Glossary of Last Days Terms
With each term will be a list of common synonyms followed by a definition. If a term is not found in the Bible, this will be stated in the definition.
Abomination that causes desolation, The
· An abomination is something hateful and disgusting. To desolate is to ruin or lay waste. This biblical event will happen when the Antichrist declares himself to be God in the temple of God in Jerusalem. It is prophesied to occur in the middle of Daniel’s 70th Week, Daniel 9:27
Antichrist – The Beast, man of lawlessness
· The world leader who will rise to power out of the fourth beast kingdom as prophesied in Daniel 7. He will confirm a covenant with Israel and then, after three-and-a-half years, he will put a stop to the sacrifice and offering in the temple when he declares himself to be God. During the Great Tribulation he will receive power from Satan as he deceives the world and attempts to destroy the people of God.
Armageddon –
· The place of the final battle where the followers of Antichrist are destroyed when Jesus Christ returns on the Day of the Lord.
Babylon the Great – Mystery Babylon the Great
· A powerful city-state or superpower at the end of the age, which will hold a position of great influence over the world until it is destroyed by the fourth beast kingdom.
Beast, The – Antichrist, man of lawlessness
· This is the world leader of the fourth beast kingdom. This incredibly successful world leader will receive power from Satan and attempt to destroy the people of God.
Beast Kingdom, The Fourth -
· The fourth beast kingdom, led by the Antichrist, which will rise to power during the last days and rule over the whole world. This kingdom will initially have ten kings, then another king will arise among the ten and overthrow three of the kings. Then the kingdom will have seven heads and ten horns.
Believers - Saints, elect, servants of God, followers of Christ, Christians, Church, Body of Christ
· Those who have truly placed their faith in Jesus Christ; those who have their names written in the Book of Life.
Book of Life -
· God’s record of all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ – Messiah, Anointed One, Son of God, Jesus Christ
· The title of the anointed one of God; the Messiah who is to come and establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
Daniel’s 70th Week – The Tribulation
· This non-biblical term refers to the last seven years of Daniel’s 490-year prophecy. To date 483 years of the 490 years have been completely fulfilled. One seven-year period is still outstanding and will be fulfilled during the end times. This seven-year period begins with a covenant confirmed with Israel by the Antichrist.
Day of the Lord – Day of Wrath, Day of Salvation, Day of Redemption
· The day when Jesus Christ returns to gather His elect, punish the unbelieving world and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. The Day of the Lord is a very significant event in God’s prophetic plan. It is referred to by name 24 times in Scripture and written about so often that the prophets abbreviated its name by referring to it as “the day” or “that day.” Several times in Scripture it is called “the great and dreadful day” because it will be both the day of deliverance and a day of judgment.
End of the Age – the last day, Day of the Lord
· One of the terms Jesus used to refer to the time of the harvest and His return when He gathers His elect and judges the world.
End Times – the last days
· The period of time leading up to and including Daniel’s 70th Week.
False Prophet, The -
· A member of the unholy trinity (Satan, Antichrist and False Prophet). This trinity dominates the earth during the Great Tribulation. The False Prophet is the second beast of Revelation who comes out of the earth and sets up the system that uses the Mark of the Beast.
Harvest, The – resurrection of the righteous, First Resurrection, resurrection of believers
· The gathering of the saints at the end of the age.
Judgment Seat of Christ –
· The judgment for believers which will occur at the return of Jesus Christ and when the saints will receive their reward for what they have done in Christ.
Kingdom of God – Kingdom of Heaven, Kingdom
· The final and everlasting earthly Kingdom, which will be ruled by Christ and His followers.
Michael the Archangel -
· The archangel who protects the people of God and restrains the secret power of lawlessness.
Millennium –
· The non-biblical term for the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.
Rebellion, The – The Falling Away, The Apostasy
· The event Paul referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as marking the turning away from faith in Jesus Christ which will likely take place during the Great Tribulation.
Resurrection, First –The Harvest, resurrection of believers
· The gathering and change that will take place in all believers at the return of Christ. The First Resurrection includes the living and the dead in Christ.
Resurrection, Second –
· A non-biblical term for the raising of the unbelievers at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.
Rapture –
· A non-biblical term used to describe the catching up of living believers into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, at the return of Christ.
Satan – the devil, the great dragon, that ancient serpent
· A powerful angel who rebelled against God and strives to rise to the throne of God by destroying the people and plans of God. He will be defeated and thrown from heaven by Michael at the time of the abomination that causes desolation. Satan will give his power to the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation until he is captured and bound in the Abyss during Christ’s thousand-year reign. Satan will then be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.
Scripture – Bible, Word, Word of God, Word of Truth, Gospel
· The holy written and infallible Word of God.
Second Coming – Second Advent, return of Christ
· A non-biblical term for the Return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth.
Temple, The – House of God
· The structure called the “House of God” and the place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem located on Mount Moriah. Solomon built the first temple and the second temple was rebuilt during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Harod restored the second temple to a state of grandeur. It was completely destroyed in 70 AD just as Jesus prophesied. There will be a third temple built some time in the future.
Tribulation, The – Daniel’s 70th Week
· A non-biblical term which refers to the seven-year period at the end of the age, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27.
Trumpet, The Last –
· The seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15, which will signal the resurrection of the living and the dead in Christ.
Tribulation, The Great – Time of Jacob’s Trouble
· The three-and-a-half year period of unparalleled persecution and suffering of God’s people brought on by Satan through the Antichrist and False Prophet. This is the most documented period of time recorded in Scripture being referred to as: 42 months, 1,260 days, and a time, times and half a time. This period begins with the abomination that causes desolation and ends with the return of Christ on the Day of the Lord.
White Throne Judgment, The Great –
· The final judgment of individuals which will take place after the thousand-year earthly reign of Christ. The White Throne Judgment appears to be the judgment of unbelievers.
Wedding Banquet, The – the wedding feast, the wedding supper
· The celebration of the union between Jesus Christ and the Bride of Christ (all true believers). It will take place on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, as described in Isaiah 25:6.
Word of Truth - Holy Bible, Scripture, Word, Gospel, Word of God
· The holy written and infallible Word of God.
Wrath of God - Day of the Lord
· God’s judgment and punishment on the unbelieving and disobedient world, which will be poured out on the Day of the Lord.
