The Tribulation is not The Day of the Lord
I Thess. 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord, Jesus Christ."
Pre-Tribulation, "Rapturist", hold and teach that "the Day of the Lord", which is described in the scriptures, (as coming) "as a thief in the night", (I Thess. 5:2, II Pet. 3:10), will be ushered in just before the tribulation begins. Therefore, the "Pre-Tribulationist" view and saying is that "the church will not be on the earth during the tribulation or Great tribulation period." They have numerous problems and conflicts scripturally trying to prove this. (I Thess. 5:21) Their teaching is not to be found in a thorough searching of the Holy Scriptures according to Is. 28:9,10, John 5:39 and I Tim. 1:15, 4:9, which is a perfectly harmonious teaching. It is not "a faithful saying, worthy of All Acceptation" in every inspired precept of the Word of God. There are many provable exceptions to this teaching. Only one is needed to prove the saying is wrong, an error, and not the truth.
There is ONE, clear, provable scriptural exception that I shall set forth in this article to show that this teaching by both the "Pre" and "Mid-Tribulationists" is not "sound doctrine", but merely a "theory." It is false and in direct contradiction with what Jesus, himself, said in Matt. 24:29-31, Mark 13: 24-25, and what the Apostle Paul said in his Pentecostal sermon, that is recorded in Acts 2:19-20.
First, please note that every word Jesus spake which is recorded in Matt. 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Second, in Mark 13:24-25, note that the way the Holy Ghost in God's Infallible Inspiration had this writer to record this saying or prophecy of Jesus: "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of the heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken."
Third, note the words spoken by Peter on the day of Pentecost, that are written in Acts 2:20; "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE that Great and Notable Day of the Lord Come." This prophecy spoken by Peter is in direct scriptural quote and reference, (Acts 2:16), to the prophecy of Joel, (Joel 2:31): "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord Come." Please compare Joel 2:28-31 with Acts 2:17-20.
Now by reading carefully and examining closely each of these afore mentioned scriptures, it is not difficult to note that every one of them describes the SAME, PRECISE, EXACT order in which they are to take place. It is easy to see that Jesus is describing the SAME EVENTS connective to the SUN, MOON, and the STARS, as both Joel and Peter describe. The reason this is so, is because God is giving to those who want to know the truth, and understand the final End-Time Events of the times of the gentiles and the Church Age. The key of separating the Tribulation from the Day of the Lord is when God's FULL WRATH will be poured out upon the earth and ALL who are left upon it.
Jesus, himself, said plainly that these Final End-Time signs would occur "AFTER" and not "BEFORE" the "Great Tribulation." (Matt. 24:29 in reference to Matt. 24:21) Joel prophesied that these SAME events (sun, moon, and stars) would come to pass "Before" the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord Come." The Apostle Peter, after Jesus had spoken the prophecies described in Matt. 24:31 and Mark 13:24-26, declares by the Word of the Lord, through Joel, that these Same Events will come BEFORE the Day of the Lord shall come. This means these transition events will separate and come in between the tribulation and the Day of the Lord, or the DAY of the Wrath of God.
"BEFORE" the "Great Tribulation." (Matt. 24:29 in reference to Matt. 24:21) Joel prophesied that these SAME events (sun, moon, and stars) would come to pass "Before" the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord Come." The Apostle Peter, after Jesus had spoken the prophecies described in Matt. 24:31 and Mark 13:24-26, declares by the Word of the Lord, through Joel, that these Same Events will come BEFORE the Day of the Lord shall come. This means these transition events will separate and come in between the tribulation and the Day of the Lord, or the DAY of the Wrath of God.
Look at the prophecies of Isaiah, (Is. 13:6-10) "How ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (V.7) "Therefore shall ALL hands faint, and EVERY MAN'S heart shall melt:(V.8) "And they shall be afraid; PANGS and SORROWS shall take hold of them; they shall be in PAIN as a woman that TRAVAILETH: they shall be AMAZED one at another; their faces shall be as FLAMES. (V.9) "Behold, the DAY of the LORD COMETH, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." (V.10) "For the stars of heaven and the constellation thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened and his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine." Don't forget to look at Is. 13:11-13, the sun, moon, and stars and their occurrances. "Therefore I will SHAKE the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. "It is very important to recognize in the prophecy of Isaiah in this verse, something that is likewise prophesied in our final Scriptural reference in this article/lesson. It is the prophecy of "the EARTH" being "REMOVED" out of her place.
The final scriptures that I want you to compare and examine carefully with those already presented are found in Rev. 6:12-13 in particular, but also those following. NOTE verse 12 & 13; "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. (V.13) "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as the fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
The events described in Rev. 6:12-13, are exactly the same as those given in Matt. 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20: (excepting the great earthquake in verse 12) but is given in Is. 13:11.
If you will note, the Fifth Seal of Rev. 6:9-11, you will see that the CHURCH/ SAINTS are being persecuted and killed during a time of TRIBULATION: and this is occurring prior to the opening of the Sixth Seal.
In Matt. 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Jesus tells us these events will occur "immediately after", not before, "the tribulation of those days." Then Joel the Prophet, in his book, tells us that these same end-time signs will occur "BEFORE" and "NOT AFTER" the Great and the Terrible Day of the Lord COME."
The Great Tribulation is not "the wrath of God", but the WRATH of the Devil, the Beast, (first beast), and the False prophet, against the Saints of the Church. The DIVINE ORDER of the FINAL EVENTS for this AGE of THE CHURCH and the "times of the gentiles", is very simply this:
1. THE TRIBULATION which begins when the HOLY COVENANT of Daniel 9:27, is broken, and the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION takes place. (Matt. 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20
2. THE TRANSITION EVENTS. (Sun, Moon, Stars, Earthquake) A clear, divine signal that the tribulation of those days is ENDED and
"the DAY of the Lord" is begun. (Rev. 6:17)
3. THE DAY OF THE LORD: begins with the Sounding of the LAST TRUMP, the Seventh Trumpet of Revelations. (Rev. 10:7, & 11:15)
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4. THE FIRST RESURRECTION (Rev. 20:4-6) happens when the "LAST TRUMP" begins to sound. (I Corn. 15:51-52, & I Thess. 4:13-17)
5. THE WRATH OF GOD will begin to be poured out on ALL the sinners and wicked who are left on the earth WHEN ALL THE SAINTS of GOD are CHANGED and CAUGHT UP to MEET Jesus in the air. (Rev. 6:14-17) The Tribulation is not the day of the Lord. "The Scripture cannot be broken." So said Jesus of Nazareth, in John 10:35
(written by: the late Jack L. Frost)
6/8/1988
