THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY OF DAMASCUS WILL TRIGGER THE GREAT WAR (Isa.17:1),
(28August2018)
And not the conflict between Washington and Tehran, because it is Iran that will attack America as part of the Army that will destroy Continental U.S.A (House of Israel)., as foretold in (Ezekiel ch. 38).
From now to November 4 will be a critical stretch of time for the church to prepare for a war that could well be the start of the Period of Tribulation.
Prepare for the coming persecution, brethren in the Lord Jesus.
The SECRET PRE-TRIBULATION, PRE WRATH RAPTURE theories are Satanic lies.
The Church will go through the Tribulation Period in order to be tested and cleansed for the Parousia of the Lord Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom.
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BREAKING NEWS!!!
(26August2018)
Russia says the “TIME HAS COME TO FINALLY DITCH U.S. DOLLAR.”
Russia, China, Iran, Turkey move to dump the U.S.$ as instrument in trade transactions; which will spell doom for the American economy, and will certainly translate to a shooting war, wherein America will be at the receiving end of the ire of nations that are sick and tired of the economic bullying of Washington against countries that will not tow the official line of the White House.
On 4 November 2018, U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports kick in.
If Pres. Trump doesn’t chicken out, Tehran threatens to mine the Strait of Hormuz, which will drastically affect crude oil supply worldwide.
This could trigger a world war, with the destruction of the City of Damascus as another flash point to consider.
With America slapping economic sanctions left and right, war cannot be avoided; and we could witness the last war before the Parousia/Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.
Wake up, brothers & sisters, ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls!
There is a Great War coming!
Oh, Christian brethren, come out of America while the window of opportunity is still open, for it is closing fast. There is still time for the church in America to repent and turn to God, and the call remains for genuine Christians to “COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT SHARE IN HER SINS, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY OF HER PLAGUES; FOR HER SINS ARE PILED UP TO HEAVEN, AND GOD HAS REMEMBERED HER CRIMES.” (Revelation 18:4-8)
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[Time has come for Russia to finally ditch US dollar – Foreign Ministry
Published time: 24 Aug, 2018 09:24
© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
Russia will definitely respond to Washington’s latest sanctions and, in particular, it is accelerating efforts to abandon the American currency in trade transactions, said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
“The time has come when we need to go from words to actions, and get rid of the dollar as a means of mutual settlements, and look for other alternatives,” he said in an interview with International Affairs magazine.
“Thank God, this is happening, and we will speed up this work,” Ryabkov said, explaining the move would come in addition to other “retaliatory measures” as a response to a growing list of US sanctions. Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak recently noted that a growing number of countries are interested in replacing the dollar as a medium in global oil trades and other transactions.
“There is a common understanding that we need to move towards the use of national currencies in our settlements. There is a need for this, as well as the wish of the parties,” Novak said.
According to the minister, it concerns both Turkey and Iran.
“We are considering an option of payment in national currencies with them. This requires certain adjustments in the financial, economic, and banking sectors” to accomplish. Last week, the Kremlin said it is interested in trading with Ankara using the Russian ruble and the Turkish lira. India has also vowed to pay for Iranian oil in rupees.
The world’s second-largest economy, China, has also been taking steps to challenge the greenback's dominance with the launch of an oil futures contract backed by Chinese currency, the petro-yuan. China and Iran have already agreed to stop using the dollar in global trade.]
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THE
SECRET PRE-TRIBULATION,
PRE-WRATH RAPTURE THEORIES ARE NOT BIBLICAL!!!
[These Satanic theories will lead many in the church to
apostatize in the last days(2Thess.2:3) because
these will never happen in the manner taught by Pre-Trib, Pre-Wrath Rapture
proponents, so please prayerfully study these talking points and share this
post with as many Christians as you can. God bless you.]
Thesis:
THE
PRE-TRIBULATION, PRE-WRATH RAPTURE THEORIES ARE HERETICAL LIES; THESE TEACHINGS
ARE FOREIGN TO THE BIBLE
(by: efren dlc agbulos, Baptist
preacher, Manila, Philippines, A.D. 2000; ASIA
BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE, 1995)
1] Purposes of the
Thessalonian missives:
[1 Thessalonians] was written to give assurance to Christians at Thessalonica
concerning the future of believers who die before the Lord Jesus returns (1
Thess. 4:13-18).
[2 Thessalonians] was written to dispel rumors (2 Thess. 2:1-2) that (1 Thess.
ch. 4) has already occurred, because, according to Paul, (1 Thess. ch. 4) will
not occur until the apostasy occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed (2
Thess. 2:1-4).
Definitely the
Thessalonian missives are not in agreement with Pre-Tribulation Rapture
advocates who erroneously claim that (1 Thess. ch. 4) will occur first before
the revelation of the man of lawlessness.
Furthermore, every respectable Bible commentator prior to 1830, when the false
Rapture Theory came out Scotland, treat both letters as describing the 2nd
Coming, the PAROUSIA, of the Lord Jesus.
TALKING POINTS:
1] Read: John 3:13; 2 Kings 2:1; Heb. 11:5
Title: No man hath ascended up to heaven
(The Lord Jesus argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories)
Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates cannot use Elijah or Enoch to prove their
point because the Lord Jesus testifies that "no man has ever gone into
heaven" (John 3:13).
It was impossible for anyone to have been taken into heaven during the time of
Elijah and Enoch (since sin had not been taken away, but just covered) because
the Final Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus, had not been offered.
Secondly, we must understand the word "heaven" as describing the
skies, or lower heaven. They were taken to the clouds, out of sight, to places
we have no knowledge of.
Was the Lord Jesus lying when he said, "no one has ever gone into
heaven"?
Or was there a possibility that the Lord Jesus just missed Elijah and Enoch
because heaven was such a large place? THE LORD JESUS IS TRUTH.
2] Read: 2Thessalonians 2:6; Daniel
10:13: Dan. 12:1
Title: What withholdeth
(The Restrainer can never be the Holy Spirit)
According to Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture advocates, the restrainer in
(2Thess. 2:6) is the Holy Spirit; and they claim that the Holy Spirit would be
taken away to heaven in the church seven (7) years prior to the Parousia, the
Second Coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the age.
If there be so absurd a statement in the history of Christianity, this holds
first place.
To take away the Holy Spirit is to take away the Father and the Son as well
because they are God. God is indivisible. God is one. God is omnipresent.
To take away the Holy Spirit from one section of the universe (earth) is to
deprive that segment of God and the power to hold together what has been
created, and since the cosmos is like one seamless piece of cloth, it would
mean the disintegration of the entire universe. But if they would argue that
only the influence of the Holy Spirit is taken away or set aside, that would be
veering away from the original
language of the Pre-Tribulation
Rapture theory.
Who, then, is the restrainer? The archangel Michael (Daniel 12:1).
3]
Read: Revelation 20:5,6
Title: First resurrection
(The resurrections argue against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture
theories)
(The Bible teaches but two [2] resurrections)
Pre-Tribulation Rapture (3 resurrections)
1) at the so-called Rapture, 7 yrs. before the end of the age
2) at the end of the age
3) after a thousand years
Pre-Wrath Rapture. (3 resurrections)
1) 3 1/2 yrs. before the end of the age
2) at the end of the age
3) after a thousand years
The Bible (2 resurrections)
1) (v.6) first resurrection, at the end of the age
2) (v.5) after a thousand years
The Bible speaks of only two (2) resurrections: first at the Parousia, as
described by Paul in (1Thess. 4:15-17), at the end of the age; the second after
a thousand years.
4] Read: Acts 3:21
Title: Whom heaven must receive/
He must remain in heaven
(The Holy Spirit through Peter argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath
Rapture theories)
(receive: G1209, to take hold of)
The Lord Jesus will not leave heaven until the "restitution" (G605,
restoration of a true theocracy) of all things. This will happen at the end of
the age, during the Parousia, the Second Coming, the day the Lord Jesus returns
to earth to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful.
But Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory proponents believe and teach that the Lord
Jesus will leave heaven to descend to the clouds and then return to heaven
again seven (7) yrs. before/prior to the end of the age.
This lie is in contradiction to the teaching of Scriptures, that the Lord Jesus
will not leave heaven until the end of the age, when the kingdom is to be
established.
5] Read: Matthew
13:24-30; Matt. 13:36-43
Title: Let both grow together until the harvest;
The harvest is the end of the world/ end of the age
(To be read in conjunction with [John 6:39,40,44,54])
(The Lord Jesus in The Parable of the Tares argues against the Pre-Tribulation,
Pre-Wrath Rapture Theories)
From the time the Lord Jesus sowed the good seed, up to the End of the Age,
there will only be one harvesting, and that is on the day the Lord Jesus
returns to earth to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the
faithful, at the resurrection of the dead, during the Parousia at the end of
this age.
But proponents of the so-called Pre-Tribulation Rapture teach that there will
be a resurrection seven (7) yrs. before the end of the age, a teaching that
opposes the words of the Lord Jesus who testifies that he will raise all those
who have trusted in him at the end of this age.
6] (Charles H.
Spurgeon argued against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
What many Baptists do not know is that Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) rejected
the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory that was being popularized at that time by
John Darby (1800-1882).
Spurgeon believed that the Baptist faith was exactly the same as the early
Church under the apostles. He believed that (1Thess. 4:15-17) and the
Resurrection would happen at the same time after the Great Tribulation.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers to many, rejected the
Pre-Tribulation and the Pre-Wrath Rapture theories.
7] [Baptist Articles/Confessions of Faith argue against the
Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture Theories)
Proponents of these heretical teachings may have overlooked the fact that their
doctrines are not even included in their Articles of Faith.
If they would just go back to the the texts of Baptist Confessions of Faith,
even from the 1600s, the tenor of the declarations doesn't give any inkling
that they believed in either a Pre-Tribulation or a Pre-Wrath Rapture.
What is declared, they must admit, is the Second Coming, the visible bodily
return of the Lord Jesus to earth to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and
reward the faithful; Parousia in Greek, and will occur at the end of the age.
Paul was in agreement with the Baptist Articles of Faith because he used the word
Parousia (Second Coming) in (1Thess. 4:15), describing the events surrounding
the bodily return of the Lord Jesus to earth, as described in verses (16,17).
The challenge is simple: if Rapture advocates truly believe that the Lord Jesus
would secretly descend in the clouds to snatch away the church seven (7) yrs.
before/prior to the Parousia (Second Coming) at the end of the age, they must
indicate it clearly in their Articles of Faith.
8] Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Title: Not appointed unto wrath
(Paul argues against the Pre-Wrath Rapture theory)
WRATH -- SALVATION
Notice that in (5:9) "wrath" stands opposite "salvation,"
since Paul wanted to give emphasis to the TWO FINAL STATES of men, and will be
obtained at the Parousia, the return of the Lord Jesus to earth at the end of
this age, and more particularly explained in (2Thess. 1:6-10).
"Salvation" is here used with our final completed salvation in mind;
in the same manner "wrath" is here referring to the wrath of God on
the day of the Lord, the day the Lord Jesus returns to earth at the end of this
age, and is not alluding in any way to the period of tribulation.
9] Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:15
Title: Unto the coming (Parousia) of the Lord
(so-called Pre-Tribulation Rapture is not the Second Coming)
(so-called PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE): The Lord Jesus will not come down to
earth, but descend only to the clouds SEVEN (7) YRS. BEFORE THE END OF THE AGE
(SECOND COMING): The visible return to earth of the Lord Jesus AT THE END OF
THE AGE to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful
Since the so-called Pre-Tribulation Rapture or the Pre-Wrath Rapture is
obviously not the Second Coming because of the disparity in time element and in
the action of the Lord Jesus, advocates of these false teachings may not, can
not, use the following verses that describe an event that will take place at
the END OF THE AGE, not seven (7) yrs. before the end of the age; and they may
not refer to the so-called rapture as the Second Coming. Again, whenever the
Second Coming is mentioned in the Bible, the time element is ALWAYS, ALWAYS,
ALWAYS the end of the age:
Matthew 24:3;1 Cor. 15:23;1 Cor. 16:17;1 Thess. 2:191 Thess.
3:13;
1 Thess. 4:15;1 Thess. 5:23;2 Thess. 2:1;2 Thess. 2:8,9;James 5:7,8
2 Pet. 1:16;2 Pet. 3:4;2 Pet. 3:12;1 Jn. 2:28
Therefore, Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture advocates better
find verses other than those listed above to prove their point, because those
verses will be fulfilled at the END OF THE AGE.
10] Read: John
17:15,20
Title: I pray not
(The Lord Jesus argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories)
It was the will of the Lord Jesus in his prayer to the Father before he
suffered on the cross, that the church "not be taken out of the world but
that the Father protect them from the evil one."
(Picture the Israelites under God's protection while the rest of Egypt is being
devastated by plagues; and Noah and his family safe in the ark amidst the
flood)
But some would argue that this applies only to the followers of the Lord Jesus during
his time.
(John 17:20) would answer that argument, for the Lord Jesus himself declared
that his prayer embraces all believers in all the ages to come, even up to this
age in which we live.
11] Read: Revelation 19:7
Title: The marriage of the Lamb is come
(John argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories)
One of the elements of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory and taught with zeal
by its proponents is the wedding of the Lamb which, according to them, will
occur in heaven once the church had been raptured in (Rev. 4:1), seven (7)
years prior to the end of the age.
Is this teaching Biblical?
On the contrary, it is a heretical teaching because the Lord Jesus has revealed
to John that the wedding of the Lamb will occur on earth in (Rev. 19:7) during
the Parousia at the end of this age, when the Lord Jesus returns to earth to
set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and reward the faithful.
It is quite a distance between (Rev. ch. 4) and (Rev. ch. 19).
(Those who teach these heretical doctrines have failed to study them in-depth,
their origins, as well as the context of both Thessalonian missives; and thus
put in peril the faith of many believers)
12] Read: Matthew
28:20
Title: Even unto the end of the world/ to the very end of the age
[The Lord Jesus argues against the Pre-Tribulation/ Pre-Wrath Rapture Theories]
Can we agree that (Matt. 28:20) is the Great Commission given to the church by
the Lord Jesus? Of course, we can!
(Matt. 28:20) is the appointed task given to the church by the Lord Jesus; and
up to what point in time was the church charged to "go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded
you"? UP TO THE END OF THE WORLD/ THE END OF THE AGE.
Up to what point in time will the Lord Jesus be with the church as it fulfills
its commission? UP TO THE END OF THE AGE.
Did the Lord Jesus forget to tell us about the Pre-Tribulation/ Pre-Wrath
Rapture theories? No, He did not, because there are no such events!
(We should remember that Pre-Trib/ Pre-Wrath Rapture advocates teach that the
church will be snatched out from earth 7 yrs./ 3 1/2 yrs. prior to the end of
the age)
The Lord Jesus says that the church will be found on earth even up to the end
of this age. And Paul also says that (1Thess. 4:15-17) will occur at the end of
the age: "coming" (v. 15).
13] Read: John 6:39,40,44,54
Title: At the last day
[The Lord Jesus argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture Theories]
When will Christians who have died be raised?:
1) Pre-Tribulation Rapture: 7 yrs. before the end of the age
2) Pre-Wrath Rapture: 3 1/2 yrs. before the end of the age
3) According to the Lord Jesus: at the end of the age
Four times (for emphasis) in the sixth chapter of the gospel according to John,
the Lord Jesus reiterated that it was the Father's will that all those who look
to and believe in Him (the Lord Jesus) will be raised at the last day or the
day of the Lord or end of the age, as that day is also referred to.
Now to believe in a Pre-Tribulation or Pre-Wrath Rapture would make the words
of the Lord Jesus meaningless, if not deceptive. By any stretch of the
imagination "all" means "all". With no exception, every
believer who has fallen asleep in the Lord Jesus, from the inception of His
earthly ministry up to the end of the age will be raised on that day, during
the Parousia when He returns to earth to establish Him kingdom, the day of the
resurrection.
Who are we to believe? None other than the Lord Jesus!
(And the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, Pre-Wrath Rapture Theories are teachings that
cannot be supported Biblically)
(What about 1Thess. 4:15-17? The theme of both Thessalonian missives is the
"coming," (4:15) the Parousia: the SECOND COMING, the return of the
Lord Jesus at the end of this age to set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and
reward the faithful)
14] Read: Revelation
1:1
Title: To shew unto his servants
[THE BOOK OF REVELATION ARGUES AGAINST THE PRE-TRIBULATION, PRE-WRATH RAPTURE
THEORIES]
The church will witness the entirety of the book of Revelation, the tenor of
the first three (3) verses attesting to this, and for the obvious reason that
the book was addressed to Christians, particularly to those living in this age:
to show them what they have to prepare for and "overcome" [G3528: to
conquer; subdue; to be victorious] (2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21).
Here the word used by John carries the idea of "endurance until victory is
achieved."
Still many would argue that (4:1) points to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, which is
an erroneous reading, since it is not clear whether John was bodily taken to
heaven or only given a vision (sight by mind), the latter being most plausible;
and that the purpose for the trumpet call was for revelation and not to provide
an escape for John from tribulation.
Another area of interest Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture advocates have to
clarify is: Why warn the churches and tell them to overcome (conquer, subdue,
be victorious) in (chs. 2 & 3), and then prevent them from overcoming by
taking them out of the scene in the next chapter (ch. 4), before all hell
breaks loose?
Clearly the atmosphere and language of Revelation are pregnant with the idea of
"endurance to the end."
NOTE: The church not mentioned until (22:16)? SEE: (6:11; 7:9,14; 19:10; 22:9)
15] Read: Daniel
9:25-27
Title: And he shall confirm
(The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, will confirm a covenant with the Jews in [9:27])
The modern mainstream interpretation of (Dan. 9:25-27) hinges primarily on the
anti-Christ, when the traditional view of the first part or (v.27) points to
Messiah.
The word "confirm" in (v.27) is the Hebrew word "gabar"
(H1396), which literally means "to put strength to something
existing". Obviously, only God had a prior covenant with the Jews, and was
confirmed by the Lord Jesus during his 3 1/2-year ministry which culminated in
his sacrificial death on the cross, and also signalled the end of the law and
the sacrificial system of the temple; although there was maintained, after the
veil to the holy of holies had been torn in two, animal sacrifices that were
already an abomination to God.
(v.27b, will destroy) destruction of the temple in AD 70.
(The remaining 3 1/2 years?) Points to 3 1/2 years of tribulation before the
Parousia, the bodily return of the Lord Jesus at the end of this age.
Addendum:
A literal temple has to be in existence for these verses to go the way of an
"anti-Christ" interpretation. At present there is none, and no temple
will be built for two main reasons (and there could be more): The priesthood
has been abolished, and we are now the temple of God.
16] Read: Acts 14:22
Title: Through much tribulation
(Paul and Barnabas argue against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture
theories)
If the Lord Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered (Heb. 5:8), in the
same manner that it is only through MANY persecution and tribulation that the
Christian would enter the kingdom of God, and for various reasons: cleansing
and affirmation of faith, for only those who would endure to the end are truly
saved.
We have been promised tribulation (John 16:33) in this life, after the pattern
of the life of the Lord Jesus, and we are no better than him that we should
expect exemption from persecution. And since it has been promised, it is
actually a blessing.
(The main error of Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theory proponents is in
pegging their teaching to one verse [1Thess. 4:17], without considering the
context of [1&2 Thess.] and their relationship to the rest of the
Scriptures)
17] Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:4
Title: God's temple
The traditional rendering of this verse is a rebuilt temple in present-day
Jerusalem, which doesn't hold substance if we are to consider the abolition of
the Aaronic priesthood, which was absolute and with finality, and the
destruction of records on Jewish lineage when the library, together with the
temple, was plundered and burned in A.D. 70, making it impossible to trace
ancestry to the patriarchs with any degree of certainty.
Without the priesthood, the construction of a new temple is not on the table.
God's temple is seen here as a people, a nation established to foster
Christianity, a beacon on a hill as a testimony to the world, none other than
the U.S.A.
18] Read: 1 Thess.
4:15,16
Title: The coming
If we could establish beyond reasonable doubt the timeline where this event
would fall in the context of the verses themselves, we would be able to
establish what Paul was referring to, whether an event occurring 7 or 3 1/2
YEARS BEFORE the End of the Age (Pre-Tribulation/ Pre-Wrath Rapture) or an
incident that will transpire at the End of the Age (Parousia).
And the winner is: PAROUSIA (4:15), which will occur at the very End of this
Age.
Coming = Parousia
Paul was describing the events at the End of the Age. Period. This is a single
event, without a second phase.
19] Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:15
Title: Unto the COMING of the Lord
(Adam Clarke [1760-1832] argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture
theories)
(Adam Clarke was a prolific scholar who wrote a commentary on the Bible which
took him 40 years to complete, published 1810-1832)
Were the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories acknowledged teachings
prior to the 1830s?
In consideration of the Commentary and Critical Notes by Adam Clarke, it seems
unlikely that these teachings were even known in the church at that time.
Clarke, in his notes on (1Thess. 4:15) wrote: "WE MAY SUPPOSE THAT THE
JUDGMENT WILL NOW BE SET, AND THE BOOKS OPENED, AND THE DEAD JUDGEDNOUT OF THE
THINGS WRITTEN IN THOSE BOOKS."
How in the world did a Bible commentator of Clarke's caliber and scholarship
fail to mention a Pre-Tribulation or a Pre-Wrath Rapture event in conjunction
with (1Thess. 4:15-17)? The answer is simple: he did not fail, because prior to
the 1830s, when the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory came out of Scotland, it was
unknown among the congregations and in Christian literature.
Clarke was justified in interpreting (1Thess. 4:15-17) as the Parousia, the
Second Coming at the end of the age, and not a snatching away of the church
seven (7) years before the end of the age.
20] 1 Thessalonians
4:15
(1 Thess. 4:15) argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory
A sound hermeneutical investigation of (1 Thess. 4:15) will lead an earnest
student of Scriptures to the conclusion that Paul was pointing to the PAROUSIA
or the Second Coming, the return of the Lord Jesus at the end of this age to
set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful, in this
particular missive as in the follow-up letter (2 Thess.); a simple word study
would have made that clear.
In inferring that there would be two phases to the Second Coming and that the
Lord Jesus would be returning to heaven with the church after (v.17),
Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates have grossly erred by reading into the verses
(eisegesis) what the passages don’t prescribe.
Nowhere in both Thessalonian letters was there an indication of a two-part
PAROUSIA or the Lord Jesus returning to heaven after the events described in (1
Thess. 4:13-18). In fact, the word “meet” in (v. 17), “apantesis” in Greek, is
used in the papyri of a newly arriving magistrate (Vine's Expository
Dictionary), and “It seems that the special idea of the word was the official
welcome of a newly arrived dignitary” (Moulton, Greek Test. Gram. Vol. I, p.
14). Judging by the meaning of the word and the context of (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
the Lord Jesus is the dignitary whom the church would welcome while still in
the clouds as he was on his way down to earth.
Simply put, the Thessalonian letters speak of one event only, the PAROUSIA, the
Second Coming. Period.
21] [1 John 2:28] (The
apostle John argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory)
John was looking forward to the PAROUSIA or the Second Coming, the return of
the Lord Jesus at the end of this age to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies,
and reward the faithful.
In the same way, the apostle Paul was describing the PAROUSIA in his
Thessalonian missives, which makes them in total agreement as to the timeline
of the Lord’s appearing, for it would have been an absurdity on the part of
John to encourage believers to persevere until the PAROUSIA if there would
occur an intervening Pre-Tribulation Rapture seven (7) years prior to the
Second Coming.
Was John wrong in not mentioning a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, and instead look
forward to the PAROUSIA only? Of course not! John and Paul were both looking
forward to the Second Coming alone.
19) Revelation 22:7
22] (Rev. 22:7) argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Theory
If the church had been taken away and the Holy Spirit taken away as well as
early as (Rev. ch. 4), to whom was the Lord Jesus speaking at this point
(22:7)?
keepeth: (tereo) to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard (from loss or
injury)
If we are to believe the Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates, the Lord Jesus
would not be speaking to Christians as this juncture, because they are no
longer on earth, so what is written beyond (Rev. ch. 4) should not concern
them; and obviously not to those left behind because without the Holy Spirit
there would be no salvation and no understanding of the Bible because the Word
of God is spiritually understood.
This instruction by the Lord Jesus to “guard” the entirety of the revelation
contained in this book was addressed to his servants/Christians (1:1) as its
custodian, to be a source of encouragement to those who would be witnesses to
these events; to make use of the prophecy revealed in advance to the people of
God to comfort them during days of darkness, trial, and persecution.
The book of Revelation is a divine communication from God to his servants from
chapter 1 to chapter 22. The church would witness the unfolding of the prophecy
contained in this book to its completeness; and it was written for her comfort
and encouragement as she endures to the end.
23] (Heb. 9:28) argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Theory
The main error of Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates is in ascribing to their
arguments verses that are hermeneutically and contextually assigned to the
Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, the Parousia, or the return of the Lord Jesus
at the end of this age to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the
faithful.
If (Heb. 9:28) actually is the Second Coming, it will take place at the End of
the Age. Where, then, shall we place the Pre-Tribulation Rapture? Of course,
seven (7) years prior to the Second Coming; but the problem is that the
Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory assigns to itself what (Heb. 9:28) declares will
occur at the End of the Age. Granting, for the sake of argument, that the Lord
Jesus would “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” during the
Pre-Tribulation Rapture, what is left to transpire at the Second Coming which
(Heb. 9:28) describes?
There will only be two (2) appearances of the Lord Jesus:
1) at his birth 2) at the end of the age, at the Parousia
What the Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates have done was to rob the Second
Coming at the End of the Age of its substance and meaning and placed them upon
their heretical teaching.
24] Read: Hebrews 9:28
Title: Appear the second time
(The book of Hebrews argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture
theories)
(v. 28) is to be understood as the Lord Jesus' glorious return to earth at the
end of this age to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the
faithful; a.k.a. the Second Coming, a.k.a. the Parousia.
Paul used that word (1Thess. 4:15, "coming" = parousia) in describing
the events surrounding the bodily return of the Lord Jesus to earth, as
outlined in (1Thess. 4:15-17).
The Lord Jesus will appear only twice:
1) at his birth
2) at the Second Coming at the end of this age
Nowhere in Scriptures was it ever foretold, or even mentioned in passing, that
the Lord Jesus will "secretly and quietly appear for the church"
between his birth and his Second Coming at the End of the Age. The Bible
doesn't mention such an intervening event.
25] Read: John ch. 14
Title: (v.28) I am coming back to you
(John ch. 14 argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories)
Proponents of the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories have taken the
first four verses of John and concluded that these are proof texts for their
doctrine, without considering the entirety of the book and the 14th chapter in
particular, the primary reference of which is the Parousia, the Second Coming
at the end of the age.
Had they bothered to consult reputable Bible commentators, they would discover
a common vein in interpreting (John 14:1-4) as occurring at the end of the age,
the day the Lord Jesus returns to earth to set up his kingdom, judge his
enemies, and reward the faithful.
These verses are in no way referring to an event that occurs seven (7) years
before the end of the age.
26] Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:15
Title: Coming
(1Thess. 4:15 argues against the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture theories)
A sound hermeneutical investigation of (1Thess. 4:15) will lead a diligent
student of Scriptures to the conclusion that Paul was pointing to the PAROUSIA
(coming: G3952, parousia) or the Second Coming, the return of the Lord Jesus to
earth at the end of the age to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and
reward the faithful, in this letter as in the follow-up missive (2Thess.).
In inferring that there would be two (2) phases to the Second Coming and that the
Lord Jesus would return to heaven with the church after (v.17), Pre-Tribulation
proponents have grossly erred by reading into the verses (eisegesis) what the
passages don't prescribe.
Nowhere in both Thessalonian letters was there an indication of
a two-part PAROUSIA or the Lord Jesus returning to heaven after the events
described in (1Thess. 4:13-17). In fact, the word "meet" in (v.17),
"apantesis" in Greek, is used in the papyri of a newly arriving
magistrate (Vine's Expository Dictionary), and "it seems that the special
idea of the word was the official welcome of a newly arriving dignitary"
(Moulton, Greek Test. Gram. Vol. I, p.14). Judging by the meaning of the word
and by the context of (1Thess. 4:13-17), the Lord Jesus is the dignitary whom
the church would welcome in the clouds, as he was on the way down to earth.
ADDENDUM:
The Rapture Theory:
It's Surprising Origin
by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D., 1976
Almost all Christians
are interested in prophecy. This is especially so if the prophecies show what
will happen to Christians themselves. There is nothing wrong in desiring such
personal knowledge. Even our Lord gave a considerable amount of teaching about
the circumstances to befall His people at the end of the age (Matthew
24:22-25). All of us share a common concern in wanting to know about the
participants, the chronology, and the geography of those prophecies. To
comprehend the full knowledge of them it is obvious that all relevant
statements of our Lord and His apostles must be properly interpreted and placed
into a coherent order. Many Christians have attempted to do this. As a
consequence, the doctrine of the Rapture has arisen. So important has it become
to many that the teaching is now sanctioned as the prime revelation from God to
show what will happen Lo members of His church just before and during the
second coming of Christ. Some even look on it as the heart and core of present
Christian expectations! Because of this, it will pay us to review what the
doctrine is all about.
The word "Rapture"
is not found in the Bible. There is also no single word used by the biblical
authors to describe the prophetic factors which comprise the doctrine. Its
formulation has come about by means of induction. Certain biblical passages
concerning the second coming (and the role that Christians will play in that
event) have been inductively blended together to establish the teaching. The
modern expression "Rapture" was then invented to explain the overall
teaching and the term suits the subject well. The basic tenets of the doctrine
are uninvolved. Simply put, it purports that Christ will come back to this
earth in two phases. He will first return invisibly to rapture His church away
from this world so that they might escape (or partially escape the prophetical
tribulation to occur near the end of the age, then later Christ will return in
a visible advent to dispense His wrath on the world's nations. This is the
general teaching.
Many details
concerning these prime factors, however, are hotly debated. There is especially
much argument over the chronological features associated with it. Some think
the time lapse between the two phases will be 3 1/2 years, others say 7 years.
Some feel that the Rapture of the church occurs before the Tribulation, others
about mid-way through, Many suggest that the church will be taken to heaven for
protection, but a few have proposed a geographical area on this earth. There
are those who feel that only part of the church will escape, while others say
all will he rescued, These variations, along with others, have multiplied the
interpretations to such an extent that many diverse secondary opinions exist
among those holding the belief. But all are unanimous on one point: the central
theme of the Rapture shows that Christ will return to earth in two phases.
The Newness of the Doctrine
It may come as a
surprise to many Christians, but the doctrine of the Rapture is not mentioned
in any Christian writings, of which we have knowledge, until after the year
1830 A.D. Whether the early writers were Greek or Latin, Armenian or Coptic,
Syrian or Ethiopian, English or German, orthodox or heretic, no one mentioned a
syllable about it. Of course, those who feel the origin of the teaching is in
the Bible would say that it only ceased being taught (for some unknown reason)
at the close of the apostolic age only to reappear in 1830 A.D. But if the
doctrine were so clearly stated in Scripture, it seems incredible that no one
should have referred to it before the 19th century. This does not necessarily
show that the teaching is wrong, but it does mean that thousands of eminent
scholars who lived over a span of seventeen centuries (including some of the
most astute of the "Christian Fathers" and those of the Reformation
and post-Reformation periods) must be considered as prophetic dunces for not having
understood so fundamental a teaching. We are not denigrating the doctrine in
mentioning these historical facts. That is not our intention. But we do feel
that the Foundation should show the historical problems associated with the
teaching. This lapse of seventeen centuries when no one mentioned anything
about it must be a serious obstacle to its reliability.
Its Beginning
The result of a
careful investigation into the origin of the Rapture has been recently
published. The book is an excellent one which deserves to be read by all people
interested in the subject. Its title: "The Unbelievable Pre-Trib
Origin" by Dave MacPherson. He catalogs a great deal of historical
material which answers the doctrine's mysterious derivation. We wish to review
the results of his research. In the middle 1820's a religious environment began
to be established among a few Christians in London. England which proved to be
the catalyst around which the doctrine of the Rapture emerged. Expectations of
the soon coming of our Lord were being voiced, This was no new thing, but what,
was unusual was the teaching by a Presbyterian minister named Edward Irving
that there had to be a restoration of the spiritual gifts mentioned in I
Corinthians 12-14 just before Christ's second coming. To Irving, the time had
come for those spiritual manifestations to occur. Among the expected gifts was
the renewal of speaking in tongues and of spirit-motivated prophetic
utterances. Irving began to propagate his beliefs. His oratorical skills and
enthusiasm caused his congregation in London to grow. Then a number of people
began to experience the "gifts." Once this happened opposition from
the organized churches set in. It resulted in Irving's dismissal from the
Presbyterian church in 1832. His group then established themselves as the
Catholic Apostolic Church and continued the teachings of Irving.
These events were the
beginnings of what some call present day Pentecostalism. Indeed Irving has been
called by some church historians "the father of modern Pentecostalism."
What does all this have to do with the origin of the Rapture doctrine? Very
much indeed. Let us look at what happened in the year 1830 -- two years before
Irving's dismissal from the Presbyterian church. In that year a revival of the
"gifts" began to be manifested among a few people living in the
lowlands of Scotland. They experienced what they called the outpouring of the
Spirit. It was accompanied with speaking in "tongues" and other
charismatic phenomena. Irving had been preaching these things must occur, and
now they were.
On one particular evening. the power of the Holy Spirit was said to have rested
on a Miss Margaret Macdonald while she was in a state of illness at home. She
was dangerously sick and thought she was dying. In spite of this (or perhaps
because she is supposed to have come under "power" of the spirit for
several successive hours during which she experienced the manifestations of
"mingled prophecy and vision." The message she received during this
prophetic vision convinced her that Christ was going to appear in two stages at
His second coming -- and not one! The emanation revealed that Christ would
first come in glory to them that look for Him and again in a final stage when
every eye would see Him. It was this visionary experience of Miss Macdonald
which represents the prime source of the modern Rapture doctrine as the
historical evidence compiled by Mr. MacPherson abundantly shows.
The Influence of John Darby
Many people have
thought that John Darby, the founder of the Plymouth Brethren, was the
originator of the Rapture doctrine. This is not the case. Darby was a brilliant
theologian with outstanding scholarly abilities. Even those who have disagreed
with his teachings admit that he, and many associated with him, helped to cause
a revival in biblical learning throughout the evangelical world (which even has
been perpetuated down to our own present day). All who love biblical research
ought to be thankful for what Darby and especially his associates accomplished
for biblical scholarship. They particularly helped pave the way for the renewal
of modern lexical studies of the languages of the Bible. The doctrine of "dispensationalism"
was also a teaching they brought to the attention of the Protestant world.
It had long been
thought by many Christians that the Rapture doctrine originated with ,John
Darby. It is now known that this is not true. Darby only popularized it.
Scofield and others who took over Darby's mantle later helped to make it
respectable, Today, many of those in the evangelical sphere of Christianity are
so certain of its veracity that it is accepted as the absolute truth of God.
The fact is, however, John Darby received the knowledge of the doctrine from
someone else. The source was the Margaret Macdonald mentioned above.
The studies of Mr.
MacPherson show that her sickness during which she received her visions and
revelations occurred sometime between February 1 and April 14, 1830. And by
late spring and early summer of 1830, her belief in the two phases of Christ's
coming was being mentioned in praise and prayer meetings in several towns of
western Scotland. In these meetings some people were speaking in
"tongues" and other charismatic occurrences were in evidence. These
extraordinary and strange events in western Scotland so attracted John Darby
that he made a trip to the area to witness himself what was going on. Though he
did not approve of the ecstatic episodes that he witnessed. it is nonetheless
significant that Darby, after returning from Scotland, began to teach that
Christ's second coming would occur in two phases. MacPherson shows good
evidence that Darby had even visited Miss Macdonald in her home. There can
hardly he any doubt that the visions of Miss Macdonald are the source of the modern
doctrine.
