Prophecy Chart Series: The Church Age

Part 2: Prophecy Chart Overview

Tim Moore: Well, we finally arrived to be able to unveil the project we’ve been working on now for several weeks, but also, as you will notice, there’s a QR code, and so if you have gotten this resource as either the bi-fold, which looks like a magazine article, frankly, to be able to share it with your friends and family, or as the large version of the chart, you can go to this QR code which will access all of these teaching episodes that we are doing as Christ in Prophecy programs, but also as extended versions of the teachings.

And of course, there’s going to be much more information that’s available there, including many things that are already on our website and some new materials that will be added as well. This chart begins with the cross. In other words, Jesus’ first advent when he came to be the suffering Lamb to die for the sins of all who would put their trust in Him. Really the ability for any of us to gain entry into Heaven, to have salvation, is due to the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. But that brings us to the first of our seven events, Nathan.

Nathan Jones: And you’ll notice they’re numbered. So it goes with the legend if you need to know the supporting verses as well as the black bar underneath, if you look at the Church Age, for instance, says 1900 years plus. So it gives a timeline of about, now of course, the Church Age, we don’t know when it’s going to end. We know what it will end with, the Rapture. And underneath that you will also get passages within Revelation that help you follow the Revelation timeline as well.

Tim Moore: So today our focus has been on the Church Age, the age that runs from Pentecost all the way to the glorious, blessed hope of the Rapture. And so we are still living in that age of grace or Church Age. The book of Revelation in chapters two and three has Jesus’ letters to those seven churches in and around the Asia Minor region that we know of as Turkey today, and then we get to the Rapture.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, an event that happens in the blink of an eye is something that we put on the chart as very important, because it means it’s the end of the Church Age. It’s the end of the event where the Lord is done with His ecclesiastical kingdom and He’s ready to start beginning the process of His Second Coming, to come back to the Earth to set up His kingdom.

Tim Moore: And that brings us to something that’s going to take place in Heaven, this bema seat judgment where Christ judges, yes, He judges those who are in the Church Age, not for salvation, that has been sealed. We are sealed by the blood of Christ. But now, in Heaven post-Rapture, we will be judged of our deeds to determine our rewards, and we’ll talk much more about that in our next episode.

Nathan Jones: Next is followed after the Rapture, we’re going to go on the Earth timeline, is the Seal Judgments.

Tim Moore: And one of the things I will point out, even as you’re looking at the chart, it is not equidistant in terms of the length or period. As we’ve said, the Church Age has lasted over 1900 years, approaching 2000. The Rapture happens in an instant but unleashes other dynamics on the Earth that result in the Antichrist being unveiled and then taking power over all the Earth, a one world government, and signing a peace treated with Israel. That begins the seven-year period of the Tribulation.

Halfway through the Tribulation, after we get through the Seals and Trumpets, Satan is cast out of Heaven. He comes down to indwell the Antichrist, and that leads to great wrath, Satan’s rage, actually, being poured out on the Jewish people, which is called the Great Tribulation or the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

So following the Seals, again, seven more judgments known as the Trumpets, and then as Satan is cast out, we move into the Bowl Judgments. You think things are bad in the Seal and Trumpet Judgments, it gets even worse during this period of the Bowl Judgments, but at the conclusion of that horrific period of time, then we have another instantaneous event known as the Second Coming.

Nathan Jones: And then we get to what’s called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. So while the Earth is going through some terrible, terrible sufferings with these 21 judgments, we are up there celebrating the reunion of our Savior with His bride, the Church.

Tim Moore: But we know that after this seven years of Tribulation, the only event that could be defined with great accuracy is the timing of the Second Coming, because it will come seven years after the Tribulation begins.

Nathan Jones: Yes, which begins with the signing of a covenant between the Antichrist and Israel, and it’s seven years of months that are 30-day months. So not the 31 or the 28th, the 30 months.

Tim Moore: Right.

Nathan Jones: So those who start and get saved at the beginning of the Tribulation will know exactly the end of the seven years which Daniel gave us, timeline of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Tim Moore: You know, every time Nathan and I go to Israel, one of my favorite places is the Mount of Olives overview, because the first time I arrived, and every time since, I think this is where it’s going to happen. This is where Jesus Christ will set foot, having defeated Satan. Obviously the army’s gathered there in the valley of Armageddon and going up into Jerusalem, through that currently sealed Eastern Gate to take the throne of His father David and to reign from Mount Zion, and that will usher in what we call the Millennial reign of Christ.

Nathan Jones: But at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, God does something interesting, doesn’t He?

Tim Moore: He certainly does. At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, He actually lets Satan loose so that he can deceive the nations again. And you think who would be deceived if they’ve lived during a period of perfect peace, righteousness, and justice?

But it proves that even in a perfect environment, just like existed in the Garden of Eden, this seed of sinful nature deep in the heart of man will manifest again, and those who have not put their trust in Christ, they will rebel against the Lord, and in just an instant, according to Scripture, He will annihilate those who’ve rebelled against Him and cast them and Satan into the Lake of Fire forever, and then we will enter the Eternal Kingdom and that’s represented on our graphic as a new earth to be matched by a new heavens and a new Jerusalem.

Nathan Jones: And this is where we go to the underworld, so to speak, because the Lord resurrects all those who’ve been bound into a place called Hades or Torments. It’s a holding place for the damned, and there they’re resurrected to face the Great White Throne Judgment, which is the final judgment. They’re judged based on their works, and unfortunately, they’re missing the only work that counts, the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross.

Tim Moore: But the most important thing is not being awed by the beauty or even the overview but knowing what is your eternal fate. If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ and accepted His free gift of salvation, then the wrath of God abides on you. And whether you live to see the Rapture and enter the Tribulation, or whether the Lord says, “This is the end of your life today,” His wrath abides on you if you have not been covered by the blood of Christ.

Nathan Jones: And folks, that’s why, again, we ask you to scan this QR code. All of the teachings that we will do on this series are going to be posted there, as well as supporting articles, videos, and other teachings. We want to make it your go-to source where this chart is your guide, but this QR code, this page has all the resources to help you grow in understanding all this material.

Tim Moore: So we also hope that you’ll get a copy of our article-like Prophecy Chart. It is an overview of the End Times, but this can be shared with anyone, family, friends. It has the QR code. There is a large chart version, a kind of a poster size that you can get as well, and at the end of this teaching series, we’ll have the entire series captured on a DVD that you can get as well if you don’t want to access it online at christinprophecy.org or via the QR code.

Part 3: Back at Desk

Tim Moore: Nathan, as we talked about this Church Age, obviously we are pointing to Jesus’ revelation to John and to all of us in the book of Revelation chapters two and three where He addresses those seven churches that were scattered throughout Asia Minor or modern-day Turkey. We believe that the Church Age began at Pentecost after the ascension of Christ and will continue to the Rapture when Christ comes again as a bridegroom to collect His bride. So really the Church Age has lasted, as our chart says, over 1900 years. We’re approaching really 2000 years of the Church Age.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, and when you look at human history, if we are at 6,000 years and the Lord keeps dividing it by thousands with a thousand-year Millennial Kingdom ahead, I believe we’re very, very close to the end of the Church Age.

Tim Moore: Certainly.

Nathan Jones: And so we’re certainly getting to the end. But the Church Age, folks, has a purpose. The Lord as decided that, well, since Israel rejected Him, He now allows the Gentiles to join in the Church. And of course, you can be Jewish and Christian as well, so that He’s a harvest of Gentiles throughout the world for the last 2000 years that will then participate in the Kingdom of Christ. And I love what Cotton Mather, he was a Puritan pastor, described…

Tim Moore: You love Cotton? I do, too!

Nathan Jones: I love him! Because he’s got this big, you know, cottony hair. But he said purposely that there is a spiritual kingdom. So we can look at the Church Age and say, yes, the Lord is creating a spiritual kingdom, which He said is not of this Earth. But He also said that God is providential. There’s a providential kingdom and then God has authority over everything.

But the Church Age is the ecclesiastical fold of the kingdom. In other words, the Lord rules through the Church and state over the world, but what we’re waiting for is the Davidic fold of His kingdom, which is still future, and that will be when we get to the Millennial Kingdom.

Tim Moore: So even in Acts chapter one, as Christ was about to ascend to Heaven, the apostles asked, “Lord, is it now that you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said, “No, fellas, it’s not for you to know the times or epics,” but this expectation they had of a restoration of the kingdom to Israel, again, a promise made not to Christians, not the Gentile followers of Christ, but to genetic and heritage Israel, that still lies in the future.

So what do we do now during this time? Well, let me be very clear, folks. It is possible that followers of Christ who are filled with the Holy Spirit can still grieve the Holy Spirit. We can still wander away from Him like sheep and we can fall prey to the devil’s temptation, to his distraction, to his discouragement. But our responsibility, our call, indeed our privilege, is to do what I already said, serve as ambassadors of Christ, sharing the Gospel of Christ during this age so that all who put their trust in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike, can be added into the Church and therefore taken out at the Rapture.

And really that’s the context of these seven letters that we focus on in Revelation 2 and 3. So let’s dive into those for a moment, Nathan. We have the stars presented of course on our chart, representing the places in Asia Minor, but give us a review of what the Lord has to say in these beautiful letters to the churches. And folks, we’ve had a long series of teaching on those, so you can access that. But just as an overview of this overview today.

Nathan Jones: Absolutely. Well, if you look at the chart, you see Jesus. He’s sitting on the throne. He’s ruling and reigning through the Church. This isn’t the kingdom yet. This is just the spiritual fold of the kingdom or the ecclesiastical. So He shows up in all His glory. John has been exiled to the island of Patmos. He’s 96 years old. He’s been put into hard labor. He’s anxious for the Lord’s return, and the Lord shows up and He tells him what we’ve said just a minute ago in Revelation 1:19 about the structure of Revelation.

And then when we get to Revelation 2 and 3, He’s got seven letters that He wants John to write to seven churches. These churches are physically in Asia Minor, which is Turkey today. You can see the stars there. It’s like it goes around like a clock. It starts with Ephesus and then Smyrna and Pergamos or Pergamum. You got Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. So John would write the letter, it would go to Ephesus, and then it would pass around the churches.

And it’s interesting that each letter the Lord has, He gives them a commendation. “Hey, you guys are doing…” well, first he reveals Himself, let me say, something about Himself. Then He gives a commendation, and He says, “Well, you’re not doing this right. You need to repent.”

Tim Moore: As a rule.

Nathan Jones: And if you don’t, this is the punishment, but if you do, you’re an overcomer, this is the rewards. And so He follows that model with each of the churches. Now what’s beautiful about each church, like a different person has a different personality, some their strengths, some weaknesses, some not at all. Some of them are like Philadelphia, do everything right.

But it’s interesting as we’ve gone through 2000 years of church history, that each church seems to be representative of a time period within the Church. The church of Ephesus, which started out loving the Lord but became legalistic, seems to represent the Church between 30 AD and about John’s time, 95 AD. They were the legalistic church. Followed by the church of Smyrna, which went through great persecution, 95 AD to 312 AD.

Eventually the Church and state merged in the Roman. We got the Holy Roman Empire, 312 to 590 AD. They became apostate. They started falling for idolatry. The church in Thyatira would cover almost all the Middle Ages, 590 to 1517. Eventually all this apostasy leads to the dead church in Sardis, which we look at 1570 to 1750, seems to cover that time period.

But then the Church of Philadelphia, 1750, a great evangelistic church that spread the Gospel worldwide until about 1925. But the final phase of the Church, and I don’t think anyone could argue that this is the phase we’re in, is Laodicea, the apathetic church that feels like they’re spiritually wealthy, but really the Lord says you’re very poor. This is the final phase of the Church Age, leading up to the Rapture.

Tim Moore: Well, in our chart, we show the Church Age beginning with the cross. But what has Jesus been doing throughout this Church Age? And we kind of present Him, as you said, on a throne. What’s He doing right now?

Nathan Jones: I love John 14, verses 1-3. It tells us exactly what He’s doing. The Lord says, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places,” some say mansions. “If it were not so, I would have told you so, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also.”

Where is He also? He’s in Heaven. What He’s saying is He’s preparing our eternal homes. He’s filling Heaven with people who get saved throughout the Church Age. And of course, the Old Testament Saints, eventually we’ll get to the Tribulation Saints. He’s building a home, not just a building per se, but what is really a home? It’s the people in it, it’s the family.

But we’re looking for Jesus to come and gather the Church Age Saints and take them up to Heaven to be with Him. As we read in John 14, He’s been preparing a place for us. And Tim, think about it, God of the universe who created everything in six days, has spent the last 2000 years preparing this place, and when we get to it, when we get to the eternal state at the end of this series, we’re going to introduce you to the new Jerusalem. That’s the home that Jesus has been building.

And that’s why, folks, when you look at the chart, at especially the bottom of number one, the Church Age, it says 1900 years plus. That’s the only part of the chart that we’re not given a definitive time. I think you’re right, the first century apostles were anticipating the Lord’s return. Jesus had even made a promise that those who were with Him, some of them would see His return, and actually that was a prophecy about John in his old age, seeing Jesus come to Patmos. But you know, we’re wondering, 1900 years, what is taking so long? You go to 2 Peter 3:9.

Tim Moore: You’re reading my mind.

Nathan Jones: It says, “The Lord is not slow.” You know, He’s not long… He’s long suffering. He wants everybody who possibly gets saved during the Church Age saved, and if it takes 1900 years or so, you know, it’s going to come to an end. We know it because the rest of the charts there, which shows the Lord has prophesied things to happen after the Church Age. It’s got to end. It’s just only that part of the chart that we just don’t have an exact time period for.

Part 4

Tim Moore: And so even as we discuss the Church Age, it is appropriate to discuss what God has been doing relative to His original chosen people, Israel.

Nathan Jones: The Gospel Jesus came to reclaim 2000 years ago was for the Jew first, but also for the Gentile.

Tim Moore: So from a biblical perspective, we do not differentiate between Jew and Gentile within the Church in terms of salvation or eternal destiny or promised Rapture. There is, however, a clear expectation that God’s provision for what Paul calls all Israel is not yet complete.

Nathan Jones: Paul said Israel’s transgression or their stumbling that led to God’s discipline and the outpouring of the curses, Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 28 and 29, made it possible for salvation to come to the Gentiles.

Tim Moore: And for that reason, we ongoingly pray for the salvation of Israel, collectively and as individual Jews. On that note, I recently sat down with Baruch Korman, a cherish Jewish friend and scholar to explore the Church Age from a Jewish perspective.

Part 5: Baruch Korman Interview

Baruch Korman has become a close friend. He leaves the Zera Abraham Institute in Israel and hosts the Love Israel television program. Baruch specializes in teaching the Bible from its original languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. He offers a rich Jewish perspective to the text of Scripture, helping Jew and Gentile alike understand the Good News about our Jewish Messiah. I’ve invited him to help us understand the significance of the Church Age from a Jewish perspective. So Baruch, welcome, my friend.

Baruch Korman: Thank you very much, Tim. As always, it’s great to see you and to have the opportunity to respond to you in regard to these questions.

Tim Moore: Well, let’s shift our gears and focus on this question, Baruch. In what way could the so-called Church Age, this past 2000 years, be related to the times of the Gentiles that Jesus spoke about in Luke 21:24 and that we read about in Romans 11?

Baruch Korman: Well, we know something, and that is that that passage from Luke 21 and verse 24 speaks about Israel going through some difficult times. But here’s the good news. Just like we read in Jeremiah chapter 30 and verse 7, there’s going to be that difficult time, but from that difficulty, from that time of trouble is going to bring about a salvation for Jacob or that remnant of Israel. So God can use these things in order to bring people to faith.

And I strongly believe that we’re going to see some difficult times for Israel, but it’s going to be a source of drawing them closer to God, teaching them about relying upon Him and embracing His Word. So I’m optimistic about the changes that are coming in this world and specifically in the nation of Israel.

Tim Moore: Yeah, I certainly am as well, or actually I’ll quote a friend of mine, Al Mohler, who says, “As a believer, a follower of Christ, I’m not an optimist or a pessimist. I’m a person filled with hope,” and that is a hope based on God’s promises. We know it’s not a hope based on make believe, but the absolute assurance that He will fulfill every promise, and He has promised, as you indicated earlier, to preserve and save a remnant of Israel.

But looking at this age of the Gentiles, while we can’t put a specific point in time yet, do you think that Israel’s reclaiming of Jerusalem as its own capital in June of 1967, brother, that’s within our lifetimes, was a pre-fulfillment of the promise of Luke 21:24, that there would be a definitive end to the times of the Gentiles?

Baruch Korman: Well I certainly don’t think that June of 1967 brought about an end to the Gentiles. It did give birth to a restoring of Jerusalem to the nation of Israel. That’s good news, that’s prophetic, but it’s not the end of the times of the Gentile because when I look at Romans 11, for example, I see that when that time of the Gentiles have come to conclusion, God is going to immediately pivot to the Jewish people. And the reason for that, if we look at this passage from Romans chapter 11, this passage, all Israel will be saved. I don’t think most of the Church understands what it means, all Israel.

It’s certainly not saying that every Jew’s going to be saved. When it says all Israel, we need to have a biblical understanding, I would say even a Torah understanding of Israel. For example in Genesis chapter 28:3, when we look at that term, Israel, we see that Israel is a congregation of peoples. So there was always that that desire of God to bring Gentiles into His covenant people, that they might know the blessings, that they might have life and have eternal life.

So when it talks about all Israel will be saved, there is those two components. There is that fullness of the Gentiles that Paul writes about, and when that fullness of the Gentiles have come in, God is going to pivot, and we see something. We see that Second Coming when it talks about Christ returning, and He’s going to do three things. He’s going to bring judgment on the enemies of Israel. He’s going to bring salvation to the Jewish people. And the third thing He’s going to do is to establish His Kingdom.

So when the period of time known as the times of the Gentiles comes to an end, we should have a Kingdom expectation. And I’ll conclude by saying this. When we look at this expectation that Paul had for the Jewish people to come to faith, Paul always thought that based upon prophetic truth. He said very clearly in Romans chapter 11, while even though that transgression, that rejection of the Gospel was a time of blessing to the world, like you are talking about to the Gentiles, what will their acceptance be?

Paul knew that there was coming a future acceptance of the Jewish people of that Gospel, and what did he say? He said life from the dead, and that is a resurrection which is inherently tied to a Kingdom fulfillment. No one’s going to get into the Kingdom of God unless they are resurrected. So it’s all pointing to a Kingdom fulfillment, and that’s exciting, and as your friend said, it is the reason that we have hope.

Tim Moore: Well, Baruch, as always, brother, until we cross paths again in either promised land, or in the air as our Jewish Messiah comes to gather His Jewish and Gentile Church, godspeed.

Part 6

Tim Moore: Well, Nathan, obviously the Church Age, we believe has focused largely on the Gentiles, while the Jews were dispersed, they were persecuted and they felt those curses that Moses had prophesied, as you said in Deuteronomy 28 and 29. But God’s clear momentum, if you will, this last century has been toward fulfilling the other ancient promises made to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to begin regathering them, reestablishing them as a nation. And so we see evidence that this time of the Gentiles is coming to a close.

Nathan Jones: I saw one prophecy teacher, I forget who, but he had a great example. He said it’s like the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We are seeing the Church Age fade and Israel on the rise, where we’re seeing all these prophecies of Israel fulfilling Ezekiel 36 and 37. They’re back in the land. The Church is on the wane, the Laodicean Church. So it’s a changing of the guards.

Tim Moore: Well, we also know that this Church Age will end when Jesus calls His bride home. When that occurs, the Church Age will be over and then shortly thereafter, the Antichrist will be unveiled and come to ascension over the whole world.

Closing

Folks, the next episode, we’re going to talk about the Rapture because that’s what we are looking forward to. But let’s be very clear. That could happen before we even have another episode of Christ in Prophecy.

Nathan Jones: We hope.

Tim Moore: And so, yeah, it’s absolutely critical that you do not delay putting your trust in Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, Nathan, just in case someone is watching right now, and we always believe there could be someone who has not yet trusted in Christ, what is the means of gaining salvation, entry into the Church, so that when Christ comes, they will indeed be whisked off with the rest of us?

Nathan Jones: We pray from our heart, Lord Jesus, I know I’ve sinned against You. I love you Lord, and I want You to be the Savior and Lord of my life. And Jesus promised He’s going to forgive you of your sins. He’s going to wash away that guilt and you’ll inherit eternal life with Him.

Tim Moore: Well folks, although we’ve touched on the Rapture today, the Blessed Hope of every sincere follower of Christ, there is so much more to say about this glorious promise to the Church. And so we do hope that you’ll stick with us over the weeks to come, but we want you to get a copy of the tremendous resource that is available to you as we step through this overview of End Time events.

Nathan Jones: The Church Age is all we know experientially, but there is much more to come.

Tim Moore: Next week, we will delve much further into the Rapture before moving into what will take place after that singular glorious event. Until then, let’s thank Him that we have been grafted into His family as members of the Church, the body and bride of Christ. And let’s stay alert, for our bridegroom is coming soon! Godspeed!

End of Program