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SUBJECT: Tribulation (Great
Tribulation)
QUESTIONS: How long is the Great Tribulation? When
do the Heavenly Signs take place? Explain the Day of the
Lord.
ANSWER:
The Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22), the Heavenly Signs
(Matthew 24:29; Joel 2:31; Revelation 6:12-17) and the Day
of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11) are prophesied to take place
during a three and one-half year period plus 75 additional
days. The Great Tribulation runs 1,260 days or 3.5
years - Daniel 12:7. The Heavenly Signs period is 30
days and this is when the 144,000 and great multitude are
called - Daniel 12:11 and Revelation 7:9, 14. The
Seven Last Plagues and Day of the Lord covers 45 days -
Revelation 16:1-21; 6:12-14, 17 and Daniel 12:12. So
3.5 years followed by 30 days followed by 45 days. See
the second chart referenced at the bottom of this letter.
Consider:
(1) God’s peoples representing the House of Israel and Judah
are to be in horrible CAPTIVITY for two and one-half years:
"When Ephraim [modern-day
Britain] saw his sickness, and Judah saw his
wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian [modern-day
Germany], and sent to king Jareb: yet could he
not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
"For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion
to the house of Judah [modern-day
Israel]: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will
take away, and none shall rescue him.
"I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge
their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they
will seek me early [many
millions, shocked, stunned by what has happened to their
nations, and by their own horrifying privations, will call
out to God in heartbroken repentance during the Tribulation].
As if with one voice, the people will say, "Come, and let us
return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up [finally,
they will recognize GOD’S hand in human affairs!].
"After two days [a day
stands for a year: Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6]
will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us
up, and we shall live in his sight" (Hosea 5:13-15; 6:1,2).
"After" two days obviously brings us to the beginning of the
"third day." Herein is a shadowy reference to the
resurrection of Christ: Israel as if dead, and "raised up"
the "third day."
The heavenly signs interrupt the horrible suffering of God’s
people Israel, and not only 144,000 of them, 12,000 from
each tribe save Dan, with a double portion to Joseph, but a
vast uncountable multitude from ALL nations, INCLUDING
Israelitish nations, will REPENT at the time of the heavenly
signs: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and,
lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black
as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
"And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth [a
gigantic meteor shower; the earth being impacted by
thousands of meteorites!] even as a fig tree
casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty
wind.
"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled
together; and every mountain and island were moved out of
their places [Metaphor for
the revealing of the power of God in heaven, accompanied by
massive earthquakes; Islands disappearing, mountain ranges
collapsing].
"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains;
"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide
us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from
the wrath of the Lamb:
"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who
shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:12-17).
The heavenly signs ANNOUNCE the beginning of the Day of the
Lord. Study the 7th chapter of Revelation. Here,
as a direct result of the heavenly signs, is the description
of the repentance and conversion of millions of people! They
are described thus: "...These are they which CAME OUT OF
GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).
The Tribulation to come upon sinning Israel is SATAN’S
wrath! "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and
night.
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives
unto the death.
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the
devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time"
(Revelation 12:10-12).
The heavenly signs announce the imminent intervention of
God, followed by a succession of PLAGUES, depicted in
Revelation 8, 9, 10 and 11.
The DAY OF THE LORD has begun!
The Bible plainly uses the analogy of a "day for a year,"
meaning that a "day" in Bible prophecy is a full YEAR being
fulfilled. "After the number of the days in which ye
searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year,
shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye
shall know my breach of promise" (Numbers 14:34).
Since it is indicated that the Great Tribulation will last
for two and one-half years, and that the heavenly signs will
being about mass repentance among Israelites and all
nations, it is obvious that the "Day of the Lord" will
consume the following year; three and one-half years in all.
(2) The two witnesses prophesy for the entire three and
one-half years! "And I will give power unto my two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred
and threescore days [1,260
days is a literal 3 and ½ years], clothed in
sackcloth.
"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth [See Zechariah
4:11-14].
"And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their
mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt
them, he must in this manner be killed.
"These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the
days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn
them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as
often as they will.
"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the
beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make
war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them"
(Revelation 11:3-7).
(3) Jerusalem is "trodden down" or occupied by foreign,
gentile armies for three and one-half years: "And there was
given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood,
saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar,
and them that worship therein.
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and
measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and
the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two
months" (Revelation 11:1,2).
(4) Most of the members of God’s church will be
supernaturally PROTECTED from the worst of the Tribulation
(Revelation 12:14). However SOME of the spiritually
strongest ones may suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ:
"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time
cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth
God service" (John 16:2).
In the famous "Olivet Prophecy," Christ said, "For nation
shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in
divers places.
"All these are the beginning of sorrows [The
Tribulation].
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and
shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations
for my name's sake.
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another.
"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall
wax cold" (Matthew 24:7-12).
Notice how John’s vision in Revelation says the same thing:
"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the
beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like
unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue
forty and two months.
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to
blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell
in heaven [God the Father
and Christ, as well as the 24 Elders and arch angels, not
humans].
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,
and to overcome them: and power was given him over
all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Revelation 13:4-7).
The prophecies of your Bible depict a union between a great
false prophet, who is the head of a great world religion,
and the military dictator over ten nations, called "The
Beast."
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I
will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore [symbol
of a great false church, which has intercourse with all
nations] that sitteth upon many waters [symbol
of her multi-national character]:
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication [the
heads of state kneel before her; revere her, listen to her
pronouncements, and millions have become "drunk" spiritually
because of her lying false doctrines].
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness:
and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured
beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads
and ten horns.
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour [the
colors of prostitution], and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand
full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH [She promotes God as a
"mystery" and perpetuates the ancient Babylonian MYSTERY
religion].
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints
[she has martyred millions]
, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I
saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Revelation
17:1-6). Not in approbation, but in awe and wonder.
We need not be puzzled about the meaning of the ten horns,
for only a few verses later the angel explains them to John:
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as
kings [the power is
absolute: the power of the economy, and the military]
one hour [a very SHORT time]
with the beast.
"These have one mind [are in
agreement; have one policy], and shall give their
power and strength unto the beast [they
pool their power into a vast SUPER POWER, larger than any
the world has ever seen].
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of
kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen,
and faithful" (Revelation 17:12-14). Read Revelation
19:11-21, where Christ’s triumph over the armies of the
Beast who are occupying Palestine is described!
See Day of the Lord Chart Number One:
http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/Day_of_Lord_chart.php
See Day of the Lord Chart Number Two:
http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/Day_of_Lord_chart2.php |