When the Church Age ends suddenly with the departure of the Holy Spirit, along with every true Believer who is indwelled by Him, it not only begins
"Hell On Earth" for those left behind, but will also mark the beginning of an evangelistic outreach--the likes of which the world has never seen.
The worldwide evangelism is a major part of the Tribulation because two main things happen during those seven horrific years: 1) People will die and go to heaven, and
2) People will die and go to hell.
The choice will not be vague... but rather clearly delineated between:
>
Declining access to food, energy, etc., refusing the Mark of the Beast, which will send you to heaven for eternity.
> Accepting access to food, energy, etc., via the Mark of the Beast, which will send you to
hell for eternity.
Rev. 14:9-11 "... "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and 
in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Rev. 20:4 "... I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."
2Th. 1:9 "And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power"
What an amazing choice! In the Tribulation they'll make the choice of eternal destiny. People end up choosing:
1) The gift that keeps on giving, or
2) The penalty that never relinquishes its hold.
Now you're probably thinking
this choice is a 
no-brainer because who wouldn't choose eternity in heaven vs. an eternity in hell? But we're living in the Church Age and armed with the discernment of the Holy Spirit. But in the Tribulation the Holy Spirit will not indwell anyone on earth.
2Th. 2:7 "...[God's Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way."
Satan's present earth (2Cor 4:4) is already having enough trouble
WITH the Restrainer restraining wholesale evil. Imagine what it will be like when the earth is void of any Spirit indwelled Believers and void of the restraining Spirit of God! Ewww!
When Rapture happens, Satan will immediately fill the void. He'll be at his best, lying about everything that he's doing. I'm pretty sure he'll be making a wonderful case for joining his system, as well as his explanation of those missing from Rapture.
John 8:44 "...he is a liar, and the father of lies."
With no God-aided discernment, choosing food or no food will be a tough choice, even for those who may be suspicious of the World Leader's offer.
In the first few days after the Rapture, confusion will reign. There are interesting theories that argue that due to the effect on the electromagnetic poles of a mass exodus of humanity,
anything electric will be out for days, if not weeks... including cars, trains and planes. Therefore communication will be severely curtailed. Food supplies will be drained.
The contrast of before the Rapture and after the Rapture couldn't be more acute. Imagine one minute everything is normal, as it has always been. And the next minute,
in the time it takes for your eye to twinkle, utter confusion ensues.
1Cor. 15:52 "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, ... we shall be changed. "
1Th. 4:17 "... we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,"
God says the days just before Rapture will be just like in the days of Noah prior to the flood and in the days of Lot just prior to Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed.
Luke 17:26-30 "And
just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were
eating, they were
drinking, they were
marrying, they
were [
getting engaged], until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were
eating, they were
drinking, they were
buying, they were
selling, they were
planting, they were
building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed."Today God patiently uses Believers to witness to non-Believers. And God's Spirit will not be removed until the last of His chosen Believers are saved.
1Pet. 3:20 "...when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark,"
God's patience is amazing. Despite the ungodliness of man on earth, He is patient to delay the end of the Church Age until His perfect work is complete.
After the Rapture, as the power grid slowly comes back on-line, there will be a new world with Satan filling the void with his lies.
However, one second after the Rapture,
millions will instinctively know that they missed the Holy Spirit's exodus. They heard the Gospel, but they didn't trust the Gospel of Jesus' shed blood as a propitiation, or payment, for their sin.
1John 4:10 "...He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Many will have a good Biblical head knowledge of the Gospel's doctrinal facts and they'll immediately turn to God's Word to determine what's ahead. And undoubtedly, without much effort, they will come across these words:
Dan. 12:3 "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."
God will use many of those left behind who knew "of God" to be fearless evangelists in the face of overwhelmingly strong satanic opposition. Most will go to their deaths choosing Jesus at all costs.
Rev. 6:9 "... I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;"
No doubt, many of those left behind will be motivated by what is referred to by some as their "second chance."
Some Bible scholars teach that if someone hears and rejects Jesus prior to Rapture, they will not have a "second chance" to get saved in the Tribulation. They usually base their theory on these verses:
2Th. 2:10-12 "and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish,
because they did not receive the
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| Greek- "deluding" |
love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a
deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."
There is no reason to believe that this means rejecting salvation prior to Rapture seals your future in hell. That would be a blasphemous works-oriented doctrine--salvation based on what you do or don't do. That's totally inconsistent with other "not by works" scriptures.
Another way to show how ridiculous that argument is: If "No second chance" is true, you could argue that because we're in the Rapture window, we should not witness anymore because if someone doesn't trust Jesus now, they can't in the Tribulation. :-(
No. We all have "Second chances." How many did you have before you responded to the Gospel? Most had many. The Bible says
anyone can be saved, by faith, even in the Tribulation. And millions will.
But this
live-now-or-die eternal destiny choice is only available in the first three and a half years of the seven year Tribulation.
In the second half, "all" will worship Satan. None will be saved.
It's important to realize that
in the first 3 1/2 years it's the New World Leader who is in charge... until he dies from a head wound at the mid-point of the seven years of Tribulation.
At that point, Satan is thrown to the earth and will resurrect and empower the body of the slain New World Leader. So it's
Satan himself, indwelling the body of a man, who is ruling the earth for the last 3 1/2 years. 
"No one" will get saved in the last 3 1/2 years and those who remain alive will survive only by taking the Mark of the Beast. But taking the Mark means that they go to hell forever.
Rev 13:8 "All who dwell on the earth will worship him [Satan]."
Rev. 16:9 And men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues; and they did not repent, so as to give Him glory.
Rev. 16:10, 11 "...they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds."
But in the first 3 1/2 years of Tribulation, the eternal choice of choosing Jesus WILL be available. The gospel of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed throughout the world from three very unlikely sources: 1) Two Jewish Men 2) 144,000 Jewish Witnesses 3) An Angel in the Sky1) Two Jewish Men
Amidst the world's utter post-rapture confusion, two ancient Jewish men will cause quite a stir by abruptly showing up again in Israel... wearing sackcloth.
Rev. 11:3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."They will get worldwide attention because they have heavenly powers at their discretion.
Rev. 11:6 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. One of the witnesses is Elijah, whom the Jews have been waiting to return for some 2600 years. Even today, it's tradition for Jews to set an empty place at the Passover table each year for Elijah, just in case he shows up.
Mal. 4:5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.
Before the Passover dinner begins each year, Jewish families have the children open the front door to see if Elijah is there. So it will not be too surprising to the Jews when Elijah shows up.
They also know Elijah has yet to die as he was removed from the earth in a "chariot of fire" (an unidentified flying object--a UFO! :-).
2Kings 2:11 "Then it came about as they were going along and talking, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
So when Elijah shows up again on the earth, it will be a game-changer for the Jews. Accompanying Elijah, I believe, will be John the Revelator. I believe the 2nd Witness is John because:
1) Moses has already died and been buried by God.
2) Enoch was not a Jew, born prior to Abraham.
3) Jesus, in a discussion of how the disciples would die, scolded Peter to not be concerned if John didn't die until the end of time (John 21:21-23).
4) The Bible says John MUST prophesy again before "many people and nations and tongues and kings" (Rev 10:11). This is an unfulfilled prophecy that will be fulfilled during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation.
5) We have solid evidence of how all the other Apostles died, but nothing on how John died. "Tradition says he died in Ephesus" or "Patmos" or wherever.
These two Jewish witnesses will die after Satan is thrown to earth in the middle of the Tribulation.
Rev. 11:7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss [Satan]will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
But
the three and a half years they spend on earth will be a royal pain in the side of the New World Leader. He will loathe them as they preach the gospel while at the same time calling all the Jews to come home to Israel.
The Two Witnesses are eventually killed by Satan in the middle of the Tribulation period.
Rev. 11:7 "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them."
2) 144,000 Jewish Witnesses
The 144,000 Jewish Witnesses also show up just after Rapture.
Rev. 14:4 "These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes."
These are most likely from the Rabbinical ranks of young Jewish men today who will not touch a woman until after they marry. They literally spend their days voraciously studying the Old Testament.
Jesus will put His special mark on these 144K and meet with them personally on Mount Zion where they will undoubtedly have an amazing "come to Jesus" moment.
The veil will lift and their eyes will be opened to truth. They'll make the stunning connection that they murdered their Messiah. This new knowledge from the Lord will propel them into an evangelistic fervor that will cover the earth.
Rev. 14:1 And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was
standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
It's interesting that today, the top of Mt Zion in Jerusalem has never been fully develped. It holds two gentile cemeteries and the whole area is capable of holding a crowd of 144,000 to meet Jesus personally.
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The top of Mt. Zion today is largely undeveloped due to numerous cemeteries...what a coincidence! :-)
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With their Biblical knowledge of the Old Testament,
hearing the rest of the story will make total sense as Jesus is hidden many places in the Old Testament scriptures. They'll immediately devour the New Testament as well. And don't miss the irony of so many Jews embracing Jesus the Messiah, whom for centuries they've rejected!
3) An Angel in the Sky
Last on this list of three ways God proclaims the Gospel in the Tribulation is an angel who witnesses in the sky.
I have often taught in Bible studies,
"In the Church Age, God doesn't send an angel in the sky on Wednesday nights to tell the world to worship Him, but rather, uses Believers on this earth to witness one-on-one."Well, with the Believers and the Holy Spirit gone, God WILL send an angel in the sky!
Rev. 14:6-7 "And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.'"
First, do notice that God's "creation," not "evolution," is part of this angelic proclamation! If for no other reason, heaven will be a wonderful place because the wicked lie of evolution will have been exposed and the creative genius of God revealed in abundant glory!
But the thought of an angel preaching the Gospel from the sky is amazing. Wonder how he accounts for the different time zones?
So during the Tribulation the world will be teeming with the news of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
It's a terrible time but God promises Believers we will miss it as we're not destined for wrath.
1Th. 5:9 "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
The coming Rapture, the stunning conclusion to the Church Age, will remove Believers from God's wrath. Those left behind will have the opportunity to trust Jesus, and an uncountable number will, but it will be quite physically painful.
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; 
Rev. 7:13 "....These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?...he said to me, 'these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'"
Rev. 7:16-17 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; ...God shall wipe every tear from their eyes."
The Seven Years of Tribulation are horrible. Here are only a FEW of the problems:
> 1/4 of the earth dies from disease and raging nuclear wars (Rev 6:4,8) in the beginning, then another 1/3 of mankind dies a few years later.
> Everything living in the sea dies (Rev 16:3).
> The economy is devastated by runaway inflation (Rev 6:5,6).
> There is no escape from the horrible heat (Rev 7:16, 16:9).
> Satan's worst demons that have been bound up since Noah's flood will be released into the earth ... again (Rev 9:2,3)!
Based on the Bible's many prophecies about this time period, we're obviously getting close. We need to be asking the Lord daily for opportunities to share what He has done in our life with our family, friends and co-workers. Shalom!
Next month in Denver, our Steeling the Mind Bible Conference will have great Bible speakers teach on many of these latter days topics. Join us in Denver, or watch it at home on your computer or digital TV. Click here for details.
