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There is a former, typical fulfillment and then a final,
antitypical fulfillment.
The national persecution spoken of in Matthew and
Luke did actually occur in the
typical
or preliminary
sense, in the nation of Judah when the Roman armies
crucified tens of thousands of Jews about A .D. 70.
Millions more from various nationalities were also tor–
tured and killed in religious persecution during the
Middle Ages (Rev. 17:6; 18:24) . Yet another time of
great religious persecution is prophesied to occur at
the close of this age.
6. How does Luke 21:20-24 describe what will hap–
pen to Judah and Jerusalem?
COMMENT: Verse 23 is made plainer in the modero
English of the Moffatt translation: " ... for
sore
anguish
will come upon the land and Wrath on this
people. "
7. Notice the parallel account in Matthew 24:15-20.
Do these verses foretell a time of great oppression and
persecu tion affecting the
ent ire world?
Verse 21.
What would happen to all mankind if God did not
intervene in the affairs of men? Verse 22.
COMMENT: As we learned in a previous study,
humanity would perish in an all-out nuclear war if
Jesus Christ did not return to STOP it!
8.
Who will be responsible for inspiring persecution,
warfare and man's inhumanity to man during this
soon-coming time of world trouble? Rev. 12:12. Why
will the devil be angry? Notice 1ast part of verse 12.
COMMENT: This period of great tribulation is
SATAN's WRATH. It will be unleashed not only upon
the one true Church of God, but upon the descendants
of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob (the modero descen–
dants of ancient Israel- write for
The United States
and Britain in Prophecy
to learn who these peoples are
today) and on the
whole world.
9.
Does God promise to
protect
from the wrath of the
devil those who faithfully keep his Word and do his
Work? Rev. 3:7-8, 10. Notice especially verse 10.
COMMENT: These promises of protection are for the
Church of God, which is carrying on the Work of God
today. Even though God's Church is relatively small,
Jesus has opened the powerful "doors" of radio, televi–
sion , the printing press and personal appearance cam–
paigns to his Church that it may preach and publish
his gospel of the kingdom of God as a
warning witness
to the world (Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10). And for
faithfully obeying his Word and doing bis works,
Christ promises to spare his servants from the "hour of
temptation [trial]"- the terrible wrath of Satan!
10.
Revelation 12 also speaks of God's end-time
Church, personifying itas a woman. Does God specif–
ically state he will provide his Church with
shelter
away from the wrath of the devil ? Rev. 12:13-16.
COMMENT: This end-time prophecy tells of an
escape from the terrible tribulation caused by Satan
the devil. God's Church will be in a place untouchable
by Satan or by his human agents or by the devastation
of a world at war around them. Regardless of
where
that place of protection will be, God promises to take
his fai thful , obedient people there!
However, we have seen that sorne of God's people
Jnauary
1983
will not receive this protection and will have to go
through this coming time of Satan's wrath to
wake
them up
spiritually (Rev. 3:14-19; 12:17).
Signs of God's lntervention
l.
How is the
sixth sea!,
which covered the scroll of
the Apocalypse or book of Revelation, described? Rev.
6:12-13. Is a very great earthquake to occur? Verse 12.
Where else are these spectacular events described?
Matt. 24:29. How soon after the fifth seal is fulfilled
does all this occur? Same verse, first word.
COMMENT: The sixth sea! consists of awesome heav–
enly signs-sun and moon becoming dark and the
"stars" falling. Spectacular meteor showers will make
the starry heavens appear to be crashing earthward!
2.
What otber great heavenly sign occurs at this
crisis period? Matt. 24:30; Rev. 6:14. Are these events
intended to warn the world that
God's direct interven–
tion
to halt the destructive ways of man is about to
begin-that the "Day of the Lord" with its punish–
ments for sin is about to commence? Rev. 6: 15-17;
Joel 2:30-31; Zeph. 1:14-18; l sa. 2:19-21.
3. What is the reason for the punishment God is
soon going to bring upon this world? Isa. 24:4-6.
Notice especially verse 5.
4.
Will this punishment in real ity be a manifestation
of God's GREAT LOVE for humanity? Notice the prin–
cipie in Hebrews 12:5-8. To what purpose will God's
punishments be directed? I Tim. 2:3-4;
lJ
Pet. 3:9.
COMMENT: This period of divine chastisement,
described in more than 30 different prophecies scat–
tered throughout both Old and New Testaments as the
"Day of the Lord," shall lead directly to the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ and world peace at last!
Prepared by Richard
H.
Sedliacik
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