Part 2: The Tribulation, The Beast & The False Prophet:
We have dealt previously with the terror that will be created by the imposition of Antichrists tyrannical intervention in people’s lives. However let us not forget the judgements that God will bring on the reprobate mankind at that time living on earth.
In Chapters 5 and 6 of the book of Revelation, Christ is deemed the only one worthy to open the seals of a scroll, sealed with seven seals. Thus begins the judgement of the world, which reaps the punishment for the terrible acts of those who have rejected God and are in the clutches of Satan’s; Antichrist and his minions. In chapter six we see the beginnings of the judgements, both physical and inevitable, caused through man’s rebellion against God and their following the Antichrist. The first judgements are depicted as horsemen. The first one, a white horse and rider going forth to conquer. Some different interpretations are given by people on who the rider represents, but I have no doubt that it is the spirit of conquest lead by Antichrist and his armies. We are told his interests are forces and weapons [Dan 11:36-39], and with all the latest weapons and great military force, he will seek to conquer those nations who do not submit to his rule. The second horse and rider will be war, brought about by the conquering armies of the antichrist. We all know what will happen in this situation and red no doubt, denotes the blood that will be shed. In the 1939 to 1945 war, for the last two years no crops were planted or harvests collected in Europe and thousands there starved. Food had to be sent by Britain and America and suddenly Britain who had no bread rationing during the war, found bread in short supply and rationed. This will be the situation with the advent of the third horse and rider. Bread probably will not be rationed, it will be just scarce and a very high price. Only the rich will have enough to eat [Rev 6:6]. The last horse and rider will denote the advent of death from both privation, illness, and not forgetting the thousands that will be killed in the fighting, and those who simply starve to death. During this time many of those who missed the Rapture will have turned to Christ, with the result in them being killed by the Antichrist. These will be given white robes in Heaven until all those slain for the love of Christ join them. [Rev 7:13-17].
As the armies conquer and the thousands die, there will be a great earthquake, as never before. Islands will shift position or disappear under the waves, volcanoes will erupt blacking out the sky causing the sun to turn red, and the sky black. Thousands of people will die as cities round the world crumble and fall. Most of the relief organisations will have gone, as most of these are today, staffed and led by Christians, and they just won’t be there. The cities will just have to try and sort it out themselves. With the destruction caused by the war and now the destruction by this terrible worldwide earthquake, the first winter will see many die of hypothermia. The Bible says: “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; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? [Rev 6:15-17 KJV].
The opening of the 7th seal [Rev 8:1-5] brings another earthquake and such cosmic disturbances as to not only destroy a third of the earth but to kill a third of mankind, on top of the thousands who have been killed during the fighting, the pestilences, starvation, and previous earthquakes and natural disasters. “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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts”. [Rev 9:20-21 KJV].
During this time the 144000 and the two witnesses will be witnessing, and yet mankind will be heedless of what’s to come and heedless of God. With the intelligence network of the Antichrist being what it will be, it will make sure that any men and women who do repent and turn to Christ will be hunted down and executed. As already mentioned the Antichrist will elevate himself above all, and sit as king ruling from Jerusalem, guided and lead by Satan. This is when the final judgements to descend on mankind occur. One or two people have suggested that the world will go out of orbit and go closer to the sun, thus the day will be a third shorter, [Rev 8:12] so will; night and so on. The cosmic disturbances will be so severe that the world’s temperature will be hotter, scorching men, and instigate the final destruction of the whole structure of business and evil that is being committed by Babylon. Babylon, representing the great financial and business system of the Antichrist [Rev 18:1-24]. The time has come, down in the Middle East at Armageddon the Armies are gathering for the great final battle. You can control and conquer for so long, but as has always happened with world tyrants, they meet their end. Now as the armies of the East advance across the globe, Christ and His armies get ready for the removal of the Antichrist, and join the battle to rescue earth and its people from both Satan and his armies.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, [Heb 2:3 NKJV]
Brian Papworth
Representative for the Prophetic Witness Movement International in the South Pacific