The Greek word *thlipsis* (G2347), translated as tribulation, carries the basic meaning of pressure, either literally or figuratively, representing the results of being squeezed or put into a narrow place. It is also rendered as trouble, affliction, distress, burden, anguish, and persecution. When Paul speaks of tribulation, he refers to a common experience of life's hardships, not limited to persecution but encompassing various forms of pressure and struggle. This word is used in the Parable of the Sower to describe the pressures of life that cause some to fall away from the truth, especially when living God's way. It also depicts the pain of childbirth, the privations of Joseph in Egypt, the distress from famine, God's wrath on the disobedient, the experiences of Christ's followers in the world, and the condition of widows and the fatherless. Paul reassured disciples that entrance into the Kingdom of God requires enduring many tribulations, emphasizing that pressure, hardship, and anguish are expected elements of life, even with faith and God's calling.

The term "great tribulation," formed from the Greek words *thlipsis* (G2347), meaning tribulation, and *megale*, meaning great, appears in various contexts in the New Testament. It is used four times, often without a definite article, indicating it does not always refer to a specific event. In Acts, Luke describes a drought in Egypt as great trouble using these terms. Jesus uses the phrase to describe the problems of the Thyatira era and the end-time trouble, without confining it to a specific 3½-year period. In Revelation 7:14, John employs the phrase *ek tes thlipsis tes megales*, translated as "out of the great tribulation," in the present tense, indicating those who are coming out of it. This usage differs from others, as John applies it to a broader context, not necessarily tied to the final 3½ years before Christ's return. The Bible does not name any single event as *the* Great Tribulation except in Revelation 7:14, where it refers to a time after the 144,000 are sealed and changed to spirit. This setting suggests a period after Christ's return and the first resurrection, during which people don white robes and stand before the judgment seat for their opportunity at salvation. The concept of great tribulation appears to encompass the entire 6,000 years of human suffering under satan's influence, not just a limited end-time event. Christ describes the last 3½ years as the worst part of this tribulation, but John uses the term to cover the full span from which the innumerable multitude emerges. Various biblical authors specify which segment of great tribulation they address, showing that *thlipsis megale* can refer to many events, situations, and times of great stress on humanity. Christ and other writers often describe specific tribulations without naming them as a singular event, using phrases like "the tribulation of those days" to clarify their focus. This broad application indicates that the innumerable multitude in Revelation 7:14, who come out of the great tribulation, likely includes those who lived through all phases of this 6,000-year period of distress. Their experience of *thlipsis megale* reflects the widespread suffering inflicted during satan's rule, encompassing famine, war, disease, and countless hardships across human history.

The word *thlipsis* (G2347), often translated as tribulation in the Bible, carries the primary meaning of pressure, akin to stress or the burden of air pushing down. It represents anything that weighs on the spirit, placing a person in a confined, straitened position where difficult choices must be made under great distress. This term is general, encompassing trials that can arise from both internal and external sources, burdening an individual with affliction, trouble, or distress. In contrast to persecution, which is always external, *thlipsis* can originate from within oneself or from outside forces, making it a broader concept of spiritual or personal pressure.