I absolutely believe that the Great Tribulation (the day of the LORD) is a future event (the last half of Daniel's 70th week). I also believe that the Tribulation is for the unbelieving Jews, and will be the first half of 70th week (3 1/2 years). The first half will correspond to the total control of the world by Satan and the Antichrist.
But in order for that to happen, the Holy Spirit (the Restrainer of Satan) "must be taken out of the way". Since the Holy Spirit indwells the saints, it is both logical, rational, and theologically correct to believe that the Church and the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way before Satan can take full control.
You don't need to guess, you have to know the interpretation of the 70 weeks. It is all about a spiritual war between spiritual kingdoms even though at Daniel's time a physical kingdom was being used as an explanation to these things. Things moved past physical Israel to believers- Believers are the new Israel/ real Jews, the rest are a synagogue of satan.
There's no literal 7 or last 3.5 years, we are already deep into these things. If you know how to count the 70 weeks, you'll realize that we are in the last 3.5 figurative years.
It is not the Holy spirit within the believers that holds satan- ok you are partly right because it is God that held him for a while but the purpose of holding him was the important thing. The antichrist was held so that the apostles and disciples could spread the gospel to all nations before the end times (which are now). The apostles and the disciples were the two witnesses who prophesied even before John (Revelation).
The antichrist started his 3.5 yrs reign some 2000 years ago and the first order of events was to pursue the apostles and the disciples and kill them.
The coming of Christ is not imminent, He is and was and is to come the Almighty- he has alays been coming as the kingdom of God, what we are to wait for is the end of age which is also no imminent- it is calculable
But in order for that to happen, the Holy Spirit (the Restrainer of Satan) "must be taken out of the way". Since the Holy Spirit indwells the saints, it is both logical, rational, and theologically correct to believe that the Church and the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way before Satan can take full control.
You don't need to guess, you have to know the interpretation of the 70 weeks. It is all about a spiritual war between spiritual kingdoms even though at Daniel's time a physical kingdom was being used as an explanation to these things. Things moved past physical Israel to believers- Believers are the new Israel/ real Jews, the rest are a synagogue of satan.
There's no literal 7 or last 3.5 years, we are already deep into these things. If you know how to count the 70 weeks, you'll realize that we are in the last 3.5 figurative years.
It is not the Holy spirit within the believers that holds satan- ok you are partly right because it is God that held him for a while but the purpose of holding him was the important thing. The antichrist was held so that the apostles and disciples could spread the gospel to all nations before the end times (which are now). The apostles and the disciples were the two witnesses who prophesied even before John (Revelation).
The antichrist started his 3.5 yrs reign some 2000 years ago and the first order of events was to pursue the apostles and the disciples and kill them.
The coming of Christ is not imminent, He is and was and is to come the Almighty- he has alays been coming as the kingdom of God, what we are to wait for is the end of age which is also no imminent- it is calculable