Foundations Of The Faith: Tribulation And Millennium

FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH:

TRIBULATION AND MILLENNIUM

REVELATION 20:1-20:15

TODAY WE ARE COMING TO THE CONCLUSION OF OUR STUDY ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH. AS WE STUDY THE BIBLE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT BECOME CLEAR AND THESE BECOME FOUNDATIONAL TO BELIEVE AS CHRISTIANS.

FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH INCLUDE:

WE MUST BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS THE AUTHORITATIVE AND TOTALLY INSPIRED WORD OF GOD.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A PERSON BE A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE LORD IN BAPTISM

JESUS MUST BE THE SAVIOR AND LORD OF OUR LIVES.

THAT THERE WILL BE A LITERAL RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

TODAY AS WE CONCLUDE THE STUDY, WE ARE GOING TO CONSIDER WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE TRIBULATION AND THE MILLENNIUM. THIS AS WELL IS FOUNDATIONAL IN OUR STUDY OF THE LAST DAYS.

MOST OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS GIVEN OVER TO THE ACCOUNT OF THE TRIBULATION AND THE MILLENNIUM. AN OUTLINE OF THE BOOK WILL SHOW THIS.

CHAPTERS 1-3: LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

CHAPTERS 4-18: DEAL WITH THE TRIBULATION

CHAPTER 19-20: DEAL WITH THE END OF THE TRIBULATION AND

THE MILLENNIUM

CHAPTERS 21-22: DEAL WITH THE ETERNAL STATE

THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS A DIFFICULT BOOK TO READ, BECAUSE OF IT’S STYLE OF WRITING WHICH IS PROPHETIC, THE SYMBOLISM USED IN THE BOOK, AND THE GENERAL HEAVINESS OF THE MESSAGE. THERE IS NOT A LOT OF GOOD NEWS FOR MOST OF THE BOOK. I WANT TO ASSURE YOU TODAY THAT I’M GOING TO DEAL WITH THE TRIBULATION AND MILLENNIUM IN VERY GENERAL TERMS.

POINT ONE: SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND

THERE WILL COME MANY CHANGES TO OUR WORLD AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE THE SCRIPTURE DECLARES THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, WILL INSTANTLY DISAPPEAR FROM THE EARTH. THOSE ALIVE WILL HAVE THEIR BODIES TRANSFORMED, THOSE DEAD WILL HAVE THEIR BODIES RESURRECTED, BUT THEY WILL ALL BE BODIES WITHOUT THE SIN NATURE AND THEREFORE WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE FOREVER WITH CHRIST. THE ONLY PEOPLE TO BE TAKEN TO BE WITH CHRIST AT THIS TIME WILL BE BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS.

THE WORLD WILL BE IN A STATE OF KAOS, AS THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO COULD EXPLAIN WHAT HAS HAPPENED, THE BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS ARE GONE. COUNTRIES MAY BE WITHOUT LEADERS, PLANES WILL CRASH AS THEIR PILOTS HAVE DISAPPEARED. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR CARS TRAINS AND BUSES.

FAMILES COULD BE BROKEN UP. IF HUSBAND BELIEVES AND WIFE DOES NOT, HUSBAND WILL BE TAKEN AND THE WIFE LEFT BEHIND. ALL CHILDREN AND UNBORN BABIES WILL BE TAKEN TO BE WITH CHRIST. TEENAGERS COULD BE LEFT BEHIND AND THEIR PARENTS TAKEN, IT THEIR PARENTS ARE BELIEVERS AND THE TEENAGERS ARE NOT.

WHEN THE RAPTURE OCCURS ALL THAT IS HOLY IS GOING TO BE TAKEN OFF THE FACE OF THIS EARTH. THERE WILL BE NO ONE LEFT WHO HAS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IF THEY DID THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN UP WITH THE RAPTURE. THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE MILLENNIUM WILL BE A TIME OF UNPRECIDENTED EVIL IN THIS WORLD

MATTHEW 24: 21-22:

“FOR THERE WILL BE GREATER ANGUISH THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN. AND IT WILL NEVER BE SO GREAT AGAIN. IN FACT, UNLESS THAT TIME OF CALAMITY IS SHORTENED, NOT A SINGLE PERSON WILL SURVIVE. BUT IT WILL BE SHORTENED FOR THE SAKE OF GOD’S CHOSEN ONES.”

POINT TWO: WHAT IS THE UNHOLY TRINITY?

THERE WILL BE THREE PERSONALITIES ARISING TO POWER FOLLOWING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

1. THE ANTICHRIST:

2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4:

“DON’T BE FOOLED BY WHAT THEY SAY. FOR THAT DAY WILL NOT COME UNTIL THERE IS A GREAT REBELLION AGAINST GOD AND THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS IS REVEALED-THE ONE WHO BRINGS DESTRUCTION. HE WILL EXALT HIMSELF AND DEFY EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE CALL GOD AND EVERY OBJECT OF WORSHIP. HE WILL EVEN SIT IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, CLAIMING THAT HE HIMSELF IS GOD.”

THE ANTICHRIST IS GOING TO BE A POLITICAL LEADER. HE WILL BE ALLOWED TO RULE THE ENTIRE WORLD, AS HE SEES FIT. HE WILL TRY TO DUPLICATE THE LIFE OF CHRIST RIGHT DOWN TO ARISING FROM THE DEAD.

REVELATION 13:3:

“I SAW THAT ONE OF THE HEADS OF THE BEAST SEEMED WOUNDED BEYOND RECOVERY-BUT THE FATAL WOUND WAS HEALED! THE WHOLE WORLD MARVELED AT THIS MIRACLE AND GAVE ALLEGIANCE TO THE BEAST.”

THE KEY TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS WAS A NEAR FATAL WOUND. HE DID NOT IN FACT DIE. IT IS AFTER THIS THOUGH THAT HIS BODY COMES TOTALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF SATAN.

2. THE FALSE PROPHET:

REVELATION 19:20: “AND THE BEAST WAS CAPTURED, AND WITH HIM THE FALSE PROPHET WHO DID MIGHTY MIRACLES ON BEHALF OF THE BEAST-MIRACLES THAT DECEIVED ALL WHO HAD ACCEPTED THE MARK OF THE BEAST AND WHO WORSHIPED HIS STATUE. BOTH THE BEAST AND HIS FALSE PROPHET WERE THROWN ALIVE INTO THE FIERY LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR.”