Overview of End Times and Millenial Reign of Jesus

Overview of End Times and Millennial Reign of Jesus.

Based on scripture we are to know about the End Times, End of Days or also known as The Last Days. Paul, writing to Timothy states in 2 Timothy 3:1‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.’ Then Paul further explains what the condition will be in the last days [verses 2-6]. It’s not that the things mentioned haven’t been a part of every one’s lives since Jesus died and rose from the dead; it’s that there will be a noticeable and heightened intensity of these things in the last days. The last days are a reference to the generation of people who will be alive at the time of Jesus the Bridegroom, coming from heaven to remove the wise virgin brides and the dead in Christ. See Matthew 25:1-13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Then, suddenly, the Lord comes for His own. The dead rise first from their graves, then the living wise virgin brides rise to meet them in the air with Jesus and His angels. [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Acts 1:9-11.] This event has been called the pre-tribulation rapture by some.

After this, comes the tribulation/great tribulation. All of society that has rejected Jesus as Savior [this includes the foolish virgin brides (Matthew 25:1-13) will suddenly experience the reign of satan and his forces, fallen man killing all that don’t surrender unto their will, and the judgments of sin through the years from Jesus. According to my study of the scriptures; about 2/3rds of the people alive at the beginning of the tribulation will be dead by the end of the great tribulation.

The judgments of Jesus are in part explained in Matthew 24 and in the book of Revelation. Society will be in ruins both physically and spiritually. Things proceed from bad to worse.

Then, near the end of the great tribulation Jesus returns with His angel army, aka the Hosts of Heaven; His bride, and many of the saints throughout human history return also. Jesus will rapture His faithful children and gather them unto Himself. They survived the devastation of life in the tribulation/great tribulation. Jesus will meet with the leadership of Israel and they will finally accept Him as the Messiah. Jesus will then turn His attention to the military forces coming against Him for battle at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). The Lord Jesus aka the Lord of Hosts, defeats the armies that came to destroy Him. In Revelation 19:1-21 and Revelation 20:1-6, we find that the beast and the false prophet have been cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit. We see that the dead in Christ [the first resurrection], reign with Jesus for 1,000 years.

In Jesus’ rule on earth, those humans still alive enter into the millennial reign of Jesus on earth. It’s kind of like living in the garden of Eden before sin. It’s not as nice as heaven, but it’s close to it. You’d think all things would be perfect, but it isn’t. There are still humans that rebel against Jesus’ rule over them. We find that satan is released from the bottomless pit, only to insight more trouble. Jesus finally deals with satan and those in rebellion at the great white throne judgment REV 20:11-15.