{"id":6754,"date":"2019-02-05T06:19:40","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T12:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/?page_id=6754"},"modified":"2025-08-18T06:34:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:34:30","slug":"end-times-rapture-and-tribulation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/time-hours-days-weeks-and-ages\/end-times-rapture-and-tribulation","title":{"rendered":"End Times, Rapture and Tribulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

END OF THE WORLD, END TIMES AND END OF DAYS<\/strong>
\nMany scriptures anticipate the end of the ages\/world.<\/a> And the imagery is reinforced in other scriptures about Armageddon<\/a>, and the so-called Apocalypse<\/a> inferred in the book of Revelation.<\/p>\n

Because Christians insist on interpreting scripture literally, instead of symbolically,<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Second Coming of Christ<\/a> and Premillennialism, Postmillennialism and Amillennialism.<\/a><\/p>\n

Since the term “the world<\/a>” 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.<\/p>\n

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”<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Second Coming of Christ<\/a> and IT IS ALL ABOUT TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Time: Hours, Days, Weeks and Ages <\/a>for understanding of how to interpret Biblical references to time.<\/p>\n

The end<\/a> of the world<\/a>, or end<\/a> of the age<\/a>, 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

God desires the end of the world of religion because the methods and purposes of religion are harmful to his people.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See How God Sees Religion<\/a> for understanding of why God is opposed to religion and wants to see it come to an end.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Religion is Disease <\/a>and Death, Resurrection, New Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell<\/a> for understanding of spiritual death<\/a> and spiritual life<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> — 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.<\/p>\n

In God’s way of thinking, being religious and listening to false prophets is tribulation. Tribulation is the condition of an evil, impure heart<\/a>. This condition is a stark contrast to the condition of a clean, pure heart<\/a> which is characterized by the presence of Faith, Grace, Mercy, Peace, Love, Glory, Hope, Joy, and Truth.<\/a> 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,<\/a>\u00a0licentiousness, <\/span>idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, <\/span> envy, <\/span><\/span><\/a>evil thoughts <\/a>and
\n self-conceit.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/a> of changing evil, impure hearts to clean pure hearts. The Bible calls this miracle being born again<\/a>. The Bible also calls this process being lifted\/taken up<\/a> which some Christians call the rapture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> while simultaneously going through the process of\u00a0leaving religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

People start thinking about leaving religion when they either find that religion is oppressive and\/or learn that the Bible is filled with lies<\/a>, that religious people are all hypocrites<\/a> 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 <\/a>through clever teaching<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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. <\/a>This too is a kind of tribulation of the heart.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n