with The Word of God so widely available to so many people, it seems the Truth is easy to know...it's amazing how unbelievers are even connecting dots already... and just going off memory (which admittedly can be sketchy these days) but just like i said above thankfully we can look things up again in the Bible...but i am thinking that since Revelation talks about people cursing God for His judgement of and wrath upon their sin, and since it talks about angels announcing the consequences of taking the mark prior to people receiving it, it seems that this is why God sends a delusion at the beginning of the Tribulation - maybe similar to Him hardening Pharoah's heart after Pharoah had already chosen to go against God and enslave His people...maybe those left behind when we are snatched up who have already rejected Jesus' personal invitation (by the Holy Spirit) to be found in Him- to be shielded from the wrath that our sin deserves- by His sacrifice on our behalf...maybe God just confirms that what they want they will get- to do things their way in opposition to the truth because they do not love the Truth or want to humble themselves in repentance of sin and acceptance of Him- so due to the delusion, they will choose to instead accept, follow and trust in lies from the father of lies himself. i know there are very many who will come to Christ during the Tribulation, even in spite of the delusion but before the actual mark being required- maybe they actually had not heard the Word of God prior to the Rapture-or had never heard the true Gospel- or just never really sought God- and they will not take the mark because they will have come to love the Truth- Holy Spirit will still convict of sin and draw people into a saving relationship with the Lord, during the Tribulation praise God! If I understood correctly what you are saying, I do believe that those who have already hardened their hearts to God will be under the strong delusion but for those people who today just never made it a priority or just didn't believe due to any number of reasons would still be open to salvation after the Trib begins. Either way, it will be a horrible time that no book author but God could ever imagine for those who accept Christ during that time. I am so glad none of us will be here to endure it.
