Are We on the Verge of the Tribulation?

Rapture Ready ^ | 4/20/22 | Britt Gillette

[Just mythoughts]

It's ok.. wonder why some will pray for mountains to fall on them?

It is really bizarre to read one calling herself Christian to be repelled by the Word of God. I did not write it, but I have been blessed to read with comprehension.

[XenaLee]

Well, it would be a wonderful thing if it happens as you say it will. But unfortunately, due to life’s observations and past experiences.. I have become something of a pessimist.

I would feel optimistic about the future...if only the Bible actually stated that there would be a pre-trib rapture of we non-Jewish Christians. I haven’t found that assurance anywhere and trust me, I’ve looked.

I have several family members that fervently believe in this pre-trib rapture. My biggest fear is that if/when that rescue rapture doesn’t happen and they start to have to suffer....they might lose their faith and end up ‘not saved’.

I shell attempt to think more positively. We Christians are all on Team Jesus and yes, if it happens as you say it will,

see you in the clouds! God bless.

[who knows what evil?]

My biggest fear is that if/when that rescue rapture doesn’t happen and they start to have to suffer....they might lose their faith and end up ‘not saved’.

Many share that fear.

[MHGinTN]

I am a OSAS person. I have reached the stage if Bible studies where I have absolutely no doubts that a perwson once born again is in God’s hands and not even that person can wriggle out from His grasp. What Grace is it that would be given knowing that one would eventually do something God did not foresee so He would let go of them? No, God sees the end from the beginning and He doesn’t leave me to have to earn the retention of His Grace. The miraculous reality is that He is taking responsibility for my redemption, not requiring me to achieve what I obviously could not before I believed. I am heaven bound because of what HE did, not what I may or may not do.

[who knows what evil?]

OTOH, God has not given us the spirit of fear, so maybe we should refer to that as a ‘concern’. :-)

[GBA]

I agree.

[XenaLee]

OSAS meaning once saved always saved?

I am steadfast in my belief, and can’t imagine anything that could cause me to lose my faith in God and Jesus. But I worry about others that are perhaps not as strong-minded. And I believe Jesus commented on how much worse it is for someone that is saved to then lose their faith. Much worse for them.

The problem is that some Christians wrongly think that nothing bad should happen to them if they put their faith in God. It’s unrealistic.

My neighbor, a devout Christian (he and his wife), just had a bad fire break out from a defective grill on Easter Sunday. The fire’s smoke went through the attic and the heat even crumpled their garage door, which was on the opposite side of the house where the fire was. There is now a big hole in their roof and they haven’t been back to the house since Sunday. Bad things happen to Christians all the time, but at least nobody was hurt or killed. That is the silver-lining blessing in that particular cloud.

[kvanbrunt2]

We will know pretty much after it’s going. but not anything like now. much worse. The USA is the worlds bastion. and then we may just have to bear the bad stuff like africa and the hwole middle east for a thousand years. Hard to say. Prophecy is for looking at after the events unfold and you say, Yes that was it.

[Bob434]

[[OSAS meaning once saved always saved?]]

Yes that is what it means- We don’t work for our salvation, it is strictly through Christ- who God told will never lose even one of His that God gives to Him- While some may backlside- even severely, and may end up suffering or losing their life- they can not lose their salvation- IF they could, and regain it by being good enough or believing hard enough again, then that turns salvation into a work that the person does to ‘stay saved’

[[The problem is that some Christians wrongly think that nothing bad should happen to them if they put their faith in God. It’s unrealistic.]]

Some do i suppose, but not many- most know that the fall in the garden affect all of us- I was staying i n a place with my brother once, and it was wicked windy out- I had fileld the wood furnace a bit ago, and it was just about time for bed, and a person came running up on the porch banging in the window- We went outside to see what all the yelling was about, and saw that the whole roof was on fire- Had we gone to bed even a 1/2 hour earlier, we might not have survived as the fire was upstairs where the bedrooms were- God certainly was watching out for us that night- We did lose everything- as did the homeowner- but we were all safe-

Our neighbor though had a son just recently die in a fire- so you just never know- He also has several children with bad cancers- one will die soon- another is undergoing treatments- God has his reasons for why He allows certain things to happen- He works in ways we can not even begin to understand- It might just be that someone gets inspired by the faith of those facing death, and then seek the Lord themselves because of it-

Satan loves to hit people hard- but our neighbor has withstood it all, and realy is an inspiration to others- as are his children-

Anyways- the verse about Jesus saying that what you cited- that is not about losing salvation- Whenever you run across a verse or passage that looks like it means a person can lose salvation, do a search for say “Matt 5 5 does not mean losing salvation” or whatever the verse may be- and many times you will see that no- it is not talking about losing salvation at all- most verses like that are talking about CINOS (Christians in name only- or people that claim to be Christian but who never took the actual step of accepting Christ as Salvation- they come close to salvation, but then turn away and actually turn against Christ- and to those people Christ gives the warnings- They are called apostates- having tasted of the life offered by salvation- but not taking it in in the form of accepting Christ as Savior- They learn all the lingo, learn how Christians act, what Christians expect, etc- and by all accounts “appear” to be saved, but arent-

Paul spoke to churches that were severely backslidden- committing terrible sins- and He still called them brothers and sisters in Christ- He didn’t call them ‘Former Brothers in Christ” and he didn’t urge them to get re-saved either, because once a person is saved, they are always saved- -

[MurphsLaw]

I have several family members that fervently believe in this pre-trib rapture.
My biggest fear is that if/when that rescue rapture doesn’t happen and they start to have to suffer...

So that's what this man-made Gospel is all about then for some?
A guaranteed way to avoid suffering?
A pain-free ticket to ride to the pearly gates?
We just went through the Crucifixion...
and redemptive suffering is somehow a forgotten concept to self-proclaimed Christians?
To be smoothed over with fanciful ideas on how to get to Heaven- without undergoing a participation in Christ's sacrifice?

If anyone thinks meeting the gaze of the Almighty God in the end is gonna be all fluffy clouds, rainbows and unicorns...
you're gonna be in for a surprise...(C.S.L.)

Romans 8
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 
16 it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 
17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

1 Peter 2
19 For one is approved if, mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly. 
20 For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God’s approval.
 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 

Colossians 1:24-26
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.”

[HKMk23]

“The Bible says the rapture will take place before the Tribulation.”

Brother, you MIGHT respect your Christian faith JUST enough to be thoroughly intellectually honest and state the case truthfully: “A popular 19th Century eschatological view says the rapture will take place before the Tribulation.”

I just think you’d get more traction with a little humility.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

And some folks have major problems rightly dividing the Word.

2 Timothy 2:15

And blatantly ignore John 14:3

Nice cherry-picking verses there BTW!

[Roman_War_Criminal]

OSAS 👍

Not one person who has ever lived (except Jesus) can go 5 minutes without sinning.

Even Peter and Paul had their moments.

[XenaLee]

"Not one person who has ever lived (except Jesus) can go 5 minutes without sinning."

I beg to differ. I can go for hours without sinning. I tend to sleep for hours at a time (and am not responsible for those dreams I have).

[MHGinTN]

You are either a liar or ignorant. There are many earl references regarding the removal of the Body of Christ Believers BEFORE the Tribulation begins. Would like for me to post a few connections which show you are either a liar or grossly, wiullfully ignorant?

[MHGinTN]

Papias (60-130)
Clement of Rome (90-100)
The Sherpherd of Hermas (96-150)
Ignatius of Antioch (98-117)
Barnabas (100)
The Didache (100-160)
Justin Martyr (110-165)
The Epistle of Barnabas (117-138)
Irenaeus (120-202)
Tertullian (145-220)
Hippolytus (185-236)
Cyprian (200-250)
Lactantius (260-330)

Some of the aove speak to the Rapture as a real event which will happen. Others indicate the author believed the removal would happen before the Wrath of God is poured out ... and all seven years of the Tribulation are the judgments being poured out since it is the Lamb in Heaven opening the seals.

Now I would ask you this: Who are they who are singing, 'for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;?' Rev 5

[MHGinTN]

Pretrib references from the wearly church:

The Shepherd of Hermas (95-150)
Victorinus ( Well known by 270 and died in 303 A.D.)
Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373)>br?

[Bob434]

That is true. Well mostly, I can go 6 1/2 minutes, I timed myself once lol j/k. Thankfully we don’t have to save ourselves because it woild be impossible. We’d be practically,sinning WHILE we are confessing and repenting, given that sins are both action and inaction. None of us do enough to = eing good enough thst christ then is obliged”” to accept us back again because we sin without even knowing it, many times by not,doing things we should even. Tha kfully Christ’s blood covers everything.

Paul said he sinned continually, as do we all

[MHGinTN]

Here are a few essays dealing with the topic that are more uptodate than the false accusation of a nineteenth century origin:

https://web.oru.edu/current_students/class_pages/grtheo/mmankins/DrHebert/M.A.%20Thesis/MA(Th)%20Thesis.CH-3d%20Direct%20Ref%20to%20Rapture%20by%20Fathers.pdf

https://www.raptureready.com/

https://truthandtidings.com/2020/07/the-rapture-a-pre-darby-rapture/

[Bob434]

I beleive he is talking about being perfect, like,Jesus said to the rich young man who thought he was pious. Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, give to,the poor, and fol.ow,him. Thr MSN who’s security was In his money refused.

What this means is that we sin without even acrively,doing things sometimesthat rich young man, wantingmto “act” to,be holy, was willing to,do,a great many things like,follow the law to,the letter, but he was not willing to,do everything necessary to “be perfect”, and neither do we, so even thougnwe sleep, we are still, according to the law, not,perfect and we sin by not doing everything we should.

Note, jesusmis,not saying that we must sell,everything g and live lives of poverty so,that others can have more. He was just making the point that the man wanted to “act” perfect, but deep in his heart, he held onto his own false God, money, which he va,used greatly and put his trust in.

So, efen though we sleep and aren’t conscious of sinning, if we don’t do,everything perfectly, then we are sinning even while we sleep because we are not doing the things necessary while awake thst being perfect/sinless demands. There is just too much thst we don’t do that we should IF we are gojng to be perfect by our own measures

Thankfully we do,not have to be perfect by our own efforts- christ makes us perfectly sinless in regards to spending eternity with him when we die, through his shed blood- thayxoesnt mean we don’t still,sin, of,course we do, but it will not be held agaisnt us in regards tk,eternity in heaven- we Wil. However lose out on rewards we coilda had, and also may cut our own lives short if we live in continual sin (ie drunkards die of alcoholism, strokes, liver damage etc. Drug addicts can overdose etc etc etc- gods laws and rules are meant to help,us have a good long healthy life, not restrict us- but the point is thst we stil. Sin, but thankfully, we remain saved because we are saved by his,shed blood, and not by our “being good enough to,achieve salvation”, and we don’t have to work to,maintain ourmsalvztion, but agsin,, if we don’t respect our salvation, and live in sin, we,must accept whatever the earhtky consequences may be