Invasion and Captivity
The Tribulation will also include the invasion and captivity of the “ten lost tribes” of the modern-day descendants of Israel, and Judah (the modern nation of Israel).
Recognize that God often works prophetically through the principle of DUALITY. Many prophecies work in this way. For instance, I Corinthians 15:21-22 shows that Adam was a type of Christ, and vice-versa.
Most everyone is unaware that some prophecies have first a former, then a typical and, lastly, a final great fulfilment. This causes terrible problems for those trying to understand and explain prophecies. The results are always mixed up and confused.
In Matthew 24:2, Christ prophesied that the temple would be completely destroyed, with not one stone remaining. This occurred in A.D. 69-70 to the nation of Judah, as an early type of a final, great staggering fulfilment at the end of the age.
Here is how Christ described this final fulfilment of national invasion, war and captivity: “But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:23-24).
This describes a time of truly great fear, terror and horror for the modern peoples and nations of Israel. (Read our free book America and Britain in Prophecy to learn more about who and where these peoples are now, and why they are prophesied to go through such great national punishment.)
We must now examine an inset of the prophecy that precedes and leads up to the Great Tribulation. It explains why you are reading this booklet: “And this gospel of the KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the END come” (Matt. 24:14).
The true gospel is about the kingdom of God. Men have devised many false gospels, but Christ preached a message about a soon-coming, world-ruling government to be established at His Return. This Work is preaching this marvellous truth, and about how God’s perfect spiritual Law will soon be established in all nations. This is the wonderful good news referenced earlier—the word “gospel” means good news. When our task is complete, “then shall the end come”! (Read our free booklet Which Is the True Gospel?)
The world now knows nothing of God’s Law because it has rejected the true God. This has left it cut off from Him (Isa. 59:1-2; Jer. 5:25). As a result, terrible punishment must occur before God’s kingdom is established.
Though there is still time for announcing God’s kingdom, it will soon run out. Some few will yet turn to God as a result of this Work, which is a direct fulfilment of Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24:14. May you “hear and understand” while there is yet time (Luke 21:36)!
The Sixth Seal—HEAVENLY SIGNS
Next comes the sixth seal—the HEAVENLY, or astronomical, SIGNS: “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; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind” (Rev. 6:12-13).
How do we know that the Heavenly Signs come directly on the heels of the Great Tribulation? Here are Christ’s words: “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” (Matt. 24:29).
This is an almost verbatim, phrase-by-phrase description of Revelation 6:12-13. The parallel is unmistakable. Christ has again interpreted the sixth seal, and its timing, for us. The phrase “immediately after the tribulation” removes all doubt about when the Heavenly Signs occur.
The arrival of the Heavenly Signs heralds a great overall change in the direction—and speed—of events. This is understood by continuing in Revelation 6, a few verses later. Notice: “For the GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME; and who shall be able to stand?” (vs. 17).
There it is in plain English. The Day of the Lord, or Day of God’s Wrath, follows the sixth seal. Heaven and earth are shaken! This time reveals God’s AWESOME POWER! It is comparable to nothing that has ever happened before, or will ever happen again.
The prophet Joel was speaking of this time when God’s awesome power and great Wrath will be displayed when he said, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the great and dreadful Day of the Lord come” (2:31).
Some have claimed that these signs have already occurred. This is impossible! Matthew 24makes plain that they all follow—not precede—the Tribulation. In addition, when they occur, they are either immediately followed by or accompany the sign of Christ’s Coming (vs. 29-30).
The terrible period of God’s Wrath is foretold to last an ENTIRE YEAR—after the initial two and a half years of the Tribulation. Here is how Isaiah described it: “For it is the Day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the YEAR of recompenses for the controversy of Zion” (34:8). Jeremiah refers to this period as “the YEAR of…visitation” (11:23; 23:12—also see Ezek. 4:6 and Num. 14:34).
A Great Earthquake
Notice verse 12 speaks of a “great earthquake.” This earthquake occurs after the fifth seal, upon the opening of the sixth seal. The terrible time of the fifth seal involves the military invasion and the captivity of the peoples of the modern nations (which are just tribes grown larger) of Israel. This includes the two and a half years of unparalleled suffering and tribulation—unrivalled in history. It is coming on this generation—soon!
By its very timing and context, this earthquake proclaims the end of the tribulation and the beginning of signs that appear in the heavens.
Revelation 6:12 states, “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.” This event was also covered in Matthew 24:29. Re-read it: “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.”
Luke 21:25-26 describes this same event: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring [tsunamis]; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
This earthquake will be so terrible that “every mountain” and “every island” will be shaken out of position (Rev. 6:14).
Remember, this is the time of God’s GREAT WRATH! This earthquake will be worldwide in scope. But all the earth’s topography will not necessarily be changed by one final earthquake. This process appears to take place in stages. God will bring it about in such a way as to preserve life on the earth, with each of five final earthquakes contributing to some aspect of the transformation.
If only one cataclysmic earthquake did this, it could threaten all life on earth. Still, only a tenth of humanity will survive into the millennium. Again, this earthquake announces the SIXTH SEAL—the Heavenly Signs.
Notice Isaiah’s description of this time: “In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake terribly the earth” (2:20-21). This compares with Revelation 6:15-16.
All of Revelation 6:14-17 shows that this sign is the heavens rolling together like a scroll. This time will be so terrible that John records people, in sheer terror, hiding themselves in caves and rocks and crying out to die. Verse 17 asks, “...and who shall be able to stand?” The masses fear facing the full Wrath of the One they have disobeyed!
Next Part Three World Events