Eschatology 5 Of 16 The Tribulation Period

Let’s take a minute to review what we talked about in the last sermon -

I. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

We dealt with two things in the first sermon as to why God allows this time to take place on earth.

A. TO PREPARE ISRAEL FOR THE MESSIAH

They will be convinced that Christ is Who He said He was. I showed you Ezekiel 20:37-38, we read, “And I will cause you to pass under the rod…AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.”

But God is going to allow the Tribulation Period to take place for another reason.

B. TO POUR OUT JUDGMENT ON THE UNRIGHTEOUS

All the inhabitants of the earth that have rejected God’s Son, will feel the wrath of God poured out on them during this time.

We looked at THE PUPOSE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, but also we looked at-

II. THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD?

A. THE FALSE PROPHET WILL PARTICIPATE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

B. THE ANTICHRIST WILL PARTICIPATE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

WHAT WILL HE BE DOING?

The Bible says, “He causeth” all to take the mark of the beast in their right hand or forehead before they can BUY or SELL.

C. THE TWO WITNESSES WILL PARTICIPATE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

These two witnesses are believed by many theologians to be Moses and Elijah. They will be given extraordinary power, such as the ability to:

• Send forth fire from their mouth to defend themselves

• Withhold the rain

• Send plagues on the earth

They are given these special powers to use them ANY WAY THEY CHOOSE, and to use them ANY TIME THEY CHOOSE.

They became a “thorn” in the side of the antichrist. He did not want anyone to equal his power, and he came out of the bottomless pit to destroy them. When their ministry was completed, God allowed the devil to kill them.

Their bodies will lay on the streets of Jerusalem for three-and-a-half days. And, most likely through national television, the whole world will be able to view their dead bodies as the antichrist proudly proclaims he has killed these men who have troubled the world with the special powers they possessed.

But in three-and-a-half days, the Bible says their bodies came to life again and they stood up and were caught up into heaven to be with the Lord, as their enemies watch them ascend.

These TWO WITENESSES that had these SPECIAL POWERS, most likely will be the ones God uses to equip the 144,000 Jewish missionaries.

But notice this, the two witnesses had SPECIAL POWERS, but the 144,000 Jewish missionaries will have a SPECIAL MESSAGE. Let’s look at -

D. THE 144,000 THAT WILL PARTICIPATE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

Look at Rev. 7:2-4 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

These are the 144,000 Jewish Missionaries that will minister upon the earth during the tribulation period.

There have been some great Missionaries who have done a great job, but these 144,000 Jewish Missionaries will probably be the greatest missionaries that have ever walked on this earth.

They are similar to the Two Witnesses, in that God seals them and no one can hurt them until God has finished his work through them.

But notice, the Bible says these 144,000 were Jewish Missionaries.

IS THAT SIGNIFICANT? Yes, these verses of scripture are important for this reason.

There is a group that goes from door to door who call themselves Jehovah Witnesses, and they claim they are the 144,000.

But I submit to you, based on the Word of God, that every time they make that claim they do it out of ignorance, because there is not one ounce of truth to their claim.

Let me give you some scriptural reasons why their claim is not correct. (Six of them)

(1) The first reason their claim is not true is because this is something that is yet to happen, it has not happened yet, so how can they be this group?

(2) They can not be this group because the Bible says the 144,000 are Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel.

Look at Rev. 7:4 “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”