by John B. D. Page (Sheringham)
Will the church pass through the tribulation? To answer this question, it is helpful to know what is meant by the word "tribulation." Its derivation is from the Greek word thlipis (sometimes translated "affliction") which means, primarily, ‘pressure’ on account of circumstances or due to antagonism of persons. Next, its use needs to be discovered. Sometimes it refers to the present - experimentally for believers; other times to the future - prophetically. The latter concerns us for the subject under consideration.
Between this present age of grace and the millennial age of righteousness, there will be the Tribulation even as Dan.12.1 says, "there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time." This "time of trouble," surpassing all previous troubled times since the beginning of the nations, will be unprecedented just as the Lord Jesus said centuries later, "then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world," Matt.24.21. The Tribulation, still future, is said to be "the time of Jacob's trouble," Jer.30.7, meaning it will be centred on Israel and affecting all nations, according to other Scriptures. Its duration, says Dan.9.27, will be "for one week" of years, that is, for seven years, commonly known as ‘Daniel's 70th week." Elsewhere the Tribulation is described as "The great day of the Lord …, that day is a day of wrath, a day of darkness and gloominess, …" Zeph.1.14f. During those seven years the wrath of God will be poured out upon Israel for its sinfulness and wickedness, resulting in trouble and distress physically for the people and a moral cloud of darkness and gloom will hang over the nation.
Calamity will follow calamity such as wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, distress of nations and so "men's hearts failing them for fear," said the Lord Jesus, Matt 24.6f; Lk.21.5f.
"Wars and rumours of wars:" these have characterised all centuries but historians have calculated that the 20th century has seen more wars and more deaths due to war than any of the preceding nineteen centuries. Despite this, worse is to come. In Israel, during the coming day of God's wrath, a river of blood will reach the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 furlongs - about 200 miles, Rev.14.20. Its horror and extent are too dreadful to contemplate.
"Famines" will then devastate the world. Down through the centuries, nations have never been entirely free from famines, which lead to hunger and death. Even today, according to a national press report, about 10 million people die due to famine and disease every year. During the Tribulation famine is likened to "a black horse" whose rider has "a pair of balances" in his hand, figurative of food shortages. This will mean that two staple foods of the poor, such as "a measure of wheat" and "three measures of barley," will cost "a penny," Rev.6.5f - "a penny" was a worker's daily wage, Matt.20.2. This high cost of basic foods will undoubtedly result in hunger and death.
"Pestilences…" These deadly infectious maladies take a heavy toll of human life at times. For instance, malaria, once conquered by medical science, is raging again, causing about three million deaths annually, according to one press report. Similarly, tuberculosis was seemingly wiped out but has now reappeared with vengeance. This is true of other dreaded diseases. The situation will not improve, but worsen, when this present age gives place to the Tribulation and one-fourth of the earth's population will be killed by the sword, hunger and pestilence, all of which we have just considered, besides by wild beasts, Rev.6.8, R.V.
"Earthquakes:" For centuries major earthquakes were exceptional and made headline news but, since 1948, the year when the present State of Israel was founded, such earthquakes of the magnitude of 7.0 or higher on the Richter scale have been too numerous to report, unless there was a heavy death toll. In 1997, according to The Times (2nd January 1998), 2,913 people were killed by 17 major earthquakes besides many thousands left homeless. The annual death toll is rising. This may be heading up for the "great earthquake" early in the tribulation, followed by another of unprecedented magnitude causing widespread devastation in urban areas, Rev.6.12; 16.18f.
Space forbids to mention Anti-Semitism, lawlessness and other dreadful features of these fearful seven years. The question arises whether the Church will face these frightening calamities which will overtake Israel and the world at that time. Referring to these unequalled troublous times, Jer.30.7 says, "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." This unparalleled Tribulation will be, primarily, for the sifting of Israel and divine judgment for all their sins. This dreadful time is emphatically "the time of Jacob's trouble" with the promise that "he will be saved out of it" - but not from it! Only one-third of them will the Lord deliver whilst the other two-thirds will be cut off and die, Zech.13.8f.
The Church, not to be confused with Israel, comprises all Jewish and Gentile believers from Pentecost to the Rapture. Some Christians, known as Tribulationists, teach that the Church will be raptured after the Tribulation on the same day as the Lord Jesus comes again in glory to the earth. Others, known as Pre-tribulationists, believe the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation. With these two diverse points of view in mind we ask, what saith the Scriptures?
In 1Thess.1.10 R.V. is Paul's exhortation to believers: "to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come." Several decades earlier, John the Baptist had warned the Jews to flee from "the wrath to come," Matt.3.7, by which he meant flee from the Tribulation with all its horrors. In Paul's use of the phrase "the wrath to come" which relates to believers, two words in the verse should be noted. The first is ‘rhuomai’ (Gk), translated "delivered" (AV) which implies a past event, but is better translated "delivereth" (R.V.). W. E. Vine gives the meaning "to rescue from’ and ‘preserve from,’ but not ‘through.’ The other word is "us" which embraces all believers of the present church age. As this age of grace ends, so the Tribulation will follow with all its divine judgment of the Jews and the nations, besides catastrophic horrors. But we, as believers, are assured that the Lord Jesus, for Whom we are waiting expectantly, will descend from heaven to rescue us from the imminent danger of God's wrath to be poured out in judgment on this wicked world. As we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, we shall be preserved from the terrible calamities about to overtake the world.
Let us now turn to another verse in the same epistle, 5.9: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." This 5th chapter opens with "the day of the Lord" when the wrath of God will be manifest immediately. However, God has not appointed us, as believers, to incur His wrath intended for the unrepentant wicked of this world, but He has purposed that we shall obtain salvation in its ultimate sense - that of the body. What a contrast - wrath for the ungodly and salvation for the godly! Of course, we are already saved but our salvation is progressive, relating to the past, the present and the future. Here, the future aspect of our salvation, its consummation, is in view. This will be experienced by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to the air to snatch us from the impending wrath of God poured out during the Tribulation.
According to Rom.5.9 R.V., "…We shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." As this is written in the future tense, it is still future assuring us that we shall be saved from the wrath of God that will befall the world. This will be only possibly by the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ to the air before its onset.
In the light of these Scriptures, our prospect is not the Tribulation from which godly Jews will flee to the mountains of Israel, but Translation which will be a physical deliverance from its fearful horrors by the Lord Himself coming to the air for us. Truly, this is a blessed hope!