End Times Beliefs: Dispensational Premillennialism and Biblical View

1. THE RAPTURE PART 1

2. Charles Russell, Judge Rutherford and their Watch tower publication have predicted that end would come in 1843, 1844, 1877, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1925, 1931, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1946, 1955. Hal Lindsey predicted that the end would occur around 1988 in his book in 1970. Then in 1994 he changed his prediction to the rapture occur sometime in the new future. In 1981 Billy Graham said he thought that Armageddon would happen soon.

3. Dispensational premillennialist – Simply defines their belief of what will happen in the end times. “In case of the Rapture, this car will be unoccupied”

4. A general summary of the premillennialist view: • They believe the OT prophecy pointed to Jesus establishing a earthly kingdom but the kingdom had to be postponed because of the Jews. • We got the church instead of the kingdom • They believe that Mat. 24 shows the signs of our time prove that Jesus is coming soon and we have now entered into the last days.

5. In the near future a Jewish and Roman antichrist will make a pact to protect Israel. • They are the 1st and 2nd beast of Rev. 13. • The dead and alive Christians will be raptured or taken from the earth into heaven at this time • This begins the 7 years of tribulation

6. The first 3 ½ years wont be to bad but the last 3 ½ years are filled with great tribulation • During the first 3 ½ years: • The temple will be rebuilt • Moses and Elijah will come back as the 2 witnesses in Rev. 11 • The Roman antichrist kills them and everyone will see their dead bodies on TV for 3 ½ days • Animal sacrifices will be reinstituted

7. During the last 3 ½ years: • Egypt will invade Israel • Russia will run Egypt out of Israel and then conquer Egypt • The Roman antichrist takes 1million soldiers and defeats the Russians in Israel only to find themselves in battle against 200 million Chinese. • This last battle takes place in the valley of Megiddo which is the battle of Armageddon.

8. At the end of this 7 years: • Christ returns again with the raptured Christians • He then defeats His enemy and establishes His kingdom for a 1000 years. • Jesus will now raise all the righteous that lived under the OT and He will judge those who are alive per Mat. 25 • At the end of the 1000 year earthly reign: • The wicked dead will be raised and then cast into hell • Finally, eternity in heaven begins.

9. The Biblical view of the end times: • Jesus will return a 2nd time but there are no signs of His return • When He comes it will be the final judgment day • Both the righteous and the unrighteous dead will be resurrected and those that are living will be transformed into their new bodies • The righteous will go to heaven and the unrighteous to hell and the earth will be destroyed.

10. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

11. Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen

12. Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

13. Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

14. John 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 "and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.  Acts 24:15“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

15. 2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.  

16. John 12:48“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

17. Matthew 13: 24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25“but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26“But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29“But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

18. 36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38“The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39“The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40“Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42“and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

19. 1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

20. Jesus teaches us 4 times that the righteous will be raised on the last day (John 6:39,40,44, 54). For premillennialist to be right the last day would have to be 1007 years before the end of time which makes no sense whatsoever.