It has been common among talk of the end times to use the phrase “The Great Tribulation.” And it is assumed that this phrase is referring to only the last half of the final 7 year period before Christ’s return. This is assumed because of the word “The.” But when Jesus used this phrase in Matt. 24:21, He never included the word “The.” Without the word “The,” the phrase “great tribulation” is much less precise, and doesn’t specifically refer to a period named “The Great Tribulation.” This would allow the period to refer to the entire 7 years of the 70th week. I would appreciate your comments on this issue.

The 7th chapter of Revelation seems to occur before the last 3 1/2 years. At the beginning of the chapter, the 144,000 are sealed, which happens before the last 3 1/2 years. And in context, the remaining verses speak of those who came out of the great tribulation. If this is referring to the final 3 1/2 years, then this part of the vision will have to happen after the final 3 1/2 years. But it seems more likely to me that this whole chapter takes place before the final 3 1/2 years. Which is correct?

Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment – does this mean once believers die, they are judged for their works? If so, the judgment occurs at a different time for each believer. For some reason, I thought it happened at the rapture. Am I correct?

I have a friend who is very knowledgeable in the Word, and we meet for study every week. We have only one main disagreement, and although we have discussed it at length many times, he keeps going back to it. He is not convinced that there is a rapture and believes instead that the Church will be protected somewhere on earth by the Lord during the Tribulation period. He is also convinced that the woman in Revelation 12 is the Church, but this is the only scripture he can really use to support his view. We have pointed out that this woman is Israel, and having given birth to a child, can’t be a virgin bride. Would you agree?

I’ve always been taught that the beasts of Daniel 7 were simply another way of viewing the parts of the statue of world governments in Daniel 2, i.e. Babylon, Medes and Persians, the Greeks, Rome, and finally the feet of iron and clay — the last world government. But I’ve also heard it said that the beasts of Daniel 7 refer to Great Britain, Russia, America, and Germany respectively. Can you clear this up?

In Acts 16:17 the possessed slave girl is yelling, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” That doesn’t sound like something an enemy would say. Why do you think she said that?

I think Jesus as a man (incarnate) limited himself of the full knowledge of God. Part if that limiting was to what was prophesied, which excluded the mystery (age of grace) revealed to us by Paul. With the elimination of the age of grace, the tribulation could have started within the lifetime of some of the apostles and the second coming of Christ (kingdom/millennium) could have begun before all were dead. Could you comment on the logic of my statement?

Please remember that the adversary/satan/devil is a spiritual force like gravity. It has always been there. It is not some fallen angel. Lucifer is a mistake caused by the Romans either purposefully or not. Gravity makes babies stronger, it is against our muscles and makes us stonger as long as we walk upright. The adversary makes humans spiritually stronger, as long as we walk upright, holy and perfect. God created all this purposefully. The adversary was also in the beginning, God was not surprised that Adam and Eve would sin, in fact he knew the adversary would get them to fall, that is his job. All people fall and will keep falling, but it is when we get up that we get closer to God, being perfect and holy.

First, thank you for sharing your God given talent of ministry – your site is a daily stop for me.

On the subject of prayer, you have written that we can’t petition the Lord while we’re out of fellowship, except to ask for forgiveness and receive restoration. I was wondering if you could expand on that further.

For those left behind who ultimately come to Christ after the Rapture, what scripture or thoughts might you have regarding self defense ? Being that the world will quickly go crazy, overt violence the order of the day, then too the mandate which will lead to the persecution of Christians those refusing the mark of the beast, bodies could stack up like cord wood. I have to believe that not all Christians will want to go quietly as sheep lead to the slaughter. Admittedly, the overwhelming power of the Anti-Christ will be daunting to say the least; but still are not those left behind charged with the responsibility to fight till the end?