In the scenario of Premillennialism, seven years prior to Christ’s return, the saints will be “raptured” from the earth. During this seven year period those left on the earth will suffer the period of the great tribulation. This will cause many to repent and thereby prepare the way for the Lord’s return and the beginning of the 1000 year reign of peace and prosperity on the earth.
There are three times the phrase “great tribulation” is used in the scriptures: Matthew 24:21; Revelation 2:22, 7:14. Jesus’ use of the phrase in Matthew specifically refers to the tribulation that took place on the city of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans. The context demands this. In 24:2 Jesus had foretold the fall of Jerusalem as well as the temple. In 24:3 His disciples asked when these things would take place, what would be the sign of His coming to accomplish these things, and thus the end of the Jewish age. Jesus answers these questions by referring to Daniel’s prophecy in 24:15 which specifically foretold the fall of Jerusalem/Judaism (Daniel 9:24-27). In 24:16 Jesus specifically warns that when this tribulation takes place those in Judea were to flee. Therefore this is not a tribulation that would take place on the whole world, but on those in Judea. Further, in 24:32-34, when Jesus identifies the time period when this tribulation would take place He states, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled.” Therefore, that generation of people that Jesus was speaking to would not die before the great tribulation took place. Since Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, Jesus prophecy was fulfilled. It is also important to not that in 24:21 Jesus said that the great tribulation that would come on Jerusalem and Judea would be the greatest the world had ever seen and there would never be another greater.
The next place the phrase is used is Revelation 2:22 where Jesus warned the church of Thyatira that if the woman “Jezebel” did not repent He would cast her and those who committed adultery with her into great tribulation.. This certainly is not referring to any future tribulation on the world.
The final place the phrase is used is in Revelation 7:14 where an angel tells John that the great multitude he sees in heaven are those who have come out of the great tribulation. In 6:9-11 we saw these same ones who had been killed for the word of God and the testimony which they held. Is this something that is still to happen or has it already been fulfilled? Revelation 1:1-3 gives us the context of the book. First, these were things that “must shortly come to pass…for the time is near.” To believe that the events of this book have not yet happened is to not understand the very first verse of the book. Further, we are told that the message was sent from Christ and “signified” by an angel to John. The word “signified” means to send a message by the use of signs. Thus, the message of the book of Revelation was not revealed in literal language, but in signs and symbols. A person who either attempts to understand Revelation as literal or believes that the message of the book has not yet been fulfilled is disregarding the very first verse of the book.
Now, what was the setting of Revelation? It was written about 96 AD during the beginning of the period of Roman persecution against Christians. The tribulation spoken of in the book refers to those Christians who were suffering under the Roman oppression. To further confirm this, Revelation 17:18 tells us that the woman (who was responsible for the blood of the saints, 17:6) is that “great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” This could be none other than Rome.
There certainly may be another great tribulation that comes upon Christians or on the world, but the scriptures do not reveal this to us. As for a period in which the world suffers while the saints are in heaven for a brief seven year period, there is no scriptural foundation.