According to Scripture, there are four classes of created rational beings in the universe, namely, Angels, Gentiles, Jews and Christians. That fact is critical to rightly dividing the word of truth.

Each is a different spiritual being; each has a different origin, condition, and a unique destiny.

1. Angels are the first of the created, rational beings.

"Praise Him, all His angels: praise Him, all His hosts. . . Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created." (Psalms 148:2,5)

The Bible teaches that their home is in heaven (Matthew 24:36), their activity is both on earth and in heaven (Psalms 103:20, Luke 15:10, Hebrews 1:14) and their destiny is the Eternal City of Revelation 21:12.

"But you have come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels." (Hebrews 12:22)

Angels are unique creations of God, not to be confused with any other of God's created beings. Even though some fell, as was the case with Satan, the fallen angels remain angels throughout their existence. Their numbers are constant; they neither propagate nor die.

2. The second class of created beings is the Gentiles.

The Gentiles trace their origin to Adam. They are partakers in the fall of man, but Scripture says that some of them will share, as a subordinate people, with Israel during the Millennial Kingdom. (Isaiah 2:4, 60:3,5,12, 62:2, and Acts 15:17)

As far as their condition; from Adam until Christ, Ephesians 2:12 puts it in perspective when Paul stated that they:

"Were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."

Since the Resurrection, the door of Gospel privilege has been opened to the Gentiles, and out of both Gentiles and Jews of this age, God is calling an elect company. The apostle Peter reported the following to the church in Jerusalem,

“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:17-18)

This period of time from the Babylonian captivity through to the end of the Church Age is called by Scripture "the times of the Gentiles." (Luke 21:24)

3. The third class of created beings is the Jews.

By the calling of Abraham, and all that God accomplished through him, a new race of beings was begun that, under unalterable Divine covenant and promise, will continue forever!

So different is this race of created beings that some five-sixths of Scripture bears directly or indirectly on the Jews. The destiny of the Jews is traceable through the Millennial Kingdom and into the new heaven and earth which follows.

In this present Church Age, all Divine progress in the national and earthly program for Israel is pretty much on hold; although, individual Jews have the same privilege as individual Gentiles. That of personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

But Scripture is abundantly clear that, when this present age ends, what we call the church age, or the age of Grace, God will again turn His full attention to the national redemption of Israel.

4. The fourth class of created beings is the Christians.

Christians are those individuals called out from both Jew and Gentile, and are formed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him." (Romans 10:12)

So you see, Christians are neither Gentile nor Jew, but a new spiritual creation in Christ.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things passed away; behold new things have come." (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

"For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation."

(Galatians 6:15)

The Christian, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20),

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”. And having been raised WITH Christ, Paul tells us,

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3)

And being so different than any other created rational being that, of the Christian, Jesus says,

"If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:19),

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)

This new birth or rebirth and spiritual life are not normal to the world that is watching. Our spiritual rebirth and heavenly position [in Christ] are by faith alone. By definition, any human effort is excluded. The only responsibility imposed on the human side of the equation is trusting in the ONLY ONE WHO can save.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph.2:8-9).

The Scriptures which guide a Christian in his daily walk with the Lord are adapted to the fact that the Christian is no longer striving to secure a standing before God, but is already 'accepted in the beloved'.

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)

Christians, by their existence, have already attained every spiritual blessing;

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3).

Obviously, no human effort can bring a person to fulfill God's standard of sinless perfection.

So God, anticipating the believer's inability to walk worthy of His high calling, freely bestows His empowering Holy Spirit to indwell or live within each believer.

The Scriptures also promise that when their elect number is complete, as unique citizens of heaven, they will be removed from the earth at the event known as the Rapture.

This is when the bodies of believers who have died will be raised and all living believers will be taken instantaneously to be with Jesus forevermore.

(1st Cor.15:20-57, 1st Thess.4:13-18)

At the Bema Seat in Heaven, believers will be judged according to their rewards for service. (1st Corinthians 3:9-15, 9:18-27, 2nd Corinthians 5:10, 11), the Body of Christ will be wed to the Bridegroom, (Revelation 19:7-9) and return WITH Him to share as His bride during the Millennial Reign.

This new creation, like angels, Gentiles and Jews, can be traced into eternity future, but they are unique from the rest. They possess no land, no house, no earthly capital or city, no earthly kingdom and no earthly king.

Scripture promises that the Jews will inherit the earth.

The Gentiles will inhabit it with them as a subordinate people.

But the Church does not share in that inheritance.

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)

The Jews and Gentiles inherit the earth. Church Age believers inherit the universe!

The Age of Grace ends at the Rapture.

The Tribulation Period is the final seven years of the Age of Law, under which God will judge a Christ rejecting world.

During this period, some Gentiles will become believers, but, unlike during this present age, they will not be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Whose earthly ministry concludes at the Rapture.

During the Church Age, believers are made the following promise,^p“Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Because……

“greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world”. (1st John 4:4)

But during the Tribulation the writer of The Revelation states,

"it was given unto him [antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them." (Revelation 13:7)

Those who enter the beast's worship system, believers or not, and accept his mark are forever lost.

As you can see from the revealed Word of God; there is no place for the Church during Daniel's 70th week, called the Tribulation.

The Church is excluded from the judgments pronounced against a Christ-rejecting world, and the Church plays no role in the national redemption of Israel.

Since the Church Age is characterized by the promise that,

"He will give you another helper, that He may be with you forever" (John 14:16)^pWhile, during the time of Jacob's Trouble (Tribulation), the Holy Spirit's role is limited to 'sealing' the 144,000 Jewish evangelists of Revelation 7:3-8, the Church's presence on earth during the Tribulation has no place in the plan of God.

Since, by definition, Church Age believers are NOT Christ-rejecting and are NOT part of God's plan for the national redemption of Israel, the only role the Church could play during the Tribulation would be to face the judgments of God, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, comfortless, and with no earthly destiny or purpose apart from becoming the antichrist's cannon fodder.

Consider it this way. For the last two thousand years, Church Age believers have enjoyed fellowship with God, thanks to the imputed righteousness of Christ and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus promised He would not leave us comfortless or helpless and that the Holy Spirit will abide with us forever.

In the final hours of human history, when man's corruption has reached its peak and God pours out His judgment against them for their unrepentant sin, as is stated in Revelation chapter 9,

"And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts" (Revelation 9:21).

Some would argue that those living in those days will be stripped of their indwelling Spirit, God breaks fellowship with them, leaving them to face the worst period of spiritual trial in the history of creation alone.

For that to be true, of all the generations of believers from the Apostle Paul until the revelation of 'that Wicked' -- the believers of the last days are the ONLY ONES to whom the promise of John chapter 14 verses 16-18 is meaningless where the Lord states that,

"I will not leave you comfortless". Or as in some versions “as orphans.”

The new spiritual creation must then, by definition, revert back to its old form of either Jew or Gentile, and share in the judgments being poured out upon them.

The new creature, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and spiritually empowered to resist the devil, with the promise that 'he will flee from you' -- will find that is no longer true.

How else could they be 'overcome' by him as Revelation 13:7 says the Tribulation saints will be?

It is not POSSIBLE for Church Age believers to play a role in the Tribulation, other than as recipients of God's justice for sin, although believers, by definition, have already been judged and found righteous at the Cross.

Consider the Promises of Jesus, given the Church, in the context of the Tribulation Period.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:26-27)

Listen to that again:

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

Unless you’re among those believers of that last generation?

If the destiny of the Church is to partake in God's judgment against the world, then my heart should be troubled indeed, and I should be very, very afraid, as should you.

I for one can’t believe that His peace was for all the generations that went before. But not for mine?

Because you see, The Scriptures say otherwise.