Q&A: Bible Prophecy & End Times

It becomes very clear that Matthew 24 is describing the exact descriptions of what will happen during the Tribulation Period in other Scriptures about this time period.

We can see this truth by comparing the passages and see how exactly they match each other. This is yet another proof that Matthew 24 is not addressing believers living today in this dispensation of grace, called The Church Age. Matthew 24 is addressing those living during and after the coming Tribulation Period.

Very Similar Verses Describing The 7 Year Tribulation Period To Come:

We can see how these related very clearly as we read the descriptions of swords (war), arrows causing burning heat and starvation and a poison within the body that will mimic being bitten by a deadly snake venom (Nuclear war?) and that this will effect babies, kids, adults and the old as well. EVERYONE will be effected by this drastic situation that will suddenly be upon the Earth during the Tribulation Period.

“I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine ARROWS UPON THEM.  They shall be BURNT WITH HUNGER, and DEVOURED WITH BURNING HEAT, and with BITTER DESTRUCTION: I will also send the TEETH OF BEASTS upon them, with the POISON OF SERPENTS of the dust. The SWORD WITHOUT, and TERROR WITHIN, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.” (Deuteronomy 32:23-25 KJV)

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold A WHITE HORSE: and he that sat on him HAD A BOW; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth CONQUERING, and TO CONQUER.  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.  And there went out another horse that was RED: and power was given to him that sat thereon to TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH, and that they SHOULD KILL ONE ANOTHER: and there was given unto him A GREAT SWORD.” (Revelation 6:1-4 KJV)

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last PLAGUES; for in them is filled up the WRATH OF GOD.” (Revelation 15:1 KJV)

Let’s Start Comparing Scriptures On The Tribulation Period
To Matthew 24:

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Look how descriptive and detailed these verses are and how they completely relate to one another. Matthew 24 is all about life in and after the Seven Year Tribulation Period.

First we need to see the differences between the Judgement Seat of Christ for believers and the Great White Throne Judgement seat for those who reject Christ. The roles of each event are very different in method and focus as shown by the context of each event.

The fact is, if the two coming judgments are actually combined into one judgment at the Great White Throne, then good works become a requirement for salvation which goes against the Gospel of grace Apostle Paul taught. Why do I state that?  Because ‘works’ play a role in both judgments but in very different ways and neither are for determining Salvation. Many pulpits push ‘works for salvation’ which is the very false gospel message Apostle Paul fought so hard against in his writings. Jesus also gave stern warning against this false gospel as well in Matthew 7:22-23.

THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
(Bema Judgement Of Believers In Christ)

The Judgement Seat of Christ has a role and it is clearly all about eternal rewards, or denial of rewards, for an already saved believer where works after salvation are ‘tested by fire’ to see if they were good or bad.

This is referred to by some as the Bema Seat of believers. Although the Bema seat was used for harsh judgement at times (The brother of John, James was beheaded at the Bema Seat for example). But it was also used for Olympic style events for rewards and prizes as a ceremony. And this is the context Paul is using. We see this proper context in 1 Cor. 9 as Paul is encouraging the Corinthian believers, and us today,

“24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:24 KJV)

This is not a race for salvation but for gaining eternal rewards for a believer’s life well lived, not dead and carnal, but alive and having good works in Christ.

“10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than THAT IS LAID, which is Jesus Christ.

 

12 Now if any man build upon THIS FOUNDATION gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed BY FIRE; and the fire shall TRY EVERY MAN’S WORK OF WHAT SORT IT IS. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive A REWARD. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED ; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 KJV)

A person is saved and all sins forgiven from the moment they believe on Christ and His finished work on the cross (John 3:14-18,36, John 6:37-40, Eph. 1:13-14, 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Jesus is the once for all final blood sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2, Hebrews 10:10). A person is COMPLETE IN CHRIST and ALREADY RISEN WITH CHRIST in the Spirit once they believe (Colossians 2), and are right now the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST (2 Cor. 5:17-22). Salvation is not decided at the Judgement Seat of Christ. All at this event are ALREADY SAVED and SEALED by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14) and in Heaven with glorified resurrected bodies after the Rapture Event (the Harpazo snatching away of believers in the air). There will be joy at this event but also for some great remorse at lost opportunities in their life. Even those with all works burned as only stubble, who lived as carnal Christians with no reward-able works, will have great loss of rewards but are still saved because no one is saved by works.

“15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED ; yet so as by fire.” (2 Cor. 3:15 KJV)

The Great White Throne Judgement Of Unbelievers

The Great White Throne clearly has a DIFFERENT ROLE. A very somber role. This is a judgement of condemnation where an unbelieving person who rejected Christ in their lifetime will be shown EVIDENCE of why they are condemned and this is shown by their works and deeds as evidence for sins that MUST BE PAID. A lifetime of sin debt! Jesus gave stern warning in Matthew 7:22-23 about relying on self righteous works for salvation. At this judgement the proud boastful unbelievers will be in shock to hear Jesus say to them the scariest words ever, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”.

A person either has their sins paid by accepting the gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) by belief on Christ (John 3:14-18) or they reject the gift of salvation and must pay for their sins themselves. At the Great White Throne Judgement, what really determines the reason why they are being condemned is not their works, but that they rejected the only way to be saved from paying for their own sins; belief on Christ and His finished work on the cross. They are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Every believer on Christ for justification in salvation is written in this book, the moment they believe on Christ.  Those at the Great White Throne Judgement are not found in this book. That is why they are standing in judgment at the Great White Throne.

“15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15 KJV)

That is the pivotal deciding factor at this judgement. Their works are just shown a damning evidence. Apostle Paul is clear that, “…the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)

So, my point is that a person’s works are not mentioned in either judgment seat, as a determination of salvation. Belief on Christ alone decides that!

“He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)

That is very clear, and straight up truth by Jesus’ own words.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a FALLING AWAY FIRST, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV)

Is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 showing that The Church Age believers in Christ (us today) will go through the Tribulation Period to come? Some say yes. But in context they would be wrong.

The KJV Bible is a year 1611 Translation. Now this is interesting because in the 1599 Geneva Bible, an earlier translation, it reads differently as:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: [a]for that day shall not come, except there come a DEPARTING FIRST, and that [b]that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition”

Some End Time teachers say that in the GNV Bible, the English phrase ‘departing’ sure sounds a lot like the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the snatching away of church age believers PRIOR TO the Tribulation Period, known in the Greek as Harpazo! And so, in 2 Thes. 2:3, it can also have a meaning to withdraw, or to depart, or even to remove, as well as the KJV Bible’s translated ‘falling away’.

So we see that before the 1611 King James Version of the Bible was published, the English word ‘departure’ was the accepted translation for apostasia. This is very interesting! Why? Because, if this is so, Paul is clearly teaching a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Yet, some debate this as well because the KJV Bible clearly translates ‘apostasia’ as a ‘falling away’.

The 1599 GNV Bible has warrant but so does the 1611 KJV Bible. So there is a debate about this idea. It may be correct that it is ‘departing’ or ‘falling away’ , or maybe even both.

Regardless, Paul shows us the Pre-Tribulation viewpoint by the very context of the Epistle of 2 Thes. 2, in any case, even if ‘apostasia’ is translated as ‘falling away’.

The context is that there was a forged deceiving letter going around as if Paul wrote and sent it. But it was a fake. The letter of Paul to them was to refute this fake letter because the fake one was teaching that they had ALREADY entered the future time period named in Scripture as ‘The Day Of The Lord’. The Book of Revelation describes the day of the Lord as a time of God’s wrath in the Tribulation Period upon those who are deemed wicked after which Jesus would setup His 1000 year Kingdom Age, ruling and reigning on the Earth. This fake letter circulating caused fear as the believers thought they had missed the Harpazo Rapture! Paul goes on to assure them that no believer from the church age will miss this event, even if they physically die. They will either be alive and changed or dead and rise again bodily and changed to our new glorified bodies as Christ now has.

Now here we see clear context! I mean, why would the fake letter have UPSET and placed FEAR in these believers, if they were taught by Paul previously to be a Post Tribulation rapture? That alone shows that Paul had previously taught them that the Harpazo, what we refer to as ‘The Rapture’ today, will come BEFORE the Tribulation Period.

Paul goes on to mention that the restrainer (Holy Spirit) must also be REMOVED from Earth before the Antichrist rules on Earth during coming Tribulation Period. The Holy Spirit indwells believers and when believers of Christ are snatched away off the Earth, the Holy Spirit indwelling will also be removed. The Holy Spirit in the Tribulation Period will still be active on Earth but not the same way as He is now in this age of grace we live in.  This is further supporting a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of Church Age believers. Paul calls this our ‘blessed hope’ in Titus 2:13. Not God’s wrath for His Bride of Christ.

Will people die in the Millennial Kingdom Age?

That is a good question isn’t it? The Bride of Christ (believers living today in this dispensation of the age of grace) received immortal resurrected glorified bodies at the Rapture, The Old Testament saints were already resurrected at Christ’s Second Coming event. Surviving believers from the Tribulation period enter the Kingdom age to repopulate the Earth.

But what about those BORN during the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth, before the Great White Throne judgement of unbelievers? We know by Scripture that for us living TODAY in this age of grace dispensation will not be judged at the Great White Throne. Only the DEAD who rejected Christ. We will ALREADY be bodily resurrected and in the New Jerusalem – that heavenly city.  We will be saints in glorified bodies as Jesus now has.We will not be living on the Earth. Our home will be the New Jerusalem which is in space above the Earth. We will be ruling and reigning with Christ on Earth. Our home is the New Jerusalem but we will be going back and forth between there and the Earth because we will be doing God’s work on Earth as Kings and Priests of God.

Salvation in NOT BY WORKS. And those being judged to the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgement are the unbelieving dead who now reside in Hades.  In Hades, only the torments side has the unsaved dead in it. The paradise side is empty because Jesus took them to Heaven just after the cross. They are judged by their WORKS and not faith. Believers are saved by FAITH in Christ’s finished work on the cross, having paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and NOT BY WORKS (Ephesians 2:8-9).

One possibility is where in Rev. 20:15 says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”  It seems interesting that John mentioned the Book of Life. If this is a judgement only for the unsaved dead, why mentioned the Book Of Life?  Some may conclude that  believers who die during the Millennium, will be found in the Book of Life and will be resurrected. It does seem plausible, but I am conflicted on this because at the Great White Throne, the judgement is based on works and not faith alone in Christ.

I do not think that is a correct assumption. Why would the Book Of Life be checked to see if they are in the Book of the saved then? Well, this is court of God. In a human court, do we not need to present the evidence of why someone is to be convicted? First and foremost, the need to show the person that they did not get born again is evidenced by the Lamb’s Book of Life. Once that is shown as THE MAIN EVIDENCE (because salvation is only by faith – not works, and it shows them how they rejected salvation through Christ), then they are judged by their works. This makes more sense to me.

In Rev 20:5, we see that the subject is about the 1st resurrection, describing the Tribulation saints. ‘Blessed’ are this group of believers. In Rev 20:6, the ‘rest of the dead’ are those who died in the Millennial reign of Christ. The second death has no power over the believers.

Scripture does indicate that people will live long lives, perhaps as long as before the great flood of Noah’s time. And how old did they live? A very long time! Noah as an example, lived 950 years before his death!

Those living in the Millennial Kingdom Age will be born mortal just as we are today. They also will need to make a decision to follow Christ or reject His GIFT of Salvation. Of course, Satan is bound for this 1000 year period of time and cannot influence humankind on Earth.  And let’s not forget that Jesus is ruling ON the Earth and we will be ruling and reigning and teaching those born on this time span on Earth.  Peace will abound.

Isaiah writing about this time period we call the Millennial Kingdom Age reads,

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isaiah 65:20 KJV)

This may indicate that those in the Kingdom Age who reject Christ as Lord and continue in their sins may die early, to be resurrected at the Great White Throne Judgement after the 100 years have past for that future dispensation on Earth.

It could be that believers will remain alive until the Great White Throne Judgement and are kept alive in their mortal bodies, never to die. Possibly, according to Rev 20:5 the millennial believers may be resurrected at the end of the Millennial reign. This question is one many ponder. Although we are not given the answer specifically, I see no other options in my limited knowledge.  Yet, either way, I trust God will do right for His believers in the Millennium reign of Christ on Earth.

The phrase ‘as a thief’ regarding the Lord’s Return, is seen twice in the New Testament, not once.

‘As a thief in the night‘ is for unbelievers living during the Tribulation period and after the Tribulation period. This passage is not about the Rapture event. Nor does it apply to believers.

With the Rapture no one knows the date of the event. It is imminent. But here, unbelievers do not know, but believers WILL KNOW.

Once The Pre-Tribulation Rapture event happens, the Tribulation Period starts. During the Tribulation Period on Earth. the 144,000 Jewish Evangelists for Christ will know the exact date of Christ’s return. We know exactly the day that the Second Coming will occur and it occurs exactly 1,260 days after the Abomination of Desolation during the Tribulation Period. And it occurs exactly 1,290 days after the Antichrist issues the decree to stop the Jewish sacrifices at the Temple.

That is a very time specific prophecy from Daniel. So for THE BELIEVING survivors of the Tribulation Period, they are anticipating the Lord’s coming on a specific date!

THE UNBELIEVERS who sided with Antichrist will believe his great deception and will think Christ already is here ; the antichrist. To THEM it will come as A THIEF in the night but not for believers.

Paul is talking about the same event as Jesus in Matthew 24:43,

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch THE THIEF would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” (Matthew 24:43 KJV)

These two passages are about the Second Coming; not the Pre-Trib Rapture.

Paul tells about the Pre-Tribulation Rapture in another earlier passage and it too will happen. But this passage is about the Second Coming Event.

1 Thessalonians 5

“1 But of the times and the seasons, BRETHREN, YE have NO NEED that I write UNTO YOU.

2 For YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY that the DAY OF THE LORD so cometh as A THIEF in the night.”

DON: This group Does Know The Time. Believers will know. Who will not know?

“3 FOR WHEN THEY shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

DON: The word THEY is used not the word YOU. These are unbelievers in the first part of the Tribulation Period. A peace treaty by Antichrist will have those unbelieving left behind at Rapture saying ‘peace and safety’.

“4 BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT in darkness, that that day should overtake YOU as a thief.”

DON :  For YOU believers it will NOT take you surprise as a thief! This is talking about believers.

“5 YE ARE all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let US not sleep, AS DO OTHERS; but LET US watch and be sober.

7 FOR THEY that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.”

DON: Switches to THEY, that is unbelievers.

“8 But LET US, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate OF FAITH and love; and for an helmet, THE HOPE OF SALVATION.”

DON: Switches back to believers. The Rapture is our blessed hope!  Believers are looking for the Rapture and not the Antichrist in the Tribulation Period.

We who believe on Christ, in this age of grace, will be Raptured before the Tribulation and will return WITH CHRIST for the Second Coming event. Paul encourages these believers, and us, living in this dispensation of God’s Grace that we will be raptured before the Tribulation.

“9 For God hath not appointed US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

DON: Wrath is God’s wrath and will be poured out to those living in the Tribulation Period, not our current dispensation of Grace.

“10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, WE should live together WITH HIM. 11 Wherefore COMFORT YOURSELVES together, and edify one another, even as also YE DO.”

Apparently the believers Paul writes to were thinking if they died before the Rapture they will miss it and some were confused about the two separate events: The Rapture and The Second Coming.

Paul is comparing and contrasting so they know they are two events and not one. The Rapture is our blessed hope. We meet the Lord ‘in the air’ to our new home; The New Jeruslaem prepared for the Bride of Christ. The completion of our now perfect Spirit (Colossians 2) united with our new glorified resurrected body which has no more sin problem.

At The Second Coming of Christ returning to Earth to begin His 1000 year reign in the Kingdom Age, we return with Christ and Christ lands ‘on the Earth’ to setup the 1000 year Kingdom Age on Earth.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is Scriptural but 1 Thessalonians 5 is about The Second Coming.

Some are teaching aggressively against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view. However, I have yet come across an objection that could not be explained fully with Scripture. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the only view where all Scriptures actually work together in unity.

The fact is, there are TWO RETURNS of Christ in the Last Days; The Rapture Event and the Second Coming Event. By the Scriptures very context, they cannot be the same event. Scripture clearly shows this.

Why These Are Two Separate Events

The Rapture Verses are NOT the same as the Second Coming verses.

WHEN, TIMING DIFFERENCES:

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  The exact timing and date of this event is not know or provided to us in Scripture  (1 Thes. 5:4-6, Rev 3:3). Although we can see signs for the Tribulation period approaching.  Notice that I am not mentioning the Matthew 24:36-37 verse about ‘not knowing the Day nor the Hour’. Many are teaching it is about the Rapture Event but they are wrong by context. Matthew 24:36-37 is NOT about the Rapture but is Jesus telling the disciples about the Second Coming Event! Just look a couple of verses prior for proper context. Jesus actually tells us He is talking about AFTER the Tribulation Period:

“Immediately AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” (Matthew 24:29 KJV)

→ The Second Coming: The date will actually be known in the Tribulation Period. Also, the Second Coming happens after the 7 year Tribulation period. The exact day and hour is not known but all will see Christ coming (Matt 24:29-30, Dan 9:24-27, 2 Thes. 2:3-8).

LOCATION DIFFERENCES:

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  Christ is seen coming to meet us “in the air” (1 Thess. 4:13-18) to a place He has been preparing for the last 2000 years.  It is a physical place with width/length/height. A huge place 1500 miles cubed! Large enough to hold every believer from the beginning of time! A place prepared to TAKE US TOO and where we will be WITH HIM. (John 14:1–3). This place is called the New Jerusalem, that celestial heavenly city. It is located in a place called ‘Heaven’. Heaven may be in our universe too far away for us to see or it could be in a different dimension. All we know is that it will come ‘out of Heaven’ and enter the space some distance from Earth during the Millennium Kingdom Age on Earth to come.

→ The Second Coming: Jesus lands His feet ON EARTH PHYSICALLY. Scripture shows Christ returning to start His 1000 year reign ON EARTH. No one is TAKEN to be with Him where He is. Instead, Christ is coming to be here on Earth for 1000 years. Those Raptured will be coming WITH HIM.

TAKEN VS. LEFT

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  Christians are the first to be TAKEN and unbelievers are LEFT BEHIND. (1 Thes. 4:13-18)

→ The Second Coming: The opposite is seen! The “wicked” (unsaved) are taken first and the “righteous” (saved) are LEFT BEHIND on Earth. The unbelievers who survive the Tribulation Period are the “GOATS” killed and the believers who survived the Tribulation are the “SHEEP” who will repopulate the Earth in the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth. (Matthew 25:32-46)

WHAT JESUS WILL DO

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  Jesus is going to gather together His Bride (This is about us today, Believers, The Church, in the age of grace we now live in) to where Jesus is for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a celebration of a believers marriage to Christ fully completed as we have already received our new glorified bodies. Now our Spirit and body are both perfected. (Rev. 19:6-9)

→ The Second Coming: Jesus returns to Earth and His feet LAND on the Earth. He then executes judgement on the nations (Sheep/Goats Judgement) and sets up His Kingdom ON EARTH where the previously Raptured will be ruling and reigning WITH CHRIST on Earth. (Jude 14-15, Rev 19:11-21, Zech 14:3-4)

SPEED Of COMING

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  Happens in the ‘twinkling of an eye’, and that is faster than one blink of an eye! (1 Corinthians 15:52)

→ The Second Coming: Scripture states that every eye will see Jesus coming. People will be terrified knowing what is coming and they will hide themselves in rocks and caves. And so, it seems like the Second Coming is not going to be an instant moment like the Rapture Event. (Rev 6:15-17)

WHO WILL BE SEEING JESUS?

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: Believers in Christ will see Him. (1 John 3:2, 1 Cor 15:52) The unsaved will see that millions of people, in an instant, right before their very eyes, vanished. The devil is prepared for this event and has a plan to explain what has happened (2 Thessalonians 2). It is likely one of the reasons he takes over the world government which will be in instant panic , economic disaster and utter despair; seeking someone to save them from their troubles. There will be a great deception. Some speculate it is something to do with an alien invasion, others about trans-humanism, but we do not know what it will be at this time.

→ The Second Coming: Scripture indicates that EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM on Earth. Even those who rejected Him as Lord and Savior. (Rev. 1:7)

SHOUTING?

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: Jesus calls believers to meet Him in the air with a SHOUT. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

→ The Second Coming: Cannot find a verse where Jesus is shouting to believers.

THE RESURRECTION!

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: The dead in Christ are bodily resurrected  with new glorified bodies. Those Believers alive at the Rapture event are CHANGED physically into glorified bodies as Jesus now has. Eternal bodies without the sin problem. This is our Bodily resurrection. The ‘the redemption of the purchased possession’, our new bodily resurrection (Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Thes. 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15:51-54)

→ The Second Coming: There is no resurrection spoken of for those who survive the Tribulation Period. The Sheep and Goats Judgement (Matthew 25:31-46) occurs instead where the unbelievers are killed and will one day be resurrected for the Great White Throne Judgement of the condemned. Surviving believers will repopulate the Earth in the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth. The only resurrection mentioned at the Second Coming is for the believers who were martyred or died during the Tribulation period. They will be resurrected at the Second Coming as they come back to Earth with Christ. (Rev. 20:4-5, Zech. 12:10, Zech.14:4-5, Rev 1:7, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 20:11-15)

THE MENTION OF ANGELS

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: No angels gather anyone.  “For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Not angels, Christ Himself. Christ resurrects and changes our bodies and we meet Him “in the air” and so shall we forever be with the Lord.

→ The Second Coming: Scripture clearly shows that God sends angels to gather the surviving Tribulation period unbelievers for judgment and then they are killed. (Matt 13:39, 41 & 49, Matt. 24:31, Matt. 25:31, 2 Thes. 1:7-10)

WILD HORSES!

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: NO MENTION of Jesus coming on a ‘white horse’.

→ The Second Coming: Jesus will return riding a ‘white horse’. (Rev. 19:11)

THE BLESSED HOPE!

→ The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: This event is described as our ‘blessed hope’ (Titus 2:13). Something believers are to look forward to. Believers today are to be DELIVERED FROM THE WRATH TO COME (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

→ The Second Coming: Judgment is coming to the unbelievers who survived the Tribulation period. (Revelation 19:11-21)

These above are just some of the reasons why the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events.

The Sheep and Goats Judgement

In Matthew 25, we see Jesus passing a judgment on the nations and people that survived the Great Tribulation under Antichrist’s rule where He places the Sheep on His right hand and the Goats on His left hand. What is this about? Is this just another depiction of the final judgement by God or is this something more specific to the time of the Second Coming of Christ to begin His reign on Earth for 1000 years?

“31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: ³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 

³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:31-46 KJV)

Some are teaching this is the same as the final judgment but this is not about that. This is specific to the survivors of the Tribulation Period where Antichrist was ruling and demanding total allegiance or death.

During the Tribulation Period, those who reject the Antichrist as god (The Sheep) are going to be hunted down and persecuted harshly. Many will be beheaded for their faith in Jesus. Yes, there will be a large number of people who did not get Raptured but after the event will come to faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Those martyred for their faith are seen in Heaven in White Robes, saved eternally, in Revelation 6. But there will be many who come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation Period who will survive the Tribulation Period as well. These are the Sheep in this passage.

It may seem like this passage in Matthew 25 is saying that works are required for Salvation but it is not stating that as doctrine. For the sheep it says they INHERITED the Kingdom. They did not work for it. But a believer in the Tribulation will be about God’s business right? They will be visiting believers in prison, taking believers in who are fleeing from the persecution, feeding them when they have food, clothing them when they have clothes. Remember that during the Tribulation, under the rule of Antichrist, that “…he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16-17 KJV).

Believers will be supporting each other in their great time of need. Doing these things shows that they are believers going about showing God’s love to their fellow believers and for the Jewish people being persecuted greatly as the Antichrist attempts to wipe out all Jews from the face of the Earth, as Adolf Hitler had attempted. The Antichrist will have great big brother technology on his side to control the world though. This Mark of the Beast is some sort of technology for buying and selling. We already are using debit cards. With this new technology, debit cards will be gone. People will be tracked like never before under the Antichrist. If we look at today’s technology in comparison to the Antichrist’s technology as described in the Bible, the Tribulation Period is very near indeed. With technology doubling every 6 month, in the next 10 to 20 years we would have surpassed this type of technology. And if the Tribulation Period is nearing, the Rapture Event is even closer!

What about the Goats?

Well, these are those who have taken the Mark of the Beast and by their works one can see they never came to belief on Christ for Salvation. Because of their loyalty to the Antichrist, believing he is God, they are not helping the Jews or believers in Christ for Salvation. Instead they are ignoring their suffering under persecution, or even helping in the process of persecuting. We see Jesus saying this,

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” (John 16:1-3 KJV)

The Goats will have believed the lie. The great deception of the Tribulation Period. They believe Antichrist is God and will think that by persecuting and killing the Jews and Christians that they will be doing a service for God. They are so very deceived. They took the Mark of the Beast as a badge of servitude and are lost forever. Jesus gives warning to those that take the Mark of the Beast during the Tribulation Period. It will be a clear dividing line between a believer in Christ and non believer. A CHOICE every person alive at that time will have to make. And Jesus says to them in warning,

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11 KJV)

This is the fate of the Goat nations. This is the fate of all people who chose wrongly accepting the Mark of the Beast, and worshiping Antichrist as God, and either ignoring the persecution of the Jews and Christians or actually helping in the persecuting. Jesus will send them away in physical death and they will end up in the torments side of Hades where they will remain until the Great White Throne Judgment of Unbelievers (which happens after the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth) when Hades and it’s inhabitants will be thrown into a place of eternal punishment that was prepared for the devil and his fallen angels called the Lake Of Fire (Hell).

The believers on Christ for Salvation that survive the Tribulation Period will enter the new Kingdom Age and will repopulate the Earth during the Millennium. We do not know from Scripture if these sheep receive eternal life right at that point, or die after a long life (Isaiah 65:20), to be resurrected at the end of the 1000 years. It may be that these believers and all who come to believe on Christ during the Millennium are sealed from the moment of belief never to die physically and that only the unbelieving die physically. We simply do not know.

But Matthew 25:46 indicates these sheep believers in Christ will be given eternal life while the goats will be condemned to hell.

What about us today? What about the church?

That is the question to ask! If you are saved by belief on Christ (His virgin birth as the God in the Flesh, the only begotten Son of God, His sinless life, His death on a cross paying for the sins of the whole world, and His rising fro the dead) then you will be Raptured before the Tribulation Period.

If you have never accepted the free gift of Salvation, not of ourselves, nor our good works, nor of religious rituals (Ephesians 2:8-9) then NOW is the time to get saved by belief on Christ alone and by RESTING in His finished work on the cross, atoning for all your sins.

God bless.

Related:

• What Must I Do To Be Saved?