Israel and the End of the Age

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

<Back to Full Doctrinal Statement Page

<Back to Section 4 - Spiritual Realities and Unseen Powers 

Forward to Section 6 - Cultural and Moral Clarity>


SECTION 5 – God's Plan for Israel and the End of the Age

Doctrines focusing on eschatology and the prophetic dimension of Scripture.

  • 5.1 – Israel and the Promises of God
  • 5.2 – Bible Prophecy and the End Times
  • 5.3 – Premillennial Dispensationalism
    • 5.3.1 – The Pre-Tribulational Rapture
    • 5.3.2 – The Tribulation and Rise of Antichrist
    • 5.3.3 – The Second Coming of Christ
    • 5.3.4 – The Millennial Kingdom
    • 5.3.5 – The Final Rebellion and Gog-Magog War II
    • 5.3.6 – The Great White Throne Judgment
    • 5.3.7 – The Lake of Fire and the Second Death
    • 5.3.8 – The New Heavens and the New Earth (The Eternal State)

 

5.1 – Israel and the Promises of God

Israel is the chosen nation through whom God established His covenant purposes in history and through whom the Messiah was brought into the world (Gen 12:1–3; Deut 7:6–8; Rom 9:4–5). The physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remain beloved for the sake of the fathers and according to God’s irrevocable calling (Rom 11:28–29). Israel is described in Scripture as the wife of the LORD, to whom He was a husband by covenant (Isa 54:5; Jer 31:32; Hos 2:19–20).

The promises made to the patriarchs concerning the land, the nation, and the blessing of all nations through their seed were not conditional, figurative, or transferred to another people, but are enduring and will be fulfilled in Israel’s future restoration (Gen 13:14–17; Gen 15:18–21; Jer 31:35–37; Ezek 36:22–28). Though Israel was temporarily hardened for the sake of Gentile salvation, God’s covenant with them remains unbroken (Rom 11:11–15; Jer 33:23–26).

Israel is distinct from the Church, and God’s prophetic purposes continue to unfold through His covenant with them (Rom 11:1–2; Rom 11:25; Acts 1:6–7; Dan 9:24; Zech 12:2–3). The Church is composed of all who are in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, but does not replace or inherit the national promises given to Israel. The future salvation of Israel is assured by the Word of God and will come to pass when the Deliverer comes from Zion and removes ungodliness from Jacob (Rom 11:25–27; Isa 59:20–21).

God will gather His people from all the nations, restore them to their land, and cause them to dwell securely under the rule of the Messiah (Ezek 37:21–28; Amos 9:14–15). The modern return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is a fulfillment of prophecy and a necessary stage in God’s redemptive plan (Isa 66:8; Ezek 36:24). The house of Israel will be brought back in stages, beginning in unbelief, and ultimately brought to repentance and faith through God’s intervention at the appointed time (Ezek 38:16; Ezek 39:22). These events will culminate in their recognition of Jesus Christ as Messiah and their full national restoration (Zech 12:10; Matt 23:39; Acts 3:19–21). After their restoration, Israel will be forgiven, indwelt by the Spirit, exalted among the nations, and established in their land under the righteous rule of the Messiah (Jer 31:33–34; Ezek 36:27–28; Isa 2:2–4; Ezek 47:13–14; Jer 23:5–6).



5.2 – Bible Prophecy and the End Times

Bible prophecy is the divinely revealed disclosure of future events, recorded in the Scriptures by men moved by the Holy Spirit, and testifying to the sovereign purposes of God in history (2 Pet 1:19–21; Isa 46:9–10). It does not originate in human imagination, but proceeds from the mouth of the LORD and is certain to be fulfilled (Jer 1:12; Num 23:19). The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and all prophetic Scripture ultimately points to His person, His redemptive work, and His coming kingdom (Rev 19:10; Luke 24:27; John 5:39).

Prophecy is essential to understanding the full counsel of God, comprising a significant portion of both the Old and New Testaments (Acts 3:21; Amos 3:7). It reveals the nature of God as omniscient, sovereign, and faithful to His word (Isa 42:9; Isa 55:11), and serves as both a warning to the rebellious and a comfort to the righteous (Isa 35:3–4; 2 Thess 2:1–2).

The prophetic Scriptures describe a sequence of future events including the rapture of the Church, the rise of Antichrist, the time of Jacob’s distress (the Tribulation), the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennial Reign, the Final Judgment, and the Eternal State (1 Thess 4:16–17; Dan 9:27; 2 Thess 2:3–4; Matt 24:29–31; Rev 20:1–6, 11–15; Rev 21:1–4). These events are not symbolic generalities but literal realities, foretold in detail and to be fulfilled according to God’s appointed times, as evidenced by the literal fulfillment of earlier prophecies—including those concerning the first coming of Christ (Matt 24:15; Rev 1:1; Dan 8:19; Luke 24:44; Zech 9:9).

God has revealed prophetic truth for the purpose of producing watchfulness, sobriety, obedience, and hope in the lives of believers (1 Pet 1:13; 1 Thess 5:6; Rev 22:7). The unfolding of future events will culminate in the exaltation of Christ, the fulfillment of all promises to Israel, the judgment of the wicked, and the restoration of creation under the eternal reign of God (Phil 2:10–11; Ezek 37:21–28; Rev 20:15; Isa 65:17–18).



5.3 – Premillennial Dispensationalism

God’s prophetic program unfolds in successive stages, each marked by specific covenants, stewardships, and appointed times, culminating in the visible reign of Jesus Christ on earth. The Scriptures reveal a distinction between Israel, the Church, and the nations, and the promises made to each are fulfilled in literal sequence according to the sovereign timetable of God (Dan 2:21; Acts 1:7; Eph 3:5–6).

Premillennialism affirms that Jesus Christ will return before the Millennial Kingdom, which will be established as a literal, earthly reign lasting one thousand years (Rev 20:1–6; Isa 2:2–4; Zech 14:9–11). This kingdom is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, in which they will dwell securely in their land and the Messiah will reign from Jerusalem with justice and peace (Jer 23:5–6; Ezek 37:21–28; Luke 1:32–33).

Dispensationalism recognizes that God has worked through distinct economies or stewardships throughout redemptive history (Eph 1:10; Eph 3:2–5). Scripture identifies several such eras, including the time from Adam to Moses (Rom 5:14), the dispensation of the Law (John 1:17), and the present age of grace (Eph 3:2), each marked by unique divine instruction and responsibility. Jesus Himself affirmed this transition when He declared that John the Baptist, though the greatest under the previous administration, was less than the least in the Kingdom of God, marking a divinely recognized boundary between dispensational eras (Luke 7:28). These stewardships do not represent multiple ways of salvation, but successive administrations in which God reveals His character and accomplishes His purposes (Heb 1:1–2).

The Church Age will conclude with the rapture, followed by the Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennial Kingdom, and finally the Eternal State (1 Thess 4:16–17; Dan 9:27; Rev 19:11–16; Rev 20:4–6; Rev 21:1–4). Each of these events will occur in the order revealed in Scripture, not as general symbols but as literal fulfillments of prophetic truth (Matt 24:15; Rev 1:1; Dan 8:19).

The doctrine of Premillennial Dispensationalism affirms the literal interpretation of prophecy, the distinction between Israel and the Church, and the certainty of Christ’s bodily return to establish His kingdom on earth. It upholds the faithfulness of God to His covenants, the integrity of His prophetic Word, and the sovereign progression of His redemptive plan across the ages (Rom 11:25–29; Rev 22:6).



5.3.1 – The Pre-Tribulational Rapture

The Rapture is the next divinely appointed event in God’s prophetic program, in which the Lord Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to gather His Church—both the dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain—to Himself in the air (1 Thess 4:16–17; John 14:2–3; 1 Cor 15:51–52). This event is distinct from the Second Coming of Christ to the earth and is revealed as a mystery, previously concealed but now made known through the apostles (1 Cor 15:51; 1 Thess 4:15).

The Rapture cannot occur at any random moment in Church history, but only at the appointed time set by the Father (Matt 24:36). Though the day and hour remain unknown, believers are not left in darkness, but are commanded to watch, to discern the approaching season, and to recognize the signs that signal the nearness of their redemption (Luke 21:28–31; 1 Thess 5:4–6; Heb 10:25). This is the same redemption of our body for which the Church eagerly waits (Rom 8:23), and it will come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:52).

The Pre-Tribulational timing of the Rapture is required by the chronology of Scripture. The Church is resurrected and glorified before the Tribulation martyrs are raised (1 Thess 4:16; Rev 20:4–5), and she is seen already in heaven as the bride of Christ before He returns to the earth (Rev 19:7–8, 14). Jesus promised that He would receive His own to Himself and take them to the Father’s house, not remain on earth (John 14:2–3). The Church is not appointed to wrath (1 Thess 5:9), and she will be kept from the hour of testing that is coming upon the whole world (Rev 3:10). This promise is not preservation through wrath, but removal from its time and domain.

The pattern declared in Scripture affirms this sequence: the dead are raised, the faithful are hidden in chambers, and then God’s wrath is poured out on the earth (Isa 26:19–21). The lawless one cannot be revealed until the Restrainer is removed—a removal that precedes the Tribulation and requires the departure of the Church indwelt by the Holy Spirit (2 Thess 2:6–8). Christ remains at the right hand of the Father until the full repentance of Israel, but the Church must be received to Him before that event occurs (Hos 5:15; Matt 23:39). The bride is not only seen in heaven prior to Christ’s return (Rev 19:7–8), but she returns with Him as part of His heavenly army, clothed in the same fine linen granted to her before His descent (Rev 19:14), confirming her earlier removal and glorification.

Daniel’s prophecy of the seventieth week is decreed upon “your people and your holy city” (Dan 9:24), identifying Israel as the exclusive focus of this final seven-year period. The Church, a mystery not yet revealed in Daniel’s time (Eph 3:5–9), is nowhere mentioned in the covenant, the desolation, or the judgments that follow (Dan 9:27). The absence of the Church from these events is not incidental—it is the result of her completed calling and removal before God's prophetic dealings with Israel and the nations resume.

This hope is not based on suspense or ignorance, but on the sure Word of God. The Church waits not for wrath, judgment, or the Antichrist, but for the blessed hope and the appearing of her Savior (Titus 2:13). Until then, the Church is called to be watchful, faithful, and ready, not through fear of surprise, but in confident expectation of the fulfillment of all that has been written (1 John 3:3; 1 Cor 15:58; Luke 19:13).



5.3.2 – The Tribulation and Rise of Antichrist

The Tribulation is the final seven-year period appointed for the fulfillment of God’s purposes concerning Israel and the nations. It is initiated by a covenant confirmed with many by a coming prince, and is divided into two halves of 1,260 days each (Dan 9:27; Rev 11:3; Rev 12:6). This period is distinct from the general tribulations of the present age and is described as a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation (Zeph 1:15; Jer 30:7; Rev 6:15–17).

This appointed time is the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy, decreed upon Israel and Jerusalem, not the Church (Dan 9:24). Its purpose is to complete transgression, bring an end to sin, make atonement for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness—culminating in Israel’s national repentance and the anointing of the Most Holy Place (Dan 9:24; Zech 12:10). The Church is absent from this period, having been delivered from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10), and will be kept from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world (Rev 3:10). She is not mentioned in any of the judgments revealed between Revelation chapters 6 through 18.

At the beginning of this period, a powerful global leader emerges, identified in Scripture as the little horn, the man of lawlessness, the beast, and the Antichrist (Dan 7:8; 2 Thess 2:3–4; Rev 13:1–8; 1 John 2:18). He will rise from among the nations, possess great authority, and confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years (Dan 9:27). In the middle of the week, he will break this covenant, halt sacrifice and grain offering, and commit the abomination of desolation by exalting himself above every so-called god and taking his seat in the temple of God (Dan 9:27; Dan 11:31; 2 Thess 2:4; Matt 24:15).

From this midpoint forward, the Tribulation intensifies into what Scripture calls the Great Tribulation, a time of such unparalleled distress that unless those days had been cut short, no flesh would have been saved (Matt 24:22; Mark 13:20). During this time, the Antichrist is granted authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, and he will make war with the saints and overcome them (Rev 13:7; Dan 7:21). All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain (Rev 13:8).

The Tribulation will conclude with the visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth, when He will destroy the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming (2 Thess 2:8; Rev 19:19–20). The judgments of this period will fully expose the rebellion of mankind, purge the nations, and prepare the remnant of Israel to receive the one whom they have pierced (Isa 13:11–13; Ezek 20:33–38; Zech 12:10).



5.3.3 – The Return of Jesus Christ

The return of Jesus Christ to the earth will occur at the close of the Tribulation, when He descends bodily, visibly, and in power and great glory to execute judgment and to establish His kingdom (Matt 24:30; Rev 1:7; Rev 19:11–16). This return is distinct from the prior gathering of the Church (1 Thess 4:16–17), which is a meeting in the air, not a return to the earth, and therefore distinct from His descent in judgment and glory. At His return, every eye will see Him, and the nations will mourn as they behold the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Matt 24:30; Zech 12:10; Rev 1:7).

When He comes, the Lord Jesus will strike down the nations with the sharp sword from His mouth and tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (Rev 19:15). The beast and the false prophet will be seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20). The armies gathered against Him will be consumed, and Satan will be bound for a thousand years, unable to deceive the nations until the appointed time (Rev 20:1–3).

The return of Christ to the earth marks the beginning of the Day of the Lord, the time of divine judgment foretold by the prophets (Isa 13:6–13; Joel 3:12–17). The surviving remnant of Israel will look upon the one whom they have pierced, and in that day a fountain will be opened to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zech 12:10; Zech 13:1). Thus all Israel will be saved, in accordance with the covenant of God (Rom 11:26–27).

From that time forward, Jesus Christ will reign as King over all the earth. His throne will be established in Jerusalem, and the nations will come to worship Him and to learn His ways (Isa 2:2–4; Mic 4:1–3). The land will be restored, righteousness will prevail, and peace will be established as the Messiah rules with a rod of iron (Isa 11:1–5; Rev 12:5; Rev 19:15). This reign will last a thousand years (Rev 20:4–6), during which the promises made to Abraham, David, and the prophets will begin to be fulfilled—promises declaring that the Messiah will restore the kingdom to Israel, sit upon the throne of David, and reign in righteousness from Jerusalem (Gen 17:7–8; 2 Sam 7:12–16; Ezek 37:21–28).



5.3.4 – The Millennial Kingdom

Following the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, He will establish His rule from Jerusalem and reign for a thousand years, as explicitly revealed in Scripture (Rev 20:4–6). This period, often referred to as the Millennial Kingdom, will be marked by righteousness, justice, peace, and the restoration of the earth under the dominion of the Messiah (Jer 23:5; Ps 72:1–4; Isa 2:4; Isa 11:6–9). The thousand years are stated repeatedly in Revelation 20 and must be understood as a literal and fixed duration, consistent with the plain meaning of the text.

During this time, Satan will be bound in the abyss, unable to deceive the nations (Rev 20:1–3). The beast and the false prophet will already have been cast into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20), and Christ will rule with a rod of iron, bringing global submission to His righteous authority (Ps 2:9; Rev 19:15). The saints will reign with Him, including those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and had not received the mark of the beast (Rev 20:4), as well as Church-age believers who are promised to reign with Christ if they endure, to rule the nations, and to sit with Him on His throne (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26–27; Rev 3:21).

The Millennial Kingdom will be the period in which the Messiah reigns on the present earth, before the creation of a new heavens and a new earth (Rev 20:4–6; Rev 21:1). During this reign, the promises made to Abraham, David, and the prophets will begin to be fulfilled in visible form. These include the possession of the land by Israel (Gen 17:8; Ezek 37:21–28), the establishment of the throne of David in Jerusalem (2 Sam 7:12–16; Isa 9:7; Jer 23:5), and the presence of the Messiah as King over all the earth (Zech 14:9).

The nations will come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to observe His appointed feasts (Zech 14:16–17). The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and even nature will reflect the restoration of harmony (Isa 2:4; Isa 11:6–9). This reign will be marked by peace, as nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any longer (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3), and by longevity, as even the youth will be considered accursed if they die at the age of one hundred (Isa 65:20). Those who survive the Tribulation will repopulate the earth, and those who rebel will be judged swiftly by the King (Isa 65:20; Ps 72:1–4; Rev 2:27).



5.3.5 – The Final Rebellion and Gog-Magog War II

At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them together for war (Rev 20:7–8). Their number will be like the sand of the sea, and they will come up on the broad plain of the earth and surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city (Rev 20:8–9).

Fire will come down from heaven and devour them, and the devil who deceived them will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev 20:9–10).

The designation “Gog and Magog” is used here in reference to the manner in which the nations gather for this final conflict, not as a direct identification with the invasion described in Ezekiel 38–39. In that earlier event, specific nations are named, whereas in this final rebellion all nations are deceived and assembled from the four corners of the earth, marking this as a separate and unique event occurring after the Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20:8; Ezek 38:2–6).



5.3.6 – The Great White Throne Judgment

After the thousand years and the destruction of the final rebellion, a great white throne will be revealed, and the dead will stand before Him who sits upon it (Rev 20:11–12). Earth and heaven will flee from His presence, and no place will be found for them (Rev 20:11). This event corresponds to the courtroom scene foreseen in which the court sat, and the books were opened before the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:10). The throne from which this judgment proceeds has already been established and endures forever (Ps 9:7–8).

All the dead, great and small, will be judged according to their deeds, based on the things written in the books (Rev 20:12). The sea, death, and Hades will each give up the dead that are in them, and each one will be judged (Rev 20:13). This is consistent with the testimony that God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil (Eccl 12:14).

Death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death (Rev 20:14). Anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). This fiery judgment has been prepared for the devil and his angels, and is described as a place of eternal fire and everlasting punishment (Matt 25:41, 46). The lake of fire is the same place where the devil, the beast, and the false prophet are, and its torment is described as lasting forever and ever (Rev 20:10).

None who appear at this judgment are said to be acquitted, and no reference is made to deliverance or salvation (Rev 20:12–15). This event corresponds to the resurrection of judgment foretold by Jesus, which is distinct from the resurrection of life (John 5:29). It also aligns with the prophetic statement that many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt (Dan 12:2).



5.3.7 – The Lake of Fire and the Second Death

The lake of fire is the final place of judgment and punishment for Satan, his angels, and all who are not found in the book of life (Rev 20:10, 15; Matt 25:41). It is described as a place of eternal fire and everlasting punishment, prepared for the devil and his angels, and shared by those who follow them (Matt 25:41, 46; Rev 20:10).

At the end of the age, the beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire alive (Rev 19:20). After the thousand years, the devil will also be thrown into the lake of fire, where the beast and false prophet still remain (Rev 20:10). This establishes the lake of fire as the final place of punishment for all unrepentant rebellion against God.

The second death is defined as being cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14). Those whose names are not found written in the book of life will experience this second death (Rev 20:15). The second death is final and unending. It is the judgment of the entire person—body and soul—and results in permanent exclusion from life and blessing (Rev 20:14–15; cf. Matt 10:28).

This fate is reserved for those whose portion is with the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral persons, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars (Rev 21:8). Their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, the final destination of divine judgment. This judgment flows from the throne of the Ancient of Days, who is seen seated in fire, with a river of fire… flowing and coming out from before Him (Dan 7:10).



5.3.8 – The New Heavens and the New Earth (The Eternal State)

After the final judgment, God will bring about a new order of creation: a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away, and the sea will be no more (Rev 21:1; Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13). The holy city, new Jerusalem, will come down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev 21:2; Heb 12:22). This marks the beginning of the eternal state, in which there is no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind (Rev 21:4; Isa 65:17).

God will dwell among His people, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them (Rev 21:3). The presence of God and the Lamb will illuminate the new creation, and there will no longer be any temple, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev 21:22–23). The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and the nations will walk by its light (Rev 21:24–26). Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come (Heb 13:14).

Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:27). Outside are the defiled, the idolatrous, and those who love and practice lying (Rev 22:15). Nothing unclean and no abomination will ever enter it (Rev 21:27). The curse will be abolished, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city (Rev 22:3).

At the close of the thousand years, after all enemies have been abolished and death itself has been cast into the lake of fire, the Son will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:24–28). Then the water of life will flow from the throne, and the tree of life will bear fruit for the healing of the nations (Rev 22:1–2). God’s bond-servants will serve Him and will see His face, and they will reign forever and ever (Rev 22:3–5). This everlasting reign corresponds to the dominion given to the Son of Man—an everlasting dominion which will not pass away and an everlasting kingdom that will be given to the saints (Dan 7:14, 27).