SHALL MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST PASS GREAT TRIBULATION?
By : Bishop Albert Gran
It’s nerve wrecking,
dreadful, and terrible story when you see photos of destruction after war or
any assault from any newspaper pages or tabloids. Recently we saw thousands of
refugees and evacuees who runaway passing through Pakistan and Iraq mountains with
many beheaded innocent children calling justice for crime of genocide against
barbaric acts of ISIS who some of them were motivated by false belief due to
what seems Islamic religion had taught . We knew this belief had connotation
for what they thought divine inspiration from their Prophet Mohamed against
their enemies called “Christians”. When
stresses sought for showing any pressing acts against Christians due to
motivation and influence of religious doctrines, such account is a repetition
way back in the Biblical history between Jacob and Esau in significance of
their birthright.
What was important in this recent tragic phenomenal
occurrence is our sympathy among many Christians and believers who suffered and
suffering. On the other hand, reports of beheading made us felt chilled in the
accounts of sufferings people had felt for when they were stricken by this
terrible situation. When you compare
yourself enjoying the abundance of freedom with those among whom bound with
grief over loss of love ones you might probably be touched seeing the agony of
Christians with troubles affecting their lives.
When you had this kind of terrible feeling what you see and
heard around is just an inch of the MOST TERRIBLE situation not heard IN THE WORLD
HISTORY, this is called GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY, THE TRIBULATION. Soon sufferings of people were not only
indications of peoples’ evil mind influenced by wrong ideologies however it
also correspond God’s pouring out of terrible WRATH against all evils and
evildoers. What is tragic is the devastation of cosmic formation to cause
destruction against humanity while God’s people, the beloved Israel shall be
protected.
WHERE IS THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION?
Preterists viewed that the tribulation already happened last
AD 70 when Roman Emperor Titus destroyed the Jewish Temple. See the history account
below in the events of siege:
Beginning
April, A.D.70, Forty Years to the Week from the Crucifixion of Christ. The
temple was burnt August 10, A. D. 70, the exact same day and month on which it
had been burnt by the king of Babylon: Josephus, Ant. b. xx. c. 11. s. 8.
- Romans
breach Third Wall May 25 and capture New City.
- Romans enter
Second Quarter. Jews withdraw behind first wall. May 30-June 2.
- Titus'
divided attack on First Wall and the Antonia fail.
- Romans build
siege wall around city.
- Romans renew
assault on the Antonia. Fortress falls to Titus July 22.
- Romans burn
gates and enter Temple courtyards. On August 10 Temple destroyed by fire.
- Romans burn
the Lower City. September 2?
- Romans
assault Herod's Palace and enter the Upper City. Resistance ends on
September 26.
For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be.
What falls in the
history account about the destruction of Jerusalem cannot qualify the veracity
of Preterists’ claim this is the FULFILLED prophecy account of the tribulation
considering the fact what is written in Scripture regarding the events which
shall occur in the tribulation as plainly declared as WHICH WAS NOT SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF THE WORLD, even in the time of Christ, nor EVER SHALL BE (in the
future). Eventually, the point what
Scriptures declared HAD NOT HAPPENED in the history of AGES made us believed
this IS A FUTURE EVENT and this future tragic event is even worse than NOAH’S
FLOOD, the history of OT Battles with Great Wars and Warriors, Destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah, the history of World War 1 and World War 2 and all other history
of devastating accounts which brought havoc to our planet.
We all knew that
dispensation of grace is inserted in the PROPHECY OF GOD regarding His plan on
earth and therefore we found this prophecy of Great Tribulation as inclusion of
the earth’s consummation prior the establishment of His kingdom to mean this
great and dreadful day EXCLUDE US MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST.
The mystery of our blessedness in the heavenly plan of God excused
us to pass through THIS GREAT AND
NOTABLE DAY TO COME wherein cosmic
objects will turn to disorganize its system (Acts 2:20). When this happen, majority
of people on earth wail in pain and travail as though they will suffer more
than how a mother gives birth to her child. This is a great tribulation when
people will wish and welcome death to happen in their lives.
Romans 5:9
Romans 5:9
Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him.
A
COMFORTING CONDITION
2 Thes. 2:1-2
Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and BY OUR
GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM,
2 That YE BE NOT SOON
SHAKEN IN MIND, or BE TROUBLED, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter
as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Our consciousness as members of the church today as we see the
happenings of worse scenarios around us cannot refuse the discomforting effects
of peoples’ evil deeds and what sufferings inflicting believers today really are
incomparable when this great and notable day shall come. But as we see the
mystery of God’s graciousness and mercy with the consolation of our hope
in Christ in this dispensation of grace our hope ENDS IN THE CAUGHT UP EVENT
when Christ shall appear on the air to MEET HIM AND SHALL WE EVER BE WITH HIM
FOREVER.
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18King James Version (KJV)
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Two sets of verses in series of Paul’s epistles brought
deliverance of hope and promise that the Church the Body of Christ believers
were such the living organisms in the
history of humanity who were declared the MOST BLESSED because of THE MYSTERY
OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST WICH IS IN US. When Great Tribulation shall happen BOC is
already in the comfortable abode of God in the HEAVENS.
Glory be to His wonderful love and grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment