“If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth...” Sherlock Holmes
There are many end times theories floating around out there; pretribulation, midtribulation, prewrath, posttribulation, etc. How do you know which theory to believe? The advocates of these various theories all seem to have scriptures to back up the theory they feel is right. So which one is right? The simple answer is; the theory that agrees with ALL of God's holy Word the Bible is right. If any theory fails to agree with all of scripture then that theory cannot be correct.
So all we need to do to find out which theory is correct is to compare all of the theories with all of scripture to see if that theory contradicts scripture. If it does then that theory would be false.
To begin we will list several end times truths that are clearly taught in scripture and then compare each theory with all of these truths to see if it contradicts any of them.
End Times Scriptural Truths
1. A Christian will not be subject to God’s wrath. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9
2. No one knows the day of Christ’s return. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Mt 25:13
3. The rapture occurs at the Day of the Lord after the moon is turned to blood after the sixth seal is opened. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 2 Thes 2:1,2. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come Acts 2:20. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood Rev 6:12.
4. The rapture occurs after the antichrist is revealed and performs the Abomination of Desolation. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4
5. The rapture is not imminent until all the prerequisites are fulfilled. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thes 2:1-3
6. Christians will be subject to sorrows and tribulations. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. Mk 13:18
7. Jews and Christians are persecuted by the antichrist. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. Rev 11:7 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 12:17
8. Christians are removed/rescued out of the midst of the great tribulation. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev 3:10
9. Jesus will return to the clouds at the rapture. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes 4:17
So here are 9 scriptural truths regarding the end times. We will now compare each theory against each scriptural truth to see if it agrees with it. If a theory contradicts any of the truths then that theory cannot be correct.
The pretrib theory contradicts #3,4,5,6,7, and 8. The pretrib theory contradicts #3 in that it asserts that the rapture occurs before seal 1 not after the moon is turned to blood at seal 6. It contradicts #4 because it asserts that the rapture is before the A of D, not after it. It contradicts #5 because it asserts that the rapture could occur at any time. It contradicts #6 because it asserts that Christians will not be subject to the sorrows and tribulations of the first 5 seals. It contradicts #7 because it asserts that only those saved after the rapture will be persecuted by the antichrist. It contradicts #8 because it asserts we will be removed before the great tribulation not out of the midst of it.
The midtrib theory contradicts #2,3,7, and 8. The midtrib theory contradicts #2 because after the start of the 70th week you would know a day for the rapture and no one knows the day or hour. It contradicts #3 because it asserts that the rapture is at the beginning of the great tribulation. It contradicts #7 because it asserts that we will be raptured at the beginning of the reign of the antichrist. It contradicts #8 because it asserts that we will be raptured before the great tribulation and not out of the midst of it.
The posttrib theory contradicts #1,2,8, and 9. The posttrib theory contradicts #1 because it asserts that a Christian will live through the period when God's wrath is poured out. It contradicts #2 because after the start of the 70th week you would know a day for the rapture and no one knows the day or hour. It contradicts #8 because it asserts that we will be raptured after the great tribulation is over. It contradicts #9 because it asserts that Christians will not be raptured until Jesus returns to the earth.
Here is a chart summarizing this information.
The prewrath theory agrees with all of the scriptural truths and disagrees with none. The prewrath theory asserts that a Christian will be raptured before God's wrath is poured out and that the rapture is at an undisclosed time between the abomination of desolation and Armageddon. It asserts the rapture occurs at the beginning of the Day of the Lord after the sixth seal is opened and the moon is turned to blood. It asserts that the rapture occurs sometime after the antichrist performs the abomination of desolation. It asserts that the rapture is not imminent until after the prerequisites are fulfilled. It asserts that Christians will be subject to the sorrows and tribulations of the first 5 seals. It asserts that Christians will be persecuted by the antichrist. It asserts that Christians will be rescued out of the midst of the great tribulation. It asserts that Jesus will return to the clouds at the rapture.
If you agree with the 9 scriptural end times principals listed above then there is only one theory that agrees with them all and that is the prewrath theory.
“If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth...” Sherlock Holmes.
Think about it. The time is very short. You need to prepare. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Luke 21:34.
Note: there is another theory gaining prominence which states that the rapture occurs at the sixth seal but that it starts the 70th week. This theory contradicts #4,7, and 8. It contradicts #4 because it asserts that the rapture occurs before the revealing of the antichrist and the abomination of desolation. It contradicts #7 because it does not assert that Christians are persecuted by the antichrist. It contradicts #8 because it asserts that Christians are raptured before the great tribulation and not rescued out of the midst of it. I am not going to even discuss the various other theories because they are based on symbolic interpretations and not literal interpretations of scripture. For once you turn the Bible into a symbolic message you can make it say whatever you want.
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