THE GREAT TRIBULATION
AND LUKE 21:36 PASSAGE
BY ARCHIMANDRITE
DANIEL GOUVALIS
(1940-2009)
Translated in English by Constantine Barlas
In the eschatological diagram, as the Bible teaches and the Holy Fathers interpret, there is a bad period called "Great tribulation". During this period of time Antichrist will dominate, who will fight against the Christian faith and morality and persecute the Christians. At the same time, God will educate mankind who apostatised and accepted the Antichrist. He will bring harsh pedagogical punishments, described the vision of the seven bowls of Revelation (cf Revelation 16th chapter).
The Pentecostals teach that during this gloomy era, Christ will take care to protect His own people. That is He will remove them from earth (Rapture). He will catch them up in the sky (heavens). And when the Great tribulation is over He will bring them down.
In this belief of theirs they think they find support in a passage from the Gospel of Luke. Every now and then they bring to mouth this passage. They think that it justifies their eschatological theory.
Luke 21:36, "Watch ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man".
In order to interpret this passage correctly, an interpretative law must be used called the law of text relevance. That is to say, to examine what the immediately previous verses say. This passage is the 36th verse. We have to see what the two previous verses say, the 34th and 35th. If we look at these verses, we will understand immediately that this passage has a totally different meaning to the one given to it by Pentecostals.
Luke 21:34-35: "And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." Before the Second Coming will be a period of time during which calmness will prevail. All the shocking events, Antichrist, Seven bottles, Great tribulation, will have passed. During this period, as it seems, the return of the Jews to the real Messiah will take place, according to the prophecy of the Apostle Paul (Cf. Rom.11: 25-26).
This period, immediately before the Second Coming is similar to the days before the flood. There was peace and tranquility. Life flowed quietly. People ate, drank, enjoying themselves, they married. Certainly they made fun of Noah who was preparing a strange huge ship. And suddenly, without getting news of it, the flood came and swept them away (See Matt.24:39). It came suddenly. Like an animal being caught in a trap suddenly and unsuspecting.
Thus will happen with the coming of the Judge in the Second Coming.
Where everything seemed calm, then comes the Son of man and the world court is set up.
The same says St. Paul. Referring to the day of the Second Coming he notes that where everything seems calm - "peace and security" - then suddenly comes the bane (I Thess.5:5).
Well, we return to the passages of the Gospel of Luke, which speaks for vigilance. In the 34th verse is the verb "be careful" (take heed) and in the 36th "be watchful" (Watch). Be careful and be watchful because in hard days you need the divine protection from various sufferings, and the easy days, just before the Second Coming you are in danger of starting having good times and fun or being absorbed by family issues, professional, secular relations and aspirations, thus completely neglecting your soul. So, when you are suddenly in front of the World Crisis, you won't withstand to stand and gaze at the Judge, because for you the Second Coming and Judgment would be equivalent to a bane.
In the 36th verse together with "Watch" it also has the phrase "pray always". That means that along with the attention (Watch) and vigilance also prayer is needed.
More above at the 19th verse patience is recommended - "In your patience possess ye your souls". With patience in suffering, with vigilance in easy things, with prayer in these and in those, we'll not lose our soul, and so when the Judge comes we will be able to stand up in front of him without fear of conviction.
The phrase "to stand before the Son of man" indicates that this day Christ will judge the world. The Pentecostals interpret in a different way, that this day Christ will take the chosen ones to heaven to escape the seven years of the Antichrist. My God, what crazy interpretations! What unprecedented misrepresentation of your word!
According to Prophet Daniel (7:13-14) the Son of man sitting on the clouds of heaven will do the World Judgement - "and, behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven''.
Even for the rabbis themselves the phrase "Son of Man" indicated the Messiah who would once judge mankind.
The phrase "stand before"(or ''stand in front of'') means a trial where the accused person stands before the judge. Regarding the trial of Christ with Pilate as a judge, Matthew writes, "Jesus stood before the governor" (27:11).
Here in passage Luke 21:36, the phrase ''stand before the Son of man" refers to a trial with Christ as a judge. Here the "stand before" has the meaning that someone was preparing, was waiting for the day of world trial, and courageously and fearlessly faces the judge. The others who were having a good time and, as we say, ''lived their lives'' they will not have a face to stand before and gaze at the Judge.
Verse 21:36 begins with the imperative, "Watch". If they were watchful and waited for the day of Judgment, they wouldn't be in a difficult position.
The theory of Pentecostals (Rapture) that once approaching the difficulties, Christ will carry them up in heaven is not in harmony with the word of Scripture. Up there in the midst of heavens, there's not going to be set up a court but a meeting (with the Lord). In such a case, the phrase ''stand before the Son of Man" doesn't fit with this theory.
But that's not all. It's also another thing, that in a previous verse Jesus speaks of patience, "In your patience possess ye your souls". (Luke 21:19). Patience is needed at the time of persecution and sadness. With patience you get away from something bad, that is you don't deny Christ. And so, at the time of World Judgment, you can stand in front of the judicial throne. You have the courage to look Him on the face.
In the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, where the anti-christian action of the Seven-headed beast is described, the following is written: "here is he the patience and the faith of the saints"(Rev.13:10). If during the Antichrist age the saints will be raptured in heaven, then what's the meaning of this passage?
This completely overturns Pentecostal doctrine. An important passage, Revel.13:10. While Pentecostals want the saints during the years of the Antichrist to be up in heavens, this verse tells us that they will on earth and will be fighting against the Antichrist with two weapons, patience and faith.
Several excerpts and many passages of the Holy Scripture that refer to the era of Great Tribulation and the Antichrist speak about prayer, faith, patience. With these weapons Christians will overcome this difficult time.
The Lord will hear the prayers of His people and will help them.
(EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK ''CLOUDS WITHOUT WATER'')
ANTIHERETICAL HANDBOOK www.egolpion.com
2012-03-11
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