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Could the approaching 'Great Tribulation' be
a spiritual event?
Are all the existing theories, those which see the wrath of God (the
Great Tribulation) destroying the physical earth and its inhabitants,
wrong?
Some of the verses which allude to the Great Tribulation are;
Deut 4:30 When you are in distress
(tribulation), and all these
things come upon you in the
latter days, ...
Isa 24:19 The earth is violently broken,
the earth is split open,
the earth is shaken exceedingly.
:20 The earth shall reel to and fro
like a drunkard,
and shall totter like a hut;
its transgression shall be heavy
upon it,
and it will fall, and not rise
again.
:21 It shall come to pass in that day
...
:23 Then the moon will be disgraced
and the sun ashamed; ...
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Matt 24:21 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.
:22 And unless those days were
shortened, no flesh would be
saved; but for the elect's sake
those days will be shortened. |
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The Great Tribulation is also mentioned in Revelation.
Rev 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth
seal, and behold, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black
as sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became like blood.
:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the
earth, as a fig tree drops its late
figs when it is shaken by a mighty
wind.
:14 Then the sky receded as a scroll
when it is rolled up, and every
mountain and island was moved out of
its place. |
A number of people have been taught that during the Great Tribulation
these events will literally and fatally strike those inhabiting the
earth.
Earthquakes, famines, warfare, epidemics, hurricanes,
fire-storms and floods. Such events are regularly reported in the news,
but are these fulfilling biblical prophecy? Will warfare and a series
of great calamities strike this planet and bring large scale suffering
and death to its inhabitants.
As God has promised protection for His 'elect', the Christian world has
developed the 'rapture theory' (a miraculous transfer of individuals
to the safety of the presence of Christ). Others have preferred a more
subtle departure such as an airline flight to a remote wilderness
location.
So much speculation.
There is little doubt the tribulation is described in physical terms.
However, even acknowledging this fact, one is still left with the
question of whether we should be understanding these words at a
physical or spiritual level. Everyone in the past has always rendered
a literal interpretation, but what if God's message is in reality
spiritual?
What would the message be if we were talking about;
a spiritual desolation.
What weapons would be used?
Who would perish?
Why would it be necessary for them to die?
Let us consider examples of words being described as weapons.
Isa 11:4 .... He shall strike the earth with the
rod of His mouth,
and with the breath of His lips He shall
slay the wicked.
30:27 ... His lips are full of indignation,
and His tongue like a devouring fire;
:28 His breath is like an overflowing stream, ...
30:33 .... The breath of the LORD, like a
stream of brimstone, ....
Jer 5:14 .... Because you speak this word, behold,
I will make My words in your mouth fire,
and this people wood, and it shall devour
them.
During the period of the wrath of God 'words' will be used to wreck an
awesome spiritual devastation.
2 Thes 2:9 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.
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:11 And for this reason God will send them
strong delusion, that they should believe
the lie. |
Dan 8:23 .... A king shall arise, having fierce features,
who understands sinister schemes {dark riddles}.
:24 .... He shall destroy fearfully,
:25 Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to
prosper under his hand; ....
'Words' can not physically kill someone, but 'words' can kill faith!
Through a 'strong delusion' people can be lured away from the teaching of
God and led into another set of beliefs. By this means spiritual children
can be 'killed' or 'taken captive'.
It is during this time of strong delusion that a spiritual famine will
prevail.
Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days are coming", says
the Lord GOD, "that I will send a
famine on the land,
not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD.
:12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east; they shall
run to and fro, seeking the word of
the LORD, but shall not find it.
:13 In that day the fair virgins and
strong young men shall faint from
thirst.
Those who perish in the devastation are people of God.
Dan 12:7 .... 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.
Jer 30:7 Alas! For that day is great, so that none
is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's
trouble, ...
Why would this distress come upon the people of spiritual Israel?
2 Thes 2:10 .... because they did not receive the
love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Ezek 13:3 Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow
their own spirit and have seen nothing!
:5 "You have not gone up into the gaps to
build a wall for the house of Israel to
stand in battle on the day of the LORD."
The period of prophetic grief is also known by the terms,
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- Jacobs Trouble
- the day of the LORD
- the day of vengeance (Prov 6:34, Isa 34:8,
61:2, 63:4, Jer 46:10.)
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The day of vengeance is the period when the wrath of God is unleashed. But
vengeance for what?
Rev 6:9 .... 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?"
Exactly who kills the prophets?
Matt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who
kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! ...."
'Jerusalem', the literal city, did not kill the prophets, but the people
of God it represented did. In the past the Jewish faith represented
'Jerusalem'. In our time Christianity represents the people of God today.
In the verses quoted we have encountered references to 'the earth'.
This has led many to believe later day prophecy is aimed at the
Gentiles.
Few have realized God is not referring to the literal
or physical earth, but the 'Christian world'.
The following verses illustrate the use of this symbolism. |
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Rev 12:1 .... a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve
stars.
Zeph 3:8 .... all the earth shall be devoured
with the fire of My jealousy.
Isa 24:5 .... broken the everlasting covenant.
:6 Therefore the curse has devoured the
earth, ....
[No covenant exists between Gentiles
and God, the everlasting covenant is
between spiritual Israel and God.]
What about other verses which appear to be discussing Gentiles?
Rev 11:2 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
will tread the holy city underfoot for
forty-two months.
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:18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath
has come, .... |
20:8 and will go out and deceive the nations
which are in the four corners of the
earth, ....
Firstly the Greek word for 'Gentiles' in Rev 11:2 is more commonly
translated 'nations' in the book of Revelation. Rev 11:2 should read
"for it has been given to the nations".
Secondly the promises made to Abraham, and passed on to the sons of
Joseph, encompassed the notion of 'nations'.
Gen 17:5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,
but your name shall be Abraham; for I have
made you a father of many nations.
48:18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so,
my father, for this one is the firstborn;
put your right hand on his head".
:19 But his father refused and said, "I know,
my son, I know. He also shall be great;
but truly his younger brother shall be
greater than he, and his descendants shall
become a multitude of nations."
Are these spiritual nations (major Christian denominations)?
Rom 4:16 .... so that the promise might be sure
to all the seed, not only to those who
are of the law, but also to those who
are of the faith of Abraham, who is the
father of us all
:17 (as it is written, "I have made you a
father of many nations") ....
Gal 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of
faith are sons of Abraham.
:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the nations by faith, preached the
gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying,
"In you all the nations shall be blessed".
In a spiritual tribulation, where peoples faith is decimated, true
Gentiles would not be impacted.
How then should the image of Daniel chapter 2 be viewed?
The text of the book of Daniel clearly discusses the Gentile kingdoms
of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. The fourth kingdom is left vague.
Is the fourth kingdom religious? Is the whole image merely a cryptic
representation of another entity?
In summary, could the desolation be spiritual? Yes it could be, but this
precept has not previously been considered by most people.
Scripture commands us to 'watch'!
Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you
may be counted worthy to escape all these
things that will come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of Man.
Should we 'watch' for a physical form of devastation or a spiritual form
of devastation???
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