Thank you for that, CottShop. It’s comforting. I don’t fear so much for myself, although it would be a horrific thing to endure. I fear for family and friends. For my nine year old niece. Even for my animals, who would suffer right along with me through no sin of their own. The thing that bothers me most would be the specter of friends or family I love, who do not endure, turning on me. Does this make sense? I’ve pondered it for years looking to make my peace, but as it appears to loom closer, I find that it’s still there.
Well, it certainly is a loyalty test to the Lord, but God’s love has as corollaries God’s jealousy and God’s anger at a violation of His love that is so bad that it won’t even accept a drastic measure of reconciliation.
It would be a mixed bag; some formerly distant relationships may heal and become quite tight.
My heart breaks for those who have to go through the horror of the wrath of God, but even being alive for the Tribulation is going to be preferable to what they’ll be facing for eternity without Christ.
I know a lot of what I consider good and decent people who do not and will not have a clue about what’s happening to them. Yes, we are all sinners and deserve punishment for our sin, but I still struggle mightily with it.
Regulator, I can’t remember wherre I read it now, but there was supposedly eyewitness accounts/records of when the saints were murdered by the romans in the colloseums, (mguiht have been josephus who recorded it) which said soem saints were tied to spits over a fire, and sang while beign roasted alive, and even told the tenders “Turn me over, thsi side is done”- I’d have to do osme seriosu research to refind it- but it’s soemthign that has stuck with me for a very logn time, knowing that Christ will mostl ikely endow us with supernatural power to endure- I also htink of shadrach mechak and abendigo who withstood the furnaces while hte ones throwing them in were burned alive- they were beign persecuted for hteir faith, and God gave them the pwoer to overcome- even sendign an angel to accompany them- I imagine that is what it is like when we face persecution for God’s sake.
It will truly be a sad tiem to see family turn from us- hopwever ,one hting that sort of helps is that htere will be no more sorrow in heaven, and I was told once that because there will be no more sorrow, we will NOT remember our loved ones who didn’t accept Christ- for if we did, there certainyl woudl be sorrow in heaven- Not sure if thsi is true, butit does kind of help to think it will be true- We will only know what is good and perfect in Heaven-