Unraveling the Mystery: Are We Living in the Final Days?

1. Doom Days
The End of the World will not come right away. The Bible tells us the End of the World will not come until the end of the 1,000-year reign of Christ known as the Millennial Reign of Christ.

The literal 1,000-year reign of Christ will come after the Rapture of the church and the Tribulation. After the end of the 1,000-year reign of Christ, God will destroy the earth with fire and create a New Heaven and a New Earth (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1).

2. The Rapture
The Rapture is prior to the End of the World. The rapture is when Jesus takes His children up to be with Him in Heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Only believers will be taken up in the rapture as unbelievers will be left on the earth to undergo the seven-year Tribulation. The rapture will happen unexpectedly and will not have anything to precipitate it.

It will happen quickly, suddenly, and swiftly. Paul tells us the rapture will happen quicker than a twinkling of the eye (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). When believers are taken up in the rapture, they will be alive and will be transformed into their heavenly bodies.

Believers who are taken up in the rapture will not die. The rapture can happen at any time, meaning it could happen today, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. Only God knows when the rapture will occur, and He has not given us that information in the Bible. Believers should continue to do good, live for Christ, and share the gospel with others until this time.

3. The Tribulation
The seven-year Tribulation occurs after the rapture of the church. The church will not have to undergo this wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The seven-year Tribulation is the major event of God completing His work of judging the nations.

The Tribulation is the last opportunity for unbelievers to accept Jesus. Israel is the focus of the Tribulation; however, God is calling all unbelievers to accept Him during this period. Sadly, some people will reject Jesus during the Tribulation and refuse to submit to His Lordship.

The Tribulation will be a time of pain, terror, and wrath. Noteworthy to mention is that the Tribulation is God's work-not Satan's. The wrath being poured out on the world will be God's wrath. The Tribulation is also known as "The Day of the Lord" (Joel 1:15).

Daniel 9:24-27 gives a detailed description of the events of the Tribulation, including God's wrath, the antichrist, and the length of the Tribulation. The first half of the Tribulation will be intense; however, the second half of the Tribulation will be even more severe (Matthew 24:21; Zephaniah 1:15).