[boatbums]

But, to think that there will not be some tough times before that, one can just look at the loss of life in WW1, communist Russia, WW2, communist China, etc. There is no guarantee that such tough times won’t happen some more before the tribulation really starts.

I was thinking on this yesterday and it occurred to me that all the tribulation believers endure and have endured ever since the first century is man's inhumanity to man. But, the Tribulation will be different because it will be God's righteous judgment UPON mankind leading up to the final judgment at the Great White Throne after the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. Ungodliness and evil will be so great upon the earth at that time that EVERYTHING that God rains down upon humanity will be rightfully deserved. That is why I do not believe the Bride of Christ will go through that time and will have already been caught up (raptured) when all that starts happening. Once the good influence from Holy Spirit filled believers has been taken away, the full brunt of desperately evil humanity will develop and hit overdrive, as you said.

[CynicalBear]

>>But, the Tribulation will be different because it will be God's righteous judgment UPON mankind leading up to the final judgment at the Great White Throne after the thousand year reign of Christ on earth.<<

That period of time is called the "wrath" of God. The tribulations that Christians have gone through are not the result of God's "wrath". It's the "wrath" of God that Christians have been promised to never have to endure.