Trust in Tribulation

A time of trouble is inevitable prior to Jesus' return, according to the Bible. A distinction is made between the righteous and wicked during this time. While the faithful will be delivered by God, the wicked will suffer the last seven plagues.

SUMMARY
There is a popular conception in Christianity today that if you go through trial you either do not have enough faith or there is something wrong with you. Could it be that God allows us to go through trial to demonstrate to the world that He is able to keep us in trial?

There was a time when three Hebrew worthies: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to go through trial. In Daniel chapter three Nebuchadnezzar makes a counterfeit image, and passes a decree that unless every subject in his kingdom worships the image, will be killed. The central issue is over worship. The three Hebrews are forced by man’s law to break God’s law, as man’s law and God’s law come into conflict. The three men are thrown into the fire, but God delivers them.

In the darkest hour of this earth’s history: once again a powerful world ruler, called by the Bible the Antichrist, once again church and state will unite, once again the central issue will be worship, once again the furnace of trouble will be severe, once again God’s people will be faithful to Him, and once again God will be with His people. Does this mean that the church will go through tribulation? Yes, it does. But God will be with them.

1 Corinthians 10:11 says that what happened to Israel of old is written as an example to us. The Israelites were oppressed by the Egyptians to worship God freely, and were delivered by God after the plagues, during witch time they were protected by Him. So according to 1 Corinthians 10:11 would it not be likely that, just as God’s church of old was protected by God during the Egyptian plagues, and delivered after the plagues, God’s last day church will be protected by God during the plagues and delivered by Him after the plagues?
Revelation 15:1 mentions “seven last plagues”. Why “last” – because there were previous once in Egypt. Why 10 in Egypt, and only 7 at the end? The first 3 plagues in Egypt fell on both the Israelites and Egyptians; but the last 7 of the 10 only on the Egyptians. So the seven last plagues in Revelation fall only on the wicked (they don’t fall on God’s people).

Does Christ come before or after the plagues (tribulation). In Revelation 16 the plagues are described and than in verse 15 Jesus sais “Behold, I come as a thief.” If He came before the tribulation, as some believe, would it make any sense for Him to state, after the plagues, that He comes as a thief?

In Revelation 6:14-17 the unsaved are described when Jesus comes the second time. But there is another class of people which have been faithful to Him. They are protected during the plagues (see also Psalm 91).

Everyone has made his mind whether to follow Christ or not before the time of tribulation. When the plagues come it is too late.
Today is the day to surrender totally to God. This is a day to trust God. Have trials today? Praise God and trust Him because He is training you to trust Him.