David Reagan - Q and A About the Tribulation
The Bible describes a seven-year period of unparalleled horror on this earth called the Tribulation. Is this a future event that is really going to happen, or is it just a description of trouble we will experience in this life if we live in rebellion to God’s Word? And if it is a real, a real future event, why would God inflict such horror upon the world? After all, isn’t He a God of love, grace and mercy? Stay tuned for an in-depth discussion of the meaning, nature and purpose of the Tribulation.
Dr. Reagan: Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Blessed Hope, and welcome to Christ in Prophecy. Once again, this week I have my two preaching and teaching colleagues in the studio with me Nathan Jones who is our Internet Evangelist, and Tim Moore our Associate Evangelist. He is a retired Air Force Colonel who serves as a pilot and pilot instructor for UPS. He has also just completed his 13th year in the Kentucky State Legislature. And in his spare time, he serves this ministry by preaching and teaching at churches and conferences on the weekends.
This is the fourth in a series of programs we are doing in response to questions that our viewers have sent to us. In the first week we considered questions about the integrity of the Bible. The next week we took a look at general questions concerning Bible prophecy. The third week we focused on questions about the signs of the times. And the fourth week we discussed questions concerning the Rapture of the Church.
If you missed any of our previous programs in this series, you can find them on the website at lamblion.com, where we archive all our TV programs for people to watch on demand.
Now, our topic for this week is the Tribulation. Tim, before we get to this particular topic why don’t you just define what we are talking about. What is the Tribulation?
Tim Moore: Well, the Tribulation as the Bible describes is a seven-year period of time when the Lord’s wrath is poured out upon the earth. It has specific purpose both for the Jewish people, and for the Gentiles themselves. And this is not a period where we expect the Church to even be here, so it is an outpouring of wrath on those who have rejected the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, good concise definition. Now, what we’re going to do in this program is to respond to questions that people have sent in about the Tribulation. And the first one that I want to mention is I often get people who come up to me and say, “Why do you guys in Bible prophecy spend so much time talking about the Tribulation, such a gory horrible thing? Why don’t you talk about something positive?” Well, let me give you Tim LaHaye’s response to this. Tim wrote, “The Tribulation receives more space in the Bible than any other historical period described, whether it be past or future. Compare for example the period known as the Millennial Kingdom, we would be hard pressed to find a dozen chapters in the Bible that describe this incredible 1,000-year period. And yet, the short seven-year Tribulation is mentioned 49 times in the Old Testament, given two chapters each in both Matthew and Luke, and one chapter in Mark, it’s mentioned in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 13 chapters in the book of Revelation among others. In fact, the only subject in the New Testament that is given more space than the Tribulation is the subject of Jesus Himself. Any comments about that?
Tim Moore: Wow! I think that is a demonstration of God’s love. In other words, before He pours out wrath in His mercy He always warns. And I think that is exactly why He has warned the whole world that He intends to pour out judgment on those who have rejected His offer of salvation. And that is why there is so much space given in Scripture. And that’s why we have to talk about it as well.
Dr. Reagan: Well, it certainly justifies us spending a lot of time talking about it when you have that much of the Bible devoted to it.
Tim Moore: Yes, sir.
Dr. Reagan: You got any comments about that, Nathan?
Nathan Jones: Absolutely. Absolutely. The Tribulation is God’s victory lap if you think about it. We have thousands of years of human government failing mankind. Cannot keep war, poverty, hunger, disease at bay. It’s corrupt and it’s vile. And yet, God promised to the prophet Daniel that one day a stone not cut out by human hands would destroy the statue of Gentile world government and would fill the world. And Jesus is talking about His Kingdom; His Kingdom of peace, righteousness, and justice will be established. But first He has to destroy the Gentile powers. And that’s what the Tribulation is.
Dr. Reagan: Well, let’s get very, very specific here now for a moment. What are the purposes of the Tribulation? Why are we going to have this period of time?
Nathan Jones: Well, there are a number of different ones. Tim touched on a few. First, I’d go back to what I was saying it is for the Lord to come and defeat the Gentile world rulers, human government and set up His Kingdom. But to do that you have to go through this seven-years as He told the prophet Daniel to get to the end. So, it’s about Jesus coming to set up His Kingdom. It’s also for destroying the Gentile world powers. It has other reasons too for instance like salvation. What’s wonderful about the Tribulation, and Tim I love what you said there, is that it’s about the Lord putting the pressure cooker on the people to get them down on their knees and finally make a decision for God or not. Matter of fact we know by the end of the Tribulation that everybody will have been given the Gospel, people will be without excuse and they will know to choose Jesus or not. That is a blessing from God.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, now you’ve put a lot of emphasis on God pouring out His wrath upon rebellious Gentile nations trying to bring people–the fundamental purpose really is not to pour out His wrath just to punish, but to pour out His wrath to bring people to the end of themselves, that they might be saved. We know that most will not, they will double up their fists and curse God.
Nathan Jones: Unfortunately, yes.
Dr. Reagan: But you haven’t mentioned what most people consider to be the most important purpose of the Tribulation. What about the Jewish people?
Nathan Jones: Well, I had to save something for Tim.
Tim Moore: Well, the Jewish people, obviously much of the Old Testament focuses on God’s bringing the Jewish people to a time of great distress. Again, because they have rejected His Son, but with a goal of actually leading them to salvation. And so, we are promised, Scripture tells us that a number of Jewish people will accept Jesus Christ. They will be ready to look upon Him whom they have pierced and join with other Gentile believers in rejoicing when He returns to earth.
Dr. Reagan: In fact, this is the seventh week, or the final week of...
Tim Moore: Daniel’s seventy weeks.
Dr. Reagan: ...prophecy given to Daniel, and in that prophecy, God said, “I’m going to accomplish these six things among the Jewish people.” And most people agree that He’s only accomplished one of those and that is the atonement for their inequity, but the other five are yet to be achieved and they are going to achieved in this final seven-year period of time.
Nathan Jones: And that’s why the prophets both Minor and Major called it the time of Jacob’s Trouble, Jeremiah 30:7.
Dr. Reagan: Daniel called it time of great distress for the Jewish people.
Nathan Jones: The Day of the Lord, the Day of God’s Wrath. It will be the worst time for Jewish people. The whole world will be gathered against the Jewish people. And we live in a time period where the Jewish people are now gathered back in their land and control Jerusalem.
Dr. Reagan: In fact, it’s going to be one...
Tim Moore: Jesus said that it would be a time of unprecedented tribulation.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, unbelievable.
Dr. Reagan: Well, that’s true. I mean the only thing we have to compare with this is the Noah Flood, but think about the fact that that was over very quickly, people drowned and that was it. But this is going to be agony, and horror for seven consecutive years.
Nathan Jones: Seven agonizing years.
Dr. Reagan: And that brings me to the next question: Why would a God of grace, love and mercy pour out such Tribulation on the earth? People don’t understand that.
Tim Moore: I think in my position to this point as a lawmaker often times folks will call and say, “There ought to be a law.” Because there is a deep yearning in the heart of man for justice to be served, because they see, folks see that unrighteousness abounds, and they think there should be rightful punishment or justice for wrongdoing. Well, you know what? God is a God of justice, a God of righteousness, a God of holiness, and so there will be punishment for sin for people who have rejected again His offer of salvation, even at the same time that He is offering mercy. I find it very interesting that people want to make up a God of their own choosing. Here recently there’s been a movie being produced about the life of Jesus, staring Joaquin Phoenix and he has rejected some of the miracles that Jesus performed using very crude language he says, “Well, I can’t believe any of that kind of stuff.”
Nathan Jones: And he plays Jesus, correct?
Tim Moore: And he plays Jesus. And so, he is creating a Jesus of his own imaginary making.
Dr. Reagan: Like the cults do.
Tim Moore: Like the cults do. And a lot of people want to reject the holiness, the righteousness, the justice of God, and just embrace the mercy and love of God. Well, God is beyond human comprehension, but all of those attributes make up who He is, and so inherent with His mercy and love is His justice. And so, that is why He poured out His wrath, for those who have accepted His Son, on Jesus Christ and that is why our great urgency is to tell people that if they do not accept Jesus Christ than this period of unprecedented Tribulation and out pouring of wrath will abide on them.
Dr. Reagan: Nathan.
Nathan Jones: Well, you got to look at John he goes up to Heaven and he sees the martyrs who have died because of the Antichrist beheading them and slaughtering them. And he says they number like the sands, they are uncountable from every tribe, language, tongue and people. How did they come to know Jesus Christ as Savior? Because the world got really, really hard, things got really, really bad and they were finally forced out of their complacency to make a decision for the Lord or not. So, we will see out of the Tribulation probably the greatest spiritual harvest, maybe even greater than the last 2,000 years of Church history. The Lord is going to bring a great remnant, not of just Jews, certainly the Jews, a third of the Jews, but of Gentiles as well who will come to know Him as Savior. And that’s the result of the Tribulation. Sometimes life has to get really bad before you get serious about God.
Tim Moore: And sometimes even now people are under periods of great tribulation in their own lives, not to be confused with the seven-year period Scripture talks about. But many believers will testify that they came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ only because they came to the end of themselves. The Lord allowed them to go through a period of great trial, causing them to turn to Jesus as their only hope of salvation; and their testimony bears witness to that.
Dr. Reagan: Well, I find most people think of God as the cosmic teddy bear; He’s going to be warm and soft and furry. And He’s just going to say, “Well, you know you never accepted my Son, and you lived a pretty good life compared to the guy next door to you.” But God doesn’t judge on the curve He judges on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ, and whether or not you have accepted the Lord as your Savior. And He is a God, yes of love, grace and mercy, but He is also a God of wrath. Isaiah 26:9 says that, “When Your judgments, when people experience Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” And many people are going to come to the end of themselves and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior during this period of Tribulation. What a God that He is so gracious to do that.
Tim Moore: Praise the Lord.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, we are going to come back in just a moment with more questions about the Tribulation.
Part 2
Tim Moore: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our responses to questions about the Tribulation. Okay, Dave, so, what’s our next question?
Dr. Reagan: Okay, the next question: What are some of the key events of the Tribulation?
Tim Moore: Well, I think the first and most important key event is the beginning of the Tribulation and that will occur when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty, a covenant with Israel, allowing them to rebuild their temple.
Dr. Reagan: So, you are saying the Rapture is not the beginning of the Tribulation?
Tim Moore: No, the Rapture I believe, we strongly believe, happens before the Tribulation, and that will proceed the time.
Dr. Reagan: But it doesn’t start the Tribulation.
Tim Moore: No, sir, the Tribulation starts upon the signing of that peace treaty, which is why we know that seven-year clock begins. And of course, halfway through the Tribulation the Antichrist will renege on his commitment to the Jewish people, he will come to the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and desecrate it by declaring himself to be a god. And of course, the Jews will not like that, and so they will rebel.
Dr. Reagan: But before that there’s two major events in the Tribulation of judgments.
Tim Moore: Oh, yes, judgments will fall.
Dr. Reagan: Seal and trumpet.
Tim Moore: Yes, sir, seal and trumpet judgments. I’m kind of giving just the overview, but the seal and trumpet judgments, the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the entire world. Leading up to that half-way mark when the Antichrist turns his attention back on the Jewish people when they refuse to accept him, declaring himself to be god.
Dr. Reagan: Now, what events happen after that?
Tim Moore: Well, after that of course we get the bowl judgments that are poured out, and the Antichrist will then turn all of his wrath toward the Jewish people themselves.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, actually he does it before that because as soon as they reject him, he goes after them and they flee Israel.
Tim Moore: They flee Israel, and they are protected, as the Scripture says, by the wings of an eagle. And then of course the final moment of the Tribulation, really the end of it is when Jesus Christ returns. I’m giving just some key points, and obviously we could get into great detail.
Dr. Reagan: Well, one that should be mentioned is right before the pouring out of the bowl judgments, God sends forth an angel who goes and circumnavigates the globe and proclaims the Gospel to every person on planet earth, so they have no excuse to say they’ve never heard it.
Tim Moore: Well, and that’s why we know that in the Tribulation there will be many who accept that offer of salvation, who hear that Gospel message, have to come to the end of themselves and finally turn in faith to Jesus Christ.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, good overview. Now, Nathan, I want to ask you a question. One of the things that people often ask is: Who are these mysterious 24 elders who are mentioned in Revelation chapter 4? John is taken up to Heaven and he sees 24 elders who are bowing before the throne and casting their crowns before Him. Who are these people?
Nathan Jones: Well, there’s a few theories about who these 24 elders are; they are in little thrones around God’s big throne. They take off their crowns, and they lay them at the feet as an eternal act of worship of God. And some believe well, maybe they are the 12 apostles, and maybe they are the 12 of the patriarchal, tribal leaders of Israel. Although, John saw 24 elders, and he would have been one of the elders, so why wasn’t his chair empty? There are other theories. But my own theory I believe is that there are a number of verses where Jesus says that we will rule and reign with Him and sit on His throne of authority. So, it very well could be, because it uses the term elders that these thrones are for the Church on a rotational basis, which means the 24 elders could possibly be you and me at some point.
Dr. Reagan: Amen.
Nathan Jones: Where we will sit on that throne.
Dr. Reagan: I hope so.
Nathan Jones: I hope so too.
Dr. Reagan: I think that is a very good decision that you made there as to what that means, because we don’t know for sure, but we have to just guess based upon the information that we’re given.
Nathan Jones: And it fits with what Jesus says that we will sit on His throne. He’s not talking about the actual throne of God per say, but the throne complex.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, now in Revelation chapter 7, 144,000 are mentioned who are going to be especially anointed by God. And this is always been a point of controversy. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that they are the 144,000.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, even though there’s more.
Dr. Reagan: The thing that is interesting to me is that one time I went to a seminary the TCU, Texas Christian University Seminary. And I looked through all the commentaries, this was back in the 80’s, all the commentaries in that seminary about this particular verse, these series of verses, and 85% of them said this is talking about the Church. That the Church is going to be given a special anointing during the Tribulation to reach the world with the Gospel. What is your reaction to that?
Tim Moore: I don’t know how you could possible spiritualize away this particular passage because it very clearly says, “The tribe of Judah the 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad.” And on down the list Jewish tribes, not Gentile peoples or people groups or nations, Jewish tribes. And why in the world you would take that passage and say, “Well, that’s not what God really meant.”
Dr. Reagan: Well, you know why.
Tim Moore: Well, I do know why, but...
Dr. Reagan: It’s called Replacement Theology.
Tim Moore: It’s Replacement Theology run amuck.
Dr. Reagan: God has no purpose for the Jews therefore He can’t be talking about the Jews, so this must be a spiritual symbol of the Church.
Tim Moore: All of the passages in the Old Testament that point to the Tribulation talk about its purpose toward the Jewish people.
Dr. Reagan: That’s right.
Tim Moore: And that’s why God is not done with the Jewish people.
Dr. Reagan: I wonder sometimes what God would have to do to convince us He’s talking about 144,000 Jews.
Tim Moore: Well.
Dr. Reagan: I mean He says they’re Jews.
Tim Moore: Yes, sir, He does. No, these are Jews that are then anointed to be great evangelists. Matter of fact they are set apart for that special purpose, and they are dedicated in preaching the Good News of Jesus.
Dr. Reagan: Let’s just talk about that for a moment. There’s going to be–in that same chapter, chapter 7 he’s shown a group of people in white robes standing before the throne of God, and they are so many that they cannot be counted. And he asks who they are, and he says, “These are the ones who are coming out of the Tribulation, the martyrs coming out.” That means a lot of people are accepting Jesus during the Tribulation. How can they accept Jesus during the Tribulation with the Church gone? How do they hear the Gospel?
Nathan Jones: Well, you hear that a lot, oh you need the Church to be there during the Tribulation for the Gospel to spread. Well, the Church wasn’t there in the Old Testament and God’s Word still got out through the Jewish people. He is going to use the Jewish people. He is going to use the 144,000, they are like super Paul’s, they are going out in the world, they are protected, they are sealed, they can’t be killed, and they will spread the Gospel.
Dr. Reagan: As Zola Levitt once said, “The Jewish people are God’s super salesman.”
Nathan Jones: He’s absolutely right.
Tim Moore: There you go.
Nathan Jones: You mentioned the Gospel Angel, an actual angel that goes around. People will have seen the Rapture, and they’ll know God. They’ll see the results of the Gog and Magog War that says the world will know there is a God. And I’d like to bring up–
Dr. Reagan: The two witnesses.
Nathan Jones: That’s the next one, is the two witness, for the first three-and-a-half-years God is going to put two Jewish evangelists in Jerusalem. And they are like Old Testament prophets, they can do miracles, and signs, and they condemn the world and they try to lead the world to God. And God let’s them be destroyed by the Antichrist, their bodies are gazed on for three-and-a-half-days and then He raptures them up, He resurrects them and brings them to Heaven. So, no matter what that time period has no doubt, that they know there’s a God, they know there is Jesus Christ, and they know to choose Him or not.
Dr. Reagan: Well, there is something else that you haven’t mentioned, and that is there is going to be millions of Bibles.
Tim Moore: Exactly right.
Dr. Reagan: And I tell people over, and over go to the front of your Bible and write the plan of salvation in there because people are not going to have a chance to study the Bible in great detail.
Tim Moore: I hope somebody finds your Bible, Dave Reagan, because they will know everything about the plan of salvation, and notes throughout the Bible.
Nathan Jones: And I hope they’re watching us. Right now, if the Rapture’s happened folks, and you’re watching this then you know what we’re speaking is true.
Dr. Reagan: Well, that brings me to another point that you didn’t mention, I’m surprised, and that is all of the things that are on the internet, the things that ministries all over the world. Surely, there’s going to be access to that for some time before the Antichrist can block them all out.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, it will be purged.
Tim Moore: Internet, books, DVD’s, all the materials that we provide and produce, and other ministries will be out there. Folks will be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Reagan: I know you’ve had a real heart for doing that Nathan.
Nathan Jones: I think our ministries biggest impact will not be before the Rapture, but after the Rapture, all the materials that Dr. Reagan you have produced, and the ministries’ produced will be there for a period of time. We’ve tried to put them all over the place, not all our eggs one basket, so that people as soon as the Rapture happens they are going to have questions. We’ve even created a left behind video so people can know what will happen during the Tribulation.
Dr. Reagan: Now, you mentioned the two witnesses that are going to be in Jerusalem for three-and-a-half-years, who are they?
Nathan Jones: Well, there are all sort of theories, there’s Moses and Elijah, I know you particularly adhere to Enoch, Elijah. Others say they are just two Jewish guys who get saved after the Rapture. I can honestly say, I don’t know.
Dr. Reagan: Nobody knows.
Nathan Jones: And I probably won’t know until they’re brought up to Heaven, and we are like, “Oh, that’s who they are.”
Dr. Reagan: Yeah, some say they are going to be Elijah and Moses based on the miracles that are performed.
Nathan Jones: Right, and Elijah didn’t die, Enoch didn’t die.
Dr. Reagan: Others said, “No, they’re just going to be the two guys who were taken to Heaven, you know, without dying.” And that would be Enoch and Elijah. That would be interesting because Enoch was a Gentile, and Elijah was a Jew, so he would have a Gentile and Jewish voice proclaiming this message. But we don’t know for sure, but we know they are going to be supernaturally protected by the Lord until the Antichrist comes to Jerusalem.
Tim Moore: We do know in Malachi that it is indicated that Elijah will come back and that’s why many–
Dr. Reagan: Yes, I think one of them will definitely be Elijah.
Tim Moore: I think so too.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, are the judgments chronological, or are they like many people teach just different descriptions of the same judgments.
Tim Moore: Well, I think if you try to make them be the same judgments an overlay, the bowl, the trumpet, all the various judgments it really doesn’t fit. And so, I personally believe that they are chronological essentially, with some parenthetical inserts within the book of Revelation as John is given views of the past, and forecast of the future, even during that time period. And so, it is a very busy era of outpouring of judgment. But I think they’re basically chronological.
Dr. Reagan: So many people teach they are just overlaying, but to me they have to be in chronological order. For one thing the first group affects one-fourth of the earth, the next group affects one-third of the earth, well, that’s not the same thing.
Tim Moore: No, it’s not.
Nathan Jones: Plus, the Bible gives time indicators during the Tribulation. For example, Revelation 15:1, “Then I saw another sign in Heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels, having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” So, if the seven bowls were just echoes of the seven trumpets, or seven seals, that wouldn’t jive with the time indicators that John gives us throughout the book of Revelation.
Dr. Reagan: Based on the questions we receive I have come to the conclusion that most people don’t focus on the overall picture, they tend to obsess on one thing. You know who is this, who is that, what is that?
Nathan Jones: Mark of the Beast, all the time.
Dr. Reagan: What is 666? I just got my license plate and it has 666, am I going to Hell? I just got a social security card it has 666 on it. What about 666?
Tim Moore: Oh, boy. Well, I think 666 has to be some kind of important symbolic number. We know that man was created on the sixth day for example. And so when the Bible talks about God being Holy, holy, holy. Well the Antichrist...
Dr. Reagan: Always three time, yes.
Tim Moore: ...always three times in that superlative. I think the Antichrist will be man, man, man.
Dr. Reagan: I believe that’s what that’s all about.
Tim Moore: I think that’s what it is as well.
Dr. Reagan: And we are going to have an unholy trinity on this earth.
Tim Moore: We are going to have an unholy trinity. But he is going to be the superman, sort of what some of the Nietzsche’s of this world have talked about, and yet so elevated that he essentially proclaims himself to be a god. And we have people already heading in that direction with their attitude.
Dr. Reagan: I think it’s interesting too that the Old Testament says that in the year that King Solomon received 666 talents of gold that he turned his heart away from God, and began to focus on woman, and horses and money. So, it became a symbol in Jewish history of apostasy.
Tim Moore: Yes, it did.
Dr. Reagan: It’s apostasy, yeah. Okay, well let’s go to another question and that is: What is the meaning of the symbols in chapter 12? Let’s start off with the woman in chapter 12. The Catholic Church says that the woman in chapter 12 is Mary. And we recently had people talking about no, it has to do with stars in the sky and all that sort of thing. Nathan, jump on it.
Nathan Jones: Okay, and don’t send me hate e-mails if you don’t believe what we’re going to tell you, but this is what the Bible says. “Now a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, on her head a garland of 12 stars, and then being with child she cried out in labor in pain to give birth.” Well, you only have to go back to the story of Joseph, where Joseph was given a dream of his father, and mother, and brothers bowing down and worshipped him, and it used that imagery, the sun, the moon, and the stars. So, we know that the woman is Israel. I mean the Bible always explains its symbols. You have to hunt sometimes. But there. So, we know the woman. Now what did the woman give birth to? Well, some will say the child is the Church. Well, we read here she cried out in labor and gave birth, and another sign appeared to them, behold a great fire, a red dragon.” And it goes on, “And his tail drew a third of the stars, and he was going to devour the child who soon was born. The male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” That can’t be the Church.
Tim Moore: No.
Nathan Jones: That has to be Jesus Christ.
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Nathan Jones: The Jewish people gave birth to the Messiah. The Messiah is in Heaven protected. And Satan the red dragon has always been trying to kill Him.
Dr. Reagan: Well, your point there is very good because the Bible is the best interpreter of itself.
Nathan Jones: Oh, always.
Dr. Reagan: Yeah, we only have about a minute and 20 second left in this segment and we’ve got to get to the final question. And that question is: Could the Antichrist be a Muslim or a Jew?
Tim Moore: I think that there a lot of people who want to speculate on his exact background. I would reject the idea that he could be a Muslim because I don’t think the Jewish people would trust a Muslim, a Muslim person to come in and make a treaty to allow them to rebuild their temple.
Dr. Reagan: What Muslim would ever declare himself god? And if he did the Muslims would kill him.
Tim Moore: They would kill him, exactly right. And as far as being a Jews I don’t see that either because the Bible specifically says that the Antichrist will come out of the sea, which is a symbolic reference to the Gentile nations. Now, as he comes and stands on the seashore there will be another person rise up out of the land, and that will be the false prophet who quiet probably will be Jewish of background, obviously not an observant or faithful Jewish person. But the Antichrist himself will not be a Muslim person and will not be a Jew. That’s my understanding of what the Bible clearly says.
Nathan Jones: I don’t see Islam playing a role in the Tribulation because the result of the Gog and the Magog War is the destruction of the Islamic nations from in the Middle East and all. So, the Antichrist cannot have a competing religion, therefore Islam will likely be destroyed at the onset of the Tribulation.
Dr. Reagan: Okay, great answers. And we’ll be back in just a moment for further discussion.
Part 3
Nathan Jones: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our discussion of the Tribulation. Tim, you gave me some great hope because you said that if you are a Christian that you will be raptured before the wrath of God falls on the earth in the Tribulation. Tell us how someone can know Jesus Christ as their Savior, and become part of the Rapture.
Tim Moore: Well, that is probably the most important question we have had today, Nathan. So, let me just say the Church is simply the worldwide body of people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. The Church indeed will be taken out of this world before God’s wrath is poured out. And today we just touched the surface of the horrors that await all who reject God’s offer of salvation. The good news of the Gospel is that God so loved you, that He gave His only Son, Jesus. John 3:16 tells us that glorious good news, and promises that if we believe in Him, we will not perish but we’ll have eternal life. At the end of the same chapter however John warns that those who do not obey God and believe in His Son will not see life, instead the wrath of God abides on them. God’s own Holy Spirit will illuminate your heart and germinate seeds of faith if you will let him. So, right now repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as God’s Son, sent to die on your behalf. Accept that by His own power He arose from the dead. Trust Him to save you from the wrath to come. And finally know that He is able to keep you now and forever more.
Dr. Reagan: Thank you, Tim. Well, folks that’s our program for this week, I hope it’s been a blessing to you, and I hope the Lord willing you’ll be back with us again next week. Until then this is Dave Reagan speaking for Lamb & Lion Ministries saying, “Look up, be watchful, for our redemption is drawing near.”