WILL UNBELIEVERS GET A 7-YEAR "SECOND CHANCE" AFTER THE RAPTURE?   NOT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE.

The Tribulation The Tribulation Jesus spoke of was a time of trouble on "this people," the Jews, beginning when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem — not a 7-year period in the end times as Left Behind teaches. According to Martin Luther: "...Luke expresses it clearly in these words, 21, 20f: 'But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that our desolation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the country enter therein. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.' And further, "'Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight may be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath: for then shall be great tribulation, such as had not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.' "All this pertains still to the Jewish nation. For if this should come upon us at the end of the world, then would we, according to the text, have to be in the land of Judea, because he really points to that country. It is also true, when he says that no greater calamity has been or can be upon the earth than was at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; as we see in history, how unmercifully they were slaughtered and even killed one another, cast themselves into the fire, and permitted themselves to kill one another. Yea, the famine was so great that they ate the strings of cross-bows and even their own children. It was so shameful and abominable that like pity and distress shall never be heard again. ...Thus far Jesus speaks concerning the Jews." —Martin Luther, "Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity; Matthew 24:15-28" from his Church Postil, first published in 1525, (bolded for emphasis) available online at http://www.orlutheran.com/mlsemt2415.html The Tribulation began in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, killed a million Jews, and scattered the rest into all the nations. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Matthew 24:15-16 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Mark 13:14 "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" Luke 21:20 Compare these parallel passages from the Gospels, first in the New International Version: "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive" Matthew 24:21-22 NIV "because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive." Mark 13:19-20 NIV "There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Luke 21:23-24 NIV ...and then in the King James Version: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved" Matthew 24:21-22 KJV "For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved" Mark 13:19-20 KJV "...in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:23-24 KJV The tribulation would continue a VERY LONG TIME from 70 A.D., and would climax in the Holocaust. It would end when the "times of the Gentiles" would end, and Israel would be restored to the Promised Land. Surviving Jews would 'possess the kingdom' Israel (1948) Daniel 7:22,27 This would set the stage for the Messiah's triumphant return, which is preceded by an international move against Jewish Jerusalem. (See JerusalemVerses.com and BlueHelmetsToJerusalem.com) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" —Matt. 24:29 KJV After the Tribulation's climax in the Holocaust, the nation of Israel was restored, and the heavens lost their power as men began to rocket into space. The heavenly bodies figuratively fell from the sky, as they came within mankind's reach.

Daniel's 70th week came right after the 69 weeks, not 2000 years later as an end-times tribulation as Left Behind teaches. "Christ confirmed the covenant with many during the last week..." - John Calvin MORE	The Tribulation Jesus spoke of was a tribulation on "this people," the Jews, beginning when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem — not a 7-year period in the end times as Left Behind teaches. "'for then shall be great tribulation, such as had not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.' All this pertains still to the Jewish nation." - Martin Luther MORE
The Antichrist is not a future leader like Left Behind's Nicolae Carpathia, but came to power when the Roman Empire, which was restraining it, got out of the way. The papacy and Islam are "the two horns of Antichrist." - John Calvin MORE	The Temple in Jerusalem does not need to be rebuilt, with its priesthood and sacrifices, to fulfill prophecy. "He will make to cease the sacrifice and offering ... Christ ... offered himself up as a victim, then all the rites of the law came to a close." - John Calvin MORE
The Abomination of Desolation was fulfilled by the Romans at the desolation of Jerusalem. "But the abomination of which Daniel writes is that the Emperor Cajus, as history tells, had put his image in the temple at Jerusalem as an idol, for the people to worship, after everything there had been destroyed." - Martin Luther MORE	No 7-year "second chance" for unbelievers after the Rapture. Christ is coming once, not twice as Left Behind claims. 'the Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air ... then sudden destruction cometh upon them ... and they shall not escape.' - Paul MORE

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