To the Reader
If
separated from the larger context of this
study, this study could make God appear
to be a very cruel and unfairly harsh-so
please read subsequent studies as soon as
possible! The devil delights in
distorting the character of God whenever
possible. The devil wants people to see
God as a vengeful tyrant or a divine
Santa Claus that can do no harm. Of
course, both extremes are false. The same
God, who destroyed the world in
Noahs day and sent fiery brimstone
upon Sodom and Gomorrah, also sent His
Son to die on the cross for our sins.
(John 3:16) In short, God reveals His
love for the human race in a
well-documented balance between justice
and mercy. Bible history proves that God
is longsuffering. He extends mercy to
sinners day after day, year after year
until the day comes when extended,
mercy no longer has any redeeming effect.
Then God justifiably responds in wrath to
deal with defiant rebellion. I offer this
introductory statement because the
contents of this study may seem
overwhelming the first time you read it,
but please press on and read Study 2 as
soon as possible.
No
Longer a Book of Mystery
The
book of Revelation contains several
prophecies that integrate into one big
story. Some prophecies in Revelation have
been underway for centuries and others
are about to begin. When we properly
assemble all of the prophecies, a mind
boggling drama unfolds. Gods ways
are wonderful to understand and so
thrilling to discover. Some prophecies in
Revelation are easy to understand and
others are difficult at first, but we can
say the same of God. Certain aspects
about God are easier to understand than
others. Ultimately, the book of
Revelation confirms the good news that
most people want to hear: A world of
eternal joy and endless bliss is coming.
The bad news is that God is going to test
the inhabitants of Earth before He sets
up His kingdom. (Revelation 3:10)
God will separate the sheep from
the goats before the Second Coming.
The separation of the sheep from the
goats is an important process in
Gods plans because God will not
permit rebellious people (represented by
the goats) to enter His coming kingdom.
Gods kingdom is reserved for people
who love Him and exalt His righteous
ways. Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see
God
.Nothing impure will ever enter
it [the holy city], nor will anyone who
does what is shameful or deceitful, but
only those whose names are written in the
Lambs book of life
.He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be
no more death or mourning or crying or
pain, for the old order of things has
passed away. (Matthew 5:8;
Revelation 21:27, 4, insertion mine)
The book of Revelation reveals that God
will soon inflict the world with a series
of 14 plagues. These events will not
occur in random order nor will they be
freak disasters caused by nature. The
seven first plagues are called
seven trumpets in Revelation
because they serve the purpose of warning
or awakening the people of Earth to the
glorious arrival of Jesus Christ. The
seven last plagues are called
seven bowls because they represent seven
full cups of Gods vengeance that He
will pour out upon His enemies. Although
the Bible completely explains these
events, they will come as an overwhelming
surprise for most people. Our Creator has
carefully designed these coming events to
achieve His goals, and He will carefully
execute these judgments so that He can
redeem the maximum number of people, As
you read this these studies, periodically
remind yourself of two things: First, God
so loved this world that He gave His only
Son to die in our place and second,
Gods patience with defiance and
rebellion is limited. During the Great
Tribulation, the people of Earth will see
Gods perfect balance between
justice and mercy. Remember this balance
as you consider this study about the
Great Tribulation. The next few pages
give a brief overview of coming events.
[continue
to page 2]
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