I call this "Great Tribulation Scope Creep."
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains...21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
How are all the wicked of the world supposed to flee Judea to avoid the GT? Hmmm? Can you really escape the wrath of God?
The truth is, the GT was limited to the unsaved nation of Israel. The saved of Israel were told to flee and they did, to Pella.
I believe what the BIBLE actuallys so I have no problem understanding what you think in your mind is a contradiction.
THEY ARE SEALED FROM HARM in their mortal bodies.
Revelation 7:3-8 (YLT)
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3 [/SUP] `Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may
seal the servants of our God upon their foreheads.'
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4 [/SUP] And I heard the number of
those sealed, (one hundred and forty four thousands
were sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel):
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5 [/SUP] of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand
were sealed;
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6 [/SUP] of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand
were sealed;
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7 [/SUP] of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand
were sealed;
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8 [/SUP] of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand
were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand
were sealed.
Daniel 3:25 (HCSB)
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25 [/SUP] He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around
in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Revelation 9:4 (RSV)
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4 [/SUP] they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those of mankind
who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads;
Zechariah 14:3-9 (ESV)
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3 [/SUP] Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
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4 [/SUP]
On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
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5 [/SUP]
And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
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6 [/SUP] On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.
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7 [/SUP] And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
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8 [/SUP] On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
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9 [/SUP] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.