“About The Great Tribulation”

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21.

As we begin to discuss about the great tribulation, it is important we first understand the meaning of the keyword ‘tribulation’ as used in the opening text…

The word translated as ‘tribulation’ in the opening text, is from the Greek word ‘thlipsis’, meaning—pressure. It means pressure—either literally or figuratively. Other synonyms of the word tribulation as translated in the New Testament are: affliction, anguish, burden, persecution, and trouble.

All through the ages, since the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind has faced several kinds of tribulation and disaster. Some God-made—by his sovereign ideal; some man-made; and some others, devils’-made…

Even Israel—the chosen nation of God—also went through tribulations from God as a result of their evil deeds. Then the Church of Christ, since her emergence after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, has also suffered tribulations, especially in the form of persecution from non-believers.

But concerning the great tribulation, the Lord tells us in his own words that the great tribulation is a special kind of tribulation. That has never been experienced since the beginning of the world till the time he was speaking…

And that the great tribulation will not have its kind after it. Many Christian theologians are divided on their understanding and explanation of the great tribulation as mentioned by the Lord. Especially concerning its features and timing. So in this article, we want to see exactly what the scriptures say concerning the great tribulation.

The Features of the Great Tribulation

Having already known the meaning of the word ‘tribulation’, the great tribulation can therefore be explained as a period of great and unusual affliction. On the entire world and its inhabitants. And the major features of the great tribulation from scriptures are as follows:

• A Period of Great Deception: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”—Matthew 24:24. A major feature of the great tribulation is an unusual emergence of deception.
  
  Which will be masterminded by the anti-Christ and his false prophet (see 2 Thessallonians2:9-11; Revelation 13:13-15) the bible says the deceptions at the great tribulation will be so strong that if it were possible, the very elect of God shall also be deceived.
  
  
• A Period of Great Persecution of the Saints: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues and nations”—Revelation 13:7 (see also Daniel 8:24).
  
  Another prominent feature of the great tribulation is an unusual persecution of the Church. Yes, the church and saints of God of all ages have been persecuted and even martyred in large scale. But the persecution of the saints at the great tribulation will be far greater.
  
  The world will be subjected to many kinds of idolatry and rituals of which anyone that fails to follow suit, will be killed or ostracised (see Revelation 13:12, 14-15).
  
  
• A Period of God’s Wrath: The final stage of the great tribulation is a period of unusual disaster from God (Revelation 16:1-14). And this last phase of the great tribulation will happen after the rapture of the Church at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The bible says the true believers will not partake of God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
  
  To better understand this fact, the words of our Lord Jesus give us an eye-opener. Here are his exact words: “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark; and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”—Matthew 24:37-39.
  
  So amidst the great tribulation, Christ will come and rapture his church and after that, the remaining inhabitants of the earth will face the wrath of God as it was in the days of Noah.

Admonishment to the Church Concerning the Great Tribulation

With the above three features of the great tribulation, it is very clear that the saints or believers will partake of the great tribulation. Especially the periods of great deception and persecution. But the believers will not partake of the last phase of the great tribulation which is the wrath of God or the judgement of God.

However, concerning the great tribulation, the Lord admonishes the believers thus:

“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”—Luke 21:36.



From the above scripture, the Lord admonishes us concerning the great tribulation to be watchful and prayerful always. So we may be accounted worthy of escaping the things that shall come to pass at the great tribulation so that in the end, we will be able to stand before him—the Son of man.

Escape as used in the above scripture, can take either of two forms… Either escaping through death or martyr; or escaping through the rapture at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who do not escape the great tribulation will be taken in the tribulation. Either they are taken by the great deception or are taken by the great persecution through personal subjection…

And that is why the Lord admonishes us to be watchful and prayerful always. Because it’s only through these two spiritual tools we would be able to escape the great deception and persecution of the end-time at the great tribulation…

And finally be able to stand before our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ in paradise forever.

Remain Blessed!

Emeke Odili

Hello Odili,
I pretty much agree with your sequencing of events, and with the post trib rapture.
The rapture I believe in, however, is different from the main line consensus where we the living remnant are whisked away from the earth upon the Lords return. I will explain.
There are three areas in the bible in which we find the term "caught up" to the heavens, paradise, and God.
These are in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; and Revelation 12:5.
In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 we see an individual who after being caught up to heaven, later relates his experience to Paul on earth, thereby indicating the individual who was caught up is still on the earth.
In Revelation 12:5 we see the man child whom the travailing woman brought forth is caught up to God in heaven, only to see later in Revelation 12:17 the devil then going off to make war with the remnant survivors of her seed/the man child, who is on the earth.
As these two areas in which individuals being caught up to heaven indicate their being spiritually caught up, while they remain on earth; so too I believe what is often referred to as the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, is a spiritual event, and not one where we along with our bodies are whisked away up into the heavens.
So yes, the dead in Christ will rise first upon the Lords return, somewhere around the end of the beasts reign; which will then be followed by the living remnant at their appointed times.
Additionally, I see the remnant living on earth man child who is caught up to God, and Christ, in the heavens and paradise representing they who will be enlightened while the rest of the world who will have worshiped the beast, go into darkness (Isaiah 60:2-3).



2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

There's no rapture of the church.

Isa 26:
19But your dead will live, Lord;
their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust
wake up and shout for joy—
your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.
20Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until his wrath has passed by.
21See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;
the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Any discussion of the "great tribulation" that completely ignores the events of AD 64 - 70 AD in Israel is incomplete at best.

So Dino,

Are you one of those that believes the great tribulation already took place in the 70 AD in Israel?

Just a question to clarify.

A Period of Great Deception

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Which will be masterminded by the anti-Christ and his false prophet (see 2 Thessallonians2:9-11; Revelation 13:13-15) the bible says the deceptions at the great tribulation will be so strong that if it were possible, the very elect of God shall also be deceived.


I would think it is beings masterminded by the antichrists that are here even today under the influence of the father of lies (not seen) . The elect recognize God is no longer brining any new revelations as prophecy .They will not be deceived if one comes and says... the Lord said this of that or he appeared here or there I had a dream or out of the body experience . They are told beforehand before the last book(Revelation) was inspired.


The time of the abomination of desolation is already there doing its work to make the holy place of God unseen occupied by men seen. The time of reformation had already came .It provided a tribulation to those who did walk by faith now the the government was restored to the period of Judges. No outward representation of our Lord and King of kings in heaven not seen .Men where quick to and fulfill the void the reformation left.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Mathew 24:15

The holy place is the place of the unseen glory of God that will not be revealed until the last day . Until then, the new heavens and earth it remains veiled as a God who hides himself .

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.Mathew 24:23-27

Like a thief in the night.

What I think about it is irrelevant. What Scripture and history say is relevant.

Alright Brother,

Bring on the scriptures...

Then you can bring in the history along.

I'm waiting...

It began at the time of reformation, and will continue to the end of time . Christ saying it is finished. When the veil was rent and graves where opened (the first resurrection) signaling the beginning of new form of government .The last time period being used as a parable for the time then present (the time of kings and fathers in Israel )it had come to a end

The reformation is the key, it began the great tribulation that we are in (no outward representative) where men todays walk by faith the unseen eternal just as in the time of Judges. Men and woman prophesying . The court of the woman that separated men and woman was made to no effect when the veil was rent

But Brother,

if this view is to be true. Then we should be having a worse situation by now don't you think?

Because Jesus clearly tells us that the great tribulation is a never before seen tribulation.

But on the look of current events, I can't see any worse tribulation than has ever been seen from the beginning of the world till date.

Yup. There has been more worse tribulation than there was in AD70. Thats easy to prove.
Even world war2 was more tribulation.

I lost family in the camps.. RIP.

Its ridicilous to say the great tribulation was in AD70. That argument has been refuted so many times its not even funny.

Brother Emekrus may I ask where in Nigeria are you from? I know some people from Benin City!

It's really easy to place the Great Tribulation in the 1st century AD IF you don't let your particular blend of "theology" get in the way:

(Luke 21:20 KJV) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

(Luke 21:21 KJV) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains . . . .

The same events/timing in Matthew in regards to the GT:

(Mat 24:16 KJV) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
.
.
.
(Mat 24:21 KJV) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

We know from history that when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Roman armies of the war of 66-70 AD the place was sacked and the temple destroyed - this was the time that the early followers of Christ were told to "Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains"

It's simple and does not need "theological" acrobatics to explain away why it did not happen back in the 1st century AD.

The following did not happen back in 70 AD. Rome was the world power and no other nation threatened them.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

In the Olivet Discourse, Matthew and Luke [in places] are giving distinct EVENTS [SEQUENCES of]. And they are to "SEE" wholly distinct things [when they are to "FLEE"--one was in the events surrounding 70ad; the other in far-future in the specific time period leading up to His Second Coming to the earth). This is the SEQUENCE shown in Matthew 22:7&8 [v.7 = 70ad events] and then verse 8 [the LATER "THEN SAITH HE to His servants..." i.e. the 95ad writings of "The Revelation," where verse 1 states, "[The] Revelation of Jesus Christ, WHICH GOD GAVE UNTO HIM [unto Jesus], TO SHEW UNTO His Servants [7:3] things which must come to pass [4:1 the FUTURE things] IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]…" NOT things which will occur over the course of some 2000 years (as the Historicist viewpoint has it)].

Luke 21:12 basically states that BEFORE all of the beginning of birth PANGS [PLURAL] commence [(vv.8-11) which are in the far-future time period (kicking off "the Day of the Lord [TIME PERIOD]" 1Th5:2-3)], the 70ad events must occur (vv.12-24a, with the FLEEING when they SEE the city "compassed about" [which is not the case with the far-future "SEE & FLEE"--THEY are to "SEE" something ELSE]).

Agreed!

Details matter.

Your attitude is unnecessary.

Your assertion is unsupported. Israel arose against Rome in AD 66 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish–Roman_War).

"...nation will rise against nation, but the end is not yet ..."

Jesus, 33AD.

Simple, whether Rome rose against Israel or Israel against Rome, the end is not yet. But then again, end of what? what ended in 70AD? even the sacrifices did not end in 70AD.

And your point is...?

Mine is simply this: any discussion of the "great tribulation" is incomplete if it overlooks the belief held by some that the events of AD 66 - 70 were those about which Jesus prophesied. Picking at the details takes away nothing from my point.

You may not be familiar with my present location. May sound funny to you--LOL. But perhaps you may have heard of it, having heard of Benin City.

I live presently in Asaba.