THE SEVEN YEARS TRIBULATION PERIOD--ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18

THE SEVEN YEARS TRIBULATION PERIOD

ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18

Introduction:

Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2-He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” (14:1-2). Job does not paint a pretty picture of man. His description is tragically true of unsaved man.

Throughout history man has been subject to calamities, disasters, and plagues:

 The Black Death (BUBONIC PLAGUE) killed 75 million people in Europe from 1340 to 1350.

 Typhus killed over 250,000 in Cuba in 1545.

 A massive earthquake killed 830,000 in China on January 24, 1556. The average death toll in the 20th century has been 20,000 people annually.

 Three million died of smallpox in Brazil in 1560.

 In 1792 almost one million perished in Egypt of the Black plague.

 In 1802 yellow fever killed 30,000 of Napoleon’s army in Santo Domingo.

 900,000 died of Cholera in 1827 in Europe.

 1 million died of starvation in Northern China in the year 1887.

 200,000 died in China because of a landslide.

 In 1918 some 30 million died during a worldwide epidemic of Influenza.

 On Nov. 12, 1970, over 500,000 fell victim to a waterstorm in Bangladesh.

That is a total of 1,127,100,000 deaths during those years. The Bible says that there is coming a period of destruction unlike anything man has seen thus far. It will take place during a period of seven years called… THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

I. AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME

A. It will be a great day, unlike any other day, Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”

B. There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was before, Daniel 12:1, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

C. A great tribulation that will be incomparable, Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

II. AN UNGODLY ENVIRONMENT

A. The Believers are no longer on the earth, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

1. The First resurrection (that of the believing dead) has taken place, v. 16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

2. The Rapture of all believers has taken place, v. 17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

B. The Spirit of God is taken out of the world, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7-For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

C. The Antichrist will be revealed, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9-Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

III. AN UNMERCIFUL JUDGMENT

A. The Tribulation Period will not suffer under the wrath of men or of Satan, but under that of God Almighty.

1. Men seem to think that suffering in this life is all of the Hell that they will suffer.

2. Men do suffer great difficulties in this life, but they have not experienced the wrath of God and can not even imagine its terror.

B. The Tribulation Period will be the WRATH OF GOD.

1. The Bible says that there is none like it, Revelation 6:17, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

2. Even the great and rich will fear, Revelation 6:15, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;”

C. The Wrath of God is experienced:

1. War, Revelation 6:3-4.

2. World famine, Revelation 6:5-6.

a. A day’s wages are spent just for food.

b. The pair of balances suggests strict rationing due to lack of food.

3. Large numbers die, Revelation 6:7-8.

a. 25% of earth’s population will die.

b. 33% of remaining population is killed in war, Revelation 9:15, “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.”

1) The size of the army is 200 million.

2) In the space of a few months the population of the earth is reduced to one half. WWII killed 1 in 40. The Tribulation will kill 1 in 2.

D. God SHORTENS those days in order to preserve life, Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

IV. AN UNCHANGED HEART

A. Men will desire to die, but cannot, Revelation 6:16-17, “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17-For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 9:6, “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

B. There will be no repentance by man of his deeds.

1. No repentance of their IDOLATRY, Revelation 9:20, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.”

2. No repentance of their crimes, Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

C. Men blasphemed the name of God rather than repent, Revelation 16:9, 11, “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 11-And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”

CONCLUSION

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. Note vs. 11-12, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12-That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” God’s wrath is not something to play around with.

If you don’t believe the truth now, why do you think you will believe it later? 2 Corinthians 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

God’s people will not feel the wrath of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10-Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”