》 OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS
Old Testament believers looked forward to a coming promised Messiah who would be a final payment for sins. But because Christ had not come, those living under the Law of Moses had to make an animal sacrifice of an ‘unblemished’ animal as a temporary covering of their sins until Messiah came (Hebrews 9 and 10). The Holy Spirit was UPON believers of the foretold Messiah, but were not indwelled and sealed as Church Age believers are today.
King David himself prayed that God would not take the Holy Spirit from him following his sin with Bathsheba as we read in Psalm 51:11. This is showing that even they did not believe so.
Old Testament believers were never promised that the Holy Spirit would be sealed within them as a guarantee of their eternal destiny in Heaven.
》 CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS (The Bride Of Christ)
In the dispensation of grace we now live within (The Church Age between the cross and Pre-Tribulation Rapture), the Holy Spirit indwells and seals a person from the moment of belief on Christ (Eph. 1:13-14) and His blood atonement for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and His rising from death (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Colossians 2). This belief seals a person and is our ‘earnest’ which means it guarantees our eternal destiny in Heaven. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is unique to The Bride of Christ (Church Age believers in Christ).
》 TRIBULATION PERIOD BELIEVERS
Israel, the Jewish people, as a group, have still not accepted Jesus as Messiah. They are still looking for the Messiah to come and unfortunately when Antichrist comes to power, many will believe he is the Messiah come. Yes, some Jewish people have come to salvation in Christ just as in the early church and to this day. Jew or gentile, a believer in Christ is saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the Church Age (Galatians 3:28). But Israel as a nation/group have not been indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Once Church Age believers are Pre-Tribulation Raptured, all left on Earth are unbelievers. I cannot find Scripture that makes an eternal security promise by an indwelling Holy Spirit for Tribulation believers. Scripture indicates that those who come to believe that Jesus, and not the Antichrist, is Messiah and who reject worshiping the Antichrist with the Mark of the beast must ‘endure until the end’. Endure how? Endure Antichrist persecution while not taking the mark, without which no one will be able to buy nor sell. This enduring is enduring in belief because they do not have the sealed indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work as in Old Testament times, ‘UPON THEM’ , not sealed within them. The indwelling Holy Spirit will have already left when the Church Age believers were Raptured before the Tribulation Period starts.
We see this truth also in Matthew 25, when there will be 5 unwise virgins, who will not endure the Antichrist persecution and who will take the mark. (No this is NOT about the Rapture as some are teaching)
We need to understand that Tribulation believers are NOT the Bride of Christ.
In Matthew 25, we see that after the Second Coming event when Christ sets His feet on the Earth, there will be a judgement of nations. All Tribulation survivors will be placed as SHEEP or GOATS. We see works mentioned but really it is belief in Jesus Christ as the deciding point.
Those who endured Antichrist under persecution will have been helping their brethren to survive without taking the Mark of the Antichrist. Visiting their imprisoned brethren etc. It is their belief and rejection of worshiping Antichrist that moved them to produce these good works as SHEEP. They will repopulate Earth in mortal bodies in the Kingdom Age with Christ ruling for 1000 years of peace.
The GOATS are those who worshipped the Antichrist and took the Mark. They will have turned in their fellow Jewish (and gentile) family and friends who refused the Mark. They aided in not feeding those who could not buy nor sell. Etc. Jesus will say to them, “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25 KJV)
They will be put to death and await the Great White Throne Judgement to be condemned. Again, it was their unbelief in taking the Mark that had them commit these evil works.
