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When is the Tribulation period?

Carbon

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I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
I believe the tribulation period is between the first and second coming of Christ. Even the NT church suffered tribulations.
tribulation

trĭb″yə-lā′shən

noun​

  1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering: synonym: trial.
  2. An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith. synonym: burden.
  3. A state of affliction or oppression; suffering; distress.
The church and her people as individuals suffer tribulation now and will until we reach the fullness of our salvation and the restoration of all things.
 
I believe the tribulation period is between the first and second coming of Christ. Even the NT church suffered tribulations.
tribulation

trĭb″yə-lā′shən

noun​

  1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering: synonym: trial.
  2. An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith. synonym: burden.
  3. A state of affliction or oppression; suffering; distress.
The church and her people as individuals suffer tribulation now and will until we reach the fullness of our salvation and the restoration of all things.
I agree. I believe we are in the tribulation period
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
An excellent question and I do not have an answer.

I did refer this to one that may.

I suppose a conclusion could be reached if we actually knew when Rev was written. Or not.

Also, the wording of such...and companion in tribulation ... and not "the" tribulation may offer a clue.

I'll wait for others to offer their insights.
 
I suppose a conclusion could be reached if we actually knew when Rev was written. Or not.

Also, the wording of such...and companion in tribulation ... and not "the" tribulation may offer a clue.
Yes, a conclusion can be drawn as to which particular period of "tribulation" John was experiencing in Revelation 1:9, and this ties in perfectly with all the other internal evidence within Revelation that already points to a composition date somewhere between late AD 59 and early AD 60.

John was not in "THE great tribulation" period yet, because a "great tribulation" period was going to be experienced in the future by those in Revelation 2:22 who were following the "doctrine of Balaam" and were not repenting of this.

John at the time of writing Revelation was then in the middle of the tribulation period which Paul in 2 Cor. 1:3-8 described as taking place in Asia. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble (thlipseos) which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:"

This "suffering", "trouble", "affliction" and "tribulation" was happening to the believers subsequent to the riot of the silversmiths in Ephesus led by Demetrius around AD 57. That tribulation period for the believers is described in very understated terms in Acts 19:23, "And the same time there arose no small stir about that way." Demetrius acknowledged the effect of Paul's widespread evangelism that had taken place in Asia, saying that "...not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands..."

Paul earnestly wanted to join his two companions who were facing off against the entire group of screaming Ephesians in the theater (which seated about 24,000), but was prevented by the disciples. This was probably due in great measure to Priscilla and Aquilla's intervention, who Paul testified as "laying down their necks" on his behalf (Romans16:3-4).

Once the AD 57 riot of the silversmiths against Paul and the believers was quelled, this must have emboldened the hostile Jews in Asia to begin a ramped-up persecution of the believers in the years afterward. Patmos is just off-coast from Ephesus, and was under its jurisdiction. Anyone of the church in Ephesus (such as John) who ran afoul of the law in Ephesus (the capitol of Asia at the time) would have likely been sent to Patmos.
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?

It started on the day that Stephen was killed and it is still happening today. The great tribulation is on the church.

Revelation 7
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 
Do you folks know what your putting the the "rapture" crowd through?

It is great to see actual discussion about the tribulation that has been as long as the beast has.
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
Hi Carbon,

I agree that the Body of Christ has suffered tribulation since its beginning. However, (you would expect that from me, ;)) what the Lord was referring to in Matt. 24: 21 is obviously yet to come.

`For there will be great tribulation, SUCH AS HAS NOT BEEN since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.` (Matt. 24: 21)

And the `until this time` refers to the context of the chapter (24) to the Lord`s coming.

Also, the times of the Gentiles ruling the world is not yet finished.

`And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ` (Luke 21: 24)
 
THE GREAT IMAGE.

God revealed to the King of Babylon a vision of a Great Image, a man standing in the Middle East. He wondered what it could mean. None of the King`s counsellors could reveal the mystery so the King called for Daniel. After seeking God for the interpretation Daniel told the King that there would be five Gentile World Rulers throughout history

Then Daniel explained that the whole Gentile system of Government would be done away with and God would establish His own kingdom rulership. God would set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.

1692057152128.png

Babylon - `You (King of Babylon) are this head of Gold.` (Dan. 2: 38)

Medes & Persians - `Darius the Mede received the kingdom,`(Dan. 5: 31)

Greece - `the male goat is the kingdom of Greece.`(Dan. 8: 21)

Rome - `a decree went out from Caesar Augustus (Rome) that the whole world should be registered.` (Luke 2: 1)

Divided Kingdom - Then the Assyrian (Islam) shall fall by a sword not of man.`(Isa. 31: 8)
 
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THE GREAT IMAGE.

The greatest emphasis and the most description was on the feet and toes of the image. This is the fifth power that was predicted to hold world domination in the time-slot when God terminates the world-systems. (The stone destroying the Great Image.)

Daniel was specifically directed to minutely focus on the feet and toes of the gigantic figure and disregard the intervening two thousand years.

1692057205381.png


The whole image was standing on the sands of Babylon in the Middle East before the King of Babylon. From history we know that from the time of the demise of the Roman Empire, the Middle East has been the focal political and religious centre of the Moslem world.

God`s prophetic calendar has been programmed for centuries. The Middle East has returned to the centre of the international stage in the precise time-slot predicted.
 
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I’ve never been into the pic thing. Their kinda creepy
Oh, I thought you didn`t agree with the notes. Having been a teacher I found that many people need pictures to help them understand the words. I`ll be careful as to how much I post of them now.
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
As has been said there is a big difference between just `tribulation` and the `great tribulation.`

Now one of the major themes in the word of God concerns the prophetic truth relative to a time of international crisis in the last days. A time completely without precedent; a time utterly dissimilar, by its concentration and extent to anything previously known in the history of thw world.

This period is consistently referred to as `the Day of the Lord, ` and refers to the period coinciding with God again dealing with Israel and the nations subsequent to the Rapture of the Church, (1 Thess. 5: 2 - 9); and terminating with the destruction of the heavens and the earth (2 Peter 3: 10)

Invariably scripture connects this time with tribulation and suffering. Zepheniah (1: 14 - 18) provides one of the most concise descriptive accounts, as being more severe than any other in history. This is confirmed by Jeremiah (30: 7), Daniel (12: 1) and Joel (2: 2). Jesus Himself warned, `For there shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning to this time, no, not ever shall be. (Matt. 24: 21)

John succinctly epitomises it as `the Day of the wrath of God.` (Rev. 6: 15 - 17) Greek `orge` expresses wrath, anger, vengeance with connotations of punishment. To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. (Is. 26: 21)

The time-slot has been set by Jesus as just prior to His return: and He specifically links it to the `Abomination of desolation` spoken of by Danile the Prophet (Matt. 24: 15 - 30). Danile specifies this event to be fulfilled during the final seven years of the Gentile Dominion (Dan. 9: 24 - 27). It is thus evident and conclusive that the Great Tribulation and the final seven years run concurrent.
 
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:9.

Seems to me in Rev 1:9 John understood himself to be (presently) in the Tribulation.


Thoughts?
It is the final seven years prior to the return of Christ to the Earth. While some argue it is an indefinite period beginning from the time of the early Church, my counter to that is if we consider Daniel's last week as an indefinite period, we must also count his previous weeks as an indefinite time period and we know that his reckoning was in fact a precise time frame.

They're my thoughts. :)
 
THE GREAT IMAGE.

God revealed to the King of Babylon a vision of a Great Image, a man standing in the Middle East. He wondered what it could mean. None of the King`s counsellors could reveal the mystery so the King called for Daniel. After seeking God for the interpretation Daniel told the King that there would be five Gentile World Rulers throughout history

Then Daniel explained that the whole Gentile system of Government would be done away with and God would establish His own kingdom rulership. God would set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.

View attachment 514

Babylon - `You (King of Babylon) are this head of Gold.` (Dan. 2: 38)

Medes & Persians - `Darius the Mede received the kingdom,`(Dan. 5: 31)

Greece - `the male goat is the kingdom of Greece.`(Dan. 8: 21)

Rome - `a decree went out from Caesar Augustus (Rome) that the whole world should be registered.` (Luke 2: 1)

Divided Kingdom - Then the Assyrian (Islam) shall fall by a sword not of man.`(Isa. 31: 8)

So what do you think of this verse?

Daniel 2
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.

Babylon was one of those kingdom’s and it was smashed by the same rock that struck the bronze, silver, iron and clay.

The rock (Gods kingdom) was spiritual and it persevered through those kingdoms God judged them and they are gone and the faithful are still thriving today
 
So what do you think of this verse?

Daniel 2
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.

Babylon was one of those kingdom’s and it was smashed by the same rock that struck the bronze, silver, iron and clay.

The rock (Gods kingdom) was spiritual and it persevered through those kingdoms God judged them and they are gone and the faithful are still thriving today
Thank you for discussing. There are 5 kingdoms mentioned in Dan.2 and thus one is yet to come. I agree that God judged the kingdoms represented by the head, arms & chest, belly & thighs, & legs but not the feet and toes.

The whole represents the times of Gentiles and they are still ruling.

God`s kingdom has and is overall from the heavens to the earth. It is all He has & is & will rule over. God never gave any of His great kingdom away, it is just the rebellious rulers that He is dealing with.

I do agree there is a spiritual component to God`s great kingdom and that is in the hearts of all who turn to God throughout time.
 
It is the final seven years prior to the return of Christ to the Earth. While some argue it is an indefinite period beginning from the time of the early Church, my counter to that is if we consider Daniel's last week as an indefinite period, we must also count his previous weeks as an indefinite time period and we know that his reckoning was in fact a precise time frame.

They're my thoughts. :)
So you feel that the tribulation John was ascribing to himself was the period before Christ returned to earth.... as in AD70 as many preterists say
happened? His return?
 
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