All Doves:
In my last post on the veiled evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, my focus was to give the reader a sense of wonder and awe about how God has presented to his children, patterns, themes, types, and symbols that mask or veils the insights that have to be threshed out from the text by the student, exactly what Proverbs 25:2 infers. They are, from an old preacher's understanding, the finger marks of the Creator. They authenticate and validate our faith. God addresses the issue of faith in a wide array of lessons.
I first was struck by the Proverbs 25:2 passage some twenty-five years ago. It really grabbed me in a way hard to describe, perhaps for me like reading a Tom Clancy novel. I don't read fiction as a habit but I have always enjoyed suspense mystery plots in movies and television. While I had actually read the Bible through, cover to cover, many times, all of a sudden when this passage hit me between the eyes I had a renewed enthusiasm to seek out the "Diamonds and Nuggets" as I call them, and the rest is history. I have a program presentation that I call "Mining the Diamonds and Nuggets of the Bible" which I once promoted it as a non-traditional form of evangelism. The content of it has been organized into 12 blocks of material in roughly 6,000 transparencies. The problem as I see it today, there is just too much material and thus making it difficult on just what to cover or exclude when I did a series of meetings. These days, I don't do the presentation because of my age and health. I said for years I would not retire as long as I had good legs and a good voice. My ministry continues, oddly enough, on through, in a small way, this web site. Even that will not last due to failing vision. It is unknown how many read my posts so I just see you as a small church.
When I was a seminary student, all students were required to take the Meyers-Briggs Personality Temperament Profile. Several weeks went by before we received the scored results. When I read my personality profile analysis, I was really taken aback. The Meyers-Briggs Personality Temperament measures a lengthy set of questions. There is no right or wrong answers, it simply accentuates your strengths and weaknesses in such a manner that helps a person to understand who they are and how they can determine areas for which they may want to work on to improve upon. I would recommend a person take the Meyers-Briggs when they are in their early twenties. I said that I was taken aback by my personality temperament results. The spiritual gifts aspect of it identified that I had five gifts: Preaching, Teaching, Evangelism, Administration, and Encouragement. I was not surprised by the first three, to me that was obvious. What did surprise me was that of the last two. I never thought of Administration as a gift. I saw it more as a learned skill. The shocker was the last gift - Encouragement. I never saw myself as one that brought encouragement to others.
I share all this I suppose to help you understand why I post and share to help you grow in your faith and trust so that you can prevail against the forces of evil in an evil world where "fear" is ever present around us and as I have stated, fear can cause a person to shut down and experience defeat by the adversary. Over the past twenty years that fact has become ever so real in our world.
Escape is futile and therefore we have to practice the teachings of Paul about putting on the whole armor of God. I had a course in seminary on using audio/visual media in ministry. As my major project in the class I had to do a children's Sunday School or VBS project, where I used media as an instructional tool to deliver the Biblical message to children and teens. I chose the theme of Ephesians 6 to teach the message Paul used to impress upon his followers the need for protection in the face of adversity. The apostle Paul may have been quoting from Isaiah 59:17, when he was writing to the Ephesians and possible to the Thessalonians as well in 1st Thessalonians 5:8.
So, in some ways I feel like Paul here in writing this. As we wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, nothing can be more helpful and meaningful to know God will NOT allow the Bride of Christ to be subject to what is like a drum-beat of the "Pre-Wrath-Rapture-Babble".
Eric Hoffer once wrote, "You can discover what your enemies fear most by observing the means he uses to frighten you." Eric Hoffer was a New York dock-worker, and wrote an important book in the 1950's, entitled 'The True Believer', a book on social psychology which in many ways better describes our day than when I read it in college back in the mid-1960's. Along with part 8 of this series of posts consider these passage for comforting words about where we stand in God's plan - for the church, not for Israel, and certainly not for those who reject and commit the Unpardonable Sin, consider these Scriptural nuggets:
1. The church is not appointed to wrath -(Romans 5:9; 1st Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1st Thessalonians 5:9). The Church cannot enter the "the great day of his wrath" -(Revelation 6:10). Thirteen times in Revelation, the time of the Tribulation is described as a day of wrath: -(Revelation 6:16, 6:17, 11:18, 12:12, 14:8, 14:10, 14:19, 15:1, 15:7, 16:1, 16:19, 18:3, and 19:15.).
2. No New Testament Tribulation passage so much as mentions the Church: (Matthew 13:30, 39-42, 48-50; 24:15-31; 1st Thessalonians 1:9-10; 5:4-9; 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-11; Revelation 4-18.). Not one single passage!
3. Historically, the concept of imminency surrounding Jesus' return is not new. It has been around for centuries, and it has only recently been more clearly classified and understood.
4. Only the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position allows a literal interpretation of Old Testament and New Testament passages. Post-Trib and even Mid-Trib has to resort to symbols and analogies.
5. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture maintains a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. Post-Trib and Mid-Trib has to depend on "Replacement Theology." In fact. they appropriate passages for which God clearly meant for Israel and claim them for the Church. Consider just how much of the Bible is written about, focuses on, and deals with the Jews. Some say 5/6ths, others say 7/8ths of the Bible is about Israel. Israel is mention 2,566 times in 2,294 passages of the Old and New Testament. Take a guess how many times the Church is mentioned - a mere 77 times in 76 verses and then not until the 16th chapter of Matthew.
6. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture position gives specific distinction between wrath in general and the Great Tribulation, in Acts 14:22, the word tribulation is afflictions; and, there are two different Greek words.
7. The Great Tribulation is for Israel's restoration, not to prepare the Church for Glory. -(Deut. 4:29-30; Jeremiah 30:4-11). The Church will be gone at the beginning of the Tribulation.
8. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is founded on the definite teachings of Scripture that the death of Jesus Christ frees believers from all condemnation.
9. The Great Tribulation begins long before the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11. The last trumpet of 1st Corinthians 15:52 and the trumpet of Matthew 24:31 are the same general event, but they are three distinct events. They are not connected. The attempt to understand the matter of trumpets is both tricky and confusing to put it simply.
10. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture maintains the integrity and unity of Daniel's 70 weeks. Post-Trib and Mid-Trib/Pre-Wrath destroy the unity and integrity of Daniel's 70 weeks and confuse Israel's program with that of the Church. I have demonstrated that fact a number of ways in previous posts. A "Gap" exists between weeks 69 and 70 of Daniel.
11. The Church will not be overtaken by the Day of the Lord. -(1st Thessalonians 5:1-9).
12. The possibility of a believer escaping the Tribulation is mentioned in Luke 21:36.
13. The Church of Philadelphia was promised deliverance from the 'hour of temptation'. -(Revelation 3:10).
14. After the translation (the Rapture) believers go to the Father's house in Heaven. -(John 14:3).
15. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture position does not divide the body of Christ at the Rapture on a works principle (partial rapture). It is the final climactic aspect of salvation by grace.
16. All, not part of the Church will be Raptured. -(1st Corinthians 15:51-52; 1st Thessalonians 4:17). This includes the confused ones as well.
17. The remnant of the "seven" year Tribulation are Israelites, not members of the Church.
18. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture does not confuse terms like 'elect' and 'saints' (the saved of all ages). 'Church' and 'those in Christ' are those saved before the Rapture. The 'elect' and the 'saints' after the Rapture are not part of the Bride of Christ, the Church.
19. The Church is to look for signs of His coming. Believers in Tribulation look for signs, but the wrong ones.
20. The Holy Spirit, as the restrainer, is removed before the lawless one dominates the Tribulation. -(2nd Thessalonians 2:6-8). The Tribulation cannot begin until the restraint (Holy Spirit) is lifted. Spirit-indwelled believers are Translated, or Raptured out. The Greek word "ek" is explicit on this point.
21. 2nd Corinthians 5:10 records that all believers before the judgment seat of Christ are in Heaven - an event never mentioned in the detailed accounts connected with the Second Coming of Christ to Earth.
22. The 24 elders of Revelation 4:4-11 as representatives of the Church would necessitate the Rapture of the Bride-Church and the reward of the Church before the Tribulation. They cannot be in three different locations at the same time if Post-Trib or Mid-Trib/Pre-Wrath.
23. The wedding feast takes place before the Second Coming. -(Revelation 19:7-10).
24. Tribulation saints are not Raptured at the Second Coming, but remain and have children. -(Isaiah 65:20-25). They enter directly into the Millennial kingdom.
25. The judgment of the Gentiles following the Second Coming -(Matthew 25:31-46) is on natural bodies - which would have been impossible if they were translated (Raptured) at the Second Coming.
26. If the Rapture took place at the Second Coming, there would be no need to separate the sheep from the goats. -(Matthew 25:31).
27. The coming of Christ Jesus is always imminent, if it depended on the Tribulation, it would not nor could not be imminent.
28. The exhortation "to be comforted" of 1st Thessalonians 4:18 is very significant in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view (contradicted by all other positions). There is no comfort in having to suffer through the Tribulation and its horrors.
29. Believers are to look for signs of His coming, not signs of his Tribulation. -(Titus 2:13).
30. The exhortations to purify yourself in light of His coming has most significance if His coming is imminent. -(1 John 3:2-3). A Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a serious motive for believers to get their act together, and shape up. Its no excuse to be lazy as many critics imply. It is not to be perceived as a "get out of hell" card but a exhortation to holiness and sanctification.
In everything that I have shared from the beginning of my posting to the present as been consistent, cohesive, and coherent, including all previous posts in this series. Granted, there are many aspects, details, particulars, that are often confusing for the reader, whether you are a relatively new Christian or a seasoned believer in the body of Christ. There is too much to digest for any one person at any one time. This is where Proverbs 25:2 spurs us on, to be like the Berean's. Search the Scriptures, make notes, compile the facts, note questions, don't state opinion like the 'Omega Shock Letter' without appropriate Scripture. Save these posts for your future reference.
Despite what anyone says about those who believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, claiming we hold onto it as a form of 'life insurance policy' or get out jail (hell) free card at a Monopoly game are disingenuous and taking the easy way out and not confronting the facts, evidence, examining what the books of the Bible really say. As my quote from Eric Hoffer, just remember the source. In fact permit me to re-quote it: "You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you." I've been around along enough to know most of the critics arguments. There is a common thread connecting them all, and that is to discredit Titus 1:2, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Do you recall who it was that based his strategy on sowing "doubt" in the mind of a helpmate for God's first created being? Here is a clue, "Yea, hath God said." Yes, there will be a "seven" year, Pre-Tribulation Rapture! They will never eat my joy; I'm referring to the "Pre-Wrath-Rapture-Babble" wags. The weight of the collective evidence is on the side of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
More evidence for a verdict in the next post.
Have a blessed week and victory in the Lord,
Pastor Bob