Tag Archives: last days

Revelation, chapters 20-22

“Now as soon as the 1,000 years have ended, Satan will be released from his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Maʹgog, to gather them together for the war.”
~Revelation 20:7,8

If nationalist divisions are done away with during Christ’s millennial reign, where do the nations comprising “Gog and Magog” come from? (Dan. 2:44; 7:13,14)
The “Gog and Magog” referred to in this passage is apparently different from the one in Ezekiel’s prophecy. (Eze. ch. 38 & 39)
Ezekiel’s prophecy seems to take place before Armageddon, in an attack headed by a coalition of nations otherwise known as “the wild beast” and the “false prophet.” (Rev. 16:13,14; 17:12-14)
But in John’s “Gog” prophecy, the wild beast has already been destroyed, and the one directly misleading the nations is Satan. (Rev. 20:10)
One way to explain there being nations ready to war against God at the end of Christ’s reign is to draw the conclusion that not all will accept God’s authority.
Satan, infuriated, will lure some away from God, influencing them to form new groups, like nations, that rule themselves and reject God’s heavenly king.
In this case, “Gog and Magog” is alluding to the original attack on God’s people before Armageddon, but literally refers to a second attack before a second, final war with God.
While this makes sense within the framework of our current understanding of these prophecies, it brings up another set of questions.
Why doesn’t John’s account have a more easily identifiable parallel account to that of Ezekiel’s?
What about Jeremiah’s parallel account? (Jer. 25:29-38)
Can it be referring to the first attack or the second?
Not all the prophets’ accounts about the last days cover the same details, and the details in Revelation are not in chronological order, so one can imagine the prophecies unfolding in different ways.
If I go out on an analytical limb here and imagine that both prophets’ Gog of/and Magog references occur at the end of the thousand-year reign, then I am forced to ask myself the same thing about Armageddon and the second, final war.
But at the end of chapter 19, the wild beast and false prophet are being destroyed as a result of Armageddon. (Rev. 19:15,19,20)
Satan is not destroyed then, but tied up for a thousand years, and then released. (Rev. 20:1-3)
This means that there undoubtedly is a second, final war, which lends support to the explanation that John’s “Gog and Magog” is a second attack, similar in nature to the first.

A work friend once asked me a question about what the Bible says on human suffering.
I replied, “I would need more than five minutes to explain it.”
Whenever I felt discouraged from studying or writing, I remembered that conversation and felt renewed commitment to this project.
Thank you to all my subscribers and casual readers over the last few years.
Because of you and God’s spirit I have been able to endure and strengthen my faith.
I did not intend this project to go on indefinitely.
That said, I am really looking forward to reading the newly translated Spanish New World Translation and sharing notes on that in Spanish on a future sister page.
There are parts of the Bible that beg more attention of me than others, and I hope to continue sharing insights from my personal study here on my own schedule.

Revelation, chapters 13-16

“Happy are the dead who die in union with the Lord from this time onward. Yes, says the spirit, let them rest from their labors, for the things they did go right with them.”
~Revelation 14:13

Amidst so many judgments relative to the imminent destruction of the wicked, there is this passage of hope reminding us that Jehovah never forgets what we do for him. (Heb. 6:10) While here it is speaking specifically of the “holy ones” who will reign with Christ in heaven, we can be sure that anyone making sincere sacrifices in God’s name does not go unappreciated. (Mal. 3:16; Rev. 13:10; 14:12)

Revelation, chapters 10-12

“…When [the angel] cried out, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. Now when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice out of heaven say: ‘Seal up the things the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them down.'”
~Revelation 10:3,4


Who is represented by “the seven thunders”?
In other Bible passages, the sound of a thunderous voice is often times attributed to Jehovah. (Job 37:4,5; 40:9; Ps. 29:3; John 12:28,29)
The number seven is used figuratively to convey completeness. (Insight, “Numbers”)
So in this case, the “seven thunders” seem to allude to Jehovah speaking about the completion of his purpose.
This theory is encouraged by what the angel then declares to John: “There will be no delay any longer. But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the sacred secret that God declared as good news to his own slaves the prophets is indeed brought to a finish.” (Rev. 10:6,7)
But because John was not allowed to write down the announcement from “the seven thunders,” and then he was instructed to seal the blank scroll, one can only guess what Jehovah’s message was about.
In any case, it was not meant to be understood in our times.

Revelation, chapters 7-9

“[…] A great star burning like a lamp fell from heaven, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is Wormwood.”
~Revelation 8:10,11

“And I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key to the shaft of the abyss was given to him.”
~Revelation 9:1

Is the star representing the same thing or spirit in both passages?
There are so many “star” references in Revelation that it comes in handy to have a list of how the word is used in other Bible passages.

Revelation continues the sequence of events by calling Jesus “Apollyon,” which means Destroyer. (Rev. 9:11)
Wormwood represents bitterness, and a message of destruction would be bitter to those about to be destroyed.
So at the risk of being completely wrong, it seems logical to me to infer that the stars in both passages refer to Jesus.
We can also take into account a parallel passage which explains that the rivers and springs became the blood of the holy ones and prophets being poured out in God’s anger. (Rev. 15:7; 16:1,4)
It is common to equate bitterness with anger.
It does not seem that God would use a demon to execute an act of justice, but rather, he would use Jesus, as he usually does.
Additionally, the passage goes on to say a third of the sun, moon and stars were darkened, that neither the day nor night might have any light in them. (Rev. 8:12)
This is obviously symbolic because a literal application would wipe out life as we know it.
But this symbolism is in stark contrast to the star that burns like a lamp in its descent.
The passage seems to compare Christ’s enlightened message denouncing those who have persecuted God’s people with the spiritual darkness that they now find themselves in.

Matthew, chapter 24

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.”
~Matthew 24:35

Are Jesus’ words to be taken literally?
The Bible teaches God made the earth to last forever. (Ps. 37:29; Is. 45:18)
In a previous similar statement, Jesus said: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to go unfulfilled.” (Luke 16:17)
Jesus was not alluding to a future destruction of the physical universe.
Rather, he was making reference to the opposite.
He was using the permanent nature of the physical world to illustrate how certain the fulfillment of his prophecies is.
In other passages, the phrase “heaven and earth” actually refers to government and mankind. (2 Pet. 3:13)
Jesus was speaking in the context of a coming judgment day, like the one that came through the deluge in the times of Noah. (Matt. 24:37)
Since his kingdom is going to thereafter rule over humans deemed righteous, the current heaven and earth will have come to pass in a symbolic sense. (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:19-21)

Ezekiel, chapters 32-34

“​For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:’Here I am, and I myself will search for my sheep, and I will care for them.'”
~Ezekiel 34:11

As time proceeds deeper into the “last days,” Jehovah God actively looks for those who have strayed from the flock. (John 10:16; 2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Although Jehovah’s Witnesses’ worldwide preaching work is primarily aimed at witnessing to non-believers, from time to time we run into a stray sheep who for one reason or another has seized associating with the congregation.
Because our work is headed by angels, we are able to find repentant brothers and sisters who recognize the times we are living in and ask for help to return to Jehovah before it is too late. (Zep. 2:2,3; Rev. 14:6,7)
It is an undeserved honor to be allowed to collaborate with our kind heavenly Father in this soul saving work. (1 Cor. 3:9)

Isaiah, chapters 52-57

“[…] All your sons will be taught by Jehovah,
And the peace of your sons will be abundant.”
~Isaiah 54:13

One of the identifying markers of true worship is the peacefulness of those who practice it.
Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35)
Isaiah himself prophesied that in the last days, God’s people would be made up of peace-lovers from different ends of the earth. (Is. 2:2,4)
But is an international brotherhood of peace really something attainable in these divided times we are living?
Jesus also stated: “The things impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
If we love God and want to follow in Christ’s footsteps, we will not only practice a form of worship free of promoting hatred or war, but will ‘clothe ourselves’ with love in the manner in which we speak and treat those around us on a daily basis. (Col. 3:12-15)

Esther, chapters 6-10

“The couriers riding the post-horses used in the royal service went out urgently and speedily at the king’s order.”
~Esther 8:14

Once King Ahasuerus authorized Mordecai to create laws that enabled the Jews to defend themselves from attackers, the law was promulgated urgently throughout the kingdom.
This happened late in the Jewish month of Sivan (mid-June).
Haman, who was now dead, had superstitiously scheduled their genocide for the month of Adar in the next year (early March) (Es. 7:10; 8:11,12).
This means the Jews had 8 and a half months to prepare themselves for the attack.
They did not slack in getting the word out, but did so with urgency, knowing that the more time people had to prepare themselves, the more likely they were to survive.
This reminds me of the life-saving preaching work we carry out, letting our neighbors know God’s day is near (1 Tim. 4:16).
Although we do not know the exact date, if we preach with a sense of urgency during these last days, we will give people more time to prepare themselves and be saved (Matt. 25:13; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 4:2).

Deuteronomy, chapters 28-31

“But if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God […] Jehovah will cause the disease to cling to you…”

~Deuteronomy 28:15,21

Did God punish Israel’s unfaithfulness by striking them with disease?

In isolated cases, God did intervene and directly punished some people with health problems in order to get them to change their course of action.

Examples of this are the story of Pharaoh in Abraham and Sara’s day, or the case of Miriam, Moses’s sister (Ge. 12:17; Nu. 12:9,10).

In most cases, however, the diseases the Israelites suffered were not a direct blow from God, but rather a result of bad decision-making and straying away from God’s high moral and hygienic standards (Pr. 7:21,27; Rom. 1:26,27; Gal. 6:7,8).

Another factor contributing to Israel’s physical ailments came to be the constant wars that were waged against it.

Jerusalem was besieged for several years before being burnt down by the Babylonians in 607 b.C.E. and then again by the Romans in 70 C.E.

The attacks Judea suffered fulfilled God’s warning that if his People constantly disobeyed him, he would not protect them from their enemies.

As a result, they suffered terrible famine and pestilence, just as Jehovah had warned them through Moses (De. 28:25-44).

Jesus foretold of future world-spread disease when asked about the Last Days:
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences…” (Luke 21:10,11).

Although we cannot avoid the fulfillment of these prophecies, we can be sure they point to a time when Christ does away with physical suffering, for he promised “your deliverance is getting near,” (Luke 21:28).

In the mean time, we can protect ourselves from many avoidable diseases by simply following God’s high moral and hygienic standards and living a healthy lifestyle.

Deuteronomy, chapters 11-13

“You must not worship Jehovah your God in that way. […]”You must not do as we are doing here today, with everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes,”

~Deuteronomy 12:4,8

Many people take on the philosophy that God accepts all forms of worship as long as they’re sincere, that ‘all paths lead to the same destination.’
That idea is not taught in God’s Word.
While sincerity is an important aspect of true worship, it is not the only one (John 4:24).
Those wishing to serve and worship God have always had to meet a certain level of requirements.
We can see this since the story of Cain and Abel all the way up to prophecies pointing toward a coordinated worldwide preaching work in the book of Revelation (Ge. 4:3-7; Re. 14:6,7).
Since these “preaching” prophecies pertain to the last days and are currently being fulfilled, it is more urgent than ever to “seek Jehovah your God wherever he chooses to establish his name and his place of residence and go there,” (De. 12:5).
This implies regularly attending Christian meetings and heeding the Scriptural advice learned there (He. 10:24,25).