Tag Archives: the great tribulation

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

Back to Eden: Antichrist Wrath

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We began this series by returning to the perfection of future Eden in the coming age. Then, in the last article, we went back to Jesus’ time and began moving forward toward the end of this age. I introduced John the Revelator and gave you a few tools to study the Revelation given to Him by Jesus. I also mentioned that life will continue until deception, violence, and environmental issues spiral out of control (Revelation seals 1-3). What comes next? The time of the Antichrist’s wrath against God’s people (Revelation seals 4-5)!

He or it will control much of the earth for about seven years when the religious deception, international conflicts, and economic chaos revealed in Revelation seals 1-3 crest. That time will begin with a Middle Eastern peace agreement broken in the middle (Daniel 9:27). So, things will seem pretty good for the first several of the seven years. Then, all hell will break loose (literally!).

The prophet Daniel and Jesus foresaw a time when Satan-driven Antichrist will bring great wrath upon YHVH’s people (Jew and Christian). The Bible refers to this destructive period in several ways: Great tribulation, 42 [30-day lunar] months, 1260 days (42X30), and 3.5 years. Check out these biblical references:

  • Great Tribulation/time of Jacob’s (Jewish) trouble: Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:21 & 29.
  • 42 months: Revelation 11:2 and 13:5.
  • 1260 days: Daniel 12:11-23 (1260+30 days); Revelation 11:3 and 12:6.
  • 3.5 years (one year plus two years plus half a year): Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, and Revelation 12:14.

Daniel received his vision of the future Antichrist’s time in about 500 BCE. Then, Jesus referred to this period of coming wrath about 2,000 years ago and retold it to John in a revelatory vision about 70 years later. Paul also taught about the Antichrist’s time of authority. You can read about it in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Let’s consider important things that will happen during those 3.5 years.

In Matthew 24:10-26 and Revelation 6:7-12, Jesus revealed a terrible time of persecution and death for God’s people by a Satan-empowered Antichrist. Heavenly witnesses will issue final warnings to all people during that time and oppose the Antichrist, who will demand allegiance against YHVH. Those who refuse will die a human death but enter the next age with YHVH. Those who side with Antichrist for food and material security will likely experience physical death during God’s great wrath and spiritual destruction at His great judgment.

Summary: A terrible time of trouble for God’s people will come when deception, violence, and economic hardship peak. How will that three-and-a-half-year time of Antichrist’s wrath end? With Jesus’s appearing and our gathering at a complete darkening of the natural lights (Revelation seal six). More about this and coming peace next time. In the meantime, be a disciple, make disciples, and honor God with everything while you can!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World

Apocalyptic Misquotes . . . Part IX

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 “The Tribulation is Seven Years of Bad Luck – and we’ll be raptured before it Starts!”

Misquote: “We’ll escape the 7-year-long Tribulation!” There are two inherent problems with this statement.

1. The ‘great tribulation’ will last for no more than 3.5 years (the last half of a remaining 7-year period yet to be fulfilled). This great tribulation will be the wrath of the Antichrist.

2. True followers of our Christ will have to endure it until we’re ‘rescued’ and God’s wrath begins. What follows will guide you in a short study of this and is a reiteration of an earlier blog titled, “Wrath of Con”.

Ask the average Christian in America about the ‘Great Tribulation’ and, if anything, they’ll probably tell you it’s “seven years of really bad stuff from the Antichrist and God after Christians have been raptured!”

But, study what the prophets, the apostles, and our Christ said about this ‘time like never seen before or will ever be seen again’ (e.g. Joel 2:2, Matthew 24:21, etc.) and you’ll find a truer and much more sobering version of this terrible time to come. Here are some key facts about the coming Great Tribulation:

  • It will be no longer than 3.5 years and will occupy the last half of the last seven years of the overall timeframe Daniel spoke of for Israel to come to repentance and reconciliation with God (Daniel 9:24-27).
  • This will be the time of the Antichrist’s wrath against God’s people – Israel and those who hold to the testimony of our Christ (Daniel 7:19-25, Matthew 24:15-21, Revelation Chapters 11, 12:9-17, and 13, etc.). The Antichrist and his cohort will con God’s people if possible through lies and deceit (e.g. Revelation 13:12-14). How will this happen? Because of shallow or non-existent faith made possible through ignorance fueled by a lack of exposure to the Scripture, discipleship, etc. necessary for building faith.
  • The time of the Antichrist’s con and wrath will be cut short by the Christ’s appearing. His presence will earmark two important events identified as ‘harvests’ in Scripture: the gathering of Jesus’ followers (e.g. Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 14:12-16) and the beginning of God’s wrath against what and who remain on the earth afterward (e.g. Revelation 6:12-17 and 14:17-20).

So, the wrath of the one who will con will come in the form of the Great Tribulation. After nearly 3.5 years, the faithful will find relief as they’re taken to heaven for the ‘marriage supper’. God’s incredible wrath against the earth and her inhabitants will end the Antichrist’s wrath and great con.

Would you be able to resist being conned by those who say you don’t have to worry about any of this or by the Antichrist and his cohort in the last days? If not, waste no time in learning truth that leads to salvation!

For a very comprehensive and detailed study of this very important topic, feel free to read my 2011 guide titled, “Finding the End of the World” available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from www.ronbraley.com in paper and e-book formats. In the guide, you’ll find roughly 500 pages of building blocks to help you do your own complete and unbiased study based on Scripture and history!

Next week, we’ll look at more great examples of personal interpretation and bad hermeneutics as we continue to explore common misquotes and abuses of Scripture. The next misquoted or misunderstood topic: “God is Love!”