End Time Insights

At the revelation of Jesus from Heaven, the saints will experience glory, but the wicked will receive everlasting destruction . Paul describes the believers of Corinth as those who are “ eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus ,” and he connects this event to “ the Day of the Lord .” In his letters, Paul refers to Christ's return as the ' Parousia ' (“ arrival ”), the ' erchomai ' (“ coming ”), and the ' epiphaneia ' (“ manifestation ”) of Jesus, as well as his “ revelation ” or ' apocalypsis .'

Each of the three sevenfold series of Revelation concludes with a final judgment scene that transpires at the end of the age . Final judgment scenes occur several times in the Book of Revelation . The sevenfold series of Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls of Wrath all culminate in the final judgment, and each time, the end of the series is punctuated by the same terrestrial and celestial phenomena.

Paul continued his discussion about Christ’s arrival by addressing what will occur on the Day of the Lord – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. The Apostle Paul discusses the “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ of Jesus and the Day of the Lord in chapters 4 and 5 of  1 Thessalonians . In Chapter 4, he declares that both dead and living Christians will be gathered to meet the Lord as he descends from Heaven. In Chapter 5, Paul links that and related events to “ the Day of the Lord ,” and he explains how that day will affect the godly and the ungodly.

Jesus will arrive and gather his people on the Day of the Lord, and in the New Testament, this event becomes the Day of Christ . In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul refutes claims that the “ Day of the Lord ” is imminent. That day will not arrive until the “ Apostasy ” and the “ revelation of the Man of Lawlessness, the Son of Destruction .” Jesus will destroy this Master Deceiver at his “ Arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’, an event the Apostle links to this final great day.

The arrival of Jesus will mark the end of the present order, the resurrection of the dead, and the start of the New Creation . Jesus will return from Heaven on a day punctuated by power and glory. Christ’s “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ will mean the consummation of God’s Kingdom, the judgment of the ungodly, the vindication and resurrection of the faithful, the unveiling of the New Creation, and the termination of death - The reversal of Death’s sentence on humanity. The coming of the “ Son of Man on the Clouds ” will be a glorious event of absolute finality.

Two events must occur before the Day of the Lord begins - The Apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness in God’s House . Men spreading rumors in the church of Thessalonica were raising false expectations about the imminence of the “ Day of the Lord ” and the “ arrival ” of Jesus. The Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be alarmed or deceived by such rumors since two key events must occur before that day comes.

The arrival of Jesus will mean vindication and rest for the righteous, but everlasting loss for the wicked  - 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. The “ revelation ” of Jesus from heaven will result in the vindication and reward of the faithful, but the loss and punishment of those who reject the Gospel, including men and women who abandon and betray the true faith. Christ’s return will result in “ just judgment ” for the righteous and the unrighteous.

The coming of Jesus will mark the end of the present order and age, and the commencement of the age to come .  Jesus will return to the Earth at the “ end ” of the present age. His glorious “ arrival…on the clouds ” will result in the judgment of the ungodly, the resurrection of the righteous, the arrival of the New Creation, and the termination of death. It will be an event of great finality .

Rumors about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion in the Thessalonian congregation  – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. The Apostle Paul addressed rumors and false claims about the “ Day of the Lord " in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Incorrect information concerning Christ’s return had disrupted the congregation. The disinformation was attributed either to a “ spirit ,” word (' logos ' ), or a letter “ as if from ” Paul and his coworkers.

Paul prepared his readers in Philippi for one of his letter’s main themes: Going on to “ perfection ” in Jesus. Bodily resurrection must take place for the consummation of this process. This will occur when Jesus appears “ on the clouds of Heaven .” What God began in the Philippians at their conversion He would continue to perform until “ the Day of Christ .”

While exiled on the Isle of Patmos, John came to be “ in the Spirit ” and found himself “ in the Lordly Day ” where he received visions about the seven congregations of Asia. Though his visions were concerning events that commenced in the first century, they also culminated in the final judgment, the “ Day of the Lord ” when the wicked will be punished and the righteous vindicated in the city of “New Jerusalem.”

In his first letter, Peter addresses congregations under pressure to conform to the expectations and values of the surrounding society. Their situation is not unique. They are members of a worldwide suffering community. A key theme of the Letter is the necessity for believers to persevere in tribulations and remain steadfast in holy living until the “ Day of Visitation ” when Jesus will be “ revealed ” from Heaven.

In his second epistle, Peter addresses the growing weariness of some believers due to the apparent delay in or even the failure of the “ arrival ” of Jesus to materialize, an open door for false teachers and outside critics to exploit. Instead of the predicted terrestrial and cosmic upheaval, daily life was continuing as it always had. The Apostle’s explanation is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

Revelation moves inexorably from the death of Jesus to the final day when God judges the wicked and vindicates the righteous . At the conclusion of his ‘ Olivet Discourse ,’ Jesus gave his parable of the Sheep and the Goats. On the day when the “ Son of Man arrives in glory ,” his angels will gather all nations before him for judgment, and he will divide them into two groups. One will receive “ everlasting destruction ,” and the other, “ everlasting life .”

In four separate passages, Revelation refers to a coming “ GREAT EARTHQUAKE ,” each time locating it on the day of “ wrath .” Chaos in the heavens and unimaginable seismic shifts on the earth will mark the arrival of the “ Day of the Lord ,” the Great Dénouement when God vindicates His people and punishes His enemies.

When the seventh seal was opened, a half-hour of “ silence ” ensued before the seven angels began to sound their “ trumpets .” During that interlude, the prayers of the “ saints ” were heard ascending to the throne of God. Now, when the “ seventh trumpet ” sounds, “ loud voices ” declare the triumph of the kingdom and the possession of the nations by the “ Lamb ” as promised in the second Psalm.

The “ wrath of God ” is NOT synonymous with “ tribulation ,” and it is identical with the “ plagues ” unleashed by the three series of “ seals ,” “ trumpets ,” and “ bowls of fury .” And despite the devastation of these plagues, impenitent men do not repent. “ Wrath ” refers to the judicial sentence of God on His enemies.

Paul does not provide detailed information about the times and seasons since the Lord will arrive like a thief in the night  – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. Paul continues discussing the “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ of Jesus Christ in Chapter 5 of  First Thessalonians , where he addresses the question of its timing and how it will affect the prepared and the unprepared. Rather than signs and timetables, the Apostle reminds his readers that “ the Day of the LORD ” will come like a “ thief in the night .”

Jesus will arrive on the Day of the Lord at which time the dead will be raised, the wicked judged, and death will cease . Paul discusses aspects of Christ’s future arrival in his letters to the Corinthians, including the “ Day of the Lord ,” the consummation of God’s Kingdom, the resurrection of the dead, the bodily transformation of saints still alive when Jesus comes, the judgment of the wicked, and the end of death itself .

The arrival of Jesus will mean the resurrection of the dead, the commencement of the New Creation, and the final judgment . Several Greek terms are applied by the New Testament to the return of Jesus, including ‘ Parousia ’ (“arrival”), ‘ erchomai ’ (“coming”), ‘ apokalupsis ’ (“revelation”), and ‘ epiphaneia ’ (“appearance”). Regardless of which one is used, it is always singular in number, it always refers to only one future “arrival,” “appearance,” “revelation,” or “coming.”