Q&A: Will the Saints Go Through the Tribulation?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>Q&A: Will the Saints Go Through the Tribulation?</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Dear M.,</div> <bR> <div> You asked if I believe that the saints will go through the tribulation. I certainly DON'T believe that there will be some universal rapture of the saints that will remove them from the earth during this period spoken of as the tribulation, or the day of the Lord's wrath. The Scriptures are pretty plain that a remnant will be spared and protected during this day, but not the entire church. </div> <bR> <div> To the Church of Philadelphia the Lord stated: </div> <bR> <div> Revelation3:10<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."</div> <bR> <div> Notice that there is a condition here, and this is not spoken to all of the churches. The condition is "you have kept the word of My perseverance". To understand this better we can look at the context of this verse. </div> <bR> <div> Revelation 3:8-9<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> "I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie -- I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you."</div> <bR> <div> This passage is speaking of those who are overcomers in the face of much oppression. It is the overcomers who would be kept from the day of testing. The Concordant Literal Version expresses verse 10 in this way: </div> <bR> <div> Seeing that you keep the word of My endurance, I, also, will be keeping you out of the hour of trial which is about to be coming on the whole inhabited earth to try those dwelling on the earth. </div> <bR> <div> To understand who these overcomers are who will be spared, or protected during the testing that will come upon the whole world, I have written the book "The Remnant Bride", and I would point you to it to determine who will be spared. Basically, all those who have remained faithful and who have allowed the Spirit to purge, purify and refine them now, those who have embraced the disciple's cross and who have not sought to protect their soul life, these ones will be spared. </div> <bR> <div> I think the protection afforded these saints may be somewhat different than many imagine, however. Like Noah and his family were spared during the judgment of the flood, they were actually present, but they were in a protected place. I do not know that God will remove His overcomers from the earth, but He will protect them in the midst of the trials and judgments of that day. A further Scripture that supports this thought is found a few chapters later in Revelation as it speaks of the 144,000 who were also called overcomers. </div> <bR> <div> Revelation 7:3<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> This sealing is for protection and it is further seen in an Old Testament Scripture. </div> <bR> <div> Ezekiel 9:4-6<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> Yahweh said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst. But to the others He said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." So they started with the elders who were before the temple. </div> <bR> <div> Once more we see a remnant being marked, or sealed, so that they will be spared from the judgments that are to come. These marked ones are not necessarily removed from the earth, but they are protected from the judgments that God pours forth. Another example of this protection in the midst of judgment is seen in the Israelites living in the land of Goshen being protected while the plagues were poured out all over the land of Egypt that surrounded them. </div> <bR> <div> So, to answer your question, I believe the saints, and even the overcomers will be present during the tribulation, but I believe that Yahweh will make a distinction between those who are overcomers and those who are not. The overcomers will be spared and protected from the judgments of those days. </div> <bR> <div> May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days, </div> <bR> <div> Joseph Herrin</div> <bR> <div> E-mail: </div> <div> website: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Georgia" ><A HREF="http://heart4god.ws" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://heart4god.ws"><U><U>http://heart4god.ws</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>