Pre-tribulation Rapture Myth and the Remnant of Israel May 24, 2011
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: False Doctrines, pre-tribulation, rapture, remnant of Israel, replacement theology
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I have done a number of articles in which I have attempted to dispel the myth of the pre-tribulation rapture but in this study I will attempt to approach the subject from a different angle than I have done before.
Numerous studies have so far been carried out and numerous books, articles and blog posts have been written concerning the end times scenarios yet many are completely wide of the mark concerning the realities of those times. One of the popular positions is that the church will be “raptured” (secretly, unbeknownst to the world) sometime prior to the opening of the first Seal mentioned in the Book of Revelations. Following this event it is believed Israel will go through a seven year tribulation period (supposedly Daniel’s 70th week, See Daniel 9). It is believed that at the start of this week (the seven last years of planet earth) the anti-christ will make a covenant with Israel and in the middle of the week (3.5 years later) the anti-christ will break the covenant and cause the sacrifice and oblation offered by the Jews in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (The third temple) to cease. This will be followed by the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the temple culminating with great tribulation at the hands of the anti-christ. It is then believed that it is out of this “hour of trial” that Israel will be saved and will be gathered to meet Jesus at His full appearing when all eyes shall behold Him. This is normally the general view adopted especially by pre-tribulation rapture “theorists”. In my view however all of this is simply fancily suppositions by people who do not apply proper exegesis in interpreting scriptures.
The first glaring contradiction in the afore-mentioned scenario is that though it is claimed that Daniel’s 70th week marks 7 years of tribulation, in effect there is only 3.5 years of tribulation since the first 3.5 years are characterised by a period of peace. This point however is just an aside and is of little consequence to the business end of this study.
One of the important points to note is that in order for the “theorists” to arrive at their conclusions they make namely two false claims. First they claim that Israel rejected God and therefore salvation went to the Gentiles instead and therefore Israel will only be saved after having gone through the tribulation at the hands of anti-christ (the beast of Revelations 13). The second false claim is that the saints who are persecuted by the anti-christ are merely tribulation saints who are distinct and apart from the church which has already been raptured sometime before or at the start of the 7 year tribulation period. In support of this latter claim it is suggested that the Holy Spirit will no longer be on earth when the church is raptured and so these saints are saved perhaps through the preaching of the “Two Witnesses”. Of course none of this is supported in scripture and I will demonstrate why.
The first thing we should note is that salvation came to the Jew first and then to the Gentiles (Rom 1:16). The question here then is this: Did allIsrael reject the gift of salvation? The apostle Paul had this to say in Romans 10:
1Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
We know from these verses that there is no “special way” for the Jew (or Israel) to be saved but through the said Gospel that is available to the gentiles. So then howbeit that some argue that the Jew will only be saved at an appointed time during the so-called 7 year tribulation period? Are we to believe that no Jew (or Israelites) were saved though God purposed salvation to come to them first. God forbid. In verse 16 of the same passage of Rom 1 Paul went further to say this:
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
Although not all Israel believed the gospel the crucial point is that some did – a remnant of Israel did believe the gospel even though the majority might not have believed. First, John the Baptist preached to the Jews and baptized many unto repentance. Then Jesus came and preached the gospel to the Jews and sent His 12 disciples to the lost sheep of the Houses of Israel (the 12 tribes). The theorists seem to forget therefore that the early church largely comprised of Jews initially before the gospel was spread abroad to the gentile nations. It isn’t correct therefore to say that the Jews rejected salvation – whilst some did, not all did. God had purposed to save a remnant through the election of grace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 11:5, Rom 9:27). The point needs to be emphasized here that God will not save this remnant of Israel at the end of the tribulation period after gentile Christians had been “raptured” but they were being saved since the going forth of the Gospel. Paul refers to these as the “first fruits” in verse 16 (Note that the 144,000 males of the 12 tribes of Israel are also referred to as the “first fruits” to God [Rev 14:4] – Christ being the first of the first fruits).
Having now established that God had purposed to save a remnant of Israel through the election of Grace and that this remnant are regarded as a type of “first fruits” unto God we can now address the issue of the “pre-tribulation rapture”. The pre-tribulation rapture is defined as an event where Christ will secretly come in the clouds and gather all those that are his prior to the beast of Revelations 13 establishing his [second] kingdom. Do the scriptures support this view? If there were to be such an event as a pre-trib rapture then surely the remnant of Israel that are saved through grace would surely be amongst those that are raptured during the “first resurrection and catching away”. However, Revelations 12 presents a serious problem for this argument [if indeed the events of Rev 12 are in the future and not already fulfilled]. The relevant verse says this:
17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Note here that the woman referenced is Israel and this can be gleaned if we read from verse 1. The poignant point here then is whether the Lord would indeed rapture the “second fruits” (the gentile Christians) and leave His “first fruits” who incidentally have also been saved according to the election of Grace (they have the testimony = Gospel of Jesus Christ) at the mercy of the anti-christ beast. If there were any rapture taking place the first fruits would most certainly have been among the first to be raptured. Similarly the 144,000 who are referred to as first fruits to God were sealed first before the great multitude were seen gathering before God’s throne at the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev 7). If the scripture says therefore that the remnant, which we understand to mean those Jews who accept Christ since the inception of the church, were left for the dragon to make war with them then you can rest assured that so too the rest of the church will be left at the mercy of the dragon. This remnant are not merely tribulation saints but they include those who have the election of grace since the gospel began.
Perhaps the Lord has a plan and a purpose for the remainder of the Jews [Israel] who have rejected Christ but the remnant will clearly face the dragon which has 7 heads, 10 horns and 10 crowns as per Rev 12:17. That remnant isn’t separate and apart from the church but they are numbered amongst the church. This scripture clearly demonstrates that there is no basis on which a pre-tribulation rapture can be established. I pray that people will wise up to the truths of these end days.
Will You Be Left Behind? July 9, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: anti-christ, catching away, deception, false doctrine, feast of trumpets, imminent return, jewish wedding ceremony, left behind, man of sin, mark of the beast, pre-tribulation, rapture lie, resurrection
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Each time I look at this issue of the rapture I can’t help but be amazed and amused at how people can be so easily persuaded to believe something that is not even founded in scripture. I guess this is one of the results of extra-biblical materials from people who claim to have some kind of secret knowledge or insight. Take the Left Behind books for instance. These are nothing but fiction yet people buy and believe in them as if they are gospel truth. If Tim Lahaye (et al) really believed in an imminent rapture I don’t think they would be so concerned with amassing wealth now would they. After all where are they going to spend all that money, in Heaven? Already 63 million copies of this book have been sold worldwide and there are movies and games to go with it and yet people are unable to see into the scam of it all. If these men really believed the stuff they wrote they wouldn’t be trying to peddle it but instead they would be given this info out for free.
The simple truth is that there is no imminent rapture. Strictly speaking the idea behind an imminent rapture is that Jesus can come anytime (or the church can and will be miraculously wisked away before you can say ABC) but of course if we read scripture we can discern that this is not so. To add to that the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture is a LIE – It is a complete fabrication by fantasists. Simply put, a pre-tribulation rapture purports that the church will be raptured before the man of sin, the son of perdition (synonymous with the anti-christ beast of Revelations) comes to fore but again I will show that this is simply not so.
Paul writing to the Thessalonians had this to say:
2 Thess 2
1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That 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. 3Let 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;
He was encouraging the brethren that they should not be deceived or be troubled in spirit concerning the day of Christ being at hand (or imminent). And as such he reminded them of a key sign which would need to take place before the day of Christ came. This sign was that the falling away (OF THE CHURCH INTO APOSTACY) and the revealing of the man of sin would need to take place first. If this man of sin is the same as the anti-christ beast of Revelations then Paul’s explanation here is corroborated by Rev 20:4-5 which makes it clear that the first resurrection (which is considered the rapture) takes place after the anti-christ was already in power and persecuting and killing the saints. It should be noted that the scripture which is cited for the rapture is 1 Thess 4:13-17. Essentially the resurrection and catching away must necessarily be the FIRST resurrection which included those who were also beheaded by the beast and those who overcame his mark and image.
In light of this therefore where is the pre-tribulation rapture and how can it be imminent? Yet you have people falling over themselves looking at Jewish feast days and wedding ceremonies trying to prove something that is clearly not in scripture. Why are so many people being deceived on this issue which is so simple to understand?
Who are the ‘elect’? April 20, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: Apologetics, apostasy, Christianity, Church, deception, Discernment, end times, eschatology, pre-tribulation, rapture
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There seems to be much confusion particularly amongst pre-tribulation rapturists concerning the identity of the “elect” in Matt 24:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Could the elect mentioned here be Israel as some ministers teach? Indeed in we know from the scriptures that Israel God’s elect:
4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. (Isaiah 45:4)
So clearly under the Old Covenant, at least, Israel was very much God’s elect. But under the New Covenant dispensation is it only Israel that constitutes God’s elect? According to the scriptures the answer to that is no. Here are some scriptures which defines God’s elect as pertaining to the New Covenant:
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; (Tit 1:1)
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (Rom 11:7)
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (Col 3:12)
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 1:10-11)
We can now see from the above scriptures that the faith of God’s elect is the gospel of salvation which Paul was made an apostle of. We also see that we can only obtain this faith through the election of grace and we are called to put on the fruits of the spirit (mercy, kindness etc) as God’s elect and give due diligence in making our calling and election sure. It is clear then that the elect as pertaining to the New Covenant is the church, which includes a remnant of Israel but who are no longer regarded as Jews (see Rom 11). We should remember here that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek (Gal 3:28, Col 3:11). The elect which are mentioned in Matt 24 which Jesus will gather at His coming are therefore the church. There can be no doubt about this since the Old Covenant decays and vanishes away and under the New Covenant there is neither Jew nor Greek (or Gentiles).
Busting the Pre-tribulation Rapture Myth! April 18, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: apostacy, Christianity, Church, Discernment, eschatology, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, pre-tribulation, preterist, prophesy
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As I read the scriptures the more I find evidence which completely destroys the pre-tribulation rapture “theory”. Though I would not call myself a student of eschatology nor have I conducted much study on the subject, my excursions into this area has opened me up to certain truths that have been missed by students who have been studying this subject area for years. One of those simple truth is that if there were going to be a pre-tribulation rapture or even a mid-tribulation rapture then the disciples doesn’t seem to have been aware of it. The Apostle Peter for example, who was with Jesus from the time of His early ministry doesn’t seem to have any knowledge of a pre-tribulation rapture when he wrote the following passage:
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:10-16)
What do we learn from this passage then? From verse 10 we learn that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (Matt 24:43, 1 Thess 5:20). It should be noted here that pre-tribulation supporters are agreed that “the Lord coming as a thief in the night” is the same day of the rapture which the unsaved will not be aware of due to the fact that Jesus comes hidden in the clouds and only those that are caught up with Him will see Him. As a result everyone else that are “Left Behind” will be here to face the tribulation during the anti-christ’s reign. However we also learn from verse 10 of the above passage that at the day when the Lord comes as a thief in the night, “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” John describes the same event though in slightly different language in Revelations 6:12-17. This picture therefore does not fit with the pre-tribulation rapture theory then because every one on earth will be able to see that the heavens have dissolved and departed. So then it is either this day which Peter speaks of is the day when Jesus visibly returns to earth or there is another separate day in which Jesus comes to perform the pre-tribulation rapture then comes visibly to earth. However, there is no such day that can be found in scripture anywhere. From the prophets of old through to the present the day of the Lord has been spoken of as a single day and not two days. Here is the clincher. Peter says in verse 12 that “we” should be “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God”.
Question: If the rapture takes place before the day of God, a day in which the heavens are dissolved or depart as a scroll why is Peter admonishing “us” to look for and haste unto the coming of this day? This of course would be irrelevant if the church would not be around (on earth) to witness this day. So what he should have said then is that “we” should be looking for and hasting unto the coming of the rapture – but he did not say that.
Question: If “we” (the church) are looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, will this day happen before the tribulation or after the tribulation spoken by Jesus in Matt 24:21? The answer can be found here in the following scripture:
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt 24:29-31)
In conclusion, we have therefore learn that the day of the Lord, which comes as a thief in the night will occur “immediately after the tribulation of those days”. This is the same day spoken of by Paul in I Thess 5:2. So in spite of Peter being privy to all the epistles which Paul had written to the church (see verses 15-16); privy to the Olivet Discourse prophesies since he was there in person; privy to the scriptures of Daniel; he seems to demonstrate a distinct lack of knowledge concerning a pre-tribulation rapture. The implication then is that neither Paul’s epistles nor the scriptures in Luke or even Daniel can be used to support the pre-tribulation rapture position. Where then is the evidence for the pre-tribulation or even mid-tribulation position?
A Brief Perspective on Luke 21:36 and Rev 3:10 March 16, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: apocalypse, apostasy, Christianity, Discernment, end times, eschatology, left behind, pre-tribulation, preterist, rapture, rapture ready, tribulation
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I have decided to put this post out to address those two verses which are used to support the pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint, primarily because I do not want to be accused of running away from “key” evidence. On the face of it these two scriptures might imply that believers will somehow escape the prophesied events leading up Christ’s physical and bodily return earth. However these verses should not be read in isolation but be read in conjunction with the other verses of the passage. In Luke 21: 31 for example Jesus says, “when you see these things happening (the signs of the end), you know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Emphasis mine)
If Luke 21:36 therefore meant that the church would not witness the signs why ever would Jesus say “when you see these things happening”. Here are the scriptures:
Luke 21
30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32“ I tell you the truth, this generationb will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 34 “ Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (constrast with Rev 6:15-17)
Again looking at verse 36 Jesus admonished the Disciples (and the rest of the church) to watch. If Jesus’ return is “imminent”, and He can come at anytime without warning to rapture the church, why does He give this exhortation to watch? Clearly the exhortation to watch is in relation to the signs given and this is supported by verse 30 where Jesus related the sign of summer when the trees start to sprout leaves. It must be noted though that the admonition to watch is also in relation to the condition of ones heart and state of readiness to meet Christ as per verse 34. So then if the church were to “escape” these things by way of the rapture then there would not be a need for watching for these signs. Could the use of the word “escape” mean something different then? Perhaps a clue to the meaning can be gleaned from 1 Cor 10:13:
1 Cor 10:
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
In this portion of scripture we learn that God will not suffer us to be temted above what we are able to bear and that with the temptation He will also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it. Note here that though there is a way of “escape” this does not mean one will not witness the temptation but the “escape” allows us to be able to bear it. Could it be then that the same thing was meant in Luke 21:36, in that we will not be miraculously whisked away from the evils of the day but that the Lord will enable us to bear it by means of an “escape”? Bear in mind that the scripture of Luke 21 is saying “when you see these things” when it uses the term “escape”.
So then in relation to Rev 3:10, could the term “keep you from the hour of trail” have a similar rendering to the use of the word “escape” in 1 Cor 10:13 above?
Rev 3
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.
This verse of Rev 3 however should really be conflated with Rev 2:10 for further understanding:
Rev 2:10
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Is there any promise here that the church of Smyrna will miraculously escape these things by way of a rapture? No! Yet Jesus is saying to them to fear none of the evil that will befall them. Could it therefore mean the “escape” relate to Jesus aiding them to be able to bear what shall befall them?
A Review of the Olivet Discourse – Matthew 24 March 8, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: Christianity, Church, end times, eschatology, Jesus Christ, Matthew 24, mount of olives, olivet discourse, pre-tribulation, preterist, rapture, rapture ready, salvation
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There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the Olivet Discorse prophesies of Matthew 24 and one of those confusions reside in the assertion by mainly “preterists” that the prophesies Jesus spoke were to be fulfilled in the Disciples lifetime. However is it plausible that these prophesies could have been fulfilled in the Disciples lifetime? It is important to be able to understand this passage especially in relation to who Jesus was speaking and it’s implications for us today. The key to unlocking the passage though resides in verse 3:
3 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?
From the beginning of the chapter Jesus started out by relating to the disciples what would befall the temple in Jerusalem, in that it would be destroyed at an appointed time. Now the desciples proceeded to ask Jesus to, ”Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” There are three separate questions rolled into one here. First, when shall these things be, i.e., the destruction of the temple; second, what shall be the sign of thy coming; third, what shall be the sign of the end of the world? The two last questions are obviously interrelated however.
Where confusion arises however is that in verse 34 of the passage Jesus said, “This generation shall not pass till all these things (everything He outlined in the previous verses including His return) be fulfilled.” Based on this verse, the assumption is therefore made that Jesus meant that the prophesies he spoke would be fulfilled in the Disciples lifetime. Some interpreters may wrongly claim also that Jesus only meant the destruction of the Temple would occur in “this generation” since we know with the benefit of hindsight that this occurred in 70 A.D. when the Roman general Titus sacked Jerusalem. But this ignores the fact that Jesus said “till all these things be fulfilled”. To “confuse” the matter Jesus told the disciples in John 16 that: 16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. This again gives weight to the preterist’s arguments, if taken literally, that Jesus had to return in the Disciples lifetime. The first question to be answered therefore is what did Jesus mean by “this generation shall not pass”? Secondly, what did Jesus mean in John 16:16? Would the Disciples really see him after a little while and how long is a “little while”?
In answer to the first question aforementioned I would venture to suggest that by “generation” Jesus meant the generation of New Testament believers – in other words the dispensation of the New Covenant constituting a “generation”. It is clear from scripture that there will not be another dispensation given to man in this life before the end comes. In verse 14 of Matthew 24 for example, Jesus said:
14 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.
Since “this generation” shall not pass till the end comes and the end cannot come until “this gospel of the kingdom be preached in all the world”, then “this generation” must necessarily mean the “generation” of the church age and not generation in terms of age groupings. To reinforce this point however we can look at an example from the Old Testament. In Gen 17 God made a covenant with Abraham pertaining to circumcision. Looking at verses 9 and 13 it says:
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
We see here that the covenant of circumcision was to be an everlasting covenant in the flesh unto Abraham and his seed in their generations. However, was circumcision an everlasting covenant to this day and to the end of time or was it a covenant for the period appointed, i.e. their generations? To answer this we may look at Acts 21:20-21
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
If therefore the covenant made with Abraham regarding circumcision was meant to be everlasting why was Paul teaching the Jews not to observe circumcision? Clearly the covenant was appointed to the generation/s of that dispensation only and it was therefore everlasting to them.
The other point of contention therefore is what did Jesus mean in John 16:16 when He said, “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me”? Scripture tells us in 2 Peter 3:8 that a thousand years is like a day with God: 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. It is also interesting to note that Peter said this when he warned that in the latter times there will be scoffers asking where is Jesus’ promised coming (see verse 4)? So then a “little while” to Jesus might be thousands of years to us. But if Jesus were to return thousands of years after the Disciples death why then did he say that they will see Him? The answer clearly is that those who died in Christ will be resurrected at His coming and so if they regain their life then they will of course see Him. John puts it this way:
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
In summary therefore it is clear that when men misinterpret Jesus’ words they technically make His word into a lie and this is why we need to be careful how we read the scriptures and what interpretations we accept. Jesus sets out a chronology of the events that would precede His coming and He stated clearly that all these things will be fulfilled then the end comes. Evidently the end could have come around the Disciples lifetime because Jesus said no one knows the day nor hour of His coming, not the Son but the Father. So if He didn’t know it wasn’t unreasonable of the Disciples to expect His coming in their life-time. But with the benefit of history we know that all these things have not yet been fulfilled, though some have, but can occur at anytime into the future. One question I would like readers to ponder however is to put themselves in the Disciples shoes and ask themselves whether the Disciples felt from having heard Jesus’ words on the Mout of Olive, that they would be raptured before the promised tribulation.
The “Mystery” of the Four Horsemen March 2, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: apocalypse, elect, end times, eschatology, four seals, mid-tribulation, pre-tribulation, rapture, rapture ready, revelations, seven seals, the four horsemen, tribulation, wars and rumours of wars
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In my previous post on “The Pre-tribulation Rapture Revisited: The Seven Seals” I deliberately neglected to address the four horsemen which begins from the opening of the first seal in Rev 6:1 so as not to overcomplicate the issue. In this rather brief outline therefore I will attempt to present the scriptures so that they speak for themselves in unraveling the mystery of these four horsemen which no doubt strikes many people with fear and dread. This is particularly so because these horsemen are not understood. I believe the key to unlocking the whole mystery however resides in Matthew 24 where Jesus outlined the signs which precedes His coming. I also believe that this discussion also lends itself to the pre-tribulation rapture debate as well and for all intents and purposes we are possibly already witnessing the rise of the four horsemen. But would this not mean that the pre-tribulation believers as well as the rest of “missed the boat” since they claim that the rapture had to occur before the opening of the first seal? Nevertheless these issues will be explored in the following outline.
Firstly, we should recall that the Disciples asked Jesus in Matt 24:3, “when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Jesus then began to outline the signs that preceded His coming in the verses following, which some refers to as the so-called Olivet Discourse. This should be borne in mind then as we examine the mystery of the four horsemen and note also that it is Jesus Himself who opens the seals.
To begin with we look at the characteristics of the four horsemen in turn which proceeded from the opening of the first four seals:
First Horseman
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
| Second Horseman
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. Third Horseman And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Fourth Horseman 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. I have highlighted the main characteristics of these horsemen but to summarize we see the first going out to conquering and to conquer; the second was given a sword and he takes peace from the earth, causing people to kill one another; the third had a pair of balances in his hand and this signifies judgment (not to be confused with the final judgement); and the last horseman was given power over the fourth part of the earth (the earth is described in scripture as having four corners), to kill with sword, hunger, death and with the beasts of the earth. Thus these four horsemen precedes the return of Jesus Christ, which occurs at the opening of the 6th seal. So how does these four horsemen relate to the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24? We read from verse 6: 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars (horseman 1): see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (horseman 1): and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places (horseman 4). 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake (relates to horseman 3 – judging the saints and horseman 4). 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another (horseman 2). 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Looking at the underlined portions here in Matt 24 and conflating them with the characteristics of the four horsemen of Rev 6, we can ascertain that these events are the same, which precedes Jesus’ coming. This is the mystery of the four horsemen. But aren’t some of these things already happening even in our day or perhaps we are not able to discern the signs of the times? What then, has the pre-tribulation rapture taken place already? Noting that the scripture left us in no doubt that these were the signs that the disciples and consequently the church should look for in order to know that Christ’s return was near. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”! Amen |
The Pre-tribulation Rapture Revisited: The Seven Seals March 1, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: anti-christ, apocalypse, beast of revelations, end times, eschatology, mark of the beast, mystery babylon, pre-tribulation, rapture, rapture ready, seven seals, the false prophet, the four horsemen
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I have decided to do a further, hopefully in-depth, study on the issue of the pre-tribulation rapture primarily because a number of posters have raised certain points which I did not touch on in my previous post here. In order to avoid confusion therefore I have decided to revisit this topic.
Firstly there seems to be some confusion amongst pre-tribulation believers that God’s wrath begins from about the opening of the first seal in Revelations 6. But this is not the case. The wrath of God is not poured out until the seventh seal is opened and we see this from Rev 8:1 onwards. The wrath of God is further elaborated on in Rev 15 and 16 and so on. It is clear from scripture that the church is not appointed unto wrath (1 Thess 5:9) and therefore will not incur the wrath of God which constitutes the outpouring of the seven vials (note difference with the seven seals) by the seven angels. However, we are appointed unto tribulation which is distinct from God’s wrath. But what is the timing of the tribulation and what do we glean from Rev 6 regarding the timing of God’s wrath? Note that Revelations chapter 6 and 7 both mirror and expand on the events that Jesus spoke of concerning His return in Matthew 24 (or Mark 13).
In Rev 6:9 therefore we see the opening of the 5th seal. Here John saw the souls of them that were killed for the word of God and the testimony they held, under the altar. These souls were asking God how long it would be before He avenged them. The reply we can see in verse 11:
“and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
These souls were to wait until their fellowservants and brethren be killed as they were before God avenged them (We will come back to this). This was the tribulation or at least part of it because we know that the tribulation precedes Christ’s return and God’s wrath does not come into play yet until after these things were fulfilled. The first 4 seals then cannot be considered God’s wrath. We also know that the two beasts of Rev 13, which is the anti-christ’s world government which made war with and overcame the saints is in establishment at the time of Christ’s return. Therefore the tribulation period is synonymous to the last world kingdom on earth leading up to Christ’s return.
Following in the timeline of the seals, in verse 12 of Rev 6 we see the opening of the 6th seal which sets off a great earthquake and the sun turned into darkness and the moon into blood, whilst the stars fell from heaven just as Jesus said in Matt 24:29-31. Note however that Jesus said in Matt 24:29 that these things occur immediately after the tribulation of those days. Continuing on from Rev 6 we read then that the heavens rolled away as a scroll and the people of the earth fled and tried to hide their faces from He that sat upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Why? We see the reason in verse 17: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
When does the wrath of God occur then? After the sun was turned into darkness and the moon into blood etc! When did these events occur? They occurred after the tribulation of those days and not midway through or before. So then what can we conclude? The day of the wrath of God is NOT synonymous to the tribulation because the day of His wrath occurs after the tribulation. To say then that if the church were to be in the tribulation they would also be at the mercy of God’s wrath is completely wrong. God’s wrath begins with the opening of the 7th seal (See Rev 8:1 onwards) and therefore does not run concurrent with the tribulation which occurs at the 4th and 5th seals. This therefore means that the church can very well go through the tribulation without being at the mercy of God’s wrath at the same time. As outlined previously then, it is at the 6th seal that Christ comes and take the saints out of the way after which time the 7th seal, which is God’s wrath is poured out. The problem for pre-tribulation believers however is that they wrongly coincided Gods wrath with the first 4 seals (instead of to the 7th only) and thereby presumes that the church is raptured before these 7 seven seals are fulfilled. Thus they designated the elect of Matt 24:31 as tribulation saints (or “invited guests” to the marriage supper of the Lamb) instead of considering them as part of the church. We shall soon find out however if these claims are true.
Now moving on to Revelations 7 we see from verse 1 and 2 that the four angels were given instructions not to hurt the earth until God’s servants were sealed. In other words this sealing had to occur before the pouring out of God’s wrath which occurred later in Rev 8. This process was part of the gathering of the elect from the four winds as outlined in Matt 24:31. First we see the 144,000 who were sealed then we see from verse 9 a great multitude of people from every nation kindred and tongue clothed in white and standing before the throne of God. We know who the 144,000 are from Rev 14 but what of the great multitude clothed in white robes which no man could number? Note here that the elect of God was gathered after the tribulation as per Matt 24:31. Bearing that in mind we read from Rev 7:13:
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Emphasis mine)
So then the elect which are gathered after the tribulation are the same as the great multitude clothed in white and standing in front of God’s throne. Could these be “tribulation saints” only or merely “invited guests” to the marriage supper? It would be expedient to introduce 1 Thess 4 here for further light and we read:
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Can I here a halleluiah? Bless God, the mystery is solved!!! The scripture here says those that were dead in Christ and those that are alive (even those through the tribulation) unto the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with Jesus and the key here is the phrase, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. Now going back to Rev 7:13-17 quoted above, who do we see the Lamb (Jesus) sitting and dwelling amongst, paying particular attention to the phrase, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord”? We see that it is the great multitude which came out of great tribulation that serves Jesus night and day in the temple and that Jesus is sitting and dwelling amongst. Further, it is this multitude that Jesus is seen feeding. This is the marriage supper of the Lamb!! To God be the Glory for revealing His Word. If this multitude were merely “tribulation saints” or “invited guests” to the marriage supper, where is the church? There is no mention of any other group from earth anywhere in the text. Maybe the Lord put them somewhere else with the intention to visit them later? But that would violate the phrase “and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. It should be clear then that the church is the same as the elect (or part of the elect) and is the same as the great multitude which Jesus can be seen dwelling amongst and feeding around the throne. If this is true then where is the pre-tribulation rapture? Noting that 1 Thess 4:15-17 is used as part of the supporting evidence. In addition, the conspicuous absence of the term ecclesia from Revelations chapter 3 onwards cannot be used as evidence for a pre-tribulation rapture as this is mere speculation.
Now let’s return to the “Marriage Supper” which occurs in Rev 19 to see how it fits in with the events of Rev 6 and 7 and indeed if it constitutes a separate event. It should be noted here that the pre-tribulation believers suggest that the “marriage supper” occurs at the rapture which they say occurs before the tribulation. Therefore they attempt here to make the church distinct from the elect who are gathered after the tribulation. So what does Rev 19 tell us? We read:
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints
We know from scripture that the Church has always been described as the bride of Christ, so therefore the marriage of the Lamb constitute the church being united with Jesus Christ. The church therefore we can see be seen here in verse 8 clothed in white linen at the marriage which occurs at the time of the judging of the great whore and at the time when God avenged her for the blood of the saints (see verse 2). Recall that at the opening of the 5th seal the souls under the altar asked God how long till He avenged their blood. The response was that they should wait till their fellowservants and brethren were to be killed by. Now we can see that these fellow servants and brethren were they that were to be killed by the great whore which existed at the time of the anti-christ’s reign. The marriage of the Lamb therefore occurred at the opening of the 6th seal as clearly it is at this point we see the multitude clothed in white before God’s throne.
In summary it is clear then that if we place scripture upon scripture, line upon line, we can come to the knowledge of the truth. What we must never do is to hold to a belief then to seek evidence to support that belief even to the point of conjecture and innuendo but rather to look at what the scripture tell us. If we follow the timeline of the 7 seals, especially from the 5th seal onwards we can see clearly that there is no room for a pre-tribulation rapture argument. There is no scripture in the Bible which supports that argument and if it did exist it would run contrary to all the scriptures I have presented here. The fact that the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture is appealing and comforting to us should not give us reason to stretch scripture and resort to conjecture in order to build a doctrine.
The Date of Christ’s Return February 18, 2010
Posted by Henry in Eschatology & End Times.Tags: 2012, anti-christ, bible code, Christ's Return, Daniel 9, Discernment, end times, eschatology, False Doctrines, Jehovah's Wtinesses, Jesus Christ, mid-tribulation, numerology, pre-tribulation, rapture, seventieth week, tribulation
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Following on from my previous article entitled, “ The Pre-tribulation Rapture: Fact or Fiction?” I want to explore in this brief expose whether it is possible to know the date of Christ’s return. According to Jesus’ own words, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). Yet there are numerous individuals/organisations purporting to be able to work out the precise date of Jesus’ return and even the date of the end of the world. The recent 2012 film for example is the source of much speculation and propaganda concerning the end of the world. Some individuals use numerology, some read the stars (astrology and star gazing) and some even claim they have discovered a Bible code using mathematical permutations which they use to ascertain the precise date of Jesus’ return. The methods are numerous and some of the claims even sound convincing if you are not clued up on scripture. Even the mid-tribulation rapture proponents are no exception here either as they attempt to place Jesus return in the middle of the 7 year tribulation reign of the anti-christ. This conclusion they based on Daniel’s 70 weeks in Daniel 9:24-27.
If Jesus himself claims not to know the date how can we know the date of His return? It is interesting to note that Jesus fully knew the scriptures including the Book of Daniel which He made reference to when He mentioned the “abomination of desolation” in Matt 24:15. If Daniel 9 could have been used to work out the date of His return Jesus of all Persons would have known that when He said no one knew, neither the Son but the Father. So those of us who use this Book to work out the date of His return (mid-tribbers), are we saying we are smarter than Jesus Christ, the Immanuel, God with us? Can you still claim to know the date of His return? I would love to hear your views.
Spirit of Discernment 