Tribulation

Tribulation (Hebrew tsar, "narrow" or "pressed"; Greek thlipsis, "pressure" or "affliction") denotes severe suffering, persecution, or distress in Scripture. In Deuteronomy 4:30, Moses foretells that in the last days tribulation will drive Israel to return to the LORD. In the New Testament, tribulation is presented as the normal condition of believers in this age: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Paul counts on tribulation to produce patience (Romans 5:3–4) and sees present suffering as incomparable to future glory (Romans 8:18). Jesus's discourse in Matthew 24 speaks of "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world" preceding the end, a passage much debated as to whether it refers to the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70, a future eschatological event, or both. In Romans 2:9, tribulation and anguish constitute the penal consequence awaiting those who do evil.