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Glory · Our Hope
Jesus warned of 'great oppression' such as the world has never seen, drawing on Daniel's 'time of trouble,' and tied it to the abomination of desolation and the coming of the Son of Man. Bible readers differ over when this period falls in relation to Christ's return. What the texts make certain is that it comes, the saints are called to endure and be watchful, the chosen are kept, and the Son of Man will appear in glory at its end.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/what-is-the-great-tribulation · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Matthew 24:15-31
As you read: Jesus' prophecy of the great tribulation, the abomination of desolation, and the gathering of the elect.
15“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.
18Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
20Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
21for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
22Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
24For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25“Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.
27For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together.
29But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Mark 13:14-27
As you read: Mark's version, with Jesus' call to take heed, watch, and endure to the end.
14But when you see the abomination of desolation,spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
15and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house.
16Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
17But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!
18Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter.
19For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.
20Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.
21Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.
22For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
23But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.
24But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
25the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.
Daniel 12:1-7
As you read: The Old Testament source of the phrase: a time of trouble, and those written in the book delivered.
1“At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.
2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
4But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall be increased.”
5Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side.
6One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Revelation 13
As you read: The persecution of God's people under the beast, and the endurance and faith of the saints.
1Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names.
2The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
3One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.
4They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him.
6He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven.
7It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.
8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed.
9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
11I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
12He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
14He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
15It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads;
17and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
Jesus said, 'for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be,' and Mark echoes, 'such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation.' He points to Daniel's 'abomination of desolation... standing in the holy place' as the signal to flee. These are not the ordinary hardships of every age; they are a distinct, cosmic-scale pressure that Jesus Himself named and told us to expect.
“for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.”Matthew 24:21
“For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.”Mark 13:19
““When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),”Matthew 24:15
“Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.”Matthew 24:22
Jesus reaches back to Daniel: 'at that time shall Michael stand up... and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.' Jesus is describing the same final period. In Revelation this tribulation is carried out through the beast, who causes those who will not worship its image to be killed and forces the mark so that 'no one would be able to buy or to sell.' Paul calls the same figure 'the man of sin,' who 'sits as God in the temple of God.'
““At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.”Daniel 12:1
“It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.”Revelation 13:15-17
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
““When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),”Matthew 24:15
Jesus makes endurance the test: 'he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.' Revelation applies the warning to the church: 'Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints,' and Paul pleads, 'Let no one deceive you in any way.' The tribulation does not remove the need for faithful, watchful living; it confronts it. Perseverance through the pressure, not escape from every hardship, is what the texts call the church to.
“But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.”Matthew 24:13
“If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.”Revelation 13:10
“Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,”2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
“But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.”Mark 13:23
Jesus balances the severity with the keeping: 'unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.' And when the Son of Man appears, 'he will send out his angels... and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds.' John sees a great multitude 'who came out of the great tribulation... they washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.' God's people are not lost in the storm; they are kept and gathered.
“Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.”Matthew 24:22
“and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”Matthew 24:30-31
“I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.”Revelation 7:14
““At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.”Daniel 12:1
Christians differ over whether the tribulation precedes, accompanies, or in some views is largely past, and over how the prophecies fit Israel and the church. But the texts agree on what cannot be moved: the tribulation comes, it is the world's darkest hour and not the church's undoing, the Son of Man will be revealed in glory immediately after, and the church is called to watch and be ready 'in an hour that you don't expect.' The promise is that heaven is on the way, and the Judge is on His throne.
“But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”Matthew 24:29-30
“Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.”Matthew 24:44
“He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.”Acts 1:7
“He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”Matthew 24:31