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QUESTION 51
I am confused about the Rapture and the Tribulation. Can you help me?

ANSWER:
The Lord deals with mankind in different ways. This is called a dispensation, which means exactly that. The Old Testament it is basically with a nation called Israel. The New Testament and our times it is the Gentile nations and “whosoever will.”

We read in Romans 11:25-26. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Romans 11:26, And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. In Romans 11:25 we have the Rapture at the end of the “fullness of the Gentiles. In Romans 11:26, we have the end of the Tribulation Age. We will look at the first of these first.

Since Acts 2 the Lord has been calling out mainly from the Gentile nations a people for His name sake. (Acts 15:14 This is called the Church of God in the Bible. (1 Corinthians 10:32) This is also called the “fullness of the Gentiles. (Romans 11:25.) The Rapture is the end of God dealing with this calling out a people for His name sake called the Church of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we read of it in the words “caught up,” which means “snatched away by force.” The rapture is for the Church and the Tribulation is for Israel. Jesus spoke of it to the nation of Israel in Matthew 24:21, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. This chapter is not speaking about the Rapture, but Israel and the time to come after the Rapture. In it you will find that the faithful remnant among them were to watch for signs of His coming. The believers waits for the Rapture and the coming of the Lord for them and not for signs. (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

This period of time called the “tribulation,” is for Israel, and not the Church. In it, God will take them through seven years of terrible trouble in which two third of them shall perish. (Zechariah 13:9) When He comes back with the Church at the end of these seven years the one third of Israel will look on Him whom they have pierced and will be saved. (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:26)

The coming of the Lord with the Church is in Revelation 19:11. The armies of heaven are the believers who were raptured seven years earlier, also the angels of God will come with Him. The following verses is the Battle of Armageddon in which all the wicked nations will be overthrown and in Revelation 20:1, the devil will be bound for 1000 years while Christ reigns in a kingdom promised to Israel in Daniel 2:44.

Are you ready for the “any moment” Rapture? What is your hope of being in heaven? Repent of your sins and trust Christ and you will be ready. “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:30-31. Dear Reader, This can happen at any time. Are you ready to go? You are ready IF you have repented of your sins against God and bowed, as such, to the foot of the cross and by faith received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Only such will go in the Rapture. All others will be left behind to suffer the vengeance of God, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Will you go?

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen