Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 5

Dennis Edwards

To go back to Part 1.

The Sign of Great Tribulation

God will use the Antichrist to judge Israel for her sins against God and against humanity. In Jesus’ prophecy about the end of time, He mentions various signs that must take place before the Great Tribulation will begin. The last sign is the placing of the Abomination in the temple.

Matthew 24:15&21-22 “When ye shall see the abomination that makes desolate, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whosoever reads let him understand:) For then shall be tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Jesus tells us that the sign of the beginning of the Great Tribulation is the setting of the Abomination of Desolation in the temple which is done by the Antichrist and his forces.

Daniel 9:27 “And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (that last seven-year period): and in the midst of the week (at the half way point, or the three-and-a-half-year mark) he shall cause the sacrifice to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate…”

The Antichrist confirms a covenant or agreement at the beginning of the last seven years with many nations. Eschatology scholars reason that the covenant may include conditions relating to the Palestinian people’s situation and the allowing of the Jewish people to begin sacrificial worship on the temple mount. We know this by inference, as we see the breaking of the covenant stops the sacrificial worship. Perhaps the covenant is made through the United Nations or some other political group, like the group of 20, or BRICS.

Daniel 11:31 “And arms shall stand on his (the Antichrist’s) part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and shall place the abomination that makes desolate.”

Half way through the seven-year period, because Israel has been broken the conditions of the agreement in some way, the Antichrist will invade Jerusalem, stop the daily sacrifice and place the abomination that makes desolate. The Great Tribulation period consists of the trumpets that are found in Revelation 8-10. Revelation 11-13 shows different aspects of the tribulation period.

In Revelation 7 we see the sealing of the 144,000 servants of God.

Revelation 7:3 “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

Many Bible scholars have debated over who these special 144,000 could be who are sealed before the tribulation begins. They seem to be of Jewish descent. 12,000 from various Jewish tribes. We get more information later in the chapter.

Revelation 7:9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”

Revelation 7:13-14&17c “What are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?...And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

From earlier in the Scripture, we may be able to decipher who these dressed in white robes could be.

Revelation 6:9-11 "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

In the above verse, we see white robes were given to the martyrs who appeared under the altar during the opening of the seven seals before the beginning of the Great Tribulation period. These martyrs are obviously pre-Great Tribulation martyrs.

The 144,000 and the great multitude in white robes in chapter 7 seem to be a flash forward account of those who will be martyred during the tribulation period, or may be the saints or believers who go through the Great Tribulation period. God’s word says they shall hunger and thirst no more, as if they had experienced hunger and thirst during the tribulation period. Finally, the chapter ends by saying “and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” no doubt in reference to the suffering and or martyrdom they endured.

Daniel 11&12 depicts the martyrdom and persecution of the saints during the tribulation in the following verses:

Daniel 11:33&35 “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days…. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”

Daniel 12:7&10 "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished...Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

We again see the three an a half year tribulation period where the Antichrist is scattering the power of the holy people, the Christian believers who have not submitted to the mark of the beast or worshipped his image. We, also, see the metaphor of being made white, or symbolic of being cleansed through suffering. The wicked unbelievers won't understand what is happening, but we will.

In his end-time discourse, Jesus predicted serious persecution.

Matthew 24:9-10 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name sale. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."

Other verses in Daniel and Revelation show that the Antichrist will have power over God’s people during the Great Tribulation period.

Daniel 7:25 "And he (the Antichrist) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they (God's people) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (or three and a half years)."

Daniel 8:24 "And his (the Antichrist's) power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty (USA?) and holy people."

Revelation 11:7 "And when they (the two end-time witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."

Revelation 12:17 "And the dragon (the devil who possesses the Antichrist) was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (the end-time disciples or followers of Jesus), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him (the Antichrist) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

To go to Part 6.