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Pre-wrath or Pretribulation – Rapture Part 6

By Jim Stockstill

By Jim Stockstill

Pre-wrath or Pretribulation

September 21, 2023

Hell on Earth: 70th Week of Daniel Rapture Part 6

 

When it comes to sound doctrine, the bottom line is not what anyone has or has not taught in church history – it is “What saith the Lord?” Period

 

Mysteries

 

Occurs 22 times as a mystery and 5 times as mysteries:

The Mystery of Godliness: 1 Timothy 3:16

The Mystery of Israel’s Blindness: Romans 11:25

The Mystery of His Will: Ephesians 1:9-11

The Mystery of God and Christ: Colossians 2:2

The Mystery of The Faith: 1 Timothy 3:9

The Mystery of Christ and the Church: Ephesians 5:32

The Mystery of Christ: Ephesians 3:3-6

The Mystery of Iniquity: 2 Thessalonians 2:7

The Mystery of The Rapture: 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

 

The Mystery of the Seven Stars & Golden Candlesticks: Rev 1:20. The Mystery of Babylon the Great: Rev 17:5. The Mystery of the Woman: Rev 17:7.

Several Years Ago: Vision of Revelation of Mysteries For The Ekklesia:

 

Creator God – Destruction of the deception of Darwinism; The Bow – mystery of parallel dimensions; Transhumanism with Artificial Intelligence; Extraterrestrial [Nephilim, Hybrids, Chimeras, and Mongrels]; UAPs, abductions, and mutilations; The Mystery of Daniel 2:43 (They will mingle); Pyramids/Obelisk – The “Alter to the Lord in the midst of Egypt,” Isaiah 19:19; and the Lord showed me the “Big E” spoken by the Prophet Kim Clement (Nikola Tesla: Magnetic Forces and Fields.)

Statue of Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel 2:43

Keep in mind that breath was given to the Image of the Beast in Revelation 13:15 so that it can talk and cause all those who do not worship to be killed.

Jesus: Olivet Discourse

 

Matthew 24:15 “When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand.)”

Apostle Paul: The Restrainer is Removed

2 Thessalonians 2:1-9 “1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only HE who now allows will allow until HE is taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”

The only one that is able to restrain the great Dragon, the old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the entire world (Revelation 12:9), is the Holy Spirit.

We covered:

  • Old Testament Saints
  • New Testament Saints
  • The Ekklesia

The Ekklesia (Mystery) and Israel are Mutually Exclusive. Revelation 2-3 deal with the Church [Ekklesia] and Revelation 4-20 deal with Israel and Earth Dwellers (Gentiles).

Matthew 16:16-23 “16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church [G 1577: Ekklesia]; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

  • The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

Ephesians 3:1-13 “1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery [G3466: hidden thing, secret] was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church [G1577: Ekklesia] the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

The Saints During Tribulation

Mutually Exclusive: God’s dealing with Israel (Law and the Prophets) and the Church [Ekklesia], Time of the Gentiles.

Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the saints of the most High and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

  • [Wear Out: H 1080 (1x)]: To afflict, wear away.
  • [Saints: H 6922 (10x)]: Holy – set apart unto God.

Tribulation Saints

Scholars estimate millions of people will come to faith in Christ during the seven (7th week – Daniel 9:27) year period of tribulation who are commonly referred to as the “tribulation saints.” Scripture confirms that a great multitude of people will be saved during the tribulation.

  • Revelation 7:14 “And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, “These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”

The Apostle John repeatedly states that tribulation saints will face the likelihood of being martyred under the Antichrist’s demonic rule.  They are called tribulation saints because most of them will have to pay the ultimate price for their faith.

Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, nor in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

 

  • Beheaded [G 3990 (1x)]: To cut off with an Ax – to chop off the head.

The Guillotine will be used worldwide to slaughter the Saints.

Earth Dwellers: Separate Category During the Tribulation

 

Estimates of end times deaths are based on the assumption that 1/4 of the world’s population will die during the seal judgments.  This comes from an interpretation of Revelation 6:8 where Death and Hades are given power over 1/4th (25%) of the earth to kill by the sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts [2 billion].  Perhaps 6 billion of the earth’s population will still be alive at the end of the Seal Judgments.

Then come the Trumpet judgments.  In Revelation 9:15 the four angels of the Euphrates are released to kill 1/3rd (33%) of the remaining population (1.98 billion).  Therefore, between the Seal and Trumpet judgments nearly ½, or 3.98 billion, of the earth’s population will have died before the Great Tribulation (mid-point or 3.5 years) even begins.  We’re not told how many die during the Bowl judgments, but certainly, there will be many more.

For the Jews, the 2/3rds (66%) reference comes from Zechariah 13:8-9 where the Lord says in the whole land 66% will be struck down and perish, and the 1/3 (33%) who are left will be brought into the fire, refers to Israel.  The phrase “the fire” is thought to be the refiner’s fire, a name sometimes given to the Great Tribulation.  That means 2/3rds of the Jewish people will die sometime before the Great Tribulation begins.

No matter how you calculate it, the fact remains that Daniel’s 70th Week will be the bloodiest time the people of Earth have ever experience.

The Seven Thousand Years

Time of the Gentiles be fulfilled

 

  • Epistle of Barnabas [Just Mention the Names]

 

Epistle of Barnabas 15: 7-9 “Therefore, children, in six days, or in six thousand years, all the prophecies will be fulfilled. Then it says, ‘He rested on the seventh day.’ This signifies at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, He will destroy the Antichrist, judge the ungodly, and change the sun, moon, and stars. Then He will truly rest during the Millennial reign, which is the seventh day.”

  • Saint Irenaeus

Originating from Smyrna, he had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp, who in turn was said to have heard John the Evangelist, and thus was the last-known living connection with the Apostles.

  • “The day of the Lord is as a thousand years, and in six days created things were completed. It is evident; therefore, they will come to an end in the six thousandth year.” Against Heresies, 5:28
  • Hippolytus of Rome

Hippolytus follows the long-established usage in interpreting Daniel’s seventy prophetic weeks to be weeks of literal years.  Hippolytus gave an explanation of Daniel’s paralleling prophecies of chapters 2 and 7, which he, as with the other fathers, relates explicitly to the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.  His interpretation of events and their significance is Christological.

  • “The Sabbath is a type of the future kingdom… For “a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.”  Since, then, in six days the Lord created all things, it follows that in six thousand years all will be fulfilled.”  Fragment 2: Commentary on Daniel 2:4

Seven Judgments Seals

 

Highlights through the seven years (12)

 

The Second Coming

Prophesied and (Check Mark) To Be Fulfilled

 

Daniel 2:44-45

  • Acts 1:9-11

Daniel 7:9-14

  • Acts 3:19-21

Daniel 12:1-3

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:13

Zechariah 14:1-15

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

Matthew 13:41

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:8

Matthew 24:15-31    

  • 2 Peter 3:1-14

Matthew 26:64         

  • Jude 14-15

Mark 13:14-27          

  • Revelation 1:7

Mark 14:62               

  • Revelation 19:11-20

Luke 21:25-28          

  • Revelation 22:7, 12, and 20

Differences Bereans of Jesus Appears and 2nd Coming.

The Rapture

 

The Rapture is the popular term used to describe one view of the Lord’s return based on the writings of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  Many Christians believe that they will be snatched up from Earth before the last days, therefore they call this event the “rapture.”  Unfortunately, there are prominent clergy who teach the word “rapture” does not appear in Scripture.  However, if diligent research is applied to the translation of original texts such as Paleo-Hebrew, Greek, and Semitic (Arabic) languages they will find “Rapiemur” in the Latin Vulgate.

  • The Vulgate is a Latin version of the Holy Bible, and largely the result of the labors of St Jerome (Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus), who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 A.D. to make a revision of the old Latin translations.  There are 76 books in the Clementine edition of the Latin Vulgate, 46 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament, and 3 in the Apocrypha.

Etymology 

Latin

The English word “rapture” is transliterated from the Greek word “harpazo” to the Latin Vulgate word “Rapiemur.”  The words harpazo and Rapiemur are similar but with different origins.  “Rapiemur” is from the Latin future passive “raptura” meaning “seizure, kidnapping” which is derived from “raptus” “we shall be carried away,” or “we shall be snatched.”

Greek [Harpazo]

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” [How is it comforting if you go through hell on earth and then are invited to marry the Son of God?]

  • Caught up [Greek 726 (4 exact phrases)]: Harpazo, to seize, catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: (verb) harpazō

1) to seize, carry off by force

2) to seize on, the claim for oneself eagerly

3) to snatch out or away

  • Together [G 260 (10x)]: At the same time, at once.
  • Clouds [3507]: Specifically of “the cloud” which led the Israelites through the wilderness.
  • Meet [G 529 (4x)]: To meet one.
  • Air [G 109 (7x)]: the air (particularly the lower and denser, as distinguished from the higher and rarer), the atmospheric region.
  • With [G 2064]: A primary preposition denoting union; with or together but much closer than G3326 – accompaniment or amid, and G3844 – beside or in the vicinity).

Revelation 12:4-6 “4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up [Harpazo] unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Four Primary Schools of Thought on the Rapture

There are many opinions regarding eschatology (the doctrine of future things).  However, the majority of Evangelical Christians agree on three things:

1) There is a coming time of tribulation,

2) Following the seven years of tribulation, Jesus will return to establish His kingdom, and,

3) The church [Ekklesia] will be translated from its mortal state to put on immortality in the rapture.

1 Corinthians 15:53-55 “53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

The remaining question today is when will the rapture occur about the tribulation, wrath, Great Tribulation, and Christ’s second coming?

Regarding the “rapture” or “catching up,” the four most prominent views:

  • Post-tribulation, mid-tribulation, pre-wrath tribulation, and pre-tribulation rapture.

Some excellent theological scholars differ on the time of the tribulation and when the church will be raptured from the most diabolic time on earth (Ha-Satan and his angels cast to earth) wherein Jesus stated, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened…” The different views regarding the tribulation and the “catching up” are not doctrinal issues that should divide true followers of Christ.  The Apostle Paul clearly expresses the Gospel (Good news) of Christ:

This is the True Gospel and Our Salvation: Not our views on the rapture

  • 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
  • Romans 10:9-10 “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

 

Marine Foxhole: My personal view on tribulation and rapture.

Anticipated Rapture Scriptures

John 14:1-3 “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

  • Place [G 5117]: A place or spot where one can settle, abide, and dwell.
  • Revelation 12:6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place [G 5117] prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Romans 8:16-20 “16 The Spirit itself provides witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 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. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.”

 

Stay Prepared – Live the life of Christ. 

Matthew 25:1-13 “1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; unless there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward also came the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Mark 13:33-37 “33 Take ye heed, watch and pray for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

Luke 21:36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Romans 13:11 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now, salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.”

1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”

 

https://endtimesforecaster.blogspot.com/2010/05/rapture-whos-right.html

Post-tribulation Rapture

 

“The rapture occurs at the end of the 7-year tribulation period.”

 

This is the second most popular view in which Posttribulationism teaches the “Rapture” occurs at the end, or near the end, of the Tribulation.  At that time, the church will meet Christ in the air and then return to earth for the commencement of Christ’s Kingdom on earth.  In other words, the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming (to set up His Kingdom) happen almost simultaneously.  According to this view, the church goes through the entire seven-year Tribulation.  Those who hold this position also adhere to Amillennialism or “no millennial reign of Christ on earth.”  It was standardized by Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century, and this codification carried amillennialism over as the dominant eschatology of the Medieval and Protestant Reformers during the Reformation periods.  Today, this belief includes Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations.

One strength proponents point out for Posttribulationism is that Jesus, in His extended discourse on the end times, says He will return after a “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21, 29).  Also, the book of Revelation, with all its various prophecies, mentions only one coming of the Lord; and that occurs after the Tribulation (Revelation 19-20).  Another passage they reference is Revelation 13:7 which shows there will be saints in the Tribulation.  Also, the resurrection of the dead in Revelation 20:5 is called “the first resurrection.”  Post-tribulationists assert that, since this “first” resurrection takes place after the Tribulation, the resurrection associated with the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 cannot occur until then.

Weaknesses perceived by scholars:

  • The “one” mention of the coming of the Lord in the Book of Revelation is for those who were not “caught up” in pre-, mid, or pre-wrath views.  Chapter 20 defines this “resurrection” as occurring after the 1,000-year reign of Christ.
  • Jesus speaks directly to the Jewish nation wherein they took His prophecy literally by leaving Jerusalem when they saw the Roman army surrounding the city.  The accounts in Matthew and Luke seem to be the same but are different when closely examined.
  • The Holy Spirit will lead many to accept Christ during the Tribulation, yet there is no explicit reference to the Ekklesia (Church) after chapters 2 and 3 in Revelation.
  • The rapture Paul mentions in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians is not the same as the resurrection of the dead referenced in Revelation 20.

Post-tribulationists also point out that, historically, God’s people have experienced times of intense persecution and trial.  Therefore, they say, it should not be surprising that the church also experiences the Great Tribulation of the end times.  About this, the post-tribulational view distinguishes “Satan’s wrath” (or “man’s wrath”) from “God’s wrath.” Satan’s wrath is directed against the saints, and God allows it as a means of purifying His faithful.  On the other hand, God’s wrath is poured out on the Antichrist and his godless kingdom, and God will protect His people from that punishment.

  • Unfortunately, many scholars (in my experience in the mission field) narrowly focus on the Body of Christ in the United States.  The latest from Open Doors shows more than 360 million Christians are persecuted today including North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.
  • In referencing “saints,” there is an obvious omission of the word church [Ekklesia] in all biblical passages related to the tribulation.  From the original text, we know “saints” and the “church” are two different Greek words.
  • As we have studied, Chapters 4 through 21 include the lengthiest description of the tribulation in all of Scripture yet there is no mention of the church [G 1577: Ekklesia].  Post-tribulationists assume the word saints [G 40: Agios – holy, set apart], is used forty times, and the church (seven times used in the seven letters) is the same although we see two different Greek words are used.
  • There are Scriptural challenges [Hermeneutics – exegesis of a text: literary or metaphorical] with the hypothesis of there being a distinction between “Satan’s wrath” and “God’s wrath.”  Until the “Fullness of the Gentiles” is complete, the persecution Israel and the Ekklesia experience is from [Ephesians 6:12] Principalities, Powers, and Spiritual Wickedness.  Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”  To truly examine the 70th week of Daniel, or the time of Jacob’s trouble as being the judgment and wrath of Jehovah students must know and understand the Old Testament prophets.  Specifically, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, etc.
  • Moreover, there are Scriptures that promise the church (Ekklesia) will prevail over the gates (place of authority) of hell (Matthew 16:18), to the Church of Thyatira, “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation (31/2 period defined by Jesus), except they repent of their deeds (Revelation 2:22), and the Church of Philadelphia is assured that Jesus will “keep thee from the hour of temptation [G 3986: adversity, affliction, trouble, or trial], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10).

It would seem these promises would not be kept if Jesus came after a large number of church-age believers [Ekklesia] were martyred.  Also, this view hardly leaves time for the “marriage feast of the Lamb” and the judgment seat of Christ.

As we reviewed Daniel 9:24-27, from this view and interpretation of the 70 weeks given to the prophet Daniel, these verses would be contiguous without the period between the cutting off of Messiah of verse 26, and verse 27:

  • Daniel 9:27 “And he shall confirm [H1396: perfect] the covenant [H1285: cutting in binding agreement] with many for one week: and in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

From a post-tribulation view, there is no distinction between the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ (Ekklesia] and the judgment of the nations.

  • Matthew 13:49-50 “49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
  • Matthew 25:31-33 “31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 “9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat [G968: Bema] of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Pointed out by scholars with different views is a final weakness shared by the other two theories: namely, that the Bible does not give an explicit timeline concerning future events.  As we look at other interpretations, we will see that Scripture does not expressly teach one view over another, and that is why there is a diversity of opinion concerning the end times and variety on how the related prophecies should be harmonized.

Marriage Feast

For the “marriage feast” Revelation 19:9, the Bride of Christ, the Ekklesia, is made ready to accompany Christ to earth at His Second Coming.  If the “mystery” Body of Christ is still on earth during the great tribulation, how do they come with Christ at His return?

  • Revelation 19:9 “And he saith unto me, write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Mid-tribulation Rapture

 

The rapture occurs in the middle [31/2 years] of the 7-year tribulation.  At that time, the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15), the church meets Christ in the air, and then the bowl judgments are poured upon the earth (Revelation 15—16) in the time Jesus referred to as the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).  In other words, the mid-tribe rapture and Christ’s second coming (to establish His earthly kingdom) are separated by the three and a half years.  According to this view, the church goes through the first half of the tribulation but is spared the worst of the tribulation in the last three and a half years.

Some proponents of mid-tribulation believe a parallel to the rapture of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:12) serves as an example.  Others debate the parallel and point to the transfiguration of Jesus referred to as the Mount of Transfiguration.  (Ancient tradition and long centuries of church-building and pilgrimage favor Mount Tabor over Mounts Banias, Meron, Hermon, and Nebo).

  • Luke 6:29-31 “29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”

As we previously studied, Prince Gabriel told the prophet:

  • Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Israelites] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

The witnesses were in Jerusalem and will be another prophetic sign to the Jewish nation, but critics say a more accurate parallel and Scripture would be to the after/afterward [G3326/5023: meta/tauta, in order of time] when the Apostle John was caught up [G 305: ascend, to be borne up] to heaven in [Revelation 4:1] as the rapture of the saints.  The actual wording is “Come up hither” which is the G 305, and not caught up.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 – When Paul was “caught up” [G 726: Harpazo] into paradise.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 – We which are alive shall be “caught up”, in the cloud, to meet Christ in the air.
  • Revelation 12:4-6 – And her child was “caught up” unto God, and to His throne.

While Jesus specifically calls the signs of “birth pains” the “Beginning of Sorrows” and the second half of the seventh week the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), Prince Gabriel reveals the 70 weeks are specifically God’s judgment on the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation.  The “weeping prophet” states in Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”

In support of their view, mid-tribulationists point to the sequence of events given by the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians:

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 “1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

The order of events:

1) apostasy,

2) the revelation of the Antichrist, and

3) the day of Christ.

Mid-tribulationists believe the Antichrist will not be decisively revealed until “the abomination that causes desolation” (Matthew 24:15), which occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation., or the 31/2 year mark.

  • Daniel 9:27 “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Along with the 27th verse, scholars support their doctrine with Daniel 7:25, which says the Antichrist will have power over the “saints” for three and a half years.  To bolster their point, they assume this is the first half of the tribulation and that the saints spoken of are the church.  Also, they interpret “the day of Christ” as the rapture; therefore, the church will not be caught up to heaven until after the Antichrist is revealed.

Another foundational teaching of mid-tribulationism is that the trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the same trumpet mentioned in Revelation 11:15.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
  • Revelation 11:15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

The trumpet of Revelation 11 is the final in a series of trumpets; therefore, it makes sense that it would be “the last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15.  This logic fails, however, given the trumpets’ objectives.  The trumpet that sounds at the rapture is “the trumpet call of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), but the one in Revelation 11 is a harbinger of judgment.  One trumpet is a call of grace to God’s elect; the other is a pronouncement of doom on the wicked.  Further, the seventh trumpet in Revelation is not the “last” trumpet chronologically – Jesus speaks of a later trumpet that sounds at the commencement of His reign.

  • Matthew 24:29-31 “29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

First Thessalonians 5:9 says that the church has not been appointed “to suffer wrath but to receive salvation.” This would seem to indicate that believers will not experience the tribulation.  However, mid-tribulationism interprets “wrath” as only referring to the second half of the tribulation; specifically, the bowl judgments.

The Original Greek

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

  • Appointed [G5087]: To decree one to be subject to wrath.
  • Wrath [G3709]: Divine punishment.  To undergo punishment in misery.  Attributed to Christ when he returns as the Messianic judge:
  • Revelation 6:16-17 “16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Limiting the word in such a way seems unwarranted.  The terrible judgments contained in the seals and trumpets; including famine, poisoned rivers, a darkened moon, bloodshed, earthquakes, and torment could also be considered the wrath of God.

Lastly, mid-tribulationism places the rapture in Revelation 11, before the start of the great tribulation.  There are two problems with this placement in the chronology of Revelation.  First, the only occurrence of the term “great tribulation” in the entire book is Revelation 7:14, before the opening of the seventh seal.

  • Revelation 7:13-14 “13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Second, the only reference to a “great day of wrath” is in Revelation 6:17, during the events of the sixth seal.  Both of these references come too early for a mid-tribulation rapture, which is timed according to the seventh trumpet.

Pre-Wrath Tribulation Rapture

 

Somewhat closely related to Mid-Tribulationism is the belief in the “pre-wrath” rapture.  This view was developed by Marvin Rosenthal and published in 1990, “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church.”  This all-out rejection of the pretribulation rapture position by Rosenthal, who had been an advocate of pretribulation for more than 35 years, made a significant impact among eschatological scholars.

  • Quoting Rosenthal, and his dogmatic prediction at the time, “Within two years many men will be teaching the Pre-Wrath Rapture.  Within five years it will be a recognized position.  And, if God pleases, within 15 years it will become a major position of the believing church.” (p.293).

Thirty-three years later, his view on Pre-Wrath vs. Pre-Tribulation has gained popularity over the years.  His Pre-Wrath view is close to the Post-Trib position but differs in one regard: Rosenthal believes Jesus will return for believers just before the Battle of Armageddon, near the very end of the Great Tribulation.

This solves a problem in Post-Trib eschatology, namely, how can immortalized (raptured) believers enter the Millennium and have children?  Since the mass conversion of Israel occurs in the context of the Battle of Armageddon, this allows mortal believers to enter and populate the Millennial Kingdom.

The pre-wrath rapture theory views the trumpet and the bowl judgments (Revelation 7–16) as the wrath of God, from which the church is exempted (1 Thessalonians 5:9).  However, the first six seal judgments (Revelation 6) are not considered the wrath of God but are interpreted as “the wrath of Satan” or “the wrath of the Antichrist.”  This is because there is no direct mention of God’s wrath until after the sixth seal is broken (Revelation 6:17).  According to the pre-wrath rapture theory, the church will be present to experience the first six seals.

Comparing Revelation 6 with Matthew 24, the pre-wrath rapture theorists identify the first seal judgments with Jesus’ description of the end times in Matthew 24:4-7.  Jesus then refers to these events as “the beginning of birth pains” (verse 8).  In verses 29 and 30, “the sign of the Son of Man” appears in the sky, and it is at this time, according to the pre-wrath rapture theory, that the rapture of the church occurs.

One weakness of the pre-wrath rapture position is its presumption that the “elect” mentioned in Matthew 24:22, 31 are church-age saints.  These saints could just as easily be individuals saved during the seven-year tribulation.  The fact that Jesus is instructing his disciples [Olivet Discourse: Peter, Andrew, James, and John], and Jews, to flee the antichrist’s persecution and pray that their flight does not occur “on the Sabbath” (verse 20) is directed to the nation of Israel.  As we know, the church [Ekklesia] is not under the Mosaic law and does not keep the Sabbath, Jesus’ words cannot be directed to the church.

  • Shortly before the siege of Jerusalem, a civil war broke out in Rome.  Vespasian became the new emperor in 69 CE, and Titus, the second in command in the war, assumed the reins.  The Romans were at the gates of Jerusalem, in 70 CE, besieging the walls.

When the Roman legions destroyed Judaea and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Josephus says that more than 1,100,000 Jews perished and nearly 100,000 were taken captive.  In Rome’s ancient forum, the Arch of Titus, which still stands, depicts Jewish captives in chains and Roman soldiers carrying the seven-branched temple candlestick on their shoulders.  Yet, while the Jews suffered starvation, slaughter, and capture, their fellow Christians in Jerusalem escaped.  Why?  Because they believed and followed the Lord’s instruction.

Thirty-seven years before the destruction, Jesus had foretold the terrible events that would follow his death.  He warned his followers to immediately flee Jerusalem when the signs he predicted occurred.  The Christian community carefully watched for the signs and followed the Savior’s warning.

The early Christian scholar Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea] wrote, “The whole body, however, of the church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.”  [Josephus also confirm the exodus of those of “the way.”]

Epiphanes also attested to the Christian escape, according to Bible scholar Adam Clarke.  The latter wrote: “It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself Master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape.

“[As] Vespasian was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so, they all marvelously escaped the general shipwreck of their country: not one of them perished.”

The Amazing Christian Escape from the A.D. 70 Destruction of Jerusalem

Did All of the Judean Christians Flee to Pella?

 

Another flaw in the pre-wrath rapture theory is its teaching that the first seal judgments are not the wrath of God.  Scripture shows that it is the Lamb who opens the seals (Revelation 5:5; 6:1).  No other man is found worthy to open them.  It would seem, then, that these are not HaSatan or man’s judgments, but God’s.  The tribulation begins when Jesus opens the first seal, and from that point on, the wrath of God is meted out on a sinful world.

Wrath?

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “9 For they themselves show us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

  • Wrath [G 3709]: The day on which the wrath of God will be made manifest in the punishment of the wicked.

Romans 2:1-12 “1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges: for wherein thou judge another, thou condemn thyself; for thou that judge does the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And think thou this, O man, who judge them which do such things, and does the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath [G 3709] against the day [G 2250] of wrath [G 3709] and revelation [G 602: concerning things unknow before – mystery] of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath [G 3709], 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.”

The Day [G 2250]: The day of Jehovah which He will execute terrible judgment upon his adversaries.  Alas for the Day (as we studied) Joel 1:15; the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1, 15; Isaiah 2:12, Amos 5:18, etc.)

  • Zephaniah 2:3 “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

[The Sixth Seal]

 

Revelation 6:17 “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Righteous Judgment [G 1341 (1x):] a just sentence.

Hosea 6:1-5 “1 Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days he will revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. 4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew goes away. 5 Therefore have I hewed [H 2672: cut out] them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [H 4941: deciding a case] as the light that goes forth.”

Judgment [G 2920]: Root word of G 1341: Damnation.

  • Matthew 10:15 “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment [G 2920], than for that city.”
  • Matthew 11:22 “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment [G 2920], than for you.”
  • Matthew 12:18 “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment [G 2920] to the Gentiles.”

1 Thessalonians 2:18-19 “18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; 23-24 “9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 “1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 “4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-53 – see below

Colossians 3:1-4 “1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:7 &13; 1 John 2:28 and 3:2; Jude 21; Revelation 2:25, and Revelation 3:10.

 

Partial Tribulation Rapture

 

“Not all believers will be raptured, but only those who have some degree of spiritual attainment that makes them worthy.”

 

This view states that those who are actively looking for the return of Christ will be raptured.  The Christians who are not looking for his return and are lazy in their Christian lives will miss the rapture event.

This makes rapture a reward, not a privilege.  This view is not very popular these days.

 

Doctrine of Imminency: Pre-Tribulation Rapture

 

Unrevealed Imminency

Imminence: The quality or condition of being about to occur, especially impending evil or danger. [Merriam-webster Dictionary]

This relatively new position is postulated by some at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  The view is that the Scriptures are intentionally unclear about when rapture occurs.  This leaves the believer expecting rapture at any time before or during the Tribulation.  The advantage of this position is that it coincides with the idea of imminency (Jesus could return at any moment like a “thief in the night”) evidenced in the New Testament and the writings of the Church Fathers while allowing for the possibility of seeing the Antichrist rise to power (2 Thessalonians 2:5).  This position has not been given much publicity, but it avoids some of the liabilities of the above positions of previous schools of thought.

I placed this and the following anticipation Scriptures before Pre-Tribulation as many scholars teach the Doctrine of Imminency as part of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view.

Anticipated Rapture Scriptures 

John 14:1-3 “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Place [G 5117]: A place or spot where one can settle, abide, and dwell.

  • Revelation 12:6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place [G 5117] prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Romans 8:16-20 “16 The Spirit itself provides witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 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. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.”

  • John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave them power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
  • 1 John 3:1 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knows us not, because it knew him not.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature [G 2937: thing created; creation], old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

From our previous studies in the Old Testament, we covered created beings which were the angelic host, the sons of God, or Bene Elohim. Sons (H1121: Ben) and God (H430: Elohim). The other created being was Adam:

Genesis 1:27 “So God created [H1254] man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created [H1254] him; male and female He created [H1254] them.”

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

 

History: Fact vs. Falsehood

From – When Was the Pre-Tribulation Rapture First Taught?

It has long been alleged by those who interpret prophecy allegorically that the pre-tribulation Rapture is a new doctrine and cannot, therefore, be true.

Gary DeMar, President of American Vision, says: “A majority of prophecy writers and speakers teach that the church will be raptured before a future tribulation period.  But did you know that before about 1830 no such doctrine existed?  No one in all of church history ever taught pretribulation rapture” (cited from “Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation,” Our Daily Bread by Jose Ortiz).

When DeMar says the pre-tribulation Rapture did not exist before 1830, he is referring to “The Morning Watch” prophecy journal and the writings of John Darby which popularized dispensational theology in the 1800s.

Though this claim continues to be made, it is patently false.

 

The Origin of the Allegorical Method of Interpretation [False Teaching]

 

The allegorical method of interpretation was invented by false teachers after the apostolic era as the apostasy was growing and spreading toward the formation of the Roman Catholic Church.

A school was established in Alexandria, Egypt, which became the headquarters for the allegorical method of interpretation.  Egypt was a place where false teaching proliferated in the first centuries after Christ.  Clement, who headed the school from AD 190 to 202, corrupted the Christian faith by mixing it with the worldly philosophy and allegoricalism of Philo.

  • “Clement saw the literal meaning of Scripture as being a ‘starting point’ for interpretation.  Although it was ‘suitable for the mass of Christians,’ God revealed himself to the spiritually advanced through the “deeper meaning” of Scripture.  In every passage, a deeper or additional meaning existed beyond the primary or immediate sense” (Matthew Allen, “Theology Adrift: The Early Church Fathers and Their Views of Eschatology,” bible.org).

Origen (AD 185-254) was one of the chief fathers of allegoricalism.  He led the school at Alexandria from AD 202 to 232.  Like Clement, he mixed the truth of the Bible with pagan philosophy.  He taught that celibacy was a holy state above marriage, contrary to the teaching of the apostles.  He taught baptismal regeneration, purgatory, and the pre-existence of the human soul.  He taught that all men, even Satan and demons, would eventually be saved.  He taught that the Holy Spirit was the first creature made by God and denied the full Godhead of Jesus.  He did not believe that the Scriptures were wholly inspired by God.

Another father of allegoricalism was Augustine (AD 354-430), one of the fathers of the Roman Catholic Church.  He was exalted as one of the “doctors” of Rome.  Augustine.

 

True Teaching in The 4th Century

 

Ephraem the Syrian (303 – 373 AD)

 

We now go back to two centuries after the apostles.  Ephraem is venerated as a “saint” by the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but they would not allow him to teach his doctrine of prophecy today.

He was a voluminous writer.  Many of his sermons and psalms are included in the 16-volume Post-Nicene Library.  (The Council of Nicea was held in AD 325, and historians divide the “fathers” into Ante-Nicene, before 325, and Post-Nicene, after 325).  Some of Ephraem’s sermons and hymns are used in the liturgy of Orthodox churches.

In the 1990s some of Ephraem’s writings were translated into English for the first time, one of these being On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, A.D. 373.  Ephraem believed in a literal fulfillment of prophecy, including a Rapture of New Testament saints prior to the Tribulation.

  • “For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins” (Ephraem the Syrian, On the Last Times).

Observe that Ephraem taught that the saints will be taken to the Lord so they will not see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world, which is exactly what he believed 1 Thessalonians 5:3-9 stated.  He taught a literal antichrist who will sit in a literal rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, a literal 3.5-year Tribulation, a literal Two Witnesses or prophets who will preach in Jerusalem, and a literal battle of Gog and Magog.

  • “And when the three and a half years have been completed, the time of the Antichrist, through which he will have seduced the world, after the resurrection of the two prophets, in the hour which the world does not know, and on the day which the enemy or son of perdition does not know, will come the sign of the Son of Man, and coming forward the Lord shall appear with great power and much majesty, with the sign of the word of salvation going before him, and also even with all the powers of the heavens with the whole chorus of the saints. … Then Christ shall come, and the enemy shall be thrown into confusion, and the Lord shall destroy him by the Spirit of his mouth.  And he shall be bound and shall be plunged into the abyss of everlasting fire alive with his father Satan; and all people, who do his wishes, shall perish with him forever; but the righteous ones shall inherit everlasting life with the Lord forever and ever.”

Ephraem believed in the imminency of the return of Christ and urged Christians to live godly lives in expectation of His return.

  • Morgan Edwards (1722 – 1795)

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture was taught by prominent Baptist leader Morgan Edwards.  His Two Academical Exercises on the Subjects Bearing the Following Titles: “Millennium” and “Last-Novelties” were published in 1744 in Philadelphia.

Edwards was one of the most prominent Baptist leaders of his day.  He was the pastor of the Baptist church in Philadelphia and the founder of Brown University, the first Baptist college in America.  A summary of life was featured in the Baptist Encyclopedia.  He was one of the first Baptist historians of repute, his Materials Toward A History of the Baptists (1770) providing a foundation for all subsequent works.

Following is what Edwards believed about Bible prophecy:

  • “The distance between the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousand years.  I say, somewhat more; because the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ’s ‘appearing in the air’ (I Thes. iv. 17); and this will be about three years and a half before the millennium, as we shall see hereafter: but will he and they abide in the air all that time?  No: they will ascend to paradise, or some one of those many ‘mansions in the father’s house’ (John xiv. 2) and disappear during the foresaid period.  The design of this retreat and disappearing will be to judge the risen and changed saints; for ‘now the time is come that judgment must begin,’ and that will be in the house of God.’ (I Pet. iv. 17)”

We should note that Edwards believed that the tribulation would only be 3.5 years, so he was not promoting a “pre-wrath” or mid-tribulation position.

Edwards first wrote the previous statement in a senior essay while at Bristol Baptist College in Bristol, England, before coming to America.  At the beginning of the essay, in a comment addressed to his teacher, Edwards said,

  • “And is it come to my lot to treat of the Millennium or Christ thousand years reign on earth?  Thousand pities, sir, that you had not allotted the task to one of these older and abler students!  But since it is your pleasure, I will do my possible: and IN THE ATTEMPT WILL WORK BY A RULE YOU HAVE OFTEN RECOMMENDED, VIZ.  ‘TO TAKE THE SCRIPTURES IN A LITERAL SENSE, EXCEPT WHEN THAT LEADS TO CONTRADICTION OR ABSURDITY.’”

This rule of literal interpretation of prophecy is exactly the rule from which Pre-Tribulationists work today.  Edwards bluntly rejected the allegorical approach. Of the millennial kingdom prophecies, he said, “Miserable work do the Anti-millenarians make of these texts.”

  • Allegory is the expression of truths or generalizations about human existence using symbolic fictional figures and their actions.  It encompasses such forms as fable and parable.  A metaphor, broadly, is figurative language; specifically, it is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.  Aesop’s Fables is an example of allegory; “The ship plows the seas” is an example of a metaphor.

Edwards was writing 175 years before the destruction of the Ottoman Empire’s hold on the land of Israel (1917) and 200 years before the establishment of the modern state of Israel (1948), yet he knew that these things would happen.  Consider the following fascinating prediction that he made based on a literal interpretation of Bible prophecy:

  • “The Turkish or Ottoman Empire will be demolished; for otherwise the right owners cannot possess their inheritance … The twelve tribes (as observed before) will return to their ancient inheritance, else how can the twelve apostles be their judges? … In this united capacity they will rebuild Jerusalem in its place, and the temple in its place on mount Zion; for in this temple will antichrist sit as god, and be the abomination mentioned by Daniel, and referred to by Christ.”

 

The Apostles

When it comes to sound doctrine, the bottom line is not what anyone has or has not taught in church history.  It is “What saith the Lord?” Period.  The Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice.  It is not one authority among many, and it is not the authority only as confirmed by “church fathers” and “theologians.”  The bottom line is that the apostles and early Christians interpreted prophecy literally.

They believed in an imminent return of Christ

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

The apostles and prophets taught that the Lord’s return is “at hand”

  • Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent; the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.”
  • Philippians 4:4-5 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”
  • 1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.”
  • Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

They believed in the Rapture of New Testament saints

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

They believed that the New Testament saints would be saved from the Tribulation to come

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:3-9 “3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep – sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

They believed in a literal Antichrist

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

They believed in a literal return of Christ and a literal fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy

  • Acts 3:19-21 “19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

They believed in a literal fulfillment of Israel’s covenants following the church age

  • Romans 11:25-27 “25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins.”

Source – When Was the Pre-Tribulation Rapture First Taught?

 

Today, the Pre-Trib rapture is the view popularized through the work of dispensational teachers such as Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye in his “Left Behind” novel series.  However, the definitive works on the subject include John Walvoord’s “The Rapture Question,” J. Dwight Pentecost’s “Things to Come,” and Charles Ryrie’s “Dispensationalism Today.”

Central passages of Scripture for Pre-Trib include: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9, Revelation 3:10, and all the passages that describe the Tribulation, but lack the word Ekklesia in them (e.g., Daniel 9; 12; The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, and Revelation 4-18.

  • Revelation 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Here, Jesus refers to the tribulation period.  If believers are to be saved from the tribulation, the rapture has to precede the tribulation!  Note that the promise to the Church in Philadelphia is not preservation through the trial but deliverance from the hour, that is, from the period of the trial.

The word “church” [Ekklesia: G1577] appears nineteen times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but, significantly, the word is not used again until chapter 22.  In other words, in the entire lengthy description of the Tribulation in Revelation, the word church is noticeably absent.  In fact, the Bible never uses the word “church” in a passage relating to the Tribulation.

Pretribulationism is the only theory that clearly maintains the distinction between Israel and the church [Ekklesia – not the denominational structures] and God’s separate plans [mutually exclusive or at variance with each other] for each.  The seventy “sevens” of Daniel 9:24 are decreed upon Daniel’s people (the Jews) and Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem).  This prophecy makes it plain that the seventieth week (the Tribulation) is a time of purging and restoration for Israel and Jerusalem, not for the church.

 

Addendum

1 Corinthians 15:1-53

“1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? 30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 it is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

 

Blessings in Christ,

Joseph “Jim” Stockstill
“National War Council” – Founder and Chairman
Jim5555@nationalwarcouncil.org
P.O. Box 931
Argyle, TX 76226

nwc@nationalwarcouncil.org
Jim5555@nationalwarcouncil.org
Donations to National War Council

“He hath shown thee what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
 Micah 6:8

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