I choose to believe Christ and Paul and the certain events that they say "must happen" before our gathering back to him.
The day of the Lord will happen when least expected, that's the point. When will people be "not" expecting him? When they believe Christ has already returned. That's the point of Paul's teaching in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5.
I Thessalonians 5:2 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
I Thessalonians 5:3 "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
That's why I posted in my previous post about when will this world ever feel peace and safety? When they believe Christ has returned.
The antichrist/Satan will proclaim to be God and people will fall away and believe it. Because many are "expecting" Christ to come before him. And again it's God that sends the strong delusion because people would rather believe the lie.
II Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Transformed in the Greek is 3345-"Metaschematizo, it means to transfigure or disguise.
Revelation 13:11 "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."
We see he has two horns like a lamb (symobolic of Christ) but spoke as a dragon.
No, he has not sat on the temple mount proclaiming to be God yet. He is in fact being held by Michael at this point. After that battle he will be thrown out of Heaven. This is future because it will be the testimony of the Saints that Christ taught is their way of overcoming him.
Revelation 12:7 "And there was war in heaven: Mi'-cha-el and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,,"
Revelation 12:8 "And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Revelation 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Sa'-tan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him
Revelation 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night
That is how Satan has been spending his time.
Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
This coincides with,
Revelation 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life..
Some will be tried during this time. But they will overcome him by the word.
Revelation 12:12 "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
We know Christ has shortened the time.
Again, this battle with Michael is future. He's the one that's been with Satan (even talked about in Jude) and once he stands up that battle happens, he will be thrown out.
Question, you say that the pretrib rapture comes like a thief in the night. But how do you explain this verse which clearly states the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night?
II Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
We can't seperate his coming/The day of the Lord into 2 events. Especially with verses like this. It will not work.