The
“Gospel” During the Great
Tribulation
The Righteous Will Live by Faith
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The contents of the
first message of the gospel during
the Great Tribulation will not be
hard to understand – especially
if are living then. So, picture the
setting this gospel message will be
proclaimed in: The first four
trumpets have just sounded. Meteoric
showers of burning hail have burned
up one-third of the Earth great
costal cities and their
mega-populations have entirely
disappeared because of an asteroid
impact in the ocean. Hundreds of
millions have died of contaminated
waters because of an asteroid impact
on a continent. (Resulting ground
waves from the asteroid impact cause
septic systems and other buried toxic
waste to filter into giant
underground aquifers from which
millions of people get their drinking
water.) Hundreds of volcanoes around
the “ring of fire” have
blasted billions of tons of ejecta
and debris into the atmosphere. There
is great darkness. Without sunlight,
there will be a famine, suffering and
misery beyond words. The survivors
are in shock and trembling with fear
and terror. Nearly 1.5 billion people
are dead from these judgments. Many
survivors will soon die. Plagues are
everywhere. It is in this setting
that the first message of the gospel
is delivered. This message says three
things:
- “Fear
God and give Him glory.”
This part of the message is
self-explanatory. The implication is
clear, God has not been feared nor
has He received the glory, honor and
respect that He is due throughout the
ages.
- “The
hour of his judgment has
come.”
The last moments of God’s
mercy have come, and the kingdom of
Christ is about to be established.
Everyone on earth during the Great
Tribulation will have a chance to be
a part of His coming kingdom. God has
come to test the human race –
who will remain loyal to Him above
everything else. (Revelation 3:10)
The phrase, “the hour of
God’s judgment” can apply
two ways. First, this is the time
when man will consider the authority
of a Sovereign God. On the other
hand, this will also be a time when
God tests the behavior, loyalty and
faith of every person. Remember, the
everlasting gospel explains the
relationship that exists between the
government of God, Jesus Christ,
Lucifer and fallen man.
- “Worship
Him who made the heavens, the
earth, the sea and the
springs of water.”
This phrase identifies the
elements destroyed by the first four
trumpets. The heavens are dark. The
earth and its crops have been burned
beyond recovery. The sea has suffered
an asteroid impact and the springs of
water are contaminated. This message
commands everyone to Worship the
Creator. Who is the Creator of the
heavens, the Earth, the sea and the
springs of water? The Bible says it
is Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:16;
Hebrews 1:2; John 1: 1-14) How does
Jesus want to be worshiped? In His
own words, here are the instructions
(this is the fourth commandment): “Remember
the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all
your work, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it
you shall not do any work, neither
you, nor your son or daughter, nor
your manservant or maidservant, nor
your animals, nor the alien within
your gates. For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, but he
rested on the seventh day. Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
made it holy.” (Exodus
20:8-11)
Understand that this
first message does not go forward
without enormous controversy. This
message will not be widely received
at first because it stands contrary
to the claims of nearly all religions
of the world! You might ask how is it
contrary?
Catholics and most
Protestants teach that Sunday, the
first day of the week is the
Lord’s day. Moslems teach that
Friday is the day of rest. Although
Jews regard Saturday as the holy day,
they reject Jesus as the Son of God
and Creator of the universe, so they
will not worship Him. Hindus also
deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and Savior of the world. The few
religious bodies that exist today
that regard Saturday as God’s
holy day deny either that the
trumpets of Revelation are in the
future or they have no explanation of
the seven trumpets. Incredible as it
may seem, there is no religious body
on Earth prepared to deal with this
emergency and explain it! This being
the case, no religious group is
qualified to present the everlasting
gospel. Therefore, just before the
trumpets begin to sound, God chooses
144,000 common people from all
religions and nations to do the work
of proclaiming His everlasting
gospel. They will accomplish the
impossible. Jesus said, “And
this gospel of the kingdom will be
preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all nations, and then
the end will come.” (Matthew
24:14)
How does this message
relate to “Righteousness by
Faith?” Simple. People, who have
open hearts toward God and His truth,
will understand that god’s
revealed wrath (the Judgments) is
justified. Our planet is in open,
flagrant rebellion against the
Creator and now the Creator commands
all to render obedience and worship.
The observance of the seventh day
Sabbath will again prove to be a sign
between god and His people. (Exodus
31:17) The observance of the seventh
day Sabbath will defy the laws that
demand respect for another day. To
willingly observe God’s Sabbath
during the tribulation and suffer the
resulting consequences will be a
powerful test of faith. God has
everyone’s attention during the
Tribulation and millions of people
will be awakened for the first time
to knowledge of God’s
commandments. On the other hand, God
will reveal how religious systems of
the world are bankrupt of truth. If,
as they claim, they had the truth
about God, why didn’t the
religious leaders warn and prepare
the people about God’s plans
written in Revelation?
We must note that the
fourth commandment is the only
commandment in the Ten Commandments
that require man to do nothing –
at the right time each week. If God
required man to do something to be
saved, then it would not be
righteousness by faith – it
would be salvation by works! However,
the Sabbath commandment is a command
to rest on God’s holy day, the
seventh day of the week. This is why
I call this first message the
announcement of the “Sabbath
rest test.” This test will
quickly separate those who put their
faith in God from those who do not.
The
Second Message of the Gospel
The survivors of the
first four trumpets will scramble for
understanding and information about
the overwhelming wrath of God.
Religious leaders will suddenly
“figure out” that (a) God
has wrath, and (b) God is responding
to the world’s corporate evil
and degenerate ways. Religious
leaders will suddenly call for reform
and seek laws demanding respect for
God because of this crisis sent from
God. They will form a world
organization and each religion
system, will in its own way, attempt
to appease God so that His judgments
will cease. Religious leaders will
see that laws are quickly passed
requiring all men to worship and
honor God, including laws to respect
His holy day. However, the problem is
that Moslems, Jews, Catholics and
Protestants do not agree which day is
holy!
In this setting, a
second message from God will be sent
through out the Earth. Do not allow
the brevity of this second message to
mislead you. This is a very important
message and it is an extension of the
first message. This message reveals
certain matters about
“Righteousness by Faith”
that every Christian needs to know: “A
second angel followed and said,
“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the
Great, which made all the nations
drink the maddening wine of her
adulteries.” (Revelation
14:8)
This message declares
two things:
1. “Fallen!
Fallen is Babylon the Great” A
crisis government (Babylon the Great)
will quickly form in response to
God’s judgments. This government
will be lead by the world’s
religious leaders – with
political following. This message
from God declares that the worldwide
government is corrupt and blasphemous
(or fallen). God has nothing to do
with the global endeavor to appease
His wrath. The whole system and
theology upon which the crisis
government is built is false. It is
the work of the devil. Do not yield
to its authority, have nothing to do
with it for God will destroy it and
all who obey its blasphemous laws.
2. “Made
all nations drink the maddening wine
of her adulteries” The
crisis government (Babylon the Great)
will demand cooperation from all
nations. This message declares that
all nations will drink (buy into) the
lies advocated by the world’s
religious leaders. The resulting laws
will be conflicting and maddening.
This crisis government is called
adulterous and immoral because
religious leaders will be “in
bed together” for a common
cause. (See Jeremiah 25:15,16, for
parallel language on this maddening
wine.)
This message, like the
first message, will reveal all who
place the law of God above the laws
of men. No one can hide from this
test. People will demonstrate where
their loyalties lie when tested with
severe penalties for disobedience.
The greater the penalties, the
clearer the outcome of the test. Just
as winter strips the trees in the
forest of their leaves, leaving the
evergreens to stand out in contrast
to the forest’s barren limbs, so
the hardships of tribulation will
strip away the pretext of religion,
and faith in God will be revealed.
The Great Tribulation is a time for
wrath for everyone. If we obey God,
we will suffer at the hands of men.
If we obey men, we will suffer
torment and eternal death from God.
This is the great vortex coming upon
the Earth. This is the great testing
time of faith. Those who love God and
His truth, those who render obedience
as He commands, will have to live by
faith – there is no other way to
remain faithful to God.
The seriousness of the
second message can only be understood
within the context of the stringent
laws and severe penalties imposed
upon the nations. Anyone who
disobeys, rebels, opposes or aids and
abets people opposing the crisis
government’s laws will suffer
greatly. The devil is the force
behind the sudden and powerful rise
of the crisis government. (Revelation
13:2-4) The Bible indicates that all
inhabitants of the Earth will submit
to this government, all except those
having their names written in the
Book of Life. (Revelation 13:8)
The
Third Message of the Gospel
The gospel during the
Great Tribulation will not have 20 or
30 points of faith, a unified creed,
a catechism or a set of doctrines
that all believers agree with.
Actually, the everlasting gospel
during that time will center on one
poignant point; “Worship God as
He commands.” In Noah’s
day, the testing truth was just as
simple: “Get on the ark!”
Both messages are based on a simple
response. Both messages cut to the
crucial point. The command in
Revelation 14 to worship God stands
in contrast to the demands of the
crisis government and its evil
leader. Worshiping God on His holy
Sabbath will be a great test, for all
people. Many Moslems, Jews,
Catholics, Protestants, Hindus and
others from every language will be
saved. God will not require everyone
to adapt the Western culture or
concepts of Christianity. All God
wants to know during the Great
Tribulation is whether or not we will
put our faith in Him. The just (those
justified) will live by faith!
(Romans 1:17) Therefore, God sends a
simple truth, an old truth, and a
profound truth throughout the world.
(Remember, the sacredness of His
Sabbath rest began when the Lord
rested at Creation, blessed it and
then asked man to follow His example.
Genesis 2:1-4) God sends His
judgments, giving the great religions
the world over an opportunity to
organize as one global organization
– proving that its leaders and
all who follow, stand in direct
opposition to His law. God watches as
each person decides whom they will
follow – this is how the test is
implemented. Here is a profound
point: God is not concerned
about all the other ideas we have and
believe to be true about His ways, He
is only interested in knowing whether
we will be loyal to Him at any price.
This is why the Sabbath rest test
will be so direct and simple. Be
prepared to stand-alone for God!
History confirms that those who make
a stand for Christ do not have the
support of large numbers. Large
denominations or religious groups
from which to draw courage will not
support the gospel proclaimed by the
144,000. Before we can stand together
on the Sea of Glass, we have to
stand-alone as Christ stood before
His accusers. The servant is not
greater than the Master.
The third message also
reveals a great test of faith. Notice
what it says: “A third angel
followed them and said in a loud
voice: “If anyone worships the
beast and his image and receives his
mark on the forehead or on the hand,
he, too, will drink of the wine of
God’s fury, which has been
poured full strength into the cup of
his wrath. He will be tormented with
burning sulfur in the presence of the
holy angels and the Lamb. And the
smoke of their torment rises for ever
and ever. There will be no rest day
or night for those who worship the
beast and his image, or for anyone
who receives the mark of his
name.” This calls for patient
endurance on the part of the saints
who obey God’s commandments and
remain faithful to Jesus.”
(Revelation 14:9-12)
Antichrist will be
Worshiped
God’s timing is
perfect. Immediately after the fifth
trumpet, when Satan appears claiming
to be God, the third angel’s
message is presented. (Revelation
9:1-11) This message is directed
specifically at those people who have
not yet submitted to the demands of
the gospel. In the entire Bible,
there is no stronger warning than
this message. The message of
Revelation 14:9-12 makes five
declarations:
1. If anyone worships
the devil (the Antichrist, the
lamb-like beast) and receives his
tattoo (the number 666 placed on the
right hand or the name of the devil
tattooed on the foreheads of his
lieutenants), that person will
receive the full wrath of God –
no mercy will be shown.
2. Everyone who
worships the devil (the beast) will
be publicly tortured before Jesus and
His angels because they willingly
received the evil mark of the beast
and stubbornly refused to acknowledge
the Sovereignty of God. These
also rejected the clearest evidences
of truth.
3. Everyone who
“goes along” with the devil
(the beast) will have no peace of
mind after making the decision.
4. The saints must
endure this time-period patiently,
for many will be killed because they
refused to render homage to the
Antichrist and his evil government.
5. The saints will be
easy to identify during these days.
They will worship God on His holy
seventh day, whereas the devil and
his followers will worship at another
time. The two groups will stand in
clearest opposition to one another
– one group following the Lamb
of God, the other submitting to the
lamblike beast.
The third gospel
message completes the test and causes
the final separation of the
faith-full from the cowards.
(Revelation 21:8) Eventually, the
whole world will submit to the crisis
government and its glorious leader
(the devil) – all except those
who remain loyal to Jesus. The devil
and his government will control the
necessities of life and if anyone
wishes to buy or sell or conduct
commerce, he will have to show that
he has the mark, the evil tattoo.
Otherwise, he will be “cut
off” from the meager supplies of
food and medicines that are
available. Understand the picture:
The remaining assets of the world are
under the control of Satan. Those who
refuse to receive his mark have no
option but to live by faith. It will
be God who provides for people who
remain loyal to Him, just as He
provided for Elijah during the
apostasy of Israel. (See 1 Kings 17.)
Last
Call
A few days before God
closes the door to mercy, just when
it appears that Jesus has done
everything to reach every person on
earth with His everlasting gospel, He
sends one last invitation to the
rebels of Earth. God is not willing
that anyone should perish. (2 Peter
3:9) Therefore, with the greatest of
love, God reaches out to gather in
that one last person who has not
found the courage to take his stand
for the right. At the conclusion of
the gospel invitation, the power of
the Holy Spirit is poured out as
never before, urging people through
the 144,000 to stand for Jesus
Christ. There are two reasons for
this. First, as just mentioned, God
is waiting for the last decision to
be made. Second, God wants a watching
universe to witness a most amazing
fact: When the truth is set before a
“free will being” in the
plainest and clearest terms, nothing
more can be done to redeem that
person if they choose to resist. In
other words, God does not destroy
anyone for being misled or believing
a lie. Oh no, God only destroys
people who stubbornly refuse to
accept what is truth! Remember the
problem with sinners? If the heart of
a sinner remains unchanged and
unrepentant, he is anti-God to the
core. If possible, he would even
destroy
God (as demonstrated
by Lucifer)! Does this seem
impossible? Read Revelation 17:14 and
19:19 and see what happens when Jesus
comes. The wicked people on this
earth will attempt to destroy Jesus
and His Kingdom with whatever weapons
of destruction they have at their
disposal! Can you imagine how insane
this attempt will be - mere men
attempting to destroy God? Before you
shake your head in disbelief, just
remember that Lucifer led one-third
of Heaven’s angels in an attempt
to do the same thing. This is the
nature of sin fully revealed for all
that it is.
So, God reaches out
one final time. Here is the message: “After
this I saw another angel coming down
from heaven. He had great authority,
and the earth was illuminated by his
splendor. With a mighty voice he
shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is
Babylon the Great! She has become a
home for demons and a haunt for every
unclean and detestable bird. For all
the nations have drunk the maddening
wine of her adulteries. The kings of
the earth committed adultery with
her, and the merchants of the earth
grew rich from her excessive
luxuries.” Then I heard another
voice from heaven say: “Come out
of her, my people, so that you will
not share in her sins, so that you
will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her
crimes.” (Revelation 18:1-5)
You do not need a high
school diploma to understand this
last message. You do not need a
priest, rabbi, holy man or preacher
to explain it to you. On the other
hand, how tragic it is to realize
that hundreds of millions of people
will reject this serious warning?
This is the very warning that
introduces the seven bowls (seven
last plagues) – the seven last
plagues are not to be taken lightly.
The world has never seen anything
like them. They are awful and they
are fitting. By the time, the people
of Earth hear this message; they
should be able to make a fair
comparison. The seven trumpets
(God’s wrath mixed with mercy)
have occurred in precise order the
Bible predicted they would. People
will understand that the seven bowls
(Gods wrath with no mercy) are next.
By looking backward, they will be
able to anticipate something of the
future. Of course, the good news is
that the seven bowls will not afflict
the people of God who wait for their
redemption. The seven last plagues
are directed at those who receive the
mark of the beast.
Summary
Now that we have
considered the everlasting gospel
that will be preached during the
Great Tribulation, I will close on
this thought: What do we learn about
human nature when God is left with no
other recourse than destruction to
inform and save the human heart?
Isn’t it wonderful that
God’s final test for human is so
simple, direct and easy to
understand? Isn’t wonderful that
God’s offer for salvation is so
simple and direct? There is no wiggle
room on what God wants. There is no
way to pass the test without having
complete faith in god for He will not
accept anything less than total
submission! He is Lord over all or He
is not Lord at all. What God offers
is far beyond anything we can return.
Truly, His grace is amazing.
Jesus has promised, “…And
surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:20) I like the words
found in the song of Moses: “He
[the Lord] is the Rock, his
works are perfect, and all his ways
are just. A faithful God who does no
wrong, upright and just is he.”
(Deuteronomy 32:4) Then again in Job:
“It is unthinkable that god
would do wrong, that the Almighty
would pervert justice.” (Job
34:12) From these texts and others
used in this study, I am fully
convinced that God has carefully
designed the events of the Great
Tribulation so that He can save the
largest number of people possible!
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