A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 24
Jesus returns to Earth AFTER the Great Tribulation
We have already seen that Christians will go through the Great Tribulation period. Jesus told us that Himself, and it is repeated and confirmed in multiple passages of Scripture.
In Matthew 24, Jesus clearly warned His disciples that a time of Great Tribulation would come upon the Earth, and He told them what to do when this time of Great Tribulation started. It wouldn’t make any sense for Jesus to give them counsel about what to do during this time if none of His disciples were going to be on earth when it happened.
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. **For then there will be great tribulation, **such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”—Matthew 24:15-27 (ESV)
And then, Jesus clearly tells us that He will return AFTER the Great Tribulation, not before, and it will be *at that time *that His disciples will be gathered unto Him in what is commonly called the Rapture of the Church.
“Immediately **after the tribulation **of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”—Matthew 24:29-31 (ESV)
This is repeated and confirmed in Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21.
Paul also confirmed in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 that Jesus’ disciples would not be caught up to meet Him until AFTER a great falling away had occurred among the ranks of believers and the Antichrist had been revealed. These two events are both associated with the Great Tribulation period.
And when we finally see the main harvest of believers standing on the sea of glass in Heaven in Revelation chapter 15, we are told that they had “gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.” It would not have been possible for them to have won the victory over the beast (the Antichrist) if they had never had to deal with the beast personally. That would have only happened during the Great Tribulation period when the beast comes to power.
Many other passages confirm that Christians will be on earth during the Great Tribulation.
But why?
Why will so many Christians go through the Great Tribulation?
Tribulation is Part of the Christian Experience
There are several reasons why Christians will go through the Great Tribulation experience. One reason is often forgotten by the “Laodicean” Christians of our era. The Bible makes it clear that tribulation and suffering are part of the Christian experience. This is inescapable.
“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”—2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT)
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.”—1 Peter 4:12 (NLT)
“we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”—Acts 14:22 (KJV)
“Here is what he has given you to do for Christ. You must not only believe in him. You must also suffer for him.”—Philippians 1:29 (NIRV)
“no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, **we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, **just as it happened, and you know.”—1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (NKJV)
To deny that the Church is appointed to experience tribulation is to deny the very words of Jesus:
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. **In the world you will have tribulation. **But take heart; I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33 (ESV)
Jesus told His disciples very clearly that they would experience suffering, persecution, and tribulation.
“Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”— Matthew 24:9 (AMP)
“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.** **Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”—Revelation 2:9-10 (ESV)
Jesus didn’t say, “Take up your comfortable life of ease and follow me.” He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” We sometimes forget that the cross is not only where Jesus died, but where we are also called to lay down our lives as well.
Tribulation awaits us as Christians. It is part of life for us. This has always been true for God’s people. Even when Egypt went through its own “Great Tribulation” of ten plagues when the children of Israel were slaves there, God didn’t remove His people from Egypt before he sent the plagues, but He divinely protected them *in the midst of the plagues. *
“Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era. You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while, so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.”—1 Peter 1:5-7 (ISV)
The early apostles understood that tribulation was a part of life for them. They accepted it as part of their calling and endured it with patience.
“But we commend ourselves in every way as [true] servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation and suffering, in hardships and privations, in sore straits and calamities”—2 Corinthians 6:4 (AMPC)
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”—Acts 9:15-16 (ESV)
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”—Philippians 3:8 (ESV)
“the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”—Acts 20:23 (NKJV)
“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings”— 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 (NKJV)
By the time John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, all of the other original apostles had suffered and died for their faith in Jesus. John was only exiled because he survived an attempt to kill him when he was thrown into a pot of boiling oil.
**“**I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”—Revelation 1:9 (NKJV)
We do a disservice to young disciples when we do not prepare them for the suffering and tribulation that awaits them as Christians. The early church leaders prepared the disciples that were under their care by teaching them that tribulation is a part of life for us as believers. These early church leaders taught that we are called to suffer for the sake of Christ and for His Church, but the rewards far outweigh any suffering that we experience.
**“**so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith **in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, **which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer”—2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NKJV)
“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord. We consider those who endured to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance and have seen the purpose of the Lord—that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”—James 5:10-11 (ISV)
“So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.”—1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NLT)
“But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.”—Hebrews 10:32-34 (NKJV)
**“But if you suffer for doing good and receive it patiently, you have God’s approval. **This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps.”—1 Peter 2:20-21 (ISV)
