Why Must There Be A Tribulation Period?
An important question right to ask is why must there be a tribulation period? (This outline is also in the file eschatology \ What Will The Tribulation Be Like?) (Be sure and check to see which one is the more complete!)
A. To prepare Israel for the reception of her Messiah.
Israel rejected Christ as their Messiah (king) when He came to the earth some 2,000 years ago.
They are still looking for their Messiah (king).
God is going to give them the king they were looking for.
They will accept the Anti-Christ, believing that he is their Messiah, but when he breaks the 7 year covenant, they will know they have been fooled and will begin to look for another Messiah.
There will be a time at the end of the tribulation period when every nation will be gathered against Jerusalem for the intend of wiping them completely off the face of the earth.
It is at this point that Israel will be without strength and will cry out to God for His salvation.
Zechariah 14 reveals that Christ will then appear in the clouds, set His feet on Mount of Olives, defeat the vast armies of the world, and establish His everlasting kingdom in Jerusalem.
Israel shall look upon Him whom they have pierced.
John 19:37 - And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. This looking was when Christ died on the cross.
Zechariah 12:10 - And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
A nation shall be born in a day. Isaiah 66:8 - Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
To judge the world for rejection of Christ and His government.
The nations of the earth that have rejected Christ and His government, substituting their own government (laws, rules and regulations) will be judged.
It is interesting to note that these rebellious people will know they are fighting God, but they fail to turn away from their sinfulness.
Rev. 16:8,9 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Rev. 16:10,11 - And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev. 16:21 - And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
To judge apostate religion.
Who is this apostate religion?
This religion is every religion upon the face of the earth that isn’t of God.
Rev. 17:5, 6 - And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
This is the religion of Cain who killed his brother Abel, because Abel brought a sacrifice that was acceptable to God and Cain brought a sacrifice that was unacceptable to God, but acceptable to him.
This is the religion of Lamech, who took two wives, and murdered a man, and said, “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”
This is the religion in Genesis 6 when God had to destroy the world because of wickedness.
This is the wickedness of the people at the Tower of Babel who decided to build a tower to reach unto heaven, but God put them into confusion and scattered them over the face of the world.
This is the religion of mythology, “Big gods, over lesser gods”, “big churches over lesser churches”, “big preachers over lesser preachers”, and “working your way into heaven”. This is against church autonomy, which is part of the doctrine of the local church.
It is every religion that doesn’t go by the Bible, the Word of God; and adhere to spiritual worship of God according to His truth. John 4:24 - God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
What is the name of this apostate religion?
This apostate religion doesn’t have a particular name.
If it had a particular name, everybody would avoid all religion by that name.
If the true religion had a particular name, everybody would run to join that particular religion.
You don’t go by the name, you go by the doctrines.
There are some true worshippers in this apostate religion.
Rev. 18:4 - And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
It is not our place to judge, but according to the Bible, there are true believers in every false denomination.
There are some false worshippers in the true religion.
Judas Iscariot was not a believer, and he held an office in the first church.
Ananias and Sapphira were believers in the first church, but they were not “practicing believers”.
Balaam the prophet would have cursed Israel if God had let him. His evil ways caused the death of some 24,000 Israelites, Numbers 25:9.
To find out whether a religion is false or not, go to the source (foundation or beginning) of its doctrines. If the foundation is of works, it is a false religion. If it is of grace without works, it could very possibly be a true religion.
Down through the past 6,000 years of time, false religion has changed every doctrine God established, and established many doctrines of her own.
Many millions of people have been deceived into worshipping false gods (subsidiaries of Satanic worship).
If people don’t follow the truths of God’s Word, they will be a part of this false religious system.
Is this false religious system in the world today?
YES!
There are hundreds of thousands of false churches and false doctrines in this world.
All of them have a common beginning and will trace their doctrines, practices, and procedures to something other than the Word of God.
How can I tell if a religion is: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH?
Does the roots (foundations) of the teachings of this religious organization go to anyplace except the Bible?
Matt. 15:9 - This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Does this religious organization teach the commandments (traditions) of men instead of the Bible?
Mystery Babylon the Great, retains the name of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but they have mingled mythology and false gods with true religion. Rev. 18:7 - This false religious system declares she is no widow. This is not what God says!
Mystery Babylon the Great has substituted the names of mythological characters with the names of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the worshippers with Mystery Babylon the Great are saying the names of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but they are actually worshipping mythological characters.
I Tim. 4:1-5 fits the commandments of Mystery Babylon the Great. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer
Rev. 18 is the description of the fall of Pagan Babylon.