AudreyNicole: Will the rapture happen before or after the tribulation period?
I was thinking it was before, but then I heard a sermon that made me think twice. In many of the examples of God's wrath in the Bible, God led His people through suffering, not take them out of it. Like Noah, or Job, or the Hebrews and Moses... God did not take them out of the suffering, He kept them safe during it. So wouldn't the same be true for the second coming of Christ?
Matthew 24:38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark,
Matthew 24:39
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
Luke 17:26
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luke 17:27
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:28
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luke 17:29
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:30
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luke 17:31
In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
I find the following two verses to be very interesting in this age of grace, when preachers teach that once we are saved, we are always saved. Why remind of Lot's wife?
Luke 17:32
Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:33
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Anyway, back to the original subject.
I Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
I Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
I Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
I Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
I Corinthians 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
I Corinthians 15:26 The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
I am going to prepare myself to keep the faith until the end of the world. Or until the end of my life, which ever comes first. I do not expect a pretribulation rapture.
Revelation 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,
Come up hither. And they ascended in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
This is where I expect Jesus to return. The scriptures tell me that there will be one gathering, and only one. And I believe it to be when the two witnesses are called up. At the last trump.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.