Gtcotr/ws111313
The
Tribulation is a period of seven years predetermined by God at the end of this
age when He will pour out the wrath of His indignation on the earth directly
against the nations and the peoples on the earth who have rejected and despised
Him. Romans 12:19 declares vengeance belongs to the
Lord and He will repay … this is the Tribulation.
Isaiah
2 says all nations will be brought to judgment while men desperately seek a
place to hide in fear from the wrath of God. Many of the prophets from Daniel
to King David speak of that day as the day
of reckoning for all men. The entire book of Zephaniah is devoted to this
Tribulation.
Zephaniah 3:8 "Therefore
wait for Me," says the LORD, "Until the day I rise up for plunder; My
determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To
pour on them My indignation, All my fierce anger; All the earth shall be
devoured With the fire of My jealousy.
When
shall these things be? This was the question asked by the disciples of Jesus
and we find His answer in our key scripture:
Key Scripture: Matthew 24:14 “And
this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to
all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus
continues to explain what will happen in the midst of that time …
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when
you see the ’abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),”
The
Tribulation is divided into two 3½ year periods. Daniel sees, and Revelation
confirms, the dividing point between the first 3½ years of Tribulation and the
last 3½ years of Great Tribulation is determined when the antichrist reveals
his identity by entering into the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, stopping the
sacrifices and declaring himself to be god. This is that abomination of
desolation spoken of by Jesus. (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians
2:3-4; and Revelation 13)
Revelation 11: 3 And I
will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
These
two periods will also be marked by the two witnesses who shall stand and
prophesy with power to shut up the heavens and breathe a fire which consumes
their enemies. These two candlesticks of the Lord will give testimony for 1,260
days, equaling and ending the first 3 ½ years.
Revelation 11:14 The second
woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
At
that 3 ½ year mark the beast from the bottomless pit will arise with power and
will kill the two witnesses. Israel’s peace treaty will be broken, the
antichrist will perform miracles and cause his followers to take the mark of
the beast, 666, or die. He will enter the Temple declaring himself to be god
and all hell will break loose upon the earth(Revelation 11:7; 13).
Matthew 24
21 “For then there will be
great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were
shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be
shortened.”
Many
people will be saved during the Tribulation. Some will turn to Jesus as a
result of the horrible catastrophes and terrible judgments, others from the
testimonies of the two witnesses and their miraculous resurrections after lying
dead in the streets for 3 ½ days in view of the whole earth; still others will
hear the message of the special angel sent by God near the end of the
Tribulation period to proclaim the Good News.
Revelation 14
6 Then I saw another
angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to
those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe, tongue, and
people —
Even
with all of the forewarnings and the march we now see towards Armageddon, the
nations of this world still fail to surrender themselves to God.
We
have not begun the Tribulation period yet – believe me, you will know when we
do … there will be no missing that event for anyone on the earth. When the
seals begin to be opened devastation and destruction, war, famine, and death
will be on a mass scale throughout the earth. Israel will be at peace, they
will possess Jerusalem without question and begin to rebuild the Temple,
however the rest of the world will be in turmoil.
Revelation 6:8 So I
looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death,
and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the
earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the
earth.
The
fourth horseman of the Apocalypse will ride his pale horse and bring death and
devastation to one fourth of all humanity living on earth. That’s almost 2
billion people today … These are only the beginning of sorrows.
Some
argue the Church is as yet unclean and therefore must go through the
Tribulation in order to be purged and purified. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. The Church and every Believer has already been cleansed by the blood
of the Lamb. Jesus is not going to give His Bride a good beating just before
the marriage so she will enter into the marriage in fear and trembling,
anxiously tip-toeing on pins and needles, fearfully and nervously avoiding to
ever cross Him again. The Tribulation is not aimed at the saint. It is not a
Protestant purgatory. The Tribulation is a cleansing opportunity for the
sinner, not the saint. On another note:
Have
you ever noticed the themes that run through the Bible – especially all of the “Sevens” in the Book of Revelation?
There
are:
·
Seven Churches; Seven Spirits of God; Seven Golden Lamp Stands; Seven
Stars; Seven Flaming Torches; Seven Seals; Seven Horns & Seven Eyes on the
Lamb; Seven Trumpets; Seven Thunders; Seven Heads & Seven Diadems on the
dragon; Seven Heads on the Sea Beast; Seven Plagues; Seven Bowls; Seven
Mountains & Seven Kings
The 7 Seals make way for the 7 Trumpets and
finally the 7 Bowls of Wrath. From painful sores to heat waves, from water turning
to blood to the thick darkness which will cover the earth, from demons working
miracles to the last great global earthquake which collapses the cities of the
world – Tribulation is to come upon the earth and yet men will not repent. In
all of this the wicked will intensify their hatred towards God and blaspheme
His Holy name. With the 7th bowl heaven declares “it is done” and
Jesus returns with His saints to win the Battle of Armageddon. God is so good!
There are yet Seven Blessings in the midst of all this Tribulation and woe:
·
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy …
·
Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord
·
Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed …
·
Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper … Lamb.
·
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection …
·
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book
·
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are
those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates
of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.
Important Points
1.
The Tribulation is a seven year period in which God will pour His
wrath out upon the earth.
2.
The Tribulation period is not a “Protestant Purgatory” in which
Believers or the Church pays for their sins and are cleansed.
3.
Many people will be saved, martyred, and taken to heaven during the
Tribulation.
4.
The beginning of the Tribulation will be marked by a false peace
treaty offered to Israel which allows for the rebuilding of the Temple.
5.
The mid-point of the Tribulation will be known when the antichrist
breaks that treaty and enters into the Temple and declares himself to be God.
This begins the Great Tribulation period.
6.
God will bring conclusion to the Tribulation when Jesus returns with
His saints in white raiment to defeat the antichrist and his armies at the
Battle of Armageddon.
7.
The end of the Tribulation Period will give way for the Millennial
Reign of Christ upon the earth.
