Category Archives: Finding the End of the World

Blogging about stuff related to my book, “Finding the End of the World”

Finding the End of the World

Whore of Babylon

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Nearly two chapters in the book of Revelation have been devoted to figurative Babylon, which will represent two things during Daniel’s 70th week: the “mother of whores” and the location of the Antichrist’s rule during his three-and-a-half-year reign – the Great Tribulation.

Old Testament prophets and Jesus had a lot to say about the “whore,” God’s original and unfaithful bride. They also gave us insight into Babylon as a city – headquarters of the Antichrist. You’ll learn that the harlot has been, and will be, Israel and the city Jerusalem.

  • God’s bride engaged in adulterous acts (e.g. idol worship, human sacrifice, sorcery, etc.) while under Babylonian rule. Many ancient prophecies were directly related to this.
  • The adulterous acts earned Israel the title of harlot.
  • Ancient prophecies regarding Israel’s harlotry were concerned with the near-term (problems and consequences of that day) and far-term (the adultery and consequences that will occur during the reign of the Antichrist).

Here are some key points to keep in mind as you explore this last-days entity and location:

  1. Contrary to theology presented in multimedia built on out-of-context scripture (like the Left Behind series), the end-times stage has always been (and will be!)  the Middle East and those nations surrounding Israel – not Europe or the US. This is well-supported by Old and New Testament prophecy and apocalyptic literature.
  2. Israel was (and will be) the unfaithful bride of God and the only nation to be labeled as a harlot by Him.
  3. The term Babylon is used in Revelation to represent Israel and the adulteries she has, and will, commit.
  4. Israel has been responsible for the deaths of the prophets and others throughout history. Her final act of adultery (the covenant with the Antichrist/beast kingdom) will cause the death of many saints, including those who believe in Christ and walk in His ways.
  5. God instructed His priests’ garments to be made of purple, scarlet, gold, and jewels. This is the adornment of the harlot.
  6. God will allow the Antichrist and his kingdom to make Israel “desolate and naked” during the three-and-a-half-year Great Tribulation period.

For more information and biblical references, please read my very comprehensive and unbiased study “Finding the End of the World” (available at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and www.ronbraley.com).

Do you know that we, as Jesus’ followers, are to also be a faithful bride? In fact, we promise this whenever we drink from the communion cup of the new covenant with a pure heart.

Finding the End of the World

Two Witnesses – Better Than One . . .

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The savior of mankind, Jesus, foretold of two last-days witnesses who will proclaim the everlasting Gospel of reconciliation between God and man one last time before God’s incredible wrath against creation is poured out.

The two witnesses are identified as the two olive trees and two candlesticks that stand before God. You’ll find references to the two olive trees that stand before God in Revelation 11:4 and Zechariah 4:11-14:

Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.” —Zechariah 4:11-14.

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. —Revelation 11:4.

We can only guess at who these two end-times witnesses will be. Some believe they’ll be Enoch and Elijah because they were taken to heaven by God without suffering physical death. Others believe they’ll be Moses and Elijah because they were the ones who appeared on the mountain with Jesus and Peter (cf. Matthew 17:1-3) and because the miracles of the witnesses mirror those performed by Moses and Elijah.

What we do know is that the two witnesses will prophesy for three and a half years during the entire Great Tribulation sponsored by the Antichrist. They will have the supernatural ability to control the rain, turn water to blood, and smite the earth with plagues (this sounds a lot like what happened in Egypt during the exodus).

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen

Finding the End of the World

It’s the Final Countdown . . .

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According to Jesus, the “end of the age” will be the conclusion of this current age – era or world – with the Great Judgment and the creation of a new heaven and earth. According to the apostle Paul, we’re already in the “last days” leading up to the end.

The final countdown to the grand finale of our world as we know it has begun and the clock’s ticking is getting louder as we see signs of the times and anticipate the conclusion of God’s creation in its current form.

A glimpse of what’s to come:

  1. Increase in the frequency and intensity of false saviors, wars, and earthquakes.
  2. An evil authority we call the Antichrist and an agreement with Israel, kicking off a final seven-year epoch.
  3. Breaking the agreement in the middle followed by the beginning a three-and-a-half-year reign of terror like never seen before or again.
  4. Jesus’ highly-anticipated appearing and the gathering of the spirits of those who are His, and the wrath of God against the rest of the world.
  5. The 1,000-year reign of Jesus following God’s incredible wrath.
  6. Destruction of Satan and final judgment.
  7. God’s new and never-ending heaven and earth.

Looking for guidance? Many man-made theories propped up by a few, specific Biblical verses (often taken out of context) abound.  So, find out for yourself!  Here’s how to begin:

  1. Read Matthew chapter 24.
  2. Read Revelation chapter 6.
  3. Compare what you read in Matthew to the Revelation. You’ll find corroboration between the two and a sequence resembling that given here.
  4. Look for unbiased and complete studies such as my “Finding the End of the World” (available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and www.ronbraley.com) to broaden your knowledge and faith.

Remember: a countdown is no good if you don’t know when it began or what time it is!

Finding the End of the World

144,000 Raised & Perfect!

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Little is known about this group that will be redeemed from among men in the last days (cf. Revelation 14:14), but God will clearly set them apart and protect them during the time of His wrath. They’ll be in Jerusalem with Christ at the onset of His kingdom.

The following are key points regarding the 144,000:

  • Sealed for protection against God’s impending wrath (cf. Revelation 7:3-8 & 9:4).
  • Seen with Christ on Mount Zion during the time of God’s wrath, but before the seventh trumpet when Christ will gain His kingdom and enter Jerusalem. They “follow Him wherever He goes” (cf. Revelation 14:1).
  • There’ll be a new song in heaven that no man can learn but the 144,000 redeemed from the earth (cf. Revelation 14:2-3).
  • Redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb (cf. Revelation 14:4).
  • They’ll be virgins and without fault (cf. Revelation 14:4-5). I remind those who ask “How will this be possible?” that this group will have been redeemed from the earth and will be first fruits unto the Christ, implying resurrection for the purpose of serving with Him in His kingdom (see the references above).

What we know

  • The group will be 144,000 first-fruits unto Christ redeemed from the earth.
  • They’ll be protected against God’s wrath (e.g. the sixth trumpet judgment in Revelation 9:4). They’ll also be seen with Christ during the time of God’s wrath and will be with Him as He gains His kingdom at the seventh trumpet.

What we don’t know:

  • Where the ten lost tribes of the kingdom of Israel are today (although there’s much speculation on the subject). However, God has promised Israel to bring a remnant from the tribes back together at the end and protect them.
  • Specifically, why Christ will select them—unless their purpose is to reign with Him.

Unsupported Theories:

  • The 144,000 will be Jews for Jesus evangelizing the world.
  • The 144,000 won’t be Jews but special evangelizing Christians.
  • The 144,000 are symbolic and represent particular Christian denominations.

A new age is coming . . .

Finding the End of the World

No Need for the Temple of God?

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Some people believe the third temple mentioned in Scripture is symbolic and not a physical structure. A component of this false teaching is that the biblical third temple is actually representative of every Christian. While it’s true that Jesus’ followers are called the temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. Ephesians 2:21 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 & 6:19), there’s no reason to believe the third temple itself will be anything other than what the Bible says it will be: a temple of the Lord built for God by the Jews, and desecrated by the Antichrist. God’s Holy Spirit does reside in and with Christian believers, negating the need for them to have a temple, but apocalyptic literature in the Bible has revealed that the Jews will build one in fulfillment of end-times prophecy.

Is anyone serious about building the third temple? You bet! Many Jews have looked forward to this since June 1967 when the Israelis once again controlled the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock (where they believe the Holy of Holies and Ark of the Covenant had been in Solomon’s days). The control only lasted for a few hours, but many Israelis still hope to one day obtain permission to rebuild the temple. Several significant sources raise funds, create temple articles, or educate the public on the topic of the Temple Mount and temple: Temple Institute (www.templeinstitute.org), Temple Mount Faithful (templemountfaithful.org) and Temple Mount resource compilation (www.templemount.org).

Some of the preparations already made for the third temple include:

  1. Reestablishment of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
  2. Creation of cornerstones in 1989 (attempts made annually to place these have been unsuccessful thus far).
  3. Attempting to determine the exact location of where the temple should go (the location may be several hundred feet from the Dome of the Rock, allowing it and the new temple to exist simultaneously and peacefully).
  4. Seeking the Red Heifer (the ashes of which are necessary for the process of temple purification).
  5. Creation of various temple vessels to include the menorah and temple utensils.

In the end, both ‘temples are necessary: the bodies of Jesus’ followers for the Spirit of God; the Jewish temple for prophetic fulfillment.

Finding the End of the World

Here Comes the Judge . . .

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All will be judged at the end of our current age. The names of the obedient and faithful throughout time will be found in the Book of Life. For them, eternal and unimaginable life awaits. The rest (those whose names won’t appear in that Book) will be thrown into hell – the lake of fire punishment created for Satan and his fallen angels.

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. —John 3:18.

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. —Acts 17:30-31.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:12-15.

Eternal life will be given to those who choose reconciliation with God through the Christ. All others will be judged and dealt with accordingly regardless of whether they’ve chosen to reject God or just not bothered to choose.

Life or death. Have you chosen?

Finding the End of the World

The Sign of the End

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If there will be a single significant sign immediately preceding the gathering of Jesus’ followers (dead and alive) and the wrath of God against the remaining population of earth, it’ll be a complete darkening of the natural lights. Ancient prophets foretold this. Jesus confirmed it to His disciples on the Mount of Olives in about 27 AD and in the Revelation given to John in roughly 90 AD. It’s the one event that will signal the end of the greatest time of tribulation known to humankind. The complete darkening will also be a clear indication that the time of harvests has come: the gathering of Jesus’ followers and preparation of the rest for destruction.

Foretelling of the darkening that will precede God’s great wrath:

 I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. —Joel 2:30-31.

Jesus’ confirmation that the darkening will precede God’s wrath:

I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, . . .  Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man . . . said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” —Revelation 6:12-17.

Jesus’ revelation that the darkening will also precede the gathering of His true followers:

But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. . . .  and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY . . . and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. —Matthew 24:29-31.

‘Lights out’ will mean salvation for some and destruction for others. Which will it be for you?

 

 

Finding the End of the World

Generation Gap

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On the Mount of Olives, just before His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus answered these questions from His disciples: “When will the destruction of the Temple happen?” “What will be the sign of your return and the end of the world?”

In a near-far prophecy that will span thousands of years, Jesus attempted to provide answers that will comprise many events from the Roman siege of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 70 CE to the end-times judgment. These milestones, among others, can be found in complementary texts Matthew Chapters 24-25 and Revelation 6-22:5.

After providing many signs to come including the persecution of the saints by Satan through the future Antichrist (cf. Matthew 24:15-31, Mark 13:14-27, and Luke 21:24-28), Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32).

Be careful here! “This generation” is tied to the audience addressed in the previous passages – not to the disciples’ generation. The future generation that will see “these things” (e.g. the Antichrist, signs in the heavens, etc.) will also witness Jesus’ return. To support a belief that He returned in 70 CE, some have claimed that “this generation” depicts the generation of the disciples Jesus was talking to.

As we’ve previously discussed in another blog, the purpose of the parable of the fig tree given by Jesus (just after He provided signs of the end) was to illustrate that, “when you see this, you will see that . . .” In other words, the generation that sees the signs of the end (Antichrist’s persecution and destruction, darkening of the natural lights, etc.) will also see Jesus return to gather His faithful. It wasn’t some kind of cryptic, figurative reference to Israel becoming a nation as some have suggested. Again, it was just an association by Jesus of the last-days events to come to the generation that will witness them along with His coming.

Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. (cf. Matthew 24:32-33, Mark 13:28-29, and Luke 29-31).

Be ready . . .

Finding the End of the World

Mark of the Beast

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The “mark of the beast” has been speculated about and sensationalized throughout the ages through such movies as The Omen and over the Internet. Although Scripture tells us that understanding the number of the beast will take wisdom, we’ve seen it in the form of a 666 tattooed into the head of a small boy on TV (as in The Omen), believed it to be the Social Security number, and also reasoned it will take the form of an embedded microchip. Sigh. But what will it be really? What does Scripture tell us about this mark associated with the Antichrist? What will be its purpose?

Just as God will seal the 144,000 “redeemed from the earth” for protection before His wrath, the Antichrist will have sealed his followers for their protection, both physically and fiscally, as he unleashes his terror. That will be the purpose of the mark of the beast – to identify those who’ve made a choice to follow the Antichrist for the sake of their lives, forsaking the one true God.

The Bible tells us that the mark of the beast will be on the forehead or right hand and that it will be the number of man: 666. Is there significance to the number or location? Yes.

God gave the Israelites certain commandments after the exodus from Egypt (cf. Exodus 13:9 & 16 and Deuteronomy 6:8 & 11:18). He told the Israelites to remember how He’d saved them, and to remember His commandments – part of the covenant with Israel – and teach them to subsequent generations. God used the tangible and familiar “forehead” to represent the receiving and committing of His commandments to memory. Likewise, He used the “hand” as an identifier for action related to that knowledge. The learning, retaining, and acting upon God’s commandments would prove allegiance to Him while also completing the covenant.

What about the number itself – ‘666’? Remember that the number is that of a man, and that the Antichrist will be one part of an unholy trinity: Satan, Antichrist, and False Prophet. The number used historically to represent man is ‘6’, whereas God is represented by the number ‘7’ to indicate perfection. Because of this and the unholy trinity mentioned above, I suggest the number 666 was used in Scripture as a way to represent some kind of identification or sign of allegiance that will come from the Antichrist (empowered by Satan) through the False Prophet.

With whom will your allegiance rest during the 3 years or so before Jesus returns?

Finding the End of the World

War in Heaven: Past or Future?

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And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. . . . And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan . . . And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman . . . So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. —Revelation 12:7-17.

Despite unnecessary awe and lots of misinformation, the Revelation given to John in about 90 AD is fairly simple, straightforward, and sequential. It’s not the to-be-avoided mystery most would like to make it out to be. It’s also not to be used out of context and out of sequence to support manmade doctrine. One example places the war in heaven seen in Chapter 12 at the very beginning of time before Adam and Eve.

This position is based on taking Isaiah 14:12-14 out of context. Isaiah chapter 14 is an apocalyptic writing that contains an unveiling of the last days. In it, Isaiah witnesses the end-times Antichrist (labeled as the “Assyrian” in a near-far prophecy), Satan’s influence on him, and his eventual destruction. Isaiah sees something that will happen in the future. John’s vision in Revelation Chapter 12 confirms this and puts the war in the heavenly realm in the context of the beginning of the future three-and-a-half year authority of the Antichrist. During this time, he’ll persecute and kill God’s people – both Jew and Christian.

So, if the war in heaven hasn’t happened yet, does Satan still have access to heaven? Yes! We understand that he lost his authority as one of the archangels created by God.  However, he has had, and still has, access to heaven. You only have to look at the Book of Job and John’s Revelation (i.e. Revelation 12:10) for confirmation.

Need more? Let’s look at the sequence of the Revelation and the war’s position within it. Here’s a breakdown of the entire apocalyptic book:

Chapters 1-5: Introduction by John, letters from Christ to 7 churches of Asia Minor, and an invitation to heaven to watch the end-times events.

Chapter 6: Seals 1-6 depicting birth pangs and Great Tribulation ending with a complete darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (see Matthew 24:29-31 for corroborating information!).

Chapter 7:  Protection of the 144,000 of the Jewish remnant against God’s imminent judgments; bride of Christ seen in heaven after the gathering at the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars.

Chapters 8-9: Seal 7; God’s trumpet judgments 1-6.

Chapter 10: Seventh trumpet judgment, which ends the 3.5-year reign of the Antichrist.

Chapters 11-13: Three-and-one-half-year period of Great Tribulation detailed (Chapter 11 = 3.5 year witness of God’s chosen two; Chapter 12 = 3.5 year persecution by Satan through the Antichrist after losing the war in heaven; Chapter 13 = details on the 3.5 year reign of the Antichrist).

Chapter 14-18: all things that will happen at about the end of the three-and-a-half-year Great Tribulation or shortly thereafter by the end of the trumpet judgments; Seven vial judgments that will complete God’s wrath; Description (and destruction) of figurative Babylon near the end of God’s wrath; Antichrist kingdom details.

Chapter 19-22: Armageddon at the end of God’s wrath; marriage supper of our Christ and His Thousand-year reign; great judgment following Christ’s kingdom; New heaven and earth after the judgment; Final admonishments and closure.

Rather than take a chunk out the middle of an otherwise sequential Revelation, let’s take it all together and in context. The future will reveal a defeated Satan, resulting reign of the Antichrist, and darkening of the natural lights after about 3.5 years. You may want to check out my 2011 book titled, “Finding the End of the World” (available from ronbraley.com, Amazon, or Barnes&Noble) to learn more about what the Bible and history have to say on the subject of the end of the world to include the war in heaven.