Prophecy — bible overview

End Time Prophecy Notes

What does the Bible say about end time prophecy? The Bible is full of prophecy which is the revelation of what will take place in the future. Many prophecies have already happened just as the Bible said they would, but some prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. These are the end-time prophecies. The goal of this booklet is to provide a simple overview that anyone can read and understand, even if you have never read the Bible.

This booklet will first tell you what the Bible is about, from creation to man’s sinful rebellion against his Creator and God bringing redemption to man through the Savior Jesus who redeems fallen man back to a right relationship with a Holy God. To accomplish restoration, God uses a chosen nation “Israel.”

And here is where prophecy fits in. It is important to understand that God gives prophecy to Israel concerning what will happen to them. But he also uses prophets and prophecy throughout Israel’s history to reveal how He will accomplish all of humanity’s ultimate redemption. History proves that prophecy is fulfilled exactly how the Bible says it would be. The remaining unfulfilled prophecy is centered around God’s nation of Israel.

This booklet will tell you about fallen man in need of a Savior. God’s plan for the coming Messiah, God’s prophecy to Israel that has already happened, and God’s prophecy that is yet to happen concerning Israel. Then the second half of the book will recap these prophecies and show what the Bible says about them.

My purpose is that if you only read the first half of this book, it will be simple to understand so you can walk away knowing a picture of prophecy. If you read on you will have a better look at what the Bible says and discern your own view. Hopefully this book of notes will be a starting point for you and spark an interest and these notes will help you study Bible prophecy.

The Fall of Man

God created the world, the universe, and all they contain in six literal days. God spoke creation into existence. It was perfect and God said it was very good. He created man in His own image and gave man dominion over the animals and all creation. God created woman to be a helpmate for man and they were created perfect without sin. God named man Adam and Adam his wife’s name was Eve. God walked and talked with them in the Garden of Eden.

“By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:2-3) God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (2:16-17) Eve was deceived by the devil to eat and then Adam chose freely to sin against God and Adam ate as well. This act of sin separated Adam and Eve from God and they were condemned to die.

The decision to choose sin over God plunged Adam and Eve’s offspring into a fallen state with a sin nature that separated all mankind from God. To redeem man back to a right relationship with God, a Redeemer was promised to one day be born. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (3:15) This Redeemer is later revealed to be Jesus Christ the Son of God.

When Adam chose to sin, God made the first blood sacrifice to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. We see man’s sin nature at work when Adam’s first son named Cain killed his brother Abel. Abel brought a blood sacrifice to the Lord, “but Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground…And the Lord had regard for Abel offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry.” (4:4-5) “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” God would only accept a blood sacrifice for the remissions of sin, and God punished Cain. “When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” (4:12)

As the world population increased, mankind became more wicked. God had to judge the sin of the world, yet one man found grace in the eyes of the Lord. His name was Noah and he had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth. God told Noah that He would flood the world killing all breathing life because the earth was filled with violence. However, God would still keep His promise to send a Redeemer.

Therefore, God saved Noah, his three sons and their wives by having them build an ark to keep them safe during the flood. God brought two of every kind of animal into the ark then sent the flood that killed and destroyed His perfect creation. Afterwards the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat where Noah’s family and all the animals got off to repopulate the world.

Noah’s descendants began to repopulate and God told them to fill the earth, be fruitful and multiply. They chose to disobey God’s instructions. Instead of dispersing, they built a large tower under the leadership of a man named Nimrod a descendant of Ham. It is estimated that this happened sometime between 100-130 years after the flood with a population of possibly 150,000 to 500,000. God ended the rebellion by destroying the tower, confusing their language and forcing them to separate. “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (11:9)

The people spread to the Mesopotamia area and around the Mediterranean Sea. They built cities and empires, such as Nineveh, Asshur, and Babylon - the beginning of the Assyrian Empire. Egypt was established on the coastline and was fed by the Nile River. The Cushites migrated to the north of Africa and established the Ethiopian Empire. Families migrated north of the Mediterranean and Black Seas establishing the Arian race. Families that migrated to the far east became the Asian race.

God planned to bring about the Redeemer through a chosen nation. God chose one man named Abram who believed God’s command to leave his homeland, a place called Ur, and go to the land of the Canaanites. This land was located on the south coastline of the Mediterranean Sea and the vast desert of Arabia was to the south. The fertile land was trapped between the desert to the south and the Sea to the North. To the west lay the Red Sea and the Nile River bordering Egypt then the large African continent. To the East was the land of Mesopotamia then the Asian continent. This strip of land was at the heart of the known world and acted as a land bridge that connected the continents.

When Abram entered the land, God promised to give this land to Abram’s descendants for an everlasting possession. God made a covenant, a sworn promise that the seed of Abram would possess the land forever. God swore this covenant by His own name, passing through the torn carcasses of a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a pigeon. (Gen 15) By this shedding of blood God promised this land to the descendants of Abram as their inheritance forever. God made it known that He will not break His covenant.

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham which means Father of Many Nations. The covenant passed down to Abraham’s son Isaac, then to Isaac’s son Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and gave him twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. When famine came to the land, Israel’s family (which numbered over seventy persons) moved into Egypt. In Egypt Israel was given a land called Goshen. Within the next 110 years Israel grew into a nation. Egypt feared their numbers and put Israel into slavery for the next 100+ years.

But Israel became stronger and multiplied even more. In an attempt to control their numbers the Pharaoh of Egypt passed a law that the firstborn males Israelites be killed at birth. Moses was born during this time and his parents saved him by putting him in a floating basket/ark in the Nile where the daughter of Pharaoh bathed. Pharaoh’s daughter took the baby for her own because he was beautiful. Moses was raised in the house of Pharoah. When he was forty years old, he left the house of Pharaoh to free his people from slavery. He failed and had to flee Egypt for his life. Moses fled to Midian where he married, had two son’s and was mentored by his father-in-law Jethro.

Exodus to the Promised Land

When Moses was eighty years old, God used him to free Israel from slavery in Egypt. Because Pharaoh refused to free Israel, God sent ten plagues destroying the land of Egypt. The last plague killed Egypt’s firstborn males. Egypt mourned and Pharaoh finally let Israel leave but he regretted his decision and tried to chase them down. God provided a way of escape by dividing the Red Sea and Israel passed safely to the other side. When Egypt pursued, God brought the sea crashing down, killing the Egyptian army. Egypt at this time in history was a leading empire, but the Lord humiliated and weakened their nation. Egypt never fully recover from this destruction. For many years after, the nations of the known world feared the God of Israel for what He had done to the Egyptian Empire.

Israel entered Egypt as a family of seventy plus persons. When they left, Israel numbered over 4 million with Moses as their leader. God talked face to face with Moses and Moses spoke God’s word to the people. God led the people by day with a pillar of cloud which is referred to as the Shekinah Glory. By night God led the people by a pillar of fire in the sky. God was always in their presence and provided food and water for the vast multitude of His nation.

At Mount Sinai God gave the law to Moses. This law consisted of a moral law - the ten commandments: “Thou shall love God and love thy neighbor,” and judicial law for the community to live together in peace and a system of punishment suitable for the crime, and a sacrificial law for the priest to offer blood sacrifice of animals too God that would atone for the sins of the people. The sacrificial law was a standby atonement foreshadowing that the Messiah would shed His blood as a permanent sacrifice in payment for the sins of the people.

God led His people to the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the covenant that God swore by His name for an everlasting possession. At Mt. Sinai God entered into a covenant with the entire nation of Israel. Israel was a chosen nation that would represent God’s glory and be a light for the nations, revealing God to the world. However, this was a conditional covenant, if Israel ever rejected God’s law and refuses to repent of their sins, then God would allow them to be conquered by their enemies. Israel agreed to this covenant and a blood sacrifice was made sealing the promise.

Israel were sinners and began to disobey God immediately. God was faithful and brought His people to the Promised land. Frightened by the Canaanites that lived in the land, Israel did not have faith to enter the land. Because of Israel’s fear and sin, God allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. That generation died in the wilderness and the next generation conquered the land.

God brought judgment upon the pagan Canaanites by commanding Israel to kill every man, woman, and child. God’s mercy allows wicked men time to repent, but there comes a time when God brings His wrath. God brought His wrath upon the Canaanites as He gave Israel the power to conquer the land by military force. God divided the land among the twelve tribes so Israel finally possessed the Promised land.

But Israel did not kill all the Canaanites as God had commanded. The next generation began to marry the Canaanite women, although God had warned them that the women would turn the hearts of the men to serve pagan gods. Israel sinned against God and served idols. They broke their covenant with God.

For the next three hundred years, called the time of the judges, Israel sometimes honored and sometimes strayed from God to worship pagan gods. God described this act of betrayal as, “Israel whoring after other gods.” This could be compared to an unfaithful wife becoming a prostitute. God therefore allowed Israel to be conquered by their enemies. When Israel repented, God would restore them. God used men called judges to restore the people from oppression. God gave the judges victory in battle and sometimes gave them supernatural strength, such as in the case of Samson. (Judges 13-16)

Kings of Israel

Israel eventually rejected God’s rule and demanded a king to rule over them like all the other nations. God gave them exactly what they wanted - a handsome young man named Saul who stood a head and shoulder taller than others to be their king. Saul became prideful and disobeyed God. The Lord mercifully took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to a man after His own heart.

God chose David who grew up a shepherd boy and sincerely loved God, his Lord. Having spent many days spent alone on the hillsides, David’s heart and thoughts were focused on the God of his fathers. His prayers were heard as the Lord protected him from predators attempting to harm his flock. David knew that God was his protector and while still a young teen he showed great courage when he trusted in the Lord to defeat a giant warrior named Goliath. God loved and protected David and David trusted in the Lord.

David was anointed king and remained faithful, but not perfect. He sinned, but always humbled himself to repent. God made a covenant with David that the Messiah, the Redeemer, would come from David’s seed. God promised that David’s lineage would rule as kings over the people and one day the Promised Redeemer, the Lord, the Messiah would be born in David’s lineage. Prophets foretold that the Messiah would rule the whole world with a rod of iron while David would sit as king over Israel. This is the promised future Kingdom.

After David came his son Solomon who God blessed with great wisdom to judge his people. Solomon was also blessed with great riches. Israel prospered more than other nations around the world. The Mediterranean provided trade for ship merchants. The land God promised to Israel was a passage for travelers and trade caravans. After traveling through Israel people would return home and tell their country how magnificent was the God of Israel. This was what God wanted from Israel as His chosen nation, to be blessed above all people and be a light path towards God.

Later in life, Solomon took many foreign wives who led him away from the Lord to serve pagan gods. Solomon built high places for pagan worship and this marked the beginning of the decline for Israel. After Solomon died his son Rehoboam caused a rift and Israel split into two kingdoms. Ten tribes made up the Northern Kingdom known as Israel while two tribes (Benjamin and Judah) made up the Southern Kingdom known as Judah.

The Northern kingdom of Israel immediately rebelled and produced one wicked king after another. One king named Ahab married Jezebel who is remembered in history as one of the most evil women to ever live. She was descended from the Canaanites God had commanded Israel not to marry, and she promoted Baal worship.

Paganism is the practice of worshiping multiple gods and the worship of Baal became a thorn in the side of Israel. Jezebel was determined to convert all Israel. Once she became Queen, she filled the land with hundreds of Baal priests and had the priests who served Yahweh (Hebrew name for God) killed.

During this time God provided a prophet named Elijah to prove He alone was the true God of Israel. Elijah challenged the false prophets to call down fire on a sacrifice. They couldn’t do it but when Elijah did, God burned up the sacrifice and the surrounding false prophets. Elijah killed hundreds of Baal priests. God also anointed a new king of Israel named Jehu who was a mighty warrior and commander in the army. Jehu went on a mission from God and killed all the Baal worshipers in Israel as well Jezebel and her son. Even though God destroyed Baal worship, Israel still rebelled and did not obey Him. Under the conditions of the covenant God had made with Israel, God allowed them to be conquered by the Assyrian Empire. The year was 722 BC.

After the nation divided, the kingdom of Judah had some faithful kings that came from the lineage of David. When a faithful king ruled, the people followed God and were blessed. When an evil king ruled, the people strayed and God brought judgment. When the Northern Kingdom Israel was conquered, God protected the Southern Kingdom Judah. A righteous King Hezekiah prayed and all Judah humbled themselves before their God. The Assyrian army laid siege to Judah, but the Angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians. The remaining Assyrian’s retreated and Judah was saved.

God protected Judah from the Assyrians, the people rejoiced and were faithful. During this time God sent the prophet Isaiah to prophesy about a future kingdom and Savior. Isaiah gives more specifics than before. This future Kingdom would be established on earth and the Messiah would rule the nations with a rod of iron. This messiah would be born to a virgin from the lineage of David and the Messiah would be found in a manager. A common poor man, he would also be rejected and put to death. The prophet was telling Judah that their King the promised Messiah would be both a suffering servant and a conquering King.

After the death of Hezekiah his son Manasseh reigned and became the most evil king Judah ever had. He led the people into pagan worship. Judah became wicked. They burned their babies alive in the fire as an offering to the pagan god Molech. God promised to judge Judah for this horrific sin.

Although judgment had been determined for Judah, a king named Josiah was born from Manasseh who turned the hearts of the people back to God. Josiah became the most righteous king Judah ever had and he brought a great revival. All the high places were destroyed and pagan worship was completely abolished. Judah served Yahweh again and the people were forgiven.

Hundreds of years earlier, when Israel first split a prophet had foretold that Josiah would come. The prophet told of a king who would abolish pagan worship from the land. Josiah brought back all the teaching of God’s law that had been lost and he restored the priests to sacrifice to the Lord. The people were taught from God’s written word.

Daniel

Although Judah was forgiven and restored under Josiah’s reign, the judgment of exile was still coming. The Babylonian Empire had risen to power, conquered Nineveh and defeated Assyria. The great King Josiah died in battle and a few years later Judah was conquered by Babylon.

In the year 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar became the Babylonian King. To secure a yearly tribute from Judah, Babylon took youths from Judah’s noble families and deported them to Babylon as captives. Among these youths were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These boys were young teenagers whose parents had been part of the revival led by King Josiah years earlier. They were brought up knowing the wisdom of the Lord and were grounded in God’s word to be faithful and courageous.

The faithfulness of these teens changed the heart of King Nebuchadnezzar from serving pagan gods to serving Yahweh. Once in Babylon, they showed great faith in God and risked their lives by not eating the meat sacrificed to idols. God protected them and these faithful teens were promoted above all the wise men in Babylon.

One night King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him so he called all the wise men of his kingdom to first tell him the dream and then the interpretation. No one was able to tell the king his dream. The king was so angry he commanded all the wise men to be executed, including Daniel and his friends. The boys prayed to know the dream and the interpretation. God answered and revealed the dream to Daniel who was then taken to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel gave glory to his God and revealed that the king dreamed of a large statue with a head of gold, chest of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay with ten toes. A Stone not made by human hands struck the image on the feet and the whole statue crumbled to a powder and blew away in the wind never to be found again. The Stone then became a great Kingdom that rules the whole earth. Read Daniel 2:37-45

Daniel reveals that the statue represents the Gentile (non-Hebrew) kingdoms that will rule the known world. These empires are Babylon-head of gold, Persia-chest and arms of silver, Greek-belly and thighs of bronze, Rome-legs of Iron, feet partly iron and partly clay with ten toes represents a future one world empire.

The Stone not made by human hands is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior who will come from the heavens and destroy the one world empire. The Gentile nations will be destroyed never to arise again. Then the Stone will grow into a mountain meaning the Lord Jesus Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth and He the Messiah will rule with a perfect government in a recreated perfect world.

This prophecy was given shortly after Daniel’s captivity in 605 BC and has been mostly fulfilled. Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BC. The Persian Empire was conquered by the Greeks in 332 BC. Rome established their Empire that encompassed the Mediterranean Sea, and had a decisive victory over the Greek Empire in 145 BC. Rome stretched their empire to rule over Israel in 68 BC. The Messiah was born in 1 BC and the calendar restarted at His birth. The Messiah died on a cross for the sins of the world in 33 AD. The Roman Empire divides into two East and West empires. The West collapse in 465 AD and the East disperses around a 1,000 years later.

The feet of the statue are the unfulfilled portion of prophecy. They consisted of iron from the legs that continue into the feet and mixes with clay. This represents a kingdom that will be partly strong, partly weak and will not bond. This represents a One World Kingdom that encompass the whole world. The Lord Jesus Christ will return from the heavens and utterly destroy this kingdom. The Messiah will then establish His own Kingdom that will endure forever.

The feet presented in the book of Revelation as a one world kingdom ruled by 10 kings (the 10 toes) answer to a world dictator (the Antichrist.) Jesus Christ will return to destroy this kingdom at a valley in North Israel called Armageddon. “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)

Nebuchadnezzar rewarded Daniel and his friends for the interpretation. He even began to recognize there was a God in Heaven who gave Daniel insight of the future. His faith was short lived however, because not long after this Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to worship his pagan image. The Lord miraculously saved the 3 young men. God later humbled king Nebuchadnezzar whose heart changed and he serve the Lord of Heaven with all his heart.

Daniel lived his whole life in Babylon and was an old man when the Persians conquer Babylon. They threw him into the lion’s den for his faith but the Lord protected Daniel from the lions. As a result of Daniel’s faithfulness, two Persian kings humbled themselves and served God, one being Darius the Mede, and the other Cyrus the Great King of Persia.

During Daniel’s life in Babylon, God gave him many visions revealing prophecy. God reveals the future Empires again but this time shows each Kingdom as a beast. Each beast has a characteristic specific to that Empire.

First Babylon is portrayed as a lion, and a heart of a man was given to the lion. This symbolizes the heart of Nebuchadnezzar. He was a ruthless, prideful King, but God saved him and gave him a humble heart.

Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.” (Daniel 7:3-4)

The next empire was Persia, portrayed as a bear that is raised higher on one side. This empire began as the Medo-Persian Empire. The Kingdom of Media joined forces with Persia but Persia was more powerful as depicted by the bear being higher on one side. The bear is described as a large animal with three ribs in his mouth. Persia grew large by conquering three nations: Egypt, Lydia and Babylon.

Over one hundred and fifty years earlier, Isaiah the prophet said, “…Cyrus, He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, She will be built, and the Temple, Your foundation will be laid.” Thus says the Lord to His anointed… For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me… I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” Says the Lord of hosts. (Isiah 44:27-45:1-13)

The Persian King Cyrus is considered one of the greatest kings in History. Cyrus used the forces of the Medes and the Persians to conquer the known world. In turn he was used by God to restore Israel to the promise land.

The next beast represents the Greeks under Alexander the Great. The Greeks are portrayed as a leopard with four heads and four wings. The Greeks had a highly trained military that conquered with predatory speed. When Alexander the Great died at a young age his Empire was divided between his four generals. (Daniel 7:6)

The Greek Empire is depicted again by Daniel in chapter 8, the image this time is of a goat with a notable horn reflecting their first King Alexander. The horn was broken off symbolizing the death of Alexander and four other horns came up in its place. These two images are the same in many ways.

The 4th beast portrayed the Roman Empire. Some picture it as a dragon but the Bible tells of a terrible beast that crushed all in its path. The Roman Empire developed a powerful military built around a shield wall formation and hand to hand fighting that utilized the lethal 20-inch double bladed sword called the gladius. The battle ground was soaked with blood and strewn with heads and limbs and organs. The Romans conquered by fear, destroying all that stood in their way, and anyone caught rebelling was brutally beaten and publicly hung on a cross until they died a horrible death. Rome was brutal and this 4th beast portrays the Empire well.

The imagery then switches to end-times and the 4th beast is described as having 10 horns. Then a little horn sprouts up among them. The little horn speaks boastful words against the Lord Most High and makes war with the saints and defeats them. The vision continues and the Son of Man comes from the clouds and defeats the beast and the beast is thrown into everlasting fire. Then the Son of Man sets up His own Kingdom and rules forever and ever.

The Angel’s interpretation is that the 10 horns will be 10 kings that rule the whole world and the little horn will be their leader, who is the Antichrist. When Christ comes back to Armageddon, He will defeat this final Empire.

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most-High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

This 4th beast having 10 horns depicts a future Roman Empire. The imagery leads many to believe that the last world empire will be a revived Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed it was not replaced by another but rather separated into nations such as England, France, Spain, ect. The little horn is the Antichrist who will rise to power among the old Roman Empire.

Looking back at the feet of the statue having 10 toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream also represent these 10 Kings. The legs of iron on the statue are the Roman Empire, and the iron merges into the feet of the “revived Roman Empire.” The feet are part iron and part clay, partly strong and partly weak. The weaker nations of the world are the clay that will be part of this final Empire. These 10 kings are portrayed in Revelation as world leaders who give all their authority to the Antichrist. The feet on the statue are the final kingdom that Christ the Rock comes down and destroys.

God gave Daniel more insight of future prophecy, most of which have already been fulfilled. In the year 550 BC Daniel was shown a vision of a ram with two horns and one horn grew higher than the other. The Angel told Daniel that the ram represents the next Empire after Babylon, the Medes and the Persians. The lower horn depicts the Persians who were at first weaker than the Medes but became stronger under their King Cyrus the Great. King Cyrus united the two creating the Meo-Persian Empire that became known as the Persian Empire.

The vision continues on to show a goat with a great horn that flew across the ground and struck the Ram with great force and trampled the Ram underneath. When the goat defeated the ram, the great horn on the goat was broken off and in its place 4 other horns emerged. The angel Gabriel interpretated the goat as the Greek Empire that would defeat the Persians. The goat’s speed resembles the Greeks conquering the Persian Empire surprisingly quickly; the Greeks were vastly out-numbered however, they never lost a battle. The great horn was the first King, Alexander the Great. The great horn was broken off and four other horns grew in its place. After the death of Alexander, his four generals split the Kingdom into four kingdoms with each general becoming a king. Ptolemy, Seleucid, Cassander, Lysimachus.

The vision continued and the angel said that a vile king from one of these Greek kingdoms would persecute the Jews, but Israel would fight and win victory. Antiochus IV from the Seleucid Kingdom desecrated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC. The Jews fought back and won victory restoring the temple and this is celebrated every year with Hanukah.

Years later when Daniel is an old man the angel gave him a prophecy of two Greek Kingdoms the Ptolemy and the Seleucid that battle back and forth for nearly 200 years. This king Antiochus IV rises to power from Seleucid located north who conquers Ptolemy controlled Egypt located south of Israel. The possession of Israel changed hands several time between Seleucid and Ptolemy. Remember whoever controls Israel controls the trade route.

The visions given to Daniel revealed prophecy concerning Israel’s future. Daniel had to believe by faith that these prophecies would happen one day. But you and I can look back on history and see these prophecies happened just as the Bible says. What remains future to us is the last world Empire controlled by the ten kings and ruled by the Antichrist. We like Daniel must believe this by faith. Daniel tells us when this this last gentile kingdom will begin and that it will last only 7 years during which it will rule over Israel.

The 70th Week

In the year 538 BC, the Medes and the Persians had recently conquered Babylon. Daniel knew from prophecy that the Persian Empire would allow the Jews their return to Israel. He was praying fervently for God to forgive his people and allow them to return to the promise land. The angel Gabriel appears once again to reveal a time line to Daniel. The angel said there will be 490 years for the nation of Israel. At the end of the 490 years the Messiah will come back and begin His Kingdom.

The angel breaks this timeline into 2 parts and the prophecy is given in units of seven years. The angel Gabriel tells Daniel that there will be 69-units of 7-years then the Messiah, Israel’s King will be cut off and rejected. The second part of the prophecy consists of the final unit of 7 years during which the enemy (Lucifer) makes a covenant with Israel but breaks the covenant in the middle and commits the Abomination of Desolation in the holy Temple. At the end of the 7 years the Messiah returns to conquer the world by defeating the enemy (Lucifer) and this completes the 490 years. Then the Messiah will begin His Kingdom on earth.

The angel Gabriel tells Daniel the time line for this prophecy will begin when Israel is permitted to return to Israel to rebuild. In March of 444 BC the Persian King Artaxerxes gave permission to return and rebuild the City of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2) Then 483 years later Jesus rode a donkey down the Mount of Olives and He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy. The date was March 30, 33 AD. Israel rejected their suffering messiah and have him crucified on a Roman cross. The time line stops. Because Israel rejected their King, the angel Gabriel says they will be conquered and evicted from the land. Israel will reject their King Jesus Christ until the fullness of the gentiles are complete. Then Israel will be deceived and agree to a covenant with the prince (Lucifer) and this will start the time-line again.

God kept His covenant with Israel that they would possess the land forever and therefore God miraculously brought them back into their own country. But Israel continues to reject their King Jesus Christ. They do not recognize that they killed the Messiah. Israel will be deceived and enter a covenant with the world leader who deceives them as an angel of light but is the Antichrist. When Israel agrees to this deceptive covenant the time-line will start again and there will be 7 years that end the 490-year prophecy.

The Angel Gabriel breaks this last 7 years into two parts. In the first 3 ½ years Israel will be deceived, then the Antichrist will break the covenant and desecrate the Jewish Temple and commit the Abomination of Desolation. During the last 3 ½ years the Antichrist will persecute Israel and those who follow Jesus as Lord. Then the Messiah will return at Armageddon ending the 490-year prophecy. Revelation chapters 4-20 give more detail about the last seven years.

1. The 490 years are not continuous. God told Isreal to let the land rest every seventh or Sabbath year. He warned that if they did not observe the Sabbath year, He would let their enemies take them into captivity. While in captivity the land would have its Sabbath years. Israel disobeyed for 490 years, missing 70 Sabbath years. God brought a 70 yr captivity in Babylon as judgment.

2. Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would reign 70 years. Babylon conquered the Assyrian capitol Ninevah in 612, then defeated the combined forces of Ninevah and Egypt in 609 BC. Babylon conquered Judah in 605 BC. Judah rebelled and was defeated again in 597. This time Babylon took 10,000 captives, including the Prophet Ezekiel. In 586 Judah rebelled again, but this time Babylon destroyed the Temple and took the Jews captive selling them into slavery. Judah was left desolate for 70 years from 586 to 516 when the Temple had been rebuilt (2 Chron 36:15-21-Ezra 6:15). Babylon reigned 70 years from 609-539 (Jeremiah 25:11-12-Ezra 1:1-4) The Land enjoyed the Sabbath rest years when Judah was in captivity from 586-516=70yrs (2 Chron 36:15-21-Ezra 6:15) The Persian Empire defeated Babylon in 539 BC ending Babylon’s 70 year reign.

3. The 69-week prophecy is 69 x 7= 483 years, found in Daniel 9:24-26. This time begins when the Jews are allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

4. This is found in Nehamiah 2. The date is March 5, 444 BC. The end date is when the Messiah presents Himself as their King. This is fulfilled in Luke 19 when Jesus rides down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, the date is March 30, 33 AD. The prophecy is given in a 360 day year (Jewish calendar) and the exact time is 483 yrs X 360 = 173,880 days. This prophecy is accurate to the day.

5. Jesus is referred to as the Stone that the builders rejected…the picture is of a pyramid in which Jesus is the Stone placed on top completing the structure, the Nation of Israel was the pyramid that rejected this last Stone. Jesus was rejected by Israel and was crucified on the cross for the sins of the world ending the Old Covenant and beginning the New Covenant. The Stone that the builders rejected became the Chief Corner Stone of a new structure. Jesus the perfect sinless Messiah is the Cornerstone and the Apostles make up the rest of the foundation. (Ephesians 2:19-22) The Church is built on this foundation and are sealed under the New Covenant. (Ps 118:22-24, Mark 12:1-12)

6. Scripture leads us to believe that Christ will rapture His Church to Heaven before the tribulation, (1 Cor 15:42-57, 1 Thess 4:13-18…But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come…Mark 13:32-33)

7. The 7 year tribulation will begin when the Antichrist makes a covenant with the Nation of Israel (day 1 then 7x360=2520 days to Armageddon) In the middle of the 7 years the Antichrist will commit the Abomination of Desolation

Revelation

The prophecy in the book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John, the beloved disciple. To understand this book you need to understand the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament prophets and Christ’s prophecy. Pieces throughout the whole Bible must be brought out and put in the right place to achieve an accurate picture. This section of the notes will fill in the gaps and lay out a story of what will happen in the end times. The second part of these notes will get more into scripture that explain the story of end-time prophecy.

A picture of End-Times- The world will become more wicked as false religion spreads and defiance towards God increases. The world will begin to unravel and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Then a financial collapse will cause an uprising. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be pestilence and famine. World war and famine will kill about 25% of the world’s population.

An empire will rise from the European nations combined with the Middle East. It will be ruled by 10 Kings. The Empire will begin to conquer worldwide and the nations of the world will join this Empire in hopes of peace and security. One man will rise within these 10 kings speaking great words and presenting himself as a peaceful man. The 10 kings will make this man emperor of their kingdom.

Now the world has a leader that will finally bring peace and prosperity. This man becomes known as savior to the world but we know him as the Antichrist. A False Prophet also arises alongside the Antichrist who will bring peace between the religions of the world. The Antichrist creates a worldwide covenant to bring peace and abolish war. When Israel agrees to this covenant then the last 7 years will begin.

Israel will trust in this covenant and will begin to worship freely in their newly built Temple. Israel is finally at peace with their neighbors, so they start the process of disarming their military. 3 years into the covenant, once Israel is disarmed, the Antichrist changes his character. He is no longer a peaceful leader but rather an angry man speaking boastful words against God and God’s chosen nation Israel. The Antichrist orders an attack on God’s Nation to destroy them. Russia and Iran will lead the attack as they rearm their military from underground hidden weapons. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will offer their support for the invasion of Egypt and Israel for the booty of the land.

Much of the world will be distressed because the covenant was supposed to bring peace. When the covenant is broken with Egypt and Israel they will be about to be destroyed and plundered. Egypt assassinates the Antichrist. The whole world witnesses the assassination and the Antichrist is dead. People mourn the loss of their king and fueled for revenge the Russian military begin the invasion of Egypt first, then Israel. The Jews have no way of defending themselves and funnel into Jerusalem as the army invades.

Soon Israel will be dominated and its people killed. Israel repents and prays desperately for their God to save them. When all hope is lost a huge earthquake shakes the whole world. Giant hail stones fall on the invading army, and fire and brimstone rain from the heavens. The Lord answers Israel’s prayer. Jesus Christ descends from the Heavens and splits the Mount of Olives with such force that it shakes the whole world. The Messiah will save Israel and kill their enemies. The whole world will tremble at the wrath of God. This attempt to destroy Israel also provokes a war in Heaven and the Angels will fight for dominance. The devil and his angels will be cast to the earth defeated by the Son of Man.

When the invasion is over the invading army will all lay dead and the world will tremble in fear for the Lord shakes the whole earth. Israel will be amazed that they are saved from total-destruction. At this time Christ will seal 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe will be sealed with a mark in their foreheads. The mark can be seen and identifies these men are chosen to preach the Word of God to the ends of the world. The 144,000 will be supernaturally protected from persecution. At this time also Christ will provide 2 witnesses to protect His chosen people from annihilation. Jesus Christ then returns to the heavens.

The people across the world mourn while they prepare the funeral for the Antichrist. The False Prophet, the co-ruler and religious leader with the Antichrist, will lead the funeral service. While he speaks the whole world will be amazed when the Antichrist rises from the dead.

The Antichrist will rally the 10 kings in support of another invasion into Israel and this time the Antichrist will personally lead them into the land. The European army will invade Israel and the Antichrist will waste no time as he marches straight into the Temple of the Jews. The Antichrist will set up an image of the fallen cherubim in the Temple and sacrifice a pig on the alter. When the Jews see this Abomination of Desolation take place in their Temple they will flee for their lives. The Jews will rush to the valley created by Christ through the Mount of Olives to the Jordan valley. The Antichrist’s army will kill all Jews in sight. The Jews that make it to the Jordan valley will be protected by the two witnesses who are given power to supernaturally stop any threats. One third of the Jews will make it to the Jordan valley. There in the valley they will be protected for 3 ½ years.

The Antichrist knows he cannot kill the Jews who are protected in the Jordan valley, nor the chosen ones that bear the mark of God in their foreheads. His anger will turn on anyone that follows Jesus Christ. The False prophet will perform signs and wonders and will bring the people back to himself. The false prophet will demand that all take the mark of the beast in their right hand or in their forehead. Anyone who refuses will not be able to buy or sell and will be persecuted. The people will marvel at the false prophet’s signs and at the beast (the Antichrist). The Antichrist claims that he is the fallen cherubim Lucifer and speaks boastful words against God almighty. The people marvel and say, “Who is like the beast and who is able to stand against the beast,” for the whole world witnessed him rise from the dead and conquer Israel.

Lucifer begins his reign, but the Jews are protected by the witnesses in the Jordan valley, while the sealed 144,000 Jews preach the word of God across the world, and Israel is now controlled by the Gentile Empire.

God’s wrath is now poured out on the earth. Great hailstones pound the earth. A large asteroid will smash into the sea killing much of the sea life. Then meteors will rain down on the rivers contaminating the fresh water. God’s wrath will kill mother earth that man worshipped and an angel in heaven will cry to the people saying that the wrath will only increase. Days become 1/3 shorter and God’s wrath switches from the earth to man. Locusts from the depths of hell with the tails of a scorpion will swarm the earth stinging those who bear the mark of the beast. People will lie in torment as if poisoned by a snake, but they will not die. Nations around the world will begin to panic for lack of food and water. 1/3 of the world’s population will die.

Such turmoil has never been seen. The sealed Jews warn people to repent. Many people are saved but they will be persecuted. Those with the mark of the beast are tormented by God’s wrath and an Angel in heaven warns people to repent because the end is near. The Angel says that whoever has the mark of the beast in their hand or in their forehead will be thrown into the winepress of God’s final wrath and perish forever.

God’s wrath becomes unbearable as the oceans are destroyed and the fresh water supply becomes like blood. The food and water supply is so low and the people will not be able to survive much longer. The 10 kings of the Empire will turn on the Antichrist and the false prophet in hopes of subsiding God’s wrath. In an attempt to snuff out the reign of the Antichrist and false prophet, the world trade center called Babylon will be destroyed by these 10 kings. The destruction of Babylon fails to kill the Antichrist and false prophet. Instead these two men unite with the 10 kings to discuss how to defeat God’s wrath.

The two witnesses will be summoned from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem and the antichrist will kill them. The 10 kings will be shocked and amazed because the armies of the world could not kill these two men but the Antichrist did. Their bodies will be dragged into the streets of Jerusalem and the whole world will see and rejoice that these two men are dead. The false prophet will deceive the 10 kings by performing great signs and the river Euphrates will dry up. The people of the world marvel at the signs and the power of the Antichrist who killed the two witnesses. However, on the third day the world watches while the two witnesses come back to life and God calls them up to heaven, then the earth shakes violently.

The world knows that the wrath of God will destroy them soon if they do not do something. Some people repent and turn to God, but the rest put their trust in the Antichrist to battle God Himself. For who can stand against the Antichrist who killed the two witnesses, and who can stand against the prophet who performs great miracles? The people of the world and the 10 kings will unit under the rule of the Antichrist believing the world can be restored through the power of the Antichrist and false prophet.

The remains of Israel will be gathered in the Jordan valley with no protection now that the two witnesses are dead. The Gentile Empire retreats from Jerusalem and the armies of the world will gather north of Israel in the valley of Megiddo. They will threaten to destroy Israel in attempt to call The Lord God to battle. The ten kings will bring the nations from the east across the dried Euphrates River to gather their armies in the valley of Megiddo. The process of gathering the armies of the world into the valley of Megiddo takes 30 days.

The Jews make their way back into Jerusalem which has been deserted by the gentiles. When Israel sees this vast army threating to destroy them, they will begin to pray. Israel had been taught for 3 ½ years by the two witnesses that they had rejected and had killed their Messiah, Jesus the Lord. Israel will repent openly for this offence and acknowledges Jesus Christ as their King. Israel will pray for the Messiah to come and save them from their enemies. Around 2500 years ago, the prophet Hosea said of Jesus, “I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their offence and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15)

When Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the Jews and sentenced to be crucified for treason by the Romans, Jesus was asked the question, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of Heaven.” (Mark 14:62) Jesus told His disciples that those who were condemned to eternal death will, “see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28) This was confirmed to John when he was given the prophecy of Revelation. “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.” (Rev 1:7)

Jesus will stay true to His word that every eye will see Him coming from the clouds on a white horse to make war and destroy the armies that come against Him. The armies of the world will gather in the Megiddo Valley, and as promised all who bear the mark of the beast will be part of the Lord’s wrath in this valley. Those that have the mark will be raptured and thrown into the wine-press of the Lord’s wrath. An Angel possessing power over fire, will resurrect all the souls from hades and throws them into the wine-press of the Lord’s wrath.

When Jesus Christ the Messiah answers the call for battle, and forgives Israel’s offence, He will mount a white horse and return from the Heavens coming from the clouds. Every soul that ever lived will see His return. The armies in the valley will see, all those who dwell across the earth that do not have the mark will see, all those that did receive the mark are raptured and thrown into the wine-press and will see, those from creation that have rejected the Lord will be resurrected and thrown into the wine-press and they will see. The raptured Church, Christ’s Bride will return with Him and will see. The Saints who die in the tribulation are raptured to return with Him and will see. Every soul that has ever lived will see the return of Christ. Either you will return with Him in Glory, or you will see Christ return when you are thrown into the wine-press of His wrath.

Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a Flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

When Christ returns to earth, the Saints in heaven will come back with him riding white horses. Jesus created all things and without Him nothing was created. He spoke life into existence and when He returns in the clouds, He will speak life out of existence. God symbolizes this final destructive act of wrath as a wine-press, and the life that is in man is their blood. When Christ speaks life out of existence, every soul that ever lived that rejected the Messiah as Lord will lose the life from within them. As the wine-press of God’s wrath treads down, the life of man will produce a river of blood that flows up to the horse’s bridle for 200 miles.

The river of blood completes the final judgment of wrath, for all who reject the promised Redeemer. When Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of the great statue, the Stone struck the statue on the feet but the whole statue fell into fine powder and blew away never to rise again. (Daniel 2) The river of blood is the picture of the statue that blows away never to rise again.

Then Christ separates the sheep from the goats. Christ will judge the goats for their sins and reward the sheep for their faithfulness, and the world will be renewed back to the original creation. This will take 45 days according to Daniel’s time-line. Then a great celebration will take place on earth called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This celebration will be the start of the 1,000-year reign of Christ’s Kingdom where He will rule with a rod of iron.

All those who reject the mark of the beast will repopulate the world. Israel will be established with David as their King and they will all know the Lord. “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also, the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child puts his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isiah 11:6-9)