I thought that the print was too small in the original post, so here it is again, but easier to read:
Hell Armini3,
Fist of all, you have to understand who is being referred to as "Saints." Now please read this and take into consideration what I am writing here. God has left clues, hidden treasures of knowledge in his book of Revelation for those who would search for the deeper things, the hidden things, which is what I have been sharing on this site for some time. Put some real thought into what I am presenting and don't just brush it off because it's not what you believe or have been taught. I really want people to get what the Spirit has revealed to me through scripture.
From Revelation 1 thru the very end of chapter 3, the word "Ekklesia" translated "church" is used in reference to believer's. In those same chapters we never see the word "Hagios" translated as "Saints." Likewise, from Revelation 4 onward, we never see the word "church," but only the word "Saints." This should get the attention those who are serious about the book of Revelation and the study of end-time events. Once this is realized, the reader is left with two choices for the distinction between these two wordss:
1. It's just a coincidence that the word "church" is used 19 times in the first 3 chapters and then is never used again, or
2. There is a definite reason as to why the Holy Spirit made a distinction between the words church and saints in their respective chapters.
In Rev.7:9-17, we are introduced to two new groups, the first being the 144,000 who are clearly described as coming out of the twelve tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe. Then we have the next group which are a great multitude wearing white robes which no one could count. A few verses down, the elder asks John, "these in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?" The very fact that the elder is asking John this question demonstrates that this group is not the church. In answer to the elder's question, John says, "Sir, you are the one who knows." The fact that John didn't recognize this group also demonstrates that they were not the church. The elder then says, "these are those who have come out of the great tribulation." Taking all of this into consideration, the reason why we do not see the church mentioned from chapter 4 onward is because the church has been removed and is not present on earth during the time of God's wrath. The 13 references to "Saints" from chapter 4 onward, is in reference to those great tribulation saints revealed by the elder.
This group, the great tribulation saints, will be those who will become believers after the church has been removed from the earth prior to the first seal being opened, which initiates the time of God's wrath. The Holy Spirit had a definite purpose for the separation of the use of the words "church" and "saints," which are never used interchangeably in any of those chapters.
Another clue is that in Rev.1:19, John is told by the Lord to "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." What is "Now" is represented by the letters to the seven churches, which also represents the entire church period, which we are still presently in, i.e., we are currently still in the "Now" which is the church period. The "What will take place later" is referring to what will take place after the "Now" i.e. what will take place after the church period. When the Lord descends and gathers the dead and the living believer's at the resurrection, then the time of the "what will take place later" will begin, which covers the time of God's fulfillment of that last seven years of the seventy sevens regarding Israel and Jerusalem, as well as God's dealing with the rest of the nations as revealed in Dan.2:31-45, which is the dismantling of all human governments in preparation for his millennial kingdom.
Your question above is a common question and is an erroneous conclusion. The question has been and is currently put this way, "why should the apostles and the first century church have suffered persecuted and all kinds of gruesome deaths and the church in the last days escape what is coming. The answer lies in understanding the difference between trials and tribulations at the hands of men with the powers of darkness orchestrating in the background, compared to God's direct wrath upon mankind to bring the age to an end. Scripture states that by Jesus sacrifice on the cross, the wrath that we deserve as a result of our sins has been satisfied and are no longer under God's wrath (1 Thes.5:9). Scripture also states that by Jesus' sacrifice, he has rescued us from the coming wrath (1 Thes.1:10). He also said "I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." It is therefore very unlikely that he would build his church and then send it through his wrath, when he has already taken the wrath we deserve upon himself. Two payments are not required.
Therefore, the answer to your question is that, the church in the first century suffered for keeping the testimony of Jesus and the word of God, even unto death and this as a result of trials and tribulation, which Jesus said we would have. In opposition, what is coming is the direct wrath of God upon all who continue to live according to the sinful nature and who continue to reject his Son, the proud, the haughty, the arrogant, the sexually immoral, the greedy, gossips, slanders, blasphemer's, thieves, murders, lovers of money, etc., etc., etc. Those who have believed in Christ and will have continued in faith, will be gathered and removed from the earth when the Lord appears, rescuing those who belong to him prior to the on-set of his wrath.
I hope that you and everyone reading this will actually read the entire post and read the provided scriptures and consider what is being presented here, because it is God's truth.
