The Tribulation
The tribulation is a seven-year period during which God will complete His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment on the unbelieving world. The church, consisting of those who trust in Jesus, will be removed from the earth during the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:51–53) and thus saved from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
Scripture associates the tribulation with the day of the Lord, a time of divine intervention in history (Isaiah 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). It is described as occurring in the latter days (Deuteronomy 4:30), as the great tribulation during the intense second half (Matthew 24:21), a time of distress (Daniel 12:1), and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7, NKJV). That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry” (Zephaniah 1:15–16).
The tribulation will be seven years, characterized by divine judgments, natural disasters, and plagues (Revelation 6–16). God, in His mercy, limits its duration. Jesus warns that these days will be unprecedented distress, and without God's intervention, no one would survive (Mark 13:19–20).
Daniel 9:24–27 outlines the purpose of the tribulation, focusing on Israel's redemption and fulfillment of God's promises over “seventy sevens” (490 years). The first 69 sevens (483 years) culminated in the Messiah's crucifixion, leaving one seven-year period yet to be fulfilled—that is, the tribulation.
Daniel 9:27 details this final seven years, during which a ruler will confirm a covenant for one “seven” but break it midway, leading to great oppression—this is linked to the figure known as the "beast" in Revelation 13. The second half of the tribulation also called the “great tribulation,” lasts 3 ½ years and is marked by the beast's demand for worship.
References in Revelation and Daniel further clarify the timeline, including terms like 1,260 days and 1,290 days from the midpoint of the tribulation, which may include events related to the judgment of the nations and the establishment of Christ’s millennial kingdom.
In essence, the tribulation is a period during which humanity's sin will peak, leading to God’s judgment. Ultimately, Israel will turn back to Jesus as their Messiah, paving the way for restoration and blessing (Zephaniah 3:9–20; Isaiah 12:3–5).