“ISN’T IT AMAZING? MAN HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT 
TO KNOW THE FUTURE.
YET, JUDGING BY HOLLYWOOD’S SCI-FI FILMS, 
THE FUTURE IS NOT A BRIGHT NEW WORLD OR UTOPIA, 
RATHER THEY DEPICT IT TO BE A HELL ON EARTH!”

I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the future, not from Hollywood’s guesswork, but from the only source that tells us the truth – the Word of God. Stay tuned as we look at what God has actually said is coming for us all, in the near future…

… For many today the summer season is upon us. Almost all plan some type of auto trip and in doing so, the most important thing we depend upon is a road map with directions and road signs along the highway to help us get safely there. Yes, just as when we are traveling, and see signs telling us what to expect on the road ahead. There are many other kinds of signs too. For instance, we have highway directional signs, information signs, and even warning signs. 

Likewise, the Bible provides all three of these types of signs along the road of life for you and me. Today I want to talk about all three. Indeed, God has posted for all travelers on the road and highway of life, important signs all need to heed and consider. These special signs are found in God’s prophetic Word, the Bible, which predict the future for us and warn us of what to do as we all travel towards eternity. 

Say friend, are you reading these signs? Can you imagine traveling down the highways of America blindly ignoring directional and warning signs? Or worse, with traveling with your eyes wide shut?  ¾ of course not! Well, in the same manner we need to keep our eyes wide open for the signs God has posted on the highway of life, and in another moment after this musical refreshment, I’ll share the most important signs God has given us for what lies ahead…

… As the newest millennium arrived some years ago, many people worldwide were fearful, thinking the end was near for humanity. Well, judging by Hollywood’s sci-fi films it puts out these days, one would think there is no future for mankind apart from some type of living Hell our world will fall into. From films like “Waterworld,” “The Terminator,” and “The Matrix” ¾ all were big box office movie hits designed for the secular public. What did they all have in common? Well, they all depicted the future as one of darkness and destruction, a time with little hope, filled with terrible nightmarish living in a destroyed world.

Well, the Bible is the only source that faithfully predicts the end from the beginning, and God has clearly given us such “road signs” along the way for us to heed. Especially, the warning and directional signs showing us which road to take and not to take for the coming future, and quite frankly, Holly wood is not far off in its theme of worldwide destruction lying ahead. So, let’s look at the bible now and see “How this world will end.”

Now, all of us know and realize that at present we live in a world where God allows us quite a bit of freedom to do as we please. Yes, it’s a fact - God doesn’t intervene in our lives or society. Yet often we cry out to God and bitterly complain about this when things go wrong. Yet, when life seems all right and is good, we have little use for God in it. Today the one thing on everyone’s mind is – how can we have peace with so much war, bloodshed, hatred and now worldwide terrorism? But the real question we should be asking is – “How long will God allow the earth and its inhabitants to continue to destroy each other and the environment around us before He intervenes as promised in the Bible?” If you’re a student of the Bible you know the warning signs on the highway of life, the “signs of the times” are on the fast track pointing to the final days of life as we know it. Why the apostle Peter declared 2000 years ago,

2 Pet 3:3-4 (NIV)  First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Yes there still are “scoffers,” those who ridicule the Bible’s prophetic warning signs, and mock what Scripture tells us lies ahead. But now, I want to share with you, in outline form for easy understanding. a clear road map of the future – and what God has predicted will bring us to the end of time and the world as we know it. Are you ready for it? Well here goes. God’s road signs predict…

 I.  THE FUTURE DISAPPEARANCE OF A VAST NUMBER OF HUMANITY (1 Thess. 4:13-18) – That’s right, the very next thing on the road to the future, that lies ahead for our world, is the disappearance by instantaneous removal of an estimated  500 million or more people worldwide! In Scripture this is called the “RAPTURE” of the Church. The Bible predicts that without warning and without any signs, just before God intervenes in the affairs and lives of humanity, He will take off this earth, all those who have become born-again Christians. That’s a promise God will fulfill. Just think what will happen when this vacuum of humanity appears. Practically all the people of the world who lived by biblical and moral standards will be gone. In this vacuum of righteousness, will rush a wind of unrestrained evil and lawlessness which will break out, with worldwide chaos. The Scripture predicts this clearly in,

1 Th 4:16-17 (NIV)  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Now what will happen next? What road sign if any appears will show us what event(s) follow? The answer is, following the disappearance of all bible-believing Christians from the earth…

2.  SEVEN YEARS OF INCREASING TRIBULATION WILL CRASH UPON THE EARTH (Dan. 9:24-27) – In the vacuum of Christian humanity gone, which kept a major portion of the world in lawful and moral order, the Bible predicts massive chaos will begin worldwide. Immediately, a cry of humanity left, that rejected the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ, will seek some governing body to stop this.  Scripture tells us the wicked personality known as Satan will raise up a man to rule the earth. His name is called “The Antichrist.” He will come as a savior for all, and promise to bring the world to a utopia.  Now that all now those trouble-making Christians are gone, he promises this to be a realty.

So the Bible says mankind will give him power to first rule the revived Roman Empire, called the Northern Confederacy of nations. This will be a league of nations, which we see today in part, as the European Union. Since a vast number of Christian’s now reside in the United States, when the “Rapture of the Church” occurs America will be most devastated and probably destroyed economically and socially. As Europe is essentially secular, few will leave via “the Rapture.” With Europe essentially intact, this Antichrist will first rise to rule the European Confederacy, and bring order there. 

However, the rest of the world will still be in turmoil, as the Arab nations with their terrorist religion called Islam, will strike out to regain power and territory. The world will cry out to Europe to take over all leadership, and the Antichrist will do just that. Next, on the scene during these seven years of life without Christians on earth, comes…

3. A SERIES OF PUNISHING GOD SENT JUDGEMENTS ON THE EARTH (Rev. 6-19) –These judgments in the Book of Revelation are called the Seals (Rev. 6), Bowls (Rev. 16) and Trumpets (Rev. 8-9) Judgments. After a short period of seeming peace, after the Antichrist takes over, God will then strike the earth and humanity with increasing geophysical and celestial disorders. What will life be like during this time? Well, God gives a road sign in what some living during this time, will say about life during this period. Listen,

Rev 6:16-17 (NIV)  They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

In the Book of Revelation chapters 6-19, you can read all about what is coming on our world as it travels to its conclusion and present end. There’s no doubt about it, it will be a dreadful place, worse than anything Hollywood predicts in its sci-fi stories. Satan will be very active during this period of devastation and destruction, for his ultimate goal is to destroy humanity, which God loves. Yes, Satan will successfully deceive many through his amazing and powerful performance of miracles, signs and wonders (Mat. 24:21-24; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; Rev. 13:1-18). 

In a short time, the entire world without Christ, will bow down and worship Satan through the Antichrist ruler of the world. However, this seven-year period of time, will close with a series of battles in the Middle East commonly known as Armageddon. At the conclusion of the Tribulation Period, after billions of people die from the geophysical and diabolical destruction that takes place, God will step in to stop all things, to keep the world from total annihilation. This is known as,

4.  THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST FINALLY OCCURS (Rev. 19:1120:6) -  Yes, the prediction of the ages finally happens when God the Son returns with His holy angels and all the saved for all eternity. The Bible says the Lord will slay the armed forces of Antichrist, and seize control over this planet once for all. The Beast, which is the Antichrist and the False Prophet were cast in the Burning Lake of Fire, and all who rejected Him were cast into Hades to await their final doom in eternity coming. Listen to a portion of this found in Scripture, which is another of God’s road signs of warning to come,

Rev 19:11-16 (NIV)  I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

At this point, Jesus Christ takes full control of the earth, and begins the process of setting up His promised kingdom. All those who remained alive and didn’t take the mark of the beast, of course were those who were evangelized during the Tribulation period and somehow avoided being martyred for the faith. God , we are told in the Bible, saves alive a vast number of Jews and Gentiles who turned to Christ and became Tribulation saints. These will be given the glorious opportunity for the next phase of life on earth ahead which  we are told is,

5. THE 1000 YEAR GOLDEN AGE OF CHRIST TO BE USHERED IN (Rev.20:1-6) – What God originally predicted and promised for the Jews finally comes true. An earthly kingdom, the glory of Israel, and the promised Messiah seated on David’s throne in Jerusalem finally arrives. Yes, King David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ will rule and reign for 1000 literal years of tranquil and peaceful life. What will this period of time be specifically like? Wel again the Word of God tells us. We read in,

Isa 2:4 (NIV)  He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Isa 11:6-9 (NIV)  The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

In a word the Millennial Period will be – GLORIOUS! Yes, the promise of the ages God has given to those who come to love Him and serve Him, will finally be realized. For one thousand years mankind will multiply and rule the earth with God as King in the Person of Jesus Christ. It will be a wonderful place where the resurrected and living saints both will interact and enjoy each other. But, will this be the end? 

The answer is no, for there is still work for God to do as pertains to the fallen and sinful human nature which still will be a part of mankind’s makeup. For at the end of this 1000 years of bliss and rulership with God Himself on the throne of the earth, the Bible tells us a rebellion of humanity will arise.

Who are these rebels? The answer is children born in the millennium who choose not to be saved and born again. Even though they see the living and resurrected Christ and enjoy His care and keeping – still that old nature without a new nature will reject and rebel against God. Thus two more events unfold. First…

6. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT ENDS THE MILLENNIUM (Rev. 20:11-15) – When this short and brief time of rebellion occurs, which God permits in the perfect environment of the Millennium, God slays the rebel forces that materialize, and brings in the final judgment of humanity. Listen to this striking Scriptural account,

Rev 20:11-15 (NIV)  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

As the light of Christ was rejected by a world of sinners, the time has come for judging them. God calls out of Hades, all the lost dead of the ages, where He pronounces their judgment for their sin. The Bible has told us repeatedly and warned us all,

Rom 3:23 (NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 6:23 (NIV)  For the wages of sin is death,

Yes, the great and small who stand before God’s holy throne, will includes all the wicked dead who failed to look for and receive Jesus Christ into their lives while alive on the earth. Although they suffered in Hades for perhaps centuries, now they will all, along with Hades itself, be cast into the eternal penitentiary called THE LAKE OF FIRE. There, judgment is everlasting, and unending,

Dan 12:2 (NIV)  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

2 Th 1:9 (NIV)  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

With all the unrighteous, unsaved, rebellious humanity and angelic world now removed from the presence of God and His children forever, what’s next? The answer is…

7. GOD CREATES A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH FOR ETERNITY (Rev. 21:1-22:5) – Although Scripture keeps silent what this will be like the future aspect of God’s kingdom is somewhat revealed to us in,

Rev 21:1-4 (NIV)  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Yes, God is going to remove from the universe, all His children momentarily and recreate the entire universe and the earth. Now sin will forever have been destroyed and God will as He did in the beginning, call into existence a new heaven and a new earth, not simply a renovation of the old, no. a brand new perfect world through a definite act of creation!

The earth then will be the dwelling place forever, of God’s people. There God will wipe away every tear, heartache, pain and suffering ever experienced. Believers will experience a full and uninhibited fellowship with one another and with God Himself. God will dwell among us. What Adam and Eve were to experience, had they not sinned, the redeemed of all ages will fully experience in the eternal state. Oh glorious God, what a wonderful future lies ahead for those who trust Christ, who turn their lives, here and now over to Jesus Christ alone.

So there you have it! God’s road map to the future. You have read the signs along the way and you have the informational and warning signs God posted for all to see. The question is will you continue to drive recklessly on life’s highway, ignoring these signs? If so, you are headed for Hell and a Christless eternity. Right now I beg you, stop your motor and your vehicle and park it for a moment; Then, look up into the heavens and cry out to God to save you! The Good News is He will, right now wherever you are, regardless of whatever you’ve done. Jesus said,

Mat 11:28-29 (NIV)  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Acts 16:31 (NIV)  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Rom 5:18-19 (NIV)  Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

All it takes is for you to obey the signs along life’s highway called “Salvation” instructions. Will you do that now? Don’t delay. You have no promise of life tomorrow or for another instant for that matter. Perish the thought you will be one of those which will cause you to be cast into the Lake of Fire forever and ever. Please know, God loves you and doesn’t want any to perish, but we must respond and surrender our rebellious hearts to God in Christ to be saved, for there is no other way, and no other person who can save us but Jesus Christ.

Well there you have it my friend. Your motor trip along life’s highway can be an enjoyable one, or it can be a disaster. It’s your choice provided you heed God’s signs of how this world will end. May God grant you eyes to see, and a heart to yearn for Christ’s salvation and love…

…Yes we can know the end from the beginning, and we can be prepared for it. Hollywood says the world will move to a devastating destruction of life as we know it. They are not far wrong, but the destruction will not come initially from man’s abuse of this planet, it will come primarily from God. Be ready my friend and you’ll not experience