The Disposition of People in the Last Days– Points to ponder
and questions to be asked.
D.P. Weary-May 18, 2017
Revision a
The Church (Ecclesia):
These
are people who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior by faith without seeing or
being with Him personally. The Church began at Pentecost about 32 AD (Acts 2).
The end of this church age occurs at the rapture of the Church when “the
fullness of the gentile is come in” (1 Thes 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15:51, 52, Rom
11:25). We also know that the Church (God’s children, the Bride of Christ) is
not destined to experience the wrath of God and will be concealed or hidden
during the days of wrath (1 Thes 5:9, Rev 3:10; Psalms 27:5; 91:8; Noah, Gen 6; Zephaniah 2:3;
Isaiah 26:20; Lot, Gen 19:15-16). Since the start of the pouring out of
the wrath of God is said to begin at the 6th seal of Revelation (Rev
6:16-17), the rapture occurs before or at this point. However Rev 2:10 tells us
that the Church will experience tribulation (affliction) for 10 days (the Greek
word primarily means a day). Since I believe that all of the Church is taken at
the rapture (except for possibly the 144K Hebrews who serve God for 1260 days
during the first part of Daniel’s last 7 years ,the 7 years of the wrath of God
- more about this later), the 10 days must occur before the rapture. A
speculation might be that these 10 days of trouble or tribulation are the days
of the first 6 seals of Rev 6 where we find war, death, famine, and martyrs
(implies that there are believers present during the first 5 seals). Possibly the great falling away (2 Thes 2:3) also
occurs during these days. It is interesting to note that in our day there is
talk of a great, very short nuclear war (WW III) occurring in the near future involving
North Korea, the USA, Iran, Russia, and the entire Middle East (Ezek 38?). If
this is the second seal which brings war, then the coming of the Lord is very
soon, maybe within 10 years.
The 144K Hebrew (Jewish) servants of God from the twelve tribes
of Israel:
These
Hebrews are seen as God’s special people on earth during the first 1260 days
(42 months, 31/2 years) of Daniels 7 last years. They are marked for service in
Rev. 7 and possibly taken to the “wilderness” ( a special, unpopulated place) at
the midpoint of Daniel’s 7 years where they are nourished for 1260 days (Rev
12:6). The next time we read of them is in Rev 14:1-5 where they are seen
standing with Jesus on Mount Zion. They are called the “first fruits”. Since
the rapture of the Church has already occurred, these must be the first fruits
of the sons of Israel of the 7 tribulation years. This implies either another
rapture event, or that they are taken to a place of refuge where they are
protected and “nourished” for 1260 days. There is a question as to where these
144K come from. Are they Jewish believers who are a part of the Church and are
asked to stay and serve on earth for another 1260 days? Or are they Hebrews
(Jews) that suddenly come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah right at the
start of the 7 years? Since I believe that all of the Church is taken at the
rapture, to me these would be Jews that accept Jesus as Lord and Savior
(Messiah) at the start of the last 7 years.
The two special witnesses:
During the
second half of Daniel’s 7 last years, 2 special witnesses appear on the scene
to become God’s representatives on earth. These two have special powers and are
protected from the Beast (Antichrist) for 1260 days. At the end of the 7 years,
God allows them to be killed and their bodies displayed in Jerusalem. But after
31/2 days, they are resurrected (come to life) and then taken to Heaven (raptured)
in the sight of the whole world (Rev 11). The times of the 2 witnesses are the
times of the 5th and 6th trumpets, the first two woes. These
are overt demonic attacks on people. During the 5th trumpet, demons
are allowed to torment people, during the 6th trumpet demons are
allow to kill people (Rev 9). The 7th trumpet is the third woe and
the 7 bowls of wrath. With it the wrath of God is completed, not started but
finished or completed (Rev 15). This occurs at the very end of the 7 years. I
suspect the 7th trumpet is blown at the Feast of Trumpets at the end
of the 7th year and Christ returns on the Day of Atonement 10 days
later. This would make the days of the 7th trumpet and the bowls of
wrath only 10 days long.
The fate of Jews during the last 7 years:
We might
assume that these “witnesses” produced “fruit” or converts during the last 7
years. These are people who come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and make
Him the Lord of their lives. Since at the rapture, the fullness of the gentiles
has already come, these converts must be Hebrews (Jews). Some of these
believers will be martyred and may be the ones given seats of judges in God’s
government of the 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth (the judicial part of His
Kingdom government) (Rev 20:4). Others will live through the 7 years and go
into the 1000 years as living humans. Others will just die during the 7 years. There
is a question as to what happens to these people. It might be possible that
these believers are raptured and taken to Heaven at the end of the 7 years when
Christ returns as a part of the events of Rev 14.
The fate of gentiles:
Gentiles who
come to believe in Jesus and make Him Lord and Savior during the church age are
raptured and taken to Heaven for the wedding of the Lamb. They are given to sit
upon Jesus’ throne beside Him as His Bride to rule and reign with Him for
eternity (Rev 3:21). This is the royalty part of God’s Kingdom on earth (King
and Queen-the Bride of the King). My take on this is that Jesus sits on God’s
throne in heaven beside the Father and with the Holy Spirit. This is God’s Holy
Throne in Heaven and no one except the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
ever sit here. This is the Throne seen in Rev 4 and 5 and in the OT. The
description is slightly different between the Throne in the OT and the one in
Rev 4 and 5 because of the different functions happening at the time the Throne
is seen. In the OT we see the Throne of God, Jehovah, the covenant making God
of Israel. In Revelation we see, the Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus the Lamb,
receiving the Title Deed to all the earth from the Father and the Throne is the
Throne of the Father giving the title deed back to man, the second Adam.
Further it is about to become the Throne of Judgment as the next events to
occur are the breaking of the 7 seals of the scroll and the coming of the wrath
of God. There is also a Throne of Jesus the King. It is on earth in Jerusalem
from where He will rule and reign for 1000 years with His Bride at His right side
sitting with Him on His Throne.
After the complete number of gentiles has come in (Rom
11:25), the gentiles who do not die during the 7 years of wrath must be the
people who go into the 1000 years of Jesus’ reign on earth as living humans. Zech
14:16 tells us that there will be people of other nations living after Christ’s
return that must come up to worship Jesus each year at the Feast of
Tabernacles. Those that die have a very unpleasant experience ahead of them
(Rev 14:10, 11).
Another consideration to ponder: From Luke 21:24, Jerusalem
will be trampled down by gentiles “until the time of the gentiles be
fulfilled”. Jerusalem is trampled down by the gentiles until the Lord returns
at the end of the 7 last years so the time of the gentile ends at the Lord’s
return. If this “time of the gentiles” is somehow interpreted to mean the same
as “the fullness of the gentiles has come in” (Rom 11:25), then it seems
possible that gentiles could be saved during the 7 last years. These saved
gentiles that die during the 7 years then join the saved Jews of the 7 years
that have died. What happens to them if the rapture of the Church has already
occurred? We could speculate that they, like the saved Jews that die during the
7 years could be part of another rapture or reaping, possible as a part of the events
of Rev 14.
A different rapture:
If as some
believe, the rapture occurs at the very end of Daniel’s 7 last 7 years, then
the whole scenario changes. The Church, the 144K Jews and the two witnesses must
be supernaturally protected or kept safe and protected during Daniel’s last 7
years. If this is so, the words of Rev
3:10 (σε τηρήσω ἐκ –
you will keep out of) must be interpreted as “protect you during or
through”, rather than “keep you from or out of” the hour of trial. In this
scenario the Church, the 144K, the two witnesses, and all saved during the 7
years are taken together at the end of the 7 years, regardless of whether they
are dead or alive. This would possibly occur at the return of Jesus to earth,
perhaps at the Feast of Trumpets that year. Here we have saved people, the
144K, and the two witnesses raptured (Jew and gentile) taken to Heaven, the
dead going to Hell, and the living survivors (believers and nonbelievers) of
the 7 years making up the human population of the 1000 year reign of Christ on
earth. It is hard to correlate this scenario with the theory that the Jewish
wedding and the fall Feasts of Israel are prophecies of the last days. Also the
OT promises are to conceal (Sathar, hide or be absent) (Ps 27:5, Zeph 2:3)
God’s people during this hour of trial.
Also Isa 26:19-21 tells God’s people to enter inner chambers and hide
until the indignation is passed, when the Lord comes to punish the inhabitants
of the earth. These promises sound more like, keep you out of, rather than,
protect you during or in, the days of trial.
Considering the 24 elders of the throne in Rev 4:4 and the
structure of the government of the Kingdom of God on earth:
These elders
are sometimes considered to be a representation of the Church. They have crowns
and are clothed in white robes and sit on thrones. Note Rev 5:8-10:
[Rev 5:8-10 NKJV] 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb,
each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of
the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take
the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to
God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And
have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
Here the elders seem to identify themselves by this song
they sing. They sing that the Lamb has redeemed us (hemas – found in the
King James and Young’s Literal versions) from every tribe and tongue and people
and nation and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall
reign on the earth. These proclamations identify the elders as the Church.
However other versions of the Bible (NASB and the HCSB) omit the hemas (us) and
use “redeemed people (or men) for God” and “made them kings
and priests”. This makes a huge difference in the identity of the elders. Do
they represent the Church or other redeemed men praising God for the Church? If
they do not represent the Church, who are they?
Note that the Church (the Bride) sits with Jesus on His Throne
as the royalty of the Kingdom Government. These elders sit on thrones around the
Throne of God in Heaven. This might be reasonable since the Throne here is the Holy
Throne of God in Heaven where only the God Head sits. The Church would be seen with
Jesus (here seen as the second Adam), the Holy Spirit, and the living beasts around
the Throne of God. It also implies that the Church is already in Heaven with the
Lord here in chapter 5 before any of the seals of chapter 6 are broken. We also
know that the Church does sit beside Jesus on His Throne on earth in Jerusalem from
where He, with His Bride at His side, will rule and reign for 1000 years.
If these elder are not the Church, since all people are
redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection, these elders could be twelve
disciples saved by Jesus but also having been with Him. Jesus told Thomas that
it was good to believe because he saw and touched Him, but it was better to
believe without seeing Him (Jn 20:29). They were also promised to sit on
thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28). We could speculate that
the other 12 elders on the thrones could be OT saints saved by faith and
obedience but kept with Abraham in the place of the dead (but in a place of
comfort a far distance from the place of the dead where the rich man found
himself) until Jesus after His resurrection went into this place and took them
to Heaven (1 Pet 3:19; 4:5, 6; Luke 16:22-26). These might be the 12 patriarchs of Israel, or
other key players of the OT like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, etc.
This “court” of 24 probably represents the Heavenly Sanhedrin,
the ruling branch of Jesus’ Kingdom on earth. As per the delegation of
responsibilities as in 1 Chron 24, the 24 elders probably are the
representatives or leaders of divisions of many others who actually administer
in the Kingdom. The judicial part of the Kingdom government would be those that
sit on thrones or seats of judgment (Rev 20:4). We can also see from Ezek 40:46
and 44:15 that there will be Jewish priests, the sons of Zadoc, ministering to
the Lord and ministering in the Temple. It also appears that there will be a
“prime minister” of this Kingdom called the Prince, possibly King David (Ezek
34:24; 46:2-18). I suspect that the angels make up the law enforcement branch
of Christ’s Kingdom on earth.
These
considerations give us a glimpse of the governmental structure of Jesus’ Kingdom
(the government will be on His shoulders-Isa 9:6) during the 1000 year reign of
Christ on earth. But, the almost un-comprehendible part of this is that the
Church, the Ecclesia, the Bride of Jesus the King, is the Queen who sits at His
right side on His Throne. Indeed, we as believers in the church age are destined for the Throne.
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