Revelation speaks of the AC system being allowed to “wear down the saints” either directly and or by limiting their voice and influence upon men . But it is part of God’s plan. I don’t think the Holy Spirit would necessarily abandon Christians ( not leaving them absolutely powerless to stand against the system so that they lose faith) while taking away the restraints upon the AC system since as scripture says...”Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the World”.
Now, at some point in all this conflagration,Christ catches up Christians dead and alive. I think the timing of events remains vague due to God alone desiring to keep that knowledge close to his vest. I accept Thessalonians as I accept other passages from Matthew, Revelation, the OT concerning the “end times”. Doing a general survey of all these passages, suggests a more complex series of events and timings then what traditional eschatology has ever revealed. You have to include passages that sort of “stick out” and would color what the traditional evangelical eschatology has always touted. Yet don’t mistake that view for a general disagreement with that eschatology on my part. There will be a catching up....there will be a horrible tribulation “such as never occured or will since” as Christ said....and Christ himself will rule out of Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
So if present believing Christians are caught up before all the major stuff occurs...well bonus! If we have to go thru a refining thru general persecution, well then Praise God who “ is able to make us stand...and above all to stand!”
Well, there are too many Scriptures which promise that Christ takes His Church-age Bride off the scene before He sends judgment, and none that indicate that Church-age believers will go through the seven-year Tribulation. We don't know the day or the hour that Christ will return for His Church, but we will know the season and we will know when, as God puts it, it is "at the door".
Doing a general survey of all these passages, suggests a more complex series of events and timings then what traditional eschatology has ever revealed. You have to include passages that sort of “stick out” and would color what the traditional evangelical eschatology has always touted.
Do you have some examples?
If we have to go thru a refining thru general persecution, well then Praise God who “ is able to make us stand...and above all to stand!”
Our sin debt has already been paid by Christ, our "refining" has been done throughout our lives through sanctification, and there is absolutely nothing in Scripture that tells Church-age Christians to prepare to go through the Tribulation, or how to survive that time, or how to escape the Antichrist - nothing. We are reassured on multiple occasions throughout the Bible that we are not destined for God's wrath but will be taken out of the time of judgment that Jesus sends on the world.