There are preachers right now that are saying we're in the tribulation. Are you kidding me? Do you feel like you're going through a worst time that ever happened in history? I don't think so. If you go through chapter one of second Thessalonians, Paul goes into describing what he was talking about in first Thessalonians five, the day of the Lord — the tribulation period.
2nd Thessalonians 1:7, "... when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel.” This is all about horrible, horrible judgment. If you're a believer in the first century and you're reading this, maybe even today, you start thinking, am I going to go through that? Is that going to affect me?
2nd Thessalonians 2:1, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, ...” This is biblical language for the rapture of the church (e.g., John 14, “I will receive you to Myself;” 1st Thessalonians four “... the dead Christ will rise first ...”). You see the commonality in the language?
“... we ask you.” 2Th 2:2, “do not be shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us.” He says, I don't care if someone speaks by some spirit, some prophet comes to you, or even if you get a letter “... as if the day of Christ had come.” And some of your translations will say “day of the Lord.” There are two variants in the Greek manuscript. One says “Day of Christ.” The other says “day of the Lord.” In either case, if it has come, where are you? You're in the tribulation, right? If someone sends you a letter and says, “we’re in the tribulation,” Paul says, “don't be troubled. Don't let this upset you. Don't let this disturb you.”
2Th 2:3, “Let no one deceive you by any means. For that day ...” (the tribulation period) “... will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” We're talking here about Antichrist. Basically, he's saying that time is not going to come until Antichrist is revealed. Will you and I know who he is? No. Verse four, “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or worship, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself as if he is God.” In other words, this guy is going to claim to be God in the flesh. This is what Daniel calls and Jesus referred to as “the abomination of desolation.” Verse five, “Do you not remember when I was still with you, I told you these things?” Verse six, “Now you know what is restraining...” Take note. Whatever is keeping that antichrist from coming is a “what.” “...that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”
Who is the Restrainer? It's the Holy Spirit. Who is the “what”? It's the church. The church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When the church goes up, the Holy Spirit goes up. Doesn't mean He's not going to be working during the tribulation period, but He will not be working in the sense that He is now be totally different. It'll actually go back to Old Testament conditions. Okay? So he concludes, “then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” What's he talking about? Revelation 19, the second coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation period.
What does all of that mean? Titus 2:13, “Keep looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Not just to expect it could be today, but to pray that it will be today.
Learn about "The Simplicity of Salvation" here:
https://basictraining.org/simplicity-of-salvation/
The original lesson was derived from here:
https://basictraining.org/scriptural-proof-of-the-pre-tribulation-rapture/
#shorts #BibleStudy #bible
#jesus #prophecy #bibleverse
#endtimes #christian #christianity #tribulation #rapture #christ #jesuschrist #time
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