Proof Christians Won’t be Here for the Tribulation

You don’t need to be fearful about anything happening around you or anything yet to come in the last days.

God has given every Christian dominion to walk protected on the earth, so don’t allow yourself to think of the Rapture as some escape theology based in fear. You are about to be raptured because you have appointments with God—the Reward Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. You will leave the planet while God deals with the Jews for seven years. You are not supposed to be here for the Tribulation, and as we look at Daniel’s 70th week, I’ll prove it to you.

You do not need to be afraid of anything ever because Satan has nothing on you. That should be the believers’ stance— always. You should have zero fear because He who sent you is with you (John 8:29). Like we have said over and over, there is plenty of bad news ahead—but there is absolutely no bad news for the Christian.

Tolerate Zero Fear

While preaching in Pittsburgh years ago, I said, “I dare the devil to try to kill me in a car wreck. I dare him to give me cancer. I dare him to make me blind.” Silence filled the room and several people gasped. Mind you, I didn’t say the devil could; I just dared him to try. Why would I say that? Because God has already promised that surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life (Ps. 23:6). God has already said, “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Angels have charge over me (Ps. 91). We should not have more faith in the devil’s ability than God’s.

 “Where did you learn to talk like that?” somebody might ask. I learned it from Brother Hagin. He was preaching in southern California when the Asian flu came through that area in the 1950s. So many football players had the flu that they had to cancel games. When preachers in the area told Brother Hagin about it, he said, “I’ll tell you right now that I’ll never have the Asian flu.”

 The other preachers said, “I wouldn’t say that for all the money in the world.”

“Why not?” Brother Hagin asked.

 “Because the devil might hear you.”

“That’s the very dude I want to hear me!” Brother Hagin answered.

 When I talked like that in Pittsburgh, I freaked out the whole group. You could see on their faces that they thought I was crazy or dangerous. But the truth is, I talked like that in Pittsburgh for the same reason I mention it here. Too often Christians back away from boldness, and yet boldness is the atmosphere for the manifestation of Jesus. We need some lastday boldness in the Church.

 Everybody in Pittsburgh got even quieter when I said, “I dare the devil to kill my family. I dare him to kill me. I dare him to kill me in a car wreck.” After the service, a woman walked up to me shaking and making weird demonic noises and said, “I will kill you and your family.”

Thinking one of my crazy minister buddies hired this woman to prank me, I said, “Go ahead so you can get your money’s worth.” I did begin to wonder how my buddy convinced her to speak with such passion. Wow! I thought, this is a great performance. Then all of a sudden, she started talking really filthy and cursing. I suddenly realized, This is not my buddy pranking me. This woman is really possessed. I cast the devil out of her, and she fell down like a catfish out of water.

Here’s my point. This woman filled with Lucifer was bold enough to walk right up and tell me what the devil would do to me. How dare someone filled with Lucifer be bolder than someone filled with God? How dare we be afraid of the devil? How dare we tolerate fear at all?

You notice that I had a confrontation the minute I said, “I dare the devil to try to do that.” We think of that as bold. But that is not bold—that’s normal Christianity. Too many Christians have gotten way too accustomed to a diluted gospel, so when we see normal Christianity, we think it’s too bold. Come on now!

 I find as I travel around the world teaching on the end times, the Tribulation, and so forth that I must go to extremes to get Christians confident in their salvation, confident that nothing can separate us from Jesus. He said in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world, and we are in Him (John 16:33). That’s why Jesus said, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). There is dominion in us. There is dominion in you. As Christians, we need to be confident and own the peace that belongs to us.

End-time preaching should strengthen your faith overall, buoy your faith in the Rapture, and fill you with the hope that purifies you to the point that you’re skipping around your house all giddy because you are about to see Jesus face to face. The Bible says to exhort one another with this news. That means call people nearer to God. Yes, you are to say, “Hey! The Lord is coming back soon, and we’re about to meet Him in the air!” The devil hates it, but too bad, so sad. He’s a loser.

Daniel’s 70th Week

As we delve into the scriptures about Daniel’s 70th week, let me say from the get-go that the info is really detailed but understanding it will make everything fit in place on the end-time topic. When you see how orderly the scriptures are, you cannot help but think, How cool is our God! Let’s begin reading in Daniel 9:1-3 (NLT):

It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

Israel was in captivity for 70 years, and eventually Daniel was smart enough to say, “Hey, I’m going to find out why they’re in jail.” He put on sackcloth and ashes and determined to find out why in prayer. God showed him why and showed him all the nations on the earth all the way up to the coming of the Lord. Isn’t it cool that God always gives you exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think?

Daniel went back to the books and found out Israel was supposed to let the land rest every seven years. The Israelites would be so blessed throughout the sixth year, but on the seventh year, the land was to rest with no planting. Unfortunately, Israel fudged on one seventh year and kept fudging another year, another year, another year. Guess how long they missed God and broke the law? It totaled 490 years, which means they owed back 70 years.

 See how precise God is in Old Covenant time? God told them to let the land rest, and they disobeyed Him for 490 years. So God decided, “Okay, I’ll put you in jail and make you pay the land back for 70 years.” Think about that for a minute. That’s a huge deal!

Do you remember in Matthew 18 when Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to forgive somebody? Jesus answered 70 times 7, or 490 times. I guess that was the length of forgiveness in the Old Covenant. So how long did Israel mess up? It was 490 years. Keep that number in your mind, and we’ll come back to it.

Now skip down a few verses where Gabriel gives Daniel information.

Daniel 9:23-25

At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Notice verse 24 again, “Seventy segments of seven are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.” In other words, God said Israel blew it for 490 years, and God gave them another chance of 490 years. All seventy segments of seven are 490 years. That’s just a different way of saying it.

Gabriel tells him that God is giving them another opportunity. How sweet of Him. But who is it determined upon? The Jews and the Holy City. Who? The Jews and the Holy City. It has nothing to do with the Church. God is so precise in the Old Covenant. Israel broke the law for 490 years; He put them in jail for 70 years to pay it back. Gabriel goes, “Guess what? The Lord is giving you guys another 490 years. How cool is that?”

Gabriel tells them why in verses 24 and 25. This was God saying, “You can keep time with Me! From the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until Jesus comes is a certain number of years.” The fact that there is a certain number of weeks or years is a pretty big statement here.

Now watch. King Artaxerxes saw Nehemiah who was bummed out, depressed, and crying because of Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes said to him, “You know what? Why don’t we rebuild Jerusalem?” So he made a proclamation and commanded the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Ezra 7:11-28).

 Gabriel said, “From the going forth from the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem until Jesus comes will be a certain number of years.” If you add it up, it’s 483 years. Remember when Jesus was on the earth, people asked, “Are You the Messiah?” He said, “Go tell them what you see and what you hear.” The deaf heard, the lame walked, but Jesus wouldn’t really come right out and say, “I am the Messiah.” Yet there came a time when it was prophesied the Messiah would come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech. 9:9). As He rode in, people would lay down palm branches, crying, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.”

They said, “Oh, that means You’re the Messiah.” Others said, “Oh, don’t say that. You’re admitting You’re the Messiah.” He said if they wouldn’t do it, the rocks would cry out. Because it was exactly 483 years from when that commandment came forth.

The Bible says when the commandment came forth, He’s going to come after 483 years. Why did He promise that? 490. He owes them seven years of Old Covenant time. That’s Daniel’s 70th week. That’s the book of Revelation. In other words, the Church must leave so God can pay them back those seven years that He owes them. Again, it has nothing to do with the Church.

 We as the Church do our part and depart. God will raise up 144,000 Jewish evangelists, 12,000 from each tribe who will go out and preach. They will go to all the vacant churches and tell people to turn and repent. When the first seal is opened up, those guys will be preaching like a house on fire, and they will reap a wonderful harvest.

Again, God promised them 490. He came after 483. He owes them seven years. Who does He owe? The Jews and Jerusalem. Not you and me—not the Church. The seven years are for the Jews—just for them. This is why I can confidently say that you will not and cannot be here because it’s not for you.

We in the Church want to be so significant, but we are not everything. We will do our part, and God will hand off the baton exactly like Elijah handed it off to Elisha. There are types and shadows of this throughout the Scriptures.

 It should take some pressure off the body of Christ to realize that we are to do the best we can to finish the Church Age. We go into all the world and preach the gospel as hard as we can with all our hearts, all our soul, all our might, but there are actually some things we don’t do and won’t do because we depart. We in the Church have a tendency to think it’s all about us, but it is not.

Why was Israel broken off and why did God raise up you and me? Because of Israel’s unbelief and murmuring. A whole nation missed their destiny, and God had to raise you up because of irritability. Usually in my meetings, at this point I say, “Goodnight, everybody. Drive safely. Start the car, Colleen, I’ll be right there.” I realize this isn’t popular, but it’s the truth.

Jude 14-16

(NLT) “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

 We read here that irritability would be the climate right before the coming of the Lord. This is God saying, “You can keep time with Me! From the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until Jesus comes is a certain number of years.” Think about it. If a whole nation missed their destiny because of irritability, what does that tell us now? It sends a clear message: Don’t be irritable. Don’t murmur. Don’t complain.

 First Timothy 6:14 says, “Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Do you understand how much boldness that gives you that you will not be here for the Rapture? “Well,” someone says, “I believe the Church will depart mid-Tribulation because the wrath of God is the latter part of the Tribulation.” No, that’s not correct. Jesus cannot open the seals while the Church is on the earth, and the first seal is the Antichrist. So that shoots down that theory.

Why are we going through this detail? Because scriptural accuracy produces joy and hope. Now, if you want to go through the Tribulation, you can tribulate all you want. You can also lie down in the road and get run over by a car, but if you think that’s a good idea, you’re nuts. The mentality in America is scary. We try to attribute a lot of crazy ideas to God like God will beat you up or make you sick to teach you something or make you stronger. That’s insane. If going through hell made a person a better Christian, I’d be glowing in the dark by now.

 Seriously, would a good parent break his child’s arms to show him or her how bad it is to have a broken arm? Never. If a parent did, the parent would go to jail. But our Father God— bless His heart—gets blamed for injuring us to teach us or break our wills.

 Let’s look at Daniel 9:26:

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come [talking about the Antichrist and the revival of the Roman empire] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Notice the math here adds up to 483 years. It’s amazing how so much is compacted in this one verse. It talks about who will crucify Jesus and who will handle the platform for the Antichrist. It talks about who will destroy the city like the Romans did in A.D. 70. Daniel is prophesying and Gabriel’s giving him a couple of points. I’m sure even Daniel is blown away at what Gabriel is giving him, “and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Then look at Daniel 9:27:

And he [the Antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week [midway through the seven years] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

 There’s a lot said there so let’s unpack it a bit. The Antichrist is here on earth and in power before midway through the seven years, and the devil uses or manipulates him. But midway through the seven-year Tribulation, Lucifer enters into the Antichrist and actually possesses him or takes control of him. That means Lucifer has 42 months to operate through a man. I explained earlier that equals the three and a half years just as Jesus had during His ministry on earth. (We will discuss this in more detail in Chapter 11 on the Tribulation.)

Most of the time from beginning to the end of this book, we are taking a hardcore look at the black-and-white facts of the Scriptures. But here what I’m about to say is conjecture. In other words, I’m going to guess on this certain point. The Bible says the Church must depart before the Antichrist can be revealed, but the Bible does not specify the timing of when that will happen. The Bible does say the Tribulation begins when the Antichrist signs an agreement with Israel for seven years, but no scripture defines the timeline for this event. It may be two months, seven months, one year, or four years before they sign an agreement.

 So even though the Church is raptured, the Bible does not say the Tribulation begins immediately afterward. Still, I’m guessing it will be within a year or two of the Rapture just because of the compression of everything that occurs. There are a couple of other variables we will look at in Chapter 11.

Consider the very direct and blatant opposites between the “ministries” of Jesus and the Antichrist during the three-and-ahalf-year period. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with him (Acts 10:38). The Antichrist goes about stealing, killing, and destroying for Lucifer will be with him.

 Also, think about the fact that midway through the Tribulation is 42 months. Elijah prayed that it wouldn’t rain for how long? It was 42 months. As Elijah went up to heaven, some kids started mocking Elisha and yelling, “Get out of here, baldy! Go up! Go up, bald head!” Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of them to death (2 Kings 2:23-24). We see that 42 is a number of judgment.

Think about the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988. It was mainly the Iraq War at the Tigris and Euphrates valley. I remember images of Colin Powel, the American general at the time, sitting with a giant map behind him of the Tigris and Euphrates. Countries were going back into Iraq back then as forerunners for all the countries that are right there right now. Even then, we saw the setup for that seven-year Tribulation period in motion. Russia has a base in Baghdad along with England, France, Germany, and the United States.

 I’m thinking you have all these nations come together for that 42-month period, the Great Tribulation. It’s a seven-year tribulation, but half of it is 42 months. You have all of them doing that right now. My friend, this is a very, very sobering time to live, but it is also time for the greatest rejoicing known to man. All the promises God has spoken, He will very precisely bring to pass.

No Such Thing as Palestinian People

Do you realize there is no such thing as Palestinian people even though the area is now occupied? The European Union (EU) gives the people $400 million a year, and America gives the Palestinians $800 million to a billion dollars a year. The moment Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians, they started firing rockets from Gaza. Every time I call one of my Israel buddies he tells me, “We’re on our way to the bomb shelter again.” The people in Gaza keep firing rockets into Israel; it’s just insanity there.

In Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they built the highest, tallest building in the world, and it even has a Formula One racetrack and a golf course. Israel gives Gaza to the Palestinians on beachfront property. In response, they fire rockets at Israel, and no one says a word in the world.

Even David weighed in on this issue when he called Goliath an uncircumcised Philistine. David was so bold! David was saying he would defeat Goliath because he had no covenant. The word Palestine comes from the word Philistine—which in Hebrew means no covenant. Satan named the land no covenant because God said, “I swear by no greater oath than Me, Myself—the land is yours” (Gen. 22:16; Heb. 6:13).

In 2016, the EU said the land was occupied by Palestinians who wanted to force Israel out of their land. But it was not occupied by another because God promised it to Israel. Even through the law of battle, Israel won Jerusalem. In the 1948 War of Independence, Israel won the land back. Yet the whole world is getting ready for Daniel chapter 9. It’s uncanny how everything around us is setting up for the culmination and fulfillment of the Scriptures. Right now, in your lifetime, you are watching Lucifer flex his muscles.

 The Bible says the devil finds out he has a short time when he enters into the Antichrist (Rev. 12:12), but Lucifer doesn’t know until then. He doesn’t get what time it is right now. In fact, people misquote that scripture all the time. Lucifer doesn’t know what time it is until he’s cast out of heaven midway through the Tribulation, comes to earth, and goes into the temple to present himself to God. Then he finds out he has three and a half years left. The Bible is telling us that the devil is so stupid he cannot tell time. People give him way too much credit.

Listen, folks! We’re talking here about the war of the ages. Every movie where you see the hero come in at the end and save the day in some way replicates how the earth is getting ready for the hero of the ages: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. King Jesus will lead the charge, and there will be so much glory coming out of His face that it will light the sky. Absolute radiance will emanate from our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we will be right next to Him on white horses.

 I’ve flown on plenty of planes and ridden plenty of motorcycles, but I don’t know much about horses, especially flying ones, but we’re all going to find out. At the Second Coming, the Church will fly back with Jesus, and Lucifer will finally be stopped.

 At the Rapture, when the King of Kings is about halfway down out of heaven, we will rise to meet Him in the air. We will go up for the Reward Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Talk about a party. Oh, come on!

Think about a meal with a billion people. How awesome is that? We’ll stand before Him at the throne, the sea of glass, clear as crystal. It’s the only element that cannot hide a flaw. You’ll be flawless before the throne. It says the water is smooth. No more storms. Oh, come on! You ought to shout over that. Woohoo!

 Thank God we have the ability to speak to storms now; we use our authority and rejoice in it. But it will be awesome to never ever be subject to storms again, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. We exhort one another with these things— with all the things happening in Daniel’s 70th week or the book of Revelation.

There are more verses about that period of seven years than anything in the Scriptures. So why is that a big deal? People are afraid of it. People say, “I’m afraid to read the book of Revelation.” Don’t be. I’m telling you, there’s no bad news for the Christian! We’ll look at what happens during the Tribulation point by point in Chapter 11, going through the book of Revelation. The Bible says you will be blessed if you read it! God promises to tell you what will happen before it happens, and He’s faithful to do it. Lift up your head, friend, your redemption draws nigh.