Will there be a great tribulation?

Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

What is the meaning of tribulation, it means a suffering, affliction and distress. A great hardship, extremely difficult time. Some All Christians believe in a great tribulation, the division comes in when will it start. Some Christians believe, the Christians will not go through the tribulation as the rapture will come before then, then there are others who believe, the tribulation already happened during the time of Nero. Then there are others who believe, Christians will go through the great tribulation and then the end will come.

So the divisions come the way you interpret the last days. There is no black and white, very precise clear interpretation when it comes to eschatology, meaning the doctrines of the last days.

My advice to all believers; we should be ready for the worse. We should prepare for the worse. I heard a missionary story, where a missionary was telling some young Christians, they don’t have to worry of any tribulations as the rapture is going to come and they will be taken to heaven. These young believing Christians were very happy. The foreign missionary went back to his country, these Christians were waiting for the rapture, then came a persecution in the country against the Christians and they were heartbroken and many even doubted their faith as they trusted the missionary.

That is why my advice to all, we need to prepare ourselves for the worse and be ready for the worse.

Now my personal opinion on this subject; when Jesus said the following;

Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

I don’t think he is talking of Nero’s persecution, I believe he is talking of a great tribulation that will come in the future, it’s going to be a tribulation that the Christians has never seen before. Another point, see verse 29, talking of the tribulation.

Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

This never happened immediately after Nero’s tribulation. This is something going to happen in the future, we don’t know when the tribulation will start, it could be when Antichrist appears. But we need to be ready and prepared for the worse, because at the end of the dark tunnel there is going to be Light, Jesus will come soon as the tribulation is over. Now that is my opinion, and I maybe wrong, but it’s always best to be ready for the worse as we can be strengthened in the Lord.

Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

During this tribulation, the worldly, the lukewarm will fall away, only the ones who are rooted in the Lord can endure this severe hardship.

How to be ready and to prepare ourselves for the worse? There is nothing new to tell, need to get rooted in Christ by studying, meditating his word, prayer, obedience and praise to God.

Matthew 7:23-25 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.