Prophetic Terminology

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This page is a collection of terminology used in Bible prophecy in short descriptions with links to more detailed information elsewhere on this website. If you have a question about a term I don’t have listed here, please send me an e-mail and I will try to answer and add it here. If you’re curious about a specific term, just press the “Control (Ctrl) + F” keys and search the page. If you are new to Bible prophecy, I would recommend just reading through from the beginning. I’ve put a lot of information on the various pages and realize that some may want shorter descriptions to grasp the idea before digging deeper. This page is for you!
 

Abomination of Desolation:

A Hebrew term, this applies to the setting up of an idol to be worshipped in the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. Historically this happened once before in 168 BC, as referred to in Daniel 11:31-35, when Antiochus IV Epiphanes stopped the daily sacrifice and placed an altar to the pagan god Jupiter (Zeus Olympus). This prompted the Maccabean revolt, which led to the cleansing of the temple that is celebrated as Chanukah (Hanukah) today by the Jews.

There is a future time as well, spoken of in Daniel 9:27, Daniel 12:11 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. This is defined by Christ as the arrival of “the end.” Matthew 24:14,15 This idol set up in the Holy of Holies will be a man (antichrist) who declares himself to be god and demands worship from the earth as God. He also implements a global system of marketing limited to those who agree to be marked with the number of his name, or authority. Revelation 13:16-18 Those who do not comply are killed. This is the time of great tribulation.

Great Tribulation (Satan’s wrath on God’s people):

The time of great tribulation according to Yeshua (Jesus), begins at the abomination of desolation when the antichrist (man of sin) stops the daily sacrifice and sets himself up as an idol to be worshipped in the Holy of Holies. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 This begins a time of great persecution against God’s people by Satan through the antichrist he gives power to for 3½ years. Revelation 13:1-5 | Daniel 7:25

This 1260-day time of Satan’s wrath is divided into two focuses as described in Revelation 12:13-17. The whole time is Satan’s wrath on God’s people, but his focus is first on Israel in Judea. Verses 13-16 show Satan’s focus on Israel in Judea until the point that Israel is protected for the remainder of the antichrist’s time on the earth. Once he can no longer get Israel, his wrath turns global against those of Israel not in Judea and those holding the testimony of Christ. So this time of great tribulation is 3½ years long, coinciding with the 1260 days of the reign of the antichrist that ends at Armageddon. Revelation 19:20

Time of Jacob’s Trouble: The abomination of desolation marks a moment in Israeli history that is unparalleled in all of history, the time of Jacob’s trouble. Jeremiah 30:4-7 | Daniel 12:1 | Matthew 24:15-22

Day of the Lord (God’s wrath on the children of disobedience):

Also called the day of Christ, this is the beginning of God’s wrath on the children of disobedience. Ephesians 5:1-8 This time is described as coming like a thief in the night and with sudden destruction from which those on the earth will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

However, there is a way of escape from this time. Luke 21:34-36 It is only by believing that Yeshua the Christ died for your sins, and paid the debt of death owed for those sins so that you could be forgiven and spend eternity in God’s presence. It’s more than just believing in Him though, because even the demons believe and tremble at His name. We must be obedient to what the Bible says. This also highlights the importance of watching.

This wrath of God that is poured out on the whole earth and all that dwell therein who did not escape is in the form of the seven trumpets and seven bowls laid out in Revelation. They bring destruction from heaven to the earth as the righteous judgments of God.

The Bible places the timing of the day of the Lord after the sixth seal. Joel 2:31 We can see this confirmed in Revelation 6:12-17, which describes the sixth seal, and Isaiah 2:12-21. These passages connect the events of the sixth seal with the time of people hiding in rocks and caves as the day of the Lord approaches when He (Christ) arises to “shake terribly the earth.”

However, we don’t know the day or hour of the day of the Lord because it is also the time of Christ’s coming, which is described as the Lord coming with sudden destruction like the days of Noah and Lot. Matthew 24:36-39 | Luke 17:26-33 While we cannot know the day or hour, the Bible gives us enough information in the exact-day prophecies of Daniel and John to know the general month timeframe this will take place within the 70^th week of Daniel.

Regarding the length of the day of the Lord, 2 Peter 3:8-14 says we are not to be ignorant that a day is as 1,000 years to the Lord. Psalm 90:4 Peter goes on to say that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. Then he makes a point that it is within the day of the Lord that the heavens dissolve and the elements will melt with a fervent heat. The heavens and earth are destroyed, Revelation 21:1, but not until after Yeshua has ruled on the earth for 1,000 years and after the great white throne judgment. So since the day of the Lord begins a 1,000 year period of time and the destruction of the heavens and the earth are in that timeframe, it shows that the day of the Lord begins with God’s wrath just after the sixth seal, but continues through the end of the millennium.

This brings up the question, “How Christ can reign for 1,000 years if the day of the Lord is 1,000 years but begins 3½ years before Christ returns in glory to take the kingdoms?” I believe the answer may be in that Christ already spent 3½ years on the earth at His first coming. From the time His ministry began upon being baptized to the triumphal entry when He presented Himself as the Messiah to Israel, is the same amount of time His wrath is poured out before returning in glory with His wife.

Harpazo:

The harpazo is the moment in time when the dead who accepted Christ are raised back to life in their new immortal and incorruptible bodies at which point those who are alive and accepted Christ are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air at His coming. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 | 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 The timing of this is much disputed, but it is my belief that the Bible makes it clearer than some seem to accept.

In the interest of giving my reasons why I believe what I do and not what some others put forward, here is what I read in the Bible regarding the timing...

Pre-Tribulation: To define it by its term, this places the harpazo at some point before the abomination of desolation, which begins the great tribulation. Many believe the harpazo could occur at any time, the doctrine of imminency.

Mid-Tribulation: This view places the harpazo at some point after the abomination of desolation and before Christ returns in glory at Armageddon.

Pre-Wrath: This view places the harpazo before God’s wrath begins the day of the Lord.

Post-Tribulation: This view places the harpazo after Christ returns in glory technically, but many who hold this view place the harpazo either at the same time as Christ’s return or sometime immediately before Armageddon.

Millennium:

This is the 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth. This takes place after Christ returns in glory at Armageddon and destroys the armies gathered to fight Him. During this time, Yeshua will be physically on the earth and there will be no night because His glory will be the light of the earth. Zechariah 14:4-9

Identities of Prophetic Personalities and Groups:

Christian:

Those described as elect, saints and the bride all fit in the category of a Christian. According to the Bible, Yeshua is the only way to the Father, to eternal life and to heaven. John 14:6 What defines a Christian is obedience to God’s Word. There are those who are legalistic regarding these matters and tend to judge others and compare themselves in the process. However, Christ said judge not lest ye be judged and that if we cannot forgive then we will not be forgiven. Matthew 6:14,15 | Luke 6:36,37 He also said that we are saved by grace and not by works meaning that the gift of salvation is unmerited favor given to us because we believe. 2 Timothy 1:8-11 | Romans 11:5,6 | Titus 3:1-7 | Ephesians 2:1-13

Bride of Christ: This is a people defined by their obedience to the Bible before Christ’s coming to gather them to Himself at the harpazo. They are defined as a separate group of believers by the timing of events in earth space-time as told in the Bible. Scripture defines the church as the body of Christ, prepared as a chaste virgin to be presented to Christ. This language brings the idea of two becoming one, in the spiritual case, Christ and those that love and obey Him. Our love is expressed through obedience. John 14-15

What separates this group is simply the fact that the marriage of the Lamb, where the bride and Christ become one, takes place in heaven before Christ returns at Armageddon to defeat the armies gathered at Har Megiddo in Israel. Revelation 19:7-8; 11-14 Since the wife is returning with Christ at this point, and there is still a resurrection of the just after this in Revelation 20:4-5, then it follows that the bride is only made up of those who were at the marriage of the Lamb in heaven. Since those resurrected afterward are also saved eternally having accepted Christ, they are Christians, yet not the bride of Christ. This would include Israel who remained on the earth during the wrath of God, protected in the wilderness until Christ’s return in glory. So the bride of Christ are specifically those who were watching and praying according to scripture and in relationship with Yeshua by the Holy Spirit. They are the five wise virgins from the kingdom parable in Matthew 25:1-13.

The Antichrist:

Also called the “man of sin” and the “son of perdition,” this is a man who will rise to power among 10 horns symbolizing 10 kings or leaders. Daniel 7:20-22 The term “antichrist” comes from 1 John 2:15-26, 1 John 4:1-8 and 2 John 1:5-8. These tell us not only that there is a future antichrist figure, but that the spirit of antichrist is to deny the Son of God is Yeshua who came in the flesh. That ultimate manifestation will come at the abomination of desolation when the antichrist demands worship from the world. He will rule the earth with supernatural powers and implement a mark with which you buy and sell.

Woman Riding The Beast:

The False Prophet:

The Fourth Kingdom:

This is the final global kingdom that will be headed by the antichrist.

Israel:

Woman of Revelation 12 | 144,000 |

Two Witnesses:

Their time on the earth is 1260 days as is the time the antichrist is in power. However we know these are offset from each other because the antichrist’s 1260 days ends at Armageddon when Christ returns in glory. Revelation 19:20 However the two witnesses are killed before the trumpets are finished so they can’t have been killed when the antichrist was. Since they are both here for the same time, the two witnesses must show up sometime before the abomination of desolation preaching to the Jews first.

So the first part of their testimony will be directed at Israel once the inner court of the temple is rebuilt. Revelation 11:1,2 These two witnesses will preach to those coming to the temple until the antichrist takes over before the abomination of desolation and the murder of 2/3 of Israel. Zechariah 13:8,9 These two then stand before the god of the earth and bring plagues upon the antichrist’s kingdom during part of his reign. They are killed by the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit and for 3½ days their bodies are left lying in the streets of Jerusalem while the world rejoices and exchanges presents because of their deaths. Then they are resurrected and caught up while everyone can see, bringing much fear to the wicked.

Hell:

Hell is not a place you want to go, not matter how tough you think you are. It is complete separation from God. The problem is that God is Love and so to be separated from Him eternally is to be eternally without love, peace, joy or hope. This never ends for those who choose to walk away from God.

“Hell” is a term I’m using loosely here for several different aspects of this separation from God. Currently, the dead in Christ are spirits in Abraham’s bosom with no bodies awaiting Christ’s coming to be given new bodies. The dead who are not in Christ will remain spirits, separated from God in torment. This is represented by the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. This shows us that the dead in Christ and those not in Christ are in separate places awaiting their resurrections. It also shows us that the dead are not able to communicate with the living, which should bring up the question of exactly what spirits these people who claim to talk to the dead are speaking with.

There is going to be a time at the great white throne judgment where

Sheol: The bottomless pit (center of the earth, the one place where no matter which way you go, you’re going up and there is no bottom because it is the center.) Deuteronomy 32:22 speaks of fire kindled within the earth (lava?) that with increase sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. (volcanic eruptions?) In Revelation 9:1-11, an angel unlocks the bottomless pit at the fifth trumpet. This is also where Lucifer is locked up for 1,000 years before being loosed again just before the great white throne judgment. Revelation 20:3;7-10

Outer Darkness “The second death:” Eternal separation when death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 | Matthew 8:12 | Matthew 22:13 | Matthew 25:30