How could the Beast make war with the Saints if they have been raptured?
Revelation 6:9-12 "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: 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? 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 fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be
killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when he had opened
the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;"
Revelation 13:7-8 "And it was given unto him [the beast] to
make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over
all kindred's, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world."
God's people go through the tribulation.
Revelation 7:14-9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred's, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands;... And he said to me, These are
they which went through the great tribulation [No one is removed before
the tribulation], and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb."
Revelation 9:1-4 "And the fifth angel sounded... And it was
commanded them that they should not hurt the grass or the green things or the
trees of the earth, but hurt only those who do not have the seal of God in
their foreheads."
The saved are caught up at Christ's return not before, which is near the end of the tribulation.
Matthew 13:24-40 "Another parable put he forth unto them,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in
his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth
fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came
and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from
whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The
servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he
said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with
them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them
in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn…The field is
the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are
the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at
the end of this world."
Matthew 24:40-41 "Then [at the time of his return] shall two be
in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill the one shall be taken, and the other left." [Christ
is showing that at his return there is to be a separation made between those
who have and those who have not qualified to enter God's Kingdom]
Mark 13:24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun
shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of
heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And
then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the
uttermost part of heaven." [Notice that it occurs at Christ's return]
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 "For this we say unto you by the word of
the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Matthew warns believers on how to handle the coming tribulation.
Matthew 24:2-31 "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these
things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of
Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of
the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man
deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall
deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my
name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another,
and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand
in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which
be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not
come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in
the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your
flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be
great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be".
Until Christ returns all those who have lived and died will remain dead in
their graves. At Christ's return he restores the kingdom of God over all the
nations. A select few who through the ages will be resurrected to immortal life,
and those alive of his at his coming will be transformed immortal, meeting
Christ in the air. The Bible clearly states that the Church will refuse the mark
of the beast and will be rewarded for it by ruling with Christ. Christ is
preparing places or positions of responsibility for his true followers, to be at
the same location as Christ is when he returns. During the thousand year
millennium Christ rules with those resurrected or transformed, offering
salvation to all humans who live during the thousand year time frame. During the
tribulation period, Christ's followers are afforded protection. After the
thousand years are over heaven comes down to earth, God dwells with men on the
new earth.
The good news is that many who go through the tribulation turn back to God.
Revelation 7:14-9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred's, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands;... And he said to me, These are
they which went through the great tribulation [No one is removed before
the tribulation], and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb."
The truth is that the people of God will be killed for refusing the mark of
the beast during the tribulation. No where in the Bible does it say anything
about a pre-tribulation rapture!
