Prophecies That Must Be Fulfilled Before Jesus Christ’s Return
Sign 1: The Restoration of Israel to her land
Ezekiel 36:24 (NIV)
24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.
Ezekiel 37:11-13
…Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
Amos 9:13-15 (NIV)
13 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.
14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.
What it looks like
The Jews were banished from the Holy Land following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. Almost 2000 years later, following Hitler’s Holocaust, God brought the Jewish people back into the land and Israel was re-established as a nation on May 14, 1948. This remarkable prophecy is a sure sign God has begun dealing with the nation Israel again, just as God promised.
We Gentiles have been allowed to share in her new covenant spiritual blessings for almost 2000 years. The time has come for the Church to return the favor. As Christians, we should remain in strong support for the “Apple of God’s Eye.”
Current Status
FULFILLED
Sign 2: The occupation of the city of Jerusalem by the nation Israel.
Zechariah 8:7-8 (NIV)
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”
Zechariah 1:14-16 (NIV)
14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.’ 16 “Therefore, this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the LORD Almighty.
What it looks like
The world witnessed Israel taking full control of the city of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. Since then, the division of Jerusalem and the ownership of the Temple Mount have been the source of countless U.N. resolutions, diplomatic crisis, and calls for war. Still, the “Peace Process” has been unattainable. Jerusalem has become a burden to the world.
From God’s point of view, Jerusalem is the center of the world. He said through the prophet Ezekiel, “This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands around her” Ezekiel 5:5.
In 2009 I visited the land of Israel and the holy city Jerusalem. I gazed upon the beautiful Temple Mount while standing atop the Mount of Olives, the sight of Jesus Second Coming. Jerusalem is the focal point of all history, beginning, middle and the end. It is here where the Messiah will rebuild His Temple and reign over the entire world. As we enter 2011 the world is anticipating a Palestinian state in the land of Israel and East Jerusalem to serve as the capital of the future Palestinian state. And, exactly as prophesied in Zechariah, the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem is being divided before our very eyes.
Current Status
FULFILLED
Sign 3: Dramatic Increase in Travel and Knowledge. Global Satellite Communications
Revelation 11:9-10 (NIV)
9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them…
Daniel 12:4
But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.
What it looks like
In the last decade there has been an explosive increase in travel and knowledge, especially with the advent of the Jet Age and the Internet. The world has become a global community and economy.
The Book of Revelation tells us the inhabitants of the earth will be able to simultaneously view the dead bodies of the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem. As recently as 100 years ago, these verses were difficult to comprehend. In fact, this was impossible until global satellite technology was invented in this generation.
There are literally thousands of satellites in space making our world a global community. We witness news around the world as it happens. Our generation is the first to be able to literally watch and see all the events of the Book of Revelation come to pass.
Current Status
FULFILLED
Prophecy Sign 4: The Revival of the “End Times” Empire
Daniel 2:40-44 (NIV)
[40] Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron–for iron breaks and smashes everything–and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.
[41] Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.
[42] As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
[43] And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
[44] “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 7:23-24 (NIV)
[23] “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.
[24] The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.
Revelation 12:3 (NIV)
[3] Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
What it looks like
The seven kings/major empires (Rev 12:3 Seven Heads) would appear to be Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persian, Greece, Ancient Rome (“Phase I”), Islamic Caliphate and the final re-emergent revival of the Roman Empire (“Phase II”) or the Islamic Caliphate?
In both Daniel 2 and 7, we see four major kingdoms: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome-with the fourth one fragmenting, but then ultimately re-emerging in the “last days.”
There are a number of Biblical texts that strongly suggest that the coming world leader, commonly called the Antichrist, will emerge from the region of the eastern leg of the Roman Empire.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 5: The Rise of the Antichrist
Revelation 13:18 (NIV)
18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
Daniel 11:36-39 (NIV)
36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.
Daniel 8:23-25 (NIV)
23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
What it looks like
I have seen nothing on this front yet. I keep watching and wondering. Who is he? Where is he? And when he appears, I anticipate things to happen shockingly fast as he rises to great power in a very short time. It’s possible that Gog of Ezekiel 38 fame is another name for the Antichrist which means he would first come down from southern Russia possibly into the Iraq, Iran, Syria arena, all beds of instability.
The Antichrist and his kingdom will be associated with the #666. On June 5, 2000 the WEU adopted its Assembly Recommendation 666 which created the office “High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy” giving this one person special emergency (military) powers. Not sure if that relates.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 6: Temple Rebuilt and Sacrifices Start
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NIV)
[3] Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. [4] He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Daniel 9:27 (NIV)
[27] He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him”.
What it looks like
The rebuilding of a third temple in Jerusalem will occur on the Temple Mount area. A Problem: Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount. The Sanhedrin’s peace initiative was launched on May 1, 2007. Jewish group devoted to rebuilding Temple in Jerusalem sent letters to all world leaders, including Arab ones, inviting them to take part in project, attend conference on Temple Mount in Israel. In the letter, the rabbis warn that the world is nearing a catastrophe, and write that the only way to bring peace among nations, states, and religions is by building a house for God, where Jews will worship, pray and offer up sacrifice, according to the vision of the prophets.
I believe the Jews will soon be allowed to rebuild a third temple on the Temple Mount. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has spent approximately $27,000,000 on preparations for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. Most all the temple articles are completed, and the sacrificial altar is currently being built. The Jewish Sanhedrin, which was re-established in 2004 after a hiatus of 1,600 years, along with a prominent Muslim author, Adnan Oktar, are calling for the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple as the way to world peace and religious harmony.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 7: A seven year covenant signed with Israel
Daniel 9:27 (NIV)
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
What it looks like
Anyone who takes Bible prophecy literally understands that a time of tribulation awaits the inhabitants of this earth. Our Lord spoke of it in Matthew 24:21, “There will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now.” This time of tribulation is to be seven years (Daniel’s 70th week) and is based on his prophetic vision in Daniel 9:24-27. This passage explains that the coming antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel and the many for one ‘seven’ year period and in the middle of the ‘seven’ he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. For this reason, most prophecy teachers also are looking for the future Antichrist to begin Daniel’s 70th week by signing a covenant with Israel and the many nations for seven years.
Every day we hear something about Middle East Peace talks, or lack thereof. Regardless, at some point they will be completed and this will be the first sign that we will see indicating the end times have begun. Daniel 9:27 tells us it will be a seven year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. It may include the permission to rebuild the third temple in Israel. Here’s the problem; the 7 year covenant may not be as conspicuous as we might like. In other words, it may not be revealed to the world, until well after the fact. To say it another way, the covenant could have already been signed, but we have not yet been informed.
The sequence of events in Daniel 9:24-27, then, provides a step-by-step outline of God’s prophetic timetable. The seventieth week – the seven years remaining – will transpire in the end times. But before this last “week” could take place, Israel needed to regain control of her Promised Land (which she did in 1948) and then the entire city of Jerusalem (which she did in 1967). When will the seventieth week begin? In His Olivet Discourse, Christ tells His disciples that “when you see all these things (things associated with the seventieth week), recognize that He (Christ) is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass until all these things take place. (Matthew 24:33,34). ‘These things’ referred to by Christ are the events that will occur during the seventieth week, not before, and they must take place before we can look for the return of Christ. Therefore, the seventieth week has tremendous significance to all who are ‘looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus’ (Titus 2:13).
The covenant between Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:27). The terms of this covenant are not listed, but it is clear it will be a non-aggression pact, perhaps even a military alliance that will enable the Antichrist to gain power over the 10 kingdoms during the first 3 1/2 years of the 70th week (Dan. 7:23-24; 8:23-25; Rev. 17:8-17). It will include the protection of Israel in their national establishment and restoration and assure them at least temporary peace (Dan. 8:25; 9:27; 11:36-45). The length of the covenant is to be 7 years (Dan. 9:27).
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 8: The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 13:16-17 (NIV)
16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Revelation 14:11-12 (NIV)
11 There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
What it looks like
People will be required to take the identifying symbol 666 on the forehead or on the right hand. It is a mark of allegiance – one of the most specific identifying characteristics of end-times. Without such mark, no person allowed to buy or sell. Do NOT take this mark. Those who accept the mark will forfeit any further opportunity for salvation.
The Mark of the Beast is the identifying symbol (666) that the Antichrist and his False Prophet will demand of every person on earth at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. Today, RFID is all around us and is commonly being used to ID animals, and now, people. Many are speculating that RFID is the technology to fulfill the prophecies concerning the Mark of the Beast. It may be, but the truth is, we don’t know for certain. (I am not so sure. I wonder if it might be something much simpler, like a tattoo indicating loyalty to the Antichrist.)
The actual Mark of the Beast won’t come to pass until the Antichrist has come to power. The Mark of the Beast serves two purposes: First, it will separate the followers of Antichrist from those who reject his blasphemy. Those who believe in Jesus, will see through Antichrist’s deception and will refuse to take this mark of allegiance to the Beast. Those without the Mark will be easily identified as enemies of Antichrist’s Empire. Second, the Mark of the Beast will be an additional tool in Antichrist’s arsenal of persecution. Individuals who do not take the Mark of the Beast will be unable to buy and sell. As a practical matter, this will perform a great hardship on believers, as they will have great difficulty buying food and other necessities.
At the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week, an angel will announce a warning to the entire world concerning the Mark of the Beast and the reign of Antichrist. The angel will explain that anyone who receives the mark will be eternally damned, and will forfeit any further opportunity for salvation. The angel tells the faithful to persevere, keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 16 reveals that God will visit physical plagues on those who have received the Mark of the Beast.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 9: Antichrist receives a Deadly Head Wound
Revelation 13:3 (NIV)
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
What it looks like
A fatal head wound will permanently damage his arm and right eye. According to Zechariah 11:16, the Antichrist’s arm will be completely withered and his right eye totally blinded.
This story will broadcast around the world. It will be beyond belief. It will challenge your faith. And if you are not prepared, it will cause you to doubt everything the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ. The Antichrist will receive a very literal deathblow to his head and then he will be miraculously brought back to life.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 10: The Antichrist is revealed.
Matthew 24:15 (NIV)
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand-
2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV)
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
What it looks like
Antichrist proclaims himself God in the rebuilt Temple. Sets up an image of himself and demands global worship.
This is the most significant and specific sign we will see. Exactly half way into Daniel’s 70th week, at the 3 ½ year mark, the Antichrist will walk into the rebuilt temple, in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount and proclaim himself God. This is the pivotal event the Bible warns us about. From this point on, Satan will reign through the Antichrist for another 3 ½ years. It will be the most horrible period of history that has ever occurred.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Prophecy Sign 11: The Beginning of the Birth Pains
Matthew 24:8 (ESV)
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
What it looks like
At the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week we will observe a sharp increase in false teachers, wars, rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes. These sufferings represent the 4 horsemen of the Book of Revelation. These birth pangs will be mild in comparison to the Great Tribulation (hard labor) and the Day of the Lord which will result in Israel’s spiritual salvation (birth).
I would consider that the birth pangs have begun in light of recent disasters (Tsunamis, earthquakes, wars in Middle east etc.). The first four horsemen/seals are progressive judgments. They commence and then will grow in intensity all the way up to the point that the beginning of the 1,260 day great tribulation.
Current Status
POSSIBLY BEING FULFILLED
Sign 12 The Preaching of the Gospel to all Nations
Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
What it looks like
The Gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached to all nations before the Second Coming.
I suspect this prophecy has been fulfilled in our generation, but it could be referring to the supernatural presentation of the gospel by angels in the Book of Revelation.
Current Status
BEEN FULFILLED
Sign 13: The Rise of the False Prophet
Revelation 13:11-14 (ESV)
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.
12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.
13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,
14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
What it looks like
During Daniel’s 70th Week, a second beast arises, known as the False Prophet. The False Prophet will be cloaked in religion and will be given supernatural powers, which he will use in the service of Antichrist. The False Prophet will perform great miracles in the name of Antichrist, and will use his demonic powers to deceive men into worshiping Antichrist as God. The False Prophet is also Antichrist’s henchman – he will be responsible for the creation of the Speaking Image of the Beast, and will oversee the use of the Mark of the Beast – “666” – as a tool to separate Antichrist’s followers from those loyal to Christ.
At this time I have no idea who the False Prophet might be. I do know the Scriptures talk about the lie that will envelope the earth and lead many astray. God will allow this massive delusion to occur and it will involve the deceptions of the False Prophet.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 14: Gog of Magog attacks Israel
Ezekiel 38:1-2 (ESV)
1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him
Ezekiel 38:8-9 (ESV)
8 After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them.
9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.
What it looks like
Gog (the Antichrist) from the land of Magog will lead an attack upon Israel
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 15: Mystery Babylon Revealed and Destroyed
Revelation 17:1 (NIV)
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
Revelation 17:5 (NIV)
5 This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Revelation 17:18 (NIV)
18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
What it looks like
Revelation 17 and 18 include some of the most profound, and difficult, prophecies in the Bible. In these chapters we are given some astounding information regarding Antichrist and another symbolic woman, a very powerful end-times city called “Mystery Babylon the Great.”
Two full chapters in Revelation are devoted to the identity and the destruction of Mystery Babylon. It seems to be a combination of a religious/political system. The Antichrist will ride her to power, establish himself as world ruler, and literally destroy her in a single day. Prophecy students have lots of thoughts on this prophecy, but it remains the most mysterious to me. For many years I was not sure who Mystery Babylon is. Is this a powerful nation that will join forces with the Antichrist? Does it look more like the radical Muslim threat against Israel and the West? Could it be a reference to modern day Iraq, where the original Babylon existed? I have come to believe that Mystery Babylon is “End Times” Jerusalem, who will commit spiritual adultery when she joins forces with the Antichrist and exports the worship of the Beast to the entire world. The position is not without some difficulties, but overall I think it is the correct interpretation.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 16: Martyrdom of the Church and the Jews
Revelation 12:17 (NIV)
17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
What it looks like
Throughout history, Satan, the Red Dragon, has abused mankind, and specifically the Woman, the nation Israel, in an attempt to kill the Messiah. During the End Times, this persecution will intensify, and Satan will become laser-focused in his final persecution of the Woman and her final offspring, the Church. These verses clearly teach the Church will endure the Great Tribulation. Why does God allow this attack upon His Bride? As He has throughout the history of the Church, God allows persecution and suffering in our lives in order to purify believers and make the Church stronger.
The Church and Israel will have a difficult time during the reign of terror of the Antichrist and the False Prophet. All out spiritual war commences when Satan will be cast out of heaven to this earth. We will be called to remain patient during this 3 ½ year period, which is a relatively short time. We are called to be faithful, keep his commandments and some will have the high privilege of being martyrs as they hold to their testimony of Jesus during the Great Tribulation.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 17: The Coming of Elijah (One of Two Witnesses)
Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV)
5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Revelation 11:3-5 (NIV)
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
What it looks like
We have a good idea of the identity of the Two Witnesses. We know for certain that one of the Two Witnesses is the prophet Elijah. In the final Chapter of the final Book of the Bible, the prophet Malachi offers an account of the Day of the Lord. Malachi is the last book of prophecy in the Old Testament, and the following verses describing the Day of the Lord are the last verses of the Old Testament. In these verses, God gives his last words to the nation Israel; He promises that the Prophet Elijah will come and minister to Israel prior to the Day of the Lord. Note that the Two Witnesses have a special relationship with the nation Israel; they are both Old Testament figures and during the End Times they will minister to the Jewish people, represented by the 144,000 Jews. Practicing Jews today continue to teach that Elijah will appear to announce the coming of the Messiah. In fact, Jewish tradition demands that a plate be set for Elijah at the feast of Passover.
The prophet Elijah will re-appear before the second coming of Christ. He is one of the Two Witnesses, future prophets who will perform great miracles in Israel for 3 ½ years. They will directly oppose the Antichrist as he rules the world from his headquarters in Jerusalem.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 18: Cosmic Signs and Disturbances in the Sky
Revelation 6:12-14 (NIV)
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Matthew 24:29 (NIV)
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
What it looks like
The sixth seal is the cosmic sign marking the end of the Great Tribulation and announcing Jesus’ Second Coming. This prophetic sign will be visible to the entire world and will proclaim that the end of the world is imminent. This sign of the end of the age is specifically a sign of hope for Jesus’ disciples, to let them know that the Rapture is at hand. The sixth seal consists of at least six unparalleled cosmic disturbances, indicating that the final period of Daniel’s 70th week – the Day of the Lord (God’s Wrath) – is about to begin. These cosmic disturbances are as follows: (1) Great Earthquake; (2) Solar Eclipse; (3) Red Moon; (4) Stars Fall from the Sky; (5) Sky Splits Apart; and (6) Mountains and Islands are destroyed.
Alarming cosmic disturbances will appear in the sun, moon and stars announcing the return of Jesus Christ. These wonders in the heavens will polarize the inhabitants of the earth, either causing fear to grip one’s heart, or “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 19: The 144,000 Sealed
Revelation 7:4 (NIV)
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
What it looks like
During the End Times, many Jews will become willing followers of Antichrist at the inception of the seven-year agreement, which is ostensibly designed to protect Israel. They will view him as a defender of Israel, and perhaps even the Messiah prophesized in the Old Testament. However, there will be a remnant group of Jews from Israel – 144,000 to be exact – that will see through the deception of Antichrist. As Daniel’s 70th week progresses, these Jews will refuse to worship Antichrist or accept his mark. Remember that, although the 144,000 reject Antichrist, they will not become believers during this time period – otherwise, they would become a part of the Church and be raptured up to heaven prior to the Day of the Lord. Think of the many Jews who recognized and rejected the evil of Hitler, but did not necessarily believe in Jesus. The group of 144,000 will realize that they are in imminent danger from Antichrist, and will begin to flee Jerusalem after the Abomination of Desolation occurs – when Antichrist proclaims himself God in the Jewish temple, ushering in the Great Tribulation. The 144,000 will flee into the wilderness, to an undisclosed location – some believe the rock city of Petra. See Rev 12:13,14 and Isa 16:1-4). They will be supernaturally sealed by God’s angels prior to the Day of the Lord, protecting the 144,000 from God’s Wrath and the seven trumpet judgments of the Day of the Lord.
During the Great Tribulation 144,000 Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel, descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, will trust in Jesus. They will reject the Antichrist and not take his mark. These will be the first fruits of the beloved nation Israel who will accept Jesus as Messiah, and there will be many more to follow.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED
Sign 20: The Rapture of the Church
Matthew 24:30-31 (NIV)
30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
What it looks like
The Bible describes this moment as a gathering of a Great Multitude of saints from all tribes, tongues, and nations that “come out of the Great Tribulation.” This Great Multitude is comprised of all believers who will arrive in heaven as a group, marking the end of the Great Tribulation. With a great trumpet call, God will send His angels to gather His elect, whether they are living or dead.
Matthew 24:29-31, as well as in other places within the New Testament, Jesus revealed about 2000 years ago that he will return in the future to judge the living and the dead. This is a core Christian belief that is reflected in the Apostles’ Creed, which is a summary of Christian beliefs that was written many centuries ago. The Apostles’ Creed is recited by Christians during Christian worship services.
I hope I am wrong, but based upon my studies of the Scriptures for over 35 years, I do not believe the Church will be spared the suffering of the Great Tribulation. In fact, I believe it is our destiny. During the Great Tribulation, the Church will remain God’s faithful witness to Jesus Christ and the saving power of His blood. We will persevere as the power of our testimony is demonstrated through our filling and total dependence upon the Holy Spirit. The Rapture of the Church will be one of the last signs indicating Jesus’ return and kingdom are about to take hold.
Current Status
NOT FULFILLED