William H. Smith February 28, 2001
1204 Christmas Tree
Lane about 725 words
Pearce, Az. 85625
303-36-7671
(520) 826-1029
Tribulations
By
William H. Smith
In the beginning God created
the heavens and then the earth. God created
man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, and when man sinned he was removed
from the garden, and man has suffered tribulations since that day. The tribulations will be removed when Jesus
Christ returns to destroy the sin on earth.
This is the same Jesus Christ who was sent by God to be sacrificed, as a
sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world, and that God gave as a gift to the
populace of the earth.
According to Webster's
dictionary the word “tribulation” means, distress or suffering resulting from
oppression or persecution, and/or a trying experience. This word relates to how we live our
day-by-day lives, and the tribulations will be great in the last seven years.
The words that are closely related to tribulation are,
anguish, distress, agony, grief, misery, sorrow, torment, suffering, woe,
disaster, calamity, evil trouble, and misfortune. All people can understand these words, and relate to them. They are with us constantly in our daily lives,
as we live through daily tribulations since the time of Adam. This is today and now.
The words that have the
opposite meaning are, elation, delight, joy, fun, and pleasure, these words
sound a little like “the word rapture.”
This is God's promise to those that believe in him and have accepted his
gift of Jesus Christ. No more
tribulations for evermore.
Soon the day is coming when
the world will see the great tribulations.
That day could be this day, and that hour could be any hour, if you
trust in God be ready. God will send
the great tribulations not to punish people, but to refine them. He would have them hot or cold, not
lukewarm.
The great tribulations will
accept the Non-Christian Jews, and the Non-Christian Gentiles. The book of Daniel chapter 9 verse 24; God
gives Daniel's people seventy weeks of years (490 years), 483 of these years
have been used. The 490 years were
allotted for the Jews to take them to the end time.
The Non-Christian Jews and
the Non-Christian Gentiles must be educated, and become hot for God and Jesus Christ, otherwise they
will face the great tribulations.
The tribulations we endure today do not reach all the peoples' hearts, so
the great tribulation period will be used by God to achieve this goal. During this difficult period the populace
will either accept or reject God (be hot or cold).
In the Bible, Matthew chapter 24, verse 21 mentions the
great tribulations; “For then shall be great tribulations, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” In the book of Romans chapter 2, verse 9,
Paul writes; “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.”
Here Paul is
warning of the great
tribulation period to come for the Jew and Gentile non-believers and lukewarm
Christians.
While John was imprisoned at
the isle of Patmos he was presented with this Revelation chapter 2, verse 22, “Behold,
I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” John is writing about the great tribulation to come, Jesus Christ
related this revelation to him.
Revelation chapter 7, verse
14 John writes, “Sir, thou knowest, and he said to me, these are they which
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.” This
description tells us that Jews and Gentiles (non believers and lukewarm
believers) will have an opportunity to become Christians during the great
tribulation period. These last seven
years are made for Jews and Gentiles that didn’t believe or didn’t believe
enough.
So I beseech you, look into
your heart and see if you are ready for Jesus Christ to call his Church to
him. Read Mark 16:16, John 3:3, and
John 3:4, these verses are the ones to stake your future on. The path is plain and narrow. Amen.
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