A friend of mine quotes John 3:18 to support her belief that people who refuse to accept Christ as Lord and Savior before the Rapture will not be allowed to change their minds and accept Him after the Rapture. She says the only ones saved during the Tribulation will be those who have not previously heard the gospel. I always thought that those who are left behind, who know about salvation although never accepting it, will know what had happened and will accept Christ at that time. What do you think?
I believe the time immediately following the rapture will be one of great anguish among those who have been sitting on the fence where their salvation is concerned. A great many will remember hearing their missing loved ones tell of the rapture of the Church and will become convinced that’s what has happened, and will realize they missed it.
In 2 Thes. 2:9-12 Paul wrote the following;
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan, displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
I believe Paul meant that those who have firmly rejected the gospel earlier will not get another chance after the rapture, but the fence sitters I described above will be compelled by the rapture to finally give their hearts to the Lord. Many of them will give their lives for their new found faith and will become part of the multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language who show up in Heaven in Rev. 7:9-17.