The End Times
Volume 2
by
L. C. Walker
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
L. C. Walker on Smashwords
The End Times
Volume 2
Copyright © 2010 by L. C. Walker
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The First Half of the Tribulation
The first three and one half years of the Tribulation are very, very mild compared to the last three and one half years. The first half is called the Tribulation and the second half is called the Great Tribulation. During the second half, the two prophets of God will show up and that really changes things on earth. But, before I tell about the two prophets, I want to tell you about the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is taking place in Heaven during the first half of the tribulation.
When this judgment starts, each person will stand before Christ and be judged on the things they did for Christ and the church after they were saved. This judgment is totally different than that of the Great White Throne Judgment. Every person that appears at the Great White Throne Judgment is totally and completely lost. After the unsaved are judged, they will be cast into the pit called Hell. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, every person is totally and completely saved. They will be given crowns or rewards for the things they have done for Christ and the church, since they have been saved. If they do not have any works that merit a reward or crown and they have only done things that are worthless, those things will be burned up. The person is saved by the skin of the teeth.
The first crown I would like to talk about is one of the hardest to receive. This is the Shepherd’s Crown (I Peter 5:4 - And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.). It is also called the Crown of Glory. This crown is given only to men that are over a flock. I am sorry, women, but you must be qualified by the Word of God and one must be the husband of one wife. If you do not believe me, read First Timothy and Titus. This person is a preacher. He has a church that he is responsible for and he is like a watchman. He is watching out for his flock so no one will come into the church and spread false doctrines.
I know there are a lot of people that believe they can be a Sunday School teacher and they would receive the Crown of Glory, because they may have ten or twenty people in their class and they consider themselves to have a flock. This is not the case. In order to have a flock, you MUST be a preacher and you MUST be qualified by the Word of God.
The second is one of the hardest crowns to receive. The second crown is the Crown of Life (James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, and Revelation 2:10 - Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.). This crown is given to those believers that endure temptations or are being taunted or made fun of for being Christians and are killed. This crown is given to those that are killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Think of some of the stories you have heard of people dying in the mission field and others that were given a chance to deny Christ or die. Those people chose death other than to deny their Lord and Savior.
The Incorruptible Crown is the third crown or reward that a Christian can receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Bema Seat. (First Corinthians 9:25, 26, 27 - And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible. I, therefore, so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.). This crown is given to all those believers that have been able to keep the old sin nature under control.
When you were a young person, there were things the Devil tempted you with that would be considered lustful. These lusts, if you gave into them, would put you out of fellowship with the Lord. But, if you were able to keep the lusts under control and you did not give into them, this crown would be given to you at this judgment.
The Holy Spirit knew this was going to be one of the most difficult areas a Christian would have to master. He knew the older we get, we should flee from these youthful lusts and He even put it in His Word. (Second Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.)
This is one of the hardest crowns or rewards a Christian can receive. At every step in our life, the Devil is trying to put obstacles in our paths, so we will stumble and fall. With single people, the Devil may tempt them with parties, where there is a lot of drinking. With others, it may be drugs or sex parties. There are so many things we are tempted with; it seems as if there is a battle going on all the time. There is a battle going on and, in order for the Christian to win, they must know the things the Devil will use to tempt us with, so we will not give in. (Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.)
If you are one of those Christians who are having a hard time keeping the old sin nature under control, you are not in the boat alone. Many Christians are having this problem. One reason they have this problem is because they have never matured in the Lord. In other words, they have not studied the Word and put it into their hearts. They are like a small child that needs to drink milk instead of eating hard food. (First Peter 2:2 - As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow by it.) You have not grown in the Word and matured.
One thing you may do in order to grow is to ask someone in your Church if they would be willing to take you, step by step, in an understanding of those things that a new born babe would need. Your pastor should be the first place to seek help. He should have some sort of plan that he gives out to people that accept Christ. This plan would be called something like, “First Steps of a New Believer.” The pastor should be able to direct you in a path with a mature teacher or he may have a course that he uses. (Hebrews 5:13, 14 - For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But solid food belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.)
The next crown, the fourth crown, is the Crown of Rejoicing or the Soul Winners Crown (I Thessalonians 2:19 - For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?). This crown is given to those believers that are soul winners. In other words, they are always witnessing for Christ and telling others how to get saved.
Missionaries are a very good example of those people that will receive this crown. Most missionaries made a choice to share the Gospel with people of foreign countries that may have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. In other words, they have gone to share the Gospel with the people who have never heard of a person needing a savior to save them from their sins. They know the difference between right and wrong, but to call it sin is a new term to them.
One of the best examples is one you have probably heard of before and that is the story of Jim Elliot. He was a missionary to Ecuador. He and other members of his group were trying to reach the Auca Indians with the Gospel. When they first had contact with the Aucas, they were in a small plane and they would fly in a circle with a bucket tied to a rope which they let down with things in the bucket. The Indians would take the things out of the bucket and put things they had in the bucket. After days of sharing things, they decided to meet with the Aucas. They even gave a plane ride to one of the Indians they named George.
Later, they landed their plane on a dry river bed and were about to go to the Indian village when about ten men of the tribe attacked and killed Jim Elliot and the other men in his group. After the attack, there were many missionaries that came into that region. The Aucas were evangelized.
Even though missionaries are a good example of a person that will receive the Crown of Rejoicing, we must remember that the average Christian that tells others of Christ will receive this crown also. It may be that you never will leave your state or your city, but you tell others of Christ who live around you. It may be that your mission field is in your own neighborhood. Wherever your mission field is, you should be telling others. Who knows, maybe you will be the person that tells the last person on earth who will complete the body of Christ, and then the Rapture would occur.
The very best mission field is that in your own family. I have heard of great preachers that have lead thousands of people to a saving knowledge of Christ, but members of his own family never accepted Christ. Those members of his own family went to a place where they will spend eternity without Christ. That place is called Hell. What a sad state to be in. You were able to save others, but you could not get your own family saved. Your responsibility is to tell them, but they are responsible to accept, just as Jesus’ family had to accept Him to be saved.
One last thought and that is that some people may receive all five crowns or rewards. We are not limited to just one or two.
The fifth crown is the Crown of Righteousness (II Timothy 4:8 - Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.). This crown is given to those believers that are watching for His return. These believers are telling people, all the time, that the return of Christ at the rapture is very close. Out of all of the rewards or crowns, this is the only crown that every Christian can receive.
All born again preachers should be telling their flocks or their sheep about this reward. It is a very sad state of mind to think that a preacher would not share the things of the rapture and the tribulation with his church. But, as sad as it may be, there are a lot of preachers that say, since they don’t know that much about the End Times, then they are not going to preach on it.
From the day I was saved, on July 4th, 1975, I have been telling anyone that would listen to me about the things that are about to happen when the Antichrist shows up on the world scene.
If you do not know that much about the End Times, you can buy one book that I recommend and that is Things To Come by Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost. This is one of the very best books I have ever read.
If you want to receive one reward at the Bema Seat or the Judgment Seat of Christ, you must be looking for the Rapture. If you are looking for the Rapture, you know for certain that reward will be given to you at the Judgment Seat. What a wonderful day that will be when we stand before our Lord and He will say, “thou good and faithful servant.”
When my wife and I started our family, one thing we did was to pray with our children each and every night. We also told them about the Judgment Seat of Christ and the crowns or rewards they would be able to receive. Each and every night we prayed with them, we had them pray for the rapture. They were so excited about receiving a crown or rewards that sometimes we would not pray for the rapture. Before we would leave their room, they would remind us that we had forgotten to pray for the rapture.
Now that our children are grown, they still remember what we taught them when they were little. Each day or night, they still pray for the rapture and they also tell others of the things that are about to happen on earth.
Now we need to go back to earth and look at one event that will occur at the Rapture or the day the Tribulation starts. If you were to take the total number of Christian missionaries in the entire world, we would see there are approximately 35,000. This number does not include those people that are in cults or false religions. This number is only for Christian missionaries.
After the Rapture occurs, there will be no person on earth at that time that is saved or born again. People will start to wonder where those people went and what really has happened. Some people will remember what we Christians had stated for years about the rapture and that we would disappear some day. The truth finally hits home and a large group of people will accept Christ right on the spot.
We are not told the exact time that the 144,000 will accept. It could be right after the Rapture, which is one theory, or it could be when the Antichrist signs the peace treaty, which will begin the dreaded seven years of tribulation. All we know for certain is the 144,000 will be witnessing during the tribulation.
Another theory is the 144,000 will witness during the first half of the tribulation and the two prophets of God will witness for God during the last half of the tribulation. I don’t think it makes a lot of difference if they are around for the first half only or for the entire tribulation. The Gospel is going to be preached and a multitude of people will be saved by the preaching.
The first place we read about the 144,000 is in the Book of the Revelation. In chapter 7, verses 3 through 8, we can read about these Jews. Verse 3 - Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Verse 4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. The other verses, I will not quote here, because it tells about the 12,000 from each of the tribes. The only two tribes that are not in the list are Dan and Ephraim.
The second place in Revelation where we can see the 144,000 Jews is in chapter 14. Verses 1 through 5 - AND I looked and, lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.
These 144,000 have a number of characteristics that no other person on earth will have.
First - We see the seal of God is in their foreheads. This seal is different than the seal that the Holy Spirit places on all people that accept Christ during the Age of Grace. This seal not only designates these men as being something special, but it also protects them from any harm during the Tribulation. These evangelists are so bold in presenting the Gospel, there will be billions saved during their ministry on earth.
Second - These men have a song that no other person on earth can learn. This song is a secret. It may be that these men will be able to know each other when they sing the song in public. It may be possible for these 144,000 to see the seal of God on their foreheads. If they can see the seal, this is one way they could recognize each other.
God has His mark on the foreheads of His chosen ones, the 144,000 Jews. The Antichrist wants to be just like God. The Antichrist will require all those that accept him to have his mark or number to be placed in the forehead or right hand of his followers, the number 666.
Third - These Jewish evangelists are all virgins. They have never had any sexual encounters with a woman. In other words, these 144,000 are all men. This is a terrible statement for the Jehovah Witnesses. I have had women come to my house with their daughters and claim they are part of the 144,000. When I showed them what the Bible has to say about the 144,000 being men, they high-tailed it out of my neighborhood like the Devil was after them.
Fourth - These men are followers of Christ. They know the Bible inside and out. They are not sinless, but they are almost sinless. We know that Christ is the only sinless person to walk on earth. What is meant by them not having any fault is that they stuck strictly to the law during their years as small boys. When they became teens, they did not do the things other boys of that age would do. They kept themselves in control and they were very diligent in the way they lived.
I have had many people ask me why Dan and Ephraim are not among the tribes named with the 144,000. One reason some scholars believe Dan and Ephraim are not among the tribes is because the Antichrist will come out of one of those tribes. Most scholars believe it will be Dan. They believe the Antichrist could be half Jew and half Arab.
The other idea is that not only is the Antichrist half Jew and half Arab, but they believe the False Prophet may have some Jewish blood in him. If this were the case, the False Prophet would come from the other tribe. I don’t know if I can accept this idea. I have always believed that the False Prophet would be a Gentile.
During the first half of the Tribulation, God is not judging the world the way He will during the second half. During the first half, I believe World War III will occur. I believe it will start when Russia invades Israel. Russia has had one thing on her mind for thousands of years and that is to invade Israel. Even though Israel has not been a nation for almost 2000 years, that all ended in May of 1948 when Israel became a nation once again. When Israel became a nation in May of 1948, it fulfilled Bible prophecy. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a gathering of the Jews in the Last Days into a homeland of their own, that being the nation of Israel. (Ezekiel 37: 1, 11 - 13, 22, 26 - THE hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off on our part. Therefore, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.) These six verses are some of the important verses in this chapter, but it is best if you read the whole chapter for yourself so you can see what God is going to do with Israel.
I believe the Russian invasion of Israel will occur somewhere around the middle of the tribulation. When this invasion occurs, it will begin World War III. I know most scholars believe the Russian invasion of Israel is the first of a number of things that will start the Battle of Armageddon. They believe all four of the world powers will come into the Middle East for battle to see who will become the ruler of the world. I believe most scholars have tunnel vision, when it comes to the Battle of Armageddon.
I believe there will be two world wars during the tribulation. The first World War during the Tribulation will occur when Russia invades Israel. I believe Russia will invade somewhere around the middle of the tribulation. They will first attack the United States with fifty to sixty percent of her nuclear weapons.
The leaders in Russia are not stupid. They know as soon as they invade Israel that the Revised Roman Empire or the EU will come to her aide. If the EU does not come to her aid, the United States will. If they both come to her aid, the Russians are doomed. Russia must even out the odds so they can succeed; they must attack either the EU or the United States.
If they attack the EU with nuclear weapons, they know the fallout of radioactive particles will blow east, right on top of their homeland. However, if they attack the United States, the fallout will not harm the homeland. Russia will attack the United States and then they will attack Israel.
When the attack takes place, Israel will call for help from the EU and she will decline because of what she sees that has happened to the United States. Or, it could be that the Antichrist has read the Bible and he knows that God will destroy the Russians with hailstones and fire from heaven. He may wait until that happens, and right before it happens, he may state that he will call down hail and fire from heaven. If he does this, he would take credit for what God does and the Jews may accept him as their savior.
I would like to give you a closer look at the attack on the United States. The sneak attack on the United States will be something the Russians have wanted to do ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The only problem is the Russians have under estimated the strength of the United States. When the United States is struck with this sneak attack, the nuclear subs we have will be given the orders to get as close to Russia as possible and fire all missiles. Our bombers will take off immediately and start a retaliatory strike, which will bring devastating results on the Russian homeland. When the subs are close enough, that is when they will bring the Russians to their knees. Ezekiel 39:6 - And I will send a fire on Magog, and among those who dwell securely in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am the LORD. This will be World War III.
Immediately following the attack on the United States, the Russians and all of her allies will attack Israel and Israel will depend on the United States to protect her. However, when Israel is informed of the sneak attack on the United States, they know for certain they are on their own. Even though the EU signed a treaty to protect Israel, she knows it is the United States that has always protected her from the Arabs and it is the United States that always supplied her with the best weapons possible.
With the United States out of the picture and the EU running like a scared rat, Israel now has to come to the reality that she must place her trust in the only true God and that is Jehovah. Ezekiel chapter 38 verses 22 and 23 - And I will enter into judgment against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his hordes, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
The hail stones and brimstones are said to be the weight of a talent. A talent has many different weights. The lightest is 61 pounds and the heaviest is 130 pounds. I don’t think it really makes any difference which of these weights will hit the invading armies; the result will be devastating. It will be so devastating; it will take seven months for Israel to bury the dead soldiers. Ezekiel 39:12 - And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.
I believe this invasion will take place just before the mid-point of the tribulation or right at the time that the Antichrist goes into the temple. I don’t want to be dogmatic, so I will say this attack could occur anytime during the first half of the tribulation. I know that some scholars believe this battle and the Battle of Armageddon are the same, but I do not believe that is the case. I believe the Russians will rebuild their army and they will be ready for World War IV, which is the Battle of Armageddon.
The Bible also says that only one sixth of the invading soldiers will survive the destruction from God on the mountains of Israel. Speak about a total victory! When God goes into a fight, He always wins. (Ezekiel 39:1, 2 - THEREFORE, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel.)
I believe the reason God does not destroy the entire armies that invade Israel is because this is only World War III. The Russians go back to their homeland to see total destruction. The Russians have three and one half years to build another army for the Battle of Armageddon. Russia does build another army and they want revenge on those that struck their country with nuclear weapons.
I also believe that the Antichrist knew that God was going to destroy the invading armies because he read what the Bible said in Ezekiel 38 and 39. I believe that the Antichrist will tell the world that he will destroy the invading armies on the mountains of Israel. The Antichrist will try to make himself out to be the savior of Israel, but the Jews will know it was not the Antichrist that saved them, but it was God.
In volume 3 we will look at the death of the Antichrist and his numbering system. We will also look at some of the judgments God is going to bring upon the earth.
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About the author:
L.C. Walker thought about writing in 1970, but other things kept him from doing so. In 1979, he had the desire to write again, but Bible College kept him from that dream. In 1997, he wanted to share what the Bible had to say about the end times, so he began his first novel. He completed The Past or the Coming Future in 1998. He has now completed 10 more books. His new book Chupacabra Demon From Hell will be out very shortly.
Other books by the author at Smashwords
The Past or The Coming Future
The Tribulation
The Great Tribulation And Beyond
Can I Have A Second Chance
The Book of Daniel - The Future
Writing: Step By Step
Book of the Archangels