That dwelling place is the holy city that will come down from Heaven with the pre trib raptured saints.
Another long one but...
WILL WE GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?
The question of the ages… with all the terrible things that are going to happen during the tribulation period, the next logical question is whether or not God’s people will go through it or be taken from the world beforehand. This is one of the most hotly debated areas of Bible interpretation, and everyone’s got their opinion. So let’s ask God for his.
Reread Jesus’ words in the passages of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Jesus told His disciples that
they would recognize by seeing these events happen that He was near. Digest that. We will know He is returning
when we see these things happen. We can’t see these things happen if we’re not here. And they happen before He returns. And we’re here until He returns. That’s how we are able to see them happen before His return.
Because we are here.
Sorry. It’s just really important that certain people understand that point.
Elsewhere, John records four instances where Jesus said He would raise His people up
on the last day[1]. He also says that Martha, mourning with Jesus over the death of Lazarus, confessed her belief that the resurrection occurs
on the last day, which Jesus did not dispute or correct
[2]. First Thessalonians 4:15-17 says that those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means proceed those who have died; that the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
On the last day.
Think about it. The living are not taken up until after He takes up the dead… and the dead are taken
on the last day, right as He returns. Which means we are here to see the last day, which is the day He returns. Until then
we are here.
Sorry. It’s just really important that you all understand this.
We will see these things. We do not escape judgment. God clearly states that over and over again throughout His word. Back to it in a second…
Let’s look at that being caught up to meet the Lord, with a focus on the ‘to meet’ part of it. In Biblical times, when a dignitary or visitor was coming to town, it was customary for those whom he was coming to see to go out ‘to meet’ him, and then escort him on the final leg of his journey
[3]. When we are caught up ‘to meet’ Jesus, we will then turn around and “escort” Him on His way to earth. He does not change direction and take us back to Heaven. He’s on His way to return to earth to rule for the next millennium. We will see these things, be caught up ‘to meet’ Him as He approaches, and return to earth with Him.
But we WILL see these things.
He even says there’ll be a soundtrack… that He will return with the sound of a trumpet that all the world will hear. Looking in the book of Revelation
[4] John sees Christ opening 7 seals on a scroll, which is followed by 7 angels who sound trumpets. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul says that the Lord wild descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. Talking about the resurrection (when the dead are caught up, which is
before the living are) in 1 Cor. 15 Paul calls it a mystery and in verse 52 says it will come at “the last trumpet”. Revelation 10:7 states that in the day the last angel sounds his trumpet, the mystery is finished. We find an account of that last (7th) trumpet being sounded in Revelation 11:14; those gathered around God’s throne praise Him, shouting with loud voices that His time has come to reign, to judge the dead, to reward His people, and to destroy the wicked.
As each trumpet is sounded, the calamities of judgment befall mankind. And we hear those trumpets blow here on earth. AND it isn’t until we hear the LAST trumpet sound that we are taken up. That last trumpet sounds the last judgment of God upon man, and only then does He to come gather us together to rule over the world.
After the judgment, which are the tribulation events. Which we are here to see.
Sorry. It’s just really important...
Judgment. God’s People have never escaped His judgment. God’s miracle of deliverance from trial has never been accomplished by removing His people from it, but by providing the means to bring them through it. And bringing them through it has always required their participation. For example, when the angel of death went through Egypt to kill the firstborns, God told His people how to avoid it by sprinkling the blood of a lamb on their door posts
[5]. Those who participated so were spared. Those who didn’t suffered, even among the Jews. Then, when He lead His people out of the country He told them to plunder the Egyptians and haul all they could take with them. It was only after these provisions ran out that He interceded with the manna and quail, and these only lasted until they were able to provide for themselves again. I use these two examples here because if you compare the judgments against the Egyptians with the end time judgments, you’ll find that many events are very similar and maybe we should take a hint. God’s pattern throughout the Bible are clear on this… He says we’ll see judgment.
Allow me to explain a moment here
WHY it is so important. Does it really matter whether the ‘rapture’ (a misnomer) occurs before or after the tribulation? Jesus told His disciples that the time of tribulation would be as in the days of Noah
[6]. Noah was not taken out of the world during it’s judgment, but provided the means by which to survive it. But it was dependent upon Noah being obedient and faithful to prepare for it as the Lord instructed. Suppose that, having been warned of the coming flood and told to build the ark, Noah decided that it wasn’t important, ‘God will save me’, and he didn’t build the boat. Maybe God
would have enabled Noah to dogpaddle for those 40 days. Or maybe ol’ Noah would have drowned with the rest. Mankind was, after all, being judged for disbelief and disobedience.
Jesus taught us to expect judgment and tribulation, and we’ve seen a multiple of others that back that up. Think about what will come: war, famine, disease, crippling pollution, lawlessness, mass earth upheavals, yada yada yada. If we expect to have to survive it all we’ll need to be prepared. So how might God have us prepare for this? Suppose He wants us to stockpile food, water, and medical supplies. That may not be so easy to get our cooperation with if we don’t think we’re going to be around to need it. God told Noah to build a boat; maybe He’ll tell
you to buy a bus. How we view the timing of the ‘rapture’ will make a BIG difference in how willing we are respond to what God would have us do to physically prepare for the judgment He tells us
we’re going to see.
And more importantly – it will affect how we’ll respond to be
spiritually prepared. Jesus said evil will increase, that we will be hated, persecuted, betrayed by friends and family, and hauled off to be killed.
It is little wonder that He also said many of us will turn away from Him. Duh. Like the seed planted amid the rocks, and when the heat’s on those who are not prepared will not be strong enough to stand - much less fight back. End time prophecies show spiritual persecution and warfare on levels unseen since Old Testament times. Those who aren’t trained and versed in such things are going to get slaughtered,
or worse, turn away.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul talks about the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him, and he says that day will not come until
after the apostasy (which is the mass turning away from and rejection of God) and the ‘antichrist’ is revealed. Everyone knows about the ‘antichrist’, but
few know about the apostasy.
Paul put them on an equal footing.
Jesus says it’s going to happen, that we will see it happen, and that we need to be prepared or
we will fail Him!!!
Sorry. It’s just
really important that
we all understand that.
In 1 Peter 4:12-13 we are told not to think strangely about the time of trial that is to come upon us. And Jesus Himself prayed that we not be taken from the world, but delivered from its evil
[7], and commanded us to pray for the strength to endure. Remember ol’ Noah? He was probably pretty glad he’d built the boat when those raindrops started falling and the waters started welling up. But he had to believe he was going to see it happen or he’d have never driven the first nail. Jesus says we will be in much the same boat.
Ok. There’s another part to the picture here. We’ve talked about the seals and the trumpets, and the judgment and tribulation and which manifest just prior to Jesus’ return. But Revelation also describes bowls being poured out and earthly activity happening with these. What are these bowls and how do they differ from the seals and trumpets?
The familiar passages in Matthew
[8] and Luke
[9] where two are side by side and one is taken and the other left is oft taught to indicate the ‘rapture’. But when His disciples asked where these people go, Jesus says the
bodies will be where the vultures gather - some translations say eagles, the underlying gist is that the birds eat dead bodies. But when Jesus takes us, we are reunited with our bodies in His presence, not separated from them for bird food. In Matthew 13:24 Jesus tells the parables of the tares, where in the end He says not only are His people taken, but
the evil ones are also removed and burned like chaff. This is something beyond judgment, and beyond our tenure here. This is what befalls mankind once we are taken out and before He returns us.
In Revelation 14:14-20, John tells us that the Son of Man reaps the earth for His,
then an angel also reaps and throws these into the winepress of God’s wrath. Again, we heard in Revelation 11:14 that when the 7th trumpet sounded, we are gathered around God’s throne to praise Him, shouting with loud voices that His time has come to reign, to judge the dead, to reward His people, and
to destroy the wicked.
In Psalm 119:119 God says the wicked will be removed like dross. This is the term for the slag or waste material produced in metal casting, which is removed from the end product by literally hammering it off. God is telling us that these people are going to get pounded. Proverbs 2 and Isaiah 13 also speak of their fate. These are the truly wicked who are removed from the world after God has collected His own to Him.
This is the Wrath of God. After the seven seals and trumpets of
judgment has heralded the ‘rapture’ of His people, John sees 7 angels pour out bowls which hold the
wrath of God
[10]. The events described occurring during the pouring out of God’s bowls of wrath remove the remaining wicked from the earth after Jesus has collected His own. This IS a deliberate lowering of the hammer by God upon those who oppose Him.
But Matthew and Luke say there will be those who survive even this.
Ok, back to what’s at hand. So when will we see the ‘rapture’? Provided you live that long, after we have seen the world’s judgment, but before God lets loose His Wrath upon it. I can’t give you a date and time, but here’s what to look for - when you see Jerusalem being surrounded and evacuated, well, don’t bother to grab your toothbrush.
But there’s a bigger picture to all this.
Every one of us exists in the end times - as Jesus told the arrogant farmer, the ‘rapture’ could come for any one of us
today. Unless you’re one of the very few still hanging on after all this hits the fan, that heart attack, that car crash, that your-ticket-is-punched is
your rapture baby. Right then and there. Hub and rim, in the twinkling of an eye. You’re there.
So then, if we’re going to go through the tribulation judgment, what happens to us?
[HR][/HR]
[1] John 6:39, 40, 44, 54
[2] John 11:24
[3] Genesis 14:17; 19:1; 29:13 for example
[4] 6-11
[5] Exodus 12
[6] Matt. 24:35-39
[7] John 17:15
[8] 24:30
[9] 17:34
[10] Rev 15
