Will people be saved during the Tribulation Period?

There will be people saved during the 7-year Tribulation Period. Doubt and confusion about people coming to salvation during this unique time, center on a misinterpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2. Some students of the Bible point to 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 and conclude that the Holy Spirit will not be on the earth during the Tribulation. This is not what this passage is teaching. It is teaching that the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit through His indwelling presence in the church as salt and light(Matthew 5:13-14) will be removed when the church is raptured to heaven before the Tribulation begins. However, the Holy Spirit will be here in the same way He was on earth during the Old Testament days. While speaking to His disciples about the Old Testament period, and looking forward to the Church Age, Jesus said the following about the Holy Spirit and the believer: “…for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.”(John 14:17) During the Church Age, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19) However, during the Tribulation Period, it will be like the Old Testament period when the Holy Spirit did not indwell the believer. All of this indicates the Spirit of God will be present on the earth during the Tribulation. Remember that the Holy Spirit is God and God is omnipresent (everywhere present at the same time). See Psalm 139:7-12. Furthermore, the Scriptures clearly speak about the Holy Spirit being here during the Tribulation Period. The Lord revealed to the prophet of Joel that He will "pour out His Spirit" upon His Jewish people during the Tribulation. (Joel 2:28-32)

 

No one can be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) We know that a multitude of Gentiles will be saved and killed during the Tribulation. See Revelation 7:9-17. Note especially verse 14. It plainly states these martyred believers from all of the nations who are in heaven were saved out of the Tribulation. There will be some Gentiles who will be saved, survive the Tribulation, and inhabit the Kingdom of 1,000 years. This is taught in a multitude of passages in the Old Testament. (Isaiah 2:1-4; 62:1-2; Zechariah 14:16-19) The fact that there will be a judgment (Matthew 25:31-46) at the end of the Tribulation to separate the saved Gentiles from the unsaved Gentiles clearly indicates that some Gentiles will be saved during the Tribulation Period.

 

According to several passages there will be a multitude of Jews that will be saved during the Tribulation. This is one of the major purposes of this unique phase in human history. See Deuteronomy 4:29-31; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:13; and Romans 11:25-26. The Lord will save and uniquely seal 144,000 Jews at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5) Notice that Revelation 14:4 says that these saved Jewish men are "the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb." This means they are the first ones to get saved in the Tribulation Period. Please study Zechariah 12:10-13:9, which takes place at the end of the Tribulation Period. Notice that Zechariah13:8-9 teaches that one-third of the Jewish people will be saved and survive the Tribulation to inhabit the Kingdom for 1,000 years. All of the Jewish people, the entire surviving nation, will be saved when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation. (Romans 11:25-26)

 

Furthermore, the Scriptures speak about the saints of God during the Tribulation Period. While speaking about the Antichrist as “the little horn” in Daniel 7, the prophet Daniel wrote: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out [oppress] the saints of the most High…”(Daniel 7:25) In Revelation 13:7, it is said that “it was given unto him [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them…” These verses demand the presence of those who will be saved and opposed by the Antichrist during the Tribulation Period.

 

Think about this! All of the saved on the earth will be raptured to heaven before the Tribulation Period begins. This would mean that there will be no saved people left on earth. Consequently, if no one would be saved during the Tribulation Period there would be no one to physically inhabit the Kingdom. Only the saved can enter the millennial kingdom on this earth. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a person is born again they "cannot enter the kingdom of God."(John 3:5) So, if no one were saved in the Tribulation Period, there would be no one to inhabit the Kingdom. As mentioned above, Jews and Gentiles from every nation will be saved, physically survive the Tribulation, and inhabit the kingdom. It will be these people who will populate the earth during the kingdom of God.

 

Overall, we must conclude that holding the position that no one will be saved during the Tribulation Period is not biblical and creates many problems in understanding other related prophetic considerations in the Scriptures. While the major thrust of the Tribulation Period is a time of God’s wrathful judgment, we must conclude, on the basis of the Scriptures, that most of the believers that are saved in the Tribulation Period will be martyred for their faith, while many others will survive to inhabit the kingdom of God. (Zechariah 12:10-13:9; Revelation 7:9-17)

 

 

by Mike Wingfield- www.ptnews.org

 

 

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