Christian language for understanding end times Hello my dear family in Jesus!
This week I wanted to help equip each of you to understand a little more about eschatology, which is a fancy word for the theology of "End Times." As pastors, as students of the word of God we often get lost in what I call Christianeeze or the many words we throw around thinking others will know what we are talking about. The truth is we can often get overwhelmed with words that make the Bible even more difficult to understand. I hope this guide will help you as we continue in our NEW SERIES, "PREPARING FOR THE RAPTURE." I'm excited about the return of Jesus and I hope you are too!!!!!! Until then or this Sunday, whichever comes first... :)
Pastor Steve
Rapture
(In the Latin Bible rapere, meaning "to catch up," is the translation of the Greek harpazo, 1 Thess. 4:17). The rapture is the coming of Jesus to take His church, (all believers who have placed their faith in Jesus) out of the world. The rapture is described as coming "like a thief in the night", i.e., suddenly, unexpectedly. Dates for this event cannot be predicted from the Bible and those who pick specific dates and times are giving false prophecy.
Last Days
The entire period between the first coming of Jesus and His second physical coming back to this earth. Since Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, 40 days after His resurrection (40 days is often a time of testing), we have and are living in the "last days."
Millennium
(Latin, mille = thousand; Greek: chilloi). The belief based on Revelation 20 that Christ will literally, physically reign on earth after the Great 7 year tribulation on this earth, for one thousand actual calendar years or a large period of time.
Tribulation
Tribulation is generally described as a time of persecution for humans on earth. The Jews experienced unprecedented tribulation in 70AD with the destruction of the temple and city siege of Jerusalem. Christians have experienced tribulation for their faith since the beginning of Christianity.
The GREAT Tribulation however, is the end-time period of judgment of the earth that will be a time of God's wrath poured out on all unbelievers who are left behind after the rapture. This will be the 70th Week of Daniel. From Daniel we know this period to be just 7 years in length. The first-half is normally assumed to be relatively peaceful. The last half of this "week" (3-1/2 years) is "end of the great tribulation," or "the time of Jacob's trouble" when most of the terrible judgments in the Book of the Revelation occur. The first half of the tribulation period is marked by apparent world peace, especially in the Middle East as Israel's false prophet (the Anti-Christ) and the political/military leader of the Western confederation of nations contrive a "successful" peace plan. (Isaiah calls Israel's coming treaty with the Anti-Christ a "covenant with death.")
The onset of the Great Tribulation is marked by failure of this peace treaty and the desecration of the Third Temple in Jerusalem by the "man of sin." During the tribulation period Israel is once again the focus for events in the Bible. Jerusalem will again be the center of reference for what God is doing in the world as was the case through the Old Testament period up until Israel's rejection of Yeshua as Messiah after His Palm Sunday entry as legitimate king in the line of David His father. There will be great multitudes of every nation, tribe and tongue who come to Christ during this period (Rev. 7:9)
Premillenial
The belief that Christ returns visibly and bodily at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. He will rule the nations from Jerusalem. God will turn back to the Nation Israel and resume His salvation work through Israel as a nation immediately after the departure or "rapture" of the church. The partial hardening God placed on the Jewish nation Israel will be removed after the rapture (Rom. 11:25)
Pretribulation
The teaching that Jesus comes for His bride, the Christian church, at the beginning of the tribulation period.
Parousia
Greek word meaning "coming alongside and remaining with" someone. Describes the Second Coming of Jesus for His own perhaps a reference to the rapture. Used in Matthew 24:3,27,37,39; 1 Thess. 4:15, 5:23, 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7
Apocalypse or apokalupsis
Greek word for "revelation," or "unveiling," or "uncovering." The visible appearing of Jesus to the world in full power and splendor. Also refers to the appearance of the antichrist on the stage of history following the rapture (2 Thess. 2).
Day of the LORD
An extended period of time during which God openly intervenes in human affairs in regard to judgment. The Day or "Day of the Lord" can be a time blessing (the rapture and the Bema judgment for all believers for the purpose of rewards, 2 Cor. 5:10). In the present age justice is deferred or works out only slowly, judgment is largely withheld or restrained as God's people await the fulfillment of his promises and plans for them. Although Jesus the Lord rules over the universe, He has not yet reigned on earth. This makes the famous prayer Jesus taught the disciples (The Lord's Prayer) the most-often prayed and as yet unanswered prayer in the Bible, "...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."
Eschatology
Tthe body of knowledge or theology concerning the "last things," or the end of the age and the future.
Daniel's 70th week prophecy
"Daniel's prophecy consisted of 70 periods of 7 years. The First 69 Weeks (Dan 9:25) includes this prophecy, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
This includes a mathematical prophecy. The Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars totals 173,880 days. In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. If we examine the period between March 14, 445 B.C. and April 6, 32 A.D., and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days, to the day this was the only day Jesus allowed Himself to be presented as a King riding into Jerusalem on the fowl of a donkey! The nation Israel rejected her messiah and hence put a hold on Daniel's prophecy.
There is a remaining seven-year period (The 70th Week) to be fulfilled. This period is the most documented period in the entire Bible. The Book of Revelation, Chapters 6 through 19, is essentially a detailing of that climactic period. The interval between the 69th and 70th week continues, but it is increasingly apparent that it may soon be over.
This week I wanted to help equip each of you to understand a little more about eschatology, which is a fancy word for the theology of "End Times." As pastors, as students of the word of God we often get lost in what I call Christianeeze or the many words we throw around thinking others will know what we are talking about. The truth is we can often get overwhelmed with words that make the Bible even more difficult to understand. I hope this guide will help you as we continue in our NEW SERIES, "PREPARING FOR THE RAPTURE." I'm excited about the return of Jesus and I hope you are too!!!!!! Until then or this Sunday, whichever comes first... :)
Pastor Steve
Rapture
(In the Latin Bible rapere, meaning "to catch up," is the translation of the Greek harpazo, 1 Thess. 4:17). The rapture is the coming of Jesus to take His church, (all believers who have placed their faith in Jesus) out of the world. The rapture is described as coming "like a thief in the night", i.e., suddenly, unexpectedly. Dates for this event cannot be predicted from the Bible and those who pick specific dates and times are giving false prophecy.
Last Days
The entire period between the first coming of Jesus and His second physical coming back to this earth. Since Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, 40 days after His resurrection (40 days is often a time of testing), we have and are living in the "last days."
Millennium
(Latin, mille = thousand; Greek: chilloi). The belief based on Revelation 20 that Christ will literally, physically reign on earth after the Great 7 year tribulation on this earth, for one thousand actual calendar years or a large period of time.
Tribulation
Tribulation is generally described as a time of persecution for humans on earth. The Jews experienced unprecedented tribulation in 70AD with the destruction of the temple and city siege of Jerusalem. Christians have experienced tribulation for their faith since the beginning of Christianity.
The GREAT Tribulation however, is the end-time period of judgment of the earth that will be a time of God's wrath poured out on all unbelievers who are left behind after the rapture. This will be the 70th Week of Daniel. From Daniel we know this period to be just 7 years in length. The first-half is normally assumed to be relatively peaceful. The last half of this "week" (3-1/2 years) is "end of the great tribulation," or "the time of Jacob's trouble" when most of the terrible judgments in the Book of the Revelation occur. The first half of the tribulation period is marked by apparent world peace, especially in the Middle East as Israel's false prophet (the Anti-Christ) and the political/military leader of the Western confederation of nations contrive a "successful" peace plan. (Isaiah calls Israel's coming treaty with the Anti-Christ a "covenant with death.")
The onset of the Great Tribulation is marked by failure of this peace treaty and the desecration of the Third Temple in Jerusalem by the "man of sin." During the tribulation period Israel is once again the focus for events in the Bible. Jerusalem will again be the center of reference for what God is doing in the world as was the case through the Old Testament period up until Israel's rejection of Yeshua as Messiah after His Palm Sunday entry as legitimate king in the line of David His father. There will be great multitudes of every nation, tribe and tongue who come to Christ during this period (Rev. 7:9)
Premillenial
The belief that Christ returns visibly and bodily at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. He will rule the nations from Jerusalem. God will turn back to the Nation Israel and resume His salvation work through Israel as a nation immediately after the departure or "rapture" of the church. The partial hardening God placed on the Jewish nation Israel will be removed after the rapture (Rom. 11:25)
Pretribulation
The teaching that Jesus comes for His bride, the Christian church, at the beginning of the tribulation period.
Parousia
Greek word meaning "coming alongside and remaining with" someone. Describes the Second Coming of Jesus for His own perhaps a reference to the rapture. Used in Matthew 24:3,27,37,39; 1 Thess. 4:15, 5:23, 2 Thess 2:1, James 5:7
Apocalypse or apokalupsis
Greek word for "revelation," or "unveiling," or "uncovering." The visible appearing of Jesus to the world in full power and splendor. Also refers to the appearance of the antichrist on the stage of history following the rapture (2 Thess. 2).
Day of the LORD
An extended period of time during which God openly intervenes in human affairs in regard to judgment. The Day or "Day of the Lord" can be a time blessing (the rapture and the Bema judgment for all believers for the purpose of rewards, 2 Cor. 5:10). In the present age justice is deferred or works out only slowly, judgment is largely withheld or restrained as God's people await the fulfillment of his promises and plans for them. Although Jesus the Lord rules over the universe, He has not yet reigned on earth. This makes the famous prayer Jesus taught the disciples (The Lord's Prayer) the most-often prayed and as yet unanswered prayer in the Bible, "...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."
Eschatology
Tthe body of knowledge or theology concerning the "last things," or the end of the age and the future.
Daniel's 70th week prophecy
"Daniel's prophecy consisted of 70 periods of 7 years. The First 69 Weeks (Dan 9:25) includes this prophecy, "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
This includes a mathematical prophecy. The Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars totals 173,880 days. In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days. If we examine the period between March 14, 445 B.C. and April 6, 32 A.D., and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days, to the day this was the only day Jesus allowed Himself to be presented as a King riding into Jerusalem on the fowl of a donkey! The nation Israel rejected her messiah and hence put a hold on Daniel's prophecy.
There is a remaining seven-year period (The 70th Week) to be fulfilled. This period is the most documented period in the entire Bible. The Book of Revelation, Chapters 6 through 19, is essentially a detailing of that climactic period. The interval between the 69th and 70th week continues, but it is increasingly apparent that it may soon be over.
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