In the end times, the contention between God and humanity will reach a violent and destructive climax. God's patience will end, and the crisis at the close of the age will commence. The nations will be driven to march their armies against Jerusalem, gathering in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, renamed the Valley of Decision, where God will judge them severely for their treatment of Israel and their insolence toward Him. This judgment will result in unprecedented pain and destruction, with the Beast and the False Prophet being cast into the Lake of Fire. Following this destruction, God will initiate a period of restoration. He will bring about a Second Exodus, returning the surviving remnant of Israel to the Promised Land, where they will be converted and restored. God's plan includes provoking Israel to jealousy by calling the Gentiles to salvation, ultimately leading to the salvation of all Israel. His ultimate goal is to convert the whole world during the Millennium, though many will rebel when Satan is released at the end of this period. After the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment will occur, lasting about 100 years. During this time, everyone who has ever died will be resurrected and given an opportunity for salvation and eternal life. This resurrection is not just to physical life but includes the chance for conversion and eternal life. God's overarching will for the end time is for all humanity to come to repentance, accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and live forever with Him in joy and godliness. He desires a kingdom filled with His children, sharing everything He has with those who are converted and have eternal life, asking only that they humble themselves and conform their wills and ways to His.

The increasing frequency and cost of natural disasters in recent times have led many to speculate about the end of the world. For true Christians who anticipate the return of Jesus Christ, this heightened media coverage of disasters can create false hope, suggesting that the end is imminent with every catastrophe. However, the return of Christ should not be gauged by worldly reports or media hype, but by the sure word of prophecy found in Scripture. Disasters serve as precursor judgments, warnings to nations of their sins and their drifting from God, urging repentance and a restored relationship with Him. The ultimate judgment, known as the Day of the Lord, will be a time of darkness and divine wrath, far surpassing any disaster witnessed thus far. Jesus Himself provides clear guidance about His return, cautioning against deception by false christs and false prophets who will perform great signs and wonders to mislead even the elect. His second coming will not be secretive or hidden; it will be a worldwide, unmistakable event, like a massive flash of lightning and thunder across the sky, occurring during a time of war. This return will mark a period of wrath and power as He comes as the great Judge to slay His enemies and establish His Kingdom. The Day of the Lord will be a time of immense destruction and loss, described as a great and dreadful day, not something to be eagerly desired. As the days grow darker, true Christians must heed these warnings, repent of their sins, and draw closer to God in preparation for His glorious appearing.

In Matthew 24, known as the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus outlines the progression of end-time events, presenting a sobering picture of the conditions preceding His return. He foretells a time of great tribulation, unlike any in history, where the pressure will be so intense that betrayal and hatred will emerge among God's people, with some unwilling to sacrifice their lives and instead betraying their brethren. This period will see a rise in false prophets and widespread deception, as people seek relief from the mounting pressures through misleading teachings that undermine God's standards, leading to rampant lawlessness and a cooling of the love of God among many. Jesus provides specific signs of the approaching end, stating that the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, signaling that the end is near. Another sign is the Abomination of Desolation, described as an idolatrous act in a holy place, defiling what is dedicated to the true God, with historical precedents pointing to future fulfillment. This leads to a time of unparalleled tribulation, so severe that unless God shortens those days, no flesh would be saved; yet for the elect's sake, He has placed a limit on this period. Despite the depiction of intense suffering, Jesus also likens this time to the days of Noah and Lot, where people continued normal activities like eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building, unaware of the impending judgment. This apparent paradox highlights the unexpected nature of His return, emphasizing that the destruction will come suddenly, catching many off guard, even amidst the worst of times. Further insight into this time of tribulation, referred to as the days of vengeance, reveals that the epicenter of turmoil will be Jerusalem and Judea, with Gentiles trampling the holy city. This period is described as a fulfillment of divine warnings, a time of God's vengeance against both His people and other nations for their rebellion and oppression. The severity of this vengeance is such that without divine intervention to shorten the days, no flesh—Israelite or Gentile—would survive His wrath.

In these times of increasing natural disasters and global unrest, such as hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria, massive fires in the western United States, earthquakes in Mexico and near Japan, and devastating floods in South Asia, many are quick to see these as signs of the end times. However, while the frequency and cost of such disasters have risen, with major events in the United States averaging 10.5 per year this decade compared to 2.7 in the 1980s, this increase is partly due to economic growth and more infrastructure in vulnerable areas. Adjusting for this, the rise in disasters is less dramatic, incrementing by one every 25 years rather than every four, suggesting that the situation, though serious, is not as exponentially worse as some claim. Media coverage often amplifies the perception of impending doom, using hyperbolic language and focusing on negativity to draw attention, as seen in the exaggerated reporting of Hurricane Irma with terms like "nuclear hurricane." This sensationalism can mislead believers who eagerly await the return of Jesus Christ, making them vulnerable to false hope and manipulation by news outlets with agendas that do not align with spiritual truth. Such influences can stir excitement that every disaster signals the immediate end, but this eagerness must be tempered by what is revealed in Scripture. The Feast of Trumpets, as described in Leviticus 23:23-25, serves as a memorial of blowing trumpets, a day of warning and awakening, pointing prophetically to the return of Christ and the resurrection of the firstfruits, as noted in I Thessalonians 4:16. This festival underscores the importance of staying aligned with God's Word regarding end-time prophecies rather than being swayed by external speculation or media hype. Prophecies in Scripture are straightforward, meant to be fulfilled in visible, unmistakable events, not hidden in numerology or obscure interpretations, as some have attempted with recent events like the August 21st eclipse and Hurricane Harvey, linking them to Luke 21:25-26 or planetary alignments to Revelation 12:1-2 without scriptural basis. Drawing from Amos 4:6-12, the current disasters and crises serve as precursor judgments and wake-up calls, warnings from God to nations about their sin and need for repentance, much like He warned Israel with famine, drought, and plague. These are not necessarily the final signs of Christ's return but prods to motivate a return to Him before greater punishment comes. Jesus Christ Himself, in Mark 13:32-37, emphasizes that no one knows the day or hour of His return, not even the angels or the Son, but only the Father. He urges believers to take heed, watch, and pray, focusing on spiritual readiness rather than attempting to predict the timing, which is futile and outside human knowledge. In Matthew 24:3-8, Jesus Christ outlines early signs such as deception, wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes as the beginning of sorrows, common to human experience and not definitive indicators of the immediate end. Further, in Matthew 24:14, the preaching of the gospel to all nations as a witness is a general sign of the last days, yet lacks specificity on timing. More distinct signs include the abomination of desolation and the great tribulation described in Matthew 24:15-22, which will be unprecedented in severity, surpassing all historical atrocities. His return, as detailed in Matthew 24:29-31, will follow this tribulation with cosmic disturbances and a visible, glorious appearance that no one will miss, accompanied by the sound of a trumpet gathering His elect. Isaiah 66:14-16 portrays His return as a time of wrath and judgment with fire and sword, a dreadful day of darkness as Amos 5:18 and Malachi describe, not to be desired for its devastation but necessary for God's justice. As warnings intensify with current events, believers are called to use them personally for repentance and drawing closer to God, preparing spiritually for His glori

The urgency of the end times calls us to awaken from spiritual slumber, as emphasized in Romans 13:11-12, where we are reminded that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed, and the night is nearly over, urging us to cast off darkness and put on the armor of light. In I Thessalonians 5:6-8, Paul reinforces this by exhorting us to stay awake and sober, equipped with faith, love, and the hope of salvation, contrasting those who sleep in ignorance of the times. Matthew 25 illustrates this with the parable of the ten virgins, all of whom slept, symbolizing a broader unawareness within the church to changing doctrines and spiritual conditions, with some awakening too late to prepare. Herbert Armstrong, as a minister, fulfilled a biblical responsibility by warning of the collapse of the United States and the British Commonwealth, preaching that we must live as though Christ could return at any moment while planning as if life continues indefinitely. His early belief that World War II signaled the end was adjusted when he realized a series of events would unfold, including Europe's rise, particularly Germany's, and the fall of Israelitish nations like the United States and Great Britain. He foresaw enervating wars, economic collapse aided by natural disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes, and floods, leading to famine, disease epidemics, national economic ruin, and slavery. Though events have moved slower than anticipated, they align with the general direction he predicted. II Peter 1:19 underscores the importance of prophecy as a light in a dark place, guiding us until the day dawns. Matthew 24:15-21 warns of the abomination of desolation and the great tribulation, urging preparation and flight when these signs appear, while verses 42-44 stress constant readiness for the unexpected return of the Son of Man. Ezekiel 3:17-21 and 33:1-6 establish the role of the watchman, appointed by God or chosen by the people, to warn of impending danger, holding both the watchman and the hearers accountable for their response to these warnings. Exodus 9:13-21 demonstrates God's mercy in warning Egypt of the hail plague, showing that those who heeded the warning were spared, while those who ignored it suffered loss. Proverbs 22:3 and 6:4-11 commend prudence and diligence, likening us to the ant that prepares in times of plenty for times of want, urging us to stay alert and not succumb to slumber. Luke 12:15-21 cautions against storing up treasures solely for oneself without being rich toward God, balancing physical preparation with spiritual priorities. These scriptures collectively emphasize that God gives warnings through prophecy to motivate preparation, both spiritually and physically, for the challenging times ahead that herald the end.

Prophecy often carries the principle of duality, where statements may apply to more than one fulfillment. A clear example is Christ's first coming to atone for sins and His second coming to rule as King of Kings. Similarly, Jesus' Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 predicts conditions that befell Judea after His ascension and are forming again in our day. The day of the Lord, mentioned in various scriptures, sometimes appears fulfilled anciently, yet later verses place it in a modern or future context that could not have existed in the past. Prophecy serves a higher purpose than satisfying curiosity about the future; it provides guidance, comfort, hope, encouragement, and a sense of urgency to the heirs of salvation during troubled times. God is preparing the world for the time of the end and the return of Jesus Christ. Daniel 4 offers a potential end-time parallel with the Babylonian tree being chopped down, banded with iron, and possibly reviving after a prophetic period of seven times, calculated as 2,520 years, potentially ending in 1982, allowing Babylon to sprout again into fullness. God manipulates nations into their end-time positions, as seen in Habakkuk, where economic, political, and military machinations occur as the end approaches, culminating in Christ's return. Parallel prophecies, such as the appearance and work of the Two Witnesses, are fulfilled during this period. God declares that what He will bring to pass will be astounding, running counter to common expectations. The Two Witnesses will expound on these prophecies, warning all who listen that a new world order, not of human design, is being ushered in through the tumultuous events of the end-time Axial Period. The Babylonian image, influencing the world since the sixth century BC, will be smashed at its feet, fragmenting into pieces and being replaced by the Kingdom of God. Isaiah 29:14 speaks of a marvelous work and wonder that God is already undertaking as He maneuvers nations into their end-time roles. Revelation 17-18 reveals that spiritual and moral depravity, combined with commercial success, blinds people to the impending judgment of God, as they are absorbed in the Babylonish system. Acts 3:19-21 calls for repentance and conversion so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, leading to the sending of Jesus Christ and the restoration of all things as spoken by God's holy prophets. The Two Witnesses, described as prophets in Revelation 11:10, will reappear to fulfill their mission as the return of Christ nears. Matthew 25:5 warns that the church may go to sleep as the end approaches, yet the overall theme of prophecy remains accurate, urging a controlled sense of urgency in preparing for Christ's Kingdom.

In the context of the challenges facing the United States and the broader world, there are significant prophecies concerning the end times that provide both warning and hope. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 24:6-8, foretold that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, with nations rising against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms. He also spoke of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places, describing these as the beginning of sorrows. These events are unfolding before our eyes as worldwide phenomena that cannot be escaped, intensifying life's pressures as major external realities we must confront. God has willed that we live through these times, and we must endure and overcome them with His help to avoid being pulled away from His truth. Further insight into these turbulent times is found in Jeremiah 30:1-10, where the Lord speaks of a great day unlike any other, a time of Jacob's trouble, marked by trembling and fear. This prophecy indicates the worst period in human history, yet it also promises salvation, as God declares He will save His people from afar, break the yoke from their necks, and burst their bonds, ensuring that foreigners will no longer enslave them. This fulfillment is tied to the return of Jesus Christ, an event still years ahead, pointing to a future rescue of both Israel and Judah together from captivity. This captivity, already beginning in our own lands, reflects a loss of freedom and a form of enslavement within our nations, paralleling historical accounts such as in Judges 6:1-7, where Israelites were held captive in their own land by foreign invaders due to their idolatry. The Day of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles remind us of the hope rooted in the return of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the Kingdom of God, the resurrection of the dead, and life under God's rule. As Romans 8:24-25 emphasizes, hope is a constant expectation of an unseen reality, and we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. This hope must sustain us against the strong, negative, anti-God influences attacking us, even as many churches fail to emphasize the expectation of Christ's return. God requires much of us during these times, but as Jesus Christ assures, He will never leave nor forsake us, remaining the same yesterday, today, and forever. Our faith, reliance, and trust must be in Him to navigate these prophetic end times without succumbing to the spirit of the age.

Prophecy holds a central place in the life of every Christian, as it is not merely a casual interest but a vital component of faith. The testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, reveals that His gospel message is the essence, heart, and core of all biblical prophecy. This underscores that anyone anticipating Christ's return should be deeply engaged with prophecy, recognizing its significance beyond mere prediction to the very foundation of belief.

The Bible illustrates the role of prophecy through early figures like Enoch, who, as the seventh from Adam, prophesied of the Lord's return with ten thousands of His saints, long before the Flood. This demonstrates the ancient roots of prophetic messages concerning the ultimate return of Jesus Christ. Similarly, Abraham, identified as the first named prophet in Genesis, and others like Moses, who expressed God's will through words and signs, establish the prophet's role as a divine messenger across history.

In the context of end times, prophecies often address both immediate local situations and events of the remote future, sometimes with dual applications. These can relate to the Messiah, Israel, the church, or the Kingdom of God, providing a framework that connects present circumstances with distant fulfillments. Such dual prophecies challenge understanding but are crucial for grasping God's overarching purpose.

Moreover, the scriptures in Malachi and the words of Jesus Christ regarding John the Baptist as Elijah suggest the possibility of an end-time Elijah figure. Jesus affirmed that Elijah had come in John, who prepared the way for the Messiah, yet He also spoke of Elijah coming to restore all things, raising questions about a future prophetic role. This indicates that prophecy continues to be relevant, potentially pointing to further fulfillment in the last days.

Ultimately, prophecy is not intended to satisfy idle curiosity about the future but to furnish guidance, encouragement, hope, confidence, and urgency to God's people. It serves as a call to align with God's will, ensuring that the heirs of salvation remain steadfast in their anticipation of Christ's return.

Biblical prophecy significantly addresses economic issues, reflecting their importance to people across time, including those living in the end times. From the early chapters of Genesis, economic elements are woven into prophecies, beginning with God's curse on Adam in Genesis 3:17-19, which dooms mankind to hard labor for survival, shaping a life focused on meeting needs and subduing the environment with little time for seeking God. This curse sets a foundation of conflict, greed, and lack, intensifying until a time when, unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved, as noted in Matthew 24:22. The promises to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49 about the tribes of Israel in the last days, heavily emphasize economic blessings. God's promise to Abraham of a great nation in Genesis 12:2 implies a prosperous and mighty people, with later details adding fertile lands, fruitfulness, and strategic holdings. Jacob's blessings in Genesis 49 highlight economic conditions for tribes like Zebulun, tied to the sea, Issachar in pleasant lands, Asher producing rich foods, and Benjamin known for plunder, indicating their end-time locations and states. In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God outlines economic rewards for obedience, such as productivity and prosperity, and punishments for disobedience, including drought, famine, and exile, reflecting the current state of Israel's nations reaping consequences for sinfulness. Moses' blessing in Deuteronomy 33 further prophesies economic features for tribes, with abundance and blessings particularly for Joseph. Later prophets like Isaiah reveal economic factors in the increasing troubles before Christ's return. Isaiah 1:22 notes the devaluation of currency in Jerusalem as a sign of decline, while Isaiah 2:7 describes immense wealth and abundance in Israel at the end, with everyone living like kings. Isaiah 3:16-23 portrays the excessive wealth and leisure of Israelite women, indicating a society indulging in desires. Isaiah 5:8 pronounces woe on those amassing land and developing vast housing, predicting empty houses and little profit. In the New Testament, economic elements appear in prophecies as well. The Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24 mentions famines as a sign of Christ's coming, often resulting from economic decline, though it suggests normalcy in daily affairs before the calamity. Revelation, the primary prophetic source, includes economic allusions like the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:16-18, necessary for buying and selling, and the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18, causing worldwide economic mourning as the system crashes. Yet, after Christ's return, true prosperity is promised under God's rule during the Millennium and beyond, as described in Revelation 21-22.

Jesus' prophetic comments in Matthew 24 focus on an admonition to His disciples to be alert and prepared. His comments begin by being general in nature and become more specific as He moves through the chapter. He is telling that the first comments are merely indicators that disciples are getting closer to His return. Verse 8 states that all these are the beginning of sorrows. These signs are similar to the first sure signs that a birth has begun in this case the birth of the Kingdom of God. They might be compared to Braxton Hicks pangs that signal that a baby has dropped or is just about ready to drop into the birth canal. Jesus is telling that there will be not only wars as usual but a dramatic increase in the number occurring. This series of events must occur at a time when the disciples can hear of them. This series of events must occur at a time in history of worldwide rapid communication because when Jesus spoke this prophecy all the disciples were in one small area. Because of electronic communication and especially because of the World Wide Web and satellite communication events are heard of almost immediately even as they begin. There are wars many wars that are now going on and are officially listed now as operations though they may be referred to as wars in the media. These operations are under the auspices of the United Nations and involve many nations but in most America has borne the brunt of the deaths and the other costs. According to Answers.com if all current conflicts where hostilities are still present and conflicts that have ceased hostilities but are still unresolved are counted there are approximately 41. These include Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada Operation Just Cause in Panama Operation Desert Storm in Iraq Operation Restore Hope in Somalia operations in Europe that were fought all through the 1990s in Bosnia Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan beginning in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

The timing of a prophecy is the most important and most confusing variable in interpreting it, along with language and context. Prophecy is spoken in what may be called the "prophetic tense," which reflects God's view of time rather than man's. God inhabits eternity, so He compresses or stretches time, shifting between the present audience and people far in the future. Deuteronomy 29-30 shows this: Moses moves from one sinner, to the whole people, to a distant future Israel repenting after the Second Exodus, then speaks as though it applies to those standing before him. Jesus, who inspired Moses, speaks the same way in the Olivet Prophecy. Futurists hold that end-time prophecies carry a larger fulfillment still ahead. Preterists claim Matthew 24:34 ("this generation will by no means pass away") refers to Christ's contemporaries and AD 70. That cannot be true, because the gospel has not yet been preached to all nations, no tribulation has threatened to destroy all flesh, the heavens have not been shaken, and Christ has not returned. Otherwise Jesus would be a liar. Matthew 24:22 is the key: only since the 1940s has mankind possessed the means to destroy all life, so "this generation" is the generation capable of human extinction. This is a general warning, not a date, since no one knows the day or hour. Speculation, such as the 1975 prediction, proves unreliable. Believers should know the prophecies themselves, avoid self-indulgence and distraction, and watch and be ready.

The prophecy of Joel presents an ancient locust invasion as a type of an end-time sequence that begins with a comparable plague striking the land before the Great Tribulation. After years of drought the locusts arrive in overwhelming numbers, stripping vegetation and leaving famine, yet God later restores grain, new wine, oil, fruit trees, and vines, accompanied by the former and latter rains, so that threshing floors and vats overflow with abundance. Despite this restoration the people fail to repent. Consequently God gathers all nations into the valley of judgment against a reunited Jerusalem, where half the city is taken captive. This assault follows the appearance of the abomination of desolation and coincides with celestial signs of blood, fire, pillars of smoke, a darkened sun, and a blood-red moon. Those who call on the Lord are delivered on Mount Zion, while a remnant of commandment keepers flees from persecution to a place of safety in the nearby mountains, where they are protected for a time, times, and half a time. The outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh, producing prophecy, dreams, and visions, marks the conversion of many into the people of God. These events signal that the church must remain watchful and diligent in securing salvation before the coming day of the Lord.

The material identifies the last days as the period immediately preceding and following Christ's return to establish the Kingdom of God, encompassing the Day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, and the Great White Throne Judgment. It develops this theme by citing II Peter 3:3-4 and Jude 18-19, which warn that scoffers will arise in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and questioning the promise of His coming while assuming all things continue unchanged from creation. These warnings parallel conditions in the church at the end time, where rationalizations about hundreds of years remaining or the need for further unification before Christ's return arise from a lack of faith rather than from Scripture. The text connects these prophecies to the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24, where the disciples inquire about the sign of Christ's coming and the end of the age. It highlights verse 22, in multiple translations, as the conclusive sign that no flesh would survive unless those days were shortened, demonstrating that only since 1945 has mankind possessed the capacity to annihilate all life through nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. This capability, absent in prior generations, confirms the present era as the last days. The fig tree parable in Luke 21:29-32 further narrows the timeframe, stating that the generation seeing these signs will not pass away until all things occur, identifying that generation as those who witnessed World War II, the Cold War, and the advent of weapons capable of global destruction. Additional prophecies in II Timothy 3:1-5 describe perilous times marked by specific attitudes—lovers of self, lovers of money, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, and lovers of pleasure more than God—attitudes the material observes in the thirteenth generation born between 1961 and 1981. These traits intensify religious deception, wars, famines, diseases, and natural disasters foretold in Matthew 24. The broader message links end-time prophecy to personal readiness, urging repentance as in Revelation 2-3 and II Peter 3:5-7 to avoid the Lake of Fire or the Great Tribulation. John 5:14 and I Corinthians 3:16-17 emphasize sinning no more lest a worse thing occur, while Joel 2 calls for fasting and returning to the Lord so that deliverance may come on the Day of the Lord. The Feast of Trumpets thus serves as both a solemn warning of judgment and the eagerly anticipated fulfillment of Christ's return to rule.

Daniel 12 centers on the time of the end, when Michael stands up to sustain God's people during a time of trouble such as never was, the Great Tribulation Christ echoes in Matthew 24. Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14 show it lasting three and a half years, or 1,260 days, or forty-two months. The prophecies were sealed until the end, but the wise who obey God will now understand them. The 1,290-day and 1,335-day periods each begin with a significant prophetic event and end at Christ's return. The 1,290 days start when the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up. This suggests Jews in modern Israel may restore the twice-daily sacrifice, possibly with only an altar and no Temple, until the Beast's armies enter Jerusalem and ban it. The verse was fulfilled in type by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167-164 BC. The 1,335 days begin forty-five days earlier. Since no one knows the day of Christ's coming, what starts this period is unclear. It may mark the end of the church's organized gospel proclamation, or a restart of the sacrifices. Forty-five days in, the Beast's armies surround Jerusalem. The worthy, having been warned, then have thirty days to flee to the God-provided refuge (Revelation 12:14-16), and the 1,260 days begin. Christ returns at their end. Meanwhile God's people are purified and refined, and those who endure with righteousness and patience are blessed to reach the 1,335 days.

The popular conceptions of Christ's return generally fall into two flawed emphases. One, exemplified by works like the Left Behind series, dwells on the events preceding His coming—Armageddon, the Beast, the False Prophet, and Jesus as a conquering Warrior who ends all fighting, but then leaves what follows vague, often reduced to Christians being taken to heaven while the wicked are condemned. The other emphasis, common among those anticipating a rapture, focuses on the peaceful utopia that follows His appearing, whether a literal thousand-year reign or a symbolic eternity in heaven, while neglecting the events that bring Him back. Both views, though containing scattered truth mixed with human tradition, fail to account for Christ's actual return itself—why He comes, what He does, and what it truly means. The Feast of Trumpets provides the proper lens for understanding this. Leviticus 23 calls it a "memorial of blowing of trumpets," more literally "a remembrance of shouting," pointing Israel back to a specific past event. The only occasion fitting the criteria of trumpet blowing witnessed by all Israel is God's appearing at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19-20. This Sinai event contains striking parallels to Christ's Second Coming: the long trumpet blast, the command to sanctify oneself, the three-day timing echoing the shortened tribulation, warnings of death for the disobedient without direct contact (paralleling Zechariah 14's judgment), God appearing "in the sight of all the people," thunder, lightning, smoke, earthquake, the voice of God, God coming down upon a mountain, the sanctification required of priests, divine anger, and finally the giving of the law—foreshadowing the restoration of God's government at Christ's return. Turning to Matthew 24, Jesus reinforces these parallels: fleeing to mountains during tribulation, days shortened for the elect's survival, lightning flashing from east to west signifying a visible, universal appearing (contrasted with His obscure first coming), and the cryptic image of eagles gathering where the carcass lies, alluding to the great battle without dwelling on it. The darkened sun and moon, falling stars, the sign of the Son of Man, and the trumpet call gathering the elect all heighten this appearing beyond even Sinai's significance, since it will be witnessed worldwide. Notably, Jesus never describes Himself in the gospels as a conquering King defeating armies; that imagery belongs elsewhere, in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19. Instead, His own words consistently frame His return as spiritual judgment—separating one taken from another left, the faithful servant from the wicked one, based on individual works rather than group identity. He commands watchfulness, since no one knows the day or hour, and the world will continue in normal routines, unaware, as in the days of Noah. Herbert W. Armstrong's calculation linking the nuclear age of the 1950s to a generation's span suggests the current era falls within this window, though precise timing remains unknowable and unprofitable to pursue. Ultimately, Jesus presents His coming positively—not as destruction but as reward, gathering His faithful into rejoicing and inheritance, as reflected in Matthew 16, Titus 2, and 1 Thessalonians. The bloody judgments upon the wicked, though certain, are secondary to His central purpose: returning to receive His people, as promised in John 14:1-3.

Prophecies concerning the end times are woven throughout this discussion of judgment as the force behind God's division of His people. Rather than treating end-time prophecy as a separate topic, the material presents it as the setting in which God's judgment inevitably produces a split within what appears to be a unified body of people. Christ's Olivet Prophecy, recorded in Matthew 24 and 25, serves as the primary illustration: near the conclusion of this end-time discourse, Christ describes two men in a field and two women grinding at a mill, one taken and one left, portraying a fifty-fifty division occurring at His return. This same end-time framework governs the parable of the faithful and wicked servants, where the master returns unexpectedly to judge his household, blessing one servant and cutting the other in pieces—the ultimate image of a two-part division, expressed through the Greek term dichotomeō, from which the English word "dichotomy" derives. The Parable of the Ten Virgins continues this end-time theme, depicting the people of God going out to meet the bridegroom, evenly split between five wise and five foolish, with the wise entering into the wedding and the door being shut on the foolish. This parable underscores that not all who appear to belong to God's people are truly ready for His coming; the foolish virgins, unrecognized by the bridegroom, seem never to have been true followers. The Parable of the Talents likewise falls within this end-time context, distinguishing not by amount given but by faithfulness in use, again yielding two contrasting groups at the time of reckoning. These New Testament end-time examples share vital commonalities that reveal how prophecy portrays God's judgment. In each case, a seemingly unified group is evaluated, and an underlying disunity in commitment and obedience is exposed. God then divides the group, often precisely fifty-fifty, with vastly different destinies allotted to each half—one blessed, one cursed. Crucially, Scripture nowhere indicates a coming period of unified end-time worship; instead, division itself is the expected and prophesied outcome, consistent with Paul's statement that divisions must arise so that the approved may be revealed. Another prophetic pattern noted is the element of surprise accompanying God's end-time judgment. The wicked servant is caught off guard by his master's unexpected return; the foolish virgins are unprepared for the bridegroom's arrival. This demonstrates that the lines along which God divides His people at the end are frequently unfamiliar and unexpected to human expectation, running contrary to what might seem obvious. Thus, end-time judgment is depicted not merely as a future event but as a reconfiguring act, separating superficial unity into distinct destinies along divine, often surprising, lines.

Revelation is true prophecy, guaranteed by God's Word to come to pass soon, just as Isaiah 55:11 says God's word will not return void. It concerns the events of the end time that build to Christ's return and culminate in the new heavens and new earth. Scripture must interpret its own symbols, so Jesus' Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24 is the key to the Four Horsemen of the first four seals in Revelation 6. The two prophecies are parallel because the same Revelator gave both. The Olivet Prophecy answers the disciples' question mainly through a series of signs of the end, and the end comes when the gospel has been preached in all the world as a witness to all nations. Jesus calls the horsemen's events "the beginning of sorrows," which separates them from the fifth seal, the tribulation and martyrdom of the saints. The first four seals may therefore be broken in quick succession and inflict mayhem for a long period before the fifth is opened, and Jesus' wording suggests the horsemen were let loose long ago. Christ, the Lamb proven worthy by His sinless life and sacrificial death, takes the sealed scroll and acts as Judge. The horsemen represent a relentless, terrifying onslaught that kills up to a quarter of the earth's population. This is just judgment for sin, since the wages of sin is death. Yet mercy underlies it, because those who die will have opportunity for salvation in the resurrection.

God's prophecies demonstrate that the end time was planned by Him thousands of years in advance, with Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and the book of Revelation providing a detailed overview of the world in which end-time believers now live, supplemented by numerous minute details scattered throughout other scriptures. This divine planning stands in contrast to Satan's own long-term preparation for a final showdown with God, one that now involves mortal human beings rather than only spirit beings. Because humans live only about seventy years and possess limitations spirit beings do not, Satan has been compelled to organize his plan across centuries, particularly in the realm of education, in order to secure mankind's cooperation against the Creator. This slow, generational unfolding of Satan's world is illustrated through the pace of technological development. The telephone, invented in 1875, remained a "clunky" instrument well over a century later when the Church of the Great God began in 1992 with only three phones on a conference call. Within twenty-two years, that capacity grew to hundreds of computer connections, showing how conditions shaping the modern world took time to develop because they had to move at the speed of human capability, not spirit-being speed. This framework connects directly to prophecy by showing that the present age—unpleasant as it may be to experience—is not accidental but part of God's sovereign design. Although Satan possesses the power to destroy mankind almost instantly, a divine hedge still restrains him, forcing him to work within constraints that allow humanity, and particularly God's church, to undergo an education previously denied to billions who lacked access to the Bible, the greatest educational tool ever given to mankind. Key historical developments are framed as God's preparation for the end times: the Gutenberg press enabled widespread access to Scripture; Christopher Columbus's voyage opened the New World, allowing mass Israelite immigration to America and the growth of a significant population there by the end time; and the Protestant Reformation, occurring within a century of Gutenberg's invention, freed people from the spiritual and political domination of the Catholic Church, giving them reason to seek liberty in America. Simultaneously, between 1600 and 1800, the secular renaissance allowed Satan to infiltrate universities, undermining biblical truths—especially a right understanding of history and creation—that the Reformation had opened up. The present age, then, is presented as the visible outworking of this long spiritual conflict between God's prophetic plan and Satan's counter-strategy. Yet ultimate assurance rests in God's sovereignty: since He rules over all things, the world would not be as it is unless He permitted it, and this permitted experience serves as essential preparation of His people for entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Some prophecies of the Day of the Lord begin their fulfillment at Pentecost and await completion at the Feast of Trumpets, when Jesus Christ returns. Peter applied Joel 2:28-32 on Pentecost because part of it was being fulfilled before the people's eyes, though most of it remains future. Zephaniah 3 follows the same pattern. Zephaniah 3:8 foretells God's gathering of the nations to pour out His indignation, and Revelation 14, 16, and 19 confirm that the nations are gathered in opposition to God so that He can judge them all at once. The devouring fire of Zephaniah 3:8 is echoed in II Peter 3:7-12. Yet Zephaniah 3:9 began to be fulfilled in the first century: God turns a pure language to the peoples so that all may call on the LORD's name and serve Him with one accord. This is a coming change, not a restoration of something that existed before. In Hebrew thought, the word for language means the lips, which are the termination point of the heart, so a pure language means a changed heart. Because language reflects culture, and culture's decay corrupts language, a pure language means the dominant culture will undergo a massive renovation that includes God.