NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECIES AWAITING FULFILMENT 4
NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECIES AWAITING FULFILMENT 4
During the time between the sixth and seventh plague judgements, Satan will send three demon spirits throughout all the other kingdoms of the world. They will work miracles to induce their kings, who are not under the control of Antichrist, to cooperate with him with their armies, to fight Christ at Armageddon (CP Rev 16:13-16 with Psa 2:1-3). The part of John's prophecy predicting Satan sending these spirits throughout all the other kingdoms of the world will be fulfilled during the Tribulation, but the battle of Armageddon itself will not be fulfilled until after the Tribulation. We will examine that part of the prophecy in the next section of this study. In the meantime, the seventh and last plague judgement on the earth will be the most powerful and devastating earthquake in the history of the world. It will split Jerusalem into three parts, destroy Babylon, the capital of Antichrist's kingdom, and radically alter the earth's topography. Every mountain and island will be moved from their positions. This will be followed by an equally devastating hailstorm, with hailstones each weighing about forty kilograms bombarding the earth and killing people. Men will blaspheme God because of the devastating effect of the hailstorm (CP 16:17-21). The assertion "it is done" in V 17 means that the outpouring of God's wrath upon the earth is now complete. This signals the end of the Tribulation and presages Christ's second coming. All told, two thirds of Israel will perish in the Tribulation (CP Zech 13:8-9).
Next in scripture we are given a prophetic revelation of a Great Whore with the name MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH, symbolising a vast apostate religious system existing at that time, which will be destroyed by Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation (CP Rev 17:1-17). MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH, symbolises a vast apostate religious system having its origins in the religious rites and mysteries of ancient Babylon (CP V 18). This apostate religious system will be immensely wealthy and will have dominion over kings and kingdoms, political leaders and nations, and people throughout the earth, symbolised by the many waters upon which the Great Whore sits (CP 17:1-2, 15). This apostate religious system, in league with Antichrist, will be responsible for shedding the blood of countless believers for their witness to Christ in the first three and a half years of the Tribulation (CP Rev 16:4-6 with 6:9-11; 17:6; 19:1-2). The scarlet-coloured beast upon which the woman sits, full of names of blasphemy, as we learned previously, symbolises Antichrist, although, as revealed in Rev 17, there is more to the beast than that, but it is not relevant to this study, so we will not pursue it.
Antichrist will turn on the apostate religious system midway through the Tribulation in order to set up the image of himself to be worshipped as God in the temple - the abomination of desolation - and the ten kings of the ten future kingdoms, will destroy the apostate religious system. This was also prophesied by Daniel in the Old Testament (CP Dan 7:7-8, 21, 24-25; 8:8-12, 23-25; 9:27; 11:31, 36-39 with Mt 24:15; Rev 13:1-8; 17:12-13, 16-17; 19:1-2). The names of blasphemy the scarlet-coloured beast was full of, refers to Antichrist's self-deification (CP Dan 7:25; 11:36-37; 2Th 2:3-4; Rev 13:5-6). The next part of John's prophecy that will be fulfilled during the Tribulation predicts the fall of Babylon, the capital of Antichrist's kingdom (CP Rev 18:1-3). Babylon will be destroyed by the great earthquake under the last vial judgement at the end of the Tribulation, prior to Christ's second coming. Its fall was also prophesied in the Old Testament by Isaiah and Jeremiah (CP Isa 13:19-22; 47:1-5; Jer 51:6-8 with Rev 14:8; 16:17-21; 18:4-10, 17). It should be noted here that Babylon does not presently exist in the form ascribed to it in Rev 18. However, for the prophecy to be fulfilled, it will be rebuilt before it is destroyed again, according to scripture (CP Zech 5:5-11). Wickedness will be built a house in Shinar refers to the rebuilding of Babylon. Shinar is the land in which it will be situated (CP Gen 10:10). The wind in the women's wings, and having wings like the wings of a stork in Zech 5:9-11, symbolises the speed with which Babylon will be rebuilt and restored to its former glory. Babylon has been partly rebuilt where it previously stood, in the land once part of Assyria, that is now modern Iraq. Antichrist will rise up from Assyria, and Babylon will be his seat of government (CP Isa 10:27; 14:24-27; 30:27-31; 31:4-9; Dan 11:36-45; Mic 5:3-6 with Isa 14:3-6 and Rev 17:18).
With Babylon destroyed and the Tribulation brought to an end in the seventh and last vial judgement, we will now examine New Testament prophecies awaiting fulfilment after the Tribulation, before the Millennium. The first is the prophecy that predicts the harvest of the earth being reaped (CP Rev 14:14-16). This is not a harvest of the Tribulation saints as many suppose, but a harvest of judgement (CP V 17-20 also Joel 3:9-16 with Jer 25:30-33; 46:9-10; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:8; Zech 14:1-7). Those scriptures all predict the battle of Armageddon and Christ's final dealing with all who inhabit the earth. Armageddon is the great winepress of the wrath of God (CP Rev 19:15). For a more detailed teaching on this subject see author's study on Armageddon, Judgement of the Nations, Christ's Millennial Reign and the Eternal Kingdom in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (volume 2). Next in this section we will examine the prophecy predicting the end of this world, or age (CP Mt 13:30, 36-43, 48-49; 1Pe 4:7; Rev 22:10). This prophecy will be fulfilled at Christ's second advent (CP Mt 24:29-31; Mk 13:24-27).
Another New Testament prophecy awaiting fulfilment after the Tribulation prior to the Millennium, predicts the Judgement of the Nations (CP Mt 25:31-46). This was also prophesied by Joel in the Old Testament (CP Joel 3:2, 12). This teaches that the prophecy will be fulfilled after the battle of Armageddon, when Christ will judge the Gentile nations to determine who of them will go into the Eternal Kingdom (CP Zech 14:16 with Mt 25:34-40). Lastly in this section, we will examine John's prophecy that predicts the binding of Satan. This will be fulfilled when Christ defeats both Satan and Antichrist together with the false prophet and the armies of the confederation of Gentile nations supporting Antichrist, at the battle of Armageddon (CP Rev 19:11 - 20:3).
Now we come to New Testament prophecies awaiting fulfilment during the Millennium - the thousand years reign of Christ. First we will examine those that predict the Millennium (CP Mt 19:28; Lu 22:29-30; 1Cor 6:2-3; 15:25-26; Eph 1:10, 13-14; 2Ti 2:11-12; 4:1, 18; 2Pe 1:10-11; Rev 20:4). The prophecy predicting Christ's millennial reign is found in every one of those scriptures in one form or another. It will be fulfilled after the battle of Armageddon and the Judgement of the Nations (CP Mt 19:28). In this prophecy awaiting fulfilment in the Millennium, Christ promises the apostles that they will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel in the Eternal Kingdom (CP Also Lu 22:28-30). Other New Testament prophecies awaiting fulfilment too at this time, predict the saints inheriting the Kingdom (CP Mt 5:3, 10; 8:11; Lu 6:20; He 12:25-28); the meek inheriting the earth (CP Mt 5:5 also Psa 37:11); the saints receiving an eternal inheritance (CP 1Pe 1:4), and the saints inheriting eternal life (CP Mt 19:29; Mk 10:29-30; Lu 18:29-30; 1Jn 2:17). These prophecies will all be fulfilled in Christ's Eternal Kingdom, as also will His prophecy of the Lord's supper continuing throughout eternity (CP Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25; Lu 22:16-20).