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Jesus speaks of a day to come when the earth will experience a time of tribulation that is more severe than it has ever experienced since the beginning of creation.  The book of Revelation shares many of the details regarding the wars, plagues, and persecutions that will take place during that era.

There are several views regarding this time of tribulation, but the view that has always made the most sense to me and seems to lend itself to the most plain reading of Scripture teaches that the tribulation will take place over the course of seven years.  It will be a time of God’s judgment on this unbelieving world, and a time of wrath shown toward Israel in connection to their historical idolatry and rejection of the Messiah.  (see Daniel 9 and Revelation 13)

I believe the church will be “raptured” or carried away to heaven prior to this seven-year period of judgment taking place.  I believe this will be the case for several reasons.  First of all, the church is not mentioned in the book of Revelation once the book begins speaking of the wrath that is to come.  Secondly, Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that believers are not destined for wrath.  Third, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes additional details of this rapturous event.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”  (1 Thes. 4:16-17)

I also believe that Scripture teaches that during the seven-year tribulation period, people will come to know Jesus and experience the blessing of His gift of salvation.  Jesus even says that for the sake of the elect, those days will be divinely cut short.

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