Class Notes on Events Preceding the Tribulation (That Have Already Occurred)

• Events leading to the tribulation: In Jesus' day the expression, "nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom," was a Jewish idiom of a world war preceding the coming of the Messiah. Jesus calls it a birth pang (Order of the events is taken from Fruchtenbaum, 2003)
  • First Event.  World War with increased famines and earthquakes
    • Matt 24:1-8 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. NIV
    • Jewish idiom: "nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom" refers to a world war preceding the coming of the Messiah
      • The Bereshith Rabbah: If you see kingdoms rising against each other in turn, then give heed and not the footsteps of the Messiah
      • The Zohar Chadash: At that time wars shall be stirred up in the world, Nation shall be against nation and city against city; much distressed shall be renewed against the enemies of Israel
    • The evidence clearly seems to indicate increasing famines and earthquakes over the last few centuries. Is that a data recording issue? We don't know, but even the last thirty years have seen an increase
  • Second Event. Reestablishment of Israel or a gathering of unbelief (also Ezek 20:33-38; Zeph 2:1-2)
    • Ezek 22:17-22 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 18 "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace to melt it with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. 21 I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. 22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath upon you.'" NIV
    • Ezek 36:22-24 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. NIV
    • Isa 11:11-12 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations // and gather the exiles of Israel; // he will assemble the scattered people of Judah // from the four quarters of the earth. NIV
      • Another re-gathering
      • One of unbelief
  • Third Event.  Jerusalem under Jewish control (old city not originally, but after 6-day war came under Jewish control) -- required for the rebuilding of the temple (also 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev 11:1-2)
    • Dan 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. " NIV
    • Matt 24:15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— NIV
    • These and other verses talk about a third temple which presupposes Jewish control of the temple compound and Old Jerusalem. This took place during the six day war. Obviously, there are still issues regarding the Dome of the rock, although there are some who believe it could be built in another location. There is a whole society devoted to gathering and recreating the utensils and instruments required for the new temple