Tribulation
In Christian eschatology, the Tribulation is a period of immense suffering, greater than anything before in history, which some claim will occur before the end of the world. Some Christians believe that it will last seven years in all, usually divided into two periods of 3.5 years each. Other Christians believe it is for only a 3.5-year period. The time period for these beliefs are based on the phrases found several places in the book of Daniel, "time, times, and half a time," interpreted as "a year, two years, and half a year," and the book of Revelation, "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" and "forty and two months" (the prophetic month averaging 30 days, hence 1260/30 = 42 months or 3.5 years).
Among Christians who believe in the Tribulation, there are differing views about what will happen to Christians during the Tribulation:
- Pretribulationists believe that all Christians then alive will be taken bodily up to heaven (called the rapture or Parousia) before the Tribulation begins. Those who become Christians after the rapture will live through (or perish during) the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, Christ will return.
- Midtribulationists believe that the rapture of the faithful will occur halfway through the tribulation, after it begins but before the worst part of it occurs.
- Posttribulationists believe that Christians will not be taken up into heaven until Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation. In pretribulationism and midtribulationism, the rapture and the Second Coming (or Greek, paraousia) of Christ are separate events; while in posttribulationism the two events are identical.
Other groups, such as many Roman Catholic theologians, do not believe in a tribulation period as usually described by supporters. In fact most believe the opposite, a near utopic period led by the AntiChrist will occur before the end of the world coming.
Here is a timeline of the events to come during the Tribulation period according to the Book of Revelation.
Seal Judgements
- The White Horse of the Apocalypse comes promising false peace.
- The Red Horse comes in the form of World War causing bloodshed
- The Black Horse comes in the form of famine resulting from war
- The Pale Horse comes in the form of pestilence and death
- Martyrs begin dying during the Tribulation
- Worldwide Earthquake
- Silence in Heaven, followed by fire being hurled to the Earth.
Trumpet Judgements
- Hail, fire, blood upon the earth burn one-third of the earth, trees, and grass
- A burning mountain plummets into the sea
- A star called Wormwood falls onto the Earth poisoning the freshwater sources such as streams and rivers
- Sun, stars and moon are darkened by one-third
- Plague of indestructible locusts ravage on non-believers inflicting endless pain. Many will try to kill themselves from the pain, but "death will flee from them"
- Over 200 million horsemen kill one-third of nonbelievers left on Earth
- Lightning, hailstorm and earthquakes
Bowl Judgements
- Painful sores on the worshippers of the Beast
- Sea turns to blood
- Rivers turn to blood
- Sun burns with intense heat and scorches people
- Antichrist's kingdom is plunged into darkness
- Euphrates River dries up and is prepared for battle from the armies from the east
- Worldwide earthquake leveling every mountain into the sea followed by huge hailstones and lightning.
See also: end times