The Rapture, Anti-Christ & Tribulation Featuring John Hope #116

Our most requested guest of all time returns to Finish Strong to discuss end times prophecy.  Bible scholar John Hope presents the chronology of events laid out in scripture involving the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

John explains that once Christians are removed from the earth in the rapture, the “man of lawlessness or the anti-Christ” will appear.  Many will worship him as the world’s savior initially but soon his ruthless nature will come through as the Tribulation begins.  Finally, John discusses the Judgment Day that is coming for all mankind.  

After hearing John Hope in this episode, you’ll be inspired to Finish Strong!

Transcript

Dan Wheeler: 0:02

Well, in light of recent events and wars and rumors of wars, there's been a lot of talk about the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today on Finish strong. We're going to talk about the rapture, the Antichrist, the Tribulation and the chronology of events that will happen in the winds. The Lord is ready to come again, my name is Dan Wheeler and Terry Steen and Brian Roland are here and guys, we've got the right guy today to talk about this topic. He's our most requested guest unfinished wrong. But first of all, our theme finished strong. Why do you think it's important we understand these events as we attempt to really do all we can for the Lord in these last days?

Terry Steen: 0:48

Well, my thought is that the more you can have understanding of where you're gonna spend eternity, the more peace you can have today, knowing and believing what the Bible says about it, all those things give us that confidence that we can live a strong, effective life during our later days.

Brian Roland: 1:11

That's true. And I was somebody said the other day, if somebody said, The Lord's coming back at noon tomorrow, what would you be doing in the demonise it would be knocking on every door, we could, you know, just letting people know he's coming back and put the note to be able to do that you have to know what's coming, you have to know what's happening. And it helps us so much more nowadays, because so many people, we don't believe we don't realize they don't really know. I mean, they, they think there's gonna die, they go to heaven or hell, but they don't really don't know that, about Christ gonna return to what's going to happen. So this is very important. And

Dan Wheeler: 1:43

that's why fearless Faith Ministries was formed, the three of us realize that the time is short, and we realize we're at that age where you never know what could happen. So we want to do everything we can for the Lord. But let's go ahead and bring in our guests who really can help us with this topic. He's, as I mentioned, our most requested guest, our favorite Bible expert, Mr. John Hope, can we There he is.

John Hope: 2:12

Good evening, fellas. Good to be with you.

Dan Wheeler: 2:15

Well, we're always glad to have you. We've certainly got a lot to talk about. And we know that you have dedicated your life to studying the Bible, and you seem to have such a grasp on the end time. So we've got some questions for you. Okay, yeah,

Terry Steen: 2:32

John, you know, we had a q&a on an episode a few weeks ago. And in that there were a number of questions about end times in the rapture. And we said, there's no reason for us to try to take this on, when we can get John back here to help us. So let's jump right into it. Especially

Dan Wheeler: 2:52

since Terry still has a picture Bible.

Terry Steen: 2:57

Taking me through just kidding.

John Hope: 3:04

Appreciate your confidence.

Terry Steen: 3:08

Let's start off with the first one just kind of explain the when and the how of the rapture when the when the Christian will be taken away, explain the rapture to people so they understand that? Well, it's

John Hope: 3:20

really one of my favorite subjects and appreciate the question and hope I can do the answer justice. You know, and I actually the word rapture course never appears in the scriptures. You know, but then neither does the Trinity. Bible itself never appears in the Bible. So but it's a descriptive term. Obviously, it comes from the Latin word ropey. Oh, and one of the early church fathers Jerome, had a translation of the Bible known as the Latin Vulgate. And he translated from the original Greek of the New Testament into the Latin vernacular. And when he translated it First Thessalonians chapter four and verse 17, which says, you know, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, when he translated the Greek word harp hodza. From Second Thessalonians 417 into the Latin they use the Latin verb ra Po, which literally means to snatch away with force unto oneself or to catch up as it's translated in the King James version. So even though the word rapture doesn't appear in Scripture, it's a good descriptive term from the original coin, a Greek of the New Testament, a fifth First Thessalonians 417. So I think the term is proper, even though it's non scriptural or not found in the Scriptures themselves. And when you go to First Thessalonians chapter four, verses 13 through 18 I mean, I think we really have a beautiful description of the rapture as the Apostle Paul is sharing with the church at Thessalonica, one of the first churches that he founded, that had serious questions about their loved ones who had died about when the second coming of the Lord would be, had the day of the Lord happened already. Was it still in the future? Or was it in the past? Paul is trying to set the scene straight. And First Thessalonians chapter four, when he says, You know, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that just sorrow not even as others having no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again them also which sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him. For this, we say unto you, by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep, For the Lord Himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now, great,

Terry Steen: 6:15

great scripture.

John Hope: 6:17

That's a mouthful, but it's beautiful, isn't it? I mean, if that isn't our, our Blessed Hope, looking for that appearance of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who will catch up both those who have died in Christ, and those who are alive in Christ, and He will sweep them off of this planet, planet Earth, and an instantaneous, an invisible, and a surprising event will be caught up together with our Lord in the clouds, so shall we ever be with him? Wherefore comfort one another with these words? Well, to me, those words are comforting in this crazy world that we live in to know that God is in control of history, that Jesus is still the sovereign God, that He is the one who is going to catch up His Church, His Bride, bring them home, to be with Him for all eternity, and forever, we will live with the Lord, what could be more encouraging, or more comforting than that?

Terry Steen: 7:18

And that could happen at any time. There's no prophetic thing that needs to take place. It could happen tonight, couldn't it?

John Hope: 7:26

Exactly. Terry, I think that's that's the that's the importance of this doctrine is that we believe in the imminence of the rapture of Jesus Christ, that there is nothing prophetic that has to take place. It can happen at any moment in time Jesus Himself said, We want an authoritative word on the imminence of the rapture. All we need to do is go to Jesus words, in Matthew chapter 24, in verse 36, when he said of that day, and of that hour knoweth no man, not the angels in heaven, but the Father only. He said, Watch ye therefore, for you know not what our the law of the earth come. He said, The also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man come with he said, to shall be in the field, the one shall be taken, the other left to women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, the other left watch you there for for you know not what our your Lord doth come. This is an imminent event, it could happen at any moment, it may happen before this podcast is through this evening, Jesus could come because the rapture is at an unknown time, we never know when it might occur. And scripture bears that out. You know, in John chapter 14, if I could go on here just a second and preach a little bit. In John chapter 14, verses one through three, Jesus is walking with his disciples from the upper room where they've celebrated the Last Supper, and they're walking to the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus wants to share with him his most intimate, last thoughts. And he says to them, and John 14, Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me, In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not, so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself that where I am, there ye may be also, those words of Jesus are reminiscent of the marriage customs of those days, when when the bridegroom after betrothal, after they were engaged would go back to his father's house and prepare the Koopa. Though the marriage chamber, sometimes it took three months. Sometimes it took six months depending on how ornate the marriage chamber would be. Sometimes it took a year Sometimes it took a year and a half, but at some unknown time that bridegroom would return after the marriage chamber the Koopa was complete and He would sound a trumpet and let his bride know, hey, the bridegroom is coming. The marriage is about to be consummated. The Marriage Supper is about to take place, get ready, lights, your lamps, we're going to have a party, and the marriage is going to be consummated. And that's the words that Jesus used to His disciples in John 14, hey, I'm going to the Father's house, I'm the bridegroom, I'm going to prepare the Koopa. And whenever it's done, you may not know the day, you may not know the hour, but whenever it's done, I'm going to sound a trumpet, I'm going to alert my bride that the marriage chamber is complete, and we're going to consummate this marriage and the bride will forever be with me. That's the rapture.

Dan Wheeler: 10:45

Okay, and that's our first question. Good stuff.

Brian Roland: 10:53

I do have one question that I want to throw in there. Just just I know, we're extending a little bit but John says that one will be taken one will be left as you think a physical body is going to go or is it just going to be a spiritual like your your spirit is going to go on your body is going to stay here?

John Hope: 11:08

I believe one, the one that Rapture occurs and when that trumpet sounds as described in First Thessalonians 413, through 18, John 14, one through three it also, you know, it's in First Corinthians 15, verses 51 through 58. You know, Behold, I show you a mystery we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump the trumpet show sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we should all be changed the living will be going up their bodies and spirits together, you know, because they're still alive on the earth. So they will be together their spirit, their soul, their body were a tripartite being those who were dead, their body was in the grave, their spirit had departed to be with Christ, that their death, they will be reunited with their glorified body at the time of the rapture, when the trumpet sounds. So the dead in Christ will rise first body reunited with spirit and soul. And then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them, the tripartite being body, soul, and spirit all together, are all going up. Beautiful.

Brian Roland: 12:18

Well, good. That clears that up now. So I don't ask anymore. Anybody. My question is, what happens to us on judgment day?

John Hope: 12:26

Well, you know, as you look at judgment in Scripture, there's, there's really several judgments. And so let me point to just really two of the main judgments that we probably should consider of a question. First of all, there's something that second Corinthians 510, and revelation in Romans huge of Romans 14, verse 10, that's known as the judgment seat of Christ. And it says very plainly in Second Corinthians 510, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. So there's the judgment seat of Christ, the Word seed is the word Bhima. Vemma was the word for the judges seat in the Greek games of biblical times. So in other words, the Bible's full of athletic references, you know, no, you're not that they which run in a race run all but one, receive at the prize. See that you run with patients the race that is set before you Paul said, I fought a good fight. I finished my course I've kept the faith. I'm always telling them Laura, the reason I love to watch sports is because it's biblical. I like it. Yeah, man, brother, I'm using. These are all athletic references in the Bible. But the Bema was the judgment seat of the judges of those games, that they evaluated the performance of the athletes for the determination of the presentation of a wards. So the judgment seat of Christ is not a judgment for sin. It's a judgment of our faithful service, our Christian service over the years that we have been in Christ. So on that Judgment Day, which I believe will occur immediately after the rapture, will have the judgment seat of Christ. Jesus will sit on the throne will come before him he'll evaluate our Christian service. If we built upon the foundation of Jesus gold, silver, precious stone will receive a reward. If we built wood, hay and stubble works that were selfish instead of selfless, then those works will be burned, but we ourselves will be saved yet so as by fire the Scripture says, so on the judgment seat of Christ will be evaluated for our Christian service will be given crowns and rewards for faithful service. Well, of course will take those crowns according to Revelation 14, when we get to heaven, and we'll pass them before the throne the four and 20 elders fell down before him that sat upon the throne. They worshipped Him that live with forever and ever. And they cast their crowns before the throne saying, thou Lord worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. So the crowns that we receive will turn around and pass them at the feet of Jesus anyway, because we're so impressed with his glory, and his self selflessness. So that's the judgment seat. But then there is another, more ominous judgment. In Revelation chapter 20, verses 11 through 14, it's called the Great White Throne Judgment. And it said that the dead, small and great, will stand before God, it says, the books will be opened, and another book is open, which is the book of life, and the dead will be judged, according to their works, out of the record of those books. And then it says that the sea will deliver us the dead, which are rented death and hell, which deliver up the dead which are in them. And it says Death and Hill are passed into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And it said, whosoever was not found to be written in the book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire. This is a more serious judgment of the unbelievers, who are judged according to their records, indicted according to their records, and then punished accordingly. So there's a judgment seat of Christ, the judgment of faithful service with the Christians. And then there's the Great White Throne Judgment, evaluating those unbelievers and indicting them for their record of faithlessness. Right,

Dan Wheeler: 16:30

John, I don't know if we're going in the right chronology, we talked about the Rapture. And then we talked about judgment day. There's also questions about the tribulation, and the AntiChrist, but let's go to the tribulation, because everybody wants to know, well, Christians live through it. Will we see it? What can you tell us about that? Yeah,

John Hope: 16:52

Dan, there's there's really coarse differing views on that subject. Some say that the rapture is going to be pre trib. You know, prior to the tribulation, some believe it'll be mid trib, that believers will go three and a half years into the tribulation, and then be rapture and others say, No, all believers will go through seven years of Tribulation. And then at the end of the tribulation, the rapture will occur. I personally, and it's my personal belief. And, of course, I believe it's based on scripture, I believe in the pre tribulation, Rapture. And I say that because first of all, Revelation 310 says, and this is written specifically to the church in Philadelphia, but it's really broadly written to the church at large, when he says, Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep the from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Now, what was that reference

Dan Wheeler: 17:58

again? Can

John Hope: 17:59

you revelation three and verse 10, okay. And again, it's written to the church of Philadelphia, specifically in Revelation, but it's more broadly written to those who keep the Word of His patience. To me. That's the definition of discipleship. According to Romans 832, Jesus said, If you continue in My word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. So he's going to those who keep the Word of His patience, or of his perseverance, the Greek word is Hoopa, Monet, for patience, meaning those who stand and remain while under siege. And that's, that's the faithful believer. Yeah, we're not wrestling against flesh and blood. We're fighting against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, we're engaged in a spiritual battle every day of our lives, and those who remain steady and steadfast while under siege, are those who keep the word of his patients so he promises I will keep the and he doesn't say, I'll keep you in it, or I'll protect you or safeguard you in the tribulation. He said, I will keep you out of the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. So this this is a taking out of those faithful believers have that time of temptation or tribulation and and I think we need to note also that you know, they're everybody goes through general tribulation, all believers experience that. John 1633 Jesus said, These things have I spoken unto you, that my peace might remain in you. He said in the world you shall have

Terry Steen: 19:54

tribulation your relation Yeah. Be of good cheer

John Hope: 19:57

for I have overcome the world general tribulation comes to all believers, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's suffering. We all we all experienced persecution, we all experienced general tribulation. But we're talking about a specific period of time in the Bible that Jesus himself refers to, in Matthew 2449, as there shall be a time of great tribulation, not such as was since the beginning of the world, to this time, no nor ever shall be, and except those days be short, and there shall no flush be saved. So that's the time of tribulation we're referring to, and I believe believers will be raptured because they've kept his word, there'll be kept out of that hour of temptation. Jesus said, again, and Luke chapter 21, and verse 36, after he had described all the events that were going to happen in the last days, he said, if if you will just pray, seek my face and pray, I also will keep the from that hour of tribulation which will come upon all the world that you might stand before Christ. So

Terry Steen: 21:15

then John John, that's when the Antichrist will be evident, right? during that tribulation time, we won't be exposed to him if we're taken up in the rapture, exact correct,

John Hope: 21:27

exactly. Because if if Scripture is very plain in Second Thessalonians, chapter two, if people need a reference to look at verses two through nine, it's very explicit. Paul is again writing to the church at Thessalonica. He's trying to explain to them what's going to happen in the end times. And he said, Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come except there come a great falling away first. And that man of sin, the son of perdition, shall be revealed. So he will come when the day occurs at the beginning of that tribulation period. And then he goes on in verse seven, to say something that's very specific, he said, only he who now lead with will let until he be taken out of the way, and then that wicked one shall be revealed, who the Lord shall destroy with the spirit of his mouth and shall consume with the brightness of this coming, even him who's coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. So what is that force that Paul is referring to? He's going to let or he's going to restrain until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked one view reveal. The church is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the restraining influence in the world that holds back evil that keeps that spirit of antichrist from coming to full fruition. But once the church is removed, by way of rapture, and he's no longer restraining that spirit of antichrist, then we get the monument and personification of evil than a man who comes with all power and signs and lying wonders. And that's when the Antichrist reveals his full diabolical nature and nothing

Terry Steen: 23:19

to stop him. Nothing.

John Hope: 23:21

Strange. Wow.

Brian Roland: 23:24

Never knew that. That's fantastic.

Dan Wheeler: 23:27

Wow, yeah, that really puts it into perspective. So you don't see the Antichrist appearing until after the rapture. Just to be clear,

John Hope: 23:38

I think I think you'll come into full recognition at the beginning of the tribulation period, which I believe by that point, the saints will have been raptured out of this world, and again, I'm not dogmatic on that, to the sense that I wouldn't say that I'm wrong. I'm just not wrong.

Brian Roland: 24:00

Wasn't the False Prophet them, but let me maybe reveal before we were taken out, yeah,

John Hope: 24:05

I mean, these personalities, Brian, you know, could be could be in the world today. You know, they their influence so that they could be in leadership somewhere in the world today. If the raptors in imminent event. We don't know exactly when the Tribulation will begin. If the rapture were tomorrow, that would mean the Antichrist hat would have to be on the scene in order to reveal his wickedness. You know, and and that son of you know, he's such a diabolical character, but think about the world situation today calls him a man of sin, and the son of perdition. The word for sin in the Greek in Second Thessalonians two four is autonomous meaning without the law, meaning lawlessness. Now, I don't know about you guys, but when I look at TV nowadays and see fast robberies, and and and And you know, retail thefts and things that aren't even being tried for anymore or arrested for, and, and the look at the lawlessness, we're supposed to be a nation that run that is run by the rule of law. And yet in our nation we're seeing stores having to close because of retail theft, because nobody wants to prosecute. We're living in an age of lawlessness. So why wouldn't the man of lawlessness? Could he be one of those prosecutors who just says, Ah, let them have at it? You know, so we see the signs in the age of the spirit of antichrist. And I think that's important to realize. So but he will not come to full rulership or fruition until the tribulation period actually begins, says he'll make a covenant with Israel. You know, in the week in Daniel 927, he's going to make a covenant with Israel for one week or for seven years, and that at the midpoint of that period of seven years, he'll break the covenant. He'll stop the sacrifices and the spiritual, religious offerings, and he'll set up an image of himself in the Holy of Holies of the temple, which Jesus refers to, in Matthew 2425, as the abomination of desolation. He said, Jesus said, hey, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken up by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy of holies, you better run. Jesus says that, did you go to the mountains, you gotta pray the mountains fall on you, you gotta pray you're not with child in those days. You know, Jesus doesn't underestimate the seriousness of that period of time, and the rise of the Antichrist coming to power as a one world government leader. Right,

Terry Steen: 26:53

John, this is fascinating stuff. But we've got five to 10 minutes left, right. And we really wanted you to because sometimes it gets confusing. Can you run through the chronology of the end times real quickly, to help us put that in perspective, so we can get that straight in our heads before we close?

John Hope: 27:15

Yeah, certainly, I think, you know, you probably have seen charts and, and detailed diagrams of the end time prophetic events. But as I thought about a chronology one day, I just kind of jotted down some things that I think are our key events that most people will want to either know about or will recognize as happening or read about them in Scripture. And again, I think the next great prophetic event on God's eschatological timetable, you know, his timetable of last time events, the next great event is the rapture of the church. I mean, the dead in Christ are going to rise first. And a lot of people, you know, Paul address that phrase there, he said, I wouldn't have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep. They confuse that phrase with soul sleep, you know that people are somehow in an unconscious state, from the time they die, until the time of their resurrection. But Paul just uses that as a descriptive term of death. You know, when a person dies, what the scriptural definition of death, Pastor James, the brother, or half brother of Jesus, and the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, told us that death really is very simple. James 226, he said, as the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works, is dead also, you know, how did we come to life? Genesis two seven says that the Lord God formed man, what out of the dust of the ground, a lump of dust, a lump of clay breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life, and man became a living soul, a nephesh you know, so life is God taking clay, breathing his Ruach His Holy Spirit into it, and man becomes alive.

Dan Wheeler: 29:16

Right So John, that that term is used throughout Scripture with the passage you read in First Thessalonians sleeps mentioned three times. Jesus said, Lazarus is not dead. He sleeps with Damsel, the rulers have a daughter, he said, she's fallen asleep. And I think a lot of people are confused by that.

John Hope: 29:34

Yeah, I think they don't realize, you know, of course, it's a perfectly good descriptive term of death you we've all been to funerals looking up at that casket. You know, and looking at that body and think, boy, don't they look like they're asleep? And so it's a pretty good descriptive term, but I think people have taken it a little too far and said that that person is unconscious there. And yet the Bible over and over again refutes that even in the room. rich man and Lazarus story. When the rich man dies, he goes to hell and is in torment. And he's looking up at Abraham, Lazarus is immediately taken by the angels to Abraham's side or Abraham's bosom. And he's over there and he's conscious. The rich man is talking to Abraham, saying, Man, would you please send Lazarus until my five brothers about this place? Because I don't want them to wonder he's conscious. Yeah, the way but he's dead. He's got a consciousness and an awareness. He knows who Abraham is. He knows who Lazarus is. He remembers who his brothers are. And he wants somebody to go back. And of course, we know what Abraham said. He said, hey, the prophets, and Moses, all warned them of this. And he said, Yeah, but if somebody comes back from the dead, and wants to believe, and here's the know, Abraham says, if they didn't believe the profits of Moses, they're not going to believe even though somebody comes back from the dead and tells them grow. Conscious conversations, though going on these people are aware of their surroundings, they recognize one of they speak, they have memory. So you know, the whole idea of a soul sleep being an unconscious state is what what really happens is to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. You know, when we when the nephesh that God breathed into us when he gave us life, and death, to the absent from the body is to be present with Lord when that spirits depart. As James said, the body without the spirit is dead. It immediately goes into the presence of God, there is no inner room, Jesus said to the thief on the cross today, you will not not after a period of unconscious slumber, you know, when you go to purgatory, will you be judged for your sins, and once you've atone for your sins, then you will move on to paradise. Now, he said, today, you will be with thee with me.

Dan Wheeler: 32:03

And that's a great explanation, John, but we got you off the chronology. And we've got to do this pretty quickly. So you can try it again, Rapture.

John Hope: 32:12

Rapture is number one, it's the next great event on God's prophetic timetable on course, I believe in that pre trib Rapture. So the next phase period of events would be the rise, the emergence of the Antichrist. And if people really want to study that out, Revelation 13 gives us a detailed account of who this anti, they call them a beast, or a monster. I mean, this guy's going to make Hitler look like a choirboy. This guy is a beast, he is savage, he is diabolical, he exalted himself above all that is called God, and that is worship. He is filled with all power and signs and lying wonders, he will have a one world government, he'll even have a diabolical assistant, known as the false prophet, you know, another beast, according to Revelation 1311. And then that other beast will issue three executive orders, actually, he will say, first of all, that the beast must be worshipped. Secondly, he demands that an image of the beast be made, and he gives life unto the image and causes it to speak, AI will take care of that, you know, and then he gets a third Executive Order, where he demands that every person on earth receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And they cannot buy or sell, there'll be no economic activity at all for the person allowed unless they receive the bar. And he said, Behold, the mystery the mark is that is the number of man, you know, 600, threescore and six or 666. We all know that. And really, that's very simple. Three, six is six, is always been the number of man because God created man, on the sixth day three is always been the number of God the Trinity. So it's simply man trying to be God. And so I'll have this 666 tailed upon them, you know, on their foreheads or in their hands. And without that subcutaneous mark, they'll not be allowed to transact any financial records whatsoever. So the second event is the emergence of the Antichrist, followed by the subsequent tribulation period, because the Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel for one week, according to Daniel 927. That one week is the missing week and Daniel's prophecy of 70 weeks, you know, which is a period of 490 years, one week is yet to be fulfilled. And that one week or that period of seven years will be the great tribulation that Jesus spoke about in Matthew chapter 24 And verse 49. And he said, It's coming. You know, we need to watch out and flee when it does come if you're a part of it. So then you have the great tribulation during the tribulation period, the church, I believe will be gone, they'll be up in heaven. And so we'll have the judgment seat of Christ. That's that judgment we talked about, for the evaluation of our Christian service, and also accompanied by the marriage supper of the Lamb found in Revelation chapter 19, verses nine through six, you know, the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife, his bride has made herself ready. It was granted unto her to be arrayed in fine linen, white and clean. So while the unbelievers are going through tribulation, horrific tribulation on Earth, the believers will be in heaven, enjoying the judgment seat of Christ, the reception of rewards the crowns, casting the crowns before the feet of Jesus, and then sitting down to the marriage supper of the Lamb and enjoying the consummation of the marriage that Jesus spoke about in John 14, verses one through three. And then of course, during the Tribulation, you have the abomination of desolation is the Antichrist sets up his image in the midst of the temple and the Holy of Holies. Israel recognizes, hey, this wasn't the guy, we would do. You know, we made a covenant with him. And now he's reneged on the covenant covenant, and we know something has gone wrong. So they for the next three and a half years of the tribulation, try to reconcile that and come to Christ in droves. You know, so this is the, this is the finally the restoration of the covenant people of God. That's what the Tribulation is called in Jeremiah 37, a time of Jacob's trouble. It's really designed for the restoration of the Jews. It's not designed for the church. We're at a here we're up in heaven, American stuffer, the land but the Jews are still down here. And they realize this guy is not the Messiah, we need to look for the real one, and then begin to recognize him and Jews by the 1000s begin to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the tribulation comes to an end. We have the battle of Armageddon, with the Antichrist and his armies face off with Jesus. I'll bet on Jesus any day. Amen. He says he sees a white horse in Revelation 1911, because a white horse comes out of heaven. This is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, He is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, he treadeth the fierceness of the wine press of the wrath of Almighty God, and He is declared king of kings and Lord of lords, as he tramps the enemies under His feet in the battle of Armageddon, at the end of the tribulation, then we have 1000 years of Christ raining on Earth. He's now come down, he and his armies of saints have fallen behind him clothed and fine linen, white and clean. They established the millennial kingdom for 1000 years, at the 1000 years is completed Satan as loose, as the Bible says, for a little season, little period of rebellion, but a niche, but immediately almost, he snatched away by the King of kings and Lord of lords. And then we have the whole new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, there shall be no more death, Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the form of things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, the whole, I make all things new, and we have a new creation. Praise God.

Dan Wheeler: 38:38

That's, that's a beautiful, that's just a beautiful chronology there. And, as always, we could do three shows with this guy. You know, the final thing I think a lot of us don't understand why after 1000 years, would Christ let satan be released? I never had the same

Terry Steen: 38:57

question. Yeah, yeah,

John Hope: 38:59

there really is. It is, it is a puzzle, to really most Bible scholars, you know, some would say that because there were still mortals upon the earth that were saved during these, the the tribulation period. And now they're still living in the millennial kingdom, that their faith has never been tried or tested. And somebody wants it to be, you know, a faith that's not dried is no faith at all. And so in order for faith to be faith that has to be tested, there must be a testing that goes on for faith to be true faith. And so Satan is the what the tempter he is the the one who came to Jesus and said, you know, in the wilderness, he was the one who tempted him three times. stones into bread. Yeah, cast yourself down from the pinnacle of a temple. You know, you're you're the ruler of the world and so are their faith to be truly tested. Satan is loose, but only for that short period of time until Jesus takes full sovereign control and recreates the universe. And we get to live in it. Well,

Dan Wheeler: 40:11

as always, I know we've gone over, but I know it's fascinating stuff. And I don't think we're going to lose anybody and Jimmy. So appreciate it and expect to get us another call from us.

John Hope: 40:27

I apologize for rambling on, because this is a subject obviously, that is exciting. It is very exciting. And it's true, that

Dan Wheeler: 40:38

it's not rambled on about the power of God there in the scriptures, and you just can't beat God's word. So that's right,

John Hope: 40:45

available through Jesus and offered to us freely by his grace. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. Deserving we are and yet God just offers it to us because of the atoning work of Christ and his subsequent resurrection. And now we're offered it freely for His grace. And he blots out the ordinances that were against us, takes them out of the way, and nails into his cross, and gives us victory in Jesus. It's a it's a great deal, guys.

Terry Steen: 41:15

Great story, John,

Dan Wheeler: 41:16

thank you so much. We're gonna wrap up here, but as always, it has been it's been like going to school we are taking and hopefully our audience has to so yeah.

John Hope: 41:27

All right, fellas, thank you again. The pleasure is all mine. I appreciate it.

Dan Wheeler: 41:33

Thank you. Wow. I don't know how he does it.

Terry Steen: 41:39

You can't turn that off. I mean, that is a faucet that is pouring

Dan Wheeler: 41:46

it is he's got so much. Oh, goodness happens beautiful in the lifetime of study. Yeah, obviously, guys, we've got to study more. Finish strong theme. I mean, I think it's obvious, right? The Lord is coming soon. And he's called us to preach the gospel and we've got to be about his business every day. What are your final thoughts? Yeah,

Terry Steen: 42:09

we have got to knowing a little more clarity and focus on what's going to be taken place that should give us that confidence. Like I said earlier that peace, the confidence the aggressiveness to let the rest of the world know this is real stuff. This is gonna happen.

Brian Roland: 42:28

Yeah, we're at that point and that like you said, we have to be prepared No, we have to be able to share that. But you know, I got so many verses that he was giving I'm just jotting them down left and right and I got I got a couple other of the Latin words and stuff to which I really want to look up people moaning I like that one man. I put them on tell you, but

Dan Wheeler: 42:50

I'm still working on my Pig Latin is Yeah, yeah,

Brian Roland: 42:54

but it's really it's just fantastic stuff and and I'm jotting all these things down to quite illogical angle. Right? Did I miss white throne the Great White Throne Judgment or that's at the very end right. So that's still under some place, but obviously

Dan Wheeler: 43:08

we're gonna have mine again. It's gonna finish. I hope everyone listening is inspired by that to be in the word be in prayer and be talking about our Lord and Savior. So guys, another great podcast and we thank you for listening. We'll see you in our next edition of finished strong God bless.

John Matarazzo: 43:30

Thank you for listening to finish strong. For more information about finish strong and fearless faith. Check out their website eth faith.org. Make sure that you rate and review this podcast to help more people accomplish their God given purpose so that together we can finish strong