Are we in the End Times/7 year Tribulation right now? No!
By Ron Bedell
Are we close? Probably! But nobody knows when Christ will return at the Rapture of the Church.
The 2000 year Church Age (Age of Grace) “that we live in today” ends with the Rapture of the Church. All believers in Christ (physically dead or alive) during this 2000 year Church Age will be Raptured when Christ returns at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The Church Age extends from Pentecost to the Rapture.
Between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ there are 7 years of Tribulation. The seven year Tribulation is Daniel’s 70th week of prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). There are 490 years of prophecy dealing with Israel (“thy people” – v. 24). Each “week” presents seven years. There are 70 weeks of prophecy on Israel (70 weeks X 7 = 490 years of prophecy on Israel).
Most of the book of Revelation covers the seven year Tribulation (Revelation 6:1 – 19:21).The seven year Tribulation IS the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy.
The End Times is everything after the Rapture of the Church.
The Church Age (made up of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ) has nothing to do with the seven year Tribulation. The characteristics of the Church Age that we live in today are different from that of the Tribulation. For one thing during the Church Age (Pentecost to the Rapture) “The Comforter” (who is God the Holy Spirit – John 14:26) is restraining the anti-Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:6) and permanently indwelling all Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. But at the Rapture God the Holy Spirit leaves with the believers/Christians and God the Holy Spirit is no longer on earth to restrain the anti-Christ.
The seven year Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week of prophecy/seven years Tribulation) will end with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do you escape the Tribulation and go up at the Rapture and be with Christ forever?
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (your name) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
