“When are you going to preach through Revelation?” This was one of the first questions I received while candidating at my church. I wasn’t even the pastor yet, and already, people were eager to talk about end times prophecy. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think we all have a natural curiosity, and as the world gets worse, a kind of desperate eagerness, for Christ to return and establish a better kingdom than the one this world can provide.

I’m a bit embarrassed to say that fourteen years later, I still haven’t preached through Revelation. I quipped back then there’s a reason Revelation is at the end of the Bible – because you need to understand something about the other sixty-five books first. And this is certainly true. But at some point, I do want, and need, to preach through Revelation.

The other day I was reading through the Book of Ezekiel during my quiet time. I was struck again by the detailed prophecies about a future temple and land allotments in the final nine chapters.

Many believe this is figurative language. A highly embellished form of poetry to speak of magnificent spiritual truths. Donna Lee Petter, for example, writes in the NIV Zondervan Study Bible, “the vision of restored worship in a new “temple-city” (chs. 40–48) describes worship in terms familiar to a Judahite, but it does not demand literalism. The worship that unfolds through the rebuilt “temple-city” envisions a relationship with God, one even better than past experiences, and it should be the interpreter’s focus. … In Jesus one finds complete restoration. The vision of restored worship points to the age to come, when worship of God will be unhindered, undefiled, and unmediated—the ultimate restoration.”

I’m sorry, but I find this kind of thinking extremely unsatisfying. While it’s certainly true Jesus is the source of restoration, these sorts of explanations skirt the issue and don’t really move us any closer to understanding the original intent of the passage. Is Jesus the fulfillment of Old Testament promises? Of course! “For all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). But could Jesus choose to fulfill these promises by bringing the Abrahamic Covenant and Old Testament prophecies of restoration to a literal completion? Absolutely. In fact, I would say God’s reputation depends on it. Wasn’t this the point of Ezekiel’s contemporary, Jeremiah?

Jeremiah, another prophet who ministered during the fall of Jerusalem, also spoke of future restoration. “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: ‘If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord’” (Jer. 31:35-37). In other words, the sun is more likely to stop shining that for God to give up on the ethnic people of Israel. He chose long ago to set his unconditional love up them (Deut. 7:6-11), and the “gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).

 There’s still much we do not understand about the details, chronology, characters, and political landscape of the end times. “For now we see in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor. 13:12). But taking into account all the Bible teaches on future events, I think we can have a fair degree of certainty about the rapture, the tribulation, the judgments, the millennium, and the eternal state.

The timeline below, found in the Bible Knowledge Commentary, is one of the most helpful summaries I’ve seen of these events, showing how they all fit together. If this proves to be true, then the rapture of God’s people is the next event to occur on God’s eschatological calendar. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Outline of End-Time Events Predicted in the Bible

I.   Events Before, During, and After the Seven-Year End-Time Period (This seven-year period is the 70th “seven” of Daniel, Dan. 9:27.)

A.   Events immediately before the seven-year period

1. Church raptured (John 14:1–3; 1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thes. 4:16–18; Rev. 3:10)
2. Restrainer removed (2 Thes. 2:7)
3. Judgment seat of Christ (in heaven, 1 Cor. 3:12–15; 2 Cor. 5:10)
4. Antichrist rises to power over the Roman confederacy (Dan. 7:20, 24)

B.   Event at the beginning of the seven-year period

1. Antichrist (the coming “ruler”) makes a covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:26–27)

C.   Events in the first half of the seven-year period

1. Israel living in peace in the land (Ezek. 38:8)
2. Temple sacrifices instituted (Rev. 11:1–2)
3. World church dominates religion and the Antichrist (Rev. 17)

D.   Events perhaps just before the middle of the seven-year period

1. Gog and his allies invade Palestine from the north (Ezek. 38:2, 5–6, 22)
2. Gog and his allies destroyed by God (Ezek. 38:17–23)

E.   Events at the middle of the seven-year period

1. Satan cast down from heaven and energizes the Antichrist (Rev. 12:12–17)
2. Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel, causing her sacrifices to cease (Dan. 9:27)
3. The 10 kings under the Antichrist destroy the world church (Rev. 17:16–18)
4. The 144,000 Israelites saved and sealed (Rev. 7:1–8)

F.   Events of the second half of the seven-year period. These three-and-one-half years are called “the Great Tribulation” (Rev. 7:14; cf. “great distress,” Matt. 24:21; “time of distress,” Dan. 12:1; and “a time of trouble for Jacob,” Jer. 30:7)

1. Rebellion (apostasy) against the truth in the professing church (Matt. 24:12; 2 Thes. 2:3)
2. Antichrist becomes a world ruler (1st seal, Rev. 6:1–2) with support of the Western confederacy (Rev. 13:5, 7; 17:12–13)
3. Antichrist revealed as “the man of lawlessness,” “the lawless one” (2 Thes. 2:3, 8–9)
4. War, famine, and death (2nd, 3rd, and 4th seals,  Rev. 6:3–8
5. Converted multitudes from every nation martyred (5th seal, ⁵ Rev. 6:9–11; 7:9–14; Matt. 24:9)
6. Natural disturbances and worldwide fear of divine wrath (6th Seal, ⁵ Rev. 6:12–17)
7. Antichrist’s image (an “abomination”) set up for worship (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:14–15)
8. Two witnesses begin their ministry (Rev. 11:3)
9. The false prophet promotes the Antichrist, who is worshiped by nations and unbelieving Israel (Matt. 24:11–12; 2 Thes. 2:11; Rev. 13:4, 11–15
10. Mark of the beast used to promote worship of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:16–18)
11. Israel scattered because of the anger of Satan (Rev. 12:6, 13–17) and because of the “abomination” (Antichrist’s image) in the temple (Matt. 24:15–26)
12. Jerusalem overrun by Gentiles (Luke 21:24; Rev. 11:2)
13. Antichrist and false prophets deceive many people (Matt. 24:11; 2 Thes. 2:9–11)
14. The gospel of the kingdom proclaimed (Matt. 24:14)
15. Israel persecuted by the Antichrist (Jer. 30:5–7; Dan. 12:1; Zech. 13:8; Matt. 24:21–22)
16. Trumpet judgments (Rev. 8–9) and bowl judgments (Rev. 16) poured out by God on Antichrist’s empire
17. Blasphemy increases as the judgments intensify (Rev. 16:8–11)

G.   Events concluding the seven-year period

1. Two witnesses slain by the Antichrist (Rev. 11:7)
2. Two witnesses resurrected (Rev. 11:11–12)
3. The king of the South (Egypt) and the king of the North fight against the Antichrist (Dan. 11:40a)
4. Antichrist enters Palestine and defeats Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia (Dan. 11:40a–43)
5. Armies from the East and the North move toward Palestine (Dan. 11:44; Rev. 16:12)
6. Jerusalem is ravaged (Zech. 14:1–4)
7. Commercial Babylon is destroyed (Rev. 16:19; 18:1–3, 21–24)
8. Signs appear in the earth and sky (Isa. 13:10; Joel 2:10, 30–31; 3:15; Matt. 24:29)
9. Christ returns with the armies of heaven (Matt. 24:27–31; Rev. 19:11–16)
10. Jews flee Jerusalem facilitated by topographical changes (Zech. 14:5)
11. Armies unite at Armageddon against Christ and the armies of heaven (Joel 3:9–11; Rev. 16:16; 19:17–19)
12. Armies are destroyed by Christ (Rev. 19:19, 21)
13. The “beast” (Antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20)

H.   Events following the seven-year period

1. Final regathering of Israel (Isa. 11:11–12; Jer. 30:3; Ezek. 36:24; 37:1–14; Amos 9:14–15; Micah 4:6–7; Matt. 24:31)
2. A remnant of Israelites turn to the Lord and are forgiven and cleansed (Hosea 14:1–5; Zech. 12:10; 13:1)
3. National deliverance of Israel from the Antichrist (Dan. 12:1b; Zech. 12:10; 13:1; Rom. 11:26–27)
4. Judgment of living Israel (Ezek. 20:33–38; Matt. 25:1–30)
5. Judgment of living Gentiles (Matt. 25:31–46)
6. Satan cast into the abyss (Rev. 20:1–3)
7. Old Testament saints resurrected (Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:1–3)
8. Tribulation saints resurrected (Rev. 20:4–6)
9. Daniel 9:24 fulfilled
10. Marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7–9)
11. Christ begins His reign on earth (Ps. 72:8; Isa. 9:6–7; Dan. 2:14–35; 44; 7:13–14; Zech. 9:10; Rev. 20:4)

II.  Characteristics and Events of the Millennium

A.   Physical characteristics

1. Topography and geography of the earth changed (Isa. 2:2; Ezek. 47:1–12; 48:8–20; Zech. 14:4, 8, 10)
2. Wild animals tamed (Isa. 11:6–9; 35:9; Ezek. 34:25)
3. Crops abundant (Isa. 27:6; 35:1–2, 6–7; Amos 9:13; Zech. 14:8)
4. Human longevity increased (Isa. 65:20–23)

B.   Spiritual and religious characteristics and events

1. Satan confined in the abyss (Rev. 20:1–3)
2. Millennial temple built (Ezek. 40:5–43:27)
3. Animal sacrifices offered as memorials to Christ’s death (Isa. 56:7; 66:20–23; Jer. 33:17–18; Ezek. 43:18–27; 45:13–46:24; Mal. 3:3–4)
4. Feasts of the New Year, Passover, and Tabernacles reinstituted (Ezek. 45:18–25; Zech. 14:16–21)
5. Nations worship in Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2–4; Micah 4:2; 7:12; Zech. 8:20–23; 14:16–21)
6. Worldwide knowledge of God (Isa. 11:9; Jer. 31:34; Micah 4:5; Hab. 2:14)
7. Unparalleled filling of and empowerment by the Holy Spirit on Israel (Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 36:24–29; 39:29; Joel 2:28–29)
8. New Covenant with Israel fulfilled (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 11:19–20; 36:25–32)
9. Righteousness and justice prevails (Isa. 9:7; 11:4; 42:1–4; Jer. 23:5)

C.   Political characteristics and events

1. Israel reunited as a nation (Jer. 3:18; Ezek. 37:15–23)
2. Israel at peace in the land (Deut. 30:1–10; Isa. 32:18; Hosea 14:5, 7; Amos 9:15; Micah 4:4; 5:4–5a; Zech. 3:10; 14:11)
3. Abrahamic Covenant land-grant boundaries established (Gen. 15:18–21; Ezek. 47:13–48:8, 23–27)
4. Christ in Jerusalem rules over Israel (Isa. 40:11; Micah 4:7; 5:2b)
5. Davidic Covenant fulfilled (Christ on the throne of David, 2 Sam. 7:11–16; Isa. 9:6–7; Jer. 33:17–26; Amos 9:11–12, Luke 1:32–33)
6. Christ rules over and judges the nations (Isa. 11:3–5; Micah 4:2–3a; Zech. 14:9; Rev. 19:15)
7. Resurrected saints reign with Christ (Matt. 19:28; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10; 20:6)
8. Universal peace prevails (Isa. 2:4; 32:17–18; 60:18; Hosea 2:18; Micah 4:2–4; 5:4; Zech. 9:10
9. Jerusalem made the world’s capital (Jer. 3:17; Ezek. 48:30–35; Joel 3:16–17; Micah 4:1, 6–8; Zech. 8:2–3)
10. Israel exalted above the Gentiles (Isa. 14:1–2; 49:22–23; 60:14–17; 61:5–9)
11. The world blessed through Israel (Micah 5:7)

D.   Events following the Millennium

1. Satan released from the abyss (Rev. 20:7)
2. Satan deceives the nations (Rev. 20:8)
3. Global armies besiege Jerusalem (Rev. 20:9a)
4. Global armies destroyed by fire (Rev. 20:9b)
5. Satan cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10)
6. Evil angels judged (1 Cor. 6:3)
7. The wicked dead resurrected (Dan. 12:2b; John 5:29b)
8. The wicked judged at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11–14)
9. The wicked cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14–15; 21:8)

III. Eternity

A.   Christ delivers the mediatorial (millennial) kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24)

B.   Present heavens and earth demolished (Rev. 21:1)

C.   New heavens and new earth created (2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 21:1)

D.   New Jerusalem descends to the new earth (Rev. 21:2, 10–27)

E.   Christ rules forever in the eternal kingdom (Isa. 9:6–7; Ezek. 37:24–28; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 1:32–33; Rev. 11:15)