Revelation 13
Introduction
The Great Tribulation is the final chapter of secular history and leads directly to the Second Coming of Christ. This period will be preceded by the rapture of the Church and the reemergence of the Roman Imperial System of world domination. There is some confusion about the Rapture and the Second Coming because many believers fail to recognize that there will be a period of time between these events. The Rapture is a movement from earth to heaven, whereas the Second Coming is a movement from heaven to earth. In the Rapture, Christ comes for His saints. In the Second Coming, Christ comes with His saints.
Thesis: The tribulation avenges the world’s sins and prepares Israel to receive her Messiah.
The World Reeling, Rev. 6
A. Martial law
B. War
C. Famine
D. Death
E. Religious persecution
F. Disastrous convulsions of nature.
The World Ruler
The Antichrist, a political leader, will bring world peace, world government and world religion. Three and one-half years of relative peace, and then multiple disasters in quick succession.
The World Religion
An apostate church in league with Satan and other world religions in syncretism.
A. Persecution of God’s Two Witnesses and Their Resurrection
B. Persecution of Israel
The World Ruined
A. Seven Trumpet Judgments Cause Severe Torments, Revelation 8-9.
- One-third of vegetation destroyed
- One-third of sea turned into blood
- One-third of fresh waters contaminated by Wormwood
- One-third of sun, moon, and stars darkened by violent natural disasters
- Demonic locust hordes
- Demonic horsemen destroy one-third of population
- The Battle challenge from Christ to wage war at Armageddon
B. Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath Causes Death, Revelation 16.
- Plague sores break out on followers of Antichrist
- Life in the Seas die
- Freshwaters become blood, making those who “shed the blood of saints and prophets” to drink blood, Revelation 16:4-7.
- Excessive heat from the sun kills many.
- Complete darkness covers the world.
- Vile, contemptuous confederacy of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet conspire to wage war with Christ at Armageddon.
- Natural disasters overthrow government in anticipation of Christ’s Second Coming.