An Overview of the Tribulation, Part 1

As I study the Bible more and more, I am becoming absolutely convinced that our society parallels Cain’s society of Genesis Chap. 4.

If you read Genesis Chapter 4, with each advancement in that society, the society became more and more ungodly. As we become more and more advance, has our society become more godly or more ungodly? _____________

Each new advancement in our society is another distraction that keeps us from serving God.

In general, mankind continues to believe the lie that this civilization will continue forever. It is the arrogance of mankind on full display.

That same arrogance was on display in the early stages of history.

Genesis 4:23–24 “Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Pay attention to my words, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me!

“If Cain is avenged seven times, Then Lamech seventy-seven times!””

Genesis 11:4 “And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.””

Mankind, beginning with Adam and continuing through today, has consistently tried to demonstrate its confidence, wisdom, and ability to shape its own destiny, but God is set to directly intervene in the affairs of man, and when He does billions of people will die, and the monuments and treasure mankind has worked so hard to build will lie in ruins.

The pride of men will eventually be destroyed. These things will happen during a period of time called the Tribulation.

As I was researching for this sermon, I found this interesting.

In the Old Testament, there are 23 different names for the Tribulation, and in the New Testament, there are 13. It is the Bible’s way of warning sinners of what is to come.

The Bible makes many references to the severity of the Tribulation, especially the last 3 1/2 years of it, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said the most startling thing about it.

Matthew 24:21–22 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.

And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Nothing the world has ever seen will compare the Tribulation.

We cannot possibly cover the Tribulation in detail, but I thought we would give an overview of the Tribulation since there is so much speculation about it.

Tonight, in Part 1 of our overview, we are going to look at the people of the Tribulation. Next, week, Lord willing, we will look at the purposes for the Tribulation and hopefully, the period of the Tribulation.

1. The People of the Tribulation.

By people of the Tribulation, I mean the three groups of people who will be on planet earth during the Tribulation, and at the beginning of the Tribulation, none of the three groups are saved accept for 144,000 Jews.

A. There will be those who have never heard the gospel.

Whether or not you believe it, there are masses of people in this country and in the world who have never heard the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

People in Muslim nations have not been exposed to the gospel. People in Communist nations have not been exposed to the gospel. Big city America has pockets of people who have never heard the gospel.

At the beginning of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will sign an agreement with Israel. At that moment, God will unleash 144,000 Jewish witness and 2 mysterious witnesses on the earth.

These witnesses will share the gospel globally as the barriers of government and religion will be broken down.

Millions upon millions of Gentiles who have never heard the gospel will be saved.

Revelation 7:13–14 “Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”

I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Most of the Gentiles that are saved will be saved during the first part of the Tribulation. How do I know that?

Because during the second half of the Tribulation, a mass majority of them will be executed for not worshipping the Antichrist and for not taking the mark of the Beast.

Revelation 20:4 “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God,

and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

An incredibly large number will be saved, but most of them will be executed by the guillotine after the Antichrist claims to be god and to be worshipped. Those saved Gentiles will be executed for not taking the mark of the Beast and for not worshipping the Beast, but they will still be saved, and they will still have the privilege of reigning with Christ.

B. There will be those who have rejected the gospel during the Church Age.

You can find some disagreement on what I am about to say, but I believe that this is what the Bible teaches.

If you are sitting here tonight or watching online, and the Rapture happens while we are gathered, you will be left to endure the great horrors of the Tribulation.

Here is an interesting debate that comes up among Bible teachers.

Can those who reject the gospel in the Church Age come to eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ after the Rapture? _________________

In my most humble opinion after careful Bible study on the subject, my answer is no. If you have rejected Christ before the Rapture, you will not be given another chance after the Rapture.

Let me give you two reasons why you will not be saved after the Rapture if you continue rejecting Christ before the Rapture.

1. The first reason is that today, not tomorrow, is the time of salvation.

Today is the day of salvation. The time to be saved is now, not the future.

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 “And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— for He says, “At a favorable time I listened to you, And on a day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”—”

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.”

James 4:13–14 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.”

Throughout the Bible, no one is promised tomorrow. Salvation is an urgent matter. Salvation is a moment, a decision, a promise for today. You have absolutely not guarantees of having the opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or during the Tribulation.

If I were you and lost tonight, I would not hope for tomorrow to have another chance. I would cling to the Old Rugged Cross today. As the great hymn Rock of Ages says: “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” Amen!!!

Salvation is an issue of dire importance. You cannot bank on having opportunities in the future.

2. The second reason is that the Bible says that you will not believe the truth because you will believe the lie.

What do I mean by that?

2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

According to Paul, who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, those who had the opportunity to get saved prior to the Rapture but rejected the gospel will believe that the Antichrist is the Messiah and will be damned to eternal judgment.

Last Sunday, we talked about justification, and we said that justification did not mean receiving a pardon to have a second chance.

The ultimate second chance is thinking you deserve the opportunity to get saved after the Rapture especially after you rejected Christ before the Rapture.

If you reject Christ before the Rapture and continue in that rejection, you will not be given an opportunity to be saved after the Rapture.

Pay careful attention to the wording Paul uses in verses 11-12.

2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

If you continue in your rejection, God will actually cloud your mind so that you will believe the lies of the Antichrist, and the main lie that you will believe is believing the Antichrist’s claims that he is god.

It is really scary. If I were sitting here lost tonight, I would pray the preacher would hurry up and finish so I could publicly confess my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and dear friend, age does not matter. You can be a 10-year-old sealed in your unbelief just as easily as you can be an 80-year-old sealed in unbelief. God takes salvation seriously, and He will not keep giving you opportunities to trample on the blood of His precious Son.

Hebrews 10:29–30 “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”

When you reject the Lord Jesus Christ, you are literally making a mockery of His blood, and God will not allow that. Do not think that you can get saved later. Dear friend, it will not happen. Be saved today while you can.

C. The Jews.

I am going to be brief here, but all the Jews, except for 144,000 Jewish witnesses, on earth at the beginning of the Tribulation will be lost.

This is very important to your understanding of God. A Jew does not go to heaven just because he is a Jew. A Jew does not receive some kind of special grace that exempts him or her from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

It is faith that saves and not heritage.

The Tribulation will complete Daniel’s 70-week prophecy, which is a period of 490 years related to the Jews/Israel.

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity,

and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

The 70-weeks were initiated when Artaxerxes gave the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. The starting date for the 70-weeks is not a mystery. The starting date is March 14, 445 BC. (NEHEMIAH CHAP. 2)

The 70-weeks were paused when Christ was crucified (cut-off).

Daniel 9:25–26 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

The Messiah being cut-off is referring to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus died, 7 years of the 490 years remain unfulfilled.

The 70-week prophecy will resume when the Antichrist makes a peace treaty with Israel, or when he confirms the covenants concerning Israel in the Bible.

The 70-weeks will end when the Lord Jesus Christ returns at the climax of Armageddon.

It literally takes the Tribulation to prepare Israel for the Messianic Kingdom that will be on earth during the Millennium.

It takes the Tribulation to save a remnant of Israel. Now, I have said this before, but if you want to understand prophecy, you must understand this.

The Tribulation is primarily for the Jews. As a result of the Tribulation, the remaining unfulfilled prophecies concerning Israel will be fulfilled.

The people of the Tribulation are those who have never heard the gospel, those who have rejected the gospel, and the Jews.

Do you remember what Paul said?

1 Corinthians 10:32 “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:”

Paul says the world on this side of the Rapture is divided into three groups. After the Rapture, one of those groups will no longer be on earth, and that group is the true church. AMEN!!!!!