Sunday, August 12, 2012

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Many Christians presumed that the Lord's Day mentioned in Revelation 1:10 as the day of worship, for most of them it is Sunday. They are wrong on two counts. One, the day of worship is the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday and not Sunday - the latter is the day of pagan worship of the sun! Second, the Lord's Day mentions in Revelation 1:10 refers to the great and terrible day of the Lord prophesied in Joel 2:1-3 and Zephaniah 1:7-10; 14-17. It is a time of the Lord's wrath (Zeph 1:18). But before the one-year period of God's judgment (Lord's Day) is prophesied to happen on planet earth, it will be preceded by a two-and -a half year period of the Great Tribulation of Satan's wrath unleashed on mankind just before he yielded his throne to the coming Lord Jesus Christ. There cannot be any case of mistaken identity as over thirty prophecies in the Old Testament refer to this period as the great and terrible day of the Lord!

According to Christ, The Great Tribulation will be the worst time in world history that mankind will have to face, ever (Matt 24:21). This period corresponds to the opening of the fifth seal mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11. This period of worldwide suffering is prophesied to happen for all mankind living then except for the small group of called and chosen ones who will be taken to a place of safety (Rev 12:14). Christ categorically warned that all true disciples of His must 'Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things (The Great Tribulation) that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.' - Luke 21:36.

Those who were martyred will have to wait till the numbers of all those who were predestined to enter the kingdom of God will have died for their faith are complete. It is not a reference to those martyrs who had died in the Middle Ages and are now in heaven crying out to the Lord, it is just symbolic of what must follow for martyrs of the latter period to complete the plan of God. If the martyrs who died centuries before are now in heaven, they would not have to clamour for revenge! The martyrs of the last days are lukewarm Christians who have fallen away or are being deceived into deception by false teachings and the value system of this world! Even then, only half of them are expected to be saved (Matt 25:1-12). The 'souls under the altar' (Rev 6:9) is a reference to future martyrs of the Laodicean era (the last era of the Church age - the present time) who will suffer the same fate as martyrs in the Middle Ages.

Only those who believe and obey the word of Christ and His teachings including the gospel message of the kingdom of God will be found ' worthy to escape to all these things (the Great Tribulation) and to stand before the Son of Man (as resurrected immortal spirit beings born of God).' All the rest of mankind who escape physical death during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord will enter the Millennial Age as flesh and blood humans to be ruled by resurrected spirit beings. The rest of mankind who have ever lived will be resurrected as reconstituted flesh and blood humans towards the end of the Millennial Age and be given the whole truth at judgment day (Matt 11:21-24; Luke 11:31-32). Their decision for repentance and acceptance of salvation or  rejection with wilful rebellion will determine their eternal destiny!

After the cataclysmic events comes the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of God - the rule of Christ as King over the whole earth to end all wars, strife, sicknesses, diseases, calamities and even death! It will be the wonderful world to come not just for the Millennial Age, but for all of eternity. It is God's will for man to spread the laws and government of God and beautify all of His creation, stretching into the far corners of the universe. That is what you and I were created and placed on planet earth for!














No comments: