Tribulation Rising

By G. Michael Epping

This book is the 2nd in a three-part series on the Tribulation. What if the Resurrection and Rapture did not occur at the beginning of the Great Tribulation? Would Christians lose their faith and follow the wooing of the Antichrist? Or would they return to the Bible to see if the Rapture might still occur at the end of the Tribulation? These are some of the questions that went through the minds of the revival crusaders, as they watched the news about the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and the Mediterranean Brotherhood of Muslim Nations.
Major shock waves reverberated throughout the Christian Church when no one was raptured and everyone was left behind, as Hans Auntay Khrysto negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations. Faith becomes a central issue with some people growing stronger, and others falling away to follow the luring of the Antichrist. Those Christians who chose to endure were able to function within society by simply continuing to take the Great Commission into the world, and moving the local church under-ground during the growing persecution of the period. However, when the temple is desecrated during the middle of the Tribulation, people are forced to accept or reject the mark of the beast. Christians must flee and seek a place of refuge during the Great Tribulation or face certain execution. Other books in this Tribulation Trilogy includes, ‘Birth Pangs Of The Tribulation,’ and ‘The Unfolding Of The Great Tribulation.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: G. Michael Epping
• Release date: May 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9780975479193

G. Michael Epping

Dr. Gary Michael Epping Ph.D. received Bachelor and Graduate degrees in Business Administration, and was a University Professor for twenty-five years. After a radical spiritual transformation in the Brownsville Revival in the mid-1990’s, he has subsequently received both Bachelor and Graduate degrees in Biblical Studies and Theology. After ministering for eight years as missionaries in Thailand, the Eppings are now living on a ranch in Montana, where MIchael is a minister, rancher, and writer.

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TRIBULATION RISING

By Dr. Gary Michael Epping

Antelope Hill Publications

Smashwords Edition

Copyright: 2012

All rights reserved by Gary Michael Epping

ISBN: 978-0-9754791-9-3

Licensing notes:

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy.

Other books by Dr. G. Michael Epping

*A Revolution From Darkness To Light

*Spiritual Stirrings Of The Awakening

*Pathways Into The Glory & Out Into The World

*Strong Meat For The Spiritually Maturing Christian

*The Great Doctrinal Divide That Separates God’s People

*Daily Readings On The Obedience Of Man & God’s Blessing

*Releasing Great Grace And Great Power

*The Last Days Omission

*Birth Pangs Of The Tribulation (Part 1)

*Tribulation Rising (Part 2)

*Unfolding of the Great Tribulation (Part 3)

Table Of Contents

Title Page

About The Author

Introduction

Chapter 1 - A Time Of Reassessment

Chapter 2 - The Antichrist's Kingdom

Chapter 3 - Moe Goes Underground

Chapter 4 - Return To The Mission Field

Chapter 5 - Two Years Into The Tribulation

Chapter 6 - Third Year Of The Tribulation

Chapter 7 - The Great Tribulation

Chapter 8 - The Great Earthquake

End

About The Author

Dr. Gary Michael Epping Ph.D. received Bachelor and Graduate degrees in Business Administration, and was a University Professor for twenty-five years. During that time, he taught and published several scholarly articles about the business world. After a radical spiritual transformation at a long-running revival in the mid-1990’s, he subsequently received both Bachelor and Graduate degrees in Biblical Studies and Theology, in order to prepare himself and his family for spending eight years as missionaries in Thailand. The Epping family returned to America in 2009, and is currently living in Montana, where MIchael is a minister, rancher, and writer. At this time, I want to thank my wife, Diane, for standing with me as I wrote this trilogy on the Tribulation. I also want to thank Fiona Higgins, a missionary in Thailand, for editing all three of the books in the series.

Introduction

What if the Resurrection and Rapture did not occur at the beginning of the Great Tribulation? Would Christians lose their faith and follow the wooing of the Antichrist? Or would they return to the Bible to see if the Rapture might still occur at the end of the Tribulation? These are some of the questions that went through the minds of the revival crusaders, as they watched the news about the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and the Mediterranean Brotherhood of Muslim Nations.

Major shock waves reverberated throughout the Christian Church when no one was raptured and everyone was left behind, as Hans Auntay Khrysto negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations. Faith becomes a central issue with some people growing stronger, and others falling away to follow the luring of the Antichrist. Those Christians who chose to endure were able to function within society by simply continuing to take the Great Commission into the world, and moving the local church underground during the growing persecution of the period. However, when the temple is desecrated during the middle of the Tribulation, people are forced to accept or reject the mark of the beast. Christians must flee and seek a place of refuge during the Great Tribulation or face certain execution. The current book is part of a Tribulation Trilogy that includes, ‘Birth Pangs Of The Tribulation,’ ‘Tribulation Rising, and ‘The Unfolding Of The Great Tribulation.

Chapter 1 - A Time Of Reassessment

The Revival Crusaders had been sitting in the living room at the Ponderosa for nearly an hour after hearing the news about the signing of a seven-year peace treaty between Israel and the Muslim countries in the Middle East and in Northern Africa. Their mourning because of the death of fellow missionary, Bertha Pickett, had now been coupled with an even greater sorrow that there had not been a resurrection and rapture of the saints before the announcement of this monumental event.

Moe Wright said, Are we sure none of the saints have been raptured anywhere in the world?

George Finney responded, I have checked with many ministers and friends from the Revival and nobody is missing. I have also called several fellow pastors around the world where I have preached, and everyone is still here.

Will Wesley replied, I guess this proves that even a good sound doctrine like the one on the Pre-tribulation Rapture can miss the mark. Susanna responded, All I have heard for nearly fifty years is that Jesus will come back before the Tribulation and catch up the saints to keep them out of harm’s way. At least, that was all I had heard until the Phuket conference that George hosted.

Ron Wesley laughingly said, Yeah, it must be George’s fault. If he had not preached about how the Post-tribulation Rapture was a possibility, then all of this would probably not have happened.

George responded, The problem is the same one that has faced the Church since the New Testament was written. The interpretation of biblical scholars through doctrines and theologies is just so many words unless we let the Holy Spirit give us the correct meaning. Sometimes the best religious minds can miss the mark.

Charles Edwards retorted, Not so fast. You know there could still be a Mid-tribulation Rapture, where the faithful saints could be caught up by the Lord before He begins to really pour out His wrath.

In a serious tone, George remarked, I am sure that many of the diehard Pre-trib Rapture advocates will now consider a Mid-trib position.

Wanda Wesley announced, Many of those who don’t want to endure the Great Tribulation are going to grasp at whatever theory that will keep them out of it.

Denny said, I am with George; it doesn’t matter what man says unless it lines up with Scripture as revealed by the Holy Ghost.

George responded, What I fear most is that many nominal Christians with little faith may seriously begin to consider the promises that will surely be forth coming from Hans Khrysto.

Moe replied, I had not thought about that. I guess we might soon see a separation of the true Christians from the pretenders. We already know that a real Christian is a person who has faith enough to persevere through anything that is put in front of him.

Charles declared, It certainly looks like the time has come to put our faith to the test.

George responded, The Bible speaks of a great apostasy, where those with little or no faith will be mesmerized by the Antichrist. As we move closer to the Great Tribulation, things will steadily get worse. The faithful will get stronger, and the weak will either look for a new doctrine like the Mid-tribulation Rapture to save them, or listen to the lies of the Antichrist.

Amanda said, Despite Bertha dying and us not getting raptured, you know, I am starting to feel much better.

Denny replied, What do you mean, woman? How can you feel better looking at all the persecution that will face us in the next seven years?

Amanda responded, For those of us who have always wanted to be a witness for Jesus or those that have the gift of evangelism, the Tribulation may actually be a great opportunity. I think it is time to quit cutting bait and go out fishing.

Moe said, Awesome! I never thought of it that way. The Lord called me to the mission field to preach the gospel and help save people. Now, I have the greatest window of opportunity that has ever been placed in front of mankind.

Will responded, That probably goes for all of us. God has raised us up for a time such as this. And Moe, you now at least know that you will not have to wait fifty years or so to see Bertha again. Before you know it, Jesus will return and you will be reunited with her.

Unbelievably, the mood of the group had gone from about as low as it could go, to great heights of expectation. As Susanna began to sing, the others joined in, I’ll fly away, Oh Lordy, I’ll fly away; when I’m raptured, hallelujah bye and bye, I’ll fly away. Joyous singing continued with everyone dancing and clapping hands. It then looked like they had entered a new phase of revival, even though the Tribulation had now begun.

After dinner that evening, the group again started to converse, but this time about what lay ahead. Will said, With all that has happened, we need to reevaluate our plans for the future. Our ministry timeline has gone from a long term goal of fifty years in the mission field to seven years.

George replied, Not only the missionaries, but pastors, evangelists, and the whole Church must rethink the pending importance of the Great Commission that the Lord has set before us. It would probably be a good idea if all of you made a decision to stay in the states for a while. It has been nearly three years since the Crusaders left for the mission field, and each of you need to go revisit your supporting churches. You could use the Ponderosa as headquarters, returning every few weeks from your itineration in the churches to attend the Revival here in Mobile. That way we could develop a new 7-year plan for the Crusaders. What do you think?

Moe replied, We are all already here because of the funeral, so why go back now?

Ron responded, With a little bit of juggling things around, I think our people in the field can handle things for a few months. Is there anyone that absolutely can’t stay?

After hearing no responses George said, Then, it is agreed that everyone will set up a schedule to start visiting churches, and return here every fourth week during the middle of the week, so we can meet and plan for the future, as well as getting our batteries charged by going to the Revival at nights. In three or four months, the Lord will surely have laid out a new plan, and we can return to the mission field.

Moe said, This is a very good idea. We all need some time together to see what exactly is going to happen next, now that the peace treaty has been signed. We must begin to get a handle on what this Hans guy is up to.

Denny declared, Speaking of the peace treaty, we probably need an update on what is happening.

Amanda picked up the channel changer and turned the television back on, as she said, After the last time, I am almost afraid to listen.

Denny replied, Things are going to happen whether we want to hear about it or not. We might as well be informed and prepared, even if it is more bad news. At least that way, we can begin to put together a strategy.

As Denny turned on the news, the anchor, Gerard Wallace said, Greetings! It is the top of the hour and we have a special report from Baghdad concerning the peace agreement that has been signed by Israel and all of the Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Lets go to our correspondent, Julian Richards, who will be speaking with Hans Khrysto, the man responsible for brokering the peace treaty. The video switches to a hotel in Baghdad, where Julian Richards and Hans Khrysto stand with a view behind them that stretches to the south towards ancient Babylon.

Julian said, Tonight, I am pleased to be able to interview Hans Khrysto. He is the man who miraculously has been able to bring peace to an area that has defied peace for centuries. Hans, how did you do it?

Hans responded, It is really god who has brought peace to the Middle East. He has simply used me as a catalyst to bring the two sides together. Also, my good friend and religious leader, Mitry Proffitt, has been instrumental in bridging the huge gap between Judaism and Islam.

Julian declared, I understand that God has used both of you to enact the peace accord, but how did it happen so quickly after the devastating war?

Hans replied, Sometimes it takes war to clear the senses. Once that is done, change can occur quite rapidly. As soon as the dust settled, I was on the telephone and directly speaking with all of the leaders. Earlier today, I was the moderator of a videoconference on the internet, with all of the Muslim leaders of the Middle East and North Africa, and with Israel. After four hours of very tough and tense negotiations, everyone was able to agree to the key features of the document of peace that I had set before them.

Julian remarked, You mean you do not really have a physical document that has been signed by all the leaders?

Hans retorted, Everyone was able to print out a copy of the document that I had prepared. During negotiations, some items were deleted, others added, and many modified. With each change, the formal document was updated until we were in agreement on each item in the peace treaty. Each leader in the videoconference has verbally agreed to the final document. In addition, the final document was printed out by each leader and signed while on the air. Each of these signed documents was then faxed back to me.

Julian commented, Will there be a formal signing of the peace treaty?

Hans smiled and said, I am glad you asked! The reason I am in Baghdad is because all of the leaders will be coming to this very hotel this week to formally sign the peace treaty.

Julian commented, Why Baghdad?

Hans replied, As you know, a lot of history for both Jew and Muslim has occurred in this area of the world. It is only fitting for us to gather in this city. If you look off to the south, you can see the area where the ruins of ancient Babylon lie. You can also see the restoration that has taken place, as well as the grand palace that has been built there. Also, I made another promise to the Arab leaders that is not formally a part of the peace treaty, but something I intend to pursue on their behalf with the rest of the world. As you know, the Muslim nations have graciously and generously agreed to let Israel rebuild the 3rd Jewish temple on the temple mount, since all the other structures were destroyed.

In the meeting this week with the Muslim nations and Israel, I want to outline the progress that has already been made on my promise with them, said Hans. I pledged to my Muslim brothers that I would be in contact with the United Nations about having all of the nations of the world signing the peace accord, as well as considering the possibility of moving the UN headquarters from New York to Baghdad. I have not only made contact with the UN, but they have agreed to let me come to speak at the next formal meeting of the general assembly, which will be in two weeks. My trip to the UN is only the first phase in my effort to unite the world and bring peace politically.

My friend, Mitry Proffitt, will be in charge of Phase two of the peace process, elaborated Hans. He is presently taking steps to bring peace by uniting the world religiously. He has a plan that will be presented at a world conference on religion that will be held in one month. A multitude of religious leaders from around the world will be coming to the meeting. This includes well-known people from nearly all of the religions of the world, including Catholicism, Greek Orthodox, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and most Christian denominations within Protestantism and Pentecostalism. No one could pull something like this off except Mitry, who is held in high respect by nearly every religion of the world.

Continuing, Hans announced, So, if you have been looking for the latest news, these new developments should give the world much to talk about.

Julian excitedly replied, That is unbelievable! Listeners need to remember that you heard it first on Satellite News. I am going to return the newscast back to America.

The anchor Gerhard Wallace said, There you have it. Not only has a peace treaty been negotiated by Hans Khrysto in the last twenty-four hours, but he also has been invited to speak at the United Nations, while religious guru Mitry Proffitt has set up a world conference on religion.

Back at the Ponderosa, the Crusaders sat silently in almost total unbelief. George said, That man is moving faster than lightening on a stormy night! We already knew about the peace treaty, which was not all that shocking, since it has been prophesied in the Bible.

Will replied, The telecast from Baghdad caught me off balance. Not only did we see him getting an invitation to speak with the entire world at the UN, but his buddy, Mitry, has somehow set up a conference to try and unite the religions of the world. The next thing you know, he will be trying to change the name of Baghdad to New Babylon.

George retorted, You are exactly on track about that. Events are happening quickly and will likely continue at a fast pace for the immediate future. It is a good thing that all of the Crusaders have agreed to stay in America for a while, until the dust settles a little. This man is definitely the Antichrist and his buddy is the False Prophet. Theologian John Paul Gray is supposed to be preaching on this topic Wednesday and Thursday at the revival. I feel in my heart that it is critical that we attend those meetings. I know that most of you are already making plans to start itinerating in the churches this coming Sunday. If at all possible, try to not leave until Friday. Very quickly there was general agreement within the group to attend the revival meeting before leaving on Friday.

____________________

On Wednesday evening, Randy Dooley had already been leading worship for over an hour and a half. As he was singing about ‘putting the devil under his feet,’ it would not be long before it was time for the sermon. John Paul Gray had a doctorate in Theology, and had been a prolific writer during the last ten years. While primarily being a theologian, he also had a secondary gift in evangelism, and had traveled extensively to take the message of the gospel into the far corners of the world. When the revival first broke out, he began to attend the meetings on an increasing basis. After a year, there was no question that he was the man that needed to head up the new Bible school that was soon to open its doors. Within three months, he was able to restructure his commitments for speaking, and moved his family to Mobile to become President of the Mobile Revival School of Ministry (MRSM). Although, he primarily was recognized as the leader of the Bible school, he also continued to speak around the world, but on a reduced basis. In addition, he was a frequent guest speaker in the revival. Upon hearing about the peace treaty and the appearance of Hans Khrysto and Mitry Proffitt, he called and asked evangelist Josiah Noble if he could speak in the revival. Josiah had detected the urgency of his message, and scheduled him to speak in the next two services.

As the singing began to subside, Randy Dooley said, The Lord has opened up our hearts tonight during worship, and it is time to fill them with the Word of God. Please welcome Theologian John Paul Gray, who is our guest speaker tonight.

As John made his way to the pulpit, he was greeted with thunderous applause. After the clapping had died down, he said, "I know that all of you have been riveted to your television sets during the past week. First, we saw the massive arsenal of Muslim forces cross the border and make its way towards Jerusalem, in what looked like certain destruction. And annihilation did happen but it was not against Israel, but the entire Arab army. Clearly, this was a miracle intended to show the world that God was behind Israel. Yet, we see a relatively unknown man, Hans Khrysto step forward and rapidly negotiate a peace treaty between Israel and all of the Arab nations. Just as quickly, he is invited to speak at the United Nations, and his sidekick, Mitry Proffitt, was able to set up a world conference on religion. Have you asked yourself how likely was this to happen in the natural? The world has been trying to bring peace to the Middle East ever since Israel became a nation, and there have been attempts at world unification of the churches for half a century or more. And then in a blink of an eye, all of these things fall into place.

"But, these are not ordinary times, and there is something going on supernaturally. If you truly are a Christian, then there should be little doubt in your minds that the Tribulation has begun, and these two men are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. Just as the Father, Son,