Do you remember the short doxology with the Latin title ‘Gloria Patri? In English, it means ‘Glory to the Father.’ This short ‘hymn of praise to God’ (a doxology) goes as follows:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.
The Latin words of the full doxology as we know them today date back to the early 16th century. The words were translated into English in 1851. The Biblical scripture reference for the words of the doxology comes from Ephesians 5:20, “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” and Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
It is a true statement in this doxology that the world will not end, but over the course of time, our planet Earth and even the heavens will undergo an extreme makeover in the future, and I do not mean just the run-of-the-mill ‘climate change’ effects that certain segments of mankind fret so much about. Climate change effects will seem like small potatoes compared to the plan God has for the heavens and our earth in the future.
God built in up-and-down climate change for the earth from the very foundations of the world. Climate change has been happening on Earth long before mankind began to worry about man-made global warming and climate change in relatively recent times.
I have compiled a list of things to come upon the earth in the future, as well as in the heavens, as prophesied in the Bible, which mankind, especially non-Christians, should be concerned about taking place.
Let me preface this list by reminding the skeptics out there in the world that the Bible has a 100% accuracy record on all prophesies and promises mentioned in the Bible until now. So, there is no reason to believe the rest of these future Godly changes and judgments will not come to pass, because the ‘Word of God’ says they will happen. Therefore, be assured, they absolutely will happen!
This may not be a comprehensive Biblical list of things yet to happen on the earth and in the heavens, but you will definitely get the picture. God has painted us a clear picture. The following list of catastrophic things to take place will all happen during the post-Rapture period, commonly known as the seven-year Great Tribulation period.
I reckon several things on this list will come as a complete surprise to anyone who has not read or studied the Bible. Thankfully, Christians will not be around to experience this list of bad things because Jesus Christ will come and rapture all true Christians, both the living and the dead, from the earth prior to these terrible things taking place.
Let’s take a look at the things yet to come on the earth and in the heavens during the seven-year Tribulation period following the Rapture of the Church (Christians) by Jesus Christ. These future conditions of God’s judgments are all prophesied in the biblical book of Revelation, but some of them are mentioned in other books of the Bible as well.
Global war
Famine
¼ of the world’s population will die from war and hunger.
New tribulation period Christians will be slain for their faith.
Earthquakes
Sun darkened
Stars fall
Mountains and islands will be moved.
Panic and terror will be universal.
Hail and fire falls from heaven, mingled with blood.
1/3 of everything in and on the sea will be destroyed.
Bitter, poisoned waters
Sun smitten, affecting light and temperatures
Demonic creatures torture unsaved people
Another 1/3 of the world’s population dies.
More great earthquakes and great hail
Malignant sores plague all the unsaved people.
Seas becomes blood; all in the seas will die.
Only blood to drink from rivers and springs
People are scorched with fire and great heat.
People will gnaw their tongues due to pain and sores.
Preparation for the ‘Battle of Armageddon’
The greatest earthquake ever known to mankind
Cities throughout the world will crumble.
Every island and mountain will disappear.
Huge hailstones will fall, weighing about 100 pounds each.
Remember, these things listed above all occur during a brief seven-year period of time. Then, when Jesus Christ returns to Earth to begin His 1,000-year millennial reign on Earth from His center of government located in the city of Jerusalem in Israel, even more changes are in store for planet Earth. And then, when that millennium ends after a thousand years, even greater, truly astounding, amazing, and awesome things will take place on Earth and in the heavens. These changes will all be good and glorious!
God will make new heavens and a new earth, which will serve as the forever home for all the Old Testament Saints, the New Testament Christians, all Christians right up to the time the Rapture takes place, and those people who become Christians during the Tribulation period. The new earth includes a wondrous New Jerusalem city of massive proportion, which God tells us about in great detail in the biblical book of Revelation.
There are too many details about the Rapture, Millennium, the New Heavens, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem to cover in this article, but you can read about them for yourselves in the biblical books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation. Also referenced in many other books of the Bible, including Daniel, 1 Thessalonians, Zechariah, Matthew, Psalms, Acts, and in many of the other minor prophet books of the Old Testament, etc.
The important thing to remember about all these future events is your need to become a Christian before the Rapture in order for you to avoid all the bad things listed above during the Great Tribulation. In addition, after becoming a Christian, reading the Bible will make better sense to you and be much easier to understand because you will have the Holy Spirit in you to help enlighten you and explain God’s Word while you study.
The main point to remember is to accept Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as your personal Lord and Savior, who died on a cross for you and all of us, shedding His blood for us as the Lamb of God and then rising from the dead. Jesus took all of our sins, past, present, and future, and had them nailed on the cross with Him. By His Resurrection, Jesus defeated Death and made us righteous with God the Father. Therefore, we are justified by God’s grace and mercy, enabling us to gain entry into heaven for all eternity.
Now, in conclusion, just for clarity’s sake, the order of future events is first the Rapture, then the Great Tribulation, followed by the battle of Armageddon, then Jesus’ return to Earth on the Mount of Olives to rule from Jerusalem during the Millennium, and finally the New Heavens, New Earth, New Jerusalem, and Eternity spent with Jesus Christ.
But until these things come to pass, we can keep singing the doxology of ‘Gloria Patri’!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
To God be the glory, great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His son
Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer, the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
These verses are from an 1875 hymn by Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915)