For decades now authors and movie makers have all agreed on what the term “Post-Apocalyptic” means. Whether in words or pictures, they paint for us a world that is harsh, dangerous, and very difficult to eke out a living in. The population is almost totally wiped out by some worldwide event or events (usually under ten percent survive).
A quick search on the Internet for the meaning of the word apocalypse will reveal something like:
1. the complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation.
2. an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale.
The source of the destruction can get pretty imaginative. Plagues (including zombies), meteors, nuclear warfare, aliens from other worlds, insects or other earthly beings rising up against man, floods, and coronal mass ejections are all on the list. Once in a while, they might even bring God into the picture.
The interesting thing for me is that the actual end of the world has already been foretold. The Bible gives us enough information about this that we can come up with a pretty good picture of what it will (actually) look like. When we say things like “the end of the world”, or “Armageddon”, or “the apocalypse”, we should know that these terms are not all necessarily interchangeable. So it might be a good thing to actually define these terms so that we’re all on the same page.
Apocalypse
When we read the Bible concerning the End Times, or Last Days, there are a couple of different scenarios that could fit into this category. However, looking back up at the two definitions given above, the only one that fits these biblical events would be #2 (an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale).
Biblically, there are two major events that will occur to us and our planet in the not-too-distant future.
- The Tribulation
- God’s Wrath
The seven-year Tribulation is divided into two equal halves. Each half has a duration of 1,260 days (that’s 3 ½ years, or 42 months, using the prophetic way of counting months, which uses a uniform 30 days per month). Events that characterize the tribulation are, for the most part, nothing new to us. There will be widespread war (probably World War Three – think nuclear), tyranny (government gone crazy – like death camps), famine (lack of food), drought (lack of water), pestilence (disease on a large scale), civil uprisings and unrest, and a general state of anger, depression, death and despair. It will truly be apocalyptic.
However, these apocalyptic events are not inflicted directly by God. They are definitely allowed by God and a few of them are done by Him, but the tribulation is really inflicted at the hands of Satan and his antichrist. An exception would be the miraculous destructive events caused by the Two Witnesses. These two men will perform all kinds of feats that bring destruction upon the antichrist and his followers. Their effects will be centered around the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. They will probably be Enoch, who was born before the flood of Noah, and Elijah, an Old Testament prophet of God. These two are actually the “good guys” who are fighting back against the antichrist and his followers.
God’s Wrath comes immediately following the tribulation. It will be much quicker (lasting only about 5 months or so), but more devastating. And everything that happens during God’s wrath is performed directly by God. It’s like He’s saying, “Okay, now it’s my turn”. The events of God’s Wrath will include things like: meteor showers; earthquakes (especially one that is on another level, like nothing ever seen and survived); next-level thunderstorms (with huge hail and lightening); more disease and more famine; darkness (no sun, moon or stars to be seen and a different kind of darkness as well); attack from other creatures upon mankind (wild animals and locusts, primarily); plus skin sores, eyes rotting in their sockets, and skin rotting off the bones (oh yeah, it gets bad); and a really good tsunami too.
Post Apocalypse
All of these things are definitely apocalyptic and they fit into what we think “apocalyptic” means. However, our shared concept of the term “post-apocalyptic” is NOTHING like the reality will be. In fact, after God unleashes His wrath upon the world, He will do something completely amazing. As much as authors and movie makers like to take God out of the picture in their post-apocalyptic genre, the truth is, God will not be out of the picture.
You see, one amazing aspect of God’s Wrath is that it will be Jesus Who is doing all of the destruction from God (since Jesus is God – and our Judge). He will come back with His angel armies to the planet He made, and remind a rebellious race (humans) that He still exists and that He has just about had enough of the evil that we have been doing to each other (sometimes in His name).
When He arrives, He will remain in orbit over earth for a period of time (probably several months) while He unleashes His anger upon the rebels. He doesn’t kill everyone, in fact His followers who are still alive at that time will be caught up into the atmosphere and be with Him. He will have also brought back to life His followers who had already died before His return. So at one time, Jesus is in the sky with His angel armies and all of His faithful followers. What a display of power, majesty and glory!
On the ground, antichrist is assembling his army to go and fight against this holy assembly from the hills and valleys and shores of Israel. They are stretched out all over Israel, from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea, but since his headquarters is in the Valley of Megiddo, the battle is named Armageddon. This is wicked humanity’s last stand against their Maker. Of course, the mortals don’t have a chance and are totally wiped out on the battlefield. But this doesn’t mean that all people who are not followers of Jesus will die. Some will remain to rebuild the population. The number of survivors is likened to the number of grapes left on the vine after the harvest. But some do survive.
When the battle of Armageddon is over, so is the apocalypse. And there is another interesting fact that should be made clear. Humanity is now divided into two distinct groups: mortal and immortal. The mortals are those who survived all of the terror, chaos, and calamity of the tribulation and God’s wrath. They are referred to in the Bible as “the nations”. The immortals are those who aligned themselves with God and His Son prior to all of these Last Days events. They are called glorified saints, or God’s elect, they are the believers. Their old, mortal bodies (with the sin and weakness that came with them) have been replaced with new, sinless, powerful bodies that are indestructible. Their knowledge will be on a much higher level, their physical abilities will be unimaginable to us now, their new state will be utter perfection. I call this next level of the human experience, “Humanity 2.0“.
After the battle of Armageddon, all of the apocalyptic events will be over for the next 1,000 years. This will be the time known as “The Millennium”. It will be a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity. It will be nothing like the earth has ever seen, but always longed for. Our Creator, Jesus, will be here with us, ruling from His earthly throne. His holy angels will be here as well, doing His bidding and serving man as always. His new super humans, the glorified saints, will also be here, ruling over the nations with Jesus. And natural, mortal man, will also be here enjoying a simple life of peace and prosperity under a righteous government. All demons will have been thrown into a deep, dark place called the abyss.
So the true post-apocalypse will be a time of beauty, peace, love, and happiness. No more disease, infant mortality (all people will live long, happy lives), war, violence, corruption, or any of the evil that now exists on earth. Oh sure, mortal man will continue to be imperfect, as we are now, but the government will come down on those who get out of hand. Jesus will rule with a “iron scepter”, which means that no one will get away with bad behavior. We will see people living on their own land for generations, without any fear of attack or hard times. Happy men and women will bounce their great, great grandchildren on their knees while relaxing on their front porch in the cool of the afternoon. Their fields will be ripe with all kinds of good food that is not tainted with the pesticides and genetic tampering of men. Their infants can play with lions and snakes without fear of harm. Their water will be abundant and clean. But most of all, they will know their Creator on a personal level and their family, and extended family will all be enjoying the love that they were created to share.
The Actual End of the World
This utopian millennium will eventually come to an end. After the thousand years have passed, God will allow Satan out of the abyss and he will again go into the world and deceive people into rebelling against God. That will result in another uprising by man against their Creator that might resemble the battle of Armageddon a thousand years earlier. God will put and end to this rebellion and then He will sit in judgment of all mankind. After the judgment, He will finally destroy this world and the universe, along with what we call “heaven”.
But the end is not the end. God will create a “new heavens and a new earth” (see Revelation 21 and my post, New Jerusalem). In this new creation there will be a home for all who have accepted God on His terms. There will be everlasting joy, purpose, and fulfillment without any hardship, fear, or pain. Personally, I don’t fear the “end of the world”, the “apocalypse”, or “Armageddon”. This doesn’t mean that I’m looking forward to the apocalyptic events of the tribulation, God’s wrath and all, but I am looking forward to the good life that will follow. It’s like a woman not looking forward to the pain of childbirth, but looking forward to the love of the child. Hard times will come, but they also will go — forever.
So the next time you hear the term, “post-apocalyptic”, don’t think of desolation, death and despair; think instead of peace, prosperity, love, and happiness. Because that is what we will see.
Full of good news,
Gary
PS – I invite you to check out my book on this topic called, End Times Made Easy, available on Amazon.
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