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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll examine what Scripture teaches about the gathering up of believers and the Great Tribulation, exploring different views while anchoring our hope in Christ’s certain return.

Key Verse

1 John 3:3: And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Introduction

The Bible tells us that we are living in the last days. The last days began when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church:

Acts 2:14-18: Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'”

It has been two thousand years since this happened. How can we still be in the last days? The Bible reminds us that God is patient and that His timing is different from ours:

2 Peter 3:4-5: They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

God’s patience gives more people the opportunity to turn to Him:

2 Peter 3:8-10: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

We have a sure promise from the Lord. He will return for us. We are to be prepared for His coming:

2 Peter 3:11-14: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Scripture describes in great detail what will happen in the final days. In this lesson, we’ll look at two important events that signal the beginning of the end:

• The gathering up of believers
• The Great Tribulation

The Gathering Up of Believers

Christians of every age have looked for the coming of the Lord:

Revelation 22:20: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Scripture clearly teaches that Christ will return for the church. Some Christians use the word “rapture” to describe this event and believe it happens separately from the Second Coming. Other Christians believe that we are gathered up at the same time Christ returns to earth. There will be believers alive when Christ returns, and these believers will be caught up with the Lord in heaven:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17: According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Jesus speaks about coming back for His disciples in several different passages, and Christians understand these differently:

John 14:1-4: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

But in other passages Jesus speaks about events during the Great Tribulation:

Matthew 24:40-41: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Christians who teach about a separate gathering of believers before Christ’s return to earth believe differently about when it will happen. Some believe that Christ will gather His church right before the Tribulation. Others believe that Christians will go through the Tribulation and that Christ will gather believers either at the middle of the Tribulation or at the end.

Some Bible teachers state that there are good reasons to believe that the gathering of believers will happen before the Tribulation. They point out that God will not pour out His anger upon the church, and they note that the church of Philadelphia was told it would be kept from the time of tribulation:

1 Thessalonians 5:9: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:10: Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

They also observe that we see the church in the first three chapters of Revelation, but we don’t see the church on earth after John is told, “Come up here”:

Revelation 4:1-2: After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

This is a doctrine that faithful Christians can disagree about. It is not essential to our faith. But we should not forget the main truth about Christ’s return for believers—this truth is that Christians are to be comforted by the Lord’s coming:

1 Thessalonians 4:18: Therefore encourage one another with these words.

(Notebook Moment: How does the promise of Christ’s return give you comfort when you face difficult circumstances? What difference should this hope make in how you live each day?)

The Great Tribulation

The Old Testament speaks about a future time of trouble and judgment. It is called the Day of the Lord and the time of Jacob’s Trouble. Jesus called it the Great Tribulation:

Joel 2:31: The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Zephaniah 1:14-18: The great day of the Lord is near—near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath—a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness—a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Matthew 24:21: For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

The most important prophecy in the Old Testament concerning the Tribulation is found in Daniel 9:24-27. Here’s what we learn from this important passage:

Daniel was given a prophecy about a period of seventy weeks. The word for week is a biblical way of describing a week of years. This means seventy multiplied by seven, or 490 years. This period begins when the decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem (around 455 B.C.). From this decree to the cutting off of the Messiah would be sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years. This was fulfilled exactly with the death of Christ.

One week of seven years remains to be fulfilled. Many Bible teachers believe that this seven-year period is the Great Tribulation that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24. The Antichrist is described as one who will defile the temple. He will do this halfway through the final week (Matthew 24:15).

Revelation tells us that the Antichrist will demand that people worship him. This will continue for the last half of the Tribulation:

Revelation 13:4-5: People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.

The Antichrist is also called the beast, the man of sin, and the little horn of Daniel’s prophecy:

Revelation 11:7: Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

2 Thessalonians 2:3: Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

Daniel 7:8: While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

(Notebook Moment: When you read about such powerful evil forces at work in the world, how does it help you to remember that Christ has already won the victory through His death and resurrection?)

There are different ways to interpret these prophetic passages. Some see these as literal and precise descriptions of future events, while others emphasize the broad themes concerning God’s judgment of sin and His faithfulness in preserving His followers. We should remember that the book of Revelation was written to encourage believers who were facing persecution. The primary way to understand this book, therefore, is as a message of comfort and hope: Christ will return, conquer the forces of evil, and establish His eternal reign.

Revelation gives us much more information about the Tribulation. Here is a brief outline of some of the major events, whether we interpret them literally or symbolically:

• Seven seals of judgment will be opened (6:1 – 8:1)
• 144,000 evangelists from the twelve tribes of Israel will proclaim the Gospel (7:1-17)
• Seven trumpets of judgment will sound (8:6 – 11:19)
• Two witnesses will proclaim the Gospel (11:1-13)
• Seven bowls of judgment will be poured out upon the earth (15:1 – 16:21)
• The wicked city of Babylon will be judged (17:1 – 18:24)

Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:11-21). The Battle of Armageddon brings the rebellion against God to an end (Revelation 16:14-16; 19:17-21).

(Notebook Moment: What comfort do you find in knowing that no matter how dark things become in this world, God’s victory is already certain?)

Conclusion

There are many things we don’t fully understand about the end times. Christians have different views on some of the details. But the main outline of what will happen has been clearly revealed to us.

We know that Christ will return for His church. We know that Satan will lead the world in rebellion against God. We know that God will pour out judgment upon the earth. We know that God will be faithful to those who believe. We know that Christ will defeat His enemies in battle.

Whether we understand every detail of prophecy or not, the message is clear: Christ is coming back, and He will reign forever. This truth should fill us with hope when we face difficult times. It should motivate us to live holy lives as we wait for His return. And it should inspire us to share the good news of salvation with others while there is still time.

The same God who preserved Noah through the flood, who protected Daniel in the lion’s den, and who delivered His people from Egypt will preserve His faithful followers through whatever trials may come. Our hope is not in escaping difficulty, but in knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As we study these prophecies about the end times, let us remember that their primary purpose is not to satisfy our curiosity about the future, but to encourage us to faithfulness in the present. Christ is coming back. His kingdom will be established. His people will be with Him forever. This is our blessed hope, and it makes all the difference in how we live today.

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