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There is more to the afterlife than just Heaven & Hell… Have you noticed? The world is getting worse. You don’t need to read the latest statistics on violence, sex trafficking, drug use, suicide, corruption, poverty, & greed to know the world is NOT getting better? Your Bible talks of a mysterious time called the tribulation when the world will get worse. re we in that tribulation? Is there any hope for us if we face this tribulation trouble? Pastor Chris Fluitt shares knowledge about the worsening tribulation and a Jesus who arrives to make everything better.
What happens after?
There is an afterlife. Do we understand the afterlife?
Often you have heard the preacher say “If you died today, do you know where you would spend eternity?” That question resulted in a lot of people making a decision for the Lord, but do we really understand where we will spend eternity… Do we understand what that eternity will be like? Do we understand what will happen in the afterlife?
I believe that Christians today know less about the afterlife than in ages past. This is because the Church does not preach enough about this subject. The Church preaches more about how to have a good life here and now, instead of laying up treasure in heaven.
Jesus taught us to focus more on heavenly eternal treasures rather than earthly treasures.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God cares about your life on earth, but He has a better life for you after. Set your mind on the things of heaven
Do you have questions about the afterlife? anonymous text line 214 856 0550.
We want to provide a place for your questions. We will do our best to answer and continue this conversation.
The Afterlife is a lot more than just Heaven & Hell
We are building an afterlife timeline and there is a lot more than just heaven & hell ahead of us in the afterlife.
Last week we told you about the Rapture.
The Rapture (Catching Away)
The rapture is a Biblical teaching where believers will rise from this earth to meet Jesus in the air. Many Christians disagree on when the rapture will take place, but few Biblical Christians disagree that there will be a rapture.
When you are taken in the rapture you will step into the afterlife. You will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52) & given a new glorified body (1 Cor 15:38-44).
Jesus is coming back for a prepared bride and we must make ourselves ready for His return.
When is the rapture?
Scripture says no man knows the day or the hour. We talked about this last week.
Scripture is clear that the rapture will center around a period of time called the Tribulation.
The Tribulation
The Tribulation is a period of time foretold in Bible Prophecy. In the Books of Daniel and Revelation it speaks of two 3 ½ year periods that will come at the end time. The 1st 3 ½ years is the tribulation and the 2nd 3 ½ years is the great tribulation. Together they make 7 years of tribulation.
The Tribulation is a 7 year period of time. It is 7 years exactly… to the day.
Pre, Mid, Post Tribulation Rapture
When people ask when the rapture will take place. They are really asking “where in relation to the tribulation is the rapture?”
There are 3 major views. Pre-Tribulation rapture, where Jesus takes us before the tribulation. Mid-tribulation where it occurs somewhere within the 7 years. And then post-tribulation where the rapture happens after the 7 year tribulation.
Timeline 1
The next thing to occur could be a pre-tribulation rapture, but perhaps the next thing to occur would be the start of the 7 year tribulation with a mid or post tribulation rapture.
Daniel 12:1 (NIV) “At that time Michael (an arch angel), the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of trouble such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
The Tribulation will a time of trouble.
Tribulation Trouble
Trouble in this world is not exactly new, so what kind of trouble are we talking about? Jesus says these words in Matthew 24:21.
Matthew 24:21-22 (NIV) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
The tribulation will be a time of unprecedented trouble. Jesus declares “if those days had not been cut short… NO ONE WOULD SURVIVE!”
The prophet Isaiah prophesied the same 600 years earlier…
Jeremiah 30:3-7 (NIV) The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.” These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “This is what the Lord says: “‘Cries of fear are heard— terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! No other will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.
Jump back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 24…
Matthew 24:3-8 (NIV) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Like Jeremiah, Jesus also likens the tribulation to a pregnancy labor pains. Jesus lists these terrible things… deception, false Christ’s, wars & rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes… and then He says “these are just the beginning of birth pains.”
Are we in the tribulation now?
This is a great & important question.
As I am speaking on August 30, 2020, we are not in the 7 year tribulation right now.
In the tribulation there will be an Anti-Christ & False Prophet. There will be a one world government, religion, & currency. There will be signs and plagues. There will be severe persecution for all who believe in Christ. The anti-christ will form a 7 year peace treaty with Israel. The nation of Israel will be deceived by the Ant-Christ but then wake up and turn to Jesus Christ the Messiah. In the very middle of the 7 years the anti-christ will stand in the Holy Place of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and He will sacrifice unto himself to be worshipped as God. The Tribulation ends with the Savior returning to conquer Satan and his armies and to rescue Israel at the battle known as Armageddon.
These things have not happened yet, so we are not right now in the tribulation… however remember that Jesus gave us a list of bad things… wars & rumors of war, famine, earthquake, and pestilence… then Jesus says this is the beginning of birth pains.
We are not in the tribulation but this could be a precursor. This could be God’s way of alerting us.
Whether or not we are days or decades away from the tribulation, here is a reason to believe we are headed toward the tribulation. You have this reoccurring thought that…
The world is getting worse
You have thought this right? The world is getting worse…
It’s not because of a lack of technology.
It’s not because of a lack of personal freedom.
It’s not because of the previous presidential administrations or the current one.
It’s not because we lack the resources, time, energy, or money.
It is clear that the world is getting worse. It is clear that the world is not becoming a better place.
Jesus told us that “as it was in the days of Noah” so will it be at His coming. (Matthew 24:37)
Genesis 6:5 (NIV) The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
I would say that we are moving closer & closer to this description.
I don’t need to read you stats on human trafficking, poverty & greed, murder, corruption, human rights violations, drugs, depression & suicide for you to know the world is getting worse.
If you think the world is bad now, then you DO NOT want to see the tribulation. Jeremiah & Jesus prophesied it to be a time worse than any other before or after.
Tribulation Trouble
The book of Revelation tells us that while the anti-christ is on earth ruling the nations, there is a lamb in heaven with a scroll. This scroll has seven seals and all of heaven wept because no one had the authority to break the seals and open the scroll… but then the lamb appears and all of heaven worships the lamb, Jesus Christ, and declares Him worthy.
In heaven, Jesus takes the scroll and he breaks the first seal, and on earth a judgment is unleashed. This scroll has 7 seals and each time Jesus breaks a seal a terrible judgment happens on the earth.
There is warfare like never before. There is famine like never before. There is death like never before. There will be natural calamities like earthquakes, the sun turning black, and mountains & islands disappearing. With ever seal broken in heaven, something breaks out on earth the likes of which we have never seen.
The breaking of the 7 seals is spread out over years during the tribulation, but then on the breaking of the 7th seal, 7 trumpet blasts are released. These trumpet blasts are also judgements but they seem to come at a higher frequency towards the end of the 7 year tribulation. If the seals broke at a rate of years, these trumpet blast seem to come at a rate more like months or weeks.
In other words… it gets worse!
Hail, fire, & blood rain down. A mountain falls into the sea turning 1/3 of the ocean to blood and killing 1/3 of sea life, demon locust, 1/3 of the world is killed by fallen angels…
On the 7th trumpet blast, 7 bowls filled with the stored up wrath against the people of God are poured out on the world. If the trumpets take place at the frequency of weeks or days… these terrible bowl judgments seem to come much quicker, like days or hours…
Harmful painful sores appear on all who worship the anti-christ, the ocean becomes completely like blood and kills all sea life, all fresh water turns to blood, the sun begins to burn people, darkness covers the kingdom of the anti-christ, large hundred pound hailstones…
It gets worse. It gets worse. It gets worse.
It gets so bad that the world willingly turns against God and attempts to destroy Israel at a battle called Armageddon.
So is there any hope in the tribulation?
With things getting worse it is natural to ask this question.
There is ALWAYS hope in Jesus! There is hope in His Name!
Matthew 12:21 (NIV) In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Let me give you hope!
Timeline 1
There is going to be a rapture. It may be pre, mid, or post… but there is going to be a rapture of a prepared bride. BE IN THAT NUMBER!
I personally lean towards a pre-tribulation rapture that catches everyone off guard. If we are raptured before the tribulation then we will be rescued from this whole tribulation trouble.
But if you miss that rapture… or if the rapture only comes at the end of the tribulation I still have hope for you.
Revelation 7:9 (NIV) After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:13-14 (NIV) Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
There will be a multitude so great that no one could count them… from every nation, tribe, people, and language… every skin color… these are the people who come out of the great tribulation.
Do not ever lose your faith. Even if you miss the rapture… even if you find yourself in the great and terrible tribulation… KEEP YOUR FAITH.
musician
The world is getting worse and only one thing can change this.
WHEN JESUS ARRIVES THINGS GET BETTER!
When Jesus shows up…
Blind eyes are healed and the dead are raised.
Multitudes are fed.
The storm stops and the demons run away.
Those that are lost & forgotten become found & saved.
Outcasts find purpose.
When Jesus Shows up he puts an end to the tribulation. Jesus shows up and He puts an end to Satan’s anti-christ and false prophet. Jesus shows up sets up His own Kingdom.
Things will not get better until the moment He shows up. For this very reason your Bible ends with this prayer request.
Revelation 22:20 (NIV) He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
This should be our prayer request always. COME LORD JESUS.
When Jesus comes to rapture away His prepared bride – things are going to get a lot better for those who are caught up to meet the Lord in the air!
When Jesus shows up at the 2nd coming, at the battle of Armageddon, things are going to get a lot better for those believers who are present on Earth!
We do not have to wait for that day… When He shows up today… right now… things will get better.
Do you want better? Let’s invite Jesus to come into our life right now.