Parousia - apocalypse - epiphany, or the scenario of Christ's second coming

Synopsis: Jesus Christ comes again to establish his kingdom in three stages, which we call parousia, apocalypse and epiphany, based on their Greek origin. The lecture presents the topic in two parts. Part I gives the definitions of parousia, apocalypse and epiphany, describing the most important features and events of the abovementioned periods. Part II recalls fragments of the Bible describing events related to the Lord's return and shows how they fit into the scenario outlined in Part I.

"I will come again", our Lord assured his disciples shortly before joining his Father in the glory (Jn. 14:3). Christians of various denominations expect Jesus' return. This aspect of the Gospel is usually not subject to discussion, just as there is consensus as to the stages of his return, which we call based on their Greek origin - parousia, apocalypse, epiphany. However, the reconstruction of events that will take place in connection with these stages is much more difficult. Will it be a visible or invisible return? How will we know that this is already happening? How should believers behave at this time? We find answers to these questions in the Gospel. In this lecture I present my understanding of this topic in two parts: the first part describes individual stages without giving Biblical arguments; in the second part, I recall fragments of the Bible describing the Lord's return, while showing how they fit into the vision described in the first part.

Contents:

Part I: Definitions of parousia, apocalypse and epiphany
Part II: Analysis of Bible fragments regarding parousia, apocalypse and epiphany

Part I: Definitions of parousia, apocalypse and epiphany

When considering events related to the second coming of Jesus Christ, it is worth keeping in mind the aim for which the Lord comes again. His first coming brought a significant dispensation change: the Jewish age ended, during which God had a relationship only with Israel in the flesh based on the Law Covenant, and the Gospel age began, in which the spiritual Israel is assembled from all nations based on the New Covenant. A similarly important change will bring the Lord's second coming. He begins the parable of the sheep and goats with the words: "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory" (Mt. 25:31). Jesus, therefore, returns to start his glorious royal reign and the judgement of mankind associated with it. The conditions of the Gospel age are therefore radically different from those that will be brought by the age of the kingdom and the moment of change that will introduce them will have a radical character:

Parousia (Gr. parousia - arrival, presence) - the first stage of the return of Christ, which will start with the flight of a sizeable asteroid very close to the earth in such a way that from the surface of our planet it will be visible like a bright star. The distance will be close enough for the magnetic field of the earth to change the trajectory of the asteroid in such a way that during the next flight it will hit our planet. Shortly after the first flight, scientists will discover what happened. The information that the earth has found itself on a collision course with a celestial body threatening a global disaster will enter the public and initiate chaos and lament on a scale that has never been seen before in history.

Apocalypse (Gr. apokalupsis - revelation, unveiling) - the second stage of the return of Christ, which will begin with the impact of the asteroid into the earth. Destruction will affect a huge part of our planet, although it will not cause the mass death of all living beings. Thick smoke will rush into the air and envelop the whole globe. There will be 5 months of darkness and chaos that no government and no institution will survive, without energy and modern means of communication. Under these conditions, Israel will be deprived of the protection of military potential and support of existing allies. The surrounding nations will read this situation as a unique chance to liquidate this nation. A severe conflict will ensue which the Bible calls the battle of Armageddon. The last of the surviving Jews, deprived of any hope, will turn to their God, who will show them grace and free them from enemies. In this way, Israel will become the first converted nation.

Epiphany (Gr. epifaneia - enlightenment, appearing) - the third stage of the return of Christ, which will begin with the conversion of Israel. This will be the first nation that will convert to God and receive the gift of the holy spirit, as well as all earthly goods. Seeing the abundance of favors, neighboring nations will learn about the source of the success of the chosen people and join them in the worship of God. This is how Christ's rule on earth will begin, with Israel as 'the nation in charge' and the earthly channel of blessing the world. The resurrection will begin and with it the period of reforming humanity to the state of perfection.

Part II: Analysis of Bible fragments regarding parousia, apocalypse and epiphany

Parousia as bright light (Mt. 24:23-27)

"Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. (24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect. (25) Behold, I have told you beforehand. (26) Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it. (27) For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Bible translations usually speak of lightning in verse 27, but the Greek word astrape simply means bright light. The flawedness of this explanation results from the simple fact that in nature lightning never shines from east to west. This is how we see celestial bodies - first of all the sun, but in this case the special sign of the parousia will not be the rising of the sun at dawn, but the appearance of an asteroid from the east, which, due to the proximity of the earth and the reflected sunlight, will be visible like a star. Therefore, we should not expect that the Lord Jesus will appear personally in some part of the world. The essence of his return is to bring about his royal rule on earth. The beginning of this change will be the event described above. Hence the talk of an invisible presence is justified: a presence, because in this way our Lord will begin the establishment of his Kingdom; invisible, because this fact will be announced to the world only by a sign.

The sign of the Son of Man (Mt. 24:29,30)

"And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (30) And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory."

When Jesus came into the world as a man - the son of man - the accompanying sign was a brightly shining star, which led the magi from the east to him. The second coming is also to be marked by the "sign of the Son of man" — the bright light of an asteroid visible from the earth like a star that will fly from east to west (see subheading above). Thus will begin the first stage of the Lord's return - his invisible presence. The events described in verses 29 and 30 are to take place "after the tribulation of those days," i.e. after the period of the Lord's invisible parousia. It will come to an end when an asteroid appears in the sky, this time heading towards Earth. This sight will cause a lament such as the world has never seen before – the lamentation of those who will see the Son "coming in the clouds of the heaven" (it is from heaven that they will now expect their destruction to come; verse 30). Stars will fall from the sky (verse 29) because the asteroid has its own magnetism, which holds rocks of various sizes around it. When it falls to the ground, a meteor shower will fall with it. The natural consequence of this event will be an eclipse of the sun and moon because the huge mass of dust that will rise into the air will cover the entire earth.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood (Jl. 2:31)

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah."

The events described in Joel's prophecy are to be distinguished from those described in Mt. 24:29. Jesus speaks there about the eclipse of the sun and moon, which will be caused by the contact of the asteroid with the earth, so it will be part of the events of the Lord's Day. Joel, on the other hand, describes eclipses that will take place "before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah." Eclipses are a periodic phenomenon and in this sense they are nothing unusual. Also, the information that the moon will turn to blood is a poetic description of the natural fact that the moon in the eclipse phase is in the shadow of the earth, and the refracted light gives it a red color. However, if the prophecies indicate this element as a special sign, it is evident that eclipse systems that are particularly rare due to their characteristics should be sought.

In the case of lunar eclipses, there are actually four variables that, when selected in the right way, can bring a series of eclipses unique not only on the scale of 10 or 100 years, but even the entire era. These variables are: 1) whether the eclipse is partial or total, 2) how many total eclipses take place in a row (there can be a maximum of 4 - then we speak of the so-called tetrad), 3) whether at the moment of the eclipse the moon is at perigee (i.e. it is in its orbit closest to the Earth - then we speak of the so-called supermoon) and 4) a point important from the prophetic point of view - whether the day of the eclipse falls on a religious holiday in the Jewish calendar. A tetrad (i.e. four total lunar eclipses in a row) is a rare phenomenon. Throughout the twentieth century, we had five tetrads, but in the nineteenth, eighteenth and seventeenth centuries there was none. Another variable is the occurrence of a supermoon during one of the 4 tetradic eclipses. Of the five 20th-century tetrads, three contained a supermoon, in the 16th century there were six tetrads but only one with a supermoon. If we add the last condition to this set (i.e. each of the 4 eclipses falling on a holiday), it turns out that during the nineteen centuries of our era the moon was not in such a configuration... until now.

In 2014-2015, we had a tetrad of total eclipses, all of which fell on a holiday, culminating in the final eclipse in the form of a supermoon. The tetrad with the same parameters as the one from 2014-2015 will be repeated in 2032-2033. The eclipses will take place during the Jewish religious holidays provided for in the Mosaic Law on April 25, 2032, October 18, 2032, April 14, 2033, and October 8, 2033, respectively. These eclipses will also be accompanied by solar eclipses: two partial eclipses, one total eclipse and one annular eclipse. So we have an astronomical system that did not appear for 2000 years, and then appears twice at an interval of only 17 years: in 2014-2015, and then in 2032-33. The potential significance of this configuration can be confirmed by the fact that in 2015 the chronological cycle reaching Abraham, which I wrote about in the lecture Abraham's Parallels, came to an end. If the clue related to the search for rare tetradic systems is indeed accurate, the Lord's return may be just ahead of us.

The heavens will pass away with a rushing noise (2 Pet. 3:10)

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up."

The element that destroys the present world order will be fire. The impact of an asteroid will have a power many times greater than that of an atomic bomb. Peter writes that "the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise" because of the natural sound of a powerful explosion, and the masses of dust will cover the earth, completely obscuring the view of the sky. Together with the asteroid, smaller rock fragments will fall, which, inflamed by the passage through the atmosphere, will fall to the surface of the earth in a hail of fire.

Parousia as the days of Noah (Mt. 24:37-39)

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. (38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. (39) And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man."

The days of Noah illustrate the period preceding the Lord's parousia. Noah was ridiculed for his preaching of the coming end, just as all those who preach Christ's return are ridiculed today. We are today in a time corresponding to the antediluvian period - a time when "they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage ... And they did not know." Until it is announced that the earth is on a tragic and irreversible course, all the affairs of this world will continue on their course. When this news spreads, chaos will spread across the world like the waters of a flood.

Apocalypse as Lot's going out of Sodom (Lk. 17:28-37)

"So also as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; (29) but the day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the heaven and destroyed them all. (30) Even so it shall be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (31) In that day he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, he who is in the field, let him not return to the things behind. (32) Remember Lot's wife. (33) Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. (35) Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken, and the other left. (36) Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left. (37) And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Jesus says in verse 30 that the day of his revelation (apocalypse, Greek apokalupto - to reveal) will be like Lot's exodus from Sodom; "the day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the heaven and destroyed them all" (verse 29). Judgment was therefore executed on Sodom in the same way that it will be executed on a larger scale in the present world. On this occasion, the Lord gives two warnings. The first concerns attachment to goods: the elect who will think about saving their possessions at that time will meet the fate of Lot's wife - they will not reach their destination in the glory of the Kingdom. The second warning is about saving your own life. Jesus says that whoever wants to save it by one's own means will lose it.

This warning is worth considering. Scientists will calculate the point of the globe where the asteroid will hit, and millions of people living in the areas that will be most affected will move as far away from this place as possible. Believers are not allowed to think about saving lives at this time. In so doing, they will show a lack of confidence in their God and consequently lose their position in the Kingdom, and perhaps their life in general. That is why Jesus assures us in the following verses 34-37 that God is able to save those who trust in Him. They will thus prove themselves worthy to take possession of the Kingdom to which they have been called, and will be gathered into spiritual glory – where the body is (the previously resurrected members of the Body of Christ).

The sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17)

"And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. (13) And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. (14) And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. (16) And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; (17) for the great day of His wrath has come, and who will be able to stand?"

The impact of an asteroid will have the consequence of a massive earthquake ("there was a great earthquake", "every mountain and island were moved out of their places"). A mass of dust will rise into the air, which will gradually envelop the entire earth in a dense cloud ("the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together"), causing an eclipse effect ("the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood"). Together with the asteroid, smaller rock fragments will fall 'traveling with it' (held by its magnetism), which will ignite during the passage through the atmosphere ("the stars of heaven fell to the earth").

The four trumpets (Rev. 8:1-13)

"And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. (2) And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (3) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. And many incenses were given to him, so that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God from the angel's hand. (5) And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it into the earth. And voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake occurred. (6) And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (7) The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were cast on the earth. And the third part of trees was burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (8) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea. And the third part of the sea became blood. (9) And the third part of the creatures in the sea, those having souls, died; and the third part of the ships was destroyed. (10) And the third angel sounded, and a great star burning like a lamp fell from the heaven, and it fell on the third part of the rivers and on the fountains of waters. (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became wormwood. And many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (12) And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was stricken, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, so that the third part of them was darkened, and the day did not appear for a third part of it, and the night also. (13) And I saw and I heard one angel flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, from the rest of the voices of the trumpet of the three angels being about to sound!"

The eighth chapter of the book of Revelation describes all the elements that were discussed earlier in the lecture. We read e.g. that "a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea", which apparently describes a falling asteroid. There is mention of earthquakes (as a result of a collision with the ground), thunder (the sound of falling meteorites), fires (a meteorite begins to burn up after entering the Earth's atmosphere, and its surface heats up to a temperature of several thousand degrees Celsius), lightning (lightning discharges in a cloud of dust after an explosion), blood (millions of people and animals will die), solar and lunar eclipses (due to dust masses in the atmosphere).

Apollo and a star from heaven (Rev. 9:1-3,10,11)

"And the fifth angel sounded. And I saw a star fall from the heaven to the earth, and it was given the key of the abyss. (2) And it opened the bottomless pit. And there arose a smoke out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. (3) And out of the smoke came forth locusts onto the earth. And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority ... And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. And their authority was to hurt men five months. (11) And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon."

Verses 1 and 2 describe almost exactly what happens when a large celestial body hits the surface of a planet: an explosion occurs, causing a huge mass of smoke to rise into the air, outshining the sun and moon, and creating a crater filled with liquid rock (the 'great furnace') in the earth. The locusts that emerge from the abyss are rather a symbolic description of the fact that masses of poisonous fumes have been created, which the rest of the living will be forced to breathe. "And their authority was to hurt men five months," which is how long the apocalypse period will apparently last from the collision with the asteroid to the beginning of Christ's epiphany. It is extremely interesting to know that the 'king of the abyss' is Apollo - the Greek god of destruction, but also the name of a group of NEO (Near Earth Objects) asteroids with specific orbits crossing the Earth's orbit. It is one of Apollo's asteroids that will be the tool of the apocalypse.

David's song announcing the coming of the Lord (2 Sam. 22:8-17)

"And the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of the heavens moved and shook because He was angry. (9) Smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. (10) He bowed the heavens also, and came down. And darkness was under His feet. (11) And He rode upon a cherub and did fly. And He was seen upon the wings of the wind. (12) And He made darkness coverings around Him, dark waters, thick clouds of the skies. (13) From the brightness before Him were coals of fire kindled. (14) Jehovah thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice. (15) And He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and troubled them. (16) And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuking of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils. (17) He sent from above, He took me. He drew me out of many waters."

The above passage is part of David's song of praise to God 'when the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul' (2 Sam. 22:1). Many of the elements mentioned in the song correspond to the events of the apocalypse: an earthquake caused by an impact of an asteroid (verse 8); fire resulting from the burning of meteorites in the earth's atmosphere (verse 9); enveloping the earth in a layer of dust from the explosion, blocking sunlight and the following darkness on the earth's surface (verse 10); the wind caused by the force of the collision (verse 11); intense lightning (verses 14 and 15); ploughing of the surface of the earth with explosions (verse 16); floods due to the impact of an asteroid against the surface of the ocean (verse 17).

Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7-10)

"Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (8) For it shall be in that day, says Jehovah of Hosts, I will break his yoke from your neck and will burst your bonds. And strangers shall no longer enslave him, (9) but they shall serve Jehovah their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them. (10) And you, O My servant Jacob, do not fear, says Jehovah. Do not be terrified, O Israel. For lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid."

Two facts about Israel today are indisputable: first, as a nation, they are far from their covenant with God, and second, they are surrounded on all sides by nations that hate them and would love to see their national annihilation. This is not happening because Israel is too strong militarily and has too powerful allies. However, this will change when the apocalypse begins. The contact of the earth with the asteroid will annihilate all modern means of communication. The most advanced technologies will not be able to be used. In this way, Israel will become exposed and defenseless against its enemies, who will not miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Jacob's trouble will begin, as phrased by the prophet Jeremiah, which will actually be the second holocaust of this nation. But seeing no way out, the Jews will turn to their God, and He will hear them. Israel's national conversion will usher in God's kingdom on earth and a global resurrection. King David will rise up and sit on Israel's earthly throne according to verse 9. The descendants of Abraham will be gathered to the promised land to their forefather from all lands, and there they will serve their God forever in grace and peace (verse 10).

War against Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-5)

"Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, and your spoil shall be divided in your midst. (2) For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem; and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women raped. And half of the city shall go into exile, and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) And Jehovah shall go out and fight against those nations, like the day He fought in the day of battle. (4) And His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall divide from its middle, from the east and to the west, a very great valley. And half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (5) And you shall flee to the valley of My mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with you."

Zechariah describes the war against Israel that the surrounding nations will wag during the apocalypse (Revelation speaks of the war of Armageddon). There will be a second holocaust of this nation, a lot of people will die and the destruction will be enormous. However, according to verse 3, "Jehovah shall go out and fight against those nations." Israel will be miraculously saved and will be converted to their God. "And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with you," and the time of the earthly rule of the Kingdom of God will begin.

There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Rom. 11:25-32)

"For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you should be wise within yourselves; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the nations has comes in. (26) And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, 'There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. (27) For this is My covenant with them, when I have taken away their sins.' (28) Indeed as regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. But as regards the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. (29) For the free gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (30) For as you also then disbelieved God, but now have been shown mercy through their disbelief, (31) even so these also have not believed now, so that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy. (32) For God has shut up all in unbelief, so that He might show mercy to all."

The Jews are still the chosen people. "For the free gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (verse 29), just as the genes that bind them to Abraham are irrevocable. It was to him that God promised offspring like grains of sand and kept his word. True, Israel is still unfaithful to their covenant with God, but the apostle Paul teaches that this too was foreseen by God: "blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the nations has comes in" (verse 25). When the Gospel calling to the Church is finished and the number of joint-kings with Jesus Christ in His Kingdom is filled, the time will come for Israel after the flesh. "And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, 'There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (verse 26). In the Lord's apocalypse, there will be a war between Israel and the surrounding nations, which will be won for Israel by God. The converted Jews will be the first nation to come under the administration of Christ's Kingdom.

And they shall look on Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him (Zech. 12:10)

"And I will pour on the house of David, and on the people of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers. And they shall look on Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be bitter over Him, as the bitterness over the first-born."

There will be no doubt in Israel who is the cause of their rescue from the apocalyptic battle of Armageddon. They will understand that the author of their salvation is the Messiah whom they condemned to death. Hence the lamentation about which Zechariah writes. However, it will not be a lament of destruction, but of repentance and purification that will bring Israel back to God.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow (Phil. 2:9-11)

"Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth; (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

As a result of the events of parousia and apocalypse, not only Jews will repent. The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians that the purpose of exalting Jesus was that every knee should bow before him. Every man must be brought to recognize the kingly power of Christ and submit to this authority - if not by preaching the Gospel, then by the experiences of the apocalypse, including death. At the dawn of the Kingdom of God, there will be no man in the world who doubts the existence of God. This does not mean that all will be saved unto life, but all will be put on trial for the reform of character to the standard of Divine Justice (see the lecture on the Judgement of mankind). The Bible leaves no doubt that not everyone will achieve this goal. However, everyone must have his chance - they must recognize the authority of Christ and be able to submit to it.

We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you (Zech. 8:20-23)

"So says Jehovah of Hosts: There yet shall be peoples and inhabitants of many cities; (21) and the residents of one shall go to another, saying, Let us go at once to seek favor of the face of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of Hosts; I will go also. (22) And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem and to seek the favor of the face of Jehovah. (23) So says Jehovah of Hosts: In those days ten men, out of all languages of the nations, shall take hold, and will seize the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Israel will be the first nation to turn to God and the first to experience the earthly blessings of the new millennium. The world, which will still lick its wounds after the apocalypse, will look at Israel, blooming with a stream of earthly graces. The surrounding nations will inquire of the reason for their prosperity, and according to the prophecy, they will "seize the skirt of a man, a Jew," turning to God and learning from the chosen people to follow the holy road (Is. 35:8-10).

I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh (Jl. 2:18-28)

"Then Jehovah will be jealous for His land and pity His people. (19) Yes, Jehovah will answer and say to His people, Behold, I will send you grain, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied with it. And I will no more make you a curse among the nations. (20) But I will remove the northern army far from you, and will drive him into a barren and deserted land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea. And his stench shall come up, and his ill odor shall come up, because he was doing great things. (21) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice. For Jehovah will do great things. (22) Do not be afraid, beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness grow green; for the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their strength. (23) Be glad then, sons of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God. For He has given you the former rain according to righteousness, and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. (24) And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. (25) And I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the locust larvae, and the stripping locust, and the cutting locust, My great army which I sent among you. (26) And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of Jehovah your God, who has dealt with you wonderfully; and My people shall never be ashamed. (27) And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and no one else; and My people shall never be ashamed. (28) And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions."

The "northern army" (verse 20) will be driven away from Israel during the apocalyptic battle of Armageddon, when Israel, brought to the brink of existence, will be miraculously saved and converted to God by accepting Jesus Christ. The conversion of the chosen people will begin a period of abundant blessings, as described in verses 19 and 22-26. Ten men out of all nations will 'seize the skirt of a Jew', as Zechariah writes in the passage discussed above. The converted world will be qualified to receive the Spirit of God, and through it the full knowledge of God necessary to return to fellowship with Him. Christ's Millennial Kingdom and the judgment of mankind will begin, during which each will receive 'liberty unto glory' — every condition favorable to obtain perfection (Rom. 8:19-22).