The 7 Years of Tribulation
Observations
The Tribulation will be a living
hell with a degree of violence that is unparalleled in all of
history.
The Bible gives us a lot of
information about this horrible period of seven years that is fast
approaching. The entire book of Zephaniah is devoted to it. In
addition to many other Old Testament passages, like Isaiah 24,
fourteen chapters in the book of Revelation focus on it (Revelation
6-19). But despite all this information, there are many myths
concerning the Great Tribulation that circulate among Christians.
For example, many argue that the first half of this time period will
be peaceful and that only the second half will be characterized by
intense warfare. Other misconceptions relate to the Antichrist and
the Church.
The Biblical Basis
Before we consider some of these
myths and misconceptions, let’s familiarize ourselves with the
concept of the Tribulation. Where does the idea come from, and what
does it mean?
The Concept
The first mention of the Tribulation in the Bible is found
in
Deuteronomy 4:27-30. Before the
Children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses warned them that
if they were unfaithful to God, they would be scattered among the
nations. He then prophesied that
“in the latter days”
they would come under
“distress,”
and the result would be their
“return to the Lord.”
Centuries later, Jeremiah used the same terminology when he
referred to the Tribulation. He called it
“the time of Jacob’s distress”
(Jeremiah
30:7). In like manner, Daniel called it
“the time of distress,”
and he prophesied it would be the worst period of trouble in the
history of the Jewish people (Daniel
12:1). Malachi stated it would be a time
of refining for the Jews, as when silver is purified by fire (Malachi
3:1-4). And Zechariah used the same
imagery when he prophesied that two-thirds of the Jewish people will
perish during this time. Of the remnant remaining, he wrote,
“I [the Lord] will bring the third part through the fire
[and] refine them as silver is refined…”
(Zechariah
13:8-9).
The Scope
The Jews will not be the only ones
to suffer during this period of unparalleled trouble. The Bible
makes it clear that all the nations of the world will experience
catastrophic calamities.
Isaiah says it will be
“a day of reckoning”
for all the nations of the world (Isaiah
2:10-17). Zephaniah says that
“all the earth will be devoured in the fire of God’s
jealousy”
(Zephaniah
1:18). Here’s how the psalmist Asaph put
it:
“A cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams…
surely, all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its
dregs”
(Psalm
75:8).
The Length
The prophet Daniel defined the length of the Tribulation. He
said God would accomplish all His purposes for the Jewish people
during a period of 70 weeks of years (490 years). Sixty-nine of
those weeks of years (483 years) would lead up to the death of the
Messiah. The final week of years would occur at the end of the age,
right before the return of the Messiah (Daniel
9:24-27). This concluding week of years
(7 years) corresponds to the Tribulation for, as Daniel put it, it
will mark the time when
“the prince who is to come”
will
“make desolate”
— a reference to the Antichrist.
The timing established by Daniel is
confirmed in the book of Revelation where the Tribulation is divided
into two periods of 3 1/2 years each (Revelation
11:3,7
and
13:5). The dividing point
between the two halves of the Tribulation will occur when the
Antichrist reveals himself by entering the rebuilt Temple in
Jerusalem, stopping the sacrifices, and declaring himself to be god
(Matthew
24:15;
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; and
Revelation 13:5-6).
The Starting Point
When will this terrible period
begin? The Bible says in general terms that it will start after the
Jews have been regathered and have been re-established in their
homeland and in their sacred city of Jerusalem.
Specifically, the Bible says it will
begin at a time when all the world comes together against Israel
over the issue of who will control the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah
12:2-3). In short, we are on the very
threshold of the Tribulation today as we witness the United Nations,
the European Union, the Vatican, and the Arab nations demanding that
the Jews surrender their sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The specific event that will mark
the seven year count down of the Tribulation will be the signing of
a peace treaty between Israel and her Arab enemies — a treaty that
will allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple (Daniel
9:27).
The Nature
The unparalleled horror of the Tribulation is spelled out in
detail in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Isaiah
wrote that it will be a day of
“terror of the Lord”
when
“the pride of men will be abased”
(Isaiah
2:10,17,19).
Zephaniah proclaimed that it will be a
“day of wrath,” “a day of trouble and distress,”
and
“a day of destruction and desolation”
(Zephaniah
1:15). Men will stumble around like they
are blind and
“their blood will be poured out like dust”
(Zephaniah
1:17).
This dreary picture is echoed in the New Testament. Jesus
said it will be a time of tribulation
“such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world
until now, nor ever shall”
(Matthew
24:21). In fact, Jesus said it will be
so terrible that if it were not stopped at the end of seven years,
it would result in the destruction of all life (Matthew
24:22). The Apostle John states that the
chaos will be so great that the leaders of the world will crawl into
caves and cry out for the rocks of the mountains to fall upon them (Revelation
6:15-16).
Misconceptions
With this biblical background, let’s
turn our attention now to some of the misconceptions that exist
regarding the Tribulation. Five of the major ones that I would
identify are listed below:
1.
The Antichrist will rise to world power through cunning,
flatter, and deception.
2.
The whole world will flock to the Antichrist in awe and
adoration.
3.
The Jews will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah.
4.
There will be 3 1/2 years of peace followed by 3 1/2 years
of war.
5.
The Antichrist will be the most brilliant and effective
leader in world history.
The Antichrist’s Rise to Power
The idea that the Antichrist will rise to world power
through shrewdness and skilled diplomacy is based on
Daniel 8:23-25a. These verses
say a king will arise who is
“skilled in intrigue”
and who
“will succeed through the practice of deceit.”
But the same passage also says that he
“will destroy to an extraordinary degree.”
He will destroy both
“mighty men and the people of the saints.”
Many of these he will destroy
“while they are at peace”
(Daniel
8:24-25a).
These verses make it very clear that
the Antichrist is going to use both
diplomacy and military power to gain control of the world. The
likeliest scenario is that he will initially rise to power in Europe
through the use of shrewd diplomacy. But he will extend his power
from his European base through war.
The World’s “Acceptance” of the
Antichrist
I believe his conquering of the world through the use of
military power is what is pictured in
Revelation 6:1-8. This passage pictures
the Antichrist going forth at the beginning of the Tribulation with
a bow
“to conquer.”
A red horse representing war
“takes peace from the earth.”
The result is widespread suffering and the death of one-fourth of
humanity by the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.
It is a misconception to believe the
non-European world will flock to the Antichrist in awe and
adoration. The world outside of Europe is not going to submit
willingly to the control of the Antichrist, no matter how
charismatic and dynamic he may be.
Keep in mind that the nations of
Asia, Africa, and Latin America have fought for the past 200 years
to rid themselves of European colonial rule. They are not going to
passively submit themselves to a renewal of that rule. They will
fight, and the result, as Revelation 6 so clearly indicates, will be
a horrible world war of unprecedented magnitude.
Acceptance of the Antichrist by the
Jews
The idea that the Jews will accept the Antichrist as their
Messiah during the Tribulation is based upon a statement by Jesus
that is recorded in
John 5:43. Jesus said,
“I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive Me;
if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.”
But the relevant end time passages
in Daniel and Revelation seem to make it clear that the acceptance
of the Antichrist by the Jews will be as a political redeemer who
miraculously works out a peace settlement what will guarantee their
safety and will enable them to rebuild their Temple.
There is no indication that they
ever accept the Antichrist as a spiritual redeemer — as their
Messiah. In fact, when the Antichrist enters the Temple in the
middle of the Tribulation and declares himself to be God, the Jews
revolt against him (Revelation
12:13-17).
When the revolt occurs, the Antichrist becomes obsessed with
annihilating the Jewish people. That is when the
“great tribulation”
spoken of my Jesus in Matthew 24 will begin.
The Tribulation Holocaust that will
occur during the last 3 1/2 years of that terrible period will be
far worse than the Nazi Holocaust. Two-thirds of the Jews will be
killed (Zechariah
13:8-9). The Antichrist will be
possessed by Satan (Daniel
8:24), and Satan is determined to
annihilate the Jews.
Satan’s obsession with the Jews
stems from the fact that he hates them with a passion. He hates them
because they gave the world the Bible. He hates them because the
Messiah came through them. He hates them because God loves them, and
because God chose them to be a witness of what it means to have a
relationship with Him. And Satan hates the Jews because God has
promised over and over in His Word that at the end of the
Tribulation, He is going to bring a great remnant to salvation
through faith in their Messiah, Yeshua (Romans 9-11).
The First Half of the Tribulation
Another misconception relates to the
nature of the first half of the Tribulation. Many believe that this
period of 3 1/2 years is going to be a time of peace that will be
followed by 3 1/2 years of war. Some feel so strongly about this
that they use the word, Tribulation, to apply only to the second
half of the seven year period.
This view is based primarily on a statement Jesus made that
is recorded in Matthew 24. According to this passage, Jesus referred
to the last half of Daniel’s 70th week of years as
“the great tribulation”
(Matthew
24:21). But it must be kept in mind that
these words of Jesus were directed specifically to the Jewish
people.
The second half of the Tribulation will truly be the
“time of great tribulation”
for the Jews. That’s because they will live in peace during the
first half of the Tribulation under a covenant guaranteed by the
Antichrist. During that time, the Antichrist will be focused on
conquering the world. Once he has accomplished that goal — as he
will (Revelation
13:7-8) — he will go to Jerusalem, enter
the Temple, stop the sacrifices, and desecrate the Temple by
erecting a statue of himself (2
Thessalonians 2:3-4).
The Jewish people will be outraged
and will respond in a revolt. When they do this, the Antichrist will
become obsessed with destroying them. That will be his primary goal
during the second half of the Tribulation.
So, to summarize, the Jews will live
in peace during the first half of the Tribulation, but not the
Gentile nations of the world. The wars of the Antichrist will
devastate the world. One-fourth of humanity will die in the initial
war (Revelation
6:8). That’s 1.5 billion people in
today’s terms. According to Revelation 8 and 9, when the war
resumes, one-third of those left alive will die (another 1.5
billion).
The first half of the Tribulation is
going to be anything but a time of peace. It will, instead, be a
time of unimaginable carnage, for one-half of humanity will die in
the first 3 1/2 years!
The Quality of the Antichrist’s
Leadership
The erroneous concept that the Antichrist will be the
world’s most brilliant and glorious leader is based on
Revelation 13:7 where it says he will
gain authority over
“every tribe, people, tongue and nation”
on planet earth — something no other person has ever done.
But the evidence of prophecy points
to the fact that his reign will be anything but brilliant and
glorious.
For example, his conquest of the
world will devastate the earth. It will be like Napoleon’s “victory”
in Russia — he will win the battle and lose the war. The Antichrist
will end up with a world that is devastated and polluted beyond
imagination. Furthermore, the world’s subservience to him and
worship of him will be based to a large degree on force, deception,
and terror — not just genuine admiration.
Also, his obsession with the Jews
will undermine his kingdom and ultimately lead to its destruction.
Daniel 11:40-45 indicates
that when his attention is diverted to the destruction of the Jews,
a worldwide revolt will break out against his kingdom. Nations will
send armies against him from the North, East and South.
The Antichrist may prove to be a
successful military conqueror, but he will be a miserable leader
whose world wide empire will last only 3 1/2 years — and during that
time, it will be constantly ravaged by internal revolt.
A Misconception Concerning the
Church
Another popular misconception about the Tribulation is that
the Church will go through it and suffer mightily at the hands of
the Antichrist. This concept is based upon verses like
Revelation 13:7 which says that the
Antichrist will
“make war with the saints.”
But I believe the saints referred to
here are those who are saved during
the Tribulation. There is going to be a great harvest of souls
during the Tribulation. Some will be saved in response to the
Rapture. Others will respond to the preaching of the Two Witnesses
in Jerusalem (Revelation 11). The response of others will be
stimulated by the Tribulation judgments which will motivate many to
repent. Still others will respond to the special angel who will be
sent by God near the end of the Tribulation to proclaim the Gospel
to every living creature (Revelation
14:6-7). Many will be saved, but most of
these will be martyred for their faith (Revelation
7:9-17).
There is no purpose for the Church
during the Tribulation. This will be a time of God’s judgment upon
the unbelieving Gentiles and Jews who have rejected God’s grace,
love and mercy expressed in Jesus.
Some argue that the Church must go
through the Tribulation to be purged or cleansed. But the true
Church has already been purified by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians
5:25-27;
1 John 1:7; and
Romans 8:1). The Tribulation is not a
Protestant purgatory.
The symbolic imagery of the New
Testament focuses on the Church as being the Bride of Christ. Is the
Bridegroom going to beat up His Bride for seven years before He
comes for her? I think not. The Bible says that Jesus is coming to
deliver His Bride from the wrath that is to come (1
Thessalonians 1:10). Also,
Revelation 19:8 and
14 pictures Jesus returning
with His Church at the end
of the Tribulation, indicating the Redeemed will be taken out of
this world before the Tribulation begins.
Revelation focuses on the Church in its first three
chapters. Beginning with chapter 4, there is no more mention of the
Church during the entire period of the Tribulation. The Church is
not referred to again until
Revelation 22:16.
The Purpose
What’s it all about? Why is there
going to be such carnage? How could a God of grace, mercy and love
allow such an outbreak of unbridled terror and bloodshed?
One reason is to satisfy the justice
of God. Yes, God is characterized by grace, mercy and love, but He
is also a God of perfect justice, righteousness, and holiness. There
fore, He must deal with
sin. His justice demands it. Even His love compels it. How could a
God of true love simply overlook the actions of a murderer or a
pedophile?
The prophet Nahum understood the true nature of God. He
wrote that
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and
He knows those who take refuge in Him”
(Nahum
1:7). That is the love and mercy of God.
But the same prophet wrote (Nahum
1:2-3):
“A jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
The Lord is avenging and wrathful.
The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”
Truly, the Lord is
“slow to anger.”
He allows the iniquities of Mankind to accumulate over long periods
of time because He doesn’t wish that any should perish (2
Peter 3:9). His desire, instead, is that
all should come to repentance. But there is always a day of
reckoning, just as there was in the days of Noah, and such a day has
been set for this age. Paul referred to it in his sermon in Athens
when he said,
“He [God] has fixed a day in which He will judge the world
in righteousness”
(Acts
17:31).
A second reason for the Tribulation is to bring people to
salvation. Amazingly, even when God pours out His wrath, His
fundamental purpose is not to destroy but to save.
Isaiah 26:9 explains it this way:
“When the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants
of the world learn righteousness.”
The brutal fact is that God often
has to hit us over the head with a two-by-four in order to get our
attention and motivate us to repentance. The equally brutal fact is
that most people respond to such discipline by either cursing God or
continuing to ignore Him (Revelation
9:20-21). But some people always respond
in humility and are saved. As Billy Graham has put it: “The same sun
that melts the butter, hardens the clay.”
When God’s wrath is poured out during the Tribulation, some
hearts will be melted, but most will be hardened, illustrating once
again that nothing is as
“deceitful”
and
“desperately sick”
as the heart of Man (Jeremiah
17:9).
Man is frivolous about sin. God is
serious. The Tribulation will be a graphic expression of how serious
God is about Mankind’s rebellion against Him.
The signs of the times are shouting that we are standing on
the threshold of the Tribulation. The message of the Holy Spirit is
“Come out of Babylon”
(Revelation
18:4). That message means for us to
separate ourselves from the love of this world and prepare ourselves
for eternity. For believers, it means a commitment to holiness. For
unbelievers it means a commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior before
He returns as God’s avenger.
Please read more on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. |
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