As stated in the "Jesus REALLY is coming soon" page, most Christians today expect to be taken up in the Rapture before the Tribulation begins. However, there is Biblical evidence from both Prophecy and doctrine that says that when the Tribulation begins, most Christians will not be ready.
Prophecy
The Prophetic reason for believing that most Christians won't be ready, again, derives from the idea that we are living in the historical Church Age of Laodicea. Although not all Christians believe this, there is a widely held view that the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are seven ages in the history of the Church. In fact, it can be discerned from history when each age began and ended. It is widely accepted that if this is so, and the Second Coming is near, then we have to be living in the Age of Laodicea.
In looking at the Churches, we find that everything Jesus said about each Church means something relevant to its spiritual condition and/or its role (or fate) in history. Even the name. The word "Laodicea" comes from two Greek words, "laos", meaning people, and "dikazo", meaning either "an opinion" or "a sentence given by a judge". Applying the first meaning to the Church today, we find that this is a prophecy fulfilled in the wide range of difference of doctrinal opinions that characterizes the Christian world. Relating the second meaning to Revelation 3:16, we see that it prophesies the Church being rejected by Christ at the beginning of the Tribulation.
The Rapture
There is a simple but serious argument against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine that is derived from relating the two famous "Rapture" passages, I Corinthians 15:51-54 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18, to Revelations 20:4-6. The two "Rapture" passages both make the point that the Resurrection of the Saints happens immediately before the Rapture. Revelation 20:4-6 describes a Resurrection of the Saints that by the context clearly happens at the end of the Tribulation. Verse 5 makes a point of saying that this is the First Resurrection. If this is the First Resurrection, then there is no resurrection before it. If there is no resurrection before it, there is no Rapture before it. If it happens at the end of the Tribulation, then the Rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation. It's that simple.
But again, the question will be academic for the majority of Christians, because they won't be ready.
The Seal of the Living God
The key to understanding what happens to Christians is Revelation chapter 7. In the first few verses of that chapter, a limited number of people, 144,000, out of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, are shown to be given something called "the seal of the living God". From versed 2 & 3 we know that this happens just before the Tribulation begins. Contrary to what has been commonly thought, there is solid Scriptural reason to believe that those who will receive the seal are not necessarily Jews, but Christians, the Christians who are really ready. The key phrase in the passage is "the servants of our God" in verse 3. A servant of God in this age is a Christian. See Isaiah 65:15.
Although the majority of Christians will not be ready, and hence the rejection, a relatively few will be. These are the people to whom Jesus refers with the words, "To him who overcomes". They will not deserve to suffer during the Tribulation. The "seal of the living God" will protect them from God's wrath. See Revelation 9:4, and compare Ezekiel 9 (it's a short chapter).
The Rest of the Christians
For the rest of the Christians, the Tribulation will be as much a great chastisement as it will be a great judgment on the unsaved world. We find the key to this in Revelation 7:9 and 13 & 14. In verse 7, we find the "great multitude which no one could number". In verse 13, the elder asks John who these people are. John doesn't know, and politely throws the question back to the elder. His reply is, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb".
In understanding this, we must remember that the term "great tribulation" occurs only in two other places in the Bible, Mathew 24:21 and Daniel 12:1 (Note: readings in Daniel vary from translation to translation). In both cases, it refers to something that happens in connection with the Second Coming of Christ. There is no real Scriptural basis for calling the entire Church Age "The Great Tribulation", as some do.
Given that, understand this: No one comes out of something he was never in. To "come out of the great tribulation", the Christians first of all have to be in it. They will be in it because they weren't ready. During the Tribulation, they will wake up to their failure and repent. Hence they "washed their robes and made them white". See Daniel 11:35 & Zechariah 13:9.
Understand this, if the Tribulation begins and you are not ready, you will be in big trouble, and most Christians will not be ready. Never assume that you are ready!
Hey howabout that. I can actually agree with you on this point. :) I would like to add a little to what you said. Laodicea as I have looked it up means, "a people judged". This refers I believe to the judgment of the righteous, the house of God that takes place before Christ returns. For when he comes his reward is with him.
The other point I'd like to make is read Mt 24 and ask yourself which group do you want to be in? Those who are "taken" or those who are "left" and remain? Do a word study on taken and left or remain, and I believe you will NOT want to be "taken"! The question is asked "where Lord?" In other words, "where will they be taken to?" And the response is over in Luke, "where the body or carcass is, there shall the eagles be gathered together". I don't want to be taken to be eaten by ravenous birds! The tares are separated from the wheat first and then that which "remains" is the pure wheat.
In 1 These 4, its those who are "left and remain" that are caught up to be with the Lord.
As it was in Noah's day, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and given in marriage until the flood came and "took" them all away!
So yes, when the sifting is complete and all things that offened are gathered out of the kingdom, I pray to God that I am still "left" standing and won't be taken all away. But I will have "remained" alive through the fire of Gods wrath as the three worries were in the fiery furnace. I will then be caught up to meet my Lord in the air, and so shall I ever be with the Lord!
