PRETRIBULATIONISM EXAMINED. A growing number of Christians are becoming increasingly distressed and fearful by events occurring on the world stage.

PRETRIBULATIONISM EXAMINED

A growing number of Christians are

becoming increasingly

distressed and fearful by events occurring on the

world stage.

This has led many over the last recent

years to question the validity of the Pre-

Tribulation Rapture. Although it is the

majority view held in America, it is now being held suspect

and even called “deceptive and dangerous false

teaching.”

“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 to believe that the rapture will be pre-tribulational.”

~ The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, p. 289 ~

There is room for differing opinions within Premillennialism.

However, when one accuses the other of being

“deceptive” and “antichrist” teaching, or

saying the pre-trib teachers are “ravenous

wolves among the flock”, we are going to have a

huge problem.

Post-Trib, Pre-wrath advocates tend to ignore the problems of their own

position. They do not harmonize all the

relevant passages of Scripture together.

Very often, they become uncharitable, divisive and indignant that their view isn’t the dominant one.

If you think that Pre-Tribulationism is “false

teaching”, “Satanic”, or “antichrist”, then we are going to have a problem.

2.) Have you perfectly understood all of the relevant passages in order to make such an exaggerated accusation?

1.) You are basically saying that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a distortion of Scripture.

3.) You are saying that anyone who doesn’t draw the same conclusions as you is “Satanic”.

If you think that Pre-Tribulationism is “false

teaching”, “Satanic”, or “antichrist”, then we are going to have a problem.

4.) You are welcome to have a different perspective and to examine the issues, but to indiscriminately call the Pre-Trib position, not just Heresy, but “Satanic” is just too far.

5.) Anyone who goes so far as to say this is unreasonable and unwilling to look at the facts of Scripture. They are contentious and divisive brethren.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same

thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the

same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of

Chloe, that there are contentions among you.”

~ I Corinthians 1:10-11 ~

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife,

and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk

as men?”

~ I Corinthians 3:3 ~

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven

are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth

wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness

that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord

among brethren.”

~ Proverbs 6:16-19 ~

CHALLENGES TO PRE-TRIBULATIONISMIs Pre-Tribulationism really dangerous false teaching?

The NOVELTY of Pre-Tribulationism1“Pre-Tribulationism is a new teaching and therefore cannot be true.”

The POPULARITY of Pre-Tribulationism2“Pre-Tribulationism is popular because it is what people want.”

The RUSE of Pre-Tribulationism3“The majority of those within the Church are deluded and deceived.”

The OPPOSITION to Pre-Tribulationism4“Many great preachers & scholars contested the pre-trib notion.”

The ASSUMPTIONS of Pre-Tribulationism5“Pre-tribulationism cannot be supported simply from one verse.”

Post-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture

The Novelty of Pre-TribulationismChallenge Claim #1 | Anything that is new cannot be true. Pre-tribulationism is new, therefore it cannot be true.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“There is no such thing as new

truth. If it is true, it is not new; If it is new, then it is

not true.”

This is not a carte blanche affirmation of everything old. There

is such a thing as old error.

John Nelson Darby

Distinctive Teachings

WHO IS JOHN NELSON DARBY?

A Cult Leader?

Does it really matter?

Lawyer, Preacher, Anglican, Plymouth Brethren

• Dissolution of Clergy / Laity Distinction

• Distinction between Israel and the Church

• Distrust of Establishment Church Dogma

• Separation from false teaching

JND was a very talented and gifted Bible student. He was very sincere and zealous for the Gospel. His greatest flaws were that he became very contentious and autocratic. He separated so much and fought with everyone so that he came to believe that only the church he founded was true and all others apostate. He was not apostate, but he was needlessly divisive. I believe calling him a “cult leader” is a bridge too far.

No. To attack JND rather than attempting to discuss the propositions of his teachings is to debate the man and not the principles.

Distinctions Rapture Second Coming

The Lord appears alone; The Lord appears with His

saints.

“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:” (I Thess. 4:16)

“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” ( I Thess. 3:13)

Similarities:Lord Jesus present in

the heavens, the trumpet blown, a

gatheringDistinctions:

The Lord Himself gathers, The angels gather in Matthew

passage.

“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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (I Thess. 4:16)

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes 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. 24:30-31)

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN “RETURN” PASSAGES

Distinctions Rapture Second Coming

Similarities:Sounding of the

trumpetDistinctions:

The duration is momentary and

fleeting, the duration requires time for

mourning

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Cor. 15:51-52)

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes mourn, and in the they shall see the Son of man coming 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. 24:30-31)

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN “RETURN” PASSAGES

Rapture Second Coming

DISTINCTION BETWEEN RAPTURE & SECOND COMING

Translation of all believers (I Cor. 15:51-52; II Thess. 4:16-17) No translation at all (Matt. 24:29-31)

Translated saints go to heaven (I Thess. 4:17) Translated saints go to earth with Christ (Rev. 19:14)

Earth not judged Earth judged (II Tim. 4:1)

Imminent, signless, any moment (Jas. 5:7-9; Phil. 4:5) Follows definite predicted signs (Matt. 24:29-30)

Not in Old Testament, called a “mystery” (I Cor. 15:51-52) Predicted often in the Old Testament

Believers only (Heb. 9:28; I Thess. 4:16-17, I Cor. 15:51-52) Affects all men (Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:29-31)

Before the day of wrath (Rev. 3:10; I Thess. 1:10; 5:9) Concluding Day of Wrath (II Peter 3)

No reference to Satan Satan bound (Rev. 20:1)

Christ comes for His own (John 14:1-6) Christ comes with His own (Rev. 19:11-21)

He comes in the air (I Thess. 4:17) He comes to the earth (Rev. 19)

He claims His Bride (Eph. 1:14; John 14:1-3) He comes with His Bride (Rev. 19:7-16)

Only His own will see Him (I Cor. 15:50-54, Heb. 9:28) Every eye shall see Him (Matt. 24:29-30; Rev. 1:7)

Tribulation begins (II Thess. 2:1-14) Millennial Kingdom begins (Rev. 20)

Believers removed (I Thess. 4:13-17) Unbelievers removed (Matt. 24:40-41)

John Nelson Darby

Did he originate the “Secret Rapture”?

WHO IS JOHN NELSON DARBY?

What about Margaret MacDonald?

What about Apostolic & Church Fathers?

Lawyer, Preacher, Anglican, Plymouth Brethren

• The rapture concept emerged from a literal hermeneutic (method of Bible study).

• He did not “invent” it or conjure it up.

• He did “discover” it by consistently applying good principles of Biblical study.

Pre-trib skeptics often retreat and say that in fact it was a 15 year old Scottish girl named Margaret MacDonald who had a vision in 1830 about a rapture of the saints prior to the emergence of the Antichrist. They allege then that Darby received the impetus for his dispensational doctrine of the pre-tribulational rapture from a demonically controlled girl in an ecstatic vision.

There is evidence that a pre-tribulational rapture was taught and held by some of the early Church Fathers in the Second Century A.D.

The Popularity of Pre-TribulationismChallenge Claim #2 | Pre-Tribulationism is popular. It is popular because it is what people want to hear. The majority of people will believe a lie if it is preached long enough and loud enough.

The Opposition to Pre-TribulationismChallenge Claim #3 | Pre-Tribulationism was rejected by great preachers and scholars. Therefore, we should also be skeptical of the claims and teaching of pre-tribulationism.

The Ruse of Pre-TribulationismChallenge Claim #4 | Pre-Tribulationism teaches that we should be looking for Christ to be revealed when in reality it will be the AntiChrist. The Church at large is therefore primed to accept the AntiChrist instead of Christ. The Church is woefully unprepared for things to come.

The Baseless Assumptions of Pre-TribulationismChallenge Claim #5 | A single verse cannot be produced to prove that Christ will rapture the Church out before the Tribulation period. If it cannot be proved simply, then it just cannot be true.

Question Rapture Second Coming

Purpose

Translation of the Church; Christ comes for His own; He comes to claim His Bride (I Thess. 4:16)

Establishment of His Kingdom; Christ comes with His own; He comes with His Bride (I Thess. 3:13)

Translation of the Saints

Scripture speaks of a time when all believers will be translated, that is specifically a removal from this earth to Heaven without being subjected to physical death. This translation involves a change in our bodies. (I Cor. 15:51-54; I Thess. 4:13-18)

Scripture is silent on any removal from this earth to heaven during the time when Christ comes to earth to establish His Kingdom. There is no translation at all during this time.

Destination

Scripture teaches that during the Rapture the destination is Heaven. Christ comes in the air. (I Thess. 4:17)

Scripture teaches that at the Second Coming, Christ will bring His saints with Him to earth. Christ comes to the earth. (Rev. 19:14)

Duration

Scripture teaches that the Rapture will take place “in the twinkling of an eye.” (I Cor. 15:52)

Second Coming will inaugurate a 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ. “And every eye shall see him…and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” (Rev. 1:7)

DISTINCTION BETWEEN RAPTURE & SECOND COMING

Question Rapture Second Coming

DISTINCTION BETWEEN RAPTURE & SECOND COMING

Judgment of the Earth

Scripture teaches that there is no judgment upon the earth until subsequent the removal of the Church. (II Thess. 2:3)

Scripture teaches that Christ will return and judge the earth and establish righteousness in the earth. (Rev. 19)

Immanency

Scripture portrays the Rapture as an imminent, any moment, sign-less event. (Matt. 24:36; Titus 2:13)

Scripture teaches that the Second Coming follows very definite predicted signs that are fulfilled during the Tribulation. (Matt. 24-25)

ImpactThe Rapture affects only believers in Christ.

The Second Coming affects all men upon the earth.

Triggered EventsThe Rapture of the Church triggers the events of the Tribulation.

The Second Coming triggers the events of the Millennial Reign of Christ.

Apostles’ Testimony

The Rapture is called a mystery—some new truth disclosed that was previously unknown. (I Cor. 15:51-54; Col. 1:26)

The Second Coming was predicted numerous times and is often alluded to in the Old Testament. (Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:4)

The Imminent RaptureI Thessalonians 4:16-17