We have seen that the second coming of Christ consists of two phases, and that these two phases are to be separated by a period of time. The writer has stated his belief that this period of time will be the time of the future great tribulation. Our reasons for this belief will appear in the course of this article. We will study this period under the following heads:

The Scriptures that describe this period

The first Scripture we desire to notice is Matt. 24:21, 22, and reads as follows: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” That these words cannot be wholly referred to the sufferings of the Jews at the time of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A. D. 70, is shown by verses 29 to 31. These verses tell us that immediately after the tribulation of those days Christ will come in power and great glory. This clearly refers to the second phase of Christ’s coming. Nothing that attended or resulted from the destruction of Jerusalem can fully satisfy these verses. It is true that according to verse 34 the destruction of Jerusalem brought about either a spiritual or a typical fulfillment of all that is predicted in this part of the discourse. The destruction of Jerusalem struck the death-blow to Judaism, and marked the coming of the kingdom of God with power, as Jesus had foretold (Mark9:1; Matt. 16:28; Luke9:27). This was a spiritual fulfillment of all Christ said about his coming in this chapter. And the siege of Jeusalem (A. D. 70) brought about a typical fulfillment of all he said about Jerusalem in this chapter. But the literal fulfillment of that which Christ said about his second coming, and the antetype of the seige of Jerusalem are yet to come. No believer in verbal inspiration can find in the destruction of Jerusalem a full and complete satisfaction of the prophecy of this chapter. Its ultimate reference must be to the final seige of Jerusalem in the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:13-21; 19 :11-21; Zech. 12:2- 9; 14:1-7, 12-15); and to the personal and bodily coming of the Lord, as promised in Acts 1:11.

But in Rev. 6-19 we believe we have a far more extended and detailed description of this period. We take these chapters as descriptive of this period for the two following reasons:

(1) As we saw in the last article, we have in chapter 7 the sealing of the servants of God in the forehead; and only Jews are sealed. This shows that all Gentile believers (and previous Jewish believers) have been taken out of the earth, and therefore, that the rapture of the saints (Which will occur at the first phase of Christ's coming — (I Thess. 4:15-17) has already taken place. Then the second phase of Christ's coming is clearly pictured in Rev. 19:11-21. Therefore, we take the intervening section of the book as describing the interim between the two phases of Christ's coming. And we relate chapter six to this period because we regard the riders of the four horses (6 :2-8) the same as the four angels (7:1-3) whose work is restrained until after the sealing of the servants of God.

(2) Then in Rev. 7:14 we have a reference to the great tribulation in the following words: “These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (R.V). These words were spoken of the numberless multitude in verse 9. The original here is very emphatic. It says literally: “These are they WHO ARE COMING out of tribulations, THE GREAT ONE.” It is not just tribulation in general that is spoken of here; it is a definite and particular tribulation, vii., the great one. In this verse the present participle, “are coming out,” shows the great tribulation to be in progress. Thus we assign this section of the book to the great tribulation period.

The length of this period

It is our conviction that this period will be seven years in length. We hold this conviction because the combined time of the prophesying of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:3) and the career of the Beast (Rev. 13:5) is approximately seven years. Note that the witnesses are to prophecy “a thousand two hundred and three score days” (approximately three years and a half); then the Beast is to arise and kill them (Rev. 11:7) and is to continue “forty and two months” (Rev. 13 :5). It is our opinion that the witnesses will begin testifying soon after the rapture, and since the Beast is to be destroyed when Christ comes to judge and make war (Rev. 19:11-21;‘ II Thess. 2:8), we conclude that the length of the intervening period is to be found by the above method. It will be noted that we take the thousand, two hundred, and threescore days and the"forty-two months literally. We do this in harmony with the rule mentioned in our last article. We find no reason for taking it otherwise either in the passages themselves, or in their context, or in any other Scripture.

The horrors of this period

This period is to be the “day” of God's wrath. During this period the God to whom vengeance belongeth will avenge himself of the treatment this world has accorded his Son and his saints. He will fully avenge his elect (Luke 18:7; Rev. 6:9, 10). He will pour out the vials of his wrath to the last bitter dregs upon this old sin-cursed and devil-darkened earth. The earth will be wrested from the devil and his people and given to the people of God (Matt. 5:5). We regard Rev. 6: 12-17 as picture of the turmoil, trouble, fear, and consternation that shall come upon the world at the time of the rapture of the saints; the beginning of this period. Coming to the realization that Christ has come for his saints and that God's day of wrath is upon them, the inhabitants of the earth are represented as saying to the mountains and rocks: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand.” This gives us some idea of the horrors of this period. Then as we see in rapid succession the depiction of war, famine, death, plagues and torment of every kind, we surely cannot fail to realize something of the horrors of this period. We are told that “in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee: from them” (Rev. 9:6). The inhabitants of earth in this period will get a veritable foretaste of hell. And here we would speak a word to every lost soul. If today Christ should come for his saints, you would be left here to go through this awful period, whose horrors are indescribable. Christ may come at any moment! Therefore, we urge you “to flee from the wrath to come.” Turn from your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! (Luke 13 :3; Acts 16:31).

Will the gospel be preached during this period?

This is a much-controverted question, but we unhesitatingly give an affirmative answer as our opinion. In chapter eleven, as we have seen already, we have the mention of God's two witnesses. We have stated already that we believe these two witnesses will prophecy during the interim between the two phases of Christ's coming. We believe they will preach the gospel and announce the millennial kingdom, just as Christ and the apostles preached the gospel and announced the spiritual kingdom (the kingdom of God) and the temporal phase of the kingdom of heaven. We can think of no other message God would have for the world during this period. Then we take the numberless multitude depicted in Rev. 7:69-17 to represent those who are saved during this period, and who, having been martyred or otherwise died, are immediately caught up to heaven, just as it is said the two witnesses will be (Rev. 11:7-12). Also, we take the sheep in the judgment of the nations (Matt. 24:31-46) to be people who have believed and been saved during the great tribulation period. Someone may inquire how people will be saved during this period. We answer that they will be saved exactly like all others have been saved. God has never had, and never will have, but one way of salvation. That one way is by grace through faith. “But,” someone may say, “how can people be saved after the Holy Spirit has been taken out of the world?” The answer that they will be saved just like they were before the day of Pentecost. During the great tribulation period the Holy Spirit will have access to the world just like he did before the day of Pentecost.

Who are the two witnesses who will prophecy during this period?

We do not regard the two witnesses (Rev. 11:1-12) as merely two individuals. Two persons could not bear an adequate testimony to the world in three years and a half. And since there are to be a hundred and forty-four thousand saved Jews in the world during the first part of the tribulation period, we take these two witnesses to represent them. We think the significance of the number two lies in the fact that the hundred and forty-four thousand are of both Israel and Judah. We are confirmed in the opinion that the two witnesses represent the hundred and forty-four thousand because after the witnesses are killed, they are taken up to heaven (Rev. 11:12), and then in chapter fourteen we have the hundred and forty-four thousand seemingly already taken out of the earth. Moreover, we take this hundred and forty-four thousand Jews to be the brethren of ]esus referred to in the account of the judgment of the nations in Matt. 25:31-46.

(This article was taken from The Baptist Examiner Vol 1, No 5 from June 1, 1931)