The Great Tribulation

These are notes from my pastor's sermon series entitled "Last Days." While I am a copious note-taker (and don't want them to go to waste!), I do NOT intend that they replace Pastor Bryan's preaching! Hopefully they will serve as a helpful outline as you listen to the actual sermon, which is available for viewing here:
http://www.firstroanoke.com/HTML/Resources/0410-LastDays/060610/Viewer.shtml

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved ; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." ~Matt 24:21-24 (NASB)

Why study prophecy?  Because God will bless us, teach us, encourage us, draw us closer, and inspire us to be more like Jesus.

The Truth of the Great Tribulation

How can we be sure it will actually take place?
1. Jesus was sure (Matt 24)
2. Bible says it (God said it, that settles it, we believe it!)
3. Signs of the times

What is it? Period of God's wrath upon the earth in a series of judgments spoken in Rev but mentioned in the old and new testaments.  The judgments increase and intensify and the suffering gets worse and worse.

During the first half of the Great Tribulation the earth will experience -
7 Seal judgments (Rev 6): that brings Antichrist, war, famine, death, martyred souls, persecutions, changes on earth, then a period of silence
7 Trumpet judgments (Rev 8-11):  1/3 of earth set afire; 1/3 trees burned; grass will burn; meteor fall in the sea and destroy all the ships and fish; 1/3 sea turn to blood; falling stars will poison 1/3 of the earth's water; 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars will be darkened; 5 months of torture by scorpions; a 200 million man army will kill 1/3 of mankind; major earthquake in which 7,000 will die in Jerusalem alone.


Then the second half of the Great Tribulation, worse than the first 3 and 1/2 years:
7 Bowl judgments (Rev 16): boils; everything in the seas will die; rivers and springs will be turned to blood; sun is intensified with scorching heat; earth is plunged into darkness, Euphrates River dries up; armies attack Israel; great storms with hailstones weighing 100 lbs. Armageddon will follow the judgments at the end of this period.

After all the judgments and the battle at Armageddon, Jesus will return and set up His kingdom and will rule for 1000 years from the city of Jerusalem (Millennial Reign).

The Great Tribulation will be a time -

of judgment. When a holy and just God pours out His wrath upon the earth.

for the Lord to prepare and redefine Israel, getting ready for Christ's return.  Many if the nation of Israel will accept Jesus as Messiah during this time (Deut 4:30-31, Rev 7:1-8 )

God will be faithful to the promises He's made to the nation of Israel, and the promises He's made to the Church.

Daniel 12 tells of times of terror, but also times of God's faithfulness to Israel and the remnant of believers.  (Michael the archangel is the personal guardian over the nation of Israel.)

The Terror in the Great Tribulation
Dr J. Dwight Pentecost gives ten descriptive biblical words that describe this time: wrath, judgment, indignation, trial, trouble, destruction, darkness, desolation, overturning and punishment. He concludes his thoughts with this statement, "No passage can be found to alleviate to any degree whatsoever the severity of this time that shall come upon the earth."

War against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39)
This will likely be one of the first crises after the rapture of the Church. An Islamic-Israeli war could set the stage for the Antichrist's rise to power and subsequent peace treaty (Dan 9:20-27).  Israel will entrust her future to the very man who is determined to wipe them out. Jerusalem will become the political center of the world.

Halfway through the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will turn on Israel and marshal the world against them to wipe them out once and for all.  But that's not the end... Jesus will return, defeat the Antichrist and bind Satan for 1000 years.

Scary stuff, huh??  But those who have placed their trust in Jesus as Lord can rest easy and KNOW that things are happening according to God's will and plan, and that their eternity is secure and they can live with NO FEAR! Click HERE to learn how YOU can know Jesus as Lord!