Disciples Digital Library

The Thessalonians received the Gospel of Christ in tribulation yet remained faithful while eagerly anticipating the return of Jesus  – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-7. In the first chapter of  First Thessalonians , Paul anticipates the Letter’s main subjects - the tribulation of believers, Christian hope, and “ the arrival ” of Jesus, when he will rescue his people from wrath, resurrect the righteous dead, and “ meet ” his assembled saints as he descends from Heaven. On that day, we will “ obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ .”

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written in the months following his departure from the city. In his first epistle, he expressed his joy at the good news that the Assembly had remained faithful despite pressure and opposition from the local population. In the second, he declares how he now boasts of the perseverance of the Thessalonians in the faith through and despite multiple “ persecutions ” and “ tribulations .”

The terms “ tribulation ” and “ wrath ” are  NOT  synonymous in Paul’s letters or the  Book of Revelation . “ Tribulation ” is what the disciples of Jesus endure for his sake. “ Wrath ” is the horrific fate that awaits the wicked at the final judgment. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes that God did not appoint them to “ wrath .” Yet, in the same letter, he states that believers are destined for “ tribulation .”

The New Testament exhorts the disciples of Jesus to expect tribulation and persecution on account of their faithful witness to him. While it may not be an everyday experience, neither is persecution something unexpected and shocking. In church history, the primary cause of the church’s trials and tribulations has been her faithful proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. To put it negatively, when the church fails to preach the Good News in this world, her sufferings diminish, and persecution becomes an increasingly distant memory.

In chapter 7, the timeframe during which the “ little horn ” is authorized to wage war “ against the saints ” is described as a “ time, times, and part of a time .” At the end of the period, this malevolent ruler will lose his domain. In chapter 8, the angel Gabriel describes it as “ the END OF THE INDIGNATION, for at the appointed time will be an end .” However horrific the “ desolation ” might be, it will not last forever.

The Church of Thessalonica began to serve the Living God and wait eagerly for the arrival of His Son from Heaven  – 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10. The saints of Thessalonica responded to the preaching of the Gospel by turning “ from idols to serve the living and true God .” Their life orientation changed radically because of their new allegiance to Jesus Christ. Rather than a comfortable life in Macedonia, they chose a path that guaranteed opposition, trials, and even persecution.

Our natural tendency is to avoid conflict. Understandably, we prefer our daily lives to be characterized by peace, acceptance, and prosperity, a life devoid of difficulties and afflictions. Moreover, the New Testament does promise believers peace now and everlasting life later. Nevertheless, it also exhorts the Assembly of God to expect afflictions and even persecution in this life on account of its light and testimony in a sin-darkened world.

In his first letter, Peter addresses congregations under pressure to conform to the expectations and values of the surrounding society. Their situation is not unique. They are members of a worldwide suffering community. A key theme of the Letter is the necessity for believers to persevere in tribulations and remain steadfast in holy living until the “ Day of Visitation ” when Jesus will be “ revealed ” from Heaven.

At the start of his vision, John identified himself as a “ fellow participant ” with the Assemblies of Asia in “ the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus .” He was banished to the Isle of Patmos for his “ testimony ” for Jesus, and like the seven congregations on the Asian mainland, he had endured “ tribulation ” for the sake of the “ Kingdom ” and his witness for the exalted Sovereign over all things, the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .”

An angel pronounces a coming time of indignation upon the people of God such as they have never experienced . Daniel’s final vision concludes with the description of a period of intense “ tribulation ” that would befall the Jewish nation, one more severe than any preceding trial in its history. There are no chapter divisions in the original Hebrew text, and contextually, Chapter 12 is the continuation of the vision of Chapters 10 and 11.

To follow Jesus requires a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others and a willingness to lose everything for the Gospel . When Jesus dispatched his disciples to announce the “ Good News ” to the “ lost sheep of Israel ,” he warned that they would find themselves as “ sheep among wolves .” Hostile men would haul them before “ councils and whip them in their synagogues ,” and they would be hated “ by all men for my sake .” That was the harsh reality Christ’s disciples discovered when they proclaimed his message to the world.

The church of Smyrna is only one of two of the seven Asian churches that received no correction, the other being Philadelphia. What set this congregation apart was the level of persecution that it endured because of its “ testimony ,” and its steadfast refusal to “ eat meat offered to idols ” and otherwise compromise with the Greco-Roman culture. Its members stood firm in their refusal to participate in the imperial idolatry of Rome, and consequently, they suffered “ tribulation ” and persecution due to false accusations against them made by Satan’s agents.

If the Thessalonians remain faithful to the apostolic message, they will receive the Crown of Glory when Jesus arrives from Heaven  – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20. Having turned from dead idols to serve the Living God, the saints of Thessalonica will receive a glorious crown when Jesus returns if they continue their present course. This includes remaining “ blameless ” in conduct and persevering in persecution and tribulation.

Revelation is a message to the Church concerned with its real-life situation as it bears witness in a hostile world  – Revelation 4:1-3. After Jesus dictated his letters to the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia ,” John saw an “ open door in Heaven ,” and he heard the voice from his first vision summoning him to “ come up here .” Next, he was standing before the “ Throne sitting in Heaven .” Does this image symbolize the physical removal of the Church from the Earth before the subsequent visions of the Book, the so-called ‘Rapture of the Saints’?

John was exiled to Patmos because of his testimony – A fellow participant in the Tribulation and Perseverance in Jesus.  Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea approximately ninety kilometers from the city of Ephesus. It is eleven kilometers long by seven wide, making it one of the smaller islands of the  Sporades , an archipelago off the west coast of Asia Minor. Roman literature from the period identifies this group of islands as a place where political offenders were exiled - ( Tacitus, Ann. iii . 68; iv. 30; v. 71).

In  Revelation , John saw countless followers of the “ Lamb ” exiting the “ Great Tribulation ” after persevering through it. This striking image is central to his vision of the “ Innumerable Multitude ,” the men from every nation and people who were redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Having “ overcome ,” John saw them standing triumphantly in worship and celebration before the “ Lamb ” and the “ Throne ” in the “ Holy City, New Jerusalem .”

Disciples escape God’s wrath, but they endure tribulation. Indeed, the church has been appointed to suffer .  The terms “ tribulation ” and “ wrath ” are  NOT  synonymous in Paul’s letters. “ Tribulation ” is what disciples endure for the sake of the gospel. “ Wrath ” is the horrific fate that awaits the wicked at the final judgment when the Lord arrives in glory.