7. The Tribulation – Several Names
“„Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob‟s distress, But he will be
saved from it. ” (Jeremiah 30:7)
“Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near,
And it will come as destruction from the Almighty. ”
(Joel 1:15)
“for the great day of their wrath has come, and who
is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17)
8. First Mention of the Tribulation
“The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few
in number among the nations where the Lord drives you. “There you
will serve gods, the work of man‟s hands, wood and stone, which
neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. “But from there you will seek
the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with
all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these
things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the
Lord your God and listen to His voice. ” (Deuteronomy 4:27–30)
9. “Now at that time Michael, the great
prince who stands guard over the sons of
your people, will arise. And there will be a
time of distress such as never occurred
since there was a nation until that time;
and at that time your people, everyone
who is found written in the book, will be
rescued. ”
(Daniel 12:1)
10. General Characteristics of the Tribulation
• Scripture refers to a definite period of time
at the end of the age (Matt. 24:29-35).
• It will be of such severity that no period in
history past or future will equal it (Matt.
24:21).
• It will be shortened for the elect's sake
(Matt. 24:22), as no flesh could survive it.
• It is called the time of Jacob's trouble, for it
is a judgment on Messiah-rejecting Israel
(Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1-4).
• The nations will be judged for their sin and
rejection of Christ during this tribulation
(Isa. 26:21; Rev. 6:15-17).
• It is seven years in length (Dan. 9:24, 27).
11. Tribulation vs. Great Tribulation
“And he will make a firm covenant with the
many for one week, but in the middle of the
week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering; and on the wing of abominations will
come one who makes desolate, even until a
complete destruction, one that is decreed, is
poured out on the one who makes desolate.” ”
(Daniel 9:27)
Abomination of Desolation
“For then there will be a great tribulation,
such as has not occurred since the beginning
of the world until now, nor ever will. ”
(Matthew 24:21)
“These [martyrs] are the ones who come out
of the great tribulation, and they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. ” (Revelation 7:14)
13. The Olivet Discourse
The Olivet Discourse: A.D. 70 , Future, or Both?
The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21) is Christ‟s second
longest message; longest is Sermon on the Mount.
14. The Disciples Expectations
“While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a
parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that
the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said,
“A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for
himself, and then return. “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave
them ten minas and said to them, „Do business with this until I come
back.‟ “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him,
saying, „We do not want this man to reign over us.‟ “When he returned,
after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he
had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what
business they had done. ” (Luke 19:11–15)
The disciples are then astonished to learn in the Olivet Discourse
that the temple, the landmark of Jewish pride, would soon be
destroyed. They did not understand the parable above.
15. The Olivet Discourse – Near and Far Fulfillment
Jesus juxtaposes near and far prophecies into one dialog
as did other biblical prophets
A.D. 70 Future
“And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone
here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down. . . . But immediately after the
tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the
stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of
the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they
will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. ”
(Matthew 24:2, 29–30)
16. The Olivet Discourse – A.D. 70
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! ”
(Matthew 23:38)
“Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His
disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He
said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not
one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.””
(Matthew 24:1–2)
17. The Olivet Discourse – A.D. 70
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her
desolation is near. “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and
those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country
must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things
which are written will be fulfilled. “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who
are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and
wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led
captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the
Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ”
(Luke 21:20–24)
18. The Olivet Discourse – Future Fulfillment
• The abomination of desolation spoke of by
Jesus in Matt. 24:15 did not occur in A.D. 70
• The events described in Matt. 24 are cosmic
and universal in nature and not local (as was
A.D. 70)
• The distress “such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever will” did
not describe events of A.D. 70
• The judgments detailed in Revelation have not
occurred (e.g. all green grass being burned up)
• The gathering of the elect from the four corners
of the world
• The Tribulation ends the age and culminates in
Christ‟s return and the sheep/goat judgment;
has not happened
20. “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the
times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their
chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were
at their command. ”
(1 Chronicles 12:32)
“But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you
say, „It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.‟ “And
in the morning, „There will be a storm today, for the
sky is red and threatening.‟ Do you know how to
discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot
discern the signs of the times? ”
(Matthew 16:2–3)
21. War and Violence
“You will be hearing of wars and rumors
of wars. See that you are not frightened,
for those things must take place, but that
is not yet the end. “For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. ”
(Matthew 24:6–7)
“When He broke the second seal, I heard
the second living creature saying,
“Come.” And another, a red horse, went
out; and to him who sat on it, it was
granted to take peace from the earth, and
that men would slay one another; and a
great sword was given to him. ”
(Revelation 6:3–4)
22. “In the next war, none of us can count on
having enough living to bury our dead. ”
- J. Robert Oppenheimer
23. Persecution and Martyrdom
“Then they will deliver [paradidomi – arrest/imprison] you to tribulation, and will kill
you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will
fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. ” (Matthew 24:9–10)
“When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those
who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony
which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long,
O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on
those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe;
and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of
their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been,
would be completed also. ” (Revelation 6:9–11)
““It will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be
cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. “And I will bring the third part
through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, „They are My people,‟
And they will say, „The Lord is my God.‟ ” ” (Zechariah 13:8–9)
24. Economic Hardships
“and in various places there will be famines . ”
(Matthew 24:7)
“When He broke the third seal, I heard the third
living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and
behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a
pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something
like a voice in the center of the four living creatures
saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three
quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage
the oil and the wine.” ” (Revelation 6:5–6)
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the
rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves,
to be given a mark on their right hand or on their
forehead, and he provides that no one will be able
to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark,
either the name of the beast or the number of his
name. ” (Revelation 13:16–17)
25. “When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard
the voice of the fourth living creature saying,
“Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse;
and he who sat on it had the name Death; and
Hades was following with him. Authority was
given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill
with sword and with famine and with pestilence
and by the wild beasts of the earth. ”
(Revelation 6:7–8)
26. Spiritual Deception
“And Jesus answered and said to them,
See to it that no one misleads you. For
many will come in My name, saying, „I am
the Christ,‟ and will mislead many. ”
(Matthew 24:4–5)
“Many false prophets will arise and will
mislead many. ”
(Matthew 24:11)
“For false Christs and false prophets
will arise and will show great signs and
wonders, so as to mislead, if possible,
even the elect. ”
(Matthew 24:24)
27. “God will send upon them a deluding
influence so that they will believe what is
false, in order that they all may be judged
who did not believe the truth, but took
pleasure in wickedness. ”
(2 Thessalonians 2:11–12)
28. Defection from the Faith/Callousness
“At that time many will fall away
and will betray one another and
hate one another. Many false
prophets will arise and will mislead
many. Because lawlessness is
increased, most people‟s love will
grow cold. ”
(Matthew 24:10–12)
“„I know your deeds, that you are
neither cold nor hot; I wish that
you were cold or hot. ”
(Revelation 3:15)
29. Natural Disasters
“and in various places there will be . . . earthquakes.
” (Matthew 24:7)
““There will be signs in sun and moon and stars,
and on the earth dismay among nations, in
perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
men fainting from fear and the expectation of the
things which are coming upon the world; for the
powers of the heavens will be shaken. ”
(Luke 21:25–26)
“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there
was a great earthquake; and the sun became black
as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon
became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to
the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when
shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like
a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and
island were moved out of their places. ”
(Revelation 6:12–14)
30. The Gospel Proclaimed
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to
all the nations, and then the end will come. ”
(Matthew 24:14)
“And I saw another angel ascending from the
rising of the sun, having the seal of the living
God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the
four angels to whom it was granted to harm the
earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the
earth or the sea or the trees until we have
sealed the bond-servants of our God on their
foreheads.” And I heard the number of those
who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four
thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons
of Israel”
(Revelation 7:2–4)
31. Wait a minute…!
All these things
have been
happening for a
long time! How
can they be signs
for the
Tribulation?
32. “But all these things
are merely the
beginning of birth
pangs. ”
(Matthew 24:8)
In other words, the closer it gets
to the Tribulation, the more
frequent and intense these signs
will become. And when the
Tribulation occurs, it will be
sudden and extreme.
33. Birth Pains
"The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four
times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity
Oxfam. Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and
researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. It found that the earth is currently
experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per
year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240,
compared with 60 in 1980... Between 1985 and 1994, Oxfam found that 174
million people were affected by disasters each year. In the following decade, this
figure increased by 70 percent to 254 million people per year.”
http://www.naturalnews.com/023362.html
34. “While they are saying, “Peace and safety!”
then destruction will come upon them suddenly
like labor pains upon a woman with child, and
they will not escape. ”
(1 Thessalonians 5:3)
35. The Abomination of Desolation
“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he
will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one
who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on
the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel
the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ”
(Matthew 24:15)
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and
the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself
above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of
God, displaying himself as being God. ”
(2 Thessalonians 2:3–4)
“And he [false prophet] deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it
was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was
given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would
even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ”
(Revelation 13:14–15)
36. Remnant of Israel Protected
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and
she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Then another sign appeared in
heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his
heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven
and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was
about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she
gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and
her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the
wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be
nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. ” (Revelation 12:1–6)
37. The Trumpet and Bowl Judgments
“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half
an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets
were given to them. . . . And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared
themselves to sound them. ” (Revelation 8:1-2, 6)
1. One-third of earth, trees, grass burned up
2. Third of the sea creatures die
3. Third of the waters polluted
4. Third of stars struck
5. Locus/demons released to torment people
6. Four bound demons released to kill 1/3 of humankind
7. Proclamation of Christ‟s coming; bowl judgments
38. The Trumpet and Bowl Judgments
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had
seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. . .
.Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls
full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. ” (Revelation 15:1, 7)
1. Horrible sore on those with the mark of the beast
2. Everything in the sea dies
3. All waters are polluted
4. Sun burns and scorches people
5. Complete darkness over Antichrist‟s kingdom
6. Euphrates dried up ; kings of the east come
7. Great earthquake; cities of nations fall; huge hailstorm
39. Armageddon Stage is Set
“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of
the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits
like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to
the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great
day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the
one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about
naked and men will not see his shame.”) And they gathered them together to
the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. ”
(Revelation 16:13–16)
41. “Ironically, man‟s greatest effort to rid himself
of the rule of God will not produce the
freedom that he desires. Instead if will enslave
him in the most fiendish, oppressive form of
bondage. Rather than moving toward Utopia,
man is hurtling toward the most horrible time of
tribulation in world history.”
– Renald Showers
42. Why Such a Tribulation?
“At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within
me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences
Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness. ”
(Isaiah 26:9).
43. Why Such a Tribulation?
“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and
wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves
wrath for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And
the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is
His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. He rebukes the sea and
makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms
of Lebanon wither. Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants
in it. Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His
anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him.
The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those
who take refuge in Him. ” (Nahum 1:1–7)