Covenant Presbyterian Church
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Sunday morning Foundations Classes
Angels/Demons & the End Times -- Lesson #16
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(Lessons are posted once a week on Friday afternoon
For Lesson #1 click on 5/31 at Blog Archive.
How will we know when the Tribulation begins? Those of us who are raptured will know because we will be with the Lord. Those who are left behind will question what happened to everyone, especially loved ones who disappeared, and think that maybe your profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and church attendance wasn’t that far fetched after all. Bottom line, share Jesus with a loved one, and then leave the results up to the Lord, in prayer.
We have one more lesson in our study, unless something pops up. This study is built on hours of research of associated Bible verses and commentaries; listening to numerous sermons and lectures, with a few being added to our lessons; three different studies of the Book of Revelation—1. Amil, no rapture; 2. pre-tribulation rapture; 3. post-tribulation rapture; in that order. All of which raises the question, why do respected Bible scholars and pastors hold different views since we all read the same Bible and even study similar material? The reason being it’s future prophecy and the events are yet to unfold. It also includes personal insight regarding interpretation, subject to individual research and assessment, some of whom are better at it than others, described as “deductive reasoning” in lesson #15.
2020 has been a year of crisis for America and the American people—a pandemic resulting in a total shutdown of the nation including churches; riots across major cities; shooting and killing of police; wildfires along the west coast; destructive hurricanes along the southeast coastline. For many it raises the question, are we at the threshold of the Tribulation? Is God sending us a wakeup call?
Ronald Reagan’s words ring true, especially during this critical election year. 2 Chron 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Is society getting better or worse? Considering the events taking place, I felt compelled to take a brief look at the Postmillennialism view, which is based on the progressive victory and expansive influence of Christianity. It believes that we are currently living in the “Millennium” that began at Pentecost, and as more people are saved, the Millennium will become an increasing golden age of spiritual prosperity with uplifted social, economic, political and cultural life. And that the world will eventually enjoy a state of righteousness and peace hitherto unseen. And only after the completion of this period will Christ return. So, how are we doing? Which further raises the question, where and how does the Tribulation fit in with this view? For those interested in exploring this view further, you can do so via the following link:
All of which, takes us back to the question: Will Christians go through the Tribulation? It has been discussed and debated for decades, even more so in today’s uncertain times. The pretribulation rapture was generally rejected, because it wasn’t popularized until the 1830s by John Darby, an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher. Most Christians adhere to the historic view that did not profess a pretribulation rapture, believing the Church replaced Israel, and as such, the Church goes through the Tribulation. So, are those sufficient or even valid grounds to reject a pretribulation rapture?
Why didn’t the early Church address the Rapture/Tribulation disagreement? The first century Church didn’t have individual Bibles. Gospels and epistles were copied and circulated to the churches and read by pastors and elders to their congregations. Principally they addressed the foundational doctrines, such as the divinity of Christ, the Gospel message of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was also a time of persecution for the Church, which leads to the Book of Revelation, i.e., John’s “Revelation” letter to the churches; the heart of today’s debate.
The author, believed to be the Apostle John, was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, where he received the visions he wrote about in the Book of Revelation, written as a letter to the seven churches (chap. 1-3), sometime around 95-96 AD, after the destruction of Israel. Almost 1,900 year passed between Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the rebirth of Israel in 1948. During that time, there was no compelling reason to think in terms of the Tribulation applying to Israel since there was no Israel or any reason to believe there would ever be an Israel. The same line of thought was applied to the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy as being applied the Church, believed to be the new Israel.
The pictures show the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, with images now emerging of an anticipated rebuilt temple. The very existence of Israel is an essential factor for understanding and putting the Rapture and Tribulation into perspective. Why would God even subject His Church to the Tribulation, which apparently is a time of trial and redemption for a remnant of Israel who will accept Jesus as their Messiah and Savior (Rom. 11:26-27; Ezekiel 34:23-31); and a time of punishment for a sinful, rebellious world.
What about later in Church history? Beginning in the 4th century, Ecumenical Councils were held by the organized church to refute heretical teachings that crept into the Church and substantiate essential biblical doctrine. If when the Raptured occurred was essential doctrine, it certainly would have come up then and especially during the Protestant Reformation. Again, there was no reason why it would come up because they addressed and focused on essential doctrine, and there was no Israel to dispute or debate. So, church history as the rule of thumb is not a compelling or valid reason for automatically rejecting a pre-trib rapture on the grounds it wasn’t included in the Church’s historical record.
For those who are interested, here’s a list of the early ecumenical councils, they can be Googled for the topics discussed. In regard to our topic, there is no record of the Rapture being discussed or debated during those councils. Why? Because there was no compelling reason to do so, since it isn’t doctrine, and especially since Israel had ceased to exist in 70 AD. If it was considered essential or even controversial, it would have been discussed. Again, that’s why there are no historical church records addressing the topic. The question that I would ask is why did the topic come up in 1830 and not 1948? It’s easy to see why mainline churches would have not accepted it at the time, since there still wasn’t an Israel to even consider its relevance in the Tribulation in lieu of the Church being the new Israel as believed.
Down through history anti-Semitism thrived. Sadly, not all Jews love the Lord—as we saw with the Pharisees—and many have been and are avowed atheists. Nevertheless, God has not, and will not abandon Israel. He will use the Tribulation to purge and redeem a remnant as He has promised in Jeremiah 23:3-4 – 3 "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD.
Does the Tribulation relate to Israel and not the Church? Amillennialists say “No”. Premillennialists say “Yes”, but for both views, it does focus on God’s wrath being poured out on a willfully sinful and rebellious world system during the 7-year Tribulation.
There are so many details it’s worth repeating them at times. 69 weeks of Daniel’s 70-weeks prophecy were fulfilled in the Old Testament with Israel, leading up to the time of Christ. The 70th week is the 7-year Tribulation. If the Tribulation applied to the Church, I can’t help but wonder why wouldn’t it be clearly defined in the N.T. as being related to the Church and not Israel, since God planned the rebirth of Israel in 1948 following the Holocaust. Also, there is no mention of the Church after the first three chapters of Revelation, which were addressed to the churches. In the Amillennial view the Tribulation prophecy refers to the Church and not Israel. But is it only because there was no Israel in the early church when this view first emerged. I think so for all the reasons stated in the previous slides.
Artist concept of the rebuilt temple. Why is it important? Scripture describes the Antichrist desecrating the temple, which means one of two things: The temple will be rebuilt, or it is symbolic for something else. I can’t see where it’s symbolic for something else. Reading certain verses in Matthew 24 (and elsewhere) indicates there will be a literal rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Some believe Matt. 24 is in reference to the Roman’s destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. Perhaps if everyone throughout church history had realized that Israel would be reborn, they wouldn’t see it that way. The scope of destruction described in Matthew 24 is way beyond anything the Romans could have done (vv.7-8, 21-22). Jesus also describes His second coming (vv.27-31), which we know didn’t happen in AD 70, otherwise the Church wouldn’t still be waiting for Him. Besides, there are no historical records of the events described in Matthew 24:21-22, 41-43. At the end of lesson #12, I provided links for two Israel-videos that focused on rebuilding of the temple. If you have not seen them, it’s worth your time to go back to do so. Lesson #12 is dated 08/16-08/23 in the upper right Blog Archive index. After viewing, if you then click on the latest date in the Archive index, it will bring you back to the latest lesson. The attached link is a ~4 minute virtual 3D tour of Solomon’s temple to help put it into perspective. (You can skip the opening ad)
Note: the Egyptian-like images would never have appeared in the Jewish temple. Video creators took artistic license in adding them.
At the 3 ½ year mark, the Antichrist will take his seat in the restored temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). But first there has to be a restored temple. With the world connected by the world-wide-web, smart phones, cable news, the entire world will be able to see and worship the Antichrist. 2 Thess 2:3-4 – 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
The antichrist will rule with the full power and fury of Satan. 1 John 2:18 tells us that many antichrist will come. The Antichrist will be accompanied by a host of fallen angels doing his bidding, each with unprecedented power. His hatred for Israel will once again be revealed with greater fury than even Hitler’s hatred of the Jews.
Chart provides a quick summary of the 7-year Tribulation period.
Note: Not all End Time charts agree 100%, since each reflects a specific "opinion" and as such are not equally consistent. The location of the Rapture in this chart is closer to a mid-tribulation Rapture (noted as MIDWEEK) which they believe comes 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation ushering in the Great Tribulation. It does not reflect neither a pretribulation or post-tribulation Rapture.
We need to think in terms of Jesus coming back, be it for the Rapture or the Second Coming. The spiritual state we are raptured in may very well be the starting point for, not only who we are now, but who we will be in heaven. I believe our acts, good and bad, will be revealed at Christ’s Judgment Seat, it will humble us for just how much Christ suffered to pay our sin debt. We will be forgiven for the bad and rewarded for the good (2 Corinthians 5:10). I can only wonder if there’s a spiritual basic training in heaven after the Rapture or after the Second Coming, so that we grow to be more like Christ? We are finite, and yes, we still sin, even little ones, and certainly we are far from perfect. I believe we will learn and grow spiritually in heaven. Why? Because there is no mediocracy in heaven.
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
This chart lays out the 70 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9, in years, with the Church Age being a gap between the first 69 and the 70th week. The first 69 weeks applies solely to Israel prior to the coming of Christ and ended with Christ which marked the beginning of the Church age (gap on the chart) that we are in now. So, there is one week—a period of 7 years—still unfulfilled and yet to come. That seven-year period predicted in Daniel 9:27 is the time of Tribulation and rise of the Antichrist.
What will the Tribulation be like? Matthew 24:21-24 & Mark 13:14-23 tells us. The seventh seal includes the wrath of God. The seventh seal (Rev. 8), which is also known as “the Day of the Lord,” is a major theme of the book of Revelation. It includes God’s wrath on sinful, rebellious and unrepentant humans at the end of this age.
The 144,000 Jewish evangelists will bring the gospel principally to the Jewish people, a remnant of whom will come to Christ as their Messiah and Savior, and to gentiles. Before the seventh seal and trumpet judgments of chapter 8, God gives us a panorama of salvation and the evangelistic activity during the Tribulation, i.e., Daniel’s 70th Week. The fifth seal was a revelation concerning the martyrs who had been killed for their faith in Christ. Since the church has been raptured and the Tribulation begins with only unbelievers, how do people come to faith in Christ? The 144,000 in Rev. 14:4 and two witnesses in Rev. 11:3. Rev chap. 6 closes with the 6th seal, and the 7th is not opened until Rev. chap. 8. For those who want to dig deeper, you can go to the following website. All of which is a study in and of itself.
Someone asked why the tribe of Dan wasn’t listed among the 144,000, since it was included in the tribes noted in Genesis 29-30 and Numbers 1. No explanation is provided for the omission. Another oddity is the double inclusion of Manasseh, which is implied with Joseph being listed, since he is the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, yet Ephraim wasn’t listed as such. We can conclude that Dan wasn’t listed because they rejected God's true religion for thousands of years by substituting a continuous tradition of idolatry. The bottom line is the tribe of Dan Is missing because It became idolatrous.
A lot takes place around the Millennium, which begins at the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 20:1-5) and with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The Battle of Armageddon is the final war of the armies of man in their rebellion against God (Rev. 16:14). The White Throne Judgment is the final judgment, at the conclusion of the Millennium, when all those who have rejected Jesus Christ—the spiritually “dead”—will stand before the Judgment Seat and are called into account for their sins (Rev. 20:11-15).
One commentary describes the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb occurring simultaneously in Heaven during the 7-years Tribulation period. Again, there are variations in regard to these events. I recently sat through a 2-hour round table discussion between four respected Bible scholars who hold different views, the link for those interested, is included at the end of this lesson. Amillennialism and Postmillenialism rest heavily on symbolism versus a literal interpretation of what is written. Yes, there is a place for symbolism, but I don’t believe it should be at the expense of a literal reading of the Word as written.
Revelation 20:11-15, describes The Great White Throne Judgment where those who did not profess Jesus as their Savior during their life will be judged by Christ according to their works (Rom. 2:6-10). It’s the final judgment prior to the lost being cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20:15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
All of the evidence of sin will be displayed for all to see, showing God’s perfect justice in judging each person, individually and not collectively. Every sin will be exposed for what it is, including their motives for self-gratification, personal power or personal gain at another’s expense, showing its evil as an affront to and within the light of God’s holiness with His perfect justice displayed for all to see.
This Chart shows the difference between judgment of Christians verses judgment of unsaved sinners (magnified on next 2 slides). One shows God’s mercy and benevolence in Christ having paid our sin debt. The other shows God’s perfect justice for unrepentant sinners, who loved their sins more, and when judged show resentment rather than repentance, just as Satan didn’t repent. Much like a criminal who was apprehended is sorry for getting caught, not for committing the crime, and would do likewise if giving the opportunity.
Comparison of the two judgments with related Bible verses (continued on next slide). One is referred to as “The Judgment Seat of Christ” or “Bema Seat” for born-again Christians, and the other “The Great White Throne Judgment” for unrepentant sinners. You can enlarge the slide by clicking on it. Hit esc to return to normal view. Every believer will give an account of himself, and the Lord will judge the decisions each one made. This judgment does not determine salvation, which is by grace alone through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9 ) but will reveal that not every decision we made was selfless. It will reveal our “real self”, and we will be somewhat ashamed of how we fell short, but joyful for God’s unmerited grace (1 Cor. 3:11-15) as noted on next slide. If it wasn’t for His grace, we would be in the wrong line and rightfully facing a very different judgment.
Thanks to Jesus we will stand blameless before the Judgment Seat because He paid the price for our sins, and consequently, we are declared “not guilty” before a Holy God. If you would like additional information, this is a good source for it.
Pastor John MacArthur’s sermon, coming up next, focuses on the Future Tribulation, after which there will be a final judgment. Here (slide) he gives a description of the Great White Throne Judgment that all sinners will face in judgment before a Holy God.
Pastor John MacArthur's 56-minute video sermon focuses on the Future Tribulation (Matt. 13:14-23) (date: 2011). It also sheds insight on today’s world, and then a vivid explanation of the End Times as substantiated by the Word especially Revelation 6 through 19.
The link below is the 2-hour discussion mentioned earlier. One thing you’ll learn from it is “why theologians can’t agree”. Yes, we read the same Bible, but our opinions differ for any number of the reasons, including deductive reasoning. Like a puzzle, we have the individual pieces that we attempt to join together to create a cohesive, accurate picture. In spite of the different views, one thing we can be certain of is that God will reveal it at the right time, and the right way, but only at the right time. We have one more lesson to complete our study. We may be heading back to Heritage Lounge soon where we can openly discuss these topics. Are you ready?
Nov. 2020 elections can mark a turning point for America, and radical departure from traditional values. The Church needs to take an active role in understanding the issues and what’s at stake. We saw examples of this the last four years in the House of Representatives, where “politics for power and control” over shadowed policy for America and the American people. Yes, it may reflect a political statement, but I believe Satan is especially active in today’s political arena, which we need to be aware of. If we, as God’s people don’t care, who will? Especially for our children and grandchildren’s sake. The hope for American is a return to God.
Updated info on slide.
END OF LESSON #16
