Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times - Conscious Evolution TV

What robin-bobin Does the Bible Say About the End Times? 87tribulation at the end of time. “Jacob’s distress” in Jeremiah30:7 also is equated with this time period, as well as certainvisions in Daniel. In addition, most references to “tribulation”or similar terms in the New Testament also are said to refer tothis seven-year period after the rapture. Matthew 24 is an oftenquotedchapter in this regard, in which Jesus discusses signs ofthe end of the age and says, “For then there will be great distress,unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again” (Matt. 24:21, NIV). And finally,Revelation chapters 6 through 18 contain an overwhelmingnumber of symbolic descriptions of dramatic and frighteningoccurrences, including seven seals, seven trumpet blasts, andseven vials, plus plagues, earthquakes, wars, and “seven bowlsof the wrath of God.” All together, in this view, the numerousbiblical allusions paint a consistent and terrifying picture oftribulation at the end of time.The problem that other biblical interpreters have with thisconstruction is that they contend the passages have all beenwrenched out of their biblical and historical contexts in order toapply to one single period in the end times. For instance, doesevery reference to “Day of Jehovah” or “Day of the Lord”really refer to a future tribulation? When the phrases arise intexts such as Joel 1:15; 2:1; Amos 5:18–20; and Zephaniah 1:7,they appear to refer to the destruction of Israel and/or Judah atvarious times in Jewish history. When the phrase appears inObadiah 15, it refers to Edomites, Israel’s southeastern neighbor,and “all the nations” that have troubled Israel. Thus, they ask,are these really references to a future tribulation immediatelyprior to Jesus Christ’s second coming?In the New Testament, many uses of “tribulation” or equivalentterms appear to refer to more immediate situations. Paulclaimed that he himself had gone through tribulations (2 Cor.1:16; 4:8; 7:5; Col. 1:24). In 1 Thessalonians 3:4 (NRSV) Paulwrote, “In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehandthat we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as youknow.” In that instance, the reference to persecution or tribulationis about something in the past, not in the future. And whenrobin-bobin