TRIBULATION, THE GREAT
By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
Some would call this
topic as “The Great
Tribulation Lie”.
Consider the
following diagram
which shows how many
people perceive the
end of time and what
will take place.
This chart, or
diagram, is called a
"time- line." Old
Testament > Christ's
Death on the Cross >
Church Age > Rapture
> Tribulation,
Battle Of
Armageddon,
Antichrist > 1,000
Year Earthly
Millennial Reign Of
Christ.
Common Scriptures
used by "Premillennialists"
(people who hold to
the above theory) to
support their
tribulation
theories; Psalm 2;
Zachariah 14:12;
Matthew 24 and
Revelation 16.
In Matthew 24 There
are famines,
pestilence,
earthquakes, nation
against nation,
false christs, false
prophets and many
other things, but
they will not occur
in the future. They
have long since been
fulfilled.
Closely investigate
the first three
verses of this
chapter. First, we
find Jesus and His
disciples departing
from the temple (the
place of worship).
Secondly, Jesus
makes a penetrating
statement. He tells
His disciples that
the temple that took
thirty-six years to
build was going to
be destroyed.
Thirdly, He sat down
upon the Mount of
Olives and His
disciples asked Him
two questions. The
first question was,
when was the temple
going to be
destroyed and the
second was a
two-part question:
1) What shall be the
sign of thy coming
2) and of the end of
the world?
The reason that the
disciples asked
these questions in
this particular
order was that they
figured if the
temple were
destroyed, it would
unquestionably be
the end of the
world. Remember,
even after Christ's
resurrection, the
disciples didn't
understand about
Christ and His
Kingdom (the Church)
Acts 1:6. The
disciples thought
that if the temple
was destroyed, it
would be the end of
time and Christ
would establish an
earthly kingdom.
This was not
Christ's intent at
all, as He stated in
John 18:36 “My
kingdom is not of
this world. If it
were, my servants
would fight to
prevent my arrest by
the Jews. But now my
kingdom is from
another place.” NIV
In Matthew 24, Jesus
is not describing
what the end of time
will be like, but
rather the
destruction of
Herod's temple and
the events that
would precede this
distressing
destruction. Herod's
temple was destroyed
in 70 A.D. This is
what Matthew 24 is
concerning, that
being the events
leading up to the
destruction of that
temple, in the year
70 A.D.
(Continued)
(Continued)
In Revelation 16
another chapter is
used by many to prop
up their
"Tribulation
Theory." They use
this chapter as the
end of the "Tribulationary
Period." They say
that the "Battle of
Armageddon" will be
fought at the last
part of the
tribulation and it
will be like a
"Termination." They
say Satan and all of
his forces will
fight against Christ
and all of His
saints, but the
victory will belong
to Christ.
First, we must
realize that
Revelation is
written in very
symbolic language.
It may seem to say
one thing on the
surface, but if you
let the Bible
explain itself, it
may be saying
something totally
different. An
overview of chapter
16 is as follows.
Seven angels proceed
to pour out vials
full of God's wrath.
Remember: symbolic
language. After six
of these angels have
dispersed of the
contents in their
vials, we come to
the much talked
about Armageddon in
verse 16. To be
blunt and to the
point Armageddon, or
the battle that is
being referred to in
Revelation 16 was
fought years ago.
This battle was
fought when Christ
fought Satan while
He was on the earth.
And Christ did, in
fact, come out the
victor. Read the
next few verses of
Revelation 16 and
see what happened
after the seventh
angel poured out the
seventh vial. Sounds
exactly like what
happened when Christ
defeated Satan on
the cross and
resurrected, doesn't
it? This is no
coincidence, it is
that very victory
that Revelation 16
is referring to.
Those who are not
premillennialists
(like this author)
hold that the
Tribulation of
Revelation was
fulfilled in the
Roman persecutions
of the church or in
great catastrophes
occurring over the
last twenty
centuries.
There is a saying as
old as the ages
which needs to be
applied especially
to scriptures which
are found in
symbolic passages.
That being, “That
is, in the Bible THE
MAIN THINGS ARE THE
PLAIN THINGS, AND
THE PLAIN THINGS ARE
THE MAIN THINGS. May
God bless you!
Plainly, don’t get
short changed. Let’s
be ready to meet our
Maker. The Bible (in
Acts) teaches that
to avoid hell and
gain heaven - one
must:
1) Believe In Jesus
As Savior (16:31) 2)
Repent Of Sins
(17:30)
3) Confess Christ
Audibly (8:37) 4) Be
Baptized In Water
(2:38)
5) Live A Christian
Life (14:22) 6) Be
Active In the Church
(2:47)
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