The Great Tribulation & The Day of the Lord

Part One

Friends, if we don't treat the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, as separate and distinct events, our understanding of end time events will be confused and lead to error.

We have been taught that they are not separate or distinct but grouping them together as one event leads to all kind of error and erroneous teaching about the days ahead.

This may challenge or offend your doctrinal position or sensibilities but to say the period called the Great Tribulation is the same as God's wrath and not treat God's wrath (The Day of the Lord) as a separate and distinguishable event in it's own right is unscriptural and indefensible.

It is impossible on the basis of what scripture teaches, to defend the position that a lot of people defend and hold too.

And therein lies the root of the problem. Do we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth of the end time events and their chronology or do we hold to a teaching that is unscriptural because it is more palatable and suits better.

We are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, even if that challenges a preconceived position or way of thinking. In fact the whole purpose of having our minds renewed is to change and correct or way of thinking.

There are many sincere, godly preachers and believers who will not be moved on their position but what if the Lord wants you to change your eschatological position so that it is aligned with scripture?

We can espouse holiness (and rightly so) but at the very heart of a set apart life is being teachable and aligning our ways of thinking with God's ways of thinking. The High Priest's mitre had the following words written on a gold band, "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD".

It's not by chance that these words were about his head or mind. We can't be set apart to God, if our minds and thoughts and ways of thinking are not renewed and set apart.

As Don Francisco sang,

Holiness, holiness, it's not your food and drink, it's not the way you dress, holiness, holiness, it's to hear the Lord and to answer yes.

Our attitude should be, Lord, I'll abide and walk in your revealed truth not in half truths. I'll yield too and obey what you reveal to and teach me.

In Matthew 24, known as the Olivet Discource, Jesus teaches us about 3 very important but distinct and different time periods, which happen chronologically during the final 7 years leading up to His return.

Two of them happen before His coming and one happens after His appearing.

Three Distinct and Chronological Periods

The Beginning of Sorrows

The first period is called the "the beginning of sorrows or birth pangs". These birth pains are like those a woman experiences at the start of the birth of a child but increase in frequency and pain the nearer it comes to delivery.

The signs which accompany the early birth pangs are listed in v4-14:

1. Satanic deception

2. Wars and rumours of wars

3. Nation arising against nation i.e. Ethnic wars

4. Famines

5. Pestilences

6. Earthquakes

7. Persecution

8. Betrayal

9. False prophets

10. The proliferation of iniquity and lawlessness

11. The gospel of the kingdom preached in all the world as a witness to all nations

Most scholars agree that this period happens during the first 3.5 years of Daniel's 70th week i.e. The last 7 years. These birth pangs are detailed at Seals 1 to 4 in Revelation 6.

The Great Tribulation

The second distinct period, is the infamous time, called the Great Tribulation.

The key thing to remember about the Great Tribulation is, that is all about the revelation or appearing of the false pseudo Christ known as the Antichrist and the Beast system i.e. The One World totalitarian, political, economic and religious system headed up by the Man of Sin also known as the Son of Perdition.

Jesus does not appear or come at this mid-point of the last 7 years. No the Antichrist is revealed.

The key sign is something which is called the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9v27, Matthew 24v15).

This happens 3.5 years into the last 7 years and is fulfilled when the Antichrist sits in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, claiming to be God and the Messiah. 2 Thessalonians 2v3

This period will be characterised by severe persecution against the church and Israel. Jesus describes it as a time of trouble and testing that has never been experienced in human history, such will be it's severity.

This is part of the 3.5 year, 42 month/1260 day period when the Antichrist will reign over the world. Revelation 13

Jesus says something really important in v22 about this time of unmatched testing

22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

The Great Tribulation will be cut short for the sake of the elect.

Two questions arise from this verse:

1. What does shortened mean?

2. Who are the elect?

Shortened

Vines Expository Dictionary says the following about the word shortened:

1: κολοβόω  (Strong's #2856 — Verb — koloboo — kol-ob-o'-o )

denotes "to cut off, amputate" (kolobos, "docked"); hence, "to curtail, shorten," said of the "shortening" by God of the time of the great tribulation, Matthew 24:22 (twice); Mark 13:20 (twice). In the Sept., 2 Samuel 4:12 .

So what Jesus is saying is, that for the sake of His elect, He will cut short, literally amputate, the length of the time period or no flesh would be saved.

The Antichrist is given 3.5 years to rule but the Great Tribulation will not last for that full period. It's duration will be shortened. By how much we don't know (6 months, a year we are not told) but it will be literally cut short.

The Elect

Who then are the elect that Jesus refers too who are on the earth during the Great Tribulation and face the unrivalled persecution of the Antichrist and His kingdom?

Some say the elect is physical Israel, the Jewish nation but does this hold up to scriptural scrutiny?

Afterall that should be the standard.

We are not meant to twist scripture to fit our viewpoint but we are meant to align with the truth in scripture as revealed by the Holy Spirit and that should determine our doctrinal position.

If we compare scripture with scripture then scripture reveals the Elect as the church who are on the earth during the Great Tribulation.

1 Peter 1v1&2

1¶Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Peter writing his epistle to the pilgrims (the church) who were scattered abroad, calls them the elect.

The Apostle Paul writing to the church at Colosse calls them saints and refers to them as the elect

Colossians 3v12

12¶Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Colosse was situated in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey i. e. A Gentile region.

The Fifth Seal - Persecution & Martyrdom

The Great Tribulation equates to the 5th seal in Revelation 6v9-11

This clearly details that there will be many who suffer martyrdom during the Great Tribulation at the hands of the Antichrist and his kingdom.

This is supported by both Daniel (9v21) and John in Revelation 13v7.

Now don't be lazy Christians, I encourage you to open your Bible (hopefully there is no dust on it or you know where it is) and read these verses and check out what is being said. I'm being a bit cheeky but please don't take my word for it.

Revelation 6v9

9¶And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

These martyrs are crying out to God and asking when will you judge and avenge our blood.

Interestingly, they are clothed in white robes as are the great multitude who have come out of Great Tribulation Revelation 7v14 and the great multitude at the marriage supper who are clothed in white linen, clean and white. Revelation 19v8&14.

Many of those who are on the earth at this time, will pay the ultimate price (as are many believers in the world today and throughout history including the Apostles) with the souls under the altar told that they are to rest yet for a little season until their fellowservants also and their brethren, who should be killed and martyred as they were should be fulfilled. v11

Revelation 12

I believe that Revelation 12 is linked to the Great Tribulation. There is a war in heaven, Satan, the Dragon, and his angels fight against the Archangel Michael and the heavenly angels. v7

This war results in Satan and his angels being cast out of the heavenly dimension in which he currently rules (remember He is called the prince of the power of the air).

9So 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.

Note what it says in the next 3 verses.

v10 tells us that this war and subsequent casting out results in a loud voice being heard in heaven saying:

"Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

This victory and casting out, is the beginning of the end for the kingdom of darkness, as the cosmic war of the ages reaches it's conclusion and ultimate battle at Armageddon.

Look at what v11&12 says

11“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

12“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! 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.”

Satan has come down having great wrath. This is when he unleashes his anger through the rule and kingdom of the Antichrist.

The redeemed - they have to be the redeemed because they are depending on the blood for victory - overcome the persecution and tribulation by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (they love and live by the revealed Word of God and their testimony is Jesus and Jesus only as their Redeemer) and lastly they love not their lives unto death. They are so surrendered to Christ that they will suffer martyrdom rather than deny the Lord who saved them and His testimony.

Please note the 3.5 year time period is mentioned several times in this chapter as 1260 days and time, times and half a time.

17And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ are the saints, the redeemed, the church of the firstborn.

Speaking of the persecution during the Great Tribulation it says

Revelation 13v7

"It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them"

We will cover this in greater depth in Part 2 of this message but I draw your attention to the great multitude in Revelation 7. John asks the angel who they are.

The angel's reply in v14 is revelatory.

“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".

In Part 2, I will show clearly, by comparing scripture with scripture, that this is the church, who have been raptured and gathered unto Christ at His coming.

The Day of the Lord

The third distinct event, is the Day of the Lord which is the time when God pours out His wrath.

Jesus makes it abundantly clear in Matthew 24v29 that

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS

This introduces a new and distinct period, which happens immediately after the Great Tribulation as detailed in v15-28.

Jesus is so exact and definite in the language he uses.

He says, "Immediately after"

Strong's g2112

- Lexical: εὐθέως

- Transliteration: eutheós

- Part of Speech: Adverb

- Phonetic Spelling: yoo-theh'-oce

- Definition: immediately, soon, at once.

It's pretty clear, is it not, that what Jesus is about to detail from v29 happens immediately after or soon after the Great Tribulation, which has been cut short.

The event does not happen before or during the Great Tribulation but immediately after it.

Jesus is introducing us to a new and distinct event, which follows the Great Tribulation and far surpasses it in it's significance and in especially in relation to Who is revealed and the events that accompany the revelation.

In Part 2, we will examine the rapture (including it's timing and the signs that must happen before the church is gathered unto Christ) , the Day of the Lord, (including the sign that precedes it) in greater detail, the sign of Christ's second coming and what happens before the wrath of God is poured out.

We will continue to examine and show that the endtime events are sequential and chronological.

And finally we will examine how the terms thief and labour pains (the pains which happen just before giving birth) are inextricably linked to the Day of the Lord and not the Great Tribulation.