Immediately following the Rapture of God's people from this Earth, God will accomplish two things by the Tribulation.
1. He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel and 2. God's wrath will come upon the unbelieving on this Earth.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
There is one thing to keep in mind when you think of the Tribulation, God is in control, nothing gets out of hand. Nothing happens that catches God by surprise. Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
In other words God says, I will accomplish my will and nothing gets in the way. My counsel will stand!
The Tribulation will last a total of 7 years according to the Bible. There are events that happen within the Tribulation just as they will in other events of the future. Let's look at these in brief.
1. The Antichrist comes on the scene at the starting of the Tribulation. He will sign a peace treaty with Israel. We see today there is always trouble in the middle east and there will be until our Lord returns. A peace treaty will be a relief to the world at that time and even today as we see on the news.
He will have answers to the economy of the world, He will have an answer for the worlds healthcare. It would just be the reasonable answer to the world problems right now to have such a man! We have no leaders in this world that can even comprehend their own problems in, financial, healthcare. Look at our own Social Security, state and local problems.
The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is wor-shipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
He is going to love the attention and worship that people of the world give him. He will even build the Temple in Jerusalem and will be worshiped there. (Matthew 24:15) (Rev 13:14).
2. The Antichrist will break the treaty with Israel half way through the Tribulation and The Great Tribulation begins.
Matthew 24:15 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This is party time for Satan. This is where he is exalted, worshiped and praised and he is enjoying every minute of it but, the world is in great chaos because, remember God is letting Satan cause judgment upon the nonbeliever and His people.
Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Will there be people saved in the Tribulation? The answer is yes. The 144,000 Jewish witnesses (Revelation 7:4) are Jewish believers. If no one can come to Christ during the Tribulation, then why are people being beheaded for their faith.
The Tribulation will be a time of great sorrows, pain and suffering. Well, the next question might be. If most people have heard this then, why doesn't everyone come to Christ? There is no fear of God anymore. There is more non belief than there is belief. The biggest danger is that our churches across America are full of folks who have never come to reason with God about their sin, never come to terms with their self that they are sinful in nature. God says in Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
