 |
| Church father Justin Martyr |
At
this moment my heart is very heavy and burdened for my brothers and sisters in
the Lord who are asleep to what is coming upon the earth—the end times. Just
tonight I was crying out to God in tears for God to awaken those who are asleep
in the church.
You
see, the problem is that the rapture will not happen at the beginning of the
last 7 years, it will happen after the Sixth Seal is opened and the moon is
turned to blood. And obviously the Sixth Seal will not be opened until after the
Fifth Seal is opened. Seal 5 is the persecution of Jews and Christians that
occurs after the antichrist takes over the world at the midpoint, after which
no one will be able to buy or sell without taking the mark.
So
there is the problem, there is why my heart is burdened, because the vast
majority of Christians and well-meaning preachers are going to wake up one day experiencing
the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse raging around them, see the antichrist
takeover the world, and they are going to be totally unprepared and then faced
without being able to buy or sell.
That
is why my heart is heavy—Christians are going to be faced with war being waged
against them by the antichrist and they will be caught off guard and they and
their families will suffer for it.
If
you do not believe me, I hope you will believe what the church fathers say
about the persecution of the antichrist and the timing of the rapture. Below is
an excerpt from The Coming Epiphany that deals with this.
Chapter 5
Why Does It Matter?
… I pray that this book would
be used to awaken God’s children to these truths so that they can be prepared
for what lies ahead. It is not important what man-made theological position you
hold. What is important is what the
Word of God says. And the scriptures clearly tell us that the rapture occurs
after the sixth seal is opened.
Here is a summary of the
pertinent facts that lead us to that conclusion:
1.
The rapture
occurs at the Day of the Lord event (1 Thess. 4:15-5:2, 2 Thess. 2:1–2).
2.
The moon must be
turned to blood before the Day of the Lord occurs (Joel 3:30).
3.
The moon is
turned to blood at the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12).
These are three undisputable
scriptural facts that can only lead to one conclusion—the rapture occurs at the
Day of the Lord after the sixth seal is opened.
This rapture view has been
termed the “pre-wrath” rapture view. It is the only view that agrees with all of the prophetic scriptures. In
contrast, the pre-trib view contradicts some very critical prophetic
scriptures, such as the moon must be turned to blood, the antichrist revealed,
and the great falling away all must occur before the Day of the Lord/rapture
event. It has been shown that these events all occur during the 70th Week of
Daniel and not before. Thus, the pre-trib rapture view does not agree with all
of scripture.
Even Walvoord, a strong
pre-trib promoter, says this about the pre-trib theory: “The fact is that
neither posttribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the
Scriptures. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either.”[1] So
Walvoord himself admits that the pre-trib rapture view is not an explicit
teaching of scripture.
In fact, if you study the
writings of the early church fathers, there is overwhelming evidence to show
that the vast majority believed that Christians would not be raptured until
after the persecution of the antichrist, which we know would place the rapture
after the Abomination of Desolation. H. L. Nigro, in Before God’s Wrath: The Bible’s Answer to the Timing of the Rapture,
has an appendix devoted to key passages from the early church writings.
Here are just four of the
earliest quotes:
O unreasoning men! understanding not
what has been proved by all these passages, that two advents of Christ have
been announced: the one, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious,
dishonored, and crucified; but the other, in which He shall come from heaven
with glory, when the man of apostasy,
who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful
deeds on the earth against us the Christians, who, having learned the true
worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by
means of the apostles of Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and
God of Israel…. —Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho [150-165 AD]
Those, therefore, who continue
steadfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For
as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and
straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower.
But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will
dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure.
Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This
then is the type of the great
tribulation that is to come. —The Pastor of Hermas [160 AD]
It therefore behooves us, who inquire
much concerning events at hand, to search diligently into those things which
are able to save us. Let us then utterly flee from all the works of iniquity,
lest these should take hold of us; and let us hate the error of the present
time, that we may set our love on the world to come: let us not give loose
reins to our soul, that it should have power to run with sinners and the
wicked, lest we become like them. The final stumbling block (or source of
danger) approaches.… We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole
[past] time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as
becometh the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance,
let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of
wickedness. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called
[of God], we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away
from the kingdom of the Lord. —The Epistle of Barnabas [100-120 AD]
Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your
lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not
the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking
the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made
perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters
shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall
be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increaseth, they shall hate and
persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as
Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered
into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to
pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire
of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that
endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then
shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in
heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the
resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall
come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon
the clouds of heaven. —The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)
[100-120 AD]
Thus, it is apparent that the
early Church fathers expected the Church to be persecuted by the antichrist
during the end-times and then rescued via the rapture from the persecution they
would undergo. This is what the pre-wrath view also states—that the church will
be raptured after the opening of the sixth seal out of the great tribulation,
which will be instilled at the hands of the antichrist.
Many modern-day “church
fathers” have also believed that the church would be subject to persecution at
the hands of the antichrist. One famous one was Spurgeon:
In a recent article published by Dennis
M. Swanson entitled “The Millenial Position of Spurgeon,” he concludes that
‘despite claims to the contrary, his [Spurgeon’s] position was most closely
identifiable with that of historic premillennialism in teaching the church
would experience the tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom would be the
culmination of God’s program.’ Later in the text, Swanson goes on to state that
the ‘Key features of historic premillennialism are twofold: (1) the kingdom
will be the culmination of the church age and (2) the “rapture” will follow the
tribulation, with the church going through the tribulation under the protection
of God….Spurgeon fits most consistently in the “historic or covenantal
premillennial system.’ In other words,
Spurgeon too, by definition, ignore [d] the doctrine of imminency of Jesus’
return, seeing the church facing the persecution of antichrist before the
return of Christ. In doing this he also ‘rejects the pretribulation rapture of
the church.[2]
So if the early church fathers—and
even more modern-day “fathers”—did not believe in a pre-trib rapture, when did
the pre-trib belief arise? There are three candidates to whom are credited with
the origin of the pre-trib rapture theory: John Darby (one of the founders of
the Plymouth Brethren movement), Edward Irving (thrown out of the Presbyterian
Church and started the Apostolic Catholic Church), and finally Margaret
MacDonald (a 15-year-old Catholic girl who was supposedly miraculously healed
and given a vision of the “secret” rapture so popular with today’s
pretribulation rapture teachers.)
In summarizing the
development of the pretrib doctrine, H. L. Nigro says this:
The development of the pretribulation
rapture is generally attributed to John Darby of the Plymouth Brethren, who
formalized the theory around 1830. Prior to this time, the return of Christ was
seen as a singular event. Jesus would return to earth once, to rapture His
Church, to redeem lost Israel, and to judge the wicked and rebellious world,
and this was seen either as a midtribulational or posttribulational event.
Darby was the first to formally theorize that Jesus would return in two stages:
first in spiritual form to rapture the Church, then in bodily form seven years
later to judge the world. This allowed Jesus to return triumphantly at
Armageddon while keeping the Church out of the 70th Week..[3]
So it is Darby to whom most
attribute the pre-trib position. Another founder of the Plymouth Brethren had
this to say about the teachings of Darby as elaborated on by Van Kampen:
It should be noted, however, that Dr.
Samuel P. Tregelles, the renowned conservative Greek scholar of the nineteenth
century (the author of six separate works on translation), considered one of
the founding fathers of the Plymouth Brethren Church, strongly disagreed with
John Nelson Darby on the position when it first appeared in England. Dr.
Tregelles believed in a face-value hermeneutic, and he knew the original
languages like few others of his time. In his book The Hope of Christ’s Second
Coming (pp. 74-82), first published in 1864, he denounced the pre-tribulation
Rapture position as being sentimental and emotional and without a thread of
biblical support. He stated boldly that the pre-tribulation “doctrine of the
coming of Christ [is] not taught in the Word of God….This whole system stands
in distinct contradiction of what the Scripture reveals” (p. 32).[4]
At the best the pre-trib
rapture theory had a dubious beginning and most likely gained in popularity
because it was “easy believism” and a lot more pleasant to think about than
enduring the sorrows and persecutions of the first five seals.
Even though the pre-trib
position is a relatively new teaching and the early church fathers clearly
expected the Church to enter the 70th Week and endure the persecution of the
antichrist, and even though the pre-trib position is not an explicit teaching
of scripture as admitted by Walvoord, and even though the pre-trib position
contradicts some of scripture, some will still want to hold onto it.
If that is the case with you,
I ask you to go back over the scriptures and logic that have been presented.
Here are the essential facts we need to keep in mind; Thessalonians equates the
rapture with the Day of the Lord event. Joel and Acts says that the moon must
be turned to blood before the Day of the Lord. In Revelation 6 we see the moon
turned to blood after the sixth seal is opened. These are scriptural facts. If
you do not deny any of them, then sound logic dictates that the rapture must
occur after the sixth seal is opened. Any other conclusion would be a denial of
sound logic and create a contradiction to truth.
I encourage you to adhere to
what scripture and scripture alone says. We must be faithful and loyal to the
Word of God above our alma mater or
church. Adhere to what scripture teaches and scripture alone! To make it easier
for you to understand these concepts I have summarized, compared, and analyzed
the teachings of the various rapture theories and put them into a chart
entitled “A Comparison of the Rapture Theories”.
Your Rapture Theology Matters
I am writing this book, not
only because I want the truth to be known, but also because it is very
dangerous to not have a correct view about the timing of the rapture. Since the
rapture does not occur until the sixth seal, then a Christian must prepare for
the first five seals. Without proper preparation, one could find themselves and
their family in pretty desperate situations. As Jesus said “Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say
unto you I say unto all, Watch.” (Mark 13:36-37) How to properly prepare
for the first five seals will be the subject of a later chapter. Furthermore,
since the rapture will not occur until the sixth seal and the antichrist is
revealed and comes to power before the rapture, then all alive at the time will
most likely have to decide whether or not to take the mark. And if a person is
deceived as a result of not knowing the truth about the prophetic time in which
they are living, they will be more easily deceived during the 70th Week.
And he causeth
all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell,
save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(Rev. 13:16–17)
Could You Be Deceived into
Taking the Mark?
The decision of whether or
not to take the mark of the beast will most likely come about after the
Abomination of Desolation and shortly after the antichrist takes control of the
world. This “mark” will most likely be a small computer chip implanted in the
hand or forehead or an invisible tattoo made with RFID ink.[5]
Such technology already exists and is being tested in humans now and is
available for use now. The World Net Daily has pictures of chips, and even the
process of implanting them, and explains how these implantable chips will be
used for a cashless society.[6]
Mexico has just recently announced that they are going to start implanting
chips in children, and the military. Prince Charles is “chipped.” The
Department of Defense has just announced that all products sold to them must be
“chipped.” It is reported that half of all products sold in the U.S will be
“chipped” by the end of 2004. Coke even had a promotion running in the summer
of 2004 where they “chipped” some cans of soda and then would find them by
satellite and the lucky winners would win a prize. The motto of this promotion
was “You can win, but you can’t hide.”
The
mechanics and technology of chipping or “taking the mark” are already in place.
They even have chip mobiles ready to come to your neighborhood!
Having to decide whether or
not to take the mark is not a good situation to be in if you do not recognize
that you are actually in the 70th Week of Daniel or are not properly prepared
for it. You will not be able to buy or sell without the mark, and if you do not
realize that you are in the 70th Week because you falsely believe in a pre-trib
rapture view, one could easily go along with what the government tells them and
be deceived into following the antichrist and taking the mark and ending up in
Hell. Of course no true Christian would take the mark.
And the third
angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and
his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into
the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest
day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the
mark of his name. (Rev. 14:9-11)
More Dangers of False Teaching
Another reason any false
prophetic teaching, including pre-trib, is harmful is that, when the teaching
proves to be erroneous, those under that teaching may lose their respect for
the things of the Lord and fall away from Him. We know that before the rapture
there will be a great falling away, as was discussed earlier. No doubt, the
false teaching about the pre-trib rapture probably will, along with other
things, be part of why people will fall away from the faith.
Do not be deceived the
rapture will not occur before the final 7 years, the 70th Week, but will occur
after the sixth seal is opened between the Abomination of Desolation and the
end of the 70th Week. The rapture will be a time of great deliverance from the
persecution of the antichrist and his followers. The Lord will descend to the
clouds and will blow the trump of God and the dead in Christ will rise first
and then those who are still alive at his coming will be caught up to the
clouds with Him.
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. (1 Thess. 4:16-18)
Oh what a glorious occasion
that will be for all the saints who have been awaiting His return! “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
The entire world will see
him. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7).
After the world is darkened
at the sixth seal, the entire world will be able to see the Lord Jesus Christ
shining brighter than the sun as He comes to rescue His children.
In heart-wrenching contrast,
those not raptured will at least temporarily recognize their plight and flee
from His presence for they will know that the wrath of God is about to be
poured out upon the world:
And the kings
of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and
the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the
dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who
shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:15-17)
That is when they will have
their epiphany concerning Christ. But it will be too late then. The view you
hold concerning the rapture matters. An epiphany will come to all. The sooner
you have yours the better.
End of excerpt.
The Seals and the antichrist
are coming, will you be caught off guard or will you be prepared?
Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36
Not sure that you will go to
heaven? The end times are knocking on the door and so is Jesus. He wants to
save you, will you let him in? Find out
what you must do to be saved, click here.
Do you know what will happen in the end times and
how to prepare for them? I wrote a book to help you. It is entitled The
Coming Epiphany and will explain to you, in an easy to understand format
what you need to know about the end times. The
Coming Epiphany is
available in paperback and as an eBook on Amazon.com. (If you cannot afford
one please email me)
Note: I appreciate and want to thank all of you who
have helped support this ministry by purchasing a book and or making a donation.
About the author: William Frederick; M.Div. has
been preaching and teaching the Word of God for over 30 years. He has dedicated
his life to serving God and helping others come to a saving knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ and understand essential end times Bible Prophecy truths. He
is the author of several books including The Coming Epiphany and The
Dollar Code. His articles are originally published on The End Times Forecaster Blog.
From there, his articles are published and referenced on various prophecy news
related websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free
to do so, just please include the original link to the article. The more people
that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while
there is still time.
Posts
