HoHum:
A friend says to a seminarian, “What subjects are you studying at school?” The young theologian says, “You know, the usual, Biblical Texts, Church History, Ministry and Systematic Theology.” The friend asks if he has studied anything on eschatology in his Systematic class.
The seminarian responds, “I think I missed that class. I don’t know much about the subject, but it’s not the end of the world.”
WBTU:
Revelation talks about the Great Tribulation but more correctly we should say the Great Tribulations. The Christians to whom John wrote then were aware of tribulation. Another word for tribulation is suffering. “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 1:9, NIV. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation...” Revelation 1:9, KJV.
John knew full well that his fellow apostles had been martyred. He also knew what persecution was coming upon the churches to whom he was writing from his place of exile.
Thesis: Let’s talk about the 4 Great Tribulations of Revelation
For instances:
1. The Great Tribulation of the Lost
“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10, NIV.
Another way to put this is that the eternal place of great tribulation for the lost is called Hell or Gehenna. Even though John does not use this word many believe that Gehenna, which means Valley of Hinnom, is what John had in mind when he referred 6 times in Revelation to the lake of fire or of burning sulfur. “But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur.” Revelation 19:20, NIV.
Southeast of the walled city of Jerusalem (a type of heaven) was the city’s garbage dump (a type of hell). Before the Jews entered the Promised Land, the valley of Hinnom had been the center of Molech worship. Molech was an iron bull 9 feet tall. It was hollow within and contained a roaring fire, kept burning by its priests. Onto the idol’s two outreached arms, frightened pagan parents placed their infants in human sacrifice to this idol. The pagan priests beat drums to drown out the shrieks of the babies, whose lives were offered to appease this angry god. When the Jews took over the land, they felt it off limits to place their homes in such a place where these horrible practices were performed. They chose to make the valley a place fit only for their garbage. Any day in the time of Jesus, as one looked to the south from the city wall of Jerusalem, he would see smoke rising from the dump.
The last two verses of Revelation 20 mention the condition of being apart from God forever. “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14, 15, NIV. The next 35 verses as one reads into chapters 21 and 22, describe the glories of being with God eternally in the New Jerusalem. The truth is that God wants to bring all human beings into the protection and radiance of His holy city. The truth also is that those who refuse to enter the Holy City will dwell in the garbage dump.
This message should be taken very seriously. Heaven will be better than what John describes for us. Hell also will be worse than what John describes for us. Heaven is more wonderful that earthly Jerusalem. Hell is more awful than Gehenna. Both are realities. This awareness ought to keep the church at its mission of rescue.
Revelation 14:14-16 pictures the righteous lovingly harvested and 14:17-20 describes the evil totally crushed and eternally damned in Gehenna. We have a job to do. History is not done yet. The remaining time the church has needs to be spent in missions.
2. The Great Tribulation of the Lamb
One great tribulation is in the eternity yet to come. To keep that tribulation from happening to all, another great tribulation occurred in the past. It is mentioned throughout the book of Revelation. This tribulation took place not in Gehenna, but on Golgotha. Reading Revelation, the reader is impressed with the great suffering awaiting the lost, those who refuse to accept God’s grace. He is likewise reminded of the great suffering God’s Lamb went through to offer that grace, to make possible deliverance from eternal judgment.
In Revelation Jesus is called the “Lamb” approximately 28 times. His blood is said to redeem (Revelation 1:5, 5:9), cleanse (7:14, 19:13), and overcome (12:11). His death (1:18, 2:8) or slaying (5:6, 9; 13:8) was by piercing (1:7) or crucifixion (11:8). We do not win by the number and size of bombs we can stockpile, but the enemy is overcome “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). The robes of the redeemed have been “washed” and “made...white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14)
Walk through cemeteries lined with crosses. Look at books on church architecture or listen to the hymns of the centuries. Much of what we see and hear is inspired by the symbolism of Revelation. The church has a story to tell to the nations. God’s Son came from heaven into time to go through the tribulation of Golgotha so that men need not suffer the tribulation of Gehenna. The suffering of the Lamb makes unnecessary the suffering of the lost. To be found, rather than lost, we need only to hear and respond to the gospel message.
3. The Great Tribulation of the Laborers
Revelation 6:9-11
Back to Revelation 1:9. John was not foreseeing a tribulation millennia in the future. He was sharing in one at the very time of his vision. John’s faithfulness to his mission had brought banishment (there are some things worse than death). Scourgings, fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, loneliness, and weariness accompanied the darkness of his prison and the dampness of the bare ground on which he likely slept. John knew such is the lot of those who proclaim the Christ of the cross. He saw what others were facing as they bore testimony to Jesus. He mentioned poverty (2:9), suffering, prison and testing (2:10). He spoke of his coworkers being slain and killed (2:13; 6:9,11; 13:10,15; 17:6) like animals sacrificed on an altar (6:9). Five times he told of their blood being spilled (6:10, 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2). He knew of their hunger and thirst (7:16), and their tears (7:17; 21:4). He felt their mourning, crying and pain (21:4), and their bitter lot (10:9). He described them as trampled under foot (11:2) and clothed in sackcloth (11:3). There were harmed (11:5) and gloated over by their enemies (11:10). They were accused (12:10), pursued (12:13) and swept away (12:15). They brought into the world a message of love only to receive rage (12:17) and to face war (12:17; 13:4, 7) resulting in death (11:9; 12:11; 14:13). Yet, without such heroic labor (14:13) to get the message out, Christ would have died in vain.
The church must understand its order to preach the good news to every creature. Jesus “for the joy set before him endured the cross, scoring its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). His servants are to know that, by comparison with the unending happiness of eternity, their suffering will last but “ten days” (2:10). The same devil behind Christ’s persecution is behind what the church is facing. Let the church remember that such tribulation from Satan is the final moves of a conquered foe.
It takes courage to join in taking gospel message into Satan’s territory. Revelation 12:16-17
God, who could have kept Daniel out of the lion’s den and his three friends out of the fiery furnace in the first place, did not. The Almighty Creator, who could have protected John from banishment on Patmos and Antipas his “faithful witness” from death (Revelation 2:13) chose not. He who knows that flowers spread beautiful aromas when crushed, that gold is purified in the fire, finds evidence of sincere love for the lost when self giving is the price paid.
Let the laborers for Christ across the globe and across the centuries remember that after the cross is the crown. After the tribulation is the triumph. Revelation 7:9-14. This is not a reference to a few at one period in history, but with all those who have served Christ across the centuries is evident. Revelation 7:15-17.
4. The Great Tribulation at the Last
Here we go from what is solid ground to those things that are debatable. Opinions vary widely when the topic turns from the opposition against the church across history to discussion of a particular intensified “tribulation” believed by many to precede the millennium of Revelation 20. Revelation 20:1-10
3 major theories of the millennium- premillenium, postmillenium and amillenium. Remember discussing this in prophecy class in Bible college. I was taught the amillenium view. Amillennialists believe the church age is the millennium (right now). The thousand years are figurative for a long time, or a time that completes God’s plan. The Great Tribulation is a continuation of the tribulation going on right now against Christians. All Christians endure the Great Tribulation. The persecuted Christians will be vindicated when Christ returns and judges the world. No rapture, no literal reign of Christ on this earth. Things get worse and worse until Christ comes and takes his children home to heaven. As far as the Great Tribulation at the end of the age even amillennialists do not agree, or it true or just figurative?
Let me tell what we know with certainty. Christ will win, and all that are on His side will be the victors. To be saved, I need not know who the antichrist is, but who Christ is. I may not know in detail what is coming, but I know Who is coming. To be among the redeemed, it is unnecessary to be correct on Revelation, but that one be right with God. Our assurance of salvation is not placed on knowing the meaning of 666, but on knowing the meaning of what it means to be in Christ.
Satan is going to meet his “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:12-17). Literally the Hebrew word for Armageddon means Mount Megiddo. The OT knows a valley and plain by the name “Megiddo.” The nearest mountain was Mount Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. At Megiddo, the Canannites under Jabin and Sisera met defeat at the hands of Deborah and Barak. At Megiddo, the Midianites lost to Gideon. The word “Armageddon” means certain defeat for evil by the hand of God. John was telling the church in tribulation that they can look forward to Christ’s return when all enemies will be defeated. “Armageddon” like “Gehenna,” is a symbol. All the world’s lost will not fit in the literal Valley of Hinnom, and all the world’s armies will not fit in the literal Megiddo. This is no drawn out battle between nations. Armageddon is the climactic battle between Satan’s forces and those of Christ. Revelation does not describe the battle, only its outcome. Christ will appear and will overthrow with the breath of his mouth the lawless one” 2 Thessalonians 2:8, NIV. This sounds like Christ. He simply spoke a word to the fig tree and it withered away. The raging storm on the sea of Galilee heard, “Peace be still,” and perfect calm was restored. At creation, he said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. So, as to the devil, when Christ comes back, in the words of a Might Fortress is Our God, “one little word shall fell him (meaning Satan).”
Need to remember that the battle with Gog and Magog follows the millennium of Revelation 20. At the end of the thousand years, during which Satan has been restricted in his efforts to stop the church’s missionary advance, he marshals all his efforts in a final thrust. John’s progress of thought from the vision of Christ (ch. 1), message to the congregations (ch. 2-3), judgments on enemies (4-19), the kingdom (20:1-6), the attack of Gog (20:7-10), and final glory in the new Jerusalem may be based on Ezekiel’s outline of the vision of God (ch. 1), message to the Jews (2-24), judgment on the nations (25-32), the Messianic kingdom (33-37), the attack of Gog (38-39), and final glory (40-48).
I lean toward viewing “Gog and Magog” as symbols for the realm of darkness which shall end. I do not know when Christ is coming, but I know that when he comes, all things will be made right. Until that day, let us labor at the work assigned. Should we fall carrying the message of the cross, we shall go with the others, in blood washed robes, to the land of perfect peace, from “the great tribulation” that was ours in the world. Revelation 7:14
