Luke 21:28; “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
First, we need to look at what “these things” consist of. Some serious Bible reading would start with Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Jesus gave a number of specific events and attitudes that would be present toward the end of this era. Once He gets to “abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place” (Matthew 24:15), He is speaking of already being in the tribulation/wrath. This is an event that true believers today need not worry about. Before the “abomination”, or antichrist can come forth, we will have to be gone from this earth.
Looking at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, we get a very good picture of this. “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed; the son of destruction, (4) who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be god. (5) Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? (6) And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains it will do so until He is out of the way. (8) And the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”
God promised that believers would not go into the wrath or tribulation in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 and Revelation 3:10. When the Holy Spirit allows the antichrist to come out, all who are indwelt by Him must be removed to keep us from the wrath as promised by the Father, and that will be through the event called the Rapture. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.)
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