As we stated in our first post the “Day of the Lord”, the Second Advent or Greek: Parousia (presence) of our Lord encompasses the entire thousand years. It is not simply composed of the great time of trouble and the destruction of all sinners as is commonly supposed, but likewise includes many other features (works) all of which have their designated time periods for completion within the thousand years.

One such work is the work of the Harvest (Matt 13:24-43), which last from the Advent of our Lord as Chief Reaper and Lord of the Harvest (Matt 9:38; Rev14:14) to its completion when the very last member of the body of Christ makes their calling and election sure and passes beyond the Second Vail (the vail of death).

It includes the judgement of the House of God (both the true and the false, i.e. the professing church). In regards to the latter not only its rejection and sentence, but likewise its eventual destruction. (1 Pet. 4:17)

It includes the raising of the sleeping saints as well as the translation (rapture if you will) of those now living who thenceforth DIE in Christ , who make their calling and election sure being found faithful unto death. (1 Thess 4:16, 17; Rev 14:13; 2 Pet 1:10; Rev 2:10)

It includes the Hour of Trial which shall shortly come upon the whole world. (Rev 3:10; Matt 24: 23, 24; 2 Thess 2:9)

It includes the Time of Jacobs Trouble (the invasion of Gog and his allies upon the Holy Land). Jer 30:3-7; Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39)

And of course it includes the great time of trouble (another period of time), the pouring out of the wrath of God in the seven last plagues the last of which will climax in the “great earth quake”, in Armageddon which will result in the passing away of the present order of things in a great noise and turmoil. (Matt 24:21; Dan 12:1; Rev 16; 2 Pet 3:10)

But this is NOT the end of the “Day of the Lord”, for it likewise includes the Medeatorial phase of the work, the restitution of all things and the blessings of all the nations (peoples) of the earth, the Great White Throne Judgement, (the separation of the sheep from the goats), and last but not least it includes the destruction of all God’s enemies including the Adversary himself in the “little season” at the end of the millennial day. (Acts 3:21; Gen 22:18; Rev 20:11; Matt 25:31-46; Rev 20: 3, 7-10, 11)

Just as in the creative days, first there was evening (darkness) and then there was morning (light) so too the Day of the Lord opens with a nighttime of trouble but it ends with the bright shining of the Sun of Righteousness and the establishment of the kingdom of the Lord throughout the earth. “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psa 30:5)

Now in the first segment of this study we mentioned that there would be people (both good and bad) who would be living not only during the Day of Vengeance, the great time of trouble, but likewise following after.

Let us begin first by considering those who will and those who will not go through the great time of trouble at the end of this age, both survivors and those who will perish.

Now we know who will NOT go through the great tribulation, the body of Christ, the Church that is they will not have to pass through it, endure it. Nevertheless the scriptures do allude to the fact that some of them will be taken up during the trouble, that is at the very beginning of Armageddon. (We will examine that a bit later).

So then who exactly must endure the great tribulation?

The following are the three groups of individuals living at the time who will enter the great tribulation:

1) The Great Company (both the good and the bad).

2) The nation of Israel (both the good and the bad).

3) The world of mankind (both the good and the bad).

We will explain a bit more about what we mean by the good and the bad as we continue in this study.

Of the three who enter this event only two of these will pass entirely through the event while the third will only go thorough its opening stages.

Unfortunately of the two who do only a relative small number (that is in comparisons with the overall number who initially entered the event), will survive, the majority will perish during this event (howbeit not everlastingly).

In our next post we will take a look at the two who not only pass through the great tribulation all the way to its conclusion, but who likewise will be the first to enter into the Medeatorial phase of the kingdom.