"Tribulation"
A Word Study
                                                By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                                January 28, 2019
     "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth."
                                                                                                  2 Timothy 2:15
Introduction
     The word, "tribulation," in God's Word is an interesting word, but also a word which some of God's people appear to stumble over.  This statement  sets forth the purpose in presenting this word study.  
     Some "professing Christians" simply assume that every time they run across the word "tribulation" in the Bible, it is talking about the future seven year Tribulation Period.  Such an assumption is totally wrong, as I purpose to demonstrate in this study.  
The Occurance of the Word
     The English word, "tribulation," occurs only 22 times in the entire Bible. Check the Scripture references in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.   In the Old Testament the word occurs three times.  In the New Testament the word occurs nineteen times.  It is these 22 English translations that cause some to think every time they run across the word in their Bible, it is speaking of the future Tribulation Period.  Again, this is simply not true.
The Old Testament
       The Hebrew word in the Old Testament, which is translated into English only three times as "tribulation," actually occurs 177 times in the Old Testament Scriptures.  It was then the translators who made the choice to translate the word as "tribulation," only three times in the Old Testament.  
      The actual Hebrew word is `tsar," and the literal meaning of this word is, "trouble, tribulation, trial, affliction, to be pressed down, distress, anguish, enemy, foe, adversary, opponent, hardness." See Strong's No. 6862.    The translators of the King James Version Bible, when confronted with all of these different meanings for this word, made the decision to translate the word as "tribulation" in only three places in the Old Testament.  
The New Testament
     In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as "tribulation," is the word, "thlipsis." However, this Greek word actually occurs 55 times in the New Testament. Again, check out the Scripture references in Strong's Concordance for yourself.  This then again means that it was the translators who made the choice to translate this Greek word as "tribulation" only 19 times in the New Testament.   
       This  Greek word, "thlipsis,"  actually means, "pressure, affliction, anguish, burden, persecution, trouble, tribulation."  See Strong's No. 2346.    
Biblical Truth
     Those readers who have assumed that each time they run across the word, "tribulation," in the Scriptures, it is speaking of the future seven year Tribulation period, couldn't be more wrong.  
     Dear readers, each of us living in this world today, began to suffer "tribulation" the day we were born.  The old Patriarch Job was inspired of God to write, "Yet man is born unto trouble, As the sparks fly upward," Job 5:7.  Again, in Job 14:1, we read, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble."  Then the Lord Jesus Himself told His disciples, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation," John 16:33.  There is problems, trouble, heartaches, and sorrow that come into the lives of every living person, and God's people are certainly not exempt from such.  
     Why did the Lord Jesus Christ, our beloved Savior, tell those who chose to follow Him, "And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow Me," Luke 9:23?   Doesn't a "cross" indicate suffering?   Well...??  
     Why also, did the Lord Jesus, in preparing to leave His disciples, explicitly tell them, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you," John 16:7.  Now why do God's people need a "Comforter?"  It should be glaringly obvious to every reader, that it is because of the trials and "tribulations" that we face daily, as we seek to live for our Lord Jesus Christ.   If any reader has never yet realized it, wicked old Satan, God's enemy and ours, literally hates the guts of every true believer, and seeks to bring into our lives as much trouble and "tribulation" as he can.  It is only by the grace of God that we are able to face up to Satan's attacks, and keep right on loving and serving our Lord.   Glory to God!  
Tribulation...or "The Tribulation?"  
     Since the Scriptures do state and teach that true believers are subject to "tribulation" every day in this present life, then what is the difference between our present "tribulation," and the future Tribulation period?  I'm so glad you asked!  
     In the Book of Daniel, chapter 3, is recorded the account of the three Hebrew servants of the Lord; "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego." The Hebrew people had been carried into Babylon as captives, and became slaves to the Babylonians, therefore they were suffering trials, troubles, and tribulations ever single day, even as true believers do today while living in this present evil world system.   These three Hebrew servants of God, represent or typify the entire nation of Israel and the Jewish people living  in the world today.  
     In this chapter, Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon, is set forth as a type of the future anti-christ.  Study the chapter carefully.
      This chapter records that Nebuchadnezzar, with all his wealth and power,  became so impressed with himself that he made "an image of gold," 3:1.  The Scriptures do not say, but this image could have been a likeness of himself, just as the future image of the anti-christ will bear the likeness of "the beast," [anti-christ] , Revelation 13:14-15.  
     Then Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the subjects in the entire Babylonian Empire to fall on their knees and worship the image, under penalty of being thrown into a fiery furnace for refusal to do so, 3:2-6.
Compare the work of the anti-christ in Revelation 13.  Surely, our readers can discern the type of the anti-christ set forth in this account.   Nebuchadnezzar was making himself out to be God, and also wickedly counterfeiting the work of God.  
     But there was one little problem!  Nebuchadnezzar hadn't counted on three of the Hebrews who were captives in his kingdom,  defying his commands to worship the false god which he had set up.  But they did!  
     These three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were then arrested by Nebuchadnezzar's servants, and commanded to worship the image.  They defied Nebuchadnezzar himself and refused to do so.  
The Furnace
      Then in a furious rage, Nebuchadnezzar commanded his servants to build up the fire, which was already burning in the furnace.  The furnace was then heated up seven times hotter than it was normally heated, 3:19.  
     Now dear readers, here is the spiritual picture, or type of the future Tribulation period.  The furnace was already burning, just as we who are true believers daily suffer trials and "tribulations" in this present evil world, Galatians 1:4.   But our present troubles and "tribulations" does not mean that we are in the furnace of the Tribulation period.  
      But for the purpose of destroying those who had defied his commands, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that the fire in the furnace be made to burn  seven times hotter than it normally burned.   Here is the spiritual type of the future seven year Tribulation period.  During the future Tribulation period, the troubles and trials, heartaches and sorrows, pains and suffering, that mankind on the earth normally faces every day, will be increased sevenfold, for a period of seven years.  
      Now is there any reader of this study, who would like for the trials and troubles you normally face, to be increased in your life  seven fold?  Give this some serious thought!   
God's Merciful Deliverance
     I couldn't bring this study to a close without calling to the attention of our readers God's deliverance of the three Hebrews who had refused to bow down and worship the false god Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  They were indeed cast into that furnace, but were not destroyed by the fire.  Rather, they remained alive as they walked through the fire in the company of "the Son of God," 3:24-25.  Compare Isaiah 43:1-2.  
     Dear readers, the deliverance of these three Hebrews is a type of the redemption and deliverance of Israel and the Jewish people out of their present bondage to this world system, and their present sin and unbelief in Christ Jesus as their Messiah and  Savior.  Glory to God!  Praise the Lord!  
Back to the Tribulation Period
     In an attempt to make the differences between our present daily  "tribulations," and the future seven year Tribulation Period, quite clear to our readers, please carefully notice these two Scriptures.......
     Revelation 2:22.......This is a statement made by the Lord Himself in His letter to the church at Thyatira, "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.."  
     This is the way this Scripture is worded in the King James Version of the Bible.  However, it is not the way it is worded in the Greek text.  Those readers who have a Greek or Interlinear Bible can check it out for themselves.  Actually, here is one of the two places in the Scriptures where the Lord Himself placed emphasis as He spoke.  In the Greek text this Scripture literally reads, ".....into tribulation, the great one..."  
     In other words, the Lord Himself was giving a warning about how very bad the future Tribulation period is going to be, and warning  those in His Church not to be caught up in the deception of "Jezebel," the false "church," which was created by the Roman Empire in 313 A.D., and which will be "...cast into tribulation; the great one..."    
     Then to aid in correct understanding and right division of His vision given to John, when speaking about the "great multitude" in Revelation 7:9-17, the Lord Himself explicitly identified that group of believers by saying, ".....These are they which came out of tribulation; the great one, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," 7:14.  
     So here are two places in the inspired Word where the Lord Himself emphasized the difference in the "tribulation" every true believer daily faces, and the future seven year Tribulation which is yet to come.  Now if it was important enough for the Lord to point out the difference in the two "tribs," perhaps true believers ought to make a special effort to get it right in teaching,  preaching, and "rightly dividing"  the Word of God.
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     Dear readers, there is only one way of salvation, and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6; Acts 20:21; Romans 10:8-13; Ephesians 2:8-10.   I haven't personally met most of my readers, but I would sure like to meet every one of them at the rapture or in Heaven.  Please don't disappoint me!  
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     My personal contact information:
POSTAL.......Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla, MO 65401
EMAIL.........francismriley34@gmail.com
PHONE.......573-202-6493
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