The nation of Israel and the Israelite people are probably the most important of all in our list of personalities; for the seventh week (the Tribulation) has been decreed for the people of Israel (Dan. 9:24), to prepare them for their Messiah by Tribulation. I will present this topic in seven points, two parts.
1. The regathering of Israel. In Ezekiel 37:1-28, the Lord gives three promises to Israel: 1) “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land” (v. 21); 2) “they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms” (v. 22); and 3) “they will all have one shepherd” (v. 24).
The first two of these promises are being fulfilled right now; and the third promise will happen at the second advent when all Israel will…
There is no need for any Christian to worry about whether his witness will be effective. Pray these three things and trust the Lord to do His work.
For the Holy Spirit to continue His work long after your witness. If the Holy Spirit has led you with boldness to witness to someone, you can believe that He has also been ministering to that person—that is, all along the way He has been preparing that person’s heart to hear the gospel. Bit by bit He has been liberating that one’s mind and heart from the power of Satan; He has been helping them to see their own lostness, to see that time is short, and to see God’s love.
Let me urge you to keep praying for that lost one. Pray that throughout your witness and even after you witness, that the Holy Spirit would continue His ministry…
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to answer questions about the Durham probe during Monday’s press briefing despite new revelations regarding Democratic efforts to link former President Donald Trump to Russia.
“I can’t speak to that report,” Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday. “I refer you to the Department of Justice.”
The exchange comes after special counsel John Durham released in a filing Saturday alleging that lawyers for the Clinton campaign paid a technology company to infiltrate servers belonging to Trump Tower, and later the White House, in order to establish an “inference” and “narrative” to bring to government agencies linking Trump to Russia.
The court filing alleges that the tech executive used company access to government domain name system data through a pending cybersecurity contract with the government.
“Tech Executive-1 and his associates exploited this arrangement by mining the EOP’s DNS traffic and other data for the purpose of gathering derogatory information about Donald Trump,” Durham’s office said in the filing, referring to the White House’s Executive Office of the President.
The filing came as part of the probe’s prosecution of Michael Sussman, an attorney who worked on behalf of Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
Reacting to the revelations Saturday, Trump said the filings provide “indisputable evidence” for “a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate.”
“Those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution,” Trump said. “In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death.”
I think it is always a good idea, in studying a subject like the Tribulation, to first pick apart and dissect important terms, and in this case, personalities. It will help us in our understanding of it all. We will start with the church. Yes, we who are believers in this age have a role to play in the tribulation.
The Church
The church will not go through the Tribulation on earth. We will be raptured before it begins. Yet we will have a role to play in the Tribulation. The two vital questions that need to be answered is where is the church during the Tribulation? And, what is their ministry during the Tribulation?
Where is the church during the Tribulation? There is no mention of the church anywhere after the third chapter of Revelation. However, bible scholars believe that the twenty-four elders who are sitting on thrones circling God on His throne (recorded in Revelation 4) represent the glorified church in heaven. Here are four indications suggested by the following terms, that these twenty-four elders do in fact represent the church.
Twenty-four elders sitting on thrones. The term elder is a church term in the New Testament. The elder rules on behalf of God over the people (Acts 15:2, 6). Also, the number twenty-four is significant to the priesthood, as David divided the priesthood into twenty-four orders (1Chron. 24:4); and the church is the only body that has been qualified for the priesthood. Dr. Dwight Pentecost writes,
While Israel was called to a priestly function (Ex. 19:6), that nation never entered into this chief function because of their sin…The church is the only body definitely constituted a priesthood that could fulfill the function of priests ministering under the High Priest (1Pet. 2:5, 9)[1]
As to the elders sitting on thrones, this position suggests that they represent the church, since we read in Revelation 3:2 and in Matthew 19:28 that the church has been promised this position.
The elders clothed in white garments. The color white is a symbol of purity, which would fit the glorified church, having “no spot or wrinkle,” and being “holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:27). And it was also promised to the church in Sadis (Rev. 3:4-5) that they will walk with Him in white, and that they will be “clothed in white garments.”
The golden crowns. Each of the elders were wearing a victor’s crown. This suggests that they are the church, for the crowns were recently received as rewards in the bema judgment—a judgment for the church.
Their worship. The elders worshipped God because of His acts of creation (Rev. 4:11, redemption (Rev. 5:9), judgment (Rev. 19:2), and reigning (Rev. 11:17). Worship has always been an activity of the church; thus, we may regard this as proof that the elders represent the church.
What is the ministry of the church during the Tribulation? The ministry of the church in heaven is at least four-fold.
1. The fact that we see the elders enthroned before God, suggests that they represent the church as rulers or judges on behalf of God. This means that we will have a part in bringing judgment on the earth in the Tribulation. It also means that during the millennial reign of Christ we will rule with Christ and will be kept busy with this aspect of ministry.
2. The church in heaven has a priestly ministry. In Revelation 5:8 they are seen bringing the prayers of the saints on earth to God.
3. The church in heaven is constantly worshipping God. This will be our blessed ministry during the Tribulation and always.
4. Because of the church’s knowledge of the program of God, they will have a ministry of teaching and revealing truth during the Tribulation (Rev. 5:5; 7:13-14).
[1] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, Dunham Publishing Company, 1958),pp. 255-256.
For those we are witnessing to, we should pray that the Holy Spirit would open their spiritual eyes to see these four things:
1 That they would see that they are lost. By lost I mean those who are separated from God because of their sin—for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). They are lost not because they have sinned (for all have sinned), but because they have not found a remedy for their sin. I think a good description of the lost are those who don’t know the truth and therefore can’t find their way to God.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would help them to see their sin and to see that God’s penalty for sin is eternal separation from Him.
2 That they would see the certainty of hell. As we have already discussed, the horrors of hell are certain for all that…
You have seen the nature of the Tribulation in four different categories: a day of destruction and disaster, a time of trouble and distress, a day of vengeance and wrath, and a time of fear and terror. However, we need to be mindful that all of the different categories will be present and intermixed in all of the Tribulation. Also, know that many of the horrors will be present at the same time, overlapping each other. While there is a great earthquake, causing great fear, at the same time people will be suffering from malignant sores, and also from the pain of scorpion stings. And while many are sick and dying from polluted and poisoned water, they may also be suffering from the terrible heat of the sun.
And then, besides the pain of the body, there will be a deep-down anguish of soul caused by isolation and aloneness, and the loss of friends. This inner pain and despair may be what Zephaniah was trying to describe (in Zeph. 1:15).
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
And then, I think there will be a great inner suffering caused by a sense of guilt, and from disappointment one may feel about his life. And I suppose this inner suffering will be heightened as the wrath of God comes upon the earth, as they will be more aware of their sins and their pending punishment. Isaiah 2:19 says,
And men will go into caves of the rocks,
And into holes of the ground
Before the terror of the Lord.
Also, in Isaiah 13:6-9 it says,
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore all hands will fall limp,
And every man’s heart will melt.
8 And they will be terrified,
Pains and anguish will take hold of them;
They will writhe like a woman in labor,
They will look at one another in astonishment,
Their faces aflame.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
Of course, those who repent of their sins will have their anguish eased by the forgiveness of God. But those who do not repent, but continue in sin and to blaspheme God out of a hardened heart, God will give them over to a depraved mind (Rom. 1:26-28); and their pain and misery will continue on and on.
Furthermore, it is quite clear from Scripture that the pain and trouble of the Tribulation will get progressively worse from judgment to judgment. The trumpet judgments will be of greater intensity than the seal judgments, and the bowl judgments will be of greater intensity and destructiveness than the trumpets. It is hard to imagine such great Tribulation, but we must believe it. There is no way to get around it, to explain it away. It will happen.
Lastly, I must say something about the devastation that the Tribulation will cause on the earth. I suppose many don’t think about it, or dismiss it. But Scripture seems to emphasize it over and over. Isaiah 24:1 says, “Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.” And He does this by both natural means and supernatural means, as He brings great earthquakes and volcanoes and fire and wind and falling stars and demons! It will be so terrible that mountains will be moved, or will disappear (Rev. 6:14, 16:20), and cities will fall (be destroyed). And I think most of the earth will be unrecognizable. It will be torn apart by earthquakes, devastated by high winds (hurricanes and tornados) and hail, and burned by fire everywhere.
I know that many (or some) will survive it somehow, somewhere; but I think, for the most part, the earth will be laid waste.
This is our fortieth and last study. Please click HERE for an introduction to this study.
John 12:42-43
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
Observations
There was a great tension among the Jewish leaders. Those who believed secretly dared not speak up openly because of the stricter Pharisees. So it seemed that they valued there job and position more than their faith. Their faith was weak; they still loved the praise of men more than how God regarded them.
Application
We ought to always evaluate what is more important. If we truly believe in God, we ought to show it and not be ashamed. We ought to believe as Paul did when he said, “For a I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…”
Notice that these requests pertain to their liberty: that they would be free from the bonds of Satan—to hear and receive the gospel.
First request: that the Holy Spirit would prepare the soil of their heart for the seed of the gospel.
Preparation is so important. As the farmer prepares the soil (as he turns the ground over with the plow, runs the disc and the rake over the ground, and fertilizes and waters the soil so that the seed he plants will germinate) so must the Holy Spirit prepare the heart of the lost soul to receive the seed of the gospel. For the Word of God will not be heard, will not penetrate a heart that is hard and callused by sin. Therefore, let us pray for the Holy Spirit to begin that process of preparing the soil of hearts, especially of those you plan…
Stephen Nielsen 