All groups that call themselves "churches" are not necessarily the Lord's churches. The Lord instituted His church at Galilee during His earthly ministry. A "church" beginning before or after
that time and/or at another location cannot be the Lord's church.
"That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached" (Acts 10:37).
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).
All who? All the world was not there. All that had been baptized in water were
not there. This was spoken of the Lord's church -- all the church was there. No
church began in Acts 2:1-47. Until Pentecost, the church had a limited commission
to go "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:6). On the day of Pentecost,
the church was empowered by the Holy Ghost at Jerusalem to carry the gospel to
all nations.
"And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power
from on high" (Luke 24:46-49).
Will the true churches go into the tribulation? No!
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:37). "And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because
of the waters of the flood" (Gen. 7:7).
No flood came until Noah and his family were safe in the ark!
"And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (II Peter 2:7). "But the
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,
and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" (Luke 17:29-30).
No fire or brimstone rained down on Sodom until Lot, his wife, and two daughters
were safely out of the city!
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." (II Peter 2:9).
God plainly tells those churches that are true to Him unto the end that they
shall miss the tribulation.
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10).
While John "was in the isle that is called Patmos" (Rev. 1:9), he was caught up into heaven, and began to view the hereafter on earth.
"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 shew thee things which must be hereafter" (Rev. 4:1).
After giving him a vision of the entire church age, the Holy Spirit inspired
John to write:
"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices..." (Rev.
4:5).
No lightnings or thunderings (which represent the tribulation) occur until church
overcomers are invited to sup with Jesus (Rev. 3:20). Thus, no church faithful
will be on earth when the lightning strikes and the thunder rolls (i.e., during
the tribulation).
SUMMARY
God did not allow the faithful in Noah's day or Lot's day to be punished with
the wicked. He promised to keep those who kept the word of His patience from the
hour of temptation (Rev. 3:10). There is no lightning or thunder until the faithful
have supped with the Lord (Rev. 3:20). Therefore, there is no reason to believe
that the faithful of the true churches will go into the tribulation.
Those caught up in the "rapture" will be those who are ready and looking for
Christ to return. The "Bride" will be with Jesus (I Thess. 4:13-18). Those believers
who have become backsliders (unfaithful) and whose lights have quit burning will
not go with the Bridegroom (Jesus); they are not lost but they will go into the
tribulation (Matt. 25:1-13).
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look
for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28).
"Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching" (Luke 12:37).
In order to be found "watching," a person must be a believer, Scripturally baptized, and a faithful member of one of the Lord's churches.
How will the Lord find you and me?
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