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WORLD IN BIBLE PROPHECY
CHAPTER 3
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
The massive loss of life due to warfare and the resulting famines and disease epidemics is followed by the great tribulation.
The Fifth Seal – The Great Tribulation
Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV): "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, 'How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."
Here symbolically pictured at the altar in God's temple are the saints of God [members of God’s true Church] who had been martyred in His service throughout history and had stuck to God's ways and had not denied Him when persecuted. They are waiting for God's judgment in the Day of the Lord on those who hate Him and His servants. But they are told to wait a little longer because another martyrdom of God's faithful servants is just about to take place.
The details about this martyrdom during the great tribulation were provided by Jesus Christ in His discussion with His disciples about His second coming. In Matthew 24 also the persecution and martyrdom follows in time sequence after deception through false religion, war, famines and pestilences, just like the first four seals.
Matthew 24:9-12 (NKJV): "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
Further in Matthew 24:15-16, 21 (NKJV) Jesus echoed Daniel's prophecy: "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those that be in Judea flee to the mountains...For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
Clearly this martyrdom of the members of God's Church takes place during the Great Tribulation. The sixth seal leaves no doubt about the time sequence of the Great Tribulation. The events of the sixth seal come immediately after the events of the fifth seal. Revelation 6:12-17 (NKJV): "I watched as he opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake....For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
The 'great day of His wrath' is also identified in many prophecies as 'the Day of the Lord' or the Lord's Day. It is the last one year of the three-and-a-half year long Great Tribulation. Thus, the fifth seal is definitely talking about the Great Tribulation that follows the world war of the first four seals.
Prophecies about the Great Tribulation
The book of Revelation puts the Great Tribulation in time sequence as just explained. It does not provide any further details about the Great Tribulation except for the last one year known as the Day of the Lord. Revelation 1:10 ("I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day...") shows that the book of Revelation is mainly about the Day of the Lord. Therefore, we should expect details about the first two-and-a-half years of the great tribulation to be sketchy in the book of Revelation. However, the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament have provided us ample details so that we can get a clear picture of the events leading up the Great Tribulation and during it.
First, the Great Tribulation is of three-and-a-half years' duration. This is revealed in Daniel 12:1, 6-7,11 (NKJV): "At that time Michael [the archangel] shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book...Verses 6-7: "And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?" Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things
shall be finished...Verse 11: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days." The extra thirty days here include the 30 days of final war in which Israel is defeated and enslaved (Hosea 5:7, “...now shall a month devour them with their portions.”
In prophecy, 'time' represents one year, 'times' represents two years and 'half-a-time' represents half-year. So, time, times and half-a-time represents a three-and-half year duration. The three-and-a-half-year duration is also confirmed by Revelation 11:1-2(NKJV): "Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God...But leave out the court, which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they shall tread the holy city [Jerusalem] underfoot for forty-two months."
Forty-two months here represent the three-and-a-half years of the great tribulation when Jerusalem is taken over completely by non-Jewish people. Since the 42 months equal 1260 days, it means that each month is taken to be of 30 days duration in God’s calendar.
The fact that the Day of the Lord is of one year duration is derived from the 'day-for-a-year' principle in Numbers 14:34 (KJV): "After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years." It is also mentioned in Ezekiel 4:6 (KJV): "...lie again on your right side, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed you each day for a year."
When the 'day-for-a-year' principle is applied, the 'Day' of the Lord means it will be of one year duration.
Before giving a detailed description of the events that lead to the Great Tribulation, and during the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation itself, let’s take a summary look at all the prophetic events that will be fulfilled.
1) The three and a half year long Great Tribulation is a time of trouble for Physical Israel – USA, British Commonwealth nations and the Jewish state of Israel; and spiritual Israel, which is God’s Church. Daniel 12:1 calls it a time of trouble for his [Daniel’s] people, meaning Israel: “1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”
Jeremiah 30:5-7 calls it a “time of Jacob’s [patriarch Israel’s original name] trouble.” Daniel 12:7 states: “…and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.” This means that all the prophecies will be fulfilled when the power of the holy people, meaning God’s Church, is completely shattered. And that can take place only when at least a part of God’s Church suffers through the Great Tribulation, and its work of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God is completely stopped when the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are killed. It is a time of trouble when both physical and spiritual Israel are hated by all nations in the world (Matthew 24:9) and persecuted.
2) The Great Tribulation is inflicted on physical and spiritual Israel at the hands of a leader of German descent variously called the Beast (in Revelation 13, 17, 19:20), King of the North in Daniel 11, in league with a great religious leader called the False Prophet in Revelation 19:20 and a Beast in Revelation 13:11-18 whose number is 666.
The false prophet heads the Church based in Rome, also called the ‘Whore of Babylon’ in Revelation 17. The combined system headed by the Beast and the False Prophet is known as the Babylonian military, civil, political and religious system in Revelation 18, and will be the seventh resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. The religious beast causes people to receive the “mark of the beast.”
3) The political and military leader called the beast [which other prophecies indicate will be of German descent] rises “up out of the sea” in Revelation 13:1-9 and power is given to him “to continue forty and two months,” that is, three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. Waters are a symbol for many nations, and a sea is a symbol of troubled areas. An important key to understanding prophecy is that the Bible interprets its own symbols. The interpretation of waters is given in Revelation 17:15; “15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.”
The German descent political and or military leader will have the full support of ten rulers. He may actually appoint these rulers himself. This is prophesied in Revelation 17:12-13: “12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” Receiving authority for one hour means a short time.
4) Sometime before the forces of the Beast, in alliance with Islamists (Psalm 83, identified later), attack the USA, British Commonwealth nations and the State of Israel, Jews in Jerusalem will institute animal sacrifices. Perhaps their leaders will believe that they have to get back to all aspects of their religion and need to institute sacrifices to seek God’s help in avoiding military defeat. Matthew 24:15-16 (NKJV) states: “15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand). 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
Daniel 11:31 tells us what the abomination of desolate is: “Daniel 11:31, “And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.” Anciently this prophecy was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes who stopped the daily sacrifices and placed a statue of the pagan god Zeus in the Temple in 167 BCE and offered swine’s flesh as sacrifice. To fulfill this prophecy, the one who sets up the abomination of desolation will be the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Jesus told the Church to flee because the Great Tribulation is about to take place which begins immediately after the defeat of UBI nations. That means the Abomination of Desolation will be set up just before the defeat of UBI nations.
Daniel 9:27 (NKJV) states: “27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. [Till here the prophecy is discussing Jesus Christ. But then it changes to one who makes desolate who will stop the sacrifices]. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." And 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NKJV) describes this being who will make desolate: “3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
The temple of God is God’s Church. Therefore, these verses are talking about a man in God’s Church which prophecy was fulfilled by Joseph W. Tkach, appointed as successor by HWA. However, in verses 8-12, the prophecy shifts to the false prophet, the pope: “8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
This man of sin, also known as the False Prophet, will start claiming that the Beast is ‘God.’ The Jews have only to start animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount. They don’t have to build a temple to fulfill this prophecy. The beast and the false prophet could set up the image of the beast (also Revelation 13:14-15), the Abomination of Desolation, and also quickly build a temple in months to fulfill this prophecy.
After the great Third World War but before the final attack of the combined forces of the Beast and the Islamists on the Americans, the British and the Israelis, certain prophecies will be fulfilled. These are as follows.
a) The pope will start working miracles at some stage and the Roman Catholic world would be energized and bewitched and would be more willing to obey him. His plans will be to make a great image or idol to honor the Beast (the GGM leader), or as a symbol of the “Holy Roman Empire” perhaps just like Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Daniel 3). He plans to set it up in Jerusalem and to make Jerusalem his headquarters. This is described in Revelation 13:12-14: "12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him [This beast is the "Holy Roman Empire"] and causes the earth and which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast…”
b) The pope will demand that the idol he has set up be worshipped, and that the world worship on Sunday and not on the Sabbath day. This is a demand to set the stage for persecution of God’s true Church that does not worship idols and worships on the Sabbath day and not on Sunday, and also to enforce the Roman Catholic Church’s religion on the world. He will label God’s Church a cult and ask the world to persecute and eliminate the Church.
c) Negotiations have already been taking place between GGM leaders and the Islamic nations mentioned in the Psalm 83:6-8 prophecy to form an alliance. Occupation of Jerusalem along with the Roman Catholic Church will be one of their goals because of the Islamic 'holy place’, the Al Aqsa complex.
Remember don’t expect all this to be taking place right now though the groundwork is being laid. It will take place after the Third World War and its aftermath and can take place in a matter of months to administer the deathblow to the Americans, British, and the Jews.
d) A few months earlier, most likely after the pope has started working miracles, the two witnesses will have begun their prophesying as described in Revelation 11:3-4: “3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” They are also mentioned in Zechariah 4:3, 11-14.
Soon after the two witnesses start their prophecy, and the false prophet has asked the world to persecute God’s Church, the two witnesses will give the signal to the Church to gather in one place, most likely Jerusalem. The Church will have approximately 45 days to gather from around the world. This gathering may not be dependent on human efforts. The prophecy in Matthew 24:40-42 leads us to believe that the gathering together in one place will be done by God Himself. The verses state: “40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” It seems that one person will be taken to the place of safety by God [and not by human effort] while the other is left.
In addition Revelation 12:14 (“14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”) indicates that God will help His Church to flee as He helped ancient Israel at the time of the exodus from Egypt. Deuteronomy 32:11-12 describes how God bore ancient Israel as an eagle bears her young on her wings.
5) To force the Jews in Jerusalem to comply with the pope's demands to let him set up the image in Jerusalem [most probably on the Temple Mount], the forces of the leader of Assyrian (German) descent along with his Muslim and Catholic alliance partners will most likely surround Jerusalem with armies (Luke 21:20-22, “20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 for these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”) Both the pope and Islamic leaders set up their headquarters in Jerusalem and divide the city among themselves. But the plans of the Beast, the pope and their alliance partners are to launch a final attack on our side (whites of non-German ancestry and their allies) in UBI nations, defeat them militarily and enslave them.
6) At this time, ten rulers in Europe make a decision to give all their power and authority to the Beast. This is mentioned in Revelation 17:12-13: "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. They are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast." These may not actually be ten existing rulers but may be appointed as rulers by the GGM leader over ten regions in Europe carved out of member nations. These rulers could even be appointed after the military victory over the UBI nations. They give their total allegiance to the beast and put all their power at his disposal.
7) By this time, in 45 days, most of God's true Church will have gathered in Jerusalem and will in 30 days of the war flee to the place of safety after the image is set up by the pope. At the end of 45 days, the False Prophet or his representatives and forces cause the Jewish daily sacrifices to cease and may install a temporary (or may have been already making preparations to install a large permanent idol or image) idol and begin sacrificing on the altar. This is the “abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24:15.
8) Once the idol or image is set up, events now begin to move at lightning speed as there is no time to lose for God’s Church gathered at Jerusalem. They have only 30 days to flee to the place of safety. The Church begins fleeing to the place of safety prepared by God for her. This is when Matthew 24:15-16 will be fulfilled: “15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Clearly the place of safety will be a mountainous area, not far from Jerusalem.
9) When God’s Church has completed its flight to the place of safety, the GGM Beast and his Muslim (Psalm 83 alliance) and other allies worldwide attack the USA and British Commonwealth nations and the Jewish state of Israel.
10) Within 30 days, the UBI nations are militarily defeated (Hosea 5:7) and the survivors sold as slaves around the world. The Philadelphian members of God’s Church have fled/been taken to the place of safety, but the Laodicean, lukewarm, members have been left in the world to prove their loyalty to God and His way of life by facing Satan’s wrath during the 1,260 days of the Great Tribulation. These 1,260 days begin after the 30 days it took to defeat UBI nations.
In this attack, the prophecy in Ezekiel 7:14-15 must be kept in mind: “4 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, but no one goes to battle; for My wrath is on all their multitude. 15 The sword is outside, and the pestilence and famine within. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword; And whoever is in the city, famine and pestilence will devour him.” Perhaps communications networks of UBI nations have been hacked so that no one goes to the battle.
In this war, one third of the population of the USA and Britain will be destroyed in fires of some kind that could be deliberately set or by use of some kind of weapons, one third will be killed in the war that follows, and one third will be taken captive and sold as slaves around the world (Ezekiel 5:1-2). Similarly, two-thirds of the population of the state of Israel will also be destroyed in the siege and famine conditions leading to the war, and the war itself (Ezekiel 5:12 and Zechariah 13:8-9). The remaining one-third will be removed from the state of Israel and sold mostly to the Greeks as slaves (Joel 3:6).
11) When Satan sees that his forces have won control of the world, and now he has only a very short time left [the 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation], he and his army of demons mount up to God’s throne in heaven to attack and try to dethrone God. This is when Revelation 12:7-17 is fulfilled: “7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Satan and his forces are defeated and cast back to the earth.
12) Satan now is enraged with God’s Church because its members are the only ones on earth who remain loyal to God and His way of life. But he is also set on taking vengeance on the entire earth and God’s creation on it. He moves to fulfill remainder of Revelation 12:12-16 which state: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman [symbol for Church] who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.”
The entire earth will now face Satan’s wrath because he has only a very short time left as ruler of the earth. His first target, of course, is God’s Church which does not submit to his rule administered through the Beast. He first sends out a Flood (Remember waters are a symbol for people. So, this flood represents armies of many nationalities allied with the beast and the false prophet) to destroy God’s Church that has already fled to the place of safety. But the earth helps God’s Church by opening up and swallowing these armies alive.
13) Since Satan could not destroy members of God’s Church who have fled, his next highest priority target is the Laodicean [lukewarm] members of God’s Church who are left in the world to go through the Great Tribulation. That is the meaning of Revelation 12:17 (NKJV): “17 And the dragon [Satan] was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [KJV renders this phrase “the remnant of her seed” implying that their number will be smaller than those who will be in the place of safety], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This persecution will continue throughout the Great Tribulation, resulting in martyrdom of perhaps all Church members who are in the world and remain loyal to God.
These scriptures indicate this martyrdom.
Matthew 24:9 (NKJV) states: “9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.”
Revelation 6:9-11 states; “9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
14) Satan is permitted to scatter [or shatter as translated in the NKJV] the power of God’s Church for 3 ½ years as stated in Daniel 12:7 when Daniel asked the angel for the duration of these events: “…it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”
15) Because of holding on to God’s truth, persecution of Laodicean members of God’s Church who are in the world is intense and the Church is hated of all nations. Matthew 24:9 (NKJV) states: “9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.” As mentioned earlier, this hatred by all nations is also directed at the American, British and Jewish slaves, because when Jesus used the pronoun ‘you’, He meant the disciples who would soon become members of God’s Church and were physical Israelites as well.
16) Because of the intense persecution, abuse, mistreatment and martyrdom, borne of deep hatred, many in God’s Church (the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 indicates this number to be about 50%) will become offended against God and compromise with the beast and false prophet. They then begin to hate their fellow brethren who choose to remain loyal to God and begin to betray them to the authorities. Their love for the brethren begins to grow cold. Those that have infiltrated the Church will also begin to betray members. This is prophesied in Matthew 24:10-13: “10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”
Some loyal Laodicean members will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, family and friends as prophesied in Luke 21:16 (NKJV): “16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.”
17) Compromise of about of 50% of Laodiceans with the truth in the Great Tribulation is indicated by the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
18) Ultimately only 1/10th of the slaves of UBI nations will come out alive through the Great Tribulation (Amos 5:3, “For thus says the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred, and that which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.”.
Now let’s look at these prophecies in greater detail.
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