LESSON #3

TRIBULATION

I Corinthians 10:32 gives us a concise statement of three God originated classes that are present today.  Like three streams they flow in their courses.  The Jews, the Gentiles, the Church all seem to go in separate ways.  God has a plan to bring all of these to His ending actions.

1.	The church will be removed at the rapture (Lesson #1).  I believe that all who have trusted in Christ will be raised, including Old Testament saints who died in the faith.

2.	The Gentile nations, who have been restrained by the presence of the church, will rise to dominate the world system.  There will arise a wicked world ruler.  He is foretold by Daniel in chapter 2 as a great image and specifically described in Daniel 7:25, 26 and 8:24, 25.  He is further shown by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4 to be Anti-Christ.  He is prophesied and described as a beast (Revelations 13:1) with great power (Revelation 13:16-18).  This "superman" will rise until the situation demands direct, divine, intervention to earth's affairs.  This is described in electrifying detail in Revelation Chapter 6-18.  This intervention and confrontation can only be described as --- Tribulation.

3.	The Jewish nation has already been drawn back to their own land.  We have witnessed it since 1945.  God's promised goodness to Israel is shown during this tribulation.  His purpose is to prepare them for a spiritual rebirth as a nation.  We see pictures of this in a company of 144,000 Jews sealed (Revelation 7:1-8) spared (9:4) and saved (14:1-5).  Even through hardships, betrayals and attacks they are made ready to accept the Christ that once they rejected.  (John 1:11)

The closing action of this seven-year period will be Christ's return to the earth (His Revelation).  A terrible battle at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21) will destroy the Gentile Kingdom.  At this same time it will be a revelation and recognition of Christ by the Jewish nation.  Read Zechariah 14:1-9.  This dual purpose of destruction and establishment of a Kingdom (the Millennium – Lesson #6) is clearly seen in Daniel 2:44.