Exodus 19, Hebrews 12, 1 Thess 4 and Rev 7 are talking about the rapture

Because the tribulation is seals 1-4 ("my four dreadful judgments" - Ezek 14:21 - wars, famines, plagues, wild beasts) that were sent out by Jesus upon His ascension (Rev 5 & 6) and led to the abomination of desolation of the city/sanctuary in 66-70AD. That desolation of Israel and certainly the temple continues to this day. Every believer in Christ (washed in the blood of the Lamb) has been in the tribulation.

This is proven by Exodus 19:10-20 and Rev 7. Exodus 19:10-20 is what the church, the consecrated people, are expecting. After having washed in the blood of the Lamb for TWO DAYS ("today and tomorrow" in Exodus/one day is as 1000 years), on the morning of the 3rd Day (millennium), God will come down at the sound of a heavenly trumpet, and Jesus will lead us "out of the camp to meet with God".

The tribulation has been going on since Christ ascended and sent out the four seal riders which keep on riding, and certainly since the abomination that led to the desolation of Israel.

John said in Rev 1 that he is "our companion in tribulation" being a prisoner on Patmos.

Furthermore, it is the tribulation that is cut short..NOT the reign of the devil. The reign of the devil is 1260 days long. Jesus was talking to Israel in Matt 24. The "elect" for whom the tribulation will be shortened is the 144,000 of ISRAEL who are sealed and protected by God during the Day of the Lord/Day of Wrath when the Beast reigns. The tribulation is shortened by God when there is a Northern Army invasion (Joel 2) of Israel. Joel 2 even mentions the gathering of the consecrated people at that time...bride and bridegroom.

Seals 1-4 = tribulation
Seal #5 = gathering of the church to the throne of God when we are given our clothes of immortality (white robes)
Seal #6 = end of tribulation (sun/moon darken, Day of Wrath begins, Northern Army invasion, 144,000 of Israel sealed)
Seal #7 = destruction of the Northern army, trumpets, two witnesses, reign of the beasts, bowls

THEN Christ comes to destroy all the evil.

So add this to the rapture verses of the first post:

Joe 2:15Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.

Joe 2:16Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.




...'cause it goes right along with this and also tells the timing of the rapture (before/as the Northern armies are invading) and confirmed by Rev 6 in that the white robes are given (5th seal) before the sun/moon darken (6th seal) when the Northern armies are invading (Joel 2).




Exd 19:10And the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. (2 days/ 2000 years) Have them wash their clothes
Exd 19:11and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Exd 19:12Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
Exd 19:13He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."
Exd 19:14After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
Exd 19:15Then he said to the people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."
Exd 19:16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
Exd 19:17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Exd 19:18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently,
Exd 19:19and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exd 19:20The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

It all depends how one defines tribulation.

If one defines tribulation as Jen did above, then yes we are going through it now. So it COULD possibly refer to the Christian church of the past 2000 years.

On top of that, Hosea 6 tells how long Israel would be abandoned...desolated.

Hsa 6:2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.



Mic 5:3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.



She who is in labor is Zion above. See Rev 12 and Isaiah 66.


Besides all of that, in the Good Samaritan parable, the Good Samaritan (Jesus) gives the innkeeper (the church) TWO denarii (two days wages) and then said He would return. He expected to be gone two days. (2000 years)

It's no coincidence that the city/sanctuary were desolated and Israel was scattered and their "house is (still) left to them desolate" (Matt 23:34-38) nearly 2000 years later!