Summary: We have been studying the Book of Revelation and we have come to the place where we will be looking at the period of time that comes after the church is rapture. I believe that God’s people need to know about what is going to happen in end times.

Revelation 6:1-17.

THE FIRST SEAL OF GOD’S JUDGEMENT.

We have been studying the Book of Revelation and we have come to the place where we will be looking at the period of time that comes after the church is rapture. I believe that God’s people need to know about what is going to happen in end times. I believe that God’s people who are alive at the time will be rapture and will not have to face the period from the rapture until the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.

The Bible informs us that the church of Jesus will not have to endure what is about to happen. We will talk about this a little later in the message. A lot of preachers like me have looked at the rapture and we have come to the idea that about 1 3/4 billion soul will be rapture to be with Jesus.

I want to follow this for a minute. When the rapture happens,

mothers who are carrying children in their womb will suddenly not have a child. Mother who are delivery at the time of the rapture will not be able to see that child. If people are at a funeral and the person who died is a Christian when the rapture happens, coffin will suddenly be empty because of the rapture. Just think about this, where ever the Lord’s Children are, what ever they are doing at the time of the rapture, the people who are with them will see them disappear in the blink of an eye. You will have car, trucks, trains, planes and ships that could loose their driver. Just like when the disciples looked inside of the tomb after Jesus resurrection and they saw that what Jesus was laid to rest in was still in the position as if the body suddenly became invisible the same thing will happen to the Lord’s Children when the rapture takes place.

1. God has a plan.

There is a scroll and it is sealed with seven seals. A call goes forth for someone to open the scroll, but no one is found who is able to open it. John begins to weep because he knows that this scroll represents the title deed to the earth and as long as it is left sealed Satan will remain in control over the human race.

But then, he is told: “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The fact is that God has a plan. It is important to understand the significance of the scroll. There is a plan and it is written out by the hand of God and it will be fulfilled. No team ever goes onto the field without a game plan. They learn the fundamentals of the sport. They watch films studying the tactics of their opponents. They figure out how to counteract the manoeuvre of the other team. If the other team tries their usual game plan, they will go with plan A. If they try something else, plan B is developed. Sometimes they will double-team a player. They might try an end run. But they always have a plan. If ever a team just wandered out onto the field just to see how things would go, they would certainly lose. God has a plan. He knows the opponent perfectly. The fact is that God is in control. Sometimes we look around at the world and it seems like evil is winning, but we know who wins in the end because God is in control. Appearances are deceiving. Things are not always what they appear to be. There is coming one last and final dictator to this earthhe’s the antichristhe’s coming on a white horse as an imitator of Jesus Christ. He is Satan’s great deceive and his deception will be so convincing, that even the Jews will believe him, and will think that their Messiah has finally arrived. He will come on a platform of peace, (notice: no arrows, just a bow) but this last world dictator will bring death and destruction to this earth. You say how is that possible? How is this going to happen? His power and his dominion are given unto him. They are given to him by God. It is God who will allow it to happen. Listen to Rev. 17:17. God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Satan will think that he’s in charge. During the tribulation, the devil will think he’s calling the shots/running the affairs of earthbut it is God who will control it all. Even when chaos seemingly rules, God is on the throne and in full controlbut in essence, what God is doing is He’s giving mankind enough rope to hang them selves.

The Bible says, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

The dramatic moment has now come. The seals that bind God’s book are now to be broken. I want you to notice that part of God plan is that only one seal would be broken at a time. If all the seal were broken at once that no one on the earth would be able to survive. As the seals are broken, the most astounding thing happens John is actually allowed to see the end time. This is important to note, for John and the heavenly host are not reading the book. They are witnessing the events of the end time. The first four seal judgments are a description of the antichrist gaining control over the nations of the earth.

What is interesting about this period is that it is divided into smaller time periods. The first time period covers 21 months and it deals with the Seven Seals Judgements. Then comes another 21 months that deal with the Seven Trumpet Judgements. Here is an interesting fact after the first 3 ½ years have passed the last 3 ½ years are referred to as the Great Tribulation.

2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIBULATION.

The tribulation is God’s last attempt to get the human race to look to God. I know that as we study this period that you may find it very hard to understand but God has gotten to the point where He feels that the only way to get mankind to recognize that there is a God and that this same God sent his only Son so that mankind could be reconciled to the Lord is to resort to some very supernatural events.

You have to wonder, if the Tribulation is so nasty then why, why would God allow it? By then he will have tried everything else to bring people to repentance. He provided the law through Moses, when people didn’t follow that he sent his prophets, they killed his prophets, he sent his Son, and they killed his Son. With the resurrection of his Son was born the Church and even though the church has changed the world and led literally billions of people into a saving relationship with God the majority of people still choose to walk their own way. My dad tells the story of the old farmer who had the mule for sale and a guy came and looked at the Mule and said "Does he listen good?" "Sure does" said the farmer "Watch this." And he walked over the mule picked up the reins and said "Giddy up" nothing happened, so he repeated it "Giddy up" and still nothing happened. So the old farmer picks up a two by four walks around to the front of the mule and thwack hit’s him right between the eyes, goes on back to the reins and says "Giddy up" and the mule trots off. "I thought you said he listens well?" says the perspective buyer. "He does" says the farmer, "But first you have to get his attention.

"Well the tribulation is designed to get peoples attention.

A. TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSIONS. This time of suffering will finish the transgression of Israel, which they are suffering for because Israel rejected her Messiah. During the tribulation there will be a great revival in Israel because of the preaching of the two Witnesses who appear immediately after Israel sign a peace treaty with the enemy of the Lord God. Add to the preaching of the two witnesses you also have the 144,000 who are chosen as the Lord evangelist and you can easily see a great revival taking place.

B. TO PUT AN END TO SIN. The words “put an end” literally means to seal up. This seven year period will end with the binding up of Satan which will seal up sin.

C. TO ATONE FOR WICKEDNESS. This is a reference to the sin not only of mankind but also of Israel for the world’s refusal to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

D. TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS. This happens at the end of the tribulation but it is helped as Israel experience her revival and accept the Lord Jesus as her Messiah the age of righteousness comes into complete being with the coming of Jesus Christ to earth to set up the millennial Kingdom.

E. TO SEAL UP VISIONS AND PROPHECY. With the returning and accepting of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and when we add to that the fact that Jesus will be setting up his kingdom on the earth there will no longer be a need for prophets’, vision and prophecy.

F. TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY. I believe that this is talking about a time when the whole world will worship Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

3. WHAT BEGINS THE TRIBULATION?

The period of tribulation doesn’t start with the rapture of the church. The tribulation actually starts when the Antichrist sign a seven year peace treaty with Israel.

DANIEL 9:27. A covenant will be put into effect with many people for one