See the Mid-ages Musings Series here
See the Human History Ages Series here
It doesn’t require a deeply ‘strategic eye and mind’ to perceive or discern the pattern The Lord applies to the ramp-up to His 6 predicted global judgments, that trigger age-to-age transitions, across His 6 predicted ages of history. 1 It requires:
1. an intuitive reading of Genesis 6,
2. a general understanding of the history of ancient Israel and Judah,
3. perceptive human experiences to perceive our core nature, and
4. awareness of Jeremiah 9:23-24, how The Lord said He deals with us: long-term Grace, relatively short-term Judgments, targeted to achieve Godly Righteousness.
Let’s continue to explore the pattern that was apparent during His initial two ages transitions -- from the pre-flood-to-post flood, and the post-flood-to-post-cross ages. I was curious to see how it might unfold during the last 3 predicted ages transitions.
4th-to-5th Ages (tribulation age, to Millennial Reign age)
1. Humanity’s ‘cup of iniquity overspilling its rim’
The global after-effects of the 3rd-age rapture, will be significant and downright scary, perhaps even more scary than the global flood, which, for those who perished, only lasted a few days! Imagine the impacts on all levels of governance, world trade, business and financial markets. The social fabric of many societies will be shredded!! Global lawlessness and wickedness then, might quickly explode to unimaginable levels, far worse than lawlessness and wickedness today!!! Thus, during the first half of this age (42 months), desperation and wickedness might initially surge with no restraints, until national global governance is restored.
At such a time, the appearance of the anti-Christ on the world’s stage, will trigger a time of order and peace, restoring a sense of well-being, as he applies satanic wisdom and miracles to addressing global problems. Folks the world over might be mesmerized. Recall, Jesus performed His many miracles on the ‘tiny stage’ of Judah, in Palestine. Imagine the anti-Christ man SIGNIFICANTLY ‘one-upping’ Jesus by performing many massive miracles on a global stage!
But the governance structure this man will have restored during the first half of this age, will totally fall apart during the last half of this age. The response will be an explosion of gross lawless and wickedness as the whole world absorbs the crushing blows of the apocalypse, that The Bible refers to as the great tribulation. Imagine that…
2. Righteousness on Earth figuratively ‘hanging by a thread’
Sometime during this short, 7-year age, the anti-Christ government will change its modus operandi. Its focus will turn violently negative on people who will have become Christians, and also on Israel, where the 3rd Jewish temple will have been constructed on the temple mount (current site of the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem). Jewish religious practices will have resumed after centuries without such. Revelation 7:9-17 indicate beheading will be the preferred judgment against Christians and anyone who rejects the government’s prerequisite for engaging in commerce – a mark, perhaps a branding of some sort, referred to in The Bible as the mark of the beast. 2
By the end of his beheading and mark of the beast campaigns, most or possibly all new Christians will have been slaughtered -- martyred from Heaven’s perspective. The majority, or possibly all remaining people on Earth, will have acquiesced to his branding demand. The Bible affirms their acquiescence will have negatively sealed their eternal fates.
The Bible, several times, predicts this global leader will grossly defile the new, Jewish temple, and demand to be worshiped. Potentially, in response to this act, The Lord will initiate His 42-month campaign of global, apocalyptic judgments. His objective will be to significantly pare down human and animal populations, destroy a significant portion of the ecology and environment, and fundamentally reshape all or significant parts of the planet’s terrain, all in preparation for His Millennial Reign as global King, and recognition as the Jewish Messiah. These judgments may be how He will finally achieve His ancient prophecy in Isaiah 13:11-13, leaving alive only a small remnant of humans who will be responsible for re-populating Earth during His The Millennial Reign, the 5th age of history. 3
As noted above, these judgments will, no doubt, trigger another explosion of gross lawless and wickedness as people the world over, become increasingly desperate to survive the crushing plagues. With most, if not all, real Christians dead (their twins spirits and souls in Heaven helping to prepare for our pending ‘alien invasion’ of Earth!), and The Lord steadily ramping-up His global judgments, it’s not hard to imagine righteousness will indeed be ‘hanging by a thread’, IF there will be any righteousness at all on Earth! Imagine that…
3. Certain precursors (pre-conditions) reaching their fullness
The Bible predicts several trackable precursors will achieve their fullness during the tribulation age. Here are 8 key ones:
a. The mesmerizing rise of the anti-Christ man and his prophet/prime minister.
b. The appearance of 144,000 anointed, Jewish witnesses, who will be instrumental in their soul-winning ministry; plus two unique, miracle-performing witnesses who will seemingly augment judgment plagues across the Earth, be killed, then visibly resurrected and raptured into Heaven.
c. Construction of the 3rd Jewish temple on the temple mount. This infers the removal or destruction of the Al Aqsa mosque.
d. The plethora of globally-recognized miracles the anti-Christ man will perform.
e. The initiation and completion of his mark of the beast and beheading campaigns. The latter will correspond with the opening of the 5th seal on an ancient scroll in Heaven. Innumerable new, real Christians will be beheaded. Revelation 7:9-17 refer to them, appearing in Heaven (in spirit and soul form, pending their bodily resurrection when they return with Jesus), as ‘a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues…’. They are also included in the much larger group of ALL saints referred to in Zechariah 14:5, 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Thessalonians 1:10, and Jude 1:14. 4
f. The 1st War of Gog and Magog, launched and reaching its un-imaginable conclusion. This may happen after the world realizes Israel is being relatively protected during the plagues. 5
g. The anti-Christ man defiling the newly-constructed third Jewish temple and demanding to be worshiped.
h. The apocalyptic plagues reaching their fullness when Heaven is figuratively emptied onto Earth, and Jesus drammatically ends the attempted War of Armageddon, then begins His Millennial Reign. 6
4. Silence from Heaven (dreaded or welcomed!)
The Bible affirms, before the start of the 14 apocalyptic plagues across the world, there will be a period of silence in Heaven, corresponding with opening of the last (7th) seal on the ancient scroll. (Revelation 8:1)
Here’s a tip about silence from Heaven…
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (my fav) succinctly summarize The Lord’s 3-point strategy in dealing with us humans. I perceive this applies to every level of human existence: individual, family, company/corporation, community, city, state/province, nation and international. It apparently also applies to the 6 ages of our history on this current version of Earth! At each level, after granting a lengthy period of (1) amazing GRACE, in the face of our mounting sinfulness, He dispatches relatively short, (2) intense JUDGMENTS, with the strategic objective of retuning us to (3) His notion of RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Because we are largely ignorant of, and/or inattentive to this strategy, we are therefore imperceptive of His transitions from one point, to the next! During the Grace stage, He stimulates our conscience to face and deal with our sin guiltiness. When we remain unresponsive for a
l-o-n-g time, our conscience becomes ‘seared by sin’, The Lord gives up, and He turns us over to our reprobate mind!! I perceive that might be when we un-knowingly experience ‘silence from Heaven’, as The Lord prepares pending punishments.
Ergo…….
When your conscience stops bugging you about your sinfulness,
beware and prepare! Pending punishments, will be His just judgments!!!
See Part 5,
this 4-point pattern applied to the
5th-to-6th ages transition
(Millennial Reign age-to-post Millennial Reign age)
----------
1 See: Human History Ages (Series).
2 See: The Bible’s 6 references to mark of the beast. In Revelation, the anti-Christ man is referred to as the beast.
3 See: Revelation (Series of Series).
4 Revelation 20:4 refers to a relatively small subset of ALL The Lord's saints from across the first four ages of history, saints who will serve with Jesus during His Millennial Reign, the 5th age of history. This comports well with Zechariah 14:5, 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Thessalonians 1:10, and Jude 1:14.
5 For more on this protection prospect, see: Goshen Effect (Series). For more on this war, see: A People, Un-walled (Series). Booty Pre/Post Millennial Reign (Series). For more on the three, predicted attacks in Israel, see: Revelation – Future Attacks in Israel. The series, Tribulation Journalists (Series), gives a unique perspective on the first two of these wars.
6 At His glorious return to Earth, Jesus will be arrayed with ALL His saints from the first 4 ages of history, and ALL His angels. On Earth, Heaven emptied?? Since Revelation 20:1-3 says satan (presumably his entire kingdom of devils) will be locked away for a thousand years, it stands to reason we, The Lord’s saints, then fully immortal and GLOWING like Jesus, will replace satan's invisible devils on Earth, and His angels will replace satan’s invisible devils in and above Earth’s exosphere. satan assigns his devils across both spheres to foment sinful wickedness. The Lord will assign His saints and angels across both spheres to enforce His iron rod rule righteous rule!
