Great Tribulation --- Who
is in it?
We can tell about who is
in it from Revelation 7:9-14 where we read that a “great
multitude that no one could count” comes out of this Great Tribulation having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb. These obviously are a
portion of the church --- irrespective of rapture timing --- because of their
description. “Those who wash their
robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb” is the clearest definition
of the church that I can think of.
There may be others as well in Great Tribulation, but we know without
any shadow of a doubt that a great multitude without
number of the church is in Great Tribulation!
After these things
I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one
could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and
palm branches were in their hands . . . Then one of the elders answered, saying
to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where
have they come from?" I said to
him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:9, 13-14)
This is further verified
in Revelation 2:21-23, where we read that those in the church at Thyatira who
do not repent will be thrown into Great Tribulation.
‘I gave her time
to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 'Behold, I will
throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, unless they repent of
her deeds. 'And I will kill her
children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to
your deeds. (Revelation 2:21-23)
Just in case we miss the point: it is the members of the Church at Thyatira in Revelation
2:21-22 that Jesus threatens to throw into Great
Tribulation unless they repent. And then He goes on to say that all the churches will know that it is He who searches
the minds and hearts; and He will give to each one of them (the members of the churches) according to their
deeds. It is clearly written that the church is appointed to great
tribulation to the extent that she does not repent.
Great tribulation is not God's wrath. The
church is not appointed to wrath. But we should expect tribulation in
this life, as Jesus told us. And if we
do not repent, we should expect Great Tribulation in this life to the extent of
our need to be cleansed and emerge as a bride without spot or wrinkle.
The events of Great Tribulation are compared to
advanced birth pains in Matthew 24. There is a redemptive purpose
involved. It is designed to mature and purify the saints. Do we
desire to be mature in Christ? Do we
desire to be pure as Christ was pure?
"For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will
be famines and earthquakes. "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. "Then they will deliver
you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be
hated by all nations because of My name. "At that
time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one
another. "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead
many. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love
will grow cold. "But the one who endures to the
end, he will be saved. "This gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew
24:7-14)
Jesus now goes over that tribulation in greater
detail.
"Therefore
when you see the ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy
place (let the reader understand), then those
who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. "Whoever is on the housetop
must not go down to get the things out that are in his
house. "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his
cloak. "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing
babies in those days! "But pray that your flight will not be in the
winter, or on a Sabbath. "For then
there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. "Unless those
days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the
elect those days will be cut short. "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the
Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.
"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show
great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the
elect. "Behold, I have told you
in advance. "So if they say to you,
'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the
inner rooms,' do not believe them. "For just as the lightning
comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son
of Man be. "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will
gather. "But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will
be shaken. "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF
MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. "And He
will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from
one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:15-31)
How often we hear that the church will not be in
great tribulation. But the Bible says she will be --- to the extent that
she needs to repent. The Great
Tribulation is cut short for the sake of the elect in Christ. And that is
yet further evidence that the elect, the church, is in Great Tribulation.
V. Kuenzi
http://www.restoringthevision.com