Introduction to the End Times Session 2
I.
The Day of the Lord: Two Extremes
a.
“For the day of the Lord is great and very
terrible: who can endure it?”
(Joel 2:11)
b.
“I will send you Elijah…before the coming of the
great
and terrible
day of the Lord.” (Malachi 4:5)
c.
The wheat (believers, good) and the tares/weeds
(unbelievers/evil) will grow to mature at the same time. “Allow both to grow together until the
harvest” (Matt. 13:30)
II.
Positive Events in the End Times
a.
There are many positive events prophesied in the
Word that will occur in the generation the Lord returns.
b.
The gospel will be preached to all nations. Jesus connected the timing of His return to
the preaching of the gospel to all nations.
Mission organizations have joined hands in mission and now project that
the gospel will be heard by every people group (6000) on the earth for the
first time by 2025. “Gospel will be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, then the end
will come.” (Matt. 24:14)
c.
The greatest revival and outpouring of the
Spirit in history will occur in the generation the Lord returns and
result in a victorious Church full of His glory and a great harvest of
souls. “It shall come about after this
that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, You old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions… I
will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of
smoke. The sun will be turned to
darkness and the moon into blood BEFORE the great and terrible day of the
Lord.” (Joel 2:28-31) “A great multitude
no one could number of all the nations…coming out of the Tribulation.” (Rev. 7:9, 14)
d.
The salvation of Israel will occur
as the Church provokes Israel to jealousy by standing with them in love and
operating in the power of God. (Romans
11:12-15, 25-26)
e.
The worship and prayer movement will
operate in great authority and usher in the Coming King Jesus will songs of
praise, worship, and asking Him to “Come!”
(Isaiah 24:14-16, 49:11-13, 52:8-10; Rev. 22:17)) “My house shall be a house of prayer” (Matt.
21:13, Is. 56:7) “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him
day and night? I tell you that He will
bring about justice for them quickly.”
(Luke 18:7-8)
f.
There will be supernatural protection
for believers in the end times. The Lord
will again distinguish between His people and protect them like He did in
Goshen. (Ex. 8:22-23, 9:4-6; 10:23;
11:7) “Those who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will
give understanding to the many.” (Daniel
11:32-22) “Those who have insight will
shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven.” (Daniel 12:3) “Do not harm the earth…until we
have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Rev. 7:3)
g.
Two Witnesses and the Bride operate in authority
and partnership with God. “I
will give great authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy…if anyone
wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their
enemies…they have power to shut the heavens so that rain will not fall…they
have power to turn the waters into blood.”
(Rev. 11:3-6)
III.
Negative Events in the End Times
a.
Persecution against believers. There will be an increase of persecution in
the generation the Lord returns. (Dan.
7:21, 8:24, 11;33-35, 12:7; Rev. 6:9-11, 7:9, 9:21, 11:7, 13:7; Matt. 10:21-22,
24:9; Luke 12:4-7, 21:16-19)
b.
Falling away from the faith. Many churches are seeing a massive exit from
the church. It is estimated over 75% of
the youth raised in the church after leaving home stop attending church
services or worship/Bible study. (Matt.
24:9-13; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3) “With regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ and our gathering together to Him…Let no one in any way deceive you, for
it will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (antichrist)…so that he takes
his seat in the temple of God displaying himself as being God.” (2 Thess. 2:1-4)
c.
There will be an increase of sin
and lawlessness. (Rev. 14:18,
17:5; Dan. 8:23) “They did not repent of
their murders, sorceries, sexual immortality, or thefts.” (Rev. 9:21)
d.
The Great Tribulation will be the
greatest time of pressure, trial, and difficulty ever seen before on the
earth. “There will be great tribulation,
such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever
shall be. Unless those days were
shortened, no flesh would be saved (physically preserved) but for the sake of
the elect, those days will be shortened.
(Matt. 24:15,21-22) We will look
at this more in the coming sessions:
pressure comes from four sources:
the rage of Satan, the wrath of God, the evil actions of people, and
convulsions in nature (storms, earthquakes, etc.)
IV.
Political and Global Events (Signs)
a.
Globalization. An alarming trend is globalization and the
manner in which finances, communication, religion, and geopolitics will
converge to a more globally unified expression.
(Rev 17-18) There will be
one-world technology, economics, political cooperation, information, etc. Global Government (Dan. 2, Ezek. 38, Rev. 13,
17)
b.
Knowledge and Travel. “Many shall
run to and fro (travel) and knowledge shall increase (information age)” (Dan. 12:4)
The internet has allowed knowledge to increase in an unprecedented
way. (knowledge doubles every 18
months) Scientific advancements are
fueling immorality (gender change, abortion, cloning, etc.)
c.
Israel
becoming a nation in 1948. The
re-establishing of Israel fulfilled numerous prophesies. The state of Israel as the center of world
controversy will culminate in the end times.
(Zech. 12:1-3; 14:1-3; Luke 21:20-24)
d.
The Abomination of Desolation
requires Israel to be in the land with a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. (Dan. 9:27, Matt. 25:15, 2 Thess. 2:4, Rev.
13:5, 15-18)
e.
World Peace and Safety. The Antichrist will offer his solutions to
the turmoil in the nations. The
Antichrist is first revealed as a man of peace who brings world peace. “When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then
sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains (Great Tribulation) upon a
pregnant woman.” (1 Thess. 5:3)
f.
The re-establishing of the Hebrew language
was prophesied by Zephaniah. For Israel
to speak Hebrew after being out of their homeland for 2000 is a sign and a
wonder. “Then I will restore the peoples
a pure language that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him
with one accord. (Zeph. 3:9)
g.
The increase of the spirit of fear.
Fear increase for those who do not trust in
the Lord and have faith in His nature as a GOOD FATHER.
“Men will faint from fear at the expectation
of the things which are coming upon the world.”
(Luke 21:26)
If you would like to view the entire service,
click here.
