INTRODUCTION
Ever wondered about what BFFs (Best Friends Forever) spend time talking about? Probably not. It is not uncommon to see that most people who call themselves friends spend precious time talking about everything they think, do and enjoy, but that which matters for their ultimate destiny. For some time now, I have meant to be different. When I meet with friends and/or family I wish to put our minds together and take some time to talk about what matters most in our lives for it determines our ultimate destiny. So please, for once, lend your ear to this your friend. Oh, how I wish every friend of mine, and everyone in my family would simply ask: “Chrispin! Would you share with me what you know?”
Talking about years, one Zambian gospel singer, Nathan Nyirenda, says, “They come as days, but go out as years. ”That is how time passes. Every time we come to the end of a year, we can reflect and say the year came in steadily as days, but it has ended as a year and another year is coming.
When we look at time, we can look at it from the worldly perspective or from the heavenly perspective. From the worldly perspective, as a year comes to its end, we may say we are one year older. Time is running out to enjoy life, to make investments, to live our lives to the fullest. We are getting worried, thinking we are drawing closer to the end of our lives.
Indeed, from the worldly perspective we are living in difficult times. People are dying every day from disease, hunger, wars, natural disasters, hatred, etcetera. Life from the worldly perspective, no doubt, is all gloom and doom.
However, we can find hope in prophecy’s big picture. Jesus describes the big picture, depicting His plan, hence, Heaven’s Timetable in John 14:1-3: ”Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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.” (KJV).
From the heavenly perspective, the picture is different. For Heaven’s Timetable is not the same as the World’s Timetable. More importantly and seriously speaking, let us choose to be knowledgeable about heavenly things. Let us choose heavenly knowledge over worldly ignorance. For our creator Himself says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” - Hosea 4:6 (KJV). Conversely, God’s people are saved by being knowledgeable of Him.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE BY HEAVEN'S TIMETABLE?
Living by Heaven’s Timetable means understanding God’s prophecies, and seeing them fulfilled every day. That means whatever comes to pass we can see God’s hand in it. We can see it in God’s plan – Heaven’s Timetable.
Heaven’s Timetable begins with God’s creation of the earth and man, and includes the fall of man, the redemption of man, and will end up with Jesus Christ’s return, to restore mankind and the whole earth to Himself. About Heaven’s Timetable, Mark Finley says, “Knowing the end of prophecy – the conclusion toward which it points - is more important than understanding all the details. The big picture of prophecy is more important than the pieces in the puzzle.” (Mark A. Finley, End-Time Living Essential Truths for Troubled Times). All of history is moving toward the end of Heaven’s Timetable, toward one colossal event, the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Popular media – TV, Newspapers, Magazines, even Books - focus on what the Devil is doing, not on what Christ is doing and will do. As all prophesies point to Jesus so should be the work of God’s children. We have to point everyone to Jesus Christ “the author and finisher of our faith.”
STUDY TOPICS AND OUTLINE OF HEAVEN'S TIMETABLE
1. Creation of the earth and man.
a. Genesis 1:1-31
b. Genesis 2:1-3
c. Institutions: Marriage and the Sabbath.
2. The temptation and the fall of man.
a. Revelation 12:3-9
b. Genesis 3.
3. The destruction of the early creation
a. Genesis 6, 7 and 8.
4. When did the Continents and Races of People Come About?
a. Genesis 9, 10 and 11.
5. God’s forbearance and His call of the faithful
a. Genesis 12:1-3
b. Genesis 49
c. Exodus 1:1-7 2:23-25 3:1-22
d. Exodus 20:1-17e.
Institution: The Ten Commandments
6. Establishment of the earthly sanctuary (a shadow of heavenly things)
a. Exodus 25:8
b. Psalm 77:13
c. Exodus 32:26
d. Exodus 26:1-36, Exodus 25:10-22, 23-30, 31-40 Exodus 27:1-7 Exodus 30:1-10, 17-21
e. Revelation 11:19, 15:5
7. Foretelling the rise of the little horn and its work against God and His people
a. Daniel 7:1-28
b. Daniel 7:7-8, 15-28
c. Daniel 8: 1-27
d. Daniel 8:8-12, 21-45
8. The coming of the Messiah and What He would accomplish
a. Daniel 9:20-27
b. Isaiah 7:14
c. Micah 5:2
d. Matthew 1:21-23
e. John 1:29-36.
9. The Cross
a. Isaiah 53:4, 5, 6, 10-11
b. Matthew 27:33-37, 45-46, 50
c. Romans 5:6-11
d. Institution: The Lords Supper
10. The empty tomb and Christ’s ascension to Heaven
a. John 20
b. Acts 1:8-11.
11. The preaching of the Gospel and the call of Gentiles to salvation
a. John 3:16
b. Matthew 28:18-20
c. Acts 10:34-43
d. Acts 9:1-6
e. Romans 15:7-13
f. Institution: Baptism
12. The rise of the little horn, its work and fulfillment of prophecy
a. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 6-12
b. Revelation 2:1-29 3:1-6
c. Revelation 13:1-9
d. Revelation 17:1-18
e. Revelation 14:8-11
f. Revelation 18:1-5
g. Revelation 19:20-21.
13. The work of the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven (judgment and mediation)
a. Daniel 7:9-10
b. Daniel 8:14
c. Revelation 14:7
d. Hebrews 5:25 8:1 9:24
e. John 14:1-3
14. The second-coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords
a. John 14:1-3
b. Matthew 24:30
c. Acts 1:9-11
d. Revelation 1:7
e. Revelation 6:12-17
f. Revelation 14:14-19
g. Revelation 19:11-16
h. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
15. The destruction of Satan, the beast, the false prophet and their followers
a. Revelation 19:20
b. Revelation 20:5,7-10.
16. The restoration of the earth and establishment of God’s Kingdom
a. Daniel 2:44-45
b. Revelation 21:1-7
c. Revelation 22:1-6
Where are we in Heaven’s Timetable?
Daniel 8:14, Matthew 24:30
The 2300 day prophecy brings us to the last block of time in earth’s history. Indeed, we are right in the last block of time anticipating the greatest event of all – the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory.
CONCLUSION
Being aware of Heaven’s Timetable makes us appreciate God’s plan and his purpose for us. Living by Heaven’s Timetable offers us hope. And what a hope! What a destiny! What a bright picture of tomorrow! Being united with our creator, our savior and our King. Beyond our heartaches, sorrow, tears, Jesus will come. Beyond the disasters of tribulation, Jesus will come. He won’t come secretly, or silently. He will come as King of kings. He will come as Lord of lords. He will come as a mighty Conqueror. He will come to reign eternally, and the whole world will know it! (Mark A. Finley, End-Time Living Essential Truths for Troubled Times, p. 37.)
