Carl,
You mentioned of Matthew chapter 3 and 4 warn about flee from the wrath.
I find in Matt. 3:7. John, the Baptist warned to the Pharisees, that they must repent of their sins flee from the wrath. Matt. 3:7 say nothing about seven year of tribulation period. It speaks of warning them, if they do not repent of their sins, will suffer the wrath from God, to send them into everlasting punishment - lake of fire.
the body of Christ, are DELIVERED from the wrath to come, while JEWS have to FLEE
The first part of your comment, I agree with you, that we as the body of Christ shall be delivered from the wrath to come speak of 1 Thess. 1:10; & 5:9.
The last part of your comment, that I do not agree with you.
Yes, Christ commanded to Jews to flee of Matt. 24:15-21, but, not just for Jews only only, also, command to believers both Jews and Gentiles, not just only in Jerusalem or Israel(Judea), also, over the world, that we must flee from the coming terrible persecutions under the Antichrist.
By the way, word, 'flee' is also find in Luke 21:36- "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
Often pretribs use Luke 21:36 as 'proof' of pretrib rapture, because of word, 'escape' is the picture of rapture. That is their misintepreting of Luke 21:36.
Two things that Christ commands us of warning of conditional, that we must
WATCH and
PRAY, that we might be escape from all these things. OR, if we do not watch and pray, we shall suffer all of these things. What of 'all these things' speak of? Wrath and judgments. Not just only of these things, also, we all shall stand before Christ sit on throne - judgment day. If we do not watch and pray, then we shall face suffering punishment judged by Jesus Christ in the judgment day.
The wrath to come IS the great tribulation
Pretibs teaching that both are same, as wrath is so called, "seven year of tribulation period".
But, the Bible never saying it.
Both are different meaning. Wrath is come direct come from God, for judging on people, who disobey Him, or not believing on him according John 3:36. Wrath is for to punish people, send them go into everlasting fire - lake of fire.
1 Thess. 3:3-4 telling us, that we are appointed for tribulations, because Christ suffered for us at calvary, so therefore, we ought follow Christ's example - 1 Peter 2:21.
Jesus tells us that we shall suffer tribulations, but be cheer, because Christ overcometh them - John 16:33.
There is no promise in the Bible that we shall escape from the tribulaitons and persecutions. Look, Church history telling us, so many Christians already suffering from tribulations and persecutions. Cannot you see the facts of Church history telling us?
Also, Paul tells us, that we MUST go through
MUCH tribulations enter the kingdom of God. - Acts 14:22.
Tribulations are for Christians, because Christ suffered on the cross, that why we ought follow Christ's example.
Ed,
Again, and again, I told you so many times, that you still break the Hermeneutic rule - Interpreting in
CONTEXTUALLY. Because you separate Matt. 24:31 from Matt. 24:29-30. Obivously, you seem dislike what Christ actual saying of Matt. 24:29 - "Immediately
AFTER the tribulation...". Why cannot you accept Christ's cleat teaching of Matt. 24:29-31 telling us, that Christ shall come again after tribulaiton, to gathering us together?
In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!