Is It Possible To Be Saved During The Tribulation?

“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth”  Revelation 3:10. 

We’ve been studying through the book of Revelation on Sunday mornings, and this past Sunday we came across Revelation 3:10.  After mentioning the historical significance to the believers in Philadelphia, we brought up a whole host of additional questions by connecting this to the Tribulation Period.  One of the observations I shared was that the Tribulation was a time specifically for rebellious humanity (…”to test those who dwell on the earth”).  We spent considerable time looking at how John used this phrase throughout the book of Revelation, particularly those chapters related to the Tribulation, and in each reference it was clear that he was speaking of unbelievers (6:9-10, 8:13, 11:7,10, 13:8,12,14, 17:2,7-8).

The natural question that follows goes something like this: “But does that mean folks can’t get saved during the Tribulation?”  Because of time-limits (and “yes” I do have time limits, as difficult as that must be for some of you to believe     Because of time-limits, I had to move on in the text and didn’t really get a chance to answer that question, so I thought I would tackle it on the blog.

Let me begin by stating that  just about any question related to “end times” is a difficult and complicated one.  However, when we started our journey through Revelation, we approached it (myself included) with the conviction that God’s desire was not to conceal, but to reveal truth.  So our affirmation was that through prayer and careful study, it would be possible to understand God’s message in this wonderful, and yet often mysterious, New Testament letter.

With all that in mind, let me get back to the question: can folks come to saving faith during the Tribulation?  It would seem to me, and I’m by no means an “end-times” expert, that a casual reading through the book of Revelation would force us to answer that question “YES”.  Consider the following passages:

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintain: and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  Revelation 6:9-10.

Here you have some folks, and this is within the context of the Tribulation, and apparently they have been died for the cause of Christ.  So from this passage alone we could say “Yes; during the Tribulation it appears that some will repent, believe the Gospel and wondrously be saved by the grace of God.”

Another passage to consider:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever, Amen.”  Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”  I said to him, “My lord, you know.”  And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…”  Revelation 7:9-14

Again, it would seem clear from this passage that yes, during the Tribulation, some will repent and be washed in the blood of the Lamb (a great picture of salvation)!  There are other passages we could turn to as well, such as 13:10 and 14:4, but the point seems to be clear enough.

Can folks be saved during the Tribulation?  The Scriptures would appear to say “yes”.  However, I would say to anyone who might ask a question about the possibility of being saved during this time, “Don’t wait until then to be saved.  The Bible says that today is the day of salvation, so turn to Jesus now!  Believe the Gospel now, and trust Jesus alone to save you now.”