The Bible clearly teaches that the
Rapture occurs BEFORE the Tribulation, and the Tribulation occurs BEFORE
the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem.
“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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words.” —1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
Here are 28 differences between the Rapture and Christ's Second Coming
The Predictable,
Unpredictable, Pre-Tribulation, Rapture
Anything Other Than a
Pre-Tribulation Rapture Removes The Prophesied Element Of Surprise
The strongest evidence in the
Bible of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture (that is, the Biblical doctrine that
Jesus Christ will return FOR the saints BEFORE the 7-year
Tribulation period) is the PROPHESIED ELEMENT OF SURPRISE! Plainly, the
Lord Jesus taught that NO MAN KNOWS THE TIME of His return.
Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in
such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Luke
12:40, “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man
cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
Anything other than a Pre-tribulation Rapture (in time of event) totally
REMOVES this Biblical element of surprise.
The Bible predicts the
Rapture, telling us that it will be unpredictable, imminent, without
warning, and will be visible only to THE SAINTS. When Jesus raised up
from the dead, 1st Corinthians 15:6 teaches that the Lord appeared
bodily to over 500 BRETHREN AT ONCE. The Lord did not appear to any
unsaved people after His resurrection. The Lord appeared to Mary
Magdalene, His 12 apostles, over 500 disciples at once and others. There
is no record of any unsaved person seeing the Lord in His resurrected
body.
Likewise, the Lord will only
appear to the saints at the Rapture when He comes. The unsaved world,
although no doubt they will be adversely affected to some degree by the
Rapture, will not see Christ at that time. The world will see Christ
7-years later when He returns to the earth riding on a white horse of
judgment at the Second Coming. I have
listed 28 differences contrasting the Rapture to the Second Coming;
such as the fact that the saints will be GOING UP at the Rapture, but
they will be COMING DOWN at the Second Coming.
Granted, the Rapture is a more
difficult doctrine in the Bible to discern, simply because it requires a
comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the chronological order of
prophetic events. God created time as a mean of letting His children
know what will happen next on His prophetic time line. The Lord calls us
His friends, as He clarified in John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I
have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I
have made known unto you.” The Lord as our friend is telling us
what He is going to do in the future. What an awesome Savior!
I marvel when I think
about how our omnipotent God chose to live in my body as a Christian
believer, being as close as is possible with me as His child. Jesus
wanted to be so close to each of His children, that He planned before we
were even conceived to live within our very being, uniting with our very
soul. 1st Corinthians 3:16-17 teaches that the believer's human body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. My human heart and mind cannot
fathom such awesome love, to think that the God Who spoke the universe
into existence, would choose and make it possible to live within my very
body continually, never to leave me (1st John 4:4; James 13:5).
There is probably not a more
controversial doctrine than the Rapture of the saints in the
Bible. Skeptics love to point out that the word “Rapture” is not found in the Bible,
but neither is the word “Bible.” So why do we use the term Bible? The word “Rapture” does NO injustice to the
Scriptures. The teaching of the Rapture is Biblical. The word “Rapture” means “to be caught away,”
which is plainly taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:17. Many
critics of the Rapture doctrine have stressed this fact over and
over, that is, that the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. However, the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible
either. Nevertheless, the word “Godhead” most certainly is found in the Bible
(if you have a non-corrupted Bible). I
prefer the word “Godhead” for this simple reason. This is why modern
Bible butcherers completely removed the word “Godhead,” so Satan could
attack the deity of Christ.
The reliable King James
Bible mentions the “Godhead” in Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20 and Colossians
2:9. All modern corrupted Bible versions
completely remove the word Godhead. The reason why was to broaden
their marketing base (the love of money), catering to the sectarian bias
of hundreds of various religious groups. Satan is behind the modern
corrupted Bible versions, attacking the deity of Jesus Christ, the
Godhead and His preeminence.
Nevertheless, I confidently
believe that the word “Trinity” does NO injustice to the plain
teachings of the Word of God. The word accurately describes the divine
triune nature of God. Howbeit, as I mentioned, I prefer to use the word
“GODHEAD.” Tragically, modern versions of the Bible, such as the damnable
New International Version [NIV or H.I.V.] have removed this word
Godhead completely (as they have the words: trucebreakers, winebibbers,
carnal, slothful, unthankful, effeminate, backbiting, vanity, lasciviousness,
whoredom, devils, fornication, Lucifer, damnation, brimstone, and the bottomless pit,
Calvary, propitiation, bottomless pit, sodomites, et cetera).
The name and doctrine of
Lucifer have been completely removed from modern so-called “easy-to-read”
corrupt Bibles. Read Isaiah 14:12 for yourself and verify what I say.
Lucifer (Satan) is behind the Bible-corrupting movement, which is why he
wants people to think that he doesn't really exist. Wake up!
God Always Deals
With Israel and the Church Separately
Don't forget this one great truth about Bible
prophecy, that is, God never deals with Israel and the Church at the same
time. In the Old Testament God dealt with Israel; but in the New Testament
God is dealing with the Church. Whenever God deals with His earthly chosen
nation, then He is not dealing with the Church. God set aside Israel in
the Old Testament because of her spiritual harlotry. We are now living in
the Church age, in the “Times Of The Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). In the
Tribulation God will once again deal with Israel.
Please listen to:
Why I Am Glad I Won't Be In The Tribulation |
Great Tribulation (heart-touching, life-changing, MP3 sermons by
Evangelist
Phil Kidd).
This further evidences that the Church will be taken out of the world
before the Tribulation period, which is a time when God will deal once
again with Israel. The Church will NOT go through the Tribulation, nor
half-way through the Tribulation.
Were Billy Sunday,
Moody, Jones, Hutson, Rice and Ironside All Wrong?
May I humbly make the important observation
that the greatest men of God of the past 150 years all believed in a
PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE! Harry A. Ironside, John R. Rice, Jack Hyles, Bob
Jones Sr., Lee Roberson, Oliver B. Greene, R.A. Torrey, Dwight Moody,
Lester Roloff, Curtis Hutson, Billy Sunday, W.A. Criswell, Charles C.
Ryrie, Raymond Barber and others all concluded and taught a Pretribulation
Rapture of the saints!!! Amen! Were they all wrong on the Bible? I think
not!
Read what Evangelist Billy Sunday said in his
classic sermon, “The Second Coming Of Christ”...
The Lord does not
come to the world at the time of the Rapture, but only reveals himself
to the members of His Body. At the time of his resurrection He was only
seen by those who believed on Him. Pilate and the High Priest, and those
who crucified Him, did not know that He was risen. So it will be at the
time of the Rapture. The world will not know that He has been here, and
will have no knowledge of Him until He comes with the members of His
Body, at the close of the Tribulation.
SOURCE:
The Second Coming of Christ — by Evangelist Billy Sunday
Clearly, Billy Sunday concluded and taught a
Pretribulation Rapture. The Bible very plainly teaches that the TIME of
the Rapture is a carefully guarded secret. Those critics who decry a
“secret Rapture” are criticizing the Lord's very Words, for Jesus clearly
stated in Mark 13:32-33, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
The timing of the Rapture my friend is indeed A BIG SECRET!!! And
again we read in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
Only a Pre-tribulation Rapture
Focuses On Jesus Himself
Beware of the shallow psuedo-scholarship of
this apostate generation. Remember, the purpose of all Bible prophecy is
to testify of Jesus. Revelation 19:10, “...worship God: for
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Rapture is all about the great and glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, JESUS CHRIST!!! The Rapture is not about the
appearance of the Antichrist, nor is it about the Tribulation, nor is it
about God's wrath being poured out upon the wicked world; but rather, the
Rapture is all about the return of OUR DEAR SAVIOR JESUS!!!
All of these post-tribulation false
prophets, and pre-wrath heretics, are failing to focus on the Lord Jesus
Christ. The entire purpose behind a sudden, unpredictable, return of
Christ is so that each and every believer will live accordingly, on their
toes (so-to-speak), laboring to preach the gospel, walking in the Spirit,
praying and abiding in the Scriptures, watching and waiting for the Lord's
imminent return. Mark 13:36-37, “Lest coming suddenly he find you
sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
A “Falling Away”
Must Happen First
In the following Scriptures, we
read the term “a falling away” . . .
"Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering
together unto him, 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. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come
a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" —2nd
Thessalonians 2:1-3
The Greek meaning for this
phrase is “a departure.” I believe that this term refers to the
departure of the Saints. The reason is because the context of the
surrounding Scripture passage tells us, “BE NOT SOON SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE
TROUBLED.” What should we not be troubled about? Verse 1 tells us that
this issue concerns the “COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” Now if this
Scripture is telling us that the Lord will not return until the world goes
into total apostasy, then this passage is not very helpful or comforting,
because it would be highly susceptible to speculation. Many people thought
during the days of the Roman Empire, when Julius Caesar mercilessly
murdered 430,000 German tribesman (see, KILLING JESUS, by Bill
O'Reilly) that the end was near. Many people thought World Wars I and II
were the end. If however, this Scripture passage is referring to the
departure (FALLING AWAY) of the saints, then that is very clear-cut and
unmistakable.
Some people believe that the
phrase “a falling away” in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 refers
to a departure from law and order, i.e., anarchy! These are the folks
who believe in a Pre-wrath (mid tribulation) or Postribulation (after the
tribulation) Rapture. Of course, this is not the PLAIN teaching of the
Bible. Although the anarchy theory sounds very plausible, it is not
very practical because history is filled with anarchy, rebellion and
lawlessness. Dr. Jack Hyles explains this historical fact in his
awesome MP3 sermon,
WHY
THE ANTICHRIST MUST COME SOON!
In addition, I will show you further Scriptures in a
moment that overwhelmingly support the departure of the saints prior to
the Tribulation period (i.e., the 7-year time between the Rapture and
the millennial reign of Christ from Jerusalem). So, I could just as easily
use the term “falling away” (or the departure), but the term “Rapture” DOES justice to the overwhelming amount of
Biblical evidence in support of a Rapture of the saints (i.e., when
all the saints shall all be caught up together in the clouds to be with Jesus).
There's no mention of the word “dispensation” in the Bible, but the Bible
plainly teaches
Dispensationalism (Dr. Harry Ironside).
Albeit, beware of
Ultra-Dispensationalism (by Dr. Jack Hyles). It is ridiculous to
complain about words which perfectly fit Biblical teachings which are 100%
accurate. Howbeit, if you don't like the term Rapture, then don't
use it; but it is sinful to deny that the saints will be “CAUGHT UP” when
Christ returns for His Church before the Tribulation, which is a
very different and distinctive event than Christ's Second Coming after
the 7-year Tribulation to establish His earthly kingdom and reign from the
throne of David in Israel. At the Rapture, the saints are ascending UP;
but at Christ's Second Coming, the saints are descending DOWN.
Here is an excellent exegesis of
the much debated phrase “falling away” from 2nd Thessalonians 2:2 by Dr.
Max D. Younce...
B. We now
examine II Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day (day of LORD) shall not come, except there come a falling away
(departure) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition.”
We are now
introduced to the Greek word “apostasia” which is translated as “falling
away” in the King James Translation. The basic meaning of the word is
“departure.” One cannot tell from the meaning of the word, itself,
whether it is in reference to the departure, i.e., the Rapture of the
Church; or, a “departure from the truth,” known as apostasy. “Apostasia”
translated as “falling away” is quite misleading, as it does not
incorporate the meaning “to fall” or “fell.” For example, check Matthew
10:29 (“fall”); Matthew 17:6 (“fell”); John 18:6 (“fell”), etc. These
are translated from the Greek word “pipto,” not “apostasia.” Therefore,
only by the context in which “apostasia” occurs can it be determined if
it is in reference to a departure from the faith, or the departure of
the Church from the world.
It should be noted,
that to the best of my knowledge, all English translations prior to the
King James Translation translated “apostasia” either as “departing” or
“departure.” Also, the Bible known as the Vulgate, about 400 A.D., was
Jerome’s Latin translation. Here Jerome uses the Latin word “discessio”,
meaning “departure” for “apostasia.”
With this in
mind, one can see that this is in perfect harmony with Verse 1, which
ascribes to the Rapture. “Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.”
(The Rapture). This is the same as Paul had previously spoken about in I
Thessalonians 4:17 concerning the Rapture.
“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.”
In I Thessalonians
4:13-17, Paul gives the principles of the Rapture; whereas, in II
Thessalonians 2, he gives the procedure concerning the Rapture, which is
Pre-Tribulation.
May we make a few
more observations which lead us to conclude that “apostasia” in II
Thessalonians 2:3 is speaking of the Church departing from the earth,
raptured to meet her Savior in the clouds, and not a departure from the
faith.
(1). Notice in Verse
7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” Paul states
that apostasy from the faith was already present. Hymenaeus and
Alexander were two of them. (I Timothy 1:19,20). There were false
teachers of the law. (I Timothy 1:4-7). False teachings concerning the
resurrection. (II Timothy 2:16-18). Read Jude; I John 2:18; II Peter
2:1-3; I John 4:1-3, and we could go on and on. In other words, from the
offspring of Adam and Eve there has always been apostasy from the faith.
What do we attribute the Flood to? In Israel there were the false
prophets and priests. It was the same at the time of Christ and ever
since, to the present. Therefore, it would be ludicrous to think that
“apostasia” in II Thessalonians 2:3 was in reference to “apostasy from
the faith” when there has never been a time when apostasy has not been
with us.
Therefore, how
would the Thessalonians recognize any apostasy different from the
apostasy that already existed and that has always existed in one way or
another. From the context, itself, we know the “apostasia” in Verse 3 is
not in reference to departure from the faith, already existent; but,
rather, a departure of the Church from the world, or the Rapture.
Apostasy already existed as stated in Verse 7, “For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work…”
We have the same
false teachers today, advocating a Partial or a Post-Tribulation
Rapture, as those believers in Thessalonica encountered over 1900 years
ago. As we have stated previously, the Christian is admonished to be
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” NOT, “the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of the Tribulation Period! (I.e., the Day of God’s Wrath.).
SOURCE:
Will the Church Be Raptured Before, During, or
After the Tribulation Period?
Clearly, the “falling away”
(verse 2) refers to “our gathering together unto him” (verse 1).
One of the best
statements I
ever read was the following statement by Dr. John R. Rice, “The
best way
to interpret the Bible is not to interpret it at all.” I like
that. So
often people make the MISTAKE of trying to find things in the
Bible that
God didn't put there. We are commanded to “search the Scriptures”
(John 5:39); however, we must not search for what is not
there. It is critically important that we apply wisdom when
studying the Bible. How do we do this? By taking the Bible at
face value unless it says otherwise. The Book of Revelation does
entail much symbolism, but the Bible CLEARLY indicates the
meaning. Many false doctrines have been constructed by
ignorant and unlearned men who are unskilled
at dividing the truth...
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth."
—2nd Timothy 2:15
How do you “rightly divide“ the Word of God? By cross-referencing the Bible, i.e.,
comparing Scripture with Scripture. Correct Bible exegesis means to compare one
truth to another and never take any Scripture outside
of the
contextual agreement of all the other Scriptures in the Bible as a whole.
As an example: Mark 16:16
says, “He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Many
people (including some preachers) foolishly believe that a person MUST be
water baptized to be saved. A quick cross-reference over to 1st
Corinthians 1:17 would reveal otherwise. Paul said, “For Christ sent
me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” In
believing we are justified IN GOD'S EYES by faith; but in water baptism
we are justified IN THE EYES OF MEN by our works. Likewise, Paul speaks
of the ROOT of the believer's faith in Romans, being justified IN GOD'S
EYES by faith alone (Romans 4:5-6); whereas James speaks of the FRUIT of
the believer's faith, being justified by works IN THE EYES OF MEN (James
2:17-24).
John 4:2
says that Jesus didn't water baptize anyone; but His disciples did
instead. If baptism were required by God for salvation, do you think
Jesus and the
Apostle Paul would have left it to someone else? There is no
Biblical
record of the woman at the well getting water baptized in John chapter
4, nor did Jesus ever tell her to go get water baptized.
The Apostle Paul
clearly said that Jesus did NOT send him to baptize anyone. No one in
the Old Testament was ever water baptized. The repentant thief on the
cross wasn't water baptized. Clearly, water baptism is NOT essential to
salvation as some false churches errantly require today. Do you
now see the importance of cross-referencing the Bible? I could show
you dozens and dozens of such examples of false doctrines which result
from failure to compare Scripture with Scripture. So, never base a
doctrine upon a a single Scripture passage without taking into
consideration the entire scope of the Scriptures. Ask the Holy
Spirit of God to guide you...
“Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” —John 16:13
Let the Holy Spirit be your
guide, and He'll lead you around the minefields of heresy. Of course, you CANNOT have
the Holy Spirit to guide you unless you are a born-again believer.
If you have never accepted Christ as your personal Saviour, then
please do so now. You need
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Having laid the groundwork, I would like to
share with you some thoughts concerning the Rapture. There's so much
garbage (i.e., doctrinal heresy) on the internet today. I am saddened that
America's churches have been so lax in this needy area of preaching the
truth in cyberspace. Far more people are surfing the internet than
attending church these days, and you can't blame them in view of the
apostate condition of Christianity today. Jesus said that the unsaved in
His generation were wiser than the saved, “...for the
children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children
of light” (Luke 16:8). And so it is today. Let us be diligent as
believers in these Last Days—to contend for the Biblical faith, to stand
against the evils of our time, to walk with Jesus and to aggressively go
soulwinning to get people saved.
Read what Evangelist Billy Sunday said in his
classic sermon, “The Second Coming Of Christ”...
The Lord does not
come to the world at the time of the Rapture, but only reveals himself to
the members of His Body. At the time of his resurrection He was only seen by
those who believed on Him. Pilate and the High Priest, and those who
crucified Him, did not know that He was risen. So it will be at the time of
the Rapture. The world will not know that He has been here, and will have no
knowledge of Him until He comes with the members of His Body, at the close
of the Tribulation.
SOURCE:
The Second Coming of Christ — by Evangelist Billy Sunday
Clearly, Billy Sunday concluded and taught a
Pretribulation Rapture.
Plain Evidence Of A Pre-Tribulation Rapture
The Rapture and Christ's Second
Coming Cannot Happen Together
Pastor Steve Anderson in Arizona is by far
the biggest critic of the Biblical pretribulation Rapture. Also, Dr. Kent
Hovind has recently changed his beliefs, now denying the pretribulation
Rapture which he previously believed for 38-years. Pastor Anderson teaches
a postribulation Rapture in his film titled, “AFTER
THE TRIBULATION”; but then flip flops in his sequel titled “THE
BOOK OF REVELATION,” now teaching that the Rapture occurs 75-days
after the Abomination Of Desolation (half way, or 3 1/2 years through the
Tribulation). This latter view is commonly called the “PRE-WRATH” Rapture.
This is the same heresy that Dr. Roland Rasmussen believed and taught.
I greatly admire investigative author and
Christian, Mark Dice, and I
highly recommend his cool
videos exposing the Illuminati; BUT, Mark foolishly denies the
pretribulation Rapture and you need to be aware of this. It appears that
Radio host Alex Jones, Pastor Steve Anderson and others in their circle of
friends are all hellbent on destroying the Biblical doctrine of the
pretribulation Rapture. Jesus plainly said that His return would be a
surprise and without warning. Only a pretribulation Rapture (i.e., the
imminent return of Christ at any moment) supports the Biblical element of
surprise.
The Pre-Wrath view teaches that the saints
will go through the events of the beginning of the Tribulation, but will
then be raptured before God pours out His wrath upon the earth in THE
GREAT TRIBULATION (the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation). May I say,
there is NOTHING in the Bible which supports anything other than a
Pretribulation Rapture! Why? Simply because only a Pretribulation Rapture
permits the element of surprise, which the Lord plainly taught, which I
covered at the beginning of this article.
I heard Alex Jones and Steve Anderson say
today on the February 1, 2013 Alex Jones Show that they aren't denying
the Rapture. They sincerely think that the Rapture will occur AFTER the
Tribulation period. And as I mentioned, then Steve Anderson changed his
view, now claiming a Pre-Wrath view. The Bible disagrees with both
views!
Clearly, the Rapture cannot
happen at the same time as the Second Coming, because it wouldn't make
any sense. Why would the saints be taken up (Rapture) at the same time
that the saints are coming down (Second Coming)?
The Pre-Wrath view presents a
different set of theological contradictions, removing the element of
surprise completely. So why would Jesus command us all to WATCH (Mark
13:39)?
Mark
13:35-37, “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:
Lest
coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say
unto all, Watch.”
The Separating of the Tares
from the Wheat
Please note that the following passage of
Scripture is often misinterpreted. The Bible in this passage is NOT
talking about the Rapture; but rather, the separation of the tares
(unsaved) from the wheat (saved) at Christ's Second Coming...
Matthew 24:38-42, “For as in the days
that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one
shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the
mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore:
for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
Again, the preceding Bible passage is NOT
speaking about the Rapture of the saints; but rather, the separating of
the tares from the wheat at the Second Coming of Christ. This truth is
evidenced by verses 38-39, likening these unsaved people (tares) with the
unsaved who perished in Noah's time. Verse 42 does not refer to Christians
by use of the words “your Lord.” Jesus is the Lord of all humanity.
Philippians 2:9-11 teaches that every human being will ultimately bow
their knee and confess with their tongue that Jesus is Lord, then God will
cast the unbelieving into the Lake of Fire forever.
Note that in my early years as a believer
that I used to believe that the “two men in the field” and the “two women
grinding at the mill” referred to the Rapture. I believed this simply
because that is what I had always been taught in Sunday School and church.
However, it is now clear to me that the tares (unsaved) are removed and
not the wheat (saved). Matthew 13:40 confirms that the tares are the
unsaved being removed from the earth, and not the righteous (wheat).
Matthew 13:40, “As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end
of this world.”
Clearly this is a completely different and
separate event than the Rapture, when the saints are removed instead. It
would be silly to conclude that BOTH events happen at the Second Coming of
Christ (that is, at the same time). It makes much more sense that the
Rapture will happen BEFORE the 7-year Tribulation, and then the separation
of the tares from the wheat will happen AFTER the Tribulation.
Now here's my point and the PROOF of a
Pre-Tribulation Rapture: If the Rapture happens AFTER the 7-year
Tribulation period, then the tares will be taken at the same time as the
Rapture of the saints, which makes absolutely no sense. If God Raptures
the saints at the time of His Second Coming (i.e., a Post-Tribulation
Rapture), then what would be the purpose of separating the tares from the
wheat? The Bible plainly teaches that the separating of the tares from the
wheat is NOT the Rapture. The Rapture is when the saints are “CAUGHT UP”
(1st Thessalonians 4:17). In sharp contrast, at the onset of Christ's
Millennial reign, God is going to separate the wicked (tares) from the
wheat (righteous)...
Matthew 13:36-42, “Then Jesus sent the
multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto
him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He
answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of
man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the
kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy
that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and
the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son
of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there
shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
God is going to remove the wicked! Clearly
this passage of Scripture does NOT refer to the Rapture. So why would God
Rapture the righteous and then separate the wicked tares from the
righteous wheat all at the same time as the Second Coming of Christ? How
could this even be possible? So if the Rapture follows the Tribulation,
then God would have to remove the righteous and the wicked, so there'd be
NO ONE LEFT! Remember the film series called, “LEFT BEHIND?” Well what
would be the purpose of Rapturing the saints and leaving the wicked behind
if Christ is simultaneously returning to set up His Kingdom? If you think
this through, it is so obvious that a Post-Tribulation Rapture is
impossible, ridiculous and totally unbiblical. Honestly, the
Post-Tribulation crowd are comical and woefully ignorant of the Bible.
Now a Pre-Tribulation Rapture makes perfect
sense, because the unsaved wicked are left behind at the Rapture to suffer
through the 7-year Tribulation which follows. That makes sense! That's
what the Bible teaches! Alex Jones said on his February 1, 2013 show that
“I know deception from the truth... anybody who has discernment would be
freaking out over this” (i.e., a Pre-Tribulation Rapture). If you logic
through the facts that I just gave you from the Bible, you can only
conclude a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. The tares will be separated from the
wheat at the END of the 7-year Tribulation when the Lord returns at the
Second Coming. After the Battle Of Armageddon the tares will be separated
from the wheat. The wheat (righteous) left behind are those people who
will be saved during the Tribulation period. They will enter into the
millennial Kingdom when Christ shall reign from Jerusalem over the entire
earth.
The Early New Testament Church
Elders Understood the Rapture
We've heard a bunch of lying propaganda on
the internet from PreTrib Rapture bashers, alleging that John Darby
invented the doctrine of the Rapture, which is not true. Although the
word itself may or may not have been invented in 1834, popularized by
Mr. Darby, the doctrine of the saints being “CAUGHT UP” is plainly
taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:17 and was clearly understood by the early
Church elders...
What
Did Ancient Church Fathers Believe About The Rapture?
August 2, 2013 |
By Beginning and End
“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.” –1 Thessalonians
4:17
What did the first century
church fathers believe about the Rapture? Were they pre-tribulation or
post-tribulation? What did the disciples of the Apostles of Jesus Christ
teach about the Rapture?
This article will present the writings of the early church fathers – from
those who learned under the disciples of Jesus Christ, to the church
leaders of the second and third centuries, on the Rapture – the
supernatural removal of all Bible-believing Christians from Earth to enter
Heaven. While the writings of the first, second and third century
Christian church fathers are not Scripture and not on par with the Bible
in any way, it is informative to see how the early church leaders
interpreted Scripture in addition to what the learned directly from those
closest to The Lord Jesus Christ. And definitively, the few writings still
in existence on the end times, put the timing of the Rapture before the
Great Tribulation.
This article will also
serve to dispel some of the common misconceptions about Rapture theology
as being something invented in the 19th century by a man named John
Darby...
“John Darby Invented The
Pre-Tribulation Rapture”
John Darby has been
incorrectly credited with “inventing” the Rapture. All over the internet there
are many articles and videos that claim that the Rapture doctrine was
“invented” in 1830 by a man named John Darby. The following is an excerpt
that summarizes this theory:
“The Rapture doctrine, which
was the invention of the Plymouth Brethren led by John Nelson
Darby (1800-1882), has today been adopted by most Baptist, Pentecostals,
Assemblies of God, and a variety of other fundamentalist sects. The idea
that Jesus Christ will return for His true Church just before the
beginning of the Great Tribulation in a secret gathering or “catching
away” was an important part of Darby’s teaching. The movement in which
this teaching began originated in small groups in England and Ireland
about 1828 and by 1831 was part of the official teaching of the Plymouth
Brethren. By 1860 the “rapture” had made its way to the United States.
Today, prophecy pundits and “end-time” revivalists preach the Rapture as
if it were established dogma from the time of Christ until the present.
The truth is that the first historical reference to the Rapture doctrine
comes from the Plymouth Brethren. Not only is the Rapture not found in the
teachings of the Church, but even “end-time” heretics throughout the
centuries never dreamed of proposing such a novel idea. For example, the
4th century Montanists, who preached both pre-millennialism and that they
knew when Christ would return, never ventured so far as to create another
2nd coming of the Lord in a secret rapture.
In all the writings of the Scriptures, the Early Fathers, and the
Ecumenical Councils, there is no mention of two 2nd comings of Christ.”
(source)
[Emphasis added].
In short, the objection is
that rather than being a real part of the Bible, the entire idea of a
pre-Great Tribulational Rapture was just an invention by Darby and “not
even heretics” ever used it. This is very strong language, but is it true?
Were there no ancient Christian writings about the church being Raptured
before Great Tribulation? An examination of early church writings shows
that this charge is false and there were some church fathers who indeed
wrote about the Rapture.
Irenaeus
Irenaeus (130 A.D. –
202 AD) was a bishop of the church in Lyons, France. He was an eyewitness
to the Apostle John (who wrote the Book of Revelation) and a disciple of
Polycarp, the first of the Apostle John’s disciples. Irenaeus is
most-known for his five-volume treatise,
Against
Heresies in which he exposed the false religions and cults of his day
along with advice for how to share the Gospel with those were a part of
them.
In his writings on Bible prophecy, he acknowledged the phrase “a time,
times and dividing of times” in Daniel 7 to signify the 3 ½ year reign of
the Antichrist as ruler of the world before the Second Coming of Christ.
He also believed in a literal Millennial reign of Christ on earth
following the Second Coming and the resurrection of the just.
On the subject of the Rapture, in
Against Heresies 5.29, he wrote:
“Those nations however, who did
not of themselves raise up their eyes unto heaven, nor returned thanks to
their Maker, nor wished to behold the light of truth, but who were like
blind mice concealed in the depths of ignorance, the word justly reckons
“as waste water from a sink, and as the turning-weight of a balance — in
fact, as nothing;”(1) so far useful and serviceable to the just, as
stubble conduces towards the growth of the wheat, and its straw, by means
of combustion, serves for working gold. And therefore, when in the
end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said,
“There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning,
neither shall be.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in
which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.”
Irenaeus in this passage
describes the church leaving the sinful world just before unprecedented
disasters. Note his use of the term “caught up” which is Rapture
terminology as that is the meaning of harpazo, the term for “caught
up” in the King James Bible describing the Rapture in 1
Thessalonians 4. He then quotes Matthew 24:21 where The Lord Jesus Christ
says: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” And it is
during this time that those who convert to Christianity during the final
years will receive the incorruptible crown mentioned by the Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians 9:25. In Irenaeus’ belief, the Rapture took place prior
to the end times Great Tribulation.
Cyprian
Cyprian (200 AD – 258
AD) – Cyprian was Bishop of the church in Carthage. During his short stint
as leader of the church, he guided the flock through intense persecution
at the hands of the Roman Empire. In 258 AD after spending seven months of
confinement to his home by order of Roman authorities, he was beheaded for
his faith. Several of his works still exist today.
In
Treatises of Cyprian he wrote in describing the end times Great
Tribulation:
“We who see that terrible things
have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may
regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as
possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself,
that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the
shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent? Let us greet the day
which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence,
and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise
and the kingdom.”
Again we see use of
language commonly found in reference to the Rapture as Cyprian describes
the judgments of the end times as “imminent.” And he makes his belief on
the timing of the Rapture when he wrote that Christians will have an
“early departure” and be “delivered” from the devastating global judgments
that come during the Day of The Lord.
In line with the Apostle
Paul who wrote that “God has not appointed us to wrath, but
salvation...” Cyprian expressed joy and encourages the believing
reader to rejoice that the Church will be “taken away” before the
disastrous Great Tribulation. Just as The Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24
used the same language of one “taken away” and the other
“left.” Additionally Cyprian references the mansions which The
Lord Jesus Christ promises to come back and take His believers to in John
14.
“Let not your heart
be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house
are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. 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.” – John 14:1-3.
As Beginning and End
detailed in our article “The
Red Moon Rapture – The Biblical Timing of The Rapture”, in both
the Matthew 24 passages (“one taken, the other left”) and in John 14
(“..receive you unto myself..”) the Greek work paralambanō is used for
taken and receive. The meaning of that word is “join to one’s self”
indicating that Jesus is coming to fully unify with His church – which
takes place at the Rapture. Clearly Cyprian believed and taught that the
Rapture takes place before the Great Tribulation.
Ephraim The
Syrian
Ephraim (306
AD – 373 AD) was made a deacon in the church in Syria in 338 and later
became the bishop of Nisibis. Although he was made a “saint” in the Roman
Catholic Church, he was not involved in Catholicism and did not even live
in the Roman Empire until the final years of his life. The book Pseudo
Ephraim was one of his still existing works. It was called “Pseudo”
because of later dispute over authorship. However the book’s one reference
to the rapture is very compelling:
In his work, On The Last Times 2, he wrote:
“We ought to understand thoroughly
therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging. Already
there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of nations and
signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already been
fulfilled (consummated), and there is not other which remains,
except the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the Roman
kingdom. Why therefore are we occupied with worldly business, and why is
our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the
ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of worldly business, and
why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties
of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions
and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may
draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? Believe you
me, dearest brother, because the coming (advent) of the Lord is nigh,
believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me,
because it is the very last time.
Or do you not believe unless you
see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among
you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day
of the Lord!” 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.
And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end
of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold
sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord. And we think that
the earth exists with blind infidelity, arriving at its downfall early.
Commotions are brought forth, wars of diverse peoples and battles and
incursions of the barbarians threaten, and our regions shall be desolated,
and we neither become very much afraid of the report nor of the
appearance, in order that we may at least do penance; because they hurl
fear at us, and we do not wish to be changed, although we at least stand
in need of penance for our actions!”
With a sense of urgency and
strong warning, Ephraim writes that the end times are upon this world and
could start at any moment. This text very clearly states the saints and
elect of God, all born again believers in The Lord Jesus Christ, will be
“taken to the Lord” before the Great Tribulation. Ephraim also identifies
the Old Testament “Day
of The Lord” and the end times Great tribulation as the same
event (in line with the teachings of the Beginning and End Rapture
Series). Ephraim quotes Amos 5:18 which says: “Woe unto you that
desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD
is darkness, and not light.”
The point he makes is that a Christian should know the Day of The Lord is
coming. In the first part of the passage Ephraim notes that:
“We ought to understand
thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging.
Already there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of nations
and signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already been
fulfilled (consummated)” And not only that but that true Christians will
be taken away before it starts.
Here he is describing the
first 3 of the first 4 seals of Revelation 6 – wars, famines and plagues.
These are the same end times signs Jesus Christ describes in Matthew 24:
And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed
that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of
wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. –
Matthew 24:3-8.
Jesus describes these
events as “the beginning of sorrows.” He also says that when
these things come to pass “the end is not yet.” Ephraim’s
writing agrees with this interpretation as he says those same events have
been “fulfilled (consummated)” in his day, but it was still not the actual
Great Tribulation. This also falls in line with Beginning and End’s
Rapture series as explained in our article
Who Are The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse? (The first four seals of
Revelation 6 were opened at the time Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven. And
the rapture itself does not occur until the opening of the 6th Seal.)
Ephraim in very strong language warns the reader not to be consumed with
the cares of the world because the world in its current form, is coming to
an end. As the Second Advent or Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ grows
near, believers are to look to Heaven and set their hearts on pleasing
God. It is clear that Ephraim distinguishes the Second Coming of Christ
from the rapture, placing the Rapture before the Great Tribulation to
come.
The Early Church
Believed In The Rapture
The ancient writings are
clear – the belief in the Rapture has existed since the days of the
Apostles.
Although there are not a great number of writings on the end times from
the early centuries of the church, there is no question that there was a
belief in the Rapture among the church fathers and they taught it with
strong language and scriptural support. In terms of the timing of the
Rapture, the early church fathers placed it before the end times Day of
The Lord/Great Tribulation. The writings of early saints in the church are
not Scripture and should not be treated on the same level of the Bible.
These writings also do not “prove” that the pre-Great Tribulation Rapture
or the Beginning and End Rapture series are correct. Only rightly divided
Scripture from the Bible can determine if a specific belief is accurate or
in error. But the writings of church fathers can serve as useful
commentaries (just as we use Bible commentaries today in our studies) and
certainly prove that the Rapture doctrine existed well before John Darby
and has been a part of Christian belief since the earliest days of the
Apostles.
SOURCE:
What Did Ancient Church Fathers Believe About The
Rapture? | Beginning And End
Saints Receive A Body Fashioned
Like Unto The Lord's
All Christians will be changed at the
Rapture (1st Corinthians 15:52). Our sinful earthly bodies will be changed into incorruptible,
eternal bodies. What a day that will be! No more neck pain
from my herniated disks! We will be changed in
less than a second...
"Behold,
I shew you a mystery
[the Rapture doctrine];
We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality." —1st Corinthians 15:51-53
The next great prophetic event on God's
calendar is the blessed Rapture of the saints from the earth. 1st
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. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
The following Verse is one of my favorites in
the whole Bible...
"And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall
rejoice, and your joy no
man taketh from you."
—John 16:22
No one will ever ruin our day again. No
more insults, no more gossip, no more bullies, no
more mean people, no more rude remarks, no more jealous coworkers. Amen! Let's face
it, many people are cold-hearted and insensitive, especially
towards tender-hearted people. Tender-hearted people don't mix well
with Cold-hearted people. Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:12 of
the days when many people would become cold-hearted because of
iniquity (Greek, "injustice"). We see this much today. With
all the blatant crimes being committed by the U.S. government—the
illegal war in Iraq, the theft of trillions-of-dollars of taxpayer
money, our nations borders deliberately being unguarded, a
Communist president, et cetera—many Americans have become angry,
tired and thin-skinned. It's a rat-race in America.
Here is an easy way to remember the rapture
as taught by the faithful man of God, Dr. Jack Hyles:
Jesus came to earth the
first time "TO" His own approximately 2,000 years
ago
Jesus is coming at the
rapture "FOR" His own
Jesus is coming again at
the second coming "WITH" His own
I've never heard it said any simpler
than
that. Jesus will come again at the Rapture FOR His own (i.e., for
all the
Saints throughout history). The dead in Christ shall be raised
first and then Christians
who are alive will be changed. Personally, I do
not believe that the entire Rapture will occur in less than a
second. I believe that the Bible is teaching that we as INDIVIDUALS will
be
changed in less than a second. The trumpet, voice of the archangel,
raising of the dead first, and then the living, may be a significantly
longer time. Howbeit, we know that we WILL BE CHANGED in the twinkling
of an eye.
Jude 1:14 says, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints."
The Lord will return with tens-of-thousands of His saints at the Second
Coming. This event occurs 7-years AFTER the Rapture of the Saints. In order
for us to return WITH the Lord, we have to first be WITH the Lord. This is
further evidence of a Pretribulation Rapture.
Again, an easy
way to remember this is:
- Jesus came 2,000 years ago TO His
own.
- He is coming at the Rapture FOR His
own.
- Jesus will return at the Second Coming
WITH His own.
Clearly, we will be with the Lord when he
returns at the Second Coming.
It is clear from the following passage of
Scripture that the Lord is returning FOR His saints at the
Rapture...
"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. For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words." —1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
In contrast, the Lord will be
returning WITH His own at the end of the Tribulation period, to
reign from Jerusalem as King over the earth (Isaiah 24:23; Micah
4:7). 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 clearly states that there must first
come... "a falling away" before the Antichrist will be revealed. I
believe these words, "a falling away," refer to the Rapture when the
Saints are "caught away" from the earth. If we accept the Word
of God at face value, I cannot see how anyone can conclude anything but
a Pretribulation Rapture.
Imminent Return Of Christ Intended
To Keep Believers On Their Toes
The whole purpose of the Bible not announcing
WHEN the Lord will return is to maintain the element of surprise. Luke
12:37 and 39-40 “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh
shall find watching ... And this know, that if the goodman of the house had
known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have
suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also:
for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
In total disregard for the imminent and sudden return of Jesus
Christ, Pastor Steve Anderson foolishly states...
“The Rapture simply cannot happen at any moment.”
—Pastor
Steven L. Anderson, from his video titled,
AFTER THE TRIBULATION (01:27:05
video)
To say that Jesus' return is not
imminent is heresy. To say that Jesus cannot return immediately and suddenly
without warning is to totally contradict the Bible. The whole idea behind
“secrecy” is to keep believers on our toes. Anderson plainly rebukes the
idea of a “secret Rapture,” but this is the plain and bold teaching of the
Word of God. Mark 13:32, “But of that day and that hour
knoweth no
man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father.” Could the Bible be any plainer? After the Abomination of
Desolation (Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 - the event when the Antichrist claims
to be God from the temple in Jerusalem) it will be exact 3 1/2 years until
Christ's Second Coming. Yet, Jesus said that NO MAN KNOWETH when He shall
return, which plainly indicates the Rapture...
Mark 13:32-37, “But of that
day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye
know not when the time is. 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. 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: Lest
coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say
unto all, Watch.”
This clearly CANNOT refer to Christ's Second
Coming because the TIMING of these events can easily be known. If the Lord cannot return at any time at the
Rapture as Brother Anderson teaches, then what would be the purpose to
“WATCH?” Obviously, there would be no reason nor motivation to watch. If all
the horrific events of the Tribulation must happen first, then it will be
quite clear to Christians who are watching WHEN the Lord will return.
Here are some helpful words from the great man
of God, author of over 200 books and mighty evangelist, Dr. John R. Rice
(1895-1980) concerning the PRETRIBULATION Rapture...
II. No One Knows Even Approximately When Jesus Will Come
In the Olivet discourse the Saviour discusses the second coming. The
clearest point in all His teaching on the second coming is that no one knows
when it will be. Consider Mark 13:32-37:
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are
in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray:
for ye know not when the time is. 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. Watch ye therefore:
for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he
find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
Now observe the clear teaching of the Saviour that
no man can know the time:
1. The angels do not know when Jesus will come.
2. The Lord Jesus Himself while on earth did not know when He would return.
3. Jesus said His second coming was so wholly unpredictable that it was
illustrated by the servants waiting for their master's return. The master
might come in the evening, midnight, cock-crowing or in the morning. In this
world no one can foretell even approximately when Jesus will return and when
this age will end. If the more than nineteen hundred years which have
already elapsed since Christ promised to return be divided up into four
watches or periods to represent evening, midnight, cock-crowing and morning,
we find that Jesus is saying that no one can know even within centuries of
the time of His return.
4. The all-important teaching of Jesus about His return is that He may come
at any moment. His coming is imminent.
SOURCE:
Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980), chapter 3 from the excellent book,
We Can Have Revival Now.
THE ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION
Read the Book of Revelation and all the
horrible things which are going to happen during the 7-Year Tribulation
(Revelation Chapters 6-13). One can only come to the logical
conclusion that such events WOULD be a definite giveaway concerning the
time when the Lord is going to return. Daniel prophesied
concerned an event known as THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION... "And
from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the
abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand
two hundred and ninety days" (Daniel 9:27 and 12:11; see also Matthew
24:15 and Mark 13:14).
The Bible teaches that 3 1/2 years of time will
follow this blasphemous act by the Antichrist, which means that everyone
who understood the Bible would know EXACTLY when Jesus Christ would
return. This goes 100% contrary to the plain statement of Jesus in Mark
13:33, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the
time is." This is strong evidence in support of a Pretribulation
Rapture.
The events prophesied to
occur in the 7-year Tribulation period are extremely SPECIFIC. Yet,
the Bible plainly states repeatedly that the Lord will return as a “thief
in the night” (1st Thessalonians 5:2).
A Post-Tribulation Or
Mid-Tribulation Rapture is
Illogical
The
Bible clearly teaches that there will be a judgment for all believers at the
Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10). The Bible also teaches that there
will be the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb for all believers (Revelation 19:9). If the Rapture
isn't going
to happen until DURING or AFTER the Tribulation, then when do these events
occur?
A Post-Tribulation Rapture theory creates a serious dilemma in that there
will be no time for the Judgment Seat of Christ nor the Marriage Supper of
the Lamb. It is logical that the Rapture must occur BEFORE
the Tribulation; and the Tribulation must occur BEFORE the Millennial reign of
Christ from Jerusalem.
Here are 28 differences between the Rapture and Christ's Second Coming
What about a “Split Rapture”?
Though I greatly admire him, Pastor J. Vernon
McGee believed in a “split rapture.” Pastor McGee was a Presbyterian
minister for many decades, faithfully serving the Lord. Nevertheless,
there is no such teaching of a “split rapture” found in the
Bible. Pastor McGee taught that ONLY the New Testament saints would be
raptured at the beginning of the Tribulation, and then the Old Testament
saints would be raptured after the Tribulation.
Again, I find no such teaching in the
Bible. We are taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 that the “dead in
Christ” would be raised first. Well, the
Old Testament saints are all dead (except Enoch and Elijah who apparently never died
a physical death). They will more than likely be the two prophets
slain in Revelation. Hebrews 9:27 declares that all men must die... "It
is appointed unto men once to die."
Thus, Old Testament saints will be raised
up at the Rapture when Jesus returns FOR His own before the
Tribulation. There is no reason to believe that Old Testament saints
will be raised up at a different resurrection than New Testament saints.
Revelation 20:6 plainly states... “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power...” The
FIRST resurrection is for all believers. The SECOND resurrection is only
for the unsaved, the wicked (Revelation 20:11-15).
There is nothing Biblical about a split-rapture theory.
Rapture Versus Second Coming
The following Scripture speaks of the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ...
"And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." —2nd Thessalonians
1:7,8
This will be at the Second Coming when
Jesus returns WITH His saints and angels to fight the Battle of Armageddon in the
valley of Megiddo (in Palestine). This is in sharp contrast to all
the other Scriptures about the trumpet, the voice of the archangel,
being changed in the twinkling of an eye and meeting in the clouds. Clearly we are
looking at two separate events here; namely, the Rapture versus the
Second Coming. A Postribulation position places BOTH events as
happening simultaneously. This is illogical.
- When Jesus comes FOR us at the
Rapture, we will be caught up into the clouds.
- When Jesus returns WITH us at the
Second Coming, we will return to the earth.
If the Postribulation theory holds true,
then the Judgment Seat of Christ, Marriage Supper of the Lamb,
Battle of Armageddon, Judgment of the Nations, and other
prophecies would all have to occur simultaneously, which makes no sense
at all. Why would believers be Raptured into the clouds to meet with the
Lord just to turn around and come right back to the earth? It makes much
more sense to accept the Bible as literal, and conclude that the Rapture
of the Church will occur 7-years prior to the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ to the earth.
At the Second Coming Jesus will return to put down the
Antichrist, judge the nations, and then establish His Millennial Kingdom
to reign upon the earth
for 1,000 years. What a time that will be!!! It is clear to me, and I
think to any honest Bible student, that the events surrounding the
Rapture versus the Second Coming are so distinct and varied that it
would be impossible to conclude anything other than a Pretribulation
Rapture.
THE CHURCH MUST BE REMOVED FROM
THE WORLD
According to 2nd Thessalonians
2:6-9, the Antichrist will not be revealed until the Church (i.e., the
light of this world; Matthew 5:14, "Ye are the light of the world...")
is removed...
"And now ye
know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only
he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of
the way. 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: Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders."
Although there is controversy as to what
the words "he who now letteth will let" means, I think the obvious
interpretation is clear. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus plainly taught that
believers are "the light of the world." Jesus is the Light (John 8:12)
and it is Christ in our heart that shines in this dark and dreary world
of sin and hate. Without Christians preaching the Word and fighting
against sin, this world would quickly plunder into unimaginable
wickedness. In order for the Antichrist to complete his New World
Order, i.e., a Global
Godless Totalitarian Communist Police State, led by Satan himself,
the Church must be removed from the world.
At the Rapture, the Body of Christ
(i.e., the Church) will be "caught away" from this world. At that time, the
Antichrist will have NO OPPOSITION from people like me with websites
exposing Satanism and every other form of debauchery. When the Church
is gone, the Devil is
going to have a heyday. Christians are
a monkey-wrench for the New World Order. We really mess things up
for them. We will never accept homosexuality,
same-sex marriage, abortion, microchip implants, Communism, witchcraft,
et cetera. We
will not accept the Devil.
The world follows Satan because they are
his children. But we as Christians are a peculiar bunch,
zealous about good works, and follow only the LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are a big obstacle for the
New World
Order. The true Church is like a fierce pitbull guarding watch
against lies, evil and the Devil. God is going to remove us from the world
as part of His divine sovereign plan, so the Tribulation can happen,
when Israel will be purged in preparation to receive her King and the
inhabitants of the earth will be judged for their wickedness.
Further
Evidence of a Pretribulation Rapture
God will NOT allow the Church to go through the Tribulation Period. It
will be a time of atrocities as the world has never known! God wouldn't
destroy the wicked in Noah's day until Noah and his family were all safely
aboard the ark. Not one drop of rain fell until Noah and his family were
on the ark, and God had shut the door. Afterwards, the rains fell and the
wicked were utterly destroyed. The same is true of Lot and his
family. Although Lot was a backslidden believer, he was nevertheless a
“just” man, that is, a righteous man (2nd Peter 2:7,8).
We read in Genesis 19:22, “Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any
thing till thou be come thither.” These words were spoken by the
angel whom God had sent to reign down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and
Gomorrah. No judgment could fall upon Sodom, until Lot and his
family were removed. Likewise, the Church will be Translated
(Raptured) away from this sin-cursed world before the Tribulation.
"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." —Revelation 3:10
The "word of my patience" in Revelation
3:10 is
the Word of God. Here we have God's promise that because we have kept
HIS WORD concerning salvation, i.e., because we have OBEYED the
Gospel, He
will keep us "from the hour of temptation" (i.e., the Tribulation
Period). This seven-year period of tribulation is referred to in the Old
Testament as
The Time of Jacob's Trouble in Jeremiah 30:7-11...
"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. For it shall come to pass
in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy
neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves
of him ... Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD;
neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy
seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in
rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee,
saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither
I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will
correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished."
It will be when the Church is removed from the
earth (i.e., after the Rapture) that God will again recognize the nation Israel in a special covenant
relationship with Himself. During the Great Tribulation, a remnant out of
Israel will repent and turn to their Messiah. They will become His
witnesses (Revelation 7:3-8). Thus, the time of Jacob's trouble will
cause many Israelites to turn to the God of the Bible. We read in Matthew 24:14 concerning the Tribulation Period, "And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
We read in
Revelation 7:4 who the 144,000 are going to be ... "And I heard the number
of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four
thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." The
144,000 will be Jewish soulwinners! These are the preachers spoken of in
Matthew 24:14. They will win multitudes of lost sinners to the Lord
(Revelation 7:9). As a result, many of them will be martyred (Revelation
6:9).
THE END OF DAYS
The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation
are going to be a time of peace, when the False Prophet and
the Antichrist will greatly influence the masses using signs and lying
wonders (2nd Thessalonians 2:9). 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 tells us
that the masses of the earth will eagerly follow the Antichrist because
they loved not the truth that they might be saved... "And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." The world will worship the
Beast, the wicked Devil himself, just as they do innumerable Rock stars
today. The Antichrist will very likely be a musical Rock star prior to
his ascension to power.
As mentioned earlier, halfway through the Tribulation
Period the Antichrist will commit what the Bible terms "The Abomination of
Desolation" (Matthew 24:15). The Antichrist will claim to be god and
require worship from his followers. At this point will begin what the
Bible terms, GREAT TRIBULATION... "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21).
The last 3 1/2 years
of the Tribulation will be a time of woe that this world has never known...
"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"
(Jeremiah 30:7). A meteorite will strike the earth... "And the name
of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter
[poison]" (Revelation 8:11). One-third of all forests and crops will
burn (Revelation 8:7). The oceans and rivers will be turned to blood
(Revelation 8:8; 16:4).
The waters will be
poisoned, the forests will be burned, bloodthirsty creatures from Hell (perhaps
genetic mutants; Revelation 9:1-11) will torment mankind... "And
they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their
tails: and their power was to hurt men five months" (Revelation
9:10). The blood from war will flow up to the horse's bridles
(Revelation 14:20). Billions of people will be
killed. This is what will happen in the Great Tribulation. Woe
unto them!
I've shared a little prophecy with you here. If you really want to learn more about this subject, go online and buy the
book "Bible Prophecy" by
Oliver B. Greene. It is a masterpiece.
Don't ever let anyone shake your faith in the
simple and plain teachings of the Bible. God said what He meant and
meant what He said. The Bible teaches a Pretribulation Rapture.
The New International Version deletes over 64,000 words including words like: Godhead, regeneration, mercyseat, Calvary, remission, Jehovah, immutable, omnipotent, Comforter, Holy Ghost, Messiah, quickened, infallible, et cetera. Most of the modern Bibles line up very closely with the NIV--and so does the New World Translation--the Bible of the Jehovah's Witnesses cult!
The Church of Christ is a false religion because it is wrong on the essential Biblical plan of salvation. In fact, many Church of Christ ministers have taught that the Church of Christ group is the true church of Christ, and no one else is. They even go as far as to claim that people who haven't been baptized by a Church of Christ preacher will go to Hell. I distinctly recall a discussion I once had with a Church of Christ minister.
First, nothing means anything if you don't have a DESIRE to see people saved. Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 28:19 to“GO”into all the world preaching the Gospel. Every Christian is commissioned by the Lord to “GO.” Most churches never get beyond the word “GO.” All the Bible knowledge and eloquent speaking ability in the world means nothing if a person does not “GO.” This means taking the Gospel, using ourfeetas Romans 10:15 says, to preach the Gospel.
