ESCHATOLOGICAL BIBLE STUDY (Part 6)
Continued from part 5
*These are systematic teachings you can trust
By Dr. Francis Akin-John
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
1. INTRODUCTION
“For then shall be the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” Matthew 24;21
“ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondsman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6;15-17
There are so many people confusing the time and place of the great tribulation in modern churches today. Some are even suggesting that we are already in the time of the great tribulation by mixing scriptures, especially Matthew 24. In this study, am hopeful that all our doubts and anxieties will be cleared by the Lord as we go deep into His infallible Word, especially the apocalyptic book of revelation.
I need to iterate and reiterate that the great tribulation will never come before the rapture of the saints, to meet Jesus in the sky. (The study 3 on RAPTURE in this series confirms this eloquently) As long as the Holy Spirit is still in the world, working to save and heal and get the church ready for the rapture, the great tribulation and anti-Christ will never happen. The book of revelation chapter 4 confirms this. It was after the church was taken away from chapter 1-3, that the events that will culminate in the time of wrath upon the world begins in chapter 4 .
2. PREAMBLE
After the rapture of the Church, the Scripture predict that there is going to be a seven – years worldwide trouble called the ‘Great Tribulation’, It is going to be the most awful time in the entire world’s history. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt. 24:21). These are going to the days in which all the calamities predicted by Moses, Joel, Daniel, and other prophets, as well as those predicted by our Saviour, will meet in one common centre, and are going to be fulfilled in the most terrible manner on this generation.
It is a seven-year period of Gods wrath upon this world, bloody wars, earthquakes, bloodletting, violence, crime, lawlessness and terror. Matt.24. The tribulation is going to be worldwide.(Mk. 13:19.) The greatest Tribulation “shall come upon the entire world, To try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10; Dan. 12:1; Matt.24:21) .After the rapture of the church, only the unsaved people will be left behind on the earth to go through the tribulation.(Dan. 12:1).Once the rapture happens, and the Holy Spirit goes off with the church, the sinners, backsliders, religious people and those who are lukewarm in their faith, and those who reject Christ and are left behind, are surely due for the great tribulation. Then, you can’t buy or sell without the mark of the beast, 666, and Isreal will be in deep trouble also with the anti-Christ or one single world ruler. I pray you will not be here then to witness this, because it will never be easy then to pray, repent and reconcile with God, because the Holy Spirit will no longer be here in full force to work. The time for that is now, before the trumpet sound!
3. THE CHARACTERS OF THIS PERIOD
The nature and character of the great tribulation is a period of :
1.Gods wrath- 1 Thessalonians 1;10, 5;9
2.Fiery judgement- revelation 14;7, 15;4
3.Great indignation-Isaiah 26;20,21; 34;1-3
4.Trials-revelation 3;10
5.Trouble-Jeremiah 20;7; Daniel 12.
6.Destruction-Joel 1;15; 1 Thessalonians 5;8
7.Desolation-Daniel 9;27; Zephaniah 1;14,15
8.Darkness-Joel 2;2; Amos 5;18
9.Overturning-Isaiah 24;1-4,19-21
10.Purnishment-Isaiah 24;20,21
This severity of this period of time that shall upon the earth will be great. This period is perculiarly the time of God’s wrath without mixture and judgement will fall on earth because of the sin, transgression of men in rejecting the only Saviour, Jesus Christ . Added to this will be the wrath from Satan and the anti-Christ.
4. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIBULATION
Through the world-wide cataclysm, God will defend the name of His Holy Son by executing His vengeance upon those that reject Him. (Rev 6:12-17). Those who practise apostasy- departing from the Lord, going into erroneous teachings and abusing the time of grace will be judged with the world and all those who believe in them
*To punish the world for her evil and wickedness.
*To purify Israel and bring them back to God, Deut. 4: 25; Isa. 24:16 -23.
*To prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Hos. 5:15; 2:14-17; Matt. 24:15. Zech. 13: 8, 9
*It is going to be a time of Jacob’s trouble, Jer. 30:7. Antichrist will persecute Jews unto death.Rev.12: 12,13
*To judge all the idols that men has been worshipping
This world, with all its allures, beauty, structures, monies, pleasures, mountains, inventions, technologies, cars, airplanes, jellewries, silvers, gold and glories will all be facing the intense wrath’s of God for destruction. (11Peter 3;10-12) So, those of you that love this world and worship the things therein will see your object of love and worship going up in puff smoke and destruction from the LORD. And you will know that it’s the Lord and His spiritual things that should only be worshipped and lasts fore ever.
5. THE SEVENTY WEEKS OF DANIEL Dan. 9:24-27.
This section is optional, you can skip it if you like. But I urge you to patiently read and study through it, for it will help your proper understanding of what has happened, happening to this world and will still happen, from unfailing scriptural perspectives.
For us to have good background of tribulation, it is important to understand the seventy-weeks of Daniels. Matt. 24:15
Seventy Weeks Means Seventy Weeks Of Years. One day means one year in this prophetic time table, and one week means seven years. Gen. 29:27,28 Daniel’s 70 weeks means 70 units of 7 years (70 times) years or 490 years. “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year , shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise”. Num.14:34
Three Division Of The Seventy Weeks Of Years
These 490 years are divided into three sections or division. Dan 9:25, 27
Three First Division is “seven weeks” of years, which is 49 years. These 49 years began “ From the going forth of a commandment to restore and build Jerusalem”. Dan 9:25.
Jewish history shows that it took Jews under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah forty-nine years to complete the re-building of the temple and walls of the city of Jerusalem, after the Cyrus decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1-4
The Second Division is “Sixty –two weeks” of the years. This is 434 years. After three-score and two weeks shall Messiah (Jesus) be Cut off’. The historians have ascertained that we have 434 years between the post-capacity restoration of the Jews back to their land and the crucification of Christ.
The Third Division is “sixty-two weeks” of years. He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” This one-week means seven years. This is the 70th weeks.
It will be the last seven years of this age and it will be a periods of great tribulation. At the beginning of these seven years, “the prince that shall come”, the Anti Christ, will make convenant with Isreal and at the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel or Tribulation period is covered in Revelation chapters 6-18
The Wide Gap in the Division, between 69th week and 70th week.
The gap is the Church Age, “ the years of Jehovah’s favour” or grace. (Isa. 61:2.) Which we are in now and it has covered over 2,000 years now, and still counting!
And you can see the great mercies and grace of God in extending the time so far, simply because He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but to come to salvation in Jesus Christ. However, those preachers that teaches ‘age of grace’ to mean living in sin, moral corruption, doing whatever you like, and being selfish, disobedient, immoral, thieving and wordy mindedness will soon find out that time of grace will soon end and they will be ready for time of tribulation from the Lord, they and all those who follow their ungodly doctrines, whether alive or dead then.
It is when the church age has come to a close with the rapture of the church that the seven years of great tribulation will begin in earnest upon the earth.
6. THE JUDGMENT OF TRIBULATION PERIOD
The Judgement During The Seven Years.
The owner of this earth is God’s Son (Col 1:15 -19; John 1:1-4; Rom. 8:22, 23; Eph. 1:13, 14; Rev 19:16).
At the tribulation, God in Christ rises up to claim his right by dispossessing Satan and his wicked followers of their claim over the earth. Rev. 5:1 -10. He will proves himself as “lion of the tribe of Judah”. As the kingly Lion, he wages war against His enemies and assumes his rightful title as king.( Gen 49:8 – 10; Rev. 19:16)“The great day of (God) wrath is come, and whom shall be able to stand”, (Rev 6:17 Isa, 13: 11, 12; 2: 19-21) These judgement are released from seals, trumpets and bowls.
The Seal Judgement.Revelation Chap. 6. The Lamb was the only one in heaven worthy to take the book, and now the action begins in that he is worthy also to break one of the seals and reveal the event written in it. Here are the judgements that will be poured out upon this world that many professed Christians and preachers loves so much and preaches so much to inherit the monies, properties, mansions, glories and pleasures.Thats why they don’t believe, read, study and preach from the book of revelation to their audiences:
1. First Seal. Antichrist is revealed as the rider on white horse 6:2 The rider is depicted as having a crown, the garland or wreath of a conqueror, on his head The white horse represent conquest, militarism. ‘white’ suggest victory. The first four seals are judgement on the earth against the power that opposes the kingdom of God. White horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown.
2. Second Seal. The rider on red horse has a power to take peace away from the earth and introduction of war, carnage, discord, bloodshed, severe persecution, and the martyrdom of the saints. The content of the scroll reveal humankind’s depravity and portray God’s authority over the events of human history.
3. Third Seal. The rider on the black horse release famine. The pair of balance is to measure proportion out the scare quantities of food.
4. Fourth Seal. The rider on the pale horse brings pestilence and death. Rev. 6:7, 8
5. Fifth Seal. Antichrist persecutes majority of those who turn to the Lord during the tribulation of death. Rev 6:9 -11. The tribulation period is going to be a time of widespread persecution and martyrdom
6. Sixth Seal. This seal brings catastrophic changes on the earth and commissions in the heavenly bodies 6:12, 13
7. Seventh Seal. This seal reveals that there is ‘silence in heaven about the space of half an Hour’. The next trumpet judgement are about to take off. Man looks for Death: These Judgement have very serious and severe affects on the then earth dwellers. 6:16, 17. people are deluded and hardened by demonic power released from abyss. Rev. 9:1 -12
7. THE TRUMPET JUDGEMENTS Rev. Chap. 8 and 9
1 The First Trumpet. This trumpet brings hails, fire and blood upon the earth. The result are, on third of the tress were burnt and all green grass was burnt 8:6, 7.
2 Second Trumpet. “And great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea”. It destroy one third of the ships, the fish and the sea filled with blood. Rev 8:8
3 Third Trumpet. A great star falling from heaven poisons one third of all natural waters on the earth. Rev. 8:10,11.
4 Fourth Trumpet. One-third part of the sun , moon and stars darkened “and the day shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise” 8:12, 13.
5 Fifth Trumpet. This trumpet releases very serious judgement. The abyss is opened and great multitudes of imprisoned demonic spirit are let loose to torture and torment earth dwellers for their idolatry, violence, occultism, sex, sin and thievery. Rev. 9: 1 – 12, 20, 21. Their leader is called Abaddon or Apollyon. The two names means destroyers.
6 Sixth Trumpet. Antichrist’s army, totaling 200 millions, marches from east across river Euphrates to West via Israel. The result of this military venture is one third of the world population is slaughtered by the Antichrist’s reign on earth. 11:15
7 Seventh Trumpet. Announces the beginning of Christ’s reign on earth. 11:15
8. BOWLS OF JUDGEMENT Rev. 15, 16
1. First Bowl (Vial). The first angel pours his bowl upon the earth. Through bowl “noisome and grievous sore”, affect those with the mark of Antichrist. 16:12.
2. Second Bowl. The second angel pours his bowl upon the sea. The result is that everything in the ocean dies. 16.3
3. Third Bowl. The third angel pour his bowl upon the natural waters. The result is that rivers and springs turns to blood. 16:4-7
4. Fourth Bowl. The fourth angel pours is bowl upon the sun. The sun becomes oppressively hot and scorches all mankind that remain on the earth 16:10,11
5. Fifth Bowl. The fifth angel pour out his bowl upon the throne of the antichrist, The whole earth is plunged into total darkness. 16:10,11
6. Sixth Bowl. The sixth angel dries up the river Euphrates, the king of the Earth then marches against Israel to prepare for the war of armegeddon. 6:13-16.
7. Seventh Bowl. This bring earthquakes and the cities of nation crumbles.
9. OTHER EVENT IN THE TRIBULATION (Dan. 9:27, Mt 24: 15; 2 Thess. 2:4)
Antichrist enters into a seven years covenants with Israel at the beginning of the Seventieth Week of Daniel to renew the Jewish sacrifice in re-establishing the temple worship. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.
At the end of the first 31/2 years. Antichrist commits the Abomination of Desolation by breaking his earlier covenant with the Jews. Dan. 9:27; 5:3. The two- witness that have power to shut up heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, shall minister during the first half of the seven-year tribulation. Rev. 11:1 -13
These Two Witness Are Witness For The Lord. They shall bear witness for 1260 days, the forty-two months the Holy City is trodden down, Rev 11:2 During this time they shall prophesy in sackcloth, a symbol of sorrow and mourning. It implies that these witness shall be in tribulation during the period named. The two-witness shall prophesy and preach under the inspiration of the Spirit, denouncing judgments against the apostasy. God will raise up two inspired witness for the encouragement to the afflicted, the sealed remnants. The actions of these two witness are like those of Moses and Elijah. Moses witnessed for God against Pharaoh (The type of Antichrist the last and greatest foe of Israel), turning the waters into blood, and smiting with plagues. Elijah was a witness for God in an almost universal apostasy of Israel with only a remnant of seven thousand. During tribulation however, other 144,000 Apostle Paul –like witness are sealed, Re 7:1-8 , they caused fire by their word to devour the enemy, and shutting heaven, so that it rained not for witness prophecy.
Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the Transfiguration, with foreshadow His coming millennial kingdom. Deut 34:5, 6; Jude 1:25. Elias’ genius and mode of procedure bears the same relation to the “second” coming of Christ that John the Baptist’s did to the first coming.
In the second half of 3 ½ years of Tribulation, Antichrist persecutes Israel and Moses’s saint (Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 30:4-7; Zech 13 :8; Matt. 24 :15 – 22; Rev. 12.)
During The Second Half Of The Tribulation. The woman, that is the Jewish nation or Israel, shall flee from the Jewish nation or Israel, shall flee from the Dragon or Satan for “a time, times and a half time” (3 ½ years) Rev. 12 : 6, 14
The Sun, Moon And Twelve Stars Symbolize as confirmed in Joseph’s dream in Gen. 37:9, 10. Joseph’s father is the sun, Rachael the mother is moon, Joseph’s brothers are the eleven stars, and Joseph himself the twelvefth star. The child that that came from the Woman (Israel) is the Messiah, Rom 9:4-5
While the persecution of Israel is going on, the Gentiles, under Antichrist, will tread under foot the holy city, Jerusalem, for 3 ½ years after the abomination of Desolation is committed be Antichrist. Dan. 9:27; Rev 11:1,2
10. GENERAL TRIBULATION AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Tribulation is an experience of suffering, distress, affliction, trouble, or persecution. It is used to denote the hardship that occurs in the lives of common people. The labor pains of a woman in childbirth, the wordly concerns that arise in marriage, .(1 Cor. 7:28) and the affliction of widows, (James 1:27) are all described with the words that means “Tribulation.(Isa 26:17). The teaching of Christ provides basic definition for this meaning of tribulation becomes unavoidable. As the word of the gospel is sown, tribulation and persecution appear spontaneously. (Matt 13:21).
This concept of tribulation during the church age is carefully developed in Jesus’ teaching on future events. (Matt 24-25) Jesus’ teaching provides the only explicit description of and clear chronological reference available in the bible to his follower. In it, Jesus predicted the time of the beginning, the extent, and the end of tribulation. This teaching on the tribulation was handed down to the twelve disciples privately, as a matter directly relevant to their lives. (Matt 24:3) Jesus told the twelve that they would be delivered up to a tribulation and that this tribulation would take the form of persecution to death for his name’s sake (Matt 24:9.) The context of this teaching indicate that the tribulation taught by Jesus would affect Christians in many places throughout church history. But the fact that Jesus predicted to the twelve disciples that they would fall victim to tribulation, at the very beginning of their sufferings (Matt. 24: 8)provides a clear reference to the starting point of the believers of the tribulation during the disciples’ lifetime. The bible forewarns believers of the inevitability of tribulation; it also prescribes the appropriate response of Christians . They should rejoice because tribulation produces perseverance and strength of character. Rom. 12:12, knowing that God comforts the faithful in all tribulation (2 Cor. 1:4) and that the present tribulation prepares believers for incomparable glory in eternity (2 Cor 4: 17) Most believer throughout history have suffer tribulation. For Christians providentially protected from tribulation, it is easy to relegate tribulation to a future period in history. For Christians suffering opposition, the tribulation is an ever-present reality. “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Therefore, any little ‘tribulations’ you are suffering personally as a result of your faith, is nothing compared to the Great tribulation that will soon come upon the world after the rapture of the saints to heaven. All the little things happening presently in the world is a child’s play, compared to what will happen during the great tribulation that will come upon the world, once the church and Holy Spirit of God is taken out of the way.
With all that I have itemized above from the scriptures of what will happen during the great tribulation, I beg you in the name of God not to be here at that period. Make sure you go up during the rapture. Make sure you are not left behind. Don’t let any pastor, prophet, Bishop, apostle or religious activities deceive you. Draw near to Christ and obtain his salvation from sinful and ungodly life now, and restitute your ways before Him. Whatever you have to do now, to escape it with your family and loved ones, start doing it in now! For the time is short!
