Rapture, Tribulation, and Truth: Setting the Record Straight with Scripture

Dave Robbins: Over the years, you have reached out with
thousands of questions by email, social media, and by call-in
about Bible prophecy and God’s prophetic timeline.
Well, I believe questions spark deeper understanding, and that’s
exactly what we’re going to do today.
Join me on this edition of “The Endtime Show” as I will answer
many of the questions that you guys are asking.
♪♪♪
Dave: Good afternoon, everybody.
Dave Robbins with Endtime Ministries.
Thank you so much for joining me on this edition of “The
Endtime Show.”
Man, like I said, we have had literally thousands of questions
about Bible prophecy and other topics, but mainly, because
we’re Endtime Ministries, we get Bible prophecy questions over
the years.
And I wanted to cover several of them.
I have done literally hundreds and hundreds of Bible studies
over the years, been in different classes, and you know,
college and a lot of different things.
And when the study really starts is when the questions start
to fly.
You know, you can teach a lesson.
That’s one thing.
But man, when the questions at the end, you know, and you got
to start proving what you just taught, that’s a whole other
ballgame, right?
And so that’s what we want to do periodically here on “The
Endtime Show” is to just go down through and answer a bunch
of questions.
There’s no way we could ever do all of them, but to answer as
many of these questions as we can and to help you in
your studies.
And, you know, somebody may ask a question that you never even
thought to ask today.
So let’s just dive right off into it.
The first question comes from Dan.
He says, “In Matthew 24, Jesus said, ‘The length of the Great
Tribulation would be shortened.’
Why do you guys teach that differently?
Matthew 24, 21 through 22 states this: ‘For then shall be Great
tribulations, such as was not since the beginning of the world
to this time, no, nor ever shall be.’
And then verse 22 says, ‘And except those days should be
shortened, there should no flesh be saved: for the elect’s sake
those days shall be shortened.'”
And Dan says, “Those days is referring to the Great
Tribulation, proving that the length of the Great Tribulation
will be shortened.”
Here’s the deal, Dan.
I don’t believe that this is referring to the Great
Tribulation when it says “those days.”
If that were the case, this would contradict many, many
other scriptures foretelling the Great Tribulation what would
last 1,260 days.
The Bible says, “Thy word, O Lord, is forever settled
in heaven.”
So the–you know, Daniel’s not gonna say something and then
John over in the book of Revelation is gonna say
something that contradicts Daniel.
It’s not how it works because there’s one author to the Bible,
and that is God Almighty.
He used many individuals to write it down, what he wanted to
put in there, but these come– the entire book comes directly
from God, and so the Bible is not going to contradict itself.
When–so in Revelation 11:3– well, so what happens here in
Matthew 24–let’s cover that first.
They asked the Lord at the beginning of the chapter, “When
shall these things be?”
He prophesied about the tearing down of the temple, the
destruction of Jerusalem.
“When shall these things be?”
Jesus does not answer that question in Matthew 24.
That’s covered over in Luke.
However, they ask him two more questions.
“What’s gonna be the sign of your coming and of the end of
the age?”
So in the Olivet Discourse,
Matthew 24 and 25, he’s simply giving–answering these
questions, what it’s gonna be like right at the time
surrounding his second coming, the time leading up to that, and
things that the–and the Rapture of the Second Coming and
things that will happen shortly thereafter.
What’s it gonna look like?
And so when he gets to this right here in Matthew 24, 21
through 22, he says that “except those days be shortened.”
He’s not talking about the length of the Great Tribulation
here, because of other scriptures that say it’s going
to be 1,260 days.
And if you understand the structural elements, the
skeletal structure of the book of Revelation, the sixth trumpet
found in Revelation 9, that talks about World War 3, “Loose
the four angels bound in the Great river Euphrates, for to
kill a third part of all of mankind.”
Then you go to Revelation chapter 10.
That’s just prior to the Great Tribulation.
Revelation chapter 10 is a–it describes–it’s describing the
beginning of the Great Tribulation.
And then Revelation chapter 11 talks about things that occur
during the Tribulation.
In Revelation 11, 1 through 3, it says, “And there was given
unto me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood and said,
Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them
that worship therein.
But the court which is without the temple leave it out, and
measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy
city shall they tread under foot 42 months.”
Here’s this term 42 months or the three and one-half years of
Great Tribulation.
That’s what this is referring to.
This is talking about the sharing arrangement of the
Temple Mount for that final three and one-half years.
And then are actually right there in the endtime, but it’s–
this 42 months is specifically talking about the Great–the
length of the Great Tribulation.
And then it says it again.
It says, “And I will gather–or I will give power unto my two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy one thousand two
hundred and three score days,” 1,260 days.
So it gives a specific length of the Great Tribulation.
That’s not going to be changed back in Matthew 24.
That is settled.
And so what does it mean when Jesus said that there would be
tribulation but that except those days be shortened?
Here’s what it’s–here’s what– the answer to that, Dan.
The fourth trumpet, Revelation 8:12 says this: “And the fourth
angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, a
third part of the moon was smitten, and a third part of the
stars; so that a third part of them was darkened, and the day
shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”
So it represents a shortening of the length of each day,
symbolized by a third of the moon, the sun, the stars, that
they would be darkened.
And this aligns with Jesus’s words in Matthew 24:22, that
those days should be shortened.
The number of the prophetic days can’t be shortened.
You know, like Daniel 12, 11 through 12 specifies 1,290 days
and 1,335 days and that God’s Word is forever settled
in heaven.
That’s Psalms 119:89.
Therefore, the conclusion is that time itself has been sped
up, though people don’t even realize it.
And of course, we could go into Einstein’s theory of relativity
and all kinds of stuff, you know, proving this
scientifically, but it appears that–we know for sure that the
third trumpet was the Chernobyl nuclear wall, the Chernobyl
nuclear accident that came down in 1986, April 26, 1986.
The fifth trumpet was the Iraq war with Saddam Hussein in 1991.
So it appears that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the
speeding up of time with the process of globalization and
every–time has just sped up.
If you understand–I was born in 1968, graduated high school
in 1986.
Time was just crawling.
It’s like we were walking through molasses.
And then when 1989 hit, the Berlin Wall comes down, man,
life has just been really sped up from that point.
I’ve got articles from the London School of Education, LSE,
and they–it talks about 1989, the year that changed the world,
and how time has sped up.
Everything’s quicker.
Computers, I mean, everything.
And so it appears that the Lord sped time up at that point, but
humans just don’t realize it at this point and that the–at the
fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the process of globalization,
the speeding up of time, that is identified as the likely moment
that this acceleration began, marking the start of the–much
of the endtime phase and a lot of increased prophetic
fulfillment, but it–I just want you to understand that when
Jesus said “those days,” it doesn’t mean the amount of days,
but the days themselves would be shortened.
We still have a 24-hour day.
It just goes a lot faster.
You understand?
And if–and, you know, maybe at some point in the future, we’ll
talk about Einstein’s theory of relativity and go way deep off
into the woods in that.
But I just want you to understand you cannot shorten
the amount of days, because there are many prophecies that
give the amount of days, and that can’t be changed.
But the fourth seal is your answer.
Vince Stegall: As we prepare new resources at Endtime
Ministries, we’re clearing remaining inventory of prophecy
DVDs and books at significant savings.
Some materials start at just $1.
These are trusted teachings, including foundational studies
from Irvin Baxter and Dave Robbins designed to help you
understand the times.
Quantities are limited, no restocks.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Every purchase supports the ongoing work of this ministry,
so visit Endtime.com/last, or call 800-363-8463.
Order now while supplies last.
Dave: One of the most frequently asked questions we
receive at Endtime Ministries is, why do you guys teach the
Rapture happens after the Great Tribulation?
Should we be passively waiting to be taken at any moment or
actively preparing for the greatest revival in history?
Paul states plainly it will not occur until after the man of
sin, the Antichrist, is revealed, and that will not
happen until God declares it is time.
I will walk you through a timeline of the final
seven years.
The Rapture, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ is one continuous event.
It’s not an event separated by seven years.
male announcer: Now streaming on Only Source and available to
order at Endtime.com.
Go to Endtime.com/next or call 1-800-ENDTIME.
announcer: Gain peace and understanding about what the
Bible says concerning endtime prophecy.
Attend a prophecy conference hosted by “The Endtime Show’s”
Dave Robbins.
Call 1-800-ENDTIME, or go to Endtime.com/events to see when
Dave will be in a location near you.
Dave: The next question is– comes from William, and he says,
“Greetings, you guys.
What is the Endtime Ministries’ consensus on the book of Enoch?”
Well, we cannot–number one, we cannot guarantee 100% that the
book of Enoch that we have today is what Enoch wrote or that the
prophecies that he gave–you can’t guarantee that 100%, okay?
That’s number one.
And when it comes to the book of Enoch, we need to approach it
carefully and biblically.
The first and most important point is this.
The book of Enoch is not part– this is extremely important
because I have people quote the book of Enoch to me all
the time.
The book of Enoch is not part of the inspired canon of Scripture.
You know, Endtime Ministries stands firmly on the belief that
the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, is
complete, it’s authoritative, and it is sufficient.
I don’t go outside the Bible for some new prophecy, some new
angle on salvation, some new angle on the Christian life.
I’m going by those 66 books.
Whatever God wanted in there, that’s what’s in there.
And if he didn’t need it in there, it–that’s–it’s simply
not in there.
There–are there some things that we can glean from
other stuff?
Sure.
But when it comes right down to that 66 books, we don’t move off
of that.
And I want you all to understand because I got a lot of people
that come at me with prophecies from other books, and I’m like,
“That’s not included in the Bible.”
And so it’s all speculation once we get past that, in my opinion.
Now, some people bring up Jude 14 and 15, where Jude references
a prophecy attributed to Enoch.
And they say, “Well, you know, see, it’s quoted in the Bible,
so the whole book must be inspired.”
They say the book of Enoch, but that reasoning doesn’t really
hold up.
Why?
Well, the apostle Paul quoted– if you remember, the apostle
Paul quoted Greek prophets in Acts chapter 17, verse 28, yet
no one claims that those prophets wrote Scripture.
Think about this.
And, you know, quoting a true statement from a source does not
make the entire source divinely inspired, in other words, is
what I’m trying to say by Acts 17.
It simply means that the statement itself was accurate.
So the book of Enoch, you know, is an ancient Jewish writing.
It contains apocalyptic themes, angel narratives, and expanded
stories about Genesis 6, and some of it may reflect early
Jewish traditions.
However, it was not accepted in the Hebrew canon, and it was not
recognized by the early church councils that affirmed the New
Testament, and it has never been part of the doctrinal foundation
of Christianity.
And, you know, I’ve–I have looked through the book of–the
book of Enoch, and some of that stuff got way out.
It’s like, “This doesn’t even sound like part of the Bible.”
And so I’ve never been through the entire thing because I
thought, “Nah, this is way off, some of the things that were
happening between men and angels and going before God and all
kinds of stuff.”
I thought, “Man, this doesn’t really align up with the Bible.”
The Bible says, “I can go straight to God and have a
personal relationship with him, and I don’t need to go through
an angel.
I don’t need to go to God on behalf of angels and all
kinds of stuff.”
So we don’t build a doctrine.
This is the main point.
We don’t build doctrine on extrabiblical writings.
Our understanding–the question was, “What does Endtime think
about this?”
Our understanding of prophecy and–you know, including the
seals, the trumpets, the vials, the Antichrist, mark of the
beast, Armageddon, whatever it comes down to, it comes directly
from the canonical Scriptures, those 66 books.
That’s what we’re gonna go by.
The Bible interprets itself.
If something is necessary for salvation or for understanding
God’s prophetic plan, it is already in the 66 books of the
Bible, okay?
And, you know, another concern is that portions contain
speculative material, like I said about the angels, heavenly
realms, cosmic structures that go far beyond what
Scripture reveals.
The Bible warns us not to go beyond what is written.
That’s 1 Corinthians 4:6.
When people elevate Enoch to the level of Scripture, they often
end up building doctrines that are not grounded in the Word
of God.
And the book of Enoch is not inspired, not authoritative, and
not a source for doctrine.
And our confidence rests in the settled Word of God.
“Thy word, O Lord, is forever settled in heaven,”
Psalms 119:89.
And if God wanted the book of Enoch in the Bible, then it
would be there.
God is certainly powerful enough to put everything he wants in
the Bible.
Everything we need is in that 66 books of the Bible.
And since it’s not, then we’re gonna trust what the Bible as we
have it is exactly, and that’s what God intended us to have.
So I don’t look to the book of Enoch for really anything that
I need.
It’s outside the Bible, so don’t pay much attention to it, okay?
Now–and I–you know, I’m doing good to go by–along with
the 66 books, right?
I’m not gonna certainly start adding stuff in or trying to–
“Well, you know, the Bible doesn’t say this, but look at
the book of Enoch.
It explains the whole thing.”
No, not gonna do that.
We’re gonna stick right here by the Bible.
That’s all we need, okay.
The next one here comes from Michael.
Michael said, “Look, I’m an infant in my walk with Christ,
and recently have spent a considerable amount of time
reading the New Testament.
And I’ve watched the video about the Rapture that you guys put
out, ‘The Rapture is not Next,'” it’s our new one, “on
Only Source.
Today I was having a conversation with a great friend
that is very knowledgeable of the God’s Word–of God’s Word.
During our conversation, he stated, ‘Eh, I’m not worried
about the tribulation because I won’t be here.'”
He said, “Well, I–” so Michael says, “Well, I’m sad to say that
this statement made me angry because it sounded so arrogant,
prideful, and selfish.”
And he said, “I wanted to debate with him, but I’m not sitting
next to a Bible, and my notes– and, well, you know–” he said,
“Well, like I’ve said, I’m an infant in all of this.”
He said, “I just think that it sounds terrible to make a
statement like he did.
Do you guys have any advice for me?”
Well, honestly, Michael, absolutely number one, I would
recommend studying prophecy until you can explain it
to others.
It’s one thing to read it yourself, but it’s another thing
when you have to teach it.
That’s when you really learn it is when you’ve got to get up in
front of people and teach it, a Bible study or online
or whatever.
So I would recommend studying prophecy until you can explain
it to others.
You’re already on Only Source.
All the material is there to get what you need to be able to
learn it and to explain it to others, and then follow our
radio show.
And we can help you understand these things–current events,
the World War 3, mark of the beast, world government, and all
this–and how it applies.
We can use current events to prove how those prophecies
written thousands of years ago are coming to pass right now.
It’s what we do on our radio show every day, Doug Norvell,
Vince Stegall, and myself.
And so 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15 says, “Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
So here’s the deal.
The only way that Doug, Vince, and I can get on the radio and
TV and write in the magazine and every–travel around, do
conferences, all–everything that we do, take the Israel
tours–the only way that we can do that is because we’ve taught
these Bible studies for years.
We studied under my father-in-law, Irvin Baxter, and
you have to study and to teach it.
And that will help you ingest it and really sew it into the fiber
of your being to the point where I can get on a radio or
television interview and it just flows out of me.
There’s no way I could do that if I hadn’t studied.
And so that’s the best thing that I could tell you, Michael,
is study.
And then make sure that when you have these conversations, I’m
not just trying to prove the person wrong.
My goal is to get somebody to heaven, and so I want people to
understand these things because we’re trying to prepare people
for the soon return of Jesus Christ.
So if you come at it with the right attitude and share the
truth in love, then people– most people I have found will–
you know, some people will just absolutely reject it, doesn’t
matter what you say, but I’ve found that most people will at
least consider it and say, “You know what?
Wow, I hadn’t thought about it like that,” and–but if you
hadn’t studied and–then they’re gonna say, “Well, this
guy doesn’t–” Ted Cruz was a perfect example.
When Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz had that interview and Ted–
they were talking about Israel.
And Ted Cruz says, “Well, I’ve just been taught that from the
time I was born–” Tucker Carlson made the accusation
that, well, Genesis chapter 12, verse 1 through 3, that when the
Bible says, “Unto Abraham, I will bless them that bless you
and curse them that curse you,” that was only to Abraham, not–
no other–that wasn’t to the nation or to his kin, his–the
lineage beyond Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
He said that was to Abraham only.
And Ted Cruz goes, “Well, I was just taught from Sunday school
that I will–you know, you bless Israel.
I’ll bless them that bless you, and I’ll curse them that
curse you.”
And Tucker goes–he hadn’t mentioned Genesis 12 prior to
that, and he goes, “Where’s that found in the Bible?”
And Ted Cruz didn’t even know.
And Tucker said, “Well, it’s found in the book of Genesis.”
I’m not so sure he knew it was Genesis 12, 1 through 3, but he
says–Tucker–I mean, Ted Carlson on this with millions of
people watching the interview, he says, “Well, I don’t know
where it’s found in the Bible.”
And I was like, “Oh, man, come on, Ted.”
That’s why the interview with Mike Huckabee went a whole
lot better.
But the fact is, study to “shew yourself approved a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Okay, very important.
Let’s go here.
The next one, Richard.
“How is the peace agreement brokered by the Antichrist
different from our president saying that there is
currently peace?”
Well, the–he says, “Oh, there’s peace in the
Middle East.”
Well, there’s not really peace in the Middle East at this
point, if you understand what’s going on.
I mean, Iran’s trying to get nuclear weapons to destroy
Israel and the United States, right?
And so there’s not necessarily peace in the Middle East.
What he’s saying is, is that– he mainly is talking about that
we have kind of–for right now, we’ve kind of stopped the
seven-front war that Israel is in, and that he is–has been
brokering this–the Board of Peace right there in Gaza, and
that they’re getting ready to disarm Hamas.
And many of the nations around the world are going to help to
keep the peace there, and they’re gonna build buildings
and turn it into like this oasis and, you know, right there on
the Mediterranean Sea, and there’s gonna be prosperity and
all kinds of things like that.
So he’s pushing his Board of Peace, but the Board of Peace
initiative is not the biblical peace agreement that starts the
final seven years mentioned in Daniel 9:27.
The Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for the final
seven-year period.
The Board of Peace is focused mainly right now on Gaza, and
Gaza–if they could settle that and build cities and skyscrapers
and everything, there’s just prosperity for everybody, that’s
not gonna solve the biblical issues that are involved, the
biblical characteristics that are involved in the prophesied
peace agreement that starts the final seven years.
So what’s the difference?
The five biblical characteristics of the peace
agreement we’re watching to start the final seven years is
there’s gonna be a two-state solution created.
Gaza has nothing to do with that two-state solution other than
there’s going to be Palestinians involved, and it could one day
lead to that.
But right now, if they were to solve Gaza completely, that’s
not one of the–that’s not a two-state solution for
the Palestinians.
The Jews living out in the Judea area, which some would call the
West Bank, they would be allowed to live out there under
Palestinian jurisdiction, a very volatile region during the
Great Tribulation.
They’ll be allowed to live out there during that time.
And the Temple Mount– well, under the future
peace agreement.
Under the future peace agreement, the Temple Mount is
going to be shared.
The Board of Peace for President Trump, that has nothing to do
with the Temple Mount at all, zero.
And Temple Mount is gonna be placed on a sharing arrangement.
It’s gonna allow Israel to build a third temple.
The Board of Peace hasn’t talked about anything about that other
than the fact it referred back to President Trump’s original
peace to prosperity plan that he proposed in 2020.
But still, if Gaza is settled and the Board of Peace is
working like he hopes it does, that still hasn’t settled
those issues.
And then, finally, Israel’s gonna retain control of
Jerusalem all the way throughout the endtime.
The Board of Peace is not dealing with that at all.
So that’s the difference in how does the peace agreement
brokered by the Antichrist– it’s got to have those five
biblical characteristics.
President Trump’s Board of Peace isn’t dealing with those issues
at all at this time.
Now, it could lead to that because they mentioned his peace
to prosperity plan and how that plays into some of this, but at
this point, it’s not.
And so two different geopolitical situations
there, okay?
Two different peace agreements.
male announcer: Satan and the elites of this world don’t want
you to understand the timeline leading to the Second Coming
of Jesus.
You can pinpoint where we are in the endtime, understand how you
fit in, and be filled with hope in God’s plan by watching “The
Future According to Bible Prophecy.”
Go to Endtime.com/future or call 800-ENDTIME.
That’s 800-363-8463.
♪♪♪