ESCHATOLOGY
C. To B IND S ATAN
II. THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE REVELATION Having now discussed the events connected with Christ’s coming into the air
and his coming to the earth, we must next deal briefly with the period between these two events. This period is the tribulation. We know, of course, that believers must through many tribulations “enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22) ; but there is, besides this common experience of Chris- tians, a future period of tribulation. In Dan. 12: 1 it is spoken of as “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation”; in Matt. 24:21 it is described as “a great tribulation”; in Luke 21:34 it is referred to as “that day”; Rev. 3: 10 speaks of it as “the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth”; and
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in Rev. 7:14 we read of those who had “come out of the great tribulation.”
In the Old Testament it is referred to as the “time of Jacob’s distress” (Jer.
3O:7) and the time of God’s indignation with the inhabitants of the earth (Isa. 24:17-21; 26:20f.; 34:1-3). That the tribulation period will come be- tween the two phases of Christ’s coming appears from a study of the whole program of the future. It will close with Christ’s return in glory (Matt.
24:29f.).
A. THE DURATION OF THE PERIOD
We are nowhere told in so many words just how long the period will be, though we are told that for the elect’s sake the days will be shortened (Matt.
24:22). There are, however, some things that indicate that the time is seven years. Whatever be the method of calculating the seventy weeks in Dan.
9:24-27, it is clear that they began with Nehemiah’s return and the rebuild- ing of the walls and city of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1-8; Dan. 9:25). It is clear also that the sixty-ninth week ended with the crucifixion of the Messiah (Dan.
9:26) and that there is a break in the succession of weeks. The destruction of the city and sanctuary in A.D. 70, and the repetition of wars and desolations reaching to the end, come between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth weeks.
To many it seems perfectly clear that the seventieth week is still future and that it is the tribulation period. It seems clear that a “week” in Daniel’s chronology is seven years. If, therefore, the seventieth week represents the tribulation period, then we can assume that it will last for seven years. In harmony with this, the latter half of the period is elsewhere referred to as “a time, times, and half a time” (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12: 14), as “forty-two months” (Rev. 11:2; 13:5), and as 1,260 days (Rev. 11:3; 12:6; cf. Dan.
12: llf.). This is perhaps all that can be said about the duration of this period.
B. THE NATURE OF THE PERIOD
The Scriptures have a great deal to say about the nature of this period. Let us briefly look at some of the aspects of the tribulation period.
1. The political aspects. The political aspects are indicated especially in Daniel and Revelation. Dan. 2:31-43 pictures “the times of the Gentiles”
(Luke 21: 24), and the following two verses (vss. 44f.), the millennial king- dom. After the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman periods, the final form of the Roman Empire appears with its ten cooperating kings. In Dan. 7:1-28 this same prediction occurs under the figure of four beasts. The last one, with its ten horns, represents the final form of the Roman Empire with its ten kings. Rev. 13:1-IO gives this same prophecy, except that the horns now have crowns, suggesting that the time of their power has come. In
The Second Coming of Christ: The Purpose of His Coming 361 Rev. 17:1-18 this same beast is dominated by the adulterous woman, evi- dently a religious system. Rev. 19:17-21 describes the end of this empire.
From all this, one can conclude that during the tribulation period there will be a federated political world, developed chiefly from the Old Roman Em- pire, within which will be ten cooperating kingdoms. This rule will be auto- cratic and blasphemous. At first the religious system of those days will dominate the government, but after a time the ten kings will destroy it, and then great persecutions will be introduced against the believers of that time.
But the emperor and his associates will be destroyed at the return of Christ, and their kingdom will give way to the kingdom which Christ will establish.
2. The religious aspect. The religious aspect may be ascertained from such Scriptures as Dan. 11:36-39; John 5:43; 2 Thess. 2:6-12; Rev. 13:11-18;
and 17:1-17. Jesus predicted that another would come in his own name and that the Jews would accept him. This is one of the beasts in Rev. 13:1-18.
The word “antichrist” occurs but five times in the New Testament (1 John 2: 18,22 ; 4:3 ; 2 John 7), and since the term is used of the personal antichrist only once or twice, it is better to use the more frequent terms used of the actors of the end-time. We have already indicated that in Rev. 17:1-6 the false religious system is seen riding the beast. This may be a federation of all the apostates who will pass into the tribulation. As noted earlier, at the begin- ning of this period, this false system, the harlot, will dominate the government.
When in the midst of it the emperor breaks his covenant with the Jews and forbids the offering of sacrifices (Dan. 9:27), the ten kings will hate the harlot, cast her off, and destroy her (Rev. 17:16f.). From that time on, all will be required to worship the beast (Rev. 13:4-8), and the second beast will set out to force the world to do so (Rev. 13: 11-17). He will use deception and lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-12; Rev. 13:13) and force (Rev. 13:7, 15; cf.
6:9-11; 20:4), persecuting those who will not worship the beast nor take his name (Rev. 13: 16f .). He will require all to take the mark of the beast and will not allow any to buy or sell unless they take this mark. It is clear that in those days multitudes will be slain for the Word of God and the testimony which they hold. But with the coming of Christ and the destruction of the leaders and their armies, the whole religious system of the end-time will come to nought.
3. The lsraelitish aspect. God has not cast away his people; even today there is a remnant according to the election of grace (Rom. 11: l-5). But what is more than that, God will once again take up Israel as a people, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29). It is impossible to go fully into this most interesting and important subject; we can only note the facts in outline form.
Israel is to return to Palestine, but it is clear that she will do so in unbelief.
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It is after their return that the Israelites will be converted (Ezek. 37:1-14). In recent years there has been a determined effort on the part of many of the Jews to return to Palestine. This will go on until the emperor of the restored Roman Empire will make a covenant with them for seven years, allowing them to restore the sacrifices in their rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. But this prince will break his covenant in the midst of the week and cause the sac- rifices and oblations to cease (Dan. 9:27). Somewhere in this period, perhaps just before the second half of it begins, God will have 144,000 Israelites sealed in their foreheads (Rev. 7:1-8). This, no doubt, indicates that they have now accepted Christ as their Messiah. This is but a remnant of Israel, and the sealing is for the purpose of their protection during the tribulation judgments that are yet to come. Then Satan will be cast out of heaven and will persecute Israel. But the earth will help the Israelites and swallow up the armies which Satan sends after them (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12: 1; Rev. 12). Follow- ing the abolition of the sacrifices, the beast will set up an image in the temple, spoken of as “the abomination of desolation” (Dan. 12: 11; Matt. 24:15;
Rev. 13 : 14f. ; cf. 2 Thess. 2 :4). Then will follow further persecution of the Jews. Probably this refers to the persecution of those who were converted under the ministry of the two witnesses (Rev. 11: l-7; 12:17). And finally, we have the persecution of all Israel in Palestine (Zech. 12:1-9; 13:8f.; 14:1- 5). It is noteworthy that Israel’s deliverance and salvation will take place in her darkest hour. Christ will come and the Jews will see him. Then they will mourn for him, plunge into the fountain for sin and uncleanness, and be- come a new nation (Zech. 12: lo-13:2). God will save all Israel surviving these judgments (Rom. 11:25-27).
4. The economic aspect. The economic aspect of this period appears in Rev.
13: 16-18 and 18: l-24. Buying and selling will be regulated on the basis of emperor-worship. Commerce will be glorified above everything else, and a great emporium city will be erected for that purpose. Babylon, the name given this city will be the great mercantile city of the world. But God will take note of all the oppressions of his people and will judge the great city in one hour. Heaven will rejoice when God judges this wicked woman and this wicked city (Rev. 19:1-5).
C. THE CHIEF ACTOR OF THE PERIOD
The person and work of Satan in general has already been considered; now it is in order to look at his part in the program of the future. He has something to do with the revival of the Roman Empire. In Dan. 7:2f. we are told that the winds stirred up the great sea and that, as a result, the four beasts emerged. Rev. 13:l states that the dragon stood upon the sand of the seashore, and a beast came forth out of the sea. He it is who is back of all this
The Second Coming of Christ: The Purpose of His Coming 363 movement for world federation, of which the unannounced purpose is the banishment of the faith from the earth. It is he who gives his power, throne, and great authority to the beast (Rev. 13:24). Thus, this monarch will be Satan-energized and Satan-empowered, and no one will be able to make war with him. Again, he will at first direct affairs from heaven, but in due time will be cast down to the earth (Rev. 12 : 7-13 ; cf. Luke 10 : 18). Knowing that his time is short, he will hate and persecute Israel with great fierceness (Rev.
12: 13-17). His methods of operation will be deception, lying, signs, and fire from heaven (2 Thess. 2:9-U; Rev. 13:13-15). He will even institute devil and demon worship (Rev. 9:2O; 13:4). It may be that this will take the form of idolatry. And finally, Satan will incite the kings of the whole earth to gather together for the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:12-16; 19:11-21).
Thus, we see that the tribulation will be in a true sense the hour and power of darkness.
CHAPTER XL11
The Time of His Coming: Premillennial
Jesus said, “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Mark 13:32) and, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own author- ity” (Acts 1: 7). Yet he criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees because they knew how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the times they could not discern (Matt. 16:3); and he asked them to learn from the fig tree that when it puts forth leaves, summer is nigh (Matt. 24:32f.). The men of Issachar are praised because they “understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chron. 12:32). Thus, the believer is to know in general as to the time, but not in particular. In general the answer is that his coming is imminent; he may come at any time (Matt. 24:36; 25: 13 ; Mark 13 :32 ; 1 Thess. 4: 16f. ; Titus 2: 13). If the time had been definitely an- nounced from the first, the church would have lost the incentive to watch- fulness that is afforded it by the uncertainty of the time of this event.
We shall not enter into the question of the signs of his coming, since they deal more directly with his coming to earth than with his coming in the air.
But we shall take up the two questions of outstanding importance: Will he come before the millennium? and will he come before the tribulation? To some extent the answers to both questions have already been anticipated, but it is necessary here to consider the questions in greater detail. In this chapter we shall consider the first question and show that his coming will be premil- lennial.