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EVENTS ON EARTH

FOLLOWING A SEQUENCE

The Tribulation period, is referred to in the Bible by many names, more predominantly as the Day of the Lord, the Day of Wrath, and during its second half there will be the Great Tribulation of the Jews. It is chronologically the last period of the times of the Gentiles, the last of the seventy-sevens announced by Gabriel to Daniel in his vision (Daniel 9:27. It comes after "what is now" according to John's vision in Revelation, which is the period of the seven churches (Revelation 1:19, 2, 3), the last being Laodicea (people rule), identified as being the present times, and is what must take place after this (Revelation 4:1).

We find in the Bible that a number of events are to take place before the start of the Tribulation Period. Some of them appear clearly to follow a certain sequence, whereas others could happen at any time, such as the rapture of the Church.

The following events seem to follow each other:

1. World Wars: Matthew 24:4-8.

The beginning of birth pains, or the starting point of pre-tribulational events is when nations will rise against nations, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. The first and second world wars, considered by many historians as one event in two stages, the dreadful famines experienced lately in many parts of the world, and the multiplicity of earthquakes now occurring at fairly short intervals, sometimes with great loss of life, appear to indicate that we have already passed this stage.

2. The nation of Israel: Ezekiel 20:33-38.

"I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered" - after 19 centuries scattered all over the world, without land or their own government, the descendants of Israel are back in the promised land, forming their own nation. In this passage, a simile is drawn between Exodus and the prophesied future return: after being delivered from Egypt the Israelites came into judgement for their disbelief, murmuring and rebellion, and were punished; in a similar way, they are to be brought out from the peoples with wrath poured out. After this they are to enter into judgement with His people, and by this means the rebels will be purged out, before entering the land of Israel. God's wrath is seen in the Nazi Holocaust, the Jews will be purged during the Great Tribulation (see also Ezekiel 22:17-22, Zephaniah 2:1-2), and after this they will enter the messianic land of Israel for a second time, now as a regenerated nation for the blessings of the millennium (Isaiah 11:11-12). Israel conquered Jerusalem during the Six Day War, and the next event to prepare for what is announced in Daniel 9:27 will be the building of their new temple.

3. Attempted invasion of Israel: Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16.

This passage announces who, where, why, what, how and when this invasion will take place. This event and the others following are still about to happen. Briefly, this is the most generally accepted explanation:

• Who will be the invaders: Gog is the name of the leader of a confederacy of invaders; his land is called Magog, which is composed of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal (see Genesis 10:2), in old times inhabited by the Scythians, referred to as barbarians roaming north of the Caspian and Black Seas (Caucasus means Gog's fort). Rosh is identified with modern Russia. Persia is modern Iran. Cush used to identified with Ethiopia, but since the decipherment of the cuneiform inscriptions unearthed more recently, Iraq is now accepted as more likely to be the modern denomination. In the same way Put was identified with Libya, but is now thought to lie south or Southeast of Cush, Saudi Arabia today. Gomer is stated in the Talmud to be Germany. Togarmah, geographically has always been the land we know as Armenia, so named in the records of Assyria, possibly extending to Turkey.

• Where the invasion is to take place: the mountains of Israel (v.8).

• The reason why: in order to plunder and loot; Israel will hold treasures, on which we can only speculate at this time: possibly minerals in the Dead Sea. In verse 13 a second group of nations are listed as protesting this invasion; from the names and description, they might even include the Western Hemisphere. But God states the real reason, given in verse 16: it is that He might be sanctified in the eyes of the nations, in light of what He is going to bring about to happen.

• What will it achieve: as prophesied in ancient days, this is the punishment to be meted to these countries for their persecution of the Jews (verses 17,18), so that many nations will know that God is the LORD.

• How will the invasion end: insurrection, and the forces of nature, such as earthquake (verses 19-22), pestilence, bloodshed, flood, hailstones, fire and burning sulphur will completely destroy the invading armies.

• When will this take place: there are many opinions among Bible teachers, but from the circumstances attending the invasion, and its aftermath, it seems clear to me that it must be before the tribulation begins because: the description of Israel fits this period, the land having been brought back from the sword (v.8), the inhabitants live securely under the protection of the USA having come from 80-90 nations (v.8-12) and the continual waste places are now inhabited and the Israelis are rebuilding the ancient places and living in them (v.12); this view best answers the problem of the seven months and seven years to clear up the mess left by the destruction of the armies (39:9-12).

4. Peace among nations: I Thessalonians 5:1-3.

The term Day of the Lord is used, making it clear that this period of peace and safety will come just before the tribulation hits the world with devastating force.

5. World government is broken into ten kingdoms: Daniel 7:24.

The Roman system of government, and religion, divided into two legs - Eastern and Western "Christian" civilisation, will eventually be made up of ten "kingdoms", or units of government, before the tribulation.

6. The rise of Antichrist: II Thessalonians 2:1-3.

Following the division into ten kingdoms, the Antichrist will begin his rise to power (Daniel 7:24), and his identity will be revealed before the tribulation. He is called man of lawlessness here, and he has many other names given him in the Bible.

7. The seven year covenant: Daniel 9:27.

The tribulation period begins when, already with sufficient power to do so, the Antichrist signs a seven year covenant with the state of Israel.

EVENTS NOT FOLLOWING A SEQUENCE

The previous seven events leading up to the tribulation can be traced in a sequence. There are other pre-tribulation events mentioned in Bible prophecy, still future to the present day, that cannot be slotted into this sequence. They are as follows:

1. BLACKOUT - five blackouts are to take place in the future, one of which, according to Joel 2:31, will come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, another description of the seven years of tribulation. It will be similar to that which occurred in Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23) and at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:45).

2. THE RETURN OF ELIJAH - In Malachi 4:5-6 we read that the Lord will send the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day. His mission will be to restore the Jewish family unit, which is in the process of breaking down. In this respect there is some confusion because of Matthew 17:9-13, and Mark 9:9-13: the disciples at this point in time did not understand that the Messiah was to come first as the suffering servant and saviour, to be rejected of men (as prophesied e.g. in Isaiah 53) and a second time for judgment and to set up his kingdom on earth (e.g. Isaiah 62); the Lord Jesus then clarified that Elijah is still to come to restore all things, yet John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah (Luke 1:13-17); in Matthew 11:14, He says that if Israel were willing to accept it, that is, the kingdom, then John the Baptist would have fulfilled the function of Elijah; they were not, so Elijah is yet to come to do his work of restoration. John the Baptist was prophesied as the forerunner (Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3-5, Matthew 3:1-6, 11:7-10, John 1:19-23).

3. THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH - this event is entirely separate from the second coming of Christ to the world for the purpose of judgment and establishing his kingdom. It is the first of these which is the hope of the Church, when the Lord will return as "the Bright and Morning Star", and the second is the hope of Israel, when He will appear as the Sun of Righteousness, with healing in His wings.

To avoid confusion, it would be useful to remind ourselves of some of the differences between them:

THE RAPTURE	THE SECOND COMING
As Lord - the hope of the Church (I Thess.4:16).	As Son of Man - The hope of Israel (Matt. 24:27-29), Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27).
A Mystery - "Listen, I tell you a mystery" (I Cor.15:51). A mystery is a truth that could not be known in the light of the Old Testament Scriptures and needed a fresh revelation in the New Testament.	Not a Mystery - Already spoken of by Old Testament Prophets (e.g. Dan.7:13), and in the great prophetic chapters of the Synoptic Gospels.
Not Actually to the earth - The saints will be "caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air" (I Thess.4:17).	Actually to the earth - "on that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives" (Zech.14:4).
Not Dated - "Yes, I am coming soon", but the moment is not indicated. This coming was ever at the door of the Church. They were to "wait for His Son from heaven". A present hope with "nothing between". And of the duration of the interval between the two stages nothing can be known definitely, for it is not revealed.	Dated - Foretold to take place seven years after the signing of a covenant between the Jewish nation and the Prince that shall come (Daniel 9:27; Rev.11; 13:4-5), with many other events between: "if those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22).
For His Saints - To raise the sleeping and change the living (I Thess.4:16-17) "unto salvation" (Heb.9:28).	With His Saints - To judge His enemies, deliver Israel, and set up His throne (Zech.14:9; Rev.19:11-15, 20:4; Jude 1:14).
Before the Wedding - "The Marriage of the Lamb is come" (Rev.19:7). This is clearly after the rapture of the saints.	After the Wedding - the sequence of events in Revelation 19:6 to 15 indicates this, as well as some of the parables, e.g. Luke 12:36, Matthew 25:1-13.
Before the Day of the Lord - In II Thess.2:1, there is an appeal to the two great events already revealed in I Thess.4:15-19, to prove that the day of the Lord was not present. Note verse 5. All this had been told before, but not written.	During the day of the Lord - After the full apostasy, after the revelation of the Lawless One (II Thess.2:3-8).
Visible to Saints - "we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2. Sometimes in this sense this stage is called an appearing.	Visible to all - "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him ..." (Revelation 1:7), and so this is usually called THE appearing.
Taken ones blessed - left ones to be judged. "So shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thess.4:17).	Left ones blessed - Taken ones to be judged. One shall be taken (in judgment), the other left (like Noah). (Compare Matt.24:38-41 and Luke 21:27).

 

Three key passages need to be studied for an understanding of the rapture:
John 14:1-3: this is the Lord's promise that he will come to receive us to himself, so that we may be with him, after he has gone to prepare a place for us.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18: this describes the programme of the rapture. First, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven; secondly, with a shout, which is a command for the resurrection and the translation to occur; thirdly, with the voice of the archangel, who thereby passes on the order of the Lord for the programme of the rapture to begin; the fourth stage is the sounding of the trumpet of God, a summons for the rapture itself to take place; the fifth step is the resurrection of the dead in Christ (the words in Christ imply that only those belonging to the body of Christ will rise at this time); the sixth step is the translation of the living saints, who will meet the Lord in the air (therefore he will not come as far as the earth's surface); the seventh step is that we shall ever be with the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:50-58: this deals with the change in the nature of our bodies. The earthly body, made of flesh and blood, corruptible and mortal in a moment is replaced by one which is incorruptible, immortal, in fact like the Lord's (Phil.3:21, I John 3:2).

As to the timing of this first stage, all that can be ascertained is that it will take place before the tribulation (I Thess.1:9-10, 5:9, Rev.3:10) and that it is imminent, as it has always been (John 21:20-23, Romans 13:11-12, James 5:7-9, Revelation 22:20).

The real hope of the Christian, though including the accomplishment of all the purposes of God, is, properly speaking, not connected with the earth, but with heaven. It is not "deliverance in the earth" for blessing here below, as with Israel, but deliverance from the earth in view of blessing above. The Christian is not expecting the conversion of the world, nor even its reformation. His immediate hope is not the Kingdom of Christ, but the Coming of Christ.

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matt 24:4-8 (NKJV)

33 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you.
34 "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.
35 "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.
36 "Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD.
37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
38 "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezek 20:33-38 (NKJV)

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 "and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
4 "I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
5 "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 "Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops - many people are with you.
7 "Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.
8 "After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
9 "You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you."
10 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan:
11 "You will say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates'--
12 "to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.
13 "Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?' " '
14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it?
15 "Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
16 "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."
17 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
18 "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "that My fury will show in My face.
19 "For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel,
20 'so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.'
21 "I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains," says the Lord GOD. "Every man's sword will be against his brother.
22 "And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 "Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. ' '
Ezek 38:1-23 (NKJV)

1 "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal;
2 "and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.
3 "Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
4 "You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 "You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord GOD.
6 "And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 "So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 "Surely it is coming, and it shall be done," says the Lord GOD. "This is the day of which I have spoken.
9 "Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years.
10 "They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them," says the Lord GOD.
11 "It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog.
12 "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.
13 "Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified," says the Lord GOD.
14 "They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.
15 "The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man's bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.
16 "The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land." '
Ezek 39:1-16 (NKJV)

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
1 Thess 5:1-3 (NKJV)

24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.
Dan 7:24 (NKJV)

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
Joel 2:31 (NKJV)

1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
John 14:1-3 (NKJV)

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thess 4:13-18 (NKJV)

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Cor 15:50-58 (NKJV)