What happens if your wrong.
If we were wrong on this count, then God would then have to withdraw His salvation from us through the sealing of Holy Spirit, which is not offered to those in the tribulation, and He would also use His power to reverse or new birth from having been born again in the dispensation of grace, which is also something not given to those in the tribulation period. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that those in the tribulation will have to endure unto the end so that they SHALL be saved at the point of the end of their lives, or until He Second Coming for those who might survive to that point.
In other words, the Lord would have to go back on His word of promise and gifting to us in order to see if we actually endure unto the end, which is not at all something He will ever do to us who are of the body of Christ. He is not one to be fickle like mankind. Paul also talked of our being changed in the twinkling of the eye, with that coming of Christ being of the same character as when He ascended up into the clouds from the disciples. The two angels declared that He would come for us in the same manner as He had departed, which was NOT in the wrath and death as when He comes at His second coming, with the blood of His enemies splattered upon His garments.
Additionally, one of the strongest indicators for the timing is this:
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For
God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
There are many more texts that give to us strong indicators, but I have to get up at 3AM, so will need to settle in for the night.
So, in this verse we see that "us" is a reference to the body of Christ, the Church, and that we are not appointed to wrath. What wrath?
Well, the tribulation, divided in half, is ALL the wrath of God, with the second half referred to as being a time of GREAT wrath.
1/4th of the earths population is going to perish in just the first half under the cursing of the four horsemen. Another 1/3 of the remaining population, which adds up to a full 1/2 of the earth's entire population compared to the overal population at the beginning of the tribulation, will be wiped out as well.
THAT is wrath, although in varying degrees, but still wrath, contrary to what the pre-wrath wagoneers claim in their eschatology.
Rightly dividing the word of truth, however, still remains among the best indicators that the Church will not be here, but removed as the Lord then turns His attention to Israel and dealing with her staunch rejection of His only begotten Son. Zechariah 12 solidifies this when the remaining 1/3 of all Jews, after 2/3rds are wiped off the face of the earth, will lift up their eyes unto Him at His appearing at the Second Coming to deliver the remnant, and they will look upon Him whom they had pierced, and mourn as if for a first born son.
Yes, there are other "schools of thought," but they are not schools who rightly divide the word of truth.
MM