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Someone wrote to me regarding people being
saved during the tribulation:
"I
fear, however, that you have tried to make a somewhat complex, possibly even
ambiguous issue, into one that is black and white. Certainly, you would agree
that all Scripture must be brought to bear on this issue. Therefore, I would like
to hear your explanation of the great multitude spoken of in Revelation 7."
-end quote
Here is my reply:
Hi,
In the context of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, this IS a black and white issue.
This portion of scripture is not saying that no one will be saved during the
tribulation. This scripture is however, teaching that those who have already
been witnessed to (they received not the love of the truth that they might be
saved) and have rejected Christ, will not only believe the lie because God will
send strong delusion to them, but they will NOT have another chance to be saved.
There will be God's judgment upon those who refused to receive Jesus Christ
before the man of sin (that Wicked) is revealed.
I have written many articles with quotations taken from the Left Behind books that
prove these characters had been witnessed to prior to the tribulation and
refused to love the truth and be saved. These individuals, according to the Holy
Bible, would not have been saved but would have been sent strong delusion from
God to believe the lie.
It is noteworthy how hard the authors are pushing the false teaching of being
able to be saved under conditions that God's word makes plain will not happen. We
know God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance. We also know that God has his timing for all things, and it is what He
says in his word that is true...not our sentiment.
In Soul Harvest, page 131, for example, the authors push the false teaching of
being able to be saved "after the rapture" even when that person has
already been witnessed to prior to this event:
"I didn't know a lot of
people had questions about that very thing. Was the Rapture the end? If you
missed out because you didn't believe, were you lost forever? I had never
thought about it, but supposedly lots of preachers believed you couldn't become
a believer after the Rapture. They used to scare people into making their
decisions in advance."
Wow! Notice this statement: "They used to scare people into making their
decisions in advance."
Believing and preaching the true word of God is "scaring people"?
Well, people had better be scared if they believe Tim LaHaye's false teaching
that you may purposely reject Jesus Christ and then, after the Wicked is
revealed you will still come under conviction of the Holy Ghost and be saved,
and you won't be sent strong delusion to believe the lie. Why should they be
scared? Because they are making man be true and God a liar and the consequences
will be eternal.
In reference to the scriptures you cited in Revelation 7: 9-14: These people were not
those who heard the message of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ rejected him
prior to the Wicked being revealed.
John saw a multitude of people that were from all nations,
kindreds, people and tongues. They "came out of great tribulation and have
washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb." The
people referred to in 2 Thess. chapter 2 were not washed and made white in the blood of
the lamb because they forfeited that opportunity (by rejecting Christ) and were
given over by God to believe the lie and be damned.
The scriptures do not say that these saints were saved during tribulation or
before it began. The scripture says they came out of great tribulation. According to the rest of what scripture teaches about the
saints and tribulation, I would say these saints were saved either before or
during the tribulation. But these will NOT (not matter what twistings and
turnings the authors do to scripture to try to make it say otherwise) be people
who had heard the truth of salvation and rejected it prior to the Wicked being
revealed.
The
false teaching that there is no such thing as the God-sent strong delusion is the underlying premise of the entire Left Behind series and it is a
soul-damning lie.
return to: Exposing
False Doctrines in the Left Behind Series
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