The Tribulation

Introduction

Can you imagine a church or a city without a Christian in it?

Some day, and it might be this day, the city and the county in which you live will be without any Christians. And so will every city, every state and every country of the world!

One day, without any announcement, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "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; Then we who 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."

When Christ comes for the Christian He won't come to the earth, but towards the earth. He'll  descend to a point below the tops of the mountains. Then "the dead in Christ" shall rise. Who are the "dead in Christ?" Those who in life believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and have died a physical death. When they died, their bodies were laid in the grave, and their spirits and souls were taken to heaven by the angels.

After "the dead in Christ" are raised, we who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and remain on the earth will be "caught up." Satan and his demons will try to hinder the rapture, but the Lord will use his almighty power to seize us and carry us home to heaven. Then they'll be no Christians in the world. This supernatural event will usher in The Tribulation.

I. Mark The Definition

The word "tribulation comes from the Latin tribulum, an agricultural instrument used to separate the wheat from the chaff by a rigorous process known as tribulation. It signifies painful problems, severe sorrows, torturous troubles.

But that's not the meaning we're employing in this study. We're using the word Tribulation as the name for the sixth dispensation in the history of the world. This is the period of unparalleled suffering, which follows the rapture of the Christians from the earth and precedes the reign of Christ with Christians upon the earth. We're using the word in this connection because the Lord Jesus did. He said in 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."

What happened when the Lord took Noah out of the world? It was destroyed by a flood. What happened when the Lord took Lot out of Sodom? It was destroyed by fire. What's keeping the Lord from destroying this world today? The presence of Christians.

But there's coming a day when all of the Christians will be caught up. Will you be raptured with the Christians, or will you remain to go into the Tribulation without the Christians?

When the Christians have sung their last anthem, And the preacher has made his last prayer; When the saved have heard their last sermon, And     the sound has died out on the air;

When the Bible lies closed on the pulpit, And the pews are emptied of Christians, When each one who rejected the Saviour Is asked for a reason-what then?

II. Mark The Division

One of the most debated questions of today is, "Will the Church go through the Tribulation?" By "Church" is meant the body of believers or Christians. Some say, "The Church is going through the entire Tribulation." Others say, "The Church is going through the first half of the Tribulation." Still others say, "The Church will not go through any of the Tribulation, but will be caught up by Christ."

It's my conviction that the Church won't go through any part of the Tribulation. One night, during a question and answer period in one of our meetings, a man asked, "Will the Church go through the Tribulation?" "No," I answered. "Prove it," he replied, "with one Bible verse." I quoted Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ." I continued, "The Translation is a time of hope, the Tribulation is a time of horror. Like Paul, I'm looking for that 'blessed hope,' not bitter horror. At the Translation the believer sees Christ, at the Tribulation the non-believer sees the antichrist." "Thanks," he said, "for delivering me from horror to hope!"

Let's consider the partial rapture plan. Those who hold to this plan teach that the Christians will be divided into two parts at the Rapture: the sanctified Christians will be caught up before the Tribulation and the unsanctified will be left to go through part of the Tribulation as a Protestant purgatory, so that they may be sanctified. But sanctification begins the moment salvation begins. If you have salvation you have sanctification. Paul said, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterer nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, your were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit o four God"-1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV. Who were sanctified? Those who were washed. You can't have salvation without sanctification.

Let's consider the post-tribulation rapture plan. Those who hold this view teach that Christians will be caught up at the Rapture, but that the Rapture will take place after the Tribulation. For this view they quote John 16:33, "In the world ye shall have tribulation..." But the word "tribulation" is used in two different senses. One, in speaking of present period of trials, which we all experience; for a Christian is never without his trials. Two, in speaking of a prophetic period of trials, the seven-year period which will take place after the Rapture, when the wrath of God is poured out without measure. Believers weren't told they'd experience this Tribulation.

Let's consider the mid-tribulation rapture plan. Those who hold this view teach that Christians will go through the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, but will be raptured before the beginning of the second three and a half years. But the Tribulation is a seven-year period of condemnation, judgment and wrath. And Romans 8:1 promises, "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus." And 1 John 4:17 declares when it comes to judgment, "As He is, so are we in this world." As Christ can't be brought into judgment because of sin again, neither can the

Christian. Indeed, Romans 5:9 insists, "We shall be saved from wrath through Him." Get it and never forget it, cleansing doesn't come from condemnation and washing doesn't come from wrath. 1 John 1:7 teaches, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin."

The Christians at Thessalonica were troubled by the rumor that the Day of the Lord had begun. And what is "the Day of the Lord?" The "Day of the Lord" is that period of time when the Lord shall deal directly with sin. It includes the Tribulation period of seven years and the Millenial Reign of Christ of one thousand years. It will culminate with the Great White Throne Judgment. Our present time is a day of grace. The Lord may impose judgment in some cases now, but the wicked get wealthier and the sinners become stronger; while the saints suffer the loss of health and wealth. But the Lord's not seeking to straighten that out now. This is the day of grace. He's seeking to save sinners and He's giving them more time to repent. In the Day of the Lord He'll deal directly with human sin. It's a time of divine judgment upon the world.

St. Paul said that they couldn't be in the Day of the Lord because certain things had to happen first. And what are those things? According to verse 3 of 2 Thessalonians 2, "For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." The expression "a falling away" means at the apostasy, or a widespread departure from the true faith in the Lord. At that time there was no real apostasy, there is, however a widespread apostasy today. But now it's general. Soon it will be specific. This stage of turning away from the truth is just the beginning. It will culminate in the Day of the Lord. And it will be headed up by the "the man of sin." Why is he given that name? Because that's his chief characteristic. Verse 4 describes him as the one "who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that  he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." The Day of the Lord can't come until "the man of sin" is revealed.

Verse 6 gives us another reason why they weren't in the Day of the Lord: "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." Then "he" speaks of the man of sin. There's something holding back the revelation of this man.

Verses 7 and 8 give us the explanation: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only He who now letteth will let, (or as translated in modern English, 'He who now restrains will restrain'), until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." Who's the restrainer? The Holy Spirit. He indwells the Christians. When the Christians are translated, He will be taken out of the world. But while the believers are removed, the Bible remains; and the Spirit will work in some way through the Scriptures.

The removal of the saved and the Spirit from the world will release the world to sin as it never has before. The saved are the salt of the earth, and salt prevents the spread of corruption. With the salt gone, corruption will spread. For a while there'll be no one except wicked people to run the church and the country. The result will be sin at its sinfullest! How grateful I am I won't be here. But I'm grieved that you may be here. O that you'd come to Christ now!

Mark The Directors

During the Tribulation there'll rise and reign a trinity of evil. It's named in Revelation 16:13, "The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet." The dragon, according to Revelation 20:2 is "the devil." The beast, according to Revelation 13:1 shall rise up out of the sea. The sea in the Bible represents the Gentile nations. The beast is a Gentile. He'll be the Civil Leader, the ruler on the throne of the worldwide empire. His seat will be in Rome. He'll be a brilliant man, solving problems and providing prosperity. Being a man of superhuman abilities, he'll conquer every tribe, people, tongue and nation. He'll blaspheme God and the people of God, and he'll be worshipped in the place of God.

Concerning him it's written in Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

The false prophet, according g to Revelation 13:11, shall come up out of the earth. The earth or the land in the Bible always represents Palestine. The false prophet is a Jew. He'll be the religious leader of the world. In describing him in Revelation 13:11 it's written, he has "two horns like a lamb." Don't you see how the devil tries to copy Christ? But the verse goes on to say, "he spoke like a dragon." There you have the devil's Christ. St. John goes on to describe him in verses 13 to 15 like this: "And He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in

the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on earth, that they should make an image to the beast, that had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he hath power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

The beast, that is the Civil Leader, will make a pledge to protect the Jews and the Jewish nation. In return, the false prophet, the Religious Leader, will make an image of the beast (as we just read). The people must worship it or die.

The mark of the beast will be the only condition of trade. For it's written in Revelation 13:16-17, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and enslaved, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, And that no man might buy or sell, except he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

Let's suppose you're living during the Tribulation. You come home and find your family is without food and medication. They're hungry and sick. You go to the supermarket and give your order. But the manager says, "Step closer. What, no mark of the beast in your right hand or on your forehead? I  can't sell you anything." But you cry, "Sir, you must. My family must have food and medication or they'll die!" "Let them die!" he answers. "You don't have the mark."

During the Tribulation the people must choose between the seal of God or the mark of the beast. All those who choose the mark of the beast will be lost, and all those who choose the seal of God will be killed.

Mark The Distinctions

The Tribulation will be a terrible time of unparalleled and unprecedented trouble. In speaking of it our Lord said in Matthew 24:21, "Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

The 15th and 16th chapters of Revelation give us a word picture of the wrath of God to come during the Tribulation.

First, horrible and hideous sores will break out upon the worshippers of the Beast - 16:2.

Second, the oceans become like the watery blood of a dead man, and everything in them dies - 16:3.

Third, the rivers and the springs, ponds and the wells, the water systems of the cities and counties will become blood - 16:4-7.

Fourth, the heat of the sun will scorch all people with its fire - 16:8-9.

Fifth, the kingdom of the Beast will be plunged into darkness, and the subjects will gnaw their tongues in anguish - 16:10.

Sixth, the great River Euphrates will be dried up so that the Kings of the East can march their armies westward to be ready for the Battle of Armageddon - 16:12-16.

Seventh, thunder will crash and roll, lightning will flash, and there'll be an earthquake of a magnitude unprecedented in human history - 16:17-21.

So unbearable is the suffering, according to Revelation 6:15-17, that the rulers and the ruled, the great and the small, the military and the civilians will hide themselves sin caves and rocks of the mountains, and cry to the mountains to crush them and hide them from the anger of the Almighty!

Mark The Design

Are you asking, "Why this tribulation?" Let's look at the purpose.

First, because the world has rejected Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. At the beginning of the Tribulation the world leaders will elect a man who will aspire to be their religious as well as their civil ruler. The world will worship a demon-possessed man as their god and king instead of the divinely-presented Man.

There are two striking sentences in Revelation 3:10, "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation." Here's a promise that the children of God won't go through the Tribulation. The verse continues, "which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." The phrase, "them that dwell upon the earth," doesn't refer to a site but to their spirit. They're earthlings. They're conformed to the world, not transformed by the Lord.

They reject the beloved of God but receive the beast of the devil. And it's written in Isaiah 26:21, "The Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity." What's the iniquity? Abandoning the Saviour and acknowledging Satan.

Second, because it's God's will to reveal His person and power. When Moses was sent to Pharaoh with the command, "Let My people go," Pharaoh asked, "Who is God? Why should I obey Him?" The Lord answered with the judgment of the ten plagues. They were His lessons in theology given to teach whom He is and why He should be worshipped. And that's true of the Tribulation. When Satan's worshippers are scorched with great heat, according to Revelation 16:9 and 11, they'll acknowledge that the wrath comes from God, and they'll know that it's He who's judging them. But they'll not receive Him.

Third, because "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" -John 1:11. His own people said, "Away with Him. We will not have this Man to rule over us. Crucify Him." Because of their national sin there came the national sentence, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord' " - Matthew 23:38-39. And He said in Luke 21:24, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." From the time of the death of Jesus, until this present day, Israel has had just a toehold in the city of Jerusalem. Until a little while ago it has been in the hands of the Gentiles, and it will be when the Lord Jesus comes and drives out the Gentiles and gives it to them. The destruction of Jerusalem and Gentile occupation of Palestine are a part of God's judgment upon the people who willfully rejected Him.

Fourth, because it's the Lord's purpose to redeem a body of believers who will be on earth when He comes with His saints to set up His kingdom and reign for a thousand years. Every born again person will be caught up at the Rapture, and not a single Christian will be left on earth to enter into the Tribulation. Seven years later, after the Tribulation, when the Lord Jesus comes with His saints to reign on this earth, He will find an innumerable multitude from every nation on the face of the earth who has turned to Him. Something supernatural has taken place! You see this in the seventh chapter of Revelation.

There you meet 144,000 Israelis whom the Lord has saved and sealed, equipped and empowered to be His witnesses during the Tribulation. They'll bring the gospel to every one everywhere. "But," you may ask, "how can they do this in seven years? Won't they have to learn other languages and visit other lands?" In every nation and in every language you'll find descendants of Abraham. Our Lord will convert them and call them, and they'll win the lost at any cost! But that's not all. God will raise up two special witnesses, according to Revelation 11:3-12, whom He'll empower to perform miracles like Moses and Elijah. They'll support the testimony of the 144,000 witnesses. Together they'll win an innumerable company of people. Isn't that just like Jesus!

Mark The Dissolution

Our Lord informed us that as we approach the time of His coming, wars will become more frequent and more fierce. As they increase in severity they'll increase in scope. During the Tribulation the world will be devastated by the war of the wars, the Battle of Armageddon.

The Greek word "Armageddon" means the mount of slaughter. It's an area in Palestine west of the river Jordan. Upon this place some of the greatest empires, faiths and races have fought with each other, and each one has come to judgment.

There'll be four invasions of Palestine. The first, pictured in Daniel 11, will take place when "the king of the south," the Arab confederacy marches on Palestine. The second invasion will take place almost simultaneously by "the king of the north," which is Russia. With the Arab states coming from the south, and the Russian invaders coming from the north, Jerusalem will be totally destroyed.

According to Ezekiel 38, when these two military powers are encamped on the plain of Megiddo, with

Jerusalem a smoldering ruin, they'll challenge the world. The Lord will accept the challenge, and the Lord says in verse 22, "I will rain upon him (Russia), and upon his bands (Allies), and upon the many people that are with him (the Arab block), an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone."

The third invasion will take place when the head of the federated states of Europe will move his armies into Palestine. The invasion is described in Daniel 11:41. This European military dictator will announce that he is God, and he'll put himself upon the throne as king of kings; and he'll rule the world.

The fourth invasion is reported in the 16th chapter of Revelation.It will be headed by the "kings of the east." They'll come from the Orient and will clash at Armageddon.

When these two great world powers will be marching toward each other, according the Matthew 24, our Lord will come down from heaven with the speed and brilliance of lightning against the background of a darkened sun, moon and stars. All the saints and the angels of heaven will follow Him.

Zechariah reports that the first place our Lord's feet will touch will be the Mount of Olives. His contact with the earth will touch off an earthquake that will break the mountain in two parts, and it will increase in violence as it spreads.

As the two military powers are approaching each other, the Lord Jesus will reveal His glory to the whole earth. Then the leaders will know that He is moving in to judge them. Suddenly they'll join forces to fight the Lord. Zechariah tells us that confusion shall enter their ranks. The soldiers will fight one another, and a perilous plague will cause the flesh of all the soldiers to consume away (14:12-13). And John reports that blood shall come out of the winepress (the battlefield) to the horses' bridles (Revelation 14:20). The slaughter will be so great that the blood soaked bodies of the soldiers will be piles upon one another to the height of the bridles of the horses. An angel will invite the birds of the air to a supper of the flesh of kings, officers and soldiers, both great and small (Revelation 19:17-18). The Antichrist and his False Prophet will be thrown alive in to the Lake of Fire. The rest of the men will be killed. Satan is cast into the Bottomless Pit, and his demons with him.

And our Lord Jesus Christ will set up earth's Golden Age and reign as King of Kings!

Dear friend, since this torturous time of satanic delusion, divine wrath, and human agony is drawing nearer hour by hour, will you not receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, acknowledge Him as your Lord, and crown Him as your King right now!