on 12th May 2022 by Simeon

On Posted on by Simeon to ARTICLES

The Olivet Discourse (Part 5)

Simeon Western

The Olivet Discourse Part 5

In our last article, we considered some key events that will take place at the midpoint of the tribulation:

  1. The abomination of desolation where the Antichrist desecrates the temple and sets himself up as God.
  2. The flight of the Jewish remnant into the wilderness where she will be protected of God throughout the second half of the tribulation.

We now look at Christ’s teaching concerning the second half of the tribulation in verses 19-23 (Mark’s Gospel). Christ labels the second half “the great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21). There was tribulation in the first half but it will increase in ferocity and intensity in the second half. To impress upon the reader just how horrific this time will be, Christ states that it will be a time without parallel in human history (Vs. 19). Further, if God had not set a Divine timeframe on these events (“except the Lord had shortened those days” Vs. 20), the entire population of the world would be wiped out. Christ then proceeds to outline how the great tribulation will be characterized by two phenomena:

Devastations (Vs. 19-20): What is described is a time of tribulation that will be unparalleled to anything the world has seen in the past or will see in the future. The word ‘affliction’ comes from the Greek word ‘thlipsis’ which means “a pressing together.” It is most commonly translated as ‘tribulation’ in the New Testament. The Book of Revelation gives us the details of this “tribulation” with the pouring out of the vial plagues upon the earth (bowl judgments):

  1. Vial 1: Sores (Rev. 16:1-2) – In this judgment there will be a plague of grievous sores which will fall upon those who have the mark of the beast. It will probably be something similar to the plague of boils that fell upon Egypt in the Old Testament.
  2. Vial 2: Seas (Vs. 3) – In this judgment, the seas of the world are turned into blood and every living thing dies. David Cloud observes, “This will have massive consequences. All sea life upon which man is dependent for his food and livelihood will be gone; all jobs associated with harvesting the sea life will be gone. The top five fish producing countries alone (China, Peru, India, USA, Indonesia) harvest 70 billion tons of fish annually. According to 2001 figures, China consumes almost 73 billion pounds of fish per year, Japan 18.4 billion, America 13.8 billion, Indonesia 10.7 billion, and Russia 6 billion (www.aboutseafood.com).”
  3. Vial 3: Streams (Vs. 4-7) – In this judgment the rivers and fountains of waters (fresh water) are turned into blood. So between the 2nd and 3rd vial, all of earth’s water is affected. Again, this will have a devastating effect on food and fishing.
  4. Vial 4: Sun (Vs. 8-9) – In this judgment the sun scorches the earth with great heat. Sadly, instead of repenting, sinful men respond by blaspheming God’s name. What a staggering reminder of just how hard the heart of man can be even when confronted with supernatural events.
  5. Vial 5: Shadows (Vs. 10-11) – In this judgment the Antichrist’s kingdom is stricken with darkness. It will be like the Egyptian plague where the darkness could be felt (Ex. 10:21-23). It appears the pain of their sores, which they still have from the first vial judgment, is intensified under the plague of darkness.
  6. Vial 6: Slaughter (Vs. 12-16) – In this judgment the river Euphrates is dried up to prepare the way for the “kings of the east” to march to Israel for the battle of Armageddon. To the east of Israel are the great Asian nations such as India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and perhaps most significantly, China. They will come to ‘Armageddon’ which is located in the great plain of Megiddo southwest of the Sea of Galilee. The rise of China in our day is undoubtedly a preparation for this future prophecy.
  7. Vial 7: Shaking (Vs. 17-21) – In this judgment God unleashes the most horrific earthquake and hailstorm the world has ever seen. The Lord is going to give this old wicked world a mighty shaking! So devastating is this earthquake that all the cities of the world will fall (Vs. 19) and the topography of the world will be dramatically altered – “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found” (Vs. 20).

With judgments like that, we can understand why Christ said it would be a time of tribulation without parallel in history. But Christ goes on to discuss a second major feature of the second half of the tribulation.

Deceptions (vs. 21-23): The devil is alive and active in the church age, blinding the hearts of millions lest the light of the Gospel should shine in to them (2. Cor. 4:4). But the satanic seductions of the tribulation period will be on another whole level, especially in the second half when the devil and his angels are confined to the earth and no longer able to roam the stellar heavens (See Revelation 12:7-17). Also, the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit will have been removed from the earth at this time (See 2 Thess. 2:7). It will be a time of unprecedented demonic activity. There will be:

  1. False Messiahs (Vs. 21-22a). It appears there will be an attempt to lure the godly Jewish remnant (“the elect”) out of the safety of their hiding during this time. Matt. 24:26 says, “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” The Antichrist will be the primary false messiah during this time but the word is plural (“false Christs”) indicating there will be others also making false claims in the tribulation period. As one author noted, “Due to the chaos and catastrophes that will characterize the great tribulation, religious liars and deceivers will take advantage of people’s terror and desperation.”
  2. False Messengers (Vs. 22b). False prophets will also abound during this time as the messengers for the false messiahs. Again, the most prominent example will be the Antichrist’s false prophet who is described in Rev. 13:11-18 (See also 2 Thess. 2:8-9). These prophets will have seductive, satanic power to the point they will almost be able to seduce God’s elect people. The phrase “signs and wonders” is “a common phrase for miracles. ‘Wonders’ views these signs with reference to the astonishment that they produce; they are startling, amazement-evoking portents.” (E. Hiebert) Revelation 13:13-14 gives some insight into the kind of miracles the false prophet will perform in order to deceive the world into worshipping the Antichrist. “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast…” It is a sobering reminder that the presence of “signs and wonders” does not automatically prove that something is of God. The devil only has a little power compared to Almighty God but he does have some power and can do some miracles! It’s not hard to see how the charismatic signs and wonders movement sweeping the world today is preparing the way for the Antichrist as it makes subjective experience (feelings), rather than objective truth (the Bible) the criteria for judging if a work is of God.

The coming horrors of the tribulation are a sobering reminder of what awaits those who do not flee to Christ for refuge. Let’s be busy telling others the Gospel message while there is still time! In our next article we will reach the climax of the Olivet Discourse with Christ’s own description of His Second Coming in power and glory.

To watch or listen to a four-part sermon series on the Olivet Discourse as well as other expository preaching, visit www.baptistexpositor.com Click on the Mark series to access the Olivet Discourse sermons.