The tribulation will be worldwide and effect every person on earth
The bible states that in the time just prior to the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), the world will experience a time of unprecedented pain and suffering.
This seven year period is referred to by most Christians as “the tribulation” (Daniel 9:27). But the bible refers to it by many names, including “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” “the seventieth week of Daniel,” and “the day of the Lord’s vengeance.” Regardless of the phrase used to describe it, the tribulation will be a time of great testing for every person on the earth.
When asked by His disciples to describe the signs of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus pointed to this time period as a time of anguish greater than any since the world first began:
“‘The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about – the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.’ (Reader, pay attention!) ‘Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.'” Matthew 24:15-21 (NLT)
While the tribulation will be a worldwide experience, it will strike the nation of Israel and the Jewish people with particular severity. The last three and a half years of the tribulation are a time period the bible describes as “the Great Tribulation,” and it will be a time of unrivaled persecution of the Jewish people.
So why should you care?
So what does all this have to do with you? Besides being perhaps theoretically interesting to Christian end-times scholars, would any other people care? I think people should care. If you are a Christian now (and a real Christian – not one who is Christian in name only, but actually believes it and loves Jesus) then you don’t have to worry about all of this. Jesus comes to take all the real Christians to heaven in the Rapture before the Tribulation begins. If you don’t know for sure if you would be raptured, now is a good time to think and pray about it and work on your relationship with Jesus. Then you can feel secure and not be afraid when there are disasters all around us, even before the Tribulation starts. If you are a Christian now, then you need to think about those around you who are not. If you have friends or family who are not Christian they will probably die during the Tribulation. It’s important that you tell them now how to avoid it and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
If you’re not a Christian, this should be a warning to you. There is only a small chance that you’ll make it through the disasters of the Tribulation, and an even smaller chance of making it into the Millennium. If the Tribulation starts, there is a very high chance that you will die in the next 7 years. And if you’re not a Christian when you die, then you will end up in hell forever. God doesn’t want this to happen – God wants you to accept him today, before any judgements begin. Even if you don’t make up your mind for Jesus until the Rapture happens, which means you may die from the disasters or be killed by the Antichrist, it is much better to believe in Jesus than to end up in hell. This is a warning that you need to think about what is important and to consider what may happen when you die – you might even die tomorrow. I believe the Tribulation is approaching quickly, and the Rapture could happen anytime. Please consider learning more about Jesus and how to be saved before it’s too late. A couple of introductory articles I have written on how to follow Jesus are written here and here.
8″It will come about in all the land,” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9″And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.” Zech.13:8-9.
Which means, if the world population is 7 billion when the seven year tribulation begins, there will only be 2.3 billion left at the end end of the tribulation.