Which leaves one to determine when that wrath begins. We see in Revelation when that wrath begins.
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"
They were speaking of the events of the seal judgements which were the first of the judgements.
The Greek word in the text of 1 Thessalonians 1 is ῥυόμενον (rhyomenon) which is Strong's word #4506.
4506 rhýomai (from eryō, "draw to oneself") – properly, draw (pull) to oneself; to rescue ("snatch up"); to draw or rescue a person to and for the deliverer.
We can compare that with 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where we are "caught up" or "snatched up" in the twinkling of an eye.
>>Being kept from the Great Tribulation does not require being taken out of this world:<<
The passage of Revelation 3:10 does not say "kept from" in the Greek. It says "out from". The Greek word there is Strong's word #1537.
1537 ek (a preposition, written eks before a vowel) – properly, "out from and to" (the outcome); out from within.
So there once again we see the meaning of "out from" rather then "saved through" or "protected through". Scripture is consistent in the meaning of being taken out from among. So indeed the idea is that we will be taken out of this world since we also see in Revelation 3:10 that affliction is coming on the "whole world" or "all those" dwelling on the earth. God has never once in scripture subjected faithful followers to His wrath.
>>John 17:15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.<<
Look at that verse again. It says "from the evil one". To use that in reference to the rapture or "snatching away" is in error. It is not the "evil one" who's wrath the world is experiencing during what we refer to as the tribulation. Jesus is there simply talking of not taking people out of the world upon their conversion but that they would be kept from falling for the lies of Satan. That prayer has nothing to do with taking the faithful at the beginning of time of God's wrath on the "whole earth" and all it's inhabitants.
>>The same Greek word is used to describe the keeping of God in both passages. It could be translated similarly as “saved from” but does not have the same implication.<<
You were referring to John 17:15 and Revelation 3:10 but that doesn't work. You forgot to include the words around it. In John 17:15 it is "from" and in Revelation 3:10 it is "out of". I will admit I may have misread you intent on your above statement.
I will simply state that for the rest of your post the misunderstanding of "the day of the Lord" being simply one day is in error. It's a period of time.
“[In Revelation 6:17] They were speaking of the events of the seal judgements which were the first of the judgements.”
I believe Revelation 6:17 does identify, at least on the timeline of the seven seal judgments, when mankind finally recognizes the arrival of God’s wrath. However, your assumption that this awareness extends backward to all of the seal judgments is not supported by the text.
When anti-Christs arises, when major wars happen, when there is famine, disease, and other calamities, the majority of mankind does not fear God and hide. Even though a fourth of the world’s population dies, there is still no fear of God.
How do we know this for a certainty? Because a massive persecution of Christ’s followers happens during the fifth seal. Incidentally, I do not see how the persecution of saints can be construed to be an example of God’s wrath poured out, regardless of a person’s position on the timing of the rapture.
Something transpires between the time of the fifth seal judgment and after the sixth seal judgment. One might argue it is merely the destruction of meteors that causes this fear. Yet, the passage shows mankind now sees God and Christ in the judgments.
To me, and I am admitting that this is my opinion rather than interpretation, the only thing big enough to produce this change in mankind is the visible return of Christ in glory with His holy angels which then proceed to punish the inhabitants of earth with fiery destruction.
The men of the earth hide themselves because the Day of Wrath has come. It has not passed. It has arrived. Context also supports this because now they hide, whereas before they persecuted. Before they were bold against God. Now they tremble.
“The Greek word in the text of 1 Thessalonians 1 is ... rhyomenon which is Strong’s word #4506... ‘draw to oneself’ – properly, draw (pull) to oneself; to rescue (’snatch up’); to draw or rescue a person to and for the deliverer.”
1 Thessalonians 1:10
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
I agree, but it is speaking of God’s wrath rather than tribulation.
“The passage of Revelation 3:10 does not say ‘kept from’ in the Greek. It says ‘out from’. The Greek word there is Strong’s word #1537.”
Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
It is a dangerous thing to meddle with the precise meaning of scripture in order to support a particular view. Now I am not accusing you of doing so, but I am saying you need to be careful not to elevate your opinion so high as to attempt to make scripture bend to it. The passage means what it means. It does not mean what either you or I want it to mean. I compared numerous translations, and they are in agreement that “keep you from” is a correct translation. Darby, who invented the systematized version of the pre-trib rapture, is the only one I saw who adds the word “out” to his translation. This could be a possible translation, but it certainly NOT the only correct translation.
You can verify this here:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%203%3A10&version=NKJV;NIV;YLT;DARBY
John 17:12
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Here the same root word is used for “keep”. A different preposition is used to say “keep in” because the disciples were kept in His Father’s name. This is in contrast to being “kept from” which Christ uses in verse 15:
John 17:15
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
The preposition ek (out or from) is used twice here. The disciples will not be taken out (ek) of the world, but they will be kept from (ek) the evil one.
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/17-12.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/17-15.htm
So Revelation 3:10 describes being kept, whether protected from or taken out from is a subjective determination. John 17:15 shows that we CAN be kept from (protected through) evil without being taken out of this world.
(I am not saying the passage in John is about being kept from the tribulation period. I am merely showing the meaning of the Greek terms in Revelation 3:10 CAN refer to being kept through this rather than taken out of it.)
Incidentally, there is a great multitude which no man can number which comes out of the Great Tribulation:
Revelation 7:14
These are the ones who come out [erchomenoi ek] of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Who are these people? How did they come out of the Great Tribulation? There is no mention of their death. They are not described as disembodied souls as those under the altar in chapter 6.
“I will simply state that for the rest of your post the misunderstanding of the day of the Lord’ being simply one day is in error. It’s a period of time.”
I answered this already:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3243424/posts?page=25#25
Can you please show me one indication I have made that I imagine the Day of the Lord to be one, twenty-four hour day?
I have only repeated what the Bible says about the Day of the Lord. It comes like a thief. It comes surprisingly, unexpectedly, and with cataclysmic destruction on the world. There is a difference between the time period called the Day of the Lord and the moment that this time period begins.
Daniel’s seventieth week does not begin unexpectedly or with cataclysmic events. In contrast, the Day of the Lord does:
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-8
it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:3, 4, 7, 10
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 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 creation.” ...
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Where in the Olivet passages (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) or in Revelation 6 do we see the earth consumed by fire? Yet Paul tells the Thessalonians they will enter into rest when Christ returns with holy angels that execute fiery judgment. It is because these things follow the seven signs of the Olivet discourse, Christ’s return being the seventh and final sign before the arrival of the time period known as the END of the age / Day of the Lord. Then the destruction by fire begins.