Greetings Santiago!
Excellent post for those of us that believe we will be in the bleachers during the tribulation.
Your comment that the Church is not mentioned during the tribulation is bang on.
After the seven churches are addressed in Revelation Chapter 3 the church is not mentioned again.
Chapter 4 makes an interesting distinction...
1 AFTER THIS I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, COME UP HITHER, and I will show thee things which must be HEREAFTER.
The church age is finished, AFTER THIS! Salvation is now by faith plus works. People must be willing to die for that faith or suffer eternal punishment for worshiping the beast.
" Hereafter " designates after the church, after the body of Christ for we are the church. It is not mentioned again anywhere in the tribulation.
Compare this verse with Revelation 11:12 concerning the two witnesses
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, COME UP HITHER. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Just as John is told COME UP HITHER.
Just as we may hear COME UP HITHER.
I believe for the Christian it is a sin to ask God for revenge upon anyone. That is for Him to determine what is just and we are to pray for our enemies. Yet in Revelation 6 we see the tribulation saints, not the church, the body of Christ asking for just that....
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them: and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
They are not admonished for their request but told to be patient!
Rev. 20:4 shows them again as the tribulation saints that were beheaded for their witness...
They are not the church! It is nowhere to be found in the tribulation Praise God!
Rejoicing with you and all in the Lord,
John |
