Many end time theoreticians assert that believers will not endure the end-of-days leading up to Jesus' return. But is this what is revealed in scripture?

It is true, scripture reveals that believers are not destined for God's wrath:

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Further, since the end-of-days will be full of God's wrath and judgment on the Earth, it is theorized believers must not be present. So, if believers are to be present for every day leading up to the very day of Jesus' return, how can avoiding God's wrath be accomplished?

Believers in the days before Jesus' return - Tribulation times

Clearly, believers are present in the days of the Tribulation:

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:21-23)

"but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13)

In His words, there is no suggestion of a special class or group of believers. Jesus is speaking to everyone who will listen, and telling them to get ready, because times are going to get rough. He speaks to encourage everyone who has faith in Him.

Jesus makes no qualification statement. In presumably one breath, as Jesus describes what will happen in the end-times, He says "he who stands firm to the end will be saved". Despite all the trouble that is anticipated, Jesus simply suggests we (everyone) "stand firm to the end".

But we should ask - to the end of what?

But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (Matthew 24:29-30)

The end is Jesus' appearance in the sky.

For more information on how Jesus' next appearance, or return, is characterized, please see The Immediacy and Finality of Christ's Return

Believers in the Great Tribulation

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 they cried out in a loud voice:

   "Salvation belongs to our God,
   who sits on the throne,
   and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

   "Amen!
   Praise and glory
   and wisdom and thanks and honor
   and power and strength
   be to our God for ever and ever.
   Amen!"

"Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." 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. " (Revelation 7:9-15)

There is only one Great Tribulation being spoken of in all of Scripture, and it is the same one Jesus mentioned:

"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." (Matthew 24:21)

A key question that remains is "who are these slain believers"? With no supplemental qualification from Jesus, we must assume that they are the same He encourages to "stay firm to the very end" (Matthew 24).

Believers will endure the Tribulation:

• They are told to "stand firm to the very end" (Matthew 24:13)
• Jesus appears immediately after the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-30)
• The angels gather Jesus' elect (believers) upon His appearance (Matthew 24:31)

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation... This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (Revelation 13:5-7,10)

"How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:19-22)

Characteristics:

• The beast was given authority to make war against the saints
  1. Can not make war against people who presumably do not exist

• Distress that the Earth has never seen, observed by the elect
  1. The elect can not observe distressing days if they are not present

Believers have nothing to fear. Despite the end of times experiencing the most serious occurrences of God's judgment and wrath, believers are not the target. Throughout the entire Biblical text, we see how God preserves and protects His faithful even during days of judgment. God's faithful endure and survive such times. We would do well to remind ourselves of this:

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. (2 Peter 2:4-9)