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| Almost every new convert's attention is soon drawn to the book
of Revelation and the mystery of "end time" events. It is
not the purpose of this lesson to put all these things into
chronological order, nor are we setting out to list all the events
that will happen prior to and during the time of Christ's coming. It
is the purpose of this lesson to examine a few events surrounding the
return of Christ and to investigate what these events will mean to the
saved and to the unsaved.
Hundreds of books and thousands of sermons have been written expounding as to when and how Christ will return. Many of the writers and speakers differ drastically in their opinions concerning these events. However, we will set down some positive Biblical facts that will help you get a sense of what will be happening at the end of this age. Monday The Promise When Christ left this earth (Christians call this event the "ascension"), he left his church behind, but he made it very clear to them that he would return for them. He has gone to prepare a place for us, and when he is ready, he will return and "...receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3 The men who actually saw him ascend into heaven are dead. Christ's promise to return was not just for them, but for all believers from all ages. We call this future event the "rapture". John 14:28 Ye have _________ how I _________ unto you, I ________ away, and come _________ unto you. If ye ______________ me, ye would ______________, because I said, I __________ unto the ___________: for my _________________ is ___________ than I. Matthew 24:37, 42 But as the days of _____________ were, so shall also the ___________ of the _______ of __________ be. _________ therefore: for ye __________ not what ___________ your __________ doth come. Matthew 26:64 ___________ saith unto him, Thou hast said: ______________ I say unto you, ____________ shall ye see the _______ of ________ sitting on the ___________ hand of __________, and _____________ in the __________ of __________. Questions: Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next five. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the New Testament and write out the next two. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Tuesday The Departure Christ was born about 6 B.C. and ascended back to heaven about 26-29 A.D. From about the age of thirty, he spent the next 3-4 years of his life among men as described in the four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. After his death, burial, and resurrection, Christ rejoined his small group of followers (disciples), and it was while they were looking on that he ascended back to heaven. The small church (about 120 persons) that he left behind had specific instructions from Jesus himself concerning what they were to do after he went back to the Father. Those instructions were for them to wait in Jerusalem until the promise he had made them came to pass. The promise was that the Holy Spirit would give them the power they needed to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Mark 16:19 So then after the _________ had spoken unto ____________, he was _____________ up into ____________, and _________ on the right __________ of God. Luke 24:50-51 And he _______ them out as far as to _________, and he _________ up his hands, and _________ them. And it came to _________, while he _________ them, he was ____________ from them, and ___________ up into ____________. Acts 1:9 And when he had __________ these things, _________ they __________, he was _________ up; and a _____________ received him _________ of their __________. Questions: Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next five. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the New Testament and write out the next two. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Wednesday The Beginning of the End The church has been given the responsibility of taking care of the Lord's business, under his leadership, while he is away. The church is a "steward" (manager) of possessions and affairs of the Lord. However, there is coming a time when Christ will return and require an accounting of what he left in the hands of his stewards. The day of his return will begin much like any other day, but those who are asleep in Jesus (the scripture often refers to those who are dead as "asleep") and whose spirits are with him now will suddenly come out of their graves and instantly be transformed into new bodies like his. If we are alive at the time of his coming, our bodies will be changed, also, to be like his body. The new bodies we will have will be perfect, without sin, and never be sick or die. Together, we will all be called upwards to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I __________ not have you to be ___________, brethren, _____________ them which are ____________, that ye ___________ not, even as _________ which have no __________. For if we __________ that Jesus _________ and ________ again, even so them also which ___________ in Jesus will ________ bring with _________. For this we say unto you by the __________ of the _________, that we which are __________ and _________ unto the _________ of the Lord shall not ___________ them which are __________. For the Lord _________ shall __________ from heaven with a ___________, with the __________ of the __________, and with the ______________ of God: and the _________ in Christ shall rise __________: Then we which are _____________ and __________ shall be caught up ____________ with them in the _________ to meet the Lord in the _________: and so shall we ________ be with the __________. Questions: Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next five. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the New Testament and write out the next two. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Thursday The Final Events of this Age After all the saved people have been taken out of this world (raptured), events will begin to happen very quickly. To place these in exact order is not the purpose of this lesson, but we will try to be as accurate as possible. 1. The Man of Sin (antichrist) will have already set up his kingdom. 2. The saved will be taken out (raptured). 3. The covenant that the Man of Sin made with the Jews will be broken (whether this is before or after the rapture is unclear). 4. A period of time will start (actually we will already be in the midst of this time) called the "Great Tribulation" 5. 144,000 Jews will be saved and sealed (marked by God) so that Satan cannot destroy them for the next three-and-one-half years. 6. God's wrath will be poured out on this earth. 7. Satan will be angry with the Jews (the 144,000) and seek to kill them. 8. The mark of the beast will be instituted by the antichrist. 9. The two witnesses of God will walk the earth. 10. Christ will return with his saints (who have been in heaven during the Tribulation) to establish his kingdom on earth during a 1,000-year period known as the Millennial Reign. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man _________ you by any _________: for that day shall _________ come, except there come a _____________ away __________, and that _________ of __________ be __________, the son of ____________; 2 Peter 3:3-4 Knowing this _________, that there shall ________ in the ___________ days __________, walking after their own __________, And saying, ____________ is the ___________ of his _____________? for since the ___________ fell ____________, all things __________ as they were from the __________ of the ____________. Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with _____________; and every __________ shall see him, and they also which _____________ him: and all __________ of the ____________ shall __________ because of ________. Even so, Amen. Questions: Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next five. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the New Testament and write out the next two. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Friday The End of the Beginning When Christ returns to this earth with his saints, he will bind Satan for 1,000 years. This is the period in which he will rule the earth with a "rod of iron" (justice and equality WILL prevail or meet with the strong rebuke and authority of Christ himself). There will be at least two distinct groups of people who enter this new kingdom: those who were raptured when Christ came back for his people, and those 144,000 Jews who went through the Great Tribulation There is a third group that many say will enter this kingdom, these being any who may have made it through this terrible tribulation period in their physical bodies. During this 1,000 year rulership of Christ, he will sit on his throne in the city of Jerusalem. He will already have given out his rewards, and how well we served him during our lifetimes on earth will determine our places of honor and responsibility in this kingdom. There will be some who enter this 1,000 years in their old, natural physical bodies. (Remember that those who were raptured have a "glorified body" -- one that cannot sin or be destroyed.) These people who still have natural bodies will marry and give birth to children (unlike those who have glorified bodies, who are "like the angels of heaven who neither marry nor are given in marriage"). At the end of this 1,000 years, Satan will be set free, and he will immediately take up where he left off 1,000 years earlier before he was chained. He will successfully deceive some of those who were born in the FLESH and try to muster an army to defeat Christ. However, his attempt will be met with the wrath and force of an Almighty God, and he will be stopped completely. It is at this time that he will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire. At about the same time, a "Great White Throne" of judgment will be set up where those through the "ages" who did not have Christ as savior will be judged according to their WORKS and will be cast into the Lake of Fire with the Devil. Christ will then create a New Heaven and a New Earth where the curse on the earth, the tears of man, and the former things will no longer be remembered. Revelation 2:26-27 And he that _____________, and __________ my works unto the ________, to him will I ____________ power over the ___________: And he shall _________ them with a _________ of ___________; as the ___________ of a ____________ shall they be ____________ to shivers: ___________ as I ____________ of my _________. Revelation 20:11-12 And I saw a _________ white ________, and him that sat on it, from whose __________ the earth and the __________ fled away; and there was found ______ place for them. And I saw the ________, small and _________, stand before __________; and the __________ were opened: and another ___________ was opened, which is the ____________ of __________: and the dead were ___________ out of those things which were ____________ in the _____________, according to their _________. Revelation 21:1 And I _______ a new ____________ and a new _______: for the _________ heaven and the _________ earth were _________ away; and there was ________ more ________. Questions: Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next five. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________ Abbreviate the first twenty-five books of the New Testament and write out the next two. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25______ ______________, ____________,____________ ________________,_______________
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