“Don’t count on being ‘gone’ (raptured) before trouble sets in.”
Christians must accept the reality that being a follower of Christ means being the recipients of persecution and tribulation.
2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Acts 14:22b (NKJV)
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.
John 16:33 (NKJV)
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
John 17:15 (NKJV)
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
Through Christ’s atoning work on the cross, we who believe escape God’s just wrath against us. Jesus took our place and washed away our sins in His own blood so that we never need to encounter God’s wrath. This is what we can expect to escape rather than tribulation and persecution. But God does “keep” us as we go through these things. And He does not have to take us out of this world to do so.
1 Thess.5:9 “For God hath NOT appointed us to WRATH, BUT to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
And
Romans 5:9. “Much more then, being NOW JUSTIFIED by His blood, we SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM”.