Hi Walt

I read your reply to Mary Haas.

Luke 21:36

³⁶ Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

 

When we go earlier in this chapter we see the "setting" of this verse.

 

Luke 21:7

⁷ And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

 

This is the parallell scripture to Matthew 24 where they are wanting Jesus to tell them when he would come back to set up his Kingdom on earth. This is not the Body of Christ or the rapture. It had not even been revealed at this time. So the setting is the last 7 years known as the 70th week of Daniel.

 

The verse in Revelation that you quoted is a group of people that we will look at.

Revelation 7:14

¹⁴ And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

These are the ones who have "been counted worthy". they did not take the mark of the beast and they did not deny Jesus. A person must be counted worthy during this time period. His faith MUST produce works.

 

As far as being counted worthy now before the rapture we must only have faith. We are complete and righteous because of our faith in Jesus.

 

Romans 4:5

⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 

TWO different time periods TWO different messages.

 

thanks

Mike W