No, the church will not go through the Tribulation; it will be taken out before it begins.
Les Feldick teaches that the church will be removed at the Rapture before the Tribulation starts. He cites Revelation 3:10, where the Lord promises to keep believers 'from the hour of temptation' that will come upon the whole world. He also points to the absence of the word 'church' in Revelation from chapter 4 to the closing chapters, indicating the church is not part of that scene.
Revelation 3:10 — This verse is the key promise that believers will be kept from the Tribulation.
Revelation 4:1 — The call to John to 'come up here' is seen as a symbol of the Rapture.
Revelation 3:10 records the Lord's promise to the church in Philadelphia: '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.' This verse indicates that a specific group of believers is kept from a time of testing that affects the whole world. In Revelation 4:1, John writes, 'After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.' This event occurs after the messages to the seven churches and is often understood as a picture of the church being taken to heaven. The word 'church' is not mentioned again in Revelation until the final chapters, suggesting that the church is absent from the Tribulation events.
Les Feldick is certain that the church will not go through the Tribulation. He emphasizes that the church age is a time of grace, and the Tribulation is a time of wrath and judgment that cannot mix with grace. He points to the absence of the word 'church' in Revelation from chapter 4 onward as evidence that the church is not part of that scene. He also teaches that the Rapture, though the term is not in the English Bible, is a mystery revealed by Paul. It involves a sudden, split-second event where believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This will be a silent event, unknown to the world, unlike the visible Second Coming after the Tribulation. Les uses the example of Enoch being taken before the flood as an analogy for the church being removed before the Tribulation. He also notes that the Holy Spirit's role changes during the Tribulation, but He remains present on earth.
Les teaches that God's dealing with the church is on the basis of grace, not law. He says, 'When God began to deal with the Gentiles, the first thing the Apostle Paul made clear was, you are not under Law, you are under Grace. And I've always maintained you cannot mix them.' The Tribulation is a time of wrath, which cannot be mixed with grace, so the church must be removed before it begins.
Les interprets Revelation 3:10 as a promise to all true believers, not just the Philadelphia church. He says, 'to them in verse 10 the Lord Jesus says, Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of testing, temptation in the King James, that shall come upon all the world.' This indicates that believers will be kept from the Tribulation, not just protected through it.
Les explains that when the church is taken out, the Holy Spirit's role of indwelling believers ends, but the Spirit remains active on earth. He says, 'Just because the Holy Spirit leaves as His role of the indwelling of the believer doesn't mean He won't be on the earth during the tribulation.' The Spirit's omnipresence continues, and He is still at work in the world.
Les contrasts the Rapture with the Second Coming. He says, 'I think at the Rapture it's going to be a silent, unknown event. The world isn't going to know that we've gone. It's going to be instantaneous, it's going to be silent, and there's going to be no trumpet sound that the world will hear.' But at the Second Coming, there will be visible signs and the survivors will see the Son of Man.
Revelation 4 & 5 Explained: The Throne Room & the Scroll
In fact, as we were driving up this morning, I couldn't help but remember that when we were still farming in Iowa, I had a home class and we were teaching in the book of Revelation one winter. And as that part of the country is prone to do, it came under a tremendous blizzard, snowstorm.
Grace and Law Cannot Mix
Les explains that the church cannot enter the Tribulation because it is a time of wrath, and the church is under grace, not law—'you cannot mix them.'
Promise of Protection
Les uses Revelation 3:10 to show that true believers are kept from the Tribulation, just as Enoch was taken before the flood.
What Happens When Satan Is Cast Out of Heaven?
And so out of the seventh seal comes the first of the trumpet judgments, and there'll be seven of those. Now, remember, when we first started our study on Revelation, I put it on the board that the events of the tribulation are like a mother-to-be approaching the day of delivery.
The Holy Spirit's Role
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit's indwelling role ceases for the church, but the Spirit remains omnipresent and active during the Tribulation.
The Rapture as a Mystery
Les describes the Rapture as a sudden, split-second event where dead believers are raised and living believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, a mystery revealed through Paul.
What Happens When God's Wrath Replaces Grace — Revelation 9 & 11
Now, King James and some of you others have the word building, but if you have a margin, the Greek word is better translated, creation. In other words, this tabernacle, which was not built with human hands, is in heaven. It's not here on the earth at all. All right, now then if you'll flip back with me to Revelation chapter 11, verse 19. This is what is opened up. "...
Rapture vs. Second Coming
Les contrasts the silent, instantaneous Rapture with the visible Second Coming after the Tribulation.
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.
This verse is the primary promise that believers are kept from the Tribulation.
Revelation 4:1: After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
This describes the call to John to come to heaven, seen as a picture of the Rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This passage describes the Rapture event that Les refers to in his teaching.
No, according to Les Feldick, the church will be taken out before the Tribulation begins. He bases this on Revelation 3:10 and the absence of the church in Revelation 4-19.
Revelation 3:10 promises that believers who keep the word of patience will be kept from the hour of testing that will come upon the whole world.
The Rapture is a silent, instantaneous removal of believers before the Tribulation, while the Second Coming is a visible event after the Tribulation when Christ returns to earth.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation 4 & 5 Explained: The Throne Room & the Scroll