Not everyone who darkens the door of a Church is a Christian, Jesus is coming with His winnowing fork in His hand, He will sort out who are His people from the 'chaff'.
True enough. However, studies show that in 2012 there were approximately 2.5 billion Christians. Now, I don't know what they used to indicate what determines a Christian. However, I believe that the number of God fearing Christians is still a mass of population that could not just head to Israel and be accommodated.
So, I don't believe that this is the solution to all those God fearing Christians, when the mark is mandatory.
I believe a warning is in order. I am not judging anyone.
Those who have chosen to believe any outcome for the end times, other that what we are plainly told by the Prophets, will be shocked and terrified when what they expected didn't happen.
True enough. Anytime something of this magnitude takes place, people are shocked and terrified.
However, this does not give you license to predict how "every" person is going to behave... based on their view.
Myself, I would say something like this..."all those that are expecting to have the rapture at the end of the tribulation, will be either pleasantly surprised when it takes them away before they endure the wrath of God. Additionally, anyone that is expecting to be accounted as worthy, and is left behind, will be confused, and at a loss of what they should do."
I would be in error to say "they will be the first to take the mark"...
I am of the mindset that there are very knowledgeable and solid Christian folk that can be on totally opposite sides of this view. To assume what either would do "IF" one thing or another happens... is just plain bald faced speculation and has no merit.
I have often pointed out what we are told to do when the Lord strikes the earth in His Day of wrath: Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21 Call upon the Name of the Lord and you will be saved. 'saved' means protected, not removed, as many prophesies confirm. Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 41:13, Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Corinthians 10:13
I mean no offense, but "I have often pointed out" and quoting scripture to support a view.. is quite common for people on both sides of this topic.
As ethnicity has no value or interest to God since Jesus came and opened Salvation to all who would receive it, the 144,000 are selected from the vast multitude, Revelation 7:9-14, by Jesus, revealed to His people, Revelation 14:1.
They are divided into 12 groups, named after the 12 sons of Jacob. Proved by Isaiah 66:21, where the Lord takes Levi's out of the people from many nations. All the faithful, born again Christians.
I am fairly certain that it has been pointed out, in this thread, that biblically, these will be people "of" those lineages.
Of course salvation is for any ethnicity.. however, some things are strictly for the Jewish people.
From what I understand, in Gods eyes, from the time of Christ's work on Calvary, up until the time of the tribulation, there is no Jew or Gentile. However after the age of grace ends... the Jewish people become a separate group once again.[/quote][/QUOTE]