The Bible speaks of the end times as a series of events that will take place before the second coming of Jesus Christ (21:25-28). This period of time is divided into two parts, the Rapture of the Church and the seven years of Tribulation.

The Rapture of the Church is when the Body of Christ is filled with the last Gentile saved, and all those who have died in Christ during the Church Age will be resurrected with new bodies. Those who are alive and remain will follow the dead in Christ and their mortal bodies will be changed into their immortal bodies. Both groups will meet the Lord, bodily, in the clouds, where we will be with the Lord forever (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7).

Soon after the Rapture of the Church, God will resume His dealings with the nation of Israel, leading to the seven years of Tribulation. During this time, the Anti-Christ will come on the scene, signing a seven-year treaty with Israel and allowing them to resume Temple worship (Revelation 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9; Daniel 9:27).

Several events will occur at the beginning of the tribulation one will be the appearance of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3), who will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom (not the Gospel of Grace; Matthew 24:14). These two witnesses will recruit and seal 144,000 young Jewish men (Revelation 7:4). They will preach this message all over the world, and shortly after the Tribulation begins, the Russian confederation will invade Israel, only to be destroyed by God. By the mid-point of the Tribulation, there will be a great earthquake, the two witnesses will be killed and resurrected, the Anti-Christ will come into the Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself as God, and Satan will be cast down from heaven.

The last 3 and a half years of the Tribulation will be known as the Wrath of God, with the earth enduring the wrath of both Satan (because he knows he has but a short time) and a righteous God. The scenes of human suffering will be beyond comprehension and worse than anything seen in history as the Lord Jesus Himself mentioned in Matthew 24:21.

It’s important to make the point that the Church, which is His body, the body of Christ, will not be here on the planet to experience the wrath of God. We will be raptured prior to God completing the seven years of the 490, we will return with the Lord at His second coming. Scripture makes a clear distinction between the rapture and the second coming. It’s crucial that we study End Times events and Bible prophecy to present ourselves approved unto God.

Revelation 19:14

“And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”