Revelation: When will the end come?

Intro:
No one knows exactly WHEN Jesus will return or when the End Times will begin. Jesus even warned us against people who claim to know a date.

I heard a radio host talk about a certain preacher that declared THE date when the world will end. His response to that preacher was classic: "I do not know if Jesus will return on that date or not but I do know the date when that preacher's ministry will end!" Sure enough, on September 15th of that year that man's ministry ended.

No one knows the date or time the Father has set by His own counsel. We are encouraged to look at the signs, we are encouraged to be ready at all times but we are never to predict and declare dates.

Read: Revelation 10 & 11
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered.
4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”

5 Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. 6 He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. 7 When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.”

8 Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” 10 So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.

11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

Chapter 11

1 Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. 2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
4 These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward your servants the prophets,
as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.

Think:
There are many who believe we are in the "End Times" ..... the times that are recorded here in Revelation. There were many things that needed to take place but no one could figure out HOW they were possible. One of those things was Israel becoming a nation (happened in 1948). Another is the birth of a "red heifer" for use in the Temple worship. Supposedly born in Israel in 2002 or 2004. You can Google it.

Another hurdle was found in this passage. Scholars could not figure out how all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations could stare at the bodies of the witnesses. How were they going to get that many people to Israel? How could so many people be included?

I think it is safe to say that the Internet might provide that answer. As I write this, Michael Jackson has been dead for just under 2 hours. How do I know? I was on the Internet! On my FB Home page many friends began to "chatter" about Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet dying on the same day. The Internet provides the opportunity for the people to see what is going on around the world.

Mark another one that is complete as we move toward the end of days but don't pick any dates.

Do:
Guard yourself against any TV preacher or personality that tells you what and when the end will come. Be leery of those that say Obama is the anti-Christ. They said the same of George Bush and of Ronald Reagan.

Keep a level head on these things. Let the images create a healthy fear of God and of the state of your soul. Be always ready to preach, pray or die ....... but don't pick a date!

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.