http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2013/stevenk72-2.htm

Dear Steve, John and Doves:

It is true that the sun is darkened and the moon is turned to blood BEFORE the "great day of His wrath" and it is also clear that the sun is darkened and the moon does not give its light AFTER the period Jesus denotes as the "great tribulation."  What the presenter fails to address is the possibility that these signs in the heavens may occur more than just once.  This is critical to his argument; he must prove that Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12 are describing the same event.  There is good reason to believe, and no scripture to preclude, the very real possibility (and I believe the certainty) that the sun and moon are darkened at the beginning of the "great tribulation" AND ALSO AT THE END.

The argument is being presented by Steven Anderson, the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.  If Pastor Anderson is correct, then the wrath of God is necessarily LESS SEVERE than the "great tribulation."  Jesus said so; He also said the period He identifies is so severe that were it not curtailed, no flesh would be saved!  Read Matthew 24:21-22 -

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved ...

Look again at the chronology in Matthew 24, which most of us have probably memorized by now.  There is a period of "great tribulation" and then the sun is darkened, etc. and then Jesus visibly returns, then there is a gathering of "the elect" and then .... the parable of the fig tree, the warnings concerning the final generation.  I don't want to put words in anybody's mouth, but Pastor Anderson seems to think the wrath must be poured out here.  However, Jesus speaks instead of the coming of the Kingdom.  All the trumpets and bowls of wrath must be in here AFTER the gathering, but they are not mentioned.  And, as noted, they would necessarily be LESS SEVERE that the preceding "great tribulation" which Jesus said was unprecedented.  So we have the Body of Christ going through the "great tribulation" which is the most severe, and then something less severe for those on earth after the rapture.  I find that problematic.

The church has been experiencing tribulation in the world, as promised (John 16:33, Acts 14:22) - some more than others.  But "great tribulation" is a unique period in history.

Here's the video.  Notice there is no attempt to prove that the sign he anchors his argument on could only happen once.  Instead, Pastor Anderson simply ASSUMES that Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12 are the same event.

In any event, the preparation for either escalating tribulation, which we may experience, OR a sudden rapture where we are face-to-face with Christ, is the same:  repentance, restitution and reconciliation.  Take out the trash and get your spiritual house in order so you can hear the Holy Spirit with clarity.  Jesus never counselled any of the seven churches to build a bunker, buy weapons, store up food and water, or prepare to "survive" while the bad stuff was transpiring.

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