Had a talk with a brother in Christ the other day. As is usual there is slight differences in belief and concepts of how to interrupt the Bible. I have come to accept this.
His hope was that when Jesus does make His reappearance that many would plead and beg for forgiveness, and be welcomed. The former will happen, but the latter. Depends on when you perceive His return.
This is why I am of the group that believes in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Why this is will address my point for this article.
First off, I have come to the conclusion that the amount of people going in the Rapture will be much smaller than I and most others have considered possible. This will be the chance my brother in Christ is hoping for.
This is made clear within Revelation, where it shows the “great multitude, which no man could number” is dressed in white before the throne of God. (Revelation 7:9-17) This I see as the mid-point Rapture. For this vast number of people from “all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, will have been killed just in the first three and a half years of the Tribulation. They will be killed because they did see the first Rapture and saw it for what it was. Their last chance at redemption with the Lord. The price for this realization will be at a cost though. For it will require starvation and beheadings. For they will refuse to take the mark of Satan, which will include if not just be the implantation of a chip in their skin.
But the question is asked. “What of those that have or will die before the Rapture occurs?”
That is already spelled out within the details given in the first Rapture. Those that were faithful. Both dead and alive will be caught up and taken before the throne of God. Any that were not. Even if they thought they were, will be left in heaven or hell till the end of the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ, which is to come.
At this time they will stand for the Great White Throne Judgment, and face the weight of their sins against their righteousness. Praying they have more of the latter than the former. For it will be easier for those that never heard of God than for those that have.
So it is better to commit yourself to Christ and His Father now. Not only in faith, but works. For either extreme leads only to death and possibly damnation.