Should Christians Prepare for the Great Tribulation? (Part 3)

TEXT: Daniel 9:24-27; Ezekiel 36:22-23; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10

As you know, we have been looking at the topic of whether or not Christians should prepare for the Great Tribulation. This is our last message on this issue. In the first message in this series, we found that the answer to this important question was 'no' based on three facts about the church. The first is that the church is distinct from Israel. The second is that victory for the church has already been determined. And, the third is that the church and Israel have different expectations about the second coming of Jesus Christ. 
  
In the second message in this series, we looked at three passages in the book of Revelation which indicate that God's true church will be taken out of the world in the Rapture, before the Great Tribulation. Based on Jesus' contrasting letters to the faithful church at Philadelphia and the lukewarm church at Laodicea we saw the importance of making sure that we are true followers of Jesus Christ and the importance of being on guard against those worldly influences which will spawn an apostate church. 
  
Today, we are going to look at three sets of Biblical evidences that tell us who and what the Great Tribulation is meant for and why. 
 
1. The Great Tribulation is for the judgment and salvation of Israel.

2. The Great Tribulation is for the judgment of ungodly nations. 

3. The Great Tribulation is a time for the unrestraining of evil.

What we have seen today shows us that God is in control of all of the events of history. He has a plan for Israel, He has a plan for the heathen nations, and He has a plan for us -- the church. We can trust His plan. We don't know when the Rapture will take place, but we do know that the Rapture is God's way of gathering up His true church out of this world before the final judgments of earth begin.