The vast majority of Christians today believe that the Church will be called away in the rapture BEFORE the tribulation. I have proven again and again by the scriptures, in several of my articles, that the rapture will NOT take place before the tribulation, but AFTER.  

I am not the first to believe this. Prior to the nineteenth century, NOBODY believed in a "PRE-tribulation" rapture.  The C.I. Scofield study Bible contained notes that were based on the teaching of a man named Clarence Larkin, who was one of the first well-known teachers of "pre-tribulation" doctrine. Before Larkin, however, essentially all the teaching on this subject was from the "post-trib" perspective - that saints WILL go through the tribulation. The biggest point of misunderstanding is the argument that God has not appointed us to wrath. People think that since God has not appointed us to wrath, that we will not go through the tribulation. They do not understand that the Great Tribulation is NOT the Wrath of God. The Wrath of God occurs at time of the Battle of Armageddon, and the saints will NOT be subject to God's wrath. They WILL, however, be subject to the persecution of the saints during the seven years leading up to Armageddon.

If you don't understand this "post-tribulation" doctrine, please see my earlier article "When is the Rapture?"

The post-tribulation rapture doctrine (also called "pre-wrath" doctrine) says that the rapture takes place after the tribulation.

The Mark of the Beast will be imposed all around the world BEFORE the church is caught away in the "rapture" of the Church, which is also called the first resurrection.

From the time when the Mark of the Beast is introduced, there will be a period of about 42 months when the saints of God will be forced to survive "off the grid". Why? Because the prophecies say that those who refuse to take the Mark of the Beast will NOT BE ABLE TO BUY OR SELL. Think about that.

There can be no doubt that some will indeed die. The scripture is clear that many will die. Yet many will be alive when Jesus returns. 

I want to illustrate something. The global computer dilemma that occured on January 1, 2000, threatened to cause calamitous conditions around the world. Governments and industry were seriously threatened. Approximately ONE TRILLION DOLLARS were spent to fix the problem. That is TWICE the amount of money that has been spent on the entire IRAQI WAR at the time of this writing in 2008. You cannot truthfully say that the Y2K problem was a "non-event." The calamity didn't happen, but it was only because of the largest remediation effort in the history of mankind.

Nevertheless, another global economic collapse is still threatening the world even as I speak. If you are a Bible believer, then you have to face the truth of God's forecast for the world economy prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The prophets warned of a global monetary currency that would be based on a MARK implanted in the human hand or forehead.

We have already seen the evidence that this system is close at hand. In order for this system to be introduced, the entire globe will be converted to a single currency. This requires the collapse of all national currencies, and their replacement by a world money system.

At the time this happens, Christian believers will be forced to choose between taking the mark or living completely disconnected from the system. This choice will effect their living arrangements for the following 42 months - until Jesus comes to take them immediately before Armageddon. The Bible says we will not be able to buy or sell during that period.

First of all, I want to emphasize that our faith in God will be the key to our survival. The scriptures clearly teach us that God will provide all our needs according to His riches in glory, and He surely will. The just shall live by faith. In every age, saints of God have survived incredible hardships and difficulties.

Nevertheless, the Bible also says that a wise man foresees the evil and prepares himself.

The Sixth Trumpet war of Revelation 9:13-21 describes a war emanating from the Euphrates River that will destroy one-third of mankind. That war has apparently already begun. The US has over 140,000 troops stationed along the Euphrates River at the end of 2007, and the Bible foretells that war escalating into the worst war of all times - and all that takes place BEFORE the revealing of the Antichrist! If we really believe the Bible, we are going to have to face the truth that a global calamity of the proportions that none of us can imagine is going to occur before Jesus comes. IT'S IN THE BIBLE!

I am reminded of a biblical story of a STERN WARNING from God of certain calamity that never materialized. Jonah went down to Nineveh and told the people of Nineveh, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.," Jonah 3:4. Nowhere in his message was there a call to repentance, nor a promise of deliverance - only a promise from God that they would be destroyed in forty days.

But the people took action, went to prayer, repented, and asked God to spare them.

He did. Forty days passed, and Nineveh was NOT destroyed. Was Jonah a false prophet? Of course not.

The Word of God is now warning us of the coming Tribulation that will certainly bring about unprecedented hardship on those who refuse to participate in the New World Order's numbering system.

The fact that the Church is going through the Tribulation (though not the wrath of God) alerts us that we will be forced to refuse the Mark of the Beast. Saints will not be able to buy or sell through regular monetary channels for about three and a half years. This also calls for advance preparation. 

PREPARING FOR HARD TIMES

In this article, I want to address the subject of FLEEING. You may be shocked to know exactly what the Bible says about FLEEING. If you face a life-threatening risk, it is PERFECTLY scriptural, even advisable to FLEE FROM IT!

I have received thousands of letters from people who have visited my website. The vast majority of them are favorable and supportive. I am encouraged by the responses from so many people.

I have received one particular criticism from some who say, "I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD TRUST GOD, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE TRIBULATION."

First of all, that statement infers that I do not trust God. It implies that to take any protective measures is a lack of faith, or even worse – FEAR! I deny the charge! I have been an ardent student of the Word for most of my life, and am well aware of the God's displeasure with FEAR and FAITHLESSNESS.

Let me take you to several Bible stories and show you a number of great and godly people who found themselves in life-threatening circumstance, and see what they did. We should be able to learn from their examples. I will only make a brief reference to some because they are very familiar stories.

1. NOAH – Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah MOVED WITH FEAR and spent 100 years building one of the largest ships in all ancient history at the age of over 500 years old. God forewarned him of a coming calamity (the great flood) and Noah spent the following CENTURY "fleeing" the flood.

2. ABRAHAM was WARNED of God that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed. Abraham wanted to save the lives of his relatives, so he interceded with God. Consequently, God sent angels who COMPELLED Lot and his family to FLEE for their lives – all by the will of God.

3. JACOB FLED from Esau. After prevailing over his brother in the pursuit of the coveted blessing of God, Jacob was urged by his mother to FLEE for his life. Jacob’s flight is one of the great stories of the Bible. His life was spared and he became a great nation. (Genesis 35:7)

4. JOSEPH FLED from Potiphar’s wife to avoid being entrapped by her seduction. (Genesis 39:12)

4. The CHILDREN OF ISRAEL fled the famine in Canaan to go to Egypt where they found food. God ordained their flight many years before, when he foretold young Joseph of days to come.

5. In fact, JOSEPH was forewarned by God that there would be seven years of worldwide famine, so for SEVEN YEARS, Joseph PREPARED FOR FAMINE by laying up in store. His tactics not only saved HIS life, but the lives of all his family and all of Egypt.

6. Young MOSES learned that Pharaoh had sworn to kill him, so MOSES FLED for his life. (Exodus 2:15)

In his infancy, MOSES mother had HIDDEN him from Pharaoh. (Exodus 2:3).

7. The CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FLED from Pharaoh and Egypt across the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:5)

8. God provided CITIES OF REFUGE for accused murderers to FLEE to for safety until their case could be heard. (Numbers 25:35)

9. DAVID FLED from King Saul many times (I Samuel 19:10), and was a fugitive for 15 years. Jonathan urged David to HIDE from his father. David’s prayer was "HIDE me under the shadow of thy wings," (Psalm 17:8).

DAVID also FLED from Absalom his son (II Samuel 15:14).

10. ELIJAH FLED from Queen Jezebel. (I Kings 19:3). God warned ELIJAH to HIDE from King Ahab. (I Kings 17:3).

11. JEROBOAM FLED from King Solomon (I Kings 11:40)

12. JOSEPH AND MARY FLED to Egypt with baby Jesus from the terror of King Herod at the warning of God in a dream (Matthew 2:13).

13. JESUS FLED from the men of Nazareth when they ran him out of the city (Luke 4:30). He HID Himself from the unbelieving crowds in Bethsaida. (John 12:36)

14. JESUS FLED to Ephraim, some say for two months, immediately before going to Calvary (John 11:54).

15. The DISCIPLES FLED the Garden of Gethsemane when evil men took Jesus away. (Matthew 26:56).

16. PAUL AND BARNABAS FLED from Iconium to Lystra because of adversaries of the gospel. (Acts 14:6)

17. JESUS WARNED the inhabitants of JUDEA to FLEE when they see the Abomination of Desolations committed by the Antichrist in the Temple (Matthew 24:16).

18. JESUS WARNED THE DISCIPLES TO FLEE when their preaching was resisted. Matthew 10:23, "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another."

"When the wicked rise, men HIDE themselves." Proverbs 28:28

"A PRUDENT MAN foreseeth the evil, and HIDETH himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." (Proverbs 22:3)

What conclusion can we make of this?

Think about it. Good Christian people trust God. But they also lock their doors and wear seat belts. Safety precautions and survival tactics are by no means a lack of faith. They are prudent.

One World Government is here. In 2005, I attended the largest World Summit of kings and presidents in the history of the world at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. 153 Heads of State attended a week-long conference in New York. I watched the wheels of world government gain momentum as cries for stronger UN controls over the international community. At the same time, nations are losing democratic liberties. We are watching nations like Russia and Venezuela retrogress into classical totalitarianism, and Muslim nations steam-rolling toward theocratic dictatorships. Socialism will soon have its death grip on so-called free countries like America. The endtime beast of the Book of Revelation was a scarlet-colored beast - COMMUNIST!

New World Order will soon assert itself in unbelievable ways. According to God's Word, the Antichrist will eventually strip true believers of their ability to buy or sell when they refuse the Mark of the Beast. We are living in treacherous times, but more treacherous times are ahead.

If you and I truly contemplate the life-threatening circumstances that will unfold when we refuse the Mark of the Beast, we will want to consider the best options and make plans now for survival. Now is the time to consider what you will do and begin to make preparations.

Joseph took advantage of seven prosperous years to prepare for seven years of dearth. We will have about three and a half years to prepare for three and a half years of tribulation.

The BIG WARNING will be the signing of the Confirmation of the Covenant by Israel. That will be an agreement between Israel and many governments - and may be the project that Tony Blair and the UN Quartet are now working on. If and when that seven-year covenant is signed, that should be our sign that the last seven years has begun. Three and a half years later, the antichrist will commit the Abomination of Desolations on the Temple Mount, and the Mark of the Beast will be introduced immediately after that. We will have about 42 months remaining at that point to await the rapture and first resurrection. We will be gathered together unto Him, (caught up in the air) and will immediately return with Jesus Christ to the Battle of Armageddon. After that, we will rule and reign on earth as kings and priests under Jesus' rule in Jerusalem for 1000 years.

Ken Raggio
Written 1998, Updated 11/2007

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