Do Christians go through the Great Tribulation ?

The Great Tribulation is recorded in the New Testament and it is translated from the Greek words "Thlipsis Megale" which means great trouble, distress, affliction or calamity. It is spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ during His Great Discourse on the End of the World.

Here is what He said;

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22)

Some Dispensationalist churches teach that Christians do not go through the Great Tribulation because they believe they would have been secretly raptured (snatched up) to heaven when the Great Tribulation occurs in the world, but the Lord Jesus Christ said the "elect" will still be in the world during that time. The Dispensationalists argue the "elect" refer only to the Jews and not Christians. This is not what the Bible says. In the New Testament the “elect” refers to Christians that are chosen by God for salvation (Lk. 18:7; Col. 3:12; Rev. 17:14). The Holy Bible is very clear that Christians will still be on earth during the Great Tribulation.

Please go to this web page: The Secret Rapture

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• “Behold the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate, And He will destroy its sinners from it.” (Isa. 13:9)

• “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” (Isa. 13:11)

• “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Zeph. 1:15)

Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:9-13

9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My names sake.

10. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

11. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

The Lord Jesus Christ said He will return “Immediately after the tribulation of those days" and not before.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of then will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Mt. 24:29-30)

If the Lord Jesus Christ returns "immediately after" the Great Tribulation then Christians will still be here on earth during that time.

• To Sanctify the Church with the Truth The Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the Father: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:15-17) “that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water with the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:26-27)

• To Strengthen the Faith of the Believers “strengthening the souls of the Disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”(Acts 14:22)

• To Test the Faith of the Believers “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, it need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:6-7)

According to the New Testament God would take care of the Christians during the Great Tribulation, but they would still be in the world at that time.

• “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Rev. 3:10)

• “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Lk. 21:34-36)

• The Lord Jesus Christ said that Christians would escape the Great Tribulation only if they would watch (be alert) and pray always.

• “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Mt. 24:15-16)

• The “abomination of desolation” occurred when the sacrifice and offering is ended (Dan. 9:27).

• The “little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, . . . who exalted himself” is identified as the Antichrist in the End Time. He caused the daily sacrifices to be taken away (Dan. 8:9-12).

• “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.” (Dan. 11:36)

• All the above scriptural verses point to the Antichrist who would be revealed during the Time of the Great Tribulation (2 Thes. 2:1-12).

The biblical terminology "abomination of desolation" is recorded in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14.

"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand)." (Mt. 24:15-16)

These words are taken from the Lord Jesus Christ's Great Discourse on the End Time. Luke's record of the sermon explains what the abomination of desolation is about.

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near." (Luke 21:20)

• “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” (Rev. 12:13-14)

• God instructed Noah, “Make yourself an ark . . . You shall go into the ark – you, your sons, . . . And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” (Gen. 6:14-21)

• They (Satanic forces) went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” (Rev. 20:9)

• “And they (Christians) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Rev. 12:11)

• Although Christians go through the Great Tribulation they receive special care and protection from the Lord Jesus Christ.