Friday, August 14, 2026
It’s sad the number of professing Christians who put their faith in the pre-tribulation rapture, because it’s not found in the Bible. That deception makes millions unprepared for what’s now very near. But it’s not surprising when one discerns the work of deceiving spirits that cause the testimony of Jesus to be ignored. Millions have exchanged the testimony of Jesus for the false pre-trib rapture. Jesus warned about this but few pay attention. But what is taught in Scripture is Jesus’ testimony that He gathers His elect, (defining who is “gathered”) “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31), and those gathered are His elect true believers. The term “elect” occurs over a dozen times in the N.T. speaking decisively only of true born again believers.
The seven-year tribulation will absolutely sift true believers from pretend believers; the sheep from the goats; the prepared from the unprepared; those who believed Jesus from those told to believe traditions of men; those trained by the Word to endure to the end from those who don’t. The tribulation will be a time when many will be offended, hate and betray one another as Jesus said at Matt. 24:10. Many will be destroyed by false beliefs. Some will remain united in God’s truths and love, while all other religions pit unbelievers against true Christians, and all earthly governments will be under the control of Antichrist. Physically catastrophic events will rapidly befall earth one terrible event right after another. And yes, we will all be right here on earth for that seven-year duration, unless of course, we die before the tribulation has run its course. And for those deceived who were taught to disbelieve Jesus, they set themselves up for much worse.
Discerning the biblical 7-year tribulation is not difficult if we allow God’s unedited word to lead the conversation. Secondly, we must believe God’s word because it scorns the traditions of men. The tribulation is seven years of 360 calendar days per year based on the Hebrew calendar for a total of 2,520 days. Third, the tribulation is divided in two equal halves: 1,260 days [3 1/2 years] for the first half and 1,260 days the second half. Forth, the second half of the tribulation is much worse than the first half in that Jesus called the second half the “great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21). And at the beginning of the second half God has made provision for His true believers to escape to His place of safety and provision when Antichrist enforces his “mark of the beast” (Rev. 13:16–17).
Many have been falsely taught to believe that Rev. 3:10 is proof of a pre-trib rapture, saying “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth”. But to “keep you from the hour of trial” does not equal the resurrection rapture, but agrees instead with the Spirit saying “Then the woman [the prepared and waiting believers] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:6). And then confirmed the second time saying “the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, [3 1/2 years] from the presence of the serpent” (Rev. 12:14).
Every true Christian should be watchful and awaiting the start of the seven-year tribulation so that we may be prepared and not caught in offense, hatred and betrayal one of another of which Jesus warned at Matt. 24:10. Jesus warned that “when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ [note that we will see him, the Antichrist] spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15), which is the rebuilt third temple in Jerusalem, Israel, which is the seat of Antichrist, according to 2 Thess. 2:4. Note that Dispensational pre-trib rapture theology rejects Jesus’ promise that we’ll “see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet”! Dispensational pre-trib rapture preachers bellow from their pulpits, boldly declaring that if you “see the ‘abomination of desolation’”, the Antichrist, then you missed the rapture and were left behind! They teach a cruel and deceptive lie, but inadvertently created a best-selling slogan that has yielded vast wealth for the creators of anti-Christ propaganda like The Left Behind book and movie series that further galvanizes fear and unbelief of the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The start of the tribulation is most accurately defined by the Spirit saying “I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” (Rev. 11:3). These define the first half of the tribulation. They’re uniquely different from today’s hip, skinny jeans and smoke and mirrors preachers with a self-serving agenda of wealth, prosperity, popularity and praise of men and women who care more about safeguarding their credentials than God’s word. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire” (Rev. 11:5–6). Those two witnesses may be Enoch and Elijah as neither tasted physical death, but were taken from the earth alive by God, Heb. 11:5 and 2 Kings 2:11.
“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 11:7–10). During those 3 1/2 days true prepared and watchful believers find God’s safety and provision, see Rev. 12:6 and Rev. 12:14, because that’s when Antichrist enforces his “mark of the beast”, starting the second half and the “great tribulation of 1,260 days. Those 3 1/2 days are similar to the days when God’s angels urgently told Lot and his wife and daughters to get out of Sodom, and “on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:29). And similarly, at our mid tribulation “all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Rev. 13:3).
At the middle of the tribulation prepared believers apply Christ’s teachings from Luke 17:34–37. In these verses “one will be taken and the other left” occurs three times. The words to “be taken” doesn’t mean the rapture, but to those who under their own strength flee to God’s place of safety and provision for the last 1,260 days of the “great tribulation”. To “be taken” is Strong’s #G3880 meaning “to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self”. Yet, with 1,260 days being the second half of the tribulation we don’t know what day Jesus “gathers His elect”. That’s because after Antichrist breaks his seven-year peace covenant of Dan. 9:27 “there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. [30 days beyond the 1,260] Blessed is he who waits and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days” [45 additional days beyond the 1,290 days] (Dan. 12:11–12). Herein we see there remains a period of 75 days beyond the 1,260 days of the “great tribulation” and in one of those unknown 75 days Jesus Christ gathers His elect! Any one day of those 75 days is certainly considered “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31). But foolishly, the Dispensational pre-trib rapture deceits selectively ignores many biblical truths.
Now, before any of these end-time truths can be of benefit to you personally, you must ensure that you have been born again by new birth faith in the Person of Jesus Christ, and you believe and put into practice the testimony of Jesus because He said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). There’s no other way to salvation or God’s provision at the middle of the seven-year tribulation. Only the foolish exchange the Lord Jesus’ truths for the pre-tribulation rapture narrative that’s deceived tens of millions of professing believers, who look for and expect nothing except the so-called imminent and secret rapture. Why, the very premise of God being secret as concerning His redemption of mankind is foolishly preposterous! The biblical record of God’s redemptive conduct and character is overtly open for all to see and believe! Dispensational pre-trib rapture theology cloaks itself in secretive and deceptive conjecture, assumptions and propaganda and makes its guardians very wealthy.
Now, regarding your personal salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit said “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10). If you haven’t already, make that confession today, right now, believing with all your heart, and then boldly tell someone about your decision to believe and follow Jesus Christ and His teachings and those of His Holy Spirit. In my spirit I truthfully sense that the seven-year tribulation start is no more than one year away. Reach out to your loved ones and friends, ensuring that they are also in the exclusive salvation faith of Jesus Christ. It cost Jesus His life on the Cross of Calvary to purchase our salvation and we owe it to Him to trust and believe His teachings that lead and safely guide us to eternal life.
Understand that, unbelief and rebellion against God were the specific reasons why God divorced ancient Jews of Israel per Jer. 3:8. They were cut off from God and as a result of that divorce, for 400 years Israel heard nothing from God before the coming of Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer of all who would by faith believe the testimony of God’s Son Jesus Christ. In the New Testament and reflecting specifically on God’s divorce of ancient Israel, the Holy Spirit warns all believers: “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, [unbelieving Jews of Israel] severity; but toward you, [the continuation of God’s true Jews] goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22). [My emphasis] God never remarried the unbelieving Jews of Israel He divorced, but has continued His irrevocable call of true Jews, Rom. 2:28–29, who would in true faith believe Him. Discerning those truths it’s very important also to acknowledge that “as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16). Therefore, post-Calvary believers are “the Israel of God”, the true Israel of God, not the post-Calvary Israel of unbelieving Jews in Israel.
My second book “ON EAGLES’ WINGS” explains in detail how to know Christ and find God’s Bozrah sheepfold of safety and place of provision for the last 1,260 days of the great tribulation.
Marlin J. Yoder
