Someone had convinced these people that the Tribulation of Revelation had started. I specified it this way to distinguish the 7-year period that happens at the end of the world from the generic meaning of the word tribulation which simply means hard times. While we all go through tribulations, and while God promises to repay tribulations to those that hurt His children, this is different from the capital T Tribulation at the end of the world.
What actually has to happen before the real Tribulation can start?
Inner Man Theatre 