Earth that is partially on fire

Tribulation

Biblical Terms, Devotionals / By

The Bible speaks of a time in the future that will include the greatest upheaval the world has ever seen. Daniel 12:1 announces, There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation. This is a specific period of time simply known as the Tribulation, but is also commonly known as the Tribulation Period or Tribulation Hour. The length of the Tribulation is seven years, which is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel chapter 9:24-27. The Great Tribulation, mentioned in Matthew 24:21 and Revelation 7:14, is the second half of the Tribulation. It will be three and one half years in length (Revelation 11:2; 12:6). It is distinguished from the Tribulation because the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. That is when most of the cataclysmic trauma will take place up to the time of the return of Jesus Christ.

There are at least two major reasons why the Tribulation must happen. The first reason is that God has planned a time when He will intervene in history to judge the world for its rebellion toward Him. God is going to do that throughout the seven years in a series of judgments culminating in the physical return of Jesus Christ in time and space (Acts 17:31). The second reason the Tribulation must happen is that God wants to discipline and then restore the rebellious nation of Israel. Jeremiah 30:7 speaks of this,  Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. This is speaking of the Tribulation when Israel will be judged by God for their rejection of their Messiah, Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 20:33-38).

The Jewish nation has been blinded for almost 2,000 years since they rejected Jesus as their Messiah. But God has a covenant with Israel that He made with Abraham and He will never break that covenant. It was an unconditional covenant that depended on God’s faithfulness and not His people’s obedience. The Bible says that God has to bring the nation of Israel to a place of such hopelessness, such utter despair that the only thing they can do is look up and see Christ at His coming and finally accept Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10). It is in that day when Christ breaks through the clouds that national Israel will repent and be forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 11:25-26, 25 Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

The Tribulation is when the Antichrist is allowed to reign as a political and military dictator. He starts off as a unifier by bringing peace and brotherhood to the Middle East. He somehow makes a peace agreement allowing the Jewish people to reinstitute their sacrificial system, but it is all a façade (Daniel 9:27). In the middle of the seven years, he does something appalling. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 states of the Antichrist that he, Opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. This is where all hell breaks loose. The Antichrist marches into the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and proclaims to be god. With the help of the False Prophet, they set up a image of the Antichrist in the Jewish Temple and they force the world to worship him as god (Revelation 13:14-15). But the good news is the when Christ returns He ends the reign of the Antichrist by casting him and the False Prophet alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). Christ intervenes, saves Israel and the Gentile believers who are left, and sets up His Kingdom where He rules as King.

The Tribulation is still in the future and begins after the Rapture of the church. Once all the true believers are safely taken to heaven, God begins the final drama, by sending horrific judgments the world has never seen before (Mark 13:20). God unleashes His wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth to punish them for all their ungodly ways (Jude 15).

Scripture Reference

For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.

33 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you.

34 “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out;

35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

36 “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God.

37 “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

38 and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even 1speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

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