The Great Tribulation Series

The Great Tribulation

Matthew 24:15-31

-Last week we looked at the Birth Pangs that will continue to increase until the rapture of the church

we looked at six that Jesus gave his disciples in this passage False prophets, Wars, natural disasters and diseases, persecution of the righteous, a falling away from the truth, and the gospel being proclaimed throughout the world.

-Remember that the second coming of Christ happens in two parts. First- the rapture of the church which could happen at anytime now. It happens in the moment in the twinkling of an eye

1Cr 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1Cr 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

After the church is raptured there will be a seven year period of time that God will turn his attention to the nation of Israel for them to be saved. During this time period God will pour out his wrath upon the whole world and it will be a time of disease war, famine and natural disaster unlink anything the world has ever witnessed before.

We know from scripture that Christ will come for us before the great tribulation because of several reasons

-His pattern in the Old Testament Before he destroyed the world with the flood he saved Noah

Before he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah he saved Lot

1Th 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

There is also a very interesting thing that happens in the book of revelation the church is mentioned in chapter 1,2,3, and then in chapter 4 beings with this verse

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

Now look at what Paul said

1Th 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, [fn] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Chapter 4 in Revelation and verse 1 is the first part of the coming of Christ, the Rapture

Chapter 5-19 of Revelation describe the tribulation period and then comes the second part of Christ coming when he comes at the end of the seven year period of time and judges the world for sin. This is when every eye sees him and ever knee bows before him.

Now back to our text here this morning Jesus gave the signs and referred back to the book of Daniel and then in verse 21 he said, “For then there will be a great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no and never will be.

Dan 12:1 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

This morning I want to look at this period of time that Christ calls the great tribulation, time will not allow us to do an in-depth study of the tribulation but I want us to see 3 main points

Gods Wrath in the tribulation Mans Folly during the tribulation , and Gods Purpose for the tribulation

Mans Folly

This morning I want you to see the folly of mankind during the tribulation period.

The people realize that the natural disasters and everything that is taking place is a direct result of God's divine wrath, but they refuse to repent and turn from their sin

Rev 6:15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave [fn] and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,

Rev 6:16 calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,

Rev 6:17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

How foolish of man to think that he can hide from God. One of the many attributes of God is that he is omnipresent, which means that he has the ability to be everywhere at the same time. The psalmist said