If you think about it, a LOT of Mid-Trib and Post-Trib believers must think they do not even have to get ready, until the Antichrist signs the Seven Year Peace Treaty, Live on the International NEWS. Where we Pre-Trib believers have to KEEP READY ALL THE TIME.
Matthew 25:13 (ISV)
[SUP]13 [/SUP]"So keep on watching, because you don't know the day or the hour."
As a Post Tribber and former Pre-Tribber, I can tell you there is no difference in my mental preparedness as it does not matter when Christ returns relative to the spiritual condition each Christian is to maintain. The reason is obvious. We do not know if we will awaken in the morning or make it home alive each evening. All of our days are numbered thus we need to always be prepared in our hearts and in our walk. The Return of Christ may not happen in our lifetimes so it is pointless and foolhardy to depend upon an imminent return of Christ or the Appearance of the Man of Sin as a condition to walking a Christian life.
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To Silverfanng, I think you have a very dramatic view of the Great Tribulation. Yellowstone is not going to explode and you aren't going to need to stockpile food to make it through the GT especially if you do not live in the "SEA" or "EARTH" areas of the Middle East. Almost all of the "bad stuff" that is going to happen during the GT happens in the Muslim World. The Man of Sin (who many call AntiChrist) does not take over the entire world, he takes over the Muslim world and almost wipes out Israel before God puts a stop to it.
There is no scriptural support for a global conquest of the MoS or A/C. The OT passages which discuss his conquests limit them to the North and South of Israel and in that region. Rev 13:2 provides the same geographic region as Dan 7 which are the modern countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria and perhaps Turkey making up the territories of the King of the North whereas Jer 50 names Saudi Arabia and Egypt as the main forces of the Kings of the South. Again, there is nothing in the related OT prophesies to indicate a global conflict. Certainly a third world war is possible, it just isn't foretold conclusively.
It's all about Israel and her Muslim enemies. The Muslims will kill themselves until a leader unites them, then trouble for Israel will begin in earnest. Certainly we may see an economic collapse in America and if that happens, it will likely throw the world into financial chaos. I certainly see that as a possibility and I also see tremendous civil unrest happening as governments can no longer support the welfare states they've created. We should all prepare for that and a collapsing dollar and massive cyber attacks, etc. But, I am not expecting some AntiChrist to force me to bow down to him nor do I expect anyone to force me to take some biochip or other "mark" to the "beast." That is not going to happen over here.
As for massive upheavals of the earth itself - wait until Christ is ready to return, then you will see some of that, a polar shift perhaps with the biggest earthquake the world has ever seen.