The Great Tribulation What is it? Will we go though it?

This is a detailed study of the great tribulation as found in scripture. Below is the summary and introduction. The full study is over 70 pages and can be downloaded as a zipped rtf document here (105k).

Summary

When we talk about 'The Great tribulation' we are primarily talking about Rev 7:14. However there are about eight events described in the bible that come to mind when we mention this event. These are each examined to see what the scripture says.

The Great Tribulation?

1. The great tribulation of Rev 7:14.
2. The great distress of Mat 24:21, Mark 13:19 and Luke 21:20-24
3. The time of anguish and perplexity in Luke 21:25
4. The man of lawlessness in 2 Thess 2:3
5. The seven trumpets and bowls of Revelation.
6. The beast(s) of Rev 13
7. The time of distress spoken about in Daniel 12:1
8. The hour of trial (Rev 3:10).

The Greek word thlipsis used for tribulation in Rev 7:14 (the great tribulation) is a word that covers a wide range of conditions varying from marriage, hardship, childbirth and persecution to the great distress of Mat 24:21. An examination of scripture confirms that tribulation in its various forms is to be expected by Christians while on earth. Paul and James tell us to rejoice in our sufferings and trials because these produce perseverance, character and maturity. Paul contrasts our temporary afflictions in this life with the eternal glory they achieve for us. Scripture is then examined to see what it says about persecution and its message is that we should not be taken by surprise by persecution even to death. Jesus tells us to rejoice when we are persecuted because great is our reward in heaven.

(2 Tim 3:12 NIV) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

The great distress described in Mat 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 is examined and it is clear that the elect are on earth during this period and that the rapture occurs after this event. These passages also make it clear that persecution will occur and false prophets will arise before the great distress. However there is significant evidence based on Luke's parallel account that the distress spoken about was fulfilled in AD 70 by the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (Luke 21:20-24). Luke's account however mentions a second and distinct time, prior to the Second Coming, when there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars and perplexity and anguish on earth because of the tossing of the sea and shaking of the heavenly bodies (Luke 21:25-26).

Although the period of great tribulation in Mat 24:21 is usually thought to be world-wide and to occur at the end of the age a closer look demonstrates otherwise.

• Jesus was answering a question about the destruction of Herod's temple.
• Luke's parallel account (21:20-24) clearly shows that Mat 24:21 refers to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
• It is localised to the Judea region - it is not world-wide, because those in Judea are told to flee to the mountains in all three parallel accounts (Mat 24:16, Mark 13:14, Luke 21:21).
• The fact that Jesus says that it is "never to be equaled again" should indicate to us that it does not occur at the end of the world.
• Both Mat 23:36 and 24:34 say that this will happen in the generation alive when Jesus spoke.

On examining the great tribulation of Rev 7:14 it is unclear about the timescale of this event. It is clear that a great multitude (who cannot be counted) come from the great tribulation from all parts of the earth and therefore cannot be the same as Mat 24:21. This author believes that it refers to the tribulation, which all of God's people pass through. A distinction is then made between tribulation and God's wrath, which is not directed at believers but at sinners. It is clear that Jesus delivers us from the wrath of God, but not from the hardships of life, the wrath of man or of the devil as the book of Revelation makes clear. The timing of the rapture is discussed and from 1 Thess 4:16-17 it is clearly stated that the rapture occurs after the resurrection of the dead in Christ. It is demonstrated from scripture that the resurrection of believers occurs on the last day (John 6:39). Therefore the rapture cannot occur before the last day. We also examine some other events in scripture that could deal with the great tribulation.

Finally we look at Satan's tactics in trying to destroy the church. He uses two main methods: persecution and false teaching. These are true to his character as a murderer and the father of lies. We show examples of this by looking at the seven churches in Revelation, some of whom are troubled by persecution and false prophets. We also look at Revelation chapter 13 in which Satan wages war against the saints using the beast out of the sea who persecutes the saints by imprisonment and death and the beast out of the earth who is a false Christ and false prophet. There is a final warning about false prophets.

(Acts 17:11 NIV) Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Introduction.

People often talk about the great tribulation, but what do they mean? When I was in California in the late 80's I heard of a prophecy which said - Mt Fuji in Japan would erupt sending a tidal wave across the pacific which would engulf and destroy LA and San Francisco, and that this would signify the start of the great tribulation. Now Mt Fuji is an extinct volcano, but if it did blow up as it erupted it is quite possible that the resulting tidal wave would destroy most of the West Coast of America. Tidal waves from Hawaii have been known to reach Australia. But is it the start of the great tribulation?

The phrase 'the great tribulation' is only found in Rev 7:14 and it is very difficult to pin down exactly what it refers to. My own conclusion is that this refers to the tribulation that all the saints have passed through down the centuries. However this is partly based upon the interpretive framework that I have used for Revelation as a whole which is based on the premise that Revelation is written for the church of all ages, not just the church of the distant past or of the last generation. There is however another period of 'great distress' described in Mat 24:21 and Mark 13:19 (the same Greek words are used as in Rev 7:14 but without the definite article). This appears to last a short while and appears to occur shortly before the Second Coming of Christ. However an examination of all three of the synoptic accounts in parallel reveals that this distress was fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70 (Luke 21:20-24).

Luke also mentions a separate period of anguish and perplexity prior to the Second Coming (Luke 21:25). He speaks of the shaking of heavenly bodies and the roaring and tossing of the sea, Matthew and Mark mention the shaking of the heavenly bodies but not the events on earth (Mat 24:29, Mark 13:24). However, Luke's description also comes under the time element "this generation" (genea) Luke 21:32 which corresponds to Mat 24:34. Luke 21:26 and its parallel in Mat 24:29 with the words "Immediately after the distress (thlipsis) of those days..." suggest to me that Luke is still talking about AD 70. However what does "those days" refer to? D A Carson argues that the thlipsis refers to the distress (tribulation) of the entire interadvent period of thlipsis(EBC vol 8 p 505) and not the great distress of Mat 24:15-21.

In 2 Thess 2:3 Paul mentions the man of lawlessness who will be destroyed at the Second Coming (2:8). Some of us think of the seven trumpets and seven bowls of Revelation as well when we think of the 'great tribulation'. We should probably add the beast(s) of Rev 13 to the list as well as the time of distress spoken about by Daniel in Dan 12:1 and the hour of trial mentioned in Rev 3:10. We can list these events:

The Great Tribulation?

The great tribulation of Rev 7:14

The great distress of Mat 24:21, Mark 13:19 and Luke 21:20-24

The time of anguish and perplexity in Luke 21:25

The man of lawlessness in 2 Thess 2:3

The seven trumpets and bowls of Revelation.

The beast(s) of Rev 13

The time of distress spoken about in Daniel 12:1

The hour of trial (Rev 3:10)

People in the West today are asking whether the church will go through the great tribulation. In America in particular it is fashionable to think that the church will be raptured before the tribulation. This argument is fatally flawed because it is not what scripture teaches. It can be easily demonstrated that the rapture occurs after the Second Coming and after the resurrection of the dead in Christ. Further it can be shown that the resurrection occurs on the last day. Jesus repeatedly warns us about persecution and false prophets, which come before the great distress of Mat 24 and Mark 13 and continue to this day. The problem with the pre-trib rapture teaching is that it will leave people ill prepared when either tribulation or persecution occurs and many will fall away because they have no root. Many who do not fall away will find it a great struggle to deal with suffering and persecution. One of the qualities needed to deal with persecution is perseverance and the scriptures say that trials and suffering will produce perseverance. The scriptures even tell us to rejoice while in these circumstances because they lead to character and maturity. This bible study tries to introduce scriptures that deal with tribulation and persecution in the hope that God's elect will be strengthened when tribulation and persecution arise. I also introduce two of Satan's strategies to wage war against the church, that is persecution from outside the church (the world) and false teachers within.

(2 Cor 2:11 KJV) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Those living in America may know that many of the earliest settlers came to America to escape persecution and practise their religion in freedom. America is also one of the few countries in the world where there has not been widespread persecution of Christians. In this day there are many countries where Christians face persecution. Just today I heard of a Catholic priest who was murdered in India, earlier this year a western missionary was burned alive in his car in India. Watchman Nee was incarcerated in prison in China for twenty years. They cut of his tongue because his guards were getting converted, guards still got converted, then they cut off his arms, then they cut off his legs and finally they threw him into a river where he drowned (Prison Letters by Wurmbrand). OK so you say that could not happen here, maybe, but what about false teachers? Persecution is easy to recognise, false teachers are more difficult to spot. Satan does not need to use persecution to destroy the church he can weaken it gradually by introducing subtle errors from within and eventually it just withers away and dies.

(Acts 20:30 NIV) Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

We all tend to have a morbid fascination about the future and we comfort ourselves with the thought that we will be raptured out of the way when difficult times come. However church history testifies to persecution from the time of the prophets through to Stephen and until today. When Jesus returns it would be good for us to be about our masters business (Mat 24:46). Peter tells us to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him when He returns (2 Pet 3:14). Peter also tells us to hasten his return - we can do this by preaching the gospel to, and making disciples of, all nations (Mat 24:14, 28:18). Jesus tells us in Matthew that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come". One of the subtle errors of the pre tribulation rapture doctrine is that during the great tribulation 144,000 Jews and the two witnesses will preach the gospel. This is a lie from the pit, it has the effect of reducing the churches responsibility to preach the gospel and make disciples. God is not going to use 144,000 Jews or raise up two super apostles to finish off the churches work. As I point out in my commentary on Revelation the 144,000 and the two witnesses are the church. When Jesus gave the church the great commission he said "I am with you always, to the very end of the age", he did not say almost to the very end of the age, he said always. Finally we need to heed the warnings Jesus gives us to "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Mat 24:42 NIV).

(Isa 5:18-19 NIV) Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, {19} to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it."

(Luke 21:34-36 NIV) "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. {35} For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. {36} Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Related books from Amazon linked to

1. The Great Tribulation: Past or Future? Thomas Ice and Kenneth Gentry Jr., Kregel, 1999. 224 pp. Compares the partial preterist verses futurist view of Matthew 24. If you are new to the view that Mat 24 refers to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 then this book is a good start.
2. The Church and the Tribulation by Robert Horton Gundry (post-trib)
3. End Times Fiction : A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology by Gary Demar
4. A Basic Guide to Eschatology : Making Sense of the Millennium by Millard J. Erickson
5. Blessed Hope by George Eldon Ladd (rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Christ are the same)
6. Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church, Gary DeMar, 1999, This is a welcome corrective to the current last days madness. Partial preterist view. More books like this available from their American Vision prophecy books website.
7. The last days according to Jesus - R C Sproul
8. Biblical Studies in Final Things by William E. Cox