The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-13, titled "Bible Questions and Answers." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 1992 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.
Question
I just have a brief three-part question. It’s concerning Revelation. The first part is, almost every biblical scholar at this point and time believes that the economic community, which is beginning next week, is the second Roman Empire. And, the antichrist is supposed to arise out of that. Is there any hints to where he’s going to come from? And also, will the rapture happen before these events take place or will we see the antichrist come to power?
Answer
Well, from my viewpoint, the rapture will happen before the disclosure of antichrist. He really doesn’t show himself until halfway through the tribulation. And I believe the church is raptured prior to that time, so it would be three and a half years ahead of that event at least, and maybe a little bit ahead of that.
Secondly, with regard to the European Economic Community, I hate to say--you know, people say, “Well, that’s the ten toes of Daniel”…the problem is that there are 13 nations in the common market, and we assume that the image there, of course, representing that final form of the revived Roman Empire, is the final form because Christ, the Stone cut out without hands, comes and crushes that. So, it is the final form of human government, a reconstituted Roman Empire, which would mean nothing more than a revived Europe--the focus of all the world will be there.
Whether the fact that there are 10 toes means there can only be 10 nations… I mean, I wouldn’t want to be real dogmatic on that. I wouldn’t want to say, “Well, if there are 13 now or 12 now, it’ll all go back to 10 eventually.” Not necessarily. What you have there is still reconstituted old Roman Empire territory in a revived Europe.
What really fascinates me is that this never really was a full-blown Roman revival until Eastern Europe fell, because Eastern Europe was also a part of that massive Roman Empire, which extended all the way from England on the west, clear to Balbeck, which is east of Beirut! Way into the Arab world…was once a part of that empire. So, I believe what we are going to see is a revived Europe, which is the ground from which the antichrist will rise. And I believe he will be a great leader, a great speaker, a charismatic type of personality… As to who he will be, we don’t know. There’s no way to know specifically.
Question (continued)
But also, since there’s 13 now, isn’t there supposed to be three leaders that fall and one small…one rises up out of…?
Answer (continued)
“Sure, and again, that might happen.”
Question (continued)
And the second part is, if the rapture happens before, I suppose we wouldn’t
have to worry about the mark of the beast as well, correct?
Answer (continued)
Right, that is correct. And the reason we take a view that the rapture will happen before is…well, there’s a lot of reasons, but let me give you just one technical reason. I believe the 24 elders pictured in heaven when the tribulation begins represent the church, so the church is in heaven, represented in the 24 elders, when the tribulation on earth begins with the breaking of the seven seals. Secondly, I believe that the breaking of the seven seals is the wrath of God, and the scripture promises that we will be kept from the wrath of God.
So, those are some of the reasons, and there are others with reference to the nature of the church, the nature of Israel, and the purposes of God in the future.
Question (continued)
And, the third part is, if the people are raptured up, and after the tribulation and the new kingdom is set, there’s supposed to be a new kingdom on earth, the New Jerusalem… Supposedly there will be people who are not in the angelic form still on earth. The people who are raptured--are they going to be back on earth?
Answer (continued)
“Yes, we’re coming back. We’re coming back.” The New Jerusalem descends out of heaven like a bride, and we’re the bride that makes that a bride city. We come back, we come back in glorified bodies to people living on the earth in normal bodies, and we’ll have an interchange with them, very much like the Old Testament saints did with the angels.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986