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Prophecy Series Part 2: Glossary of Terms
I believe the Eschatological events predicted in Daniel’s 70 Week Prophecy will unfold just as the Bible says they will, and that during their unfolding the Rapture of the Church will happen, followed by 31/2 years of Great Tribulation. Coming on the heels of the Great Tribulation will be the Second Coming of Christ which will usher in the Millennium during which Christ will rule from Jerusalem.
At the end of the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment will bring forward those in Hades who will receive their final sentence and be sent to the Lake of Fire, along with the Devil and the Anti-Christ. Then eternity will begin where the dwelling place of God will be with men in a New Heaven and New Earth.
Did I lose you with those paragraphs?!
If so, good. Now you know why we need a glossary!
In order to economize space and ease the writing and reading of future articles in this series, I want to provide a glossary of terms for easy reader reference. That will help me avoid having to explain terms each time I use them, and as I use new terms I will add them to the glossary. I’ll provide a link back to this page in every article in the Prophecy series.
Here we go with a few basics.
Daniel’s 70 Weeks
A period of 490 years prophesied by Daniel about the Messiah and the end of the age. Each “week” of Daniel’s “70 weeks” represents 7 years, so 70 times 7 equals 490 years. (Daniel 9:24-27) (As a century is 100 years and a decade is 10 years, a “week” of years = 7 years)
The use of the term “week” to designate a 7 year period is found elsewhere in the Bible. When Laban tricked Jacob into serving him for 7 additional years in order to be given Rachael’s hand in marriage, Laban said,
Gen. 25:27 Complete the week of this one (Rachael) and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.
This usage is also found in Leviticus 25:8 where regarding the counting of years to reach God’s ordained Year of Jubilee we read:
And you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years.
70 weeks of years then in Daniel is a 490 year period. 483 years, or 69 weeks of those 70 Weeks have already taken place, culminating with the coming of Christ and his Crucifixion.
The 70th week and final week of Daniel’s prophecy involves predictions of events that will take place in a 7 year period at the end of the age. That 7 year period is often called The Tribulation or The Great Tribulation, although to be more precise the Great Tribulation is only the last 3 ½ years of the 7.
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Eschatology
Eschatology, pronounced with the "ch" sounding like a "k" is the doctrine or study of the “last things;” the “last things” being the times at the end of the age close to and leading to the Lord’s return to earth when judgment will be rendered on humanity, rewards will be given to the followers of Christ and eternity will begin.
Great White Throne Judgment
The judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 where Christ pronounces sentence and that sentence is carried out on those who refuse his offer of forgiveness for their sins. It is called the Great White Throne Judgment because of the wording in Rev. 20:11 which says,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
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Lake of Fire
The final dwelling place of those who refuse Christ’s offer of forgiveness. At the Great White Throne Judgment "books" are opened, one of which is the Lamb’s Book of Life. In that book is written the names of all who have said yes to Christ’s offer of forgiveness. At the Great White Throne Judgment if anyone’s name is not found in the Book of Life, they are sentenced for eternity to the Lake of Fire, the same place that the Devil will reside for eternity.
The Lake of Fire is not the same thing as Hell. Hell is a place of suffering, but is only a waiting place for those who refuse Christ’s offer of forgiveness. You might think of Hell as the jail cell where convicted criminals are kept as they wait for sentencing. At sentencing they are sent to another place. The Lake of Fire is that other place.
Rev 20:11-15 begins with Then I saw a great white throne…. and it ends with:
and if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Millennium
The 1000 year period of peace that follows the 7 year Tribulation. During this time Jesus will be physically present on earth, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. Both Old Testament believers and New Testament believers will have our new resurrected and eternal bodies, and will serve Christ during this remarkable period.
The earth will enjoy a time of prolific abundance, and sin will be nearly unknown, although not completely so. The Millennium closes with the Great White Throne Judgment, after which eternity begins.
Revelation 20:4-6
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
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Rapture of the Church
The event described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians, where both Old Testament believers and New Testament believers are raised from the dead in an instant being in that instant fully transformed and given new eternal bodies, and go to meet the Lord in the air.
At that same instant, living believers in Christ, that is those who are alive on earth, are transformed in the same way, receiving new eternal bodies and are also raised up to meet the Lord in the air.
Prior to this resurrection, since the time of Christ’s death and resurrection, believers who die go to be with the Lord, and so are not “in the grave.” It is just that neither Old Testament believer nor New Testament believer receives their eternal bodies until this moment at the Rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
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Tribulation or Great Tribulation
The 7 year period of terrible trouble and death on earth just prior to the Millennium. Also known as "the day of Jacob’s trouble," "Daniel’s 70th week," or just "the end."
The term "Tribulation" or "Great Tribulation" is taken from a passage in Matthew 24 in which Jesus says,
21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. 22 And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.
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