Purkey’s

B i b l e   S t u d y

Outlines

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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey claims no originality for this Bible study outline.

However, every outline posted on this website has been taught by Rev. Purkey.

To see more Bible study outlines go to page two: More Bible Study Outlines.

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THE COMING PROPHETIC EVENTS

 

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 16:18

 

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

 

INTRODUCTION: For the past two Sundays I have been bringing messages designed to strengthen our faith for the future.

 

1. Recently we have looked at the question:

 

a. "What is this world coming to?"

 

b. And the answer of course is that it is coming to an end!

 

c. We have considered:

 

(1) The dangers to any study of prophetic events.

 

(2) As well as Paul's instruction to Timothy concerning the last days.

 

2. This morning we want to cover a brief survey of prophetic events.

 

a. To help us understand the history of God's dealing with this world, it is beneficial to divide time into basic periods of time.

 

b. From the beginning of this world until the end of the world we can see these seven distinctive periods as we study the Word of God.

 

c. For purposes this morning we want to focus on the age in which we now live, the Church Age and the yet to come Prophetic Events.

 

I. THE CHURCH AGE (The Age of Grace). (Matthew 16:17-20; 1 Peter 2:4-9)
(We are NOW in the Age of Grace)

 

(Matthew 16:18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

1. The Church.

 

Jesus said that He would build His church.

 

2. The Message.

 

The key events in the church age are (1) the death, (2) the burial and (3) the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

3. The Length.

 

Unlike the other dispensations, the actual length of this dispensation is not given.

 

4. The End.

 

However, the signs of the times suggest we are living in or near the end of this age.

 

5. The Building.

 

Jesus established the local church during His ministry upon earth, and He will continue to build it until He chooses the time to take all believers home with Him.

 

(Matthew 16:18) “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

 

6. The Outcome.

 

He reminds us that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

 

7. The Plan.

 

Nothing will prevail against God's eternal plan.

 

PASTOR PURKEY’S NOTE: Our job as a Christian is to be a soul-winner. We are to witness to others about (1) the death, (2) the burial and (3) the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need to tell our loved ones and neighbors how to be saved and ask them to accept Christ as their personal Savior.

 

II. THE RAPTURE. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) 16 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: 17 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.

 

1. The Next Biblical Event.

 

The end of this dispensation will be signaled by the next event on the timeline of biblical prophecy is the rapture, when Christ returns for all the saved.

 

2. The Transport To Heaven.

 

Our English word "rapture" comes from a Latin term that means "to transport" or "take away."

 

3. The Event Clearly Described.

 

Although the word is not found in the Bible, the event it refers to is clearly described.

 

(1 Cor. 15:51-52) "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, 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."

 

4. The Trumpet Will Sound.

 

Jesus will come as "the trumpet will sound."

 

a. In the OT, the single blast of the trumpet was either a call to war or to worship.

 

b. At the rapture, Jesus will usher us into His presence and we will worship Him.

 

c. At the same time, the trumpet will signal God's final battle with Satan.

 

d. Before our nation declares war on another country, the first act is to call the ambassadors home, to get them out of harm's way.

 

e. In much the same way, God will protect us from His "wrath" as the battle begins.

 

f. There are those who believe that the believer will have to go through the tribulation, but I believe that God's Word teaches us otherwise.

 

(1 Thess. 5:9) “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

III. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:1-13)

 

(2 Corinthians 5:10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

1. Only For Believers.

 

Immediately following the rapture, all believers will stand before "the judgment seat of Christ."

 

2. Place For Rewards.

 

Paul instructs us that "the judgment seat" is a place of reward or loss of reward.

 

3. Judged In Heaven.

 

The way we lived our lives will be judged in heaven.

 

4. To Determine Rewards.

 

Not to see if we are saved or not, but to determine rewards.

 

5. According To Obedience.

 

The Bible mentions many rewards, and at this judgment seat, these rewards will be meted out according to our obedience to Christ.

 

IV. THE GREAT TRIBULATION. (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-26; Revelation 9:18-21)

 

(Matthew 24:21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

 

1. Suffering Will Come.

 

After the rapture, all believers will stand before "the judgment seat of Christ" in heaven, the unbelievers left on the earth will face a period known as The Great Tribulation.

 

2. Satan Will Rule.

 

As believers are removed, Satan will have greater rule.

 

a. He will establish an unholy trinity. (Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet.)

 

b. He will take the place of God the Father.

 

c. His servant "the beast" will take the place of the Son. (Antichrist.)

 

d. And the "false prophet" the deceiver, will take the place of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. (Religious leader.)

 

3. Skillful Political Leader.

 

The "beast" will not be a terrible creature, but a global leader who will be beast-like in nature. (The antichrist.)

 

a. He will be a brilliant political ruler.

 

b. Perhaps he is living today.

 

4. Solution For Peace.

 

This antichrist will come for 3 1/2 years with a peace plan for Israel and the entire world.

 

5. Sham For Hope.

 

The later 3 1/2 years will have tremendous chaos.

 

6. Surprising Evil Power.

 

There will be many saved during the tribulation, but it will be very difficult to live for Christ because of the power of evil in the world.

 

7. Solemn Armageddon Battle.

 

This period of time will come to a close with a great battle, the battle of Armageddon, at which time the Lord will return to the earth.

 

V. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. (Matthew 24:16-30; Revelation 19:11-16)
(The King Is Coming: This is not to be confused with the Rapture.)

 

(Revelation 19:16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

 

1. Coming To The Earth.

 

At the Rapture Christ will come in the air, but at the Second Coming, He will come to the earth.

 

2. Coming With His Saints.

 

At the Rapture, Jesus will come for His saints, and at the Second Coming Jesus will come with His saints.

 

3. Coming As Righteous Judge.

 

Jesus will come as a righteous judge and to make war with those who oppose Him.

 

4. Coming To Destroy Enemies.

 

He will make short work of the enemies, as He destroys them by His Word.

 

(Revelation 19:21) “And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

 

PASTOR PURKEY’S NOTE: Simply put, I believe that we have been in the “end times” since the days of the Apostle Paul. I believe that Jesus can come in the Rapture at any time. I believe that there is nothing that I (or you) can do to stop or speed-up the Rapture or the Tribulation – even Jesus Christ Himself does not know when this will take place (Matthew 24:36, 40 & 42); only God the Father knows when the Rapture will take place. I believe that only saved people (living and dead) will be caught-up in the Rapture.

 

I believe that the Rapture will trigger the Tribulation period. It will last seven years, and during the last three and one half years there will be “Great Tribulation.” Everyone left after the Rapture will go through the Tribulation including the USA. The Nation of Israel will be the focus, and Israel will turn to Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior. The Jews will be the main preachers during the Tribulation; it will start with 144,000 Jewish preachers. Many will be saved during the Tribulation, but they will still have to go through the agony of Satan’s rule for seven years. It will be during this time that the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and the Antichrist will be revealed. The Tribulation will end after seven years when the King of kings, Jesus Christ, returns (in the Second Coming) to set up his kingdom. (“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” – Matthew 24:22) All saved people in heaven will return with Him and enjoy the glory of peace and righteousness of Christ’s rule (the Millennium). At this time Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet will be in hell.

 

I believe in a Pre-Tribulation and Pre-Millennial Rapture. My ministry today is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, evangelism, and teaching the saints the Word of God. My ministry has not changed in over fifty years. I look for the “Blessed Hope” of the return of Jesus Christ today, or tomorrow, or soon. I believe that the Rapture is “imminent,” and can take place at any time. I use a Scofield Study Bible, and I took part of the Scofield Reference Bible study course through Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1967.

 

I believe that today most professing Christians in America and most church in America are “amillennial." Many of our hymns are amillennial. But I am not. It’s old-fashioned, but I believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, and I am Pre-Millennial! This is where I am coming from. I hope it helps you understand what this preacher believes.

 

VI. THE KINGDOM AGE. (2 Corinthians 15:20-34; Revelation 20:1-6)

 

(Revelation 20:1-2) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

 

1. A Thousand Years.

 

Revelation 20:1-2 tells us that at this time Satan will be "bound" for a "thousand years."

 

2. The Millennial Reign.

 

This is the Kingdom Age or The Millennial Reign.

 

3. Throne Of David.

 

Jesus will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem to rule the whole world in a divine monarchy.

 

4. Reign With Christ.

 

In Rev. 20:4 the "thrones" refers to those of us who were raptured who will reign with Him for a thousand years on earth in our glorified bodies.

 

(Revelation 20:4) “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

 

5. Period Will End.

 

This dispensation will end at the close of the 1000 year period of time.

 

6. Satan Is Loosed.

 

Satan will be loosed for a season and mount a futile rebellion, which will be immediately squelched by our Lord.

 

7. The Final Judgment.

 

Then will come the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

VII. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. (Revelation 20:7-15)

 

(Revelation 20:11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

 

1. Satan’s Eternal Place.

 

Satan will finally be "cast into the lake of fire."

 

2. Christ Rejecter’s Doom.

 

All who died without Christ, whose names are not in "the Book of Life" will be "cast into the lake of fire."

 

3. Separation From God.

 

This is the judgment upon the dead (spiritual) and there is only one sentence pronounced…eternal separation from All Mighty God.

 

VIII. ETERNITY: ALL THINGS MADE NEW. (Revelation 21:1-22:21)

 

1. After this, the earth will be destroyed and God will create a new heavens and earth for us to enjoy for all eternity.

 

2. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

 

CONCLUSION: What's this world coming to? That's a good question. A better question is: What's coming to this world? For those who know Christ, the future is glory. For those who refuse to surrender to Christ, their future is judgment.

 

We know what this world is coming to…but what will we do with this knowledge? The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” People need to know, and who will tell them? "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:13-14).

 

The rich man in hell lifted up his eyes from the torment with the desire that his family not have to come to the same end that he did. But it was too late for him to witness to them.

 

Will we wait too long? How many souls will be damned for all eternity: (1) Because we failed to go…, (2) Because we failed to witness…, and (3) Because we failed to let them know what we know?

 

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REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the King James Bible (KJV), The Moody Bible Commentary, Dr. J. Vernon McGee © Thru the Bible Radio Network ( www.ttb.org ), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: ( http://www.intouch.org/ ), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: ( http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/ ), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook, With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, RBC Ministries ( http://rbc.org/ ), selected illustrations, and other references.

 

REV. RONALD PURKEY’S OFFICE

E-mail: Ronald Purkey

 

 

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