Pre, Mid & Post Trib Arguments, Daniels 70th Week (The Tribulation) & The Rise & Fall of Antichrist

Last time we talked about the rapture and the second advent. So that was last

Wednesday and really stressed the point that the rapture is one thing and Christ's second advent to the earth is something completely different.

Some people believe it's the same event. I think I demonstrated if not proved last week that they are not the same event.

So last week we talked about the rapture and we said the rapture was what?

Mid -trib? Post -trib? No, we made the case last week for the pre -tribulational rapture.

So let's turn to Revelation chapter 3. This is a verse that I didn't mention last week so I want to bring it up this time.

But in fairness, I do want to cover the other positions that are out there because while we are pre -trib, that is we believe the rapture comes before the tribulation,

I wouldn't say that I'm dogmatic about it. Like there are some things that I'm certain about.

I'm certain that the Bible is the Word of God. I'm certain that Jesus was born of a virgin.

I'm certain that Jesus is coming back. Am I 100 % certain that the rapture comes before the tribulation?

I'm not at that same level of certainty. So while I do believe this and what

I found is the members of this church feel pretty passionately about the pre -trib rapture.

I remember one time we had a meeting and we were kind of discussing the other viewpoints and one of the guys in the in the group,

I think he felt like a case was being made for one of these other, and he stood up and he just pounded his fist on the table, the rapture is pre -trib and that's all there is to it, he said.

So he seemed to be dogmatic. I think he said he was dogmatic. I can't be dogmatic about this but that's the position

I hold. That's the position we hold and pretty sure about it because look at Revelation chapter 3 verse 10.

The Apostle John says in Revelation 3 10 or actually it's Jesus speaking but John writing, the

Lord says because you have kept my command to persevere I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.

Okay so Jesus is speaking to the church at Philadelphia and I believe he's talking about his return because in the next verse, verse 11, he says behold

I am coming quickly hold fast while you have that no one may take your crown.

So Jesus is speaking prophetically and he says to the church he says because you have kept my command to persevere

I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.

So in that statement many commentators believe Jesus is talking about the tribulation period as that hour of trial that's coming upon the whole world and what does he say that to the church

I will keep you from that. So that would be in line with a pre -tribulational rapture that the church is taken up out of the world and then you have the seven years of tribulation and God's wrath to come after that.

You see that in that verse that's a pretty common interpretation of Revelation chapter 3 verse 10.

Okay so now let's move on to the next position. Larry said why is this so small?

You know the other two lines come all the way up here and this lines way down here. I said well because this is a minority position.

Okay but that's not actually why the lines so short but it is a minority position but this this position holds that Jesus comes back when?

Yeah three and a half years into the tribulation. Technically those who hold to this

Jesus would come slightly after the midpoint but hey close enough. Where do people get this idea?

Let's turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 because we want to just lay out all three positions to be fair because I'll just be honest with you if I find myself living in the tribulation period and no one has been raptured but it's obvious that we're in the tribulation.

If pre -trib doesn't work anymore if that's not a viable option guess what I'm gonna be?

I'm gonna be mid -trib. I don't anticipate that happening but and of course people have thought throughout the ages that hey we're living in the tribulation right now people thought that back in World War II so the thing is you're not actually going to know.

People will not know that they're living in the tribulation until the midpoint until the

Antichrist sits in the temple of God which we'll we'll talk about in a few minutes.

Okay 1st Corinthians did I tell you chapter 15? Okay 1st

Corinthians 15. 1st Corinthians 15 let's start reading in verse 51.

So this is the Apostle Paul talking to the church at Corinth about the rapture. He says behold

I tell you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption in this mortal must put on immortality so when this corruptible has put on incorruption in this mortal has put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory

Oh death where is your sting Oh Hades where is your victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our

Lord Jesus Christ therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the

Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord and here's how we know that this is a parallel passage with 1st

Thessalonians 4 that we looked at last week remember when Jesus comes in the clouds at the rapture 1st

Thessalonians 4 the dead are raised remember that well what's happening here the dead are raised verse 52 it happens in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump

I want you to remember that statement at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be what raised okay so this is a parallel passage with the rapture passage of 1st

Thessalonians 4 and when does Paul so I'm arguing now some would say I don't like this term but people say you know the devil's advocate

I'm arguing for this position and showing you why some people believe in this when did

Paul say the dead are raised at the the last trumpet okay now let's turn to Revelation chapter 11 so this is the argument for a mid tribulational rapture

Paul says that it happens at the last trumpet so all you have to do the argument goes is you just have to figure out when the last trumpet is so the last trumpet that's recorded in Scripture is right here in Revelation chapter 11 so look at Revelation 11 verse 15 it says then the seventh angel sounded okay so he's he's blowing the trumpet so there's seven trumpet judgments the angel the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our

Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever in the 24 elders who sat before God on the thrones fell on their faces and worship

God saying we give thanks to you O Lord God Almighty and it goes on and basically the argument is the seventh angel sounding his trumpet the seventh this is the last trumpet mentioned in the

Bible Paul said the rapture happens or the dead are raised at the last trumpet this is the last trumpet and it's

Revelation 11 is in the middle of the book right this this would be around the midpoint of the tribulation when the seventh angel sounds okay now is that a convincing argument

I don't know let's get your opinion this this is the last trumpet that's recorded in the

Bible but that's that's basically the argument for the mid tribulation rapture so Revelation is kind of laid out in basically in chronological order chapter 11 is around the midpoint so some would find that to be a credible argument others don't really see it okay any questions or comments on that all right there's one other part let's go to 2nd

Thessalonians 2 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 this is another another argument for the mid trip position 2nd

Thessalonians 2 verse 1 the Apostle Paul says now brethren concerning the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him so this this does sound like the rapture

I believe it is he says we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us as though the day of Christ had come in other words you know don't be troubled as if the rapture has come let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called

God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is

God so the argument is the rapture Paul again midship people to say

Paul is saying the rapture can't happen until the man of sin is revealed sitting in the temple of God and when does that happen the

Antichrist doesn't sit in the temple declaring himself to be God until when the midpoint so the argument is

Paul saying the rapture can't happen until you see that so rapture it happens slightly after now that's one way to interpret 2nd

Thessalonians 2 but there's another interpretation we'll look at after okay so we've looked at pre -trib mainly last week we saw that passage in Revelation chapter 3 looked at mid trib and now let's look at post trib turn to Matthew chapter 24 and you know

I hope this doesn't confuse you I know I know there's some people who would prefer that hey just tell us what's right and don't confuse me with all this other information right

I I understand but when when

I'm certain about something I'll preach it dogmatically and I don't feel like I need to bring up other viewpoints but this this is a debated position but we're the church is pre trip so look at you say what's the argument for post trip well

Matthew chapter 24 does anyone know what I'm gonna say here's why

I'm going through it I want you to have least heard this stuff before here's the problem when a church only teaches one thing and they never give the other side you know you have one idea in your mind and then years down the road someone will make another argument and you feel totally blindsided like I never even knew there was another position

I've never heard that before so I want to equip you with the information so that you're at least aware of it because if you are not equipped someone can bring up a different viewpoint and maybe that can be troubling or it can steer you away

Matthew 24 verse 29 so here is maybe the best argument for the post tribulational rapture post trip means

Jesus does what he comes back at the end after the tribulation well isn't that what this is

Matthew 24 verse 29 immediately what immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken then the sign of the

Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the

Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then he will send his angels with a sound of a trumpet okay so actually technically this would be the last trumpet he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds so what do you have

Jesus coming in the clouds gathering all his people together from the four winds and when does it happen after the tribulation of those days okay so that's an open and shut case for a post -trip rapture isn't it well not if you were here last week last week we made the argument that this is what is this the rapture now this is the second advent two separate events and again we made that case last week okay so now

I won't confuse you anymore we'll just say okay we believe it's pre trip let's move on okay any questions on that so let me just get the other chart up okay now if you weren't confused before maybe you will be with this who's heard of Daniel Daniel 70th week okay you know and maybe this is the first time somebody's heard this before well once you hear a few times then you'll start to you know it might take it might take a little while for it all to sink in but how are you gonna learn if you never hear it right again some churches they're they're not talking about this stuff anymore they don't want to touch it with a 10 -foot pole why because there's people who disagree and they're afraid if they take one position then some other guy he believes this and he's gonna be upset they don't want to upset anybody so they just don't talk about it

I think that's the wrong approach I think this is stuff that's gonna happen it's in our future this is what the church has to look forward to I think this is very important the coming of Christ is a very important subject how can churches ignore it so I totally don't understand how you can ignore this subject okay let's turn to Daniel chapter 9 so we want to talk about how you even get the idea of a seven -year tribulation to begin with is there any verse in the

Bible that talks about the seven -year tribulation are you gonna see that exact wording in the

Bible you're not you're not gonna find it okay now that doesn't really prove anything because right we talked about this last week the word

Trinity is not in the Bible it doesn't mean the Trinity doesn't exist the word

Bible isn't in the Bible but we still have the Bible like just because you don't see the word or the exact term doesn't prove that the

Bible doesn't teach it okay you're in Daniel chapter 9 okay this is the prophecy you see the screen here this is the prophecy of Daniel 70th week all right

Daniel 9 starting in verse 24 it says 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression okay stop who is he talking to when he says your people what what people is he talking about this is the

Old Testament right book of Daniel Daniel is what's his ethnicity is

Jewish okay so they're talking about the Jewish people and the holy city is what city

Jerusalem okay so you got the Jews and Jerusalem to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness to seal up a seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the

Most Holy so as of this moment in history has everlasting righteousness been ushered in are we living in a an age where it's just righteousness abounds from sea to sea no so whatever he's talking about it hasn't happened yet do we agree with that okay verse 25 know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build

Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there shall be seven weeks in 62 weeks and the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublesome times now why would

Jerusalem have to be rebuilt Daniel is writing he's writing while captive in Babylon so the

Babylonians came in they destroyed the Jewish temple they destroyed the city of Jerusalem they took the

Jews captive in Babylon for 70 years Daniel is writing while in captivity so the city of Jerusalem is just laid waste so he's talking about rebuilding the city now he says there shall be seven weeks in 62 weeks so what you have to understand is that these are what weeks of years who's who's never heard such a thing a week a week of years what does that even mean okay a week is how many days seven days so a week of years is seven years okay

I could spend the next 20 minutes and explain I'm just giving you the short version so these are weeks of years okay verse 26 and after the 62 weeks

Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself and the people of the

Prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary the end of it shall be with a flood until the end of the war desolations are determined then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering and on the wing of abominations shall be the one who makes desolate even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate so I have to admit that even when

I read this you know it's you have to pay attention you scratch your head obviously this needs some interpretation there's not a single person on earth who can read this for the first time and say oh yeah

I know what this is talking about like that ain't gonna happen you have to do a lot of study and compare this with other biblical passages okay so let's try to make this as simple as we can if that's possible so it's

Daniel Daniel 70th week that's the prophecy so Daniel talks about the seven weeks okay so if there's seven weeks of years that's 49 years from the decree to rebuild the city until they actually do it okay so there's seven weeks which is 49 years and then 62 weeks which is 434 years and that adds up to 483 years this is how much time has passed from the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem until Messiah the

Prince until Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday which is the day that he declared himself to be the

Messiah all that period of time was 483 years and there's a whole calculation where it came down right to the day okay but 70 times 7 is 490 so the whole prophecy is 490 years but only 483 years has gone by so what does that mean yeah there's one week left in a week is how long seven years okay so there is seven years left and that's where you get the idea of a seven -year tribulation so the final week

Daniel 70th week is the seven -year tribulation okay does that make sense all right now why did it stop why did everything stop after 483 years okay right so if Jesus when he came in on Palm Sunday if they had accepted him as the nation if they received him as their

King what would have happened everlasting righteousness would have been brought in the

Jews would have inherited the kingdom but did they accept Jesus no instead the leaders of the nation had him crucified so when

Jesus was crucified one way you could put it is God kind of the the whole thing is playing out and God pressed pause okay hold on you just crucified the

Messiah everything stopped everything stopped God had a plan for Israel but for a lack of a better term they messed it all up when they crucified their their king so everything has been put on hold and now we're kind of in a parenthesis between the

Old Testament and the kingdom age so this this age we're living in is what age the church the church age or the age of grace okay notice this statement in verse 27

Daniel 9 27 it says he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week so it talks about the prophecy

Messiah is cut off in verse 26 and then verse 27 says he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week who is this yeah we believe this is the

Antichrist so maybe you've heard that you know when the Antichrist comes he will sign a seven -year peace treaty with Israel who's ever heard something like that right well we don't actually know if it's gonna be a seven -year peace treaty with Israel but he is going to confirm a treaty or a covenant we have many maybe the whole world maybe less he's gonna do it for a period of seven years so anytime there is talk about peace in the

Middle East between Israel and whoever else who's ever trying to broker the peace whenever that has happened and there's been times throughout the last 50 years or so or 70 years where they've tried to do that that's when people start talking about is this is this it and of course it hasn't been it up until this point but we believe this is talking about the

Antichrist he will confirm a covenant with many for one week but in the middle of the week what does he do he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering so the idea is that when the rapture happens the

Jews are then given green light to rebuild their temple but the

Antichrist breaks the treaty and in the middle of the week three and a half years in I have the wrong chart up but you remember the other one halfway through halfway through the

Antichrist he goes into the temple and what does he do he declares himself to be

God that event is known as the abomination of desolation okay now let's turn to Matthew 24 again you say well how do we know that abomination of desolation well

Jesus talks about this so if you don't want to believe me that's fine you can believe

Christ because he's the one who who discusses this right this chart should look familiar because this is the one we had last week okay so the rapture and three and a half years in is the midpoint the abomination of desolation look at Matthew 24 starting in verse 15 who's speaking again if you have a red letter

Bible then you know that it's the words of Christ Matthew 24 15

Jesus says therefore when you see what the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet that's where we just were when you see it standing in the holy place whoever reads let him understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house and let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes what is he saying when you see this run for your life don't waste any time when you see this get out and get out as fast as you can he says in verse 19 woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days because this is the great tribulation you don't want to be raising children or have a baby during this is a bad time for that not that they knew but this is what he's saying and he says in verse 20 and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the

Sabbath because in Israel on the Sabbath everything shut down you can't get anywhere verse 21 for then there will be what great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elect sake those days will be short in other words if Jesus didn't come back to put a stop to all this at the second advent there'd be nothing left nothing left but thankfully he does come back okay now let's turn to second

Thessalonians chapter 2 and we'll get another look at this this chapter but hopefully it's starting to become a little more clear

Daniel the Prophet talks about the abomination of desolation Jesus talks about it happens at the midpoint of the tribulation and after the abomination that's when everybody knows this is the sign how do you know you're living in the tribulation period well a pre -trib rapture would let people know number one but if there is no pre -trib rapture or if you're not convinced about that or if people you know where my just a few thoughts

I had when the rapture happens and millions of people disappear the leaders like of the

United Nations you know head of government they're not gonna say hey Jesus came back and took all his people that that's not what they're gonna say they're gonna have a different explanation

I don't know what it's gonna be I have some ideas but yeah aliens is a popular one these days who knows but they're not they're not gonna say hey give

God the glory he just took his church out of that's not what's gonna happen but anyways my point is this is when people will know if you didn't know before when you see the abomination of desolation that's how the people living at the time will know they're living during the tribulation period okay so second

Thessalonians 2 that's where you are so yeah I see the words abomination of desolation but where do you get this idea that the

Antichrist goes and sits in the temple and declares himself God where does that come from well it comes from this passage second

Thessalonians 2 so do you see how Bible prophecy it's like a jigsaw puzzle you have to put the pieces together and then oh that that's what happens the picture becomes clear but you have to do the work second

Thessalonians 2 1 through 8 Paul writing to the church he says now brethren concerning the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us as though the day of Christ had come let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed again we believe that to be the

Antichrist who is also called the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called

God or that is worshiped so that he does what he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is

God so he confirms a covenant he allows the Jews to rebuild their temple they enjoy it for three and a half years and then for whatever reason he says that's enough of that he walks into the temple and he declares himself

God and demands that everybody worship him that's not going to go over so well the Jews are going to like that very much

I mean they partnered with the guy up until this point but this is where he he reveals himself for who he really is the man of lawlessness but by then it's almost too late at this point okay so just looking at the context of what's happening in this passage apparently what had happened the church had received a letter supposedly from Paul that they were living during the tribulation period that's why

Paul saying you know don't be troubled because they thought that they had missed the rapture and they were living in the tribulation so they were going through persecution but it wasn't anything like the tribulation is going to be so they're confused and Paul writes to them basically reminding them that no the rapture comes first that's the argument and he's saying concerning the coming of the

Lord you know don't don't be troubled you're not living in the tribulation the day of Christ has not come it's not going to come until the falling away comes first and what's the falling away in the

Greek the word is apostasy so basically for the first 1 ,700 years 1 ,800 years of Christianity Christianity has been growing and growing and growing to where Christianity has spread across the entire globe okay so now there's

Christian churches in every country on earth Christians all over the world it really wasn't until probably the 20th century where the reverse is now happening now

Christianity is probably shrinking so it was growing growing growing the 20th century just how many of you have visited

Europe and visited a church in Europe they're empty all the Cathedral they're all empty biblical

Christianity in Europe it almost doesn't exist I mean obviously there are still believers in Europe but Europe is totally dead and it used to be well it used to be the

Holy Roman Empire right so everybody was Christian we know that wasn't actually the case but Christianity kind of dominated

Europe now nobody's a Christian anymore and it's starting to happen in this country isn't it

I think the poll was it last year for the first time in American history less than 50 % of Americans went to church or belong to a church so something like that so I we can all see it we've heard it many many times church attendance is in decline and it's it's just shrinking so I would argue this is my personal opinion that we are living in the midst of the great falling away right now

I can't prove that maybe I'm wrong but that's the way it looks but Paul is saying to the church the rapture can't happen until the falling away comes first and then the man of sin will be revealed okay yeah the falling away begins and Christians start going through their tribulation period they're like hey

I was free trim why am I still here yeah and then they turn away from God because now they're angry that they're having to go through this and you know there you go just kind of progresses and they right well

I see what you're saying and Jesus talked about the parable of the sower and those who stumble right because of persecution see if a

Christian starts going through hard times and those hard times cause that person to just abandon their faith well

I mean I would argue they were never truly converted to begin with but again a person shouldn't put a hundred percent confidence like if the preacher of rapture isn't true then

I'm gonna give up my faith is someone should not think that way but I could see how that would happen with some people okay all right let's turn to Revelation chapter 19 so in second

Thessalonians 2 Paul continues on and he talks about the restrainer or what is restraining

I believe that the end times have not yet happened well number one it's not

God's time yet but the earth is being preserved because there's still hundreds of millions of believers all over the world just this country if every

Christian in the United States disappeared tomorrow I mean you think this country is going downhill it'd be like whoo if all believers were gone so Paul talks about the restrainer

I believe that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit working in and through the church but once the church is gone at the rapture there's nothing restraining evil anymore and that's when all hell breaks loose during the tribulation okay you're at Revelation 19 let me just this is one verse this is you can stay there but in second

Thessalonians 2 verse 8 he talks about the lawless one the Antichrist who will be revealed whom the

Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming so when does

Jesus destroy the Antichrist with the brightness of his coming right here the second

Advent and that's where it's listed right here in Revelation 19 look at Revelation 19 verse 19

John writes and I saw the beast who's the beast another term for the the

Antichrist has a lot of names man of lawlessness and a son of perdition the beast he says

I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army who's on the horse

Christ is on the horse verse 20 then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who works signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image and the two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone okay so at the second

Advent Jesus returns to the earth as the king he defeats the armies of Antichrist he takes the beast or the

Antichrist and his number two man the false prophet and he throws them or cast them alive into the lake of fire okay so that's the second

Advent that's not the rapture the rapture is a totally different thing a blessed event for the church second coming remember the dreadful event so this is going to be the

Battle of Armageddon this will be like the war though the real war to end all wars didn't they say that about World War two it's the war to end all wars well there's still at least one more major world war coming and that's going to be right here okay so now we're at Revelation chapter 20 and this is where you get into the

Millennium so we might do this next week as sort of a third and final lesson on the subject of Bible prophecy the different positions on the

Millennium again a lot of people don't want to talk about this because there's disagreement right there's people that are pre -trib mid -trib post - rib there's people that are pre -mill ah mill post mill and if a church here's the thing if a church takes a stand or if a

Bible teacher says hey this position is right then I think churches are worried that people who hold other positions are going to be upset so that either either that's why they do it or what's the other option

I fear the other option might be that they don't think it's actually going to happen

I don't know I can't read people's minds but I I do get the sense that there's a lot of churches at least in New England that they don't actually think that any of this is going to take place

I hope I'm wrong but in conclusion just to kind of end on a positive note this seven -year period the

Tribulation and then the Great Tribulation where God pours out his wrath and I did for four part series on Revelation where he talked about the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments a lot of terrible things happening but I do believe that we have a blessed

I know we have a blessed hope and that blessed hope is when Jesus comes to catch his people up just like first Thessalonians 4 17 says the

Saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air so if somebody listening to this here or online afterwards if you've never placed your faith in Christ as your

Lord and Savior you need to do it now because this is only getting closer every day one day closer and once the rapture happens then the

Tribulation starts and if somebody is not saved when the rapture happens they're here for this period of seven years now

I do believe people can be saved during the Tribulation but it's going to be a horrific time you've heard the teachings about the