Questions and Answers | Order of End Times Events
Can you please tell me the order of events that are going to take place in the end times?
Followers of Jesus have a variety of views on this. I want to say first that as long as we believe in the bodily return of the Lord Jesus, we should not be divisive over these differences. Nevertheless, I will share the order we teach at Moody Bible Institute.
As believers, the next event we can anticipate is the rapture of the church. At that time, we will meet the Lord in the air. Those who have died in Christ will be resurrected first and then those who are still alive (see 1 Thess. 4:13–18). Sometime after that, the Tribulation will follow, a seven-year period of God’s judgment on the earth and the purging of Israel (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7). This culminates with the campaign of Armageddon (Zech. 14:2; Rev. 16:14–16) followed by the second coming of the Lord Jesus (Rev. 19:11–21). After this, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, while Jesus will reign from Jerusalem for the millennium (Rev. 20:1–4). Then, there will be one more failed rebellion against God (Rev. 20:7–10), followed by the Great White Throne Judgment of all the living and the dead (Rev. 20:11–15). Finally, God will create a New Creation or a new heaven and a new earth with a new Jerusalem that will give God’s people a place to live for all eternity (Rev. 21:1–22:6). Regardless of what order you think is correct, we do know this: No one knows the day or hour of the Lord’s return (Matt. 24:36). This gives us reason to live for Him and look for Him daily.
BY Dr. Michael Rydelnik
Dr. Michael Rydelnik is a professor of Jewish Studies at Moody Bible Institute and the host of Moody Radio’s Open Line with Michael Rydelnik. He is the author of 50 Most Important Bible Questions inspired by both his radio show and his columns for Today in the Word. Michael served on the translation team of the Holman CSB Bible and contributed to several other books and study Bibles. Michael also appeared in the Lee Stroebel video The Case for Christ. Michael and his wife, Eva, have two adult sons. The Rydelniks live in Chicago, Ill.