Month: January 2025

Watch!

On January 17, 2025

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

I can remember the first time I ever heard about the Rapture and thought to myself what a wonderful gift the Lord is offering to His children!! He doesn’t offer anything but His wrath to the children of disobedience (the unsaved).

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

The prince of the power of the air is none other than Satan. Unbelievers follow his teachings whether they recognize that or not. We are seeing his influence in our world even more so than times past. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics is proof positive of the enemy’s influence in our world. This is most definitely a sign of the times mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

2 Tim 3:1-9 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ( 8 ) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

So let’s get back on point on the topic of the Rapture. The most prevalent point to the Rapture is its timing. Mid and post tribulation believers have tried to discredit those who believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture for years. But they cannot dispute the timing. There is most definitely a timing involved with mid and post Tribulation viewpoints. It’s not rocket science because we know the duration (seven years) and therefore can know the mid point (three and a half years) and the end of the Tribulation! The imminence of the pre-Tribulation Rapture involves:

not knowing when the Lord will Rapture His Church
busy doing the Lord’s work because our time is short; we don’t know when He will come but we keep busy telling others about salvation through Jesus Christ as well as discipling those who have come to faith in Him
constantly watching for the Lord’s return
seeing and recognizing the current events as a step closer to His return
encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ to keep going

Remember this, the Old Testament revolves around Israel and the judgment that is to come. The Old Testament doesn’t revolve around the church. The church isn’t even mentioned in the Book of Revelation after Revelation 4:1:

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The church reappears in Revelation 22:16! When we search the Scriptures which talk about Christ’s return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time. But yet we read in Revelation 12:6, there is an exact number of days specifying how long Israelites will be nourished in a place that God prepared for them: God takes care of them in the wilderness for 1260 days. That’s pretty specific, if you ask me.

Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The 1,260 days begin when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God!

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The 1260 days spoken of above are exactly three and a half years, which is in the middle of the Tribulation.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The Rapture and the Tribulation are two separate events. Jesus protects His Bride, the Church, from the Tribulation period which is to come for the purpose of opening Israel’s eyes to their Messiah.

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

The Greek word for “from” is “ek,” which means “out of”!

ἐκ, ἐξ
ek ex
ek, ex
A primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote):

The Church age comes to an end at the Rapture. The time of the Jews resumes. That is why it is called Daniel’s 70th week. Israel is the central point of all of the Scriptures. A pause during this timeframe was given for the Church age due to Israel’s blindness of their Messiah. No hope or consolation can be given to people who are about to go through seven years of the worse time in history!

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

How can the Church comfort one another when they have to go through the judgments and martyrdom? (1 Thessalonians 4:18) The fourth seal in Revelation 6 reveals that a fourth of the population will die. The fifth seal reveals that Christians will be martyred. In fact, Revelation 13:6-7 shows us that the Antichrist overcomes the saints. Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church. (Matthew 16:18) The Tribulation saints are not the church because the Antichrist will most certainly overcome the saints.

This period of God’s wrath is on the children of disobedience as we see in the opening verses. And to top it off, the Apostle Paul taught the most on the Rapture as a positive thing in 1 Thessalonians. Each chapter has at least one verse that encourages the believers of his day. Take the time and read – study!!!

Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

The Imminence of the Rapture

By Kate Plourde

On January 15, 2025

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (10) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

I look for the Rapture daily in eager anticipation that our earthly trials will one day be over! I think of spending eternity with Christ and being able to worship at His feet! Are you as excited as I am? Please go ahead and leave a comment so we can anticipate His return together! Many, however, don’t believe that the Church will be spared from the Tribulation. How sad for them! I joke around and reply, “Well, won’t they be pleasantly surprised when we are”! But what is there for the believer to look forward to or encourage one another with if all there is is seven years of the horrible judgment of God’s wrath? Why would Jesus say what He did in Luke 21:36? If the Church is to go through the Tribulation period, there is no escaping!

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Notice that the Lord Jesus spoke about being counted worthy of escaping what was to come to pass. What things, Jesus? He couldn’t be talking about Nero’s horrible persecution of the Christians because they didn’t escape it at all. They didn’t escape because they weren’t “worthy” enough. Exactly who is counted worthy then?

Eph 2:11-19 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (15) Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (17) And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (18) For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

No one is worthy of anything outside of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for us. Christ made us worthy and united us with God. Christ’s shed blood is what makes us worthy. Why didn’t the early Church saints die at the hands of Nero? It wasn’t because they were not worthy, it was because they were not at the right “time” as it relates to end time prophecy. The Apostles taught that they were living in the end times, as we see Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. If it was the end times then, we are living in the last minutes! We have been given prophecies that warn us of this: Israel became a nation in 1948, which fulfilled Matthew 24:32-35. Signs of the end times as Jesus said are being fulfilled (Matthew 24:3-8) Yes, all these signs have been since the beginning of time. HOWEVER, the signs are converging together, growing stronger and more frequent as we see the day approaching!

We believe that the Rapture is imminent. This word literally means hanging over, impending, threatening. It can happen at any time. The Apostle Paul taught about it in AD 51! So go ahead and re-read today’s two verses in 1 Thessalonians and imagine Paul’s motivation when he wrote on the topic of the Rapture. The Thessalonians were side tracked by deceivers by those who were saying that the Rapture had already happened and that they had entered the Tribulation period. When Paul heard this, he wrote to them:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Paul had taught them properly. However, charlatans and wolves in sheep’s clothing had come in and they were being deceived; much like today! The belief in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is being attacked today. People scoff today exactly like the Apostle Peter warned of in:

2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

The Tribulation cannot start until a great falling away first comes and the Antichrist is revealed. The Antichrist is revealed at the signing of a peace treaty with Israel, as we see in Daniel 9:27. God is a God of timing. All these things have a time. However, the Rapture does not. God did not have Noah build the ark when it first started raining. No! It took Noah about 55-75 years to build it. The ark kept the judgment waters from Noah and his family. That same ark didn’t have a stern, helm or bow. Noah didn’t know when the rain was coming until it began to rain! Remember, it had never rained until then; this is why the people mocked Noah! (See Genesis 2:5-6) All these things were totally under God’s control. In fact, God Himself shut the door to the ark, locking the eight survivors inside safe and sound. (Genesis 7:16) After the waters abated, Noah and his family were left to populate the earth.

Now look at how our Ark, Jesus, provides for His Church. Once we are saved, we enter into His protection. His payment on the cross for our sins gives us the entrance into His ark and He will protect us from the wrath to come. He takes us in the Rapture, (Revelation 3:10, 4:1) and shelters us until it is time to return to earth at His Second Coming. Many claim that the ark is God’s protection over believers during the Tribulation. However, many saints die during the fourth seal in Revelation 6. So this cannot be the timing of the ark. Remember, God is all about timing!

Christ judges the earth and we enter the millennial period into His earthly Kingdom! Tribulation saints who are alive at His coming, will populate the earth! The doctrine of the imminence of the Rapture can only be seen using the pre-Tribulation view. There is no timing, as we’ve seen with the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. But with other different viewpoints, there is a definite time. If you think the Rapture will occur in mid tribulation times, then you have a definite timing because the Tribulation will be seven years long. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that half of seven years is three and a half years. As well, if you think the Rapture will occur post Tribulation, you see that seven years of judgment have occurred and it’s time for the Rapture. Why then would the Thessalonians be afraid that it had already occurred?

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

We are told by Christ Himself that we should watch because we don’t know the hour that He will come. If we don’t know when He will return for us, it keeps us watching. However, if we know it’s mid or post Tribulation, we don’t have to be watching because we know the day. What stops a person from saying, “I will live how I want and the week before the Rapture, I will get right with God?” With a pre-Tribulation Rapture view, the believer is watching and living for the Lord so he is not caught of guard!

So we see that the Thessalonians were living in expectation of Christ’s return. The Apostle Paul instructed the believers at Thessalonica that they did not need to heed signs and times, because the New Testament believer has been promised redemption from the “day of darkness” that shall overcome the whole world (1 Thess. 5:1-9).

1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ( 8 ) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

The church is not waiting for the appearing of the Antichrist, but for the redemption of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation?

By Kate Plourde

On January 13, 2025

In Devotionals

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Every era in time has brought persecution to the Church. However, these persecutions are nothing compared to what will happen during the Tribulation. Why? Because the persecutions of the past were due to the wrath of evil men led by the devil. However, the Tribulation is all about God’s wrath on an unbelieving Israel and a wicked earth.

Rev 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Some believers feel that the church will not be saved out of the time of wrath, but will be saved through it. Today’s verse, Revelation 13:7, tells us that those saints who are on earth during the Tribulation will not be delivered from wrath but will be overcome by the devil. The Church and those saints who are born again during the Tribulation are two different sets of Christians. The Church age ends with the Rapture. Those who are saved during the Tribulation are called Tribulation saints and they have to go through those horrific days. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 to comfort one another with the upcoming Rapture! If the Church is to go through the Tribulation, does this encourage you?

Look at today’s verse again:

Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

These saints will be martyred by the Antichrist. If the church is to go through the Tribulation, that means that every born-again believer who enters the Tribulation will die – they will not go through the Tribulation. Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church!

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

To believe that the church will go through the Tribulation contradicts Jesus’ words in this verse!

The encouraging thing for the Church is that believers will experience the Rapture before the Antichrist is revealed and the Tribulation begins.

Luke 21:35-36 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

God’s Wrath is Coming

By Kate Plourde

On January 10, 2025

In Devotionals

You simply have to do a search to the word “wrath” in the Bible and you will find just who God’s wrath will fall upon. This is one of the main reasons I believe that the Church, the bride of Christ, will not go through the seven-year Tribulation. The phrase, “the wrath of God” appears ten times in the Bible; once in the Old Testament and nine times in the New Testament. Five of those New Testament verses are in the Book of Revelation alone! Some believe that God’s wrath is for the Church but there’s no way God would hurt those who love Him. Not one of the verses containing that phrase is pronounced on the Church!

(Psa 78:30-31) They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, (31) The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

(Joh 3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

(Rom 1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

(Eph 5:6) Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

(Col 3:6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

(Rev 14:9-10) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, (10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

(Rev 14:19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (See Isaiah 63:2-6)

(Rev 15:1-3, 7) And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. (2) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (3) And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Notice that these are Tribulation saints, not the Church. (7) And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

(Rev 16:1-2) And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. (2) And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

It is obvious that God’s wrath is not poured out on the born-again believers of the Church. The Church is not even mentioned in chapters 5-19 when the judgments are come upon the earth.

I am trying to describe these events as simply as I can so that it is easily understood by those who are not born again. It may sound strange to you but with even just a little faith, you can be saved. This event is not something believers have to worry about because we will be in Heaven with Christ! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Teaching Worth Repeating!

By Kate Plourde

On January 1, 2025

In Devotionals

1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ( 8 ) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

What an exciting time to be alive! We are witnessing unprecedented events affecting the entire globe! If you follow Amir Tsarfati, you see that wars and rumors of wars is all around us! Follow any earthquake app and you will see the increase in earthquake severity and frequency, just as the Lord told us would happen. Jesus spoke of what we are to expect in the end times in Matthew 24:3-51. To the average reader, these verses are frightening. But to the believer, they are exciting because we know that we will not be here to experience the horrific events that will occur on the entire earth!

The Rapture of the church has three very different groups of belief: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation (Pre-Wrath) and Post-Tribulation. They all pertain to the Rapture’s timing – when the event will occur. Which one is correct? ALWAYS turn to God’s Word to determine the answer. God would not want His children to be afraid of what is to come. Think of your earthly father: would he want you to be afraid as you live under his roof? No father would want this weighing on his children. An earthly father wants to protect his children. How much more a Heavenly Father: the Perfect Father?

What does each one mean? Pre-Tribulation refers to the Rapture occurring sometime before the start of the Tribulation. The Bible says that His return will be as a thief coming in the night. If you knew the hour a thief would enter your house, you would be prepared. That is why we are told to always be prepared. Just as the five virgins had oil in their lamps and were prepared for the bridegroom, so must the church be ready! Noah didn’t know when the flood was going to come – he just knew it was coming and he continued doing what God had commanded him to do. The Bible answers all of our questions so let’s get to it.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The Bible tells us when the Tribulation will begin. It will begin when the Antichrist is made known, not a minute before.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

We know that when the Antichrist is revealed, the Tribulation will begin. However, what about the Rapture? The Bible says:

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 25:1-6 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him”

Mark 13:33-37 Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch”.

These verses indicate that Christ’s return for His church is imminent – it can happen at any time. No man knows the day or the hour. The Thessalonians were informed by false teachers that they had missed it in 2 Thessalonians! We are given a timeline of the Tribulation in the Book of Revelation. We know that it is a literal seven years from the time that the Antichrist is revealed. (This is also confirmed as Daniel’s 70th week in Daniel 9:24-27.) This doesn’t fulfill the “imminent” return of Christ but a definite period of time. There is a precise timeline here of Christ’s Second Coming. God is all about timing and order. However, the above verses encourage believers to be waiting and watchful. This is the proof of His imminent return for the Rapture of the church.

Just as Noah was kept from the wrath on the entire earth, so will believers be kept from the Tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Titus 2:13 Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (The Greek word for “from” in this verse is “ek” which means “out of.”)

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

These verses would not make any sense if believers were to go through part or all of the Tribulation! There is no comfort or blessed hope if Christians have to experience the wrath which is to come to the world. The wrath that is to come is for the “children of disobedience” according to Paul:

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Colossians 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

In fact, if you do a word search on the word “wrath,” the verses represented are filled with God’s judgments. Christ took our judgment on the cross. We are no longer condemned … we are no longer under the veil of judgment by God!

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There is no timeline for the Rapture. This is called “imminent.” It can happen at any time before the impending judgments of the Tribulation. It was such an important doctrine of the early Church that the Apostle Paul taught the most about this topic. I wonder if it is because Paul was “caught up” (harpazo = rapture) to the third heaven and knew what awaits the believer! (see 2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Paul had to repeat his teachings to the Thessalonians because they had been deceived by the same skeptics that we have today. The verses above tell us that the Thessalonians thought they had missed the Rapture and that the Tribulation had already begun. They were listening to heretics rather than remembering what Paul had taught them.

Paul reminds them of the signs that will usher in the Tribulation will be: except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition! There are definite signs and timelines described in the Tribulation. We have been seeing a falling away from the faith for several decades and it is getting far worse. We know we are in those “end times” but we are not in the Tribulation period.

There are no signs or timeline which must occur before the Rapture. If a person believes in the Mid-Tribulation Rapture, then there is a definite timeline because that is half way through the seven years, which is three and a half years. If a person believes in the Post-Tribulation Rapture, then there is a definite timeline there as well: after the seven years of Tribulation. Those of us who hold to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture have something to look forward to. It keeps us focused in doing the work of the Lord because we want to be caught up at that time of the Rapture! So friend, be encouraged! Be watchful and pray that you remain ready for Christ’s Rapture of His Church at any moment! We are not called to experience the wrath that is about to come to this earth! Praise Him!!!

If you are like I me prior to salvation and are interested in the end times, I pray you find the Lord (as I did) before it’s too late! If you are a born-again Christian and have never studied this out, I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged in your heart. If you are not born again, I urge you to settle the matter right now! Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!