The Four Coming Events
We are living in the last days and Jesus is coming soon. Prophetically, there are four events that will occur in sequence and the countdown will begin with the first event which we are about to see take place.
Event 1 – The perfection of the church
We really need to discern what God is saying to the church in this season.
Revelation 14:1-2 - Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
Something supernatural is about to happen with the church. God is about to perfect the church and this event is closer than we think.
From Pentecost to the present-day church, man has always been the head of the church and its history has not been one that truly reflects the true nature of God. Man’s own ideas and characteristics have been dominant in the expansion and preservation of the church mandate.
From the very inception of the church, it has always been represented by man and the doctrinal differences has led to so many breakaway denominations and groups throughout its two thousand year history that has brought about institutionalized division. An organization that is headed up and led by man is an imperfect organization because man is not perfect.
So many Christians go from church to church looking for the perfect church but there can never be a perfect church while it is headed by man.
Prophetically, the Bible teaches us that the church will come into perfection and unity before Jesus returns. We can look forward to that happening in these last days as Jesus takes over and leads His church. Jesus will need to take control of the church in order to transform it supernaturally into a mighty fighting force that will push the kingdom of darkness back and allow the gospel to reach every person on earth.
This is the next event that we can look forward to and church leaders need to start equipping their people. The Bible does not say “My people perish for the lack of churches.” This is so true especially when we see how many churches there are in the free world. The Bible tells us in that “My people perish for the lack of knowledge.”
Titus 2:14 - Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
We must concede that the church has achieved a lot throughout the ages. It has preserved the Word of God, evangelized the nations, brought millions upon millions to salvation, kept the faith, and released the anointing of the Holy Spirit throughout its history. But it has also been guilty of many failures and imperfections. When we study the prophetic end of the church, we have to agree that the church has not yet transformed into its intended image of perfection.
Ephesians 4:11-16 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesian 5:25-27 - …just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Song of Solomon 4:7 - You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you.
When we study these passages of the Word, it is quite evident that the church is about to change supernaturally. Some of the positive characteristics of this glorious church are as follows:
• In full unity of the faith
• Perfect
• Reflects Christ’s image
• Sanctified
• Cleansed
• Glorious
• Without spot
• Without wrinkle
• Without blemish
• Mature
• Works together effectively
When we look at these prophetic images of the church we can only conclude that the seventh or Laodicean church described by the Lord in Revelation 3, is not the last church that will be on earth when Jesus returns. Another church will come after the seventh church which is the eighth and last church. This church is about to manifest on the earth and will be birthed in power through the apostolic anointing which is about to be poured out.
This church has never existed before and will rise from the ashes of the previous seven churches and grow into the full stature of Christ and will perform mighty works in the name of Jesus. This church will be anointed with power and each member will do their part in the body working together in unity to establish God’s plan in the last days.
Prophetically, the eighth church is different from the seven churches and although they all shared common weaknesses, the seven churches were not all the same.
What should the church look like? It should look like Christ. When the church looks at itself in the mirror it should see Jesus. It must not see division, strife, or envy, and it must definitely not see the image of the world. Today the church looks like the world. When the body comes into the fullness of Christ it will be unpopular with the world. When the body comes into its fullness it is going to be at enmity with the world. The world is going to hate its fullness and just as the world hates Christ it is going to hate the church as well.
The church is going to emerge out of its cocoon and it is going to be the beautiful bride that represents Christ and will be ready to be joined to the Bridegroom.
The church is going to transform into a beautiful bride. A bride normally looks beautiful on her wedding day. The church may not look all that good at the moment, but the best is still to come out of the church. The church is going to rise, wash her face, anoint her head, and make herself beautiful.
God is about to purify His church and it is going to begin with His leaders. For two thousand years, we have seen the imperfect church keep the flame of the gospel burning. However, a supernatural change is about to take place very soon and God is about to transform the church. This is the very next event in God’s calendar and we as a body of believers are about to see this take place very possibly in our lifetime.
Event 2 – The preaching of the gospel
Revelation 14:6 - Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
Matthew 24:14 - And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
After the church has come into perfection and unity, the next event will take place and those who have been perfected, will take the gospel to every person on earth. This can only happen when the church is transformed into the image of Jesus.
Many believers today have submitted themselves to their local church and have been disciple, mentored, and equipped by their leaders. This is the preparation process that is so evident in the church today and we see this happening all over the world at this time. God is going to use faithful men and women who are submitted to Christ’s earthly leaders and who have allowed themselves to be trained and equipped in the Word and having their “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel.”
Do not despise what you have gone through in your Christian walk. So many have experienced a tremendous onslaught against their lives through temptations, failures, and other negative things the enemy has thrown at them, but never give up, because all these trials and tribulations have you’re your preparation process for a great purpose.
Everything you have gone through, good or bad, that has shamed or exalted you, have been part of your mentoring process.
Event 3 -The rise of the antichrist
Revelation 14:9 - Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
This event will take place after every person on earth has had the opportunity to receive or reject the good news of salvation. God is a merciful God and does not hate people. He loves every person alive on the earth today and His plan through His Son’s death and resurrection is to give each and every one an opportunity to accept Him.
That means, before the devil can complete his evil plan on the peoples of the earth, God’s plan will be implemented first. The destruction and ill-fate of all the nations of the earth by the antichrist is only meant for those who reject Jesus outright. Those who reject the gospel that will be preached in event number two will have to deal with the beast and his number.
If they do not deal with Christ, they will have to deal with the antichrist that is the devil incarnate. He will make a very large image of himself and every person on earth will have to bow down to him and worship him if they want to stay alive. If we do not worship Christi, we will be forced to worship the devil. There is no third option.
The difference between worshipping Jesus and the devil is that Jesus respects our choice and does not force us to bow down to him. However, the devil is different as he will exact worship through force and violence.
Any person who bows down to the devil and takes his mark will not have eternal live and will be condemned forever. Just imagine the enormous responsibility we have to the nations. Our choices can affect so many people on the earth and we have the responsibility to make ourselves ready and to prepare for these coming events.
Jesus will come back before event number three takes place and the church will be raptured. I do not believe born-again believers will have to deal with the antichrist at all.
Event 4 - The tribulation
Revelation 14:18-20 - And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
God’s wrath is not intended for believers or the nations that will be saved. We will not be here. He is a God of order and it is important to place the coming events into a sequential order.
These events tells us what we can expect in the future and allow us to make plans that fit in with God’s plan for our lives and for the people on the earth. Do not give the devil any place in your live. We have no business advancing the devil’s agenda.
Ups and downs
Be aware that we go through various cycles in our Christian walk. There are times when we are strong and on fire for God, but there are also times when we are weak. This is not uncommon and there are a number of examples of great men and women of God in the Bible that experienced the same thing.
• Moses had a very privileged season as a son in Pharaoh’s household. All that changed in day and he found himself alone in the desert. But God was not finished with him even though he was already eighty years old. God prepared him all the years during the good times and the bad to save a nation from destruction.
• Elijah completed a powerful season of ministry when he faced off with the prophets of Baal and the wicked King Ahab. But soon after that, he found himself in the desert feeling very weak and alone. God changed Elijah’s ministry after Carmel and gave him a new assignment and that was to disciple and mentor Elisha. He did it quite grudgingly and was not a pleasant mentor. He probably did not understand that season of his ministry and became very despondent. Be careful that you do not become confused when things change in your Christian walk. It could be that God is using you in a different way from before. Be ready to accept a new Kingdom assignment that will please the King!
• For many years, Joshua walked in the shadow of Moses and did not have the respect and loyalty of the people. This was a season of weakness, but that changed instantly when God anointed Him to take Israel into the Promised Land. The people’s attitude towards him changed and they followed him loyally.
This can happen in your life too. Perhaps you do not have many people that support your life’s dream, but that can change and God can use you to transform a nation with His Word!
If you believe what has been said about the coming events, you must believe that God has something mighty for you to do for Him. He can change your destiny in a day. Do not allow other people to discourage you, to write your obituary. Your best days are ahead of you. Be comfortable as things begin to change in your life and follow God.
Be mindful of these examples and make sure your hope is always in the Lord. Without God’s anointing, we are weak and vulnerable. God allows us to go through different seasons where He uses us in a certain way and we must be ready for God to use us in a new way.
Be led by the Spirit
Peter was bound by religion and in order for him to be open to change, God showed him a vision of unclean animals that descended from heaven. God told Peter to eat the unclean animals, but because of his understanding of the Law, he rejected this. His response to God was “I have never done this before”. That is what religion does and it can keep us contained and rigid. That was his understanding in accordance with the Law, but it was the Spirit of God who led Peter into new spiritual areas and he ventured into a new season of his life.
We need to be open to the leading of God’s Spirits. We can so easily be bound by religion and follow rules that are either man-made or man-interpreted. If you want God to use you in new areas, you need to be ready to do things for the Kingdom that are alien to your understanding of things.
For the church to be ready for transformation and change, we must be ready to do things that we have never done before. There are things that do not fit in with our traditions or culture, but that fit into God’s plan for the His children in this time and season. Do not miss what God is about to do in these last days.
You are chosen
2 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him, who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
We are chosen by God and He has the key to ignite our destinies. Being chosen means we do not have a choice but to do what God wants. Being chosen means we are available and our own plans and desires are in submission to God’s will. A chosen generation is a generation that does not offer any arguments or opposition to God’s plans. He has chosen us and we need to believe that He know what he is doing and that He will do the right things for us.
We are bought with a price and we are not our own.
Cleaning up
Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. “
When we do life, the filth of the world tends to stain us. God is not looking to condemn us in any way, but rather wanting to help us clean up. At times, we go through the mud and the mire and it does not leave us unspotted because life can become messy.
God is about to wash us and purify us again and present us spotless before Him. Allow Him to do the work in your life and work with Him. When God does a work in us, it is perfect.
Here is a prophetic Word which is applicable in this time and keep in mind that God is going to begin with His leaders
Malachi 3:2-3 - "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.
Be transformed.
Romans 12:1-2 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Transformers are very popular children’s toys. For example, an object that looks like a motor car can be thrown on the ground which triggers something inside the toy and it transforms into a fighting warrior. The wheel becomes the ear and the door of the car becomes a shield. This is very amusing for the children (and adults) and they can be kept occupied for hours with them.
God is about to transform us into something different. For example, Joshua was transformed from a seemingly weak person into a warrior. You may be pushed around and thrown to the ground, but God is transforming you. He is changing us from glory to glory. Are you ready for to be transformed? Are your ready for a new assignment? Are you ready to do something you age never done before as God gives you a new dream?
God has great things planed for you in this present time. God does not care how many times you have failed and messed up because He is about to prefect you and position you for a Kingdom assignment that will change nations.
He will take your past, your shame, and your sin and will remove theme as far as the east is from the west. He says in His Word “I will remember your regressions no more.” God will start with the sons of Levi, the leaders of the church.
