The Coming World Tribulation
(topical)
1. We had a great time visiting Hannah in Reston, VA. Lots of relaxing, cooking, eating, and socializing with friends.
2. This trip’s highlights included a trip to an Ethiopian restaurant.
3. Ethiopian bread is thin like a pancake, gray in color, and resembles a foam air conditioner filter. You don’t eat with utensils…..
4. The world has many cultures, but the similarities between people are much greater…
5. The truth is that we are all sinners, and, by nature, rebels against God.
6. At times, that defiance becomes unrestrained. The current push for gay marriage, for example, is a case of unrestrained defiance. For Adam, God made Eve, not Steve.
7. As we get closer to the end, the more defiant we will become. But God will cap off human defiance with the coming Tribulation.
Main Idea: The Tribulation culminates the era of mankind defying God as God vindicates himself in awesome judgment.
I. The Tribulation Is About Jesus’ GLORY As He Claims His Throne (Psalm 2)
A. Although it involves man, it is ultimately about GOD
1. People wonder what all these events: to unfold/reveal God’s character
2. The Book of Revelation reveals what Jesus is like…
B. Called the “DAY of the Lord” (Joel, locust plague)
1. It will come suddenly, unexpectedly (I Thessalonians 5:3)
2. The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding. Each show is more fantastic than the last, and is applauded by the audience. Suddenly the manager comes forward. He apologizes for the interruption, but the theater is on fire, and he begs his patrons to leave in an orderly fashion. The audience think this is the most amusing turn of the evening, and cheer thunderously. The manager again implores them to leave the burning building, and he is again applauded vigorously. At last he can do no more. The fire raced through the whole building and the fun-loving audience with it. "And so," concluded Kierkegaard, "will our age, I sometimes think, go down in fiery destruction to the applause of a crowded house of cheering spectators."
3. The Jewish belief was that the Messiah would come after the great tribulation…
“R. Johanan said: When thou seest a generation overwhelmed by many troubles as by a river, await him, as it is written, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him; which is followed by, And the Redeemer shall come to Zion.29” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a).
C. Lesson: God KNOWS about our tribulations and miseries
II. The Tribulation Is About SEVEN Years Long (Daniel 9:27, Revelation 11:3 and 12:6)
A. This is INFERRED from several passages
B. A peace PACT with Israel starts the timer
C. Third of the sun smitten, 16 HOUR days? (Rev. 8:12)
Mark 13:20, “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.”
D. Lesson: God has a PLAN
III. Tribulation: Era of Suffering, JUDGMENT, & Salvation
A. All FOUR views of Revelation are probably true
The Preterist View: This approach believes that Revelation deals only with the church in John's day.
The Historicist View: This approach believes that Revelation is a sweeping, disordered panorama of all church history
The Poetic View: This approach believes that Revelation is a book full of pictures and symbols intended to encourage and comfort persecuted Christians in John's day.
The Futurist View: This approach believes that beginning with chapter four, Revelation deals with the end times, the period directly preceding Jesus' return. In the Futurist view, Revelation is a book that mainly describes the end times.
B. Revelation 4-19 DESCRIBES the Tribulation of the End Times
Except for those who get saved, a completely negative experience; pessimists paradise
One little boy, noted for pessimism and under-rating himself, came home from school and told his father he said, “Dad I probably flunked my math test at school today.” His dad said “Son do you always have to be so negative? Tell me something positive.” so the boy thought for a minute and said, “Dad I am positive that I flunked my math test today.” [source: Jon Miller, Sermon Central, altered.]
C. THREE sets of Judgments (seals, trumpets, bowls)
During the tribulation God will release 21 judgments upon the earth for the sin of mankind. Time will not allow us to go into all of them but they are divided up into three sets of seven
-7 seals: The anti-christ comes to power in the name of peace 6:2 a time of war 6:4, Economic chaos 6:6 ΒΌ of the worlds population is killed by famine, disease
7 Trumpets: Hail and fire from heaven cause 1/3 of the earth to be burned up 8:7
1/3 of the sea life dies from a great ball of fire hitting the earth 8:8-9
The rivers and springs of water are made bitter 8:10-11
7 bowls: sores come upon everyone following anti-christ 16:2; sea becomes like blood and every living thing in the oceans die; rivers and spring become like blood;the sun scorches the people with a fierce heat 16:8
World wide war gathers for the battle of Armageddon 16:16
Great earthquake that causes the mountains to crumble and the islands to vanish
B. Israel is severe PERSECUTED (Revelation 12:1-7)
C. Multitudes saved and MARTYRED (Revelation 7:9-17)
D. The Reign of the ANTICHRIST (2 Thessalonians 2)
The Tribulation Ends With ARMAGEDDON (Revelation 19:17-21)
A. Valley of JEHOSHAPHAT [“Yahweh judges,” not necessarily a place]
Joel 3:12-16, “Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.
B. Called Armageddon (MEGIDDO) in Revelation, in Galilee
C. Lesson: God will take REVENGE
