Tribulation Of The Last Days!
Written: April, 2010
This is not gloom and doom!
This is peace to all persons of goodwill...
(Luke 2:10-14)

If you perceive our terrible world conditions are worse than anything humankind has ever faced, you are wise. You should also know Jesus said it's going to get worse... Perhaps most importantly, Christ also lets you foreknow the happy ending...? (Luke 17:26-30; Mat 24:37-39) It is God's work. (Acts 17:29-31) You can't stop the tribulation, but the happy part is, Jesus said the righteous can survive it! (1 Pet 3:20 of 15-22; John 11:25-26)

What was Jesus talking about when he mentioned a coming "tribulation," and then tied it to the "last days"? (Mat 24:3; Mat 13:39) We will first consider a very brief overview of the Bible's reference to tribulation; followed by a more detailed consideration including scriptures that help us understand "Armageddon." Please consider at the start: Armageddon is actually God's final solution to bring the end of the "tribulation," and, Jesus promised Armageddon is a good thing for his followers. (Luke 21:28) Armageddon is not a physical location but a marked and identifiable state of mind in each and every individual (identifiable only by God, of course). The tribulation and resulting Armageddon are not a good thing in the mind of those who refuse to publicly welcome Christ as God's appointed King. (Luke 19:27; Psa 2:12) Armageddon is God's war to destroy all the wicked forever. (Rev 16:14-16; Rev 19:11-18)

Overview: Tribulation is a time of trouble the Bible foretold would come upon mankind during a period it refers to as "the last days." Rather than being a plague brought by God, (James 1:13) the troubles of tribulation are brought by mankind's disobedience to God; being, in large measure, a direct result of humankind's abuse of the earth and of their fellowman. (Pro 5:21-23; Pro 19:3) The Bible teaches God has actually been holding back the destruction identified as the tribulation; (Revelation 7:1-3) so as to allow as many as possible from among mankind to repent and gain life. As wicked or ignorant individuals and groups continue to assert good is bad and bad is good, (Isaiah 5:20-23) and in so doing refuse God's counsel, conditions will continue to get worse because of that disobedience. God is the one, you see, teaching us to benefit ourselves. (Isaiah 48:17) What is to be done, however, with those who refuse to listen... (Mat 17:5 & John 1:12 & 8:26 & 15:15)

Humans are not Creators. We can only learn. So... People can only learn what they are exposed to, and the only good which men are exposed to comes primarily from God's word. Individuals can only learn to be upright by being exposed to others who are upright. (Pro 27:17; 1 John 4:19; 1 Cor 15:33) Mankind can not learn to be loving toward others by being exposed to hatred. (Mat 5:43-48; Rom 12:17-21) Conditions in the earth are becoming so harsh and violent, because of the lack of integrity and the resultant expression of hate, it will soon reach (or has reached) a point where nothing good can be produced from society; just as it was in Noah's day. (Genesis 6:5) (A black 6 year old recently took a gun to school and shot his white 24 year old teacher through her outstretched hand and into her chest as she pleaded with him... Did someone put him up to that or is he just wicked? If others took advantage of an ignorant boy, they are likely cowardly liars who hide who they are? Only God can know how to fix problems like that... - 2 Kings 2:23-25) Such worsening world conditions, continuing unchecked, are putting people under so much duress it's hard to even think clearly and make any effort to be righteous. (Ecclesiastes 7:7) At what the Bible calls the time of the end, (Mat 24:3; Mat 13:39) then, during this period of tribulation brought upon mankind by our own disobedience to God, [and when the earth has once again become filled with violence as in Noah's day, (Gen 6:13; Mat 24:37-39)] God will act: The angels who have been holding back (restraining) the destruction (of the tribulation) are told to let it go. (Rev 7:1~14) Without those angels holding back the winds of destruction, the "tribulation" will start rapidly to run its course. It is likely doing so right now. For those who have developed faith in the Christ and his teachings, their faith will protect them to survive the tribulation according to God's purpose. (Heb 10:39; Job 33:18 & 22 & 24-25 & 28-29) Jesus said it was the word he had spoken which would judge us all. (John 12:48) With Jesus's words in our ears, then, we exercise faith; or, we  fail  refuse to do so. Christ was fond of saying: "Go in peace, your faith has made you well." (Mark 5:34) He would also say, "May it happen to you according to your faith." (Mat 9:29 ; Matthew 8:13) According to the Bible, then, a good conscience based upon faith in Jesus's teachings will allow individuals to have faith which can act as a conduit for God's holy spirit. (John 16:23) God's spirit can, in turn, protect and preserve alive those who are faithful. The indiscriminate destruction that is the tribulation will fall on all those who have not sought protection through faith in Christ Jesus, such faith becoming the mark in their foreheads for preservation. (Eze 9:4) Soon, during this period of tribulation and while God is protecting the righteous, all who remain alive will be those who have faith for protection, along with some who have survived by chance or good fortune, or even by their own wicked hand; but, having survived without faith and therefore without God's protection. Some who have survived may thus be wicked. The wicked will note the life of loving kindness being enjoyed by those who have faith in Christ. (Eze 38:8-39:10) They will then desire to kill and take from the righteous, just as the wicked have always done. (John 7:19b-24; John 15:20b-21) In those end of days, then, when the wicked reach out for the final time against the righteous; (Like a little boy trained to shoot his first grade teacher...? - 2 Kings 2:19-25) reach out against those they don't realize are being protected by God, it will bring about the end of the tribulation in what the Bible refers to as Armageddon. (Zechariah 2:7-11) Armageddon, however, will not be indiscriminate. It is the war in which Christ and the angels (Revelation 19:11-16) specifically target and kill every single person not marked in their forehead for survival. Survivors have marked themselves mentally by resting their hope in Christ through faith. (Eze 9:4) Please think... Survivors are people who truly "believe" they are being protected. Being repentant [having the repentant attitude that drives individuals toward faith - the faith which is the mark in their forehead for salvation], does not mean simply having a fear of dying. It means we must be joined to Jesus in recognizing all his Father's ways are perfect. (Romans 4:24 ; John 5:19; John 4:34 ; John 5:36 ; Deuteronomy 32:4) We must thus be determined never to disobey our Father under any circumstance; just as Jesus is determined never to do. (Matthew 26:39; Hebrews 10:5-7 ; Mark 10:18) We must recognize from the evidence presented over 6000 years of Bible recorded history, that any disobedience to God is a turning toward badness. We must recognize that any disobedience to God will always harm someone. We must be people who can be trusted never again to cause the same kinds of problems that led us to (and caused) this tribulation. We are likely far into the tribulation today. Those who have faith, then, can hope in protection and salvation (Luke 21:28) as they are delivered into paradise. (Isaiah 11:3-9; Matthew 24:36-39 ; 1 Peter 3:20)

Please click this link for a more in depth scriptural consideration of the tribulation and the war of Armageddon ("God's war" to bring the end of the tribulation).


Use browser "Back Arrow" or "Alt+Left_Arrow" keys to previous page.   |   Home Page