The Coming Tribulation II

My goal for this study is to inform both Christians and non-Christians of the time period the bible says we are soon approaching. For the believer in Christ, this will serve as an informational source to sharpen your understanding of scripture, but for the unbeliever, it is a warning posed by the bible for those who will be left behind after the rapture of the church. Through this study of the tribulation, I hope to inform skeptics of the truth and necessity of the Gospel.

Time is short and this study is one of the many ways I’m using to communicate that. In part 1 of this study, we delved into what the tribulation is, how it starts, as well as its purpose. In the second part of this study I’ll take a look at what will occur during the tribulation, how you can escape if you are not a believer in Christ, and when the tribulation will occur.

Here I hope to flesh out more of what the bible says will take place during these 7 years, how we known the tribulation is near, and how those who have not yet called upon the name of the Lord can escape the coming tribulation.

During the Tribulation

The tribulation will be a time of never before seen violence, death, disease, economic upheaval, deception, and nature and the supernatural turning on mankind like never before. Some of these factors can and will be caused by humans, however, the majority of it will derive from the supernatural realm which will then find its way into the physical world.

For one, Satan and his angels will have free reign on earth as they will be kicked out of heaven and bound to the earth. He will unleash his wrath on mankind and even use an individual known as the antichrist who will be empowered for his purposes, “…The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2)

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him…Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. (Revelation 12:7-9, 12)

This period of time is not only categorized by Satan’s wrath but also by God’s judgments upon the world on an unrepentant mankind. These judgments consist of 7 seals, 7 trumpets , and 7 bowls. The Bible states that God doesn’t delight in the punishment of the wicked but would rather everyone come to repentance (Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 33:11). Through his judgments, God will shake people “awake”.

During this period of time, mankind will know where these judgments are coming from. Many will believe the Gospel and repent but even more will remain steadfast in their rebellion. At this point, who else can they blame but themselves?

1. “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves 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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'” (Revelation 6:15-17)
2. “In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:13)
3. “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.” Revelation 16:8-9

End Game

Although God will make himself known very clearly to the world, so will Satan. He will work through the antichrist to deceive everyone on earth. The antichrist will have with him someone the bible calls the “false prophet” who will deceive the earth through his false signs and wonders and will cause the inhabitants of the world to worship the antichrist as god, “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,” (Revelation 13:13-14).

Although many people will realize the truth once the rapture occurs, the tribulation will be a time of unprecedented deception that the world will ever experience. The end goal for the antichrist is total control over everyone on earth which will find its ultimate fulfillment in what the bible calls the “mark of the beast”, “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” (Revelation 13:16-17).

Everyone on earth will have only 2 options once this is implemented: to take the mark or to refuse it. Revelation 20:4 tells us exactly what happens to those who refuse it, “…Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.” However a stern warning is offered to those who may be thinking of taking the mark or have already done so,

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:9-11)

Taking the mark of the beast will ensure the damnation of that person. However, not taking it will ensure that person’s death. This in itself will be a final test of sorts to decide who’s side people are on.

Although many will be killed for not taking the mark, they will have retained their salvation and find themselves before God’s throne immediately, “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints'” (Revelation 15:2-3)

“When will these things be?”

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ (Matthew 24:3)

The goal of this study isn’t to pin a date of the rapture or when I believe the tribulation begins – because none of us can know. However, Jesus commands his followers to watch for the signs of the times and we are told we’ll know the season of the Lord’s return – IF we watch (Luke 12:37, Luke 21:34-36, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, Revelation 16:15).

It is my belief and that of many other Christians that we are in that season. Although I can’t tell you when the tribulation will occur, we can clearly see we are in the season of the Lord’s return.

In all honesty, I don’t believe we even have 20 years of this current time period if even that. Of course I’m not God and may be wrong but based on where the world’s headed and how quickly prophecy is lining up and being fulfilled, I believe his return for the church is very near and that means the tribulation is right at the door as well.

How can you Escape?

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen. ”Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:9-17)

The Bible tells us clearly that the tribulation is for those that didn’t accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The only way to escape before this time is to do just that. For those that one day discover millions of people have disappeared from the earth in the rapture of the church, the good news is that it’s not too late to accept Jesus even then. Sadly there is no “escaping” the things that will befall the earth at that point.

Satan will be doing everything within is power to deceive people from the truth and have those that choose to side with God killed. Despite this, millions and probably billions of people will come to the truth and accept God’s free gift of salvation through Christ in what may be the largest “harvest” of souls to Christ that even exceeds the 2,000 year history of the church! They will be counted as the innumerable number of “tribulation saints”.

Although we all have the free will to reject or accept the free gift of salvation, if you are not a believer, I hope you will consider what I presented in this study.

Other articles in this series:

1. The Coming Tribulation
2. The Coming One World Government