TOUGH QUESTIONS: What Will Happen During the End Times:

On October 3, 2014 Cloud Ten Pictures will be rebooting Left Behind: The Movie. The movie will star Nicholas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, and will be produced by Willie Robinson from Duck Dynasty. I have only seen previews for the movie and will probably wait until it is released in Redbox (I'm cheap). The movie is raising a lot of questions about the end times and is helping to spark conversations around the water cooler. Below is what I believe the Bible teaches on the end times and the rapture.

The Bible teaches that immediately following the removal of the church from the earth (the rapture) the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world and that these judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth. At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged. This period includes the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy.

After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David and establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years on the earth. During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth. This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world.

The kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel to restore them to the land that they forfeited through their disobedience. The result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside, but will again be awakened through repentance to enter into the land of blessing.

This time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life, and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan.

Following the release of Satan after the 1,000-year reign of Christ, Satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, at which time Satan and his army will be devoured by fire from heaven. Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment.

The resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment, they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire.

After the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan, and the judgment of unbelievers, the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God, after which the elements of this earth are to be dissolved and replaced with a new earth, wherein only righteousness dwells. Following this, the heavenly city will come down out of heaven and will be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy forever fellowship with God and one another. Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever.

(1 Thess. 5:1-3; 8-11; Revelation 20:4-6; 11-15; Daniel 9:27' 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16; Daniel 12; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Daniel 7:17-22; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:9; Matthew 25:41; John 5:22; Revelation 20:11-15; Ezekiel 36:33-38; Romans 11; 2 Peter 3:10; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28).