The Tribulation is part of the elaborate system known as Premillennialism, so we must state some things about it before we proceed further.

Premillennialism is the teaching that Christ came to establish His kingdom, but since the Jews rejected Him, He could not begin the kingdom, so as an after thought He started His church as an interim measure or a substitute for the kingdom.  The kingdom is postponed.  According to this doctrine, our Lord will start His kingdom when He comes again.  Wouldn’t that raise the question, that since He could not do it the first time, what assurance do we have that He can do it the second time?  The “postponed kingdom theory” reflects on the power and authority of Christ, because He failed to do what He came to do.

Before the kingdom is set up according to premillennialism, there will be a Rapture and a period of Tribulation.  Christians will be Raptured for seven years and sinners will go through the Tribulation.

All of this is built on something that is false.  The kingdom was not postponed but came into existence as promised .  Jesus said the Lord’ Supper would be in the kingdom (Luke 22:29-30).  If the kingdom has not come, no one has a right to eat the Lord’s Supper today.  In 1 Corinthians 1:2, Paul addresses that letter to the CHURCH, and in chapter ll:23-30, gives instructions to the CHURCH about the Lord’s Supper.  Since the Lord’s Supper was to be in the kingdom, yet the Lord’s Supper was observed in the church, we must conclude the kingdom is the church.

The church was in the mind of God in eternity (Ephesians 3:10-11).  It is not a interim measure for anything, but began on Pentecost (Acts 2:47).  In Mark 9:1, we are told the kingdom would come with power.  In Acts 1:8, Luke says the power would come with the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost.  Since the kingdom, power and the Holy Spirit all came together, it is certain the kingdom came on Pentecost.  Colossians 1:13 says people were translated into the kingdom, which means that in 64 A.D. the kingdom existed when Paul wrote that letter.

The elaborate system of premillennialism is false.  There is not a Tribulation!  Get your concordance and find it in the Bible.  It is not mentioned.  Just because leading national preachers promote it, does not make it true.  Daniel 2:44 states that when the kingdom is started, it will never be destroyed.  John said he was in the kingdom in  96 A.D. (Revelation 1:9).

The question has to do with the baptism of people during the Tribulation.  We have shown  the Tribulation is not biblical and is built on a false idea that the kingdom did not begin as predicted by the prophets.  But what about people before the cross?  Were they required to be baptized?  Abraham, David and Job were never commanded to be baptized.  Will they be saved since we are told “baptism saves” (1 Peter 3:21)?

One of the most importance things in Bible study is to understand there are two testaments in the Bible, and that we cannot live under both of them.  The first one was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14).  “He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Hebrews 10:9).   The Old Testament law was sealed with the blood of animals, while the New Testament was sealed with the blood of Christ (Matthew 26:28).  Baptism was commanded by Jesus (Mark 16:16), but the Old Testament law did not require it.  Abraham and other people before the cross will be saved by the blood of Christ if they were faithful to God under their law (Hebrews 9:15).