Believers and the Tribulation
Will we know if the antichrist is here, the man of sin, the son of perdition? Also will we go thru any part of the 70th week?
To the best of my understanding, no, and no, are the answers to your questions. Present believers will not go through any part of the 70th week (also known as the seven-year tribulation) and we will not know the antichrist before the rapture. I base this on three simple principles (instead of endless arguments over lengthy passages). Here they are:
- Present-day believers will be taken out of the world before the wrath of God is fully poured out on the earth. 1 Thessalonians 1:10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
See All... clearly teaches that Jesus has "delivered us from the wrath to come." I do not believe that hell is the wrath to come. That is the wrath or judgment to which men will go. The wrath to come points to the tribulation. Revelation 6:17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
See All... defines it as such, "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Some argue that this refers only to a part of the tribulation, but I disagree. But instead of arguing this, let us look at the next principle. - Present-day believers are told to look for the coming of the Son of God for them and not for the signs of His coming. The last days for the grace age Christian are defined strictly in spiritual terms (see 1 Timothy 4:1-2 [1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
[2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
See All...; 2 Timothy 3:1-9 [1] This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. [6] For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, [7] Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [8] Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. [9] But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.
See All...). We are not told to look for the antichrist or for signs in the heaven or on earth beneath. Explicitly, we are told, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
See All...). We are to be "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:7So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
See All...). "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20
See All...). To me, this is a tremendous and important principle concerning the rapture and its timing. Any system that gets us looking for signs or for the antichrist is a system that is in error. - The entirety of the seventy weeks of Daniel are said to be "determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city" (Daniel 9:24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
See All...). God's people in context are clearly the Jewish people and the holy city is Jerusalem. I agree that the seventieth week of Daniel refers to the seven years of tribulation. The Bible says that this time is for the purpose of completing God's work with the Jewish people. I know that Revelation refers to multitudes being redeemed out of all nations, but that is a side issue. The seventieth week is for the Jewish people. It is not for the Gentile or Jewish believers of the age of grace. Why then should the believers of today go through any part of this week?
When taken together, I believe that these three principles make a very strong argument for the teaching that grace age believers will be raptured out of this world before the beginning of the seventieth week and before the revelation of the antichrist. I do not expect this would convince those who wish to spend their energies in arguing their particular take on prophecy, but that is not my purpose. I only hope that it is a help to some who are honestly looking for some biblical answers.