The Battle of Armageddon will take place towards the close of the Great Tribulation. This will be the decisive battle between the forces of good and evil, when the Antichrist will rally forces from many nations to attack Israel. The battlezone will be set at Megiddo, between Mt Carmel and Mt Gilboa south of the Kishon River.
Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be spared the bloodshed as His blood had already been shed for them, so theirs would not have to flow.
Rapture is the time when the Lord comes for His saints but the world shall not see Him. In fact, most of the world don't even know what happened after rapture had occurred. Some may even conclude that aliens had descended upon earth and snatched some poor souls away!
When the first seal of the title deed of the earth is opened, believers will hear the trumpet of God and be 'snatched away' to heaven, leaving behind all their personal belongings, even the very clothes they are wearing! Those who are 'asleep' in Christ will rise first, followed by those believers who are living at the time of the rapture to meet the Lord in the clouds.
All those who have missed the rapture will be given a 'second chance' to call upon the name of the Lord for help. Those who are saved during the tribulation - known as tribulation saints - will be delivered from condemnation (Daniel 12:1), every one whose name is found written in the Book of Life.
Some writers are of the view that only overcoming Christians belonging to the Philadelphia church will be in the rapture, while the lukewarm and backslidden kind found in the Laodicean church will be left behind , as they are lukewarm and indifferent to the things of God (Revelation 3:7,14). However, I am of the view that all born again believers, regardless of their spiritual maturity, will be raptured up into the heavens to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). Those who are found faithful and had put their faith and trust in the Lord will yield good fruits that will attract reward to rule and reign with Christ during the Millennial Age (2 Timothy 2:12). These are the saints who will return with the Lord at His Second Coming (1 Thess 3:13). This Second Coming will occur towards the close of the tribulation.
Believers who failed to earn any reward will lose the privilege and honor of inheriting the kingdom of heaven during the Millennial Age. The Millenial Age is the one thousand year reign of Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Nevertheless, they are saved as their salvation is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, they will face the grim prospect of life in chastisement at the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) so that we will not be found wanting and ashamed at His coming (1 John 2:28).
Adrian Fah is the author of The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven
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