Tuesday, August 29, 2023

If No Pre-Trib Rapture - What Protects the Saints During the Great Tribulation

If there is no pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church,
What protects us from the Wrath of God mentioned in Revelation?

If you are wondering 
or worried about actually living through the Tribulation period,
you are not alone.
Since the majority of believers have been led to believe they get a free pass 
( A Secret Raptured Before the Tribulation Period ).

I would simply point out that God has PROMISED 
to keep us from experiencing His wrath,
AND
has given us many examples of His ability to protect his chosen
while also destroying the unrighteous.

You may have read how Lot was escorted out
 of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis chapter 19,
before the Lord rained down destructive and deadly 
fire & brimstone upon the ungodly living there.

And everyone has heard how Noah 
and his family were protected in the Ark.
While the flood waters covered the earth 
destroying all men and animals that had the breath of life. 
Reference Genesis chapters 6 through 9.

But have you considered how God protected the children of Israel 
when the plagues occurred in the land of Egypt.
There were 10 plagues, 
and the last 7 plagues affected 
ONLY the Egyptians, 
and not the Israelites.

Another example 
that many have never heard of before,
or did not take notice when reading through the passage,
is the selective protection referenced
in Ezekiel chapter 9 verses 4 - 6,
We Read:

4 and the Lord said to him, 
“Go through the midst of the city, 
through the midst of Jerusalem, 
and put a mark on the foreheads of the men 
who sigh and cry over all the abominations 
that are done within it.”

5 To the others He said in my hearing, 
“Go after him 
through the city and kill; 
do not let your eye spare, 
nor have any pity. 
6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; 
but do not come near anyone 
on whom is the mark;

 
We see here that the LORD clearly protects His own.
Those being MARKED 
are then SPARED from death
as the Lord directed His angels 
to execute His Judgement upon those in Jerusalem.

In Revelation we have two example of God protecting His own.

We have the two witness that will be active until their task is done.
Revelation chapter 11 verses 2 through 12,
but
let us read verse 3 and 7
Verse 3 says,
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, 
and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, 
clothed in sackcloth.”
and in verse 7
When they have finished their testimony, 
the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, 
and overcome them 
and kill them.

And I would be amiss, 
if I failed to mention the sealing of the 144,000
in Revelation chapter 7 verses 2 through 8
Reading in verses 3 and 4,

saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees 
until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God 
on their foreheads.”
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 
one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed 
from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Who exactly these 144,000 are 
is highly debated, 
and not part of this discussion ( today ).

The point is, 
while we may experience many hardships, 
persecution for our faith in Jesus,
and in some cases martyrdom,
we will not experience the bowls of wrath, 
as they are specifically directed to the ungodly 
and those who have received the mark of the beast.

Note: Revelation chapter 16, 
and especially verse 2, 
when the first bowl is poured out 
It clearly states:
"upon the men who had the mark of the beast 
and those who worshiped his image."

I'll close with this promise 
from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 9 and 10,

For God did not appoint us to wrath, 
but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who died for us, 
that whether we wake or sleep, 
we should live together with Him.

AMEN.

* This can be watched on Youtube = https://youtu.be/N0IoY7un_p8

For more on this topic,
Read = 

Is a Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church required to save believers from Wrath?


Or 
Watch on Youtube = https://youtu.be/lt9BM1R9ad4

--
Saved by Grace,
Andrew Cross

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, 
but exhorting one another, 
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25


No comments: