Luke describes the 'men' at the tomb at the resurrection of Christ as wearing white also. In II Thessalonians, we read that Christ will return with His holy angels. He will give the
church rest when he returns with the angels. The resurrection occurs at or immediately before the rapture. In I Corinthians 14 says the dead will be made alive at His coming. It doesn't say they will be made alive seven years before His coming. I Thessalonians 4 sets the rapture at His coming. II Thessalonians 2 says that that wicked will be destroyed at the brightness of His coming.
(Part II)
And why would you think God is angry with the tribulational saints? If the saints mentioned in the book of Revelation overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, why would you think Jesus would not have satisfied God's wrath on their behalf? Why would you think they were appointed unto wrath, that God would be angry at them? Why would you think these people are unrighteous?
I never said that God will be angry with the tribulation saints during that time or that they were unrighteous. Those are your words. your assumption.
It is because they will not have been believers at the time when Christ comes for the church and will therefore be caught in that time period of God's wrath. If they had been believers prior to the resurrection, then they would not be great tribulation saints, but would have been resurrected and caught up as part of the church. Though they will give them selves to Christ during that time, they will unfortunately be exposed to all of God's wrath being poured out upon the earth and everything else that will be taking place. The beast will be given authority to make war and conquer them during that last 42 months, which is the last 3 1/2 years leading up to Christ's return to the earth. Jesus warns believes to be ready and watching for Him and not caught up in the world in drunkenness', sexual immorality, partying, etc. or else that day will close on them like a trap, i.e. they will not be gathered. God will be removing the church so that he can pour out His wrath upon all the wicked. God does not punish the righteous with the wicked. You should know that from Abraham's conversation with the Lord on behalf of his nephew Lot and the fact that the angels postponed the destruction until Lot got out of the plain. Since God's wrath is going to come upon the inhabitants of the whole world, there will be no ark to escape in and no small city like Zoar to flee to. What is going to happen, is the Lord is going to keep His promise in John 14:1-3 & 1 Thess.4:16-17, to come back to get His bride to take her back to the Father's house to those places that He went to prepare for us. Following that, the Day of the Lord will begin, which is the wrath of God. Jesus will return to the earth to end the age only after the 7th bowl has been poured out.
Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This sounds a little bit like the logical fallacy of the argument based of fear. For example.
"The doctor says I have cancer. If I had cancer, that would be scary. Therefore, I do not have cancer."
What you said above makes no comparable sense! The fact that the elder is asking John who those in white robes are and where they come from, demonstrates that this group is not the church. In addition, John did not recognize this group, ergo, they are not the church but a different group.
Some people think people in the church will have to go through the great tribulation, but that would be scary, so we will get rapture out first."
It not about being scary-- which for those who enter that time period it will be--But it is about the underlying principle. As I previously explained to you--which you don't seem to understand--is that Jesus already suffered God's wrath on behalf of every believer. Therefore, God's wrath no longer rests upon the believer, which is also why we cannot and will not be exposed to it. If we were, it would nullify the wrath that Jesus suffered. People don't understand this principle nor the severity and magnitude of God's coming wrath and these are a few of the reasons they believe that the church is going to be here on the earth for it. In actuality, they are not truly believing that Jesus suffered wrath our behalf.
What about those tribulational saints? If the times are so tough, how is toughness of the times not proof that those saints won't go through the tribulation?
I think that you are confused about a great many things young Skywalker! As I have been saying, those great tribulation saints will indeed go through the tribulation. Many of them will die keeping their testimony of Jesus and the word of God and who will not worship the beast, his image, nor receive his mark. This is how they wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Why would you think God will be punishing the tribulational saints? Why would you think they are wicked?
Once again, you can check every post that I ever made and you will not find one place where I said that the great tribulation saints are wicked. They are simply a group who become believers in Christ after the church is gathered and will be caught on the earth in that time of God's wrath. As I said, this is why Jesus and scripture warns believes to be watching and ready. For if a believe has gone back to willfully living according to the sinful nature, sexual immorality, partying, drugs, etc., then they will be those whose lamps have gone out and who have no extra oil when the Bridegroom comes. God in His mercy saves those who believe in His Son after the church will have been gathered. Unfortunately, they will be exposed to all that is taking place on the earth.
God drew me to the study of end-time events when He first called me of which I have continued studying for over 45 years. I live in the book of Revelation. I know of what I believe and teach. And I know that Jesus as the bridegroom is not going to have His bride beat up first and then come for her to take her back to the Father's house. In your view, you would have the church punished right along with the wicked unbelieving world and that God's nature. It is by God's Sovereign will that there will be great tribulation saints and that because there has to be some to make it through the tribulation period alive in order to repopulate the earth during the millennial kingdom. As it is, the remnant of Israel and the great tribulation saints (wheat) will be those who will still be in their mortal bodies and repopulate the earth.