The Last Days – Part 7 – Tribulation Salvation

Then we looked at how the tribulation will achieve these things and we saw that included in the process is the redeeming of Israel’s land grant that God promised unconditionally to Abraham.

In this episode we’re going to look at salvation in this period. We know many people will be saved in this very dark time, but how?

People tend to think that the study of the end of the world events is about studying every detail in the book of Revelation, but the main point is understanding why we believe in the return of the Lord and the fulfillment of prophecy and what the difference is between the end times and us today.

This is what rightly dividing scripture means in 2^nd Timothy 2:15

Be diligent, or study, to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

If you and I don’t understand the difference between the mystery of Christ given to Paul, the time we live in now, the dispensation of grace, and God’s purpose to Israel, or if we try to mix these times, we’ll not grasp the reality of end time events.

We should understand that today is called the day of salvation by Paul in 2^nd Corinthians 6 verse 2,

For He says: “IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s using the prophecy of Isaiah 49:8 here.

We’re saved today by what Christ did for us in suffering death on the cross in our place.

We’re sinners deserving of just punishment, but He took it for us that we might be saved from it.

So, God has this world today, a world full of sinners, a world that’s entirely rejected Him.

Gentiles had rejected God for centuries in the past, but his own people Israel had rejected him also.

So, what should God do?

Well, the just way for our Righteous Holy God would be to judge the sinners and then save the righteous, but instead of this God reveals the mystery of salvation and the mystery of the gospel to this man named Saul whose name is later changed to Paul.

He wrote 13 epistles in our Bible and in them Paul describes this gospel of salvation, not by our righteousness or our works of the law or because of who we are, if we’re of the nation of Israel or not, but by grace through the hearing of and the acceptance of, the gospel of grace.

We don’t do anything to be saved other than believe.

Christ did everything required for our salvation when he died and shed his blood on that cross and rose from the dead. It was fully complete works and we can add nothing to it.

If we believe that, it’s called faith and  we’re saved freely by His grace, through that faith.

That’s how God sees the world today, a world of sinners that, potentially, can be saved by God’s grace if they accept it by believing the Gospel of grace.

We, who are Christians, are His ambassadors according to 2^nd Corinthians 5:20,

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

To those who are saved God gives the role of ministers of the gospel and we make this gospel known to others and more are saved and the church, the Body of Christ is built and continues on and that’s why we do what we do.

God’s not pouring out judgment today, He’s offering salvation. Believe the gospel and be saved. How long will he wait? Only as long as His grace is still available.

In this dispensation of God’s grace that we live in today, salvation is different to the time of the prophesied tribulation, the day of the Lord’s wrath, the time of Jacob’s trouble.

This is the time God pours out judgment and wrath to the people on the earth who’ve rejected Him.

That change is so important to grasp.

In Romans 11:32 we read speaking of Israel,

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 

The reason God can offer salvation freely to all sinners today is because His own people, Israel, rejected Him.

That’s why He offers grace to all individuals today, Jew and Gentile. We’re not being dealt with as Gentile nations or a Jewish nation anymore, but as individuals who make up a body, the Body of Christ.

Israel as a nation is counted into unbelief.

We’re looking at salvation in the tribulation and how it works.

Though there’s a change in the method of salvation between now and then, this does NOT mean that Christ’s blood isn’t still the bases of salvation. It’s on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that all men are saved and it’s always by God’s grace.

But God’s attitude towards humanity’s going to change when He stops dealing with the world according to His grace alone.

It’s time for judgment then and we understand more why Paul said now is the day of salvation. Now is the time when God’s not pouring his judgment on the earth. Now is the day to be saved when it’s offered freely.

In Roman’s 6, Paul explains how we’re free from the power of sin over us and how, not being under the law, we’re dead to sin and dead to the law.

Romans 6:11,

Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

He also explains how we’re free from the penalty of sin, which is death. Verse 23 of Romans 6,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Then there’s a third thing called the presence of sin.

Romans 7:18,

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

We’ll it’s this presence of sin that’s exactly what Christ is coming to eradicate, temporarily before the Kingdom is set up during the tribulation and permanently after the Kingdom has existed for 1000 years.

To save the world from the presence of sin is going to take a major overhaul!

That’s why the cataclysmic events that occur in Revelation are justified and need to happen on such a grand scale, because sin is so entrenched in people and institutions and governments in the kingdoms of this world that they cannot stand.

Simply reforming them won’t work.

We see that time and again through the Bible. Israel would occasionally get a good king and times would be good for the nation only for the whole thing to fall miserably with the next appalling king. It’s no different than governments today except they get continually worse. It all needs to be overturned and started anew.

In this we see the justification in what God’s going to do in this coming tribulation.

We’ve all heard about the horrors that’ll happen during the tribulation, the water poisoned, people being killed by the millions, the oceans turning to blood, horrific sores over people’s bodies, and we think, how can anybody get salvation from this.

When you and I talk about salvation we’re talking about how to be saved from the penalty of sin. How can we, as individual humans, be saved from eternal death and get eternal life? How do we get justified before God? How do we get forgiveness? And we know all is answered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But for Israel as a nation to who God promised would be a nation above the nations, a nation of blessing over the earth with physical prosperity, they’re looking for salvation from the oppression of their enemies.

That’s what Zacharias, John the Baptists father prophesied about regarding Jesus in Luke chapter 1.

He says here’s a child that will deliver Israel from its enemies and allow them to live peacefully in this world. He’s talking about worldwide peace and salvation, physically, on the earth, not just a spiritual peace with God.

So, the salvation that we’re talking about here is different.

Let’s look at Hebrews 9:26 to 28,

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

This is where we get the phrase “second coming” and we’re not talking about Him returning to Paul which He did after he ascended to heaven, and we’re not talking about the rapture where He’ll meet the Body of Christ in the air.

We’re talking about a second time the Messiah comes to the earth according to prophecy, in the Hebrew Scriptures.

And when He appears the second time it’ll be apart from sin.

Now I’m sure you all realise that doesn’t mean He sinned the first time. It means He won’t come to pay the price for sin. He did that when he came the first time, he bore the sin of man in His own body on the cross, but here in Hebrews He’ll come the second time bringing salvation.

We’ve really got to get what’s going on here.

Hebrews 9:28 talks about a future salvation. So, are we saved now or are we not?

Well, only in Paul’s epistles do we hear that we’re saved now, but in the Hebrew epistles, in prophecy, they’re hoping for salvation and salvation’s going to come when the Messiah returns to the earth the second time and brings it.

He came the first time to pay for the penalty of sin and to send the Holy Spirit to help us break the power of sin in our lives, but salvation isn’t complete until the presence of sin is destroyed.

For Israel, for prophecy, there’s a different attitude towards salvation and, in Hebrews 9:28, Jesus comes a second time to bring salvation.

Look at 1^st Corinthians 1:18,

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved, it is the power of God.

This is the language in Paul’s epistles, that Christ died in the cross and when we believe we’re crucified with Him. Our sin is paid for in full.

We’re not Israel hoping for a future salvation. We’re not under Israel’s covenants or its law which would require something of us to do.

If it’s by grace, we can be saved completely right now. If it’s by grace, if God does all the work, there can’t be anything we have to do or anything on the earth that needs to be done.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

See that phrase?

We’re saved if we trust the cross of Christ. Thats the gospel for our salvation we are saved by the power of God.

We should point out that this verse, 1st Corinthians 1:18, in the New King James Bible says, “to us who are being saved!” The King James is more correct here and reads, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

So, in the New king James it infers a process. How do we know when that process is complete?

We shouldn’t allow these changed words to confuse our understanding of God’s salvation.

Romans 5:11 says,

but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

See how different this is than future salvation?

It all comes down to whether or not we’re Israel under law and covenant or we’re under grace.

If we have earthly promises from God attached to our salvation, then our salvation isn’t complete until those things’re accomplished.

If we have no earthly promise, if we don’t have an earthly destination, and we’re not under a law that requires us to perform some sort of works, then we don’t have to wait for it. God’s offering it to us now.

Now look at 1^st Peter.

Peter is one of the Twelve Apostles who ministered at the events on the day of Pentecost. He’s writing to people who he said himself were living in the last days and he’s warning about the coming tribulation.

When he preached at Pentecost he stood up and said this is that which Joel spoke about.

Joel prophesied about what would happen during the “day of the Lord”, this period of tribulation before the Kingdom is set up.

Peter prepares them for that in Acts chapter 2 because that’s the next event prophesied to happen, after which Christ will return a second time to set up the kingdom.

Peter also writes the epistle of 1^st Peter where he’s talking to people who’ll go through the tribulation.

If you want to know what salvation’s like during the tribulation read the Hebrew epistles, Hebrews to Revelation. They speak about Christ and salvation in the tribulation according to prophecy.

1^st Peter 1:1 to 5 says,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation “”ready to be revealed in the last time””. 

He’s talking to people who have a hope renewed through faith for salvation which will be revealed in the last times, the last days.

 

Remember that according to their program they needed a King to set up a Kingdom and when their King died all hope was lost in that program.

When Christ rose from the dead it’s all back on again because now the King’s alive again.

1^st Peter 1:3 says,

He (God the Father) has begotten us again to a living hope. A hope of what? The Kingdom come.

That’s the gospel they preached! A lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

See, it’s all on layby until it comes.

Verse 5 refers to those who’re kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, the last day.

In verse 7 Peter encourages them and tells them not to be discouraged about the trial of their faith.

What trial? Tribulation!

This isn’t talking about the guy down the street that pokes fun at Christians.

This is talking about the prophetic tribulation where Peter’s warning that there’s very bad times coming. He talks about the fiery trial.

Again in 1^st Peter 1 in verse 7 Peter says,

that the genuineness, the trial, of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Peter says when Christ appears again, He’s coming with salvation.

So, you see these verses in the Hebrew epistles dealing with Israel going into the tribulation talk about salvation in the future when Christ comes again.

It all makes sense when you separate this from Paul’s writings.

It’ll be confusing if you try to push these Hebrew epistles in together with Paul’s epistles.

Paul talks about present salvation while the Hebrew epistles talk about future salvation.

1^st Peter 1:13,

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

See the difference?

He’s saying gird up the loins of your mind because you’re going to have to tough it out until the end, the end of the events that we’re talking about.

That’s when salvation is brought to you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

He’s not talking about the revelation of the mystery, the dispensation of grace, given to Paul, he’s talking about the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ when he comes again from heaven and brings salvation.

When Christ comes at that time, He’s got a bloody sword, bloody garments and there’s smoke coming out from cities on the earth. Is that our picture of salvation today? No, it’s not.

We might say, “Well that sounds kind of wicked.”

No! The world’s wicked. God’s righteous. He’s talking about the judgement of every corrupt system and person on earth and salvation and grace being brought to Israel and the bringing of the promised Kingdom on earth.

It’s a very different mindset than what we have today.

If we’re preaching grace today what’re we trying to do to our enemies? Get them saved! Preach the gospel to them! It’s a very different approach to enemies in what God’s doing today.

It really matters to rightly divide scripture.

Now look at 1^st Peter 4:12,

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

Same book, same apostle, same last times context.

Then in 1^st Peter 4 in verse 13,

but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 

So, when Christ’s comes back in flaming fire and vengeance, Peter say that’s the day you can rejoice. That’s the day that Jesus said look up because your redemption is nigh.

When you see these signs, Christ returning, well, you’ll get redeemed.

Today, we’re not looking for signs of redemption we’ve already got it, and when the Lord comes back for the church, in the twinkling of an eye, we’ll be with Him forever and there’re no signs that herald that moment in time.

For the people Peter’s talking to, Israel, they’re looking for signs.

They see tribulation, and they shouldn’t worry about it and give up. They should stick it out through the fiery trial because when the Lord appears in glory, when He comes back and He’s revealed to the earth, then they get glorified.

Look down to verse 17,

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first (Israel), what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 

Paul preaches Grace and peace from God dispensed to the earth but Peter’s saying here the time has come for judgment.

The only way they can both be right is that they’re talking about different times, different dispensations or ages, a different group of people.

God changes from what He’s doing from today in the tribulation.

It’s like when we get a new government. The way things happen changes, a new dispensation begins. Our world changes.

Peter says in this verse that the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. Who’s the house of God? Israel!

In verse 18 of 1^st Peter chapter 4 Peter says,

Now “IF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE IS SCARCELY SAVED, WHERE WILL THE UNGODLY AND THE SINNER APPEAR?

Romans 4:5 says that God justifies the ungodly by faith in his gospel.

The ungodly can be saved, but at that time of judgement, the tribulation, God’s pouring out fire from heaven and you want to be saved from that. And the “you” we’re talking about are those in the tribulation.

So, Peter says here if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Friends that’s not describing the gospel today.

Today it’s not our righteousness at all, it’s what Christ did, and ungodly people can be saved freely by God’s grace but there’ll be a time where God changes his operation and how He deals with ungodly people.

God says, “Yes, I was offering them salvation, but they rejected it! Now it’s time to judge them.” And we understand that a perfectly righteous God must judge unrighteousness.

Better to be saved now through His righteousness and His shed blood, by grace, while we still have the opportunity.

Let’s look at Romans 11:11,

I say then, have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 

What God is doing today is that salvation, which was once of the Jews, and is now being offered to Gentiles without Israel. The Gentiles salvation and the knowledge of God was always intended to come through Israel, the nation of priests.

Through Israel’s fall salvation has come to the Gentiles directly.

In verse 12 we see,

Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Pauls saying that if salvation can be offered today to the people of the world without Israel, how much more will God bring salvation to this world when Israel rises again, when Israel’s restored, when Israel’s saved, when all the prophecies are fulfilled.

The world longs for this salvation of Israel, knowingly or unknowingly, because that’s finally when this present world turns into a righteous world and things will be run differently when Christ brings in His Kingdom.

A saved Israel will fulfill the prophecies in the Bible, making the high places low and bringing up the lowly things that this world mocks.

Those low things are Israel and the reason for the tribulation is to turn the world upside down and destroy the institutions of wicked, unjust, corrupt, and unrighteous Gentile rule and then, from the ashes, bring in a righteous and just Kingdom of salvation.

Last time we saw Jesus in heaven opening the seals of a scroll and we saw why there’s a scroll and why the seals, and why Christ is the only one that can open it.

When Christ starts opening those seals God’s focus is back on his covenant people. So, when that very first seal is opened God has changed the way he thinks about and deals with the world.

He was offering grace to a world of people who rejected Him but when that first seal is opened, He’s reclaiming His right on the earth through His chosen people Israel according to His covenant with them.

That first seal in Revelation 6 is where we have that white rider, the antichrist, coming in the image of the Messiah.

He conquers the world and tries to bring in peace just like the Messiah promised. He’s going to claim that he’s bringing in that new covenant God promised Israel and Israel’s going to believe him.

They deny Christ came in the flesh the first time and because of that they fall for this false Christ at this time.

The church, the Body of Christ is not even there.

There’s not a word about God operating through his ambassadors anymore, offering grace to the world.

Instead, He’s looking at the world differently now, changing the way He operates with a world that’s rejected His Gospel of Grace.

Gentile nations have ruled the world since Israel fell from their heights during the rules of Soloman and David. They fell because of their rejection of God’s laws and disobedience and became captive to Gentile nations.

Gentiles will reign over Israel until prophecy is fulfilled, and that Kingdom of heaven comes and then it’ll be the time for Israel to rise back up to power.

What’s that mean for the Gentile rule that’s been reigning ever since Israel’s captivity?

They’re going to fall, be knocked down and Israel saved.

Israel’s going to be restored out of this into their Kingdom where they’ll reign over the nations. That’s what prophecy talks about, when Christ will come back and make the high places low and the low places (Israel) high.

He’ll completely overturn and reorder things.

During this time of the Gentiles, He’s allowed them to rule in their wickedness until finally He’ll judge everything. Who’s righteous? Who’s wicked?

The wicked will get a sword and that’s when He comes in Revelation 19 fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy with a sword bathed in blood. That’s the righteous judgment on the wicked.

In Hosea chapter 12 God says a similar thing only this time instead of the Gentile nation’s, He talks about Judah.

Just because they’re circumcised Jews and of the nation of Israel through genealogy, doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem with God.

In Hosea 12:2 we read,

“The LORD also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him. 

See, the Lord will punish them according to their ways also.

Ezekiel 21:27,

Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him.” ‘ 

Give what? The land. Whose right is it? Christ’s, as it is Israel’s through the promises of old.

Christ will be the King over Israel whose right has come when He comes.

When we ask about salvation in the tribulation it’s the same as if we were asking how people got saved in Exodus.

Israel were slaves to Gentile powers, similar to the tribulation, under the rulership of Pharaoh, a pagan unbeliever, against the God of Israel.

God had made a promise 400 years earlier to these people, who were enslaved to the Gentiles, that He would deliver them out from the hand of their enemies.

Then God sent Moses a deliverer and what did Moses do?

He sent plagues upon the Egyptian powers and knocked those high powers down.

At the end of the story in Exodus, Israel walks on out of slavery to freedom. They’re singing praise to God, because they’ve been saved, delivered from Egypt.

How did that happen? By God’s power!

The picture of the plagues in Egypt is a shadow of what’s going to happen in the future in the tribulation.

Prophecy tells us that what happened before, God’ll do again. He parts waters back there, He’ll part waters over here. He turns the waters to blood over there He turns water to blood over here. Revelation is an echo, it’s a shadow of the past that’s going to happen again.

In Exodus, if you were an Egyptian how could you get saved?

You would need to go to Israel, to the Jews.

The last plague in Egypt, was a shadow of the cross of Christ. The innocent lamb dying with its blood painted on the lintels and the posts of the doors. What happened to those who didn’t apply that blood over the door?

They died!

It was a horrific time of trouble even for Israel. They’re in their houses trusting in that blood while the Angel of Death came. That’s the tribulation.

That’s the picture here.

Will there be salvation available? Yes.

Is it like the day of salvation we live in now? No!

God always makes a provision but it’s not going to be the day of free grace that He’s offering today.

It’s not God’s purpose in Revelation to send His ambassadors like He has today and evangelise the world. He’s going to overturn everything and make the wrongs right.

In spite of that and because of His mercy, salvation will be available.

Look at Revelation 6:9

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 

Next verse, Revelation 6:10,

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

These are those that turned their trust to Jesus Christ in this tribulation period and were killed by a wicked and corrupt people, from a wicked and corrupt system that’s rejected God.

Their souls are in heaven and they’re asking God how long must they wait for Him to judge these people. They’re saying get it over with and let’s bring in the kingdom.

At this fifth seal these martyred saints cry out in heaven for their blood to be avenged.

The next verse, verse 11,

Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. 

Does that sound like how God’s dealing with the world today, a world of sinners being offered grace and salvation?

You see God’s attitudes changed.

They’re crying out how long must we wait for judgement and vengeance and God tells them to wait a bit longer until more people of this corrupt world system die. Judgment has to occur.

It’s too late for the day of free salvation and grace as we have today.

Many of the people who turn to the Messiah are going to die at the hand of the people in the world.

Then in Revelation 6 verses 12 to 15,

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 

And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 

The world’s kings, the rulers, the dictators, and every corrupt person in power on the earth, these people that were high and lifted up, are going to be knocked down and will run for their lives.

Verse 17 says,

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The kings of the earth, the rulers, are saying this. They’re terrified and their underground bunkers and their money isn’t going to save them from this terrible time.

In Revelation chapter 7 verse 1 to 8 we have 144,000 men of Israel who’re sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads. Apparently, they’re going to be there on the earth with God’s supernatural protection.

There are twelve thousand from each of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel which at this time has a small remnant restored.

In verses 9 and 10 we read,

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

Here we see the people who’re saved in the tribulation. How do we know?

John asked who these people are, and we get the answer in verse 14 when the angel says to John,

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

This isn’t the church on the earth crying out, it’s these people in heaven crying out thank God they’re saved!

What about these robes?

They are the righteousness of the saints. They’re wearing their righteousness.

They’re before the throne of God in verse 15.

People think that when they see some disaster on the earth today it’s a sign of the tribulation. Nothing like it. No person living today can compare any hardship or catastrophe they may be confronting or anything that’s ever happened before on the globe with this time of tribulation.

Revelation chapter 9 gives us an account of the absolute horror of this period, far beyond anything the earth has ever experienced or ever will again.

Wouldn’t you think that in the midst of this horrific judgment from God, the people would cry out for a salvation?

But look at Revelation 9:20 and 21,

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.

And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

People may say this is a reason not to believe because God kills all these people in the tribulation and they say, “I don’t want to serve a God Who does such things.”

Why is this God of love judging and killing all these people?

Well, the message of the cross, that Christ paid for our sins, and we can be saved through His shed blood is everywhere today and it’s also ignored everywhere.

There’s simply no other choice. Judgement must come because unrighteousness must be judged, and the free gift of salvation has been almost universally rejected.

In this present dispensation of grace, God’s holding back judgement, but He can’t and won’t hold it back forever.

Hebrews 2:3 says,

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

People think a righteous God would just let them live on acting out whatever an evil heart can conceive.

They’ll not repent of their works. They’ll continue to worship devils, idols of gold silver, brass, and stone.

They’ll not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their fornication, their thefts, or anything else.

In Revelation chapter 11 verse 11, God resurrects two ancient witnesses who He gave power to be witnesses to Him.

They have miraculous abilities and they’re going to preach a gospel of fear of God and how people must repent, or turn. Also make no mistake that these witnesses will be somehow seen and heard all round the world.

Some will listen, the majority don’t. They don’t like the idea of God threatening them.

Well for 2,000 years now God’s love and grace has been preached and people didn’t like that either. They’ve largely rejected anything to do with God.

These two witnesses of Revelation 11 have power.

As we read down through the verses, we see it’s the same power that Moses had in Exodus to bring plagues on Egypt.

Why did God, through Moses, bring those plagues on Egypt?

To change Pharaoh’s mind. To show Pharaoh that this is the true God and to fear him. God said to Pharoah, “Let my people go,” but because of the hardness of his heart Pharaoh says, “No,” over and over again.

What do they say on the earth? “No, I won’t repent.”

Eventually they’ll be overcome just like Pharoah in Exodus. And like Moses was the messenger to Paharoah, the two Revelation 11 witnesses will be to the world in tribulation.

In Revelation 11:15 we read,

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of Christ.

When Christ comes back, He’s coming to take what’s His right, and He’ll take it by force.

In Revelation 14:6 and 7 we see an angel sent to the earth. John writes,

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” 

The gospel this angel preaches is not the gospel you and I preach today.

It’s a gospel of fear and judgment.

Here’s another opportunity for them to repent but, unfortunately, Revelation tells us that not many will.

We do see multitudes in heaven that do, but we also see that most on the earth don’t.

In Revelation 14:8 – 10 we read,

And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

 

You see, if any man worships the Beast, the antichrist and His image and receives his mark in his forehead or his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

God marked 144,000 witnesses and the devil answers with his own mark. We know it as the mark of the beast.

There’s no need to be afraid of the mark of the beast today because none of these things are going to happen while God has His ambassadors on earth preaching grace.

But if you’re alive during that time simply don’t worship a false Christ. What if a person accidentally gets a chip in the hand? Do not worship the false Christ, it’s very simple.

If they do, they’ll drink of the wrath of God.

Some may say, “I don’t believe in a God like that, I believe in a loving God.”

Yes, we do As well. That’s what He’s doing now and that’s what He’s going to do in the future.

But He’s also a God of justice. Failing to recognise that side of God gives us a false picture of Who He really is.

Revelation 14:11 and 12,

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 

The saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

It required of them to do Christ’s commandments, to do good things during this tribulation or else they’re going to be judged.

The patience of the saints is that if you’re alive and you’re saved on the earth during this time you have to hope for death or the end of the age to know if you’re saved.

We have salvation now! We don’t need to die to know it. We’re crucified with Christ and dead in Him. We’re not Israel and we’re not in their covenants or under their law.

Revelation 14:13 says,

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.” 

That’s the patience of the Saints, to endure to the end and they shall be saved.

Works, Labor’s, patience. Salvation in that day relies on you waiting, enduring and being patient until the end.

That’s why the kings of the earth are trying to die, and they can’t.

Friends this is real horror and it’s all unnecessary in light of the free salvation that’s offered today by grace, salvation that we’re 100% certain of.

Hebrews 10 verses 36 to 39 says this, written to the remnant saints in that period,

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 

“FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME AND WILL NOT TARRY. 

NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; BUT IF ANYONE DRAWS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.” 

But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. 

You can fall away if you don’t endure.

Today, God’s given us grace and all spiritual blessings. You and I who believe have been freely guaranteed it by the cross of Christ and through the sealing of the Holy Spirit. We have a place in heaven guaranteed for us.

That’s the opportunity every person has today.

Take it while it’s still being offered.