What is the Great Tribulation? Will Christians go through the Great Tribulation?

The Great Tribulation is a short period of time when Satan is loosed from the bottomless pit just before the return of Jesus Christ on the Last Day (see Prophecy Chart). This short period of time is also symbolically called ‘the little season’, ‘3 ½ days’, ’42 months’ and ‘3 ½ times’, etc. This time period is fueled by Satan and includes the revealing of the Antichrist (i.e., man of sin, son of perdition, the Beast, the Little Horn, the King of the North, the King of Babylon, etc.) This is a time of Great Tribulation on God’s people (Christians) on earth. There is profound deception that occurs during the Great Tribulation as well as persecution of God’s people and the prevalence of the acceptance of sin and idolatry in the church (a.k.a, Babylon).

This time of tribulation has seven distinguishing features:

Important Links about the Great Tribulation:

Great Tribulation You Tube Videos

Great Tribulation Studies

False Teaching about the Great Tribulation

Background about Great Tribulation

Great Tribulation You Tube Videos

Great Tribulation You Tube Video Links:

Great Tribulation – Revelation Videos:

Rev 6:7-8 – The Pale (Greenish) Horse
Rev 6:8 – The Pale Horse – Sword, Famine, Death and Beasts
Rev 6:9-11 – The 5th Seal: The Souls under the Altar
Rev 7:9-14 – The Great Multitude from the Great Tribulation
Rev 8:13-9:2 – 5th Trumpet (1st Woe) – The Bottomless Pit
Rev 9:3-4 – 5th Trumpet – The Locusts are Loosed
Rev 9:5-6,10 – 5th Trumpet – The Sting of the Scorpions
Rev 9:7-10 – 5th Trumpet – The Identification of the Locusts
Rev 9:11-12 – 5th Trumpet – Locust King – Abaddon/Apollyon
Rev 9:13-15 – Loosing of the 4 Angels at the Euphrates River
Rev 9:16 – The 200,000,000 Army at the Euphrates
Rev 9:17-19 – Description of the Army at the Euphrates
Rev 9:17-19 – The Killing of the 1/3 Part
Rev 9:20-21 – The 2/3 of Humankind that do not Repent
Rev 11:2-3,8 – Symbolic Meaning of 3 1/2, 42 and 1260
Rev 11:2 – Holy City Trodden Down by Gentiles 42 months
Rev 11:7 – Killing of the 2 Witnesses by the Beast
Rev 11:8-10 – 2 Witnesses Lie Dead in Street for 3 1/2 days
Rev 11:13 – Fall of the 1/10 (Tithe) of Jerusalem
Rev 13:1-2,5 – Who is the Beast with 7 Heads and 10 Horns?
Rev 13:3 – Beast as a Leopard, Bear’s Feet, Lion’s Mouth
Rev 13:3 – The Mortal Wound of the Beast Healed
Rev 13:3-4,8 – Wonder and Worship of the Beast
Rev 13:1, Rev 13:5-6 – The Blasphemy of the Beast
Rev 13:4,7 – The Beast’s War on the Saints
Rev 13:9-10 – Christian Captivity
Rev 13:11 – The Beast with 2 Horns as a Lamb
Rev 13:12 – The Teaching of the False Prophet
Rev 13:13-14 – Signs and Wonders and Fire from Heaven
Rev 13:14-15 – What is the Image of the Beast?
Rev 13:17 – Buying and Selling during the Great Tribulation
Rev 13:16-17 – What is the Mark of the Beast?
Rev 13:17 – What is the Name of the Beast?
Rev 13:17-18 – Spiritual Meaning of 666
Rev 16:12 – 6th Bowl – Euphrates dried for the Kings of the East
Rev 16:13-14 – 6th Bowl – 3 Frogs (Unclean Spirits)
Rev 16:14,16 – 6th Bowl – Battle of Armageddon
Rev 16:15 – 3rd Beatitude – Blessed are those who Watch
Rev 16:17-18 – 7th Bowl – Judgment on the Air
Rev 16:18-20 – 7th Bowl – the Greatest Earthquake in Prophecy
Rev 16:21 – 7th Bowl – Hail from Heaven
Rev 17-18 – Babylon – False Christian Church – 13 Reasons
Rev 17-18 – Babylon in the Great Tribulation
Rev 17:3,7-8,11 – Scarlet Beast that Was, Is Not, Yet Is
Rev 17:3,7,9-10 – The 7th Head of the Scarlet Beast
Rev 17:3,7,12-17 – 10 Horns of the Scarlet Beast
Rev 18:2-4,13,17,22-24) – The Inhabitants of Babylon
Rev 17:1-5,18:3 – Babylon and Spiritual Harlotry
Rev 17:4-5 – Babylon and the Abomination of Desolation
Rev 17:5 – Babylon as the Mother of Harlots
Rev 17:1,515,18,19:2 – Babylon as the Great, Mighty City
Rev 18:7 – Queen Babylon and the Image of the Beast
Rev 18:3-19 – Babylon Merchandises Christianity
Rev 18:3-23 – Merchants and Ships of Babylon
Rev 18:12-13 – Merchandise of Babylon
Rev 18:22-24 – Babylon’s Sorcery and Deception
Rev 17:6,18:20,24,19:2 – The Blood of Babylon
Rev 17:1,18:1-2,6-16 – Double Judgment on Babylon
Rev 17:16-17 – 10 Horns Hate the Whore
Rev 18:4-5 – When to Come out of Babylon
Rev 18, 19:2 – Great Millstone – Babylon’s Final Judgment
Rev 18:8-19 – Mourning for Babylon
Rev 19:1-6 – Rejoicing (Alleluia) for Judgment on Babylon
Rev 20:3,7-9 – The Loosing of Satan
Rev 20:7-9 – Gog and Magog in Prophecy

Great Tribulation Studies

False Teaching about the Great Tribulation

Common Evangelical Beliefs about the Great Tribulation

False Beliefs about the conditions of the Great Tribulation
Most premillennialists believe that the church will be gone (secret rapture)
Catastrophic earthly disasters – Earthquakes, darkness, heavenly signs
Economic calamities, famine, diseases
Tyranny of the antichrist (world leader) over national Israel and the world
Literal mark of the beast (hand / forehead) in order to buy or sell

Background about Great Tribulation

Click on above links to view videos

‘Tribulation’ Defined
Literal meaning of Greek word ‘thlipsis’ – to put under pressure (stress, affliction)
Church Age Tribulation, but not the Great Tribulation
- These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Joh 16:33)
- And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience (Rom 5:3)
- So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure (2Th 1:4)
- The ‘church age’ is characterized by tribulation :
  - Ro 5:3-5, Mat 13:21, John 16:33, Ro 8:35, 12:12, 2 Cor 1:4, 7:4, Eph 3:3, 2 Thess 1:4-6
  - Gr: thlipsis – trouble – 1 Cor 7:28, 2 Cor 1:4,8, Mk 4:17, 13:19, Acts 7:10-11, 20:23, 2 Cor 2:4, 4:17, 6:4, 8:2, Phil 1:6, 4:14, Col 1:24, 1 Thess 1:6, 3:3,7, Heb 10:33, James 1:27
  - Gr: thlibo – troubled – 2 Cor 4:8, 7:5, 2 Thess 1:7, 2 Cor 1:6, 1 Tim 5:10, Heb 11:37
  - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Great Tribulation Primary Passages – New Testament

- Book of Revelation (6 separate passages)
- Olivet Discourse (Mat 24, Mk 13, Lk 21)
- 2 Thess 2
- Luke 17, 1 John 2:18 (antichrist)

‘Great’ Tribulation – Olivet Discourse
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 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. (Mat 24:15, 21-24)
The ‘elect’ are God’s chosen people
- Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Col 3:12)
- Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness (Titus 1:1)
‘Great’ Tribulation’ Saints
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou know. 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. (Rev 7:13-14)
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
- Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2Th 2:1-3)
- Order of end-time events:
- Church Age – be not soon shaken in mind
- Great Tribulation (antichrist – a.k.a. the man of sin / son of perdition revealed)
- Last Day (gathering together for the reward of eternal life for God’s people or eternal judgment for others)
Great Tribulation Primary Passages – Old Testament
Days of Noah (Mat 24, Luke 17 and Genesis 6)
Days of Lot (Luke 17 and Genesis 19)
Captivity, killing and scattering of Israel / Judah
- Babylonian / Assyrian Captivities
- Siege and destruction of Jerusalem
- Topic in most of the Old Testament prophets
- Extensive information concerning the Great Tribulation
Other Names for the ‘Great’ Tribulation
4 passages refer to a ‘Great Tribulation’ – Mat 24:21, Rev 7:14, Rev 2:22, Acts 7:11
Other names of the same time period:
- Little season – Rev 20:3, 7-9, Rev 6:11
- Time of falling away (apostasy) – 2 Thess 2:3
- 2300 days (little horn)- Dan 8:9-14
- King of North’s indignation against holy covenant – Dan 11:30
- 42 months (beast) – Rev 13:5
- 3 ½ days (2 Witnesses dead bodies lay in street) – Rev 11:9
- Last half of the 70^th week – Dan 9:27