PREPARING FOR EARTH’S SEVEN LAST YEARS

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PREPARING FOR EARTH’S SEVEN LAST YEARS

FOUNDATIONS FOR THIS TEACHING
  1. The Lord knows and speaks the future before the events take place (Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 46:10)
  2. Though no one can know the exact day or hour of Christ’s return, the Lord has revealed the key events and the time frame once the countdown begins (Daniel 12:7; Matthew 24:15–16)
  3. We desire to know just enough to prepare practically instead of going into complicated theological discussions (Matthew 24:33; Revelation 1:3)
  4. The Bible deliberately states many details so we can know and discern. We will mention some of those details so we can be assured that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled when the time comes (Revelation 11:2–3; John 13:19)
  5. This teaching assumes that the rapture of the church will take place after the Great Tribulation and that God’s people will go through the Great Tribulation period (Matthew 24:29–31)
EARTH’S SEVEN LAST YEARS BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS: WHAT, WHEN, WHY
  1. It will be a literal seven year period (Daniel 9:27)
  2. It will be a period of tribulation (troubles) and great tribulations (great troubles) on earth (Matthew 24:15-16, 21-22)
  3. It will begin with a 7-year covenant that will establish peace on the earth, including between Jews and Arabs
(Daniel 9:27)
  1. The man who brokered the peace that unites the world and Jews & Arabs will enter the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, declare himself to be God, demand that people worship him, and he will seek to destroy the Jews (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
  2. The “abomination that causes desolation” marks the start of the Great Tribulation period which is the final 3 ½ years of the present earth (Matthew 24:15-16, 21-22; Revelation 13:5)
  3. It will end when Jesus Christ comes back to earth with his holy angelic and human armies to destroy all his enemies in the judgement of the “seven bowls of God’s wrath” in Revelation 15-16 (Revelation 19:11-16)
WHY THE LORD WILL ALLOW THE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD
  1. To purify His people causing the Church to be a Bride of Christ prepared to walk in God’s glory without any compromise (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:7-8) 
  2. To cause unbelievers to respond to God’s grace as eternity bears down on their hearts. God will usher in a great Ingathering of souls and Israel’s salvation (Revelation 7:9, 14; Haggai 2: 6-7) 
  3. To vindicate the saints as God avenges their death (Revelation 19:2) 
  4. To demonstrate God’s power to protect His people as He did in the days of Moses under what is called the “Goshen Principle” (Exodus 8:22-23; Romans 9:17)
  5. To expose false believers within the Church 
(2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9-12)
  1. To allow evil to be fully manifest and then to express God’s justice and righteousness in punishing people for choosing sin. (Isaiah 24:1, 4-6)
RECOGNIZE THE ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM, REFUSE TO BE AMAZED BY HIS TEMPORARY AND BORROWED VICTORIES, AND NEVER TAKE HIS MARK
  1. The Anti-Christ is a man who will pretend to be for peace and righteousness, and will seek to rule and conquer the world (Revelation 6:2)
  2. He will be the leader of a new world order where there is no effective government or sovereignty or any kind of lawful authority, except his dictatorial one world government (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
  3. He will be assisted by a smart strategist, spokesman, and implementer who is described as the “false prophet” (Revelation 13:11-15) 
  4. The “false prophet” will cause the people of the earth to be marked with the mark of the Anti-Christ, and those who refuse will be ostracized (Rev. 13:16-18)
  5. The Lord will allow the Anti-Christ or false Messiah to attack God’s people and kill many of them, as well to rule the earth, and people will worship him because they are deceived or afraid (Revelation 13:7-9)
  6. The Anti-Christ will be supported by ten kings or rulers who will give their authority to him, and he will be the undisputed ruler-dictator of the world unless the Lord destroys him (Daniel 7:23-24; Rev. 17:12 -13) 
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EARTH’S SEVEN LAST YEARS
  1. Embrace the prophetic writings without doubt or reservation (Revelation 1:3)
  2. Strengthen yourself now spiritually, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and practically while there is time (Jude 1:20-21)
  3. Save as many as possible from eternal destruction in hell (both unbelievers and backsliders) (Jude 1:22-23)
  4. Wake up spiritually, leave your works of darkness behind, and live a life that pleases Christ (Romans 13:11-14)
  5. Be confident that the Lord is able to keep you from falling and to present you before God at the end without fault and with great joy (Jude 1:24-25)