Does that view comport with a well-studied exposition of Scripture? In every respect, it does. And I want to discuss some of what I understand from Scripture, is going to happen between now and then (the Second Coming of Christ).
I suspect that the most prevalent view of the coming Tribulation period (amongst the comparatively few who believe in such things), involves a very dark vision of that time period, which might best be described as a time of "hell on earth." That it shall be. Jesus himself said that that time will be incomparably worse than any other time in human history, for ever. What a profound statement!
But God.... (don't you just love the conjunction of those two words?) 1. But God shall still be in charge and in control throughout that entire period of time. 2. But God has actually purposed to use the events of the Tribulation to accomplish the high and holy purposes of God. 3. But God has a plan which involves a centrally important role for the then-glorified saints, during the Tribulation. 4. But God has promised at all times to supply everything which shall ever be needful in order that the faithful believer may be victorious in every circumstance. 5. But God greatly desires to bring forth the fruit of all for which Christ suffered, and to exalt the Son of God as king over all the earth ~ and God's work during the Tribulation is an integral part of bringing that to pass.
I am fully persuaded that the Bible teaches a pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. Let us proceed from that point. Then, what follows?
One of the most exciting prophecies of Scripture, in my opinion, involves the prophet Daniel's revelation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream wherein he saw a dreadful appearing figure of a man comprised of different kinds of metals. Here is the relevant text, from Daniel 2:32-35:
"This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."We know, from the text at verse 28 of that same chapter, that Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which was given to him from God, is a prophecy of "what shall be in the latter days." That could not have been fulfilled at the first coming of Christ; for, the "stone" is shown to smite the image "upon his feet:" meaning, that that event would occur during the final days of the world-empire represented by the feet of that great image. That empire has not yet appeared on the earth. But even now events are rapidly occurring which shall soon bring those two dissimilar elements (iron and clay) together ~ and that quickly, to form the geopolitical kingdom of the Antichrist.
Ten "kings:" five from the Western division of the ancient Roman empire, and five "kings" from the Eastern Division of the same, will agree to be confederate together under the headship of the Antichrist. That can be nothing else but the last geopolitical alignment of those nations which shall then very literally answer to the recently coined term, EurAbia. Are we not now witnessing the disintegration of both the European Union, as well as a major realignment of nations in the Middle East? All of which is preparing the stage for the soon emergence of a radically new Order, as just described.
The catalyst which shall set in motion a chain-reaction of events that shall culminate in the appearing of the Antichrist and of his ten-nation coalition (he will be at the head of the eleventh; after which he will then subjugate three of the ten), the catalyst, I say, shall be the soon-coming destruction of the city of Damascus. That will most likely be the event which shall precipitate a massive invasion of Israel, commonly referred to amongst prophecy teachers as "Ezekiel's War." The outcome of that War shall serve to enlarge Israel's present borders and to greatly enhance Israel's standing in the Middle East. At that time is when shall occur the aforementioned union of certain European nations together with certain Middle Eastern ones.
Thus it is almost certain that the time of the Rapture must be closely associated with the time of Ezekiel's War.
The "feet" of Nebuchadnezzar's Image first appear at the onset of the Tribulation period. Those same feet ~ Antichrist's geopolitical empire ~ shall not endure to become a part of Christ's Millennial Kingdom. Which means that the "stone" which shall fall upon those feet must appear, and to destroy that kingdom, at a time during the Tribulation.
The saints who shall be Raptured before the Tribulation begins, together with the saints who are now with Christ in glory, are that "stone" which shall smite the feet of the Beast and destroy that final Gentile world power. In other words, after the Rapture, the then-glorified saints are going to be instrumental in carrying out the judgments of God during the Tribulation period. Contrary to what is almost universally believed, that time of destroying and conquering Antichrist's kingdom, shall not be delayed until the actual Second Coming of Christ. But that conquest shall begin and then proceed from a time not later than about the mid-point of the Tribulation.
What is suggested by the foregoing discussion, is, that the time of our earthly suffering is quickly coming to an end; while at the same time our glory is rapidly advancing. The devil and his kingdom is now ~ after all those millennia past, literally at the extreme end of his rope, so to speak. There does not remain to Satan more than a mere handful of years at the very most, until that he and all his host shall be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years! I love to remind him of that.
That also means that there does not remain to us the saints of God, more than a mere handful of years ~ not do I mean until the Rapture but, rather, until that we shall then be privileged to "execute the judgment written" (Psalm 149), upon all the devils as well as upon all those who join themselves to them.
The thoughts of which gives me hope and strength to endure these present hardships. Payday is coming. And that very soon.
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