The Great Tribulation and the Rapture Part 4

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Authored By  :
Bill Kochman

Published On :
September 15, 1997

Last Updated :
January 3, 2009


NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.

Seven Vials Of Wrath, The Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah, Suddenness Of The Lord's Return, Ashes Under Our Feet, Who Hinders The Antichrist, The Plagues Of Egypt, Obedience And Protection, Written For Our Admonition, The Genesis Flood, The Great Multitude, Mid-Tribulation Rapture, The Days Shortened


Let us consider now the second possible definition of what it might mean to not be appointed to wrath. Might this be a reference to escaping the coming Wrath of God when the Seven Vials of Wrath, also known as the Last Seven Plagues, are poured out upon the wicked? While I currently believe that the Vials of Wrath will be poured out during the last half of the Last Seven Years, that is, some time during the Great Tribulation, some people place them after the Last Seven Years, and even after the Rapture, while we are in Heaven enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It is with those people who assume that God's Wrath is going to be poured out some time during the Last Seven Years, and not after the Rapture, that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory is quite popular. In his attempt to convince me of the validity of the Pre-Tribulation escape, one person wrote to me recently and shared the following story found in the Book of Genesis:

"And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar."
Genesis 19:17-22, KJV


Of course, this is the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this incident, even after the two Angels had physically removed Lot and his family from the evil city of Sodom, Lot still complained about the hardship of having to flee to the mountain; so the Angels granted them permission to go to Zoar instead. The key words which are used from these verses to support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory are 'Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither'. In other words, the Angels are saying that they cannot destroy the cities until Lot and his family have been safely removed from the premises. In like manner, Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists suggest that God cannot pour out His Wrath upon the wicked until His children are safely removed from the Earth via the Rapture. They are basically saying that God's Hands are tied. This idea gives the impression that God is limited in His powers because of the physical presence of His children upon the Earth. I am reminded of the following verse:

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
Isaiah 59:1, KJV


Personally, I feel that there is a substantial difference between these two events. While it is true that Lot and his family had to be physically removed from Sodom, unlike the Rapture where the Lord's children will be totally removed from the Earth, they were only moved to another location upon the Earth; and it doesn't appear as if that place was very far from the cities of the plain. It was apparently just far enough away to provide sufficient protection for Lot and his family. Please also notice that this Act of God resulted in the complete destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The language in the Bible makes this very clear. Notice that in the following set of verses, the plain is described as being as beautiful as 'the garden of the Lord'. This must be a reference to the Garden of Eden; so the plain must have been absolutely breathtaking to behold. It was filled with rivers and streams, and luxuriant plant life. It is for this very reason that Lot, probably in his own selfishness, chose the better part of the land when given a choice by Abraham. He no doubt figured that his flocks would do very well there:

"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom."
Genesis 13:10-12, KJV


But now notice how the two cities are described only six chapters later after the Lord's severe judgments have fallen upon them and the surrounding plain. Sodom and Gomorrah were totally obliterated from the face of the Earth. In fact, the entire plain was apparently burned up to such a degree, that it remained completely lifeless and devoid of plant growth. Perhaps it was similar in appearance to an area of the world where a volcano has erupted. Depending upon the severity of the eruption, as well as the volume of the lava flows, the landscape can quickly be transformed into miles upon miles of lifeless barren wasteland. What isn't destroyed through fire, toxic gases, plummeting boulders from the sky, and choking ash, may soon be covered with many meters of deadly, creeping, molten lava. Everything in its destructive path will eventually become permanently entombed in a hard shell of grey and black rock. Only the patient Hand of God Himself will eventually result in new life springing up in the area; and it takes time:

"Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground . . . And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."
Genesis 19:24-25, 27-28, KJV


What terrible destruction, and how quickly it came to pass! One hour Lot and his family were enjoying the pleasures of a lavish life in the lush lowland, and shortly thereafter they found themselves fleeing for their lives to the mountains, with only the clothes on their backs! God's Wrath fell so quickly upon those wicked sinners, that no one expected it in the least! In fact, Jesus Himself informs us that His Father's Wrath fell upon those cities in a single day! There was absolutely no room for procrastination, as Lot's wife sadly found out. So also will it be in the day that the Lord returns for His children. When He tells us that it is time to go, there will be no time for goodbyes, or last minute things to do. This is a very interesting point, because the Lord specifically tells us to remember Lot's wife. For me, this seems to imply that there is some kind of a choice in the matter. It might just not be some miraculous automatic flying off into the sky as many Christians believe:

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife."
Luke 17:28-32, KJV


In his second Epistle, the Apostle Peter also discusses the coming fiery destruction of the wicked. Just like Jesus, in order to add emphasis to his message, Peter also refers to the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this case, he informs us that they were reduced to ashes; just as our enemies will someday be reduced to ashes under our feet as well:

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;"
2 Peter 2:6, KJV


"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Romans 16:20, KJV


"And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts."
Malachi 4:3, KJV


The main point I wish to emphasize here is that despite the high level of destruction which occurred to the cities of the plain, the Lord did not have to completely remove His children from the face of the Earth; He merely moved them to a safer location. Why then do some Christians feel that it is necessary for God to totally remove His Saints from the Earth, via the Rapture, before He pours out His Wrath? That certainly isn't what He did with Lot and his family. We know that the Seven Vials of Wrath are not directed against the Saints; they are directed against the unbelieving world; particularly against the followers of the Beast and the False Prophet. Remember, while some of God's children will be feeling the wrath of the Beast, the followers of Satan will likewise be feeling God's Wrath! Let me also clarify that I am not saying that God is not going to deliver His children from the Great Tribulation, as He most certainly will. The primary issue here is when that time will occur.

Another verse which is quite popular with those who support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, is found in the Apostle Paul's second Epistle to the Thessalonians. As I explain in the article 'Who Hindered the Antichrist?', this chapter deals with the arrival of the Jewish false messiah known as Moshiach ben David; whom Paul refers to as the Son of Perdition, who will sit in the newly-built Temple on the top of Mount Moriah. In explaining the conditions which will exist at the time of the arrival of this satanic deceiver, Paul wrote the following:

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God . . . For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:"
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 7-8, KJV


As I explain in the aforementioned article, in the previous verses, the phrase 'letteth will let' is derived from the Greek word 'katecho' which is sometimes translated as detain retain, restrain, hold back or hinder. In other words, Paul is telling us that something, or someone, is holding back the Antichrist from making his appearance on the world stage. If we accept the most common interpretation of this verse, it is referring to the Holy Spirit which dwells in the Body of the Believers. Thus, according to the supporters of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, this means that once the Church has been removed from the Earth via the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will also be removed; and thus Satan, via his Son of Perdition, the Antichrist, will come to full power, and not before. It is a nice theory, but as I explain in that article, I do not accept this interpretation at this time. My personal study of the Scriptures has convinced me that this somebody is most likely Michael the Archangel, and not the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Body of the Believers. Please refer to that article for more details.

If my understanding of Paul's words is correct, then this means that the Lord's worldwide spiritual Church will still be here at the time that the Antichrist sits in the Temple in East Jerusalem, and declares himself to be 'God'. As we saw earlier, I believe that it will be at this time that the three and a half years of Great Tribulation will begin, and not before, as the true children of the Lord refuse to bow down and worship the false messiah from hell.

In addition to the story of Lot, another clear example of how the Lord can punish the wicked while at the same time protect His own children, is found in the story of the first Passover in Egypt. The Lord didn't have to physically remove the children of Israel from the Earth before He used Moses and Aaron to punish Pharaoh and his people with the various plagues. In fact, He didn't even bother to move them to a safer location as He had done with Lot and his family. The Lord simply protected them from those chastisements, because the plagues were not directed against the Israelites, but only against the Egyptians; just as the Last Seven Plagues of the Endtime will also be directed against the wicked of the world, and not against the Lord's children. When the final plague of death occurred, the Hebrews were simply instructed to remain in their homes, and to not go outside. They also had to exercise their faith through the physical act of marking their doorposts with the fresh blood of an unblemished lamb; which of course was symbolic of the coming true Lamb of God; Jesus Christ Himself:

"And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it . . . And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt . . . And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."
Exodus 12:7, 13, 22-23, KJV


Some time ago when I shared this example with someone who adheres to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, I was quite surprised when this person wrote back to me claiming that what happened with Moses and the Children of ancient Israel has absolutely no bearing on the children of God today. No Scriptural support was provided to validate this claim, and I don't think that this person would have found any even if a search had been made. Contrary to this person's comment, the Apostle Paul had the following to say regarding the plight of Moses and the Children of Israel, and how their example relates to our current time:

"Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
1 Corinthians 10:9-11, KJV


In this chapter, Paul deals with the issue of not yielding ourselves to fleshly lusts and idolatry; thus he found it fitting to use the murmuring ancient Israelites as a good example for 'our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.' Clearly then, if the murmuring and wandering in the desert is to be looked upon as an example for us, does it not seem appropriate to consider the entire story of the Children of Israel as well? Does it not seem proper to you that we should consider God's Divine Protection during the time of the plagues in Egypt, and view it as an example of how the Lord can and will miraculously protect His children when He pours out His Wrath upon the wicked? Another very interesting point regarding this story, is that it isn't that God didn't have a time of deliverance prepared for the ancient Israelites; it is just that the time hadn't arrived yet. God poured out His Wrath upon the Egyptians first, and then He delivered His children.

As I point out in the article 'Biblical Cafeteria, Or The Whole Course?', we cannot pick and choose when it comes to our understanding of the Bible. We cannot create a doctrine just by looking at a single verse. We must accept the entire Bible, and prayerfully and carefully compare Scripture with Scripture in order to come to a full knowledge of the Truth. I mentioned in part one that we must rightly divide the Word of Truth. Through the previous two examples of Lot and the story of the plagues in Egypt, it becomes quite apparent that the Lord does not have to remove His children entirely from the Earth, and not even from their current location, before He can pour out His judgments upon the wicked. He can protect them right where they are in some cases, if they obey His instructions. That is the key. Obedience results in Divine Protection. Please consider the following verses:

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."
Psalm 34:7, KJV


"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV


"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."
Psalm 91:5-11, KJV


Of course, these aren't the only examples of the Lord's protection when it comes time to judge the wicked. One of the very first notable examples found in the Bible is that of the great Flood which occurred during the days of Noah. As with Lot, the Lord didn't have to remove Noah and his family entirely from the Earth before He let His judgments fall upon the evil men of that time; He merely moved them to a new location, a higher location. He lifted up Noah and his family in the Ark, above the flood waters of destruction. As with the story of Lot, Jesus also used the example of Noah to warn us of what the world will be like just prior to the Day of His Return; and to emphasize the suddenness of the destruction of the wicked when they are least expecting it:

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."
Luke 17:26-27, KJV


Thus, in looking at three of the greatest examples of God's Wrath in the Bible, that is, the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the plagues in Egypt, we see that in every case, the Lord simply protected His own children from His righteous indignation; for as the Apostle Paul wrote, the Lord knows them that are His:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
2 Timothy 2:19, KJV


Considering these three examples, and there are others, why do the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists continue to insist that God must physically remove us from the Earth before He can accomplish His purposes? The Scriptural evidence I have presented to you clearly shows otherwise. Another set of verses which are often used to support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, are the following found in the seventh chapter of the Book of Revelation. Please note that these verses come right after those which describe the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand converted Jews:

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Revelation 7:9-14, KJV


Allow me to first mention that while the great multitude may include the one hundred and forty-four thousand, it does not seem to me that they are exactly the same thing. John tells us quite clearly that this great multitude is so large, that it is something 'which no man could number'. If it can't be numbered, then obviously, it cannot be the one hundred and forty-four thousand converted Jews of Israel, as this is a quantity which can definitely be numbered. Notice also that the multitude is comprised 'of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues'; thus again we see that it cannot be just the saved Jews from Israel; although it is possible that they may be included in this group. I honestly do not know with any degree of certainty. However, in the previous verses, it is the phrase 'These are they which came out of great tribulation' which is commonly used by Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists to support their belief that the Saints will be removed from the Earth, via the Rapture, before the Great Tribulation actually begins.

Let's really think about this for a moment. From a logical point of view, it seems to me that in order to come out of something, one must have gone into it first. I cannot come out of my house, unless I have first gone into it. If we look at our Christian walk with the Lord as a race, as the Apostle Paul did, I cannot be disqualified from running the race, unless I have first entered the race, and then done something worthy of disqualification. In like manner, unless God's children have actually entered the period known as the Great Tribulation, how can they possibly come out of it? This leads us to our next point. While I have primarily focused on the two main schools of thought regarding this issue, that is, the Pre-Tribbers and the Post-Tribbers, in all fairness, allow me to mention that there is a third group of people who we might refer to as the Mid-Tribbers. These people believe that the phrase 'came out of great tribulation' means that the Lord's children will enter the Great Tribulation, but that they will be raptured out of it before it is over. This is where the following verse comes into play:

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
Matthew 24:22, KJV


While this idea of a Mid-Tribulation Rapture does have more merit, I still don't believe that it is completely accurate. By the time you have finished reading this series, you will fully understand why I say this; that is, if you haven't done so already. Let me point out that the previous verse does provide us with some vital information which further supports the idea that God's children will indeed go through the period known as the Great Tribulation. If you read it slowly, you will come to understand that what the Lord is saying, is that the whole reason why He must arrive when He does, is to prevent the complete annihilation of His dear children. If none of the Saints are here during the time of Jacob's Trouble, if they have already been raptured before this terrible period begins, then how can they be in danger of being wiped out by the forces of the Beast as this verse clearly indicates? So you see, this verse is a picture of God's Endtime children in the midst of Great Tribulation.

Please bear in mind that the Lord's primary interest is in the fate of His own dear children. While He wishes for all men everywhere to be saved, as can be seen by the following verse, as I point out in such articles as 'Is The Message Of Salvation Meant For All Men?', He already knows that not all men will accept His free gift of Eternal Life. Some people will proudly and stubbornly deny His Name until the very end. The Apostle Peter made this point very clear. Notice the sharp contrast in attitude between the following two verses from his Epistle. One shows God's loving, merciful attitude, while the other shows sinful man's reaction to the Lord's display of mercy and patience with His rebellious creations:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9, KJV


"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
2 Peter 3:3-4, KJV


It is because of the Lord's love for His children, that in the previous verse from the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, we are told that the days of suffering will be shortened for the Elect's sake. As soon as the Lord determines that the evil forces of antichrist have filled their cup of iniquity, He is going to suddenly return, in order to put an end to the terrible slaughter of His little ones. He is going to rescue His Bride-to-be! According to my current understanding of the Scriptures, I believe that the Elect to whom Jesus is referring in the previous verse, is compromised of all saved Christians, be they Jew or Gentile, who have ever lived; except for those who were already resurrected at the time of Christ's own Resurrection. For a more thorough explanation of this topic, allow me to refer you to my article 'Once Upon A Time: A True Story'.

At this point, let us address the issue of what Jesus meant by 'those days should be shortened', and 'those days shall be shortened', as these two phrases have also been used by some people in order to try to justify the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory. As with other arguments we have already discussed, these phrases have been misinterpreted to mean that the Lord is going to shorten the number of days by simply taking His children out of the world before the Great Tribulation begins. As we have already seen, this cannot be correct, as the Lord is going to rescue His children out of a great persecution which has already begun, in order to prevent their complete annihilation.

A second possibility which finds support amongst some of the Mid-Tribulation Rapture theorists, is that the Lord will come to rescue His children before the Great Tribulation has ended, thus shortening the days. While this explanation at first appears to make a lot of sense, if we follow the safe practice of comparing Scripture with Scripture, we quickly realize that this interpretation contradicts everything we have already seen in the Scriptures. As we saw in both parts one and two of this series, both Daniel and John make it very clear that the Great Tribulation has already been set to a predetermined length of time by the Lord; and that time period is three and a half years, or forty-two months, or one thousand two hundred and sixty days. They all represent the full duration of the Great Tribulation.

If there is one thing I have taught my readers over and over again, it is that God is not the author of confusion. He does not contradict Himself, or His Word. He is not going to say one thing in one place, and then turn around and say something totally contradictory in another part of His Holy Word, thus confusing the faithful student of the Scriptures. As Daniel and John have both stated, it is only when this time of Great Tribulation has reached its conclusion at the end of the final three and a half years of the Last Seven Years, that God's Plan will be finished, and Jesus Christ will return for His own at the sound of the Seventh Trump. Consider again what the Prophet Daniel wrote:

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
Daniel 12:7, KJV


Notice carefully what the Angelic Messenger says to Daniel. When will all of these things be finished? After the Beast has scattered 'the power of the holy people' during the three and a half years of Great Tribulation; that is, the 'time, times, and an half'. I believe that this scattering of power, is a reference to the terrible persecution of the Jews, who will be forced to flee out of Jerusalem, exactly as Jesus told them to do, when the Muslim forces invade Jerusalem, as we saw in earlier installments of this series. That phrase 'shall be finished' coincides with the 'should be finished' in the following verse from the Book of Revelation:

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
Revelation 10:7, KJV


As soon as the three and a half years of Great Tribulation has been completed, from the day that the Holy Covenant is broken in the midst of the Last Seven Years, Jesus Christ will return, in order to rescue His children, and to stop the terrible slaughter, and not a day before. Based upon everything I have shared with you, this is what I believe that Jesus really meant when He said that the days will be shortened; that is, that they will not be any longer than the allotted three and a half years, or forty-two months, or one thousand two hundred and sixty days. If He allowed the Muslim wave of terror and persecution to go longer than that, then no flesh would be saved; particularly no Jews in Israel. This is in perfect agreement with the Scriptures.

Before concluding part four of this series, allow me to point out to you that the Angelic Messenger does mention to Daniel that there are two short time periods which extend beyond the three and half years of the Great Tribulation. One of these extensions is a thirty-day period, while the other is a forty-five day period which extends even beyond the thirty-day period. In other words, it appears that there are certain undetermined events which occur during the first seventy-five days following the Lord's Return. While we can all speculate what these things might be, at this current time, I do not know with absolute certainty. All I do know is that those who make it through these final seventy-five days are considered blessed by the Lord. Daniel wrote:

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."
Daniel 12:11-12, KJV


In the fifth part of this thought-provoking series, we will continue our discussion of the Great Tribulation and the Rapture by looking at such topics as the First Resurrection, the Battle of God and Magog, the defeat of the Satanic Trio, the Second Resurrection, the Great White Throne Judgment and the Lake of Fire, the post-Armageddon Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ, the two raptures theory, all one in Christ, the dead in Christ shall rise first, respect of persons, and the coming transformation of our bodies. I trust that you will join me.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .


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