What exactly is the great tribulation?
What exactly is the great tribulation?
Luke 17:The great tribulation is a time near the very end whereas the world will pretty much be in total chaos .... (like in the days of Noah) .... and Jesus will return and take the saved to heaven.
What exactly is the great tribulation?
It is a time of consolidation of power by an unrighteousWhat exactly is the great tribulation?
up to the 5th seal, it cannot be the wrath of God, because the martyrs are asking how long it will be until He judges. That means He hasn't judged yet. They are not rebuked with "well ever since seal 1 God has been judging the world" They're told to wait, because the judgement is still in the future.9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
This is not "the day of His wrath has been happening" This is "is come" meaning it's here now, it wasn't before. These are also the same signs Jesus talked about in Matthew 24:29-30. Jesus said this would happen after the tribulation of those days. So whatever the tribulation of those days meant, not to you, not to your pastor, not to the crazy televangelist on TV, but what tribulation meant to Jesus, it is over by this time. This is the end of it. I'd argue it's how it gets cut short as Jesus promises it will be for the elect's sake. (Matthew 24:22)12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
God's wrath is not allowed to be delivered, until 144,000 of God's servants, from the tribes of Israel, have been sealed. But what about the rest of us, the Gentile believers who are not of the tribes of Israel? Well...1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The saints are in heaven, as you'd expect because of Matthew 24:31, and they have come out of great tribulation, before any trumpets or bowls. So whatever "great tribulation" means, it is over with by this point. It's in the past by this point. Anything going forward is not great tribulation. It is wrath.9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This refers to great tribulation17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
This refers to the first resurrection, which happens after this great tribulation, but..19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
But before the wrath of God, and we're invited to take refuge where Isaiah is going, in chambers, with doors. Remember what Jesus said in John 14:1-3.20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
another bonus, this describes the 2nd and 3rd vials, where God makes the water into blood, to give the wicked blood to drink in recompense for the blood of the saints that they have spilled.21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
The great tribulation is a time near the very end whereas the world will pretty much be in total chaos .... (like in the days of Noah) .... and Jesus will return and take the saved to heaven.
All will go through it ... but will be cut short .... for the sake of the elect (those saved)
Matthew 24:21-22
21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
Luke 17:
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Is this the Great Tribulation?
It is a time of consolidation of power by an unrighteous
remnant, whatever 7 heads 10 horns 10 crowns represent.
Within that time frame there will be heavy persecution of
those who worship the Lamb.
Revelation 7:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, Sir, you know.
So he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Tribulation is always used to mean religious persecution. It is never used in terms of the wrath of God.
Tribulation great or otherwise is suffered by humanity. Israel suffered tribulation all through the centuries because God allowed it, then they in turn they persecuted Christian Jews, then they suffered tribulation during the last war in Jerusalem in 70 Ad. Then the Christians suffered again under the RCC, it goes on and on. It does not matter when, it matters who and why. There are different reasons.What exactly is the great tribulation?
Great; meaning more than the usual. Israel suffered tribulation all through the centuries then they in turn persecuted Christian Jews, then they suffered tribulation during the last war in Jerusalem in 70 Ad. Then the Christians suffered again under the RCC, it goes on and on. It does not matter when, it matters who and why.
Those who are the Disciples of Jesus Christ of Nazareth will suffer persecution aka tribulation for His Namesake until the end.
Blessings.
This is 70AD. Not a Christian event but a Jewish rejection of their Messiah event.no doubt, Christians go through tribulation. But I’m specifically talking about the great tribulation, in which Jesus warns the disciples to flee Judea, and is called the “days of vengeance “ and “wrath on this people”.
I don’t think Christians were warned to flee judea for the RCC persecution (or any other persecution) nor are Christians destined to partake in God’s “wrath on this people” nor “days of vengeance”.
Because they have equated tribulation = God's wrath, they have sown confusion in their own minds, and within the body of Christ.
Well this
This is 70AD. Not a Christian event but a Jewish rejection of their Messiah event.
We can pinpoint may events in history where tribulation has occurred for humanity. The Olivet discourse, IMHO, is pointing to 70AD. That being said, we know there is also tribulation for His Namesake.I guess I’m confused by your position. Does the “unmatched” great tribulation, of the olivet discourse, refer to Christian persecution or God’s wrath on his enemies (in your case, apostate Israel)?
Revelation 16:15 (ESV): (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
This is literally right before the seveth and final trumpet is blown. The last trumpet. Notice Jesus says in Matthew 24:29-31 that he returns with a trumpet blast, and Paul affirms this in 1 Thessalonians 4. A trumpet blast signals Christ’s return to the earth. But back to Revelation 16:15 that I quoted.
It says, “I am coming like a thief” that is future tense. Jesus hasn’t returned yet. He even uses the same terminology that Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 5 to describe His return, like a thief.
There is no way to reconcile this with other scriptures like Matthew 24, 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5 than Jesus does not return until the end of the Tribulation at the sounding of the last Trumpet, just like He says in Matthew 24:29-31, “Immediately after the Tribulation… He will send out His angels with a trumpet call.”
Now as the OP asks, what is the Great Tribulation. No option for both the choices so I cannot select. It is both a pouring out of God’s wrath and a time of great persecution for the Church. Although I’d present that the wrath of God that is experienced in the Tribulation is wholly different from the wrath of God that the lost experience in hell. I view wrath in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as eternal wrath of hell, not the temporary wrath judgements of the Great Tribulation. For in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Paul is comparing and contrasting salvation with wrath. Salvation is eternal life, what’s the opposite of eternal life? Eternal punishment. So “God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through Jesus” is saying that we have eternal life in Jesus, no need to worry about hell.
14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.