You don't sound like you're out of your "comfort zone" at all. I believe the Bible is being literal in the 1Thess.4:17 verse too. Completely literal, I just don't think it means what many are being taught it means.
It is reference to the 2nd Advent of Christ and when that happens at the 7th trump we will be literally "caught up". Everyone will as written in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. All of us are changed. I take that literally too, whether it means it will be "in the air" or "in our spirit bodies" I guess really doesn't matter. It will happen.
My point in this is that nowhere did it say we would be flown away from earth to miss the tribulation. Perhaps those that teach rapture are taking that from a following verse, 1Thess.5:9, where it says:
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We aren't appointed to wrath. We're His children and He loves us but He never said He would keep us from the tribulation, rather we would be able to go through it. Some of our types, or examples, are Noah, Daniel in the lion's den, the 3 Hebrew children in the firey furnace, the plagues of the Exodus, etc. We will experience it and our safe passage is His Word:
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12.For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
If we carry the knowledge of God, His truth, His Word then we shall not be harmed during Satan's tribulation of deceit. We won't believe he is Christ and follow him.
Luke 21: tells us of that time but in vs. 18 Jesus says,"But not a hair of your head shall be lost" In the Olivet prophecies Jesus tells us what to expect in the end times and although He said, "I have foretold you all things", He never said He would take us away so we wouldn't experience the tribulation but rather told us what to expect and what to do during that time.
As I said in my earlier post, I believe that the 1Thess 4: verses are what is most often used to teach rapture. Those teachers need to go farther, to 2 Thessalonians to get the true meaning.
In the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, which followed not long after the first, he tried to clear up some misunderstandings his first letter caused:
2 Thess.2:1 Now, brethern, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you
2.Not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us though the day of Christ had come.
That would be 1 Thess. letter
3.Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.
Satan comes first, we will experience his tribulation before the coming of Christ. Satan is the abomination of desolation that (4)"sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Paul continues and warns us about Satan in the following verses:
9.The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.
10.and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11.And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.
12.that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
God sends the delusion, he allows this deception of Satan. He wrote a letter and expects us to read it and not listen to the traditions of men.
This was longer than I meant it to be but I feel very strongly about this subject. I hope you are not offended with this. Many are when rapture is discussed as they were raised with the idea. Please consider this and let me know your thoughts.
......Ping
That's ok, this is good stuff. I feel like I can discuss this even if I disagree with you and keep all respect. I will be back to this. Gotta go right now though. Wiley
I agree that this verse refers to eternity. That we will be saved from God's wrath in the judgment, not necessarily during the tribulation. God never promised us that we would not have troubles {tribulation} but you're right, that He would lead us through it.
If we carry the knowledge of God, His truth, His Word then we shall not be harmed during Satan's tribulation of deceit. We won't believe he is Christ and follow him.
If you're right, the tribulation would be the ultimate test for us wouldn't it?
Please stay with me with this discussion. Your probes and questions force me to think and delve into the Scriptures...which is the point, huh!
In Christ