Who is to say that when Gods wrath is poured out it would land on believers if they where still here?
Hello Lion222,
This is why the book of Revelation was given to us, so that we could know what God's wrath will be and when it would take place. The first verse of Revelation says: "
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants what things it behooves to take place in quickness."
"What things" that must take place in quickness, are the events of wrath which take up the majority of the Revelation described from chapter 6 thru 18, said wrath being carried out via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments." The things that must take place in quickness," as well as the plagues that the two witnesses bring and all related information make up the wrath of God. This is why God gave us this book so that we could know what is going to take place. We also know when said wrath will take place, which will be after the gathering of the church, because believers are not appointed to suffer God's wrath.
Regarding God's wrath landing on believers, this is why Jesus warned every believer to be watching and ready for His imminent return. Paul called it the 'blessed hope' (Titus 2:13) and said that we should "comfort each other with these words" (I Thess.4:18). Consequently, for those who preach that the church will be here during the time of God's wrath, in that case there would be nothing to comfort each other about. Likewise, if the Lord was to put us through His wrath and then gather us afterwards, then our gathering would be no blessed hope, for we would be punished right along with the wicked.
As I have said in many posts, regarding the timing of God's wrath in relation to the gathering of the church, many do not understand the underlying principle in that, Christ already took upon himself the wrath that every believer deserves, satisfying it completely. Therefore, God's wrath no longer rests upon those who believe in Christ and we cannot be here to experience it. There will however be another group who will be on the earth during the time of God's wrath who will become believers after the church has been removed. These are those introduced in Revelation 7:9-17 as that great number of white robed saints which no man can count from every nation, tribe, people and language, which would make them Gentiles. They will be here, because they will have become believers in Christ after the church has been gathered and during the time of God's wrath. This group will be exposed to God's wrath simply because they will be caught in that time period which will affect the entire world. Because of their testimony for Jesus and the word of God and because they will not worship the beast, his image nor receive his mark, they will be enemies of the beast and the world. You think that the riots currently taking place now are bad? These great tribulation saints will be hunted down by authorities and by the population.
Aren't the 144k on the earth during the time of Gods wrath?
The woman, her pregnancy, her child and the seven headed dragon, are all symbolic representing the literal. Genesis 37:9-10 provides the identity of the woman who is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and wearing a crown of twelve stars as being the unbelieving nation of Israel. I say this because Jacob replying to Joseph's dream reveals the identity of the sun representing Jacob, the moon representing his wife or wives and the eleven stars representing eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel, with Joseph being the twelfth star. God uses those same symbols in Revelation to identify the woman who is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and wearing a crown of twelve stars.
Since the woman is not a literal woman, then neither is her pregnancy nor will she literally be giving birth to a literal male child.
In Revelation 14:4 John writes regarding the 144,000:
"These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins."
By saying that these 144,000 have not defiled themselves with women, it identifies them as being all males, ergo, the Male Child of chapter 12. The Male Child is a collective name representing the 144,000, twelve thousand from each tribe. As scripture states, these will be 144,000 who will acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. Therefore, these 144,000 believing Israelites coming out of the unbelieving nation of Israel, is the figurative meaning of the woman giving birth to the male child, i.e. unbelieving Israel giving birth to believing Israel.
Since the male child is figuratively representing the 144,000, then in the middle of the seven years, around the same time that Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven and restricted to the earth, the male child (144,000} will be caught up to God and His throne, prior to the great tribulation beginning, which is that last 3 1/2 years of the seven year period.
I would also point out that the same word "harpazo" translated as 'snatched up' used to describe the gathering of the living church, is the same word used to describe the male child being caught up to God. Though not mentioned, I would venture that at the time they are caught up, they will also be changed immortal and glorified, just as the living church is at the time of Christ's appearing.
What if we are still here and walking in the fullness of Christ, being provided for by God and being subject to martyrdom while the wrath falls on everyone else.
Anyone who has done a true study on the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments knows that anyone who is present on the earth during that time will be exposed to those plagues of wrath, which is why Jesus and the apostles continually warn us to be watching and ready so that day will not close on us like a trap. Because of that underlying principle that I mentioned earlier in this post of Jesus already taking upon himself God's wrath on our behalf, the church cannot be subject to God's wrath that has already been satisfied by the Lord.
In answer to your question and for example, when that 4th angel pours out his bowl on the sun which gives it power to scorch men with fire and sear them with intense heat, where on the earth could the church go to escape that? Likewise, when those demonic beings come up out of the Abyss to torment the inhabitants with tails and stings like scorpions, the only one's who are mentioned as being protected from that torment will be those who will have been sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads, which are only the 144,000. This sealing is not to be confused with our being sealed by the Holy Spirit, but will be a literal, visible sealing marking those 144,000 of whom those demonic being will not be able to touch. Other than this group, no one else is said to be excluded from this torment. That would mean that if the church was here they would also be subject to this plague of wrath. Those who are currently in Christ and are watching for His appearing, are not destined for the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments, which along with the plagues the two witnesses will bring, make up the wrath of God.