This article will be more question and answer. If anyone wants to write me a question in the future, feel free to do so. I would love to do the extra research. If I cannot answer it, I will write back in a private email stating that I cannot. If I can, I will add it to the article and leave a note stating that it has been updated.
Question #1: Can People Who Die During the Great Tribulation Receive a Resurrection?
Answer: I wrote in my very first article that the Bible indicates that the Great Tribulation will start immediately after Jesus Christ becomes King. His first act after receiving the Kingdom will be to destroy Satan's system of things at Armageddon.
Keeping this in mind, Revelation 6 gives us the answer to that question. What is Revelation 6 about? Well, the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) is given a sealed scroll that no one else is worthy to open. When he opens it, the Apostle John sees "a white horse; and the one seated upon it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest." (Rev. 6:2) Who is the rider of the white horse? Revelation 19 reveals him to be Jesus Christ as King.-Rev. 19:11-16
How do we know that this white horse is telling us that Jesus just became King? Well, the Scripture says that " a crown was given him" revealing that he received the crown after the vision started. He also goes "forth conquering and to complete his conquest." This shows that Armageddon is still future.
The next horse that John sees is "a fiery-colored horse." The one seated on it is spoken of as being "granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him." (Rev. 6:4) So, this indicates that one thing that will happen during the Great Tribulation is that war will take place. This could be World War III. Whatever may happen, we know that it will be bad, for Satan knows that he has an even shorter period of time.
The next horse and rider is "a black horse." The one seated upon him has "a pair of scales in his hand." Then John hears a voice say, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine." (Rev. 6:6) A denarius was the wage people received for one day of work in the time of the Apostles. So this is telling us that during the Great Tribulation, people will have to work all day just to buy a little bit of food for themselves and their families. In other words, food will be scarce.
The next horse is "a pale horse; and the one seated upon it had the name Death. And Hades was closely following him." Unlike the other horsemen of whom the Bible says does not have the authority to kill (although the red horse has the authority to cause people to kill one another), this one does. "And authority was given them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with a long sword and with food shortage and with deadly plague and by the wild beasts of the earth." (Rev. 6:8) The rider of this horse has the ability to kill people with the same plagues the two horsemen before him have but he can also kill them with pestilence and wild beasts.
When the Lamb of God opens the fifth seal, then John sees the anointed who have been killed standing underneath the altar. So, the resurrection of the anointed must take place during the Great Tribulation. Jehovah God tells them that more of their anointed brothers still alive must be killed. The number seems to be set.
The sixth seal brings about a great earthquake. At this time the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars of heaven will fall to the earth like a "fig tree shaken by a high wind [casting] its unripe figs." (Rev. 6:12-13; Matt. 24:29) The Bible calls this day "the wrath of the Lamb" and says that it also the wrath of Jehovah. Obviously, this earthquake represents Armageddon.-Compare Zeph. 1:18
So, how does this answer the question presented above? Well, the fourth horse, the black one, has the power to kill people. And what is following him? Gehenna or Hades? We know that when someone dies and goes to Hades, they have the hope of a resurrection. And since this time period obviously takes place after Jesus becomes King and, therefore, after the Great Tribulation has begun, then the people who die during the Great Tribulation will still go to Hades and get a resurrection. This goes hand in hand with Jehovah's loving - kindness and mercy.-Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 136; Eze. 18:23; 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9
Question #2: Does the Bible Indicate What the Course of Events Will Be That Play Out in the Future Leading to the Great Tribulation?
Answer: The Society says that there are eight prophecies that still remain to be fulfilled:
1. The cry of "Peace and Security." (1 Thess. 5:3)
2. The Fall of Babylon the Great. (Rev. 18:1-2)
3. The attack by Gog of Magog against Jehovah's people. (Eze. 38:10-23)
4. Armageddon (Rev. 16:14, 16)
5. Satan and Demons abyssed. (Rev. 20:1-3)
6. New World and Resurrection (Rev. 22:3-4)
7. Jesus returns the Kingdom to Jehovah God (1 Cor. 15:24-28)
8. "Final Test" for mankind (Rev. 20:7-9)
They say this is the exact order in which these things will take place. However, if you will notice, these things are not listed in any particular order in the Bible and so are open to questioning. How can we be sure that this is the right way?
The simple answer? We cannot.
However, the book of Revelation gives us a simple time line that we can see to understand.
The Watchtower tells us in the Revelation book that this book of the Bible is actually a series of sixteen visions given to the Apostle John. I cannot agree with that. While I do agree that Revelation is actually a series of visions given to John, I believe that the number is far less then sixteen. It is probably closer to five, six, or seven. Understandably, by not knowing where one vision begins and another one ends, we cannot have a perfect understanding of future events.
We can be confident, though, that visions that end with Armageddon conclude, like in Revelation chapter eleven and Revelation chapter fourteen, chapters twelve and fifteen start a new vision.* It seems that Revelation 14:6-20 gives us an indication of what we can wait for. **
At Revelation 14:6-7 we hear of an angel sounding in mid-heaven. He is shouting, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of the judgment by him has arrived, and so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters." This is part of the "everlasting good news." The Society points to this Scripture as proof that angels are helping us in our preaching work. While they are right about having angelic help (See Hebrews 1:14) this Scripture seems to indicate something more.
Before the end, the Bible seems to indicate that we are going to step up our message from one of the declaring the "good news of the Kingdom", the "good news about Jesus", and the "good news of God" and start to preach a judgment message. (Matt. 24:14; Mark 1:1; Rom. 15:16) Right now, our message should be about the Kingdom, Jesus, and Jehovah and only about those. Articles about wealth, rearing children, and other secondary things are fine when people ask for that kind of help but the Bible never instructs us to preach those things. We are told what to preach and we are told what we are going to preach: Judgment from God on this wicked system.
After we step up our preaching something will happen that will hinder it a great deal. An angel proclaims: "She has fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen, she who made all the nations drink of the wine of the anger of her fornication!" (Rev. 14:8) Yes, the great harlot, false religion, will crumble. It is revealed that the nations turn against her and destroy her. (Rev. 17:16-17) What does this mean for us? Naturally, it will not be only false religion that will be targeted but true religion also, for the nations cannot distinguish between the two. So, using this as an excuse, it could be as the Society says, Satan will lead the nations in an attack against us. However, this attack comes later, as we will see.
After Babylon has fallen, the nations (who have given their power to "the beast", or the United Nations) will want the worshipful devotion that went to the false gods of the people to be directed towards that beast. (Perhaps also this is when 1 Thess. 5:3 will be fulfilled). To accomplish this the beast will cause force everyone to receive a mark "on his forehead or upon his hand." (Rev. 14:9) Is this mark literal or symbolic? For the answer, see question 3.
After these things, we are given a word of encouragement from heaven itself. " Happy are the dead who die in union with the Lord from this time onward. Yes, says the spirit, let them rest from their labors, for the things they did go right with them." (Rev. 14:13) We can be sure that major persecution will come. Jehovah's people, we alone, will not stop worshiping formally like the only religions will do. We will not accept the mark of the wild beast. We will have preached an intense judgment message with the assistance of the angels.
We will be attacked for all of this. (Eze. 38:10-23) But then what will happen? Either directly before or directly after the prophecy at Eze. 38:10-23 has been fulfilled, we find that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will become King! (Rev. 14:14) After a relatively short period of "great tribulation" we will be saved by Jesus Christ at Armageddon. Praise Jehovah!-Rev. 14:15-20; 16:14, 16; 19:11-21
Question #3: Is the Mark of the Beast literal or symbolic?
Answer: Throughout the Bible we are told of various marks that people are given. Deuteronomy 11:18, Ezekiel 9:1-7, and Revelation 14:1 all tell of marks that are spoken of in a context that lets us know that they are without a doubt figurative.
Obviously, that does not prove without a doubt that this particular mark is symbolic. Personally, while I cannot be sure, I am of the persuasion that this mark is in fact literal. Why? Well, in all of the other instances mentioned above, none of those people receiving those marks were "under compulsion" or "forced" (New International Version) to receive them. Neither were there immediate physical consequences for not receiving them. The Bible makes it clear that those who do not receive this particular mark will not "be able to buy or sell." If the mark were not literal, how could they tell one person who had it from someone who did not have and thus prevent them from 'buying or selling?' (Rev. 13:16-17) What would be the point in mentioning that those who do not have it can not "buy or sell" if it were only a symbolic mark?
We also see that those who take this mark will have to answer to Jehovah for doing this. These people "will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his wrath, and [they] shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." (Rev. 14:9-11) The description is clear: If you receive the mark on your forehead or right hand and worship the beast you will answer to Jehovah. Evidently, times will be so hard that even Jehovah's people will want to take the mark. That is why the Bible says, "Here is where it means endurance for the holy ones, those who observe the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." By not taking the mark it will prove our endurance.-Rev. 14:12
Also, receiving this mark is not synonymous with worshiping the wild beast, as the Society would have us believe. The Bible makes it clear that people who receive this mark must also worship the beast. We are also told from the Bible that those who do not receive this mark will be killed. (Rev. 20:4) Unfortunately, while the Bible is not absolutely clear whether or not this mark is literal, it cannot be faulted against someone to believe that it is. Why not read Scriptures pertaining to this mark before coming to your own conclusion?-Rev. 13:16-18; 14:9-12; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4
With Sincere Christian Love and Affection,
Brother Ebed Abodah
*One exception seems to be Revelation chapter six, which concludes at Revelation 8:1. Revelation 7 seems to be a sort of intermission in the vision or an epilogue to the vision. The Bible purposely does not give us the events following the opening of the seventh seal, only telling us that "a silence occurred in heaven for about a half hour." (Rev. 8:1) Since this occurred after Armageddon (see Rev. 6:16-17) it could possibly be a good silence (Satan abyssed) or a bad silence (the releasing of Satan). Perhaps it is neither. To claim to know definitely would be going "beyond the things that are written."-1 Cor. 4:6
**Why not all of Rev. 14? Well, Rev. 14:1-5 is a vision of the resurrection of the anointed. Rev. 6 reveals, though, that this resurrection happens after the start of the Great Tribulation but before the climax of that awful time, Armageddon.-See Rev. 6:1-2, 9-11
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