Were you taught like me, that just as soon the Rapture takes place, the Tribulation will begin?
It's a very popular teaching and has been for over a hundred years. There is just one problem with it, the Bible doesn't say that, as a matter of fact the Bible is silent on the window of time in between the two.
It could start the next day, it could start the next year, it could start the next decade, we just don't know. It's not laid out like the seven year's of the Tribulation. Even though it is a seven year calendar of events, it's the last three and half years where things go really bad as GOD begins to pour out His wrath.
Now, to the question will people even notice we're gone in that time period?
Some say no, I say yes, but where they think we're gone is a whole nother question. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me slow down, and get back to what the Bible does say.
It says that "the Tribulation" starts when the man of sin, signs a seven year peace agreement with Israel and then breaks it half way through. After that it's on, everything you have ever read in Revelation, is coming, and coming in a hurry.
But before that agreement, what's going on then?
(Major Conjecture Warning) Like I always tell people, those of us who study the end times, just like those who studied it before us, and have now gone on; they were attempting to connect the dots, thus the dot connecting has now fallen to us. Now as geopolitical as well as technological information becomes more apparent. We see things moving into place, that may not have been so obvious during the times of those who came before us. Thus the difference in interpretation of then to now.
We can be definite only on the things GOD's Word tells us, but any gaps in-between, we're all just trying to connect the dots. So all the following is just that.
So...let's get to those dots!
There are two things that dominate end times discussions of what will happen before the Rapture, one is a end times revival, the other is an end times apostasy.
I believe both happen, but they happen in this window and not before. The Rapture will catch the world and much of the church by surprise, even though Paul says the church shouldn't be caught unaware, it's gonna be. Many Christian people are so rooted to the world and the things there of, GOD may have to use a garden hoe to chop the roots loose before He can Rapture them.
You know I'm just being funny...no I'm not ;)
I actually believe the two are intertwined, when the Rapture happens, all those fence riders who would never give their life to GOD, are going to know exactly what has happened. Maybe they lost a spouse, or their parents or their child...yeah they're gonna know we're gone, and they're going to know exactly what's happened!
And these I just mentioned will most likely be the beginning's of the greatest revival the Earth has ever seen. Because we know there will be Tribulation saints, who the man of sin will make war against and kill. It's a tough way to go, but hey, it's a lot better than hell.
John describes these saints in Revelation 7:9, and unlike the description of the saints of the church age, who are described as Kings and Priest, these lack crowns, they only have palm branches in their hands. So there is a difference between the two.
I said I thought they were connected, so while this great revival is going on, millions getting saved around the world, something happens to answer the question of where all those Christians went, back at the Rapture.
We get a visit from the real fallen angel's, of course they're not going tell anyone who they really are,(because getting fired in heaven, looks really bad on your resume) they will be these god like alien's with all the answers of where we are. They will deny the idea of any other real GOD, and they will cause men to believe they planted us here; it will be the great deception that man has been looking for. And when the man of sin finally gets to power, he will make war on what will be the Tribulation saints. With plenty of help from those who bought into the fallen angel's planting us here like Prometheus, and together they will finally rid the world of those pesky Christians; because those Christians won't worship anyone but the real GOD.
Could there possibly be more than what you have just read?
I am afraid so, but that will be part two...look for it soon.
Nonetheless I hope my thoughts made you think, made you curious, to go and research for yourself what the Word does and doesn't say about these times that will emphatically befall the earth.
And if the Rapture happens in between time... I hope to see you there.
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