Tribulation

Tribulation, as described, encompasses severe distress and trials faced by God's people. Christ in Matthew 24:21 foretells a future Great Tribulation, unmatched in history, marking the ultimate end-time distress with unprecedented horrors. Past tribulations, like the famine in Egypt during Joseph's time (Acts 7:11), caused widespread suffering and societal collapse. Modern parallels, such as America's Dust Bowl, reflect similar losses of freedom and economic upheaval. Personal tribulations, endured by figures like Job, Joseph, and David, test and build character, requiring reliance on God for strength. Apostles like Paul faced intense suffering (II Corinthians 11:22-29), finding fellowship with Christ through shared afflictions, emphasizing that enduring trials deepens spiritual connection and hope.

The Other Great Tribulation

'Prophecy Watch' by Charles Whitaker

Christ prophesies in Matthew 24:21 about a coming Great Tribulation, such as had not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be. He speaks of an extraordinary end-time event, the greatest of all tribulations, marking the culmination of all past and future distresses. This final Tribulation will be the one to end all tribulations. In contrast, Stephen in Acts 7:11 describes another great tribulation from the past, using the same Greek words as Christ in Matthew 24, referring to a famine and great trouble that afflicted Egypt and Canaan during Joseph's time. This tribulation, though severe, was distinct from the future event Christ mentions, stemming from famine that caused widespread suffering beyond mere lack of food. The distress led to economic, social, and political upheaval, ultimately resulting in a revolution where the Egyptians lost their freedoms, money, land, and became slaves to the government within just seven years. Parallels are drawn between this Egyptian tribulation and the American experience in the 1900s, particularly the 1930s. Like Egypt, America faced agricultural failures during the Dust Bowl years, triggering monetary collapse and social changes. This tribulation brought a growth in federal bureaucracy, loss of freedoms, urbanization, and government control over monetary policy, mirroring the revolutionary shifts in Egypt. Despite America's apparent wealth today, an underlying great tribulation persists beneath the surface of credit-based prosperity. Though these historical and modern tribulations are significant, they are not the final distress Christ spoke of in Matthew 24. That ultimate Tribulation will occur later, characterized by precursors like famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and wars. In this final distress, Israelites will be stripped of money, property, and freedoms, becoming slaves to a malevolent state with unprecedented efficiency and horror.

Why Adversity? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by Gary Montgomery

As God's people, those with whom He is working to bring into His image, we will have difficulty and adversity in this life. Enduring some trials and hardships can become almost overwhelming, especially when they follow quickly upon one another. We may feel as if we cannot catch our breath. However, this problem is not unique to us; our brethren are also experiencing similar adverse circumstances. For our benefit and instruction, the saints of the Bible left many examples of their trials during their walks with God. Job suffered one catastrophe after another, losing his children, livestock, and health, yet in the end, God restored his wealth and blessed him with twice as much as he had before. Joseph experienced hardship, affliction, and tribulation through his brothers' jealousy, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment, but God helped him endure and elevated him to save many from famine. David faced almost constant adversity, from protecting his flock against lions and bears to contending with Goliath, King Saul's pursuit, and distress from his sons' conflicts. Like them, we must go to God for strength to help us endure and overcome. No matter how strong we believe we are, we cannot handle it alone; we must rely on God and His Spirit. Jesus Christ is our Rock, our strength, through whom we can do all things. As God's children, we must undergo adversity to build endurance, character, and hope. These virtues are the result of overcoming trials and tribulation. We must guard against becoming discouraged by the onslaught of afflictions, drawing close to God, who will draw near to us to help us develop His righteous character. With precise timing, God creates circumstances and testing to build His character in us, and with experience, we can then help others enduring similar struggles.

Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Winston Churchill's wartime advice, 'Never give in,' is good advice for us now as we approach the horrible time of the Great Tribulation.

A Look at Christian Suffering (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Suffering, in a New Testament context, is often depicted as the trials and tribulations believers endure due to their faith. It encompasses a wide range of experiences, including rejection, opposition, contempt, abuse, neglect, hunger, thirst, and deprivation. The apostles, like Paul, faced intense tribulations in their mission to preach the gospel, as seen in II Corinthians 11:22-29, where Paul recounts beatings, imprisonments, stonings, shipwrecks, perils, weariness, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness. Even ordinary suffering, not directly tied to faith, is part of the trials of this age and can bear positive fruit if approached with faith. Paul, in Colossians 1:24, rejoices in his sufferings for the church, filling up in his flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body. Through such tribulations, a fellowship emerges, bonding believers with Christ and others who suffer similarly, allowing a deeper understanding of Him through shared experience. Paul believed that enduring similar afflictions as Jesus during his life of service was worth it to know Christ more intimately.

Tribulation

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