In all seriousness though,
Anyone who believes in a pre-tribulation rapture, please at least just consider what I have to say. I don't want anyone to lose heart and have their faith shaken so much that they despair of life itself, if some day they find themselves in a world more immoral, twisted, and full of persecution than Sodom and Gomorra was in it's day, and realize that if there is a pre tribulation rapture, then it would have already happened by now. We should all live as if we may meet the Lord this very day, keeping a close watch on our lives, actions, and attitude; that goes without saying. We don't need some immanency of the rapture to motivate us to live that way though. However, if one expects to be totally free from all the bad things that will eventually be coming upon the Earth, and then finds that they have to endure through them, they may lose heart when this reality sets in. I don't want anyone to lose heart.
Luke 17:26-37
26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot--they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all-- 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." 36... 37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
Two things of serious significance here. One, that as soon as the righteous (those who have faith) were separated from the wicked, then God's wrath was poored out upon the wicked, and there was no delay . Two, those who are "taken" at the end of this explanation, well..... you don't want to be them. We can see a clearer picture of where they go from another parable in Matthew:
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
...
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Jesus is going to have his angels gather up the
Weeds first, before he harvests the wheat. So those who are taken in Luke 17:37, where are they taken to? "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." The vultures are gathering to feast on their flesh.... you don't want to go where those who are taken in Luke 17 are taken to. Likewise, the weeds are gathered up together first, in order to be burned. Only then will the righteous shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
God has been in the business of delivering his people from their enemies while they dwell in the midst of them and are persecuted by them from the beginning of time: Shadrach, Meeschek, and Abidnigo from the furnace; Daniel in the lions Den; Noah and his family; David from the wrath of Saul; the Israelites from the Egyptians who had enslaved them. He is more than able to protect his church in the midst of tribulation and sustain her until the end of the age.
In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. John 16:33
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16
Grace to you,
Travis
