The End Times Purpose of God
The record in Scripture is clear, God has never left, nor will He ever leave His planet earth without a human witness to His great and glorious grace demonstrated by His redemption of men through the finished work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the Cross.
Based upon this one single unwritten principle which is taught by example and precept throughout the written Word of God, from Adam through the 2,000 year history of the Church, it can be said that there will continue to be people of faith upon the earth, throughout the time of the end, the 70th Week of Daniel and the Day of the Lord.
As the previous messages have set forth, the 70th Week of Daniel, which God has determined upon His earthly people the Jews (Daniel 9:24), will also be utilized to purify the saints before they,“the elect”, are gathered by the angels (Matthew 24:31) and received into heaven (Revelation 7:9-17).
Before that magnificent event occurs, the Lord will call, prepare and seal 144 Thousand “sons of Israel” (Revelation 7:1-8) in order to provide the continuing testimony of His redemptive grace through the agency of redeemed men as He has chosen to do from the beginning of time itself.
While the Lord will call and utilize many different people to accomplish His end times purposes, these “servants of our God” (Revelation 7:3) are the focal point of “The Priesthood of the Apocalypse” for, when the Scripture is examined, it reveals that they are unlike any other group of believers ever to be set forth in the Word of God.
Their Redemption Ministry as priests unto God has been thoroughly planned and prophesied by the Lord as they will be His literal end times disciples “following Him wherever He goes”’ (Revelation 14:4). They become the ultimate “fishers of men” according to Jesus own promise:
“Come ye after Me and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
Their task will be enormous as their great number indicates. For, at the beginning of this age the Lord chose, trained and sent out twelve disciples and they “Turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).
But then, during the end times, in order for His continuing purpose of redemption to be fulfilled, He has deemed it necessary to once again follow this same pattern of utilizing personal disciples. He will not call and train a mere twelve disciples as in His first coming. He will need twelve thousand sets of twelve disciples to accomplish His great end times purpose of redemption. Their sheer number reveals the overwhelming magnitude of the ministry these young men will undertake.
It is imperative that the present-day Church of Jesus Christ recognizes its part in raising up these young men in order for the Lord to bring to pass His marvelous and miraculous plan. The end of this age is closing in rapidly when He will most certainly come again just as He has promised in His Word (John 14:3; Matthew 24:30, 31) “Even so come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
However, it is after He comes to resurrect, rescue, rapture, and receive the saints that these 144 Thousand Disciples of Christ will embark upon their most intensive Redemption Ministry. Then they will carry the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Daniel 11:32-35, 12:3) to those who also have been written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8, 17:8).
There will be many that will “turn from transgression in Jacob” (Isaiah 59:20) and “shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God” (Zechariah 13:9).
The unfolding of the lives and ministry of the 144 Thousand is indicated in Scripture as has been documented in previous chapters. In order to conclude these messages and clearly emphasize their great
significance in God’s plan for the time of the end, the following outline summarizes their future:
I. They are part of “the remnant of her [the woman’s] seed” (Revelation 12:17b)
*Time: The Middle of the 70th Week of Daniel [Priesthood/Redemption Ministry]
1. They are from the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:3-8)
2. They are young men (Psalm 110:3; Revelation 14:4a)
3. They are persecuted by Satan (Revelation 12:17b)
4. They keep the commandments of God (Revelation 12:17b)
5. They have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17b)
II. They will “know their God…understand” (Daniel 11:32-35)
*Time: During the Last Half of the 70th Week of Daniel [Priesthood/Redemption Ministry]
1. They shall be strong
2. They shall do exploits
3. They will have understanding
4. They will instruct many
5. They [some] shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make
them white, even to the time of the end
III. They are “the servants of our God” (Revelation 7:3)
*Time: During the Day of the Lord
[Priesthood/Redemption Ministry]
1. They are sealed before the Day of the Lord judgments
(Revelation 7:1-3)
2. They are protected during the Day of the Lord judgments
(Revelation 9:4)
IV. They “shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Psalm 110:3)
*Time: During the Day of the Lord
[Priesthood/Redemption Ministry]
1. They are the time of the end priests unto God
(Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 110:3; I Peter 2:5; Revelation 14:4, 5)
2. They are the holy nation/time of the end Israel of God
(Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 110:3; Revelation 14:4)
V. They will “shine as the brightness of the firmament”
(Daniel 12:3)
*Time: During the Day of the Lord
[Priesthood/Redemption Ministry]
1. They are wise
2. They turn many to righteousness
3. They shine as the stars forever and ever
VI. They are “with the Lamb” (Revelation 14:1, 17:14)
*Time: During the Day of the Lord
1. At the end of the 70th Week of Daniel (Revelation 14:1)
2. At the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 17:14)
VII. They gather unto the King of kings populating Promised Land
(Genesis 49:10; Micah 5:3)
*Time: During the Millennium
1. Along with the Israelites who will be saved at the end of the
70th Week of Daniel (Isaiah 59:20; Micah 5:3)
2. And faithful Israel, “the Woman” of Revelation 12 (Micah 5:3)
As God continues to unfold His plan, He will raise up this mighty army of priest/soldiers of Christ from the twelve tribes of Israel many of whom will likely come out of the families of the faithful in the Church of Jesus Christ (Revelation 7:1-8, 14:4).
The Gospel emphasis of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul: “to the Jew first and also to the Greek [Gentile]” (Romans 1:16) must now be the clear priority and compelling emphasis of evangelism in the present-day Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
For, in order for the Lord to return and bring this age to a close, these end times disciples of Christ must be called and prepared so that they might also “turn the world upside down”, fulfilling the plan of God for their lives and thereby exalt and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
But, the question arises: Just where will this great number of faithful Jews physically come from? The answer is: From across the earth, as alluded to in the following passages:
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 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 [sons] of Israel.”
(Revelation 7:1-4)
“And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” (Revelation 14:3)
These verses give credence to the theory that the 144 Thousand will be called from throughout the earth. The “four winds” angels to “whom it was given to hurt the [entire] earth and the sea” (Revelation 7:1,3) were delayed from accomplishing their global mission of judgment until these young men were sealed, providing them with God’s protection (Revelation 9:4) in the midst of His Day of the Lord judgment.
Notice, all four angels were delayed, not just the one angel who would bring judgment to the land of Israel where most of the world’s present-day Jews reside. This great number of “servants of our God” will likely be called from across the planet being “redeemed from the [entire] earth.”
As mentioned above, world evangelization of the Jews must be the clear priority of the church today, as it definitely was the focus of the Lord and the early church, including the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul. Even though Paul was unmercifully persecuted and soundly rejected by the great majority of the Jews during his ministry, he continued to go to their synagogues in each city attempting to win them to Christ (Acts 9:20, 13:5, 14:1, 17:1, 10, 17, 18:4, 19).
He was simply following his heart (Romans 1:15, 16, 10:1) and the emphasis that his Lord utilized during His earthly ministry. For, at the end of the Lord Jesus Christ’s first coming, He gave this brief but vividly descriptive portrait of His public ministry:
“I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.” (John 18:20)
In God’s purpose there is coming a day, at the end of the 70th Week of Daniel, when “the veil shall be taken away” (II Corinthians 3:16b) from the spiritual eyes of His earthly people the Jews. Then, their “Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 59:20)
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26)
But at the present hour “the veil is upon their heart”
(II Corinthians 3:15) and the age-old methods used by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul continue to be the best ways to reach the Jews. They utilized Old Testament Messianic preaching: (Luke 4:15-21; Acts 13:16-39, 17:1-3, 18:28) and confrontational one-on-one evangelism: (John 3:1-21, 4:1-26; Acts 16:31, 18:4, 19:8).
In the purpose of God, it is the clear duty of the Church of Jesus Christ to pray for the Lord to send forth laborers into His harvest. They must focus their Holy Spirit filled soul-winning compassion upon the earthly people of God, the Jews, wherever they may be found as we close in on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The time is drawing near when these young men, the 144 Thousand, will be called, prepared and later sealed for their Day of the Lord service to God. This great conversion of the earthly people of God may well take place during the powerful restoration/revival ministry of Elijah whom God will send (Malachi 4:5, 6) to His people.
He will of necessity follow the pattern of his two predecessors, Elijah and John the Baptist, preaching repentance and revival, “Turning hearts… and restoring all things” (Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew17: 11; Mark 9:12) in the process.
It is likely that the Lord will use this mighty prophet to also bring revival to the Church of Jesus Christ and spearhead the mass evangelization of His earthly people, including the 144 Thousand, during the first half of the 70th Week of Daniel. The 144 Thousand are given a unique title that points to this possibility:
“These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:4c)
These young men appear to be the first Jews to be redeemed during the 70th Week of Daniel, which is the last seven years/week of the “seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and thy holy city” (Daniel 9:24).
There will be many Jews saved later at the end of this restored “holy covenant” (Daniel 11:28-32) Jewish dispensation when the Lord intervenes as the completion of His first three purposes (Daniel 9:24) come to pass at which point in history:
“The Redeemer shall come to Zion…And all Israel shall be saved.” (Isaiah 59:20; Romans 11:25, 26)
Before that great day takes place the saints will experience the rise and rule of the Antichrist during Satan’s “great wrath” (Revelation 12:12) “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) which is the time just prior to the sealing of the 144 Thousand and the Rapture of the saints.The Lord describes this period of intense persecution:
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place; (whoso reads let him understand) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains…For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15, 21, 22)
The Antichrist will make “war with the saints” (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7) pointing to the wholesale martyrdom of God’s people which is also described in other passages:
“And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity and by spoil many days…And some of them understanding shall fall.” (Daniel 11:33, 35)
“And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”(Revelation 6:9-11)
“And when they [two witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.” (Revelation 11:7)
“And they [the brethren] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11)
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)
This heinous slaughter of God’s people will be cut off by the intervention of the Lord when He shortens/amputates this period called “the great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14) which is authored by the Satanically energized Antichrist and his false prophet.
At that time the Lord will rescue “the elect” (Mathew 24:22, 31) when He comes in the clouds to rapture His church which is the closing event of this present age. But, before He comes, many Jews and Gentiles will die a martyr’s death during this last and most severe holocaust of the people of God as is told to some of the martyrs of this same era:
“Rest for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Revelation 6:11)
When God’s purpose is fulfilled for the “great tribulation”
(Matthew 24:21, 22), He will bring it to an end in His timing. He will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to rescue and gather “His elect” (Matthew 24:31) by rapture cutting off this vicious martyrdom of His people.
There will be three groups of believing Jews who will remain on earth to carry on the Lord’s purposes during the Day of the Lord which immediately follows the resurrection, rapture, rescue, reception of the saints (John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 7:9-17).
1. The two witnesses prophesy during the entire last half of Daniel’s 70th Week (Revelation 11:3-13)
2. The woman [Faithful Israel] is preserved during the entire last half of Daniel’s 70th Week
(Revelation 12:6, 13-16)
3. The 144 Thousand serve during the entire last half of Daniel’s 70th Week (Daniel 11:32-35, 12:3,
10; Revelation 7:1-8, 9:4, 12:17, 14:1-5, 17:14)
One of God’s priorities for His 144 Thousand disciples is the evangelization of His people. They will witness of their Messiah and His glorious grace to their brethren, the twelve tribes of Israel, preparing them for that day when “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26) at the end of the 70th Week of Daniel. Herein, is the primary purpose of God…The Grand Redemption of His earthly people.
This event has long been foretold:
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [The Lord Jesus Christ] come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49:10)
“And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shall possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:5, 6)
“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for Me this is My covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, not out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.” (Isaiah 59:20, 21)
“Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
(Jeremiah 31:31-33)
“Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in My anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be My people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear Me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make and everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.” (Jeremiah 32:37-41)
“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you and heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:24-28)
In the sure purpose of God, He will bring forth this great company of His servants, the 144 Thousand during this last “Jewish” dispensation, the 70th Week of Daniel. They will prepare the hearts of His people in order to accomplish His continuing plan of redemption when the Lord Jesus Christ the:
“Redeemer comes to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob.” (Isaiah 59:20)
As the outline [shown above] underlines the 144 Thousand’s Day of the Lord Priesthood/Redemption Ministry, it is clear that they will undergo vital preparation during the time prior to their sealing when they will “instruct…many” who do not understand (Daniel 11:33).
They will be the Lord’s life-line to His chosen people, the Jews, during the end of this age and the ensuing Day of the Lord for He will thoroughly prepare His servants for their time of the end Redemption Ministry as priests unto God when:
1. The Jews will be a "people" (Daniel 9:24)
2. The Jews will be in their "own [promised] land" (Deuteronomy 30:1-18; Ezekiel 36: 24-26, 37:21ff;
Daniel 9:24)
3. The Jews will occupy/control their "holy city" Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24)
4. The "prophet Elijah" will be sent "first" to revive/restore (Malachi 4:5, 6: Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12)
5. The "holy covenant" will be restored (Daniel 11:28-32)
6. The "temple of God" will be rebuilt (II Thessalonians 2:1-4: Revelation 11:1, 2)
7. The “holy place” included (Matthew 24:15)
8. The “regular sacrifices" will be offered (Daniel 8:11, 12, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11)
9. The Jews will worship in "the temple of God” (Revelation 11:1, 2)
10. "The Sabbath" will be honored (Matthew 24:28)
11. The sending of "prophets" to the Jews will occur (Malachi 4:5, 6: Revelation 11:3-17)
12. The tribal system will be restored as the twelve tribes of "the sons of Israel" (Revelation 7:1-8)
will eventually be sealed
It appears evident that the Lord will bring to pass the same conditions that prevailed during the first 69 weeks of this prophesied time period during the remaining week or seven years, which is the
70th Week of Daniel.
At the present time [2009] He has already put the first three conditions into place. The Jews have become a people/nation, they have been in the land for well over a half-century and they have occupied their holy city Jerusalem for over four decades.
The next event on God’s prophetic timetable appears to be the sending of Elijah the prophet for he “truly shall first come, and restore all things” (Matthew 17:11) referring to those necessary “holy covenant” (Daniel 11:28-32) conditions listed above.
That Elijah will be sent “first” before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is underlined by this statement in the Apostle Peter’s second sermon:
“And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution [restoration] of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:20, 21)
Just as certain orthodox Jews await God’s sending of Elijah the prophet to this very day, so also should the Church of Jesus Christ look for the Lord to send this mighty Hebrew prophet who will “turn hearts” and “restore all things”(Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12) “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5).
This future sending of Elijah follows a previous pattern when the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 586 B.C. Later the Jews returned to the land, rebuilt the temple, and eventually God sent the first Elijah-like prophet, John the Baptist, to His people before the Lord came to earth the first time.
The Lord Jesus then ministered on earth for 3-1/2 years which also points to the likely possibility of His influence/intervention on earth for the last 3-1/2 years of the 70th Week of Daniel starting with Micah 5:5ff when: “This Man [Messiah] will be the peace when the Assyrian [Antichrist] shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces”
This pattern is in the process of being repeated today for the
Temple was destroyed in AD.70 and the Jews have become a people returning to their land and will eventually rebuild the temple. Then, God will send the last Elijah-like prophet who will “restore all things” (Malachi 4:5. 6; Matthew 17:11; Mark 9:12) which will be followed by the Lord’s Second Coming (John 14:1-3) when He:
1. Will be the Peace (Micah 5:5ff) 3-1/2 year ministry to the saints
During the last half of The 70th Week of Daniel
2. Will rapture/rescue/saints (Matthew 24:30, 31; I Thess. 4:13-18;
Revelation 7:9-17) Before The Day of the Lord
3. Will roar out of Zion (Hos.11:10, 11; Jer.25: 30; Rev.10:3)
The End of The 70th Week of Daniel/Before Seven Last Plagues
4. Will redeem Israel (Isaiah 59:20; Romans 11:25, 26;
Revelation 14:1) At The End of the 70th Week of Daniel
5. Will tread the winepress (Isaiah 63:1-4; Revelation 14:14,
20, 19:11-15) The Battle of Armageddon
6. Will destroy Antichrist/Armies/Armageddon
(Revelation 19:11-15) At The End of the Day of the Lord
7. Will physically reign for 1,000 Years on earth (Revelation 20:6)
After (45) Day Restoration Period (Daniel 12:12)
In addition to the certain fulfillment of the above Bible prophecies, there will also be other major events taking place on the world stage in order for the 70th week to begin and the end times unfold:
1. The rise of the Antichrist/“king of the north” (Daniel 11:21ff)
2. The economic/political growth/influence of Romanism (Revelation 17, 18)
3. The “safety” [peace] in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38:8, 11)
As the Lord continues to prepare the Church of Jesus Christ, His people Israel and planet earth for His Second Coming and Day of the Lord judgment all of these things will definitely come to pass and thereby drastically alter the present-day [2009] complexion of planet earth.
These events will most certainly take place in God’s perfect timing in order that His primary purpose is realized which is the loving redemption of those who have been written in “the Lamb’s book of life…from the foundation of the world”!
Therefore, this very personal question must be asked: “If you died today, are you SURE you would go to heaven?”
The Lord Jesus Christ made the requirements perfectly clear:
“Except a man be born again [born from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water [physical birth] and of the Spirit [spiritual birth], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God…Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again [from above].” (John 3:3, 5, 7)
The Apostle Paul explained:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)
“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)
It is through faith that you are saved [born from above], faith in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross, for He lovingly shed His Blood to pay the penalty for your sin (Ephesians 1:7). When you believe this truth [faith] and turn to Him from your sin [repent] and pray from your heart to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you will be born from above by the power of God’s Holy Spirit!
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12)
If you have prayed to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, please contact us at www.btmi.org and we will send you Bible study information to help you grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
