a great shock to many people when Christians vanish in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the heavenly Bridegroom takes them away (1 Cor. 15:51-52; Luke 17:34-36). This sudden separation will even affect intimate groups such as families, because not all members of Christian families are in all cases truly saved. The one will be taken and the other one left behind. Make sure that you are not the one who is left behind!
Johan Malan
Mossel Bay