Jesus’ description of the last days events: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrow” (Matt. 24:6-8; Mark 13:7,8; Luke 21:9-11).

James tell us why we war. “From whence come wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: Ye fight and war. Yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (Jas. 4:1-3).
The wars and fighting that James references are in contrast to the “peace” he had just discussed. He had in mind the quarrels and factions among believers. The source of these is found in your lusts, your fervent desires for pleasure, that war in your members.

The parallel — you desire and do not have, so you kill. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war — is comparable to Jesus’ description of the nations.
The last three wars on earth will occur after the Rapture of the True Church, that invisible spiritual body of Christ consisting of those who repented, confessed and accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. They, only they, will be prepared to be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thess. 4:16,17). The apostate church, that great body of people who have departed from the faith while holding on to profession, will be left behind to suffer the Judgments of the Great Tribulation period, but will be saved near the end of the 7-year period if they survive.
The Rapture ends the 6th dispensation of Grace (the church age) and begins the 7th and last which is Kingdom, also called the “Fullness of Time” (1 Cor.15:24; Eph.1:10).

Immediately after the Rapture (Rev. 4:3) we see the four and twenty elders clothed in white raiment, wearing crowns of gold, around the throne, signifying the Church caught up into Heaven to be with the Lord. The True Church will not be on earth during the 7 years of Judgments.
There are three series of Judgments — the 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Vials of the wrath of God that will occur between the gathering of the church to the Lord, and the end of the 7-year period when He brings the church with Him to Jerusalem.

The first 3 1/2 years of this period will be mild, but the last half will be known as the Great Tribulation, a time of blood, death, torment and suffering on this earth such as has never been knownn. The Rapture of the church removes all of Satan’s opposition on the earth, so nations will rise against nations, wild passions of wild men will be let loose and there will be a time of wholesale slaughter.

Near the end of the first 3 1/2 years, the first of the last three wars will be waged in Israel: Russia and allies against Israel. Russia desires the vast mineral wealth that Israel has discovered, and convinces the Arab nations, Iran, and Germany to join them in war against Israel. God will intervene and cause an earthquake, rain and hail in Israel that destroys the Russian army and all allies. It will take the Israelites 7 years to collect the debris, and 7 months to bury the dead (Ezek.38,39). That will be the first decisive war.

The second war will occur when Jesus and the Church in its glorified bodies return to Jerusalem at the end of the 7 years Great Tribulation period. Jesus will set up His earthly Kingdom and begin the Millennium 1000 year rule. When He returns, the anti-Christ will have become flushed with power and will defy God, seeking to destroy the 144,000 witnessing Jews who were converted during the Great Tribulation period, as well as the city of Jerusalem. The participants will be all nations against God at Jerusalem.
Jesus, representing God, begins this Battle of Armageddon and quickly wipes out the combined armies of more than 200 million men (Joe12:11: 3:9-14: Zech.14:1: Rev.16:14; 19:11.17). The bloodbath covers over 185 miles of Israel and is “even unto the horses bridles”(Rev. 14:20). The anti-Christ and false prophet will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20). Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit for 1000 years (Rev. 20:1). And there will be peace on earth for 1000 years.

At the end of the 1000 year Millennium period, God sets Satan free and allows him one more opportunity on earth to preach his deceiving message, and he will be successful, deceiving millions of those born during the Millennium period to turn away from Christ. This turning away, begins the third and final war on earth. The participants are Satan and the multitudes who have become his followers. These millions of people will completely circle the believers and encompass Jerusalem in a state of siege. When this occurs, God will send down fire from heaven killing multi-millions in Satan’s army. Satan is then cast into the Lake of Fire, where the false prophet and anti-Christ are; they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev.20:7).
Rev. 7:1-8, tells us that Israel, who rejects Christ and is lost, will accept Him in the Great Tribulation period, be saved, sealed, preach the Gospel, and become Tribulation Saints.

Rev. 7:9-17 tells of the Gentiles who are saved during the Great Tribulation period. John said of them: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” They are the saved ones out of every nation, tongue, and kindred on the face of the earth, the visible apostate church included. They all will be saved through the preaching of the 144,000 Jews, not Gentiles, but they will be saved by “the blood.”

We know not when the Rapture will occur, but we do know that the first war will occur 3 1/2 years after the rapture; the 2nd war 7 years after the rapture, and the 3rd and last war on earth 1007 years after the rapture.

Dr. Waiters can be reached at 704-636-3369.