As the tribulation draws to a close, the earth will be in turmoil. Millions will have died in war or its aftermath. The Antichrist’s hatred of God will focus on the Jews as the 7 years reach their conclusion.
Opposed from the north and east (Dan. 11:44-45), the Antichrist will march his armies into Palestine in preparation for a vast military showdown. Evil spirits will draw the nations together for a final battle on the plains of Meggido (Rev. 16:12-16).
The armies assembled in Palestine will be made up of bloodthirsty men who have resisted God throughout the tribulation. Both sides – the Antichrist and his opponents – will hate the people of God. They will engage in a fierce battle at Armageddon. The fighting will reach Jerusalem, and the Jews living there will suffer horribly (Zech. 14: 1-2). A sense of despair will sweep over them as both armies attack them.
Suddenly, when all seems hopeless, the scene will change. Jesus Christ will appear in all His glory and descend to the Mount of Olives. When His feet touch it, the mountains will split in half, forming a vast new valley stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea (Zech. 14: 3-9). The Jewish believers will be given superhuman strength to fight the Lord’s enemies (Zech. 12: 6-9), God will send a plague on the enemy soldiers and their animals (Zech. 14: 12, 15), and panic will grip the foreign troops, causing them to attack one another (Zech. 14:13).
In Revelation 19: 11-21, the apostle John provides us with a beautiful pertrait of Christ’s second coming. He is depicted astride a white horse. His eyes blazing. The Antichrist will rally the armies of earth to attack Him, but they will be crushed in defeat. Israel will be rescued. The arm hordes of earth will be slain. The Antichrist and his cohort will be thrown into the lake of fire, Satan himself will be bound. And the victorious Christ will prepare to ascend His throne in Jerusalem to rule in peace for 1000 years.
Those Who Survive The Tribulation
Jesus Christ will hold two special judgments at the close of the tribulation. The first will be for the Jews who survive those terrible days. The prophet Ezekiel described the Lord Jesus as a shepherd standing at the door of a sheepfold. The Jews who have trusted Him will be received into His kingdom; those who rejected Him will not (Ezek. 20: 33-44).
A similar judgment will be held for the Gentiles who live through the tribulation. Again, a shepherd metaphor is used to describe Christ. He is pictured as separating the sheep from the goats (Mt. 25: 31-46). Believers in Christ (the sheep) will be allowed to enter the millennial kingdom; unbelievers (the goats) will die and await the great white throne judgment.
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