The End-time Tribulation
An Outline and Illustrations of Revelaton 6-22 Message: Daniel Yu Translation and editing: The English Literary Team of the Church of God Cover Design: Sun Tai Artwork: Trying Lam, Samuel Pang Publisher: Life's Spring Publisher Ltd. Shop 7, Upper G/F, Lai Chi Kwok Bay Garden, 272 Lai King Hill Road, Kwai Chung, NT (Correspondence: GPO Box 73195, Kowloon Central Post Office, Kowloon, Hong Kong) http://www.lifespring.com.hk Telephone: (852) 2429 3401 Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-962-313-297-8 Scriptures taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All right reserved. Printed in Hong Kong
Contents Foreword 1 The Lord Jesus comes back to receive the church 4 The first seal: A white horse 5 Appendix: The early rise of the Antichrist 6 The second seal: A fiery red horse 7 Appendix: A brief map of the countries involved in the Third World War 8 The third seal: A black horse 9 The fourth seal: A pale horse 10 The fifth seal: The cry of the martyrs from the first 3 ½ years 11 The sixth seal: Cosmic disturbances before the Lord’s return 12 144,000 of the children of Israel will be sealed. They will preach and serve God on the earth 13 The joyful scene of the great multitude that come out from the great tribulation 14 The seventh seal: The prelude to the seven trumpets (Insert: The effect of prayers) 15 The first trumpet: One-third of the earth will be burned up 16 The second trumpet: One-third of the sea will become blood 17 The third trumpet: One-third of the waters will become bitter 18 The fourth trumpet: One-third of the sun, and of the moon, and of the stars will be struck 19 The fifth trumpet: Evil spirits will torment men for five months 20 The sixth trumpet: The massacre by the army of 200 million horsemen 21 The mighty angel with one foot on the sea and the other on the land; Seven thunders; The little book 22 Treading the holy city underfoot; Two witnesses; Great earthquake in Jerusalem 23
The seventh trumpet: Proclaiming the kingdom of God after the seven bowls A war in heaven; The dragon and the woman The Antichrist The false prophet; 666 144,000 Israelites singing before the throne The important proclamation of three angels; The consolation of the Holy Spirit Reaping the harvest; Trampling the grapes The singing in heaven by the martyrs in the second 3 ½ years The first bowl: Foul and loathsome sores The second bowl: The sea will turn to blood The third bowl: The waters will turn to blood The fourth bowl: Men will be scorched by the sun The fifth bowl: The darkness of the beast’s kingdom and the pain of men The sixth bowl: The Euphrates will dry up. The kings will gather to Armageddon Appendix: The war of Armageddon The seventh bowl: A great earthquake and great hail The great harlot (a worldwide religious organization) The fall of Babylon the Great Hallelujah in heaven; The marriage supper of the Lamb The glorious return of Christ The wonderful scenes in the Millennium The temporary release of the devil and his final rebellion Burning up of the heavens and the earth The judgement before the Great White Throne New heaven and new earth; New Jerusalem Appendix: Signs of the Lord’s return on the earth (with reference to Matthew 24 and Revelation 6)
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Foreword The most important prophecy in the Bible states that the Lord would come to the earth twice: He came for the first time more than 1,900 years ago. He became the Son of Man and gave Himself for men. He died, rose and ascended to heaven for us in order to present us perfect before God. Moreover, He brought forth God’s family, which is the most precious in the entire universe. His first coming fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Bible. For the second time, the Lord will gloriously descend to the earth to start the brilliant Millennium. It will be a brand new page for the whole world. In regards to His second coming, there are even more prophecies mentioned in the Bible. Also, they tell of many signs and the scenes of the earth before His coming. Truly, we are living in a crucial generation, one that is so near to the Lord’s second coming. We can see with our eyes how the words in the Bible have gradually come to pass. We can say that all things in the world are in their settings. A terrible moment—the end-time, seven years of Tribulation, as prophesied in the Bible—is approaching. In these seven years, the world will see the outbreak of two large-scale wars! It is very precious that before the seven years of Tribulation, the Lord will descend to the clouds and receive the church to be with Him forever.
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This is our most glorious and blessed hope: we will see His glorious face. The Lord will never forget about this most creative gathering. Indeed, He longs for that day more than we do! We do not know on which day the Lord will come to take us up. However, we know that His second coming is at hand, for we can see that those preliminary signs of His coming have appeared in these recent years. The situation in the world and all that has happened foretells the imminent coming of the Lord to reign. Much more, the Lord will receive the church in the clouds seven years before His glorious return to the earth. Therefore, a little while and we will meet the Lord face to face! Brothers and sisters, in this last stage as we approach the finish line, the most important thing is our relationship with the Lord. We should keep a longing heart to draw near to Him. I would like to encourage one another with a poem: “The Mountain of Myrrh. The Hill of Frankincense.” The Lord’s “Journey of Love” and Promises: 1. I will go to the mountain of myrrh! I will taste all pains and sufferings for you. I will triumph and ascend to the hill of frankincense. I will pray for you and bless you. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will come back to receive you. We shall reunite in our heavenly home!
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My response: 2. Lord Jesus, I love You! On earth, I live for You. With You, I will walk the journey of the cross, Marching on with no returning! O my Beloved! May that “Day of Hope” come soon. As the day breaks and the shadows flee away, When You come to receive me! My desire: 3. O my Beloved! May You come quickly! Come quickly! Like a gazelle or a young stag leaping upon the mountains of spices. O the Bright and Morning Star! The night and the shadow are far spent. Make haste to come from heaven, and receive me to the morning light! Brothers and sisters, may we love His appearing and offer our highest love to Him in this remaining little while. Let us have a stronger and more fervent heart to love Him till He comes. Come, Lord Jesus! Deeply touched by the Lord’s grace and love,
Daniel Yu 6 February, 1991 Hong Kong
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The Lord Jesus comes back to receive the church
Time: ? Many of the signs of His return have appeared. The time for the Lord to receive the church is at hand. Be prepared to see your God!
John 14:2-3 1 Cor. 15:51-54 Phil. 3:20-21 1 John 3:2-3
The most amazing and creative gathering! Seeing the Lord face to face is our most glorious hope! “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:16-18)
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The first seal: A white horse The appearing and rise of the Antichrist Matt. 24:3-5 Mark 13:5-6 2 Thess. 2:3-12 1 John 2:18 Dan. 9:27
Time: First 3 ½ years
Second 3 ½ years
The early stage of the seven years 1. This is the time the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for a week (ref. Dan. 9:27). 2. The first four seals are one group, talking about “the beginning of sorrows” (ref. Matt. 24:3-8). They will happen in the early stage of the first 3 ½ years. Indicating the time when the events happen in the seven years of Tribulation.
“And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:2)
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Appendix: The early rise of the Antichrist “He who sat on the white horse went out conquering and to conquer.” Comparison with the rise of the beast: 1. The worldwide situation nowadays is paving the way for him. Men long for peace, free of armed conflicts and cold wars, and the establishment of a new world order. They also hope that the military problem in the Middle East can be resolved. 2. The “lawless one” will be revealed (ref. 2 Thess. 2:3-12). 3. He will first subdue three out of the ten nations of “the revived Roman Empire” (The European Union is the antecedent), so that all nations will obey him (ref. Dan. 7:7, 8, 19-25; Dan. 2:40-44; Rev. 13:1-5, 17:3, 7, 9-13, 16-17). 4. He will make use of “the great harlot” (a worldwide religious organization) to assist him in expanding his influence, reaching a peace agreement among the nations, solving the conflicts in the Middle East, etc. (ref. Rev. 17:1-15). 5. At the early stage of the seven years, he receives positive responses towards the peace agreement he proposes and his diplomatic efforts. The bitter enemies in the Near and Middle East manage to reach a peace agreement. Even Israel is allowed to rebuild the temple and restore offerings. (Remarks: The Israelites desperately want to rebuild the temple, and they want it at the original site of the old temple in Jerusalem, where in the current time an Islamic temple is situated nearby.) This will shake the whole world. He will experience a tremendous increase in reputation. (The descriptions in Daniel 9:27 and 8:2325 foreshadow his deceptions and political skills.)
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Remarks: After many years since the restoration of Israel, this is the first time that the Israelites feel relatively secure (ref. Ezek. 38:11, 14, 12-16).