I think, perhaps, you and I differ much in our view. But I can still voice my opinion on these things you suggest we do. The problem I see with "needing to flee major cities" is that the bible really doesn't say that. The verse you quote above is talking about Babylon, not "major cities". Now, even if we see 'Babylon' as a world system where they embrace worldly things rather than Godly ones, the call is still just to turn our backs on societies rebellion of God. We must not be a part of the "Babylonian" system.
So, regardless of whether Babylon is a single city or a system, that is all this verse calls for. And no other verse in scripture calls Christians to abandon the major cities at the end.
This...is a huge topic that requires a thread all by itself! Obviously many people see 'the mark' as a physical mark that will indeed be necessary for 'buying and selling' at the end. However, just as many people see it to be talking about declaring loyalty. When you say something is on their 'hand or forehead' you are saying they follow with deeds and thoughts. Revelation talks about the faithful also receiving the a mark, or seal, from God. This is not really painted as an actual mark, but more a stamp of loyalty...God calls and knows his own and we follow him with our thoughts and deeds. At the time of the end, anyone not willing to be a wholehearted follower of the social order will be unable to participate, which means buying or selling. This is not the first time we've seen this in history. When John wrote Revelation the Christians were experiencing a similar thing. Most had to be a part of a guild to work (and therefore buy and sell), but that guild would require tithes and worship of the Emperor, sometimes even celebrations that would include prostitutes. If Christians refused to take part in those things, the guild would toss them out, effectively cutting of their ability to be part of society; to work, to buy and sell. To follow Christ means you cannot follow a society that follows their own Satanic, Babylonian, anti-god agenda.
So...do we need to prep? I suppose it wouldn't hurt if that's what you're thinking. But others feel led, I think, to let God be sovereign over this matter. There is no explicit command for Christians to prepare so we can survive. Indeed, the sentiment is that if we must suffer and die, then so be it, we shall be rewarded at Christ's return. So, I'd say it's up to idividual interpretation.
I'm...not entirely sure what you mean here. Do we not, even now, approach God ardently on our own? Are we not supposed to? Who on earth approaches God while watching Oprah? *shudder*
As I understand 1 Thess 5:4, it doesn't mean we are to have any 'special' knowledge about when Jesus is coming. It just means that as Christians we should live in a state of readiness, always watching for our Lord. If we do not 'sleep', we will not be caught out.
And I'm sorry, but I think saying "we can't know the hour, but we can know the year, season, etc" is attempting to do a swifty on the intent of the passage. Here's the thing: people often say 'we CAN know the season because of these signs Jesus gave us to look for!' The problem with that is that most of the signs Jesus gave in the Olivet Discourse are signs that span the course of the interadvental period. Wars, rumours of wars. Earthquakes, famines, disease. False christ's and prophets, persecution. Are they not things we've seen forever? The ONLY true sign we can point to is the analogy Christ used in regards to 'birth pangs'...we can expect these things to become more frequent and intense. But, even this in itself will not lead us to a 'year or season', because labor pains are sometimes quick, but sometimes they draw out for a long, long time. How bad do the pangs have to get before the baby arrives? No one knows. And considering how long it's taken for the pangs to get where they are now, who knows how long they'll take to go further. So, we are back to "no one knows the day or hour".
Actually, I don't count on a Rapture until Christ returns. I think the bible is pretty clear it's just a single event.
Wow, awesome post! Not one thing I would disagree with.