We will take a slight detour here and cover a few prophetic subjects that may not have a lot to do either with angels or with the book of Revelation. This is kind of a catch all chapter for things that don’t really fit in anywhere else.


Mark 13:10 "And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations."

In an earlier chapter we looked at the prophecies concerning the fact that the gospel must be preached to all nations before Christ will return. As previously this task is about 98% completed. It won’t be long before that barrier no longer stands in the way of our Lord’s coming.

What we will look at in this chapter that is a little different is the reason given in 2 Esdras for Christ’s delay in returning until the gospel is preached around the world.


In the book of 2 Esdras in the Greek bible, Ezra asks the angel Uriel questions about the meaning of human existence.

2 Esdras 4:1-4  Then the angel that had been sent to me, whose name was Uriel, answered and said to me, “Your understanding has utterly failed regarding this world, and do you think you can comprehend the way of the Most High?” Then I said, “Yes, my lord.” And he replied to me, “I have been sent to show you three ways, and to put before you three problems. If you can solve one of them for me, then I will show you the way you desire to see, and will teach you why the heart is evil.” I said, “Speak, my lord.”

2 Esdras 4:5-12 And he said to me, “Go, weigh for me the weight of fire, or measure for me a blast of wind, or call back for me the day that is past.” I answered and said, “Who of those that have been born can do that, that you should ask me about such things?” And he said to me, “If I had asked you, ‘How many dwellings are in the heart of the sea, or how many streams are at the source of the deep, or how many streams are above the firmament, or which are the exits of Hades, or which are the entrances of paradise?’ perhaps you would have said to me, ‘I never went down into the deep, nor as yet into Hades, neither did I ever ascend into heaven.’ But now I have asked you only about fire and wind and the day—things that you have experienced and from which you cannot be separated, and you have given me no answer about them.” He said to me, “You cannot understand the things with which you have grown up; how then can your mind comprehend the way of the Most High? And how can one who is already worn out by the corrupt world understand incorruption?” When I heard this, I fell on my face and said to him, “It would have been better for us not to be here than to come here and live in ungodliness, and to suffer and not understand why.”


2 Esdras 4:13-20  He answered me and said, “I went into a forest of trees of the plain, and they made a plan and said, ‘Come, let us go and make war against the sea, so that it may recede before us and so that we may make for ourselves more forests.’ In like manner the waves of the sea also made a plan and said, ‘Come, let us go up and subdue the forest of the plain so that there also we may gain more territory for ourselves.’ But the plan of the forest was in vain, for the fire came and consumed it; likewise also the plan of the waves of the sea was in vain, for the sand stood firm and blocked it. If now you were a judge between them, which would you undertake to justify, and which to condemn?” I answered and said, “Each made a foolish plan, for the land has been assigned to the forest, and the locale of the sea a place to carry its waves.” He answered me and said, “You have judged rightly, but why have you not judged so in your own case? For as the land has been assigned to the forest and the sea to its waves, so also those who inhabit the earth can understand only what is on the earth, and he who is above the heavens can understand what is above the height of the heavens.”


2 Esdras 4:22-25  Then I answered and said, “I implore you, my lord, why have I been endowed with the power of understanding? For I did not wish to inquire about the ways above, but about those things that we daily experience: why Israel has been given over to the Gentiles in disgrace; why the people whom you loved has been given over to godless tribes, and the law of our ancestors has been brought to destruction and the written covenants no longer exist. We pass from the world like locusts, and our life is like a mist, and we are not worthy to obtain mercy. But what will he do for his name that is invoked over us? It is about these things that I have asked.”

2 Esdras 4:26-32  He answered me and said, “If you are alive, you will see, and if you live long, you will often marvel, because the age is hurrying swiftly to its end. It will not be able to bring the things that have been promised to the righteous in their appointed times, because this age is full of sadness and infirmities. For the evil about which you ask me has been sown, but the harvest of it has not yet come. If therefore that which has been sown is not reaped, and if the place where the evil has been sown does not pass away, the field where the good has been sown will not come. For a grain of evil seed was sown in Adam’s heart from the beginning, and how much ungodliness it has produced until now—and will produce until the time of threshing comes! Consider now for yourself how much fruit of ungodliness a grain of evil seed has produced. When heads of grain without number are sown, how great a threshing floor they will fill!”


2 Esdras 4:33-37  Then I answered and said, “How long? When will these things be? Why are our years few and evil?” He answered me and said, “Do not be in a greater hurry than the Most High. You, indeed, are in a hurry for yourself, but the Highest is in a hurry on behalf of many. Did not the souls of the righteous in their chambers ask about these matters, saying, ‘How long are we to remain here? And when will the harvest of our reward come?’ And the archangel Jeremiel answered and said, ‘When the number of those like yourselves is completed; for he has weighed the age in the balance, and measured the times by measure, and numbered the times by number; and he will not move or arouse them until that measure is fulfilled.’”

According to the verses above there is a set number of people to be saved and the Lord will not end this evil age until that number is completed. In other words the second coming of Christ cannot occur until the last person whom God in his foreknowledge knows will be saved in this dispensation, has made his or her commitment to Christ. This is not to say that there will not be more people saved during the millennium for there surely will be, but the number that is to make up the bride of Christ at the rapture must be complete before the rapture can take place. So then, we must continue to preach the gospel with all due diligence until Christ returns for us and we meet him in the air. Who knows but what you or I could be the one who leads that last person to Christ and prepares the way of the Lord to return.

2 Esdras 4:38-43  Then I answered and said, “But, O sovereign Lord, all of us also are full of ungodliness. It is perhaps on account of us that the time of threshing is delayed for the righteous—on account of the sins of those who inhabit the earth.” He answered me and said, “Go and ask a pregnant woman whether, when her nine months have been completed, her womb can keep the fetus within her any longer.” And I said, “No, lord, it cannot.” He said to me, “In Hades the chambers of the souls are like the womb. For just as a woman who is in labor makes haste to escape the pangs of birth, so also do these places hasten to give back those things that were committed to them from the beginning. Then the things that you desire to see will be disclosed to you.”


2 Esdras 4:44-52  I answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, and if it is possible, and if I am worthy, show me this also: whether more time is to come than has passed, or whether for us the greater part has gone by. For I know what has gone by, but I do not know what is to come.” And he said to me, “Stand at my right side, and I will show you the interpretation of a parable.” So I stood and looked, and lo, a flaming furnace passed by before me, and when the flame had gone by I looked, and lo, the smoke remained. And after this a cloud full of water passed before me and poured down a heavy and violent rain, and when the violent rainstorm had passed, drops still remained in the cloud. He said to me, “Consider it for yourself; for just as the rain is more than the drops, and the fire is greater than the smoke, so the quantity that passed was far greater; but drops and smoke remained.” Then I prayed and said, “Do you think that I shall live until those days? Or who will be alive in those days?” He answered me and said, “Concerning the signs about which you ask me, I can tell you in part; but I was not sent to tell you concerning your life, for I do not know.

Ezra did not live to see the end of this age, but it is possible that some of us alive today will live to see it if the theory that Christ will return about 6000 years after the creation of Adam is correct.


The fig tree is one of the national symbols of the nation of Israel, in particular, those who are descended from the tribe of Judah, the Jews.

Jeremiah 24:3-7 Then the Lord asked me, `What do you see, Jeremiah?'  `Figs,' I answered. `The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.' Then the word of the Lord came to me:  This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: `Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land.  I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Hosea 9:10 "When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree."

These old testament verses characterizing Judah and Israel as baskets of figs, and fruit on a fig tree, are one of the keys to understanding what time period we are in as far as biblical prophecy is concerned. The keys to understanding new testament biblical prophecy, are found in the old testament. To unlock the mysteries of the book of revelation one must first become familiar with the old testament writings. Jesus told the disciples that the sign of the fig tree would be one of the indicators that the time of his return was drawing near.

Matthew 24:32-34 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."

Luke 21:29-36 He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

God has promised us in the book of Daniel that in the last days knowledge will be increased. While knowledge of all types has been increasing in the world since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the knowledge that god was referring to in particular was biblical knowledge, the words of the scroll of the book of Daniel.

Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."

God can supernaturally increase knowledge through the direct working of the holy spirit whenever he chooses to do so, but in most cases he does it through means that appear normal to the unbelieving world. Biblical knowledge has been increasing every year since the 1800's when archaeology became a science. In 1947 the dead sea scrolls were discovered, and they are still continuing to be translated to this day. Each year new discoveries are adding to biblical background knowledge, increasing our understanding of the prophetic scriptures.  One document that has been discovered and translated is known as the apocalypse of peter. According to this book, peter and some of the disciples were on the mount of olives and asked the lord what would be the signs of his coming and the coming of the end of the age.

Apocalypse of Peter
And ye, take ye the likeness thereof (learn a parable) from the fig-tree: so soon as the shoot thereof is come forth and the twigs grown, the end of the world shall come. And I, Peter, answered and said unto him: Interpret unto me concerning the fig-tree, whereby we shall perceive it; for throughout all its days doth the fig-tree send forth shoots, and every year it bringeth forth its fruit for its master. What then meaneth the parable of the fig-tree? We know it not. And the Master (Lord) answered and said unto me: Understandest thou not that the fig-tree is the house of Israel? Even as a man that planted a fig-tree in his garden, and it brought forth no fruit. And he sought the fruit thereof many years and when he found it not, he said to the keeper of his garden: Root up this fig-tree that it make not our ground to be unfruitful. And the gardener said unto God: (Suffer us) to rid it of weeds and dig the ground round about it and water it. If then it bear not fruit, we will straightway remove its roots out of the garden and plant another in place of it. Hast thou not understood that the fig-tree is the house of Israel?

The fig tree, in this fragment clearly identifies the fig tree as being the nation of Israel, just as many bible teachers have been saying since the 1900’s. While this fragment is not part of the bible it is ancient and shows us what was being taught among those who studied prophecy during the very beginning of the church age. When Christianity became legalized about 312 AD and persecution stopped under Constantine the emperor, the study of prophecy diminished. When peace and prosperity came for Christians on earth, interest waned in hoping for and studying about the return of Christ. No one cared, they were having to good of a time on earth. Then came the dark ages when the bible became a forbidden book to the general population and the priests became more interested in following tradition and ritual rather than studying the bible.

None of this happened without God’s notice however. God used the persecution of the early Christians to cause them to flee to various places around the world so that the gospel message would be spread far and wide. God then gave the church peace and rest for a time and occasional trials and tribulations to purify the gospel message. The persecutions in the dark ages led to the reformation and the renewing of the gospel message of salvation by grace through faith rather than by good works. The prophetic portions of the bible were ignored though, and Martin Luther even questioned as to whether Revelation should even be included in the bible. But now, we are in the last days and God is using archeological and manuscript discoveries to once again reveal to us what was already known almost two thousand years ago by the early church. The fact that God is removing the veil from our prophetic understanding is just one more proof that the time is near for his return. God does nothing without a cause, and if he is giving us understanding of the prophetic it is because the time is near for the fulfillment’s to take place.

The Apocalypse of Peter goes on to once again explain what we have already learned from the bible. That Antichrist will come and deceive the Jews into believing that he is the Messiah, not Jesus Christ whom they crucified. Then Enoch and Elijah will come and expose the Antichrist as a fraud and a deceiver. Many of the Jews will then reject the Antichrist and they will be killed. We know the rest of the story, and we win.

Apocalypse of Peter
Verily I say unto thee, when the twigs thereof have sprouted forth in the last days, then shall feigned Christs come and awake expectation saying: I am the Christ, that am now come into the world. And when they (Israel) shall perceive the wickedness of their deeds they shall turn away after them and deny him whom our fathers did praise, even the first Christ whom they crucified and therein sinned a great sin. But this deceiver is not the Christ. And when they reject him he shall slay with the sword, and there shall be many martyrs. Then shall the twigs of the fig-tree, that is, the house of Israel, shoot forth: many shall become martyrs at his hand. Enoch and Elias shall be sent to teach them that this is the deceiver which must come into the world and do signs and wonders to deceive. And therefore shall they that die by his hand be martyrs, and shall be reckoned among the good and righteous martyrs who have pleased God in their life.

In 1948, Israel became a nation once more, after being scattered throughout the nations since 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. In 1967 the Jews recaptured Jerusalem from the Arabs. The fig tree has budded. Some of the people who were born in 1948 and afterwards will live to see the return of Jesus Christ.

Psalms 90:10 "The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."

The bible says that seventy or eighty years is the normal life span for human beings. Jesus said that the generation that saw the budding of the fig tree, the restoration of the nation of Israel, would not pass away before his return. When you add the normal life span for a human as stated in the psalms, to the year 1948, you come up with a year between 2018 and 2028. This is also very close to the dates we calculated with the other methods of determining where we are in prophetic history. Occasionally people do live to be one hundred and twenty years of age, or even a little longer. There could still be people alive in the year 2070 who were born in 1948. So, we still cannot know the day or the hour but we can pretty much narrow it down to the likelihood of the tribulation starting no later that 2028 and ending by 2035. It could very well be sooner, or it could be as late as 2070. In any event, it’s a lot closer that it was.


Zechariah, although not as well known as some of the other prophets like Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah, nevertheless gives us some important information concerning the end times.


(Zec 1:1 & 2:3 NIV)  In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:.. Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him

(Zec 2:1-13 NIV)  Then I looked up--and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is." Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.' "Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD. "Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye--I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. "Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

The Lord in ancient times predicted the regathering of Israel in the last days. Some may say that this prophecy only pertained to the return of the Jews from Babylon thousands of years ago and that is indeed a partial fulfillment. But, it is clear that this prophecy also pertains to the last days because it speaks of the time when the Lord will live among his people in Jerusalem after the return of Christ. These things definitely haven’t happened yet. What has happened is that as we have seen in the Apocalypse of Peter, the Jews have been and are still in the process of being brought back to their own land. This is what all the squabble is about in Israel today. God was angry with his chosen nation due to their rejection of Christ at his first coming. For this rejection he punished them by scattering them throughout the world for 1900 years. Now he is bringing them back. Those who lived in the land during Israel’s time of punishment think that they own it because they have dwelt there for a long time. But, time means nothing to God. He promised the land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants and they shall surely have it. No one can stop God from implementing his will, and those who try will ultimately be destroyed.

(Zec 12:3 & 9 NIV)  On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.

A word to the wise among the Palestinians and Arabs who desire to possess Israeli territory. Forget it. You are only beating your head against a stone wall and will destroy yourself in the process. Find another place to live and be happy. All who fight against the Lords plan for Jerusalem will surely suffer for it.


(Zec 4:1-6 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep. He asked me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and also seven places for wicks. There are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left." I asked the angel who talked with me, "Sir, what are these?" The angel said, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said. Then he told me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'You will not succeed by your own strength or power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD All-Powerful.

The last verse above is oft quoted, “'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” Many do not know that this verse was given to Zechariah by an angel. Another verse that is heard in many sermons today is “do not despise small beginnings.” This verse is often used by pastors initiating a new building program. This too is a paraphrase from Zechariah.

(Zec 4:10 NCV)  "The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, building the Temple.


(Zec 4:11-14 NCV)  Then I asked the angel, "What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?" I also asked him, "What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil flows to the lamps?" He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said. So he said, "They are symbols of the two who have been appointed to serve the LORD of all the earth."

(Rev 11:3-5 NIV)  And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

The two olive trees are the two witnesses, Enoch and Elijah, who will minister during the tribulation period.

(Mal 4:5 NCV)  "But I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great and terrifying day of the Lord's judging.


(Zec 5:5-11 NIV)  Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. " And he added, "This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land." Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth. Then I looked up--and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, "To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."

The woman in the basket symbolizes wickedness, the wickedness of the end times false religion that the two olive trees, Enoch and Elijah will preach against, the religion of Mystery Babylon.

This verse indicates that it is indeed possible that the seat of false religion may actually be in ancient Babylon. It is hard to imagine that the Moslem nations would accept Rome or Constantinople as the holy seat of world religion and it is equally hard to believe that Christianity would accept Mecca or Medina as the high holy place. Jerusalem is a candidate, but there may be too much war and turmoil there for a governing body of religious leaders to function there. We know that Antichrist will desecrate the temple there but it will be the Jewish temple he desecrates, not a temple dedicated to Mystery Babylon. For this reason we need to watch and see if some movement comes upon the scene recommending that the ancient city of Babylon in Iraq be rebuilt and that a sort of united nations of religions is housed there.

(Zec 5:5-11 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what is going out." "What is it?" I asked. He answered, "It is a measuring basket going out." He also said, "It is a symbol of the people's sins in all the land." Then the lid made of lead was raised, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket. The angel said, "The woman stands for wickedness." Then he pushed her back into the basket and put the lid back down. Then I looked up and saw two women going out with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and the sky. I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Where are they taking the basket?" "They are going to Babylonia to build a temple for it," he answered. "When the temple is ready, they will set the basket there in its place."

According to the NCV translation there might even be a temple built in Babylon. Perhaps Antichrist and the False Prophet will begin ruling from Babylon and then eventually attempt to move their capital to Jerusalem. When they make the move that could be the time when the “Abomination of Desolation” is committed.

Of course there can be other interpretations to the verses from Zechariah. It may only apply to Babylon in a spiritual sense and not to an actual city. But, it is just one more interesting thing we can watch for as time goes on. Each time something happens that sets the stage for future prophetic fulfillment we can rejoice that the return of Jesus Christ is drawing nigh and also it should strengthen our faith to know that God is still on his throne and keeping his word. If he can keep his promises concerning the fulfillment of prophecy then he can also keep his promises to us.


(Zec 11:15-17 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Get the things used by a foolish shepherd again, because I am going to get a new shepherd for the country. He will not care for the dying sheep, or look for the young ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs. "How terrible it will be for the useless shepherd who abandoned the flock. A sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will lose all its strength, and his right eye will go blind."

The prophecy concerning the worthless shepherd may be a description of Antichrist. It could very well be that when the Antichrist is struck down with a sword and appears to rise from the dead, it could be that afterwards he will be blind in one eye and have a withered right arm.


(John 10:11-15 NIV)  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.


In the second book of Maccabees there is a prophecy that the Ark of the Covenant, the altar of incense and the tabernacle used by Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness will be found in the end times.

(2Mac 2:4-6 NRSV) It was also in the same document that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense; then he sealed up the entrance.

The finding of these items would allow the Jews to renew their ancient sacrificial system without the benefit of the temple in Jerusalem. If they were to find these items after Antichrist controls Jerusalem they could set it up anywhere and worship, just as was done in ancient times when Moses was their leader. There is also the possibility that more items not mentioned he could have been hidden there by Jeremiah. The staff that was used by Adam, Jacob and Moses could be inside the ark. Perhaps Jeremiah also took with him the ashes from the red heifer and concealed them there also. While it is God who will rescue the Jews from Antichrist these ancient relics could serve as a rallying point for the Jews. The excitement that would be generated within the Jewish community if these things were to be found would be incredible.

(2Mac 2:6-8 NRSV) Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the way, but could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: “The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated.”

It is by no means certain however that they will be found before the return of Christ. The verse says that they will not be found until God gathers his people together again, which he is in the process of doing today. The complete regathering will not be finished though until after Christ returns. It also says that it will happen when God shows his mercy. That mercy will begin to be shown when Enoch and Elijah begin their ministry on earth. However, the question is will these items be found when god begins to show his mercy to the Jews or when it is complete and Christ is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. It is another one of those things we will just have to watch for and see what happens.


The prophecies of Fatima were reportedly given to three children in the year 1917 near the city of Fatima, Portugal. The prophecies were in three parts. Two parts were made public years ago. The third part was released by the Vatican in the year 2000.

Fatima is a village in central Portugal with a population of 6,443. It is located 70 miles north of Lisbon. It is one of the world's foremost Roman Catholic pilgrimage centers. On May 13, 1917 a luminous Apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to three peasant children and delivered a prophecy that would change the world. Investigations into the Fatima event have proved that the miracle of October 13, 1917 was seen over an area of 32 miles by 20. An area of over 600 square miles.

The three children - Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco took their flock of sheep to a natural hollow in the ground known as the Cova da Iria to graze, just outside the town of Fatima in Portugal. While the sheep were grazing the children began to play. Suddenly there was a flash of lightening. The children looked up, bewildered into the sky. The day was quiet pleasent and there was no sign of a storm. They started to gather the sheep thinking a storm was brewing in the distance when there was a second flash that caused total concern. A few metres away stood a Lady of dazzling light. Their eyes were unable to comprehend the lady's brilliance and beauty. The children smelled rose. "Where are you from?" Lucy managed to ask. "I am from Heaven". "What do you want of us?" asked Lucia. "I came to ask you to come here on the thirteenth day for six months at the same time, and then I will return here a seventh time." After several other messages the lady asked finally for them to recite the Rosary daily before she rose in a cloud of light and glided away into the eastern sky.

Lucia warned her cousins to say nothing of what they had seen out of fear of disbelief, but Jacinta was too excited. Predictably Jacinta told her parents about the Apparition and there was a general reaction of disbelief. Lucia`s mother was convinced that her child was lying and punished her continually when she refused to deny her story. Other children laughed at them and even spat at them. But the visions of Mary -- and her series of prophecies remained apparent to the three children. At first, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta had great difficulty trying to share what they had seen, because the government of Portugal was heavily opposed to religion at that time. Francisco and Jacinta died in an influenza pandemic within three years of the 1917 "dance of the sun." Lucia went on to become a nun. She told the church the details of Fatima prophecies, the first parts of which have common public knowledge for many years.

A short time later another vision appeared. Witnesses reported - "I looked at the sun and saw it spinning like a disc, rolling on itself. I saw people changing color. They were stained with the colors of the rainbow. The sun seemed to fall down from the sky . . . The people said that the world was going to end . . . They were afraid and screaming." Antonio de Oliveiro, Farmer.

"Suddenly the rain stopped and a great splendor appeared and the children cried: 'Look at the sun!' I saw the sun coming down, feeling that it was falling to the ground. At that moment, I collapsed." Maria Candida da Silva.

"I looked and saw that the people were in various colors - yellow, white, blue. At the same time, I beheld the sun spinning at great speed and very near me. I at once thought: I am going to die." Rev. Joao Menitra.

"The sun started to roll from one place to another and changed to blue, yellow - all colors. Then we see the sun coming towards the children. Everyone was crying out. Some started to confess their sins because there was no priest around there . . . My mother grabbed me to her and started to cry, saying 'It is the end of the world!' And then we see the sun come right into the trees . . ." Dominic Reis, in an American TV interview, 1960.

Others affirmed that they saw the face of the Blessed Virgin, while others swore that the sun whirled on itself to the earth as if to burn it with its rays. Some said they saw it change colors successively."

THE MESSAGE FROM (MARY?) TO MODERN MAN.

PART 1.

Mary: I come from Heaven;

1. You have seen hell,

2. Where the souls of poor sinners go.

3. It is to save them. (The reason for the vision)

4. God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my immaculate heart.

5. If they do what I tell you many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

PART 2.

6. The war is going to end. (World War 1 ended in 1918)

7. But if they do not cease offending God,

8. In the reign of Pius XI, (At the time this was written Benedict XV was in the chair of St. Peter)

9. Another worse war will begin. (World War II)

10. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that it will be a great sign.

(This unknown light appeared on the night of January 25-26, 1938.
Scientists could not explain it. Sister Lucy said, "that is the great sign."

11. That God is going to punish the world for it's crimes by means of war, famine, persecution of the Church, and the Holy Father.

12. To prevent it I will come and ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart.

13. And for the Communion of Reparation on first Saturdays.

14. If my requests are granted,

15. Russia will be converted.

16. and there will be peace.

17. If not, Russia will spread,

18. Her errors throughout the world.

19. Provoking wars,

20. And the persecution of the Church.

21. The good will be martyred.

22. The Holy Father will have much to suffer.

23. Various nations will be annihilated.

24. In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.

25. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me. (Russia Consecrated in 1984 by Pope John Paul II)

26. And she will be converted.

27. And the world will be granted a certain period of peace. (The Communist Russian Empire collapsed in 1991, The cold war ends.)

28. In Portugal the dogma of the faith will always be preserved.

29. When you pray the Rosary add after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us; save us from the fire of hell; raise up all helpless souls to Heaven, foremost those in the direst need. (At every apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said "pray the Rosary daily.)

PART 3.



Pope John Paul II spoke yesterday with Lucia de Santos, 93, a Carmelite nun, who believers say was the main recipient of prophecies from the Virgin Mary that included the spread, and then the collapse, of Communism. The Vatican today disclosed the so-called third secret of Fátima, which for decades has kept this shrine of the Virgin Mary at the center of conspiracy theories and doomsday cults.

"The vision of Fatima concerns above all the war waged by atheist systems against the Church and Christians, and it describes the immense suffering endured by the witnesses to the faith in the last century of the second millennium. It is an interminable Way of the Cross led by the Popes of the 20th century. "According to the interpretation of the "little shepherds," which was also recently confirmed by Sister Lucia, the "Bishop clothed in white" who prays for all the faithful is the Pope. As he makes his way with great effort towards the cross amid the corpses of those who were martyred (bishops, priests, religious men and women and many lay persons), he too falls to the ground, apparently dead, under a burst of gunfire. The cardinal said the secret in its entirety would soon be published by the Vatican "after the preparation of an appropriate commentary." Until today, besides John Paul and Sister Lucia, the only other living person believed to be privy to the secret was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 
VATICAN CITY, JUN 26, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the document "The Message Of Fatima" was presented. It has been prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and carries the signatures of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., respectively prefect and secretary of the congregation. The document, has been published in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Polish.

Given below is the complete translation of the original Portuguese text of the third part of the secret of Fatima, revealed to the three shepherd children at Cova da Iria-Fatima on July 13, 1917, and committed to paper by Sr. Lucia on January 3, 1944:

Text of The Third Secret of Fatima

"I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.

"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."

Fatima Prophecies

The third prophecy of Fatima is in some ways very similar to the vision of St. Malachy. He foresaw the last pope before the return of Christ walking through a destroyed Rome. The Fatima prophecy adds to this the bodies of martyrs and the murder of the pope at that time.

The prophecies of Fatima are not prophecies that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is easily discerned by the fact that the admonition at the end of the message is not a command that Jesus or the Apostles have given us in the bible. The command to pray the rosary is not a biblical doctrine. The use of prayer beads is a pagan custom that was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in about 1100 A.D. That is not to say it is a sin to use prayer beads to count your prayers. If something helps one pray better more power to them. It is just not a biblical command to use icons, relics, beads, statues or any other prop for prayer or worship. There is no doubt though that the three children did see an apparition, and that the predictions they received were not the inventions of their own minds.

We can only be 100% sure of the origin of prophecies that we find in the bible. All others are suspect, but may be useful in adding detail to what we know about the future. If this incident were to come to pass it would probably occur just before or after Antichrist commits the “Abomination of Desolation,” and demands to be worshipped. Murdering the pope and appointing the False Prophet to rule the Roman Catholic Church sounds like something that could be in Satan’s bag or tricks. Again, time will tell.


The resurrection of the dead is taught in the scriptures, both in the old and new testaments. Although this section is not directly about angels we include it here in case there are some who have never studied the resurrection of the dead or maybe do not even believe that it is possible. The God of the bible is fully able to keep all of his word, and that includes raising the dead. Most of the information presented in this chapter is also presented elsewhere in this study. If you are familiar with the resurrection of the dead and it’s timing in scripture you may want to skip this section. I have included it so that those who are unfamiliar with the subject can read about it in it’s entirety rather than in a piecemeal manner throughout the book.

Job 19:26-27 KJV And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Hosea 13:14 KJV I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction:

Psalms 49:15 KJV But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Many Of The Old Testament Prophecies Of The Resurrection Pertained To The Messiah.

Psalms 16:10 KJV For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27 & 31-32 KJV Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

During Christ’s ministry he expounded on and clarified the doctrine of the resurrection to show that it included all of God's people.

Matthew 22:23-33 NIV That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. Luke 20:37 KJV Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

John 11:23-24 KJV Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 5:25-29 KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

John 6:39-40 NIV And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:44 NIV "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

The resurrection doctrine was preached by the Apostles after Christ returned to the Father.

Romans 6:4-5 NIV We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Romans 8:11 NIV And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

1 Corinthians 6:14-15 NIV By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:13-14 NIV If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NIV But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 NIV Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 NIV "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 & 18 NIV "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words.

There are many more verses that tell about the resurrection in the new testament but those above should be sufficient to prove the point that the bible teaches that there will be a resurrection of the dead. When will the resurrection take place? The next point of reference in this study is to show that for all things, god has an appointed time, including the resurrection.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Habakkuk 2:3 NIV For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

Matthew 8:28-29 NIV When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.

Now that we have established that there is an appointed time for everything we will see if the scriptures tell us anything about the appointed time of the resurrection.

Daniel 8:19 NIV He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.

Daniel 11:35 NIV Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Daniel 12:1-4 NIV "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge."

Matthew 13:36-43 NIV Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

God has determined that the resurrection will occur during the time period that he calls in the bible, "the time of the end, or "the end of the age."

Titus 1:2 KJV In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

God has appointed the "time of the end" as the specific time for the resurrection to take place, and it can only take place at that time, and not at any other time, because God cannot lie.

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Christ commanded the disciples and those who would come after them to preach the gospel until the end of the age. The resurrection then cannot occur until the end of the age. It could not have occurred two thousand years ago as some teach, it can and will occur only at god's appointed time. Jesus talked about the "time of the end," and gave us signs to watch for so that we could know when the time of the end was drawing near.

Matthew 24:3 NIV As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Matthew 24:4-24 NIV Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Jesus told his disciples earlier to preach the gospel until the end of the age. Later he tells them that the time of the end will not come until that task has been completed. It has not yet been completed today, but through the use of radio, television, computers, and the printed word, we are getting close to accomplishing that task. Jesus goes on to say that the time of the end will be a terrible time of distress for the world.

Matthew 24:15-21 NIV "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.

Mark 13:19 NIV because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again.

The time near the end of the age will be the most dreadful and horrible time of trouble that the world has ever suffered.

Matthew 24:22 NIV If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Mark 13:20 NIV If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.

If the Lord did not step in and put an end to it, all human life would be destroyed.

Matthew 24:23-24 NIV At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.

Mark 13:22 NIV For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible.

Not only would all human life be destroyed during this time period if God did not step in and end it, but delusion will be so strong that even the elect would be deceived, if that were possible.

Mark 13:23-27 NIV So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. "But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

Matthew 24:31 NIV And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

It is not my intent to go into a lengthy discussion of the signs of the end times in this book, as that has already been done in the book "countdown to 6000." But, there is yet one more sign that we must look at because it is one of the keys to pinpointing when we have indeed entered the "time of the end."

Mark 13:14 NIV "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Earlier, in the book of Matthew, Jesus referred to the sign of the "Abomination That Causes Desolation" that was prophesied in the book of Daniel. He told the disciples that many things would occur before the end or the age, but the first thing that he predicted would happen after the gospel has been preached to all nations that signifies that the end of the age is upon us, is the appearance of the Antichrist.

Mark 13:7 & 10 NIV When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

Mark 13:14 NIV "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

1 John 2:18 KJV Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Anyone who is against Christ is an antichrist, and there are many in the world who fit that description at all times. There is a specific Antichrist though, the one predicted in the book of Daniel, who when he arrives on the scene will verify to us that we are indeed in the "end times. "Paul tells us clearly that the resurrection, our gathering together to Christ will not occur until the Antichrist has been revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NIV Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

Paul explains that before the first resurrection occurs, a man, sitting in the temple of God, (which will be in Jerusalem) will declare himself to be God. This is the abomination that Daniel and Jesus talked about. When this happens we will be very close to the time of the first resurrection.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NIV And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Now that we have looked at the signs of the end times we will move on and see what other clues god has given us as to when the resurrection will take place. We will now move on and try to determine at what point in human history and prophetic time will the resurrection take place.

Mark 13:32 NIV "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 24:36 & 25:13 NIV "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Now the scripture is clear that no one knows the day and hour and that is not what we are seeking to find out here. We are merely seeking to find out in what sequence will the resurrection occur as it pertains to the other future prophetic events that have not yet been fulfilled. There is another clue that God has given us as to when the resurrection will take place. It is the clue that it will take place on the last day, the heavenly sabbath.

John 6:39 NIV And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

John 6:40 NIV For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:44 & 54 NIV "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 11:24 NIV Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

When is the last day? The last day is the last day of the heavenly week, the sabbath day, the Lords day, or the day of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:2-4 & 8-9 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Psalms 90:4 KJV For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

God hints in the scriptures that the resurrection will take place 6000 years after the creation of Adam. In six days God created the world, and the seventh day he rested. The heavenly sabbath day will be the beginning of the eternal rest for the righteous saints who are raised from the dead.

Note: Sunday Is The First Day Of The Week. Saturday Is The Biblical Sabbath Day, The Last Day Of The Week.

        ORDINAL                   NAME                 DURATION           TOTAL

    FIRST DAY                SUNDAY               1000 YEARS         1000
    SECOND DAY          MONDAY              1000 YEARS         2000
    THIRD DAY                TUESDAY            1000 YEARS         3000
    FOURTH DAY           WEDNESDAY     1000 YEARS         4000
    FIFTH DAY                THURSDAY          1000 YEARS         5000
    SIXTH DAY                FRIDAY                 1000 YEARS         6000
    SEVENTH DAY        SATURDAY          1000 YEARS         7000 SABBATH
    EIGHTH DAY             SUNDAY               ETERNITY             NEW BEGINNING

The term raise them up on the "last day" seems to signify that god will initiate the resurrection of the saved at the very beginning of heavenly Saturday, the seventh or sabbath day.

John 5:28-29 KJV Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

One thousand years later, at the very end of the "last day," the resurrection of the lost will take place. So, both resurrections will take place on the "last day," one at the beginning of it and one at the end of it.


The scripture is clear that there will be two resurrections of the dead, one at the beginning of the heavenly sabbath day, which would place it at the very end of the 6000 years, and one at the end of the heavenly sabbath day. This is also taught in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 20:4-6 KJV And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."


One thousand years later the rest of the dead will be raised. All of the saved were raised at the first resurrection. The only saved people who will join us at the second resurrection will be those who lived and died during the millennium. For the most part the second resurrection will be the resurrection of the lost.

Revelation 20:5 NIV The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

Revelation 20:11-14 KJV And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.

Matthew 25:41 KJV Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 20:15 KJV This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 KJV But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Satan and his angels will also be cast into the lake of fire at this time, after the one thousand years have been completed.

Revelation 20:1-3 NIV And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

Revelation 20:7-9 NIV When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

Revelation 20:10 NIV And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

We do not know when the first six thousand years will be completed. It is likely though that they will be concluded, and the first resurrection will take place sometime between the years 2000 and 2100.

So then, so far we have seen that the first resurrection, the resurrection of the righteous, will occur after the gospel has been preached to all nations, after the man known as "the Antichrist has been revealed, and it will occur at the very start of the 7000th year since the creation of Adam.

Now, we will see if we can zero in even closer by finding out what will occur immediately after the first resurrection. By watching for things to move into position to fulfill those events that have been predicted to occur just after we have been raised from the dead, we may be able to discern when the time is drawing near.


The very next event on the list of unfulfilled biblical prophecy that will occur after the first resurrection is the pouring out of the wrath of god on an unbelieving world.

Zephaniah 2:1-3 NIV Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger.

God warns us to repent before the day of his wrath comes so that we will be sheltered from his anger.

Revelation 10:5-7 NIV Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Revelation 11:15 KJV And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11:18 NIV The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

When the seventh angel of the book of Revelation begins to sound his trumpet the first resurrection will take place. He will sound it at the end of the first six thousand years of human history.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.


1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The time when the Lord will pour out his wrath is also called "the Day of the Lord," because it is the beginning of the one thousand year sabbath day. If we are alert and in tune with the Holy Spirit we should be able to anticipate it's arrival.

All those left on the earth (except for a few Israelites whom God has sealed to live through the time of his wrath) will be heathen, meaning unbelievers.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 NIV Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

There is so much information in the bible about the "Day of the Lord," that an entire book could be written on just that subject alone. Only a few verses will be quoted here so we can understand what it will be like to live during the time when God's wrath is poured out.

Ezekiel 30:3 KJV For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.

Obadiah 1:15 KJV For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

Ezekiel 7:5-8 NIV "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. It has come! Doom has come upon you--you who dwell in the land. The time has come, the day is near; there is panic, not joy, upon the mountains. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you;

Ezekiel 30:3 NIV For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near-- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Isaiah 13:6-9 NIV Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the LORD is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

Joel 1:15 KJV Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 NIV "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath.

Thank God that those of us who believe his word will be spared from the time of his wrath by being removed from the earth prior to it. So then, let us watch for the signs and prophecies that will come to pass in the near future.

Luke 21:31-32 NIV Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

We need to be alert concerning spiritual things so that the day of the first resurrection does not find us asleep and we are left on earth to suffer God's wrath.

Luke 21:34-36 NIV "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."