We disagree. In focusing upon things not in God's word, you ignore what the real focus was. That is distracting others away from the word of God. You change the word of God into your *own word.*
So you just ignore the points? Was the comparison between the Flood/Sodom and Judgment at Christ's Coming about *when* the gathering of the Church would be? Or, was it to show that things would get worse and that the wicked world is what precipitates these great judgments?
As I showed you, it was already understood that the gathering of the Church takes place *at Christ's Coming,* and not before. So that was *not* being compared with *when Lot was taken out of Sodom,* or *when Noah started building the ark.* The deliverance of all 3 occasions from judgment were not comparing when the righteous were gathered relative to the judgment, but rather, the fact that the righteous will be distinguished from the wicked in these judgments.
Yes, the Antichristian movement has been here from the time of ancient Rome, and has picked up steam in modern times when Enlightenment Philosophy began to seriously poison Christian Europe. And now, it is overtaking European Christianity entirely, leaving a rather small remnant of faithful Christians. This is the "falling away" that will result in the appearance of Antichrist himself.
Christ's Coming takes place to *destroy him.* That is explicitly being said in 2 Thes 2, which is a confirmation of what Daniel showed in Dan 7. The Kingdom comes when the Son of Man is revealed from heaven to destroy the Little Horn/the Antichrist.
I did not point out that we will see the Antichrist Pretrib. I view the "Great Tribulation" as defined by Jesus in Luke 21, which is the NT Jewish Diaspora. That has been happening all through NT history, namely the exile of the Jewish People. It is the greatest punishment the Jewish People have ever had to suffer.
The Antichrist comes towards the end of this long period, just as Israel is beginning to regather as a nation--Eze 36-37. The reign of Antichrist, commonly called "the Great Tribulation" is mis-named. His revelation includes a 3.5 year period of uncontested reign on earth, controlling a political base in Europe, the former home of Christianity.
At the end of this period, I think he will lose his base in the world, with nations of the East opposing him in the Middle East. And Christ will come to unleash great judgment, a global nuclear war. Christ's actual appearance takes place at some point in the midst of this war, I believe.
Sorry, read and memorize 2 Thes 2. I did--that's what made me a confirmed Postrib.
"Remember Lot's wife." What do you think that spoke to regarding "separation from wicked Sodom?" You say this is "nothing" about being spiritually separated??????
You've missed the point. Each context had its own sequence of events, which was *not* the point. To confuse Lot coming out of Sodom with Christians facing a nuclear judgment at Christ's Coming is a mistake that is not at point here. Obviously, they each had their own context and arrangement.
The spiritual points that Christ was making in this comparison had to do with our need to stand against universal wickedness--a lonely walk that the Christian must yield to. The world gets worse and the Christian has to hold his ground.
The deliverance from Sodom is different for Lot than it will be for Christians who are delivered at Christ's Coming. But the spiritual lesson is the same. That is what you're getting away from.
You're focusing on the timing of these varied events, which are being compared for their spiritual lessons. You're turning it into an argument for Pretrib, which is explicitly condemned in 2 Thes 2 by the Apostle Paul!
""" Was the comparison between the Flood/Sodom and Judgment at Christ's Coming about *when* the gathering of the Church would be? Or, was it to show that things would get worse and that the wicked world is what precipitates these great judgments?"""
You are reframing it.
Luke 17
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Mat24
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
( in these 2 verses it SAYS before the flood is the setting g of Jesus coming...no opinion...but UNCHANGEABLE FACT)
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
( JESUS'S COMING at the start of the flood...NOT HALFWAY...NOT AFTER)
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
( What was that??? ...THEN...that means BEFORE THE FLOOD...AUTHENTICATED BY ...AGAIN...THE SETTING...PEACETIME, NORMAL LIFE, COMMERCE)
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(Peacetime, normal life, Commerce,)
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
(What was that that???? Jesus just said???.. he said to watch therefore before the flood???
Jesus needs some good Ole postrib teaching to straighten him out!!!....
remember this is all in the setting of Before the Flood
it's all in the setting of peacetime, normal life, day to day activities, marrying , buying and selling ,Commerce, all just normal everyday life,
there's no Four Horsemen revealed ,there's no judgments from those four horsemen, Earth is not all in turmoil ,
there's no destroyed Earth .
it's all peace time and normal life when Jesus comes)
It is better to change your DOCTRINE than to change the bible.
Quote
"""As I showed you, it was already understood that the gathering of the Church takes place *at Christ's Coming,* and not before. So that was *not* being compared with *when Lot was taken out of Sodom,* or *when Noah started building the ark.* The deliverance of all 3 occasions from judgment"""
We clearly can see there is more than one coming.
You were duped into believing it.
Rev14
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
That seals any hope of the rapture being postrib.
What postribbers have done is actually taken first Thessalonians 4 and change the word of shall not preceed ,to Shall preceed ,because you have the dead in Christ Rising after the 144,000, and after Jesus gathers sitting on a cloud with a sickle.
But it gets worse. Because Jesus sitting on a cloud holding a sickle cannot be Jesus coming with millions of white horses and it cannot be the Rapture of the church because he doesn't hold a sickle when he's coming after the bride so the timing and the setting which you hate to explore is all against you