PRO501 WK4 DQ#2 When do you believe the rapture will occur in the tribulation period (pre, post or mid-trib)? Why?

I am a pre-tribulation believer period and I am in good company!  Grant Phillips of the Rapture Ready website has this to say, “The Church will not go through the Tribulation.”  Here is the link to his article, “Will the Church Go through the Tribulation?”  http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips95.html  Mr. Phillips lists several of the same reasons as found in our current teaching.

Much of what I wrote last week about the Church (the capital C) not going through the tribulation also applies to this DQ.  “The Blessed Hope known as the Rapture, or Harpazo, involves Jesus coming for His Church in the clouds.   The Second Coming is when Jesus actually comes to the earth to establish His kingdom.  Those of us who believe that the Church will be removed prior to the seven-year period (the 70th Week) are known as pre-tribulationalists.  References to the Rapture are found in John 14:1-3, 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-53.”  If the Church were to go through the seven year Tribulation, we would meet ourselves in the clouds as Jesus called us to him as He descended to earth.  We would be going up and coming down at the same time.  No, the Church will not go through the Tribulation!

The big however is that the Church is going through persecution in many countries.  Here in the United States we see the continuous erosion of morals as unborn babies are killed and homosexuality is promoted as normal.  Believers in Jesus as the Way are ridiculed as is Jesus Himself.  Some states no longer allow Christians to hold services in public buildings even though they pay rent.  While the Church will be spared the Tribulation, we will likely go thought persecution even here in the United States.  Our support of Israel is waning so God may take/ is taking His hand of protection from us. 

The Rapture could occur anytime as all conditions have been met.  No one knows the hour….however, I hope it’s soon.  I attend Bible believing churches that work to bring non-believers into the Kingdom so one day we will be on our way to meet the Lord in the clouds…..I keep looking up.

The tribulation period is for Israel; however, it is my prayer that it is not too late for those gentiles “left behind” to come to salvation.