Oh, watchers, we can wholeheartedly be encouraged that the church will have no part in the Tribulation . . but will experience full Redemption, raptured before God's Wrath begins.

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by Thomas Ice

"The Bible teaches that the major purpose of the Tribulation Period (i.e., the seven-year, 70th week of Daniel) is primarily a time of preparation for Israel's restoration (Deut. 4:29-30; Jer. 30:4-11).

While the church is told that she will experience tribulation in general during this present age (John 16:33), she is never mentioned in Old or New Testaments as participating in Israel's time of trouble which includes the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, and the Wrath of God.

Pretribulationalism gives the best answer to the biblical fact that the church is never mentioned as participating in Tribulational events, while Israel is found throughout.

Only Pretribulationalism is able to give full biblical import to the New Testament teaching that the church differences significantly from Israel.

The church is said to be a mystery (Eph. 3) by which Jew and Gentiles are united in one body in Christ (Eph. 2).

This explains why the translation of the church is never mentioned in any passage dealing with the Second Coming after the Tribulation and why the church is promised deliverance from the time of God's wrath during the Tribulation (Rev. 3:10; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 5:9).

The church is promised that all believers will be taken to the Father's house in heaven (John 14:1-3), not to the earth as other views would demand.

Since the most likely interpretation of the "restrainer of evil" in 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit Who is at work through the Body of Christ during the current Church Age, then this view supports Pretribulationalism.

Since "the lawless one" (i.e., the Beast or anti-Christ) cannot be revealed until the restrainer is taken away, it follows that the Tribulation cannot occur until the church is removed.

The Rapture is characterized in the New Testament as a "translation or resurrection coming" (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:15-17) in which the Lord comes for His church, taking her to His Father's House (John 14:3).

On the other hand, Christ's Second Advent with His saints (the church=Rev. 19) descends from heaven and arrives on earth to stay and set up His Messianic kingdom (Zech. 14:4-5; Matt. 24:27-31).

All of the differences between the two events are harmonized naturally by the Pre-Trib position, while all other views are not able to comfortably account for such differences.

Several items in the New Testament are best harmonized by the Pre-Trib time-gap of at least seven years between comings.

Note two examples best explained by an interval: First, an interval is needed in order for all Church Age saints to appear before the judgment seat of Christ in heaven (2 Cor. 5:10).

Revelation 19:7-10 speaks of just such a judgment occurring in heaven in preparation for Christ's Return to earth.

Second, an interval allows for the translation of all believers on earth (Pre-Trib Rapture) at a point in time to occur and yet have time for millions of new believers during the Tribulation who are in non-resurrection bodies at the Second Coming to provide the initial population base for the Millennium (Isa. 65:20-25),

and a basis for the sheep and goat judgment at the Second Advent (Matt. 25:31-46).

Dr. Renald Showers has clearly summarized practical implications of Pretribulationalism for a forthcoming book about the Rapture.

"The fact that the glorified, holy Son of God could step through the door of heaven at any-moment is intended by God to be the most pressing, incessant motivation for holy living and aggressive ministry (including missions, evangelism and Bible teaching) and the greatest cure for lethargy and apathy.

It should make a major difference in every Christian's values, actions, priorities and goals."

PRAISE BE UNTO THE LORD WHO DELIVERS US !!!!!PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME !!!
Donna, Sis , Thomas lays the truth of The WORD out for us here !!!!
AMEN....BIG AMEN !!
with his words we know that the JOY of the Rapture is given to us as we understand The WORD concerning it !!!!
Christ would never give us anything that could become a detriment to us in our Christian walk !!!
We are full of Joy at The Pre-Trib. Rapture because it is intended to be that way as we WALK IN HIM , ABIDE IN HIM !!!
Love this article !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bb
Blessings Sis !!! love you !

Amen, love this, Donna- many thanks!

Just the other day I received an email which contained posts from another website talking about how those who believe that Jesus is coming and the tribulation has NOT yet started, are delusional, knee-deep in pre-tribulation doctrine! My response was that those who feel we are in the tribulation already, can just keep looking for the revealing of the AC midtrib all they want- I'm looking for Jesus Christ's glorious appearing!

Huh... just thinking..the Bible speaks implicitly the doctrine of imminence. can't get around that..... if the rapture is mid-trib, then Jesus' coming is ALWAYS at least 3 1/2 years away.... nothin imminent about that...! Then, once the tribulation begins, just count the days and go hide in a cave till then??? don't see that in the Word, huh?!

I agree, Bonnie and Melanie, and wonder, too, why some in the church believe they'll be here during God's judgments and wrath intended for Israel's cleansing.

Nowhere in Scripture is the Church instructed to evangelize the world after the rapture, and that's the Source we can trust.

Website: savvyinternetladies.com/blog

BUMP !
reading this again today has helped me be more JOYFUL !