According to some Bible believers, the Church, members of the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ, will not go through the long been prophesied Great Tribulation period. They claimed that the said believers will be taken out from the world before that unparalleled tribulation would even commence.
But wait, those whom Jesus did warn about the severity of the Tribulation period were all BELIEVERS of Christ, don't they? Please read Matthew 24 and take notice of the antecedent of the pronoun "you" in that chapter, especially in the part where Jesus discussed about the trib.
Here please examine this:
Matthew 24:15-16
When YE therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
*Who do you think is the antecedent of the pronoun "ye" in the above verses?
Here look closely to whom Jesus was talking with PRIVATELY in that chapter.
Take note: They were talking PRIVATELY!
Matthew 24:3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the DISCIPLES came unto him PRIVATELY, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
*Obviously the YE in verse 15 refers to the disciples.
*Are the disciples unbelievers? Are they not the very first members of the Church? Are they not representing us in that chapter?
How about in this part?
Matthew 24:21, 23
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Then if any man shall say unto YOU, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
*Isn't that clear as crystal that Jesus was giving the warning about the trib to the BELIEVERS? to the MEMBERS of the Church? to the DISCIPLES of Jesus?
Isn't that showing us that Jesus was expecting the BELIEVERS- the MEMBERS of His church to be the one who will go through the Tribulation Period?
And finally this:
Matthew 24:8-9
All these are the BEGINNING of SORROWS.
Then shall they deliver YOU up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations FOR MY NAME'S SAKE.
*Now notice what Jesus said to the disciples after he had discussed the BEGINNING OF SORROWS...
He said, "THEN..."
That word implies a series of events. That simply means that what He is about to say are the things that will happen AFTER the Beginninhmg of Sorrows. Meaning to say, the things that He will say are events that will still happen during the Tribulation Period.
*Now, let us continue Jesus's statement:
"THEN shall they deliver YOU up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations FOR MY NAME'S SAKE."
*Again, the YOU there refers to the DISCIPLES- the very first MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.
*What will happen to them AFTER the Beginning of Sorrow?
>>> They will be afflicted... they will be hated of all nations.
*Will they be afflicted and be hated because they are Israelites?
>>> No. They will be afflicted and hated because of the name of Christ.
>>> In short, they will be persecuted because they are Christians.
*Isn't that a very clear evidence that the disciples in Matthew 24 represented the CHRISTIANS (the CHURCH) and NOT the Israelites?
Hmmm... come to think of it.
Disclaimer: All CAPS in the above article are for emphasis only. I am not angry or in any way shouting to anybody there. 😊
God bless everyone.
I wonder what is your denomination. Yes indeed,Jesus wasnt refering to Israelites when he spoke to His disciples. He refered it to the future that accept Him as their Personal Saviour that will stand by their faith until the end,and not all of them are Isralites who were called Jews in His time,but also the Gentiles that came from the tribe outside of Isralites..We are the Gentiles.. The persecution will truly come,not yet happened,its not yet happening but will about to happen.