- Seven Years Tribulation
- The Book of Revelation
- Revelation 1 to 3 – The Seven Churches.
- Revelation 4 to 5 – The judgement of Christ.
- Revelation 6 to 19:10 – The Tribulation.
- Revelation 19:11-21 – The Second coming of Christ (War of Armageddon).
- Revelation 20 – The Millennium reign of Christ
- Revelation 21 & 22 – The new heaven and new earth (Eternity with Christ).
Teaching –
- The Seven Seals, Trumpets and Bowls.
- The Rapture of the Church.
- Preaching – The Salvation plan of God
- The Seven Seals, Trumpets and Bowls.
- Why Seven Years Tribulation?
- Spur them to repent and turn to God (Revelation 9:20).
- Separate between those who choose to worship Yahweh God and those who choose to worship the devil.
- Squash evil men of this world through His righteous judgment and wrath.
- God has told us and have warned us!
- Parable of the wise and the foolish builders (Matthew 7:24–7; Luke 6:46–49).
- Parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3–9; Mark 4:3–9; Luke 8:5–8).
- Parable of the rich ruler (Luke 12:16–21).
- Parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24–30).
- Parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6–9).
- Parable of the Talent (Matthew 25:14-30).
- Parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
- Parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46).
- The Rapture of the Church.
- What is “Rapture”?
- “Rapture” (noun/verb): Harpazo (Greek)
- To remove suddenly or snatch away (John 6:15; Acts 8:39 & 23:10; Jude 23).
- To steal or plunder (Matthew 11:12, 12:29, 13:19; John 10:12, 28 & 29).
- To be caught up to heaven… Paul was caught up to third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) and Christ’s ascension to heaven (Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.)
Different teachings about the rapture of the church:
- Pre-Tribulation
- Mid-Tribulation
- Post-Tribulation
- Pre-Wrath
- One important note when considering these few views about the rapture of the Church, and that is to stop fighting over it. While there may be concern about the implications of which we believe in; for example, some cited that Pre-Tribulation believers tend to be complacent since they believe before the tribulation, they will be taken out of this world. Of course, this can be true, however, we can presume all will live a complacent life just because of having this conviction. Similarly, there will probably be those who believe in post-tribulation, still lives in a carnal lifestyle.
Pre-Tribulation
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-1713But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
- Revelation 3:10 – Kept from the hour of testing.
- Revelation 6-18 – The church is not mentioned.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – Comfort one another; What comfort if we have to go through tribulation?
- Ephesians 2:8-10 – Salvation is purely by grace while we agreed that our reward/s or the lack of it, is judge by works and life.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 – The righteous are taken and the wicked are left behind.
- Matthew 13:30 & 49 – The wicked are taken first and the righteous are left behind. These verses point to two separate events, the Rapture and the Second Coming.
Mid-Tribulation
- Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).
- Daniel 9:27 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. 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.”
- Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
- Matthew 24:16-20 16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
- Matthew 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.
Post-Tribulation
- Matthew 24:29-31 states that the rapture happens after the Great Tribulation. (Pre-Trib. argued that this passage referred to the Jews/elect).
- Parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43 the wicked and good are harvested as one simultaneous event, not two separated events by seven years. Verse 30 “First gather together the tares (the wicket) and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” This passage made it clear that the wheat is not harvested before the tares.
- I Thessalonians 4:15-18 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
- “Remain”: Perileipo (Greek) also mean “survive.”
2. Preaching – The Salvation plan of God
- Philippians 2:12-16 12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.