Introduction to Tribulation (Rev 4-18)

• Review question on 1 Thess 5: 1-11. Go back to 1 Thess 4:13-18. Chapter 4 discusses the how (order of events). Chapter 5 discusses when. Rapture is discussed because it is imminent. Day of the Lord does in fact refer to the tribulation and it does follow the rapture. So this all makes sense when understood in context
• Names for the Tribulation
• Isa 28:21 (ESV) For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; //  as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; // to do his deed—strange is his deed! // and to work his work—alien is his work!
• Jer 30:7 (ESV) Alas! That day is so great //  there is none like it; // it is a time of distress for Jacob; // yet he shall be saved out of it.
• Zeph 1:14-18 (NIV) "The great day of the Lord is near — // near and coming quickly. // Listen! The cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, // the shouting of the warrior there.  // 15 That day will be a day of wrath, // a day of distress and anguish, // a day of trouble and ruin, // a day of darkness and gloom, // a day of clouds and blackness,  // 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry // against the fortified cities // and against the corner towers.  // 17 I will bring distress on the people // and they will walk like blind men, // because they have sinned against the Lord. // Their blood will be poured out like dust // and their entrails like filth.  // 18 Neither their silver nor their gold // will be able to save them // on the day of the Lord's wrath. // In the fire of his jealousy // the whole world will be consumed, // for he will make a sudden end // of all who live in the earth."
• Joel 2:1-2 (NIV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; // sound the alarm on my holy hill. // Let all who live in the land tremble, // for the day of the Lord is coming. // It is close at hand — //   2 a day of darkness and gloom, // a day of clouds and blackness. // Like dawn spreading across the mountains // a large and mighty army comes, // such as never was of old // nor ever will be in ages to come.
• Rev 6:16-17 (NIV) They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
• Purpose of the Tribulation
1. Judgment on sin and sinners (rebellion against God)
• See previous verse, Zeph 1:17
• Isa 13:9 (NIV) See, the day of the Lord is coming // — a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger — // to make the land desolate // and destroy the sinners within it.
• Isa 24:19-20 (NIV) The earth is broken up, // the earth is split asunder, // the earth is thoroughly shaken.  // 20 The earth reels like a drunkard, // it sways like a hut in the wind; // so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion // that it falls — never to rise again. 
2. Final worldwide revival.  The first half of the tribulation sees Jews of every tongue around the world coming to Christ and sharing the gospel with the rest of the world.  The Jewish people finally fulfill the purpose for which God chose them

• Rev 7:1-4, 9-10, 13-14 (NIV) 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.

  … 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. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: // "Salvation belongs to our God, // who sits on the throne,  // and to the Lamb."

  … 13 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.

• Jesus' teaching on the Mount of Olives, in conjunction with the above passage suggests that the preaching of the gospel to all the world is fulfilled during the tribulation, as opposed to preceding the tribulation.  I hesitantly say this as all Christian should be actively living as a witness both in word (sharing the gospel) and deed (living differently than the world)
• Matt 24:14 (NIV) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
3. It is directed against Israel to break the power of the Holy People.  This was discussed earlier in events that lead to the tribulation, the second event was a re-gathering of unbelief for the purpose of judgment.
• Ezek 22:17-22 (NIV) 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.'"
• Dan 12:5-7 (NIV) Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"  // 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
• Purpose of the seventy sevens.  Similar to the Great Tribulation, but slightly different because it includes the entire period of time and not the last seven
• Key Passage: Dan 9:24-27 (NIV) "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.  // 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 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."
1. Technically, it is directed toward Israel, "decreed for your people," although I think all nations share in the results
2. It is "to finish transgression."  Could also mean to end the rebellion or to bring to completion.  It does end Israel's rejection of Jesus as the Messiah
3. It is "to put an end to sin." In the new covenant, the resurrected believer will not have a sin nature any longer, and so in that sense, sin will be ended.  (Some commentators have a more specific view toward Israel)
4. It is "to atone for wickedness."  Jesus' death pays the penalty completely for all sins (Some commentators have a more specific view toward Israel). It completes God's judgment against the wicked. Jesus paid the penalty for sin but men refused to believe, so they are still guilty of at least one sin, unbelief
5. It is " to bring in everlasting righteousness."  The end of the seventy sevens brings in the millennial and the rule of the Messiah on David's throne in Jerusalem
6. It is "to seal up vision and prophecy."  Most commentators view this as an end of both oral and written prophecies.
7. It is "to anoint the most holy."  This is potentially the anointing of what would be the fourth temple, probably in the New Jerusalem during the Messianic age.  Some believe that this is the temple which Ezekiel describes
• APPLICATION: How does one apply these truths?
• We should have a seriousness about our witness, both verbally and in our lifestyle.  We may not have the joy of seeing someone directly respond to the message, but we never know how people our evaluating our lives and our message, and the impact it might have in the future
• Example:  I once shared the gospel with a high school friend.  I don't remember doing that, although he does.  At the time, he did not respond, but years later, the accumulation of Christians in his life, struggles, and searching led him to the Lord.  He credits me for being a part of the planting of the seed.  But what if I had never said anything or didn't look any different in my words of lifestyle?  We never know who is watching
• We can be encouraged because God has a plan which he is working out
• We should realize how much God hates sin.  The tribulation is where God pours out his wrath on the world.  Once, He destroyed the world with water in a flood.  The next time, he will destroy it in many different ways

Rapture (Continuation of Events Preceding Tribulation)

1 Thess 4:13-18 (ESV) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.



• What is he referring to when he says "those who are asleep (ESV)," or "fall asleep? (NIV)"?  Dead
• Is there any corroborating information in the text?
• Grieve (why, unless dead); we who are alive (in contrast to sleeping), dead in Christ (in context, mentions the dead rising first)
• Verse 17, "caught up" is where we get the word "rapture."  The Greek work is harpazo, our word is from the Latin equivalent
• The rapture is imminent but the Great Tribulation is not -- what does that mean?
• It is a theological distinction.  There are specific events related to the Tribulation which must occur first, whereas the rapture can happen at any moment
• What do we know about the rapture from scripture?
• John 14:1-3 (ESV) Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
• No details, but some basic truth -- what do you see?
• Promise to take us to where he is going
• Marriage motif (preparing a place, but Father says when it is ready)
• Where is he going?
• to Heaven
• Suggests that we will spend some in heaven in our new bodies
• This is counter to the post-tribulation view, where Jesus meets us in the air at his second coming and takes us with him down to the earth.  Which is one reason pre-tribulation makes more sense.  We are met in the air by the Lord and taken to Heaven.  At the end of the tribulation we come back with Christ to earth
• In the 1 Thessalonian verses read earlier, we learn that the dead will not miss out, and we also get a chronological sequence, what do you see?
• The Lord descends from Heaven
• With a shout (probably a command for resurrection and translation)
• WIth the voice of the archangel (probably Michael repeats Jesus' command, much as you would see in many military units)
• With a trumpet of God (trumpet used for battle and worship; in this case it triggers the rapture itself and sets the plan in motion)
• The dead in Christ will rise first (this is limited to Church saints only; the bodies of OT saints will be resurrected at a later time)
• Then, we who are alive, shall be caught up (this is when living saints are removed from the earth)
• Meet the Lord in the air (so we return to heaven)


1 Cor 15:50-56 (ESV) I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

 "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55  "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.



• Verse 50 explains the necessity of the rapture:  our bodies are corrupt.  This leads to a very long discussion on the intermediate state between death and resurrection (will be included in a later input -- a quick summary: our souls rise and are with Christ in heaven at death, but our bodies are not, later they are resurrected and changed into new bodies until the rapture)
• Gen 2:17 (ESV) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
• When Adam ate of from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he corrupted the body which God had given him.  Because the body is now perishable, it cannot enter heaven.  Therefore, we need a new body
• How will the change occur?  Instantly
• When will it occur?  At the last trumpet
• Here is where people try to place the rapture in the tribulation, they interpret it to be the seventh trumpet
• At the time Paul wrote this passage, John had not written Revelation, so no one would have interpreted it in that context  (Fruchtenbaum, 2003).  More likely, it refers to the Feast of the Trumpets, where there are a series of trumpet blasts followed by one long trumpet blast.  When you look at the Jewish feasts, . . .
• There is a line of reasoning that suggests that the seven feasts of Israel have prophetic significance  (Fruchtenbaum, 2003)
• The first four occur in the Spring and are fulfilled in the FIRST coming (http://www.cgsf.org/dbeattie/calendar/?roman=33)
• Feast of Passover (Pesach, Nisan 14)
• Celebrates the Passover in Egypt
• Jesus is called the lamb of God
• Jesus probably died Friday around 3pm, which is the time of the national sacrifice of the Passover lamb at the temple
• Feast of unleavened bread (Hag Hamatzah, Nisan 15-22)
• Absence of leaven where leaven is a symbol of sin in the OT; the power of sin is the law and represents the beginning of a new covenant not based on law
• Jesus was our sinless substitute
• Feast of First Fruits (Hag Habikkurim, Nisan 16 (not always, first day of week))
• Occurs on the first day of the week after Feast of Unleavened Bread)
• Jesus' resurrection is called the firstfruit
• Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuoth, Sivan 6-7)
• Begins 7 weeks after Pesach
• Second of the three pilgrimage festivals
• Pentecost (beginning of the church and the age of grace (or New Covenant), also occurs on the same day (and therefore contrasts to) as the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, which represents the age of the Law (or Old Covenant)
• Four month gap between the feasts
• Jesus said that there are four months until the harvest
• The church age is fulfilling that now
• The second three feasts occur in the fall and will be fulfilled in the SECOND coming
• Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) - Rapture of the church
• When "last trumpet" was written to the Corinthian church, Revelation had not been written. Yet, Paul expected his listeners to understand
• Last trumpet would refer to the last of the trumpet blasts on the feast of trumpets
• It begins a ten day period of repentance that ends with Yom Kippur
• The day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - Tribulation
• Also the day of redemption. There is a blowing of trumpets to gather all the surviving believers
• Picture seems to have the elements of the tribulation (atonement and judgment)  and of Jesus coming (redemption)
• The Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth; booths; ingathering) - time of rejoicing after the tribulation
• Celebrates the end of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness
• It is also the feast of ingathering of the late harvest
• The timing of the rapture
• Book of Revelation (draw a number line from 1 to 22 showing the breaks)
• The church is mentioned in chapters 1 to 3, events prior to the tribulation, and in chapters 19-22, events after the tribulation
• The church is not mentioned in chapters 6-18, the tribulation period.  Therefore the church is not in the tribulation (tribulation saints, individuals who come to Christ during the tribulation are present)
• Luke 21:34-36 (ESV) "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.  35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." 
• The only way to escape is to be able to stand before the Son of Man, and the only way to stand before the Son of Man is to be a believer (Fruchtenbaum, 2003)
• 1 Thess 1:9-10 (ESV) For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
• The Thessalonians were waiting for Jesus' return
• Jesus will return for the believer and will rescue us from the coming wrath, the tribulation
• "Delivers" is present tense. KJV ("delivered") is wrong here. Also, the wrath is still to come, but the believer is no longer under wrath
• The phrase "delivers us" means "away from." The idea being that the wrath will not touch you
• 1 Thess 5:1-11 (ESV) Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10  who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 
• Salvation is physical here and not just soteriological (vs 10)
• God has not appointed us to suffer wrath. The church is not part of God's plan for wrath. The issue is whether wrath refers to the full 7 years or only the last 3 1/2 years
• Rev 3:10 (ESV) Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
• There is a distinction between Church saints and Tribulation saints in Revelation
• This statement is to Church saints
• I think the reason it is not stated to the Laodicean church is that the church is made up of primarily non-believers
• Discussion on Matt 24:31 (taken from Fruchtenbaum's book "Footsteps of the Messiah," page 644. This follows a discussion of the sign of the second coming (Matt 24:29-30)

I. The Regathering of Israel – Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27

    Since the Jewish prophets had predicted in great detail the worldwide regathering of Israel, Jesus did not spend much time with this, but only specified that it will occur after His Second Coming. The Matthew account reads:

    Matt 24:29-31 (ESV) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

    The Mark passage reads:

    Mark 13:24-27 (ESV) "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,  25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

    Following the Second Coming, the Messiah will send his angels all over the world to regather every Jew and bring them back into their Land. The background to the Matthew passage is Isaiah 27:12-13, which prophesied that the final restoration of Israel will be signaled by the sound of a great trumpet. The background to the Mark passage is Deuteronomy 30:4, which also emphasizes that the final restoration will come from two localities: earth and Heaven. Those who are gathered from the uttermost parts of the earth will be living in Israel, the one-third Remnant that survives the Tribulation. Those who are gathered from the uttermost part of heaven will be the resurrected Old Testament saints. This part of the Olivet Discourse summarizes many Old Testament prophecies (e.g., Is. 11:11-12:6; 43:5-7; Jer. 23:5-8; 31:7-14; Ezek. 11:16-21; 20:40-42; 36:22-31, et. al.), specifying that the final worldwide restoration will come only after the Second Coming, and not before.
• Isa 27:12-13 (ESV) In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
• Deut 30:4-5 (ESV) If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.
• Discussion on post-tribulation and mid-tribulation rapture
• Argument concerning Christian are not exempt from persecution and hardship
• It is certainly true that the new covenant is different from the old covenant in the place of persecution and blessing
• John 15:20-21 (ESV) Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
• 2 Tim 3:12 (ESV) Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
• Tribulation is different from persecution. Tribulation is a specific time of judgment against the world
• Rom 2:5 (ESV) But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
• Post-trib rapture
• Wedding motif is lost
• Jesus would have to meet us in the air and then take us down on the way
• No judgment for believers until the judgment for the unbelievers
• No home in heaven unless it is the New Jerusalem which comes down from heaven after the millennial kingdom
• Does not really explain the verses concerning rapture that say we are protected from wrath (The tribulation is not about persecution but judgment against the world and Israel)
• Mid-trib rapture
• Seventh trumpet in Revelation was not known until 40 years after Paul wrote his letter to Corinth
• Common understanding of the last trumpet would be the feast of trumpets
• Better fulfills the feast motif that was followed in the first coming and will be followed in the second coming
• Seventh trumpet includes all the bowl judgments and is the third woe judgment. Meaning we will have to go through 6 seal judgments and 6 trumpet judgments, including the two of the three woes

Events Preceding the Tribulation

• Characteristics of the age--Apostasy of the church
• Rev 3:14-18 (ESV) "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. // 15 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  17  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
• Fruchtenbaum believes the church was entirely non-Christian
• Christian church is lukewarm
• So this is also the last church, and it makes sense that it would precede the tribulation based on our pre-trib understanding of scripture. Scripture supports scripture, which is why this one makes sense
• 2 Thess 2:1-3 (ESV) Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,  2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
• Greek word for "rebellion" or "a falling away" is apostasia, meaning a defection from truth
• Definition: abandonment of one's religious faith or deny the doctrines of the church they profess to be a part
• 1 Tim 4:1 (ESV) Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
• Later times
• Depart from the faith
• Devoted themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demon (spirituality)
• 2 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV) … knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4  They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."
• A characteristic of the last times is scoffers (a rise in atheism)
• Also, the need to follow their own sinful desires (a feature of atheism and our society's "tolerance)
• Jude 17-18 (ESV) But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions."
• Scoff means to mock or treat with derision or scorn
• Again, the idea of throwing off the shackles of morality
• 2 Tim 4:3-4 (ESV) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
• It doesn't say when this will happen, other than a time is coming
• An idol is when we create "God" according to a definition that fits our sensibilities
• People church hop until they find what they want. Everything centers around their passions
• Barna poll, 2008
• One-third of Christians believe Jesus sinned
• 40 percent do not believe they have a responsibility to share their Christian faith
• 25 percent do not believe the bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches
• The importance of faith is growing, but half believe that Christianity is just one of many faiths a person can choose
• Being religious is not the same as being a Christian.  When a denomination has rejected so much of the message as to be ineffective for salvation, it has defected from the faith.  Key elements of our faith are: Jesus' death for our sin, the futility of works for salvation, the resurrection, the virgin birth, and Jesus sinless nature
• Rapture is imminent, the Great Tribulation is not (certain events must precede the tribulation)
• Events leading to the tribulation:
1. WW I and II w/increased famines and earthquakes
1. Matt 24:1-8 (ESV) Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." // 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.  5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.  6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.  7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
2. Jewish idiom: "nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom" refers to a world war preceding the coming of the Messiah
1. The Bereshith Rabbah: If you see kingdoms rising against each other in turn, then give heed and note the footsteps of the Messiah
2. 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
3. Many see WW I as an extension of WW II
4. 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
1. 1918-1919 pestilence killed 23 million
2. 1920 Great Chinese famine
3. 1921 Russian famine
4. Earthquakes have been increasing since WW I
5. NOTE: Did Jesus say earthquakes would increase or that we would see them in unique places?
5. This event is clearly distinguished as the beginning of the birth pains and is episodic
1. Wars are still increasing
2. Famine is actually getting better since WWII but did jump up during WWI
2. Reestablishment of Israel or a gathering of unbelief (also Zeph 2:1-2)
• Ezekiel 20:33–38 (ESV) — 33 “As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king 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 and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares 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 out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
• Zephaniah 2:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Gather together, yes, gather, // O shameless nation, // 2 before the decree takes effect // —before the day passes away like chaff— // before there comes upon you // the burning anger of the Lord, // before there comes upon you // the day of the anger of the Lord.
• Ezek 22:17-22 (ESV) And 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 bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. 21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have poured out my wrath upon you."
• Ezek 36:22-24 (ESV) "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23  And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24  I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.
• But there is also a second re-gathering (which is not the same)
• Isa 11:11-12 (ESV) In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. // 12 He will raise a signal for the nations // and will assemble the banished of Israel, // and gather the dispersed of Judah // from the four corners of the earth.
1. First re-gathering in unbelief is for judgment
2. Second re-gathering in faith is in preparation for blessing--the Messianic Kingdom
3. 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)
1. Dan 9:27 (ESV) And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."
2. Matt 24:15 (ESV) "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),
1. 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
2. There is a whole society devoted to gathering and recreating the utensils and instruments required for the new temple. https://www.templeinstitute.org/main.htm
3. Technically, this did not need to occur prior except that it will probably take longer than 3.5 years to reconstruct the temple
4. Northern alliance invasion of Israel (see Ezek 38:1-23; Ezek 39:1-16)
1. Ezekiel chapter 38 details
Ezek 38:1-6 (ESV) the word of the Lord came to me: 2  "Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4  And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5  Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6  Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes— many peoples are with you.

2. Ezek 38:2 partial … Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of  Meshech and Tubal;
1. Gog (lies between Black and Caspian seas), also eastern Turkey
2. Some versions translate Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (all parts of Russia)
1. Meshech was called Moscow; Tubal was Tobolsk; Rosh was Russia
3. Persia is present day Iran
4. Cush would be Ethiopia
5. Put would be Somalia
6. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5027308,40.151514,5z
7. See Genesis: Table of Nations
3. The attack may be missiles and ground forces (terrorists being the ground). Russia complicit in the missile technology
Ezek 38:7-9 (ESV) "Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8  After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.

4. There is some disagreement as to whether this occurs before, during, or after the tribulation.  Most conservative scholars place it prior to the tribulation
5. Ezek 39:9-13 (NIV) "Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, 10 so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God. // 11 "On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog.  12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord God.
1. When: Ezek 39:9-10 says that it takes seven years to dismantle the equipment, therefore, it must occur prior to the tribulation, or they will be dismantling equipment during the millennial kingdom. 
2. Lastly, in order for six or seven countries to act somewhat independently, it must take place before the one world government.
3. Also, there might be WMD present since it takes so long to clean
5. One world government
1. Dan 7:23 (ESV) Thus he said: 'As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.

2. The Roman government never subdued the whole earth, so this has not been fulfilled yet.  Also, we know that there are various stages, including the two split which precedes this stage
6. Split into ten kingdoms (Dan 7:24a)
1. Dan 7:24 ESV) As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.

7. Rise of the Antichrist (Dan 7:24b; 2 Thess 2:1-3)
1. 2 Thess 2:1-3 (ESV) Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,  2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2. Revelation of the man of lawlessness
8. Period of peace and false security (1 Thess 5:1-3)
1. 1 Thess 5:1-3 (ESV) Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
• Other events
1. Blackout
Joel 2:31 (ESV) The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

2. The return of Elijah
1. Mal 4:5-6 (ESV) "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
2. Forerunner predicted before the first coming
1. Malachi 3:1 (ESV) — 1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
2. Isaiah 40:3–5 (ESV) — 3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
3. Matthew 3:1–6 (ESV) —
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
4. Matt 11:7-10
5. John 1:19-23
3. Matt 17:9-13 (ESV) And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."  10 And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 11 He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.  12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands."  13  Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
1. Says he will come
2. Says he did come
4. Matt 11:11-14 (ESV) Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  12  From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.  13  For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,  14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
1. Why does Jesus not say "… he is Elijah who was to come …"
3. Third temple (maybe pre-tribulation, maybe not)
1. Daniel 9:27
2. Matthew 24:15–16 (ESV) — 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
1. See Harmony of the Gospels - Olivet Discourse (NIV)
3. It all depends on how long it takes to build the temple.  It needs to be functioning by the middle of the tribulation
• The two final events leading up to the Tribulation is the rapture and the signing of the seven-year covenant between Israel and the Antichrist
• The rapture precedes the tribulation (see rapture discussion)
• The peace treaty begins the tribulation