End Times 101

End Times 101

Copyright by Norman E. Nabatar

Davao City, Philippines, 2016
All Rights Reserved
 Dedicated to an intolerant
love who has endured years of
hardship being tied to a writer
and visionary who budded late
in his years.
 Acknowledgment

To my friend and brother in faith Toto Atienza

for his unswerving faith in my vision through the
years. What little you have given me gave me
strength to carry on. To my home church, how
unfortunate that you unknowingly tasked me to
this endeavor but have put little faith in this vision.
I reiterate to you the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 14:4-5:

{4} He that speaketh in an unknown

tongue edifieth himself; but he that
prophesieth edifieth the church. {5} I
would that ye all spake with tongues,
but rather that ye prophesied: for greater
is he that prophesieth than he that
speaketh with tongues, except he
interpret, that the church may receive
edifying.
 Table of Contents
Preface............................................................5
Introduction...................................................6
Frequently Asked Questions..........................7
Why 666?.................................................7
When did the Millennium begin.......8
The end of age in Matthew 24.............9
So, when is the end of age (time)?.....13
References......................................................17
 Preface

Keeping a strictly spiritual explanation of a

vision can be an obstacle to sharing it with skeptics
and the difficulty increases when shared with non-
believers. In order to escape the tasteless narration
of a vision, I followed Saint Paul's arguments found
in 1 Corinthians 14, where he defended the gift of
prophecy as preferable in comparison to the gift of
tongues in that the former can be validated when
the prophecy is fulfilled while the latter is of no use
if it cannot be understood. To do that, mixing it
with a secular historical validation of the vision
gives it more credence. Thus, historical events are
chosen and analyzed for their significance as
references to a time referred to in the Bible.
 Introduction
The turn of world events from a political
difference to a theological one between nations
asks the question where we are headed. The Middle
East conflict is now worse than when the cold war
was still on. The new independent former Soviet
republics now wants to join the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) or the European
Union (EU), or both. Europe is now faced with
threats from Arab refugees fleeing the fighting in
Syria and Iraq which has drawn in official state
participation from countries like: the U.S., Russia,
the U.K., France, Germany, Australia, Turkey,
Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, not to mention
mujahideens from Islamic countries like Chechnya
and others; keeping us wondering whether the
“day of the Lord” is again upon us in the scale of
the desolation of the nations when Jerusalem fell.
When U.S. President George Bush, Sr. had asked
France' President Jacques Chirac for support in the
1991 Persian Gulf War, his vision of Gog and Magog
had prompted the latter to consult the foremost
theological professor of the University of France in
Lausanne. Without a definitive timeline and a total
perspective of end time prophecy, a scanty

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understanding of Gog and Magog based only on
Ezekiel’s prophecy can be misleading.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Why 666?

Let us begin with the pertinent scripture

reference – Revelation 13:16-17:

{13:16}And he causeth all, both small

and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or
in their foreheads: {13:17} And that no
man might buy or sell, save he that had
the mark, or the name of the beast, or
the number of his name.

Six is next to the sacred seven, which it mimics

but falls short of. Revelation 13:18 tells us that 666
is the mark of the beast. 6 is man’s number,
opposed to 7 which is the number of divinity.1. 6 is
man’s number which signifies man’s limitations
and falling short of the glory of G-d. 2 But Christ is
not mere man but the Son of G-d. 3 Three 6’s are in
opposition to Christ’s three characteristics as
Messiah: king or prince of Israel, high priest in the

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temple of Solomon and prophet. The anti-Christ
possesses these three characteristics in opposition
to Christ’s by falsely assuming these characteristics
of Christ with the intention to deceive. Thus:

{13:18} Here is wisdom. Let him that

hath understanding count the number of
the beast: for it is the number of a man;
and his number [is] Six hundred
threescore [and] six.

That said, we know that we must prepare for the

event when this man will show himself and come
forth to claim what properly belongs to Jesus.

2. When did the Millennium

begin?
The Millennium is best reckoned as beginning at
the end of the 1260 years defined in the phrases “a
time amd times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25),
“time times, and an half” (Dan 12:7), “a time, and
times, and half a time” (Rev 12:14), “forty [and] two
months” (Rev 11:2; 13:5), “a thousand two hundred
[and] threescore days” (Rev 11:3; 12:6), “three days

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and an half” (Rev 11:9 and 11:11) and “midst of the
week” (Dan 9:27).4 These times also began in 70 AD
when “the daily sacrifice ceased” for the last time
when the temple and the walls of Jerusalem were
razed to the ground by then Roman General Titus,
who later became Caesar. The temple being the
highest place for worshiping G-d, the events
affecting its state is significant. 70 AD also began
the time when “the saints are given over” to the
Roman empire as the physical temple in the
concept of the Old Testament, is destroyed and the
church is said to be “in the wilderness.”5 1330
marked its end with the separation of church and
state in the concept of the New Testament. This
defined, tells us when the Millennium begins there
being no gap in time as Jesus Christ and His might
and power are firmly established. The Lord is in a
hurry for those who were slain for the Word of
G-d (Rev 6:9-11). In 1330 the 1260 years ended after
the rebellion of the German princes, Franciscan
friars, and philosophers who advocated the
separation of the church and state abrogated the
pope’s authority to confirm the emperor-elect
leading to the Declaration of Rense in 1338, forever
instituting this reform.

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 And he shall confirm the covenant with
many for one week: and in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and
the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall
make [it] desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined
shall be poured upon the desolate. (Dan
9:27)

3. The end of age in Matthew 24.

{2}And Jesus said unto them, See ye
not all these things? verily I say unto
you, There shall not be left here one
stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down. {3} And as he sat upon
the mount of Olives, the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and what
[shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of
the end of the world?

Matthew 24 may confound some theologians

because Christ said,

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 {34}Verily I say unto you, This
generation shall not pass, till
all these things be fulfilled.

after he enumerated all the things that will be the

sign of his coming and the end of age. The
generation of Jesus' disciples had passed away, but
the end of age had not come. But all the things that
he enumerated did happen - in 70 AD, at the fall of
Jerusalem, exactly as he foretold! It was not the
end of age, however. Not yet. But the signs of his
coming and of the coming end of age were referred
to by Jesus as akin to the events that accompanied
the fall – meaning that the end of age will come as
in the fall of Jerusalem. Then Jesus continues, with
a parable of a fig tree, also found in Matthew 24,
saying:

{32}Now learn a parable of the fig tree;

When his branch is yet tender, and
putteth forth leaves, ye know that
summer is nigh:

There are several reasons why the fall of

Jerusalem, particularly, the destruction of the
temple of Solomon, the highest place for
worshiping the Lord, is the focal point of end time

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prophecy. Foremost among them is the battle to
take over the temples as it stood for everything that
is of G-d. He who
sits as high priest
of the temple, is
the representative
of G-d and if he is
also prince or king
of Israel, as well as
able to prophecy,
then he is the
Messiah.

Contrary to the common belief of the meaning

of the scriptures in Matthew 24:36, 42; Luke 12:39;
and 2 Peter 3:10 that the Lord will come like a thief
in the night so we can throw concern away, it
cautions us to stay awake as only those who are
asleep will not know when the thief comes (1 Thes
5:4), that it may not surprise us (Rev 3:3) and to be
clothed as not to be shamefully exposed in our
ignorance of the Lord, our Master’s coming (Rev
16:15). For the Lord told Noah when it was time
(Gen 7:1), but of two men in the field, two in bed
and two women grinding, one of each was taken
up, the others left (Matt 24:40-41; Luke 17:34-36).

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Furthermore, the parable of the fig tree spoken of
by Jesus when asked about the end of age implies
that clear recurring signs like the seasons will show
the time of its coming (Matt 24:32; Mark 13:28-29;
Luke 21:29-31).

Jesus said, in Matthew 24:36 (cf: Mark 13:32):

{36}“No one knows about that day or

hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father.”

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord

(Gen 6:8) who was a righteous and blameless man,
and he walked with G-d (Gen 6:9). So, Noah knew
the day or hour because the Lord instructed him
and told him when it was time to go. Thus, in
Genesis 7:1:

The Lord then said to Noah, "Go into

the ark, you and your whole family,
because I have found you righteous in
this generation.

In New Testament times, we find in the Book of

John, the Holy Spirit, also called Advocate,
Comforter, or Counselor. When Jesus was taken

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up, he left the Holy Spirit to help guide the apostles
and other disciples to the truth and will tell them
what is yet to come (John 16:13). The Spirit will
make known what it has received from Jesus which
comes from the Father (John 16:13-15). So we
know what the Father knows through the Holy
Spirit because we believe in Jesus.

{13} Howbeit when he, the Spirit of

truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew
you things to come.

{14} He shall glorify me: for he shall

receive of mine, and shall shew it unto
you.

{15} All things that the Father hath are

mine: therefore said I, that he shall take
of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

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4. So, when is the end of age
(time)?
There is compelling reason to believe that the
vision the prophet Ezekiel saw of the temple of
Solomon (Ezek 43:4) after its reconsecration or
rededication was the temple that the prophet
Daniel spoke of as being reconsecrated after “2300
evenings and mornings” from the time that the
daily sacrifice ceased and the abomination that cau-
ses desolation is set up
in the temple (Dan
8:14). Since 70 AD,
the temple had not
been used for daily
sacrifices. There were
two destructions of the
temple which ceased
the daily sacrifice. First in 587 BC by the neo-
Babylonian Nebuchad-nezzar which would not be
rebuilt and its reconstruction finished until the time
of the Persians in 516 BC and rededicated a year
later. The second and last time was in 70 AD by the
Romans. Since then, all attempts at rebuilding the
temple failed. For it to be reconsecrated from

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this date, it has to be rebuilt which means that it
will be reconstructed and within that year of its
completion, reconsecrated or rededicated.

In Numbers 14:34, we find that a day is like a

year, such that:

After the number of the days in which

ye searched the land, even forty days,
each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall
know my breach of promise.

The same day=year format is followed in Ezekiel

4:4-6:
{4} Lie thou also upon thy left side, and
lay the iniquity of the house of Israel
upon it: [according] to the number of
the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou
shalt bear their iniquity. {5} For I have
laid upon thee the years of their
iniquity, according to the number of the
days, three hundred and ninety days: so
shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house
of Israel. {6} And when thou hast
accomplished them, lie again on thy

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 right side, and thou shalt bear the
iniquity of the house of Judah forty
days: I have appointed thee each day for
year (Ezek4:4-6).

2300 mornings and evenings or 2300 days means

2300 years from 70 AD, the year of its last
destruction. It will closely follow the events during
the Persian's rebuilding and reconsecration. This
would simply follow this pattern as Jesus said, it is
like the season, so know when the fig tree is in
bloom. After its rebuilding, it will be reconsecrated.
This will be 2370. Perhaps, by now you understand
why the Bible, a small book, can tell of times well
into the future. You also may have observed the
redundancy by which events are told over and over
again with little more than a phrase to differentiate
one from another, for example, “the day of the
Lord.”

In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, which is

significant because it provides for new architectural
dimensions to the temple, as well as new
boundaries for the land that will become the
inheritance of Israel, the prophet saw the glory of
G-d return to the temple. Theologians believe that

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the vision refers to the third temple rebuilt,
reconsecrated and the shekinah settling. This is
Jesus Christ, the glory of G-d, in His second coming
and the end of age.

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1
Fausset's, s.v. “Anti-Christ,” studylight.org.
2
Ibid.
3
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God,”
4
Saint Augustine, The City of God (De Civitate Dei),
Vol 2, trans. John Healey (Edinburgh: John Grant,
1909), 279.
5
Revelation 12:6 “And the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred
[and] threescore days.”