The PRE-Tribulation Teaching
They give Arguments - I Answer!
THE PRE-TRIBULATIONISTS THERE ARE MANY ARGUMENTS FROM THE TEACHERS OF THE PRE-TRIBULATION DOCTRINE. THEY NEED TO BE ANSWERED AS THEY ARE IN GROSS ERROR. I SHALL ANSWER THEIR ARGUMENTS - Keith Hunt THE PRETRIBULATIONAL VIEW of the rapture teaches that Christ will rapture His church to His Father's house prior to the seven-year Tribulation (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4-5). The timing of the rapture is not a cardinal doctrine that should divide God's people, but those who interpret the Bible literally find many strong reasons reasons to believe that the rapture will be pretribulational. ...... ANSWER: The Bible and Bible Prophecy is to be understood from a literal stance, but how the pre-tribulationalists carve up and then put back-together again the word of the Lord is almost laughable if it was not so serious a matter. 1. The pretribulational view offers the most logical interpretation of second-coming scriptures when they are taken for their plain, literal meaning. Indeed, Walvoord says, "The only view that interprets prophecy literally and consistently is that of the pretribulational, premillennial position" (Walvoord, Prophecy, p.122), The pretribulational position has a logical explanation of every second-coming passage. Other views do not unless they jettison literal interpretation at one or more points. ...... ANSWER: Utter nonsense for the pretribulation view. The most logical way to interpret the second-coming passages are as I went through every single one of them in my study series called "The IMMINENT return of Christ." Most Christians, the authors of these arguments know, will not take the time to study every single passage, the authors know most will just read what they say and "go with it" as they are so-called "respected" fundamental "scholars" who have the praise of men. 2. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul promised believers they would be saved from the "wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 NKJV) and kept from "the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10). Such a "trial" has not yet occurred. Paul gave the same promise in Romans 5:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9. All the other viewpoints contradict these scriptures by stating that at least a portion of the church will experience all or some of the Tribulation period. ...... ANSWER: The "wrath of God" is "the day of the Lord" (Old Testament) prophecies, and also "the great day of His wrath is come" - Revelation 6:17. The Tribulation is BEFORE the "wrath of God." We see clearly in Rev.7 protection with the seal of the living God. No saints will come under the wrath of God from the time the wrath of God is poured out. But the tribulation is another matter altogether, which is the FIFTH SEAL of Rev.chapter 5, followed by the 6th seal of the heavenly signs, then followed by the "great day of His wrath is come." The folly of the fundamentalists is they cannot put the prophetic verses in the correct order. The Philadelphia church is granted protection from the hour of trials come on the earth. The Protestant fundamentals believe they are in the Philadelphia church; nothing could be further from the truth. The Philadelphia people, as it says, are small and weak. Jesus said His disciples would be the salt of the earth; the very little flock--- the Greek there is a double diminutive, meaning "little little" or "very little"---- So it is only a very small amount of true Christians that shall be granted protection in the great tribulation , which is the 5th seal of Revelation 6. Then that is only a general statement for Revelation 12 shows the overall story of God's people to the end time. When Satan will go after the woman that brought forth the man child, go after her that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This is NOT the Jews for the Jews reject Christ, they do not have his testimony. SOME of the end time saints will find protection from Satan and the great tribulation he will bring on earth, but other saints, SOME of them Satan will go after and has it has always been, some will have to die for the faith once delivered to the saints. All verses on a subject must be found or cherry picking verses leads you into the error of false ideas. Then also some of the verses they give above, have to do with the final judgment of wrath, the second death, and the punishment of the unrepentant sinners. Either way, no saint will be given the wrath of God in any way to cause death, but that does not mean to say some of the saints will not naturally die during the time of the wrath of God. Time and chance can happen to anyone as wise king Solomon was inspired to tell us. But Revelation 7 gives the Holy Spirit to more as they repent. And those that have Go's Spirit will find protection from all that is now to happen during the Day of the Lord. 3. The pretribulational position clearly and logically untangles the details of Christ's second coming. The Scriptures say that Jesus will come in the air to rapture (snatch away) His church, yet He will also come to the earth publicly to judge the earth. The coming of Christ in blessing for His church and His return to the earth in judgment are two distinct events separated by time. As Walvoord puts it, "The Rapture is a movement of the church from earth to heaven and is in sharp contrast to the church's return with Christ at the Second Coming, which occurs more than seven years later as a movement from heaven to earth" (Walvoord, Prophecy, p.38). The book of Revelation and 2 Thessalonians 2 clarify what takes place between those two events. ..... ANSWER: This is also UTTER GARBAGE! The Scriptures teach no such thing as a "two-phased" return of Christ. Jesus never taught it, Paul never taught it, no writer of the Bible ever taught such a crazy idea as Christ's return coming first as invisible and then years later visible. If you have not yet done so you need to study my study series "The IMMINENT return of Christ?" Such a teaching comes from the darkened minds of men who refuse to see the light of truth on the ONE and ONLY ONE second coming of Christ. Again I could laugh at the ideas of men if they were not so serious about teaching such falsehood. Surely Jesus said that before He came many would come in His name, and deceive MANY, not the few, but the MANY!! (Mat.24). 4. The pretribulational rapture position is the only view that makes a clear distinction between Israel and the church. The lack of a proper understanding of the relationship between Israel and the church in prophecy is one of the major causes of confusion in the teachings of amillennialism and posttribulationism. ...... ANSWER: Somehow these pre-tribulationists think the "church" and "Israel" cannot be kept separate to understand Bible prophecy correctly. They somehow think those against their pre-tribulation teaching, mix up the church and Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth of the matter. If you study all the studies on this Website on "prophecy" and "end times" and the expounding of the Old Testament prophets, you will see the plain truth of it all, and it smashes this argument of the pre-tribulationists into a million pieces. 5. Pretribulationism is the only view that makes "the blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) truly a blessed hope. Few doctrines have brought more hope to grieving and persecuted souls during the past 2000 years than the doctrine of this blessed hope, which is the teaching that Christ will return for His church, resurrect the dead, and transport living believers to be with Himself while the world endures the Tribulation. The midtribulational position destroys that hope by forcing Christians to anticipate the trauma of at least part of the Tribulation. Posttribulationism further destroys the hope by propelling Christians through the entire Tribulation period. No proper reading of Bible prophecy gives credence to the idea that the church will be on earth during that seven-year period. The judgment pictured in Revelation is clearly intended for Israel and the unbelieving world. ...... ANSWER: All sounds very nice and dreamily comforting if you just want to have the ideas of men, and make up emotional teachings that are argued from the pure emotions, devoid of actual fact and the truth. Titus 2:13 cannot be made to say the hope is the pre-tribulation rapture of the church to heaven. The word "church" - "saints" - "rapture" - "heaven" - "tribulation" - cannot be found in this verse. The blessed hope, is what is written there - the glorious appearing of Christ Jesus. It is the ONE GLORIOUS APPEARING, not any two-phased appearing as the pre- tribulationists teach. The truth is also that SOME of the saints will be counted as escaping the tribulation in the wilderness (Luke 21:36; with Rev.12) just as it was in the Dark Ages, and just has it has always been, SOME will need to die for the faith once delivered to the saints (Heb.11 with Rev.12). God knows who can take the heat, who can stand persecution and even death (the 5th seal of Rev.6). You are not some kind of "less" Christian because you give your life for the faith. Jesus taught in Mat.24; Mark 13; Luke 21 and elsewhere, that to be His disciple you had to count the cost, sometimes the cost is death. Many Christians today in some parts of the world ARE being killed for being a Christian. We in the Western world tend to be SOFT and WEAK and LAZY and LUKEWARM. We have lived for far too long in a society that has been on EASY STREET. We've lived on the false built platform of WALL STREET for too many years. We in the West have not had to stand up for the faith, defend the faith, live courageously for the faith, in the face of being physically persecuted and even death, as some in other parts of the world as facing each day they live as Christians. The first apostles, most of them, were killed for the faith of Christ. Many Christians in the first 300 years were persecuted, thrown to the lions, killed in various ways. Many in the middle ages under the heel of a so-called "Christian Rome" were persecuted and died for the faith once delivered to the saints. Some escaped and fled to the hills and the wilderness where they found protection. True understanding of prophecy, with emotions left to one side, shows clearly, that has always been, some protected, some die. the 5th seal of Revelation 6 has not yet come to pass, but it WILL! 6. Pretribulationism allows sufficient time for important end-time events to occur. Christ will take Christians to His Father's house and reward them at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:12). The marriage of the bride of Christ in heaven occurs before He comes "with power and great glory" to the earth (Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27). Other viewpoints are all too brief to allow time for the important events listed in Revelation. ...... ANSWER: Romans 14:12 says nothing about "heaven" - the word cannot be found in that verse. People like to read into verses their pet ideas. Matthew 24:30 I've quoted time and again in the studies on the coming of Christ. And so also Luke 21:27. What those verses have to do with proving MUCH time is needed to go to heaven and have the marriage of the bride and Christ is beyond my logical mind. The verses tell you that Christ is coming, the saints will be gathered to Him - Mat.24:31 with 1 Thes.4:13-18. They will be with Him in the clouds, the air. Nothing is said about going off to heaven. The book of Revelation talks about a sea of glass. The marriage of the Lamb to the church and the giving of rewards when Christ comes (Rev.22:12 and many other verses) is done when He comes. The argument above is based upon not only false ideas that have no backing of Scripture, but also based upon the human mind as it thinks about "time." God lives in a different time world than we do. A thousand years can be a day to Him, and a day as a thousand years. What would take human man to do such as having a marriage feast last for days, and taking months to hand out reward diplomas to tens of thousands if not millions of saints .... it is nothing for God to do in seconds or minutes. God does not work on our "time machine" level. I have shown you that nearly all in the book of Revelation is within the "great day of the wrath of God" - about one year in duration, and the seven last plagues can all be poured out in ONE SINGLE day. See my expounding of the book of Revelation in "The New Testament Bible Story." in a split second if He wants. He made this earth as we have it today with everything in it, visible and invisible to the human eye-- in 6 days! It's laughable how some humans can forget how ALMIGHTY God is! 7. Only the pretribulational view preserves the motivating power of the imminent return of Christ. In John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:4; and many other passages, the apostles taught that Christ could come at any moment. When the church loses this anticipation, it tends to become carnal and spiritually dead. (See the article titled "Imminence.") ...... ANSWER: All these verses have been fully covered in my study "The IMMINENT return of Christ." Nowhere does the New Testament teach that Christ can come at any second WHILE DISREGARDING, THROWING AWAY, NULLIFYING, AND IGNORING THE MANY SIGNS THAT JESUS AND PAUL TAUGHT HAD TO COME TO PASS BEFORE CHRIST COULD RETURN. The "imminence" teaching by the fundamental prophets is as big a false doctrine as any, which they have been proclaiming now for well over 100 years. It is a fundamental folly that will put them slap-dab in the middle of the Great Tribulation with the Beast power firing flames of death at them. The "church" becomes carnal when the church stops growing in grace and knowledge, stops being correct from error, stops reading the Bible. And on that point, have you noticed the DE- crease of people with Bibles, all marked up, as in diligent reading, OF CHURCH ATTENDERS. If you go around to the various churches, two things will strike you (1) the lack of people carrying a Bible and reading it (2) people dressing like they've just come from working in the garden. I doubt they would appear like that before the Queen of England .... ah but sad to say, I guess today many would. 8. Pretribulational Christians are looking for the coming of the Lord. In other views, Christians are awaiting the Tribulation, the Antichrist, and great suffering. In fact, only the rapture could occur as soon as today. The glorious appearing of Christ cannot occur for at least seven or more years (see Walvoord, Prophecy in the New Millennium, pp.38-39). ...... ANSWER: MORE utter nonsense of reading the Bible, the New Testament, in a wrong and sloppy and mixed up manner. A refusal to put verse with verse. A refusal to see the NT teaches no such strange idea that the coming of Christ is in two phases, one invisible and the other visible, with "ex" number of years between them. The "rapture" is in their view "the imminent" return of Christ. I've gone through ever verse on the coming of Christ in my study "The IMMINENT return of Christ" and blown away in a super nova such a false doctrine as Jesus comes twice to earth, once invisible and then visible. The "coming of Christ" passages teach no such thoughts from planet Pluto (which they say does not exist). 9. Pretribulationism emphasizes the magnitude of the rapture. At least four passages of Scripture describe the rapture, so it must be a significant event. The posttribulational view trivializes the rapture, treating it as a quick trip up and right back down. The pretribulational view treats it as a dignified, blessed event commensurate with a heavenly bridegroom who comes to take His bride to His Father's house for their wedding. ...... ANSWER: IF YOU HAVE READ ENOUGH FROM THIS WEBSITE YOU CERTAINLY KNOW I TREAT THE "RESURRECTION" OF THE SAINTS FROM THE GRAVE AND THE CHANGE OF LIVING SAINTS AS ***VERY SIGNIFICANT*** IT IS THE HEIGHT OF IGNORANCE that people say the post- tribulationists view trivializes the rapture (resurrection of saints and change for those living) at the glorious, open, powerful, sight of the ONE return of Christ to earth. If such people would read what I've written on the DIGNIFIED, GREAT, MIGHTY, POWERFUL, heavenly bridegroom coming to take His bride into the Kingdom of God, which is the household of God, which wedding can and does take place on the sea of glass in the air, in the clouds, they would think twice about uttering such foolishness. Not one verse teaches that we go back to heaven with Christ, when we are gathered to Him. In fact just the opposite. Zechariah 14 proves Christ's feet will touch the Mount of Olives in "that day." Of course the fellows writing these arguments would say that's okay because the saints have been with Christ up in heaven for 7 years. Then if the saints go to heaven when they die, then why resurrect them (1 Thes.4:13-18)? Oh, they say it is to give them their body. How interesting, so they are in heaven NAKED, running around with no body even, some bodiless spirits. Well on and on it goes with the fundamentalists folly. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS ONE OF THE KEY TEACHINGS OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE. I GIVE IT MUCH HONOR, RESPECT, AND GLORY. AND THAT IMPORTANT DOCTRINE OF GOD CALLS FOR NO PLACE IN SOME TWO-PHASED COMING AS THESE FUNDAMENTAL PROPHETS TEACH. 10. Pretribulationism most clearly fits the flow of the book of Revelation (see Revelation 4:1-2). Further, this view explains why the church is so central in the first three chapters of Revelation but then disappears and is not mentioned again until 18:24. Pretribulationists insist that the church has already been raptured before the events of Revelation 4-18. Other views try to find the church in the Tribulation even though she is not mentioned in these chapters. ...... ANSWER: They try to make an argument out of the seven churches being before chapter 4. I guess if the seven churches were scattered throughout the book of Revelation their argument would have to collapse. I do not know what book of Revelation these readers are reading, I think it must come from planet Pluto, which now they say is no planet at all. Ah, maybe their book of Revelation is from Venus which is so hot with the fires of hell that the saints ain't there any more. No, I know it must be from planet Saturn and the rings are the saints who have been raptured away, they're just waiting for the word to leave and come back to earth. I've answered this argument very thoroughly in "The IMMINENT return of Christ" and other studies. The church or saints are most definitely mentioned after chapter 4 of Revelation. I think these fellows writing these arguments must have cataracts over their eyes, or perhaps they forgot to put on their reading glasses, or maybe they are dozing off to sleep with their eyes closing as they try to read Revelation. Oh I know, these fundamental prophets are visiting from another galaxy and the English language ... well it can be hard to read at times, so they jump words and verses. As Jesus said in His day, it is no different today: "You blind leaders of the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." It is truly amazing how inept and how the fundamentalists folly keeps rolling along. 11. Pretribulationism preserves the credibility of Christ's word that Christians will be kept from the Tribulation. It is the only view that resolves the contrasting difficulties of Revelation 3:10 and 7:14. ...... ANSWER: Revelation 3:10 is the promise to the "philadelphia" Christians ONLY. As I've shown in other studies, SOME Christians will be spared and not be killed during the Great Tribulation, by fleeing to the WILDERNESS (not by being raptured to heaven in some secret coming of Christ), while those left will be persecuted and killed (Rev.5 and the 5th seal with Rev.12:7-17). Revelation 7:14 is those who have been protected in the wilderness, who have come through the tribulation and then stand before the Lamb. It will be as it has always been, some on earth escape persecution and death, while others do not. Church history throughout the last 2,000 years gives recorded proof that this is the way it has been, and so will be again, during the last 42 months of this age, leading up to the coming of Christ. 12. The purpose of the Tribulation is not to prepare the church for glory but rather to prepare Israel for restoration in God's program (see Deuteronomy 4:29-30; Jeremiah 30:4-11). ...... ANSWER: The purpose for the Great Tribulation is THREE FOLD. It is the time of "Jacob's Trouble [Jer.30:7-9]. Jacob is Israel and Israel is 13 tribes, the Jews are but 3 tribes. It is the time of punishment upon the Western world, especially the British Commonwealth and the USA [Joseph tribe]. It is the time of Satan to use his Babylon/Roman Beast power of Europe to bring the last persecution and death of true saints of God. It is the time for SOME to escape to the wilderness from the end time Beast power and its false prophet. The words "preparing for glory" have nothing to do with it per se. The saints will be glorified at the coming of Christ, and their preparation is as its always been, as the apostle Paul put it, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness..." (2 Tim.4:6-8). We keep the faith to the end, for some it is smooth and relatively easy, for others it is fought with tribulation of different kinds. We see the example of the life of Paul and Peter, as in contrast to that of John. It is the way it has always been, we may not know the full WHY of it all, as we do look through a glass darkly at times as Paul said, but one day we shall know even as we are known. 13. The rapture of the church is not mentioned in any passage describing the coming of Christ following the Tribulation. ...... ANSWER: This statement is so utterly incompetent, unskilled, bundling, clumsy and so maladroit and so inept, it hardly is worth taking the time to answer it. The rapture or resurrection/change is mentioned many times with the very COMING, the ONE COMING in power and glory and with mighty signs, of Christ Jesus. I shake my head in mazement at the reading of the Bible by so-called educated men. I have over and over again on this Website given you the simple Scripture with Scripture that makes the coming of Jesus and the glorifying of the saints, easy to understand, if you read the Bible as a child would read it. I came to see the plain truth of Jesus' coming and the saints being collectively gathered to Him, AFTER the Great Tribulation and heavenly signs, as a 10 year old boy. The step by step sequence of Matthew 24 is so easy to see, if you read it through the mind of a child. 14. None of the Bible passages describing the Tribulation mention the church (see Jeremiah 30:4-11; Daniel 9:24-27;12:1-2; Matthew 24:15-31; Revelation 4-19). ...... ANSWER: Daniel 9 is not because the prophecy had nothing to do with the Christian church, it had to do with the destruction of Jerusalem that would come in 70 A.D. Matthew 24:15-31. The authors must be blind! The context before is unmistakeable as it is during those verses sighted. If people cannot see that Christian disciples are here being talked about as being persecuted and even killed, and great deception as to IF possible deceive the very elect, then they truly must be blinded or so stubborn of heart, they will not be corrected no matter if the correction bites them in the behind. Revelation 4-19. I fully destroy this argument in another study on this Website, going into detail as to how wrong an idea this is. 15. The church has not been appointed to wrath (Romans 5:9;1 Thessalonians t:9-to; 5:9; see Revelation 6:17). ...... ANSWER: The church has not been appointed to be punished in the "great day of His wrath is come" Rev.6:17. The Great Tribulation is ONE event, the Heavenly signs, ANOTHER event, and the "Wrath of God" the THIRD event. All fully expounded in many studies on this Website. Most important for Christians------- We, the church, will also not face the find wrath or punishment of the unrepented wicked, the second death! THAT is the ultimate WRATH to come! 16. When the church is raptured, believers will go to the Father's house in heaven (John 14:3). They will not immediately return to the earth, as posttribulationism teaches. ...... ANSWER: Utterly wrong once more. The Father's house is the Father's Kingdom. A place is being prepared there for each Christian. We shall be with Christ when He returns (John 14:3; 1 Thes.4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15; with Zech.14:1-4). In that day of His return His feet touch the Mount of Olives. The saints will be with Him. Many in- depth studies on here expound the truth of the matter. The Kingdom house of God comes to earth for 1,000 years under Christ. Then Jesus will hand the Kingdom over to the Father (1 Cor.15) when the Father comes to the new earth (Rev.21,22). 17. The exhortation in Titus 2:13 to look for Christ's return as a blessed hope is misleading if the Tribulation must come first. Believers would need to look for signs instead. On the contrary, the church is always exhorted to look for the Lord's coming. In the Tribulation, however, believers are told to look for signs (Matthew 24). ...... ANSWER: This verse says what it means and means what it says. Christians are always to look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. That's all it says, no more and no less. The authors are putting ideas into your mind that are not there in this verse. The verse has nothing to do with prophetic signs leading up to the coming of the Lord. It is a statement of constant living fact that we are to look for the hope that is the blessing of the appearing of the Lord. That hopeful blessing will bring the world the Kingdom of God on earth. It is a verse as like Jesus telling us to always be praying, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Surely all true Christians have been praying for this for 2,000 years. We continue to pray for God's Kingdom to come, as we continue to look for the hope of the blessing of the appearing of our Lord and Savior. This verse here in Titus has nothing to do with the Tribulation, Heavenly signs, Wrath of God, Secret rapture, last 42 months of this age, or any signs given by Christ or Paul, leading up to the appearing of the Lord. It is a simple verse to tell Christians to keep looking for the blessed hope of the appearing of Christ; desiring to see His return, for we know what a blessing it will be for the whole world. 18. According to Old Testament texts, living Tribulation saints are not translated and glorified at Christ's second coming. They continue earthly human lives and occupations, including having children and raising crops (Isaiah 65:20-25). If all saints are translated and glorified (as described by the rapture) at Christ's second coming to the earth, this would be impossible. In addition, the separation of the "sheep" and "goats" described by Jesus in Matthew 25:32 would be unnecessary because it would already have occurred at the rapture before He even set up His throne of judgment (25:31). ...... ANSWER: The Bible teaches indeed that ALL saints of past ages will be resurrected at Christ's return. The authors do NOT know the power of God nor the Scriptures. Do you remember Jesus saying that about some religious leaders of His day? It is written that nothing is impossible for the Lord. Secondly, the authors have very little understanding of the Old Testament prophets. Isa.65:20-25. This is a prophecy of the age to come. It is a physical prophecy about physical Jerusalem, and the physical people of all Israel, verse 9,10. The physical people of Israel shall go into the new age, the millennium age. They shall inherit Jerusalem, they shall rejoice. They shall bear children that will live long like the tree. They shall plant and build. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all of God's holy mountain. It is a physical prophecy to physical Israelites, to a physical earth, to physical animals. It is the prophecy of Isa.11 again, and many other parts of Isaiah, such as chapter 35. Daniel will stand again, at the end of the days, at the end of 1,335 days, which is AFTER a time of trouble such as never before on earth (Dan.12:1) and many that are in the dust of the earth shall be resurrected (v.2) and the wise shine like the stars of heaven. It is at the end of a time, times, and half a time (v.7), that all these things shall be. At the end of the days Daniel will stand, he will rest till then, but he will stand again. So likewise with Job - Job 14:10-15; 19:25,26. All the faithful like Abraham, did not yet receive the promise, but they shall be made PERFECT with US. All the saints of Old and New Testaments, will live again in glory, or be changed to glory, AT the voice of the archangel, at the trump of God, the last trump, at the shout of the voice of the Lord as He descends from heaven. When we the saints of past and present shall meet the Lord in the air in the clouds, and in that day continue to descend to the Mount of Olives with the Lord (Mat.24:29-31; 1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4:13-18; Zech.14; Heb.11:39,40). Matthew 25:32 is AFTER the Son of man comes and SITS on His throne of glory - David's throne - then shall all nations to gathered before Him (verses 31,32). There it is folks, read it just as it is in your Bible. It is pretty darn clear. The dividing of the sheep from the goats parable is for AFTER the Kingdom is on earth. But the lesson it caries certainly applies throughout all generations, the principle of truth is universal and always applicable for anyone in any age. 19. God has often delivered believers (including, for example, Noah, Lot, and Rahab) before punishing the world for sin (see 2 Peter 2:6-9). ...... ANSWER: Yes! And I've already said and shown you that SOME, will be delivered from the Great Tribulation by fleeing to the WILDERNESS (Rev.12). There is NOT ONE WORD in the Bible about a "secret rapture" or a secret coming of the Lord or any "two-phased" return of Christ will years inbetween. Those who teach and those who believe in some secret rapture are going to be SHOCKED TO THEIR UNDERWEAR, when the Beast power arises to rule the Western world, and they are still on this earth. 20. Jesus mentions the possibility of believers escaping the Tribulation in Luke 21:36. ...... ANSWER: Yes! True! And it will be as it is written in Revelation 12, by a FLEEING into the WILDERNESS! Just as it has always been the case over the last 2,000 years. The future will be no different! 21. Almost all scholars acknowledge that the early church believed in the imminence of Christ's return, which logically leads to pretribulationism. TIM LAHAYE, RICHARD L. MAYHUE, AND WAYNE A. BRINDLE ...... ANSWER: What so-called "scholars" have to say is meaningless in the reality of the truth of God's word. The truth does not stand on the ideas or popularity of men. Truth does not stand of the early "church fathers" or anyone before or since. Truth is God's word (John 17:17). The so-called "imminent" return of Christ teaching is a false doctrine, and it does not matter who or how many "famous" or "infamous" theologians down through time have espoused it and proclaimed it or taught that Scripture endorses it. I have covered this teaching of the "imminent return" in depth. You can find that study under the title "The IMMINENT return of Christ." You need to be searching the Scriptures daily like the faithful Bereans did in Acts 17. Only by reading and searching the Word of God will you come to know the truth, and then that truth will as Jesus said, "Set you free." ........................ Keith Hunt May, 2009 |
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