I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.
Corrie ten Boom -1974, The Texas Herald
Originally posted: April 24, 2015 6:16 PM by James Bailey
During World War 2 Corrie Ten Boom and her family were arrested by the Germans for the crime of helping Jewish people hide. She was sent to a concentration camp and endured great hardships, but she survived.
In 1974 Corrie Ten Boom wrote the letter shown below to warn Christians about the false teaching of the pre-tribulation rapture. This teaching is very popular in America, even though there is no scriptural basis for it. Many believers have bought into it because they have heard it taught by their pastor or by other Christian leaders, but we must study the scriptures for ourselves.
God has promised to deliver His people from the wrath of God, which will be poured out near the end of the seven-year tribulation period. However, there is a big difference between the persecution of Christians and the wrath of God. God never promised us that we would be protected from persecution. In fact, He promised us we would be persecuted just as Jesus was also persecuted.
The pre-tribulation rapture is a dangerous teaching because it will cause believers to be confused and even abandon their faith when they see tremendous persecution coming upon them during the tribulation. Many will fall away at that time, which is also foretold in the Bible. It is called the apostasy. I am posting Corrie Ten Boom’s letter to help warn people while there is still time.
CORRIE TEN BOOM’S RAPTURE WARNING:
“The world is deathly ill. It is dying. The Great Physician has already signed the death certificate. Yet there is still a great work for Christians to do. They are to be streams of living water, channels of mercy to those who are still in the world. It is possible for them to do this because they are overcomers.
Christians are ambassadors for Christ. They are representatives from Heaven to this dying world. And because of our presence here, things will change.
My sister, Betsy, and I were in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck because we committed the crime of loving Jews. Seven hundred of us from Holland, France, Russia, Poland and Belgium were herded into a room built for two hundred. As far as I knew, Betsy and I were the only two representatives of Heaven in that room.
We may have been the Lord’s only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) We too, are to be overcomers – bringing the light of Jesus into a world filled with darkness and hate.
Sometimes I get frightened as I read the Bible, and as I look in this world and see all of the tribulation and persecution promised by the Bible coming true. Now I can tell you, though, if you too are afraid, that I have just read the last pages. I can now come to shouting “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” for I have found where it is written that Jesus said,
He that overcomes shall inherit all things: and I will be His God, and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7
This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world will survive – but that we shall be overcomers in the midst of a dying world.
Betsy and I, in the concentration camp, prayed that God would heal Betsy who was so weak and sick.
“Yes, the Lord will heal me,” Betsy said with confidence.
She died the next day and I could not understand it. They laid her thin body on the concrete floor along with all the other corpses of the women who died that day.
It was hard for me to understand, to believe that God had a purpose for all that. Yet because of Betsy’s death, today I am traveling all over the world telling people about Jesus.
There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.
In China, the Christians were told, “Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,
“We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution, rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes, to stand and not faint.”
I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.
Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus’ sake, and since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think, “Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation.” Then I write it down and learn it by heart.
When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, “Nothing could be any worse than today.” But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy.
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Peter 4:14-15)
I found myself saying, “Hallelujah! Because I am suffering (for the name of Christ), Jesus is glorified!”
In America, the churches sing, “Let the congregation escape tribulation”, but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived. This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation.
Several years ago I was in Africa in a nation where a new government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they arrived they were arrested and that same night they were executed. The next day the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day it was the same. All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.
The fourth day I was to speak in a little church. The people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, “Will this one I am sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?”
The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.
“When I was a little girl, I went to my father and said, “Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ.”
“Tell me,” said Father, “When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?”
“No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train.”
“That is right,” my father said, “and so it is with God’s strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need, just in time.”
My African friends were nodding and smiling. Suddenly a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began singing, “In the sweet, by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.”
Later that week, half the congregation of that church was executed. I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.
But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would give a crown of life
How can we get ready for the persecution?
First we need to feed on the Word of God, digest it, and make it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in our lives.
Next we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History, but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive and sitting at the right hand of God.
We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not an optional command of the Bible, it is absolutely necessary. Those earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We will never be able to stand in the tribulation without it.
In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and encourage each other. But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting. The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian’s life.
Many are fearful of the coming tribulation. They want to run. I, too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years, including the horrible Nazi concentration camp that I might have to go through the tribulation also. But then I read the Bible and I am glad.
When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy and I were prisoners for the Lord, we were so weak, but we got power because the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you. For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left me, or let me down.
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. (Job 13:15)
I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life. Hallelujah!
– Corrie Ten Boom – 1974
To read this letter in its entirety, visit: https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=txherald (pgs. 10-12)
James Bailey is a blogger, business owner, husband and father of two grown children. In 1982, he surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2012, he founded Z3news.com to broadcast the message of salvation by reporting end time news before it happens.
Originally posted: April 24, 2015 6:16 PM by James Bailey
https://z3news.com/w/corrie-ten-boom-beware-false-teaching-pretribulation-rapture/
Used by permission © 2015, Z3 News
SEALED IN CHRIST 
The times of darkness, the time of wrath is reserved for the unbelievers and the lukewarm Christians. At this time on earth Christ’s church is getting strong messages of the upcoming evacuation of his people which is very soon. Jesus has not chosen his church to be torn up, tortured, killed in the wrath of God. It’s your choice if you want to stay here and face fireballs, demons, death in the streets or stand at the bema seat for your crown. At the end of tribulation he returns with his saints for war, not rapture. Judgment is coming to America with destruction happening next year. Get your house in order, your lamp filled. You do not want to be here during this time.
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You’re absolutely right, the time of wrath is reserved for unbelievers. However the Bible doesn’t use the terms wrath and tribulation interchangeably. The scripture never tell us that christians will be spared tribulation. In fact, Jesus tells us to expect tribulation in this life. On the other hand, we are explicitly promised in the scripture that God’s children will not go through the time of God’s wrath. Question is, when does the wrath of God begin?
I (and many others) believe God’s wrath begins when the first trumpet sounds, in Revelation 8:6. I won’t go into detail in this comment, but you’re welcome to check out my other posts that speak of the Pre-wrath Rapture view for more explanation on this. And if you’d like to hear an in-depth comparison of various rapture views, you might find the below video link interesting. God bless!
https://sixthsealministries.wordpress.com/2020/08/27/its-finally-here-seven-pretrib-problems-and-the-prewrath-rapture-full-movie/
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I always find these articles so interesting. I have read all three theories and I am not settled on any one of them. I do hear many saying there will be a pre-trib rapture and I guess we will see. We just need to be ready always. We must turn away from the world and towards Christ. We must spend time in His word and have fellowship with Him daily. Thank you for sharing this!
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You are so right! The key to being prepared is to draw near to Him and His word daily. Only through His strength can we stand firm in the face of persecution and, if we are so called, even death. Blessings!
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Absolutely!!!
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Thanks very much. I’ve read this excellent account of Corrie Ten Boom’s terrible sufferings (i.e. “tribulations”) but i’m sure that isn’t what is meant by “The Great Tribulation” that Christ referred to (i.e. a SPECIFIC period in world history, rather than personal tribulation at any time, no matter how severe that might be – even martyrdom if God wills that.)
I’ve posted two comments highlighting this distinction(i.e. between ‘personal tribulation’ and the “Great Tribulation” ) – both commemts “awaiting moderation” i.e. approval to be posted.
Shalom, God bless and thanks again.
Bryan.
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Thank you, Bryan. I posted an answer to this on another of your questions, but let me reiterate that this article is not speaking about everyday personal tribulation and troubles, nor just about Corrie and her sister’s horrible suffering. It’s speaking of the current and ongoing persecution, death, and suffering of the saints today.
The fact that the Great Tribulation (persecution, death, and suffering of the saints) is a specific time period doesn’t make the suffering of each person worse in intensity than what many Christians are experiencing today, it only means that it will be widespread.
Christians have no basis, biblical or experiential, for expecting that we will be whisked away before these things begin to happen. Now is not the time to be looking up, now is the time for preparation in anticipation for what is coming upon the whole earth.
Jesus was very clear, it is AFTER the tribulation of those days that He gathers His people — Matthew 24:15-31, Luke 21:25-27, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
My heart is not to argue, but to warn. I pray many will hear and begin to prepare spiritually to stand firm in Christ during this terrible time.
Please see the video posted on my site: “Seven Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture”. I believe it will answer many of your questions.
Thank you.
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I don’t understand then why the “church saints” aren’t mentioned in the chapters in Revelation covering the “Great Tribulation” – only the so-called “Tribulation saints” who i understand to be mainly the 144,000 Jews who evangelise through the second half of the 7 year period. Any thoughts? Thanks+++
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Hi Bryan! Thanks so much for reading and commenting. You’re asking a really great question here and I’m going to try to keep my answer as simple and short as possible.
The absence of the word ‘church’ should not be taken to mean the absence of the physical Church. If we were to employ that reasoning, then we could assume that the NT books of 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 & 2 John, and Jude do not concern the Church, as the word Church is mentioned nowhere in these books. And the OT books of Esther and Solomon have nothing to do with God since He also is not mentioned in either of these books. However, we know that these books are concerned with the Church and God, respectively, because of the content and alternative wording in each book.
It is also helpful to understand the difference between the word translated as Church, and the word translated as Elect or Chosen in the New Testament:
EKKLESIA (translated Church) means ‘A gathering of people in a public place.’ It is used in a Christian sense in the New Testament to refer to the Church, but it can be used to describe the public gathering of any people that have any common purpose.
EKLEKTOS (translated Elect or Chosen) means ‘Picked out, chosen. Chosen by God, to obtain salvation through Christ.’
You’re correct, in that we do not see the word Church/Ekklesia used after the first 4 chapters in Revelation. And we shouldn’t expect to see that in the environment described in the ensuing chapters, as it is unlikely believers (Elect or Chosen ones) will be gathering in public places for worship during this time. What we do see however, is other verbiage to denote the presence of believers during this time, particularly with the account of the martyrs during the Fifth Seal, found in Revelation 6:9-11. Which, by the way, is before the 144,000 (who are never said to be evangelists) are sealed.
As for the term Tribulation Saints, you will not find that term anywhere in the Bible. It is a man-made term to explain why there are believers on earth during the tribulation period. In short, using this term is a way for those who teach the pretrib view to explain why believers are here during the Great Tribulation, without being forced to accept the obvious explanation that the Elect will be here during this period, exactly as Jesus said we would be (Matthew 24:29-31).
As for the usage of the word Church in the first few books of Revelation, this particular word was used because it served a very specific purpose, as John is instructed to write what he sees and send it to the actual, physical seven churches that were in existence at that particular time in history. It has become the habit of some to interpret these passages as referring to ‘types’ of churches that will exist throughout history and up until Christ’s second coming. However, this is theorized and never specifically taught as doctrine or even alluded to in these chapters.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to reply with any questions or if you would like me to clarify any points.
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Amen. Jesus said “In this world you will have tribulation,” which is what our sister Corrie Ten Boom has spoken of (the word “tribulation” meaning “trouble(s)”) but this is surely different from the “Great Tribulation” (notice the capitalisation) which is a specific period in world history, not personal tribulation (with a small ‘t.’) WHEN this period of world history begins/ends is the subject of much debate, but it will begin when the Final Antichrist makes a Peace “covenant” with Israel and it’s mid-point will be when he breaks this Covenant, setting himself up as the “Abomination of Desolation” in the rebuilt (3rd) Temple, demanding worship for himself that is due to YAHWE only. Beyond these two facts, i don’t think anyone can be certain of the timing can they?
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Hi Bryan. Thanks so much for your comment.
Corrie’s intention in bringing up the suffering of the Church in real time, is not to say that our times today (or then) compare with the Great Tribulation. She is merely pointing out the fact that Christians are being tortured and killed right now, today. Her point is that we should not expect that believers alive at the End of the Age should somehow be more special than those who are being persecuted by means of torture and death today.
I will repeat this again from one of my earlier comments: What makes the Great Tribulation great, is not that people will SUFFER MORE during that time than those who are being persecuted and killed now. But that MORE PEOPLE will suffer during that time than are suffering now. Because it will be worldwide and not just isolated locations around the globe.
To your point of timing, yes, I believe we can be very sure about the timing, but only as it relates to the sequence of events.
In Matthew 24, Jesus says:
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. (vs. 15-16) For then there will be a ‘great tribulation’, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (vs. 21-22) “But IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And THEN the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and THEN all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (vs. 29-31)
In Luke 21:25-27, Jesus says:
“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. THEN they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. BUT WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Both of these passages point out that, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL FROM THE SKY”. After which, the Son of Man will appear and send His angels to gather His elect.
Where else do we see in the scriptures that “THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky”? Joel 2:30-31, Isaiah 3:9-10, Revelation 6:12-14, to name a few. In these scriptures, we are told that these signs signify the arrival of the Day of the Lord, also known as The Day of God’s Wrath. It is from this period of time Christians have been promised exemption.
When we see this phenomena happening in Revelation 6, we should take note that it occurs AFTER the Great Tribulation, as evidenced by the Martyrs underneath the altar crying out to God for vengeance against those who killed them. Some say the entire 7 years are God’s wrath, but if that is true, the implication is that God Himself has caused the death of these martyrs. Which is unthinkable, and by their own words is not true.
So we see that there is definitely a timeline that spans Revelation chapters 6-8 and beyond (the details of which can be found in multiple places throughout the Bible), as follows:
–There is a covenant made or confirmed
–A the mid point the Antichrist breaks the Covenant and sets himself up in the temple as God
–The Great Tribulation of believers begins at/around the mid-point
–Those martyred during this time cry out to God for vengeance
–The Sun, Moon, and Stars go dark
–Christ Himself appears in the heavens and sends His angels to gather His elect, just before His time of wrath as promised in the scriptures.
–Commencement of the Day of the Lord begins, when God pours out His wrath upon the wicked on the earth, Revelation 8:6.
There are many details in between, but this is a quick outline. Please let me know if I’ve forgotten anything. Or if you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear them. Blessings.
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There is a difference between persecution now/tribulations in life and The Great Tribulation spoken of in Revelation.
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Thanks so much for reading and commenting. 🙂
Yes, I agree that there’s a difference. However, the Bible doesn’t teach anywhere that the Church will be spared from the Great Tribulation, which is the persecution of the Antichrist. We are only promised not to experience the Wrath of God, also known as the Day of the Lord; Romans 5:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:10.
In fact, Jesus Himself says in Matt 24:29-31,
“Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. THEN will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
If you haven’t done so yet, I would highly recommend watching the movie “Seven Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture”. It’s posted on my site. If you do watch, please let me know your thoughts.
God bless!
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Also, if you’ll notice, Corrie makes the distinction between persecution now and the Tribulation. Her point in bringing up the persecution occurring today is to show that it is not reasonable to expect we will be rescued from the coming Tribulation, as many are suffering immensely now.
What makes the Great Tribulation great, is not that people will suffer more then than those who are being persecuted and killed now. But that MORE PEOPLE will suffer then than are suffering now. Because it will be worldwide and not just isolated locations around the globe.
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I’ve heard teachings on “pre-trib,” “mid-trib,” and “post-trib” Rapture and each uses Scripture to back it up. I haven’t spent enough time researching to put myself in any particular camp, but I do know that whether or not we’re going to face THE Tribulation, there is no doubt that the Church WILL have tribulation, and I fear the church in America is woefully unprepared. I pray every morning that I will have the strength God gives me when the time comes, and I am confident He will give it to me then, even though I feel so weak now. Corrie’s dialogue with her father really encourages me in that respect. Thanks for sharing this.
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Yes, there is no doubt.. the Church will have tribulation. And I agree, I also found comfort in Corrie’s father’s words. Have you seen the video I posted ‘Seven Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture’? It’s really informative and well presented.
Thanks for reading and commenting. God bless!
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