The Tribulation
We now turn our study to the 7-year period known as the Tribulation. The word “tribulation” means trouble, usually on a grand scale. The trouble will come in the form of war, persecution, tyranny, civil unrest, and a kind of general nastiness from most people on Earth. These things will be at the hands of Satan (“the god of this world”) and his antichrist (along with his “false prophet”).
Speaking of the false prophet, the tribulation will also be marked by an incredible amount of religious deception. This false prophet, whoever he is, will be capable of performing acts of a seemingly miraculous nature (see Revelation 19:20).
And speaking of miracles, half-way through the tribulation period God will send two men onto the temple grounds as His “Two Witnesses”, who are capable of performing miracles as well. They will be a righteous thorn in the side of the antichrist and his kingdom for 42 months. But I’ve jumped ahead again.
As well as all of these sources of hardship, God will also perform a few acts of His own. There will be earthquakes, famines, and pandemics all around the world.
All in all, the tribulation will be a very difficult time for everyone. But how do we know that the tribulation has begun? I mean, many of these events are no different than what we have been seeing on Earth all along. It’s really very simple, and anyone who knows what to look for will be able to say with confidence that we are already in the Tribulation.
First, as shown in the previous study, Israel will be invaded by a coalition of armies from muslim nations (perhaps including Russia, but that is not for certain). This army will be led by the antichrist and will prevail against the Israelis. The invasion will be sudden and swift. They will destroy and plunder and kill thousands. Then the antichrist will meet the Israeli leader at a conference table (see Daniel 11:27). I believe that it is at this meeting that Israel is permitted to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. According to Daniel 9:27:
“The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel 9:27, NLT
We can gain many keen insights into this time from this one passage. “The ruler” is the antichrist; “the people” refers to Israel. The “set of seven” is where we get the timing of a 7-year tribulation. I believe it is this meeting that begins the timer for the 7-year tribulation. Notice that the “sacrifices and offerings” are stopped half-way through the 7 years. These sacrifices and offerings are what the Jews do in their temple. Therefore, this verse tells us that the temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem. And not only is it rebuilt, but it is invaded by antichrist and completely defiled by him at that crucial half-way point.
When you see the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, you will know that we are in the last days before the return of Jesus!
You’ve been warned.
It is possible that the United States is called into action against antichrist when he attacks Israel for the second time. Daniel shows us that after his initial, successful invasion of Israel he comes around a second time to try it again. However, this second time he is met with “warships from western coastlands” that scare him off.
But according to Daniel 11, antichrist attacks a third time and is not met by any opposition from those warships. This is when he rolls through Israel like a storm and completely subdues it, violating the temple and making it his own.
Up until the defiling of the temple by the antichrist, things have been pretty bad globally. But during this third invasion, when he steps into that temple and declares himself to be everyone’s object of worship, literally all hell will break loose on Earth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; Matthew 24:15-28; Revelation 12 (whole chapter).
Antichrist’s entry into the temple in Jerusalem marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation—3½ years (42 months, 1260 days) of pure suffering and hell. And in case you miss that event, his false prophet will erect a statue of him in the temple as a reminder.
This is when the Two Witnesses appear and begin their testimony against the antichrist and his followers, plus their testimony for God and His Christ.
These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
Revelation 11:4-6
This is also the very day when Satan and his fallen hoard will be finally kicked out of the heavenly realm for good. And when they arrive, they will bring all of the fury of hell with them. They will first turn on the Jews, and when God whisks them out of harm’s way, then they will turn on the believers in Christ everywhere. (See Revelation 12 – whole chapter)
13 When the dragon [Satan] realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman [Israel] who had given birth to the male child [Jesus]. 14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness [airlift evacuation?]. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time [3½ years].
15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. 16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus [His followers].
(Revelation 12:13-17, NLT)
Believers in Christ are considered a part of Judaism. Paul makes this plain in his letter to the church in Rome (see Romans chapter 11). Therefore, the Church is Israel’s other children.
This is the time that Jesus speaks of in His Olivet Discourse when He says:
15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
(Matthew 24:15-28, NLT)
He also says to His followers:
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:9-14, NLT
The Tribulation is a time of Satan’s wrath, but God is about to have His turn. In our next study we’ll see God’s reaction to all of the mayhem, torture, abuse, and terror that antichrist and Satan have dealt out upon humanity, especially upon His children.
You can read more about this in my book, End Times Made Easy, available on Amazon.
Next – God’s Wrath
