What is the Great Tribulation?

Many of you have heard of the Great Tribulation (NIV Distress) that Jesus warned us about in Matthew 24:21, an event precipitated by what Christ called the “Abomination of Desolation.”  What does the term Great Tribulation mean? What will happen during that time? Here’s the text we are examining:

15“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (Matthew 24:15-21. ESV; emphasis added).

The Greek word translated as "Tribulation" is "Thlipsis." I have a Key Word Study Bible that enables me to explore how this Greek word was used in other passages. The term means “to crush, press, compress, squeeze; tribulation, trouble, and affliction.” This Greek word conveys the image of something being crushed, pressed, or squeezed under a great weight. It is used to describe severe physical affliction, along with mental or spiritual distress.

Examining how this word is used in different passages of the Bible will illuminate what the people of God should anticipate following the event Jesus described, the Abomination of Desolation (we’ll look at that event tomorrow). In Acts 8:1, we read about a “great persecution” after the martyrdom of Stephen:

And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1).

However, later in Acts 11:19, this same persecution is referred to as a thlipsis, the Greek term used by Jesus in Matthew 24:21 when He described what would occur in the end times. In that passage, it is translated into English as tribulation. Below is the text:

Now, those who had been scattered by the persecution (thlipseos) that broke out after Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews (Acts 11:19).

Finally, Paul employed the same Greek word when he wrote to the Thessalonian church regarding the persecution they were experiencing:

Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials (thlipsesin) you are enduring (2 Thessalonians 1:4).

We must prepare ourselves for the Great Tribulation, or persecution, by nurturing a close relationship with the Lord. The Great Tribulation, when it arrives, will be a time of worldwide persecution against those who serve the God of Israel. I believe the persecution will target all who refuse to take the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-17) or worship his image. We should not assume that the Lord will rapture us from this world before the Tribulation; instead, we should prepare our hearts to endure. The Tribulation is never described as the wrath of God. The wrath of God is only poured out after the Church is raptured at some point during the Great Tribulation, which begins after the midpoint of the seven-year period (Luke 17:26-30; Matthew 24:29-31). Let's grow in our dependence on Jesus and trust in Him. If you would like to explore more on this topic, I have composed 23 studies on the Book of Revelation to help you understand what will happen. They are all free and accessible on mobile devices. Keith Thomas

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These shortened thoughts are from the series called The End Times, found in the All Studies box on the Home Page. The study is titled, The Rapture and Day of the Lord. The video teaching of this topic is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/55VR6a8P9Bo