The Great Tribulation

15 “Thereforewhenyouseethe‘abominationofdesolation,’spokenofbyDanieltheprophet,standingintheholyplace”(whoeverreads,lethimunderstand),16“thenletthosewhoareinJudeafleetothemountains.17 Lethimwhoisonthehousetopnotgodowntotakeanythingoutofhishouse.18 Andlethimwhoisinthefieldnotgobacktogethisclothes.

Matthew24:15-22

19 Butwoetothosewhoarepregnantandtothosewhoarenursingbabiesinthosedays!20 AndpraythatyourflightmaynotbeinwinterorontheSabbath.21 Forthentherewillbegreattribulation,suchashasnotbeensincethebeginningoftheworlduntilthistime,no,norevershallbe.22 Andunlessthosedayswereshortened,nofleshwouldbesaved;butfortheelect’ssakethosedayswillbeshortened.

Matthew24:15-22

Namesfor“Tribulation”intheBible

Isaiah2:12 ForthedayoftheLORD ofhostsshallcome uponeverythingproudandlofty,uponeverythingliftedup— anditshallbebroughtlow—


Isaiah34:8Foritis thedayoftheLORD’svengeance,theyearofrecompenseforthecauseofZion.


Jeremiah30:7 Alas! Forthatdayisgreat,sothatnoneislikeit;anditisthetimeofJacob’strouble,butheshallbesavedoutofit.

Namesfor“Tribulation”intheBibleMatthew13:40–42,49Thereforeasthetaresaregatheredandburnedinthefire,soitwillbeattheendofthisage.41 TheSonofManwillsendoutHisangels,andtheywillgatheroutofHiskingdomallthingsthatoffend,andthosewhopracticelawlessness,42 andwillcastthemintothefurnaceoffire.Therewillbewailingandgnashingofteeth.49 Soitwillbeattheendoftheage.Theangelswillcomeforth,separatethewickedfromamongthejust,

Meaningof“Tribulation”

• bāḥan = trial (metaphor from metal refining)

• nasah = to test or prove

• peirazō = tests with a beneficial purpose; temptation

Meaningof“Tribulation”

• tsar =staid,narrow,pentup,closelypressedorpressured(asofsealsorstreams)

• thlipsis = to press, squash (as grapes), oppression, affliction

Useof“Tribulation”intheBible

1. Those 'hard pressed' by warMatthew24:6,21 Andyouwillhearofwarsandrumorsofwars…buttheendisnotyet. Forthentherewillbegreattribulation,suchashasnotbeensincethebeginningoftheworlduntilthistime,no,norevershallbe.

The War in Syria

The New Yorker

J.RobertOppenheimer


John16:21Awoman,whensheisinlabor,hassorrowbecauseherhourhascome;butassoonasshehasgivenbirthtothechild,shenolongerrememberstheanguish,forjoythatahumanbeinghasbeenbornintotheworld.

2. A woman giving birth to a child


Philippians4:14Neverthelessyouhavedonewellthatyousharedinmydistress.

3. Those 'pressed' by poverty and lack


2Corinthians2:4Foroutofmuchaffliction andanguishofheartIwrotetoyou,withmanytears,notthatyoushouldbegrieved,butthatyoumightknowthelovewhichIhavesoabundantlyforyou.

4. Great anxiety and burden of heart


Colossians1:24Inowrejoiceinmysufferingsforyou,andfillupinmyfleshwhatislackingintheafflictions ofChrist,forthesakeofHisbody,whichisthechurch,

5. The afflictions of Christ


Revelation7:14 AndIsaidtohim,“Sir,youknow.”Sohesaidtome,“Thesearetheoneswhocomeoutofthegreattribulation,andwashedtheirrobesandmadethemwhiteinthebloodoftheLamb.

6. A period of time known as “the Great Tribulation”

Deuteronomy4:27–30AndtheLORD willscatteryouamongthepeoples,andyouwillbeleftfewinnumberamongthenationswheretheLORD willdriveyou.28 Andthereyouwillservegods,theworkofmen’shands,woodandstone,whichneitherseenorhearnoreatnorsmell.29 ButfromthereyouwillseektheLORD yourGod,andyouwillfindHim ifyouseekHimwithallyourheartandwithallyoursoul.30Whenyouareindistress,andallthesethingscomeuponyouinthelatterdays,whenyouturntotheLORD yourGodandobeyHisvoice.

FirstMentionintheBibleofthe“GreatTribulation”

1. A Specific Period of Time

Tribulation&“GreatTribulation”Distinguished

Creation

Fall of Man4000 BC

Flood2350 BC

Call ofAbraham2000 BC

Law of Moses1500 BC

Jesus Christ29 AD

Rapture

Tribu

lation

Innoc

ence

Cons

cienc

e

Huma

n Go

vern

ment

1000 yr. Kingdom

Return of Christ

GraceLawPr

omise

Great White Throne Jdgmt.

7yearsDan.9:24,27

Matthew24:21 Forthentherewillbegreattribulation,suchashasnotbeensincethebeginningoftheworlduntilthistime,no,norevershallbe.

2. More severe than in any previous period of history


Matthew24:22Andunlessthosedayswereshortened,nofleshwouldbesaved;butfortheelect’ssakethosedayswillbeshortened.

3. Shortened for the elect's sake


Daniel9:27Thenheshallconfirmacovenantwithmanyforoneweek;butinthemiddleoftheweekHeshallbringanendtosacrificeandoffering. Andonthewingofabominationsshallbeonewhomakesdesolate,evenuntiltheconsummation,whichisdetermined,ispouredoutonthedesolate.

4. Seven years in length


Jeremiah30:7 Alas!Forthatdayis great,sothatnoneis likeit;anditis thetimeofJacob’strouble,butheshallbesavedoutofit.

5. Called the time of “Jacob's trouble”

Daniel12:1–4 “AtthattimeMichaelshallstandup,thegreatprincewhostandswatchoverthesonsofyourpeople;andthereshallbeatimeoftrouble,suchasneverwassincetherewasanation,eventothattime.Andatthattimeyourpeopleshallbedelivered...”



Isaiah26:21Forbehold,theLORD comesoutofHisplacetopunishtheinhabitantsoftheearthfortheiriniquity;theearthwillalsodiscloseherblood,andwillnomorecoverherslain.

6. Nations will be judged for their sin and rejection of Christ


Revelation6:15–17Andthekingsoftheearth,thegreatmen,therichmen,thecommanders,themightymen,everyslaveandeveryfreeman,hidthemselvesinthecavesandintherocksofthemountains,16 andsaidtothemountainsandrocks,“FallonusandhideusfromthefaceofHimwhositsonthethroneandfromthewrathoftheLamb!17 ForthegreatdayofHiswrathhascome,andwhoisabletostand?”

7. Nations will be judged for their sin and rejection of Christ

Characteristicsofthe“GreatTribulation”

Zephaniah1:15-18NeithertheirsilvernortheirgoldshallbeabletodelivertheminthedayoftheLORD’swrath;butthewholelandshallbedevouredbythefireofHisjealousy,forHewillmakespeedyriddanceofallthosewhodwellintheland.

1.Wrath

J.I. Packer: “God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.” KnowingGod,151


2.Indignation

Isaiah26:20–21Come,mypeople,enteryourchambers,andshutyourdoorsbehindyou;hideyourself,asitwere,foralittlemoment,untiltheindignation ispast.21 Forbehold,theLORD comesoutofHisplacetopunishtheinhabitantsoftheearthfortheiriniquity;theearthwillalsodiscloseherblood,andwillnomorecoverherslain.


Revelation3:10 BecauseyouhavekeptMycommandtopersevere,Ialsowillkeepyoufromthehouroftrialwhichshallcomeuponthewholeworld,totestthosewhodwellontheearth.

3.Testing&Trial


Jeremiah30:7Alas!Forthatdayis great,sothatnoneis likeit;anditis thetimeofJacob’strouble,butheshallbesavedoutofit.

4.Trouble


Revelation14:7sayingwithaloudvoice,“FearGodandgiveglorytoHim,forthehourofHisjudgmenthascome;andworshipHimwhomadeheavenandearth,theseaandspringsofwater.”

5.Judgment


Isaiah24:20–21Theearthshallreeltoandfrolikeadrunkard,andshalltotterlikeahut;Itstransgressionshallbeheavyuponit,anditwillfall,andnotriseagain.21 Itshallcometopassinthatdaythat theLORD willpunishonhighthehostofexaltedones,andontheearththekingsoftheearth.

6.Punishment


Joel1:15Alasfortheday!ForthedayoftheLORD is athand;ItshallcomeasdestructionfromtheAlmighty.

7.Destruction


8.Darkness

Amos5:18WoetoyouwhodesirethedayoftheLORD!Forwhatgoodis thedayoftheLORD toyou? Itwillbe darkness,andnotlight.

Scopeofthe“GreatTribulation”

Revelation 3:10 ".. . that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell (not 'some') upon the earth"

Isaiah 24:1 "Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants"

Isaiah 24:17 "Terror and pit and snare confront you, O inhabitant of the earth."

Sourceofthe“GreatTribulation”

Zeph.1:18 “...dayoftheLord'swrath”Isa.24:1 “TheLordmakestheearthempty...”Isa.26:21 “...theLordcomesoutofhisplace

topunishtheinhabitantsoftheearthfortheiriniquity”

Rev.6:16-17 “...thewrathoftheLamb”

Purposeofthe“GreatTribulation”

1. TojudgeGentileNations

2.TofulfillGod’scovenantwithIsrael

Purposeofthe“GreatTribulation”

“Ironically, man’s greatest effort to rid himself of the rule of God will not produce the freedom that he desires. Instead it will enslave him in the most fiendish, oppressive form of bondage. Rather than moving toward Utopia, man is hurtling toward the most horrible time of tribulation in world history.”

Renald Showers

OurResponsetothe“GreatTribulation”

2Corinthians5:11 Knowing,therefore,theterroroftheLord,wepersuademen…

πείθω (peithō)=persuade,convince;bepersuaded,convinced,believe;trust;obey

φόβος (phobos)=tocausefear,apprehension, &feelingsofanxiety

OurResponsetothe“GreatTribulation”

FBCmissionstatement:“MakingandmaturitydisciplesofJesusChristtothegloryofGod”

Revelation11:1-14

The Great Tribulation

Spiritual

Transcript of The Great Tribulation