When people talk about the “great-capital-T” Tribulation of the coming future they mostly end with this comment: “I don’t want to be here (on earth) when it happens.”  

I don’t know if I’m screwed up in the brain for what – but with all seriousness, I want to be HERE – on planet earth – when things go down.

This isn’t a high-brow comment or a holier-then-thou attitude. It is feeling born out of a heart for people. I want to be here with those who are hurting. With those who are crying out for help; with those who are looking and searching for something or someone bigger then themselves or their lives.

I don’t want to be raptured. I want to stay and go about my Liege’s Work.

In the words of Noal Richards:

Would I stand for injustice? Speak for those who can not speak?
Could I be the hand that help the helpless and be your arms that hold the cold and weak?
Could I lose the life you gave me? Lay it down with all I own?
Will I walk with every pilgrim that walks this road of narrow way of love?

I will, I will,

So hear my prayer, let your spirit lead me on to where I stand with the broken
It’s what Jesus would have done
                              (from the song “What Jesus Would Have Done”)

[@more@]Now that I have shocked most of you – let me back up and explain things a bit more…
The concept of an end time Tribulation (capital “T” Tribulation as opposed to the small “t” tribulation of “regular” Christian life) comes from Revelation 7

 

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands….. and he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelations 7:9 & 14)

The typical Pretribulation Dispensational view of this passage syas that this “great tribulation” is the judgment of God upon the earth after the “Church” has been removed or raptured from the earth. Folks who are left (ie. those who choose NOT to follow God) have one more chance to turn to Christ – ie. They must resist the Anit-Christ and be martyred for their faith.

Granted, there are variations on this view point – namely those who say that the church will be taken out during tribulation, but before the wrath of God…

You want to know something interesting? The Pretribulation / Rapture view point came about in the early to mid-1800’s in England. In other words, the concept that the church will be taken out of the earth before the judgment of God is a fairly new idea.

Plus, it is an idea that can be traced back to one man John Nelson Darby. Granted, just because one dude started the concept does not mean it is invalid. However, I do find it interesting to note that the concept took 1,800 years come about…and when it did, it was by a guy living in a fairly stable, Christian nation with little to no persecution…

Anyway, going back to the Scriptures….

The Final Judgment of God was talked about a lot by the Old Testament prophets. In their eyes, the people of Israel (God’s people at the time) where to be on the earth at the time of the judgment – which, it should be noted, would affect both Israel and the Gentile nations. It would be similar to the plagues of the Exodus – the unbeliever gets punished why the people of God go unharmed.

In addition, Revelation 7:14 is within the context of the seven seals of the scroll. A lot of scholars see this selection (Revelations 6-8) as mirroring Jesus’ Mt. Olive discourse on the end times (Matthew 24). If that is so, then the seven seals are not end, end time events as much as they are things that are happening in the world between the Ascension of Christ and His Second Coming.   

Meaning that the Great Multitude of Revelation 7 is The Church – meaning all believers who have ever followed God and have lived through the “tribulation” and suffering of this Present Evil Age.

Which brings us full circle back to my heart and prayer – “let your spirit lead me on to where I stand with the broken”