With the recent happenings around the world as related to the Corona Virus (COVID 19) Pandemic, 5G and All the conspiracy theories surrounding it, a lot of questions have been in the minds of believers around the world, questions like:
– Will the Church go through the Great Tribulation?
– What did The Bible say about The Church and The Great Tribulation?
The Article Below will answer some of the questions in your heart.
Please note that the book of Revelation is full of symbols. Since there are diverse views on the meanings of the symbols, in this article, we make no attempt to explain the symbols like the beast, the mark of the beast, et cetera.
Introduction:
The church by nature has been going through tribulations, trials and persecutions since inception. The church is bound to suffer persecutions and tribulations in every generation (Acts 14: 22; 1Thess. 3: 4; 2Thess. 1: 4; 2 Tim. 3: 12).
But there is what Scripture calls “the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7: 14).
1) The Great Tribulation is the period of time when mankind and particularly the Jews will go through unprecedented suffering (Jer. 30: 7; Dan. 12: 1; Mt. 24: 21).
2) The world will experience a lot of troubles including earthquakes, wars, diseases and such like for at least the last seven years of this age (Rev. 6: 1-17; 8: 1-11:19).
But what is called the Great Tribulation will last for only three and half years (Dan. 7: 25; 12: 6, 7; Mt. 24: 22; Rev. 11: 2, 3; 12: 6, 14).
3) The main characteristics of the Great Tribulation will be war and oppression by the Beast!
The Beast will greatly oppress the saints (Jews) and establish an economic system by which anyone who does not have his mark would not do business (Dan.7: 21, 25; Rev. 13: 1-18).
It is note worthy to say that there will be a lot of calamities before the Beast emerges (Rev. 6: 1-12: 17). But although those calamities will be very severe, all those who have the seal of God will not be touched by them (Rev. 7: 1-3; 9: 4).
Note also that the Beast will only emerge as a tool for the Serpent to persecute the remnant of the seed of the Woman who serve God and Jesus Christ (Rev. 12: 13-17).
The Woman will flee from the presence of the Serpent into the Wilderness which is prepared for her preservation for three and half years. So, the Woman will be out of the reach of the Serpent and the Beast through out the time of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12: 13-17).
4) The Beast will be empowered by the Serpent to fight and oppress the remnants of the seed of the Woman who worship God and Christ (Rev. 12: 17; 13: 2, 5-8).
5) When the Beast emerges, there will be a message to those on earth not to accept his mark but to worship God and Christ. This message will not be preached by the church nor to the church but by Special Messengers to the inhabitants of the world (Rev. 14: 6-12).
Notice that the Beast which is also called the The Little Horn in Daniel 7: 8 will emerge from one of the four divisions of the defunct Greecian empire, namely, Eygpt, Greece, Turkey and Syria (Dan. 7: 8; 8: 8-25).
The Little Horn is called the King of the North in Daniel 11: 40-45. The northern kingdom out of the four divisions, is Syria.
6) Every human being will not take the mark of the Beast. Many Jews will refuse the mark and overcome him (Rev. 15: 1-4; 20: 4).
7) Jesus will return to earth as the Messiah to deliver the Jews (not the Church) from the oppression of the Beast (also called the king of the north in Daniel 11: 40-45). That is the essence of the battle of Armageddon.
The Beast and the False Prophet will be caught alive and thrown into the lake of fire at the battle of Armageddon when Christ returns with the saints from heaven to establish his kingdom on earth (Rev. 19: 11-16, 19-21).
(The expression the “Beast and the False Prophet” suggests that the system would comprise of poltical and religious headship. This points to Islamic nations like Iran).
The armies of the Beast would be stationed against Jerusalem at this time but will also be destroyed at the battle of Armageddon.
8) Jesus and all the prophets say that the Great Tribulation is for the Jews (Jer. 30: 7; Dan. 12: 2; Mt. 24: 15-25). That is why it is called the time of Jacob’s Trouble. Note that Jesus’ reference to the Great Tribulation was in connection to the Jews (Mk. 13: 14-24).
It does appear that since God has shown more favour to the Jews than other nations, they will also experience greater tribulation than any other nations of the world.
But why they will suffer the Great Tribulation is because they refuse to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Through the tribulation by the Beast, the Jews will be forced to call upon God to send their Messiah which is Jesus! That is the essence of the Great Tribulation ( Zech. 12: 10).
The Messiah will return to earth in response to the prayers of the Jews for deliverance from the oppression of the gentiles.
9) The church is mentioned in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation. But from chapter 4 to chapter 20, the church is not mentioned in connection with earthly events; only the Jews are mentioned in this regard (Rev. 7: 3-8).
Instead the redeemed are seen in heaven (Rev. 5: 8-1).
Note again that the Woman of Revelation 12 is the main target of the Serpent.
The Woman is clothed with the moon and the sun and has a crown of 12 stars (Rev. 12: 1). If this is compared with Genesis 37: 9, it may seem that the Woman in Revelation 12 is Israel. If so, this agrees with the prophets.
Although, other nations will suffer under the Beast, according to Revelation 12: 17; 17: 14; 16: 12-16; 19:19 it does appear that the main target of the Beast is the remnant of the seed of the Woman and the Lamb.
It is clear that the church will not be on earth at the time of the Beast. That is why the church is not mentioned in connection with this period of time.
Notice also that the apostles never prepared the church to face the Beast! None of the Epistles to the churches tells the believers how to face the Beast.
This is clear eveidence that the church will not go through the great tribulation.
10) God’s pattern is to remove his people before the unbelievers are destroyed (Is. 57:1; Lk. 17: 29; 2Pet. 2:9).
a) Noah and his family entered the ark before the great flood (Gen. 7: 1-15).
b) Lot and his family were sent out of Sodom and Gormorrha before the fire of destruction fell on the land (Gen.19: 12-29).
c) The Jews in Goshen were safe from all the plagues that befell Eygpt (Ex. 8: 22; 9: 26).
d) The Wicked One will not manifest unless the church is taken out of the way (2Thess. 2:1-17).
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”. 1Thess. 5: 9 NIV
d) God has promised that as long as the righteous is in the land, he would not destroy the land (Gen. 18: 23-33). God cannot allow the righteous to go through the period of wrath and judgment.
The great tribulation is for the natural, unsaved Jews and not for the church.
It will involve military battles. The church will be in the air with Christ at the time of the great tribulation.
Fear not!
Rev. Joshua Izugbara Nwokedi is The Senior of The Living Ambassadors Church Kubwa Abuja, Nigeria. He is an author of several books. Visit https://izugbara.org/ for his books and Articles