Post by Shepherd1 on Jan 9, 2008 14:10:01 GMT -5
Is there to be a 7 year tribulation soon? Is this a Biblical fact? Or is this a lie of Antichrist to hide the truth? The holocaust of the Jewish nation was a intensely evil event indeed. Over 6 million men women and children were slaughtered simply because Satan was able to convince a few of his own to kill them. A time that has been burned into history for all time! One would think that this has to be the most Satanic thing mankind has ever done to its fellow man under the direction of the devil. Sadly I must say, this is not the worst that has ever occurred.
Revelation 13:5 speaks of this time as forty two months. "...and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." The forty two months of Rev 13:5 and the "time, and time and dividing a time" of Daniel 7:25 equal the same thing. 42 months = "3 1/2 years" A "time (one year) and times (+ two years) and the dividing of time, (+ half a year ) = three and a half years, or forty two months (12+24 + 6 = 42 months) And then Revelation 12:6 confirms this when it says that the church of Jesus would hide in the wilderness for exactly 1260 days. 42 months, or 3 and a half years equals 1260 days. Still, some will say that 42 months does NOT equal 1260 days because all our months do not equal 30 days each. The fact here is, prophecy speaks of Biblical months. To understand the forty and two months, or the time, and time and diving a time, that the beast will reign, we must first find the method of time the Bible declares for prophecy. God says in Ezekiel 4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year" And we also find the Bible acknowledges a month to be 30 days long. Because in, Genesis 7:11 we see the rain started on the 17 day of the 2nd month and in Genesis 8:3,4 we find the water receded at the end of 150 days, then it says the ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month. That's exactly 5 months to the day. If we divide the 150 days by the 5 months you get 30 days per month. So 42 months multiplied by 30 equals 1260. And according to Ezekiel 4:6, that's 1260 years that Papal Rome would reign.
Historical records reveal the papacy began its reign in 538 AD upon Emperor Justinian's decree, and under the military protection of Belisarius. And the Bible says the beast will rule for EXACTLY 1260 years before receiving a mortal wound. Now it's just a matter of simple mathematics. It is also a grand method by which to see the Lord glorified. If the prophecy is correct, 1260 years after 538 AD the Beast must receive a mortal wound. If you add 1260 years to the beginning year for the Roman Catholic church, 538 AD, you will arrive in the year 1798 AD. So, according to the Bible we are told the first reign of the Beast will last till the year 1798 . So, did it end in 1798, and how? First understand, according to the prophecy, we learn that, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword..." Revelation 13:10.
The prophecy is telling us that the beast would be destroyed with the sword (sword = military) at the end of its reign of exactly 1260 years. Did this happen to Papal Rome in 1798...? YES IT DID! On February 10th Napoleon Bonaparte in that EXACT year 1798 A.D. sent his General Louis Alexandre Berthier, with his army into Rome, Italy. It is recorded... "In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one." -Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition
That's Exactly 42 prophetic months, or 1260 years, or a time, and time, and dividing a time after the Papacy began its powerful reign that the Pope "shall go into captivity" by the military! By the way, shortly after his captivity the Pope did in fact die, in exile.
Historic fact is, the total of Christians killed by the Roman Catholic church is at least 20 times greater than the 6 million killed by Hitler and the Catholic church! Over 150 MILLION Christians lost their lives in the most horrendous ways known to man during the time Jesus prophesied to be the GREAT TRIBULATION in Matthew 24. The Antichrist killed these followers of Christ in a bevy of torturous ways. This beast boiled in oil, burned alive, sawed in half, buried alive, skinned alive, crushed to death, stretched to death, hanged, impaled, drawn and quartered, drowned, cast off cliffs millions of Christians. Many were tortured in ways that would bring tears to even the hardest hearts. Yet many preachers today declare unto all that this day is soon in coming? They are in essence declaring Jesus lied, and those 150 million could not have been what He meant. In fact, they declare that Jesus will come back and secretly remove all the Christians and leave the rest behind to deal with 7 years of tribulation. Is this true? Can the Bible confirm this? Or will the Bible expose this as a lie?
Before going further, I must make it known why the Beast has lied about a 7 year tribulation. You must understand the main reason this is occurring. The real culprit of these deaths is a master at making certain historical facts difficult to find. It has to do this so the world won't know who really did kill these 150 MILLION Christians under direct orders of Hell. They must do this so they can appear holy in the eyes of those it has sitting in its pews. It has openly lied about these historic facts for hundreds of years to its church goers as well as those outside this Synagogue of Satan. However, just recently, Pope John Paul II did in fact admit that the Roman Catholic church killed over 150 million men women and children because they would not embrace Catholicism over and above the faith of Jesus Christ they learned of in the Bible. The "Mea Culpa" of John Paul II actually was an actual admission to those that DO read their Bibles that the Vatican is truly the home of Antichrist. The Bible says only one entity will kill the children of the Lord in such a grand scale as this. Sad thing is, most of the world does not read their Bibles. And most of those that do, don't understand prophecy, so when the Pope admitted to doing what the Word says Antichrist would do, THEY TOTALLY MISSED IT! They only saw a weak frail old man asking for forgiveness. The worldly Christians missed that completely! The Pope actually admitted his church did what prophecy stated ANTICHRIST WOULD DO during the time Jesus describes as the Great Tribulation! The Pope admitted on March 12, 2000 in his "Mea Culpa" that the Roman Catholic church KILLED THOSE CHRISTIANS!! So... why did the world miss that prophetic fact? Because they can't understand the prophecies that described this Beast. Another reason is, the Devil loves to spit in the face of the Lord. He loves to play his major role as an "accuser of the brethren" to the Father of Creation! He loves to spew out words such as this... "Look! Your Bible openly predicted I would do this act! Look your Bible openly stated I would infiltrate a Christian church as well! And look, I told the whole world, I did what your Bible said I would do! And all your loving Christians embrace me! MOST of your children are ignoring your warnings! Look! I have them where I want them! They truly trust in my man in Rome as your man! He does all that your Bible said he would do for me!! And your children refuse to read their Bibles and see this! Soon I will stand as your Son and they will worship me before your eyes! And to think! They would have all been saved if they only listened TO YOU!"
So, with that in mind, I would first like to share with you a short explanation as to how and why the 7 year tribulation theory got its start.
The Rapture: Rooted in Catholicism
The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church. Every Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation. If the facts of history were known by Protestants today who defend with such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified. Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church as the antichrist of prophecy. In response to those charges, the hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter- interpretations which would turn the onus away from the Catholic Church. In spite of the fact that the two men founded opposing schools of interpretation, their theories have survived to form the basis of most modern Protestant theology today. Not only did they effectively blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the "protest" of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation movement. Modern religious observers were astounded in January, 1984, when men like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell meekly accepted and defended the establishment of United States political ties with the Vatican. Why could those famous Protestant spokesmen see no danger in being allied with the Church of Rome? Because they are deceived, along with millions of others, by the Catholic-contrived theories of those two priests which have almost eclipsed the historic, biblical position of the Reformers. If the spiritual descendants of Luther and Wesley now had the same doctrine which they taught, not a single Lutheran or Methodist would favor any kind of alliance with the papacy today.
Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded the sixteenth century with their counter-Reformation propaganda.Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the Preterist School of prophecy.On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Rivera invented a system known as the Futurist School of interpretation. He taught that the antichrist was to be some future superman who would appear near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half years. It is his clever, unscriptural theory which has been resurrected by modern evangelical Protestant Christians. And today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., hold this anti-Protestant concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of infallible doctrine. Yet, those same denominations claim to be faithful supporters of Protestant theology. Luther and other stalwart protestors against Catholic errors would be astounded if they were suddenly resurrected to hear what is being taught in the name of Protestantism. In the early 1800s the futurist view of Jesuit Ribera passed through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints. For the first time, it was espoused by Protestant teachers who were seeking ways of reconciliation with Rome. Through the influence and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren Church in England, the new doctrine spread to the United States. During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909.
...a concerned Christian
Now I would like to share with you the Words of Jesus Christ Himself as He spoke of the GREAT TRIBULATION. Be prepared to find out something NO ONE has ever told you before! I pray you also understand by the short preface I just shared that there is a reason they hid this from you. They don't want you to be ready for the Lord! Biblical fact is, the children of the Lord DO understand prophecy. That is why Jesus does NOT come as a thief in the night to His child. And here is Biblical proof of that fact...
JESUS COMES AS A THIEF TO THE WICKED:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
JESUS DOES NOT COME AS A THIEF TO THE REMNANT
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."
Most preachers refuse to share those verses with you simply because if they do they fear you will want more information so as to be ready. Problem is, they don't have any more info. In fact, they KNOW they don't have the answers you seek, so they stop short in the Word to prevent you from questioning their message. For example, the "Left Behind" video LIE is infamous for proving this Biblical point. They twist a few verses all throughout the movie to make it appear there will be a 7 year great tribulation. But when it comes time for the great tribulation to begin in the movie, THEY LITERALLY END THE MOVIE!! Why? Because they cannot preach lies using Scripture! You cannot back up man's words with God's Word. It simply can't be done! So, they choose to "suggest" their message, twist a few verses, and then run off.
So... Is there a 7 year tribulation in the future? Or has it already happened? Fact is, IT DID ALREADY OCCUR! Jesus declared "certain prophecies" MUST be fulfilled directly after the great tribulation of Matthew 24. See here the documented proof that THOSE PROPHECIES HAVE IN FACT BEEN FULFILLED!
BIBLICAL & HISTORIC FACTS PROVING THE GREAT TRIBULATION ALREADY OCCURRED
Below is an excerpt from my book, "People Get Ready" that you can read free online, or download absolutely free.
PROPHECY # 1
JESUS SAID BEFORE HE RETURNS, HIS FOLLOWERS IN JERUSALEM MUST FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS, AND THEN JERUSALEM WILL BE DESTROYED
Jesus said in Matthew 24:15,16 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: "
HISTORIC FACT IS...
In A.D.66 when Cestius came against the city, but unaccountably withdrew, the Christians discerned in this the sign foretold by Christ, and fled while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have been killed in the terrible siege in A.D. 70. (The attack of the Roman warrior Titus occurred in 70AD killing the 1,100,000 Jews) Eusebius, Church History, book 3, chap. 5
The Christians living at the time Cestius came against the city and suddenly withdrew understood exactly what was happening. They remembered the prophecy Jesus made in Matthew 24:15,16 and fled to the mountains before the Roman army returned to fulfill that fact. Could it be Cestius was "casing the joint" as we say in today's lingo so as to be ready to do what prophecy said? For whatever reason, the Lord saw fit to warn His children 40 years in advance of this day and they glorified Him by believing and fleeing as He suggested they should. As the history books record we see that the non-believing Jews saw no danger when Cestius stopped by. And because they chose to deny Jesus and ignore His prophecy, they paid for their disbelief with their very lives! 1,100,000 men woman and children DIED that day!!!! They could have all been SAVED had they just believed in this one mere prophecy! Now, think about today and all the prophecies that have been fulfilled over the years. What an honor, to be loved so deeply by the Almighty Creator that He would warn us in advance. These prophecies are genuine. And these prophecies were written to warn you just as they were written to warn the Christians of 70 ad. Are you going to believe in the prophecy of Jesus Christ? Or are you going to be counted along with those 1,100,000 Jewish men women and children that chose to ignore the prophecy of Jesus Christ?
After I read about this as a young Christian I understood the importance of prophecy and why the Lord saw fit to bless us with it. I actually saw two main reasons for His prophecy.
* 1 PROPHECY GLORIFIES THE LORD IN HIS TRUTH
* 2 IT'S THE LORD'S PERFECT METHOD OF WARNING HIS CHILDREN!
When we see the Almighty's prophecy come to light with 100% accuracy, we see a true and awesome Creator who knows all, has created all, and does in fact see all. We also see a God that loves His children so much that He actually writes them a book that shares with them the true and accurate method by which to live and prepare themselves for His eternal Kingdom. Which by the way, is VERY soon in coming as you will soon see.
PROPHECY # 2
THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WILL EXPERIENCE A GREAT PERSECUTION, OR "TRIBULATION" BEFORE HIS RETURN
Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
This Great Tribulation that Jesus speaks of here in Matthew 24 is one prophecy that is so often taken out of context. It is actually taught by some as being at some time in the future. But what about all the history books that record the Dark Ages with such unintentional prophetic accuracy? Are we to assume that this documented period in history is one that should be forgotten, or looked at lightly? Are we supposed to say that over 150 Million Christians slaughtered for their faith in Jesus as being a time in history that isn't recorded in God's Prophetic Word? Does not the book of Revelation speak of a period of persecution? (See my book, "The Second Window" for an in depth look at the truth about this.) Think about it for a moment... All the history books in every library on earth record a period of time with intense religious persecution. Are we suppose to ignore this historic fact?
Under the bloody maxims those persecutions were carried on, from the eleventh and twelfth centuries almost to the present day, which stand out on the page of history. After the signal of open martyrdom had been given in the canons of Orleans, there followed the extirpation of the Albigenses, under the form of a crusade, the establishment of the inquisition, the cruel attempts to extinguish the Waldenses, the martyrdoms of the Lollards, the cruel wars to exterminate the Bohemians, the burning of Huss and Jerome, and multitudes of other confessors, before the Reformation; and afterwards, the ferocious cruelties practised in the Netherlands, the martyrdoms of queen Mary's reign, the extinction, by fire and sword, of the reformation in Spain and Italy, by fraud and open persecution in Poland, the massacre of Bartholomew, the persecution of the Huguenots by the League,... and all the cruelties and perjuries connected with the revocation of the edict of Nantz [Nantes]. These are the more open and conspicuous facts which explain the prophecy, besides the slow and secret murders of the holy tribunal of the inquisition. -Rev. T. R. BIRKS, M.A., The Four Prophetic Empires, and the Kingdom of Messiah (1845 ed.) pp. 248, 249
The church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a compentant knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitudes of victims, and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their sufferings. -W.E.H. LECKY, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (Reprint; New York: Braziller, 1955) Vol.2 pp. 40-45
Revelation 13:5 speaks of this time as forty two months. "...and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." The forty two months of Rev 13:5 and the "time, and time and dividing a time" of Daniel 7:25 equal the same thing. 42 months = "3 1/2 years" A "time (one year) and times (+ two years) and the dividing of time, (+ half a year ) = three and a half years, or forty two months (12+24 + 6 = 42 months) And then Revelation 12:6 confirms this when it says that the church of Jesus would hide in the wilderness for exactly 1260 days. 42 months, or 3 and a half years equals 1260 days. Still, some will say that 42 months does NOT equal 1260 days because all our months do not equal 30 days each. The fact here is, prophecy speaks of Biblical months. To understand the forty and two months, or the time, and time and diving a time, that the beast will reign, we must first find the method of time the Bible declares for prophecy. God says in Ezekiel 4:6 "I have appointed thee each day for a year" And we also find the Bible acknowledges a month to be 30 days long. Because in, Genesis 7:11 we see the rain started on the 17 day of the 2nd month and in Genesis 8:3,4 we find the water receded at the end of 150 days, then it says the ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month. That's exactly 5 months to the day. If we divide the 150 days by the 5 months you get 30 days per month. So 42 months multiplied by 30 equals 1260. And according to Ezekiel 4:6, that's 1260 years that Papal Rome would reign.
Historical records reveal the papacy began its reign in 538 AD upon Emperor Justinian's decree, and under the military protection of Belisarius. And the Bible says the beast will rule for EXACTLY 1260 years before receiving a mortal wound. Now it's just a matter of simple mathematics. It is also a grand method by which to see the Lord glorified. If the prophecy is correct, 1260 years after 538 AD the Beast must receive a mortal wound. If you add 1260 years to the beginning year for the Roman Catholic church, 538 AD, you will arrive in the year 1798 AD. So, according to the Bible we are told the first reign of the Beast will last till the year 1798 . So, did it end in 1798, and how? First understand, according to the prophecy, we learn that, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword..." Revelation 13:10.
The prophecy is telling us that the beast would be destroyed with the sword (sword = military) at the end of its reign of exactly 1260 years. Did this happen to Papal Rome in 1798...? YES IT DID! On February 10th Napoleon Bonaparte in that EXACT year 1798 A.D. sent his General Louis Alexandre Berthier, with his army into Rome, Italy. It is recorded... "In 1798 General Berthier made his entrance into Rome, abolished the papal government, and established a secular one." -Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition
That's Exactly 42 prophetic months, or 1260 years, or a time, and time, and dividing a time after the Papacy began its powerful reign that the Pope "shall go into captivity" by the military! By the way, shortly after his captivity the Pope did in fact die, in exile.
Historic fact is, the total of Christians killed by the Roman Catholic church is at least 20 times greater than the 6 million killed by Hitler and the Catholic church! Over 150 MILLION Christians lost their lives in the most horrendous ways known to man during the time Jesus prophesied to be the GREAT TRIBULATION in Matthew 24. The Antichrist killed these followers of Christ in a bevy of torturous ways. This beast boiled in oil, burned alive, sawed in half, buried alive, skinned alive, crushed to death, stretched to death, hanged, impaled, drawn and quartered, drowned, cast off cliffs millions of Christians. Many were tortured in ways that would bring tears to even the hardest hearts. Yet many preachers today declare unto all that this day is soon in coming? They are in essence declaring Jesus lied, and those 150 million could not have been what He meant. In fact, they declare that Jesus will come back and secretly remove all the Christians and leave the rest behind to deal with 7 years of tribulation. Is this true? Can the Bible confirm this? Or will the Bible expose this as a lie?
Before going further, I must make it known why the Beast has lied about a 7 year tribulation. You must understand the main reason this is occurring. The real culprit of these deaths is a master at making certain historical facts difficult to find. It has to do this so the world won't know who really did kill these 150 MILLION Christians under direct orders of Hell. They must do this so they can appear holy in the eyes of those it has sitting in its pews. It has openly lied about these historic facts for hundreds of years to its church goers as well as those outside this Synagogue of Satan. However, just recently, Pope John Paul II did in fact admit that the Roman Catholic church killed over 150 million men women and children because they would not embrace Catholicism over and above the faith of Jesus Christ they learned of in the Bible. The "Mea Culpa" of John Paul II actually was an actual admission to those that DO read their Bibles that the Vatican is truly the home of Antichrist. The Bible says only one entity will kill the children of the Lord in such a grand scale as this. Sad thing is, most of the world does not read their Bibles. And most of those that do, don't understand prophecy, so when the Pope admitted to doing what the Word says Antichrist would do, THEY TOTALLY MISSED IT! They only saw a weak frail old man asking for forgiveness. The worldly Christians missed that completely! The Pope actually admitted his church did what prophecy stated ANTICHRIST WOULD DO during the time Jesus describes as the Great Tribulation! The Pope admitted on March 12, 2000 in his "Mea Culpa" that the Roman Catholic church KILLED THOSE CHRISTIANS!! So... why did the world miss that prophetic fact? Because they can't understand the prophecies that described this Beast. Another reason is, the Devil loves to spit in the face of the Lord. He loves to play his major role as an "accuser of the brethren" to the Father of Creation! He loves to spew out words such as this... "Look! Your Bible openly predicted I would do this act! Look your Bible openly stated I would infiltrate a Christian church as well! And look, I told the whole world, I did what your Bible said I would do! And all your loving Christians embrace me! MOST of your children are ignoring your warnings! Look! I have them where I want them! They truly trust in my man in Rome as your man! He does all that your Bible said he would do for me!! And your children refuse to read their Bibles and see this! Soon I will stand as your Son and they will worship me before your eyes! And to think! They would have all been saved if they only listened TO YOU!"
So, with that in mind, I would first like to share with you a short explanation as to how and why the 7 year tribulation theory got its start.
The Rapture: Rooted in Catholicism
The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church. Every Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation. If the facts of history were known by Protestants today who defend with such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified. Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church as the antichrist of prophecy. In response to those charges, the hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter- interpretations which would turn the onus away from the Catholic Church. In spite of the fact that the two men founded opposing schools of interpretation, their theories have survived to form the basis of most modern Protestant theology today. Not only did they effectively blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the "protest" of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation movement. Modern religious observers were astounded in January, 1984, when men like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell meekly accepted and defended the establishment of United States political ties with the Vatican. Why could those famous Protestant spokesmen see no danger in being allied with the Church of Rome? Because they are deceived, along with millions of others, by the Catholic-contrived theories of those two priests which have almost eclipsed the historic, biblical position of the Reformers. If the spiritual descendants of Luther and Wesley now had the same doctrine which they taught, not a single Lutheran or Methodist would favor any kind of alliance with the papacy today.
Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded the sixteenth century with their counter-Reformation propaganda.Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the Preterist School of prophecy.On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Rivera invented a system known as the Futurist School of interpretation. He taught that the antichrist was to be some future superman who would appear near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half years. It is his clever, unscriptural theory which has been resurrected by modern evangelical Protestant Christians. And today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., hold this anti-Protestant concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of infallible doctrine. Yet, those same denominations claim to be faithful supporters of Protestant theology. Luther and other stalwart protestors against Catholic errors would be astounded if they were suddenly resurrected to hear what is being taught in the name of Protestantism. In the early 1800s the futurist view of Jesuit Ribera passed through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints. For the first time, it was espoused by Protestant teachers who were seeking ways of reconciliation with Rome. Through the influence and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren Church in England, the new doctrine spread to the United States. During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909.
...a concerned Christian
Now I would like to share with you the Words of Jesus Christ Himself as He spoke of the GREAT TRIBULATION. Be prepared to find out something NO ONE has ever told you before! I pray you also understand by the short preface I just shared that there is a reason they hid this from you. They don't want you to be ready for the Lord! Biblical fact is, the children of the Lord DO understand prophecy. That is why Jesus does NOT come as a thief in the night to His child. And here is Biblical proof of that fact...
JESUS COMES AS A THIEF TO THE WICKED:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
JESUS DOES NOT COME AS A THIEF TO THE REMNANT
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."
Most preachers refuse to share those verses with you simply because if they do they fear you will want more information so as to be ready. Problem is, they don't have any more info. In fact, they KNOW they don't have the answers you seek, so they stop short in the Word to prevent you from questioning their message. For example, the "Left Behind" video LIE is infamous for proving this Biblical point. They twist a few verses all throughout the movie to make it appear there will be a 7 year great tribulation. But when it comes time for the great tribulation to begin in the movie, THEY LITERALLY END THE MOVIE!! Why? Because they cannot preach lies using Scripture! You cannot back up man's words with God's Word. It simply can't be done! So, they choose to "suggest" their message, twist a few verses, and then run off.
So... Is there a 7 year tribulation in the future? Or has it already happened? Fact is, IT DID ALREADY OCCUR! Jesus declared "certain prophecies" MUST be fulfilled directly after the great tribulation of Matthew 24. See here the documented proof that THOSE PROPHECIES HAVE IN FACT BEEN FULFILLED!
BIBLICAL & HISTORIC FACTS PROVING THE GREAT TRIBULATION ALREADY OCCURRED
Below is an excerpt from my book, "People Get Ready" that you can read free online, or download absolutely free.
PROPHECY # 1
JESUS SAID BEFORE HE RETURNS, HIS FOLLOWERS IN JERUSALEM MUST FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS, AND THEN JERUSALEM WILL BE DESTROYED
Jesus said in Matthew 24:15,16 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: "
HISTORIC FACT IS...
In A.D.66 when Cestius came against the city, but unaccountably withdrew, the Christians discerned in this the sign foretold by Christ, and fled while 1,100,000 Jews are said to have been killed in the terrible siege in A.D. 70. (The attack of the Roman warrior Titus occurred in 70AD killing the 1,100,000 Jews) Eusebius, Church History, book 3, chap. 5
The Christians living at the time Cestius came against the city and suddenly withdrew understood exactly what was happening. They remembered the prophecy Jesus made in Matthew 24:15,16 and fled to the mountains before the Roman army returned to fulfill that fact. Could it be Cestius was "casing the joint" as we say in today's lingo so as to be ready to do what prophecy said? For whatever reason, the Lord saw fit to warn His children 40 years in advance of this day and they glorified Him by believing and fleeing as He suggested they should. As the history books record we see that the non-believing Jews saw no danger when Cestius stopped by. And because they chose to deny Jesus and ignore His prophecy, they paid for their disbelief with their very lives! 1,100,000 men woman and children DIED that day!!!! They could have all been SAVED had they just believed in this one mere prophecy! Now, think about today and all the prophecies that have been fulfilled over the years. What an honor, to be loved so deeply by the Almighty Creator that He would warn us in advance. These prophecies are genuine. And these prophecies were written to warn you just as they were written to warn the Christians of 70 ad. Are you going to believe in the prophecy of Jesus Christ? Or are you going to be counted along with those 1,100,000 Jewish men women and children that chose to ignore the prophecy of Jesus Christ?
After I read about this as a young Christian I understood the importance of prophecy and why the Lord saw fit to bless us with it. I actually saw two main reasons for His prophecy.
* 1 PROPHECY GLORIFIES THE LORD IN HIS TRUTH
* 2 IT'S THE LORD'S PERFECT METHOD OF WARNING HIS CHILDREN!
When we see the Almighty's prophecy come to light with 100% accuracy, we see a true and awesome Creator who knows all, has created all, and does in fact see all. We also see a God that loves His children so much that He actually writes them a book that shares with them the true and accurate method by which to live and prepare themselves for His eternal Kingdom. Which by the way, is VERY soon in coming as you will soon see.
PROPHECY # 2
THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WILL EXPERIENCE A GREAT PERSECUTION, OR "TRIBULATION" BEFORE HIS RETURN
Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
This Great Tribulation that Jesus speaks of here in Matthew 24 is one prophecy that is so often taken out of context. It is actually taught by some as being at some time in the future. But what about all the history books that record the Dark Ages with such unintentional prophetic accuracy? Are we to assume that this documented period in history is one that should be forgotten, or looked at lightly? Are we supposed to say that over 150 Million Christians slaughtered for their faith in Jesus as being a time in history that isn't recorded in God's Prophetic Word? Does not the book of Revelation speak of a period of persecution? (See my book, "The Second Window" for an in depth look at the truth about this.) Think about it for a moment... All the history books in every library on earth record a period of time with intense religious persecution. Are we suppose to ignore this historic fact?
Under the bloody maxims those persecutions were carried on, from the eleventh and twelfth centuries almost to the present day, which stand out on the page of history. After the signal of open martyrdom had been given in the canons of Orleans, there followed the extirpation of the Albigenses, under the form of a crusade, the establishment of the inquisition, the cruel attempts to extinguish the Waldenses, the martyrdoms of the Lollards, the cruel wars to exterminate the Bohemians, the burning of Huss and Jerome, and multitudes of other confessors, before the Reformation; and afterwards, the ferocious cruelties practised in the Netherlands, the martyrdoms of queen Mary's reign, the extinction, by fire and sword, of the reformation in Spain and Italy, by fraud and open persecution in Poland, the massacre of Bartholomew, the persecution of the Huguenots by the League,... and all the cruelties and perjuries connected with the revocation of the edict of Nantz [Nantes]. These are the more open and conspicuous facts which explain the prophecy, besides the slow and secret murders of the holy tribunal of the inquisition. -Rev. T. R. BIRKS, M.A., The Four Prophetic Empires, and the Kingdom of Messiah (1845 ed.) pp. 248, 249
The church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a compentant knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitudes of victims, and it is quite certain that no powers of imagination can adequately realize their sufferings. -W.E.H. LECKY, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe, (Reprint; New York: Braziller, 1955) Vol.2 pp. 40-45