Jesus said to pray that we would be counted worthy to escape all the things that are coming on the earth, and many believe we are now living in the last of the last days—In the time Jesus called the Beginning of Sorrows.
The beginning of sorrows was prophesied be a very frightening and difficult time, but it is not The Great Tribulation(1 Thessalonians 5:2-9, Luke 21:36, Revelation 3:10, Matthew 24:4-8).
The warning totrembleissued in Joel 2:1-2, is extremely contrary to the usual admonitions we receive in the scriptures to, “Fear not.” The reason we are told to be horribly afraid of this particular time period is because
It will be a time of unprecedented wrath and judgment being poured out from God on a rebellious and un-
repentant world— not a time of testing for Christians.
Although Jews and Gentiles alike will suffer greatly during The Great Tribulation,The Day of Atonement
will be a time when God will be dealing primarily with the Jewish people. Remember, the Church—the Body of Christ —will be caught up when the time of Christ In Youis fulfilled and culminated at the Feast of Trumpets.
During The Day of Atonement, mankind will no longer simply be able tocall on the name of the Lord for
salvation but must nowendure to end endure to end in order to be
saved. Enduring to the end for salvation and calling on the name of the Lord for salvation are mutually
exclusive and not at all compatible, i.e., they are not the same thing (Matthew 24:13).
Just as a dispensational change took place on the day of Pentecost (which began the time of Christ In You), a
dispensational change will also take place after the Feast of Trumpets.
The Day of Atonement will begin when the Holy Spirit (he who restrains) is taken out of the way via those who are his temple here on earth (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8).
The “end” that Jesus is speaking of, inMatthew 24:13, is not
the end of one’s natural, physical life here on earth, but rather, he is speaking of the end of The Great Tribulation Israel’s national sin, of rejecting Jesus Christ as the Messiah when he came the first time, will be brought to full maturity when they finally accept an imposter as their long awaited Savior (John 5:43).
Because of Israel’s national rejection of Jesus Christ, they were, in turn, rejected—nationally—by God. They were afflicted with a spiritual blindness and scattered throughout the world having no country to call their own (Romans 11:20,25, Deuteronomy 28:64, Hosea 9:17, James 1:1).
Individually, any person, Jew or Gentile, can be saved during the accepted time (Time of favor) otherwise known as the Dispensation of Grace. At the time of this writing, salvation is available toall who, in true
repentance, call upon the name of the Lord believing in his resurrected son Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10,13, Ephesians 3:2, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Isaiah 49:8).
**NOTE -There are religious groups who call themselves “The Remnant .” There is no scriptural evidence that anyone
other than physical Israel (Jacob) is ever called the remnant. There are those who falsely teach that physical Israel no longer matters. That all promises made to Israel have now been shifted to the Church. This is not true. God made a promise to Abraham concerning his physical descendents (the
Jewish people) as well as to his spiritual descendents (those who belong to Jesus Christ), and the one in no way negates the other.
Although Israel was rejected nationally by God, and scattered throughout the world, when they rejected Jesus as Messiah, they have God’s promise this will not be a permanent situation. Before 1948, the Jewish people had the prophet’s assurance that they would be restored back to their land —and
they have been. They now have the same assurance that they
will be restored back to their God .
Ezekiel Chapter 37 describes both the physical and spiritual resurrection of a deadnation. Verse eleven
identifies this nation to be the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 37:21,11).
History tells us that in A.D. 70, Jerusalem was sacked, the Jewish people were scattered, and, until the 20th
century, foreign governments continued to control their land. They literally became a “people without a country (Hosea 9:17).”
In fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy, the Jewish people were restored back to their land in 1948. Until that time, it had been unheard of for a nation that had been extinct for centuries to live again— and it had all been
predicted in scripture.
The prophecy concerning the restoration of the Jewish people back to their land land has been fulfilled. The feast of
the Lord,The Day of Atonement (along with many other
prophecies), foreshadows the time when the Jewish people will be restored back to their God God — — through
repentance and acceptance of his risen son, Jesus Christ, as the true Messiah (Romans 11:25-27, Hebrews 10:1).
During the time of Jacob’s Trouble men will no longer be able to simplycall on the name of the Lord for
salvation but must rather endure to the end . This will be
a fearful time for all men and women (Jew or Gentile) who choose to look for the coming of the Savior (Matthew 24:4-5,13,21).
When the restraining force of the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way (by catching out the saints who are his permanent dwelling place here on earth), the way will be
clear for an especially evil person to come on the scene (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8).
Israel will accept this person as their long awaited Messiah and will enter into a disastrous agreement with him. Isaiah calls it an agreement withhell and death.
But Israel won’t be alone in her deception. The entire world will become infatuated with this man and will follow after him (John 5:43, Isaiah 28:14-15, Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13:3).
The scriptures have many names for him: Man of Sin, Antichrist, and the Beast are only a few of them (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 1 John 2:18, Revelation 13:9-18).
The antichrist will remain in power for a total of seven years. During the first 3-½ years of his reign, the Jews will resume temple worship—Including the daily animal sacrifices. Halfway through the seven years, the Man of Sin will turn on them—and on anyone else who opposes him and refuses to worship him as God (Daniel 9:27, 11:36-37, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 13:15).
The Beast will initially demand worship for himself by setting up his image in the Holy Place—the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies will be located in the Jewish Temple (which will be rebuilt in Jerusalem).
The Holy of Holies was a place so sacred the Jewish high priest entered it only once each year, and then only after offering sacrifices for himself and for the people so he would not be killed when he entered into the presence of the Lord.
The image of the Man of Sin being set up in the Holy of Holies, will signal the beginning of terror and atrocities that will come with such devastating swiftness, Jesus had only one message for God-fearing people living in Israel at that time.
Flee! Get out of the citiesas fast as you can(Matthew 24:15- 21, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Daniel 8:11-13,11:31-36).
Although he will have an especial hatred for the Jews, the antichrist will persecute all people who refuse to worship him or his image. He will require everyone to take a mark of allegiance to him in his or her right hand or forehead.
Without this identification, it will be impossible to buy or sell anything legally. All national currency will be abolished, and a worldwide debit system will be implemented. All business transactions (buying or selling), retail purchases (food and clothing etc.), housing, employment and medical care will be reserved for those who have professed loyalty to the Man of Sin by receiving his mark. Everyone else will be considered
enemies, and there will be but one sentence for them… death (Revelation 13:15-18, Revelation 20:4).
The persecution will be global, and so severe that if Christ doesn’t intervene, mankind will be completely destroyed (Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 13:7, Daniel 7:21,25).
The antichrist’s power will be given to him directly by Satan and will be taken from him at the return of Jesus Christ. At that time, both he and his false prophet will be thrown alive into the lake of fire (2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 13:2, 19:20, Isaiah 11:14, Daniel 7:11,22, 8:24).
**NOTE – The various aspects of this momentous time period make it impossible to adequately discuss in just
one chapter. So for the next few chapters, we will be looking at critical events that will be taking place during
the time period predicted by the Feast of the Lord, Day of Atonement .
Chapter Review
:• What doesEzekiel 30:3call the Great Tribulation?
• According toMatthew 24:13, how can a person be
saved during the Great Tribulation?
• InMatthew 24:22, Jesus told us something would
happen that would prevent all mankind from destroying himself during the Great Tribulation —what is that?
• What attitude DoesJoel 2:1-2tell us we should have
concerning the Great Tribulation?
• DoesRomans 11:25-27tell us there will be a time
when the Jewish people will no longer reject Jesus Christ as Messiah?
• Who will be revealed when the restraining force
of the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8)?
• What does the prophet Isaiah call the disastrous
treaty Israel will make with the false Messiah (Isaiah 28:14-15)?
• What doesRevelation 13:9-18call the Man of Sin?
Are you reading your Bible daily, always picking up today where you left off yesterday? If not, the book of John is a good place to start. A King James Bible with no chapter headings or footnotes is