When will the great tribulation begin?

Answer 1

The first mention of this event come from Mark's Gospel, which has Jesus prophecy the end of the world within the lifetimes of those alive at his time. Mark indicates that this was expected to be no later than the early 70s of the first century.

By the 80s of the first century, when Matthew's Gospel was written, the return predicted in Mark's Gospel was becoming unlikely - the generation had already passed - and the author of Matthew had to change the emphasis away from an impending end of the world. While copying as faithfully as possible from Mark, he changed the position of the sentence about "this generation", relative to the destruction of the great buildings, so that it referred to something else altogether. He added, and emphasised, material where Jesus told the disciples that the end is not yet, and that no man knows when the end of the world will occur. Matthew 24:21 talks of great tribulation that will be followed by the end of the world and the second coming. Some also see the Book of Revelation as containing a biblical reference to the great tribulation.

Over the centuries, there have been numerous predictions of the tribulation to occur within the lifetimes of those prepared to listen, but nothing has happened so far. Perhaps if the world will end in 2012, the tribulation must begin very soon. Or perhaps it never will.

AnswerThe Bible does not give any date when the great tribulation will start. It will happen after deception, wars, natural disasters, persecution, and false prophets and messiahs, but there is nothing new about this as they have always occurred in the past. However God does give an indication:

-it will occur after the Gospel has been proclaimed all over the world (see v.14)

[which means it could not have occurred before the 20th century]

-It could only occur after worldwide annihilation was possible, and this was impossible until the 1950's with the invention of the Atom and Hydrogen Bombs.

[ Other modern translations render the last part of v.22 as "saved alive", [I used this one for readibility]

- The ONLY sign God gives it that it will be after the "abomination of desolation' prophesied by Daniel the prophet stand in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem.

As this Temple has not yet been rebuilt the Great Tribulation is yet future.

Mat 24:1-22 MKJV And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. (v.2) And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone on another that shall not be thrown down. (v.3) And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world? (v.4) And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (v.5) For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many. (v.6) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet. (v.7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. (v.8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (v.9) Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted and will kill you. And you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake. (v.10) And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another. (v.11) And many false prophets will rise and deceive many. (v.12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold. (v.13) But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe. (v.14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come. (v.15) Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). (v.16) Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains. (v.17) Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; (v.18) nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes. (v.19) And woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days! (v.20) But pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the sabbath day; (v.21) for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. (v.22) And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved . But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

However, the vestements and utensils for the rebuilt temple are being made right now in Israel, and there is mounting pressure from both Israeli and Moslem groups for the Temple to be rebuilt (see links below).