There are many tribulations, but one transcends all others and is by the Holy Spirit designated the great tribulation. And while "all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions" and "tribulation worketh patience," yet the Lord has not prepared the great tribulation for those who are truly His. Instead, they are shown how to escape it (Rev., 3:10; Luke, 21:28 and 36), thanks be unto God.

      The great tribulation begins with the opening of the first seal when one (doubtless he who Jesus said should come in His own name) comes forth on the white horse (counterfeiting Jesus) conquering and to conquer, whose bow suggests the fiery darts of the evil one. Then comes, at the opening of the second seal, the rider upon the red horse who brings about the terrible state of carnage and anarchy following in whose wake, at the opening of the third seal, comes a world famine resulting in the perishing of a fourth of the earth's population, death claiming their bodies and hades their souls in the opening of the fourth seal. At the fifth seal our eyes are turned to God's mercy seat to behold the souls of a company of martyrs who are robed and given to rest for a little season till others of their brethren likewise suffer death for Jesus' sake, when vengeance to the full shall be meted out. I understand these to be such as turn to the Lord when the tribulation comes upon them. "When thy judgments are in the earth, then will the people learn righteousness." (Isa., 26:9). In the sixth seal there are such signs in sun, moon and stars and on the earth such distress of nations that kings and mighty men, the rich and free as well as the "lower classes," cry for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them. Then even wicked men, realize that the great day of wrath is upon them.

      These six seals are opened in Chapter Six. Then there seems to be a lull in the storm. The seventh seat doesn't begin to open until we reach Chapter Eight, the opening of which brings forth angels to whom are given seven trumpets and they prepare to sound. Six trumpet blasts are recorded in [11] chapters eight and nine, and each calls forth a terrible judgment upon the earth. The seventh trumpet does not sound till we reach Chapter 11:15, and the effect thereof upon the earth is not told till we reach Chapter Sixteen, when seven more angels, to whom were given "seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God," (15:7) pour out each his vial of vengeance upon some section of the earth. When the seventh pours out his bowl a voice from the temple is heard saying: "It is done." These judgments are the last. They finish up the mystery of God. Three series of judgments all constituting one terrible judgment, such is the great tribulation. These closely-related series are set forth to us in chapters six, eight, nine and sixteen. The other chapters are given as explanatory of causes necessitating, and results following, the several acts in the series.

      Let the reader get the time setting of the great tribulation. It closes up the present age and ushers in the age to come. It is the transition between the two ages that all must see clearly, else much John and other prophets have written will be hazy indeed. Following are some of the terms by which this transitional period is referred to, and all are indicative of fiery judgments:

      "The day of the Lord," Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Joel 3:14; Amos 5:18; Zech. 14:1; II Thes. 5:2. "That day," Isa. 2:17, 20; Amos 8:11; Micah 4:6; Zech. 14:9; Luke 21:34, "The day of vengeance," Isa. 34:8; 63:4. "Day of wrath," Rev. 6:17. "The day," Heb. 10:25, "Time of trouble," Dan. 12:1. "Time of Jacob's trouble," Jer. 30:7; "Hour of trial," Rev. 3:10. "The great tribulation," Rev. 7:14.

      Many other passages refer to this same brief period, but the above will afford matter for several days' study.

      Chapter Seven is one of the explanatory chapters, and is thrown in here to help us see God's mercy at work in the midst and even by means of His fiery judgments. The four winds of His fury are stayed for a moment till 144,000 of the tribes of Israel are sealed as the servants of God. These are Jews who turn to God and are used of Him in the midst of the Tribulation. They are sealed so as to continue God's service on earth without injury (Ch. 9:4). They are the first fruits unto God during the Tribulation. Then appears a great and innumerable company out of all nations and tribes standing before the throne for whom John was unable to account, concerning whom he was [12] told, "These are they that come out of the great tribulation. They have been caught up to God because they have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." All their sufferings, are ended and they become servants of God in His temple.

      This great company is to be clearly distinguished from the 144,000. The latter are Jews and nobody else. They are sealed and are on the earth and in the tribulation, whereas the innumerable company is seen in heaven and is made up of people of all kindreds and tongues who come out of the great tribulation. Both companies are mercifully and richly blest of our Father in heaven, but are not blest in the same way.

      1. Study Chapter 8.

      2. What preparations are made for the sounding of the trumpets?

      3. Do you earnestly pray: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?" Will this prayer be answered?

      4. How will it be brought about, by mild or forceful means? What is the purpose of these judgments we are now studying?

      5. How many trumpets are sounded in Chapter 8? What is the effect of each?

      6. What announcement is made in Verse 13?

      1. Study Chapter 9.

      2. How many trumpets sound in this chapter?

      3. What is embraced in the first woe? It is identical with which trumpet?

      4. With what does the second woe begin? Where does it end?

      5. What occurs in the fifth trumpet? Are these locusts described as they appear to men or as they appear to the Spirit of God?

      6. Where do they come from? Who is their leader?

      7. Whom do they injure? Whom do they not injure?

      8. What occurs at the sounding of the sixth trumpet? What is the effect? What do Verses 20 and 21 show as to the perverseness of men?

      9. Are the horsemen led by good or bad angels? What kind of angels are bound? [13]

["Studies in Revelation: The Great Tribulation." Word and Work 8 (May 1915): 11-13.]

      The electronic version of Stanford Chambers' "Studies in Revelation: The Great Tribulation" (Chapters 8-9. Lessons XVII-XVIII.) has been produced from microfilm of Word and Work for 1915.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 12:     Rec. 7:14. [ Rev. 7:14.
 p. 13:     LESSON XIX. [ LESSON XVII.
            LESSON XX. [ LESSON XVIII.
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 14 February 2002.
Updated 28 June 2003.