Sports IllustratedApril 1985

"He's a pitcher, part yogi and part

recluse; impressively liberated from our

opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about

yoga —and his future in baseball."

H-A-P-P-Y A-P-R-I-L F-O-O-L-S D-A-Y

Psalm 14:1, 53:1

The fool says in his

heart, “There is no God.”

Will the church be spared

from going through the

period of judgment and

tribulation that God is

about to unleash upon the

world beginning in

Revelation 6?

● A blessing promised. . .

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the

words of this prophecy, and blessed are

those who hear, and who keep what is

written in it, for the time is near.

● The genre identified…

An apocalypse (unveiling)

Revelation 1:1

The revelation (apocalypse) of Jesus

Christ, which God gave him to show to his

servants the things that must soon take place.

● The genre identified…

A prophecy

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words

of this prophecy…

● The purpose stated…

The Book of Revelation was written to give

Christians, struggling in this world against

those who oppose the Faith, hope that the

Christ who died for us will also one day

return for us as a conquering King to

establish his eternal reign! Because Jesus

overcomes, so can we!

● A principle adopted…

Don‟t miss the forest for the trees –

Let‟s not get lost in the details and

therefore miss the message Jesus has

for us!

● An outline given…

Revelation 1:19

Write therefore the things that you have seen,

those that are and those that are to take place

after this.

Chp. 1 Chp. 2-3 Chps. 4-22

“Things

which

you have

seen”

“Things

which

are”

“Things which will take place”

Vision of Christ Vision of Consummation

Theophany Talks Tribulations Triumph Together!

Will the church be spared

from going through the

period of judgment and

tribulation that God is about

to unleash upon the world

beginning in Revelation 6?

Will the church be raptured

prior to the period described

in the Bible as the Great

Tribulation?

“to seize and

carry off ”

But we do not want you to be

uninformed, brothers, about those who

are asleep, that you may not grieve as

others do who have no hope. For since

we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

even so, through Jesus, God will bring

with him those who have fallen asleep.

For this we declare to you by a word

from the Lord, that we who are alive,

who are left until the coming of the

Lord, will not precede those who have

fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from

heaven with a cry of command, with the

voice of an archangel, and with the

sound of the trumpet of God. And the

dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will

be caught up together with them in the

clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so

we will always be with the Lord.

Pre-tribulational (before the GT)

Mid-tribulational (during the GT)

Post-tribulational (after the GT)

The Great Tribulation: 70th week of

Daniel (Dan. 9) and the “great

tribulation” referenced in Mt. 24

Matthew 24:21-22

For then there will be great

tribulation, such as has not been from

the beginning of the world until now, no,

and never will be.And if those days had

not been cut short, no human being

would be saved. But for the sake of the

elect those days will be cut short.

PreteristView

Prophecies of Matthew 24,

Revelation, etc fulfilled in

the past!

Matthew 24:21-22

For then there will be great

tribulation, such as has not been from

the beginning of the world until now, no,

and never will be.And if those days had

not been cut short, no human being

would be saved. But for the sake of the

elect those days will be cut short.

Matthew 24:21-22

For then there will be great

tribulation, such as has not been from

the beginning of the world until now, no,

and never will be.And if those days had

not been cut short, no human being would

be saved. But for the sake of the elect

those days will be cut short.

Pre-tribulational (before the GT)

Mid-tribulational (during the GT)

Post-tribulational (after the GT)

Which view should

we embrace?

Revelation 3:10-11

Because you have kept my word about

patient endurance, I will keep you

from the hour of trial that is

coming on the whole world, to try those

who dwell on the earth. I am coming

soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no

one may seize your crown.

The Hour of Trial

1. It is global in scope

“coming on the whole world”

2. It is still future

3. It is for a limited time (“hour”)

4. It‟s purpose? To try “those who

dwell upon the earth”

“those who dwell

upon the earth”

Occurs 9 times in the book of

Revelation “as a technical term for

unbelievers” (John MacArthur)

Revelation 6:10

They (martyrs) cried out with a loud

voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true,

how long before you will judge and

avenge our blood on those who dwell

on the earth?”

The Hour of Trial

1. It is global in scope

“coming on the whole world”

2. It is still future

3. It is for a limited time (“hour”)

4. It‟s purpose? To try “those who

dwell upon the earth”

Revelation 3:10-11

Because you have kept my word about

patient endurance, I will keep you

from the hour of trial that is coming

on the whole world, to try those who

dwell on the earth. I am coming

soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no

one may seize your crown.

“It‟s been HOW

LONG since Jesus

made this promise?

How is 2000 years

„soon?‟”

1. God‟s view of time is far

different from ours!

Two Responses . . .

2 Peter 3:8

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved,

that with the Lord one day is as a

thousand years, and a thousand

years as one day.

1. God‟s view of time is far

different from ours!

2. The emphasis in the NT on the

timing of the return of Christ

can be summed up with the

word, “imminent.”

Two Responses . . .

Definition: about to occur (comes from

a Latin word that means literally to

hang overhead)

- Certainty – the imminent event

will happen

- Uncertainty – the imminent event

could happen sooner or later on

Imminent

The Return of Christ is

hanging over our

heads and it could

happen at any

moment!

Imminent Return

of Christ

Philippians 3:20

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we

eagerly await a Savior from there, the

Lord Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:13

While we wait for the blessed

hope--the glorious appearing of our great

God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

James 5:7-9

Be patient, then, brothers, until the

Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for

the land to yield its valuable crop and how

patient he is for the autumn and spring

rains. You too, be patient and stand firm,

because the Lord's coming is near.

Don't grumble against each other, brothers,

or you will be judged. The Judge is

standing at the door!

1 John 2:28

And now, dear children, continue in him,

so that when he appears we may be

confident and unashamed before him at his

coming.

Will the church be spared

from going through the

period of judgment and

tribulation that God is about

to unleash upon the world

beginning in Revelation 6?

Will the church be raptured

prior to the period described

in the Bible as the Great

Tribulation?

John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Reread Revelation chapters 1-5

AND read Revelation chapter 6

Visit the Lamb Will Roar blog

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