Originally Posted by
Bowdrie
It's Ok brother, when the rapture happens all the truly saved will be caught-up even if they don't believe in the rapture.
(If we see each other in the air, we can high-five each other,)
But it's sad that so many Christians deprive themselves of the "Blessed Hope" that Paul speaks about.
They somehow think that all the verses that say that believers are not subject to "The Wrath" means that God will protect them during the seven years.
They've missed the entire message; they've talked themselves into a position that if they have enough faith that they'll be able to "Endure to the end".
The end of what? The end of their lives, or the end of the tribulation?
Too many Christians still think that the tribulation is for the Church, it's not for the Church, we've already been saved, we don't have to go thru God's wrath to prove our faith, (we're in the "Age of Grace").
When the rapture happens the "Age of Grace" is over, and those who do accept the Lord during that seven years WILL have to "prove" their faith, they'll prove it by shedding their own blood, (head chopped off,) because they would not accept the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for salvation.
The tribulation is God's judgement on an unbelieving world and on Israel.
During those seven years ~1/2 of the world's population will die, but in Israel ~2/3rds will die, and if Jesus didn't come back down to earth when He does all of Israel would be wiped-out from the advancing armies of the antichrist.
Yes, at the beginning of those seven years the antichrist will be welcomed by Israel, he signs the covenant that allows the Israelites to rebuild their temple and re-institute animal sacrifices.
But when the abomination of desolation, (the antichrist,) defiles the temple, stops the sacrifices and declares that everyone worship him, that is when he is "revealed" to the Jews as an imposter.
Yes, the antichrist will be "revealed" to many at the very beginning of the seven years, there will no doubt be millions of people around the world that after the rapture will say to themselves, "Hey, what my Christian friends told me about is really true and that guy I see on TV must be the antichrist that Joe mentioned".
Christians right here and now in this age of grace need to stop thinking about a "Faith plus Works" equals salvation.
When the age of grace ends at the rapture, those next seven years WILL be a "faith plus works" to be saved, for most, the "works" will be not taking the mark, (so no food or medical care for you,) and allowing themselves to be killed.
When the "age of grace" ends at the rapture God re-institutes Mosaic Law, and "faith alone" will not save anybody.
The book of James is a good "owner's manual" for those in general and the Jews in particular to get thru those seven years.
Actually, all of the books after the epistles of Paul, (James to Jude,) are written as if they were handbooks to survive what's written in Revelation.
Christians today need to put aside all this non-scriptural thinking about bunkers/guns/ammo/food/water and fighting or enduring till the "End".
Be joyful and thankful that Jesus is taking us out of here before an insane bloody world destroying period of time