A viewers response to
“The
Doctrine of Rapture (Pre-Tribulational)Put In R-A-P-T-U-R-E /
Rupturing the R.A.P.T.U.R.E Bubble
By Premkumar Samuel
Disclaimer :-
The
reader is begged to compare everything I write with what is written in the
Bible and, if at any point a conflict is found, always to rely upon the clear
teaching of scripture.
Introduction
One of the interesting phrase that occurs over 400 times in
the Bible is “Thus Says the LORD” , The late Rev.Dr.Billy Graham whenever he
quotes from the scripture use the Phrase “ The Bible Says” and quotes verbatim
the scripture.
The writer chanced to watch the above video and what triggered this
response was not only to point out certain defects in the exegesis by the Preacher but also to oppose his
constant use of the Phrase The Bible says so and then saying something it never
said explicitly ( A List of such statements is appended )which the writer feels
the present Google Generation may Gulp
without searching the scripture like the bereans did in Acts 17.The
writer also warns the viewers that there are many statements made by the
preacher which has no biblical warrant ( A list of Such Statements is appended –
Appendix B)
There is not a single clear statement in the New Testament which
says that the Church will be taken away before the Great Tribultion or Pre –
Tribulation Rapture as postulated by the Preacher with his repeated phrase “Pre
Tribulation Rapture is Biblical”. The Writer feels that if it’s a truth found
in the Bible then simply pointing out from the Bible will suffice rather than screaming
it is Biblical , it is Biblical ,This effort is therefore a case for Clear Scriptural Teaching versus
Logical Deductions, The writer is of the opinion that the postulates of the
preacher has been built on a series of
logical deductions from scripture by human reason.
The Writer believes
in RAPTURE as recorded in the Scripture1 Thessalonians 4, “We shall all be
snatched up to meet him in the air.” The Latin verb for “snatched up” is rapto,
from which we get the word “rapture” – when you are caught up in feelings. So
the word “rapture” is Scriptural , however the logical deduction made by the
preacher that it will happen before the tribulation is what is contested the
issue is not about rapture but about the timing , for the LORD Jesus Christ is
not coming back twice but once and that is when the rapture will take place and
we shall be caught up to meet him. That is when we shall leave the situation we
have been in and be taken up with him in the air.The preacher uses the word
Rapture to quote many verses in the scripture which gives the listeners an impression
that the word rapture is found in many verses of the Bible, which is not the
case.
The
reader is advised to listen to the Video
of Dr.Duke Jeyaraj at this point in order to understand the counter views put
by the writer. The Preacher postulates his doctrine of Rapture in the following
acronym
R - Refuge from the
Wrath of God promised in the Scripture
A - Apostasy followed by Antichrist.
P - Plagues affected only the Egyptians
T - Time of God's wrath Church is promised an exemption.
U - Stands for United not rapture and second coming
R - Revelation itself is enough
E - Exit of the body from the ground
This is the writers response to the
scripture pointed out by the preacher under each of the above heading
I R – Refuge from
the Wrath of God promised in the Scripture
At the outset it
seems to be a good case for the preacher’s hypothesis that the Church will
escape the Great tribulations, he quotes a number of Scriptures to prove his
point. He also admits there are different kinds of Wrath.
The point of contention however is whether the verses quoted by the preacher
actually refers to the Great tribulation as claimed by the preacher or it
refers to other instances of God’s Wrath like the final Judgment. The writer
wants to remind the readers that there are about 50 instances in the New Testament
where the Word ‘Tribulation’ is used and out of which only 3 refers to the
great tribulation.
If we examine closely
the context of the quoted verses we will see the difference
Verse no 1 1 thes 1:10
“10. and to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
The
preacher quotes this verse and says that the Wrath to come refers to the great
tribulation.
The
preacher has failed to highlight the immediate context of the verse wherein
Paul says to the Church at Thessaloniki that he has heard good reports about
them and how they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and
how they eagerly wait for the return of Christ.
The
preacher failed to notice that neither the word secret nor the word tribulation
is mentioned in the passage and the wrath is about the coming of the LORD and
the final judgment that will follow
Verse
no 2 Romans 5:9
“9.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we
be saved by him from the wrath of God’
Here again the context is about the final judgment and not about
tribulation,The context is about Christ death on the Cross and Believers
Justification by faith .
Verse
no 3 Col 3:6
“6. On account of these the wrath of God is coming”
On account
of what ? Paul says in the previous verse to the Church at Colosse
“5. Put
to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry and goes on to say
that on account of this the wrath of God is coming.”
Verse 4
talks about glorification of our bodies at the time of Christ Second coming and
therefore this passage has to be seen in the context of final judgement and not
tribulation.
Verse
no 4 Ephesians, Chapter 5 :6
“6. Let
no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of
God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
The wrath
of God comes upon the sons of disobedience is a well established fact but the
question is whether the wrath of God mentioned here refers to the tribulation
period or the final judgment.The Context here is about the Kingdom of God
established visibly at Christ Second coming and not tribulation period for the
previous verse Ephesians, Chapter 5:5 “ For you may be sure of this, that
everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an
idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
II A- Apostasy followed by Antichrist.
Scripture is clear that Apostasy will be followed by Antichrist
however what is not clearly mentioned in
the scripture is what the Preacher
postulates that Rapture will occur followed by Apostasy which will be followed
by Antichrist.( Rapture followed by Apostasy followed by Antichrist is the postulate of the preacher and it has
no scriptural warrant
To substantiate his
views the preacher quotes from Theselonians
Verse 2
Thessalonians, Chapter 2
‘3. Let
no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion
comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,4.
who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of
worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to
be God.’
The
writer wants to point out that nowhere in this passage it is mentioned ,that
The secret coming will precede Apostasy which will be followed by Antichrist
and in fact if we look at the entire passage it is the exact opposite, The
Biblical order is Apostasy followed by Antichrist who will be destroyed by the
Lord Jesus Christ which is found a few verses later
2
Thessalonians, Chapter 2
“8. And
then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the
breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”
So the Biblical order is Apostasy Antichrist and the Glorious
coming of our Lord as narrated in the olivet discourse by the Lord himself.
The
preacher then quotes Daniel, Chapter 9 verse27.
“And he
shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week
he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations
shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the
desolator."
This verse
talks about Antichrist and his seven year reign and his ultimate destruction
and doesn't say that Jesus Christ will return secretly before the reign of
antichrist.
In fact Daniel chapter 7 gives the context and the
order which is conveniently ignored by
the preacher.
Daniel,
Chapter 7
21. As
I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
22.
until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the
Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
The
biblical order is Christ comes after the
reign of Anti Christ and not before as postulated by the preacher.
III P- Plagues affected only the Egyptians
The Preacher starts
his case by pointing out the similarities between the Plagues of Egypt and the great
tribulation, yes indeed there are similarities especially with reference to the
disasters that follow the seven trumpets.
The Point of
contention is during the Egyptian plague ,Israel was in Egypt and did not
vanish in thin air or raptured. God protected his people and He will do so even
in the great tribulation if the imagery of the women protected for 32 months is
an allusion to the Church during tribulation.
The Egyptian
plagues were against the gods of Egypt whereas it is not the case in
revelation. The Christian is never assured a life free of trials and
tribulations but God knows how to take his people through .
IV T - Time of God's wrath Church is promised an
exemption.
The preacher says that at the time of God’s wrath the Church is
promised and exemption.
The writer wants to point out that a Christian is never assured a
life free of trials and tribulations .
What happened during the great flood
during the days of Noah or what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah during the days of Lot? The Righteous were
protected while being in planet earth even when cataclysmal calamities struck
they were not taken out of earth
The Preacher uses a proof text from
the book of revelation
Rev 3:10
Revelation, Chapter 3:10. ‘Because you have kept my word about patient
endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole
world, to try those who dwell on the earth’.
The Preacher says that in this verse The phrase ," The
hour of trial that is coming on the whole world" refers to the great
tribulation and keep you refers that the Church will escape tribulation, to
substantiate his views He says that the word Church is absent from Chapter 4
onwards which describes the great tribulation.
Yes the word Church is absent but did that validate his teaching
about Pre Tribulation rapture A big No
1. Though the word Church is absent the word elect and the word saints are used
throughout the book of revelation. Both
‘elect’ and saints are normal collective terms for Christians throughout
the New Testament the word Elect is used 55 times and the word Saints is used
48 times
2. The word Church is absent from Apostle Paul's epistles to Timothy (2nd
Timothy),Titus and Apostle Peters Epistles ( 1 and 2 Peter) Apostle John’s
second Epistle (2nd John) and Apostle Jude's epistle.
Does that mean that they are not written to and for the Church?
Very
direct passages on the second coming also
don’t have the word church (John 14,I cor 15, I thess 4-5) So the argument regarding the absence of the
word ‘Church’ is the most trivial one
put forth by the preacher.
V U - stands for United not rapture and second
coming
The preacher
goes on to say that the Lord Jesus
Christ is returning to Planet Earth
twice ( 2nd coming which is secret and 3rd coming which will be public) a concept which is never mentioned not even
once in the 300 instances where Christ
Second Coming is mentioned.
The early Church and the Church until the dispensationalism
of J.N.Darbey believed in the clear
teaching of the Bible that there will be only one second coming of Christ which
will be a grand spectacle to the whole world just like Jesus likened it a
lightning streaking events.
To circumvent this the preacher says that the Rapture and Second
coming are different distinct events and goes on to list the differences
between the two
| Rapture |
Second
Coming |
Writers Comments |
Meeting
in the air Lord is not coming to the ground he is coming to the air.
Believers are going to the air.
|
Returning
with Him revelation 19:7 |
Different
words like Parousia,epiphaneia and apokalypisis are used to describe
differenct aspects of his coming, there is nothing to indicate these are
separate events they are clearly synonymous of the same event and the clue
lies in the most popular word used to denote Christ second coming “ Parousia”
which in Common Parlance is used to
denote the arrival of the King which will witness People going out to receive
at the entrance of the city and coming back to the city behind the king.Going
to recieve the VIP at the enerance and Coming back with the VIP is one and
the same event and not a separate event. |
going
up
|
Returning
with him
|
Rapture
is about deliverance.
|
Second
coming is about Judgement. |
He is
not only coming to Judge the quick and the dead but also to reign for a millennia
before the Judgment.
There is
no scriptural warrant to indicate his
statement about Rapture |
Rapture
is hidden
|
Second
coming is visible Rev 1:7
|
There is
no scriptural warrant to indicate his
statement about Rapture |
Rapture
At any moment
|
Second
coming After certain events
|
The Preacher uses the term
Bible Says very loosely he says and I
quote “Bible says Jesus can return any second’ “Jesus himself says he can come
at any moment” ,you can’t find these statements in the Bible but the preacher
has deduced the above from the verses he quotes. Let’s examine the Scripture he quotes
1. Thief in the night
It’s a fact that both Jesus and Paul used the imagery of a thief in the night to denote the Glorious
coming of our lord. However a Clear distinction is drawn between the
unbelievers and the believers who watch for the sign of His return as
instructed by the LORD . This can be clearly understood in Pauls letter to the
Theselonians (1 thesolonians 5:4-7)
4 “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this
day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light
and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake
and sober.”
Jesus
meant if the house keeper is alert he
will prevent the burglary
“But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the
thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be
broken into.”
The fact of the matter is
for the unprepared the Glorious coming of
Christ will be a surprise and for others the Glorious coming will not be a
surprise though they don’t know the hour
of
His coming as they would have understood and obeyed Jesus’s clear teachings in
the Mount Olivet as recorded in Mathew 24 and 25
VI R
- Revelation itself is enough
The Preacher cites the absence of
the Word ‘ Church’ as a clinching proof that the Church has been
raptured before the Great tribulation.it hass already been explained that the words Saints and elect are applied
for the Believers in NT and many epistles addressed to the believers doesn’t
have the Word Church.
The Preacher alludes the call of John the Apostle in
revelation 4:1b “Come up here, and I
will show you what must take place after this.”
to the sound of the Trumpet mentioned in
1 Thessalonians 4:16 which is nothing but a figment of imagination.
The fact of the matter is revelation is a clear proof that the
great tribulation of Revelation 4-18 will precede the Glorious return of Christ
in Chapter 19 and the defeat and destruction of the Anti Christ and the
millennial reign in Chapter 20.
Another proof text quoted by the preacher is Revelation 3:10
“10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I
will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole
world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
The Letters to the Seven Churches are to be seen in the context of
the original historical setting and how the original readers could have
understood and responded. The Verse quoted by the Preacher is from the letter
addressed to the Church at Philadelphia Jesus didn’t say anything bad about
this Church.There is a phrase which occurs in all the seven letters ‘to the one
who overcomes’
Ephesus
|
I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in
the paradise of God.
|
Smyrna
|
will not be hurt at all by the second death.
|
Pergamum
|
I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that
person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who
receives it.
|
Thyatria
|
I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will
rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my
Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.
|
Sardis
|
be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that
person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father
and his angels
|
Philadelphia
|
I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will
they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the
city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my
God; and I will also write on them my new name.
|
Laodecia
|
I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was
victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
|
The above table
consists of Promises to the Churches which will be fulfilled when Christ Comes,
Many bible scholars apply these promises beyond time and Space to any believer
who overcomes/endures/ The one who is victorious.
The Table below
indicates the status of affairs that existed in each historical Church.
Ephesus
|
I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have
tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have
not grown weary.
|
Smyrna
|
I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I
know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a
synagogue of Satan.
|
Pergamum
|
I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain
true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days
of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where
Satan lives.
|
Thyatria
|
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and
perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
|
Sardis
|
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you
are dead
|
Philadelphia
|
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word
and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the
synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I
will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have
loved you.
|
Laodecia
|
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.
|
The Warnings to Each Church is also specific to the seven
historical churches
Ephesus
|
You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how
far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not
repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
|
Smyrna
|
No warnings
|
Pergamum
|
There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who
taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed
to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have
those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore!
Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword
of my mouth.
|
Thyatria
|
You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By
her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating
of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her
immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of
suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer
intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children
dead.
|
Sardis
|
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have
found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember,
therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if
you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what
time I will come to you.
|
Philadelphia
|
No Warnings
|
Laodecia
|
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you
were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither
hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
|
Apart from
the above Jesus Christ reveals his
different attributes to the different Churches
Ephesus
|
Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among
the seven golden lampstands
|
Smyrna
|
Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life
again
|
Pergamum
|
Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
|
Thyatria
|
The Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet
are like burnished bronze.
|
Sardis
|
Him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars.
|
Philadelphia
|
Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.
|
Laodecia
|
The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s
creation.
|
The Letter to the seven historical churches has
one underlying theme Endurance.The Churches are exhorted by the LORD to endure,
persevere, and thereby overcome. The
Preacher picks up one verse addressed to the Church and applies to the
universal Church and claims it to be a proof text that the Church universal
will escape great tribulation. He fails to note that even in the same verse Jesus says ‘ Since you have
kept my command to endure patiently’ the Church has endured and not
escaped , It has been promised
protection during the hour of trial and Jesus never said you will not see the
hour of trial. This is nothing new The Israelites were protected from the
Severe Plagues while they were still in Egypt. The women in Chapter 12 was
protected from the beast while still in the wilderness.
The preacher also
says that in the seven letters to the Churches
Jesus says Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the
churches and in chapter 13 Jesus says ‘9 Whoever
has ears, let them hear’ and the word Church is missing. However it is pathetic
the Preacher does not read the verse in context
the very next verse says it is addressed to Gods people “This calls for
patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people”.
VII E -
Exit of the body from the ground.
The preacher quotes 1 Thessalonians 4 and says the dead in Christ will rise first in rapture and then he quotes revelation 20
:12 & 13 “And I saw the dead,
great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another
book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to
what they had done as recorded in the books”. and says this will happen during
the second coming.
The Preacher goes
on to say that the dead in Christ like Graham Staines will be resurrected
during rapture and the unbelievers like osama bin laden will be resurrected
during the second coming .
The Preacher
confuses the First and Second resurrection with his proposed rapture and the
Glorious coming of the LORD.
Conclusion
:-
The reader is advised to listen to the video of the preacher and
the views expressed by the writer and carefully compare them with the scripture
and draw their own conclusion.
The Writer believes in Jesus's Clear teaching on the subject as
recorded in Mathew 24 and 25 he also
wants to caution the readers that “There is not a single verse in the whole
bible that teaches that the church will not go through the great tribulation”.
Dispensationalism is not based on the
clear teaching of the scripture but based on logical deductions.
Appendix A
List of Bible Says Statement used by
the Preacher which can’t be found in the Bible
- Bible
says Jesus can return any second
- Jesus
himself says he can return any moment
- Bible
says he has not appointed any human beings for wrath.
- Bible
says (II thesolonians 2:3 says ) before the man of lawlessness appear the
Church will be raptured .
- Bible
Says when he comes back it will be
a secret coming
Appendix B
List of
statements used by the preacher for which there is no scriptural warrant
1. Anti Christ Appearing
can be only after Rapture
2. If you miss out the
rapture you can’t get saved even as a Martyr
3. After rapture Holy
Spirit will be removed
4. Secret coming and
Second Coming are Separate events
5. Unborn children
will be raised to heaven
