The day I see any Scripture that even gives the slightest hint that God will "aim" His judgment so that it hits the "bad people" but not Christians is the day I will renounce my salvation. And that is something that will never happen.
God keeps His promises and He promises that His judgment does not include those who have accepted His Son as their Savior, who obey His commandments, and who love Him.
There were people in Noah's day who laughed at the idea of a flood because their finite, fallen, human minds could not imagine a raging body of water because it had never rained on the earth up until that time. Because they couldn't get their little minds wrapped around the concept, they laughed and denied that it would ever take place. Then it happened, just as God said it would, and the deniers perished in the judgment.
Human beings can twist and deny Scripture all they want, and I know that things will happen just as God said they will. And I know, because God promised, that I will not be here to suffer through it.
Ok, Giovanna, let’s take a look at these plagues of the wrath of God in the tribulation.
Here’s the first one:
Rev 16:2 …And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
The next two fall upon those who had been doing the killing and persecuting of the saints:
Rev 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
The next one falls upon those who...
Rev 16:9 …blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues:
And who refused to repent...
Rev. 16:9 …and they repented not to give him glory.
The next one falls upon the antichrist and his one world government, poured out on:
Rev 16:10 …the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
The next one (v. 12-16) removes the obstacle of the river Euphrates allowing the kings of the east (a Chinese Communist alliance?) to come to Armageddon…where they are to be destroyed.
The last one, called the “fierceness” of God’s wrath, affects the entire earth:
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
It is important to note that in between the sixth and last plague of the wrath of God that God says this:
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
So what do we have here? Every plague aimed at those
1. who have aligned themselves with the antichristian one world government by taking its mark
2. the persecutors of the saints
3. those who had blasphemed God because of these plagues and refused to repent
4. the antichrist’s kingdom
5. the participants of Armageddon…who fight there in opposition to Christ
6. Babylon, the capitol city of Antichrist
With the promise of the rapture just prior to the last general outpouring of the wrath of God (v. 15). Here all the way at the very end of the tribulation on the brink of Armageddon, and Christ has not come as a thief yet!
This refutes the pretrib idea that his coming as a thief takes place before the tribulation. The rapture takes place and then comes the last “fierceness of God’s wrath” poured out on the entire world. This is the kind of wrath that we escape – not the tribulation. And it is definitely something that we do not want to to be on earth to experience.
You are right on. And what about those scriptures that say that “we are not destined for wrath”. The Tribulation IS wrath. You and I will not be here.