By studying the Tribulation, we gain perspective on the personal tribulations that all Christians must endure in this life. And by understanding the central place our personal tribulations have in God's plan (as essential tests of faith), and growing spiritually through them (Rom.5:3-4), we also prepare ourselves for that great day of testing.

b. The Great Tribulation: A further distinction often employed and adhered to here is the distinction between the Tribulation as a whole (i.e., the entire seven year period of the apocalypse) and "the Great Tribulation", which properly refers to second half of this period (i.e., the final three and a half years before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ). The Great Tribulation will be the time of greatest pressure and intensity of persecution in human history, for it will be in that second half of the Tribulation proper that apostasy turns to persecution.

. . . and to give you who are being distressed (lit., "tribulated") relief along with us at the revelation (lit., "apocalypse") of our Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels.
2^nd Thessalonians 1:7

But your faith, when proven genuine in the crucible of life, will result in praise, glory and honor for you at the revelation (lit., "apocalypse") of Jesus Christ.
1^st Peter 1:7

The revelation (lit., "apocalypse") of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show His servants what must happen soon.     
Revelation 1:1a

d. The Time of Jacob's Trouble: This phrase in Jeremiah 30:7 is a clear reference to the Tribulation as the context indicates. It will be a time like no other (v.7), but one followed by liberation (v.8), the rule of the Messiah (v.9), and the regathering of the nation (v.10).

e. Daniel's 70^th Week: The final "seven" in the vision of the seventy sevens (or "weeks" of years) given to Daniel (Dan.9:20-27) is, in fact, the Tribulation. In the middle of the final week of years, for example, the "abomination of desolation" is set up in the temple by antichrist ("the prince who is coming", v.26; cf. Matt.24:15; Mk.13:14).⁽⁸⁾

f. The Sea of Trouble:  Prior to using this phrase to describe Israel's deliverance through the Tribulation (in a manner reminiscent to her deliverance from Pharaoh through the Red Sea), Zechariah chapter ten discusses the apostasy of the tribulational period (v.2), the unholy leadership of Israel during the Tribulation (v.3), the Jewish resistance prior to the Lord's return at Armageddon (vv.4-7), and the regathering of Israel after the Second Advent, all of which clearly establish the meaning of this phrase as a reference to the Tribulation:

For she (i.e., Israel about to be regathered in vv.8-9) will pass through the sea of trouble (i.e., the Tribulation) . . .
Zechariah 10:11a

g. The Hour of Testing: Because of their faithful service, the Philadelphia generation of the Church would not pass through the Tribulation.⁽⁹⁾

Before moving on, it is unfortunately necessary to note at this point that this important and legitimate element of scriptural motivation has, in many contemporary Christian circles, been severely hamstrung by the false doctrine of the pre-tribulational rapture.⁽¹¹⁾ Obviously, were it true that contemporary Christians had no chance of ever experiencing the Tribulation (as that false doctrine teaches), the enormous amount of material the Bible contains on the subject would immediately be rendered merely "academic", and a very large body of highly motivational material rendered essentially abstract (and so largely meaningless in practical terms). In fact, the motivation provided by the knowledge that this most serious test to our faith may indeed potentially come upon us helps us to prepare for those tests which we do have to face, whether or not we ever live to experience the Tribulation itself. Therefore the teaching of the pre-tribulational rapture not only constitutes a danger to those believers who will nevertheless find themselves some day in the midst of the Tribulation, but also robs (and has robbed) many of a large share of the important and legitimate motivation the Bible provides to prepare for trial and testing. Make no mistake. Our Lord Jesus Christ will not return until the 2^nd Advent, and the proper conclusion to draw from this clear teaching of scripture is that believers need to take what the Bible has to say about the seven years of the Tribulation which precede that blessed event very seriously indeed (Matt.25:1-30; Lk.21:25-28; 1Cor.1:7; 15:20-28; Phil.1:6; 1Thes.4:5-18; 5:1-11; 2Thes.1:3-12; Tit.2:13; 2Pet.1:19).

So we ask you, brothers, in regard to the coming our Lord Jesus Christ [discussed in chapter one, verses 3-12], and our assembling together to Him [in resurrection at His return (cf. 1Cor.15:51-54)], that you not be so easily moved from your correct understanding [of these matters], nor disturbed [by doubts about what you should know to be true] – not even if [this "new information" purports to come] through a spirit, or an [inspired] word or a letter supposedly from me, declaring that the Day of the Lord is already upon us. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For [the 2^nd Advent cannot come] unless the Apostasy [the great falling away of the faithful in the first half of the Tribulation] has already occurred, and the man of lawlessness [antichrist] has been revealed [an event also occurring in the Tribulation], that "son of destruction" (i.e., characterized by, author of, and doomed to destruction), the one who will oppose and exalt himself against every so-called god and object of worship to such a degree that he will take his seat in the temple of God and represent himself as being God. Don't you remember that while I was still with you I was explaining these things to you?
2^nd Thessalonians 2:1-5

II. The Tribulation in Context: Satan's Rebellion and the Plan of God

God has always existed and always will exist. Only within the temporal, material universe (entirely His creation along with the creatures who inhabit it) is there any need to discuss a "Plan of God", for God Himself is perfect and infinite and in no need of change or development of any kind. This same status quo of perfection (albeit to a finite degree) was also the case in the original creation of the universe with its angelic inhabitants. For God originally created a perfect system in an Eden-like environment, with no need or necessity for change (or therefore for planning). Satan's rebellion changed all that. With the defection of the universe's top-ranking angelic creature along with a full third of his fellows, creature history began, a history that has nonetheless been shaped and directed by the Plan of God from its inception. Of course, the devil's treachery did not "surprise" the omniscient, eternal God, infinite in His nature. God was no more surprised by the devil's rebellion than by the fall of Adam and Eve. Structured into His organization of the universe both initially (in His original creation of the universe and the angels) and subsequently (in His re-creation of the universe and mankind) has always been this overall Plan of God, shaping, guiding, directing events as only a God of infinite wisdom, infinite power, and infinite knowledge could do. So certain is His plan, so unalterable in every detail, that all events of history, angelic and human, have been foreknown by Him and foreordained by Him (cf. Rom.8:29-30).⁽¹²⁾ And central to this plan, the foundation, the cornerstone, and the agent of it, has always been our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn.1:1-5; Heb.1:1-3):

Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by Him (Jesus Christ), things invisible as well as those visible – whether thrones, authorities, rulers or powers, everything was created through Him and for Him. And He Himself is before everything, and everything subsists in Him.
Colossians 1:16-17

Even though this subject, the Plan of God, has been covered elsewhere in depth (see the previous note), and, in terms of its specific application to the Satanic rebellion, has recently been treated in great detail (in part 5 of the previous series of that name), it is crucial to note here that our present subject, the Tribulation along with the events which follow it, represents on the universal level the conclusion of that plan. The Tribulation, therefore, is no small occurrence on the overall schedule of history as defined by God, but is, in fact, a pivotal, momentous development, for it represents the major period of God's judgment upon the earth during the whole of human history. God's judgment upon the original heavens and earth following the devil's revolt, and God's final judgment wherein the present heavens and earth will be incinerated are equally major, equally significant judgments (these three together constituting respectively parts II, I, and III of the judgment phase of the Plan of God).⁽¹³⁾ But as we human beings were not around to experience the first phase of judgment (which produced the Genesis gap and necessitated the subsequent seven day re-creation of earth),⁽¹⁴⁾ and as the final phase of judgment (phase III) will not occur until the conclusion of history as we know it, the Tribulation looms even larger in significance as the preeminent judgment event in the collective experience of mankind (only the world-wide flood rates comparison: Matt.24:37-38). At no time before or since will mortal man witness the wrath of God displayed to such an awesome degree. At no time before or since will the issue of choice – between God and the devil – be made more manifestly clear to the human race. At no time before or since will humanity nevertheless embrace Satan more closely. At no time before or since will those whose allegiance belongs to the One True God be subject to more intense pressure and persecution. And at no time before or since will the devil be in more direct control of events on planet earth. The Tribulation will be the time of greatest leeway given by God to human and demonic will, and for precisely this reason will be the most horrible time humanity has ever experienced. It is also precisely for this reason that the Tribulation will be the time of God's greatest temporal judgment upon the creation, encompassing the earth, unbelieving humanity, and the fallen angels alike, for evil only uses freedom to intensify evil, and intense evil is always and inevitably answered by intensified divine judgment (as befits a God of perfect righteousness). The Tribulation is the last period of human history wherein mankind (nominally) and the devil (in reality) will play a major role in the direction of human affairs (subject, of course, to the overarching Plan of God which has been moving inexorably forward to its ultimate goal since the instant of creation).⁽¹⁵⁾ How appropriate that God, while allowing within these seven years the widest discretion ever in the voluntary exercise of evil by reprobate creatures, has ordained for the Tribulation the most devastating response to evil in the form of unprecedented divine judgment! And how appropriate that this most appalling period of human history, so terrible precisely because it is most fully under creature control, will be directly followed by the most wonderful and sublime period of human history, the millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, where God in the Person of the God-Man will exert a more direct control over human affairs than has ever yet occurred since the fall of Adam (with the devil and his minions safely incarcerated for a thousand years: Rev.20:1-3)!

We can learn much from this eloquent juxtaposition of the inevitable degeneracy of creature rule on the one hand, growing ever worse as divine restraint is relaxed (and bringing down upon itself the inevitable judgment God's justice requires), and the beneficent nature of God's rule through His Son on the other, a reign of perfect justice wherein the evil nature of mankind will be properly restrained and blessings will flow from every quarter. This is a principle of contrast (between "our" way and God's way) that has been repeated since the dawn of creature history and will continue in one form or another until the close of history shortly after the end of the Millennium: when men (or angels) follow their own will, horrible things result, and divine judgment is inevitably and necessarily invoked, so that the end is worse than the beginning; when, however, God's will is done, the result is blessing, and out of judgment comes restoration (of whatever was damaged) and replacement (of whatever was lost) so that the end is better than the beginning.

This cycle of the consequences of will versus Will is essentially the same whether it occurs in the life of a single individual, a family, a group, a nation, a civilization, or in the entire scheme of history writ large, and in each and every case the point of division in the choice of (self) will versus (God's) Will is obedience to Jesus Christ. The issue is always Jesus Christ, for He is the Truth (Jn.14:6), He is the First Born and Heir of all creation (Col.1:15-21; Heb.1:2-3; Rev.3:14), the One for whom, by whom and through whom all things exist, the One who has been directing the Father's plan since the beginning, the One who will shortly return to earth in glory to begin His rightful reign, and the One without whose death on our behalf there would be no salvation, no restoration. On every level, whether large or small, Jesus Christ divides the universe on the issue of will: to reject Jesus Christ is to reject the Will of God; conversely, to choose His Will, is to follow Jesus Christ:

III. General Character of the Tribulation

Man is made in the image of God, according to His likeness (Gen.1:26-27), and created for His glory (Is.43:7).⁽¹⁷⁾ Therefore it should not be accounted strange that every aspect of human existence revolves around our attitude about Him, or that in whatever we choose, we really are only choosing for or against Him (especially in the case of believers: 1Cor.6:19-20; Gal.5:17). Just as king Rehoboam "did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord" (2Chron.12:14), so every instance of not responding to Him inevitably leads to (and equates with) responding instead to evil. Our only true choice in life is whether to prefer being servants of God or pawns of the devil. This is true in all things, great and small. For this reason, human history (the cumulative choices of mankind) is not occurring in a vacuum, but rather is being played out against the backdrop of Satan's rebellion. This principle will be more obvious during the Tribulation than in any other previous period. For just as the issue of choice will never be clearer than in the Millennium in terms of positive motivation (under the direct righteous rule of Jesus Christ), so the issue and consequences of human free-will will never be clearer in terms of negative motivation than in the Tribulation (with the world under its most direct satanic control in the person of antichrist). Over the course of this seven-part series, we shall have much to say about the events and trials of that great period of testing to come, however it is important to stress here that the Tribulation's general character is neither accidental nor peripheral but is rather the direct result of the intensification during its seven years of this issue of choice between God and His Son on the one hand, and the devil and his surrogate on the other. In no other era of history will the consequences of the question "which side are you on?" be more obvious and immediate. The Tribulation will be a great time of testing precisely because humanity will be forced to choose between two clear extremes, between good and evil, without the luxuries of privacy and time for circumspection that have been taken for granted in the past. For the middle ground of quiet agnosticism (and all its equivalents) made possible by God's invisible restraint of evil through law and nationalism will be removed for the most part.⁽¹⁸⁾ This is why, dear reader, our subject is of such pressing importance. Should it be our lot to endure that great conflagration to come, our faith will be tested as never before, for during the Tribulation the devil will pressure all mankind to accede to his will beyond anything the world has yet experienced.

The greater the devil's direct control over the earth and its inhabitants, the more the pressure to reject God and His Son. And the more evil done on earth, the greater the divine judgment upon that evil. From these twin essential traits of the Tribulation (demonic control and divine retribution), unique in terms of their unprecedented intensity, flow most of the other characteristics associated with that cataclysmic period. Along with the division they create (i.e., the necessity of choice for Christ or antichrist) these two main traits and their collective results will combine to make the Tribulation the time of the most severe testing ever experienced by believers. It will be the great crucible of our faith.

The Tribulation, whose very name communicates unprecedented distress (as we have seen above in section I.2) will thus be the great "hour of testing" which will put mankind "to the test" (Rev.3:10). It will be 1) a great smelter that separates silver from dross, 2) a great threshing floor that separates wheat from chaff, and 3) a long "dark night" requiring the utmost perseverance to endure (Is.21:11-12; Amos 5:18-20; Jn.11:9-10):

We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day. Night is coming, when no one is going to be able to work.
John 9:4

As believers, it is this issue of maintaining our faith – no matter what – upon which we must take the greatest care to keep our gaze directed. For amidst the universal war, famine, plague, worldwide disasters and tremendous divine punishment upon the earth's unbelieving inhabitants, maintaining faith (firmly fixed on our hope and expressing itself in love: Gal.5:5-6; cf. Col.1:4-5) will be the central issue for all believers in that most intensive refining process called the Tribulation. For in all the troubles to come, He will be faithful to those who remain faithful to Him . . .

In spite of wide spread apostasy (2Thes.2:3; 1Tim.4:1; Matt.24:9-14):

In spite of severe economic dislocation (Rev.6:6):

In spite of warfare, plague and catastrophe (Is.13:12; Ezek. chap. 38-39; Dan. chap.7, 9, 11; Rev.6:2-8; chap. 13):

In spite of the extreme divine judgments that will drastically change conditions on earth (Rev.6:12ff.; 9:1ff.; 16:1ff.).

In spite of the hostility of a worldwide, monolithic, pagan religion (Rev.13):

In spite of widespread martyrdom of true believers in Christ (Rev.6:9-11):

Do not be afraid of any of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I shall give you the crown of life.
Revelation 2:10

Based upon the above general characteristics of the Tribulation, it is tempting to see this cataclysmic seven year period as the great and final confrontation between God and the devil, with believers caught in the middle. However, such a characterization, while improving upon many contemporary views that leave the Lord out of the picture entirely, is wrong on two crucial counts:

1) It falsely puts the Lord and Satan on the same level. In truth, Satan is able to launch his "final offensive" only because God allows it (2Thes.2:6-8; Rev.5:1-5). Furthermore, the issue of God's complete victory is never in the slightest doubt, the entire course of the Tribulation merely serving His righteous ends (as we have seen in section I above).

2) It falsely portrays believers as mere "victims", when, in fact, we shall have a critical role to play in God's demonstration of His righteousness and faithfulness in the midst of this most difficult period in human history. In the face of wide-spread apostasy in the first half of the Tribulation, those who do not stumble will constitute a remnant of the faithful and a base for that three and a half year period's miraculous evangelism. In the face of world-wide persecution during the second half of the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, those who stand firm in their faith – even unto death in many cases – will be an unprecedented witness to the truth and mercy of God that will contradict Satan's universal lies.

It is certainly true as we have noted above, however, that the war in heaven and consequent expulsion of the devil and his angels to the earth (Rev.12:7-9) will result in more intensive, more immediate pressure for mankind to choose for or against God than has yet been the case in the human experience. And choosing for God will entail a heavier price world-wide than has yet been the case in human history, especially in the general persecution of the Great Tribulation. God's merciful, world-wide evangelism of the Tribulation's first half, and His judgments upon the unbelieving inhabitants of the earth (for their idolatry and persecution of believers) in the second will further clarify the issue, making the Tribulation an era of little or no middle ground between good and evil: more than at any other time, it will be a period where all are likely to be either zealous followers of Jesus Christ or committed partisans of antichrist, and the intensive pressures that characterize the Tribulation (the devil's operations on the one hand, and God's righteous response on the other) do much to explain this polarity. As believers, we should take such information to heart, and determine in advance not to be lukewarm, but to be boiling hot in our faith now (lest we grow cold under those future pressures when the middle ground falls away). In the Tribulation, mankind will be confronted with the immediate choice of going God's way or the devil's way (as is ultimately the case in every life, but often with time for deliberation) – "halting between two opinions" in the midst of the Tribulation will only lead to personal disaster vis-a-vis one's faith (1Kngs.18:21; cf. Rev.3:15-16).

As we saw in the final part (5) of our previous study, The Satanic Rebellion, it has been a trend of the Plan of God since the expulsion of Adam from Eden to proportionally expand the number of believers in all four ages of human history, so that what began with a trickle in the Age of the Gentiles will finish in full flood during the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.⁽²⁰⁾ In a similar and related way, knowledge of this issue of self-will versus the Will of God (as focused on the person of Jesus Christ) has also clearly been trending upward, a fact most clearly seen in the transition from the shadows of the Law of Moses to the revealed reality of the Person of Jesus Christ (Col.2:17; Heb.8:5; 10:1). This trend too will hit its temporal peak in the Millennium which begins with the revelation of Him to the world in His glorified state, and encompasses a thousand years of extreme blessing wherein God will be known in the very face of Christ more intensely and obviously than ever before in the history of humanity (Is.2:1-5; Acts 1:11; 1Cor.13:12; Rev.1:7):

Immediately preceding this millennial peak lies the Tribulation, a period wherein God's truth in Christ, made more widely and clearly available than at any time prior to the Millennium (through the ministries of the "two witnesses", the 144,000, and direct, divine proclamation), will also be opposed more violently and effectively than ever before in the historical experience of mankind (e.g., Rev.13:5-17). The Church Age has seen the beginning of this two-fold trend already. On the one hand, the areas and opportunities for human obliviousness to the choice between Christ and the devil have been shrinking as the world has become progressively "smaller" while the message of the gospel has become more generally available, constituting a major change from the previous dispensation of His grace:

On the other hand, it is also true that these past two millennia have seen a corresponding increase in satanic activity – not overt demon possession and idolatry per se, but the steady laying of the ground-work for the next "Tower of Babel", morally, politically, socially, indeed, in every aspect of the "world system" which the present ruler of this kosmos has established.⁽²¹⁾ That system is not merely a static device for present world rule, it is also the devil's organizational base for his ultimate offensive, de facto world domination through the person of his antichrist. It is thus a base of operations which he is doing his best to develop in specific preparation for that day. This is the accelerating "mystery of lawlessness" (only too visible in our own day) which is aiming toward that final gambit to be played out in earnest during the Tribulation:

The Church Age, therefore, finds the devil restrained from launching his final, supreme offensive, but in full preparation mode for rapid implementation of his plans just as soon as the opportunity is presented (with the breaking of the seals and removal of divine restraint: 2Thes.2:6-8; Rev.5:1-5). The removal of divine restraint, without which action on God's part Satan's tribulational operations would be impossible, is a topic that will be covered in detail in the next part of this series. Suffice it to say for now that this fact alone (i.e., no Tribulation without divine permission) proves that the Tribulation, far from being "an accident", is, on the contrary, an essential period in God's construction of the ages, in the course of which the devil's wickedness and true intentions will be laid completely bare (cf. Rom.7:13), while God gains surpassing glory in subduing the creature in preparation for the glorious reign of His Son (Ps.110:1; Heb.10:13; cf. Ex.14:4; Is.63:12-14). Apropos of our immediate purpose here is the fact that this removal of restraint (coupled with the devil's exploitation of this unique opportunity) does much to explain the outrageous and unprecedented events that will take place during the Tribulation. For at other times in human history, "breaking the bonds" that God has set for human (or angelic) behavior has resulted in predictable divine judgment of a preventative nature (cf. Ps.2:3; Jer.5:5). This is true whether the offenders who overstep the ultimate bounds of divine restraint be angels (witness the imprisonment of the demons involved in cohabitation with human women in Genesis 6),⁽²³⁾ or men (compare the swift and complete destruction of Sennacherib and his army for defying God: Is.36-37). The preceding parenthetical examples constitute extreme cases of the general principle of just judgment upon any and all who set themselves against God's truth and overstep the clear limits He has imposed:

In the Tribulation, however, previously restrained lawlessness will reach unprecedented heights – the full flowering of the "mystery of lawlessness" already operative, but destined to reach full flood in the Tribulation. The experience of the Pharaoh of the Exodus provides us with a useful parallel for understanding the processes involved here. Specific divine relaxation of normal human limits was required in order for Pharaoh to be able to "harden his heart" to the degree that he did in such high-handed opposition to God and the miraculous displays of His power.⁽²⁴⁾ However, the result of all Pharaoh's stubborn resistance was only a greater degree of glory for God, as uncommon persecution was followed by uncommon judgment and miraculous deliverance (Ex.14:4; Is.63:12-14):

This similarity (between the removal of restraint in the individual case of Pharaoh and general removal of restraint in the Tribulation) is not accidental: the entire history of the Exodus (as we shall have occasion to in part 7 of this series) provides an important teaching paradigm or parallel model for the experiences of the Tribulation. In the Tribulation, intensely blind hardness of heart will be endemic, allowing the majority of mankind to serve the devil as never before. Greatly accelerating the danger of this trend will be the fact that the bulwarks of law and nationalism will also be eroded as never before, largely eliminating any safe-haven of neutrality for those who are not interested in choosing for God, but who, under normal conditions, would refrain from enlistment in the cause of evil. Taken together, all these factors (removal of divine restraint, the fruition of the "mystery of lawlessness", the implementation of Satan's final offensive, and the corresponding divine judgment upon it) will combine to make the seven years of the Tribulation a singularly terrible experience that will truly be "bitter in the stomach" (Rev.10:9-10; cf. Ezek.2:8 - 3:3).

While the Tribulation may be a time of terror for unbelievers, for believers it is more properly seen as a time of testing. Given this most essential characteristic of the Tribulation (the essence of what we have delineated above), it should be clear at this point that the proper focus for believers in contemplating it (not to mention preparing for it) is not fear, but faith and confident hope in God's ultimate deliverance. The information scripture provides about tribulational events before the fact is not designed to terrorize Christians into inaction. Rather its purpose is to give them fair warning in order that they may both make maximum spiritual preparations ahead of time, and also be able to put these events in a proper faith perspective, when and if they are called upon to endure them.

During the Tribulation, Satan will reveal more clearly than ever before his true malignant intent towards mankind (Rev.12:12; 13:5-10), and in righteous response God will cover Himself with glory in just judgment of evil upon the earth (Is.24:1-23; Mic.7:13). In the midst of such a maelstrom, human beings will not easily be able to remain neutral. The question "which side are you on?", though being asked today, is often put off – in the course of the Tribulation, all mankind will be forced to give an answer, and to stand by the answer they give.

For those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ, despite dungeon, fire and sword, victory is assured, along with a glorious place in the Kingdom to come.

IV. The Biblical Sources for the History of the Tribulation

More than any other topic in scripture, the study of eschatology (i.e., the "last things") and specifically, of the Tribulation requires some prerequisite work on methods and sources. This is true in the case of the latter issue (sources), because few subjects are more widely dispersed throughout the Bible in Old and New Testaments alike. It is also true in the case of the former issue (methods), because one absolutely has to understand something of how prophecy (especially Old Testament prophecy) is constructed in order to be able to extract doctrinal information from it in a valid way. Furthermore, understanding something of the latter (i.e., how we are gathering our material) will also help to explain our approach to the former (i.e., where we are gathering our material). So before conducting an overview of the books where most of the important information about the Tribulation resides, we need first to consider some of the basics of the process, the manner, and the method of biblical prophecy (which is by definition, after all, divinely provided information about future events).

1. Hermeneutic Issues

It is fair to say that biblical prophecy, especially as it is found in the Old Testament prophets, can often be challenging (even difficult) to understand. This is not entirely accidental, for much (if not all) Old Testament prophecy was directed towards a population that, in the main, was not interested in hearing what was being said. Therefore, in the same way that Jesus spoke in parables to an audience that gladly accepted His miracles but not His message, so God gave the recalcitrant recipients of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Minor Prophets prophecies that would "make their ears tingle" but which would not necessarily be patently obvious at first as to their meaning. That is to say, because of its unique function (of warning to a rebellious population), prophecy's overt meaning often requires interpretation to be understandable: one has to demonstrate an interest in the message before the message becomes accessible. Therefore we may legitimately compare the analysis of prophecy to the translation of a foreign language. For prophecy, just like a foreign language, must first be properly "translated" (interpreted) in order to be understood. The task of effectively "de-coding" a text in a foreign tongue requires experience with the language in question, and, ideally, some formal training. Any visitor to a foreign land whose language he does not speak can readily testify to the need for some sort of dictionary or language aid. Knowledge of even a few basic rules of grammar, a handful of phrases, and a few key vocabulary items, can, in such cases, make a trip much more enjoyable. Such is the case in treating biblical prophecy as well. Unfortunately, the rules for proper interpretation are seldom spelled out and explained. Therefore a short foray into a few key areas of prophetic interpretation here will be most helpful in preparing us for our survey of the biblical sources of the Tribulation which we are about to consult. The writer is keenly aware that these issues are not commonly addressed and will be found by some to be more onerous and less titillating than one would generally expect from a study with the "end times" as its subject matter. Understanding these principles is, however, essential, even foundational, to the proper development of the evidence upon which our study will be based. The reader's patience is therefore earnestly besought while we examine these critical issues.

a. Prophetic Foreshortening

When ones views an extensive mountain range from a distance, the eye often sees a particular version of events from long range that would be significantly altered by a change in perspective. Move closer, and what had looked like one homogeneous ridge line, may reveal itself to possess more depth, diversity and distinction than had previously been assumed. Move to the side, and a more clearly three-dimensional picture emerges. Move overhead, and the individuality of certain mountains, valleys, or groups of peaks may come to light. This does not mean in any way, it is important to note, that the first perception was wrong, merely that it was one particular perspective only, valid from its own point of view, and, when taken in conjunction with other perspectives, even essential for "getting a feel" for what this mountain massif "is like".

A similar phenomenon occurring in prophecy is often termed "prophetic foreshortening". One classic and rather well-known example of prophetic foreshortening in the Old Testament is to be found in the case of the Messiah, who was destined to come not only as the Glorious King, but also as the Suffering Servant (cf. Is.52:13 - 53:12). Even the prophets themselves were "eager to discover the precise time the Spirit of Christ within them was signifying as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow" (i.e., the 2^nd Advent and Millennium: 1Pet.1:10-11; cf. Lk.10:24; Jn.8:56).⁽²⁵⁾ In producing all of this wonderful prophetic material, not completely understood at the time (at least as far as the distinction between the 1^st and 2^nd Advents was concerned), the prophets of old were "not so much serving themselves as they were you" (i.e., believers of the present, post-First Advent age: 1Pet.1:12). Today, even new initiates into the Christian faith are generally well aware of the difference between the 1^st and 2^nd Advents of Christ – we now "speak the language" of Christology, the distinction being demonstrated by the first coming of Jesus (which did not include the commencement of His millennial reign), and explained in detail throughout the New Testament epistles (where the 2^nd Advent is explained and anticipated). With the suffering of Christ now a historical reality, put into complete perspective by Paul, Peter and John, we now see the two advents from a side-long perspective, so to speak, clearly articulated in their individuality (instead of as one massive "mountain" of prophecy, indistinguishable from the Old Testament perspective). But to the prophets and believers of the past, viewing these discrete occurrences through prophecy only and from the distant fore-ground of the actual events, the two "peaks" seemed to blend indistinguishably close together. Indeed, in Jesus' day, the necessity for the Messiah to suffer on behalf of all mankind was lost sight of entirely, with His contemporaries, in their hardened unbelief willing to accept only the glories of the 2^nd Advent, while failing to understand that these had to be based upon the humiliations and sacrifice of the 1^st Advent.

Instances of this phenomenon of prophetic foreshortening also abound in the area of general eschatology (i.e., prophecies about the end times). To take but one brief example, Isaiah chapter sixty-six ends with the following:

This passage, which, as we know clearly both from New Testament descriptions of the new heavens and new earth (2Pet.3:13; Rev.21:1), as well as from the description of condemned unbelievers (cf. Mk.9:48), must describe the Eternal State (after the close of human history), follows immediately on the heels of a description of events in the newly instituted millennial kingdom of Christ (Is.66:18-21). With the framework of eschatological teaching supplied from the New Testament, these passages can be fit precisely into the scheme of future events. From a strictly Old Testament perspective, however, the sections, treating events at the outset and conclusion of the Messiah's thousand year rule, are difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish, blending together in a way nearly identical to analogous treatments of the 1^st and 2^nd Advents (e.g., compare Is.9:6a, "unto us a child is born", with 9:6b-7, "He will reign on David's throne", where the birth and return of Christ are indistinguishably linked). In treating prophecies of this sort, it will be important to keep in mind that such blending together of events (or foreshortening) is an extremely common phenomenon in prophecy.

One may be forgiven for asking why such a technique (at least potentially confusing) was even employed? In response, we may note first of all that with the help of all the information the New Testament provides in these matters, Old Testament prophetical material now is accessible to us (when "rightly divided", that is). Therefore what we have here is an analogous situation in the case of this foreshortening of prophetic information about the end times to that of the similar treatment of details contained in the prophets about the 1^st and 2^nd Advents of Christ, wherein they were "not so much serving themselves as they were" us (1Pet.1:12), though earnestly ""eager to discover the precise time" of such events (1Pet.1:10-11; cf. Lk.10:24; Jn.8:56): however much of a mystery this conflation of information was at the time, we are now in a position to construct a detailed history of future events with the help of further New Testament revelation (the Book of Revelation in particular).

Secondly, all the information contained within the prophetic books has always been useful and important, from the time of writing, right up until the present hour (and for as long as history may continue). Much of the benefit these prophecies have always provided is to be found in the encouragement to be taken from the knowledge they provide about the eventual reestablishment of divine control over the world on the one hand, and the salutary warnings they deliver from close consideration of the tremendous divine judgments that will precede this on the other. These are indeed benefits that could be gained from reading the prophets before the coming of Christ and without a complete understanding of the chronological scheme of the eschatological events in question (or, for that matter, of any of the specific distinctions we can now discern). Furthermore, it is a benefit that all Christians can glean from reading the prophets today as well, even without a firm grasp of eschatology. For even cursory consideration of the depiction of the events of the end times in prophecy has value from the standpoint of analogy: the day will come when God will judge the world, so what manner of believers ought we to be now (2Pet.3:11-12)? And the day will come when God will rule the world, so should we not be encouraged to serve Him properly now (2Pet.3:13-14)?

Finally, there is also an element of deliberately constructed enigma in such prophecy (as suggested at the outset). God has not chosen to make those scriptures which delineate the future a readily open book on all counts. As with many of the truths of the Word of God, they are accessible only through diligent study and laboriously constructed theology. This state of affairs is not without its benefit either, for it serves to distinguish between those who truly want to know Him and those whose interest is merely ephemeral (cf. Matt.13:20-21; 13:34-35; Mk.4:16-17; 4:33-34; Lk.8:13). For this reason Jesus spoke in parables to the enthusiastic crowds who would soon be shouting for His crucifixion (Matt.13:10-17; cf. Ezek.33:30-32; Hos.12:10), and advised all of us who follow Him to be careful about "throwing pearls before swine" (Matt.7:6). There are no pearls of greater price than the truths of the holy scriptures, and it is greatly worth our while to diligently seek God's truth, even if it means wrestling with the likes of prophetic expression (as we are doing here). For the only alternative is to find ourselves in the same predicament as much of Isaiah's audience who were not really interested in what he had to say:

b. The "Day of the Lord" Paradigm

Aside from the foreshortening of the 1^st and 2^nd Advents, the most common Old Testament prophetic blending is the combination of a great deal of currently unfulfilled eschatology (i.e., prophetic information about the end times) into a single whole under the name "The Day of the Lord" (or other equivalent phrases; see below). This comprising of the bulk of the end times into a single, unifying name, though creating interpretive difficulties, does have a very sensible rationale: beginning with the Lord's termination of the Tribulation at the glorious and victorious return of His Son, and ending with the commencement of eternity, the "Day of the Lord" truly is that period in which God Himself openly asserts His direct control over human history, first in judgment (at the conclusion of the Tribulation), then in restoration (throughout the Millennium), and finally in replacement of temporal history with something far better (at the commencement of the Eternal State). Starting with the very end of the Tribulation (i.e., with the events that signal and encompass the 2^nd Advent and Armageddon), this really will be an era in which God's clear and demonstrable orchestration of history's events will be undeniable (as opposed to the present time where God's control of history, complete and foreordained though it unquestionably is, must be observed through the eyes of faith: cf. 2Cor.4:18; 5:7; Heb.11:1). For this reason, that future time to come will be even more clearly His "day" than all of the rest of the historical millennial days which have preceded.

In the final part of our previous series, we devoted much time to the biblical teaching of millennial days – specifically, the molding of all human history by God into seven discrete millennia (Ps.90:4; 2Pet.3:8).⁽²⁶⁾ The "Day of the Lord" is essentially coterminous with the seventh millennial day, the Sabbath of human history, wherein Christ will reign for a thousand years, beginning with His return and the judgments which accompany it, and concluding in a final cycle of judgment that will segue directly into the Father's Eternal Kingdom (1Cor.15:24; Rev.21:1). The "Day of the Lord" technically begins with Armageddon and the events that betoken its proximity. However, given that all divine judgment during the Tribulation serves to warn of this impending "day of judgment", this phrase in prophecy is often also inclusive of events that will actually occur during the Tribulation.

The reduction of worldwide population described above is a trend that runs throughout the Tribulation (Zeph.1:2-3; cf. Mic.7:13), but culminates in the Armageddon judgments. These judgments, along with the glorious return of the Messiah, form the point of emphasis for the phrase "the Day of the Lord", but that this "day" runs the entire length of the Millennium can be seen from the following:

The "Day of the Lord" commences with the 2^nd Advent and concludes, as the passage above shows, with the "advent of the Day of God", that is, the beginning of the Eternal State, the Kingdom of the Father, at the termination of human history when all rebels have been destroyed and all foes of God eternally judged. For the "Day of the Lord" will be the period of the subjection of the enemies of God, a process that begins with the tribulational judgments and Armageddon, but which runs to the end of the Millennium (including, for example, the suppression of the Gog-Magog rebellion: Rev.20:7-10), and the Last judgment (Rev.20:11-15):

Some of the names for this "day" in the Old Testament including a partial list of important occurrences include:

1. "The Day of the Lord": The term proper is often one of judgment, referring in large measure to the retribution that will be wrought upon God's enemies at Christ's 2^nd Advent (Ezek.13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1; 2:11; 2:28-32; 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Ob.1:15; Zeph.1:7-13; Zech.14:1-21; Mal.4:1-5):

2. "The Day of Vengeance": This term links the general judgment described above with God's personal retribution on behalf of His oppressed people (Is.61:2; 63:4; Jer.46:10):

The "year" mentioned here is a season of recompense upon all of God's enemies and the enemies of His people, and is thus also synonymous and coterminous with the "Day of the Lord" (cf. Is.61:2; 63:4). As such, it is also called "the day of wrath" (Is.13:13; Ezek.7:19; Zeph.1:18), and "the day of reckoning" (Is.10:3). It should be noted that the theme of God's vengeance on this day is also often present in prophecy where the word "day" is not specifically used (e.g., Deut.32:40-43; Is.34:1-7; 35:4; 59:17-18; 63:5-6; Ezek.25:12-17; Joel 3:4-16; cf. 2Thes.1:5-10).

3. "That Day": So common (and at the time of writing commonly understood) is the prophetic title "Day of the Lord" that it is also often referred to by the simple phrase "that day", it being taken for granted that the reader will understand by this "the Day of the Lord" (Is.2:10-21; 3:7&18; 4:1&2; 5:30; 7:18; 10:20; 10:27; 17:4; 17:7&9; 24:21; 25:9; 26:1; 27:1-2; 27:13; 31:7; Jer.46:10; Hag.2:23):

New Testament usage is similar, being distinguished only in that it benefits from a more complete revelation of prophetic information. New Testament usage entirely confirms what we have said about the "Day of the Lord" so far. Some of the names for this "day" in the New Testament include:

1. "The Day of the Lord": In addition to a focus on judgment (1Cor.5:5; cf. Acts 2:20), Paul uses the phrase in 1^st Thessalonians to describe the timing of the resurrection of the Church and to explain that the ingathering of living believers will follow the resurrection of departed believers on the "Day of the Lord" (1Thes. 4:13 - 5:3). In 2^nd Thessalonians, Paul's use of the "Day of the Lord" shows unequivocally that the core meaning we have noted from our study of Old Testament passages, namely, that its primary focus is upon the 2^nd Advent, matches his understanding of the term as well, for "that day" will not arrive before the prophesied events of the Tribulation have preceded it (i.e., the "Day of the Lord" follows the Great Apostasy in the Tribulation's first half, and the reign of antichrist in the second: 2Thes.2:1-4). Peter's use of the term at 2^nd Peter 3:10 most clearly demonstrates the all-inclusive nature of the "Day of the Lord", clearly extending from the return of Christ unto the destruction of the universe at the conclusion of His millennial reign (quoted with commentary at the beginning of this section).

2. "The Great Day": The book of Revelation refers to the "Day of the Lord" twice as "the Great Day", characterizing it further once as a day "of wrath" (Rev.6:17), and once as a day "of God Almighty" (Rev.16:14).

3. "The Day of Christ": With the New Testament's clear identification of the Messiah as our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul often refers to this future age-day under the title, "the Day of Christ", a term that usually focuses specifically upon the judgment and reward of Christ's Church at His return (Phil.1:6; 1:10; 2:16; cf. 2Cor.1:14; 1Thes.2:19):