The Bible teaches, irrevocably and with no doubt whatever, that Jesus Christ will return to earth (Acts 1:11). None knows yet when, save for God Himself (Matthew 24:36). However, the sad fact is that few who take the name of Christ on themselves know the truth about the events surrounding His second coming. A number of them believe that the defining verses are Matthew 24:40, 41 (the endings being "Two will be together; one will be taken, the other left") and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ("Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with [the dead in Christ, referenced in the previous verse] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."), and leave it at that. My hope is that this page will tell the whole truth about the return of Jesus, and what awaits those who believe in him beforehand. The Tribulation
It is a new-found tradition, based on the seventy weeks told of in Daniel 9, that the Tribulation will last for a term of seven years after what is called the "Rapture of the Church." However, a careful reading of Matthew 24 teaches that before such a catching away could be, there must "be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of this world to this time" (v. 21). When He addressed his disciples on the topic, Jesus said "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." (v. 22) In addition, Daniel 9:27, which tells of the seventieth week (seven years) wherein the temple shall be destroyed (after 3 1/2 years) and the "abomination that maketh desolate set up", ties right in with Daniel 12:11, which tells us that "there shall be one thousand, two hundred and ninety days" till the end. 1,290 days = 43 months. Therefore, the seventieth week would come out to 7 years and one month.
The Scriptures tell varying possible lengths for the Tribulation, none
of those being seven years. As I just pointed out, the time in Daniel
comes out to seven years, one month. Revelation 13:5 tell that "power was
given to the beast for 42 months" to do what he would to the saints.
That's only half of seven years. 44 1/2 months, whereof Daniel speaks,
does not approach it either: "Blessed is the one who waiteth, and cometh
to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." (Daniel 12:12)
At this point, these discussions only concern themselves with literal
time, and not with Ezekiel's chronology ("Each day for a year;" 4:6).
This they will do, though, and soon.
Why is the length of the Tribulation so important? Because, contrary to what has become popular belief on the subject, the Church will indeed have to endure it. It will be God's way of deciding how many of those who call themselves by His name are the genuine article. Remember Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to [Jesus], 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven." Yes, there will be persecution, much as Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, political dissidents, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others who opposed the Third Reich, faced in concentration camps. On this point, the Scriptures tell us these things:
You may say, "But I take persecution every day for my stand for Christ." That may well be, in that you take persistent needling from the small minds of your home town. However, if you who are reading this live in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand, what you may or may not take on a daily basis is chump change compared to what was a not at all uncommon occurrence in the Communist bloc an other such dictatorships, and still persists today in nations with an official religion aside from the Christian religion or true religion of James 1:27. There will be nothing such as what are called, in modern eschatology, the "Tribulation Saints." As I pointed out above, those true saints of God are all Tribulation Saints. What about the actual return of Christ?
Most of those who believe that the Church will be raptured away believe that that particular event constitutes the return of Christ. However, a careful study of Scripture tells another story. While the verses whereof I spoke are true in that they will be fulfilled, they do not try to pass the Rapture off as the return of Christ. In fact, to the many Christians who think that there shall be but one trumpet of Revelation sounded before Christ's return, I extend an invitation to read the eighth and ninth chapters of Revelation. You will find that there must first be six additional trumpets. Paul adds, in 1 Corinthians 15:52, that this shall happen "at the last trump."
When Jesus comes back, He will be coming back to earth, as that was where He left. Zechariah 14:4 tells us that "his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives." Moreover, as we all know, Christ shall reign a thousand years on earth (Revelation 20). Must he not come back to earth to reign? In summary, the so-called Rapture, wherein the saints would be caught off the earth to meet Christ in Heaven, is not the Second Coming of Christ to earth.
Please note: The Tribulation and the wrath of God are not the same. It
is true that while those of us who call ourselves Christians "are not
appointed unto wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9), we must be tried by the
Tribulation if we are to stand worthy of the kingdom of Heaven.
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