What the Bible really says about

ThE RAPtUrE, The millennium,

the secOnd COming, And more!
 table of
The Final Events
of Bible Prophecy coNTEntS
President
Doug Batchelor Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Writers Art Design/Layout
Curtis Rittenour Haley Trimmer
Cosmin Ritivoiu
Laurie Lyon
Event 1 — Final Signs . . . . . . . . . 5
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Event 2 — A World Polarized . . . . 8
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2
“Woe to the inhabitants of the
earth and the sea! For the devil
has come down to you, having
great wrath, because he knows
that he has a short time.”
—Revelation 12:12

3
 mIdNighT
on Planet Earth
Natural disasters and armed conflict have marked human
existence throughout history and have always caused peaks in
mortality and morbidity. But in recent times, the scale and scope
of these events have increased markedly. Since 1990, natural
disasters have affected about 217 million people every year,
and about 300 million people now live amidst violent insecurity
around the world. The immediate and longer-term effects of these
disruptions on large populations constitute humanitarian crises.
—New England Journal of Medicine, November 7, 2013

You are running for your life. For days What will the final events be like when the world
you have been pursued by enemies who want to kill you. ends? Do we trust blockbuster movies or bestseller
Your commitment to obey God has made you a target books that depict an apocalyptic asteroid striking
of the state—and the church! As you stumble into a the earth—or a deadly disease wiping out all human
secluded mountain enclave with other believers, you fall life? Will the sun explode or burn out? Will humans
to the ground in exhaustion. But you hardly notice successfully become an interplanetary species and
your hunger, thirst, and weariness. Your supreme escape the doom of this planet?
focus is to stay true to your faith. If popular preachers are correct, will
The last few weeks have been a we see the beginning of a thousand
nightmare as the world has turned upside years of peace? Or will Christians be
down. Record-breaking earthquakes secretly raptured before a seven-
have twisted multiple cities of the year tribulation begins? Should
world into rubble. Monstrous, deadly we trust social science research,
tornadoes have simultaneously carved demographic trends, news reports,
wide pathways through dozens of towns partisan think tanks, public opinion
in one day. The waters of the earth have polls, or our next door neighbor to
turned deadly rancid everywhere. provide us with answers?
A pandemic of incurable and bleeding There is an alarming slide toward a
sores has struck millions. Scorching heatwaves colossal humanitarian crisis on our globe.
in some countries have destroyed every plant. Reports And there is only one trustworthy way to properly
of colossal hailstones of massive weight have crushed understand the catastrophic times into which we are
cars, buildings, and killed thousands. It’s as if all the cruel falling. The Bible gives us an accurate picture of these
forces of nature have been unleashed at once. final happenings.
Even the heavens seem confused. Is it morning or This magazine, The Final Events of Bible Prophecy,
noon? You cannot see the sun, moon, or stars … just will show you from Scripture what is soon to take place.
blackness. Somehow you know in your heart that for You will discover that in the darkest hour on earth, God
Planet Earth, the hour has finally reached midnight. will deliver His people. There is hope!

4
 1
Final Signs
I
n the Holy Land along the Golan Heights, you will Signs of the End
find warning signs in various languages—Hebrew, “I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass,
Arabic, French, and even English. Whatever the you may believe that I am He” (John 13:19).
language, they all communicate the same message:
“Attention: Land Mines!” Whole sections of territory are Jesus told His followers about events that would
filled with deadly mines left over from decades of war. happen in the future so that when they came to pass, they
These signs warn people about the danger facing them could trust His Word and that He is who He said He is.
if they walk into these areas. It’s the same with the signs of the end. Written thousands
There’s no question—warning signs can play an of years ago, the Bible gave us predictions about what would
important role in saving your life. They also have an happen in these last days. If you know about these signs,
important role in Bible prophecy, especially when it when you see them come
comes to what can be expected in the last days of earth’s to pass just as predicted,
history. That’s why the Bible shares so many signs of the you can know that we
end—to warn you about what is coming and to help are in the last days. You
you prepare for the return of Christ. will also have assurance
Seeing signs being fulfilled that God is in control and
during trying times can that you can trust what
also bring you comfort and He says about the future.
assurance in the midst of all So what are some of the
the danger and chaos. And signs the Bible gives us
who couldn’t regarding the last days?
use some
comfort and 1 An Increase in Knowledge
assurance “Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until
these days? the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and
knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).
The prophet Daniel predicted that prior to the end of the
world, we would witness a dramatic increase in knowledge.
Has it happened? There’s no doubt. What we have observed
in the past one hundred years in science and technology
would have stunned people who lived just 250 years ago—
much less 2,500 years ago, when Daniel wrote this prophecy.
For instance, for six thousand years, humans could
travel no faster than by horse. Now, voyages that once
required months are achieved in hours.
But another way that knowledge has increased
is in a deeper understanding of the Bible and its
5
 prophecies. Hundreds of events predicted in Scripture
have been fulfilled already, which also means we can trust
what the Bible says will come next.

2 Wars and Rumors of Wars

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars … for nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”
(Matthew 24:6, 7).
In the early 1900s, many believed that the world
was heading toward a time of great moral and material
progress. They thought that humanity’s great advances in
technology would usher in a time of prosperity and peace—
in which war would be a thing of the past.
That hope lasted only until World War I, during which
technology and science were used to kill people in ways
that our ancestors couldn’t have imagined. Yet as bad as
that war was, it was soon followed by World War II, during
which more than 60 million people perished. And anyone 3 Natural Disasters
who listens to the terror-filled news today knows that the
“There will be great earthquakes in various places, and
danger for war is greater than it ever has been.
famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights
and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11).
Who hasn’t witnessed the painful reality of this prediction?
Prophecies Fulfilled One of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history
occurred at the end of 2004, when an earthquake centered in
the Indian Ocean caused a devastating tsunami—killing nearly
280,000 people across Southern Asia. Rarely a week goes by
when we don’t hear about some new natural disaster: floods,
wildfires, famine, hurricanes, or earthquakes.
Luke 21:11 also mentions “pestilences”—which today we
call epidemics or pandemics, caused by infectious diseases
The Bible says, “I am the Lord. … New things I that spread quickly through human populations, between
declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them” countries, and even around the world. In recent years, our
(Isaiah 42:8, 9). Bible predictions of future events planet has been afflicted with such diseases as cholera, SARS,
that have come to pass affirm the trustworthiness AIDS, Ebola, Zika, and the flu.
of Bible prophecies. Here are just a few fulfillments:
4 Perilous Times
1. Four world empires would arise in this
“Know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For
order: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and
men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters,
Rome. (See Daniel 2, 7, 8.)
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
2. Cyrus to be the warrior who captured unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-
Babylon (Isaiah 45:1–3). control, brutal, despisers of good” (2 Timothy 3:1–3).
3. After Babylon’s destruction, it would In the past, many of the world’s brightest believed that
never be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:19, 20; humans were capable of perfecting themselves through
Jeremiah 51:37). education, science, and “higher reason.” Yet look around at
4. Egypt would never again have a the planet today. Even the most calloused skeptic can’t help
commanding position among the nations but be horrified by the moral state of humanity. Within 35
(Ezekiel 29:14, 15; 30:12, 13). days in 2017, two of the five deadliest mass shootings in U.S.
history took place. Locations stained with blood are popping
5. Earth-shaking calamities and fear toward
up everywhere—even a small church in rural Texas, where 26
the end of time (Luke 21:25).
people were shot down. The Bible also foresaw bias against
6. Moral degeneracy and decline of spirituality biblical morality, political corruption, child abuse, terrorism,
in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1–5). and more plaguing the world.
6
 World Crises
ON THE RISE
5 Interest in the Demonic Many skeptics dismiss that natural disasters are, in
fact, increasing in our world. But research confirms
“In latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to it. Since 1970, the number of disasters worldwide
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). has more than quadrupled.1 And there were three
In recent years, an explosion of interest in the occult and times as many natural disasters between 2000 to
witchcraft has occurred—and a fascination with the belief that 2009 when compared to the 1980s.2
the living can talk with the dead. A flood of movies and TV shows
promote this notion, yet the Bible is clear that the dead are Natural Disasters
“asleep” and cannot communicate with us. Psalm 146:4 says, Summer 2010: Unprecedented Russian
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very heatwave kills 56,000. Wildfires destroy a third
day his thoughts perish.” And Ecclesiastes 9:5 affirms, “The dead of the wheat crop.
know nothing.” March 2011: Japan earthquake and tsunami
Many today are seeking out psychics, tarot card readers, and kills 28,000 and displaces 465,000.
astrologers for guidance. Even in our sophisticated age, a huge
amount of interest in the occult remains—just as the Bible predicted. September 2017: Hurricane Maria kills over
500 in the Caribbean and the United States and
destroys Puerto Rico.

Wars and Rumors of War

2011–2017: More than 500,000 killed and
12 million uprooted in Syria and Iraq.
2015–2017: Turkish and PKK conflict kills
2,500 combatants and civilians and displaces
more than 350,000 civilians.
2016: Conflicts in Greater Sahel and Lake Chad
Basin create mass human suffering, uprooting
4.3 million.
2016: Chicago experiences one of its most violent
years—4,300 shootings and 762 murders.

Crime and Decline in Morality

6 Gospel Goes to the World 2016: Mexico records 20,792 homicides, many
“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world drug-related, a 22 percent increase over 2015.
as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”
(Matthew 24:14). June 2016: Gunman opens fire inside a
nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 and
Now here’s a positive sign of the end: The once seemingly injuring 50.
insurmountable task of taking the gospel to the four corners of
the earth is a reality. Through missionaries, satellite broadcasts, October 2017: Gunman fires from Las Vegas
and now the Internet, the gospel work is accelerating around the resort into a crowd, killing 58 and injuring more
world. The message of salvation has never had wider distribution than 500. It is the deadliest shooting in modern
than it does today. Christ’s second coming is now being preached U.S. history.
in more than 900 languages and dialects, and nearly 95 percent Economic Chaos
of the world’s population has access to this message. Never in the
December 2007: Nearly 10 million lose their
history of the world has the gospel been communicated to the
homes during the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.
extent that it is now being broadcast.
February 2018: The Dow Jones Industrial
What does all this mean? Average falls 1,175 points, the largest point
drop in a single day in history.
These signs should cause you to follow the apostle Paul’s
counsel to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith”
(2 Corinthians 13:5). Right now, whatever your past has been, you can
repent of your sins and turn to the Lord. Ask Christ for His forgiveness
1 https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/08/daily-chart-19
and He will receive you! That’s how you can begin preparing for the
2 https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/climatechange/
coming of Jesus, to which all these signs so clearly point. steady-increase-in-climate-rel/19974069
7
 2
A World Polarized
I
t was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. someone to rescue them from these dire times, when “men’s
Hurricane Harvey inflicted more than $125 billion hearts [fail] them from fear and the expectation of those
in damage, dumping more than 40 inches of rain things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the
over eastern Texas in just four days, causing catastrophic heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26).
flooding. At one point, a third of Houston was under water.
As we’ve seen, our world is experiencing record- A Clash of Powers
breaking catastrophes. And despite all the advances
“I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and
of humanity, the earth is a
he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
dangerous place no matter
And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his
where you live.
presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it
Such extreme conditions,
to worship the first beast” (Revelation 13:11, 12).
which the Bible predicts will
only get worse, create extreme Here the Bible describes a political power that will rise
responses. As the world moves up in the last days “out of the earth,” which is a symbol of
toward its climactic end, a sparsely populated land. The horns represent that this
people and governments will power would be established on the pillars of religious
be desperate for answers and liberty and civil liberty, but soon after it would begin to
will try any means necessary speak “like a dragon.” This government would then unite
to resolve these problems. But each step will polarize our itself with a religious power inspired by Satan. In an effort
world into two groups of people.

World Conditions Will Get Even Worse

“There will be great tribulation, such as has not been
since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no
flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days
will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21, 22).
Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, are only
one part of the “great tribulation” the world faces just
before the Second Coming. Our planet will be reeling from
the impact of unrelenting troubles of every kind. Nations
all over the globe will be at war, and so much of society
already seems to have lost its moral compass—its values
and appreciation for all that is good and honorable.
As the world continues to drift toward more ominous
events each day, millions will be anxiously waiting for

8
to control the world, they will attempt to force every “False christs and false prophets will rise and show
human being into a false system of worship. great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the
Not everyone will bow down to this deceptive power, elect. See, I have told you beforehand” (Matthew 24:24,
however. God will have a people who will refuse to give 25). All through history, many have claimed to be Christ or
their allegiance to it, separating the world into those who some other heavenly messenger, and many have believed
them. Such frauds will appear up to the very end—before
the true Christ comes again.
Jesus warned that these deceptions will be so
powerful that even the elect could almost be fooled.
Notice He added: “I have told you before.” Christ wants you
to know about these shams in advance so that you don’t
fall victim to them. You will not be tricked if you adhere to
the truths given in the Word of God.

Forced Worship
“He was granted power to give breath to the image of
the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak
and cause as many as would not worship the image of
the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15).
In the end, an earthly government will threaten people
with death if they do not worship an image.
are obedient to the Lord and those who follow Satan. At A parallel story in the Old Testament reveals
this time, God’s people will experience a great outpouring a similar effort to force
of the Holy Spirit and will call all people to worship the worship. Three
Creator of the heavens and the earth (Revelation 14:6, 7). Hebrews who
The Bible describes the work of God’s people. “After worshiped
these things I saw another angel coming down from the true
heaven … and the earth was illuminated with his glory” God were
(Revelation 18:1). This angel represents a people who threatened
will boldly call for all humanity to take a stand for the
Lord. Revival will move across the world as these people,
working under the power of the Holy Spirit, urge ministers
and church members alike to stand for the Word of God
and earnestly work for the salvation of souls.

Supernatural Signs
“They are spirits of demons, performing
signs” (Revelation 16:14).
As the work of the Holy Spirit
becomes more pronounced,
however, occult manifestations will
intensify. Deceptive demons will
appear to many, masquerading
as loved ones who have passed
away or as biblical saints of old.
They will speak words of peace
and hope, all while presenting
distorted doctrines that lead to
sin. These supernatural displays
hold great influence with
people, and few are willing to
speak against them.
9
 beast and the antichrist (Revelation 13:14–17). Such laws
will be known by people to directly contradict God’s law.
A time of trouble is coming that will be worse than
anything the world has ever seen, and we’ve already seen
some pretty horrible times. As this world crisis mounts, with
people desperately seeking for relief and nations looking for
stability, “help” will appear in a most startling form.

Ready or Not A Warning

Jesus predicted that the last days would be “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light”
like another cataclysmic time in world history. (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Christ said, “As the days of Noah were, so also
Imagine a radiant, charismatic being appearing on the
will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew
earth and claiming to be the Son of God. An army of news
24:37). In Noah’s day, the world was polarized into
agencies flocks to see this supernatural entity perform
two groups—those who followed God and those
miracles and hear him repeat many of the same words Jesus
who lived for the pleasures of this world.
spoke. This event is beamed to the world via satellite, and
Though Noah preached of the coming
millions believe that his appearance on television has fulfilled
destruction of the world for 120 years, most
the prophecy that “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7).
everyone continued “eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered the ark, and did not know until the flood
came and took them all away, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be” (vv. 38, 39).
Likewise, only two groups will exist on
the earth just before Jesus returns:
those who are ready for His coming
and those who are not. “Therefore
you also be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect” (v. 44).

with execution if they did not bow down to

the idol of a Babylonian king.
“If you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the
horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with
all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the
This powerful ruse awaits those who are not prepared,
image which I have made, good! But if you do not
who have not fortified their minds with the truths of God’s
worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst
Word. When all the world declares that this being is the
of a burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:15).
Savior, God’s faithful people will say, “No!”
These Hebrew men refused to violate one of the The world is facing tremendous challenges. But the
Ten Commandments—“You shall not make for yourself good news is that God will never forsake His people. Jesus
a carved image … you shall not bow down to them nor promised, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the
serve them” (Exodus 20:4, 5)—and they faced death. God world” (Matthew 28:20 KJV).
miraculously saved them, however, even though they were As storms like Hurricane Harvey prove, there is
ready to die rather than disobey Him. (See Daniel 3.) no guarantee of safety this world can offer. Shattering
The same will happen in the last days. Laws will be catastrophes will only increase as the end draws near. Your
passed that will pressure people, on the penalty of death, safety can be found only in the Lord and His promises. “He
to “worship the image.” Satan wants to turn everyone away who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide
from worshiping the Creator and Redeemer of humanity. under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is
These laws will appear to promote moral living, but in my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’ ” (Psalm
reality, they prepare the world to embrace the mark of the 91:1, 2). Will you make the Lord your refuge right now?

10
 3
Probation Closes
W
hen Elias Unger jumped out of bed on the the dead could not be identified and were buried in the “Plot
morning of May 31, 1889, he had reason to of the Unknown.”
be anxious. After record-breaking rainfall in Have you ever ignored a warning and almost lost your life?
Pennsylvania, the South Fork Dam near his home was Have you ever made an irreversible decision that you wished
swollen and ready to crest. you could have undone? In the final events of earth’s history,
Unger quickly gathered a group of men to unclog there is a final warning given to everyone in the world—and all
a spillway to relieve the tremendous pressure on the will need to make a final decision for or against Christ.
structure, but their efforts were futile. Under orders from If this warning goes unheeded, there will be no second
Unger, John Parke, an chance—as many teach.
engineer, sent telegraph
warnings to Johnstown, a The Deceiver
large town fourteen miles
“The great dragon was cast out,
downstream, to explain
that serpent of old, called the
the unstable nature of
Devil and Satan, who deceives the
the eroding dam.
whole world; he was cast to the
But the warnings
earth, and his angels were cast out
were not passed along
with him” (Revelation 12:9).
to town authorities.
Moreover, too many Jesus said that Satan “was a
false alarms had been murderer from the beginning, and
given in the past—so the does not stand in the truth, because
cautions were ignored. At there is no truth in him. When he
around 2:50 pm, the dam speaks a lie, he speaks from his
gave way and 3.8 billion own resources, for he is a liar and
gallons of water rushed the father of it” (John 8:44). And
down the Conemaugh one of Satan’s greatest deceptions
River, destroying will occur when he comes and
everything in its path. impersonates Christ—and most of
As the tidal wall of destruction smashed houses, the world will think he is the Savior.
uprooted trees, and carried away people and animals, Amid all this, however, God will have a faithful people,
some in smaller towns were able to escape to higher a remnant, who will not fall for these deceptions—but who
ground. An hour later, the flood hit Johnstown, catching will stand up and speak against them. Notice how the Bible
residents by surprise. A wall of water and debris nearly 60 describes these people: “Here is the patience of the saints;
feet high, traveling at 40 miles per hour, crushed people here are those who keep the commandments of God and the
and carried away houses and businesses. faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
More than 2,200 people lost their lives—99 entire What can we learn from Jesus’ example regarding how
families perished, including 396 children. One-third of to be protected from these deceptions? Right after Christ’s

11
 baptism, He went into the wilderness, where, after forty days, The Plagues Fall
He faced the temptations of Satan. During these encounters, A terrible calamity awaits those who get caught up in the
Satan appeared to Jesus as an angel of light from heaven and false system of worship that Satan will establish through force
sought to ensnare Him in one of his deceptions. and deceit.
“The devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, “I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven
and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God
glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if on the earth.’ So the first went and poured out his bowl
You will fall down and worship me’ ” (Matthew 4:8, 9). upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon
Satan tried to get Jesus to worship him. The Bible says the men who had the mark of the beast and those who
that in the last days, satanic powers will try to turn people worshiped his image” (Revelation 16:1, 2).
away from the worship of God to the worship of the beast, Amid the trials of the last days, the hope that things will
who “exercises all the authority of the first beast in his get better is crushed as Revelation’s seven last plagues begin
presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to to fall on the world in
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” rapid succession.
(Revelation 13:12). The first plague is a
Satan is in the business of trying to recruit people to gruesome sore that causes
worship him instead of God. Yet despite Satan’s success, excruciating suffering
God will have a group of faithful people who proclaim the for the lost. Six more
third angel’s message: “Worship Him who made heaven and devastating plagues
earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7). follow. The
While many in the world are falling for Satan’s deceptions waters in the
and worshiping the beast and his image, others are not. seas and rivers
They are worshiping the Creator, the One who made turn to blood.
the heavens and the earth, the The sun is given
One who gave us life power to scorch
and breath and who men. As plague
sustains us now. after plague falls, terror
(See Acts 17:28.) reigns on the panic-
stricken world.
Yet during this
time, those who
refuse to worship
the beast will
be protected.
“He shall cover
you with His
feathers, and
under His wings you shall take refuge. ... You shall not be
afraid of the terror by night. ... No evil shall befall you, nor

Overcoming How did Jesus overcome Satan’s deceptions? He said, “Away

with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your
THE DEVIL’S God, and Him only you shall serve’ ” (Matthew 4:10).

Deceptions
Jesus knew that the being who came to Him was trying to deceive Him, for if he
was truly from God, he would never have asked Jesus to do anything contrary to the
Bible. Christ drove Satan away by quoting the Bible. In the last days, a people will
also rely on Scripture to identify the deceptions of Satan. God’s followers will point
others to the truth amid a time of confusion. The world will soon face a terrible crisis
regarding true and false worship. Critical events will test your loyalty and faith.
How thankful you can be that the Bible has revealed those events in advance.

12
 God’s will is that we choose to follow Him and not be lost.

Protected
“The Lord ... is longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance”

by the Blood (2 Peter 3:9). Yet God never forces the will. He wants us to
come to Him of our own free choice.
How were the children of Israel protected from
the final plague in Egypt? “I will pass through the land The Wrath of Satan
of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn When all have made a choice for or against Jesus and
in the land of Egypt. … Now the blood shall be a sign the plagues are poured out, Satan will stir up even more
for you on the houses where you are. And when I see hatred against those who refuse to worship him.
the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall
“The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went
not be on you to destroy you (Exodus 12:12, 13).
to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
The blood was from a slain Passover lamb; it
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus
pointed forward to the blood of Jesus, our Savior,
Christ” (Revelation 12:17).
which He would shed for the sins of the world. “Christ,
our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Persuaded by the false Christ, the lost believe their only
The Hebrews were protected from the plague not hope for relief from the plagues is to eliminate those who
because they made themselves holy, but because oppose them. Thus, the decision is made to search out and
they were covered by the righteousness of Jesus, exterminate the people of God. “He [the lamb-like beast]
symbolized by the blood placed over their doorposts.
In the same way, God’s people in the last days
will be protected from the plagues because they
are covered by the blood of Jesus. They have a faith
in Him that leads to obedience, which is why
they are described as those who “keep
the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

shall any plague come near your

dwelling” (Psalm 91:4, 5, 10).
Although forgotten by humanity,
they are not forgotten by God.
was granted power to give breath to the image
A Final Choice of the beast, that the image of the beast should
During this time, God makes this both speak and cause as many as would not worship
pronouncement: the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15).
This is the battle of Armageddon. Popular Christian
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is literature equates Armageddon with a military battle in
filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him the Middle East; however, it’s much bigger than that. It is
be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” a worldwide spiritual battle between the forces of good
(Revelation 22:11). and evil—a battle in which Satan and his forces make
Soon every choice about whether to be “holy” and a desperate attempt to exterminate God’s people and
“righteous” will be sealed. Like a skydiver who has jumped control the world.
out of an airplane door—it will be too late to go back. And though things don’t look good for the faithful
Noah preached for many years, giving everyone a minority, the remnant stand firm for Jesus—and they have
chance to get on the ark and be saved from the Flood. nothing to fear, because the Lord will step in and rescue
But once the door to the boat was closed, that was it. them at the end of time.
Their choices were sealed. Revelation 22:11 teaches the How can you prepare to make sure you are on the
same thing. Some call it the “close of probation”—when Lord’s side before probation closes and your choices are
each person’s choice, either to follow the Lord in faith and sealed? Right now is the time to make your decision. Will
obedience or to worship the beast, will be final. Of course, you place yourself on the side of Christ?

13
 4
The King Returns
W He Will Come Back
hen twenty-year-old college student Barbara
Mackle was kidnapped in Georgia in 1968, she
thought she might never again see the light of “There is one God and one Mediator between God and
day. Gary Krist and Ruth Schier forced her into a coffin-like men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom
box and buried it eighteen inches underground. Leaving for all” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6).
her with a small battery-powered light, some food and According to the Bible (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45), Jesus
water, and two plastic pipes for air, they then demanded a gave His life to cover the penalty for our sins so that we could
ransom of $500,000 from be spared from eternal death. At
Mackle’s father, Robert, a the same time, His sacrifice gives
wealthy land developer. us the assurance that He will
The father gladly return and take back those for
pulled together the cash whom He paid the ultimate price.
to free his daughter, but Christ’s gift for us on the cross at
the first ransom drop was His first coming is a guarantee of
disrupted by local police. His second coming.
The kidnappers fled. But Notice what Christ’s followers
the second ransom drop were told by an angel just after
was a success. Krist later Jesus returned to heaven: “This
called the FBI switchboard same Jesus, who was taken up
and gave vague directions from you into heaven, will so
to where Barbara was come in like manner as you saw
buried. After being Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
underground for 83 hours, Jesus is going to come back to
Barbara was found by the them in the same way He left. But
FBI. She was dehydrated how did Christ leave this earth?
but otherwise unharmed.
“When He had spoken these
Her captors were later caught
things, while they watched, He was
and imprisoned.
taken up, and a cloud received Him
Imagine if, after paying the
out of their sight. And while they
ransom and discovering his daughter’s
looked steadfastly toward heaven as He
location, the father called off the search.
went up, behold, two men stood by them in
Certainly, no loving father would pay a
white apparel” (Acts 1:9, 10).
ransom to free a child and then walk away!
Likewise, Jesus paid a ransom for your life— Imagine standing with the disciples when
and He is coming back to save you from a Jesus suddenly rises up into the clouds. In a
vile kidnapper—Satan. similar manner, He will return to the earth.
This easily understood truth, however, has

14
been challenged by many popular books and movies All these—and many others—don’t sound as if they were
through the “secret rapture.” This theory teaches that Christ talking about a quiet, secret event! Rather, these passages
will return quietly and invisibly—that the only sign He present the coming of Jesus as a worldwide event that no one
has come is the sudden disappearance of people who are is going to miss!
transported to heaven, leaving nothing behind but an Today, many different teachings exist about the manner of
empty set of clothes. Christ’s coming. Some people say that His return is only spiritual
or symbolic; they say that the Second Coming happens when
The Manner of Christ’s Return Christian communities live up to a strong commitment to social
justice. The Second Coming for them is the same as a successful
The way the Bible openly teaches about Jesus’ coming
social cause that brings peace on earth.
does not harmonize with the incorrect teachings of a
Others say that the Second Coming takes place at
secret rapture.1 Notice how Christ spoke of His return:
conversion—it is what happens in your heart when you come
“The sign of the Son of Man will appear in to personally know Christ. The Second Coming is
heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth
will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory. And He will send His angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together
His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other” (Matthew 24:30, 31).

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will

see Him” (Revelation 1:7).

“As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to

the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be”
(Matthew 24:27).

The Second Coming will be … Descriptors of Christ’s Return:

• Lightning (Matthew 24:27)
• A literal event (Acts 1:9–11) • Clouds (Matthew 26:64)
• A visible event (Revelation 1:7) • A trumpet (Matthew 24:31)
• A worldwide event (Matthew 24:26, 27) • A shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
• An audible event (1 Thessalonians 4:16) • Power (Luke 21:27)
• A physical event (Revelation 16:18) • Glory (Mark 13:26)
• A decisive event (Matthew 24:29–31) • Angels (Matthew 16:27)
• A glorious event (Matthew 25:31) • Brightness (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
• A transforming event (Luke 21:25–28) • Flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
• A bright event (2 Thessalonians 2:8) • Earthquake (Revelation 16:18)

1 For more information on the secret rapture teaching, visit www.rapturetruth.com.

15
 viewed as a personal, internal event—and nothing more. make a choice for Jesus, or else we are making a choice
Still others insist that Jesus will come quietly, snatching for the other side—the side of the lost, the side of those
away His followers, while everyone else is “left behind.” who will flee from the Lord when He returns.
Yet the Bible makes it clear that the return of Christ We are all helpless to free ourselves from the grip of
will be the most spectacular event in all history—seen by Satan. But Jesus’ came and paid the ransom on our behalf.
all the living. Nothing will ever be the same again. He did what we could never do for ourselves—to die and
rise victoriously. He is now preparing to return and set us
The Fate of the Wicked free too!
According to the Bible, what happens to the wicked
when Jesus returns? Eternal Morning
“The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the What will be the most dramatic event when Christ
commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free comes back?
man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the
on us and hide us from the face of Him who trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first”
sits on the throne and from the wrath of (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
the Lamb!’ ” (Revelation 6:15, 16). What an incredible promise! Christ is coming back in the
clouds of heaven. It is going to be a worldwide event. Every
eye shall see Him. And if that weren’t enough, when He
comes back, the saved who have died will be raised to life!
Throughout the whole earth, a great multitude of
redeemed arise from countless graves. They now appear
clothed with youthful, glorified, and immortal bodies;
without a trace of disease or deformity. They are finally
receiving the glorious promise that was given them
through the death and resurrection of Christ. The eternal

Fearful Wicked

While God’s faithful people are fleeing from

evil people, the Lord returns for them. Suddenly,
all those who were in pursuit and seeking the
destruction of God’s people now find themselves
fleeing and hiding from Jesus. The tide is turned
in favor of God’s people! The ransomed rejoice in
being rescued by their Savior.
By contrast, the lost have rejected all the
opportunities to receive the gift of salvation
from eternal death. They reap the final fruits of
their rebellion. They have spurned every chance
to repent, to have their sins forgiven, and to
enjoy the promise of eternal life.
It is vital for you to make your decision
for Christ. Don’t delay! Jesus said, “He who is
not with Me is against Me, and he who does
not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew
12:30). There is no middle ground. We must

16
 their Savior in the midst of the clouds of angels. The veil
separating them from their Lord has forever been removed.
Think about what that means. In an instant, our bodies
will be changed. That’s what the Bible says: “Behold, I tell
you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead
will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”
(1 Corinthians 15:51, 52). We shall be transformed in that
we are instantly given new, incorruptible bodies, just like
those who were resurrected from the dead!

A Vast Wasteland
The wicked die at the coming of Jesus, while the
life they have longed for is now given—a life that will righteous dead are resurrected to eternal life. Along with
never be taken from them! God’s people who are alive when Christ returns, they both
What will happen to God’s people who are alive at will be given new bodies. Together they rise to meet Jesus
the time of the Second Coming? and ascend to heaven. But what happens to the earth after
“We who are alive and remain shall be caught up these events unfold?
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in “At that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end
the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They
(1 Thessalonians 4:17). shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall
With the world convulsing and become refuse on the ground” (Jeremiah 25:33).
shattering below them, the redeemed During the Second Coming, chaos reigns on the planet.
of the earth take flight, rising above Oceans boil, earthquakes shatter the land, islands vanish,
the destruction. They rise up to join and hailstones pummel the earth. (See Revelation 16:17–
21.) The wicked who manage to survive these catastrophes
are soon destroyed
by the brightness of
the Lord’s presence
and the continuing
global upheaval.
Their bodies lay
scattered across
the face of the
ravaged planet.
For the first
time since its
creation, the
earth is now
completely devoid
of any living human. Only Satan and his fallen angels are
left to behold the results of their rebellion. The earth—once
teeming with human life and activity—becomes a vast
wasteland, revealing the horrible fruits of sin and rebellion.
Where will you be at the Second Coming of Jesus?
Barbara Mackle was kidnapped, placed in a coffin-like
box, and then set free after her father paid a ransom.
But we have the promise from our Heavenly Father that
someday Jesus will come and set us free. We have been
ransomed from death and may forever enjoy eternal life.
Will you accept Christ’s gift today?

17
 5
Millennium
I
t all began innocently. Reza was a sixteen-year-old classroom to their car, drove him to a nondescript building
living in a small town in Iran. He loved reading, and in town, and there they questioned him about his magazine.
one day at school, he decided to create a magazine to Reza was proud of his work and didn’t hesitate
show people back in Tehran, where he used to live, what to explain what he was doing. In a moment, the lead
life was like in his new home. After interviewing a street interrogator’s face grew dark. He began yelling, “Who gave
vendor who spoke honestly about the social injustice you permission to do this? You’re not allowed to in our
in their country, he created his first copy of country! You’re causing trouble!” He then beat Reza
Parvaz (“to soar”). with the magazines and said, “You must never
Soon after printing fifty copies touch this again!”
on the school’s copy machine It was a turning point for Reza
and distributing them, three who, at the time, had no idea that
government officials visited his there was no free speech in Iran. He
high school, came into his class, then formed his entire career as a
and said to Reza, “Could you world-renowned photographer and
come with us?” He had no idea journalist, speaking up for justice
they were the secret police. and freedom.
They escorted him out of the In many countries of the
world, the inalienable right of
freedom of speech has been
removed; the public fears censorship
and punishment. But what about the
government of heaven? You might be
surprised at how important justice is to
God. Indeed, the Bible teaches that after the
Second Coming, a thousand years is dedicated to
ensuring that everyone is fairly judged.

The Foundation of Heaven

What does the Bible say about the justice of God?
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your
throne; mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14).

“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘That I

will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King
shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and
righteousness in the earth’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).

18
 All through the Bible you will find references to This time period, when Satan is held to the earth, is
God’s justice. One of the great attributes of God is His what many Christians call “the millennium.” However, this
fairness toward all. In a world with so little honesty and word—a composite of the Latin words mille (thousand)
equality, God assures us that truth and righteousness and annum (years)—is not found in the Bible. There are
will ultimately prevail. various ideas about the millennium among Christians.
Ultimate justice will be brought to our world, for the Some even believe it has already started! Others say that
Bible says, “He shall judge the world in righteousness, Jesus will come and rule the world for a peaceful period of
and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in a thousand years.
uprightness” (Psalm 9:8). Furthermore, the Scriptures But what does the Bible teach about the millennium?
explain that God “is coming, for
He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with
righteousness, and the peoples
with His truth” (Psalm 96:13).
The Bible clearly teaches
that God is just and that He will
judge the earth with fairness and
righteousness. The Lord does
not use secret police to suppress
those who turn against Him. The
Lord is not a dictator who angrily
crushes threats, but is open and
merciful and will someday bring
true justice to all.

Justice Promised
“Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give
place to wrath; for it is written,
‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’
says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
One Thousand Years
There are few things in this life over which we can
have assurance, but one thing we can count on, according What happens to God’s people when Jesus returns?
to the Bible, is that justice will be carried out. The “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and
Scriptures provide us with knowledge about how fairness then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will
will be ensured during the final events of Earth’s history. see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven
We learned in the previous lesson that the wicked with power and great glory. And He will send His angels
will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather
But what then? What happens on the earth? together His elect from the four winds, from one end of
“I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30, 31).
the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his The first thing that happens at the start of the
hand. He laid hold of … Satan, and bound him for a millennium is that all God’s people are gathered up. The
thousand years” (Revelation 20:1, 2). “four winds” symbolize the four directions, and “heaven”
Surrounded by the devastation their schemes have here simply means the sky; thus, all of God’s people
wrought on Earth, Satan and his angels will be bound around the world are gathered together with Jesus. What
here for a thousand years. Imprisoned on this dark, else happens?
desolate, and abysmal planet, Satan must simply wait and “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the
ponder his future punishment. On every side, he beholds Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For
mangled cities, scorched forests, and dry bones—all the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
the terrible results of his war against heaven. Bound, as with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of
it were, in one vast, dark bottomless pit with no one to God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who
tempt or manipulate, he is miserable. are alive and remain shall be caught up together with

19
 A Desolate Earth
What is the state of the earth after the righteous are
taken to heaven and the last humans on earth are dead?
The prophet Jeremiah foresaw this time.
“Behold, disaster shall go forth from nation to nation,
and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the
farthest parts of the earth. And at that day the slain of
the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the
other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or
gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the
ground” (Jeremiah 25:32, 33).

“I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form,

and void; and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld
the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the
hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there
was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled”
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we (Jeremiah 4:23–25).
shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). The earth will not be a habitable place during the
Not only are the living “elect” gathered together when millennium. It will be a desolate, barren place. According
Christ returns, but the faithful dead are raised and, together to the Bible, life for humans on earth immediately after
with those who are alive, are taken up into the air to meet the the Second Coming and during the thousand years will be
Lord! All of God’s redeemed are swept up at the start of the impossible.
millennium! But where do the righteous go? Jesus told us: Instead, Satan will be bound on this earth for a
thousand years while God’s people will be in heaven. The
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe wicked will be dead, and the devil and his demons will be
also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it confined to the earth, unable to tempt anyone to sin. The
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place Bible describes Satan’s captivity on earth as a “bottomless
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come pit” (Revelation 20:1, 3).
again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you
may be also” (John 14:1–3).
The great hope of the Second Coming is that we are going
to be taken off this sin-sick, devastated planet and brought to
heaven with Jesus. Do you long to be among them?

WHAT IS THE
“Bottomless Pit”?
From the Greek abussos, a bottomless pit is a dark,
desolate region and a state of chaos. The Greek translation
of the Old Testament (called the Septuagint or LXX) uses this
same word found in Revelation 20 to describe the condition
of the world before creation, when it was “without form
and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep”
(Genesis 1:2). Jeremiah also used this word to describe
the earth during the millennium (Jeremiah 4:23–26). This
indicates that the earth will be returned to a state similar to
the time before the Lord began creating life on our planet.

20
The Hidden Revealed
What will God’s redeemed do during the one
thousand years?
“I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was
committed to them. … And they lived and reigned with
Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first

resurrection. Over such the second death has no power,
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
The time frame in Revelation 20 that speaks of Satan
being bound to the bottomless pit (vv. 1, 2) and the
righteous being in heaven (vv. 4, 6) are the same—one Even the actions and motives of fallen angels
thousand years. While Satan is cast to this earth, God’s will be clearly seen. “Do you
people are with Him and judgment is committed to them. not know that the saints
will judge the world? … Do
you not know that we shall
judge angels?” (1 Corinthians
6:2, 3). This verse does
not mean that the saints
will determine who will
be saved or lost—God
has already done that.
Instead, we’ll be able
to know the whys and
the why-nots.
Before a single
sinner receives
his or her final
punishment,
humans who know
and understand the struggles
Since the saved are already in heaven, this part of the
of life on earth carefully review their
judgment must focus on the lost. It is a time when God’s
records. All the words and deeds
people can openly ask questions and review records. People
of the wicked are weighed
will wonder why friends or relatives, who they thought of as
against the Word of God. The justice of their
good Christians, were not saved. Many will have questions
sentence of eternal death is affirmed.
about the worthiness of some who are in heaven.
The Bible teaches us to withhold our judgment in regard
to the salvation of others while we are on this earth. But a Perfect Justice
time will come when we will freely look at the lives of each Finally, at the end of the thousand years, Jesus and
person. Paul the apostle wrote, “Therefore judge nothing the redeemed prepare to return to earth. The time has
before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to come for Satan, his angels, and the lost to face the ultimate
light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest consequences of their actions. Soon the meek will inherit
the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have the earth, but God must first carry out the final phase of His
praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:5 KJV, emphasis added). judgment and purge the universe of sin.
We will judge others when the millennium begins, God’s system of fairness isn’t anything like what people
when all secret things, including the motives, will be made have faced under some of the world’s horrible despots. It’s
known. God will allow us to see just how fairly He is going even better than the free world’s system of justice, because
to deal with the lost. We will see for ourselves the hidden even then, mistakes are made. During the millennium,
thoughts of the unsaved. The veil will be pulled aside when all things will be fully revealed, the perfect justness
revealing spiritual battles that raged for every soul. of God will be carried out.
21
 6
The End of Sin
T
he end of the world is just two minutes from
midnight.
At least, that’s what the Bulletin of Atomic
Scientists recently announced in their 2018 report on the
threats to humanity’s future. The symbolic “Doomsday
Clock” represents the likelihood that a human-made global
catastrophe will wipe out the planet. The clock began in
1947 as an analogy for the threat of global nuclear war.
Midnight on the clock symbolizes an apocalyptic event
that could inflict irrevocable damage to humanity. It first
began at seven minutes to midnight
and has been moved back and
forth 22 times. The shortest
time closest to midnight
(2 minutes) occurred in
1953 and 2018.
Will our
world end in an
incinerating
bang that will New Jerusalem Descends
annihilate all In the last section, you learned that
life? Will global during the millennium, the earth will be
warming threaten desolate with only Satan and his angels
the future of life imprisoned here. What happens after the end
on our world? Or of the millennium?
will the end come
“I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
from a catastrophic
down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
asteroid impact, a
bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
pandemic of infectious
diseases, giant earthquakes, or The word Jerusalem means “city of peace.” Unfortunately,
an alien invasion? the old Jerusalem has seldom been a peaceful place and has
No. Instead, the Bible has been destroyed many times. This New Jerusalem, however,
provided us a picture of a will last forever. And the good news is that, through Jesus, we
destruction that is so intense that all can be citizens in that city!
it will end all wickedness, sin, and In Revelation 21:2, John sees the New Jerusalem coming
evil. It will involve even fire, but down from heaven. After the thousand-year period in heaven,
not from a nuclear blast. Christ and the redeemed, along with the New Jerusalem,

22
return to the earth. As the city draws near to the planet, Jesus old Jerusalem once stood. The new city is much larger
commands the wicked dead to rise from their graves. As the and more beautiful, and it is filled with the redeemed.
Bible says, “The rest of the dead did not live again until the Wouldn’t you love to stand inside this city someday?
thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5).
During the one thousand years, the saved were reigning Satan Released
with God in heaven, involved in the work of judgment. “They
“When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be
lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation
released from his prison and will go out to deceive the
20:4). The lost, however—those killed during the turmoil
nations” (Revelation 20:7, 8).
surrounding the last days and
the Second Coming, and the lost When the New Jerusalem
dead of all ages—all are “asleep” descends from heaven, Jesus will
in the ground, dead, until the raise the wicked from all ages.
end of this thousand years. Satan is then freed to “deceive the
Then at the command of nations.” What nations could these
God, the unsaved from every be other than those comprised
time and place are resurrected. of all the lost who ever lived,
They are raised up with the same raised in the second
mortal bodies they possessed resurrection?
before their death. As Jesus Satan manages
descends, His feet touch the to mislead this
Mount of Olives. A tremendous group one last
earthquake splits the mount time, rallying
and transforms it into a great them in an effort
plain (see Zechariah 14:4). Then to capture the
the New Jerusalem—the massive city of God— heavenly city by
descends from the heavens, and its foundation force. Military
comes to rest on the plain Jesus prepared for it. leaders from all
periods of earth’s
A Second Resurrection history now apply
their combined skills
According to the Bible, there are two resurrec- to prepare for what is
tions, not one. The first already took place at the expected to be an epic
Second Coming and was for the righteous. But a second battle. By this very act, the
resurrection will come at the end of the millennium. unsaved reveal that their
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in hearts are unchanged. If
which all who are in the graves will hear His voice possible, they would tear
and come forth—those who have done good, to the God from His throne and
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to seize the Holy City by force. They do not realize that their
the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28, 29). war is lost before it even begins.
Judgment day has come. The time has arrived for
While the first resurrection—of all those who had died those who, regardless of their past, could have been
in Christ—occurs at the beginning of the millennium, the forgiven by Jesus. They now face the penalty of their
resurrection that forms the multitude who come down with sins—eternal death.
Jesus in the New Jerusalem, the second resurrection occurs at
the end of the millennium—after the work of judgment has The Books Opened
gone on in heaven for a thousand years. This is the resurrection
of the lost, of those who have rejected the salvation offered in “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,
Christ and now have to face the fruits of their actions. and books were opened … and the dead were judged
What a tragedy to end up in the second resurrection, espe- according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).
cially when, through Jesus, every one of them could have had The “dead” in this verse were not only physically
eternal life. Christ could have pardoned them through His mercy dead, but also dead in sin. They are now resurrected and
and grace, but they have spurned His offer to forgive their sins. face their judgment. Now comes the fulfillment of all the
Imagine the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming promises of God’s judgment, and it will be fully carried out.
down out of heaven and settling over the place where the The Hitlers and the Stalins, the violent criminals, and all

23
 those who through the ages thought that they could get hidden their sins. With shame they experience firsthand the
away with their crimes, finally face justice. words of Jesus in Luke 12:2. “There is nothing covered that will
“God will bring every work into judgment, including every not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.”
secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). As the records are opened to them, a vivid panorama
of their lives plays before them, each lost soul understands
“He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world completely that, by his or her own choice, they rejected
in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). salvation. As they stare upon the beauty of the Holy City,
their greatest misery comes from knowing
It is important for each of us to acknowledge our sin and
that they could have had a
seek to be right with God through the work of Jesus on our
place inside the city—
behalf. God has promised that justice will be done. All the evil
that it was never
deeds in the world that have gone unpunished for so long
God’s intention
will, one day, be accounted for. A just God would do nothing
for them to
less. We must learn to trust Him until that day comes.
be outside
that city.
A Futile Battle
Satan, however, doesn’t give up. He even attempts to
lead an attack on the New Jerusalem.
“When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be
released from his prison and will go out to deceive the
nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog
and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose
number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the
breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the
saints and the beloved city” (Revelation 20:7–9).
All the lost, sadly still in rebellion against God, fall again
for Satan’s tricks and seek to do battle against the Holy City.
Yet the days of Satan and rebellion are about to close forever.
They gather as a multitude like the sands of the sea and
surround God’s city, ready to attack it. (See Ezekiel 38:16.) The Bible says that even the rebellious can’t deny
Suddenly, high above the city, the Lord appears on His God’s justice. With one voice, they cry out, “Just and true
glorious throne. All the feeble war plans of the wicked are are Your ways, O King of the saints!” (Revelation 15:3).
immediately arrested; they can only gaze up at the throne of The Bible describes this proclamation: “It is written: ‘As
God. The lost immediately become aware of every sin they I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and
have ever committed. They recall every time they silenced every tongue shall confess to God’ ” (Romans 14:11). This
their conscience, every time they turned from the Holy Spirit’s is an affirmation of the openness, the fairness, and the
pleading. Some had gone to the grave believing goodness of God! Yet in spite of their confession, the wicked
that they had successfully make a last desperate attempt to take a city that could have
been theirs as a gift of God—instead, they launch
an attack on the New Jerusalem.

24
 The Devil
&Hell
It is a myth that the devil holds a pitchfork
and is in charge of hell. Consider these Scriptures:

“He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart

But it’s all done for nothing. God executes from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire pre-
righteous judgment on those who refused to accept pared for the devil and his angels’ ” (Matthew 25:41).
His offer of salvation.
“Fire came down from God out of heaven and
Eternally Destroyed devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the
“They went up on the breadth of the earth and
beast and the false prophet are” (Revelation 20:9, 10).
surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved
city. And fire came down from God out of heaven “You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of
and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9). your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore
Finally, the time has come for the lost to face the I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I
irreversible consequences of their actions. Suddenly, turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all
fire falls from the heavens. As the inferno engulfs the who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples
wicked, the righteous remain safe and secure within are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and
the massive walls and gates of the New Jerusalem. shall be no more forever” (Ezekiel 28:18, 19).

Discover more at helltruth.com

means to “eat up,” “consume,” or “destroy.” See how the Bible

describes the fate of the wicked.
“Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all
the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. … You
shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet” (Malachi 4:1, 3).

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten

Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Those who do not believe on Jesus will “perish”—they
are destroyed. Contrary to popular teaching, the wicked
are not tortured in hell for trillions of years. The destruction
and the results are eternal, but not the process itself. God
All sinners are punished according to what they’ve says that the wicked will “be punished with everlasting
done. Those with few sins are destroyed more quickly, destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the
while those who are guilty of horrific evil against glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). While the saved are
humanity suffer longer. And Satan, the instigator of all sin, enjoying the blessings of eternity, the lost are no more.
suffers the most. For God, the punishment of the wicked The fire from God once and for all eradicates all sin from
is a painful act, but it is something that justice demands. the universe. The stroke of midnight for the wicked is not
There is a great misconception about the fires of hell. carried out by a human-made nuclear explosion. The world
A false teaching suggests that God will keep torturing ends through the complete destruction of sin and evil so that
the lost for all eternity, regardless of their sins. But notice the universe can once more exist in peace and harmony.
that the text says fire from God will come out of heaven Which side of the New Jerusalem’s wall do you want
and “devour” them. The Greek verb used for devour here to be on?

25
 7
New Earth
T Seeking to Save All
here is a deep satisfaction that comes from
restoring a classic car back to its former glory. Walk
The apostle John saw in vision what will someday
through a vintage auto show and you’ll see the
happen to our planet.
pride in owners’ eyes as people gawk over their polished
beauties. The satisfaction of painstakingly restoring cars “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven
back to their prime is worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. and the first earth had passed away” (Revelation 21:1).
Restoring classic cars also has its share of horror stories. John was shown a new heaven (meaning the sky or
Many dreamers find a “deal” on a dented old junker sitting atmosphere) and a new earth. He did not see a world that
behind a barn; they picture turning the jalopy into a jewel. was patched up and painted over. The old had “passed
But after tearing into their steal-of-a-deal, they discover away.” It was gone, never to come back. This will take place
that bringing a car back to its original condition will empty at the end of the millennium, after fire comes down from
their savings account. Experienced bodyworkers can God and cleanses the earth from sin. The wicked are totally
separate the dreams from the nightmares. They know that destroyed, and nothing will be left but ashes.
if your rust bucket project has too much rust, you’ll end up The destruction of sinners is described as God’s
cutting out and replacing more than you bargained for. “strange act” (Isaiah 28:21); it was never the Lord’s intention
God has taken on a restoration project like no other. that any should perish. Death is the final fruit of the deeds
Our world is like a wrecked car that has been totaled. But the of evil, but God is reluctant to let His rebellious children
Creator plans to bring the Earth back to its original state— go. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
when He first created Adam and Eve and lovingly placed some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not
them in a perfect garden. It took the blood, sweat, and willing that any should perish but that all should come to
tears of the Son of God—His very life—to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
take a torn-apart planet and make When Jesus died on the cross, “He died for all”
it brand new. (2 Corinthians 5:15). Christ did not wait for us to be perfect
before giving His life. “God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were still sinners,

26
Christ died for us” (Romans the world. “The iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the
5:8, emphasis added). Ample gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the
provision has been made for summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that
everyone to accept God’s no trace of them was found” (Daniel 2:35, emphasis added).
gift of salvation and live in Nothing is going to be left of this world of sin, suffering,
the earth made new. sadness, death, and pain. Everything terrible will be forever
Sadly, people reject that gone. People need hope beyond this world, which will pass
generous offer. And God away with “no trace” to be found. God provides a plan for you
never forces anyone to obey that stretches forward into eternity.
Him. Love is the foundation Some scientists speculate that one day our sun will
of His government, and the explode and this earth will be destroyed. They maintain that
Lord wants us to serve Him the end of this world means the end of all human life. The Bible
willingly—not by force or through intimidation. Satan uses teaches the opposite: God will destroy this world, not as an
lies and deception to coerce people to follow him, but not end in itself, but as a means to an end—to create a brand-new
God. It’s against His very nature and character. world out of the ashes of the old one! (See Jeremiah 4:27.)

Complete Destruction
Though the Lord did everything possible to save
every human being, some still choose to reject Him. The
Bible describes what will happen to the earth and those
who are lost:
“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in
which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and
the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth
and the works that are in it will be burned up. … Looking
for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because
of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and
the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:10, 12).
What a powerful picture! It’s as if every atomic
weapon ever created detonates at once! Only worse. The New Heavens, New Earth
atmosphere above will ignite; the elements will melt; the Several passages in the Scriptures point to this new
earth and the works in it will liquefy with heat. This is the beginning:
complete destruction of all that came before.
Remember Revelation 20:9? “They [the wicked] went up “We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and
on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and
God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9). the former shall not be remembered or come to mind”
The fire that does this is the same fire that will completely (Isaiah 65:17).
wipe out the old earth. All the works of this sinful world—all
the deeds, all the scars, every trace—will be forever gone. “ ‘As the new heavens and the new earth which I will
After addressing the great kingdoms of the world, the make shall remain before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘So shall
prophet Daniel describes what will happen at the end of your descendants and your name remain. And it shall
come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and
from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to
worship before Me’ ” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).
This is the ultimate hope of all of God’s faithful
people through the ages—to live in a perfect paradise,
to experience a new heaven and a new earth, to
forget everything bad from our former life, and to
someday join with other believers in coming
together to worship the Lord and Creator!
It is hard for our limited minds to grasp

27
 what will be awaiting us. After the earth is purified by fire, Though it is ravaged by sin, we still see examples of what
the Lord will begin the wondrous work of recreation. By the the Earth must have been like when it was first created. It
power of His word, with all the redeemed watching, the causes us to long for that better place.
earth will be restored to its former beauty. God will speak
and a carpet of rich, lush vegetation will cover the planet. No More Tears
At His command, land and water teem with vibrant life. Not only will the Earth be made new, but our own hearts
Countless magnificent creatures of every kind will peacefully and experiences will be vastly better. John wrote of that
explore the new paradise. The invigorating atmosphere future day in the new earth: “God will wipe away every tear
will be pure and sweet. The earth will become one grand from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow,
showcase of creative brilliance. nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things
While the Bible promises God’s children a home in have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
“heaven” (1 Peter 1:4), it also promises that the meek shall Envision a world without hospitals, funeral homes, jails,
inherit “the earth” (Matthew 5:5). At first this may seem like broken homes, or fire stations. These are the
a contradiction, but it is not. At the end of the millennium, “former things” that will pass away. Just as
after the cleansing fires have done their work, heaven the first heaven and first earth “passed
is actually going to come down to Earth! This planet, away” (Revelation 21:1), so will death,
recreated to its original beauty, will become God’s sorrow, crying, and pain pass away.
dwelling place—and the eternal home of the saved What a wonderful hope
(Revelation 21:3, 5). awaits us—a hope that can be
It’s difficult for us to picture a world without sin, yours because of Jesus and His
suffering, or anything that makes our present life promise of eternal life for those
so hard. The apostle Paul was also challenged who ask and receive Him.
to imagine a perfect earth. He explained, None of us can earn the
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have right to inherit this
entered into the heart of man the things new land. Yet by the
which God has prepared for those who kindness of Jesus,
love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). we may turn from
The Bible doesn’t give us all the sin and receive
details about our future home. We can His free offer if
catch glimpses by looking at the beauty we will claim it
of nature, even in this fallen world. for ourselves.

The New Jerusalem

Size: A square, 375 miles along each side; Foundations: 12 foundations, each made of precious stones,
1,500-mile perimeter (Revelation 21:16) giving the appearance of a rainbow (Revelation 21:14–20)
Walls: Solid jasper, 216 feet high, radiant beyond Streets: Pure gold, reflecting heaven’s glories as a mirror
description (Revelation 21:17, 18) (Revelation 21:21)
Gates: 12 gates, three on each side, each made Appearance: Lighted with God’s glory, brilliant in purity,
out of a single pearl (Revelation 21:12, 13, 21) beauty compared to “a bride adorned for her husband”
(Revelation 21:2, 11, 16)

28
 FOUR STEPS
to eternity

1
Know God Loves You. The most important
step in getting ready for heaven is to realize
how much God loves you. “This is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth. For there is one
God and one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:3–5).

2
Acknowledge You Are a Sinner. Admit
that you are lost without Jesus. “The heart is
One Enduring Reminder deceitful above all things, and desperately
Besides all the breathtaking majesty of the New wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Jerusalem, there is an even greater focus for the redeemed “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of
in the new earth. God” (Romans 3:23).

3
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will Repent of Your Sins. To repent means to
dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself turn away from sin. “Repent therefore and be
will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). converted, that your sins may be blotted out”
(Acts 3:19). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful
The wonders of the new world cannot compare with
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
the joy of being in the presence of Jesus and having the
us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Lord in our midst. Though all evil will be destroyed, there

4
will remain one trace reminder of sin. The Bible gives us a Accept the Gift of Salvation. Then believe
small hint in the Old Testament. God has forgiven you. “By grace you have
“One shall say unto him, ‘What are these wounds in thine been saved through faith, and that not of
hands?’ Then he shall answer, ‘Those with which I was yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians
wounded in the house of my friends’ ” (Zechariah 13:6 KJV). 2:8). Since you now are a child of God, the
Lord will begin to work in your life in amazing
The Redeemer will ever bear the ways. “As many as received Him, to
marks of His crucifixion. Traces of the cruel them He gave the right to become
treatment our sins brought upon Him— children of God, to those who
scars on His head, His side and back, His believe in His name” (John 1:12).
hands and feet—will forever remind us of
His great love in giving up His life so that
we could live. These precious marks will
tell us for eternity that rebellion will never
rise up again. never end. It’s a life in a new world
without sin, suffering, sickness,
Two Eternities pain, or death. God offers to you
The Bible teaches that there are two a complete restoration of your
eternities. One is the eternal destruction of life—not a temporary fix of our
those who turn away from God, called the broken-down bodies, but a whole
“second death” (Revelation 20:14). It is a new body in a completely remade
final death brought about as the result of heaven and earth.
sin. It’s a death that will last forever. One of these eternities awaits
The other eternity is the gift of you. Only you can choose which
eternal life offered to us by Jesus: “For one will be yours. Why risk waiting
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten for another time to make that choice? Why put it off
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but until some other day? Which eternity will you pick?
have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is a joyful life that will Just pray and ask Him now.

29
 Your Questions Answered
Q Where are we in
the timeline of the
prophecies of Revelation?
woman. And they shall not escape” (v. 3, emphasis added). It
is not the believer who experiences the coming of Christ as
an unexpected robber, but those who live in denial of it. “But
you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should
overtake you as a thief” (v. 4). Only those who are unprepared
A We are living in the time described
in Revelation 13 and 14. These
chapters deal with the two great
experience the Second Coming as a thief.
Many interpret this text to mean that Jesus will come
like a silent thief to steal believers out of this world. Then
beasts. The first beast—the one that cars will collide, planes will crash, sacked quarterbacks at
rises from the sea and has seven heads football games will vanish, and babies will be missing from
and ten horns—was wounded, but its “deadly wound was their cribs. Popular Christian films present this perspective,
healed.” This has already passed. The second beast—which has but it is a distortion of the text. The apostle Peter also wrote:
two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon (Revelation “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in
13:11)—comes on the scene and is ready to make an image which the heavens will pass away with a great noise” (2 Peter
to the first beast that was healed. It tries to force everyone on 3:10). According to Peter, this coming of Jesus is definitely
Earth to worship the first beast. not a silent, secret event that precedes a seven-year period
According to Daniel 7, these beasts are nations. Many Bible of tribulation. Rather, this day arrives suddenly, with “a great
students recognize the second beast is the United States, which noise” and is clearly connected with the end of the world!
accurately fits the description and historical setting. It looks like

Q
a lamb; it starts out as a nation founded on Christian principles,
but it begins to speak like a dragon. Doesn’t the Bible teach
In prophecy, a lamb is a symbol of Christ and a dragon is in Luke 17 that there
a symbol of Satan. We are going to see America bringing the
Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches to apostatize—to
will be a rapture?

A
abandon their distinctive beliefs and come together to form “Secret rapture” advocates often
a one-world church that undermines God’s law. However, use this text as evidence of a
there will be a people who will remain true to God and time when Christ will supposedly
refuse to receive the mark of the beast, “those who keep the snatch away His saints from the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). world. But to get the whole picture,
we need to start with verse 26, when Jesus described Noah’s

Q If Jesus is coming
“as a thief in the night,”
how can anyone know
day: “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is
revealed” (v. 30). Then He explained that “one shall be taken,
and the other shall be left.”
For the Jews, to be “taken away” meant they would be
anything about it? carried out of the Promised Land as a form of judgment, such
as when Babylon and Assyria carried them away as captives.

A The apostle Paul says, “Concerning

the times and the seasons,
brethren, you have no need that I
In the days of Noah, remember how some were taken
and some were left? Those taken away by the flood perished.
Jesus said the flood “took them all away; so also will the
should write to you” (1 Thessalonians coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:39). Luke 17:37
5:1). Paul is telling believers in Thessalonica that they know makes this clear. The disciples wanted to know where these
about Jesus’ soon coming. They are aware that it will be like a others would be taken. Jesus explained they would be taken
thief in the night, but not for themselves (v. 2). away in judgment.
“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden There is no secret rapture being hinted at here. Two
destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant people might be outwardly doing the same thing, sleeping in

30
a bed or working in the field, but God looks upon the heart with great heat—would render it impossible for the human
and some will be lost and some will be saved. race to survive more than a month or two. This is why Jesus
The battle of Armageddon, the seven last plagues, and said, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be
the great tribulation happen at approximately the same time. saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened”
According to the prophet Daniel, the great tribulation comes (Matthew 24:22).
before the saints are caught up to meet the Lord. Jesus said,

Q
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation. … But he who Does the phrase “the
endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:9, 13).
Just as the children of Israel were in Egypt during the smoke of their torment
great plagues, God’s people at the end will be in the world ascends forever and ever”
during the seven last plagues. Yet God will save us through
the plagues! First Thessalonians 4:16, 17 explains that the
(Revelation 14:10, 11)
saints are caught up with the Lord in the air and reign with mean the fires of hell will
Him in heaven for a thousand years. After that time, the Holy never go out?
City descends to the earth, then the wicked are raised back to
life and the devil marshals them to attack God’s city, the New
Jerusalem. This is the final battle of Armageddon—a battle
between good and evil, between Christ and Satan.
A The word translated as “forever”
in the Bible does not always
mean “without end.” In fact, the Bible uses this term 56 times in
connection with things that have already ended. For instance,

Q I s the “great tribulation” in Exodus 21:1–6, the Hebrew servant was to serve his master
“forever,” but it was obviously only as long as he lived. Hannah
yet to come? took her son Samuel to God’s house to abide “forever” (1
Samuel 1:22), but she plainly limited that time to “as long as he
A Yes. It is to take place just
before Jesus returns. The “great
tribulation” corresponds with the
lives” (verse 28).
The term is clearly defined in Psalm 48:14: “For this is God,
our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.”
time of the seven last plagues
The desolation of Edom was to ascend “forever” (Isaiah 34:10),
mentioned in Revelation 16. “I saw
yet we know that it does not still burn but, as the Bible says,
another sign in heaven, great and
lies in “waste.”
marvelous: seven angels having the
According to these definitions of the term “forever,” the
seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete”
wicked will suffer as long as they continue to live in the fire.
(Revelation 15:1). God’s wrath will be directed against those
Then, as the Bible states, “The wicked … shall be destroyed
who disobey His law, distort His truth, and oppress His
forever” (Psalm 92:7 KJV). This means that when the work of
people. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
the fire is completed, it will go out. The Bible says these fires
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the
will “burn them up” and will leave them “neither root nor
truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
branch” and will leave “ashes under the soles of your feet”
The time of trouble may only last a month or two.
(Malachi 4:1–3).
Scripture indicates it will be a short period of time.
And so the punishment of the wicked will be forever
Revelation 18:8 says, “Her plagues will come in one day.” A
complete. It is not an everlasting state of torment, which
“day” in Bible prophecy represents one literal year (Ezekiel
would portray God as an evil sadist. Our loving Lord will blot
4:6, Numbers 14:34, Luke 13:32). So when Revelation says
sin out of existence because He knows it would eventually
that “her plagues will come in one day,” it means within, or
destroy our world and everyone in it.
less than, one year’s time.
The very nature of the seven last plagues—the rivers
and seas turning to blood and the planet being scorched

31
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