Millennialism, End Times, and the Reign of Christ (Part 05) - The Tribulation, Loosing of Satan, 2nd Coming of Christ

For a master copy of the outline, click here: Millennialism 6. The tribulation. A. Tribulation n. - 1. A condition of great affliction, oppression, or misery; ‘persecution; distress; vexation; disturbance of life’ B. Christians have been experiencing tribulation since the first coming of Christ. i. Jesus promised that His disciples would go through tribulation (Joh 16:33). ii. If they persecuted Jesus, they will persecute His disciples (Joh 15:20). iii. Christians enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation (Act 14:22). iv. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (tribulation - see definition) (2Ti 3:12). v. Persecution - 1. a. The action of persecuting or pursuing with enmity and malignity; esp. the infliction of death, torture, or penalties for adherence to a religious belief or an opinion as such, with a view to the repression or extirpation of it; the fact of being persecuted; an instance of this. vi. The gate that leads to life is strait (so narrow as to make transit difficult) and narrow (Mat 7:13-14). vii. Christians in the Thessalonian church were enduring afflictions, persecutions and tribulations (1Th 3:3-4; 2Th 1:4-5). viii. Affliction - The action of inflicting grievous pain or trouble ix. It is the lot of Christians to suffer in this life (Phi 1:29). x. Suffer v. - 1. trans. To have (something painful, distressing, or injurious) inflicted or imposed upon one; to submit to with pain, distress, or grief. a. pain, death, punishment, †judgement; hardship, disaster; grief, †sorrow, care. xi. All of God's redeemed people in heaven will have gone through great tribulation (Rev 7:9,13 c/w Rev 7:14). C. The tribulation we will face will get worse and worse as we get closer to the end of time. i. In the last days perilous times shall come (2Ti 3:1). ii. Perilous adj. - 1. Fraught with peril; causing or occasioning great danger; full of risk; dangerous; hazardous. iii. Evil men will wax worse and worse toward the end (2Ti 3:13). iv. The time just prior to the coming of Christ will be as it was in the days of Noah (Mat 24:37-39). a. In the days of Noah there were eight righteous people left on the earth (2Pe 2:5). b. The earth at that time was full of violence (Gen 6:11). v. Jesus asked rhetorically if He would find faith on the earth when He returns, the obvious implication being, no (Luk 18:8). D. The "great tribulation" in Matthew 24 happened in 70AD in the destruction of Jerusalem. i. Jesus said in Mat 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. When is "then"? iii. "Then" is when Jesus' disciples would see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place (Mat 24:15). iv. By comparing Matthew's and Luke's accounts of the Olivet Discourse, it is undeniable (if one has eyes to see) that the abomination of desolation was Jerusalem being compassed with armies (Mat 24:15-21 c/w Luk 21:20-23). a. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)...19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!...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." (Mat 24:15,19,21) b. "20) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh....23) 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." (Luk 21:20,23) c. The "great tribulation" in Mat 24:21 is the "great distress" in Luk 21:23, which happened when Jesus' disciples saw Jerusalem compassed with armies. d. Tribulation n. - 1. A condition of great affliction, oppression, or misery; ‘persecution; distress; vexation; disturbance of life’ e. This historical event happened in 70AD when the Roman armies besieged Jerusalem and utterly destroyed and desolated it, which was recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus. v. The "great tribulation" and Jesus' entire discourse in Matthew 24 was covered in great detail in a sermon series titled "Olivet Discourse", of which the outline and the recordings can be found here: Olivet Discourse (Part 1), Olivet Discourse (Part 2), Olivet Discourse (Part 3), and Olivet Discourse (Part 4). The "great tribulation" is specifically dealt with on Pages 6-11 of the outline. 7. The loosing of Satan. A. Prior to the return of Christ, Satan will be loosed from being bound for a little season (Rev 20:3). i. Season n. - II. gen. A time, period, occasion. 12. a. A particular time or period during which something happens, or which is defined by some characteristic feature or circumstance. b. for a season: for an indefinite period, for some time, for a while. Similarly, for a long, short, etc. season. ii. Little adj. - II. Opposed to much. 10. a. Not much; only a slight amount or degree of; barely any. 11. a. a little: a small quantity of; some, though not much. iii. Satan will be loosed for a relatively short period of time. B. Satan will be loosed to go out to deceive the nations and gather them together to do battle against the Lord Jesus (Rev 20:7-8). 8. The Second Coming of Christ. A. What will the Second Coming of Christ be like? How will we know when it happens? B. When Jesus left this earth after His resurrection, angels told the disciples who watched him depart into heaven that he would return in like manner (Act 1:9-11). i. Like - 1. Having the same characteristics or qualities as some other person or thing; of approximately identical shape, size, colour, character, etc., with something else; similar; resembling; analogous. ii. Manner - 1. a. The way in which something is done or takes place; method of action; mode of procedure. iii. Therefore Jesus will return in a way which has the same characteristics and qualities, and is similar, resembling, and approximately identical to the way that He left. C. Jesus left this earth: i. bodily (Luk 24:36-43). ii. tangibly (Joh 20:26-27) a. Tangibly - adv. in a tangible manner b. Tangible - adj. 1. a. Capable of being touched; affecting the sense of touch; touchable. iii. visibly (while they beheld, he was taken up...out of their sight) (Act 1:9). iv. audibly (while he blessed them) (Luk 24:51). D. Therefore His return will be: i. bodily - Jesus will come in His body (eyes, head, clothes, mouth, thigh) (Rev 19:11-16). ii. visibly a. They shall SEE the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven (Mat 24:30). b. The Lord Jesus shall be REVEALED from heaven (2Th 1:7). c. Reveal - 1. trans. To disclose, make known (to one) in a supernatural manner. 2. To disclose, divulge, make known (to one) by discourse or communication. 3. To display, show, make clear or visible, exhibit. d. In FLAMING FIRE... (2Th 1:8). e. The BRIGHTNESS of his coming (2Th 2:8). f. The heavens being ON FIRE...(2Pe 3:12). iii. audibly a. A GREAT SOUND of a TRUMPET (Mat 24:31). b. The Lord himself shall descend with a SHOUT (1Th 4:16). c. With the VOICE of the archangel (1Th 4:16). d. With the TRUMP of God (1Th 4:16). e. The heavens shall pass away with A GREAT NOISE (2Pe 3:10). iv. tangibly - it will be a very touching experience for the wicked (2Th 1:7-9). E. The Second Coming of Christ begins the following chain of events which happen on the last day. For a master copy of the outline, click here: Millennialism