The church of Thyatyra (I think) is a man who does not have order in his home.
The church of Sardis is a man who is saved but who is not at all living a life conformed to Christ. There are still a few areas of his life where he is right with God, but on the whole his walk with the Lord is a mess.
The church of Philadelphia is a man who has everything right.
The church of Laodecia is the way a lot of Christians are today. They think they're blessed by God merely because they have a lot of material possessions. They don't care about anything, except possibly attending the next praise and worship event.
Swaggart contends the tribulation concerns the earthly Jews and their salvation. Revelation 3 9 should quickly disabuse you of this notion.
We grow through tribulation. It is true that tribulation imbitters some people, but the church has to go through the Great Tribulation precisely to prove who is genuine, that is, who will look to God and be strengthened during this time of trouble versus who will become bitter, hate God and take the mark of the beast.
The church is not appointed unto wrath. This means we will be kept safe from the direct events during the tribulation period.
Luke 21 34-36 is about praying for strength to go through and be kept safe during the tribulation period.
1 Thesalonians 4 16-17: This is the noisiest passage in the Bible, (one of them anyway.) No secret silent rapture here.
Even though the church must go through the tribulation, we can comfort one another precisely because it is what must take place right before Jesus returns.
"The Holy Spirit will not be taken out of the world."
The Holy Spirit dwells inside every Christian. Therefore, if all the Christians are taken out of the world in a secret pre-tribulation rapture, it follows naturally that the Holy Spirit would also be taken out of the world.
The antichrist is not merely a man, but an organization, namely the Catholic church.
Swaggart says there is no mention of the saints on earth during the following chapters of Revelation because he has twisted the Scriptures so that God's people refers to the Jews.
"... God takes a different attitude towards humanity."
During the tribulation period God will have the same attitude toward humanity he has always had. Our God does not change. The only difference will be that the age of grace will be over and it will be time for God to judge the world. God is gracious and merciful, but you have to have the cut off point take place some time.
"... to bring Israel to her time of national repentance."
First of all, the people we call Jews today are not the Israel people of the Bible.
Second, Paul says in Romans that there will not be a "national repentance" for those of true Israel. Not all who are of Israel are of Israel. The remnant whom God has called out of the true Israelite nations will repent and come to faith in Him, but that's it, not the whole nation.
"The church has been going through tribulation for the past 2000 years. Why hasn't it brought the church to it's senses?"
For just a moment, think of the tribulation as a giant sorting exercise. The purpose of the church's going through the tribulation is to separate the men from the boys, to use a tired old cliche. When no man can buy or sell anything without taking the mark of the beast, and when doing so means being lost forever, that will separate the true followers of Christ from those whom God has not actually predestined to be with Him in His kingdom.
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