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The Amish Voice 9
Our world has gone through some very difficult times. There
have been
times of
famine and great hunger
. We read about
one such famine in the days of Joseph: "And the famine was
over ______ the face of the ______________" (Genesis 41:56).
There have been times when thousands have died from
disease
.
In the 14th century, about one fourth of all the people in Europe
(about 25 million people) died of a terrible disease which was
called the "Black Death." This disease or plague was carried by
fleas and rats.
There have also been
terrible wars
fought on Planet Earth. In
the 20th century there have been two great WORLD WARS.
Thousands and thousands of men and women from many
different countries have lost their lives because of these bloody
wars. This world has also known some very
cruel rulers,
such
as Pharaoh who lived in the days of Moses, Nero who lived in
the days of Paul, and Hitler who lived in the 20th century (who
put to death millions of Jewish people). Great numbers of
people have suffered under rulers such as these.
There have also been
terrible persecutions
which have taken
place on Planet Earth. The early Christians were greatly
persecuted by the Romans. They were killed with the sword,
burned, destroyed by wild animals, or tortured by other cruel
methods. Later, many Christians were burned at the stake in
Spain. Even today there are Christians who are suffering and
being persecuted and dying because of their faith in Christ.
God’s people have never had an easy road (see Hebrews 11:35-
38). During the second World War it is believed that about six
million Jewish people were put to death by the Germans.
Yes, the world has known all of these things: famine, hunger
disease, death, wars, wicked rulers, and terrible persecutions.
As we look ahead to the future, what should we expect? Will
the days ahead be brighter? We might think, "Surely things
cannot get worse. Things should start getting better. Brighter
days must be ahead. This world has been through so much
trouble already. How could things possibly get worse?"
This world has gone through times of great trouble, but the
Bible clearly teaches that the time of greatest trouble is still in
the future. The worst is yet to come! Things will not get better
(at least not yet). Things will get much, much worse. The world
is headed for a time of trouble greater than anything mankind
has ever experienced. Planet Earth has gone through some
whirlwinds of trouble, but a great TORNADO is on its way!
There Has Never Been A Time Like It!
The prophet Daniel said that there shall be a "TIME OF
T___________________" upon Planet Earth (Daniel 12:1).
This will be the greatest time of trouble the world has ever
known. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of this same time in
Jeremiah 30:7: "Alas, for that day is ___________________, so
that _____________ is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s
___________________."
The Lord Jesus Christ spoke about this same time of trouble in
Matthew 24:21. In this verse He said "for then shall be
G______________
T______________________________."
TRIBULATION means "trouble, great distress." According to
what Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, has the world ever known
such a time of trouble as this? _______ When this time of
trouble is over, will there ever be another time of trouble like
it? _________This will be the darkest hour the
world has ever known.
It Will Be a Short Time
There is only one good thing about this
As the world continues to turn its back on God, we want to take a look at what the future holds according to the One who is
the Beginning and the End—God! We hope you enjoy and benefit from this series, courtesy of Middletown Bible Church.
Follow along, fill in the blanks, and look up! May we all be ready for the return of Jesus Christ!
You will need a Bible for this lesson.