[Distinguishing the Great Tribulation from the
Wrath of God]
One of the
grossest errors being perpetuated by many evangelical fundamentalists is
that the "great tribulation" and the "wrath of God" are synonymous. They
perpetuate this error by a well known but inaccurate syllogism which goes something like this;
1)
Because the great tribulation is the same thing as the wrath of God,
and
2)
Since our Redeemer King has delivered us from the wrath to come,
therefore
3) It
is impossible that the church should go through the great
tribulation
This conclusion
certainly appeals to the emotions, because no one relishes the idea of
passing through of any kind of tribulation. The problem with this
syllogism, however, is that the first
premise is false, thereby rendering the conclusion false. The great
tribulation is simply NOT the same as the wrath of God. A careful study
of every passage in which the Greek term for
tribulation, that is thlipsis is found,
clearly displays that fact that it is consistently used as a term
for the testing, trials, and afflictions of the people of God, which are
by a loving heavenly Father to either correct of perfect. The ancient
Greeks used the word thlipsis to express
ideas related to varying degrees of pressure, both external and
internal. It is therefore translated by such words as affliction,
vexing, harassing, crushing, pressing down and tribulation.
Wherever thlipsis is
found in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), as
well as the Greek of the New Testament, the context must be examined to
see whether the tribulation is external, internal or both. It will be
discovered that in no instance does this term ever refer to the
wrath of God being poured out on the world. In the Septuagint, thlipsis and its cognates are used of several
Hebrew terms which all more or less express the troubles and afflictions
of life. These Hebrew words, held in common bond by the Greek word for
tribulation, are consistently used to describe the various difficulties
which are allowed to come upon the people of
God.
- [Tribulation: the Threshing Phase of
Harvest]
It is beyond the
scope of this article to deal with tribulation and how God uses it in
the lives of His people. However, there is another aspect of the harvest
picture that fits into the scenario I am presenting and
symbolically portrays the very idea of tribulation that is before us.
Our English word "tribulation" comes from the Latin term tribulum, which means "a threshing sledge," as
it was used for dragging over grain when pulled by a donkey or an ox.
The verb form means to "press down or rub hard." Ripened grain cannot be
removed from the earth (realm) and gathered into a barn (higher
realm) until it passes through the threshing floor. Threshing floors
were placed in the open air, leveled and tramped hard, generally on
elevated ground, so that in winnowing, the wind might carry away the
chaff.
Threshing was
done by oxen driven over the grain to tread out the kernels with their
hoofs, or by pulling threshing machines over the grain, made either of
planks with stones or bits of iron fastened to the lower surface to make
it rough and rendered heavy by some weight on it, or small wagons with
low cylindrical wheels like saws, This process of threshing separated
the grain from the chaff (husks and broken straw). Then in the evening,
when the wind would pick up, the winnowing would take place. Winnowing
was done with a broad shovel or wooden fork, with bent prongs. The mass
of chaff, straw, and grain was thrown against the wind so that the chaff
might be blown away. The chaff and stubble were burned, lest, with the changing wind, it might
be blown again among the grain.
As we apply this
pattern to our spiritual development, it should become apparent that
"threshing floor experiences" (tribulations) are absolutely necessary if
we are to be proven "fit" for transference to the coming Kingdom of
glory. But let us look at the threshing symbolism a little more
closely.
During the growth
of each kernel of grain, it is surrounded by a husk. The kernel is IN
the husk but not OF it, even as Jesus declares in John 17:16 that those
who are HIS, although in the world, are not of the world. Our being
IN the world is necessary for our maturing, even as the husk surrounding the
grain is necessary until the time for harvest is come. Thus in the life
of the saints, the threshing floor stands for the special dealings of God (He. 12:1-11), which He
periodically brings into our lives: the tests, trials, pressures,
proving; the disciplines and chastening; that all the "husks" of this
world might be separated, no longer "clinging" to us in any way. It
is the final phase of the purging process
before the "gathering together" unto Jesus (II Thess.
2:l).
The end time
import of the threshing process is clearly declared in the prophetic
words concerning Jesus as spoken by John the Baptist, recorded in Mt.
3:11-12, "I Indeed baptize you with water to
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Here we have a
graphic picture of Jesus as the FIRST and the LAST with reference to the
course of this present age. He launched the church for its work during this
age by pouring out the Holy Spirit fire on the 120 in the upper room
(Acts 2:1-4), and He will consummate this
age by purging His threshing floor (this earth). This latter will
involve a two-fold work:
1. Preparing of the wheat for gathering into the
"heavenly barn;" and for most Christians this will include the
"threshing floor experience" of the great tribulation.
2. After the
gathering of the wheat (by translation), the "chaff” (the wicked of the
world) will be destroyed in the fiery wrath of the seven last vials
(Rev. 16:1-21). Also summarized in Rev. 6:12-17.
- [Further Distinction between Tribulation and
Wrath]
In order to more
clearly distinguish between tribulation (thlipsis) and the wrath of God, please note
closely the following verse; "Immediately AFTER the tribulation (thlipsis) of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from
heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Mt. 24:29). Here I
believe is a helpful clarification between the great tribulation and the
wrath of God which comes AFTERwards. The word "wrath" is not used in the
above verse. However, the descriptive picture given is in complete
harmony with what we read concerning "the great day of His wrath" as
given in Rev. 6:12-17. This "wrath" will be accomplished primarily by
man's folly returning upon his own head. In the expression in Mt. 24:29,
"the powers of the heavens will be shaken," the Greek word for "heavens"
is ouranos, from which we get our English
word uranium; the fissionable material from which atom bombs are
made.
Thus the words in
Mt. 24:29 are descriptive of an atomic war. The fact that the sun and
moon will be darkened stems from the fact that tons of dirt and debris
will be thrown into the atmosphere, obscuring the light of these
celestial bodies. Read Rev. 16:1-17 and I think that it is quite
apparent that the effects of these vials of wrath are descriptive of
atomic explosions and radiation. These matters are covered in my booklet
on "The Shaking of All
Things
."
It is very
helpful to keep in mind the time patterns involved. The first fruits
will be translated in the spring of the
year, whenever that momentous year arrives. Then follows the great
tribulation of 1260 days (42 months or 3 1/2 yrs; Rev. 11:2; 12:6), the
end of which will come in the Fall of the
year on the Jewish feast of Trumpets, when
the main harvest host will be translated. This is why Paul especially
mentions the "sound of the trumpet" in connection with this momentous
event (I Cor. 15:51-52; I Thess. 4:16-17). Now note carefully. [The
Feast of] Trumpets falls on the 1st day of the Jewish month Tishri. Two
weeks later, on the l5th of Tishri, is the Feast of Tabernacles: the very day Christ will return in
power and glory with all His saints (Mt. 24:30, Jude 14). The wrath of
God falls during the two weeks between these dates!
At the same time the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:6-10),
takes place in Heaven. Then Christ (with His saints - Rev
19:11-16) streaks to earth to both consummate that wrath and stop the
madness of atomic warfare, lest "no flesh would be saved." (II Thess.
1:7-8; Mt. 24:21-22).
What? Do you
think it takes God a long time to pour out His wrath? In Noah's day it
took God just 40 days and nights (Gen. 7:4). He took care of
Sodom and
Gomorrah
in a one-day block buster
(Gen. 19:24-29). The ten plagues came upon
Egypt
in rapid
succession (Ex. 7:14; 10:24; 12:29-30). I don't know the over-all
time period, but it had to be a relatively short period of time. Are we
then to accept the unscriptural notion that it is going to take God
3 1/2 or even 7 years (as some teach) to pour out His wrath in
destruction of the wicked at the close of this age? The answer should be
obvious.
Now that we know,
Scripturally founded, that the wrath of God is poured out after the
tribulation, then this affirms what I have also Scripturally shown, that
"tribulation," in both Old and New Testament, is for the people of God.
It is a part of our "wilderness experience" of testing on this
earth, that God might know what is in our
hearts, whether we will obey His Word or not (see Deut. 8:1-3); and to
help develop in us the character of Jesus Christ, even as Paul declares
in Rom. 5:2-5, that we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and not
only that, but we also glory in Tribulations (thlipsis), knowing that tribulation produces
perseverance; and perseverance character; and character hope." I will
leave it there even though more scripture could be used.
- [Wrath Portrayed in the Harvest
Pattern]
Although I have
already dealt with the final wrath of God, as it is portrayed in the
burning of the chaff, there is further symbolism in the harvest picture.
After grains had been harvested, later in the summer came the time for
the vintage (the gathering of the grapes, as
well as their crushing in the wine press in
preparation for the making of wine). Each vineyard had its wine press.
These presses were generally hewn out of solid rock, consisting of two
receptacles or vats placed at different elevations. In the upper one the
grapes were trodden, while the lower one received the expressed juice.
God uses the process of the treading
out of the grapes as a symbolic picture of His taking vengeance on the wicked. Grape juice is
symbolic in the scriptures of mortal human
blood.
In the harvest
chapter, Rev. 14, we see the exact pattern that I have presented to you.
In 14:14-16, Jesus Christ, with a sickle in His hands, reaps the harvest
of the earth (the ripened grain of His saints). This takes place at the
close of the tribulation. Then, immediately following, in 14:17-20,
an angel with another sickle is seen (14:17). Then we read; "And another
angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire (this will be atomic fire), and he cried
with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your
sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her
grapes are fully ripe. So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth,
and threw it into the great wine press of
the wrath of God." (Rev. 14:18-19). We see Jesus consummating this wrath
as He returns, with His robe symbolically "dipped in blood" as He
"treads the wins press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
(Rev. 19:11-15). Compare Is. 63; 1-6.
Thus we see that
God's entire plan for the closing stages of this age are
conformed to the pattern of
Israel's natural harvest in the land of Palestine, and also
"choreographed" to dovetail with the major
festival dates
of
Israel
's religious calendar. Hallelujah! How
beautiful is God's plan when all of the pieces of the puzzle are
fitted together.
[NEXT: PART
V ]