Tribulation Views

Chapter 2

Tribulation Views

Pre-tribulation View:

Jesus will appear in the clouds and rapture (catch up) the church (true believers) to Heaven prior to the events described in chapter 4 of Revelation. Pre-tribulation advocates generally hold that the Rapture – removing millions of Christians and all children under the age of moral responsibility, will cause such chaos and distress that the world will be ripe for the entry of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will gain political/religious/economic/military control over most, if not all, the world. The Antichrist will sign a seven-year-treaty with Israel which will usher in a seven-year period of severe tribulation. He will break the treaty after three and one-half years, desecrate the Holy Temple in Israel, declare himself god and severely persecute Christians and Jews who will not worship him. Inspired by Satan, he will attempt to wage war against Jesus, when He returns, but Jesus will annihilate the Antichrist’s armies and cast him into the lake of fire.

Mid-tribulation View:

Mid-tribulation advocates generally have essentially the same views as the Pre-tribulation group as to when the tribulation begins except they believe the Rapture will occur at or around the mid-point of the seven-year period of the tribulation when the two witnesses (prophets) of God are resurrected and caught up to Heaven (see: Rev. ch.11).

Post-tribulation View:

Post-tribulation advocates generally believe that most or all the events of Revelation should be taken as allegorical rather than literal. They, therefore, believe that they are not prophetic and are probably representative of the trials and tribulations of the church throughout history. They do not believe there will be a rapture of the church. They expect the church to be on earth until Christ returns. Some believe the church will evolve until men learn to create Peace on Earth.

End-time Events Overview

Though not necessarily in this order, the generally accepted events prophesied to occur at the end-time are:

A political leader (the Antichrist) arises to power and builds a powerful ten region political empire.
Antichrist negotiates a seven year peace treaty with Israel. This could precede the ten region empire.
Two prophets begin witnessing in Jerusalem performing miracles, consuming their enemies with fire and stopping the rain.
Israel rebuilds the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and reinstates sacrifices. This could precede the witnessing of the two prophets.
A false prophet arises and builds a powerful religious empire under the influence of the Satan and the Antichrist.
Earthquakes and other natural disasters occur. Many die as entire cities and whole islands disappear. This may well be ongoing and will likely increase in frequency and intensity.
A great war breaks out involving Israel, Turkey, Syria, Iran, other Middle East nations and the armies of the Antichrist. Two hundred million die.
Famines and disease become commonplace millions die.
Three and one-half years after negotiating the treaty with Israel the Antichrist breaks the treaty, enters and desecrates the Temple and declares himself god.
The two prophets are killed and three days later the world watches as they are resurrected and taken up to Heaven to be with the Lord.
Rapture of the true church.
The false prophet makes a huge statue in the likeness of the Antichrist and appears to make it speak demanding that everyone worship the Antichrist, take a loyalty oath and accept a mark on their hand or forehead.
Many Jews will refuse to take the oath and mark.
Many will awaken spiritually during this time and turning to the Lord they will refuse the oath and mark.
The regime of the Antichrist starts severely persecuting Christians and attacks the Jews.
God pours out His wrath upon His enemies.
Antichrist and his followers attack as Jesus returns to Earth. The armies of Antichrist are immediately annihilated.
Antichrist is cast into the Lake of Fire.
Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit.
Jesus reigns as king on Earth for 1,000 years.
Satan is loosed for a brief time during which some on earth join with him in a rebellion.
Satan and his followers are quickly defeated by the Lord.
Satan is cast into the lake of fire.
The evil are judged.
A new heaven and new earth are provided for God’s people and eternity begins.

My view:

I was strongly pre-trib for about 50 years. Then I began a really intensive study of the end-time prophecies. I now consider myself to be modified pre-tribulation or pre-wrath I believe the rapture will occur before the great tribulation but I believe the pre-trib and mid-trib placement of the great tribulation period to be incorrect. I believe the seven year period from the signing of the treaty until Jesus victorious return is Daniel’s seventieth week of years.

24 "Seventy weeks are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end of sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy.

25 "Know therefore and understand,

That from the going forth of the command

To restore and build Jerusalem

Until Messiah the Prince,

There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;

The street shall be built again, and the wall,

Even in troublesome times.

26 "And after the sixty-two weeks

Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The end of it shall be with a flood,

And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

But in the middle of the week

He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,

Even until the consummation, which is determined,

Is poured out on the desolate." Dan. 9:24-27; NKJV (emphasis mine).

I use the term Great Tribulation to distinguish between the on-going tribulation that has been generally experienced throughout the world for many generations – growing in intensity and severity with the passage of time –right up to the appointed time when God pours out His wrath.

In Revelation chapter 16, that period is described allegorically as the pouring out of bowls full of God’s wrath upon the earth. That, approximately, three and one half year time of God’s wrath is, I believe, the Great Tribulation that Jesus and the prophets spoke of.

15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— Matt 24:15; NIV.

21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again.

22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Matt 24:21-22; NIV (emphasis mine).

Notice that Jesus places the time of great distress after the abomination that causes desolation is set up. The abomination that causes desolation is a reference to the Antichrist's image being set up in the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. This would, using the standard pre-trib and mid-trib models, place the Great Tribulation period after the middle of the seven-year period I call Daniel’s Seventieth Week during which the Antichrist will be in power.

Scripture relates a prophecy in Daniel where Daniel is told that Israel will be given a total of 490 weeks to accomplish specific tasks. Guideposts are provided for making the calculations and we find that Israel has now expended 483 years. The missing seven years is often referred to among students of prophecy as Daniel’s 70th Week. Scripture also speaks of, “the time of Jacob’s trouble”; “the day of the Lord”; “the hour of trial” and a time of “Great Tribulation (NKJV)”.

So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins

Like a woman in labor,

And all faces turned pale?

7 Alas! For that day is great,

So that none is like it;

And it is the time of Jacob's trouble,

But he shall be saved out of it. Jer. 30:6-7; NKJV (emphasis mine).

31 The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD .

Joel 2:31; NIV (emphasis mine).

10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. Rev. 3:10; NIV (emphasis mine).

"Therefore, when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Matt 24:15-22; NKJV (emphasis mine).

The traditional pre-trib and mid-trib views tend to treat all of these as references to a future seven year period of judgment upon the earth as the “Great Tribulation”. I believe this is a mistake. I believe the seven years from the signing of the peace treaty until the return of Jesus to re-claim the Earth and all of creation is Daniel’s missing 70th week – completing Israel’s 490 allotted years. I believe the period from the setting up of the image of the antichrist in the temple until Jesus return, approximately three and one-half years, is the time of great tribulation spoken of by Jesus in Matt. 24:21 above.

The Seventieth Week:

In Daniel chapter nine an angel gives Daniel a timetable of events in Israel's future. This timetable encompasses a total of four hundred ninety years remaining during which specific benchmark events would involve Israel. This is not a total of 490 years remaining in Israel's future. If it were it would be long past. It is rather, like a stop watch which begins the countdown with certain prophetic events and stops at other events while time goes on even when the hands of the prophetic stop watch are not moving.

+70       “Seventy weeks are determined
- 69        from -- command to -- build Jerusalem Until Messiah -- seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
______
   1          missing week of years = 7 years missing

7 + 62 + 1 = 70 weeks of years:
Jewish (biblical) year = 360 days
1 week of years = 1 X 7 = 7 years = 2,520 days
7 weeks of years = 7 X 7 = 49 years = 17,640 days
62 weeks of years = 62 X 7 = 434 years = 156,240 days

The missing 70th week of Daniel's prophecy is the final seven years of Israel's future culminating with the return of Messiah, Jesus Christ's long awaited second coming. I believe the key purpose of the events of the last seven years of this age is symbolically portrayed by events in the life of king Nebuchadnezzar.

The Symbolism of Nebuchadnezzar:

There is, I believe, a prophetic type connecting the story of Nebuchadnezzar's conversion to the end time. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a great tree visible from the ends of the earth and a messenger from heaven is sent with word that the tree is to be cut down, but its stump is to be left in place. Daniel then interprets the dream for the king:

22 you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

23 "You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'

24 "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." Dan 4:22-27; NIV (emphasis mine).

Twelve months after Daniel gave this interpretation it was fulfilled, and king Nebuchadnezzar went mad. For seven years he lived like an animal in the fields.

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. Dan 4:28-33; NIV (emphasis mine).

Why did the Lord bring madness upon Nebuchadnezzar and reduce him to living like an animal? Was God just being vindictive; punishing him for his arrogance and disobedience?

Not at all! God will one day justly punish those who deserve it but that time is not yet come. This was the loving discipline of a Father for a beloved, but wayward, son. Consider the results:

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Dan 4:34-37; NIV (emphasis mine).

The recorded testimony of Nebuchadnezzar shows that the Lord's discipline worked. No doubt it had an impact upon many others as well. Beyond its effect upon him and those who heard about it, is the symbolism for us regarding the Lord's future dealings with the nation of Israel and the remainder of mankind. The great trials of the Tribulation will change the remnant of the nation of Israel and the remnant of the Gentiles. Many will lose their pride and spirit of rebellion and they will praise and exalt God - not because they must but because they will have new understanding and new hearts.

19 "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations — to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD — on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD. "They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.

21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD.

22 "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.
Isa 66:19-23; NIV (emphasis mine).

It appears this seven-year period, “Daniel’s Seventieth Week,” will begin with the Antichrist signing a seven-year peace treaty with Israel. Midway through the treaty period he will apparently violate its terms, set up an idol in the temple, and invade Israel. Although some have identified this entire seven-year period, Daniel’s 70th Week, as the time of great tribulation, it seems more likely that the last three and one-half years of this seven-year period is the period referred to in scripture as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7) and the great tribulation (Mt. 24:21) spoken of by Jesus and the prophets.

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. Dan. 7:25; The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982. (emphasis mine).

I believe the “day of the Lord” is a reference to the outpouring of the Lord’s wrath. Look at Zeph. 2:2-3).

2:1 Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, 2 before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you. 3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. Zeph. 2:1-3; NIV (emphasis mine).

And consider the words of Joel and Jeremiah:

31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Joel 2:31; NIV (emphasis mine).

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jer. 30:7; KJV (emphasis mine).

We don’t find that mentioned in Revelation until Rev. 16. Jesus personally used the terms translated as tribulation in the NKJV, and as great distress in the NIV. In Mark 13:19-20 Jesus said:

“For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. “ NKJV (emphasis mine).

What other period of tribulation could be spoken of as the worst since the beginning of time and so bad that there will ever be another period like it except the time of the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the world? A time shortened for the sake of His elect!

And in Matt 24:31 He said:

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. NIV.

Those who believe there will be a rapture generally point to three passages in scripture:

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet . For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 1 Cor. 15:51-53; NIV.

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thess. 4:16-17: NIV.

The third important scripture is once again the words of Jesus spoken to the Apostle John. We find these words in Revelation chapter three where Jesus is giving messages to the churches in Rev 3:8-11:

8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. NIV (emphasis mine).

Notice carefully that Jesus says He will keep the church, not through- but from, the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world. If this short period of trial is not the future judgment we call “the Tribulation” then what is it? Since the days of Noah, no trial in history, that I am aware of, ever affected the entire earth.

Now consider Jesus placement of events in Mark:

14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out.

16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

18 Pray that this will not take place in winter,

19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now — and never to be equaled again.

20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. Mark 13:14-20; NIV (emphasis mine).

Pre- and mid-tribulationists seem not to notice that Jesus placed 'the abomination that causes desolation' before the days of distress unequaled from the beginning, which must be a reference to the time we call “the Tribulation”.

In addition, in verse 19, Jesus goes on to say that the trials of those days are unequaled up to that time and are never to be equaled again. This cannot reasonably be said of any of the trials mentioned in Revelation prior to the bowls of wrath in Revelation 16. The prior trials are the natural consequences of man’s sinful nature and the work of Satan. The bowls of wrath, however, are the judgment of God. Nothing that has happened before can be compared to this. This, I believe, is what is referred to as the “great tribulation”, the days of distress unequaled from the beginning,-- and never to be equaled again!

I believe that we, the church, and especially Israel, have been living in a time of tribulation and trials since the day when Jesus went to the cross. These are just the normal trials of life and they will continue, increasing in frequency and intensity until “the Day of the Lord’s wrath”. That time will be like nothing the world has ever experienced in its history. I believe the church will be taken out, kept from that hour of trial, in the Rapture after the sounding of the seventh trumpet (reported in Rev. 11:15) just before God pours out His awful wrath upon a sinful and unbelieving world - just before the great tribulation.

It’s after this sounding of the seventh and last trumpet in Revelation 11:15, that the voices in heaven declare that the kingdoms of earth have become the kingdoms of our Lord and we are shown the vision of the woman representing Israel. She (Israel) is pursued and tormented by the dragon (Satan and his followers) in Rev. 12. It is only after this last trumpet is sounded that the bowls of God’s wrath begin to be poured out upon the earth and upon mankind.

52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Cor 15:52; NIV (Emphasis mine).

It is important to note that even in this most severe judgment of all time, as God pours out His great wrath, He is gracious to those who obey Him:

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. Rev. 16:2: NIV (Emphasis mine).

The implication here is that some will resist taking the mark of the Antichrist and will not give allegiance to him. Clearly God will make a difference between those who take the mark and those who do not. This also helps clarify the issue of who Jesus will govern during the Millennium (1,000-year period). A remnant, by the grace of God, will survive and enter the Millennium in the flesh.

So, we see that, although people differ in their views, scripture indicates that there will be great stress and tribulation as the end of the age occurs. We see much of that around the world now and especially in the Middle East. To understand why we must have some knowledge and understanding of who the peoples of that area are and their history.

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