Sunday Service (2)

Sunday Service: To Suffer or to Supper

(12-13-2020) Bro. Allan Barabat

=Unlocking the Biblical Prophecies Series:
To Suffer or to Supper=

*Matthew 24:21-22a
"21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Tribulation: Thlipsus (Greek)
-crushing
-pulverizing
-grinding

Severity of the Tribulation:
"The day of calamity." -Moses
"The day of the Lord's anger."
"The wrath to come."
"The hour of trial and judgement." -John
"A time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation." -Daniel

Glimpse of the Tribulation:
-Four House Men (first to fourth seal)
   > White Horse (Anti-Christ)
   > Red Horse (War)
   > Black Horse (Famine)
*Revelation 6:6
"6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
  
-Seven Trumpet of Doom
   > 1st to 4th Trumpet: Natural Catastrophes
-1/3 of the Earth will be consumed by hail and fire.
-1/3 of the Ocean will turn to blood.
-1/3 of the Fresh Water will become bitter.
-1/3 of the Earth will be living in darkness.

   > 5th Trumpet: Demonic Forces to Torment for Five Months
*Revelation 9:5-6
"5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them."

-Seven Bowls of Wrath
*Revelation 16: 9,11
"9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done."

Why the Tribulation?
1. To purify Israel. (A Purpose of Israel)
*Ezekiel 20:37-38
"37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.
38 I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

*Deuteronomy 4:30-31
"30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.

2. To punish sinner (A purpose for Gentiles)
*Romans 1:18
"18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness."

*Nahum 1:2-3
"2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

"Purpose is both CONVERSION and PUNISHMENT."

Take Away Today:
T- Today is the day of Salvation.
G-God's Faithfulness in His promises.
P-Purpose of God in our Present Suffering
       > Present suffering promotes character, provokes courage, proves godliness, produces joy, provides reward.

*James 1:2-4
"2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

       > Be an encourager, be a channel of His blessing.