What is the PURPOSE of the so-called Tribulation ~ which in Scripture is called "the day of the Lord"? According to most mainstream prophecy teachers, at least one purpose of the day of the Lord involves (as one well known TV personality put it,) "the greatest Revival in the history of time." That idea lately appears as the cornerstone of mainstream Bible prophecy teaching; at least, amongst those who dominate mainstream mass media involving so-called Christian television programs.
But are those popular mainstream prophecy teachers correct? Any Christian who has been a disciple of the Word of God for at least a handful of years or more, should instinctively perceive that the mainstream teachers are wrong about their claims pertaining to a great soul-saving Revival during the Tribulation. Before we examine the proof texts in Scripture, however, I want to address the implications of that false claim involving a coming Revival during the Tribulation.
The chief implication of that claim just mentioned, is prominently illustrated in the phenomenally successful "Left Behind" series of best-selling books and (two) major motion pictures of that same title. Tim LeHaye and Jerry Jenkins, the authors of the "Left Behind" series of books and movies, suggest that those who miss the Rapture of the Church shall nevertheless have a 'second chance' to be saved during the Tribulation. In one of his teaching videos, Jack VanImpe (another well known mainstream prophecy teacher) went so far even to say that the main reason for the Tribulation is to "give Laodicea a second chance"; an allusion to one of the seven churches which Christ explicitly addressed, in the Revelation. In fact, that may be as good a place as any, for us to begin looking at what the Bible actually says about this subject under discussion. Here is what Jesus said to the church at Laodicea:
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:14-20)
Laodicea is the last of the seven churches which Christ addressed in the Revelation. Prophetically speaking, Laodicea thus represents the condition of a major percentage of professing Christians at the end of the present Church Age; which agrees with the actual condition of the Church at this present time. In the above passage of Scripture, Christ warned the Laodiceans that their "lukewarm" spiritual condition would be the reason that he would "spue them out of his mouth," that is to say, he would reject them. Jesus furthermore commanded them that they must "be zealous...and repent." That commandment, together with Christ's warning concerning their lukewarm condition and the consequence of that, clearly indicates that those who refused to repent would be rejected by Christ. The language which Christ used to expressed that intended rejection ("spue thee out of my mouth") shows Christ's contempt for those who refuse to repent.
There is a wealth of evidence in Scripture which refutes the notion that the day of the Lord shall entail any kind of Revival for the Church, or any blessings of Salvation for the Gentile nations. Among the more important such evidence is the text ~ and the context ~ of the following passage from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2:8-12:
There is a wealth of evidence in Scripture which refutes the notion that the day of the Lord shall entail any kind of Revival for the Church, or any blessings of Salvation for the Gentile nations. Among the more important such evidence is the text ~ and the context ~ of the following passage from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2:8-12:
"And then shall that Wicked [the Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
The yellow-colored highlight, above, shows that the context is after the appearing of the Antichrist ~ that is, during the day of the Lord. The blue-colored text reveals the reason why there shall then (during the day of the Lord, or the Tribulation) be a sea-change in the God's dealings with humanity, especially, regarding those who evidently heard the Gospel, at some point in time previous, but they "received not the love of the truth" of God. The above text definitively refutes the claim of VanImpe and many others, who insist that God is going to give a "second chance" for Salvation, to those heard but rejected the Gospel prior to the Rapture of the Church.
The Apostle Peter also gave very clear warning to professing Christians, with regard to the imperative to live holy lives; as follows:
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." (2 Peter 3:9-17)
Peter begins by declaring that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." How very different that is from the passage which we examined in 2 Thessalonians 2, which said that, after Antichrist appears (the beginning of the Tribulation), God is then going to "send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned." Note the word "all." That does not sound, to me, like a "second chance" to be saved, or a Revival.
Peter urges, throughout the above passage (indeed, throughout his epistles), the absolute necessity of Christians living holy, sanctified lives. The above passage even closes with a warning against "being led away with the error of the wicked," and falling away. But why would Peter think that was so important ~ if he believed that those who missed the Rapture because they were not ready, would nevertheless have another chance to get right with God during the Tribulation?
Finally ~ and this could easily be missed: in the opening paragraph, in Peter's epistle, above, immediately after Peter said that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance;" the very next word which the Holy Ghost gave to Peter to write is the word..." But ." So, then, let's read that small portion the way it is written, thus: God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But..." But, what? "But the day of the Lord will come...": and it shall then be too late for repentance; because, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." God is not (now) willing that any should perish; BUT, the day of the Lord will come ~ and, then, "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
That doesn't sound like Revival, to me. Neither does the following:
Peter urges, throughout the above passage (indeed, throughout his epistles), the absolute necessity of Christians living holy, sanctified lives. The above passage even closes with a warning against "being led away with the error of the wicked," and falling away. But why would Peter think that was so important ~ if he believed that those who missed the Rapture because they were not ready, would nevertheless have another chance to get right with God during the Tribulation?
Finally ~ and this could easily be missed: in the opening paragraph, in Peter's epistle, above, immediately after Peter said that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance;" the very next word which the Holy Ghost gave to Peter to write is the word..." But ." So, then, let's read that small portion the way it is written, thus: God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But..." But, what? "But the day of the Lord will come...": and it shall then be too late for repentance; because, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." God is not (now) willing that any should perish; BUT, the day of the Lord will come ~ and, then, "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
That doesn't sound like Revival, to me. Neither does the following:
"Howl ye, for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty .Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: and they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it ." (Isaiah 13:6-9)The "day of the Lord" is not a day of God's mercy, but of God's wrath:
"The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." (Zephaniah 1:14-18)
It angers me, that many so-called ministers of Christ go around teaching that a great soul-saving Revival is going to occur during the Tribulation, and that those who miss the Rapture shall nevertheless be given a second chance to be saved during the day of the Lord! They cannot possibly get such ideas from reading the Bible! But they can ~ and they do ~ get those ideas from many well known TV personalities who are supposed to be Bible prophecy 'experts'.
The day of the Lord shall largely serve the same purpose as did the Flood in the days of Noah. That is to say, that the day of the Lord (the Tribulation) is going to be a time of God's wrath poured out in fury against a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world. As the above passages plainly state: God shall then "destroy the sinners thereof out of it [the world]." And that destruction is going to be so great that God is somehow going to shorten the days thereof, in order to prevent the total annihilation of the human race (as revealed in the quote which is included in the image at the top of this post). And just as it was the case after the Flood, when God began to re-build the world ~ albeit, in the context of a new Dispensation of God's dealings with humanity (in line with the Abrahamic Covenant); similarly, after the Tribulation, God is then going to re-build the world, in the context of a new Dispensation, that is, the Millennial Kingdom Age.
Mass destruction of the sinful human population, therefore, is not the whole purpose of the Tribulation. As I briefly discussed in part 7 of this series, a small Remnant (144,000) of natural Jews is going to be "sealed" by God, to ensure their protection during the day of the Lord. Those Jews are not going to evangelize the world ~ as that is perversely claimed. But they are going to be on the run and in hiding, during that time period, until Christ comes (at the Second Coming). Those Jews are going to become the 'seed,' as it were, of the then newly constituted nation of Israel, at the beginning of Christ's Millennial Kingdom, following the Tribulation.
Now, let us step back and consider the "big picture," so to speak. Here is the order of events to come:
Question: If God's only purpose involving mankind is to bring individuals to receive "Salvation" (as that is commonly supposed), then: a) what is the reason for a Rapture of any kind, or at any time; and, b) why does God continue to deal with human beings, as such, after the Rapture? Is the Body of Christ completed at the time of the Rapture? If the answer to that question is "yes," then, why does God continue, after the Rapture, to have any dealings with the human race? But if the answer to that question is "no," then, why is there going to be a Rapture at all, before that the Body of Christ is completed?
We must conclude that God's eternal purpose (involving mankind) must still be moving forward ~ throughout the day of the Lord (the Tribulation), notwithstanding that nearly the entire human race shall be destroyed during that brief period of time. We do know that there shall be a very small number of human beings who shall (be allowed to) survive the Tribulation and, so, they shall still be alive on earth at the time of Christ's Second Coming and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom on earth. Among that "very small number" are the 144,000 Jews whom I have already mentioned. Yet, we also know, according to Scripture, that a small remnant shall also survive from amongst certain other nations; for, there shall (continue to) be a plurality of nations during the Millennial Kingdom Age.
In a subsequent post, we will examine the Millennial Kingdom; in order to gain a much, much better understanding ~ of the pre-Tribulational Rapture.
The day of the Lord shall largely serve the same purpose as did the Flood in the days of Noah. That is to say, that the day of the Lord (the Tribulation) is going to be a time of God's wrath poured out in fury against a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world. As the above passages plainly state: God shall then "destroy the sinners thereof out of it [the world]." And that destruction is going to be so great that God is somehow going to shorten the days thereof, in order to prevent the total annihilation of the human race (as revealed in the quote which is included in the image at the top of this post). And just as it was the case after the Flood, when God began to re-build the world ~ albeit, in the context of a new Dispensation of God's dealings with humanity (in line with the Abrahamic Covenant); similarly, after the Tribulation, God is then going to re-build the world, in the context of a new Dispensation, that is, the Millennial Kingdom Age.
Mass destruction of the sinful human population, therefore, is not the whole purpose of the Tribulation. As I briefly discussed in part 7 of this series, a small Remnant (144,000) of natural Jews is going to be "sealed" by God, to ensure their protection during the day of the Lord. Those Jews are not going to evangelize the world ~ as that is perversely claimed. But they are going to be on the run and in hiding, during that time period, until Christ comes (at the Second Coming). Those Jews are going to become the 'seed,' as it were, of the then newly constituted nation of Israel, at the beginning of Christ's Millennial Kingdom, following the Tribulation.
Now, let us step back and consider the "big picture," so to speak. Here is the order of events to come:
- the Rapture of the Church
- the day of the Lord (the Tribulation)
- the Second Coming of Christ
- the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom Age
Question: If God's only purpose involving mankind is to bring individuals to receive "Salvation" (as that is commonly supposed), then: a) what is the reason for a Rapture of any kind, or at any time; and, b) why does God continue to deal with human beings, as such, after the Rapture? Is the Body of Christ completed at the time of the Rapture? If the answer to that question is "yes," then, why does God continue, after the Rapture, to have any dealings with the human race? But if the answer to that question is "no," then, why is there going to be a Rapture at all, before that the Body of Christ is completed?
We must conclude that God's eternal purpose (involving mankind) must still be moving forward ~ throughout the day of the Lord (the Tribulation), notwithstanding that nearly the entire human race shall be destroyed during that brief period of time. We do know that there shall be a very small number of human beings who shall (be allowed to) survive the Tribulation and, so, they shall still be alive on earth at the time of Christ's Second Coming and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom on earth. Among that "very small number" are the 144,000 Jews whom I have already mentioned. Yet, we also know, according to Scripture, that a small remnant shall also survive from amongst certain other nations; for, there shall (continue to) be a plurality of nations during the Millennial Kingdom Age.
In a subsequent post, we will examine the Millennial Kingdom; in order to gain a much, much better understanding ~ of the pre-Tribulational Rapture.
"Ye must be Born again". This Jesus tells us. Yet how few even try to understand this consept.This is what we now must focus on, for time is very short. Far too many Churches no longer evangelize. They have become no more that places to gather and socialize. My heart aches for those who would have if they had only been presented the Gospel our Lord intended. it to be.
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