Shadows of Things to Come
By Tom Gilbreath
Jesus will snatch away the Church before the seven years of tribulation, also known as Daniel’s 70th Week (Daniel 9) and the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). For this reason, those of us who are in Christ and alive today, will not experience God’s wrath poured out on the earth. Whether through death or the rapture, we will escape the tribulation.
That doesn’t mean we won’t have trouble. We will. Jesus told us we would (John 16:33). But persecution from others and the normal trauma of living in a fallen world, are different from God’s wrath poured out for our sins. We won’t experience the latter because His wrath for our sins was poured out long ago — on Jesus at the cross. He received what we deserved.
Revelation chapters 6 through 16 and most of Matthew 24 focus on that time after the Church has been raptured. Yet Jesus was clearly speaking to His followers. The reason is that after the Church is gone, the greatest revival in history will take place. If it makes you sad to miss it, you can be comforted that the disappearance of Christ’s followers all over the world will surely be one of the catalysts of that revival.
People will think back. “Didn’t a lot of these people say that they would disappear one day, and that their dead would have a physical resurrection?”
Many of those saved during that time will be from the nation of Israel. Jesus had a great deal to say to this group, including this well-known verse. “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). Since Jesus was not primarily focused on the Church when He said this, is it appropriate for prophecy teachers to quote that verse as comfort for today’s believers?
It sure is!
We do not see the events of tribulation, but we can see shadows of that future. The world is being prepared — the stage set. When we see shadows of the tribulation creeping into our time, it reminds us that those terrible days are close. And if the tribulation is close, then the rapture has to be closer. The other thing to remember about Daniel’s 70th week, or the tribulation, is just how amazingly short it is — only 7 years. And those will be short years lasting only 360 days each, based on the lunar calendar in use during Daniel’s time.
Daniel 9 says the seven years will be triggered by a treaty between Antichrist and Israel. Seven years later, Jesus returns — not for a rendezvous in the air this time, but a landing on earth. His feet will physically touch the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two (Zechariah 14:4).
Isaiah 35:4-10 speaks of that future when it says, “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert…. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
We’re not there yet, but the rapture is imminent, and we see encroaching shadows of things to come. It’s a good time for us to look up and lift up our heads! Our redemption draws near!
