Many people want to understand what happens in the future—especially their future. Believe it or not, the Bible gives us some pretty good clues as to what will occur. It doesn’t necessary give us the ‘when’ but does give us some of the ‘how.’ Interested?

I know there is a lot of controversy about how we get to Christ’s second coming, but I think the Bible is somewhat clear to many of the details of his reign. Yet, there are some things that seem to confuse, like the differences between the reigning Messiah, the identity of the Prince mentioned in the book of Ezekiel, and the future reign of king David which God promised to him during his earthly reign. Are these three different individuals? This is one of the reasons I wrote my series Stele Prophecy Pentalogy.

Although the series of five books are fiction from a storyline perspective, I feel they are really grounded in Scripture. The series provides a rationale as to how these three individuals I mentioned above are distinct in identity and purpose.

The first book of the series, Mercy of the Iron Scepter, starts out toward the end of Christ’s reign and goes on through the release of Satan back into the world. While we read of such in the book of Revelation, it seems almost too sensational to really be true. Yet, I present a scenario that shows how possible it is that all could happen as stated without having to subtract anything the Bible reveals, or any details provided. The book also shows how faith will still be needed to accept the Messiah as the hope for their future (just as we must do today). Although we get the Holy Spirit to guide as once we place our faith in him, my book reveals that this conduit of the Holy Spirit to our spirit will then become much more direct and profound. Our experience today is only a deposit of what we can expect once we are in Christ’s earthly kingdom (2Co 1:22). The next four books are prequels to this first book

The second book of the series, Promised Kingdom (and first prequel to Mercy of the Iron Scepter), tells how Christ’s Promised Kingdom comes about. The trigger is when the Messiah comes for his bride, the Church, which sets the stage for the Tribulation Period which brings all sorts of atrocities on this earth. While these atrocities affect everyone, it is mainly geared to drive all Israelites and Jews back to Israel since they are today living in almost every country of the world. This is the prophetic meaning to the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) as it was originally designed to remind God to remember his covenant with the nation of Israel. The reason for this is that the day of judgment (Yom Kippur) is fast approaching. The Israelites knew they had no righteous standing before a holy God except for the covenant he had made with them with Abraham and with them on Mount Sinai.

The third book of the series, Hope Renewed, is about the beginning of the Promised Kingdom and why sacrifices become a major part of this time of our future history. The storyline is about a priest, Ya’akov, who comes of age and must make a decision whether he will serve the Messiah is the capacity of the first priest born into the Messiah’s Promised Kingdom. He must decide if the destiny that the Messiah has ordained for him is what he believes is best for him. Ya’akov must go through the same mental journey that each of us must face: do we believe God has the best in store for us or do we believe our life is lacking something he has not provided for us.

The next book, Darkness in the Light, occurs about five hundred years later into the Promised Kingdom. This book deals with the Prince who Ezekiel mentions in his prophetic book. This individual is to lead the world into how to worship the Messiah. The story evolves into a love story between the Prince’s daughter, Me’ira, and someone not of royal birth. Both the Prince and Me’ira have tough decisions to make. Sometimes happiness doesn’t occur without heartache being involved in the process. This story will help readers understand who the Prince is in comparison to the Messiah and to King David. This story also helps us see that our Messiah cares for everyone equally.

The final book in this series, Iron in the Scepter, occurs just before the beginning of Mercy of the Iron Scepter. It tells of the story of Janet, one of the characters introduced in the first book, and helps readers understand the choices she made to cause her to be in the place we find her in the first book. She, like we, are the consequence of our choices and our view and acceptance of the Messiah. The Adversary uses our pride as a weapon against us. Some people lose that war while others can see the truth Scripture is trying to tell us. Janet’s journey is the journey of all of us. See if you can see glimpses of yourself in this story.

I hope you enjoy the Stele Prophecy Pentalogy. Hopefully, it will provide some clarity to what Scripture is telling us about this time of our future and its chronology. Plus, I feel the series provides some exciting, fast-paced stories for your enjoyment. I think you will find that these characters, even though they live in a time we all long for, are still people and must make many of the decisions that we today also must make. It’s still a story of decision and how our loving God wishes the best for us and encourages us to make the right decisions for our lives.

Even as the author, I still find these stories amazing and helpful as they remind me that we serve a loving God, and we will be able to serve him for all eternity. Isn’t that a hope to hold onto?

May God bless you richly.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Before we talk and contract Jews and Gentiles in the future, we need to understand some of the differences in futuristic views held by many. The next era following our present time on this earth has been termed the Tribulation Period. There are four main world views of apocalyptic literature, like the book of Revelation, and then there are three main theological views of the future concerning the Millennium (or the earthly reign of Christ), although there are minor variations of these as well.

There are some who view the content of Revelation strictly from a historical perspective: all, or most, of the prophecies in the book have been completely fulfilled in the past. Proponents of this tenant believe all the descriptions in Revelation are referring to the downfall of the Roman Empire during and after the time of the apostle John, the book’s author.

Others are known as preterists and also believe that all, or most, of the prophecies in Revelation have occurred in the past but that they were prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore, all the prophecies had to be fulfilled by the end of 70 AD.

Then, there are others who believe the majority of the prophecies within the book of Revelation should be interpreted more from an allegorical perspective. The prophecies and visions which John wrote about were not literal but communicate a moral or theological lesson about God and how he works in the lives of Christians and non-Christians in all phases of earth’s history. This is what makes the book relevant for each and every person no matter in which period of earth’s history they live.

The fourth category is known as the futurist view. People with this view believe that all the events from chapter four onward are in the future, describe events that will occur after the Rapture of the Church and during the Tribulation and Great Tribulation Periods, and beyond. The prophecies and visions the apostle John saw and spoke about are to be taken literally as much as possible, except where it is evident that the apostle is speaking metaphorically. For example, when John states that Satan was bound in the Abyss for one-thousand years with chains so he could not escape, the futurists’ view is that the removal of Satan from the earth for one-thousand years would be literal but the chain would be metaphorical in that God will prevent Satan from being released. He is chained in the sense he cannot escape but not in the sense that God was using a physical chain that would restrain him for this prescribed period of earth’s history. Or, at least, this is not literal in our view of a chain as we know that could not hold a spiritual being; yet, God was using something which John interpreted as a chain or the concept of such.

There are three major views of the one-thousand-year reign of Christ on earth in the future, known as the Millennium: Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism. The reason for the Millennium determines one’s main view of its importance and if it will be literal and actually occur. I believe the Premillennial viewpoint is the more accurate one for the following three reasons:

1. The Premillennial view allows the Bible to be broken into dispensations or periods of time where God deals with mankind for a specific purpose. Most of these dispensations have been about Israel as prophesied by the Feasts of Israel; yet, only four of these feasts have been fulfilled (Pesach or Passover – death of Christ; Matzah or Feast of Unleavened Bread – Christ’s sinless death and burial; Feast of Bikkurim or First Fruits – Christ’s resurrection; Shavuot or Pentacost – Holy Spirit uniting all believers, both Jew and Gentile, into his fold).  Since the current age is about God bringing Gentiles into his fold, there must be a time when He works with Israel as a nation again to fulfill the remaining feasts (Rosh Hashanah or Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, and Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles).  The Tribulation is a time when He can begin doing that once all current Christians have been taken out of the picture. God can then remember his covenant, which is the theme of the original Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets): to ask God to remember His covenant with Israel. These points would speak against the view of Amillennialism which does not even believe in the existence of a Millennium or in a special period of time that is any different from the current time in which one lives.

2. The Rapture is an event that allows all current Christians to be removed from the earth to allow God to focus on Israel, as well as the remaining Gentiles on earth. This event also fits well into an analogy of a Jewish bridegroom coming for his bride: she did not know when he was coming so she had to be prepared at all times; he went to where she was and brought her back to his home. A shout or call (e.g. by shofar) would be made to alert the bride and her attendants (SS 3:11). Christ’s church has been equated to, or alluded to, the bride of Christ who has been set apart for Him (2Co 11:2, Ep 5:22-23; Hb 10:10; Ja 4:4; Rv 19:14). These points would speak against both Amillennialism and Postmillennialism as both do not believe in a Rapture or not one that occurs before the Tribulation starts. If the Tribulation is about God remembering His covenant with Israel, then the Rapture could not occur after the Tribulation begins.

3. Because Satan took the world from mankind and is currently the ruler of it (Mt 4:8-9), Christ must take the current world back, re-establish his theocratic kingdom and reverse the curse that resulted from Adam’s rebellion so Christ can show He alone is sovereign. Therefore, the Millennium is a key period of future history that must occur. This point would also speak against Amillennialism since a literal Millennium would be necessary to prove Christ’s sovereignty over Satan. It also speaks against Postmillennialism as it would be necessary for Christ to reign on the earth with its curse removed to prove His sovereignty.

The time in which everyone currently lives will continue until the full number of Gentiles have accepted Christ as their Savior (Ro 11:25). That time will end at what is known as the Rapture or being “caught up” where believers receive a glorified body (Jn 14:1-3; 1Co 15:51-53; Pp 3:20-21; 1Th 4:17; 1Jn 3:1-2). This will occur before the Antichrist appears and the Tribulation Period begins (2Th 2:2-3). It appears the time shortly before the Antichrist comes on the scene will be marked by teachers teaching false doctrine that will lead many astray (2Pt 2:1-3); however, it seems that the beginning of false teachings will occur even prior to the Rapture – even in the present day (Ju 1:4). These “teachers” will have no scruples (Ju 1:8), and their ungodly acts will only escalate after the Rapture and prior to Christ’s second coming (Ju 1:15). Any of these peddlers of false information could be labeled “antichrist” (1Jn 2:22; 2Jn 1:7) because their teachings are against Christ. However, scriptures indicate that there will be one individual who will culminate the spirit of deceit and lead the world in rebellion against God (2Th 2:9-10; 1Jn 2:18). Once the Rapture occurs, there will no longer be any Christians on the earth for a time. Even the restraint of the Holy Spirit will be removed (2Th 2:7).

These events sets Israel up for God to work with them as a nation again and for every nation to be evangelized and make a final decision of their relationship with Christ. You don’t have to wait to do that. You can do that now. Have you? Do you want to? Just talk to him. He’s waiting – always waiting – just for you.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens