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There is an old rule of thumb among preachers and educators concerning sermons, lectures, and educational manuscripts. "Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, then tell 'em whatcha told 'em." To follow that rule has been our intent throughout the study and now it's time to "...tell 'em whatcha told 'em."

As we looked at the apocalyptic discourse in Matthew 24 and 25, given by Jesus on the Mount of Olives just two days before His crucifixion, we took note of how it was written primarily with the Jew in mind. And when we could, we illustrated how the events under discussion would affect the Christian Church and the Gentile population.

We presented the final three peaks of prophecy, explaining how they weaved into the discourse and showing how they covered the remaining time on the Clock of the Ages from the day of Israel's Visitation forward.

We concentrated on the signs that Jesus left for His Church and the chronological order He set down for those events. When necessary, we drew from other prophetic passages in the Scriptures so that we might have a good foundation on which to develop our studies.

Throughout our study we made reference to the somewhat controversial seven-day doctrine, wherein God will finish up His work on the earth in 7,000 years or seven days His time. (Although the doctrine is not new in the Church, many may shy away from its teachings because of the proximity of its fulfillment. Also, the doctrine has received unfair criticism because of its abuse by those who would use it to try to name a date/year for the Lord's return.  Throughout the book we tried to show how the doctrine--like all prophetic concepts--is too ambiguous to be used to pinpoint the Lord's return.) In spite of the controversy surrounding the doctrine, we used it because:

1. its concepts fit hand in glove with the numerology of the Bible;

2. its neat conciseness reflects the orderly pattern of God's thought processes as revealed by the Scriptures and by His creation;

3. it follows and completes a pattern already established wherein God's longsuffering with the sins of man endures for two days, His time, before divine judgment is poured out on mankind; and,

4. as the seventh day of the earth's existence draws near, the end-time signs associated with the Second Coming of Christ are already taking place in our midst.

We talked about the war in heaven wherein Satan and his angels will be cast to the earth in a rage (knowing that their time is short) and the subsequent increase in the activity of false Christs and prophets predicted for the latter days.

Throughout the book we’ve tried to keep to the front the fact that even though Israel has chosen God's wrath instead of His mercy, and His judgment instead of His blessing, the Christ still loves her with the love of the cross. (Today, there are Jews who have responded to that love, and we're told that those who have done so like to be called "completed Jews.") We’ve tried to emphasize that the love which took Jesus to the cross is the same love that brought forth the lamentation: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Mt. 23:37).

We've strived to show how that in response to Israel's rejection, Jesus has had to draw back and leave her to her devices; but even in rejection, He has acted in love and left her an end-time word concerning things to come. To reflect on this word, let's take one more look at the chronological order of Israel's prophetic paraphernalia as per our study.

First, as the fig tree, she must bud (become a nation); she must be in Jerusalem; and she must be embracing the Law of Moses. (If Israel's becoming a nation is the budding of the fig tree, then all the things that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 must come to pass before this generation passes away. The time of this particular prophecy could therefore be construed as covering the rest of the time allotted for the planet from the time of this generation forward. This is because during the Kingdom Age, longevity will be restored [as it was before the flood]: and those Jews involved in the installation of the Kingdom Age, for the most part, will live for the duration of the l,000 years of peace [Is. 65:20].)

We considered how that the eagles must be gathered around the carcass, and pointed out how that many of them had already established a presence in the Mideast.

We contemplated how that if this is the end-time generation of Israelites, they must have dealings with a person who will speak dark sentences, who will subdue three other political powers, who will speak great words against the most High, who will wear out the saints of the most High, and who will think to change times and laws. (Daniel and Christ identified this man as the beast and set him forth as a puppet world power that will dangle at the end of Satan's strings. This beast will place the abomination which maketh desolate, the incident which will trigger the final key events for Israel at the tail-end of their wintering period (at the end of the tribulation period). We also considered how that there will be a similar beast at the end of the Kingdom Age who will behave much like his predecessor.

We mentioned how that after the placing of the abomination, Israel and the rest of the world shall go through a time of great tribulation (this will be at the tail end of the tribulation period). It will be a fearful time like no other—past, present, or future. In fact, the ferociousness of Satan and the cruelty of man will be so great at this time that God must personally intervene or no flesh will be saved. We also noted that:

• This tribulation will bring about Israel’s flight into the wilderness.

• Immediately following the tribulation of those days, Israel will see her sign in the heavens. Too late she will have sought for oil for her lamps, and she will be left on the earth when the Gentile Church is taken up for the marriage of the Lamb.

• Israel will then go through the first half of Daniel's 70th Week which for her will be a troublous period in the wilderness (some 3 to 3 1/2 years) under the two wings of a great eagle (Rev. 12:13-16). During this time Satan will persecute Israel; but God will always intervene—even opening up the earth (?its ground or its people?) to swallow a flood (?water or sin and violence?) that will come from the mouth of the dragon, Satan.

We also observed that during the tribulation period and the subsequent first half of Daniel’s seventieth week, God will have been weeding out that "which offends" in Israel and in the Gentile population—especially those who have chosen the mark of the beast. This is so He'll have the seed He wants when He begins replenishing the earth.

We spoke of how that near the end of this time, times and half a time, or 3 1/2 year period (the first 1/2 of Daniel's 70th Week), Christ will return again; but this time in power with His glorified saints and His holy angels to set up the kingdom promised to Abraham and his seed. We also noted how Israel will finally get to possess all the Promised Land. (This will be the second event of our Lord’s Second Coming.)

We discussed how that at the end of this first 3 ½ year period of Daniel's 70th Week, King Jesus will gather all nations before Him for the judgment of the nations that have survived the world’s holocaust. (We saw how that they will be judged by what they’ve done with Israel during the past 3 ½ years.) We also mentioned how that this passage foreshadows the events of the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week at the end of the Kingdom Age, though with some differences.

The similarities of the two times of judgment will be many. First, they will both be times of judgment. They will both follow a 3 ½ year division of Daniel’s seventieth week determined upon Israel. They will both include judgment upon those nations that have been deceived and taken in by the beast. These times of the judgment of the nations will both follow global wars against the Son of God spearheaded by a man of sin who will have been given his power by Satan. [Of course, Satan will have received his power in the providence of God.] Both times will include a judgment upon Satan and his followers.

Some of the differences of the two judgments will be as follows.

THE TIMING OF THE EVENTS

The first judgment will be of those nations that came through the great tribulation and the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week from which the Lord will choose His seed for the Millennium. The second judgment will be of those who have come through the second half of Daniel’s seventieth week plus the lost of all the ages.

THE PLANS FOR SATAN

The first judgment will decree that Satan and his beast be bound and cast into hell for the thousand years of the Kingdom Age to be released at its end for a brief period. The second will find Satan, his angels, and all that have followed him being sentenced and cast into the Lake of Fire to burn forever and ever (Rev. 20:7-15).

THE ACTUAL JUDGMENTS

The first will be of the nations, their individual judgments being deferred. The second will be of the individuals of the nations, and it will be the final judgment. Like the first, it will judge both the good and bad—the good of the Millennium and the final 3 1/2 years, but the bad of all times.

Church, as we put our hearts and minds to the study of prophecy, it will help us not to be overly concerned about those things that we can’t exactly put our fingers on. There is a reason for the ten horns and the ten toes rather than ten identified nations. There is a reason for the vague "abomination of desolation" rather than an exact desecration at an exact time. There is a reason for the ambiguity of the beast and the man of sin rather than an identified ruler of a specific nation. There is a reason for identifying end-time Israel as the fig tree—and we could go on and on; but instead, let’s see if we can grasp the reason for all the prophetic vagueness.

We’ve already mentioned that Christ spoke in parables so that those without might not understand; but even for the Church, the veils of prophecy are not totally removed.  From the following verses we can see that the prophetic Word that the Lord left for his Church is purposely filled with generalities designed to awaken the Church to the time at hand while, at the same time, frustrating the "date setters" and the merely curious.

"As it was in the days of Noe [Noah] so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Lk. 17:26). As what was in the days of Noah? Well, Jesus was not referring to the particulars of the day, but to the generalities. He was bringing to our attention the general mood and the prevalent attitude of the hearts of the day (which we're were filled with ungodliness and violence) and the fact that the every imagination of man was evil continually (see chapter 6 of Genesis).

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot...even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Lk. 17:26-30). Again, we're talking of generalities—of the reign of greed and the saturation of perversion. (Also, from the type of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, we can add a third dimension to the atmosphere of the end-time: i.e., the attitudes of the other nations of the world towards Israel, which will range from one of irritation all the way to a hatred that will want her destroyed.)

Many generations, heretofore, have wondered if the spiritual storms brewing in their day were a part of the prophesied end-time atmosphere; nevertheless, their storm clouds eventually blew over and the trump did not sound. But as we look around today and see the predicted end-time atmosphere (the rule and sway of sodomy, the world thumbing its nose at God and His ten commandments, the church watered down until it’s simply tasteless whey, an entertainment world with an insatiable lust for perverted sex and violence that’s being acted out more and more by those who feed upon its sickness, a generation that puts its appetites ahead of its love for God and man, etc.), well, we should take note that we are the first generation that has seen such apocalyptic storms taking place at the same time the other end-time events are being fulfilled. In addition, if we consider the seedbed of political activities in what was once the Old Roman Empire and the development of the computer, we can see the stage being set for the activities of the man of sin. Also, the computer has come to play in the distribution of the Gospel. The imperative is only that the Gospel of the Kingdom must first be published in all nations; but, according to translators, with the aid of computers it is now possible to translate this Gospel into the language of every village and every tribe within our lifetime.

If we add to all of this the stirring of the Spirit in the Bride of Christ—awakening it from its slumber—we see a Church that is being prepared to trim its lamps (REPENT, study, and do the Word) and to make itself ready to receive its Bridegroom. After all, "...ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (I Th.. 5:4). Indeed, if the Church is praying, "Come quickly Lord Jesus," then she shouldn’t be surprised at His sudden return!

Since the cross, every generation of the Christian Church has been taught to pray that the Lord would come quickly, and rightly so, for thus they were instructed by the Apostles. Nevertheless, if we’ll consider the Apostles who gave the Church the understanding that Christ was returning quickly, we’ll see that they were uniquely qualified to do so. James, Peter, and John got a glimpse of God’s time—the time that all believers enter into when they depart this world—when they were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration; and in their epistles they share a glimpse of that glimpse with the Church. For example, Peter was the one who gave us the understanding that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years earth’s time. In Revelation we somehow get the feeling that John understood when Jesus told him, "Behold, I come quickly" (Rev. 3:11). And even though James didn’t discount the need for patience as we run the race of faith set before us on this earth, he, too, understood that "...the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:7-8). The Apostle Paul actually tasted of God’s time in his visit to the third heaven and knew of what he was speaking when he explained to the Christians of his day that their Lord’s return was at hand (Php. 4:5 cf. Heb. 10:37). For James, Peter, John, Paul, and all the early saints who are now on God’s time, it hasn’t yet been a full two days since they left the earth; and for them, His return could truly be any moment now. (It’s been said that a man’s life span is but a drop in the infinite bucket of God’s time, but I think the Apostle James gives us even a better insight when he answered his own question in James 4:14. "What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.") Nevertheless, even though every generation has been taught to expect Jesus to come again soon (and in a sense, He will come quickly for every generation that has gone by way of the grave) still, there must come a day and a generation that will hear the trump and see the lightning flash from the east to the west or the Scriptures won’t be fulfilled.

It’s this author’s belief that the times, the atmosphere, the end-time happenings and characters are all lining up so that this generation may very well be the generation that goes up to be with the Lord. If that isn’t the case, then like the early disciples, we won’t have very long to wait once we enter into the Lord’s time. Nevertheless, if it does so happen that we are the generation that goes up, let us pray for one another that we will conduct ourselves in such a way that we’ll hear "well done my good and faithful servant" when our Lord does return.

Hopefully, this book has helped to open the prophetic word to the believer; and hopefully, we’ve passed along some of our love of the prophetic portions of God’s Word and the tools with which to dig into the wealth of those riches. It would doubtless be in order to end our study of the Clock of Ages as it was begun; i.e., with a word from our Lord.

(Mark 13:34-37)
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH.

(Because for some the temptation to try to identify the Beast before it’s time for him to be revealed will be too great to resist and because of the confusion in the Church’s understanding produced by the erroneous "seven years of tribulation," the author has included the following appendices to his book which will shed more light on Daniel’s little horn and the period of the falling away.)

...MORE ON WHY I BELIEVED THAT THE BEAST WILL NOT BE REVEALED UNTIL AFTER THE CHURCH IS TAKEN UP.

To help us understand the doctrinal problems that Paul was having with the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, we should try to place ourselves into the setting of the time. The people in and around the Holy Land all knew of a Jewish prophet and teacher named Jesus; for if they hadn't seen him, then surely that had heard unusual stories about Him. His impact in the Jewish communities was especially felt because of His claim to be their Messiah. This claim was verified by many supernatural deeds; and even among the rulers of the Jews, it was understood that He could not do what He did unless God were with Him (Jn. 3:1-2).

We're told in the New Testament that few of the Jewish people and fewer still of their leaders embraced Jesus as their Messiah or Christ. It was with these "few" that Christ founded His new Church. Many more, though, because their hearts were far from their God, rejected Jesus as their Messiah. These were the ones who were responsible for His crucifixion by the Roman soldiers. These were the ones who unknowingly fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the rejection of their Messiah.

However, the Holy One that they had crucified did not remain in the tomb, but was resurrected on the third day. (Of His resurrection Paul wrote, "...he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve; after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto the present...after that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time" [I Cor. l5:4-8].)

Although Satan failed dismally to stop the work of Christ with His crucifixion (He actually played into God's hands for the crucifixion was planned from the foundation of the world.), it wasn't long before he recouped and began his next move of which Paul had been forewarned. "For I know this," he wrote, "that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:29-31).

Sure enough, Paul wasn’t more than two or three towns down the road on his missionary travels before his predictions came to pass. Tares and/or mislead believers had popped up, corrupting the doctrine that he had delivered unto the churches.

Especially troubling to Paul were the teachings of a militant sect of Jews who were not willing to give up on the idea that their Messiah would set up an earthly kingdom for them in their lifetime. Having seen Jesus perform miracles, the sect was satisfied that He was the Messiah and that He would still, somehow, fulfill their expectations. Consequently, their teachings reflected their expectations. But as with all faulty doctrines, the teachings of this sect did not make sense when viewed in the whole of what God was about. In his epistles to the Corinthians, Paul addressed the following problems in their teachings concerning the resurrection of the saints.

• They didn't understand the kingdom of God nor how it was to be brought about.

• They didn't understand the resurrection from the dead nor how it fit into the scheme of things.

• Their doctrine made no place for the dead that had died before them.

• They had no grasp of how sin had made the resurrection necessary; and

• They had no inkling of the resurrection body God has planned for the saints.

But the errors concerning the resurrections were not the only errors being taught by this sect of Millennialist Jews. Apparently they were also trying to make Paul’s teachings on the end-time beast and the day of the Lord fit into their mind set. We are told in the book of Acts that Paul was driven out of Thessalonica by the Jewish leaders after only three weeks of building and teaching the church there (Acts 17:1-10). This being so, perhaps he didn't get to thoroughly teach the Lord's second coming to the Thessalonians; and maybe Satan took advantage of the situation to insert his confusion. At any rate, their teachings prompted Paul to write the Thessalonians in his first epistle that the day of the Lord (the first half of Daniel's 70th week—the time of the beast) was not upon them for it would be a time of wrath and they were not appointed to wrath (I Thes. 5:1-9). However, we can deduce from Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians that the aforementioned Jewish sect did not cease their activities; for in his second letter he again refuted their teaching, saying that the element of the day of Christ they were expecting (the day of His earthly kingdom) was not at hand (the next thing to be fulfilled in Jewish prophecy). He went on to explain that the great falling away (an event at the end of the Church Age occurring around the time that Israel will begin her flight) and the revealing of the beast (a key event of the first three and one-half years of Daniel's seventieth week) must both come to pass before the kingdom would be established (II Thes. 2:l-12).

Hopefully this addendum and the chapter on Daniel's little horn will show the reader how this author came to the conclusion that the man of sin, the beast, will not be revealed until after the Church is taken up.

-APPENDIX B-

ARE THEY THE SAME?

We have already noted how the tribulation period and the midnight watch are interchangeable--taking the  same place on the prophetic time line (see chapter 28); but we should make note that the tribulation period and the great tribulation of Matthew 24:21 and Revelation 7:13-17 are not necessarily one and the same.

The tribulation period is an integral, foreordained part of Israel’s future. Moses wrote of this time in Deuteronomy 4:26-30 when he was addressing the rebellious house of Israel.

(Deuteronomy 4:26-30)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.
And ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient to his voice...

In this passage we see God speaking to a people of another time through the ones that Moses is addressing in his day. Through foreshadowing, He is speaking to the end-time Jew of the latter days, to those destined to go through the tribulation period at the end of our age.

But as we’ve mentioned, Israel will not be the only one going through this period of tribulation; for everyone, the Church included, must go through this awful time which is to try the inhabitants of the earth. In Mark 13:14-20 (the Gospel written with the Church in mind), Mark gives more revelation concerning this period. In this passage Mark makes mention of the abomination of desolation and Israel's flight; and then he speaks thusly of the tribulation associated with this time of Israel's trouble.

(Mark 13:14-20)
"For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened those days."

(This term the elect has been a point of disagreement among those who have taught prophecy in times past—some teaching that it speaks of Israel while others contending that it refers to the Church. But when we consider that both Israel and the Church must go through this time of great affliction, it would seem that the Bible is speaking of both sets of virgins when it says God will shorten the period for the sake of His elect.)

In the passage just read, Mark wrote of a time of great affliction at the end of the tribulation period, describing it as a near fatal time for all flesh. But in Matthew 24:15-24 and Revelation 2:12 and 7:14, whose prophecies were written especially for Israel, we see this near fatal time occurring at the time of Israel’s flight; and it is labeled as the time of great tribulation (see also Joel chapter 2).

As we’ve already noted in our study, God is specific that end-time Israel will be given ample opportunity to pray and to prevent the time of her flight from spilling back into the tribulation period, into this time that Matthew labels as the great tribulation (Matthew 24:20-22). But we should also note that Israel will not avail herself of God’s grace in the matter, at least not completely; for in Matthew 24:22 we are told, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved...." And again, lest we misunderstand, we are also told that, "...but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened."

So then, the tribulation period and the great tribulation are not necessarily one and the same. We can conclude this because even though the great tribulation and that part of Israel’s flight that will spill back into the tribulation period will take place simultaneously, we have no clue as to how much of their flight will spill back. (Again, let me emphasize that this does not mean that the great tribulation is determined upon Israel, for in her Gospel [the Gospel of Matthew], Matthew makes it plain that God is willing to hear her prayer in the matter and to intercede in her behalf. True, the time will come upon her, but it will come about because of Israel’s own choosing.)

To reiterate, the tribulation period and the great tribulation will not affect Israel alone—but all of mankind. Undoubtedly, it is for this reason the time is also recorded in Mark’s Gospel. (Remember, Mark’s Gospel was written with the Church in mind.) After all, Israel is not the only virgin that can pray. In fact, in this age of Grace (which is also known as the Church Age), the gift and responsibility of prayer belongs primarily to the Church. Also, if we’ll consider that Mark repeats for the Church the same dire prediction of "...except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved..."(Mark 13:20)—well, as the prophecies of Matthew 24 and 25 begin fast coming to pass, surely it is time for the Church to enter into that effectual fervent prayer of which James wrote (James 5:16)! After all, if God will hear Israel in her fallen state, will He not hear those who have walked with Him during the time that the majority of His creation has had no time or place for their Creator?