Introduction

After having studied what the Bible actually says about the end-times for about 30 years, and having shuffled around the various confusing pieces of the final-day scenario puzzle, I have placed them together within what I understand is a non-negotiable and irrefutable border or framework of God’s intended purposes for all His Chosen People since the beginning of time. These corners, borders, and centerpiece determine the final picture of the unity of both true Christians and Jews, plus God’s purposes for all mankind, providing a way for everyone to believe and join His people through the Messiah.

I am proposing a combination of some eschatological elements from all three commonly termed Christian Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib end-time pre-millennialist theories. I prefer to call this my “Joint Christian and Jewish Resurrection Eschatological Theory,” where Christians and Jews will participate together in the same resurrection of the dead (or “rapture”) before God displays His wrath upon the remaining unbelievers. His People will return to Earth when Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah or Mashiaj) descends to establish His Messianic Age (Millennium). We will reign jointly with Him for this temporary period, and then share the same eternity with the One True God and Creator of all, the Jewish Yehovah or יהוה. Evidently, this implies that the Jewish people will finally accept that Yeshua is their long-awaited Messiah, whether they can conceive of it at this moment or not. This is what God is waiting for, in order to set in motion His latter-day program. God is also waiting for Christians to get their act together and accept that Jews are part of their own destiny, especially since it was originally intended for them. We are just the late-comers, grafted into the Olive Tree by grace (Rom. 11).

On the other hand, Christians have hotly debated the issue about a powerful “Antichrist” (or Anti-Messiah) in the end-time scenario, and many theories have been proposed as to who this actually will be and what role he will play in the last days. I propose that it does not refer to a single figure, but to a collective entity that opposes the true Christ or Messiah. I also propose that this Counterfeit Messiah has been evident ever since the 7^th century, and its evil power has been felt by millions of Jews and Christians down through the centuries, since this Satanic entity has always warred against the One True God and has tried to derail His holy plans. Satan is just as real as God, but is merely a creation of God that went awry by his own free will, and God is allowing him to test His People so that they can evidence whether they love and obey God voluntarily, as illustrated in the book of Job. Satan has always opposed God with false religions, but his ultimate counterfeit religion, namely Islam, was spawned to overcome God and His Christ or Messiah. Allah is the antithesis of the Biblical God. This religion seeks to control his followers by fear and forced submission, which is spread through the sword while demonstrating hatred of everything Godly. Certain portions of the Muslim history will be discussed later in this book. It is essential to understand Islamic history if we are to perceive a more correct picture of God’s eternal plans for His People, both Jews and Christians.

Most important of all, any picture that does not have the Jewish and Gentile people of God together as the Body of Messiah before the resurrection and their joint participation as equals in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and co-rulers in the millennial Messianic Age and in the Eternal “World-to-Come” is totally erroneous, and we might even classify it as a profanation of God’s glorious Masterpiece!

The essential Centerpiece on which all these elements rest is the principle of “one new man” of Ephesians 2:15-16, where both Jew and Gentile are reconciled into one same body through the cross of Jesus (Yeshua).

The four foundational elements regarding God’s relationship with Jews and Christians represent the “Corners” of this puzzle:

1. God’s Old Testament saints and present-day Jews (though not yet believers in Yeshua) are part of His people. They will ultimately accept Him at the right moment.

2. The Church has been included in God’s New Covenant, together with Israel.

3. God has partially fulfilled His promises to Israel by returning them to their land.

4. God will keep His promises to Israel regarding their resurrection and Kingdom.

 The four great promised future events established in the Bible create the outer “Borders:”

1. There will be a First Resurrection of God’s saints to eternal life through the New Covenant, which includes both believing Jews and Gentiles.

2. These saints will co-reign with Yeshua during the Messianic millennial kingdom.

3. There will be a Second Resurrection, this time of unbelievers, for their judgment and condemnation to eternal death.

4. God’s saints will then enter the Father’s eternal kingdom (World-to-Come), which

           includes a new heaven and new earth, where God will live among His people.