Signs will come before the rapture and are now. And after the rapture
Both are said
Here's where you and I likely differ... Let me start with just a brief aspect for this post (as it is getting late):
--I believe the phrases
"before the GREAT" (like
in Joel 2:31 / Revelation 6:12 "moon into blood [SIXTH SEAL]") refers NOT to "before the trib
in its ENTIRETY"; but
instead refers to "before
the GREAT [i.e. before the SECOND HALF; that is "IN/DURING the FIRST HALF" of the 7-yrs total]… so the SIXTH SEAL occurs "BEFORE
the GREAT [i.e before the second half]"
--the same phrase as found
in Malachi 4:5 likewise refers to "before
the GREAT," which I also believe refers to "in/during the FIRST HALF," rather than "before the trib
in its ENTIRETY"
So, 2Th2:3-9a is providing a SEQUENCE that basically informs us that "our Rapture"/"THE Departure" must take place "FIRST" before "the DOTL [earthly time-period]" (
with its "man of sin") can "be present" to unfold upon the earth; and 1Th4-5 provides this SAME SEQUENCE, with 1Th5:
2-3 telling us that "the DOTL [earthly time-period] will
ARRIVE as a thief IN THE NIGHT" at the
INITIAL "
birth PANG [
SINGULAR; 1Th5:
2-3 (parallel Matt24:
4/Mk13:
5 "G5100 -
tis - '
A CERTAIN ONE ['A CERTAIN ONE'
bringing deception]'," which is parallel to the
FIRST SEAL (Rev6) at the
START of the 7-yr period... as well as 2Th2:
9a,8a,3b / Dan9:27
a[26b]);
The
INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR]" will "come upon" them because
it immediately follows "our Rapture/THE Departure
*FIRST*" as the text states in 2Th2:3 (and then many more "birth PANGS [PLURAL]"
follow on from that INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR; 1Th5:
2-3 and parallels I just named]," just as Jesus had stated). Thus, I believe all "SIGNS" follow
after our Rapture has taken place (and point toward His Second Coming to the earth Rev19).
Having said that, this does NOT mean that I believe we are totally "in the dark" as to our rapture-timing, for I believe Scripture has
much to say about it (more than is commonly realized). I believe it is abundant.