QUESTION: What is the “Tribulation Period?”
ANSWER: The so-called Tribulation Period is a false doctrine within a larger false doctrine known as Premillennialism. This man-developed theory says that Jesus failed in His first attempt to establish His kingdom. They teach that when Jesus comes the second time He will accomplish what He failed to do the first time; that He will reign over an earthly kingdom for a thousand-year period from a literal throne in the city of Jerusalem. Immediately before this, they claim there will be a seven-year period, divided into two three and one-half year periods; the first called “The Tribulation;” the second called “The Great Tribulation.” They also falsely teach that immediately before the seven-year period that Christ will come to “rapture” the faithful, both the living and the dead; take them into the clouds so that they might escape these tribulations. After the seven-years, He is to return again to rule for a thousand years, following which is to be a supposed second resurrection, and then the “The Great White Throne Judgment.”
This doctrine is totally false! It is based upon the false premise that Christ failed to establish His kingdom when He was here the first time. If it can scripturally be shown that Christ did, in fact, set up His kingdom, then it will have been shown that the entire doctrine of Premillenialism is false!
Throughout the Bible we read about the establishment of the kingdom. In Daniel 2:28-45, he prophesied that the kingdom would be established in the days of the fourth world kingdom from that time, that is, the Roman Empire. In verse fortyfour, he tells us that once the kingdom was set up, it would never be destroyed. It was in the days of the Roman Empire (Luke 3:1) that John the Immerser began preaching, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mark 1:14-15).
Later in Matthew 16:13-19, Jesus said, “I will build my church” (vs.18), which He also called the kingdom of heaven (vs.19). It is highly significant that the Son of God said, “I will!” He did not say perhaps or maybe! He said, I will build my church.” In Mark 9:1, He said, “Verily I say unto you, that there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” When Jesus, after His resurrection, ascended back to the Father, He was given “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
Ten days after Christ ascended, Peter on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) proclaimed that He had been raised up to be enthroned (vs.30) at the right hand of God (vs.34), and had been made both Lord and Christ (vs.36). The prophecies and promises of the coming kingdom were all fulfilled in a mighty way and, on this great day, Peter used the keys to the kingdom promised to him by Jesus (Matthew 16:19) to open wide it’s door. He presented the terms of entry, and for the first time men and women were ushered in as citizens of the kingdom that would never be destroyed. “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). From this time on, references to the kingdom in the Bible prove it to be in existence. (See Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:9).
Nowhere in all of God’s Word was it promised that Christ would return a second time in order to establish an earthly kingdom. The truth is that the establishment of an earthly kingdom was never the intent of our Lord. In John 18:36, He told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The Pharisees too believed in an earthly kingdom and demanded to know of Jesus when it should come. Jesus responded to them, and to any today who so believe, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, lo here! or lo, there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21). The Jews wanted to make Jesus a king of an earthly kingdom, but He departed from them (John 6:15). It is clear then, that Jesus came to establish a spiritual kingdom. He did not fail! In John 17:4, He said, “I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished (accomplished) the work which thou gavest me to do.”
Since it has been shown that Jesus did not fail; that the kingdom of God was fully established some two thousand years ago, Premillenialism and all of its subtheories are evidently utterly and totally false! Those who continue to proclaim such are false teachers and should be marked and avoided (Romans 16:17-18).