What is the Great Tribulation?
The Bible’s answer
The great tribulation will bring the
greatest time of trouble ever to come upon mankind. According to
Bible prophecy, it will occur during “the last days,” or “the end
time.” (2 Timothy
3:1;
Daniel 12:4, New American Bible) It will be “a
tribulation such as has not occurred from the beginning of the
creation that God created until that time, and will not occur
again.”—Mark
13:19;
Daniel 12:1;
Matthew 24:21, 22.
Events during the great tribulation
- Destruction of false religion.
With surprising speed, false religion will be
destroyed. (Revelation
17:1, 5;
18:9, 10,
21) The political powers represented by the United Nations
will carry out God’s will in taking this action.—Revelation
17:3,
15-18. *
- Attack on true religion.
A coalition of nations, referred to in Ezekiel’s
vision as “Gog of the land of Magog,” will try to annihilate
those who practice true religion. However, God will protect his
worshippers from destruction.—Ezekiel
38:1, 2,
9-12,
18-23.
- Judgment of earth’s inhabitants.
Jesus will judge all mankind and “will separate
people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats.” (Matthew
25:31-33) The basis for his judgment will be the support,
or lack of support, that each person gave to Jesus’ “brothers,”
those who will rule with him in heaven.—Matthew
25:34-46.
- Gathering of Kingdom rulers.
Faithful ones who have been chosen to rule with
Christ will finish their earthly course and be resurrected to
life in heaven.—Matthew
24:31;
1 Corinthians 15:50-53;
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
- Armageddon. This
“war of the great day of God the Almighty” is also called “the
day of Jehovah.” (Revelation
16:14,
16;
Isaiah 13:9;
2 Peter 3:12) Those judged adversely by Christ will be
destroyed. (Zephaniah
1:18;
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) This will include the destruction
of the worldwide political system, pictured in the Bible by a
seven-headed wild beast.—Revelation
19:19-21.
Events after the great tribulation
- Confinement of Satan and the
demons. A great angel will hurl Satan and the
demons “into the abyss,” a symbol of deathlike inactivity. (Revelation
20:1-3) Satan’s condition in the abyss could be likened to
being in prison; he will be unable to influence affairs
elsewhere.—Revelation
20:7.
- The Millennium begins.
God’s Kingdom will begin its
1,000-year reign, which will bring great blessings to
mankind. (Revelation
5:9, 10;
20:4, 6)
An unnumbered “great crowd” will “come out of the great
tribulation,” surviving it to see the start of the Millennium on
earth.—Revelation
7:9,
14;
Psalm 37:9-11.
