On the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory Thesis: There is not a single verse in the Bible that will support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory 1] Purposes of the Thessalonian missives: [1 Thessalonians] was written to give assurance to Christians at Thessalonica concerning the future of believers who die before the Lord Jesus returns (1 Thess. 4:13-18). [2 Thessalonians] was written to dispel rumors (2 Thess. 2:1-2) that (1 Thess. ch. 4) has already occurred, because, according to Paul, (1 Thess. ch. 4) will not occur until the apostasy occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed (2 Thess. 2:1-4). Definitely the Thessalonian missives are not in agreement with Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates who erroneously claim that (1 Thess. ch. 4) will occur first before the revelation of the man of lawlessness. Furthermore, every respectable Bible commentator prior to 1830, when the false Rapture Theory came out Scotland, treat both letters as describing the 2nd Coming, the PAROUSIA, of the Lord Jesus. 2] Absence of the doctrine in the Articles of Faith Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory advocates don’t even have this doctrine mentioned in their Articles of Faith; what is declared, they must admit, is the Second Coming, the actual bodily return of the Lord Jesus to earth. The challenge is simple: if they truly believe that the Lord Jesus would secretly come in the clouds for His church seven (7) years before His Second Coming, they must indicate it clearly in their Articles of Faith. 3] The theme of 1 & 2 Thessalonians The theme of 1 & 2 Thessalonians is the PAROUSIA, or the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, at the end of this age to set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and reward the faithful. The two missives give no indication that there will be a secret snatching away of the church seven (7) years before the PAROUSIA. Paul was merely describing the events that will take place on the day the Lord Jesus returns to earth, as that of Jewish tradition wherein important personages are met and welcomed while they were still some distance from the host’s house; in the case of (1 Thess. 4:17) in the clouds. We can also see this analogy in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:20). 4] ACTS 3:21 argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21) If we would believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory, we would also agree that the Lord Jesus has to leave heaven to go to the clouds, but the Bible is clear that the Lord Jesus will only leave heaven to restore all things, and that will only happen during His Second Coming at the End of the Age, not seven (7) years before the End of the Age. 5] PAROUSIA PAROUSIA was used in the following verses, and all referring to the 2nd bodily coming of the Lord Jesus: Matt. 24:3; 1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Cor. 7:7; Phil. 1:26; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Thess. 2:8,9; 2 Pet. 1:16; 2 Pet. 3:4; 1 Jn. 2:28; Matt. 24:27; Matt. 24:37; Matt. 24:39; 1 Cor. 16:17; 2 Cor. 7:6; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 Thess. 4:15; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; Jas. 5:7; Jas. 5:8; 2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12; 2 Pet. 3:12 PAROUSIA: A transliteration of a Greek word that refers to the Second Coming, or the return of the Lord Jesus at the end of this age to set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and reward the faithful. The Thessalonian letters are describing the PAROUSIA in finer detail. 6] The Parable of the Tares argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43) From the time the Lord Jesus sowed the good seed, there will only be one harvesting, and that is at the end of the age, at the PAROUSIA. 7] The Prayer of the Lord Jesus argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory (John 17:15; John 17:20) 8] The Great Commission argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory (Matthew 28:20) The church will remain on earth up to the End of the Age. 9] REVELATION 19:7 argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory The Wedding of the Lamb occurs not in (Revelation ch. 4) but in (Revelation ch. 19), much, much, later than Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates would like to admit. 10] NOT APPOINTED UNTO WRATH (1 Thessalonians 5:9) is talking about the final judgment or eternal condemnation, and not the Tribulation Period, taking the clue to the meaning of this verse from what the Thessalonian Christians, and all Christians for that matter, would receive at the return of the Lord Jesus, which is salvation or eternal life. 11] 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory, simply because ch. 15 of 1 Corinthians is all about the resurrection at the return of the Lord Jesus to earth, and the twinkling of an eye mentioned there describes the speed of change from the perishable into the imperishable, not the speed of an upward movement. 12] REVELATION 20:5-6 argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory The Bible speaks only of two (2) resurrections. If the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory is true, there would be three (3) resurrections, which is contrary to the Word of God. 13] The Restrainer [2 Thessalonians 2:6; Daniel 10:13; Daniel 12:1; Revelation 9:2] The Holy Spirit cannot be removed from the time-space continuum or any part of the cosmos because that would make the concept of the unity of the Godhead ridiculous. God is omnipresent and so is His Spirit, which is also the Spirit of His Christ. If the Holy Ghost could be taken out from any part of the universe, the whole creation would cease to exist. Who, then, is the restrainer spoken of in (2 Thess.)? The most likely candidate would be an angelic being tasked with holding down/restraining fallen principalities until the proper time God decides to release them for His purpose, and in this case the archangel Michael. 14] At the last day (John 6:39; John 6:40; John 6:44; John 6:54) Four times in the sixth chapter of the gospel according to John, the Lord Jesus reiterated that it was the Father God’s will that all those who looks to and believes in Him (the Lord Jesus) will be raised at the last day or the day of the Lord or the end of the age as that day is also referred to. Now to believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory, which its advocates claim would occur seven years before the last day, would make the words of the Lord Jesus meaningless, if not deceptive. By any stretch of the imagination “all” means “all”; with no exception every believer who has fallen asleep in the Lord Jesus, from the inception of His earthly ministry up to the end of the age will be raised on that day, when He returns to earth to establish His kingdom, the day of the resurrection. 15] JOHN 14:1-4 points to the day of Resurrection, the Parousia, the day the Lord Jesus returns to earth. Every respectable Bible commentator points to this fact. 16] [JOHN 3:13; 2 KINGS 2:1; HEBREWS 11:5] It was not possible for someone to have been taken into heaven until the Lord Jesus had died (since sin had not been totally taken away but just covered), and for sure not in bodily form, for heaven is a place for the spirit. Secondly, we have to understand “heaven” in the case of Elijah as “sky”. 17) (Heb. 9:28) argues against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory The main error of Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates is in ascribing to their arguments verses that are hermeneutically and contextually assigned to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, the Parousia, or the return of the Lord Jesus at the end of this age to set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful. If (Heb. 9:28) actually is the Second Coming, it will take place at the End of the Age. Where, then, shall we place the Pre-Tribulation Rapture? Of course, seven (7) years prior to the Second Coming; but the problem is that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory assigns to itself what (Heb. 9:28) declares will occur at the End of the Age. Granting, for the sake of argument, that the Lord Jesus would “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” during the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, what is left to transpire at the Second Coming which (Heb. 9:28) describes? There will only be two (2) appearances of the Lord Jesus. What the Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates have done was to rob the Second Coming at the End of the Age of its substance and meaning and placed them upon their heretical teaching. [Efren DLC Agbulos, 2000] efren-poetryandmore.blogspot/
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 11:16:27 +0000
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