WHEN THE CHURCH IS GONE (Part II)

I THESS. 4:13-18,   II THESS 1:7-10

In the first part of this message I began by explaining that the two scriptures we just read refer to two different events. One refers to the rapture of the Church, where Jesus comes back and gathers both dead and alive Christians together with Him in the air and takes them back to Heaven with Him. The other refers to the Second Coming of the Lord to Earth where Jesus will come to set up His kingdom here on the Earth. We also explained that there is about a seven year period between the first event and the second event and we began to address some of the things that would be happening on the earth during the period after the rapture of the church. Most of what we looked at was recorded in the Book of Revelation, which is the revelation that God the Father gave to Jesus about the end times. Jesus then showed these things to John and commanded him to write them down.

REV. 5:1 - Here we see a scroll sealed with 7 seals and as Jesus opened each of the 7 seals we saw various events and catastrophes happen in and to the earth. With the first seal we saw the rise of a new world leader. The second seal depicts a great war believed to be between those who side with the new world leader and those who resist him. The third seal depicts a great famine where a man would work all day and earn only enough money for 1 to 3 meals for one person. The fourth seal represents death and hell, associated with war, the famine, disease and mutilation by wild beast. The fifth seal shows the souls of tribulation saints who had been martyred or died since the rapture. The six seal shows a terrible earthquake, the sun turning black and the moon turning red, with stars falling to the earth like ripe fruit falling from a tree. This all happened in Chapter 6.

REV. 6:15-17 - The results of these first 6 seals is that people, both rich and poor, powerful men and common men cried out to die so that they would not have to face any more of the wrath of God. 

REV. 8:1-2 - With the opening of the 7th seal, we see 7 angels standing ready to blow their trumpets. When the first angel sounded, 1/3 of the earth's trees and green grass were burned up because of hail and fire, mingled with blood. When the second angel sounded, volcanic eruptions caused 1/3 of the sea to become like blood, killing 1/3 or the sea life. When the third angel sounded, a star fell from heaven and polluted 1/3 of the earth's drinking water, causing it to become poison. When the 4th angel sounded 1/3 of the daytime hours and 1/3 of the night-time hours were pitch black.  

REV. 8:13 - At this point an angel announces 3 woes on the earth, saying that what was coming was far worse than what had already happened. When the 5th angel sounded we saw creatures that were called locust that came up from the earth out of a bottomless pit. These creatures had the ability to sting a man causing him to be tormented for 5 months. The only people protected from these locusts were the 144,000 Jews who were sealed by God in Chapter 7. This is the first woe.

When the 6th angel sounds we see an army of 200 million creatures who kill men by fire smoke and brimstone that comes out of their mouth. We do not know if this is a human army led by demons, or a demonic army. We do know that 1/3 of the human population is killed. This is the second woe.

This brings us to the end of Chapter 9, where we ended the last time. The beginning of Chapter 10 gives information about some other events that occur throughout this period but are not necessarily associated with either the seal or the trumpet judgments. 

REV. 10:5-7 - The angel warns that when the 7th trumpet begins to sound that there will be no more delay in the fulfillment of the mystery of God. In other word, the sounding of the last trumpet begins the end of God's grace for rebellious man. This is the final period.

In Chapter 11, we are told of two witnesses who preach for 3.5 years, and the special power that they have.

REV. 11:3-14 - These two men preach against the new world leader, his one world government and his one world church. They preach Jesus as Messiah and Lord, who will soon return to complete the wrath of God on rebellious man. During the time of their ministry many Jews will be converted to Christianity. None are allowed to hurt them. But when their time is up they will be killed, allowed to lay dead in the street for 3.5 days and then will be resurrected to life and raptured to Heaven. When these two men are raptured there will be a great earthquake where 7000 people will die.  This earthquake which kills 7000 is the second woe.  This happens when the two witnesses are raptured which marks the end of there 3.5 years on earth.  In other words this earthquake and rapture of the two witnesses marks the end of the first 3.5 years. 

REV. 11:15 - This begins the final 3.5 years of the tribulation period.  Remember the announcement made in Rev. 10:7 (But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.) This begins the end of the period of grace.  At the end of this period the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of God and Christ.

REV. 12:1-5 – What is being talked about in these verses is not something that is happening during this period but rather a previous event.  Imagine that John is watching a viewing screen like a movie screen.  In a part of this movie he is given some history to help him understand what is about to happen.  The woman clothed with the sun represents the nation of Israel (both Judah and Israel).  She is waiting to give birth to her Messiah and the savior of the world (Jesus).  But the child has an enemy, the dragon (who is Satan) waiting to kill him as soon as he is born.  This dragon also has an army made up of 1/3 of the God’s angels who rebelled with Satan.  Jesus was born in this earth, killed, resurrected from the dead, and ascended back to heaven to sit on his throne at the right hand of God.

REV. 12:6 -17 - The woman in this verse still represents Israel. It is during this time that the Jews in particular suffer heavy persecution. (Note that in verse 12 we had the pronouncing of the third woe. This is associated with the fact that Satan and his demons have been cast out of Heaven and to the earth for the last time and he realizes that he has only a little time left.)

MATT. 24:4 -26 - Jesus told the disciples that they would be afflicted and persecuted during this time. It would be so bad that they would turn on one another. The persecution would come on them so quickly that their would be no time to prepare; they would simply have to flee. When was all of this to happen?

MATT. 24:15 – The sign of the coming of this great persecution was when they the Jew saw the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy place (the temple of God).   

II THESS. 2:1-12  - The man of sin in verse 3 is the antichrist who gets his power from the Devil.  The antichrist will declare himself to be God. At this time he will make a statue of himself, called the image of the beast and place it in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This is the abomination of desolation spoken of in Matthew 24:15.  Of course the Jews will not accept this. The antichrist will then declare the Jews to be enemies of the new world order and declare war against them. 

REV. 13:1-18 - (Discuss as you read. [Leopard-Greek, Bear-Medo-Persian, Lion-Babylonian])  

REV. 14:9-11 

REV. 15:1, 16:1-7 - In the first three plagues we see a cancerous sore on all of those who receive the mark of the beast and who worship the beast, the sea turning to blood and the death of all sea creatures, and the drinking water of the earth turned to blood. 

REV. 16:8-12 - In the next three plagues we see men scorched from the heat of the sun, darkness over the kingdom of the beast and a drought that dries up the Euphrates, in preparation for Armageddon. This is a terrible time. Men are in such terrible pain that they chewed on their tongues to distract themselves from the pain in other parts of their body. 

REV. 16:17-21 - This final plague is a great earthquake which crumbled cities. Also at this time hail stones weighing about 114 pounds fell from Heaven upon men. With all that has happened, rather than turning to God men continued to blaspheme God. 

REV. 16:13-16 - These demonic spirits are seen coming out of the beast, the dragon and the false prophet. The spirits go forth unto the leaders of the new world, trying to recruit their help at the battle of Armageddon.