End Times, Rapture and Tribulation

END OF THE WORLD, END TIMES AND END OF DAYS
Many scriptures anticipate the end of the ages/world. And the imagery is reinforced in other scriptures about Armageddon, and the so-called Apocalypse inferred in the book of Revelation.

Because Christians insist on interpreting scripture literally, instead of symbolically, they wrongly believe that these scriptures anticipate the end of the physical world in a battle between good and evil. Religious people who study these scriptures notice that the end of the world is timed with Jesus’ return. They got it right that the end of one thing means the beginning of another thing, but they lack understanding of who Jesus is and what his second coming means.

STUDY TIP: See Second Coming of Christ and Premillennialism, Postmillennialism and Amillennialism.

Since the term “the world” refers to the world of religion, the end of the world refers to the end of religion — not to the end of the physical world that is implied in the literal reading of scripture. Similarly, end of the ages refers to the end of the age of religion — not to the end of the natural world.

This end does not come all at once for all people as in a singular, unique, cataclysmic even as imagined in art, books and movies. Such a one-time event is the result of wrong, literal interpretations of scripture. If the end of the world was a one-time event, the scripture that says “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” would not be true for people who live in the present age or in an earlier age. The impact of a singular, one-time event would only apply to people who live at the moment of the end-of-the-world event. Furthermore, since the end times event is closely tied to the second coming of Christ, only people who live at that time would experience the benefits of what Jesus has to say to them.

STUDY TIP: See Second Coming of Christ and IT IS ALL ABOUT TODAY.

For the end of the world to be meaningful, relevant and applicable to all people in all ages, past, present and future, it cannot be a unique moment in time. It must be a spiritual event that is not connected to time as we understand time.

STUDY TIP: See Time: Hours, Days, Weeks and Ages for understanding of how to interpret Biblical references to time.

The end of the world, or end of the age, is the completion of the age of religion for an individual, or a particular religion. Religious leaders who have interpreted scriptures as the end of the physical world have made a big mistake in interpreting scripture literally. The correct, symbolic interpretation of the end of the world is as the completion of the phase of life in which an individual practices religion, and the beginning of a new phase in which that individual begins to worship God in spirit and truth.

But the end times does have a universal/global aspect also. Every time an individual leaves religion, that religion is diminished or reduced. For example, when someone leaves a church, that church dies a little. As more people leave, death of the church becomes more imminent. And, if too many people leave and are not replaced with new people, the church will die. That is the end of the church. That is the “end time” for that church.

And when many churches die this slow, incremental death, the world of religion dies. Every time someone quits practicing religion, the event should be interpreted as the end of the world of religion or the “end time” for religion.

God desires the end of the world of religion because the methods and purposes of religion are harmful to his people.

STUDY TIP: See How God Sees Religion for understanding of why God is opposed to religion and wants to see it come to an end.

Because religion is harmful to his people, God is highly motivated to rescue them from religion. His people are spiritually dead because of religion, and he wants them to have new, spiritual life.

STUDY TIP: See Religion is Disease and Death, Resurrection, New Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell for understanding of spiritual death and spiritual life.

The only way for people to gain that new, spiritual life is to listen to God’s voice. The reason they are spiritually dead is that they listen to the voices of false prophets — not God’s spoken voice. Therefore, the only way for them to gain spiritual life is to stop listening to false prophets and begin listening to God’s voice.

In God’s way of thinking, being religious and listening to false prophets is tribulation. Tribulation is the condition of an evil, impure heart. This condition is a stark contrast to the condition of a clean, pure heart which is characterized by the presence of Faith, Grace, Mercy, Peace, Love, Glory, Hope, Joy, and Truth. All of these qualities exist in clean, pure hearts because people listen to God’s voice. But, religious people who listen to false prophets have none of these qualities in their hearts. What they have is tribulation characterized as pride, envy, greed, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, evil thoughts and
self-conceit. 

When the end of the world comes for an individual religious person, all of the qualities of an evil, impure heart come to an end. Concurrently, God does a miracle of changing evil, impure hearts to clean pure hearts. The Bible calls this miracle being born again. The Bible also calls this process being lifted/taken up which some Christians call the rapture.

This process of leaving religion and being born again happens slowly, person by person. It does not happen globally, for the whole population of the physical world, all at one time. The end comes as each religious person learns how to hear God’s spoken voice while simultaneously going through the process of leaving religion.

People start thinking about leaving religion when they either find that religion is oppressive and/or learn that the Bible is filled with lies, that religious people are all hypocrites and that everything they have been taught is deception. They also soon come to see that religion is nothing more than a way for religious leaders to earn money through clever teaching.

When these truths about religion settle into people who have been religious, they are greatly humiliated to discover that everything they have believed is a lie. This too is a kind of tribulation of the heart.

Sooner or later, people who are honest with themselves discover that religions, including Judaism and Christianity, do not deliver on their promises. Here is a short list of their discoveries:

 

Awareness of these facts comes to each religious person slowly and painfully. And whenever it comes, humility is always part of the process. And the process is always accompanied by deep soul-searching that forces the religious people to search their hearts as they struggle with the awareness that they have been addicted to religion and have willingly submitted their lives to charismatic cult leaders whom they have given honor and money.

Concurrently, they are the birth pangs that forecast the beginning of a new spiritual life.

This process is symbolically represented in the Bible as creation. It is process of a slow death to the life of religion in us. This process is called the first death.

STUDY TIP: See Death, Resurrection, New Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell and Two Deaths for understanding of death.

Also see How to Hear God’s Spoken Voice.

References to death in the Bible are difficult to understand until we recognize that death is necessary before new life can occur. What dies is the bad seed of religion sown in the bad fruit of Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil (i.e. False Prophets, Kings, Queens and Princes, Pharisees and Scribes, Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs).

All religious people are bad seed because they have received religious instruction from religious leaders who are Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil. More than being bad seed, most of them have matured into the kind of tree from which their seed came (i.e. Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil) and they have also cast their evil seed to grow other religious people. That is how religion spreads.

The first death occurs as the evil trees die and as the seeds they spread die.

In its simplest terms, death is the destruction of an evil, impure heart. From God’s perspective, such hearts must die because he cannot make his home there. He only makes his home in hearts that are clean and pure. Resurrection is what God calls the new life that he infuses into a heart that his presence makes clean and pure. The Bible also calls this transformation “born again.”

STUDY TIP: See God Does Only One Kind of Miracle.

The rebirth process is completed when religious people stop eating evil, soulish fruit found on Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In Biblical terms, this heart transformation is represented as the end times, end of the age and end of the world. For each individual it is the end of the time, or end of the age of religion for them individually. It is the end of listening to false prophets and the end of following religious laws. It is also the beginning of listening to God’s voice and having God’s laws written on their hearts.

The end of the age of religion is not a singular, unique time for everyone all at once as some religions teach. The timing of this transition is different for each individual.

STUDY TIP: For people who like to study end times, this is the period of pre-rapture tribulation. It is tribulation because it is not easy to make the transition from religion to no religion.

The term commonly used to describe end times and end of days is eschatology. Jews and Christians should be cautious not to think about future, eschatological events in natural terms (e.g. months, days, years, hours, and the physical destruction of the natural world, etc.). They must always apply the “first the natural and then the spiritual” principle when interpreting scripture. This means that they must interpret the written scriptures symbolically — not literally. This means that they must always interpret scripture with respect to their personal life today.

STUDY TIP: See IT IS ALL ABOUT TODAY.

Religious people who take pride in their literal interpretations of scripture focus on end times theories and signs should keep in mind that many religions, both old and contemporary, embrace eschatological theologies. Thus, thinking about the end of the physical world according to a schedule that includes days, weeks and years is a violation of God’s command that his people should not follow the customs of other nations (i.e. religions).

Because Christian end time theology and Jewish end of days theology are always, and wrongly, framed in terms of the end of the natural world at an unknown future date, these theologies are nothing more than replications of the mythologies of other religions. Jews and Christians would not admit to this, however, because their beliefs are based on literal interpretations of the Bible — not on the symbolic meaning. They do not understand that God used the natural language of other religions to represent spiritual truths.

The truth is that references to end time and end of the world are to the end of the world of religion for individuals — not the end of the natural world. This is consistent with the overarching theme of the Bible which God destroys religion (i.e. his enemy) in which people practice idolatry and listen to false prophets so that they will instead listen to his voice.

Here is a small sample of so-called end times scriptures:

Zephaniah 1:8-18  Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealous wrath, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full, yea, sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

COMMENTARY: God exercises his wrath against religion because religion enslaves his people. Land and Earth here represent religious people whom God want to transform into spiritual people. But he can’t do that until he first destroys their religion  Matthew 24:14.

This process begins when God speaks to the heart about sin, self-righteousness and judgment. As individuals are personally convicted, they will be humbled and then repent of their sin of practicing religion. Once convicted, each person will disengage from religion. Thus, the world of religion is not destroyed all at once, but slowly and incrementally, one person at a time as God changes hearts — one heart at a time.

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.”

The symbolism here is of stones as people. While they are members of a religious community, religious people represent an institutional, religious structure. These are the structures that God wants to tear down. The temple also symbolizes the religious strongholds that people embrace. This thinking must be destroyed before people are able to hear God’s voice. This destruction is the “end time” of each religious entity.

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

COMMENTARY: The disciples’ questions show that their ideas of end times are global, natural events. Jesus steers them away from this orientation to cautioning them to be careful about who they listen to.

Religious leaders who claim to be anointed by God  for religious teaching based on literal interpretations of the Bible, claim to be the Christ/Messiah. These teachers are false prophets who lead people astray from listening to God’s voice which, if they would listen to it, says  that prophecies about end times and the end of the world are about the end of religion — not the end of the natural world.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

COMMENTARY: Conflict between religions has always existed. See Cities, Kingdoms and Nations, Religion is the Enemy, Gods at War and Sibling Conflict. The conflict to which Jesus refers is between religious individuals and organizations. Just like in a war, one wins and the other loses. He is saying that these kinds of conflict must happen because it is in the nature of religious kingdoms to compete with one another for followers and their financial  support.

Every time these conflicts occur, there is potential that religious people caught up in the conflict will see that these conflicts happen because religious people have evil, impure hearts.  Some will also see that religion is nothing more than an economic enterprise that benefits religious leaders. When enough people see this, financial support for the religions will decrease so much that the religions are no longer financially viable. Then they will collapse.

STUDY TIP: See this link for more about the end of religion.

Famine always refers to lack of spiritual food coming from God’s voice. See Bread, Food and Wine. Earthquakes are symbolic references to God’s spoken voice.

8 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

12 And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.”So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you beforehand.So, if they say to you, ‘Lo, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

COMMENTARY:

Daniel 7: In the first year of Belshaz’zar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel said, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand upon two feet like a man; and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and lo, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 11 I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. 15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.’ 19 “Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrible, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze; and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; 20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up and before which three of them fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and which seemed greater than its fellows. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom. 23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.

25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time.

COMMENTARY: The wearing out of the saints seems to indicate that they are weary of all their religious activities. This relates to the Seventh Day and Rest. The beast, therefore, has always been present to keep religionists faithful to practice the Religious Traditions of their chosen religions.

Such beasts are False Prophets, Kings, Queens and Princes, Pharisees and Scribes, Serpents, Devils, Satans, Adversaries, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs. 

Changing of the law has been an ongoing phenomenon in both Judaism and Christianity as rules for worship and doctrines have evolved to accommodate emerging cultures and tastes — especially music. This is evidence of religious syncretism where the religious people who desire to be Godly change even though God does not change and his spiritual law does not change

26 But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’

28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed; but I kept the matter in my mind.”

COMMENTARY:

Daniel 12:7: The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven; and I heard him swear by him who lives for ever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time; and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be accomplished.

COMMENTARY:

Hebrews 9:26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

COMMENTARY: The end of the age refers to the end of the time of being religious for each religious individual. The end of religion occurs when an individual hears and believes the words of a prophet/messiah sent by God to speak for God.

When religious people start listening to God speaking through prophet/messiahs, they put away the sin of listening to false prophets. This is only possible when true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, warriors put their lives at risk by speaking the truth about religion to God’s enemies. When they do this, they become targets of religious people who want to preserve their religious kingdoms.

1 Peter 1:17-23   And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. 

COMMENTARY: The time of exile is the period of time of practicing religion. More accurately, it is the period during which religious people do not, and indeed cannot, hear God’s spoken voice. Instead, they listen to the voices of religious leaders who promote and enforce religious laws.

Fear is a constant, pervasive condition of people who practice religion. Basically, it is a fear of man. Religious people depend on, and thrive on the praise that they receive from other religious people for their faithful practice of religion. This praise is the fuel that feeds their pride in their religion.

18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 

COMMENTARY: Futile ways are the ways of religion learned from spiritual fathers (i.e. people who teach religion). The ransom for redemption from the sin of religion is paid by messiahs who lay down their lives by speaking the truth about religion (i.e. he hates religion) to people who love their religion. Silver and gold are symbolic terms for the attractive things of religion (e.g. buildings, clothing, artifacts, people, etc.). These things are not able to save people from sin. In fact, these things are sin because they are presumed to embody spiritual value.

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. 

COMMENTARY: See this link for understanding of the symbolism of Jesus’ blood.

21 Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

COMMENTARY: See this link for what it means to be born anew.

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