THE LOCATION OF THE PERIOD OF TRIBULATION

The Location of the Period of Tribulation

Having established the fact that there is such a period of time, it is important to locate this period in relation to the progressive unfolding movement of the ages. Scriptural statements indicate the following things.

1. The tribulation period is consummative in nature in that it is the inevitable moral outworking of human conduct. For God "will render to every man according to his deeds. . . unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile" (Rom. 2:8-9).

2. The tribulation period is futuristic in time when taken in relation to realities of the present. The Church through twenty centuries has been suffering at the hands of wicked men. This was true in Thessalonica. To them- came this promise for the future, "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you" (2 Thess. 1:6). And this promise was linked with the second coming of Christ, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven" (2 Thess. 1:7).

3. The tribulation period is convergent in totality at one period of time for the whole world. It is "the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10 ASV). This means that in the nature of things wicked society will at last reach that period when in the providence of God it will reap the fruit of its own doings, The experience of distress and anguish will be concentrated in one period of time, "In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be, And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved" (Mark 13:19-20).

4. The tribulation period is consecutive in order in relation to the rapture of the church. The Church is given the promise that it will be kept from this hour of trial (Rev. 3:10). The rap­ture, which initiates the tribulation period, will also usher the Church into heaven, and since the Church is not in darkness, that day cannot overtake them as a thief (1 Thess, 5:4). And what is more, certain events follow the rapture, such as the great apostacy and the revelation of the man of sin, which is reason why the Church should be encouraged (2 Thess. 2:1-4).

5. The tribulation period is antecedent in relation to the chronological appearance of the millennial kingdom. In answer to the question, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world" [Grk.-age]? (Matt. 24:3), Christ came to the crux of the matter pointing to "the abomination of desolation" (15), and saying "then shall be great tribulation, , Immediately after the tribulation. . . shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. ....coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. . . then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" (Matt. 24:21, 29, 30; 25:31).