Synopsis of Bible Prophecy Part 1 - 1 Thessalonians 3:13

Review:

What is God doing in your life?

What is holy living?

Last Wednesday, we learned that God is at work in us causing us to increase and abound in love more and more; we used the illustration of corn stalks and bath tubs. His goal is to make us unblameable in holiness until the rapture of the church.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV

13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

We are studying the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints!

Introduction:

The prophet Zechariah wrote in 520 B.C. - Zech. 12:10-11

Zechariah 12:10–11 NKJV

10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

The Apostle John wrote in A.D. 90s - Rev. 1:7

Revelation 1:7 NKJV

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Matthew 24:30 NKJV

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in 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.

The Bible teaches us over and over again that Jesus Christ is going to return to earth.

Paul made this very clear to the Thessalonians:

13 To the end [goal] that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

I. The coming of the Lord REFERS to two events on God’s prophetic calendar.

1. The coming of the Lord Jesus refers to the RAPTURE of the Church - 1 Thess. 4:15-17

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 NKJV

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

At the Rapture, the church meets the Lord in the clouds and is escorted into heaven!

Our doctrinal position at Vision is that we believe the rapture will take place before the Tribulation though we understand that there are other views.

2. The coming of the Lord refers to Christ’s Second coming - Matt. 26:64, Rev. 19:11-14

The coming of the Lord refers to Christ second coming at the end of the Tribulation period.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming with all His saints - that’s all who repent and believe the Gospel - at the end of the Tribulation - Matt. 26:64; Rev. 19:11-14.

Matthew 26:64 NKJV

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

At the Second coming, the church follows the Lord Jesus Christ out of heaven to earth where He will destroy the antichrist, the false prophet, the 10 kings of the revived Roman Empire, and all the armies of the antichrist - Rev. 19.

Revelation 19:11–14 NKJV

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

The Lord Jesus Christ is coming, and His coming involves two events:

The Rapture of the Church, and His Second Coming to destroy antichrist’s armies and kingdom to establish His own 1,000 (millennial) reign on earth - Rev. 20.

I believe that the rapture of the church will occur before the Tribulation period begins.

What needs to happen before the Tribulation Period Begins?

I believe that the Tribulation period cannot begin unless Israel is regathered to her homeland in the Land of Israel.

Israel must be regathered in her homeland before the Tribulation.

I ask you, is Israel regathered in her homeland?

Is there a nation called “Israel” in the Middle East that is the ancient homeland of all Jews?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

II. The REBIRTH of the Nation of Israel

‘On a visit to Israel 150 years ago, famed author Mark Twain described it as a "desolate country" and a "silent and mournful expanse." "He talked about in the Jezreel Valley [where] you could walk 10 miles in any direction and not see a single person," author Doug Hershey told CBN News.

"To me, it's one of the most profound things here, this land has been conquered 15, 20 different times; it never becomes a homeland for any other people group and the land would never produce for any other people group and Israel moves back in and suddenly the vast desert wastelands are producing flowers, they're producing fruit," he said."

“Isaiah 27 talks about how that when Israel returns, Jacob will take up root and fill the earth with fruit.

Isaiah 27:6 NKJV

6 Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit.

“And for many centuries believers would read that and look at that as allegorical or spiritual, but as we're finding today, it's very literal. It's happening right now."

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2018/april/israel-then-and-now-prophecy-fulfilled

After nearly 2000 years, Israel was reborn as a Nation in her homeland exactly as the prophet Ezekiel predicted in the dry bones vision - Ezk. 37.

Ezekiel 37:1–12 NKJV

1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

God promised to bring Israel back to her homeland after her destruction in A.D. 70 & 135:

Isaiah 11:11 NKJV

11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.

Pathros - among the descendants of Egypt.

Cush - southeast Mesopotamia or northern Upper Nile region north of Ethiopia.

Elam - north and east of the modern Persian gulf in the plain of the Iranian province of Khuzistan.

Shinar - name of the plain of the city and nation of Babylon begun by Nimrod - Gen. 10:8-10.

Hamath - a city in Syria.

Islands of the Sea - From all over the world!

Jeremiah 23:7–8 NKJV

7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

Jeremiah 31:7 NKJV

7 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’

Jeremiah 31:10 NKJV

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’

God will regather Israel into her homeland because of the covenant He swore with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the Abrahamic Covenant - Gen. 12:1-3.

Genesis 12:1–3 NKJV

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Also, Israel must be in her homeland in national unbelief for the 70th week of Daniel to commence. The 70th week of Daniel cannot take place unless Israel is in her homeland as a nation - Daniel 9:27.

Daniel 9:27 NKJV

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

Israel was reinstated as a nation and declared its independence on May 14, 1948.

“David Ben Gurion made a declaration that changed the world forever. On May 14, 1948 he declared the birth of the modern state of Israel. For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, the Jewish people had a nation.

"Ben Gurion chose the words 'we hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel to be known as the State of Israel.'

"This was promised to us by God," he said. "We are the only people in the history of the world that live on the same land, speak in the same language and believe in the same God more than 3,000 years."

“It was Friday afternoon and the ceremony needed to be finished in time for the guests to get home before sundown when the eve of the Sabbath began. The ceremony lasted just 32 minutes.”

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2018/april/this-was-promised-to-us-by-god-the-declaration-of-independence-that-changed-the-world

Quotes from David Ben Gurion’s Declaration of Independence

“The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books.

‘“After being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their return to it and for the restoration in it of their political freedom.

“Impelled by this historic and traditional attachment, Jews strove in every successive generation to re-establish themselves in their ancient homeland. In recent decades they returned in their masses. Pioneers, defiant returnees, and defenders, they made deserts bloom, revived the Hebrew language, built villages and towns, and created a thriving community controlling its own economy and culture, loving peace but knowing how to defend itself, bringing the blessings of progress to all the country’s inhabitants, and aspiring towards independent nationhood.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-declaration-of-independence-may-14-1948/

In order for God’s final 7 years (of earth’s existence as we know it) to come, Israel must be back in her land as a nation just as God promised through Isaiah in the 740s B.C., Jeremiah in the 600s B.C., and Ezekiel in the 600s B.C. OVER 2,700 YEARS AGO! You can trust God’s Word - the Bible.

Jesus is coming.

You can be ready by repenting of your sins and believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - Romans 10:9-10.

God bless you.