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12 October 2008 | 13 Tishri 5769 |

The Tribulation Tests / August 1998


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The Children of Israel fled from Egypt and slavery by the powerful hand of God. They were going to the promised land, a land of milk and honey. Before they could reach the promised land, they had to endure the wilderness and a series of tests. God wanted to prove them, to transform them from slaves to free men. Instead of submitting to the tests, Israel rebelled and began testing God. We should take particular note of these tests. Our destiny and future is like Israel going through the wilderness to the promised land. We will soon be going through the Great Tribulation (the wilderness) on our way to the Millennial Kingdom (the promised land). According to the prophets and the Apostle Paul, we will face these same tests prior to entering His kingdom. It is God's way of preparing His bride.

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
I Corinthians 10:11

It is essential in our preparation for the Lord's coming that we understand the tests of the wilderness. It would be tragic if we were to enter the Great Tribulation and make the same mistakes made by our ancestors in the wilderness. A modern proverb says, “Make a mistake once, shame on you! Make the same mistake twice, shame on me!” If we don't learn the lessons from the wilderness and avoid the same mistakes in the Great Tribulation, then we deserve whatever we get.

God purposely tested Israel in the wilderness to prove her, to make her into a nation for Himself. This nation was to later bring forth His Son, the Messiah, for all the world.

And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
Deuteronomy 8:2-6

In the same way, God is purposely going to test us in the Great Tribulation to prove us, to make a bride without spot or blemish. We are the bride of His Son, the Messiah, the King of Kings.

Israel saw the ten judgments and wonders of God upon the gods of Egypt and yet would not believe that the Lord would meet their needs. Instead, they tested God ten times with unbelief and rejection. As a consequence, God judged them in the wilderness and they did not enter the promised land. As unpopular as it may seem, the same results await us if we do not learn these lessons. We will die in the Great Tribulation if we do not pass the Tribulation Tests.

Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.
Numbers 14:22-23

Before we examine the ten tests in question, let's make sure we are talking about the same God. This is what Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, did with Pharaoh and Egypt. He put to test all of the Egyptian gods to make sure that only One God would receive the glory of Israel's salvation. In the same way, let's make sure we know the One God who will pour out all the judgments in the Great Tribulation, judging the gods of this world, so that only He receives the glory for our salvation.

Yeshua (Jesus) said that He and the Father were One. Yeshua has also said that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the Kingdom, only those who do the will of His Father (Mat 7:21). Today, we have many people who believe in Jesus but not in His Father. They don't know the Lord. They have created a god in their imaginations, clipped a few favorite verses from the Bible, stolen His Name and Glory, teach that faith produces the blessing, and that they (the church) are God's great purpose.

When Yeshua came the first time, He confronted some very religious people who believed in the Father but not the Son. They claimed to be the sons of Abraham and God. They said that they (Israel and the Temple) were God's great purpose. Yeshua said they were not the sons of God because they had rejected Him. There is no difference today between the modern religious man claiming to believe in Jesus and not the Father, and the those who claimed to believe in the Father and not the Son. Neither are the sons of Abraham nor God.

Having said that, let us agree that the God we serve and who will save us is the God of creation; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of Moses and Israel; the God who delivered us out of the house of Egypt and slavery; the God of the prophets and kings of Israel; the God of Yeshua; the God of the Apostles and disciples; and the God of the Bible. If this is not your God, then you have the wrong god. Make sure that you don't have one of those New Testament only gods; or, one of those denominational gods. Make sure your god is not the god of money. The One True God says you can not serve Him and money; you must serve one or the other. Make sure you don't have one of those gods who says that you don't go through the tribulation. That particular god is right on one point - you won't be going through the tribulation. That god will most likely cause your death early in the tribulation. If you are able to live long enough, you will also watch that god die. The One True God of Heaven and Earth has pledged to destroy every god set up against Him, so that everyone will know that He is the Lord.

Now, let's examine these ten tests and see what we will be facing in the Great Tribulation.

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test,…”
Deuteronomy 6:16a

Test Number 1:
Do you believe the Lord will save you?

And as Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptian’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent”.
Exodus 14:10-14

Israel was facing a three-sided dilemma. On one side was a steep mountain, on the second side was the Red Sea, and on the third side was the Egyptian chariots preparing to attack. But there was another choice and it required looking UP.

When the Great Tribulation begins, many Christians won't be looking up. Oh sure, they believe God is powerful and able to do great things. But, they don't believe that the Lord will do anything for them. Yes, God has done great things in the past, but this is today. “Why would the Lord do anything for us?” Yes, we hope that God will raise us from the dead and do great things in the future, but this is today. We don't believe that God will save us on the day we need salvation. Most Christians believe in themselves or in other Christians; they would rather have a man save them. They tend to look in every direction other than where God is.

It is very understandable why many Christians want to be raptured out before the tribulation begins. That way, they don't have to believe in God - they just want God to surprise them.

The prophet Jeremiah says that in the future, when we use the term “exodus,” we will be referring to something greater than the exodus from Egypt. It will be an exodus from the North, East, the West and the South. It will be the exodus of the Earth into the Millennial Kingdom. It will be a great SALVATION of God when the Messiah returns for us. When the Great Tribulation begins, we will discover who believes in the Lord's salvation for life and who wants to stay in Egypt (the world) and die.

Test Number 2:
Do you believe the Lord will give you water for life?

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilder-ness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Exodus 15:22-24

Water is the second most important element in survival. Shelter is the only thing more important. The God we serve is the author of life. He established the prioritized needs to sustain life. He knows that we need water to live. However, because of our abundance we are deceived about this important truth. We believe that we are the providers of such things and that God does not understand our real needs. At best, we treat God like the fire department. We only call upon Him when things get out of control. We don't see ourselves living daily by His mercy and grace. In the Great Tribulation, you will live every single day by the mercy and grace of God.

In the wilderness, Israel had to learn the same thing. Therefore, the Lord tested and trained them on this very point.

Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.
Exodus 15:25

A test is one of the best dynamics of learning known to man. God, the master teacher, used the need for water to teach Israel and us our basic need for Him.

And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Exodus 15:26

If we can learn this lesson on water, we can also learn the lessons about health, disease prevention, and the other essentials of life that God also knows about.

Test Number 3:
Do you believe the Lord will provide food for you to eat?

And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Exodus 16:2-3

The Lord knows that we need food to live and grow. The Lord was using food, daily bread, to teach us that God is our provider. The Lord has not only made us, but all the foods we need as well.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.
Exodus 16:4

We have heard the Lord say that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Have you ever heard someone say, “You can't eat the Bible!” I have, and it reflects unbelief. The fact is that our God gave bread in the morning and meat at night to the children of Israel.

I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
Exodus 16:12-13

Our God can bless and break loaves feeding thousands with filled baskets left over. Do you really think God can feed His people with manna or replicated loaves in the Great Tribulation? You better hope and believe that He can; otherwise, you are not going to make it very far.

Test Number 4:
Do you believe the Lord will really be present with you?

Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Exodus 17:1-7

Israel could look up at any moment and see the pillar by day and the fire by night, but they denied the obvious presence of God. Moses, God's Anointed, was also present to answer any questions; but they argued with him.

Presently, believers have the presence of God by His indwelling Spirit and God's anointed leaders. You can be assured that many believers in the Great Tribulation will be just as confused concerning God's presence. We will ask the same question and face the same test.

Test Number 5:
Do you believe the Lord is the One True God?

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” Exodus 32:1-8

The making of the golden calf idol in the wilderness is very perplexing. There is no reasonable explanation for it; it is a sheer unadulterated lie. But it does serve to explain idolatry and how easy it is for people to fall for it. Idolatry originates in our own hearts. Maybe we are helped a little by the power of suggestion; but, real false gods are formed by our own imaginations. It works something like this: We latch onto a particular truth or honorable concept. We fixate on something and assign the truth or concept to it. Before long, we fill in the cracks with whatever is at hand and establish a ledger of “good and bad.” The temple walls go up and we begin to exclude everything else. Before you know it, we have a god that is subject to us and never speaks unless we want him to. Like a stone or metal object, he sits patiently waiting for us until we are ready for him. For example, let's say you only want to deal with your god on Sundays from 10:00 am to noon. This is an excellent example of a good idol god.

It is utterly absurd to think that an idol god is the creator of the universe or our salvation for that matter. However, I fear that the tribulation saints will do the same thing the Israelites did - they will want to rise up and play.

Test Number 6:
Will you reject the Lord's bread?

And the rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.” Numbers 11:4-6

Israel had received salvation, water to drink, bread in the morning, meat in the evening, the very presence of God, the voice of God from the mountain, the covenant, the ten commandments, and the tabernacle. With all this, what could possibly happen next?

“We don't like it.”

“We don't want it.”

Consider this example for a moment. Your wife prepares the home for guests. She prepares the dinner and sets it before you and your guests. Suddenly, your guests announce that they don't like what you have prepared and demand that your wife fix them a steak. What would you do?

If it was my house, I would arise and insist that my guests leave my house immediately. If they failed to move at a speed I desired, I would assist them in a very direct fashion. I would also explain to them that they would never be permitted in my home again. I don't think God would do any differently.

And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire. Then they spoke against God; they said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, He struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing; can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?” Psalms 78:18-20

During the Great Tribulation, many selfish people will enter the assembly looking for freebies for their wants and lusts. Don't worry about them coming in, nor their motives. God knows who they are and He knows what to do with them. We need to just be thankful for God's mercy and grace afforded us.

Test Number 7:
Will you reject the Lord's presence?

…because you have rejected the Lord who is among you… Numbers 11:20a

If you are like most people, you have faced personal rejection sometime in your life. You can remember the harm done by it. You can remember the absence of any love and the cold hollowness of the person rejecting. God doesn't like it either. You also remember there wasn't much you could do about it. However, God can do something about it and He will.

Test Number 8:
Will you reject the Lord's salvation?

…and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” Numbers 11:20b

Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath, and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also mounted against Israel; because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation. Psalms 78:21-22

The day will come something like this. You have escaped from your previous community. You have joined with other brethren and are making it. It's not great, mind you, but you're alive and your trying hard to do the right thing. The fear will be like a wet blanket over you. You will be struggling to keep it all together. Then, … some of your brethren will rise up and suggest that you should all leave where you are at and return to your homes and cities. They will scorn the whole idea of getting out of the cities for safety. They will remind everyone that in the cities are the fast food restaurants, air conditioning, and all the things that they want. Of course, the enemy and death are there also, but they ignore all that. They will even suggest how they will explain everything to the authorities and be received graciously by them. If they return, they will reject God's deliverance and die. In simple terms, your brethren won't use their heads; instead, they will go and lose their heads.

Test Number 9:
Will you reject the Lord's Anointed?

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. Numbers 12:1-2

You can be assured that there will be challenges to the leadership in every escaping group in the Great Tribulation. Even the sister of Moses spoke against Moses. You can expect members of your own family to rise against you. It should not be, but it will happen. The thing to remember is that it is rejection of God's authority, not you personally.

If you find yourself in a leadership role during the Great Tribulation, remember this is where Moses made his big mistake as well. Facing rejection is part of our task as leaders. Moses took upon himself for a moment the glory of God to get back at the people. Just before leaving the wilderness, Israel needed water again and the people grumbled. Moses approached the Lord and the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses got angry with the people and in his anger struck the rock twice saying, “You rebels. Do I have to make water come from the rock?” The Lord had instructed him to speak to the rock. Moses did not give the glory to God, but took it upon himself. Even though Moses begged for forgiveness, it cost him his ticket into the promised land. As leaders, God will hold you even more accountable and judge you even more specifically than the other people. Therefore, to avoid dying just before the end of the Great Tribulation, remember to do only as the Lord says and do not step out of His anointing.

Test Number 10:
Will you reject the Lord's promises (the Millennial Kingdom)?

Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! And why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Numbers 14:1-4

Israel did not understand what the promised land would be like. Sure, they understood about different crops and cities and wells. They didn't understand that God would live with them and how He would cause them to prosper. In the same way, the Millennial Kingdom is not well understood by the saints. We don't understand about our new incorruptible bodies. We don't know what it means when it says that righteousness will dwell there. We don't realize the value of God's government in His Kingdom. As a result we will be faced with the idea of rejecting all of God's promises and His Kingdom.

“Who wants to live in another world where everyone is just a servant to God?” You will hear your brethren ask this question. Hopefully, there will be a Joshua in your camp speaking words like he spoke in the wilderness. Hopefully, you will not repeat the mistake made in the wilderness.

“If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us— a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them” And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?” Numbers 14:8-11

From the beginning, the Lord has said that a choice for Him is life. The other choice is death. The God we serve today is the same God that led Israel out of Egypt and the house of slavery. We are commanded to believe in Him, to listen to His voice, and obey His instructions. If we, instead, don't trust Him; if we grumble and complain; and if we spurn Him, then we should clearly understand what will happen.

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Say to them, “As I live,” says the Lord, “just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses shall fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey— I will bring them in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.” Numbers 14:27-31


Monte

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