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God … And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.” (2
Thessalonians 2:1-6)
These four Scriptures give you an absolute time frame for the coming of Jesus. There’s only
one resurrection– not two; He’s only coming one time– not twice. There is nowhere in the
Scripture that indicates the He is coming twice. It really irritates me when I hear well-meaning
ministers on the radio or television who say that ‘Jesus could come back tonight– are you ready?’
No, Jesus is not coming back tonight! How do I know that? Because God’s Word says so. Christ
will not return to this earth until–
The Gospel is preached and distributed to the entire world.
A “falling away” will occur.
The “abomination of desolation” and the revealing of the “man of sin” takes place.
The three things that have to happen before Christ’s return is that the Gospel has to be
presented to the entire world (which quite possibly has been fulfilled), there must be a “falling
away,” (which has not occurred yet), and the “abomination of desolation,” which is when the
Antichrist will reveal himself as the Messiah in the Temple. Then the Tribulation will come.
“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
Jesus tells his disciple that He will return “immediately after the tribulation.” Of the period
after the Tribulation, Jesus says:
“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all
these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36)
Though Christians can’t even consider being on the earth during the Tribulation, there are
examples, and Scripture to support the case for this. Jesus Himself (Luke 17:26-30, see also
Isaiah 43:2) in His discussion about the end-times, used the days of Noah and Lot as examples.
Noah, and his family endured the Flood in an ark of protection. Lot and his family escaped the
destruction of Sodom only by being obedient and turning their backs on the city. If you
remember, Lot’s wife didn’t listen. Jesus even pointed that out in Luke 17:32 when He said:
“Remember Lot’s wife.” In addition, the Hebrews were protected from the plagues that were
brought against Pharaoh and Egypt. We can also take note of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
surviving the fiery furnace, as well as Daniel going through the ordeal in the Lion’s Den. These
examples also lead us into another aspect of end-time theology which further explains the flow
of events.
It is important to delineate between the Tribulation period, and the time of Armageddon. The
Tribulation, or the time when the Antichrist influences the world, is man’s wrath on man. The
time of the end, when Jesus returns, will be God’s wrath on man. The examples of Noah, Lot,
and the Hebrews were examples of God’s wrath, and a separation from it. The examples of
Shadrach and the boys, and Daniel, were examples of going through tribulation, man’s wrath,