Many Bible teachers mistakenly teach that “the Church” will not go through the last seven plagues but will be “raptured” to heaven. The Bible teaches that God’s Church will surely be here during the last plagues, but the good news is that His people will be divinely protected from them. Let’s examine the Bible:
The plagues will fall only on those who receive the mark of the beast, not on those who don’t (Revelation 16:2).
The plagues are called “the wrath of God” (Revelation 16:1), and the wrath of God falls only on the disobedient, not the obedient (Ephesians 5:6).
The final plagues are called “the seven last plagues” (Revelation 15:1) which are similar to the ten plagues that fell upon Egypt during the time of Moses. During each of those earlier plagues, God’s people remained right in the midst of Egypt (in the land of Goshen), yet they were divinely protected.
Notice how the Lord fully protected the Israelites during the plagues:
“And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be” (Exodus 8:22, 23)
“So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died” (Exodus 9:6).
“Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail” (Exodus 9:26).
“So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Exodus 10:22, 23).
As the Lord miraculously protected the Israelites during the plagues while they remained in Egypt, He will also protect His children during “the seven last plagues” as they remain loyal to His commandments and refuse the mark of the beast.
Another important similarity of the plagues in Egypt and the seven last plagues in Revelation is the aspect of blood. The Lord required that the Israelites sprinkle blood on their doors. “When I see the blood,” the Lord declared, “I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13). This is where the Jewish holiday Passover comes from. Paul teaches that Jesus became our Passover when He shed His blood to save us from sin (1 Corinthians 5:7). Likewise, at the end of time, the blood of the Lamb will protect the faithful, “they [God’s people] overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
