Steven,

             After looking at Rhett Totten’s paper on, “The Church, Tribulation and the Rapture”, I wondered about something.

For there to be a pre-tribulation blessed hope, the church would expect to soon see Jesus.

For there to be a post-tribulation blessed hope, the church would expect to soon see the antichrist.

If the post-tribulation view is correct, then those with the pre-tribulation view, will they not be deceived when they see the antichrist?

If the pre-tribulation view is correct, then those with the post-tribulation view, would they be left behind because they did not believe it?

I really cannot agree with LA Marzulli’s pan-tribulation view, i.e. that it will all “pan-out” in the end.

It does matter what we believe.

It does matter whether we are anticipating Jesus or whether we are anticipating the antichrist.

If the post-tribulation is correct, then all the pre-tribulation saints will be completely unprepared to face the persecution of the tribulation.

Will they be angry & bitter with their churches & pastors for teaching them that?

Will they be angry & bitter with the LORD?

Will they, like Peter, be overwhelmed by fear & deny Jesus?

If the pre-tribulation is correct, then all the post-tribulation saints are not prepared to see Jesus, they have prepared themselves to face the antichrist.

Would they be left behind?

If so, would they then be angry & bitter with their churches & pastors for teaching them that?

Would they be angry & bitter with the LORD?

Clearly, some of us are deceiving and being deceived.

That is no small matter.

One of the two groups is guilty of believing false doctrine & actively deceiving other Christians - that cannot be good.

How many of us are absolutely 100.00% sure that we believe & teach the right thing about the blessed hope?

We think so, we believe so, we hope so - but do we “know so”?

Will there be rewards, crowns, and a “well done”, to those of us who have believed and taught false doctrine?

Which one of the two is false doctrine?

Both views know how to “take two scriptures, and call me in the morning”.

Both know how to somewhat present their view, and how to somewhat discredit the other view.

So, where does that leave us, and how can we know for sure, when we all used the scriptures to arrive at our conclusion?

                          Thank you,

                                       Gino