By this heading let no one understand us to be setting dates or trying to do so--a thing we oppose whether it be done by Adventists, by Russell, by Battenfield or the Campbells. We stand squarely on Jesus' declaration that no man knows the day or the hour. We would not, however, be understood as taking the position that God's people may not understand when the time is near. "Exhort one another and so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh." But by the above heading we mean the order of prophetic events.

      There are various schools of prophetic interpretation. Some of my brethren hold to the historical method of interpreting Revelation, and some are post-millennialists, but whatever the school, virtually all agree that the great white throne judgment, of Rev. 20:11-15 is yet future. Also the coming of our Lord and the raising of the dead. We can not agree with Russell and others who say Jesus has come already or that the resurrection is past already. It is absurd in the extreme.

      Agreeing, as virtually all do, that the white throne judgment is yet future and that it lies an the border of eternity, let us begin there and work back this way, arranging events in their revealed order.

      At the great and final judgment Satan, the wicked, Hades and death are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). Just [10] prior to Satan's doom is his loosing from his prison for a little season (Rev. 20:7). This loosing is at the end of the thousand years' imprisonment. His imprisonment is contemporary with the saints' reign with Christ (Rev. 20:2, 4). At the beginning of the thousand years Satan is bound. At the same time the Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20). When Satan at the end of the thousand years is cast into the lake of fire it is where the Beast and False Prophet already are (Rev. 20:10). They art there a thousand years before Satan is cast in, that is during, the time of his imprisonment. The Beast and the False Prophet meet their doom at Armageddon (Rev. 19:17-20; ch. 16:14-16) which is immediately preceded by the revelation of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:11-16). Preceding his destruction the Beast works havoc in the earth during a period of "perilous times" called "the great tribulation" (Rev. 7:14); "the hour of trial" (Rev. 3:10); "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7), when men are punished with death who will not worship the beast or his image (Rev. 13:15). This Beast is the "man of sin" (II Thes. 2:3) who Paul says is to be destroyed by Jesus at His coming (II Thes. 2:8) even as John describes in Revelation 19:11-21. We are not told as to where the great while throne judgment will take place.

      Beginning then with "the great tribulation," the order of the following events is:

      1. The tribulation. 2. The revelation of Jesus Christ. 3. Beast destroyed and Satan bound. 4. The thousand years' reign with Christ during Satan's imprisonment. 5. The thousand year's end and Satan loosed. 6. Satan, sin, the wicked, death and Hades (giving up their dead) cast into the lake of fire at the final judgment. 7. The kingdom delivered up to God (I Cor. 15:24). 8. Eternity.

["Prophetic Chronology." Word and Work 8 (September 1915): 10-11.]

      The electronic version of Stanford Chambers' "Prophetic Chronology" has been produced from microfilm of Word and Work for 1915.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 10:     setling dates [ setting dates
 p. 11:     (Rev. 19:20.. [ (Rev. 19:20).
            4. The thousand year's end [ 5. The thousand year's end
            5. Satan, sin, the wicked, [ 6. Satan, sin, the wicked,
            6. The kingdom delivered [ 7. The kingdom delivered
            7. Eternity. [ 8. Eternity.
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 18 February 2002.
Updated 28 June 2003.