What’s The Tribulation Period?

Q. I enjoy your ministry and website greatly. I have a question. After the rapture the seven years of tribulation begins. I understand why the second three and one half years are called the great tribulation but I was wondering why the first part is called a tribulation period? The Jews are at peace, they have their (false) messiah and they are building the temple. Wheres the tribulation?

A. The seven years which bring human history to a climax  are called the 70th Week of Daniel in the Old Testament (Daniel 9:24-27).  For many years the Church has referred to them as the Tribulation period, even though it’s not Biblically correct.  Often the first 3.5 years are called the beginning of sorrows from Matt. 24:8 with the Great Tribulation being the final 3.5. But to be accurate we should call the last seven years the 70th Week of Daniel, the last half of it being the Great Tribulation.

As for “where’s the tribulation?”  The Seal and Trumpet judgments both take place before the Great Tribulation begins.  The wars, pestilence, famine and “natural disasters” during this period, while not as bad as the judgments to follow, will still be worse than anything the world has ever seen.