KEYWORDS

This is a list of oft-recurring key-words found in End Time prophecy, and their relative meaning. Since the list is composed of just a few words, there is no index. It can be surveyed rather quickly.

From Greek "ANTICHRISTOS", meaning "against Christ" or "in the place of Christ".
The person who, during the Tribulation, will proclaim himself to be "God", and who will persecute Christians, Jews and all who will oppose him. Also referred in the New Testament as "Son of Perdition", "the Beast", "the Mistery of Iniquity", "Man of Sin", "the Wicked ".

From Greek "APOKALUPSIS", meaning "revelation," "uncovering," "unveiling."
Although this word simply means "revealing", in everyday language it has become synonymous of catastrophic events, such as earthquakes described (erroneously) as "apocalyptic". While the book so named deals with the "revealing of the righteous Judgement of God upon impenitent mankind, it also includes the manifestation of God's Glory and of His Kingdom, and prominently, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From Greek "APOSTASIA", meaning "to forsake", "to defect", "to turn from", "to fall away".
It applies to someone who at one point in his life rejects his former beliefs. In relation to Christianity, through the centuries there have always been some who have departed from the faith. In the Last Days, we will instead have a mass falling away from the orthodox Christian doctrines. This "apostasy" is already taking place and is gradually increasing its momentum.
See State of the Church.

From Hebrew "HAR ", meaning "mountain, hill country " - "MEGIDDO", meaning "meeting, rendez-vous".
It refers to the battle which will be fought in the area at the head of the plain of Esdraelon, southeast of Jerusalem, when Antichrist will gather his armies there to destroy Israel. This battle will end with the visible return on earth of the Lord Jesus Christ and His complete annihilation of these armies. At this time, both the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be captured and cast alive in the Lake of Fire.

"End Times", "Last Days", "End of the Age" and similar terms refer to the period of time immediately preceding the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. It will be the most terrible time ever on earth, bar none. In a larger sense, the time-period so denominated starts right after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The false religious leader also referred as "another beast" who will support the Antichrist in his claims to Deity. Performing great signs and wonders, he will force everybody into obedience to the Antichrist by obliging all to receive the "Mark of the Beast".

From Greek "CHARAGMA", meaning "a stamp", "an impression", "an etching".
The personal identification mark which the False Prophet will oblige all to take in the back of their right hand or in their forehead, in order to be able to buy and sell (thereby controlling all financial transactions). Please check our Hi-Tech and The Mark of the Beast links for technology updates on laser encryption, micro chips implants, super computers and the like.
Attention: Whosoever willingly accepts this mark will lose all possibility of ever being saved.

From Latin "MILLE ANNUM", meaning one thousand years.
Also known as "The MiIllennial Kingdom", this time span refers to the period of time after the Battle of Armageddon, when the Lord Jesus Christ, after His Return, will reign on earth from Jerusalem. This view is called pre-Millenialism. There are also other views: a-millenialism, which spiritualize the event and does not expect the Lord to return to earth bodily, and post-millenialism, which pretends that the Lord will return to earth only after the Christians have put everything under their control so as to hand the cleansed earth to the Lord. Seeing how things are going, this view is pure science fiction.

The apostate religious system which will be in place during Antichrist's reign, who will tolerate it for a time to suit his purposes, and who will finally destroy it at mid point of his seven year reign. It is also referred as "the Whore" because of its spiritual and material corruption (false doctrines and business affairs). The Roman Catholic Church is seen as the prime candidate for this infamous position, joined by apostate Protestantism and various other neo-Christian and non-Christian entities.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, here and now we maintain that there exists a difference between the Catholic hierarchy (Vatican, and its related substructures) and the simple Catholic believer. This editor has met Catholic brothers who, by their love for the Lord and their lifestyle, put to shame many Evangelicals by whatever name. It is also true that most Catholics are not even aware, to their detriment, of what the real doctrines of the Catholic Church are, as it is also a fact that the vast majority of Catholics do not attend Church at all, and make no effort to believe in God as required by their own Church; they are just "born Catholic." I know that for a fact, as I was one.

Of course, if we talk about the Vatican, and the power structure it represents, the story changes. How can anyone sit so high and mighty and display such ignorance of the most elementary Bible doctrines, means only that they are outright deceivers, or that they are outright deceived. Moreover, it must also be remembered that the Catholic Church, with its power centers and areas of political, social and financial influence, is first and foremost a massive business which controls enormous amounts of wealth and real eistate, directly, indirectly and by association. As such, she is therefore subject and tied to all the trappings which relate to commercial enterprises.

From Latin "RAPTUS," "RAPIETUR," meaning "to snatch away," "to remove with force."
The sudden and miraculous removal from the earth of true Christians, (departed and alive), by the Lord Jesus Christ. There are different views about the timing of the Rapture, pre-Trib, mid-Trib and post-Trib, principally. For a more complete description of these views, please check our Pre-Mid-Post-A-Millennial What? page.

See MARK OF THE BEAST.
Most probably, a computer related id-code which will be assigned to every person and which will be needed to execute all financial transactions, and without which, one will be unable to buy or sell anything. Through the centuries, people have speculated on the identity of the Antichrist by applying various mathematical formulas to people's names. A complete waste of time, since the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the true Church has been "raptured". Biblically, 6 is the number of man and 666 represents man to the his highest point of exaltation (against God).

An expression referring to the time span when "Gentiles" will rule the earth, including Israel. Regarding Israel, it refers to the times that she has had no leader, no prophet, no temple and no sacrifices. Since 586 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem, Israel has had no king. No prophet has arisen in the land since 400 years before Christ. (except John the Baptist and Jesus himself, whom "Israel" rejected) No sacrifices have been offered since 70A.D., when the Romans assassinated the priests and destroyed all the priestly records as well as the Temple. Today, and since 1948, Israel is again a nation, and so she has a leader. Preparations have been made for the priestly class, but there is still no temple and consequently no sacrifices. Please check our Countdown page to get more news on this.

From Greek "THLIPSIS", meaning affliction.
A coming seven year period in which unprecedented world chaos and destruction will be unleashed upon the earth when the "restrainer" of God's wrath is "taken out of the way." (See RAPTURE above) This restrainer is the Holy Spirit (working through the Church), Who has dwelt within believers since the day of Pentecost. A parallel to this event is seen in God's judgement upon Sodom and Gomorrah, when "no one righteous" was found in those cities.
About two thirds of the world population will perish. It will be the time of Antichrist's reign and it will end at the Battle of Armageddon, with the visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth, and the total defeat of the Beast and of his followers. Also referred as "the time of Jacob's Trouble", since Israel will be the main object of Antichrist's attention and fury. It is generally divided as the "Small" and the "Great Tribulation, " the former occupying the first three and one half years, and the latter the last three and one half.