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S Volume 1 . Issue 12

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE Are We Living in the

END TIMES?
Dr. Richard Averbeck

Dr. Bill Bright

Dr. Paul Cedar

Mr. Dave Coleman

Dr. Larry Crabb

A Quick Focus
Mr. Roger Cross
The Book's Purpose
Rev. Samuel Farina
Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel
Rev. Lud Golz
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks
Mr. Olan Hendrix
Dr. David Jeremiah
Rev. Knute Larson
Dr. John C. Maxwell
Dr. Bruce McNicol
Mr. Dean Merrill
Mrs. Elisa Morgan
Dr. Ray Ortlund
Dr. Luis Palau
Underscore the fact that God
wants His people to have a
working knowledge of Bible
prophecy
Discuss 20 reasons for
believing that the Rapture
and Tribulation could occur
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
during our generation Published by Tyndale House Publishers
Urge unbelievers to accept Christ's followers need to live with expec-
Jesus as Savior before He tancy~ready for the Lord to return at any moment
returns to Rapture His church. And those who are not
believers must be prepared to endure the wrath
Encourage believers in their of God during the Tribulation. CB
S
faith as they look forward to
Christ's triumphal return
Ten Main Points

X
Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson The Book's Message These Are the Times of the Signs ........................... 2
Rev. Wes Roberts For more than 1,900 years, God has Israel: The Focus of the World .............................. 3
largely refrained from intervening in the The Great Apostasy .............................................. 3
Mr. Jim Warren affairs of men. While He has performed Snatched Away! ................................................... 4
miracles and operated in the lives of be-
Dr. Rick Warren
lievers, He has seldom acted in ways ob- The Tribulation and the Mark of the Beast ............... 4
vious enough to convince skeptics of His The Glorious Appearing of Christ ........................... 5
existence. The Millennium and the Last Rebellion .................... 5
Publishers
David A. Martin
But this pattern is about to change~as The Great White Throne Judgment ......................... 6
we enter what the Bible calls the "time of
John S. Martin, III
the end." As soon as Christ returns to take Satan, the Antichrist, the Beast, and False Prophet .. 6
Editor His people to heaven, God's work will be The Two Witnesses, 144,000 Witnesses, Martyrs,
and the Unredeemed ............................................. 7
Michael J. Chiapperino powerfully evident to those who remain.

THESE ARE THE TIMES
OF THE SIGNS
A study of prophetic
literature from the first
century through the present day
reveals that Christians have often
predicted that the Second Coming
would occur during their lifetimes.
Some have set dates~and have proven
to be an embarrassment to the church.
But this propensity to focus on
Christ's return has not been all bad.
History shows that whenever the
church has lived as though the Lord
were returning soon, her members
have tended to live for God passion-
ately~evangelizing the lost with a
sense of urgency.
"The fires of revival that have come
and gone throughout church his-
tory have often been associated
with the Second Coming teachings,
including the ‘signs of the times.’"
God undoubtedly wants His
people to understand Bible prophecy.
Otherwise he would not have caused
the writers of His inspired Word to
devote almost one-third of its teach-
ings to it. The Old Testament in-
cludes about 100 prophecies about
Christ's first coming~and Scriptures
include almost 500 references to His
Second Coming.
Under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul taught
freely and openly about the Second
Coming, the Rapture, the Antichrist,
the wrath to come, and other future
events. One of the very first epistles
Paul wrote, 1 Thessalonians, records
these teachings.
Jesus noted that "signs of the
times" should have predicted His
first coming to the people of His day.
He rebuked them for not heeding
the signs, calling them a "wicked
and perverse generation" (Matthew
16:3).
Likewise, our generation has
been given signs. It behooves us
to know them and heed them.
"Never in history have so many
legitimate signs of Christ's return
existed."
2
Christ's disciples
asked Him how they
would recognize the
end of the age, and the Lord revealed
some events that would signal His
return.
The Sign
of Deception
"Take heed that no one deceives
you. For many will come in My
name, saying, 'I am the Christ,'
and will deceive many."
Matthew 24:5.
False teachers and deceivers will
lure people to embrace false doctrines,
distort Scriptural teachings, destroy
lives, and irreparably damage bib-
lical faith.
“Deception will
continue to increase
as the end times
approach. Consequently
it is imperative
that God’s people be
well-informed about
what the future holds for
this world so they can
avoid being deceived.”
Following these steps will help be-
lievers prevent and combat deception:
Know the Bible.
Understand what it prophesies
about the future. Embracing the
truth is the best way to withstand
Satan's deceptions.
Test the spirits.
Question whether or not new
teachings align with Scripture.
Know that most false teachers
have a faulty view of Jesus; they
do not recognize His virgin birth,
sinless life, death, and resurrection.
Look for God's guidance.
He is eager to lead us and
direct us to the truth.
Avoid immorality.
Lust and sin impair the
reasoning of the mind.
Witness to others about
your faith.
Sharing your faith strengthens
it, while offering help and hope
to hurting people.
Walk in the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:17-21 indicates
that God wants us to invite
the Holy Spirit to operate in
our lives. If we will allow Him
to, the Spirit will sensitize us
to truth and error.
The Signs
of Wars,
Famines, and
Earthquakes
About 15,000 wars have been
recorded throughout human
history, but the 20th century
has been dramatically more
bloody than those that came
before it.
"Far more people have died in
wars during the past hundred
years than in all the centuries
before. And the wars just keep
proliferating."
In Matthew 24:7-8, Christ iden-
tified a specific type of war: a war
started by two nations, with each
side promptly joined by surround-
ing countries.
"For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. And
there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. All
these are the beginning of sorrows."
continued
 3
TIMES OF THE SIGNS continued

"When you see a war started by Israel:

two single nations that is soon
joined by kingdoms of the world~
followed by unprecedented
famines, pestilence, and multiple
earthquakes at the same time~
you have the sign."
We believe that World War I
was the kind of war described in
Matthew 24:7-8. It started in June
of 1914 when a Serbian zealot shot
the Archduke of Austria. A month
later Austria declared war on Serbia~
and all but seven nations soon joined
the conflict. There were 53 million
troops involved, and 13 million died.
Following the war, flu epidemics
took more lives than were lost on
the battlefields. In some parts of the
world, the after-effects of the war
caused famines and malnutrition.
So three parts of Christ's prophecy
were fulfilled at the beginning of
the 20th century: a unique kind
of war, famines, and plagues.
The final condition of Christ's
prophecy is multiple earthquakes
occurring simultaneously. Many
significant earthquakes have oc-
curred since World War I. In fact,
the only known multiple earth-
quakes in history have been recorded
since World War I.
THE FOCUS OF THE WORLD
Nearly every night
the evening news focuses on a little
country with a population of five
million in the Middle East~Israel.
China, with a population of 1.2
billion and Mexico City, one of the
largest cities in the world, seldom
get the kind of coverage given to
Israel.
This interest in Israel is hardly
surprising, given the fact that both
Hebrew and Christian prophets had
a great deal to say about Israel and
Jerusalem and their importance in
the end times.
God's regathering of the Jewish
people back to Israel is a clear sign
of the end times. Jesus prophesied
that Jerusalem would be defeated
by the Gentiles until the times of
the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke
21:24). The times of the Gentiles
began in 606 BC with the Babylon-
ian captivity. It will continue through
the end of the Tribulation and the
coming of Christ.
Clearly, the Jewish capture of
Jerusalem in 1967 during the Six
Day War is a significant fulfillment
of Bible prophecy.
"Israel and her Arab neighbors,
who comprise only one one-thou-
sandth of the world's population,
are the center of the world's stage-
just as the Bible said they would
be in the end times.
Jesus also prophesied about
Israel's re-emerging prominence on
the national scene in His parable of
the fig tree (Matthew 24:32-34):
"Assuredly, I say to you, this gener-
ation will by no means pass away
until all these things are fulfilled."
The "generation" to which Christ
alludes must be one of these four:
The generation that lived during
His lifetime
The generation that saw
World War I
The generation that saw Israel
become a nation
The generation that lived through
the Six Day War.
While it is unwise to be dogmatic
about these things, we believe that
this reference to "this generation"
refers to the one that saw Israel be-
come a state. CB
S

The Beginning
of Sorrow
In Christ's prophecy, he used the
term "beginning of sorrow," one
Hebrew scholars used to describe
a woman in labor. Typically, a woman
experiences mild contractions~
spaced out over a period of time~
before labor intensifies.
We believe that World War I
was the first birth pain and that in
the 80 years since, the pains have
become more consistent and pro-
nounced as many other signs have
become evident. C
SB
THE GREAT APOSTASY
The Apostle Paul predicted that a time would
come when men and women would turn away from the faith. In 2 Thessa-
lonians 2:1-3, Paul says Christ will return only after a full-scale rebellion
occurs. The Greek word apostasia, the source word for the English term
apostasy, means a defection from truth. This word "points to a deliberate
abandonment of a former professed position."
"Before Christ returns, many who were once trusted with the truth
will depart from it."
They will embrace the teaching of demons, speak lies, and suffer
seared consciences. Appealing to people's fleshly desires, false teachers
will lure people away from the truths of the Bible.
The seven churches described in Revelation 2-3 offer a glimpse of the
church throughout history, each representing a different era. The Laodicean
church, the final one mentioned (Revelation 3:15-18), is a description of
the church just prior to the Rapture. continued on page 4

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TIMES OF THE SIGNS continued
4
Historical and biblical records
reveal that this church relied on its
Jesus Christ but never saw a soul
transformed from darkness to THE
wealth; it enjoyed fine buildings.
While other churches at the time
were busy with evangelistic out-
reaches, the Laodicean church
life."
Undoubtedly, there is a holy
remnant of believers committed
TRIBULATION
did not.
"The church of the last days was
to obedience, holy living, and
aggressive evangelism. But the
church at large is plagued by
AND THE
neither zealous for good works
nor lifeless. Instead it was indiff-
erent. It claimed to represent
apostasy and inactivity.
CB
S MARK OF THE
BEAST
SNATCHED AWAY!
The Rapture of the church is surely one of the most
Jesus warned in Matthew
24:21 that prior to His Second Coming,
the world would experience "great trib-

Are
thrilling events prophesied in the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 outlines ulation, such as has not been since the
how the Rapture will unfold. beginning of the world until this time,
no, nor ever shall be." Old Testament
1. The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, accompanied by the prophets like Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah,
voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. and Obadiah forecasted a time of great
2. Christians who have died will rise first. turmoil and destruction upon the earth.
3. Christians who are alive will be caught up in the clouds. Daniel predicted that the Tribulation
4. Believers will meet the Lord in the air and ascend into heaven. will last seven years (Daniel 9:24-27).
5. Christians will remain with the Lord forever.
A careful study of the 300-plus Scriptures about the Second Coming Neither Christians nor unbelievers
reveals that it will be divided into two parts. The first will be the Rapture, grasp the depth of suffering that will
when Christ will usher the church into heaven. The second will be the be packed into those seven years. Dur-
glorious appearing, when He will return to earth after the Tribulation to ing this time, the four horsemen of the
set up the Millennial Kingdom. Apocalypse will wipe out 25 percent of
the world's population; a global war
will kill one-third of the world's remain-
Belief in an imminent Rapture ing population, and there will be a soul
motivates us to whole-hearted harvest so great that no one will be able

Livi
consecration, holy living, and to count how many will be saved during
passionate evangelism. that period.
During this time, the Antichrist will
Scholars debate the timing of the Rapture. Some think it will happen dominate the earth. He will have the
before the Tribulation (the "Pre-Trib" position); others believe it will be power to inscribe a mark on the fore-
in the middle of the Tribulation ("Mid-Trib"); and others think it will occur heads or hands of the world's people.
right after the Tribulation ("Post-Trib"). Revelation 13:13 says that midway
through the Tribulation, people will be
We believe that Scriptures indicate that the Rapture will occur before forced to bow down to worship the
the Tribulation~for four reasons: Beast and to receive a mark. All those
1. The Lord Himself promised to deliver us (Revelation 3:10). without the mark will be killed.
2. The church is to be delivered from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians
1:10). Present-day Christians who are
3. Christians are not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). concerned about accidentally taking
4. The church is absent in Revelation 4-18. the mark or being forced to take it need
In God's providence, He has designed Bible prophecy so that the Rapture not be alarmed. They will have been
has appeared imminent to Christians of every generation. Belief in an immi- raptured into heaven before the Tribu-
nent Rapture motivates us to whole-hearted consecration, holy living, and lation takes place. But those who are
passionate evangelism. left behind must not take the mark.
The Bible clearly teaches that once the
mark is taken, it is an irreversible de-
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43230-4231, March 2000. Published monthly. Subscription $59.95 in the
cision, an unpardonable sin.
United States; $64.95 in Canada; and, by airmail, $79.95 in all other countries.
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THE TRIBULATION continued
"It appears that receiving the mark
of the Beast is an unpardonable sin-
which is why we should warn the
unsaved never to consider taking that
mark or worshiping the Antichrist."
The Tribulation will be a time of
judgment for those who have rejected
Christ as Savior; it will force men and
women to make a definitive choice be-
tween God and the Antichrist; and it
will eventually end with Christ's estab-
lishment of a thousand year reign of
peace on earth.
While this will be a period of wrath
and judgment, it will also be a time for
We
THE
THE
GLORIOUS MILLENNIUM
APPEARING AND THE
OF CHRIST LAST
At the Second Coming of
ving
Christ, Jesus will come back to judge
His enemies and to rule over the earth
for a thousand years. There are 318
New Testament references to Jesus'
return to earth. In Titus 2:13, it is called
the "glorious appearing." This Glorious mischief on the earth. The Apostle
Appearing will end Satan's Tribulation John says that an angel will descend
deception of mankind, and this will
usher in Christ's peace on earth.
In Matthew 24 Jesus compares His pit. The angel will then place a seal
glorious appearing to the way lightning over his jail cell so he will no longer
come from the east to the west.
The glorious appearing will:
Be public and obvious; there will
be no hiding it.
Occur immediately after the
Tribulation.
Be accompanied by the mourning
of sadness by the Jewish nation
(Zechariah 12:10-12). C
SB
5
God's mercy to be exhibited~since un-
told millions will have an opportunity
to accept Christ as Savior. They will
recognize that although they missed
the Rapture, God is still calling them
to repentance. The harvest during the
Tribulation could number in the billions.
Far from being a divine display of
meanness to mankind, the Tribulation
demonstrates beyond all doubt that
our holy God is a God who loves be-
yond all human reckoning. He is not
willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to Christ. C
SB
REBELLION
Before the Millennial reign
of Christ begins, Jesus must rid the
world of Satan, the author of devilish
from heaven with the key to the bottom-
less pit. He will lay hold of Satan, bind
him with a chain and cast him into the
deceive the nations.
At this point, the Millennium will
begin, and Christ will rule for a thou-
sand years. We have no doubt that this
will be a thousand-year reign because
the Bible mentions it repeatedly. Reve-
lation 20, for example, discusses it six
times.
Throughout history there have been
three competing views of the Millennium.
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Amillennialism is the belief
that there is no future Millen-
nium, but that prophecy will be
fulfilled in eternity. This belief
crept into the church after Augus-
tine introduced the practice of
spiritualizing or allegorizing the
Bible. This opened the door for
pagan doctrines to infiltrate the
church and encouraged practices
that led to the Dark Ages.
Postmillennialism teaches
that the church will evangelize
the world, making it
progressively better until it
ushers in the Kingdom of God.
This belief was popularized by
the 17th century Anglican
named Daniel Whitby. Only a
few groups still cling to this
belief, including those known as
Reconstructionists.
Premillenialists believe that
the Second Coming of Christ
will occur before the Millennium
unfolds. From the days of the
apostles until the fourth century,
this was the predominant church
view.
During the Millennial reign,
both Christians and non-Christ-
ians will live and populate the
earth. According to Isaiah 65:20,
during this time everyone will
have a long lifespan, but it appears
to us that non-Christians who
refuse to accept Christ by the
time they are 100 years old will
die. The world will have an enor-
mous population by the end of
the Millennium.
As astonishing as it may seem,
at the end of Christ's thousand
year reign, unredeemed people
will rebel against His Lordship
and try to attack Jerusalem.
Revelation 20:7-9 says that at
this time, Satan will be released
from prison and go out to deceive
the nations of the world. When
Satan is free, the unsaved will
reveal the wickedness in their
hearts and will join forces with
Satan against God.
continued on page 6

THE MILLENNIUM continued from page 5
"All it takes for the wicked hearts
of the unredeemed to be exposed
is the release of the deceiver from
his thousand year imprisonment.
To that point millions of men and
women probably will have con-
cealed their true spiritual alle-
giance from public view. But when
the devil is released, the desperate
wickedness of their hearts sudden-
ly becomes obvious."
Revelation 20 says this army will
be like the sand of the sea as they
attempt to surround Jerusalem for
the attack. However, there will be
no real battle. God will rain fire from
heaven to devour the entire army.
In a ball of celestial flame, the re-
bellion will be ended. Once and for
all, human wickedness will be wiped
out of existence.
At the end of this time, God
will seize Satan and throw him into
the lake of fire, where the beast and
false prophet will be tortured for
eternity. C
SB
THE GREAT
WHITE THRONE
JUDGMENT SATAN, THE
ANTICHRIST,
Revelation 20:11-15
describes the White Throne Judg-
ment that will take place after Satan
THE BEAST,
is defeated. At this judgment, God
opens two books. According to the
Apostle John, one book contains
things written about the lives of
AND FALSE
everyone on earth. Each person will
be judged according to what is writ-
ten in this book. The other is the
PROPHET
Book of Life. If a person's name is
not found in that book, he will be
cast into the lake of fire.
After the judgment takes place,
one final event will occur: Death
and Hades will be cast into the lake
of fire. This is called the second
death. This will fulfill the prophecy
6
of Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians
15:26, "The last enemy that will
be destroyed is death."
Who can ponder the White
Throne Judgment for long without
being terrified? Those thrown into
the lake of fire will face torment and
separation from God forever.
Why does God describe these
events? Due to His love and mercy,
He will offer every person a chance
to repent, to escape this ultimate
judgment. No Christian will have
to stand before God at the White
Throne Judgment. This place will
be reserved for those who reject
Christ as Savior.
Christians will enter into eternal
happiness and contentment with
Jesus in heaven. Revelation 21 and
22 describe what believers can ex-
pect in heaven. This passage tells us
that heaven is a place where there
will be no more tears, no diseases,
no sin, and no night. Believers will
enjoy never-ending fellowship with
God.
With all of this ahead of us, it
is difficult to comprehend why any-
one would deliberately choose to
miss it. Yet many will. C
SB
Satan is the original
sinner. He is an immensely powerful,
malevolent spirit who lives to de-
ceive and murder mankind. He will
do whatever it takes to usurp the
worship and glory due to God alone.
Although he was created as "the
anointed cherub who covers," (Ezekiel
28:14), he lusted after glory and
wanted to take the place of God in
heaven. Much of the horror of the
Tribulation is the result of the devil's
desire to supplant God and to be wor-
shiped as God. Satan, of course, is
behind the pagan religions of the
world.
Jesus calls Satan a "liar and the
father of lies" and describes him as
a murderer. In addition, the Bible
tells us that he holds the power of
death and roams the world seeking
whom he may devour. The enemy
is called the "great red dragon," the
"old serpent," "devil," and "Satan,"
which means adversary~the enemy
of God's people, in Revelation 12.
Satan is also called the "prince of
the power of the air," an "angel of
light," and "the ruler of this world."
While he is an immensely power-
ful being, Satan is not God's equal.
He is a created being like all others~
and is below God in power and might.
Satan created an angelic uprising in
heaven and brought a third of the
angels with him when he was thrown
out of heaven. These fallen angels
or demons serve Satan today, and
they will serve a strategic role in the
Tribulation judgments. Not only
will there be a battle on earth, but
God's angels and Satan's demons
will wage war in heaven as well.
During the Tribulation, Satan
will indwell the Antichrist. Through
the "Beast," Satan will receive the
worship after which he has always
lusted. Satan will try to complete
what he started through Hitler's
holocaust. He will try to decimate
the Jewish people, but he will be
supernaturally prevented from doing
so. God's people will protect Israel,
then Satan will go off to make war
against Christians (Revelation 12:14-
17).
"The Antichrist is scheduled to be
the last ruler of this world~just
before Jesus comes. While the un-
redeemed people of the world will
fall down to worship him during
the second half of the Tribulation,
by the end of the Tribulation only
one name will be worshiped: Jesus
Christ, the King of kings and Lord

THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET continued from page 6
The Antichrist is described in 2
Thessalonians 2:3 as a "man of per-
dition," a man doomed to destruction.
In Daniel 11, we are given a view
into the future and a description of
the Antichrist. According to Daniel's
prophetic vision, the Antichrist will:
Magnify himself above every
god;
Blaspheme God;
Place his confidence in
military strength;
Brutalize those he conquers;
Control the world's finances.
The Antichrist will deceive many~
relying on supernatural signs and
wonders (2 Thessalonians 2). He
will will also sit in the Temple and
declare himself to be God.
The Apostle John makes it clear
in Revelation that the term "Beast"
is another name for the Antichrist.
The Beast will receive a fatal wound,
but he will supernaturally rise from
the dead. As a result of this resurrec-
tion, many will marvel at him and
trust him as the leader of the world.
Revelation also describes a man
called the False Prophet who will
serve as the Antichrist's associate in
preparing the world to accept the
Antichrist's rule. The False Prophet,
says John in Revelation 13:11-14,
will enjoy incredible power. He will
be able to make fire come down from
heaven. His miracles will convince
people to worship the Beast.
Revelation describes a time~
probably in the middle of the Tribu-
lation~when the False Prophet will
build a great image of the Antichrist
and people from all over the world
will be forced to worship it. The
image will be given the power to
breathe and speak.
For centuries, this prophecy has
puzzled Bible scholars. But now, for
the first time in history, the prospect
of a lifelike robot communicating
with people groups all over the world
is not so far-fetched. Modern techno-
logy can now supply robotics, voice-
activation, and satellite communi-
cations that make this prophecy
more fathomable than ever. C
SB
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7
TWO WITNESSES, 144,000
WITNESSES, MARTYRS,
AND THE UNREDEEMED
Two of the most colorful characters in the
Bible are the supernatural prophets described in Revelation 11:3-4. God
calls them his "two witnesses." He will give them power to prophesy for
1,260 days. Dressed in sackcloth, these two witnesses will duplicate the
very miracles that Moses and Elijah performed. They will call down fire
from heaven and keep it from raining. They will also have power to turn
water into blood and to strike the earth with plagues. These two, plus the
144,000 witnesses, will provide the Jewish people with an understanding
of the gospel.
While God empowers them to preach during the Tribulation, they will
become the mortal enemies of the Antichrist. For reasons known only to
God, He will allow the Antichrist to overcome and kill these two men.
Once they are killed, the people will be forbidden to bury them. They
will lie in the street for three and a half days, and their corpses will be
viewed by millions around the world.
Until recently, aside from supernatural means, it would have been high-
ly unlikely for this prophecy to be fulfilled. But today's cable, satellite,
and internet services could enable millions of people throughout the
world to see the dead bodies of these prophets on their television and
computer screens almost instantly.
The two prophets, however, will not remain dead. According to Reve-
lation 11:11-13, God will bring them back to life. After they are brought
to life, great fear will fall upon the people, and God will call them into
heaven. At that same hour, there will be a great earthquake in Jerusalem,
and 7,000 men will be killed. Frightened, the rest will give glory to God.
Far from being an example of God's cruelty to men, these events will
be examples of God's great mercy to mankind. He intends these judgments
and trials to cause people of the world to repent and turn to Him. He takes
no pleasure in the death of the wicked; He desires that all turn from their
sins to worship Him.
Before the world is plunged into plagues and disasters by one of the
final judgments of God during the Tribulation, He will raise up an army
of 144,000 Jewish Christian evangelists who will spread throughout the
world to preach the Gospel. Every one of these servants of God will have
a "seal" on his forehead. While no one knows what the seal actually will
be, it is likely to be a visible sign.
Their preaching will be so powerful that it will result in the conversion
of a "great multitude" which no one will be able to number.
The Bible does not tell us much about what will happen to those who
accept Christ during the Tribulation, but what it does say is both chilling
and thrilling. The books of Daniel and Revelation describe how Satan will
wage war upon Christians during this time.
John tells us in Revelation 3:7 that "It was granted to him [the Anti-
christ] to make war with the saints." In other words, the Antichrist will
do nothing without God's permission. God will have ultimate control
of every event.
continued on page 8
TWO WITNESSES continued from page 7
8
Christ’s Return is
The Bible tells us that those who Nearer Than Ever
die in Christ during the Tribulation
I II II II II II II
will be blessed by God. In fact, God Although no one can know the
III
day or hour that Christ will return,
will avenge their deaths. As the slain
martyrs cry out in heaven, "How long, we believe the people of this genera-
O Lord, holy and true, until You tion have more reason than ever to
think Christ will come in their life-
judge and avenge our blood on those
who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation time. When a person examines the
6:10). God's response is that they "signs of the times," it is evident that
must wait a while longer, but He does His return is near.
promise to avenge their deaths. "I have been studying prophecy for
many years [over fifty], and while
On the other hand, those who re- I do not believe it is possible to set
ject Christ during this time will face dates for the Lord's return, I do
unparalleled suffering. Any rational sense in the world today an un-
person would think that during the precedented time of world crises
Tribulation, every sane person will that can be interpreted as being
humble himself and call upon God preparatory for the coming of the
for mercy. But a careful analysis indi- Lord. If there ever was a time when
cates that only one-fourth of the Christians should live every day
world's population will turn to Christ as though Christ could come at
during this period. The rest will re- any time, it is today."
fuse to repent. They will continue to ~Dr. John Walvoord
pit their wills against God~and receive The story is told of a little girl
a righteous judgment as a result. who had trouble sleeping one night.
Her bedroom was upstairs and her
During the Tribulation, the world parents were downstairs. After she
will be plagued by sinfulness as never asked for a glass of water and then
before. Jesus warned us in Luke a cookie, her parents threatened to
17:26-30 that just before His return,
punish her if she didn't go to sleep.
the world will resemble the way it
was in the days of Noah and Lot. As she lay in bed, she heard the
grandfather clock begin to strike. It
These were days so corrupt that God
destroyed the world by flood in Noah's struck 11, then 12, 13, and 14. And
day. During Lot's day, He destroyed the malfunctioning clock kept ring-
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ing. When it reached 18, she jumped
as a result of their sins. Both societies out of bed, ran downstairs and told
were known for their sexual perver- her mom and dad, "Mom, Dad, it's
sions and love of pleasure. later than it's ever been!"
Indeed it is later than it has ever
There is little doubt that we are been. In light of this fact, we need to
living in an age of scoffers. Never have live each day as though Christ will
they grown so bold and blatant. Not come at any moment. No generation
content to pursue their own lusts, they
of Christians has ever had more
work tirelessly to pull others into their reason than ours to believe He is
Sodom-and-Gomorrah lifestyles. returning soon! C
SB
Coming Next Month:
THE TEN WORDS THAT CAN CHANGE A NATION
by Rob Schenck
(Albury Press)
THE MURDER OF JESUS
by John MacArthur
(Word)
TIME FOR TRUTH
by Os Guinness
(Baker)
XII
stian
Chriook
XII
XII
III
X
II
II
XIXI
B
II
IIIIIIII II II II II II II II I I I I
ummaries
S
Volume 1, Number 12
Publishers
David A. Martin
John S. Martin, III
Editor
Michael J. Chiapperino
Christian Book Summaries is published
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The authors: Dr. Tim LaHaye is president
and founder of Family Life Seminars. A for-
mer pastor and a lifelong student of prophecy,
LaHaye is well-known for his best-selling
Spirit Controlled Temperament. He and his
wife, Beverly, live in Southern California.
Jerry B. Jenkins, writer-at-large for the Moody
Bible Institute, is the author of more than
100 books, including many well-known
sports biographies. Four of his books have
been national best-sellers. He and his wife,
Dianna, live in Colorado Springs.
Are We Living in the End Times? By Tim
LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, copyright C
1999 by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
Summarized by permission of the publisher,
Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL.
372 pages. $19.99. ISBN 0-8423-0098-8.
This book is available at most bookstores,
at any online bookseller (such as Amazon.
com or Parable.com) or by calling Tyndale
House Publishers direct at 1-800-323-9400.