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The Great Tribulation
Matt. 24: 16-22
Last week we looked at an event from Matt 24.
Matt. 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)
This event is connected to a time period of great judgment
predicted by Jesus. It seems to be the desecration of a future Jewish
Temple in which a world leader will claim to be god and demand
allegiance.
When this happens Jesus warns people to get out of town,
waste no time in fleeing for terrible things are coming.
Matt. 24:16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17 "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things
out that are in his house. 18 "Whoever is in the field must not turn
back to get his cloak. 19 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to
those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 "But pray that your
flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
This period of time will initiate a cosmic series of worldwide
judgments that will make the plagues of Egypt look like a walk in the
park. This will be worse than anything every witnessed. The flood of
Noah was global and killed everyone except the 8 people on the ark.
This series of plagues that Jesus’ predicts may not eliminate
such a high percentage of people as the flood but it will most likely
kill more people and be drawn out over a longer period of time.
The flood took 40 days and nights to occur and the waters
prevailed on the earth for another 150 days [5 months] and
everything that wasn’t aboard the Ark died. God made a might wind
to pass over the earth and the waters began to recede. In fact, the
Bible says that at the end of the 150 days of nothing but water, the
Ark grounded itself on Mount Ararat. It was the 17th day of the 7th
month of that year.
The waters continued to recede for a little over 2 months
more, until on the 1st day of the 10th month, the tops of the
mountains were exposed. But then it took more time for the water to
recede. So if we calculate the time that passed between the point
where God shut the door of the Ark until God commanded them to
leave it: it comes to 1 year and 10 days.
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This tribulation described by Jesus will last many years.
Some calculate from 3 ½ years to 7 years. This event is unique.
Matt. 24:21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has
not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever
will. 22 "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.
This is a judgment longer than the flood, more devastating
than any plague and more destructive than any war. This is vast in
nature. We saw some immense disasters in the 20th century.
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people
than World War I, at somewhere between 50 to 100 million people,
675,000 in America. It has been cited as the most devastating
epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in
a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague
from 1347 to 1351.
The effect of the influenza epidemic was so severe that the
average life span in the US was depressed by 10 years. The
physicians of the time were helpless against this powerful agent of
influenza. In 1918 children would skip rope to the rhyme :
I had a little bird, Its name was Enza. I opened the window,
And in-flu-enza. You could show symptoms one day and be dead the
next. The influenza pandemic circled the globe.
This will be minor compared to what is coming.
Matt 24 gives an over view of this Great Tribulation but the Book of
Revelation give the details.
In Revelation these judgments or plagues are described in
three series of sevens. They are described as the seven seals
(Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-5), seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6-13;
11:15-19), and seven bowls/vials (Revelation 16:1-21) are three
succeeding series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments
get progressively worse and more devastating as the end times
progress. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one
another. The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets (Revelation
8:1-5), and the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowls
(Revelation 11:15-19, 15:1-8).
The first four of the seven seals are known as the four
horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first seal introduces the Antichrist
(Revelation 6:1-2). The second seal causes great warfare (Revelation
6:3-4). The third of the seven seals causes famine (Revelation 6:5-6).
The fourth seal brings about plague, further famine, and further
warfare (Revelation 6:7-8).
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This is a more detailed study than can be covered in a sermon. Just
be it known that Jesus predicted some harsh events to come upon the
earth. There is debate as to,”Will Christians have to go through some
of this Tribulation?”
I hope not but I tend to be the kind of person that likes to
prepare for the worse and hope for the best. Eventually we may have
to worship in secret and go underground so to speak, to be able to
speak Biblical truth. What happens if it becomes illegal to be a
Christian or the practice our faith? Will you remain faithful?
It may start in the US with churches losing tax-exempt status
or agreeing to some governmental regulations to be recognized as a
legal, governmental approved church. Christians have had to function
under such conditions for millennia; and many do right now in
various countries. Will you remain faithful, God is.
We need to help each other remain faithful.
Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of
you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still
called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose
house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our
hope firm until the end.
Jesus warned a church to be ready to deal with tribulation and
to remain faithful even to the point of death. How would you
measure up? Pray God gives you the strength.
Rev 2:10 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil
is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested,
and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and
I will give you the crown of life. 11 'He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be
hurt by the second death.'
When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the city was buried
for 1700 years. When it was rediscovered, artifacts left a detailed
picture of what was happening in the city at the time. For example,
archeologists could identify the time by the clothes people were
wearing, the produce that was in season, and the stage of wine
fermentation.
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When Vesuvius erupted it covered the cities of Herculaneum and
Pompeii with 20 feet of volcanic debris. During this eruption about
2000 people were killed
A very interesting artifact could be identified as a Roman
soldier standing guard.
For hours, days, maybe weeks in advance Vesuvius was
belching steam and spitting ash, but when the end came, the soldier
fulfilled his duty faithfully. Almost 2000 years later, we do not know
his name, but we know he did his duty.
Christ will know our names but will He know we stood at our post
that we served the King of Kings, come what may. Will He also
know we were faithful to our calling when we saw signs of the end?
How have you faced tribulation in your own life? Our
character is defined not but how we entertain ourselves or how we
roll in the good time but how face tribulation.
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
We know God is faithful to us.
2 Thess 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and
protect you from the evil one.
Will we be faithful no matter what circumstance or tribulation
we face? 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to
the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing
what is right.
Matt. 25:23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and
faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in
charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Father we are often weak when we face tribulation. We ask
You to increase our faith and strengthen our resolve. Help us to stand
our post when we see the eruptions of life coming our way. May we
pass whatever test you allow, overcome any tribulation that draw
near, overcome any trial that approaches and remain faithful to Your
call. In the name of Him who conquered death and grave- in Jesus
name Amen.