Dear beloved Brethren.
For many years now, I've heard preaching and teaching from the pulpits and the radio and television stations, by well-known Evangelical ministers, the doctrine of the "Rapture of the Church before the Great Tribulation". This “doctrine” has already been accepted by many Churches for many years now. Or “PRE-Tribulation” as it is known in most circles.
Basically, this doctrine teaches, that any of these days, the Lord Jesus Christ in a secret visit, to the eyes of the world, will come and transport "the Church" composed of Christians, members of some denominations, mainly Evangelicals, and will take them out of this world to Heaven, which will then, open the door to the rest of the prophetic events before the establishment of the Kingdom of God in this world.
So it is taught that; If you are one of those fortunate Christians, you could disappear at any time, maybe including right now, as you read these lines & be "raptured" to the heavens, as long as you are living a good “Christian life”, seeking to walk close to the Lord & so you'll be raptured any time soon, according to this doctrine.
The problem when we follow “Church doctrines” without doing as the as the Bereans... searching the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things are so, Acts 17:11, is that we end up following men's doctrines & not God's.
Because I couldn't find Scriptures in the Bible that said such thing, I decided to search into the origins of it, & I found the following data.
The Fathers of the Church, as the bishops, elders and leaders of the Early Church are called, never taught that doctrine. In short, it was between 1537 and 1800 AD that writings began to appear that differed from the narrative that: the Church would go through "great tribulation" and then be taken to Heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ in his second coming, right before God pours his Wrath upon Earth.
Among the most outstanding postulants of this doctrine are; Father Francisco Rivera, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, Manuel de Lacunza, Morgan Edwards Baptist Minister.
Around 1830 a young prophetess, Margaret Macdonald, received visions, in which she saw groups of people disappearing suddenly, visions and prophecies, which were later published. Wanting to give those visions a Biblical endorsement, the idea of a "PRE-Tribulation Rapture" was gradually introduced in Christian circles by ministers like Edward Irving, John Nelson Darby, William Kelly, and later by several "Christian" ministers at the beginning of the 20th century, being one of its main promoters the minister Cyrus Ingerson Scofield.
At this point I would like to point out, that I find it somewhat amazing how some people cling with intensity and fervor to some of the denominational doctrines which they have been taught, even though, they may later be shown numerous Scriptures that indicate or affirm the opposite, kind of like: the old wine is better. Luk 5:39
It is true that there are some Biblical passages that are not yet fully clear and in which we could say that we are waiting for further revelation, such is the case of some of the revelations given to some of the prophets, such as Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. For example Daniel asked the angel that was explaining to him, the meaning of his visions & the angel simply told him that those prophecies were not for him, and that they would be closed and sealed until the “Time of the End”. Daniel 12: 8-9. In some of these prophecies, we need to be open to the Spirit of God & what He may show us according to Jn 16:13, because we have reached those days & the Holy Spirit is leading His Church to all truth.
The question that all sincere and God-fearing Christians should ask us is: what truths do I hold on to, that are clearly visible in the Scriptures and which of them are denominational doctrines that I believe just because that's what they taught me?
Denominational doctrines can be dangerous because they could separate us from the Truth of the Word of God and blind us to it. And in some cases they could be terribly harmful and even deadly for our spiritual life and our relationship with the Lord. In many cases they act as a vaccine against the truth of the Word of God. And the Lord warns us that if we do not receive the Love of his Truth, we could end up believing a lie.
For that reason I tell people: not everything a pastor, priest, or elder says to his congregation is necessarily infallible, or is the Word of God. It is true that in obedience to the Lord we must be subject to their spiritual authority. But it is our own leaders who must point to the authority of the Scriptures above themselves, and if they are not doing so, I would recommend that you start looking for a new congregation. So check the Scriptures, study the Word, search in a concordance, listen to Christians of different denominations and then with the light of His Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the divine council of your leaders, draw your own conclusions.
Good, without further comments. If by this time you have not yet asked the Lord to help you see, what is of Him in these lines, take a moment to do so, because without the help of God's Spirit we cannot understand spiritual things. If you are not a Christian, I doubt you have arrived reading this far, but if you have done so, & you want to know God & his Kingdom, all you have to do is recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, who is at this moment knocking the door of your heart, let Him in & confess Him as Lord of your life, ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. If you have said that prayer from your heart, from now on: He is your Lord & Savior. Look for Romans 10:9-10 in the Bible. Ask Him to help you read his Word, the Bible, & find a congregation that centers its teachings in the Bible. The most sensational thing in this life is to fall totally in love with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ the only way to Heaven.
Let's first review the points on which Christians of most denominations agree on.
All true Christians believe that Jesus will come back to our world, & know that God will establish his Kingdom here on Earth and that Jesus Christ will be the King who along with his Saints will rule all surviving nations after the time period that is known in the Bible as the "time of the end" Daniel 2:44… And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Daniel 7:27… And the kingdom and rulership, and the greatness of the kingdom under all the heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And ALL KINGDOMS shall serve and obey Him. Kingdoms are all the surviving nations after the Wrath of God is poured upon the whole world.
Mat 25:31… But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory. And all nations shall be gathered before Him. And He shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. And indeed He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats off the left. Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
So far we all agree in those passages. Now in Mat 24:3 the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming (to set God's Kingdom up) , and of the end of the world?
If you want to find all details to these events, read Matthew 24, Marc 13 & Luke 17 & 21, there the Lord Jesus prophesied the “signs” or conditions that the world would be in before his return to Earth.
In this letter I want to concentrate in one of the most controversial prophecies given in Matthew 24:15.
Now, after Jesus foretold the conditions in which the world would be before his return¸ He said that the most outstanding sign will be the setting of an abomination in a place of worship that would be the beginning of a tribulation in the world, which He called "great tribulation" because it is the greatest and most terrible one that there ever was or will ever be in the world. It says verbatim: 24: 15, 21-23… Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). ,… for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be.
Then, regarding when He will come to gather & take with Him his elect, it says 24:29-31… And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
I will be pointing out FIVE BASIC POINTS that have an important chronological order in this study. - FIRST: "THE SIGNS OF THE END": wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation, famines and pestilences and earthquakes, great persecution of the Church, & the proclamation of the Gospel to all nations in the world.
- SECOND: "THE GREAT TRIBULATION" and immediately after the great tribulation, the
- THIRD: SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS above us: the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the sky, the powers of the heavens will be shaken and
- FOURTH: JESUS APPEARS IN THE HEAVENS WITH GREAT POWER & GLORY.
- FIFTH: HIS ANGELS WILL GATHER HIS CHOSEN ONES from the four winds. That of gathering His chosen ones literally means to pick them up and take them to Heaven, or THE RAPTURE.
Now, as there was much talk about the coming of the Lord and the Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel in the days of the Early Church, the apostle Paul, as he used to do with regard to all the topics he dealt with, gave a detailed explanation, in some of his Epistles of how would the gathering of the Church be. It is interesting to note that the great majority of the Epistles were addressed to "Gentile Christians" that is, not descendants of Jews in the flesh, but new Israelis, fellow citizens of God's Israel, Heirs of the Kingdom with Christ. Eph 2:11-22, Gal 4:-7, which actually makes of us, none Israelis in the flesh, true Israelis in God's eyes, Rom 2:28-29.
Well, when we read the passage from 1 Thessalonians 4 about the second coming of our Lord, which is clearly to many Christians, me included, the same event of Matthew 24:19-31
1Thes 4:13-17 But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you be not grieved, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.
Here we see the Lord Jesus coming in the heavens and gathering together his chosen ones. Those Sons of God who have died from the creation of the world until the second coming of Christ, who will be resurrected on that day, called the Lord’s day, and also those of us brothers/sisters who have remained alive until that day of His arrival who will then be raptured & gathered together with the resurrected ones.
In 2 Thes 1… 4-10 so much so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you endure. For this is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer, since it is a righteous thing with God to repay tribulation to those who trouble you, and to give rest with us to you who are troubled, (When does he say they will rest?) AT THE REVEALING OF THE LORD JESUS FROM HEAVEN with the angels of His power, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all those who believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that Day.
That manifestation of the Lord coming to rescue His elect is nothing secret, the secret is when will it come, but when He does, the whole world will see it.
Now, he says specifically in 2Thes 2:1-10 … Now we beseech you, my brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you should not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word or letter, as through us, as if the Day of Christ is at hand. Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? And now you know what holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only he is now holding back until it comes out of the midst. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
Let's see, ... Let NOT ANYONE DECEIVE YOU by any means: He WILL NOT COME and WE WILL NOT MEET HIM, without the apostasy coming first & the man of sin being revealed. So the Lord will come after those two events. It is interesting to note that the PRE-Tribulation promoters use the passage from 2Thes 2:5-7 … Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? And now you know what holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only he is now holding back until it comes out of the midst, to affirm that it is the Holy Spirit and the Church that are stopping the appearance of the "son of sin" and that once they are removed from Earth, then the Antichrist will be manifested. In other words, both the Holy Spirit and the Church will be snatched away from the planet to give place to the son of perdition. But to make such a capricious interpretation we must ignore what the apostle has just taught saying, that us the Church, will not meet with the Lord Jesus until the apostasy comes and the "son of sin" is manifested.
If you ask me: Who is holding back the son of perdition? I would show you a few Scriptures that make me think it is the Archangel Michael. Jud 1:9, Rev 12:7, Dan 12:1
Well, ask the Lord for wisdom. Most likely, Yahweh God does not withdraw whoever avoids the appearance of the Antichrist, giving the Church time to finish the work of evangelizing the lost, but when that happens, then the end will come, Mat 24: 14… And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And THEN THE END SHALL COME.
The Lord Jesus talking about the day of the Resurrection said Jn 6:40…And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him should have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day.
The Lord called the day of the Resurrection “The Last Day”; which is the same day that we read about the Lord taking His elect up with Him. Paul the apostle describing that day says... 1 Cor 15:51-52… Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.
That is, the dead in Christ will be resurrected & those of us who have arrived until that day will be transformed. When? The same day, the last day, the day of the rapture of the Church
So far we have seen that the Scriptures clearly teach that the Church will be taken away. Now as we read in Revelation 11:15-19… at the sound of the last trumpet, then… And the seventh angel sounded. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders sitting before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, We thank You, O Lord God Almighty, who are, and who was, and who is coming, because You took Your great power and reigned. And the nations were full of wrath, and Your wrath came, and the time of the judging of the dead, and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to the ones fearing Your name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those destroying the earth. And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant, and there occurred lightnings and voices, and thunders and an earthquake, and a great hail.
Seems to me this is the moment when the Church is raptured, just before the 7 Cups of Wrath of Revelation 16, at this time is when It begins to be spilled on the Earth. So the Church will be snatched before the fall of the wrath of God from Revelation 16. The problem is: confusing the "Great Tribulation" with the Wrath of God, which IS NOT the same thing. During the blowing of the 7 Trumpets of the time of the end, we see the chosen ones of God in several opportunities, with the seal of God in their foreheads on Earth. There is a lot of controversy in this aspect since many argue that those sealed are exclusively 144,000 citizens of Israel, that they are Jews according to the flesh, who are the only saints and sealed ones that will go through the tribulation. Well, that interpretation is, let's say, extremely literal. As I already brought up, all true believers are the Israel of God. Gal 6:15-16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any strength, nor uncircumcision, but A NEW CREATION. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon THE ISRAEL OF GOD.
There are also those who propose that the Seven Trumpets are played after the Return of the Lord in Rev 6:17 after the Rapture of the Church, & before the Seven Vials of the Wrath of God & are also part of the Wrath of God. There are some arguments that give some validity to this interpretation too. But my question to them is, why then the Lord asks the angels to seal the Servants of our God, if the Saints won't be here to receive Wrath, Rev 7:3, 9:4. How is it that after the resurrection of the two Witnesses, whose days of prophesying are the same 3 and half years of days as the Great Tribulation lasts & is when the Seventh Trumpet is played? & why there is no sign of the Saints of God on Earth when the Vials of Wrath are being poured on the Earth… Rev 16?
But returning to the issue of when the Return of the Lord will occur to pick the Church & take her to Heaven…
As we see in Revelation 7: 9… After these things I looked, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped God, saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come? And I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones who came out of (ἐκ, ἐξ ) the great tribulation and have washed their robes, and have whitened them in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. And He sitting on the throne will dwell among them. They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more, nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to the fountains of living waters. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
In the original Greek, ἐκ, ἐξ is a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote): from (among, forth, up), etc. In other words they came out from the great tribulation not before it.
As we see in Revelation and in Daniel, the antichrist will make war against the Saints, in Revelation 6:9-17… And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Until when, Master, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to each one of them. And it was said to them that they should rest yet for a little time, until both their fellow servants and their brothers (those about to be killed as they were) should have their number made complete.
When? The next seal describes the moments just before the coming of our Lord, similar to Matthew 24, that period could very well be talking about the Great Tribulation...
And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And THE SUN BECAME BLACK as sackcloth of hair, and THE MOON BECAME LIKE BLOOD. And THE STARS OF HEAVEN FELL TO THE EARTH, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. And THE HEAVEN DEPARTED LIKE A SCROLL when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH HAS COME, and who will be able to stand?
Luke 21:25-36… And THERE SHALL BE SIGNS IN THE SUN, AND IN THE MOON, AND IN THE STARS. And on the earth will be anxiety of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear, and expecting those things which have come on the earth. For the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And THEN THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. And when THESE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN, THEN LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR. And He spoke a parable to them: Behold the fig-tree and all the trees. Now when they sprout leaves, seeing it you will know that summer is now near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with headaches and drinking and anxieties of this life; and that day should suddenly come on you; 35 for it shall come as a snare on all those sitting on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, praying in every season that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall occur, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Well, let's look at the logic used by the PRE-Tribulation postulants. From the passage verses 34-36 they deduce that the Lord is saying that He will rapture them before the Tribulation. Again that interpretation needs a lot of stretching and & assuming in order to make it mean that, and ignore everything else that the Lord just revealed to them. We read how in previous passages that explain it, those who are saved will be gathered up (raptured) by the angels who will take us to Heaven (Mat 24:31) at the coming of the Lord and will then be delivered from the great Wrath of God. Then & there we will be without a doubt in the physical presence of the Lord, & we will be as He is 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Now to “be counted worthy”… Jesus already made us worthy by His life, death & resurrection when we accepted his Lordship in our lives & confessed Him, so that now we are the “Righteousness of God in Christ 2Co 5:21. But here are some other examples of God's work in our lives. The apostles were considered dignified by the fact of receiving persecution, Acts 5:41… Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name. Also for having submitted to God's will, for having obeyed his commandments, etc.
Now in Mark 13:35-37: Then you watch, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, at evening, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or early; lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all. Watch.
From here they deduce that since they do not know when He will come, it must be in any secret time.
What we can see is that the Lord is clearly warning us; let us watch, that is, live attentive to His coming (when He returns, or ready for if we go to Him, in case of physical death) & living a life that pleases God, so we can totally enjoy Him & be a greater blessing to those around us.
Luke 17:20-37… And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor shall they say, Lo here! or, behold, there! For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst. And He said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it. And they shall say to you, Lo, here! or, behold, there! Do not go away, nor follow. For AS THE LIGHTNING WHICH LIGHTS UP, FLASHING FROM THE ONE PART UNDER HEAVEN, AND SHINES TO THE OTHER PART UNDER HEAVEN, SO ALSO SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE IN HIS DAY. (that day will come as a thief, without being expected, nevertheless the whole world will see it. If the world is going to be in complete darkness and suddenly the sky is illuminated, guess what? The whole world will see it). 30… Even so it shall be IN THE DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED. In that day he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, he who is in the field, let him not return to the things behind. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken, and the other left. Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. When? When the Son of Man manifests himself, as we have seen in Matthew 24: 29-30 and in many other references that illustrate that moment. It is interesting to remember the passage from the book of de Acts 1: 9-11…And saying these things, as they watched, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were looking intently into the heaven, He having gone, even behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, WILL COME IN THE WAY YOU HAVE SEEN HIM GOING INTO HEAVEN. The same way He was taken He will come, visible to the eyes. Rev 1:7… BEHOLD, HE COMES WITH THE CLOUDS, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, and those who pierced Him will see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. He will come as a “thief”, but when He does, the whole world will see Him.
He will come as a “thief”, but when He does, the whole world will see Him.
Another verse used by the PRE-Tribulationists out of context is Matthew 24:40-42… Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes. They say; you see one will be raptured and the other will not, in a "secret coming of the Lord". But if we read the passage in its full context, we see that the Lord in Matthew 24 illustrates the day of His coming in the heavens with power and great glory, & then looking a little deeper into the matter, He explains more what that day will be like. Matthew 24:37-42… But as the days of Noah were, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So ALSO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes. Yes, we will be raptured by his angels as described in the verse Matthew 24:31 at his coming IMMEDIATELY AFTER the "tribulation of those days"
Now they also use the passage of Rev 3:10… Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the habitable world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. Here, they understand that the Lord will "rapture" them to Heaven before the Tribulation because they keep the Word of His patience. In this passage the Lord consoled the Church of Philadelphia for their faithfulness, promising to keep them from the hour of temptation. Now to understand that, that it means being “raptured” there, it's kind of like a “personal interpretation” if you want to understand it like that. However we see how the Lord keeps during the time of the Great Tribulation what can be understood as part of the Church in Rev 12:11-17 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony. And they did not love their soul until death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and those tabernacling in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and in the sea! For the Devil came down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a little time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who bore the man child . And two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time (3 & half years), from the serpent's face. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a flood after the woman, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river. And the earth helped the woman. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Although the text does not indicate it anywhere, some postulates of the PRE-Tribulation insist that those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ are the modern Israeli Jews who apparently get converted by miracle instantaneously at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Who are the ones that have the testimony of Jesus Christ? Are not we, the true Christians? How to fit modern Israeli Jews who are anything but Christians into this passage? There are many true outstanding Christian Jews who are also part of the Church, but they will be raptured at the same time all other Christians will, for we are all one in the Lord.
1 John 2:23… Everyone who denies the Son neither has the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father. John 3:36… He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son (he who refuses to believe) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. There are many other verses that speak of the same. PRE-Tribulationists interpret that the modern Israeli Jews, will perhaps become saved kind of like the Apostle Paul, a blinding light makes them fall and then Jesus himself will ask them with an audible voice to repent. Well, it could be, but even the Apostle Paul spent several years after his conversion before entering his ministry as an evangelist. If you take this interpretation, then the Israeli Jews will become saved by grace one day and brand new evangelists the next day. Wouldn't that be out of the norm? What I see in the Scriptures is that the Lord before greatly using someone, first makes him go through years of preparation, in various schools, such as humiliation, brokenness, submission, etc., etc. 1Ti 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the Devil. And what about the knowledge of his Word? Even if we suppose that they are "experts", in the knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, how long would it take them to read much less study the New Testament, which they have not read yet...? They would be spiritual babies without knowing the doctrines of our Lord. And speaking of the 144,000 Hebrews of Revelation 7 and 14 as their description reveals, they are not spiritual babies but rather super-Christians. Rev 14:4-5… These are those who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, as a first fruit to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile, for they were without blemish before the throne of God. If they follow our Lord wherever He goes: then they have been Christians all their lives, and they know His Words very well, or not? Remember Jesus talking about His Word, he who keeps my Words, ... will be truly free, my Father will love him, if they keep my commandments the Comforter will come, he who hears my Words and keeps them is like the one who builds on the rock, ... why do you call me Lord and do not obey my Words, ... how would you obey the words of Jesus if you don't even know them? Well, there is a growing group of Jews in modern Israel who are turning to the Lord & becoming on fire witnesses in the mist of religious persecution by other non-believing Jews as it was in the past. Maybe some of the 144,000 will come from them.
There may be a conversion of the unbelieving Jews, after the return of the Lord, when He comes in his majesty to rule the Earth, Jews that may survive having the Great Tribulation & the Wrath of God, but being part of those people who will inhabit the Earth during the Millennium, then they will repent & accept Jesus as their Lord & will be welcome into Jerusalem as part of the Remnant of God’s Children, which will be rebuilt & be capital of the whole world, but they would have to wait to receive their immortals bodies until the New Heavens & New Earth. Zechariah 12-14
Another assumption from those of the Pre-Tribulation is that when the Church is “raptured”, then the people from certain churches but who are not really Christians will suddenly be saved and become the new leaders of the Church, together with the new converted Jews here on Earth. That assumption doesn't go well with Mat 25:10-12 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. On the other hand, there is not a single Scripture that supports that idea. Thinking a little, wanting to be rescued from this world before the Great Tribulation would not be bad, imagine: getting out of here suddenly, when the world enters its most difficult hour, suddenly leave all our problems behind and go to enjoy Heaven in the presence of the Lord. Not bad at all, however, a more Biblical picture reads... John 15:18-21… If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept My saying, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. John 16:1-4… I have spoken these things to you so that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogue. But an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think that he bears God service. And they will do these things to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But I have told you these things so that when the hour shall come you may remember that I told you of them.
In the apocalyptic message of our Lord in Luke's version 21:12-19… But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. And it shall return to you for a testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand what you shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And you shall be betrayed also by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends. And they will cause some of you to be put to death. And you shall be hated by all for My name's sake. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. By your patience you will gain your souls.
Matthew 10:17-25… But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the Sanhedrin, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the nations. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. And the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated of all men for My name's sake, but the one who endures to the end shall be kept safe. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another; for truly I say to you, In no way shall you have finished the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household?
It seems as if we would rather believe that all that persecution & suffering was all written only for the Early Church members, but that we the Latter Church will only have to enjoy all the blessings & the good life, but what about Phil 1:29… For to you it is given on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
In sight of this coming persecution, nevertheless we should take courage because, Matthew 5: 10-12… Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN IS GREAT. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Being persecuted would bring us up to the ranks of “prophets”. 1 Pe 4:13-14 but rejoice according as you are partakers of Christ's suffering, so that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you. Truly according to them, He is blasphemed, but according to you He is glorified. Hallelujah!!!
Can you imagine the frustration of some believers, waiting for Jesus to come and rapture them and seeing the events prophesied in the Scriptures unfolding; the Antichrist appears, takes place as the leader of the New World Order, breaks a covenant he's made with the nations, then takes over Jerusalem, by his side there is a powerful false prophet which demands that all the inhabitants of the world to adore an image which he has order to be made of the beast and places that image in the sight of the whole world (TV & the media), the man of sin sits as God in the temple in Jerusalem demanding worship, which Jesus called: the abomination of desolation. Then consolidates a new economic international system, & demands that the citizens of the world worship him & receive an implant, a 666 mark to be able to buy or sell anything in the world, and Jesus nothing that appears to come to their rescue? Wow, what a great despair that would be a special moment when many will doubt their faith & maybe believe that the Antichrist is Christ the messiah in deed.
Matthew 24:4-26… For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect. Behold, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it.
Here He describes how his appearing shall be 27… For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. When a lightning comes from the east to the west, everyone sees it, especially if the sky is dark & the moon & the sun do not give their light, right?
Nevertheless, God's love is manifested even in the middle of the great tribulation, because God will protect his Church, as read in Rev 12. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, so that they might nourish her there a thousand, two hundred and sixty days. 13-16 And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who bore the man child . And two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the serpent's face. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a flood after the woman, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river. And the earth helped the woman. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
So similar to when Yahweh took the Children of Israel & protected them in the desert for 40 years, He will do it again with the Church, even though some believers will remain throughout the world as witnesses, but even then, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, & having to suffer martyrdom would be a favor our persecutor would do to us, as it would increase our heavenly reward.
Rev 2:17 And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Love in Jesus… Alejandro Blessings…
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