Originally posted by DeafPosttrib:
Linda64,
I'm posttrib. You saying, you believe in pretrib, because the Bible teaches it.
Scriptures please.
In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!
First of all, you need to differentiate the church from Israel. Israel is not the church and the church is not Israel. When you apply all the scripture in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 to the church, you will come up with the church being here during the tribulation. The Olivet Discourse in those chapters is referring to Israel, not the church.
The Gospels were written during the dispensation of the Law--before the church was empowered at Pentecost (Acts 2). The only time the church is mentioned in the gospels is in Matthew 16:18 and in Matthew 18:17. In Mt 16:18, Christ said he would build His church. He began building the church during His earthly ministry. Mt 18:17 implies that the church already existed during Christ's earthly ministry. He was speaking of church discipline. The church, however, was not empowered at that point. That happened at Pentecost.
The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) refer to
ISRAEL , not the
CHURCH .
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 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? (Matthew 24:1-3)
Jesus was speaking to His disciples--His disciples were not inquiring about the Church, they were asking Jesus about the sign of His Second Coming and the end of the age. This has NOTHING to do with the Church.
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Paul's first epistle to the
CHURCH at Thessalonica
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Paul's first epistle to the
CHURCH at Corinth.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:18) --Where is the comfort if the church is to go through the tribulation?