The following definitions are for your convenience and basic understanding.

1. rapture: This is the first part of the resurrection when those who are asleep in Christ are joined by those still alive and are caught up into the air to meet the coming LORD.

2. resurrection: This is the complete event of the raising of the dead to life, the changing of the mortal into the immortal, being caught up into the air and escorting the Lord Jesus back down as He takes His kingdom.

3. great tribulation: This is the period of time referred to by Jesus and Daniel as the desolation and the time of punishment. Modern tradition holds the length of this time to be 7 years. I will give the time to be 3 ½ years (Daniel 9:27).

4. desolation: This is the same as the great tribulation. It will start when the antichrist establishes himself in the temple as if he were God.

5. abomination: This is the antichrist's self establishment in the temple as if he were God.

6. the beast: This is the antichrist. A mortal man who will appear to have attained a resurrection from the dead. He will be empowered by Satan. He will lead the world against Israel and against the LORD Jesus. He will head an empire, and like all empires before him, the empire will take on the identity of the emperor, the beast. That is why sometimes the beast's empire is also referred to as the beast.

7. false prophet: This is the second beast who will assume the false role of an Elijah-type prophet. He will perform miracles on behalf of the antichrist and lead people to worship him. It is his job to force the mark of the beast upon mankind.

8. antichrist: This is the first beast, also known as "the man of lawlessness."

9. the lie: This is any rebellion against God's covenant with Israel. This includes the abomination mentioned above. Under a strong delusion, the people of the world and some believers will believe and worship the antichrist as their messiah.

10. the mark: This is the antichrist's number, the result of a unified world economic system. To take this number upon the hand or head will mark you as belonging to the beast. To not take the number is to eliminate your ability to buy or sell anything.

11. last day: This is the appearing of the LORD Jesus and the coming of His kingdom upon the earth, also known as the second coming and the day of the LORD. This is the day that Jesus violently seizes his kingdom from Satan who usurped it from man in the garden.

12. last days: These are the days that start with the birth pains and end on the last day when the LORD Jesus comes again.

13. end of the age: This is another term for the last day or the day of the LORD.

14. wrath: This is God's righteous anger poured out on His enemies in judgment of their rebellion. There are two periods of wrath in the last days: The first period of wrath is against Israel during the desolation. This wrath is inflicted upon Israel by her world-wide enemies.
The second period of wrath takes place on the last day when the LORD Himself will pour out wrath upon all the earth in the taking back of His kingdom.
There will be judgments poured out on the earth by God during the tribulation (desolation), but these are not the same as God's wrath or anger of the last day which will be marked by consuming fire and His coming.

15. armageddon: This is a Greek word for the plains of Megiddo situated between the city of Haifa and the sea of Galilee in the north of modern Israel. This will be part of the extensive battle field covered like a cloud by the world's armies on the day of the LORD.

16. the strong delusion: This delusion is sent by God upon the inhabitants of the world who refused to love the truth. By this delusion they will believe the lie of the antichrist.

17. birth pains: This is the period of time spoken of by Jesus that will precede the punishment of Israel and the abomination that causes desolation.