Amazing and troubling days we are
living in. You are well aware of many
happenings in the last days of the end times period. But I ask, looking beyond all these many things,
from an overall perspective what is really going on during the last of the last
days, the seven year period called the Tribulation?
Let’s step back a moment, take a
deep breath, and look at the big picture.
Just before the beginning of this
period, or perhaps even right at the beginning, the Lord Jesus comes in the
clouds to gather his believers. This is
in line with the several scriptures that declare believers were not appointed
to suffer wrath. From the time of Jesus
up to now, the true spiritual world of God on earth has moved in what might be
called the church age. It has been a
time of God’s drawing people to Jesus, often working through people. Missionaries.
Evangelistic efforts of all types.
From time to time the pouring of the Holy Spirit on a particular area or
group. After Jesus’ time on earth two
thousand years ago, it is apparent that the evangelistic focus on earth shifted
to the gentiles, the non-Jews (Paul writes about all this in Romans chapters
9-11. See also Isaiah 65:1). But now in the Tribulation period that focus shifts
back to the Jews, to Jacob, to Israel. I
will come back to this later.
So the seven year Tribulation
begins. This is a time of God pouring
out his judgement on the world. That is
what most of Revelation chapters 6 – 19 are about. The opening of the seven seals, the blowing
of the seven trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven bowls bring terrible
things on the earth and terrible suffering for those living here. God’s judgement. These seals, trumpets, and bowls are all from
God. Make sure you understand that. They are from God.
At the same time this is
happening, as described in Revelation 13 and elsewhere, two dreadful
individuals are active - the beast from the sea and the beast from the
earth. To put this in more popular
terminology, the anti-christ – or man of lawlessness as Paul referred to him -
and the false prophet. In the midst of
God’s pouring out his judgment on the world, they undertake to build what some
have called a one-world government. As
described in Revelation 13, the anti-christ is set up as the big ruler, and the
false prophet does all sorts of things to support him and that view of him. He is like the prime minister under the
anti-christ. And he is a religious
leader. This is when the requirement is
established that people must have the mark of the beast on their right hand or forehead
in order to engage in commercial activities.
The activities of this dreadful
pair are guided by the devil, by satan.
In fact this evil one is referred to specifically at the beginning of
Revelation 13. So while the judgements
of God on the earth are being poured out, the evil one, the anti-christ, and
the false prophet seek to capitalize on the terrible situation and put together
their own world empire. When the Lord
leads his Holy Ones down to the battle at the end of Revelation 19, the battle
at Armageddon, he vanquishes this evil trio.
The anti-christ and the false prophet are thrown in the lake of fire and
early in chapter 20 the devil is imprisoned in a deep pit.
As mentioned, the Tribulation
period is also a time of God focusing on the Jews. Time for their restoration, for them to wake
up. Over all the hundreds of years since
Christ was on earth the first time, only a tiny number of Jews have realized
who he was and is. The overwhelming
majority have lived in the dark waiting still for their messiah. During this Tribulation period God will work
to restore the Jews. That will no doubt
utilize the suffering brought about by his pouring out his judgement on the
earth as well as his working through the 144,000 specific Jewish individuals
called into his service during this period (see Revelation chapters 7 and
14). Again see Romans chapters 9 – 11,
in particular Romans 11:25-27.
One last observation: It seems we are entering in September into a
Jubilee year, that year that comes along only once every fiftieth year. The Jubilee year as established by God is a
year of restoration. In light of what
I’ve written above, this timing now leads to all sorts of possibilities,
doesn’t it?
In closing, please be sure that you can say with ease and truth that
you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is who you are in Christ. And do not overlook the Lord’s great warning
in Luke 21:36 spoken by him after giving his comments on the times we are
living in.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!
(September 2015)
Copyright © 2015 by John
Newlin
PS – Please do be alert in September
to the many happenings discussed in last month’s newsletter.
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