                     STUPENDOUS IMPENDING EVENTS                 
     This booklet is meant to present a brief and concise
outline, in chronological order, of the great things that are to
happen in this world as foretold in the Holy Scriptures -- our
precious Bible.  The first tremendous event will be the coming of
Christ to take all true believers in Jesus Home to Heaven. We
speak of it as the--                                             
     RAPTURE -- This word does not mean "ecstasy" though it will
be one of the most thrilling sensations ever to be known.  The
word comes from a Latin root "rapere", which means to catch up or
snatch away.  It is the word we read in 1 Thess. 4:17 where we
are said to be "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air.  To those
who know, the "Rapture" means the coming of Christ to take us
home to Glory, to which we look forward with joyous anticipation. 
It is the very next thing of world-wide consequence which is to
take place.                                                      
     We all know that the coming of Christ is found often in the
Bible, both in the Old and the New Testaments.  But this special
coming, known as the "Rapture" is only found in the New
Testament.  The first time it is said by the Lord Jesus Himself,
when we hear Him say in John 14:2-3: "In My Father's house are
many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."  There are no
details given here.  He says, "I go," but does not say how and
when and where.  Since He was speaking to the disciples, they
might naturally think that He would come for them alone.  We
learn later that He will come for all believers, both dead and
living; and since He has not come as yet, we know that all the
believers of these many centuries will be included in this joyous
event.  In John 11:25-26 our Lord gave a hint that this rapture
would include those who had died, for He says: "though he were
dead, yet shall he live" and also that many would never die at
all, when He said in John 11:26, "whosoever liveth and believeth
in Me shall never die."                                          
     So far then we have learned that the Lord will come, that
believers who have died shall live and believers who are living
at that time shall never die.  But it does NOT say who those
believers are.  We turn now to 1 Thess. 4:14-17 and there that
missing link is recorded.  "For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.  For the Lord
Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first.  Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord."                  
     Here we get the additional information that at the rapture
all who are saved will share in this tremendous event: those who
had died would be raised from the dead; those alive at the time
will together with the revived ones rise to meet the Lord in the
air.  Here we learn that our blessed Lord will come from Heaven
(not all the way to earth) but that we shall rise to meet Him in
the air.  There is one very prominent detail omitted here.  What
about our bodies?  This so important detail is added for instance
in I Cor.15:51-53: "Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not
all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall
be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality."  Here we learn that our
bodies shall be changed to suit the Glory to which we are going.
The same truth is given in Phil. 3:20,21 as follows: "for our
conversation (the word literally is our 'citizenship') is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ: Who shall change our 'vile' body (literally the body of
our 'humiliation'), that it may be fashioned like unto His body
of glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to
subdue all things unto Himself."                                 
     The verses quoted above tell the story that our Lord will
come to take all believers to Glory.  It is the very first great
event we look forward to.  What a thought!  Just think of
millions upon millions of true believers from Adam down to the
very moment Jesus comes shall all be on earth for a few moments;
then to ascend to Heaven above.  The Bible knows of nothing that
has to happen before that climactic hour.  It may happen today. 
The Bible has a lot to say about the very things we see right now
in the way of wickedness, wars, earthquakes, and specially the
fearful departure from the vital truths of God's Word.  All these
and more impress the intelligent believer that the coming of our
blessed Lord must be near.  Anyway, we are urged to live as those
who wait for their Lord to come.  "Yet a little while, and the
Lord shall come."  In view of it, may we be in earnest in living
for Christ and seeking to reach souls with the great news of
salvation through faith in Him Who died that sinners might live. 
     THE NATION OF ISRAEL -- What will happen after we Christians
leave this world and ascend with Christ to Glory?  THE ANSWER IS:
God will take up again as His special interest, Israel.  As it
says in Rom. 11:2 God has not cast away His people which He
foreknew; at this present time there is a remnant according to
the election of grace (v.5).  Israel fell, but through their fall
salvation is come to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11).  "For I would
not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest
ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is
happened to Israel (for the last nineteen centuries because of
Israel's rejection of their Messiah), until the fulness of the
Gentiles be come in."  The fulness of the Gentiles refers to this
present day of grace when the Gospel is preached world-wide
largely to the Gentiles.  When that period ends at the "rapture"
then God will again take up Israel as it goes on to say: "And so
all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out
of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 
For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their
sins.  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes:
but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers'
sakes."                                                          
     This future conversion of Israel is romantically foretold in
Ezek. 37:1-10.  Read this striking passage.  It describes the
future physical and spiritual revival of the nation of Israel. 
"Four winds" (Ezek. 37:9) blow, suggesting that the Spirit of God
will bring the people from the four quarters of the earth.  The
same "four winds" are seen in Matt. 24:31, referring to the same
ingathering of Israel.  The same thought of the four winds is
seen in Rev. 7:1, in connection with Israel's future.            
     The nation of Israel, restored to their land and once again
the subject of God's special interest, is seen divided into three
main parts.  In Zech. 13:8-9 we read that two parts of the people
shall be cut off and shall die; while the third part will be
brought through the fire.  That is, a third part of the nation
will pass alive through the fearful fire (spoken of as the "great
tribulation") and will become the focal nation of the earth with
Jerusalem as their capital city.  These three parts are clearly
set forth in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation 7 the 144,000
are those saved Jews from the great tribulation judgments who
will be the nucleus of Israel to live on the earth forever.  One
section of Israel will be killed for their faithfulness to
Christ.  In Rev. 11:11-12 we read of those faithful Jews who will
witness for Christ and who will suffer as martyrs.  They will be
raised from the dead and are caught up to Heaven to share in the
perfect bliss of those caught up to Glory at the rapture.  And
the third group are those who worship the beast and his image
(the apostates) who will be destroyed at Christ's coming in power
and glory.  The two parts of Israel that will die are the martyrs
and the apostates; the ones who pass alive through the fires of
the great tribulation will form the nucleus of Israel as God's
people on earth.                                                 
     After we have been taken home to Heaven at the "Rapture" God
will immediately take up the nation of Israel, because He
promised so to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Israel's blindness will
be lifted for many of them who will turn to God in repentance and
own Christ as their Saviour.                                     
     At that time all on earth will be sinners, on the way to
Hell.  All believers will be taken to Heaven.  But, in taking up
Israel and opening the eyes of many to see their guilt and repent
and turn to Christ, there will be another testimony on earth
confessing Christ.  They will become God's witnesses, preaching
the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations who had not heard
the Gospel and as a result many shall be saved.  But Satan does
not want this, and those messengers will be bitterly persecuted. 
Our Lord Himself foretold that many would be killed (Matt. 24:9). 
The nation passing alive through the tribulation and inheriting
the kingdom is seen in Revelation 12.                            
     Summing up the foregoing, Israel will be restored as a
nation; many among them will be awakened to their guilt and will
be saved.  Those will go forth and preach the Gospel of the
Kingdom (that Christ is coming to reign).  Many of those will be
slain, but many shall remain alive and will inherit the earth
under their Messiah's reign.  All this in relation to Israel.    
     When the Church goes to Glory, besides Israel there will be
two other groups on earth--the false church, prominently seen in
the Romish system and recorded in Revelation 17 and 18, and, of
course the nations as such; many of them Communistic, full of
blasphemy against God.  Since the false church at least claims to
believe in Christ and mentions Him, it becomes the butt of bitter
persecution by the political powers.  Revelation chapter 17 shows
how the ten-nations coalition of Western European nations (which
I believe includes the U. S. since it is part of "NATO" already)
will annihilate this wicked religious fraud (called the "Mother
of harlots and abominations of the earth").  It is the
destruction of Roman Catholicism and all those who share its
fearful guilt.  The Leader of the Western European powers is
called the "Beast."  Europe will unite under this sinister
Monster, said to be full of blasphemy.  This tells us that after
we, believers in Jesus, leave this world the political powers
will become wholly wicked and communistic.  They will wipe the
false church off the map and will bitterly persecute Israel under
the leadership of the Antichrist--himself a Jew.                 
     THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST -- We are told a number of
times in the book of Revelation that this final time of fearful
horror known as the "great tribulation" lasts three and one-half
years.  It will be climaxed by the public, majestic coming of
Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  (See
Matt. 24:21-31.)  Matthew 13:40-42 -- "As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of
this age.  The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they
shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them
which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."                   
     Revelation 19:11-21 describes in dramatic fashion the coming
of Christ from Heaven to destroy the mighty armies gathered
against Him.  Every soul is slain and the great Political Leader
of the European armies is cast alive into the lake of fire, as is
his co-criminal the "false prophet" who is the Antichrist.  When
Jesus comes He is accompanied with mighty armies clothed in fine
linen, white and clean (v.14) which is the Church.  And just ere
our Lord thus comes, we read in the opening verses of this
chapter of the marriage of Christ to His Church.  All those
gathered against our Lord in war, as recorded in these verses in
Revelation 19 are totally destroyed.  But everybody is not in the
army, so when we turn to Matt. 25:31-46 we see our Lord dealing
with the wicked nations at home; and every one of the goats (the
sinners) is cast into the lake of fire.  All the wicked are taken
off the earth; only those who are God's people remain to enter
the reign of Christ the Lord.  Those who do so are saved Jews and
those from among the nations who heeded the message of Christ the
King.                                                            
     THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS -- This will take place at
Christ's coming in power and glory as He comes in the clouds of
heaven.  Just a look at the setup when those nations are blasted
at the coming of Christ as told forth in the Scriptures as
follows:                                                         
     Ezekiel 38 describes the invasion of the "land" (of Israel)
by Gog and Magog (which is Russia and many other powers
associated with her).  They shall invade the land of Israel and
overflow it (see vv. 8-16).  God in His fury will destroy them
(vv. 18-23).  The same facts are set forth in Daniel 11:40-45.
The King of the North in that chapter (see v. 40) shall invade
the glorious land (the land of Israel).  He and the Gog of
Ezekiel 38 are one and the same person--the Russian power with
her satellites invading Israel and driving down through the land
into other countries and including Egypt (Dan. 11:41-42).  Now
turning to the book of Zechariah we learn an additional fact.  I
can assure you that the same Northern power (Russia, etc.) is in
view here.  We read here in Zech.14:2 the additional truth that
Jerusalem will be taken.  The Lord will go forth to fight against
those nations and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount
of Olives.                                                       
     Turning back now to Daniel 11, we learn that when Russia and
her cohorts are south of the land of Israel tidings out of the
East and out of the North trouble them.  A careful study of
Scripture shows why this is so.  Turning to Revelation 9:16 we
read of a mighty army of 200,000,000 coming from the East.  It is
believed that the tidings from the East that trouble the Russian
power in Daniel 11 is just the news that the vast armies from the
East, China, Japan, maybe India too are on their way to challenge
Russia.  There were also tidings out of the North, referring most
likely to the fact that the Western European armies had landed at
Armageddon (Rev. 16:16).  Those armies we have already seen in
Revelation 19:19-21.  When Russia hears this (Dan.11:41-42), she
goes back north, camps at Jerusalem on Mount Zion and meets her
doom there.  Summing all this up, we see the mighty armies from
the North, the East and the West all converging on the land of
Israel; and will all fall and be totally destroyed by our
glorious Lord, when He comes in mighty power.  Zechariah 14:1-4
describes the destruction of the Russians; Revelation 19:11-21
the destruction of the Western European powers.  Several verses
state that all the wicked will be blasted from the earth, such as
Matt. 13:41-42.  All sinners will be cast into Hell to await the
great day of final judgment.  Then shall, says Matt. 13:43, the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 
     We omit many, many details related in many of the Old
Testament Scriptures and so many in the book of Revelation.  We
do not want to confuse the issue but are anxious to present
briefly the main truths in connection with the events that lie
ahead.  We continue now with the next feature--the Reign of
Christ which follows the judgment of the world.  We read that at
first our Lord will reign a "thousand years" generally called
the--                                                            
     MILLENNIUM -- (Rev. 20:1-7) Verse 4 of this chapter tells us
that saints will reign with Christ a thousand years. Those saints
include us who were caught up to Glory at the rapture; also those
saints who were martyred during the tribulation and who were
caught up to Heaven after their martyrdom as we saw before as
said in Rev.11:12.                                               
     Verse 2 tells the startling fact that the devil is locked up
in the bottomless pit during those thousand years.  The devil is
absent while our blessed Lord will reign in perfect
righteousness.  The result, of course, is a time of peace and
righteousness in this now so troubled world.  What a day that
must be.  We have said already AND PROVEN that only saved souls
enter this marvelous age of blessing.  All sinners will have been
consigned to eternal doom before then.                           
     Isaiah 11:5-9 describes a little of those ideal days.  We
read that "righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and
faithfulness the girdle of His reins.  The wolf also shall dwell
with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and
the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a
little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall
feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on
the cockatrice' den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of
the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."                          
     The same wonderful things are said in Isa. 35, closing like
this: "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to
Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall
obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." 
     A wonderful 1000 years indeed.  Yet, as we turn to Rev.
20:7-9 we learn with amazement that when Satan is loosed after
the 1000 years are expired that he finds vast hordes to follow
him in rebellion against God and that such are devoured by fire
from Heaven.  Where do such sinners come from, since only saints
entered that glorious day a thousand years past?  The answer is
very simple and very sad, too.  Since only believers entered and
there are vast numbers of rebels at the end, it means that such
were born during those years.  Inspite of a thousand years of
bliss, millions are ready to rebel against God.  And they can't
blame the devil, for he was not there; they can't blame poverty
or hard times, for the millennium was a time of surpassing
prosperity.  Nay, man can only blame himself.  That's why our God
saw fit to test man.  It has been noticed by many that three, and
only three kings reigned over the whole 12 tribes of Israel--
Saul, David and Solomon; and each reigned exactly 40 years.  Saul
was the wicked, selfish king; his reign pictures man living in
sin and having his own way.  David reigned in kindness; his reign
pictures this present day of grace under the rule of our blessed
Lord.  Solomon reigned in power and glory when the greatest
prosperity possible existed in Israel; Solomon's reign of glory
pictures the millennial reign of Christ.  It pictures God's
kindness to man, blessing him so richly and still he goes astray. 
It is seen in this millennial period.  It proves that man is just
a wicked sinner.  And so the judgment of God will fall as our
text in Rev. 20 shows.                                           
     During this millennium things went on as usual.  Man was
tested under the most propitious circumstances.  Yet he failed. 
Flaming fire falls down from Heaven and devours every sinner
(Rev. 20:9) and the devil is forever doomed in the lake of fire
(v. 10).  We saw already that just before this millennial reign
of Christ every sinner then living on earth was destroyed at
Christ's public coming in power and glory.  Now we see the same
thing at its close.  This is the final doom of sinful men then
living on the earth.  And now, as we go on in Rev. 20 we read
another tremendous fact, namely that all the dead will stand
before God--before the Lord Jesus Christ, for we read in John
5:22 that the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son. 
All sinners (all the dead, for by this time every sinner will
have passed off the earth by death) are raised from the dead to
stand before--                                                   
     THE GREAT WHITE THRONE -- Read Rev. 20:11-15.  Every one is
cast into the lake of fire.  All sinners go to the same place of
eternal perdition, but they do not all suffer alike, for we read
in our text that they are judged out of those things which are
written in the books according to their works.  God has kept a
record of the life of every individual soul and their punishment
is gauged by that record.  Oh, how fearful is the thought of
eternal woe--weeping and wailing--when every soul who will but
turn to Christ in faith shall know instead, eternal joy and
bliss.                                                           
     This final judgment of all sinners who died unsaved closes
what we speak of as "time."  The very next verse in the book of
Revelation (chapter 21:1) introduces us to a "new heaven and a
new earth."  All sin and all sinners are gone forever, and we
enter what we speak of as--                                      
     THE ETERNAL STATE -- For many centuries "sin" reigned on the
earth; all during this age--from the Cross till now--sin still
reigns as far as man is concerned, but "grace" reigns as we read
in Rom. 5:21, through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord.  While grace is so richly offered by God to
sinful man, yet we know that sin and wickedness of every
description holds sway.  It won't be that way in the millennium
as we have seen.  There we are told that righteousness reigns--
for Christ reigns till all His enemies are put under His feet (1
Cor. 15:25).  But in the eternal state righteousness is not
merely said to reign, but to dwell (II Pet. 3:13).  Revelation
21:4 describes that ideal state: "God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away."  It has been well said that we
read here the sad things that won't be there.  It does not
describe the matchless glories and joys that will be ours
eternally--at present we would not be able to grasp those
infinite wonders.                                                
     Let us briefly sum up these seven great future events.      
                                                                 
       THE RAPTURE--THE COMING OF OUR LORD TO TAKE US HOME TO    
  GLORY.                                                         
       THE RESTORATION AND CONVERSION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.   
       THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING NATIONS AT--                   
       THE LORD'S COMING IN THE CLOUDS WHERE EVERY EYE SHALL SEE 
  HIM (Rev.1:7).                                                 
       THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.                           
       THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.                          
       THE ETERNAL STATE.                                        
                                                --August Van Ryn