In Christian eschatology, the Tribulation—often referred to as the “Great Tribulation”—is a prophesied period of intense global suffering, particularly targeting believers. This time of unprecedented turmoil is believed to serve as both a test and a purification process, strengthening the faith and resolve of Christians as they endure severe persecution. This persecution is largely attributed to the believers’ defiance against the Antichrist and his regime, who are depicted as forces of immense evil and oppression.
The Tribulation is generally understood to precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the final judgment of the world. Interpretations of its duration vary among Christian scholars. Many hold that it will last seven years, divided into two halves of three and a half years each, a period drawn from prophetic passages in the Book of Daniel, which refer to “a time, times, and half a time,” and the Book of Revelation, which mentions “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” and “forty and two months.” These are interpreted as symbolic representations of this seven-year period, with the final 3.5 years being the most intense.
Within Christian eschatology, there are diverse views regarding the fate of believers during the Tribulation:
- Pretribulationism posits that all true Christians will be taken bodily to heaven in an event known as the Rapture before the Tribulation begins. Those who convert to Christianity after the Rapture will experience the Tribulation, enduring its trials until the Second Coming of Christ. This viewpoint was popularized by John Nelson Darby, a key figure in the development of Dispensationalism, and further disseminated through the Scofield Reference Bible, which significantly influenced Protestant theology in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Midtribulationism asserts that the Rapture will occur midway through the Tribulation, sparing believers from the most severe sufferings that mark the latter half. Proponents of this view see the Rapture as a form of divine intervention, rescuing the faithful just before the Tribulation reaches its peak.
- Posttribulationism holds that Christians will remain on earth for the entire duration of the Tribulation, enduring its hardships until Christ’s return. According to this belief, the Rapture and the Second Coming are simultaneous events, occurring immediately after the Tribulation’s conclusion. This interpretation is supported by passages such as Matthew 24:29-31, which describe the gathering of Christ’s elect “immediately after the tribulation.”
These perspectives reflect different theological interpretations of the relationship between the Rapture and the Second Coming. In pretribulationism and midtribulationism, these are viewed as distinct events, while posttribulationism sees them as a single, unified occurrence.
There are also alternative views within Christianity. Some propose the idea of multiple “mini-raptures” occurring at various points throughout the Tribulation, rather than a single, defining event. Meanwhile, many Roman Catholic theologians and other Christian groups reject the typical narrative of a Tribulation entirely. Instead, they often envision a period of deceptive peace and prosperity under the Antichrist, a near-utopic era that precedes the ultimate end of the world and the final judgment. This contrasts sharply with the more commonly held belief in a time of widespread chaos and suffering.
Days of vengeance
In the New Testament, Jesus refers to this period preceding the end times as the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), “Affliction” (Mark 13:19), and “days of vengeance” (Luke 21:22).
The Book of Matthew describes the devastation:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand). Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down. ...Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes, and woe unto them that are with child. ...For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
— Matthew 24:15–22The resulting chaos will affect pregnancies, newborns, and a scourge will spread throughout the flesh, save for the elect. The vivid imagery of this section is repeated closely in Mark 13:14–20.
The Gospel of Luke describes a complete unraveling of the social fabric, with widespread calamity and war:
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."
— Luke 21:10–33
