Many posts on this thread stirred me to the depths of my soul, the poignant ones quoting Samuel Adams, Cicero, and Churchill, etc.
But, as a Christian and to other Christian FReepers, which, I think I would be accurate in saying are the majority here, I feel compelled to say this. I would suggest that we reexamine the pretrib/post-trib issue, this time without an open mind. It has EVERY thing to do with our mental ability to handle the things that are ahead of us.
Dig into it seek the truth about it, as I did some 40 years ago. Truth is, and I’m not going to get into a big yah, yah back and forth with anybody, none of us are going to get out of what’s ahead of us means of a pre-tribulation rapture.
Jesus set the bar in Matt. 24, he said nothing of a pretrib escape; to the contrary, he said believers must endure to the “end,” verse 13, and when he said “end” he really meant end...through the tribulational signs he described, to the end of the age, verse 29-31. And then the 2nd coming and resurrection.
What this means to me, though hard trials lie ahead, the gathering storm be upon us, we will win in the end. As in Churchill’s famous speech, one word sums it up: victory! Whatever the cost be. Never, never, give up! Persevere in our faith to the end.
To this former pretribber, this revelation changed my life. It has made me much stronger in my faith. It will “man you up,” it will give you the kind of worldview to carry on the fight...which we know we will win! A post-trib apocalyptic worldview.
Correction:
I would suggest that we reexamine the pretrib/post-trib issue, this time with an open mind.