ESCHATHOLOGICAL STUDY SERIES (IX)
TEXT: – Daniel 12:1; Revelation 6 – 19
INTRODUCTION: – The lord Jesus Christ said there “shall be great tribulations, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be ……..” (Matt.24:21-22). The great tribulation will come upon the earth as God pours out His wrath upon mankind for their wickedness and corruption which will exceed the days of Noah and Lot (Gen.6; Matt.24:31-39, Lk.17:22-37; 2Tim.3:1-12).
1) Description of the Great Tribulation
The tribulation will begin to affect Israel just before the 70th week begins, when the Antichrist rises at the beginning of the 70th week, Israel will be undergoing persecution from the 10 kings of the Revised Roman Empire dominated by mystery of Babylon.
When the Antichrist comes, he will make a 7year covenant with Israel assuring them of protection in their continued establishment as a nation (Dan.9:27). Because Israel will not submit to mystery Babylon, there will be widespread persecution and “they shall be hated of all nations” during the time of the “beginning of sorrows” when the antichrist will be striving to conquer the remaining three divisions of the Grecian Empire and then subdue the other kingdoms of the revised Roman Empire (Mtt.24:4-12). Antichrist will need Jewish moral and financial support in his rise over the nations, so he will make and alliance with them for 7 years. Therefore, the time of the tribulation will be during the whole of the 70th week of Daniel’s vision and will end at Christ’s 2nd advent (Dan.9:27; Mtt.24:29-31; Rev.19:11-21).
The tribulation will be divided into two periods. The first division of 31/2years is termed lesser tribulation. It is not to be as great in severity as the last 31/2years because of the protection of Israel by the Antichrist during that time. Israel’s persecution then will be from a source entirely different from that of the last division. In the first 31/2years Israel shall be persecuted by mystery Babylon and the 10 kings. This takes in the fulfillment of Rev.6:1-9; 21. The judgments of the 6th seal and of the first 6 trumpets come in this period.
The second division takes in the last 31/2years of the 70th week and it is termed “the great tribulation” because it will be more sever in persecution upon Israel than the firstb31/2years. The Antichrist, who will protect Israel in the first 31/2years will break his covenant with Israel in the middle of the week and become her bitter enemy. He then will try to destroy Israel by unleashing terrible terror against her, this then will call for the judgments of the 7vials of the 31/2years. This part of the tribulation includes the fulfillment of Rev.10:1-9; 21.
Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and the Lord Jesus Christ (and many others), speak of this time of Israel’s trouble as being worse than any other that has ever been or that will ever be on earth (Jer.30:4-11; Dan.12:1; Mtt.24:21-22; Rev.11:1-2; 12:14-17; 13:5-7).
The Antichrist (i.e. the beast out of the sea of Rev.13:1-10) will receive his power, throne and great authority from Satan (Rev.13:2; 16:13-16; 2Thes.2:8-12; Dan.8:24-25; 11:38-39). He will not be assassinated and resurrected from the dead as taught by some. It is one of the heads on the beast that is wounded to death and is healed, not the beast itself (Rev.13:3). He will have all the world wondering after him (Rev.13:2-4; 8-18) and worshipped (Rev.13:4; 14-18; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 14; Dan.7:25; 12:7).
He will defy God and claim to be God himself ((2thes.2:3-4; Dan.7:25; 8:25; 11:36-39; Rev.13:6). He will be given power to rule over all nations, tribes and kindred (Rev.13:7; Dan7:23-24; 8:23-25; 11:36-45) and he cause them to worship him as God and permit image worship of himself (Rev.13:7-18; 14:9-11; 15:; 20:4-6).
He will cause the mark or emblem of his kingdom or his name or the number of his name to be branded upon the right or forehead of his followers. And no one will be able to buy and sell without the mark of the beast (Rev.13:14-18).