Bill, I too believe when the Beast rises to power, all the world leaders will follow him, meaning, people will be forced to take the mark (or lose their head) everywhere in the world, with perhaps a very few exceptions.
If you believe you must remain behind, I believe God will honor your faith. You are not alone: there are many who believe that they with the church will go through the days of great tribulation. Part of the problem is, for centuries the church in general did not know where the 70th week or "the trib" starts in Revelation. Next, many imagined (and that is all it was) that the rapture was at Rev. 4:1. Many imagined that when John wrote, "after this" his meaning was "after the church age. No, John used this or a very similar phrase 6 different times in Revelation as a transitional phrase. What John was showing us is only that after God finished dictating to John the individual messages to each church, He then changed directions, so to speak in the vision and called John up to heaven.
Perhaps the reason many choose that for the rapture is because they could not find it anywhere else. The truth is, God did not show the rapture to John, so John did not write of it. However, God choose to show John the raptured church in heaven right after the rapture, I am thankful He did.
Many many people imagine that the Week begins at the first seal. Again, it is only imagination. They ignore the context of the first seal, which is chapters 4 & 5. I was getting absolutely nothing of the intent of the Author in these two chapters, so again Jesus stepped in to assist me. I got stuck on John weeping, and much, so I began to bug God about that - asking Him why we needed to know that John wept, and that it was much, not a little. Finally He spoke and said, "It shows timing." I searched diligently and could not see timing anywhere in these two chapter. You might say, I was slow or blind! I kept right on bugging Him. After a couple of more weeks, He spoke again and said, "it also shows the movement of time." Again I studied diligently, hours each day after work, trying to find timing and the movement of time. I failed. Finally, He asked me three questions that I could not answer. Now I had five different things I could not answer: time, the movement of time, and his three questions.
Finally He sent me to chapter 12 to find a key to answer all the questions. Did you ever wonder why, in a vision of perhaps 95 AD, God would show John Jesus' ascension into the throne room and Him immediately sending the Holy Spirit down? It was to show us timing. These things happened around 32 AD. That is when Jesus got the book and began opening seals.. Many people just ignore this context and imagine (It is a well used word in Revelation) it is the Antichrist Beast. How could that be possible in 32 AD? They are 2000 years off in their theories.
I fully agree with you: the days of GT Jesus spoke of will not come until all the 7 trumpets have sounded - and then after the False Prophet shows up. And none of these things can happen until God sees His church safely in heaven and sees the 144,000 of Israel sealed. For those who are in reality left behind and imagine they will live through the days of GT. I frequenly tell them: imagine you are a Jews hiding in Berlin in 1943. What will be your chances of living through the war? I would guess the chances are very close to ZERO. The truth, as you hinted above, will be that the whole world will go to war against believers, imagining it their duty to put them to death. This is the true meaning behind being "overcome."
God will proct us as the Isrealites were protected in Egypt. John has given us very little about believers in those days except being overcome. But consider these verses and see if they agree with your theory:
12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
These verses agree with "overcome." I cannot find any verses to the contrary for those days of GT. The saints will either take the mark or they will lose their head.
I agree: our body is only the house we live in for now.
Why do I believe so strongly in a pretrib rapture?
1. I know the entire 70th week is His wrath and I read verses that show us God will set no appointments for us with His wrath.
2. I see the 5th seal as the martyrs of the church age, and they are told that judgment will not come until the final martyr is killed. The rapture will stop the church age so will cause a certain martyr to be that final martyr. So when that number is fulfilled, then the rapture will come. I am sure God knows the number. So I see the final martyr being killed, the rapture and then wrath starting - as shown at the 6th seal.
3. I believe the great crowd John saw in heaven is the just raptured church.
4. I see the first trumpet judgment as the first salvo of the 70th week. It will certainly come with God's wrath.
I see God start the Day of the Lord (His wrath) first, then the 70th week, so the entire 70th week will be in His wrath and without the church.
5. I see the church already in heaven in Rev. 19, present for the marriage and supper, before we all descend on white horses. Posttrib rapturists solve this dilemma by simply moving the marriage and supper. That is not proper exegesis in my mind. Jesus does not get on His horse until after the marriage supper.
Finally, I find no verses that say the future most fit the patterns of the past. The only precedent for the rapture is Enoch and Elijah - probably the two witnesses.
Therefore, we will probably end up disagreeing on these points. Thanks for a civil post! ;-)
glad to see you posting sis
