Tell me what you think the word "tribulation" as used in the Revelation prophecy of John has to do with the formatting of the Israeli state into twelve tribes led by elders in the Sinai Desert. The record of the formation of Israel into tribes at Siani has more to do with a foreigner's status as a Jew then anything that happened in Israel after that, including the life of Christ, the records of which introduced most Non-Hebrews with any interest at all in His earthy reign or religious synagogue attendance to the Temple and its service at all.
As Israel became tribal, there were Deuteronomic provisions made for the legal status of strangers, including both resident aliens and later outsiders, which would have included Greek merchants, or American Bible students, and so on. Within any state, a resident of outside birth or ties has some legal standing, modern Iseral has diplomacy with the United States for example, knows an invader from a commercial agent, and can tell whether it's being colonized or occupied.
Based on the rules of atomic spelling in English, "Tribulation" should mean the making of the Hebrew race into tribes with government and administrative offices applied. But the first tribulation, reading the word in that way, happened at a time when Israel was an exfiltration army, firing Parthan shots backward at Pharoh. At other times, the tribes, including the elders, lived in a civil war, under Persian occupation, under kings, and as scattered aliens in other countries like Russia or Germany. "A great tribulation or time of trouble such as man has never seen", in the technical meaning of those exact words, happened at the time of Christ's death. Israel and Rome were both rife with apostacy and treason during Christ's ministry on Earth, both nations fell to internal strife, the occupying Agustus was killed, and replaced by another Roman Ceasar, but Jesus Christ, the Kingly descendent of Jesse, also labored under the usurpation of Herod Agrippa, who religiously controlled the Dreidel council as the Sanhedrin.
By genealogical record of descent, Jesus' disciples were the legitimate Dreidel Council, but Herod had installed the Sanhedrin as a simulation of it at the time of his usurpation. Both Christ and Augustus were assassinated by their own countrymen, who also carried on illegal trade relations with Persia.
That's what sounds to me like a tribulation, but what do you think it means?
