That’s such a great question Steve. I’ve been believing for a while that it is both.
Just think back to 9-11 to see what it took to bring people back to church and some to God. It took an attack on the homeland for people to think more about God, but look at how short lived it was. So my question is, what will it take next time? Well, unfortunately, it will have to be something worse. I see this all culminating at the 6th seal.
In fact one can see in the description of the 6th seal, both and more going on at the same time.
We also know of the passage in Joel that says anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and certainly we see that going on at the 6th seal as well. But what is going on in the background of a worldwide earthquake along with fragments of stars(asteroids & meteors), and more hitting all over the earth?
We clearly see all peoples rich and poor crying to rocks and mountains to hide them from the Father God's wrath and Jesus’s . Those would be the people who have no faith in God whatsoever. If they had even a small amount of faith they would be crying to God for salvation.
Also the idea that God's wrath starts here, is there because it’s stated in the passage, which has always puzzled me as to why people seem to prefer to overlook it. I think if more people believed the Rapture also occurs this day, they would have less trouble believing it. Why else would the sky be receded as a scroll here, but so that all will see Jesus clearly.
Also how do the people of this day know this wrath Is from God the father AND Jesus the son? Why don’t they just attribute it to climate change the way they are now? Because Jesus was seen in the air collecting his elect, that’s why. And evidence of the Rapture here described as an innumerable crowd of peoples from all tribes is also seen in Revelation 7:14. It’s still part of the 6th seal!
But how about the others who aren’t crying to the rocks? Might there be some crying to be saved? Of course there will! IMO this will be the largest revival ever seen in the history of mankind. Difference is, these newly saved or rededicated are the ones who have to now endure to the end to be saved. Because among other things, they just missed the Rapture.
So when it says as in the days of Noah and as in the Days of Lot, Jesus said that people will be buying and selling, marrying etc. he’s simply describing normal life going on when he returns, just like now.
Sure we also see fire falling in the form of meteors,( like as in the days of lot), and might there be some flooding from tsunamis, stemming from the earthquake naturally ? and that would also be similar to Noah, but without the entire world being destroyed because of his rainbow promise.
The difference between the people of Noah’s day and Lots and our soon day of the Lord is, back then none repented period. They might have cried for the ark to open, but they didn’t cry to God. And in Sodom they again didn’t cry to God.
But as long as someone is living or breathing there is always room and time for repentance, unless one has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and that’s a tough one to Judge except for God himself.
In fact the entire tribulation period is a time of testing for the whole world, not just the Jews. Yes the Jews are the main focus, but God, unlike us, never gives up on anyone for Salvation. This is why it says that after many Revelation judgements…...and they still would not repent!
So why is God testing the world? To see how many he can save! We serve a merciful and loving God who wishes all would be saved.
But we are fortunate enough to have a bible that shows us the end and how it plays out. Certainly many are saved during the tribulation along with many Jews. We know them as tribulation saints.
This is one of the tasks of the 144,000 Jewish male Virgin evangelists, to bring many to Salvation During that time. Plus they are the only ones who have a seal of protection. Everyone else including tribulation saints will experience all the judgements including the stinging locusts.
This shows the real life consequences of missing the Rapture. Those who miss it, will have to endure all the pain and suffering just like everyone else right up to their beheadings. This is when they will receive their reward.
Many of us today are going through our time of testing and tribulation now, so we don’t have to later. The martyrs alone that will die again yesterday, today and tomorrow, don’t have to be told about persecution, they are living it already.
The strong delusion really is talking about the final one where people are deceived into even worshipping the Antichrist and Satan outright after seeing the power of God on display multiple times. Sure someone could argue that we are deluded and deceived today and certainly there is some truth in that. But the degree of delusion along with the degree of everything else gets worse as we now are even seeing and have been for at least the last 20 years.
My thoughts on the seals are simple, if you can see their evidences already, how can one say they aren’t opened. There is nothing special in any of them that haven’t been going for centuries even, except for the world changing 6th seal. Someone, not the scripture, has labeled them incorrectly “the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse”.
They aren’t men at all, they are very powerful spirit beings or angels.
The first one's description far more resembles Jesus than the AC, plus he’s in charge of all the others after him. His crown alone signifies this, not to mention his bow which in Zachariah he is seen with as well.
But one only has to look at the 5th seal alone to know the first five are already opened and long ago. It describes the START of Martyrdom, not only it’s finish, which we know finishes late in Revelation at the tribulation saints beheadings.
So couple all this with the actual Rapture Dreams people as young as 5 years old are having and their details match the 6th seal exactly, and one can see not only is it not far fetched to believe the 6th seal and Rapture happen simultaneously, it puts all end times prophecy in perfect order. To change end times scripture and it’s order is dangerous and it’s why some skip over certain passages to fit their agenda.
Revelation is the exact end times map many will use even after the Rapture, to tell them what’s coming next. All the Rapture passages won’t matter as much after it’s occurred, instead they will all be instantly fulfilled.
God bless, and like John says, we don’t have to all agree on everything as long as we keep the main thing the main thing. It’s just to some like me, details are more important.