PREMILLENIALISM TRIBULATION AND RAPTURE
The commonly accepted prophetic theological system in our day
is one which affirms what is called the "pre-tribulation
rapture of the church". In this system, the current age is
to end in a horrible time of trouble which is induced by the
antichrist. However, it is believed that the church will
supernaturally be taken off the earth just prior to the start of
this tribulation period which is to last seven years. After the
tribulation period, Christ is to return to the earth and set up a
1000 year literal physical government with Israel as the head of
the nations.
This view is extremely prevalent in our day and has gained
wide acceptance throughout the church. All major prophecy
teachers in our day such as Jack Van Impe, the LaLonde brothers,
Hal Lindsey, and Grant Jeffrey hold this view. Countess
literature has been published expounding this viewpoint. Numerous
films have been made depicting the calamitous events which are
supposedly to immediately follow the rapture of the church. Some
have even gone so far as to publish survival manuals for those
who are "left behind".
While I do not believe that every facet of the above system is
incorrect, it is surprising to me how many just accept that the
Bible must teach these things just because they are
widely accepted. Many would be shocked to learn that prior to
1820 A.D. no one held the current view regarding a
pre-tribulation rapture of the church.
These doctrines developed gradually beginning with writings
and teaching of John Nelson Darby. Later they became the view of
Clarence Larkin in whose books this view was elaborately
illustrated by many detailed drawings and charts. However, the
doctrine did not begin to gain wide acceptance until it was
published in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible. C. I.
Scofield's explanatory notes were paramount in publishing and
popularizing the pre-trib rapture theory which was to gain almost
universal acceptance.
In our day, many have undertaken to do a careful search of the
scriptures in order to locate this doctrine and have been shocked
to find a complete lack of any explicit scriptural support.
This has led some to publicly declare the doctrine to be a
deception, but such attempts are usually scorned by the majority
of Christians who continue to believe it. It is my belief also
that this doctrine contains serious errors which cannot be
supported by a careful search of the scriptures. I believe it can
be demonstrated that:
TRIBULATION VERSUS WRATH
The popular theory maintains that the last seven years prior
to the second advent of Christ are referred to as "the great
tribulation". While the duration of the period may be open
to interpretation, the scriptures are very clear that there will
be a period of intense tribulation preceding the second advent:
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time: and
at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that
shall be found written in the book. Dan 12:1
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever shall be. Matt 24:21
No one who believes the Bible would argue that the age in
which we live will end in a period of great tribulation. What is
perplexing is the widely held belief that the the Church will be
caught up off the earth immediately prior to this time.
The main passage used to teach the rapture of the church is 1
Thessalonians 4:17
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1
Thes 4:15-17
If we look further into the context, we get a clearer picture
of what Paul was discussing:
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even
as others which have no hope. 1 Thes 4:13
Paul is comforting those in Thessalonica with the hope of
the resurrection. We have seen time and time again the vital
role that the resurrection played in Paul's theology. Every time
we see mention made of any hope beyond the grave, or the
glorification of the church, we always find the resurrection
in the immediate context.
Strangely, this is rarely the way this scripture is presented
in our day. The emphasis is always laid upon the living
being "caught up", and not rather on the very purpose
why Paul wrote the scripture; namely the hope for the dead and
the resurrection. The word "rapture" itself conceals
the fact that this passage clearly refers to the resurrection of
those which have fallen asleep in Christ, not merely the catching
up of the saints living at that time. Once again, the teaching of
the "immortal soul" rears its ugly head. To the
traditional Christians, the dead in Christ are already with
Christ, and so their resurrection is little more than an
incidental, and hence the emphasis is laid upon the living.
What is even more interesting however is that this passage in
1st Thessalonians chapter 4 is almost always quoted to prove the
rapture without quoting Paul's discussion of its timing
which immediately follows in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5. The
chapter division causes the reader to naturally assume that
perhaps Paul had begun to address a new topic when in fact he has
not. Please note that if we are able to determine the timing of
the resurrection within the sequence of events which will close
the age, then we will also have successfully located the timing
of the "rapture". Let us examine carefully Paul's words
as to the timing of the events he has just described:
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye
have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman
with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are
not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief. Ye are all the children of light,
and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of
darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let
us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the
night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night But
let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of
salvation For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us,
that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with
him. 1 Thes 5:1-10
The first question we must consider is: What are these
"times and seasons" in reference to?
Obviously the "times and seasons" of what Paul has
just described, and what he is about to describe; namely the
resurrection of the dead in Christ, the glorification of the
living saints, and "the day of the Lord". Paul tells us
of this time that:
-
The "Day of the Lord" comes "as a
thief in the night"
-
When they (that is those not of the true Church) shall
say "peace and safety" then sudden
destruction shall come.
-
We (true Christians) are not in darkness that it should
overtake us as it does non-believers.
-
Christians are not to sleep, but to "watch and be
sober".
It is important at this point that we proceed very
carefully and very reverently. Those who teach that
the rapture of the church precedes the tribulation
period, see the "day of the Lord" as being the same
time period as the tribulation period. They take this
passage to mean that church is taken off the earth immediately
prior to the day of the Lord, which in their view IS the
tribulation period. . It is in this sense that they believe the
church will not be overtaken by its coming, in contrast to the
unsaved. They insist that we cannot be overtaken by it
because in their view we won't be here.
This passage also includes one of the great
"proof-texts" of the pre-trib rapture theory:
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
They reason that if God has not appointed the Church to wrath,
then he must take them off the earth prior to the
tribulation period. They assume that the tribulation period IS
the "wrath" to which this verse refers. We will see
very shortly whether or not this conclusion is valid.
They are several problems with this view. First of all, there
is no break in subject matter between chapters four and five.
Paul's reference to the "times and seasons" and the
"day of the Lord" would seem to indicate that the
"day of the Lord" is the time of the
resurrection, not a time following the resurrection.
Later we will prove this to be the case.
Second, Paul contrasts how this "day of the Lord"
comes upon believers as well as non-believers, and then
tells the Christian to watch and be sober so it doesn't overtake us
as it does others. This presents a problem for the pre-trib
rapture view. Why would Christians be instructed to watch for
period of time which would not begin until after their departure?
Third, the pre-trib theory teaches that the tribulation is a
seven year period which begins rather uneventfully and then turns
into "great tribulation" after the first three and one
half years. This would seem a bit out of harmony with the
statements that it comes as "a thief in the night" with
"sudden destruction". What kind of thief would give a
sign as monumental as the rapture of millions of people, then
wait a full seven years to execute destruction on the wicked? If
this is the case, then Christ isn't a very good thief!
These are all important points to keep in mind as we progress
through this study.
In contrast to the above view, if we will take away the
unnatural division between chapters four and five, and see that
the "day of the Lord" IS the time of the
resurrection and glorification of the church, then the series of
contrasts makes much more sense, and the problems above are
eliminated. The following table illustrates this:
Believers
|
Non-Believers
|
Children of the light
|
Children of the darkness
|
Day of the Lord does not come upon
as a thief.
|
Comes upon as a thief.
|
Obtain salvation
|
Obtain sudden destruction and wrath
|
In other words the "day of the Lord" signifies the
time when both the wicked obtain "sudden
destruction" and the time when the Church is delivered,
glorified, and the dead in Christ resurrected. That is, these
events are simultaneous with each other and both occur
in the "day of the Lord". The difference is that
this day will be recognized by the true Christian who is
watching. He will identify it for what it is and realize
that his salvation is near. However, to the unbelievers in
darkness, the day will overtake them as a terror in which they
will be met with sudden destruction.
This view seems to better fit the natural sense of the
passage, and does not create the problems which a pre-trib
rapture creates as we have shown above. If we are correct in our
understanding of this passage then we should be able to find
other passages which would corroborate this view. Turning to 2nd
Thessalonians we see Paul discussing the same subject, but with
even more information as to the timing of the event:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither
by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ
is at hand. Let no man deceive
you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is
God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with
you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming: 2Thes 2:1-8
Paul could not be more specific in locating the timing of the
resurrection, or what many others call "the rapture".
The gathering of the saints to Christ clearly cannot
take place until a time of great apostasy in the church (a
falling away) , and the revelation of the antichrist (the man of
sin) in which he sits in the temple demanding worship. The
pre-tribulation rapture theory has a major problem
reconciling with this verse because they believe that the church
should be gone by the time of the events being described by Paul.
They believe that the revelation of the Antichrist belongs to the
seven year tribulation period by which time the church should
have already been raptured. Given such a clear statement it is
astonishing that anyone could continue to cling to such a theory,
but as has always been the case, any argument will be used to get
around the plain teaching of scripture if it threatens your
favorite doctrine.
Let's once again list the major points of the passage:
-
The coming of the Lord and the gathering of the saints
together unto him (i.e. the rapture or resurrection) do
in fact take place in the day of the Lord, or
the day of Christ. Please notice how this is in contrast
to how the pre-trib rapture advocates read the previous
verse in which they see a rapture before the day
of the Lord. Paul begins the discussion by addressing the
coming of the Lord, and the gathering unto him, then
urges the reader not to believe that the day of the
Lord (i.e. the day of his coming and of the
gathering of the saints) was at hand. This is vitally
important for the reader to grasp. The
coming of the Lord, and the gathering of the saints, or
the rapture, take place IN the day of the Lord, not
before.
-
The Lord's coming, which is IN the day of the Lord (see
point one), destroys the antichrist. Please note
that the day of the Lord, marks the downfall and
destruction of the antichrist, not his rise.
Nothing could be clearer. The day of the Lord cannot come until
the antichrist is revealed. After the antichrist is revealed, the
day of the lord marks his destruction.
First, let the reader understand that those who believe in a
pre-tribulation rapture of the saints, all believe that the
"man of sin", or "son of perdition" (the
antichrist) is a personage which belongs to the tribulation
period. This is a fact with which I am in agreement. Such a
personage is clearly foretold in scripture, and always in the
time frame of the great tribulation prior to the closing of the
age. In the passage above, Paul is obviously referring to a
passage in the book of Daniel:
And the king shall do according to his will; and he
shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and
shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and
shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that
that is determined shall be done. Dan 11:36
Jesus also mentions this same figure to come:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let
him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing
out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field
return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are
with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day: For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world
to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matt
24:15-21
Clearly the antichrist plays his role upon the world stage during
the tribulation period. However, Paul has just told us that
the day of the Lord in which the resurrection and rapture takes
place cannot come until after this man of sin is
revealed, and that the day of the Lord destroys the
antichrist.
The implications of the above should be clear to any careful
reader: The tribulation period is
not the "Day of the Lord". The
Day of the Lord terminates the
tribulation period. Please notice how beautifully this harmonizes
with our previous passage. The day of Lord in which Christ
returns is the time in which the dead in Christ are raised, the
living saints glorified, and the wicked and the Antichrist meet
swift and sudden destruction; all simultaneously within the
same period of time.
Almost all evangelical and fundamental scholars of our day
have assumed that the Day of the Lord IS the tribulation period.
This is a serious error. It is VITALLY IMPORTANT that the reader
grasps these two facts; for they are the KEY to understanding
prophecy regarding the close of the age:
-
The day of the Lord is the period in which Christ
returns, the dead in Christ are raised, the living saints
are delivered and glorified, and the wicked are met with
swift destruction.
Numerous passages can be cited showing this distinction time
and again. However, before looking at these, it is important to
consider the facts regarding both these periods of time.
THE GREAT
TRIBULATION
The period of time designated as "the great
tribulation" is most prominently described in the two
passages of scripture we also considered a bit earlier:
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time: and
at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that
shall be found written in the book. Dan 12:1
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever shall be. Matt 24:21
If we look more closely at our Lord's great prophecy in
Matthew 24, we get a clearer picture of the details of this
period:
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. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive
many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall
wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved. 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. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any
thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that
give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither
on the sabbath day: For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the
desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;
believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.
Matt 24:9-27
Please remember the important facts we just considered. The
day of the Lord, in which the second coming takes place and the
Church is delivered, cannot take place until AFTER the great
tribulation. By carefully examining the above we see exactly what
the great tribulation is: a final and severe persecution
against the true Church of God and the nation of Israel.
It is NOT a time of trouble which God brings about. It is a
time of trouble which the world and the antichrist bring against
the true followers of Christ prior to the end of the age. Please
notice very carefully in verse 22, this is VERY IMPORTANT:
And except those days should be
shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but
for the elect's sake those days
shall be shortened.
God does not bring about the great tribulation. God STOPS
the great tribulation for the sake of his "elect";
his true followers which will be undergoing severe persecution.
The Great Tribulation is a period of man's wrath toward Christ's
true followers on the earth.
THE DAY OF
THE LORD
In contrast to the Great Tribulation, "The Day of the
Lord" is always seen as a time of God's wrath against
mankind. As we have learned, it is during this time that the
saved are delivered, the wicked are destroyed, and Christ
returns. The Day of the Lord FOLLOWS the Great Tribulation. If we
continue reading from our Lord's great prophecy in Matthew 24, we
see how clearly and how plainly this is brought
forth:
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: 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. 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
How absolutely plain the truth becomes once we "rightly
divide the Word of truth"!
Jesus says in Matthew 24:21 that there would be GREAT
TRIBULATION but those days would be shortened FOR THE SAKE OF THE
ELECT. Now we see something entirely different. What comes
"Immediately AFTER the tribulation (the great tribulation)
of those days."?
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. 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.
The second coming of Christ, the deliverance of saints (the
"elect"), and the destruction of the wicked. In other
words THE DAY OF THE LORD.
But we don't need to stop here if we wish to prove that the
period in question is indeed the Day of the Lord:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, BEFORE the
great and the terrible DAY OF
THE LORD come.
Joel 2:31
Let any honest, open-minded reader compare this passage in the
book of Joel, with what he has just read in Matthew:
MATTHEW:
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:
JOEL:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the
great and the terrible day of the
LORD come.
MATTHEW:
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. 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.
JOEL:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:
for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the
LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel
2:32
The following table illustrates our Lord's Great prophecy from
Matthew along with its companion passage from the book of Joel:
Beginning of Sorrows |
Matt 24:4-8
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that
no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that
ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to
pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the BEGINNING OF SORROWS.
|
Great Tribulation |
Matt 24:9-26
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. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive
many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall
be saved. 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. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the
holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take
any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to
take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them
that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake
those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in
the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chambers; believe it not.
|
Pause.. after the tribulation, but
before the Day of the Lord |
Matt 24:29
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:
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, BEFORE the great
and the terrible DAY OF THE LORD
come.
|
Day of The Lord |
Matt 24:30-31
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. 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.
|
Clearly the Great Tribulation, and the Day of the Lord are distinct
and separate periods of time. It would appear from the above
that the Lord stops the great tribulation by means of the
terrible astronomical signs which will appear in the heavens; the
sun darkened, the moon becoming as blood, etc. This serves as a
warning to mankind of the great and terrible day of the Lord
which is about to follow. To the wicked, it will serve only as a
terrifying sign which they may not comprehend, but for the true
Church they serve as a sign of impending deliverance which is to
swiftly follow:
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that
summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know
that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Matt 24:32-24
Which generation was Jesus referring to? This question which
has long puzzled students of the Bible becomes very clear.
Clearly he is referring to the generation which sees the signs he
has just spoken of; the Great Tribulation and the signs in the
sun and the moon.
Next Jesus exhorts those who claim to follow him to be on the
watch for the approach of this time the same way Paul exhorted
believers to be sober and watch in 1 Thessalonians 5. Let anyone
who claims the name of Christ listen carefully to what our Master
says:
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,
and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be
taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known
in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched,
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in
such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matt 24:36-44
Please notice carefully the important features of our Lord's
warning:
-
The Day of the Lord is comparable to "The days of
Noah"
-
The world in general will be unaware of its approach...
it will catch them off guard.
-
The destruction is swift as it was in Noah's day.
-
A great separation takes place during this time;
"One is taken, one is left"
-
If Christians fail to watch, they will also be overtaken
by it unaware
Compare these with the words of the Apostle Paul:
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord
so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say,
Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them,
as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief.
Clearly the Day of the Lord is the time for which the
Christian is to be on the lookout. We have in our day, millions
of professing Christians who are looking for a rapture. Those who
hold these views so carelessly read over these warnings thinking
"they don't apply to me". The have been utterly
deceived. The people who believe in such non-scriptural theories
are the very ones who will be caught off guard when this day
approaches! Let whosoever reads this consider our Lord's warning:
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Indeed! Those who are looking for a rapture seven years
before the second coming are the very ones to whom these
words will ultimately apply. By the time the signs appear in the
sun and moon it will be altogether too late. The destruction and
the judgement from that point is swift, sudden destruction.
Shockingly, some have tried to see a pre-trib rapture in
Jesus' words:
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be
taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be
taken, and the other left.
Clearly there is no pre-tribulation rapture here. These
clearly refer to the Day of the Lord which takes place
"immediately after the tribulation of those days".
While they do denote the age end separation of the just from the
unjust, and therefore must of necessity include the
"rapture" of living saints, we can get a much clearer
picture of this event when we compare it with a parallel passage
from Luke:
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in
one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be
taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and
the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where,
Lord? And he said unto them,
Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.
Luke 17:34-37
The "body" here is literally a carcass, and the
"eagles" are literally vultures. The passage clearly
does not refer to a pre-tribulation rapture, but to the
unparalleled carnage which will be left behind by the swift
judgment upon the world.
By examine other prophecies we learn even more about The Day
of the Lord:
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of
hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him
of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour,
and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for
the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country
by the river Euphrates. Jer 46:10
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at
hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty
shall it come. Joel 1:15
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and
distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of
darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,
and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they
shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against
the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and
their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to
deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole
land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he
shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in
the land.
Zeph 1:15-18
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he
shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun
shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not
cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked
for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the
proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the
terrible. Isa 13:9-11
The Word of God is so plain and so clear if we will simply
believe what it says and stop trying to make it fit the theories
we have been taught. The great tribulation is never spoken of as
a time of God's wrath against mankind. As we have seen, the great
tribulation is a period of severe persecution which God
terminates. Isaiah, Joel, and Jesus all mention the signs in the
sun and the moon which God brings about to serve warning on
mankind of the swift judgement to follow. Clearly, according to
Jesus and Joel, these signs take place AFTER the great
tribulation, but BEFORE the Day of the Lord. Is it any wonder
that so many in our day give up on prophecy and leave it to the
self-styled so-called "experts" on the subject. We have
been taught a system of interpretation which makes the scriptures
almost impossible to understand. How long until we realize that
God didn't write the Bible for the "experts", but for
you and me, and anyone who loves the truth and will simply
believe what He has written. God in his infinite love and wisdom
has given to us the "light" which the rest of the world
doesn't have. He has given to us information about the close of
this age, and His coming which to the world is simply
foolishness. In every case we are told to watch! We are not to be
in darkness with the world concerning the events to come. How is
it that most choose to believe a doctrine which effectually puts
them back in darkness and teaches them not to watch for the very
day we have been warned time and again to be on the look out; THE
DAY OF THE LORD.
In every place, without one exception, this Day of the Lord is
seen as day of God's vengeance toward mankind on the earth. The
day is one of unprecedented plague, death and destruction which
the Lord will pour out AFTER the great tribulation. This time is
so carefully delineated within scriptures, but so completely
ignored by those who believe a rapture will miraculously pull
them off the earth before it even starts. But for those who are looking
for it, the same day which brings sudden destruction upon
the wicked also proves to be the day of deliverance for the
saints:
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us
watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night;
and they that be drunken are drunken in the night But let us,
who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation For
God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation
by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5:6-9
In other words, the day which is is appointed to bring wrath
on the world, is the day which is appointed to bring salvation to
the saints for those who are not sleeping or drunken when it
comes, but watching for it. This is of the
utmost importance as we continue through this study.
Again, for those who continue to doubt, hear the word's of your
Lord:
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be
also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were
given in marriage,UNTIL THE DAY THAT NOE
ENTERED INTO THE ARK, AND THE FLOOD
CAME, AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat,
they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 BUT THE SAME DAY
THAT LOT WENT OUT OF SODOM IT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FROM
HEAVEN AND DESTROYED THEM ALL. Luke 17:26-29
The day the righteous are delivered is the VERY SAME DAY in
which the wicked are destroyed. DO NOT BE DECEIVED-- that day of
deliverance and wrath is THE DAY OF THE LORD.
Again, hear the words of the Apostle Peter:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the
last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?
for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as
they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word
of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of
the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same
word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 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. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. 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. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and
godliness, 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? 2 Peter 3:3-12
Again, why would Jesus, Peter, and Paul all tell us to be on
the look out for "the Day of the Lord" if they expected
to be raptured prior to it?!? The church is to watch for and
hasten to this day because it is THE DAY OF ITS DELIVERANCE. How
could anyone who went to the scriptures with an open mind, and
without the pre-conceived theories of modern Christendom fail to
miss the clear teaching regarding "The Day of the
Lord". This Day is the hope for the Church, NOT
the rapture.
Once again, in this passage we are struck by all the same
elements we have seen in our previous ones. The following table
illustrates this:
|
Jesus
|
Paul
|
Peter
|
Referred to as "A Thief" |
if the goodman of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come |
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night |
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night |
Catches Those Not Watching Off Guard |
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart,
My lord delayeth his coming;
For as in the days that
were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
|
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; |
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last
days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying,
Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are
ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of
old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the
water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed
with water, perished: |
Brings Sudden Destruction |
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all
away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be
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.
|
then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail
upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape |
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. |
Christians Instructed To Watch For It |
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye
think not the Son of man cometh |
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us
watch and be sober. |
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of
God |
Church Gathered and Saved During This
Period |
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. |
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him
For
God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
|
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance. |
How can anyone fail to see the beautiful harmony of the
scriptures. The Day of the Lord is clearly the day which the
Christian is to watch for and to hope for. We may not like the
idea that God will leave us on this earth during the great
tribulation period, but that is what the Bible says. Christians
in times past have suffered horrible persecutions for their
faith. God's promise was always to be with them in the midst of
such persecutions, and to provide strength. It is historical fact
that most of the original twelve apostles, men who Jesus loved
and walked with, suffered horrible persecution as well as
martyrdom.
It says something about the age in which we live that
Christians now expect that God will deliver this generation from
such persecution. It is true that God has not appointed us to
wrath, but it is HIS wrath which we are promised to escape, not
the coming persecution. Christians are never promised that they
will escape such tribulation and persecution. In fact, just the
opposite:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world. John 16:33
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting
them to continue in the faith, and that we
must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22
And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience; Romans 5:3
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before
that we should suffer tribulation;
even as it came to pass, and ye know.
1 Thes 3:4
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together. Romans 8:17
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, but also to suffer
for his sake; Phil 1:29
If we suffer, we shall also
reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
2
Tim 2:12
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is
not greater than his lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you;
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
John 15:20
Now that we have clearly seen that "The day of the
Lord" is the day for which the Christian is to watch and
pray, we can bring so many other scriptures to bear on this
subject showing this "day" to be the hope of the
Christian in every case:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much
the more, as ye see the day
approaching.
Heb 10:25
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and
to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony
among you was believed) in that day.
2 Thes 1:10
For the which cause I also suffer these things:
nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have
believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which
I have committed unto him against that day.
2 Tim 1:12
The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the
Lord in that day: and in
how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou
knowest very well. 2 Tim 1:18
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in
the day of Christ, that I have not run in
vain, neither laboured in vain. Phil 2:16
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye
may be sincere and without offence till the
day of Christ; Phil 1:10
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ:
Phil 1:6
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction
of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus.
1 Cor 5:5
Who shall also confirm you unto the
end, that ye may be blameless in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1
Cor 1:8
Those who are looking for a rapture before The Day of the Lord
have completely "missed the boat". This day which is so
prominently mentioned in scripture is not something to be
overlooked lightly as though it didn't apply to us. To the
Christian, it's everything. Even if we should die before it, it's
this day which will bring about our resurrection. To ignore these
hard facts is not merely careless, but as we shall see, it also
puts those who continue to cling to their unscriptural theories
in a very dangerous position.
We have come to a point in the history of the Christian church
in which we feel that somehow doctrine isn't important. Nothing
brings out this fact more than the doctrine of the pre-trib
rapture of the Church. We are taught to believe that no matter
how a Christian has lived their life, or what they believe in
regard to doctrine, they will automatically be airlifted off the
earth prior to the coming tribulation. As we will see, this is a
very serious error. The warnings of Jesus, and the apostles are
clear and sober; that we are to continually be on watch for the
approach of this coming day so that we are not over taken by it
with the rest of the world. The pre-trib rapture theory make it
impossible to recognize this day.
It is very important for the reader to grasp that this
distinction between the coming Great Tribulation, and the Day of
the Lord which follows it. This is the KEY to understanding Bible
prophecy. This distinction, once clearly recognized and defined,
will clarify so many scriptures which otherwise bring nothing but
confusion. We began this chapter by discussing some verses which
people often use to teach the doctrine of eternal conscious
torment. By the time we are finished with this study, we will see
that this distinction between the tribulation and the Day of the
Lord, is also the key to understanding them as well.
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