PREMILLENNIALISM (10)

The Tribulation

Victor M. Eskew

 

          One of the teachings of Premillennialism is the Tribulation Period.  The Tribulation Period is a seven-year period of intense suffering, catastrophic deception, and divine judgment that will happen before the “Second Coming” of Jesus Christ.  The Tribulation is divided into two sections, The Tribulation and the Great Tribulation.  Each of these periods is said to consist of 3-1/2 years.  It is during this period that the Antichrist rises to power within the world.  During the Tribulation Period, the Jews will be the main focus.  Initially, the Antichrist will make a covenant with Israel.  However, he will break this covenant and bring great persecution against the Jews.  It is believed that about two-thirds of the Jews will perish in the Tribulation.  When the Lord returns at the close of The Great Tribulation, He will defeat the Antichrist, establish His kingdom, and will restore Israel to their place of power as God’s chosen people.  The war between Christ and the Antichrist is referred to Armageddon.  This is a literal place on earth known as the Valley of Megiddo in Israel.  God’s enemies will be defeated.  Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit.  At that time, Jesus will reign for one thousand years in His kingdom upon the earth.

          The premillennialists use many Bible passages as proof-texts of The Tribulation.  In an article like this, we do not have enough space to refute all of texts.  Let’s briefly note several of them before we refute The Tribulation.  First, we are told that at the beginning of The Tribulation, the church will be raptured from the earth.  1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 is the main text for the rapture.  The word “tribulation” is found 22 times in the Bible.  Only four of the verses in which the word is found are said to reference The Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:21, 29; Mark 13:24; Rev. 7:14).  Matthew 24:21 is the passage commonly quoted.  Jesus said:  “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”  Other texts in the Old and New Testaments that are used to teach about The Tribulation are Daniel 9:24-27; 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7; Revelation 6-20.  Zechariah 13:8-9 is said to assert the death of two thirds of the Jews during The Tribulation.  2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Revelation 13 reveal information about the Antichrist or the beast.  Revelation 7 notes the sealing of the one hundred forty-four thousand Jews.  And, Armageddon is set forth in Revelation 16:16, which says:  “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”  The closing verses of Revelation 19 and the opening verses of Revelation 20 proclaim the victory of the Lamb we are told.  The beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.  “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit…” (Rev. 20:2-3a).

          Let’s consider four answers to The Tribulation.  First, we have already seen that in Matthew 24:4-35 Jesus is teaching about the fall of the city of Jerusalem.  He is not teaching about the end of time.  Look again at Matthew 24:34.  “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”  Everything Jesus had just told His disciples was to be fulfilled before that generation passed.  Verse 21 is right in the middle of Jesus’ teaching.  Was Jesus wrong about what He said in verse 34?  If He was not wrong, then the “great tribulation” happened some two thousand years ago.

          Second, the events of the book of Revelation do not refer to the Second Coming.  This is a shock to most individuals.  If those who are shocked by this statement had read the opening chapter and closing chapter of the book, they would realize the truthfulness of the sentence that begins this paragraph.  Listen closely to Revelation 1:1.  “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servants.”  John affirmed that he was writing about things “which must shortly come to pass.”  He was writing about things that would mean something to those to whom he was writing at the time.  He was not writing about things that would happen two thousand years later.  It is interesting that John closes the book with similar words.  “And he said unto me. These sayings are faithful and true:  and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants things which must shortly be done” (Rev. 22:6).  In verse 10 of the closing chapter, John was told:  “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:  for the time is at hand.”  Dear readers, John plainly declares that he is not writing about events that are happening today.  He was writing about things that his readers would see come to pass.

          Third, the battle of Armageddon is supposed to be the final showdown between Jesus Christ, the Antichrist, and Satan.  The armies of the world are supposed to gather in the plain of Megiddo and fight this war.  If one honestly looks at this valley, he will have to admit that the plain is not big enough for such a struggle.  The plain is only 20 miles in length.  The total area of the plain is one hundred forty-seven square miles.  A war of the magnitude described by the premillennialists could not take place in such a minute area. 

          Fourth, The Tribulation Period focuses upon the restoration of the Jewish people.  This focus is based on the assumption that the Jews are still God’s chosen people.  The Jews were selected to bring the Messiah into the world.  However, they violated their covenant with God.  Hebrews 8:8 reveals that God found fault with the Jews.  Because they failed to keep the Old Testament, God made a new covenant with all of mankind, the New Testament.  This testament was designed to unite both Jews and Gentiles into a single unit of saved individuals known as the church (Eph. 2:13-22).  Yet, we are told that this harmony will come to an end at The Tribulation.  There will be a major distinction between the Jews and the church at that time.  In other words, what the blood of Christ did at Calvary will end at the Great Tribulation.  Too, God will save the majority of the Jews through an avenue that is different than the avenue revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.