A Prophetic Look At The End Times Keith Blackwell 2008-2009 A while back, I asked the students in my Sunday school class about topics they would like to study. One of the students mentioned prophecy. At first thought I thought no way, prophecy is not my thing. After a while of thinking about it, I can’t get it off my mind. This study will be a definite learning experience for me. This study will cover a broad spectrum of prophecy, focusing mainly on end times. So stay with me and this will be a journey we can take together. Keep in mind as you read this, these are my thoughts. I do not count myself qualified to speak as an expert on anything, and some may be far fetched, but this is how I understand these hard scriptures. I am including some possible scenarios concerning nuclear war in chapters ten and twelve. I have no real knowledge of these types of weapons other than the information I can find on the internet. They are but just an interpretation of the verses. I humbly request that you pray and seek God’s guidance concerning these verses and events and ask Him to reveal to you what He wants you to know about these issues. 2 Table of Contents Chapter one, Why Prophecy…………….………………..……………….…5 Chapter two, Daniel and his visions…….……………………………..10 Chapter three, Isaiah and the Seraphim, Ezekiel and the Cherubim and the wheels………………………..……………………….…..28 Chapter four, The Apostle John and the Beginning of the Revelation………………………………………………………………… ………………36 Chapter five, The Rapture……………………………………….……………46 3 Chapter six, The Throne room of God………………….…..……… 52 Chapter seven, The Lamb that was slain and the seven sealed book…………………………………………………………………..…… ..…..63 Chapter eight, The seven seals part one: The Antichrist……………………………………………………………….… ……..70 Chapter nine, the seven seals part two………………………………………………………………………… ………………….94 Chapter ten, The offering of the prayers of the saints……..110 Chapter eleven, The Seven Trumpets, part one………………..118 Chapter twelve, the mighty angel and the little book……..133 4 Chapter thirteen, the two witnesses, and the seventh trumpet…………………………………….……………………………… ………………137 Chapter fourteen, The Sun Clothed Woman, the Man Child and the Dragon………………………………………………….………………… ………………144 Chapter fifteen, More Beasts and a Drunk Prostitute???........................................................... .......................151 Chapter sixteen, intermission before the final judgments…………………………………………..…………………… ………………158 Chapter seventeen, The Seven Final Judgments………….….165 Chapter eighteen, Babylon the Great Is Fallen!...................175 Chapter nineteen, Wedding Bells……………….……………………..180 Chapter twenty, The Battle of Armageddon…………….….…184 5 Chapter twenty-one, Two Judgments, Which One For You?..................................................................... ............................191 Chapter twenty-two, The Millennial Reign………….…………199 Chapter twenty-three, What is Heaven Like?.....................211 Chapter twenty-four, Even So Lord Jesus…………………………221 Addendum to the lesson on Armageddon……………………….227 6 Chapter one, Why prophecy For a long time, I have made the statement that prophecy is something that a new Christian does not need to really worry about. I still hold that theory, but over the last few weeks, I am convinced that prophecy is something that needs to be taught. In this first lesson, I want us to look at some reasons why we need to study prophecy 7 Reason # 1: We are encouraged to study the Bible and prophecy is part of the Bible. One thing I have always tried to do is teach the entire word of God. Notwithstanding, there are certain parts that I like to teach over others. I love to teach about salvation, about grace, I even enjoy teaching the old testament because I don’t think we can gat a good grasp of the new testament without knowing the old. Prophecy is one of those things that have never really got my attention, but the more I think about, how can I say I teach the whole counsel of God and ignore this important part. Paul encourages us to study the word: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 (NKJV) Although we may not be as interested in prophecy as we are in grace, it is no less important. If we understand the word of God, we can stand before the world and not be ashamed for our faith. Reason # 2: Prophecy has a blessing of its own. You may not think of prophecy having a blessing attached, but it does. All right, I know a lot of it seems dark and sometimes really scary, but besides all that, prophecy is glorious and should give the believer a sense of hope. Let’s look at a verse in Revelation: 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Rev 1:3 (NKJV) 8 One thing I want you to notice here is that this verse says nothing about understanding. I believe that understanding comes after prayer and study and definitely not overnight. Reason # 3: Prophecy gives us methods of reaching those who may have doubts because it comes from God, not us. There have been many times in my Christian life that I just did not know how to talk to someone. Even until recently, I really struggled with witnessing. Here is something I learned; there is no set method to witnessing. It is as varied as the people that we witness to. There are some people that are engrossed in the end times and that is all they are concerned about. When you talk to those people, you really have to know your stuff. The theories on prophecy are varied to say the least, but there is only one ultimate source of prophecy: 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV) Peter assures us here that true prophecy is not a secret, and it comes from the very throne of God. 9 Reason # 4 Prophecy gives us a glimpse of what will happen in the end, so we can be watchful and prepared. Have you ever started reading a book and got so into it that you just had to know what happens that you look ahead? Prophecy gives us that glimpse of what is coming so we can be prepared: 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. Rev 1:19 (NKJV) The next things I want us to think about are the reasons people don’t study prophecy. Reason # 1 It is too hard to understand. I think that one reason prophecy is not studied is that most people think it is too hard to understand. I will agree entirely that for the most part, a casual reader of the Bible will not attempt prophecy because it takes effort to understand it. There are so many theories and so many thoughts, how are we to know what it really means? How can a ordinary person hope to understand it? The Bible gives us hope: 2 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 10 Hab 2:2 (NKJV) 10 And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Rev 22:10 (NKJV) 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 (NKJV) 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2:14 (NKJV) If anyone tries to tell you that prophecy is just for some to understand, you can take these verses and have confidence that it is for all to understand, as long as it is studied spiritually. Reason #2 prophecy is too dark and evil; there is no good to it. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 speak nothing except about the praise of God in Heaven. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 speak of the final victory and the final state of the righteous for all eternity. I could go on and on, but I think we need to delve into the study. I guess you would first guess that we are going to start in Revelation, but we are actually going to start in Daniel and be introduced to a freaky looking statue and some funky looking creatures. 11 Chapter two, Daniel and his visions 12 When we think about the book of Daniel, images of a fiery furnace and a lion’s den rush to the fore front of our remembrance. These are good stories that we tend to write off as little kid’s Sunday school stuff, but are very much relevant to us today. These are not the stories that I want to focus on. In Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that no one can tell him the meaning of. Only after he threatens the death of all of his officials does someone remember that Daniel and his three friends could interpret this dream for him.