What Old Testament book mentions the tribulation?

Answer 1

A:

No book either in the Old Testament or the New Testament writes of the Tribulation, in the sense defined by John Nelson Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren, in the nineteenth-century. Barbara R. Rossing (The Rapture Exposed) says that the 'Tribulation' has its origins in 1830, when fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald attended a healing service, where she was said to have seen a vision of a two-stage return of Jesus Christ. The story of her vision was adopted and amplified by John Nelson Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren.

The belief that Jesus will come again was not new, and Christians have always taught that Jesus will return to earth and that believers should live in anticipation of his second coming. Darby's new teaching was that Christ would return twice. The first return would be in secret, to "Rapture" his church out of the world and up to heaven, before the Tribulation. Christ would return a second time after seven years of global tribulation for non-believers, to establish a Jerusalem-based kingdom on earth. Instead of predicting a specific date for Christ's return, he invented "dispensations" - that is, intervals of time ordering God's grand timetable for world events. From this expression came "dispensationalism," a particular system or school of thinking about the end-times reflecting Darby's premise.

Proponents admit that the dispensationalist system is not spelled out in any single passage in the Bible. Nevertheless they insist that a comprehensive system is necessary and that Darby's dispensationalism, with its divisions of history and its two-stage future return of Christ, is "the only system" that can make sense of otherwise contradictory biblical passages. They have combed the Bible, looking for clues that could plausibly be argued to support dispensationalism and the tribulation.

Daniel 9:25-27 gives a chronology of seventy 'weeks' of Israel's history - with a day representing a year in this apocalyptic book. According to Darby and the dispensationalists, the first 483 years of the Daniel prophecy were fulfilled in ancient Israel's history only up to week number sixty-nine. They say Daniel's final seventieth week, with the desecration of the Jewish temple, will ocur during the tribulation - never mind that the Temple was desecrated shortly before Daniel was actually written, or by the Romans in 70 CE. So, the Book of Daniel is the peg on which proponents of Darby's tribulation scheme hang their belief in the tribulation. But read carefully and in context, Danieldoes not mention the tribulation.

Answer

The Tribulation is mentioned in the Old Testament many times, often by synonym, but they all refer to the same event. (For example, "Day of the Lord" is mentioned over 100 times in the King James version)

The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70AD. The Temple Daniel's 70th Week is not those, but refers to the desecration of the yet-to-be-rebuilt Third Temple .

Malachi 4

• 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Deuteronomy 4

• 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

Daniel 12

• 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Zephaniah 1

• 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Jeremiah 30

• 7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Isaiah 21

• 8 For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Isaiah 35

• 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isaiah 61

• 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Isaiah 63

• 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

Zephaniah 1

• 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Answer 2

Actually, most of Revelation describes both the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation.

Answer:

The words "Great Tribulation" are used as such in the King James version of The Bible in Matthew 24:21.

"For then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

The "literal" read is:

"For then affliction great, such as not has occurred from origin of world until now..." (Literal Bible with Strong's Definitions - Matt.24:21).

The inspired word for "affliction" [translated "tribulation" in KJV] is: "thlipsis" [pronounced just like it's spelled].

"thlipsis": "pressure (literally or figuratively)." (Strong's Definitions)

Elsewhere in the KJV; where this inspired word is used in other passages... the King James translators rendered "thlipsis"; afficted(-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble."

Jesus goes on in the next verse of His description to reveal that the Great Tribulation will result in ALL LIFE ON EARTH coming to AN END if God doesn't "cut those days short." And soon after, return to earth to stop it.

"And except those days should be shortened, there should NO FLESH BE SAVED [that's man or animal]: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (verse 22)

For such life-ending global devastation to occur... it stands to reason that "all of man's war-making capabilities" have to come into play here [i.e. World War III]: biological, chemical, nuclear... and who knows what else might presently be on the world's war room drafting tables.

Jesus' description of the Great Tribulation, however, begins with Matthew 24's verse 9... and concludes with verse 29... where the "heavenly signs" [the darkening of the earth and great 'natural' upheaval] "cuts it short."

"Immediately after the Tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light..." (verse 29).

This description by Jesus of the Great Tribulation in Matthew corresponds to the FIFTH SEAL of Revelation chapter 6... that last book of the Bible, that's written as one of Jesus' "parables" full of meaning-hiding symbols, so that the multitudes [the vast majority of mankind] won't understand.

"This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." (Matt.13:13 NIV)

As Revelation's fifth seal alludes... and with which Matthew 24's verse 9 describes -- the Great Tribulation will begin and escalate as PERSECUTION AGAINST JESUS' NAME BY ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD!!!

"Then shall they deliver you [God's servants, to whom Jesus was speaking in private on the Mount of Olives at the time] up to be afflicted, and SHALL KILL YOU: and ye shall be hated of all nations FOR MY NAME's SAKE." (verse 9)

In other words... the Great Tribulation will begin as a WORLDWIDE PERSECUTION of CHRISTIANS. Persecution of those who try to tell the world of God's Love -- which the world spins into "HATE SPEECH." Much like what the world thinks the Bible is, today... along with those who quote it, in Jesus' name, trying to reveal to the world that it needs to "repent" of its ways and turn to its Creator [Jesus Christ - John 1:3] for His Mercy and Forgiveness. Words that this merciless and unforgiving world can't [or refuses] hear.

It's actually Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21... three different viewpoints... of Jesus' description of the signs and global events that precede and include HIS RETURN to earth with the Kingdom of God. They all begin the Great Tribulation with the same global persecution against the servants of God:

"But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues [churches] ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings [government leaders] FOR MY NAME's SAKE, for a testimony against them." (Mark 13:9)

"...they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers FOR MY NAME's SAKE. And it shall turn to you for a testimony." (Luke 21:12-13)

In each of the three biblical descriptions of the Great Tribulation [affliction, global woes, distress and troubles]... the result is the same: the alleged "politically correct" policy of today's governments of "tolerance of the religions of the world" ceases to be extended to the unwavering, unchanging Commandments of God's Word... and to those who preach it.

"For in those days shall be AFFLICTION, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be [again]. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, NO FLESH SHOULD BE SAVED: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days." (Mark 13:19-20)

So, the Great Tribulation is slated as "Satan's wrath" upon God's people for 3 1/2 years... during which time any "organized" public assembly, activity or anyone otherwise employed under "Jesus' name" will be breaking the law and subject to be put to death.

The only ones who will be "specially protected" by God during this time, and permitted to publicly witness, testify and warn the world of God's "good news" [gospel] of the coming Kingdom of God [which the world will think is already here in the rise of the Beast and False Prophet in the world] will be the "Two Witnesses." They will survive the Great Tribulation-long onslaught of the Beast and the nations to stop them BY GOD'S SPECIAL PROTECTION:

"...I will give power unto My Two Witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [3 1/2 years], clothed in sackcloth... And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have the Power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy [during the Great Tribulation, when the Beast and False Prophet rule]: and have Power over waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." (Rev.11:3-6)

With Jesus' name outlawed by the nations of the world... the Two Witnesses are key to the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom during the Great Tribulation... for they will be the ONLY ONES IN THIS JESUS-HATING WORLD who will be able to reach ALL THE NATIONS with the "gospel of the Kingdom" before "the end comes."

"And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD for a witness unto ALL NATIONS [which will despise them]; and then shall the end come." (Matt.24:14)

"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, AND KILL THEM." (verse 7)

Ensuing verses reveal that the Two Witnesses are killed 3 1/2 DAYS before Jesus returns. For then is when the SEVENTH and LAST Trumpet sounds; the prophesied moment of Jesus' return with clouds:

"And THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and THEN shall all the tribes [nations] of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming IN THE CLOUDS of heaven with Power and Great Glory. And He shall send His angels with a GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET..." (Matt.24:30-31).

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout... with the TRUMP OF GOD: and THE DEAD in Christ shall RISE FIRST: THEN we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them IN THE CLOUDS, to meet the Lord in the air..." (I Thess.4:16-17).

"...in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, and the DEAD shall be raisedincorruptible, and we shall be changed." (I Cor.15:52)

These elements of the last trumpet sounding... and rising into the clouds are present 3 1/2 days after the Two Witnesses shall be killed. They're DEAD bodies resurrect as the seventh and LAST TRUMPET sounds... and they rise into the clouds -- obviously, as the prophecies read, to "meet the Lord in the air." For the Two Witnesses shall indeed be among the "dead in Christ" when the "last trump" of God sounds:

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of Life from God entered into them [the Two Witnesses' dead bodies], and they stood upon their feet... and they ascended up to heaven IN A CLOUD... And the seventh angel sounded [the seventh and last trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev.11:11-15)

These are some of the Bible's descriptions of the soon-coming Great Tribulation as ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD [even including America that used to be the bastion of religious freedom in the world] grow to hate the name of Jesus Christ in any public environ... and grow to despise God's Word, believing it to be "intolerant hate speech." As all the nations of the world pass laws against the name of Jesus Christ... and punish those who dare to utter it aloud.

The Great Tribulation is encapsulated in Revelation's fifth seal.

"...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: and they cried out 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? 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." (Rev.6:9-11)

That is a disturbing biblical description of the Great Tribulation to the servants of God who know and understand what it's saying by reading Jesus' explanation of it in Matthew 24. Although many modern professing Christians don't know or understand it... being taught and believing that they will be wisked safely away to heaven during this time.

The life's blood [soul - Lev.17:11] of God's saints symbolically cries out from "under the altar" [where the blood of the sacrificed goats, bullocks and lambs were poured out - Ex.29:12]. For thousands of years, God's servants have suffered under the persecution of the world and its god, the Dragon; Satan the Devil [Rev.12:9]. And the "souls" [the blood; the 'Life' of God's saints, like Righteous Abel's blood - Gen.4:10, cries out to be avenged]. And God reveals that the Great Tribulation marks the time of the last of God's "martyrs." The last of God's called-out-ones in the world are about to follow in their footsteps [that should be fulfilled], to complete the number of His Children the Father needs to fill all the offices and jobs in His Kingdom... when the returning King, Jesus Christ, will gather them all at His return, and begin to establish "God's Will on earth."

These are some of the scriptures in the Bible describing the Great Tribulation.

Tribulation... affliction, distress and woe have always been in the world. But, so far... none of it has been "Great" enough to END ALL LIFE on it. Great unprecedented global afflictionis still ahead of the nations of the world... and a lot closer than anyone thinks. And the above biblical descriptions... combined with the growing intolerance in the world for the public utterance of Jesus' name should be raising some red flags in the hearts and minds of God's servants... His "elect."