Eschatology 7 Of 16 The Tribulation Period

Our outline for the Tribulation Period has been:

I. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

II. THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

III. THE PLAGUES OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

We also have looked at why God allowed this period of time to take place. It is for two reasons:

(1) TO CONVINCE THE JEWS HE WAS WHO HE SAID HE WAS

(2) TO SEND JUDGMENT ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH THAT REJECTED HIS BELOVED SON

In the last sermon, we started dealing with God’s judgments as the first four seals were opened.

In those four seals we saw:

• THE WHITE HORSE (Rev. 6:1-2) The rider we discovered is the antichrist. Notice, he has a bow, but no arrows. This means the first three-and-a-half years he will bring about a temporary peace not through force, but through diplomacy.

• THE RED HORSE (Rev. 6:3-4) The red horse represents a drastic change on the part of the antichrist. The peace that he established in the first three-and-a-half years is over, and he now makes war against anyone who would oppose him.

• THE BLACK HORSE (Rev. 6:5-6) The black horse represents the famine that will be imposed on the inhabitants of the earth. Not only will the antichrist take control of the food supply of the world, and not allow anyone to buy or sell unless they have the mark of the beast, the plagues God will send will wipe out much of the food supply of the world.

• THE PALE HORSE (Rev. 6:7-8) The rider of the pale horse represents the many deaths that will occur during this time.

But now we come to the-

(5) THE FIFTH SEAL JUDGMENT

This seal is different. How? Up until this time, all the activity has been taking place on the earth. But now the attention switches from the earth to heaven.

Look at Rev. 6:9-11, we read, “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

• These are people who did not take the mark of the beast. They responded to the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish Missionaries.

• These are the ones who were not deceived by the man riding the white horse.

The 144,000 Jewish Missionaries had told them not to take the mark. They did not! They ENDURED whatever they had to endure, and these are the ones who evidently had their heads cut off rather than take the mark of the beast.

Most likely, many of these are Jews. Remember, the Jews rejected Christ and they said, “Let his blood be on us and our children.”

Illus: We all know that through the years, the Jews have had to suffer more than any race of people on the face of the earth. They are hated and despised.

Illus: Adolf Eichmann said this about the Jews; “I shall leap in my grave, for the thought that I have destroyed five million Jews. This is a source of great comfort!”

The Jews paid a tremendous price for rejecting the Son of God. But notice, these who John saw wanted to know how long it would be before justice prevails for the cruel death they had to face.

The Lord assured them it would not be much longer. The Lord said it would not be long before justice prevails, most likely this seal takes place almost at the end of the great tribulation period.

WHAT DID THEY RECEIVE? White robes, robes of purity - they were saved by the blood like we are!

(6) THE SIXTH SEAL JUDGMENT

This seal takes us back to earth again.

Look at Rev. 6:12-17, we read, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”