A Biblical Examination of Prophecy
by David J. Stewart
"For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." —Revelation 19:13
The Bible clearly teaches that the Rapture occurs BEFORE the Tribulation, and the Tribulation occurs BEFORE the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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." -1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
There is probably not a more controversial doctrine than the Rapture of the Saints in the Bible. First of all, the word "Rapture" is not found in the Bible. Many critics of the Rapture doctrine have stressed this fact over and over. However, the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible either. However, the word "Godhead" most certainly is found in the Bible. I prefer the word "Godhead" for this simple reason. Nevertheless, I confidently believe that the word "Trinity" does NO injustice to the plain teachings of the Word of God.
Likewise, I also believe that the word "Rapture" does NO injustice to the Scriptures. The word "Rapture" means "to be caught away." In the following Scriptures, we read the term "a falling away."
"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;" -2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3
The Greek meaning for this phrase is "a departure." I believe this that this term refers to the departure of the Saints. Some people believe that this term refers to a departure from law and order ... anarchy! These are the folks who believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture (that the Rapture occurs AFTER the Tribulation). Of course, this is not the PLAIN teaching of the Bible. Although the anarchy theory sounds very plausible, it is not very practical because history is filled with anarchy, rebellion and lawlessness. In addition, I will show you further Scriptures in a moment that overwhelmingly support a departure of the saints.
One of the best statements I ever read was the following statement by Dr. John R. Rice, "The best way to interpret the Bible is not to interpret it at all." I like that. So often people make the MISTAKE of trying to find things in the Bible that God didn't put there. We are commanded to "search the Scriptures" (John 5:39); however, we must not search for what is not there. It is critically important that we apply wisdom when studying the Bible. How do we do this? By taking the Bible at face value unless it says otherwise. The Book of Revelation does deal with much symbolism, but the Bible CLEARLY indicates when doing so. Many false doctrines have been constructed by meddlers who are unskilled at dividing the truth...
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -2nd Timothy 2:15
How do you "rightly divide" the Word of God? By cross-referencing the Bible. By comparing one truth to another and never taking any Scripture outside of the contextual agreement of all the other Scriptures in the Bible as a whole. As an example: Mark 16:16 says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Many people (even some preachers) foolishly believe that a person MUST be baptized to be saved. A quick cross-reference over to 1st Corinthians 1:17 would reveal otherwise ... Paul said, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." John 4:2 says that Jesus didn't baptize anyone, but His disciples did instead. If baptism were required by God for salvation, do you think Jesus and the Apostle Paul would have left it to someone else. The Apostle Paul clearly said that Jesus did NOT send him to baptize anyone. Do you now see the importance of cross-referencing the Bible? I could show you hundreds of such examples. Be careful before jumping to premature conclusions when studying the Bible. Always ask the Holy Spirit of God to guide you.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." -John 16:13
Let the Holy Spirit be your guide, and He'll lead you around the minefield of heresy. Of course, you CANNOT have the Holy Spirit to guide you unless you are a born-again believer. If you have never accepted Christ as your personal Saviour, then please do so now.
Ok, I said the preceding to lay the foundation for what I am about to teach you about the Rapture. I could refer to this event as "The falling away" (or the departure), but the term "Rapture" DOES justice to the overwhelming amount of Biblical evidence in support of a Rapture of the saints (when we shall all be caught up into the clouds with Jesus).
Scriptures Teaching the Rapture
Note: Matthew 24:41 and Luke 17:36, are sometimes thought to refer to the judgment of the nations at the end of the Tribulation period, when the tares (unsaved) will be SEPARATED from the wheat (saved); hence, the exact opposite of the Rapture. In this judgment, the unsaved (the tares) will be caught up and cast into the Lake of Fire. Matthew 13:40 states, "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." The argument is that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John didn't know about the Rapture, and that the Apostle Paul was the first to introduce the Rapture doctrine. However, we must remember that these words were spoken by Jesus Himself, and not the Apostles. Jesus prophesied of many future events which NONE of the Apostles knew anything about. The Biblical writers simply wrote down what they heard from our Lord. I certainly would not be dogmatic on this issue, as BOTH events are going to happen; however, I believe that Matthew 24:41 and Luke 17:36 ARE referring to the Rapture. Matthew 24:36 clearly states that ONLY God knows when the Lord will return. If the Scriptures in question were referring to the judgment at the END of the Tribulation, then the time would be KNOWN, as the Word of God clearly states that the end of the Tribulation Period will be exactly 7 years AFTER the Rapture of the Church.
"Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left." -Matthew 24:41
This Scripture is very clear concerning the Rapture. Unfortunately, the new perversions of the Bible (such as the HIV Bible...I call the New International Version the HIV instead of the NIV for good reasons) have removed these Bible Verses in their entirety. These Scriptures were removed from the modern translations on the basis that more "reliable" Bible manuscripts had been discovered in Alexandria Egypt. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The Jehovah Witnesses' Bible (the New World Translation) comes from the EXACT same Greek text as does the NIV, NASV, NKJB, TNIV, ASV, and the Living Bible). All of the MODERN translations are CORRUPT! It is no surprise to those of us who have inquired into the personal beliefs of the translators of the NIV's Greek text, Westcott and Hort, that they were corrupt themselves. These two phonies denied the Rapture, a literal Hell, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and many other fundamental Bible doctrines. If you go buy yourself a Textus Receptus (the Hebrew and Greek text from which the King James Bible is translated), you will find all of the Scriptures I am giving you. By the way 1st John 5:17 is in the Textus Receptus as well. It is missing from all modern Bibles (either in part or completely). The forty-eight men who translated the King James Bible rejected many of the manuscripts they were presented. They believed those documents to be corrupt, pieces of the puzzle that just didn't fit. The manuscripts which they did accept came to be known as the "received text" (or the Textus Receptus). I paid $80 for my Textus Receptus, and cherish it. It is the manuscript from which the King James Bible was translated.
I am simply showing you this because the entire Post-Tribulation Rapture movement has been borne out of corrupt perversions of the Bible. It doesn't surprise me that someone would believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture if they're being poisoned by the NIV, or some other modern perversion of God's Word. If you understand this FACT, then you are well on your way to grasping the plain and powerful truths of the Word of God. So if you don't have a King James Bible, you won't find all the Scriptures I am giving you. As a matter of fact, the NIV alone is missing over 65,000 words as compared to the King James.
Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." -Luke 17:36
All Christians shall be changed at the Rapture. Our sinful earthly bodies will be changed into incorruptible, eternal bodies. What a day that will be! No more neck pain from herniated disks. No more worries. We will be changed in less than a second.
"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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." -1st Corinthians 15:51-53
The following Verse is one of my favorites in the whole Bible...
"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." -John 16:22
No one will ever ruin our day again. No more insults, no more critical statements from people, no more bullies, no more mean people, no more rude remarks...I can't wait. Let's face it, many people are cold-hearted and insensitive to others, especially towards tender-hearted people. Tender-hearted people don't mix well with Cold-hearted people. Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:12 of the days when many people would become cold-hearted because of iniquity (Greek, "injustice"). We see this much today.
Here is an easy way to remember the rapture as taught by Dr. Jack Hyles:
Jesus came to earth the first time "TO" His own approximately 2,000 years ago
Jesus is coming at the rapture "FOR" His own
Jesus is coming again at the second coming "WITH" His own
I've never heard it said any simpler than that. Jesus will come again at the Rapture FOR His own (for all the Saints throughout history). The dead in Christ shall be raised up first and then living Christians will be changed. Personally, I do not believe that the entire Rapture will occur in less than a second. I believe that the Bible is teaching that we as INDIVIDUALS will be changed in less than a second. The trumpet, voice of the archangel, raising of the dead first, and then the living, may be a significantly longer time. BUT, we know that we WILL be CHANGED in the twinkling of an eye. I wouldn't be dogmatic on this as there is quite a bit of room for speculation here. I think the important thing for us to remember when we do speculate (as I just did) is that we be honest enough to admit to others that it is just that ... speculation.
It is clear from the following passage of Scripture that the Lord is returning FOR His saints at the Rapture...
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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." -1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
In contrast, the Lord will be
returning WITH His own at the end of the Tribulation period, to
reign from Jerusalem forever as King over the earth (Isaiah 24:23; Micah
4:7). 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 clearly states that there must first
come "a falling away" before the Antichrist will be revealed. I
believe these words, "a falling away," refer to the Rapture (when the
Saints are "caught away" from the earth). It is common sense if
you'll think it through. Read the Book of Revelation, and all the
horrible things which are going to happen during the 7-Year Tribulation
(Revelation Chapters 6-13). One can only come to the logical
conclusion that such events WOULD be a definite giveaway concerning the
time when the Lord is going to return. The events prophesied to
occur in the 7-year Tribulation period are extremely SPECIFIC. Yet,
the Bible plainly states repeatedly that the Lord will return as a thief
in the night (1st Thessalonians 5:2).
The Post-Tribulation Rapture and Modern Corrupt Bibles
Some of my beliefs concerning the Bible are speculation. The "gap theory" between Genesis 1:1,2 is such an issue. It is not an essential doctrine to our faith. The Rapture issue is NOT a fundamental doctrine necessary to one's salvation. In other words, no one is going to burn in Hell because they believed in a Post-Tribulation Rapture. However, I have noticed that those who adhere to false doctrines such as the Post-Tribulation Rapture, are usually ensnared into the modern corrupt Bible versions. Many of these people are NOT saved, they are merely religious. The modern perversions of the Bible all diminish the deity of Jesus Christ (that He is Almighty God). The doctrine of the blood of Jesus is also weakened in the modern versions. As a result, many people are buying into Satanic deceptions concerning Biblical doctrines. Some people are focusing on Christ's death; but rejecting the efficacy (power) of the blood atonement. Others are buying into the LIE of Lordship Salvation (i.e., that a person must forsake their sins to be saved). I think it's important to establish the connection between such heresies and the Post-Tribulation Rapture crowd. The common denominator is today's corrupt Bibles. These are way too many problems with the modern Bible versions to list here. The name which is above every other name, "Jesus," is removed in 35 places in the New Testament of the NIV.
The bottom line as I see it concerning the
Rapture comes down to which Bible you accept. Adherents of the King
James Bible have no problem believing in a Pre-Tribulation rapture.
It's the people who are using the poisoned and watered down Bibles that
can't seem to get their doctrines straight. If you have the wrong
Bible, then you are never going to fully find your way to the Truth of
God's Word. Yes, there are
people who have been saved from the NIV, but they are messed up
doctrinally and lack the PASSION for the Bible that King James loving
Christians naturally posses. I dare you to try to find an NIV toting
Christian who can just rattle off verse after verse, perfectly memorized.
I've only seen that with the King James crowd.
A Post-Tribulation Rapture is Illogical
Reason with me here for a moment. The Bible clearly teaches that there will be a judgment for all believers, the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Bible also teaches that there will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb for all believers. Ok, if the Rapture isn't going to happen until AFTER the Tribulation, then when do these events occur? A Post-Tribulation Rapture theory creates a serious dilemma in that there will be no time for the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Hence, the Bible clearly teaches that the Rapture occurs BEFORE the tribulation; and the Tribulation occurs BEFORE the Millennial reign of Christ from Jerusalem.
Though I greatly admire him, J. Vernon McGee believed in a "split rapture." Pastor McGee was a Presbyterian minister for many decades, faithfully serving the Lord. Nevertheless, there is no such teaching of a "split rapture" found in the Bible. He taught that ONLY the New Testament saints would be raptured at the beginning of the tribulation, and then the Old Testament saints would be raptured after the tribulation. Again, I find no such teaching in the Bible. We are taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 that the "dead in Christ" would be raised first. Well...the Old Testament saints are all dead (except Enoch and Elijah who never died a physical death). They will more than likely be the two prophets slain in Revelation. Hebrews 9:27 declares that all men must die. The Old Testament saints will be raised up at the rapture when Jesus returns FOR His own before the tribulation.
"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:" -2nd Thessalonians 1:7,8
Here is another problem with the post-tribulation teaching. The verse above clearly teaches that Jesus Christ will return in vengeance against all that do not know God (those who are not saved). This will be at the second coming when Jesus returns WITH His saints to fight the Battle of Armageddon in the valley of Megiddo. This is in sharp contrast to all the other Scriptures about the trumpet, the voice of the archangel, being changed in the twinkling of an eye, meeting in the clouds. Clearly we are looking at two separate events here. When Jesus comes FOR us at the rapture, we will be caught up into the clouds. When Jesus returns at the second coming WITH His own, we will all be returning to the earth with Him (to basically clean house). Jesus will return to put down the antichrist, judge the nations, and then set up His kingdom upon the earth for 1,000 years. What a time that will be!!!
Furthermore, according to 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-8, the antichrist will not be revealed until the church (the candle) is removed from the world. At the rapture, the body of Christ (church) will be caught up and out of the world. At that time, the antichrist will have NO OPPOSITION from people like me with websites exposing Satanism and every other form of debauchery. When the cats away, the mice will play. When the Christians are gone, the devil is going to have a heyday. In case you haven't noticed, Christians are a monkey wrench for the New World Order. We really mess things up for them. Why? Because we will never accept homosexuality, witchcraft, Satanism...all the things of the devil. In short, we will not accept the devil. The world follows Satan because they are children of the devil. We as Christians are a peculiar bunch, zealous about good works. We are a big obstacle for the New World Order. So God is going to remove us from the world for 7 years (the tribulation time upon the earth). The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation are going to be a time of peace. The false prophet and the antichrist will sway the masses, performing miracles and signs. The world will begin to worship the beast, the wicked devil himself (indirectly through the antichrist).
Half way through the tribulation period, the antichrist will commit what the Bible terms "The Abomination of Desolation." Basically, the antichrist will claim to be god and demand worship from the earth's masses or else. The last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation will be times of woe that this world has never known. The stars will fall, the ocean will be turned to blood, the waters will be poisoned, the forests will be burned up, creatures from hell (perhaps genetic mutants) will torment mankind. Billions of people will be killed.
I've shared a little prophecy with you here. If you really want to learn more about this subject, go online and buy the book "Prophecy" by Oliver B. Greene. It is a masterpiece.
Don't ever let anyone shake your faith in the simple and plain teachings of the Bible. God said what He meant and meant what He said. Id like to close by quoting one of my heroes of the faith...
The Holy Spirit and the End Time (by Pastor Jack Hyles)
Sir, The Rapture Comes Before Armageddon (Real Audio sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles)
"If you take the Bible at face value, you can only come to the conclusion of a Pretribulation rapture" —Dr. Lee Roberson.
