AUDREY DICKEY MINISTRIES
Glory International Center
"A Center for God's Presence"
THE NEW TESTAMENT A SUMMARY OF THE LAST DAYS: Pg 2. THE BOOK OF ACTS, THE EPISTLES AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Dr. Robert L. Dickey, Los Angeles, CA
What we need to understand is that every generation after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, from the first century to the present have expected both the catching up (rapture) of the Church and/or the Second Advent of the Lord Himself.
The Apostle Paul tells us that when the Lord comes to catch away (rapture) the Church that we who watch (are actively looking for the Lord, are properly aligned, doing the work of the ministry, whether serving or giving) shall not be appointed to the wrath of the Tribulation Period. Rather, we will live together with Him, I Thessalonians 5:6-11.
Until the Lord returns, what should our perspective be? The Lord Jesus/Yeshua in a parable told the people, who were expecting Him to set up His Kingdom to reign immediately, to “Do business till I come.” In the parable the King settled accounts with each servant according to the stewardship of each one when He returned according to the work they had done. Therefore, until the Lord returns, to catch away or to reign, we should be about carrying out our assignments and living each and every day for the Lord as far as is possible. For the Believer there is no fear or trepidation because our eternity is secure with the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach. We will merely from the NOW step into our ETERNITY with Lord instantaneously and continue on in His Love. For the non-believer I would urge you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach as your personal Lord and Savior. To do this (click here).
Having said that we can now summarize the Book of Acts, the Epistles and the Book of Revelation regarding the End-Time, “Last Days.”
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles
In the Book of Acts, I have already mentioned the declaration by the Apostle Peter that the “Last Days” had begun because Joel 2:28-32 had been fulfilled. In chapter ten Peter leads Cornelius the centurion into the baptism of Holy Spirit and is the first Gentile to be received into the Kingdom of God after the ascension of Jesus/Yeshua. In chapter thirteen Saul of Tarsus is converted on the road to Damascus, his name is changed to Paul and called by the Lord Jesus, from heaven, to be the apostle to the Gentiles. These events in the book of Acts are important to the last days in relation to salvation coming to the Gentile world.
The Epistles
In the Epistle (letter) to the Romans the Apostle Paul explains how the Christian Believer is grafted into Israel and becomes a partaker in the covenants of God along with Israel. Also, that God will not finish with Israel “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Romans 11:25, 26.
In the First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter fifteen the Apostle Paul explains bodily resurrection: like grain it must die first then be buried before it can be resurrected; the body is dead due to corruption, but is raised in incorruption; dies in dishonor and raised in glory; dies in weakness and raised in power; dies as a natural body and is raised a spiritual body. He goes on to say “that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” Then tells us that we all will not die but all will be raised incorruptible having been changed from our natural bodies into incorruptible spiritual bodies. Then he says there will be no more death and we shall have put on immortality. I Corinthians 15:35-58.
In the First Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul the apostle explains the catching away of the Believers in the “Last Days.” He says that the Lord will come like a thief in the night but those who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior do not need to be worried because whether they are awake or asleep they will go and be with Him, I Thessalonians 5:1-11.
In the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul explains that the Last Day will not come until after there is a falling away of many Believers from the Faith. Also, the anti-Christ person shall be revealed who will go into the Third Temple and declare himself God. II Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
In the Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul’s spiritual son, he gives a list of characteristics people will have in the last days that show that they are lovers of pleasure rather than of God. II Timothy 3:1-5.
The writer in the Epistle to the Hebrews refers to his writing as “in these last days” indicating what his general perspective of his day was. This perspective is confirmed in chapter ten verse twenty-five saying, “and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 1:1, 2; 10: 25.
James, the brother of the Lord (half-brother), says in chapter five verse three that the rich who only are concerned with gathering in more riches and not sharing with the Kingdom will be heaping up treasures that will witness against them in the last days.
The Apostle Peter in his Second Epistle says that in the Last Days scoffers would come, scoffing at the Bible for promising the Lord Jesus/Yeshua is coming back to reign. Like the Apostle Paul, he says that the Lord’s Coming would be like a thief in the night. Peter also says that the final judgment of the earth will be to burn up. He goes on to tell us that we are “to look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” II Peter 3:3, 4, 10.
Jude in his epistle tells us that there will be mockers in the “last time” meaning the “Last Days.” There would be immoral people walking after their own lusts and speaking against the Lord, apostates.
The Book of Revelation
Finally, we have the Book of Revelation in which our Lord Jesus/Yeshua revealed to the Apostle John the entire Church Age and the everlasting Kingdom of God on earth. The Lord commanded him to write about the seven types of churches in the Church Age. He caught the Apostle up to heaven and revealed the throne room of heaven and allowed him to view the Lord opening the seven sealed judgments of God, the Second Advent of the Lord, the Millennial Reign of Christ, the Final Judgment at the Great White Throne and finally New Jerusalem coming down from heaven and the throne of God in the New Jerusalem.
Next: Prophetic Signs fulfilled in the 20th and 21st Centuries (See End-Time Bible Prophecy Menu)