Co-Host: We have Paula in Portland. Hi Paula. Welcome to Bible Answers Live.
Caller: Hi. Yes. I’ve been taught all my life that we weren’t going through the tribulation. And lately, with watching the news and reading in Matthew and Daniel and Revelation, I’m having doubts. And I keep being quoted that God will save you from the wrath to come, but it also says he who endures to the end shall be saved. I mean that’s a lot of different Scriptures. I’m wondering if you have some Scriptures that might help me out because I’m not clear with this.
Pastor Doug: Do I have Scriptures?! Paula, you know I would love to believe – and when I was first baptized, I attended a church like the church you described that said, ‘The Lord loves the church to let her suffer. He’s going to rapture her out before the tribulation.’ But when I read the Bible, it wasn’t telling me that.
Caller: Yeah!
Pastor Doug: Now let me give you the Bible stories, the Bible Scriptures, and you draw your own conclusions.
Caller: Ok.
Pastor Doug: Does the Lord save His people from trouble, or through it?
Caller: Yeah see? And I’ve been told that two different ways. It’s either from or through depending, on who you’re – what Pastor you’re listening to that day.
Pastor Doug: Well let me just give you – first of all in the last days – we’ve already drawn some parallels tonight between the plagues and the tribulation, God delivering us from this world, and what He did during the Exodus.
Caller: Right.
Pastor Doug: Were the children of Israel raptured out of Egypt before the plagues, or were they in Egypt during the plagues but God protected them?
Caller: Right. Well I get told also that wrath, the seven years is for the Jews, so we won’t go through that unintelligible.
Pastor Doug: That’s ok. Jesus said you’ll be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. Now if we’re going to be raptured out, why would He say that? “He that endures to the end”, as you said.
Pastor Doug: Did God save Daniel from the lion’s den or through it?
Pastor Doug: Did God save Joseph from his experience in prison and slavery, or did He save him through that?
Pastor Doug: Did God save Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego from the fiery furnace, or did He go through it with them?
Jesus said all that live Godly will suffer persecution all, Jew and Gentile. Paul said it is through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom of God.
Now I would love to believe it’s not true, but Revelation says God is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle. You know how you get out the spots and wrinkles…
Caller: Yeah.
Pastor Doug: …a hot iron and hot water.
Pastor Doug: The Bible tells us the church is going to go through a time of trial.
Caller: Have you heard anything about Demetri last name unintelligible vision, and do you believe that?
Pastor Doug: Well yes I have heard about that while I was eavesdropping on another radio program, but I don’t put a lot of stock in that. You want to base everything on what does the Bible say.
Caller: Right. Well there are a lot of different visions in the end days so I didn’t know, you know, if they said on how many things have come to pass by what they’ve said and he unintelligible.
Pastor Doug: Well, keep in mind the Bible tells us Jesus warned us there will be many false prophets in the last days that will deceive many. The word “many” there means the majority. He’s not talking about in the world. He’s talking about in the church the majority will be deceived. And so you’ve got to be very careful.
Now think about this. If I’m right – and I believe the Bible is very clear – that we are going to go through the tribulation, I’m on the safe course. I am preparing. I’m fortifying my mind. I’m storing God’s word in my heart.
You know it tells us in Psalms 91 verse 7, “…a thousand may fall at your side, and 10,000 at your right hand….” It’s talking about our being there, but it will not come near you. I’m not afraid of the tribulation because God promises to protect us during that time, just like He did the Israelites.
Caller: So you think He’ll give us the knowledge of what to do at that time…
Pastor Doug: Absolutely!
Caller: …that we don’t really need to prepare except spiritually?
Pastor Doug: That’s right. The Bible says, “Your bread and water will be sure.” The Lord will give us food. You know just like when Elijah was persecuted by Jezebel, he had to flee, but the Lord fed him with bread from Heaven. He fed him with angel’s food. He was fed in the widow’s house miraculously. God will provide for our people.
The promise is if seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, we have nothing to be afraid of. But there’s no question sister – I am positive that the church is going to be here during the tribulation, and we will be caught up at the end of that.
And then, someone asked about Daniel 12. You read the first verse there. “At that time Michael will stand up, the Great Prince who stands guard over the sons of your people. And there will be a time of trouble such as there never has been since there was a nation until that time and at that time, your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.”
It’s at the end of the time of trouble we’re delivered. Sequentially, the Bible is so clear that I really think that Ministers have to bend over backwards to twist the Scriptures to say something else.
Caller: Well that’s what I was wondering about the different Scriptures how you can correspond them together, you know, not thinking that one was not for a million years unintelligible compared to right now.
Pastor Doug: Yeah. But you’ve asked a good question. A lot of people have wondered about. Friends, play it safe. Be ready.
Caller: Right. Ok. Thank you.
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