The time between the Rapture of the Church and the Glorious Appearing of Christ is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. We, however, will refer to it as Christ did in Matthew 24:21 when He informed the disciples that there would be a tribulation, a period of intense suffering like the world has never known. Although we have seen tremendous death and destruction in this century and the last, with World War II alone killing more than 56 million people and the Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami of 2004 killing more than 225,000, Jesus says that what will occur in the Tribulation will be nothing like has ever happened since the beginning of the world (Matthew 24:21).
This Tribulation is mentioned 49 times in the Old Testament and at least 15 times in the New Testament. It will be a time of God’s wrath against the entire earth (1 Thessalonians 1:9:10, Revelation 3:10). John describes the nature of the Tribulation as being such that everyone from kings to slaves will hide in caves and among the rocks and mountains and beg the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:15-17). This wrath will last 7 years, and there will only be survivors because it will be cut short to save the elect (Matthew 24:22).
The Church will not have to endure the Tribulation because Jesus will come back for the Church in an event called the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), saving it from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
The Tribulation is a terrible time, but it is not without purpose. It has three main objectives.
DISCIPLINE OF ISRAEL
The first objective is to discipline Israel for its rejection of Christ and prepare them for the coming Kingdom. Jeremiah 30 calls this time of testing, the time of “Jacob’s distress,” but emphasizes that Israel will be saved from it. During this time, God will chasten Israel justly and punish them, purging from them rebels who transgress against God (Ezekiel 20:38). Before it is over, two-thirds of Israel will be cut off and perish, but one-third will be refined and tested by God. This remnant will eventually return to God (Zechariah 13:8-9), acknowledging that Christ is their Lord and God will restore and heal their land.
END-TIME REVIVAL
The second objective of the Tribulation is to redeem believers from around the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that before the end comes, the Gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. As a result, there will be an end-time revival, and multitudes will be saved (Revelation 7:9-14).
JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED
The third objective of the Tribulation is God’s judgment of the wicked, those unbelievers who hardened their hearts to Christ and refused to believe (2 Thessalonians 2:12). God will judge all flesh and punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity (Isaiah 26:21, Jeremiah 25:30-32). In Revelation, we are told that even amid the wrath of God, these unbelievers will continue to curse Him and refuse to repent of their deeds (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21).
Although the Tribulation is inevitable, we know that God wants no one to perish. He is patient and wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). God has decided where and when each man must live so that they will search for Him and find Him though He is not far from any of us (Acts 17:26-27)! Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told us to go and make disciples of all nations and He assured us that He will be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). While we wait on Jesus’ return, we have work to do, a Message to get to the world!
