Scholars have three compelling views of the time of Jesus’ coming in relation to the end-time events reported in the Bible.
Before the Tribulation, those who believe that God saves the righteous before they are involved in the world of provocative acts of the tribulation. After-Trib are said by others who also appeal to the Bible’s testimony. Then there are those who believe in Jesus’ coming and first resurrection to happen Mid-Trib.
Do righteous people experience these times of affliction and events together with the whole world?
Dan 8:8 Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was mighty, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones toward the four winds of the heavens.
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which became very great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.
10 And it became great, even to the host of the heavens. And it caused some of the host and of the stars to fall to the ground, and it trampled them.
11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the leader of the host. And the regular sacrifice was taken away by him, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And a host was given with the regular sacrifice because of transgression. And it threw the truth down to the ground, and it worked and prospered.
13 Then I heard a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that one who spoke, Until when is the vision, the regular sacrifice and the desolating transgression, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled?
14 And he said to me, For two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be vindicated.
15 And it happened when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, then I sought the meaning. And, behold, the form of a man stood before me.
16 … And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, and he called and said, Gabriel, make this one understand the vision.
17 … But he said to me, O son of man, understand, for the vision is for the time of the end.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall happen in the last end of the indignation. For it is for the time appointed for the end.
20 The ram which you saw with two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the shaggy goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.
22 And as for that which was broken, and four stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in its power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king, strong of face and skilled at intrigues, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wondrously, and he shall prosper, and work, and destroy the mighty, and the holy people.
25 And also through his skill, he will make deceit succeed in his land. And he will lift himself up in his heart, and be at ease; he shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Ruler of rulers, but he shall be broken without a hand.
26 And the morning and evening vision that was told is true. But you shall close up the vision, for it is for many days to come.
In a vision, Daniel can see how Alexander the Great’s huge empire is divided after his death. Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. It takes a long time to complete the vision’s events, measured in terms of human beings. 2300 evenings and mornings mean 2300 years. Then we will come to this last period of tribulation that lasts for a total of seven years (the last ‘week’ of Daniel).
Angel Gabriel said to Daniel: I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, it is for the time appointed for the end. (8:19)
And when will this be? For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be vindicated. (8:14). “The holy place will be vindicated” can mean either the construction of the third temple of God in Jerusalem, or it may mean that Jesus Christ (the temple of God himself) is set to rule the whole world.
Let’s see what else Revelation reveals. In the fifth chapter, John sees how the Lamb (Jesus Christ) is to open with seven seals sealed scroll of future end-time events.
Rev 5:8 When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints.
9 They sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Here is the vision of the future; With his blood, the lamb has bought men of all generations and tongues and peoples and tribes and made them kingdoms and priests to our God, and they shall rule over the earth.
This little group of the kingdom of God is therefore composed of all peoples, the God of Israel, not just of natural Israel.
When the Lamb opens the 1st seal, earth-shattering events take place. These warlike events are described with horses of different colors. For example a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him (Rev 6:4) When the 6th seal is opened .. 6:12 Then I saw the lamb open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon turned as red as blood. 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind.
Matthew writes about this: Mat 24:29-31: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends.
The resurrection has not yet happened, but the chosen ones are on earth. It is manifested in verse Rev 9:3, in which “out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power” but not hurt those who have the seal of God on their forehead, but only those who do not have it. The seal of God protects the chosen ones on earth.
Just as in Matthew, it is described in Revelation how God’s angel seals the chosen ones: Rev 7:2 I saw another angel coming from the east having the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been permitted to harm the land and sea, 3 Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads. 4 I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel:
Let us define once again what is this little group (’flock’): Rev 5:9 … You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
These verses tell two most important things about the kingdom of God: 1) Christ has bought “Men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation“. They are not natural Israel and of the tribes of Jacob, but from around the world! 2) They form the kingdom of God; “To be a kingdom and priests to our God” and they will reign upon the earth.
After this John sees a great multitude: Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” – Matthew adds to this description one item, a great trumpet: He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends (Mat 24:41). Trumpets play a significant role in the description of end-time events: Then I saw the seven angels who stand in God’s presence, and seven trumpets were given to them (Rev 8:2).
So now John has seen both a small group of 144,000 saved ones and a great multitude likewise saved. Of the great multitude says Rev 7:14, And I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are those coming out of the great tribulation; and they washed their robes and whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.
Let us read further:
Trombone calls, and the related description partially coincides with the opening of the seal events. When the 5th trumpet sounds, 9:1 And the fifth angel trumpeted. And I saw a star out of the heaven falling onto the earth. And the key to the pit of the abyss was given to it.
2 And the fifth angel trumpeted. And I saw a star out of the heaven falling onto the earth. And the key to the pit of the abyss was given to it.
3 And out of the smoke locusts came forth to the earth. And authority was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have authority.
4 And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth, nor every green thing, nor every tree, except only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
What is the star that had fallen to the earth? It seems to be an angel, because in verse 9:1 it says that the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. The angel is also from God’s troops; It is evident from the fact that the locusts released from the bottomless pit were told not to harm the people with God’s seal. The angels were called sons of God, but also stars. Satan is called the Morning Son, the Son of the morning.
Isa 14:12 says: How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! heylel (star) ben (son) Shachar (of the dawn)
The angel is also from God’s troops; it is evident from the fact that the locusts freed from the bottomless pit were forbidden from harming the people with God’s seal. The angels were called sons of God, but also stars. Satan is called the Morning Star, the Son of the morning.
Jesus is according to the Bible the bright morning star (Rev 22:16) Lampros prōïnos astēr λαμπρός πρωϊνός ἀστήρ
The sixth trumpet call means that one-third of humanity will die in battle of huge armies.
(9: 15>). And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.” – Even so, people “did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (9:21)
In the tenth chapter of John hears a mighty angel to speak, as well as seven thunders uttered their voices to speak, however, John was told to seal heard and not allowed her to write about it. The angel swore in the name of the creator of the heaven and earth: Rev 10:5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay. 7 In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the secret of God will be fulfilled, as he had announced to his servants, the prophets.
The secret of God is implemented: Jesus Christ returns with the saints of the resurrection, and the kingdom of God is established. Jesus Christ is ruling the world a thousand years with the saints, and Satan is bound and cannot tempt mankind.
