BD – Prophecies – Braden Caldwell Ministries

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End-time Bible Prophecies

Bible prophecy of end-time happenings is a vital part of God’s revelation to man. God’s prophecies are not enshrouded in impenetrable mystery, but are to be understood by the people of God – as an invitation to come out of false religion and keep God’s commands.

God’s prophecies are far from being enshrouded in impenetrable mystery. On the contrary, they are included in the Scriptures that are “profitable for our instruction” (2Timothy 3:16), “designed for us and our children” (Deuteronomy 29:29), and “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalms 119:105; 2Peter 1:19).

Bible prophecy is to be understood by the people of God. Jesus Himself instructs us to study Daniel the prophet. God’s command to John the Revelator was not to seal the words of the prophecy of this book – for the time is at hand. In the introduction to Revelation there is a blessing offered those who read it (preach it) and those who hear the words of Revelation and those things which are written in it (Revelation 1:1-3). To profess belief in Jesus Christ, but to reject His teachings is a hopeless contradiction of ideas. Faith in Jesus Christ implies acceptance of the entire Bible as the inspired authority in matters of doctrine. Faith in Jesus Christ will lead to an earnest study of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and to sincere acceptance of the things Jesus taught. True believers will not, like a majority of professed Christians, neglect and disparage Daniel and Revelation as sealed books that cannot be understood.

The world’s history from specified dates in the past, the rise and fall of empires, and the chronological succession of events down to the setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom, are outlined in numerous great chains of prophecy; and these prophecies are now all fulfilled except the closing scenes.

Just before the first advent of Christ, the book of Daniel proved of great importance, identifying the long-expected Messiah. Daniel also reaches down to the period just before the second coming of Christ – the period it speaks of as the end of time. Daniel prophesies the rise, development and collapse of human governments from Babylon to the end of the age. Daniel also prophesies of false and apostate religious powers – including the antichrist – that would rebel against God, think to change God’s laws, endeavour to establish a new world church in collaboration with a world government power and martyr millions of true believers in the doing – all paving the way for a great display of Satan’s power in the end of time.

Coming to us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ – through whom alone any divine revelation can come to man – the book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse, is unique in its form, its symbolism and its meaning, purposing both to show what will come and to be a revelation about Jesus Christ Himself.

The Old Testament reveals Christ in promise and in prophecy. The Gospels reveal Him in His earthly life, ministry, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension. The Acts and the Epistles reveal the triumph of the church under His Holy Spirit’s ministry. The book of Revelation is the final revelation of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, the High Priest, sitting at the right hand of God in the heavenly sanctuary, the Supreme Judge before whom all nations must appear – the King of kings and Lord of lords reigning forever over the saints in Paradise restored.

The book of Genesis tells the story of Creation, the fall of man and Paradise lost. But the book of Revelation ushers in scenes of Paradise restored. In Revelation, all the books of the Bible meet and end – with the fall of spiritual Babylon illustrated by the fall of literal Babylon described by Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

The prophecies of Revelation are not successive, they are repetitive – they double back, covering the same periods of time. For example, the seven seals and the seven trumpets cover the same period as do the seven churches – each symbolizing seven phases of history, starting at the time of John and reaching through to today: The Ephesus period – the first period of the Christian church, from the time of Christ until the time God’s people entered into persecution; The Smyrna period – the early persecution of Christians by pagan Rome; The Pergamos period – transitions took place between pagan and papal Rome, so changing Christianity with heathen influence that it virtually became baptized paganism; The Thyatira period – the Dark Ages during which every part of Europe was under the direct inspection of the church – kings and individuals, all were submissive to the power of Rome; The Sardis period – the church of the Reformation, covering the sixteenth, seventeenth and most of the eighteenth centuries – started with founding Protestantism in a protest against the doctrines and corrupt practices of Romanism – but ended in largely losing its significance with the average Protestant being ignorant of the great truth of justification by faith and other doctrines upon which Protestantism was founded – a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures producing a spiritual weakness and worldly conformity in many churches, robbing most Protestants of their protest; The Philadelphia period – a missionary period, when preachers like the Wesley brothers, George Whitefield and others preached a powerful message bringing about a great awakening – mission work, mission societies and Bible societies highlighted the period – many truths that had been hidden by tradition during the Dark Ages were now opened up to understanding; The Laodicia period – the generally backsliding church of today that is lukewarm – a mixture of worldliness and religion, too religious to cast of His name, but too worldly to take a firm stand for Him – a church period that may be notable for its earnestness and distinguished for its success, but so cluttered up with preoccupying business that they have no time or attention for Him – not very good and not very bad, not hostile but not committed, not stingy but not generous, not infidels nor earnest believers, not opposing the gospel nor defending it, not working mischief nor doing great good, not disreputable nor distinguished for holiness – a lukewarm church, ignorant of its own state and pleased with itself – full of pride, flaunting the banners of triumph when they should be handing out signals of distress.

The messages of the three angels in Revelation 14 are vital messages for the world today and a critical aspect of the Great Commission given by Christ. The first angel’s message goes to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, announcing the hour of God’s judgement and calling men to worship the Creator, to fear God and give Him glory. The second angel’s message is of the fall of spiritual Babylon – the worldly and popular churches with their many hundreds of different sects and contradictory doctrines – also described as a persecuting power, promoting false doctrines from ancient Babylon and repudiating the fundamental gospel truth of justification by faith. The third angel’s message is given in a loud voice – warning against the worship of the beast and the image of the beast – warning against receiving the mark of the beast – and warning of God’s wrath on those who don’t heed His warnings.

Revelation prophesies that near the end of time terrible plagues will cover the earth – falling upon those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image – and causing a drying up of support by the large multitudes of people who previously supported the false religious system of the Modern Babylon, but suddenly see through the hypocrisy of their spiritual leaders and lose faith in the clergy in whom they paced their confidence. Of these plagues that include grievous sores, water shortage, sunstroke and darkness, God’s promise to true believers is that they will be delivered, protected and provided for – just as the Israelites were in the plagues that came upon the Egyptians.

Revelation prophesies that near the end of time three unclean spirits like frogs – who catch their prey with their tongues – will work through three different systems of false religion, joining them into a common cause and performing signs and miracles to deceive man.

Revelation 14 prophecies describe those who are persecuted – the redeemed – and the distinctive features of God’s true worshippers: They are sealed with their Father’s name written in their foreheads; they are not defiled by having exchanged the teachings and commandments of God for the doctrines and commandments of men; they follow Christ in His humiliation, labours, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension – in prosperity or adversity, in joy or sorrow, in persecution or triumph; they reject all falsehood and accept and proclaim the truth of God; their characters are obedience, purity, separation and truthfulness.

Jesus said in the last days there will be false christs and false prophets. Satan himself will appear as an angel of light, causing many people – including many Christians – to think that he is Christ. Only those who are well groomed in the Scriptures will be able to tell the genuine from the counterfeit. If we study God’s Word, we need not be deceived.

Seven separate references in Daniel and Revelation point to a 1260 year period – a period of persecution for the Bible, believers and the true church that Scripture describes as fleeing from the persecution of the dragon. During the Dark Ages, from 538 to 1798, there was a great church showing its authority, represented in the cathedrals – but this was not the true church Scripture describes fleeing to the wilderness, hiding in the desert caves and mountains, worshipping God according to the dictates of their conscience.

Revelation identifies three main characters of last day happenings – the woman, symbolic of the church made up of true believers – the child, symbolic of Christ – and the dragon, symbolic of Satan and the false religious system acting on behalf of Satan.

Revelation foretells persecution like a flood – during the Dark Ages three million people were killed for their faith – killed by the church who martyred more Christians than the pagans ever did.

The little horn power of Daniel 7 and the leopard beast of Revelation 13 are the same – both blasphemous, both persecuting powers making war with the saints, both with a mouth speaking great things, both coming out of pagan Rome, both having power for 1260 years and both losing power at the end of the 1260 years.

As described in prophecy, the end of the 1260 years came to an end during the time of the French Revolution with the captivity and exile of the pope and temporary overthrow of the papacy.

Scripture prophesies that another third beast power would arise around 1798 – a nation that would represent a great system of religion – a nation that would spring up in an area of sparse population where other nations were not before – a nation without a king or pope, a republic or democratic power – a nation that would have a governmental power of a gentle, almost Christ-like manner. According to Revelation, this third beast power will do great signs and wonders in the religious world and deceive people through these miracles. Revelation continues to describe this third beast power – as it causes people to worship the first beast – the dragon and the false religious system it represents – and as it decrees that an image should be made to the beast. According to Scripture, the mild, lamb-like qualities change to the persecuting nature of the dragon.

The dragon was a relentless persecutor of the church. The leopard beast that followed was also a persecuting power, destroying the lives of millions of true Christians during the Dark Ages. When the third, lamb-like beast speaks as a dragon, it means its nature changes from that of a lamb to that of a dragon, and that he, the beast, does the same kind of persecution as the dragon before him. According to this prophecy, we may expect persecution even in Protestant America.

Years ago, when the leopard-like beast – papal Rome – received its authority from the great red dragon – pagan Rome – there was a union of church and state that, as prophesied, took away freedom of religion. Today, powers are at work to take away our religious freedoms. Today, religious people are crying out that America is too secular and they think the remedy is church federation with government power – if the church can’t save people through the preaching of the Gospel, they will attempt to accomplish it through politics and force – as prophesied in Scripture.

The fall of Babylon occupies an important part in Bible prophecy. More than one hundred details in regard to the fall of literal Babylon are foretold. Long before it happened, the Bible identified the power that would march against Babylon, who would lead the armies, how the city would be taken and what would be the conditions in the city at the time of the invasion.

The fall of spiritual Babylon in Revelation describes apostate Christianity becoming a habitation of devils practicing sorcery and deceiving all the nations. Revelation describes three aspects of Babylon’s fall: All nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication or adultery; the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, joining her in idolatrous worship; and the merchants of the earth, much like the moneychangers in the temple of Christ’s day on earth, profited by her pardons, masses and indulgences.

There is an imperative call to come out of Babylon. Babylon cannot be remodelled on spiritual lines, so there is only one remedy – complete separation from her. As Lot was called out of Sodom before it was destroyed by fire and brimstone, so the people of God are directed by a voice from heaven, through the Revelation prophecy, to come out of Babylon before her fall. Two reasons are given to come out – that one may not be a partaker in Babylon’s sins and that one doesn’t receive of her plagues, as God overthrows the apostate ecclesiastical system. God has, and has always had, a people in Babylon – good men and women sometimes live in a corrupt society – but unless they leave the company of the perverse, they will ultimately be involved in their sins, their guilt and their fate.

The overthrow and utter desolation of spiritual Babylon is symbolized by the casting of a great millstone into the sea – like a millstone she had ground and oppressed the church of God – she will then be violently, irrevocably and irreparably be destroyed, never to rise again. As in ancient times when casting a stone into the sea was a symbol of everlasting forgiveness, God’s destruction of spiritual Babylon will be complete, charging her with the blood of all that were slain upon the earth. The beast and the false prophet that wrought miracles, the two great systems of deception, are to be finally cast into the consuming fires – and the wicked, so long boastful and defiant, will then be destroyed.

The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation were well understood by the great Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century – their interpretations of the prophecies led them to break from the apostate medieval church. They called the people back to the Bible, showing them clearly from God’s Word how the papacy fulfilled Daniel’s prophecies. Leaders such as Luther, Calvin, Knox and Cranmer pointed to Daniel 7 and Revelation 17, identifying the great apostasy with headquarters in Rome. The truth moved the Reformers to action in proclaiming the truth – something they were willing to die for – and did.

Within Christianity today some of the most controversial and misunderstood aspects of Revelation’s prophecies are the beast power identified by the number 666, the mark of the beast and seal of God. Regarding the number 666, identifying the name of the beast power, of some four hundred kingdoms tested by Greek scholars, only one fits – the kingdom known as Vicarius Filii Dei, as Lateinos, as the Roman Kingdom (He Latine Basileia) and as the Roman Catholic Church (Italika Ekklesia) – all four of which have the numerical equivalent of 666.

The mark of the beast is not a literal mark that will be stamped or imprinted on people’s foreheads or on their hands. The beast is symbolic, therefore the mark of the beast is symbolic. The mark is something you can resist and God charges you to resist it. If the mark were a literal mark, they could tie a man down and place the mark on him whether he wanted it or not. But God commands us to resist it.

The mark of the beast has to do with the rejection of the authority of God. This is why God pronounces such a fearful warning – it is accepting something else in the place of the authority of God. Marks are used to identify – the mark of the beast is symbolic of some spiritual observance, which distinguishes those who accept it as obeying the authority of the Roman church power on this particular point. Those who resist the mark of the beast will be distinguished as being obedient to God in that particular issue.

Note from Braden Caldwell:

I have recently written a book, “The Mark of the Beast – What is it REALLY?”

For a free email copy, please contact me at bradencaldwell777@gmail.com

Revelation portrays the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in the custom of an eastern marriage – inviting us to the marriage supper of the Lamb. It also portrays a final battle in which the nations of the world, enlightened and Christianized, are so deluded by Satan that they dare to challenge Christ.

When Christ returns the righteous dead will be raised, the righteous living will be translated and these two classes will be taken to heaven to live and reign with Christ for a thousand years – the millennium. At Christ’s coming the wicked dead are left in their tombs, the wicked living are all put to death and together these two classes will remain in the prison house of death until the close of the millennium.

Many Christians today are expecting the millennium to be a golden age – on earth – with Satan bound, they anticipate a glorious time of peace when millions will be converted to the Gospel message. The truth is it will be a millennial night as described in Revelation 20. The millennium begins with the resurrection of the righteous and ends with the resurrection of the wicked. Those raised at the beginning are raised to eternal life – those who are raised at the end live only a short time before dying forever. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed out of his prison, the unsaved dead are raised to life by the voice of Jesus and the city of New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, descending in all its radiant glory, settling down in the site of Old Jerusalem. Under Satan’s leadership, the billions of wicked stream from the four directions of the compass to seize the beloved city – but God intervenes, sending fire down from heaven to destroy them. That will be the end of the great controversy – with sin and sinners forever destroyed.

The conflict over, Revelation describes the blood-stained planet transformed into a place of joy and peace – a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation describes a glorious new earth and a spectacular New Jerusalem – four square, three hundred and seventy-five miles on each side, compromising about 90,000,000 acres and large enough to house almost forty billion people – magnificent in gold and jewels arranged in colours similar to that of a rainbow, only more complex. The city will also have gates of pearl – like pearls produced as a result of suffering – through which all will enter who have turned their trials into triumph. There God will dwell with men and there will be no more death, sorrow, pain, crying or tears. The promise of inheritance in this kingdom is to those who overcome – who are tested and tried and overcome sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.

While neither Daniel nor Revelation gives a definite date for Christ’s Second Coming, they do prophesy with awe-inspiring accuracy to the very day in which we live. The world seems to be shaping up for the final display of anti-God power. On certain details of prophecy we cannot be dogmatic, for we are dealing with unfulfilled prophecy – only after events transpire can we be certain. Jesus said, “I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” Prophecy is not given to make us expectant prognosticators, but rather, intelligent interpreters when the events occur.

Next in importance to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour is a knowledge of His prophetic program for our age and the age to come. Only those who understand the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation can comprehend the issues we face in our generation.

Revelation describes God’s judgement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still…he that is holy, let him be holy still.” There is no suggestion anywhere in God’s Word of a second chance. We will be judged not only on what we have done, but on what we could have done.

Scripture states that among those who will miss the inheritance are the “fearful” – not criminals, murderers, adulterers or drunkards, but those who were afraid of the ridicule of friends, the loss of social prestige or possibly the loss of employment. Good and honest people will be lost, and classified in the company of the abominable – because they are afraid to do what is right. They could have been with their Lord for eternity, but they were afraid. It takes courage to stand for truth.

Also missing the inheritance of eternal life will be “liars” – those who tell or act out lies will not be part of the overcomers. Truth is razor-thin – error can be close to the edge of truth, but it is still error. One small word can turn a truthful sentence into a lie. A misplaced comma can change an accurate statement into a falsehood.

Scripture states that we are personally accountable to God – that we will be rewarded according to our works. Out of indifference, procrastination or a false sense of security, many people don’t spend time worrying about being accountable for their works – but Scripture warns otherwise. At the close of Revelation is an invitation for all mankind to “come” – similar to God’s command to Noah just before the flood. The primary mission of the true church is not to fight, but to invite – to invite to drink of the water of life and find eternal life – to come out from all other forms of religion, seeking to keep the commandments of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

In Christ’s last farewell to His church, He makes the promise, “Behold, I come quickly.” The prayer of every Christian should be, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

See also: Genesis 1:2; 2:1-3,9; 3:15,20,24; 4:9,10; 7:1,11; 17:11; 18:25; 19:14-29; 32:24-30; Exodus 7:20-12:30; 19:4; 20:10,11; 31:16,17; Leviticus 23:24; 1 Kings 16-21; 2 Chronicles 7:2; 16:9; Esther 3:12; 8:8; Job 39:19-25; Psalm 9:11; 18:10; 33:17; 37:10,20; 40:8; 68:17; 91:1,3; 104:2; 119:105,130; 121:5,6; 133:3; Proverbs 1:23-33; 16:6; Isaiah 6:1; 8:9-16,20; 14:12-14; 17:12-14; 24:1,3,6; 26:20,21; 28:21; 31:1; 32:15-18; 33:16,24; 35:1,2,10; 41:17; 52:7; 54:1-8 62:5,10; 63:3; Jeremiah 1:5; 2:32; 4:15,19,23,26,27; 6:2; 15:16; 25:31-33; 30:4-7; 31:33; 49:35-37; 51:7; Lamentations 4:6; Ezekiel 1;1-28; 3:1-3; 9:4; 10:1-22; 16:8-14; 18:12-17,32; 20:12,20; 23:1-49; 34:27-31; 39:21; Daniel 2:19-45; 3:1 – 12:13; Hosea 2:19,20; Joel 1:18-20; Micah 5:2; Nahum 1:9; Habakkuk 2:11; Zechariah 1:8; 4:6; 6:1-3,5; 14:5,6; Malachi 4:1,2,6; Matthew 9:15; 11:27; 19:17; 23:9; 24:14,22,24; 25:31-46; 26:62-64; 27:50-53; 28:18; Mark 2:27; Luke 3:38; 5:20,21; 9:26; 10:18; 12:35,36; 16:8; 17:12-17; John 1:1; 3:29; 5:28,29,39; 8:44; 10:1,30-33; 13:19; 14:1-3,15,29; 18:5,6; Acts 7:56; 14:22; 17:31; Romans 1:16,17; 2:28,29; 4:11; 6:23; 10:7; 11:17-24; 1 Corinthians 6:2,3; 7:19; 14:8; 15:22,51-54; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Galatians 1:8; 3:28,29; Ephesians 4:8; 5:21-23,25-27,32; Philippians 3;2,20,21; Colossians 1:16; 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 5:5,8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8,10; 2 Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 1:2; 2:3,14. 4:12,16; 8:10; 9:9,23,24; 12:22-24; 13:8; James 1:2,15; 2:11,12; James 5:4; 2 Peter 2:11; 1 John 2:3,4; Jude 7; Revelation 1:1-22:21

Christ’s Second Coming

Christ will come again – soon – with power and great glory,
sending His angels with a sound of a trumpet to gather His elect from around the world. The saved, those alive and those resurrected, will be caught up to meet Him
in the air and be taken to heaven.

Through Scripture, God informs and warns of a special series of events that will take place prior to Christ’s Second Coming – false religious leaders, wars, famines, disease epidemics, earthquakes, the Great Tribulation and the heavenly signs – the sun and moon being darkened, falling stars and other awesome phenomena.

The last days will be like those of Noah – characterized by rampant sin and violence. Paul describes the last days as perilous times – times of crass materialism, moral degradation and a false spirituality that denies the power of the true God of the Bible. The chaotic conditions which precede Christ’s coming will produce confusion, totalitarianism, persecution and the dissolution of all human institutions which dare to oppose the powers of evil.

Paul warns of a great deception by Satan that will take place before Christ’s Second Coming. With all power, signs and lying wonders Satan will attempt to show himself as God and to exalt himself as God and to exalt himself above God – even to the point of counterfeiting Christ’s Second Coming.

Immediately after the Great Tribulation there will be heavenly signs and then Christ will come – as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west – an awesome and dramatic event. The Bible says every eye will see Him at His Second Coming – it will not be some form of secret rapture.

Christ will come with power and great glory, sending His angels with a sound of a trumpet to gather His elect from around the world. At that last trump those who are dead in Christ will be resurrected with immortal bodies – those who are alive will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, to immortal. This is the first resurrection. Together, we will be caught up to meet Christ in the air and He will take us to heaven – to the New Jerusalem – to where He has prepared mansions for us in His Father’s house.

Scripture admonishes believers to watch and be ready, for no one knows the day and the hour of Christ’s return. Scripture says Christ will come unexpectedly – at least to unbelievers, as a thief in the night. The Second Coming of Christ is not “the gospel” – it’s not “the good news to all men”; it’s only good news to the believer – to the unbeliever it’s a day of wrath.

See also: Isaiah 65:17,21-123; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 7;13-27; 24:27,30,36; Mark 8:38; Luke 12:40; 13:3-9,22-35; John 5:28,29; 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; Romans 8:24,25; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-54; Philippians 3:20,21; Colossians 3:3,4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:16,17; 5:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:11-13; Hebrews 10:35; Revelation 1:3,5,7; 2:7,10,11,23,26; 3:3,5,8,10-12,21; 6:1-17; 13:1-8,11-18; 14:6-13; 16:15; 19:11-21; 20:1-15; 21:1-5,9-27; 22:1-5,12,14

The Millennium

After His return, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven for a thousand years. During this time Satan is bound and the earth is desolate. Then Christ will descend with His people and the New Jerusalem and the wicked will be resurrected, judged and destroyed.

At Christ’s return, in righteousness He will judge and make war as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will destroy the beast, the false prophet and those who worshipped the image of the beast. At that time Satan will be bound for a thousand years, unable to deceive as he had been previously. At the same time, for that one thousand year period, the saints will reign with Christ, judging the world and fallen angels that is, apportioning the punishment to be executed upon them at the close of the one thousand years. During this time the earth lies in a desolate and chaotic condition described, as in the beginning, by the Greek term “abussos”, “bottomless pit”.

At the end of the thousand years, Christ will descend with His people and the New Jerusalem. In the second resurrection, the wicked dead will be raised up and will come upon the surface of the yet unrenewed earth. Satan will be released and will go out to deceive the wicked and lead them in battle against the Holy City, the camp of the saints – only to be finally destroyed by God by fire. The resurrected wicked will be judged according to their works – anyone not found in the Book of Life will be destroyed by fire. The wicked meet the everlasting punishment threatened against them and are consumed root and branch, becoming as though they had not been. The cleansing fire, which will melt even the elements with its intensity, will purge the earth from the deepest stains from the curse of sin.

Braden Caldwell Ministries

See also: Genesis 1:2; Jeremiah 4:20-27; Obadiah 15, 16; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 25:46; John 14:1-3; 1Corinthians 6:2,3; 2Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:7-12; Revelation 20:1,2,4,9,10; 21:2