Class Notes on the Events of the First Half of the Tribulation (Part Two)

Events occurring during the first half of the tribulation, but not tied to a seal or to a trumpet

The 144,000

Rev 7:1-4 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. NIV

• Who are these 144,000?
  • New Jewish believers, who have come to Christ since the rapture
  • They are spread out over the whole world (four corners)
  • They are sealed (probably for service, but possibly for protection as well)

• What is the purpose of these 144,000?
  • It is given in the very next of verses (after the mentioning of the 12 tribes)
  • Verse 9: "After this …"

Rev 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. NIV

• Implied cause and effect -- "after this"
• Who are the multitude?
  • These are Gentiles who have to come to Christ as a result of the ministry of the 144,000 and who have been martyred, some associated with the fifth seal
  • Actually, John gets the answer in the next verses
    • Rev 7:13-17 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?" // 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." // And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, // "they are before the throne of God // and serve him day and night in his temple; // and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. // 16 Never again will they hunger; // never again will they thirst. // The sun will not beat upon them, // nor any scorching heat. // 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; // he will lead them to springs of living water. // And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." NIV

The Two Witnesses

Rev 11:3-6 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. NIV

• How long is their ministry?
  • 3.5*360=1,260, 3 1/2 years (based on the use of 360 days to represent a prophetic year)

• Who are they?
  • Zech 4:11-14 Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" // 12 Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" // 13 He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" // "No, my lord," I said. // 14 So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." NIV
    • The two anointed ones
  • Elijah and either Moses or Enoch
    • This is the common answer. People say Elijah and Enoch because neither died, but neither did any of the raptured saints and there is no requirement to die. There is a general principle (Heb 9:27)
    • Others say Moses and Elijah because of the similarity of the ministries
    • No one knows for sure, nor do the scriptures say. Fruchtenbaum argues that John the Baptist was Elijah or would have been Elijah had the Jewish leaders accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore there is still a forerunner for the second return of the Messiah, Elijah, (or my thoughts, someone again in the spirit of Elijah). Fruchtenbaum argues that the return of Elijah is separate from the two witnesses
  • Most likely answer: two Jewish prophets whom God will raise up during the tribulation

Ecclesiastical Babylon

Rev 17:1-6 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." // 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead: // MYSTERY // BABYLON THE GREAT // THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES // AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. // 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. // When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. NIV

• Most of the thoughts in this section are directly from The Footsteps of the Messiah, Fruchtenbaum, 2003
• There will be two political systems during the tribulation, one in the first half, the ten kings, and one in the second half, the Antichrist
• Likewise, there will be religious systems. Rev 17:1-6 describes the system during the first half of the tribulation
• John is shown the Great Prostitute. To prostitute something is to take that which has a proper use and turn it into a improper use. The Harlot represents religion, as if often the case when a women is used symbolically. Religion has a proper use and here it is used improperly. She causes the world to commit fornication, which is used of both physical fornication and spiritual fornication in the bible
• The women is sitting on animal with seven heads and ten horns. Here we see that the political system is allowing and gives the woman, religion, her authority to operate -- a church-state union
• This is the final form of the apostate religious system. It is a prostitute and it contrasts with the Church, the true bride of the Messiah
• From what is the woman drunk?
  • The blood of the saints (those who bore testimony to Jesus). This explains who martyrs the tribulation saints (5th seal). And is also why we place this event in the first half of the tribulation

APPLICATION: We are not going to be in the 144,000. It is unlikely that anyone of us is one of the two witnesses. But we do see the beginning of the apostate church forming around us. The apostate church departs from the fundamental issues of the faith and is rendered worthless as far as the salvation of anyone in those churches. What are the fundamental issues? They are found in God's word and not in human reason. If we are not in the word regularly, reading it and studying it, we are in danger of contributing to the development of the apostate church, which will lead many astray. What are you doing toward developing a strong biblical foundation in your life?