Characteristics Of The Coming Tribulation

Matthew 24:9-14, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

This Scripture passage spoken by Jesus foretells of the future 7-year Tribulation period. We know it will be 7-years from Daniel 9:27 and 12:11-12.

Jesus foretells that during this time of tribulation that Christians will be killed. Some unlearned Bible students use this prophecy from Matthew 24:9 to prove that the Rapture won't happen until later, after the Tribulation. However, that is a false teaching. Just because there will be Christians alive during the Tribulation doesn't mean that there won't be a pretribulation rapture. But in fact, these will be believers saved during the Tribulation.

We know for a couple reasons that the Rapture must happen before the Tribulation:

1. Only a pretribulation rapture maintains secrecy. Jesus plainly said in Mark 13:32-37 that no man, not even the angels, know the time of his future return. It would make no sense if this passage applied to Christ's Second Coming. We are told in Daniel 12:11 that from the time of the Abomination of Desolation (when the Antichrist claims to be God from the temple in Jerusalem) to the end will be 1,290 days. Thus, the people alive during the Tribulation will be able to calculate the very day of Christ's return. Mark 13:32-37 must apply to the rapture, and it must needs be a pretribulation rapture.
2. The Bible tells us to look for Jesus, not the Antichrist (Titus 2:13). If the Rapture happens after the Tribulation, then the Man of Sin (Antichrist) must appear first. It would make no sense for believers to look for Jesus Christ if the Antichrist must appear first.

These are two compelling reasons why I reject the New IFB's silly prewrath rapture theory.

Jesus also said in our text passage in Matthew 24 that not a few, but many, false prophets shall arise and deceive many. As we near the end times, we are seeing the population sharply increase. In the year 1900 there were about one billion people on planet earth. Today in 2026 there are an estimated 8.3 billion people. By 2050, the global population is projected to be 9.7 billion. It makes sense that with more people comes more false prophets.

Jesus said because iniquity (unpunished sin) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. I noticed that four times the word “many” appears in Matthew chapter 24:

1. Many shall be deceived
2. Many shall be betrayed
3. Many false prophets shall rise up
4. The love of many shall wax cold

Already we are seeing these evils today, as we draw nearer the Tribulation. There is a woeful lack of genuine love, concern and compassion for people in churches today. I have never seen such a woeful lack of compassion for hurting sinners. The average Baptist church today is a mere social club where people won't come unless they are continually fed a buffet. Many people won't go to Baptist churches anymore (especially independent fundamental Baptists) because of self-righteous hypocrites who condemn sinners.

One of the greatest sermons I have ever heard by Pastor Jack Hyles is titled, 'The Good Man Versus The Spiritual Man.' Please listen to it. There are many good people in churches today. They are not wicked people. Most churchgoers are good and honorable people, but being a good person does not make you spiritual. Very few fundamentalist Christians are spiritual.

The vast majority of Baptist churches today are religious cults that preach a counterfeit plan of salvation. Calvinism is not the Gospel of free grace, it is a Satanic deception. Easy-believism is the Gospel. That is, you simply need to realize you're a guilty sinner and believe that Jesus died in your place on a cross 2,000 years ago, and that He was buried, and after three days Christ physically resurrected from the dead.

When the Bible says in Matthew 24:13 that they who endure unto the end shall be saved, it is referring to the flesh, not the salvation of the soul. This is clearly evidenced by Matthew 24:22. If God didn't shorten the Tribulation period, all flesh would perish.

Also, we read that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to every corner of the earth during the coming Tribulation. Many sinners will come to the saving knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ. Yes, millions of people will get saved during the Tribulation period.

The thing that always strikes me the most about the coming Tribulation is what Jesus said about the love of many shall wax cold, because we already see that in society today, including nearly all the churches. Formalism has taken over nearly all Bible colleges and churches, just going through the daily motions of playing church, not genuinely caring about people.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!