Will there be another great tribulation as that which occurred during the terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. that the falling of the people of the old covenant might become only a symbol of a greater tribulation to come on all men? The answer is most probably: yes.
As the graces of the new covenant are greater than those of the Old one, so the coming judgment on the people of the world will be more horrible than that which fell on the people of the old covenant.
Read the Revelation of Saint John prayerfully, and compare it with other verses of the prophecies written about the future, then you will see the outlines of the judgment which must come if the measure of the sin of the world becomes full.
However, the end of the world will be like these abominations, not single, partial events, but as dissoluteness broken out in all wells of evil, originated from the genius of the criminal who will use the newest and most developed electrical equipments, and nuclear radiations for the destruction of individuals and peoples.
When will the great tribulation come in the end of time? The following different evidences may happen either successively or coincidently, either reticulately, or gradually:
All men deserve judgment without differentiation or exception, for all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. The wrath of God is revealed against all godliness of men, particularly because they did not accept the living crucified incarnate Christ as their Savior.
Those who believe in the one God are submitted to severe discipline and pressure that they may deny God’s existence. Persecution also appeared in Russia and China against Muslims and Christians simultaneously.
All the Christians who continued in God, in spite of the increasing temptations, and remained on earth must pass through afflictions, particularly the believers of non-Christian origin. They will be purified and purged as gold and silver.
The Jews who take hold of their doctrine will be separated from all the peoples. They will oppose men, and refuse the true Christ continuously. Then Jerusalem will become the cup of decline to all the peoples.
The Lord did not only speak about the judgment, but he put comforting supports to strengthen the hope, saying: “God is able to shorten the time that his elect may not be overburdened. In fact, the Lord occasionally bore the believers as dreamers at times of distress. The Lord will not forget the members of his spiritual body, but he suffers from their sufferings, as he had already said to Saul: “Why are you persecuting me?” And Saul was torturing the believers.
Who are the elect? In the Epistle to the Ephesians (1:4; 2:1), we read that in nature, they are not better than the other people, but God has chosen them (in Christ). The blood of the Son of God cleansed them from all sin, and his endless love led those losers to continue in the life of God. Therefore, man has reason to glory only in the cross. Jesus alone saved the sinners, and they did not oppose his attractive love, but accepted wholeheartedly and willfully the things written from the foundation of the world.
In his first epistle, Peter shows us other depths and high ends for choosing us in the new covenant (1Peter 2:9-10).