Tribulation saints are the people who will come to faith in Jesus Christ during the tribulation period. According to the premillennial view of the end times, after the rapture will be a seven-year tribulation during which many judgments will come upon the earth. The tribulation will end with the second coming of Jesus to begin the 1,000-year millennial kingdom.
During this seven-year period of tribulation, 144,000 Jewish evangelists will share the good news of Jesus around the world (Revelation 7:1-7). Revelation 7:9 then says, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." These verses indicate that many additional people will turn to faith in Christ during this time.
Many of the tribulation saints will be martyred: "Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4). The martyrs of the tribulation will be resurrected at the commencement of the millennium.
Revelation also speaks of two witnesses during the tribulation who preach Christ, work miracles, and reach many with His message. These two witnesses will also be martyred, but their resurrection takes place three and a half days later, and they are taken to heaven (Revelation 11:3-12). It is reasonable to assume that these powerful witnesses will succeed in turning some people to Christ, increasing the number of tribulation saints.
Both Jews and non-Jews will come to faith in Christ during the last days. While many who read the biblical prophecies wonder why God would send such terrible judgments, it is clear that one of His purposes will be to draw more people to Himself during this time.
No one needs to wait until the judgments of the tribulation to turn to Christ. If you are unclear about your eternal future, put your faith in Christ today and make certain you will spend eternity with God (Acts 16:31). The best time to prepare for the future is not in the future; it is now.
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