How many times is the word 'tribulation' used in the New Testament?
The word 'tribulation' is used approximately 29 times in the New Testament. This count is given as an estimate. Most of the time, tribulation is associated with the activity surrounding the believer, though there may be one exception. It is often linked to persecution.
Les teaches that the word 'tribulation' is used something like 29 times in the New Testament, and that it is almost always associated with the activity surrounding the believer, with maybe one exception. He then turns to Revelation chapter 2, the letter to Smyrna, verses 9 and 10. Smyrna means myrrh, which does not exude its fragrance until it is crushed. This illustrates how the church at Smyrna responded to persecution: the more persecution crushed those believers, the more they exuded their testimony. Satan had to give up persecuting the early church because he couldn't get ahead of it—the more he persecuted, the more it thrived. So he switched to an inside attack, joining them, and Christianity began to slide. In Revelation 2:9, the text says, 'I know thy works, and tribulation.'