No — the church will not enter the tribulation; it will be removed before the tribulation begins.
Les Feldick states plainly, 'I maintain there is no way that the Church can go into the Tribulation.' His primary reason is that law and grace cannot be mixed: the church is under grace, while the tribulation is Israel's time back under the law. Because the Body of Christ is a separate, Pauline-revealed entity not connected to Old Testament prophecy, it must be removed before God resumes His program with Israel.
Revelation 3:10 — Christ promises to keep the faithful church from the hour of temptation that will come upon all the world — the verse Les cites when answering whether the church will go into the tribulation.
Romans 11:25 — Paul reveals that blindness on Israel continues until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in — Les uses this as the point when God removes the church and turns back to Israel.
Revelation 3:10 (KJV): 'Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.' Romans 11:25 (KJV): 'For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' Both verses are cited in the teaching below: Revelation 3:10 concerns being kept from the worldwide hour of testing, and Romans 11:25 concerns the mystery of the fullness of the Gentiles and Israel's blindness.
When asked, 'Will the church go into the tribulation?', Les Feldick answers directly: 'I'm sure' the church will not, and 'I maintain there is no way that the Church can go into the Tribulation.' His primary reason is that when God began to deal with the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul made clear that believers 'are not under Law, [but] under Grace,' and you cannot mix the two. When the Tribulation begins, Israel will be back under the Law, so the church — which is the Body of Christ under grace — has to be out of the way (Clip 1, Clip 7). Les also explains that the church is strictly a Pauline revelation. No prophecy in the Old Testament or in the prophetic program associates itself with the church; all prophecy is connected with Israel. The church age is a parenthetical, Gentile period slipped into the prophetic timeline, so the Body of Christ has nothing to do with the tribulation, which is tied to Israel and the Old Testament program. For that reason the Body of Christ is insulated from God's dealings with Israel and must be removed before God resumes His program with Israel (Clip 2, Clip 4, Clip 6). In the letter to the Philadelphians, Les sees a promise from Christ in Revelation 3:10: 'Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.' He compares the church's removal to Enoch, who did not go into the flood (Clip 3). And at the rapture, the completeness of the Body — the fullness of the Gentiles — triggers God's return to Israel, leaving the seven-year tribulation to be primarily Israel's time, with the temple operating and tribulation saints classed separately from the Body of Christ (Clip 4, Clip 5).
Les's primary argument is that law and grace cannot be mixed. He recalls that when God began dealing with the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul made clear, 'you are not under Law, you are under Grace.' Because the Tribulation is a time when Israel will be back under the Law, God's premise still stands — you cannot mix Law and Grace from the front end or the tail end. Therefore the church has to get out of the way before God resumes His dealings with Israel.
No. Les teaches that no prophecy associates itself with the church; all prophecy is directed to and connected with the nation of Israel. The church age is a parenthetical period slipped into the prophetic program and is Gentile in nature. The Body of Christ is strictly a Pauline revelation, so nothing concerning the church is found in the Old Testament. Since the tribulation is tied to the Old Testament program primarily for the Jew, the Body of Christ is insulated from it and has to be removed before God picks up with Israel.
In reply to the question, Les points to Revelation 3:10 and the letter to the Philadelphians, who he says were representative of all true believers. There the Lord Jesus says, 'Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.' Les also uses Enoch as an illustration — the church will not go into the tribulation any more than Enoch went into the flood.
After the church is raptured and is with the Lord, the seven years of the tribulation take place. Multitudes will believe and be martyred during that time, both Jews and Gentiles. They will not be members of the Body of Christ, and Les places them with Old Testament believers because the tribulation is the time of God dealing with Israel, with the temple operating.
Revelation 9 Explained: Demonic Locusts & God's Wrath Unleashed
review, because that's the only way it finally soaks in. So I think, again, for those of you who have just tuned in the last two, three weeks, and we know we're having that every week, someone writes, I just caught your program for the first time. I'm going to make, again, just a real quick review of this seven-year period as we've been coming up to it.
Law Versus Grace
Les states he is sure the church will not go into the Tribulation, and his main reason is that Paul's gospel to the Gentiles is 'not under Law, but under Grace' — and law and grace cannot be mixed.
The Church Is a Pauline Revelation
No prophecy is associated with the church; all prophecy is directed to Israel. The church is a parenthetical, Pauline-revealed body that must be removed before the prophetic program resumes.
Revelation 3:10 Promise
Les answers 'Will the church go into the tribulation?' by saying believers will not, just as Enoch did not enter the flood, and he points to Revelation 3:10 as Christ's promise to keep the faithful from the hour of testing.
Insulated From Israel's Program
God is calling out the Body of Christ from the Gentiles, and because it has nothing to do with the Old Testament program, it is insulated from the tribulation, which is tied to Israel. The Body must be off the scene before God deals with Israel again.
Tribulation Believers Are Not in the Body
After the rapture, tribulation believers — Jews and Gentiles — are not members of the Body of Christ; Les places them with Old Testament believers because the tribulation is Israel's time with the temple operating.
What Counts Is Membership in the Body
Les explains that denominational membership is secondary; what counts is whether one is a member of the Body of Christ and has experienced His salvation. Prophecy has nothing to do with the church.
Romans 11:25 and the Fullness of the Gentiles
When the Tribulation begins Israel will be back under the Law, so the church must be out of the way. Les cites Romans 11:25 — when the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in, God turns again to Israel.
Revelation 3:10: Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Les applies this verse to true believers as Christ's promise to keep them from the worldwide hour of testing.
Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Paul reveals the mystery that Israel's blindness continues until the fullness of the Gentiles is completed, which Les ties to the rapture of the church before God returns to Israel.
No. Les says he is sure the church will not go into the Tribulation. His primary reason is that the church is under grace while the tribulation is connected with Israel under the law, and law and grace cannot be mixed.
Les teaches that when the fullness of the Gentiles is brought in, the Body of Christ is complete and God takes it out before turning again to Israel. This is the point of the rapture before the tribulation begins.
No. Les says tribulation believers cannot be members of the Body of Christ. He places them with Old Testament believers because the tribulation is God dealing with Israel and the temple is operating.
No. Les teaches that nothing concerning the church is back in the Old Testament. The church is a strictly Pauline revelation, a parenthetical period not connected to Israel's prophetic program.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation 9 Explained: Demonic Locusts & God's Wrath Unleashed