Welcome to answers to the big questions. I'm your host Allen Sonter, and I'm glad you could join me. In the last episode, I explained why God allows suffering.
Of course, in the space available, only the briefest explanation was possible. Perhaps my answer raised many questions in your mind. I don't pretend to have the answers to all the questions you might have, but if you wish to contact me at three ABN, I'll do my best to let you know what the Bible says on the subject.
I promised that in this presentation I would tell you what I believe the Bible says about the future, because I believe the Bible was written by men whose thoughts were directed by God as they wrote. I'm sure that comments the various writers made about the future can enlighten us about what is going to happen. Perhaps I should say at this point that many people have taken things written in the Bible and have used them out of context, coming up with some outlandish ideas about the end of the world.
God has not given us the Bible in order for us to set up as self appointed authorities on all the details of how the world will end up. Jesus himself said very clearly in John, chapter 14, verse 29, that the purpose of what he said about the future was that when we saw the predictions fulfilled, we would have confidence to believe that he truly was the Son of God. So we need to be very cautious about how we interpret comments the Bible writers made about the future, particularly in the case of the writings of the Old Testament prophets who wrote primarily about events relating to the nation of Israel.
Having said that, there is enough clear and unambiguous predictions made in the Bible for us to gain a clear picture of the broad scrap of events that will shape the future of this planet. First of all, in the dream of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, which I mentioned in the previous episode and which you can read about in the second chapter of the Book of Daniel in the Bible, the king saw a great image made of various metals representing the nations that would control world empires over the centuries. You might remember that the feet and toes of the image were made of iron mixed with clay, representing the fact that after the Roman Empire declined, there would never again be a one world empire.
The Roman Empire fell to invaders during the fifth century Ad. And there has not been a single world empire since that time. However, the dream didn't end with the feet and toes of the image.
The prophet Daniel reminded the king that he had seen a huge stone strike the image on the feet and then grind the whole image to pieces. The fragments of the pulverized image were then blown away by the wind, and the stone grew in size until it became a mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel explained to the King that this stone represented the kingdom that God was going to establish on this earth.
He said that the establishment of God's kingdom would mark the end of the nations as we know them today, and God's kingdom would last forever and would never fall. So God says through the prophet Daniel that this earth will ultimately be taken over by God himself, who will establish his own government. To accomplish this, he will wipe out all the current nations whose power is based on the principles of Satan.
The way in which God will step in and set up his kingdom is described by various New Testament writers. Clearly, it will be a very traumatic event, as described in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 26 and on. Jesus indicated that the end of the world as we know it will occur when he returns a second time with all the power of heaven at his command.
Since the second coming of Christ will be such a major event in this world's history, many people over the years have wished to know when it will occur and what it will be like. On one occasion, Jesus and his disciples were looking at the magnificent temple in Jerusalem and Jesus told them that the temple would one day be destroyed. The disciples were amazed and asked Him when this would happen and what would be the sign of his coming.
They assumed that the temple would only be destroyed when Jesus came to put an end to the world as we know it. Jesus did not tell them that the two events, the destruction of the temple which occurred in Ad. 70 and His Second Coming, would be separated by many hundreds of years.
But he did make a number of comments and predictions that, with the benefit of hindsight, we can identify as applying to one or other of these two events. He did say that there would be increasing tension between nations before his return and that there would be an increase in natural disasters such as epidemics, famines, earthquakes and tsunamis. He warned that false Christs would appear and would deceive many people into following them.
But he made it clear that when he returns, there will be no doubt about the fact. He said in Matthew 24, verse 27, that his coming will be seen from one end of the earth to the other, just like lightning flashes from horizon to horizon. The Apostle John, in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation, says that everyone will see Jesus coming.
Jesus indicated that immediately prior to his appearing, there would be massive natural upheavals, even affecting the appearance of the heavenly bodies, sun, moon and stars. But he also said that the actual time of his coming would not be known. He said that his coming would be like the arrival of the flood in Noah's time.
Although Noah had been preaching for 120 years when the flood finally came, it caught people unawares. So Jesus admonished. We need to be always ready to meet Him.
The two chapters in which I recorded Jesus comments are the whole of Matthew, chapter 24 and Luke, chapter 17, and verses 20 to 37. It is of interest to note that many of the factors Jesus said would indicate his soon return are evident today. There's an unprecedented increase in natural disasters, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions increasing exponentially each decade.
Massive famines are killing millions, and diseases like AIDS and COVID-19 have health authorities at their wits end. There are also plenty of individuals making the news headlines claiming to be Messiahs or Christ's return to Earth. I believe that Christ's prediction that there will be false Christs is also meeting fulfillment in the so called Christian churches that are preaching a Christ who does not require obedience to God's commands and who offers salvation without repentance for sin.
Such a Christ is not the Christ of the New Testament, who is the only true Christ. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the events, including the deceptive false Christs, are accompanied by high levels of international tension in various parts of the world. The scenario Jesus outlined as preceding his return to earth looks amazingly like the picture we see all around us today.
Jesus said that when he does come again, he will raise to life those who have died or fallen asleep, as he put it, believing in Him as their Lord and Saviour. This is called the first resurrection. At that time, those who have not accepted Him, but who have followed Satan's principles of living, will be destroyed by the devastating events accompanying Christ's return, as described in Revelation 20, verses one to three.
Christ will then take his people, those who are alive at the time of his coming and those who have been raised to life, back to heaven with Him, as Paul tells us in one, thessalonians four, verses 13 to 15, and they will remain there with Him for a thousand years. No doubt during that time, God will explain to them all the things they haven't understood about why he has done what he has. During that time, Satan and his evil angels will be left on this earth all by themselves.
God describes the situation by saying that Satan is bound for a thousand years because he's confined to this earth with nobody to rule over or deceive, as outlined in Revelation 20, verses one to three. At the end of the thousand years, several things happen. All those who have ever lived, but who accepted Satan's rulership instead of Christ's, are raised to life again in the second resurrection, of which we are told in the bracketed part of Revelation 20, verse five.
Then God brings down from heaven a huge city called the New Jerusalem, the capital of his new universal kingdom, filled with all his people. As John tells us in Revelation 21 verses ten to 21, it is placed on this earth. Then the millions of Satan's followers who have been resurrected are organized by Satan into an army.
In his last desperate attempt to overthrow God, this fast army attempts to surround God's city. But in his final act in the war with Satan, god destroys both Satan and all his followers in a massive fiery holocaust called in Revelation 20, verse ten, the Lake of Fire. God then uses this fiery inferno to burn away everything associated with the evil that has plagued this earth.
And he recreates a completely restored and perfect world like the one he made in the beginning. In this new earth, there's no more suffering or death, and God establishes the headquarters of the universe here on planet Earth as an everlasting reminder that it was on this earth that the great challenge to his authority was met and overcome. Never again will anyone challenge God as Satan did, because all have seen the terrible results of rebellion and are determined never to repeat the devastating experience.
The story I have just related about how God will finally put an end to Satan's rebellion is really quite straightforward as it is set out in the Bible. But there are a few points that do need clarification, mainly because some of the idiomatic expressions used by Bible writers have been misunderstood by many of us who live so far removed from the culture of Bible times. I will deal with some of these in the next episode as I answer the question what and where is Hell? I hope you will take the time to listen to the next episode.
You've been listening to answers to the big questions. I'm Allen Sonter and I hope you can join me next time.
if you have any questions or comments in relation to today's program, you can call 3ABN Australia Radio within Australia on 024-97-3456 or from outside of Australia on country code 6124-973-3456.
Our email address is
[email protected] That is radio at the number 3abnaustralia. All one word dot org dot au. Our postal address is 3abnaustralia Inc. PO.
Box seven five two. Morisset, New South Wales 2264, Australia thank you for your prayers and financial support.
Look for the waymarks as you journey on. Look for the way marks passing one by one down through the ages past the kingdom's born, where are we standing? Look the way marks lord look for the way marks the great prophetic way marks down through the ages past the kingdom's fold look for the way marks the great prophetic way marks the journey's almost for first the Babylonian kingdom rules the world then meet Persia's.
Banners were unfurled and after Greece held universal sway rome sees the scepter. Where are we today? Down in the feet of iron and of clay we divided soon to pass away what will the next great glorious trouble be? Christ and is coming and eternity look for the way marks the great prophetic way marks down through the ages as the kingdom hold look for the way marks the great prophetic way marks the journey in the paper war rumbles in the land. Global insecurity and finance troubles man.
A paper called the Sunday Becomes Worldwide Command. A time of trouble enters such is never known to man signs of the times of around us, prophets tell of glory. Also tell all men and woman the Bible tells a story I won this world hardly know.
Daniel gives us warning. Revelation tells us all three angels fly from heaven with message and a call signs of the times around. US.
Tell me the apocalypse will end soon. You judgment now is sitting tony running out for man the hand there points to midnight there's final as at hand new styles of confusion true Protestants will stand the painful mark is given. The beast now has command signs of the time around us a remnant people standing there, trouble to old man.
I see them looking upwards. Obeying God's command. Clouds break forth before them.
They see the son of man. My friend, I ask the question. Where will you decide to stand? Signs of the times around us tell me the apocalypse will end soon awake, look up and get ready for the end the king of kings will soon descend and where will you be found my friend? And where were you? Where will you be found my friend? And where were you? Where will you be found my friend? Close came on a mission from my heavenly home to die on a cross for sins to atone I went away I said I'd come back someday just keep looking up to the sky watch and pray.
Behold, I come quickly. In the twinkling of an eye I'm coming for a bride all rolled in wide. No man knows the day.
So keep your heart right for behold, I come quickly. Like a thief in the night pray without teeth keep your lamp burning bright for I'm coming soon could be morning, noon or night. In a moment you think not the trumpet will sound and those who already will be heaven bound.
Behold, I come quickly. In between of the night I'm coming for a bride all rolled in white. No man knows the day.
So keep your heart right for behold, I completely like a thief in the night. Deep in the night deep in the night I'm God and I suck. I am that.
I am the first and the last, the lion and the lamb. I'm Alpha, Omega, beginning and the end read the back of the book I'm coming again. Behold, I come quickly.
In the tweezing of an eye I'm coming for a ride all rolled in wide no man know today so keep your heart right for behold I come quickly. Behold, I come quickly. Behold, I come quickly.
Like a beep in the night. Like a beep in the night. I have fixed my mind on another time on another time and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light and that is today, today until he comes I have fixed my mind on another time on another time I have set my course on the narrow way, on the narrow way even so come quickly.
This is birth and prayer for I've got a glimpse of glory and I'm longing to be there's with all things of love will rise with those who sleep no more hear me and shall the Son of man, the Son of man appear even soul? Come quickly this is my first prayer for I've caught a glimpse of glory and I'm longing to be there for I've caught a glimpse of glory and I'm lo longing to be there's I have fixed my mind on another time close on another you have been listening to a production of Three ABN Australia radio.
