In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus Christ -Yeshua]
was in the beginning with God.
THE TRIBULATION
The seven-year tribulation period will begin after the
rapture of the
church when a charismatic leader, not yet revealed as the
Antichrist,
rises to power and establishes a [false] peace treaty with
Israel. This will be the beginning of sorrows for
Israel. The Jews will be
hated and persecuted by all nations. The 'revised' Roman Empire
[the seventh kingdom] and the
harlot, the apostate church, will manifest this hatred. The
harlot will
have great influence over the 'revised' Roman Empire. The
Antichrist will initially provide protection for
Israel
during the first three and one-half years of
the lesser tribulation period.
Midway through the tribulation period, the Antichrist, the son of
perdition [destruction], will be revealed in his fullness. God will
allow Satan to give him supernatural powers. He will be
assassinated and then miraculously healed from a fatal head wound.
Because of the powers given to him and the False Prophet, he will be
considered a god rather than the anti-Christ. To achieve total
domination, he will become ruthless as he breaks the peace treaty and turns against
Israel and the
harlot. He will consolidate his power in a one-world
system of religious,
political and economic policies. The last three and one-half years will be
the period of the greater tribulation known as the time of Jacob's
trouble. Israel’s persecution will be more
severe than any time in history as the Antichrist tries to destroy the
Jews.
The tribulation period will be a time of judgment against Israel for
disobedience to God and against the
Gentile nations for their attempt to destroy Israel and their
rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s wrath is described by
three sets of judgments: the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the
seven bowls.
The judgments will crescendo in supernatural
intensity throughout the tribulation period. The seal judgments will
occur in the first half of the tribulation while the trumpet and bowl
judgments will occur in the last half (see Revelation). The persecution
of the Jews will be nearly to the point of extermination.
Israel will
come to repentance and believe on Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Christ
will return to earth the second time at the final battle of
Armageddon
to redeem Israel, judge the nations, and
rule the world in righteousness, peace, and prosperity.