Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Forty - Five Glorious Days
Oct 2nd, 2017
TWTNArt Sadlier
Categories: Prophecy

In Daniel chapter 12 we have the end of the tribulation period in view. The question is asked in verse 6, “…how long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” How long shall it be till these troubled times come to an end. How long will these events take? He is referring to the tribulation period mentioned in verse 1, “…there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

The question is asked, when does the last half of the tribulation period come to an end? When does the time of Jacob’s trouble mentioned in verse one conclude? When are God’s people Israel delivered?

The answer is given in verse 7, “…he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” The answer comes. It will conclude in 3 ½ years. After 3 ½ years of great tribulation Israel will be delivered.

In verse 8, I believe Daniel tried to relate it all to his own life and situation. “…O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” The Lord says to Daniel in verse 9, these events will not take place in your lifetime, they relate to the time of the end of the age. “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

In verse 10 he speaks about the age between Daniel’s day and the end times. He describes the spiritual climate of that long age. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

Now in verse 11 the Lord zeros in on the last half of the tribulation period. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

The last half of the tribulation period begins when Antichrist places an image of himself in the Temple and declares that he is God and demands that all men worship him. That is the abomination of desolation.

The last half of the tribulation period is mentioned in several places as 3 ½ years, which is 42, 30 day Jewish months or 1260 days. (See Revelation 11:3)

Here in verse 11 we see, without explanation, 30 days added to the end of the tribulation period. At the end of the tribulation period Antichrist and the false prophet are cast into the flames of hell. For some reason, the abomination of desolation, represented by the image of the beasts, remains in the Temple for an additional 30 days after the tribulation period is over. I believe though not specifically stated, we have the reason which we shall suggest.

In verse 12 we have an additional 15 days added after the end of the tribulation period making a total of 45 additional days. We have a gap of 45 days between the end of tribulation period and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

I am going to suggest what happens in this time period on the basis of things revealed in scripture. Some of these implications are quite clear.

I am not dogmatic about this issue. I do not have any special revelation. I highly respect the views of faithful pastors who may disagree with me. To be contentious about issues that are, at best unclear, is to harm the cause of Christ. I do not wish to do that. But I believe there are some things to be profitably discerned here.

Let me give you a time line for the events that will take place between the end of the tribulation period and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, a period of 45 days.

I will list the events in their probable order.

First – The judgment of the nations. Second – The purging of the earth by fire. Third – The resurrection of the Old Testament saints. Fourth – The marriage of the Lamb. Fifth – The crowning of the king.

The Judgment of the Nations

The history of the nations is one of rebellion against God. They have rebelled against God’s rule and His authority. This rebellion began at the Tower of Babel and it has continued all down through the Times of the Gentiles. During the tribulation period the Lord will pour out His wrath upon Antichrist whose kingdom will be representative of all gentile rebellious government.

However, after the tribulation period, the Lord has set aside a time to judge the nations that have usurped the rightful ruler of this world, the Lord Jesus Christ. This judgment will take place at the scene of the crime, in this world. “…And before him shall be gathered all nations…” (Matthew 25:32).

This judgment takes place on earth in the interim period between the tribulation and the start of the Millennial Kingdom. It is separate and distinct from the great white throne judgment in which every individual unbeliever who ever lived will stand before God and be judged for his or her sin and be cast into hell. That will take place between the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Age.

We have the setting for this judgment of the nations in Daniel 7:9, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down…” That speaks of the defeat of the Kingdom of Antichrist. We read, “… and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” We have the same description of Christ in Revelation 1:14.

Here we read that the throne of the beast’s kingdom is cast down (see Revelation 19). Immediately after the beast is cast into hell we see Christ acting in judgment upon the leaders and people of Antichrist’s kingdom who are still alive on the earth.

The scenario is set for us in Daniel 7:11, “I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” The beast is sent to hell as seen in Revelation 19:20. Then in verse12 we see what happens next, “As concerning the rest of the beasts, (Little beasts like Antichrist) they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.”

The rest of the beasts are kept alive to face judgment. All those many leaders who received the mark of the beast and assisted him in enslaving the whole world, those who represent the kingdom of antichrist are not immediately sent to hell but are kept alive for a little time. To see why they are kept alive for a little period of time we have to go to Matthew 25:31-33, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”

Christ destroys the kingdom of Antichrist and moves immediately to judge the nations. Understand the setting of this judgment. For 6,000 years the people have rejected the rightful ruler of this world and rebelled against Him. For 3,000 years the nations and people of the nations have cursed the name of Christ. I suspect that there is scarcely a second in the world today when someone isn’t cursing the name of Christ. His name is despised and His Word is rejected. It is imperative that in this world judgment must fall upon such a scene.

Can you imagine the scene of this coming judgment? As we read the account of the tribulation period, we realize that at this point over ¾ of earth’s population is dead by the judgment of God. That would leave approximately one to two billion people alive on the earth. Catch the scene, more than a billion gathered before Christ on His throne. They are gathered before the rightful ruler of this world. The world will now discover and acknowledge Him as the true God and only Potentate.

The fire of God must fall on all in this world that is a contradiction of Christ and that violates and opposes His rule of this world before He sits on the throne of David to reign.

In this awesome judgment of the nations, Christ will be glorified with the glory that is rightfully His. This must happen on the earthly scene in which He has been mocked and rejected.

Then and only then, we read, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

The Purging of the Earth by fire

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). We discover here that some day the earth will be purged with fire.

The purging fire of God must fall on all in this world that contradicts Christ and violates and opposes His rule of this world.

The earth today is totally polluted. It is not the perfect earth God created as a home for man. Today the land, the air and water are polluted. They tell us that a large part of the Pacific Ocean is contaminated with radiation from the Fukashima nuclear meltdown.

The account of the destruction of the earth in the tribulation period reveals an earth that will be totally polluted. The rivers and lakes and streams will be and the oceans will be turned to blood. The earth will be filled with rubble as buildings are destroyed. Look at the destruction in Syria today as an example of how polluted this world has become. Man has totally corrupted the perfect earth God has bequeathed him.

Consider the earth of the millennial age. We see a restored earth in Isaiah 11:7-9, “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

All the bars and taverns must be purged from the earth. The movie theaters that represent all the vileness of Hollywood and the libraries that have filled the earth with false philosophies and that which is counter to God’s truth must be burned with fire. The newspaper and magazine companies which have deceived the people must be consumed in the fire. False religious centers must go up in smoke.

Parliament buildings and government offices and the UN headquarters which have sought to defy God must be purged from the earth. All of the world’s military equipment must be burned up. This is the purging of a wicked world system with all of its evil things and devices. Even the satellites in the atmospheric heavens must be purged from the skies. They were placed there by rebellious men who sought to reach into the heavens by their own power and for their own glory.

These things are just a sampling of the things of this world system that are in opposition to the righteous world that Christ will rule over. I do not believe that Christ will come to rule over a polluted earth. I believe it will be purged by fire in the interval between the Tribulation and the millennial kingdom.

2 Peter 3:7, “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men”

The question comes, “What would happen to all the righteous saints alive on the earth at that time, would they be burned up also? For that answer we look at the three Hebrew children in Nebuchadnezzar’s fire. Daniel 3:27, “And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” We are talking about the same God.

We see Christ glorified as the one who purges and restores the earth because He is the creator and rightful owner and ruler of the earth. The purpose for which He created the earth will be realized.

The Resurrection of the Old Testament Saints

It is during this interval that the old Testament Saints are raised from the grave. “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13). Daniel is told that he will be raised from the grave. He is given the timing of that resurrection “At the end of the days.” The days are identified in the chapter as the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation period. That means that the Old Testament saints which would basically be Israel, will be raised at the time between the end of the tribulation period and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

I believe there is a difference between the marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb. In the pattern of the Jewish marriage the bridegroom comes out of the father’s house and approaches but does not enter the home of the bride. The bridegroom approaches the home of the bride and calls her out to go with him to the Father’s house. There in the father’s house in an inner chamber the marriage is consummated. Then the bride is brought out of the inner chamber and presented to the friends of the bridegroom and the marriage supper takes place.

In relating this to the church, I believe that the bride of Christ is seen in Revelation 19:8 in heaven after the consummation of the marriage. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

She has received her rewards at the judgment seat of Christ and is now clothed in the righteousness that Christ has produced in her by His Spirit. The marriage has been consummated and she is now ready to go to earth with the Bridegroom. I believe the friends of the bridegroom are the Old Testament saints, namely Israel. I believe that the marriage supper takes place on earth as the bridegroom presents his bride to the living tribulation saints and to Israel for the first time. We can scarcely imagine the joy and rejoicing of that scene as Christ is glorified.

The Crowning of the King

Someday, maybe soon, the Saviour will come to take His own to be with Him forever. Then seven years later the King of Kings will return to earth to restore it and bring in the long awaited kingdom of Heaven on earth. He will sit on His throne of glory in Jerusalem and reign over Israel and the nations of the world and we will reign with Him.

What a glorious day that will be. Just a little more time to labour and to pray, just a little more time to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ. A little more time to suffer , to toil, to weep, to be patient and just a little more time to win rewards.

Then He will come and we will be changed into His glorious image and share in His glory. The half of the story of what awaits us has not been told. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1Cor. 2:9).

God created a perfect, wonderful home for man when He created the earth. He appointed Adam to govern the earth as His representative. When Adam rebelled against God’s authority the theocratic kingdom was lost and a usurper sought to rule over the earth for his own glory. For 6,000 years the whole creation has groaned under the curse of sin.

As we come to our text the stage is now set for the last event of the 45 day interim period. This is the event Israel has long waited for. The event God the Father has had long patience for. We now come to the crowning of the King of Kings and the setting up of the kingdom for Israel.

This will be the rightful ruler of the earth coming to the throne of His glory in Jerusalem. It will be the exaltation and glorification of the one that billions on earth have cursed, rejected and crucified.

We see this hour revealed in Philippians 2:9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

For millennia God’s people have waited in anticipation of the glorious days promised in God’s Word. We now stand on the threshold of the fulfillment of all of God’s marvellous promises. Rejoice!