Biblical Forensics©

“Deliverance before Judgment”

Part 31

In the previous segment, a list of reasons one can trust the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view was begun. We will continue with those reasons now.

The Pre-Tribulation view is the most logical and consistent view of the Second Coming Scriptures when taken for their plain sense and literal meaning whenever possible. Regardless of the view some may take or believe, many of the details of the Second Coming must be pieced together like a puzzle from various passages of Scripture. The Pre-Tribulation position finds a logical place for every Second Coming passage, and like a completed puzzle, all the pieces fit nicely together. We find no leftover pieces that do not fit into the grand scheme of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture view.
The Pre-Tribulation position clearly and logically untangles the contrasting details of Christ Jesus’ Second Coming. The Scriptures say that Jesus will come in the air to Rapture His Church, yet He will also come to the Earth publicly and physically. We have abundant Scriptural evidence supporting the Pre-Tribulation view to establish the coming of Christ Jesus in blessing for His Church and His return to the Earth in judgment are two distinct events separated by Daniel’s 70^th week, found in Daniel 9:27. The book of Revelation and 2^nd Thessalonians 2 clarify what takes place between those two events.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture position is the only view that makes a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. The lack of a proper understanding of the relationship between Israel and the Church in Bible prophecy is one of the major causes of confusion, as illustrated in the teachings of Amillennialism,⁽¹⁾ Post-Tribulation,⁽²⁾ and the Pre-Wrath⁽³⁾ views. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the ONLY position that clearly outlines the program of the Church. This is further confirmed by the fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8, the rebirth of Israel in a day. That was fulfilled June 14/15, 1948 and is proof positive of what the prophet Isaiah foretold, “Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” My former fellow Methodists pull their hair out trying to get around Isaiah 66:8; and, so does anyone else that holds a view different than the Pre-Tribulation position. Those holding to “Replacement Theology” are determined that God is through with the Jews and replaced by the church. Paul’s Epistle to Romans, chapters 9, 10, and 11 refutes this position held by Amillennialism. Isaiah 66:8 does not elaborate or justify the event, nor does it give any background to its happening, but merely states its reality as a prophetic fact of history.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the only view that makes “the blessed hope” of Titus 2:13 a truly blessed hope. Few Bible doctrines have brought more hope to grieving souls during the past two-thousand years than the doctrine of Titus’s “blessed hope”. What could be more encouraging than to know that Christ Jesus will return for His Church, resurrect the dead, and transport living believers to be with Him while the world endures the Tribulation? The Mid-Tribulation position destroys that hope by forcing the believer to anticipate 3-1/2 years of incredible suffering and terror. The Pre-Wrath and Post-Tribulation further destroy such optimism in that it propels us through the entire Tribulation period or significant parts thereof. No proper reading of Bible prophecy gives credence to the idea that the Church will be on earth during Daniel’s 70^th week. The judgments pictured in Revelation are clearly intended for Israel and the disbelieving Gentile world. Keep in mind that the teaching on the Rapture was given to comfort those who mourned! –(1^st Thessalonians 4:18). The threat of experiencing the Tribulation is hardly a doctrine that gives comfort or encouragement to the redeemed.
Pre-Tribulationalism allows sufficient time for important end-time events to occur or take place, and there are many yet to be fulfilled. In fact, I have identified at least 58 individual events that take place following the Rapture. The Pre-Tribulational view allows adequate time for Christians to be taken to the Father’s house, experience the judgment seat of Christ (every one of us will have to give account of himself to God” –Romans 14:12), yet this view still provides time for the Wedding events in heaven before His Second Coming in time for the battle of Armageddon, when He comes “with power and great glory” to the earth as noted in Matthew 24:30 and Luke 21:27. Other viewpoints offer various periods of time for these events to take place, but all are too brief to allow adequate time for important events listed in Revelation. Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, in his book ‘Footsteps of the Messiah’,⁽⁴⁾ provides a long list of things that remain to occur, such as the rebuilding of the Third Temple, etc. Experts on the Third Temple estimate 2-1/2 years to rebuild the Third Temple based upon their architectural plans. The quarried limestone blocks are somewhere in Israel today, hidden away from public view. They were ordered in 1967, and paid for by the Freemasons of the UK. The story of the order was reported in Billy Graham’s flagship magazine, ‘Christianity Today’. 60,000-tons of Bedford, Indiana, limestone, precut, were ordered shortly after the Israeli military took East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in the Six Day War of 1967.⁽⁵⁾ I personally saw the movement of the stones in Pennsylvania Railroad gondola cars on trains moving east through Pitcairn, PA in the summer of 1969 well into the summer of 1970. The cars were placard with routing signs reading, “Destination: Kearney Yard, N.J., for export to Israel”. I personally saw their regular movement on Friday and Saturday mornings as they arrived in Pitcairn. The gondola cars with the cut stones were always on the head-end of the freight train that originated in East St. Louis, Illinois and added to the train in Indianapolis, Indiana. Each stone was spray painted neon orange with a combination of alpha/numeric characters to indicate that they were pre-cut for designated positioning during the construction phase, which is yet to occur.
Only the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view preserves the motivating power of the imminent return of Christ Jesus that was such a challenge to the early Church because of the persecution factor. In John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1^st Corinthians 15:51-52; Philippians 3:20; and Colossians 3:4, and many other passages, the Apostles taught that Christ Jesus could come at any moment. When the Church loses this anticipation, she tends to become carnal and die spiritually. Hundreds of examples all around America today confirm that this carnality already exists and is well engrained in a largely spiritually dead church. That errant belief has led many a church astray and into the "Emergent Church” movement⁽⁶⁾ one of the many apostate movements that prevail in the church today. Apostasy such as Yoga⁽⁷⁾ and Contemplative prayer⁽⁸⁾ have invaded what were once solid Bible-believing conservative denominations, like the Nazarenes, the C&MA (Christian & Missionary Alliance), and even many Baptist churches as well.
Pre-Tribulational Christians are looking for the coming of the Lord. Other Rapture views have Christians awaiting the Great Tribulation, Antichrist, and great suffering. There is no verse of Scripture that tells us we should be looking for the Antichrist, not one! In fact, only the Rapture could occur as soon as this very moment, but the Glorious Appearing [Second Coming] cannot occur for at least seven more years after the Tribulation begins.
Pre-Tribulationalism emphasizes the magnitude of the Rapture. Since at least four passages of Scripture describe the Rapture theme, it must be a significant event. The Post-Tribulational view trivializes the Rapture, treating it as an express-elevator trip – zip up and right back down! The Pre-Tribulational view treats it as a dignified, blessed event commensurate with a heavenly Bridegroom who comes to take His Bride to His Father’s house for their wedding. I have prepared an entire series of articles on the detail outlining the “Theme of the Bride”⁽⁹⁾ that God has interwoven within the Biblical text. There are over 750 passages on the “Theme of the Bride” found from Genesis to Revelation. You can truthfully say the Bible is a “love letter” from the Creator based on this “Theme of the Bride”. God has revealed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture through a combination of implicit and explicit patterns and themes using Bible typology reinforcing His Grand Design for “Deliverance”!

It is true that God could have inspired one of the Biblical writers to spell it out in an unquestionable explicit message – “The Rapture will be at the beginning of the Seven-Year Tribulation”. But think about this for a moment, what would there be to look for in His Holy Word once you were given a “Thus saith the Lord” statement of declaration? As I have stated so many times before, Proverbs 25:2 is God’s challenge or invitation to man to search out the Word of God for all its goodies. The aspect of “Mystery” is intended to keep us motivated and not cause us to slack off or become lazy. It motivates us to reach the lost before the hourglass of time runs out and before the clock stops. Furthermore, it elicits and induces our worship which produces intimacy within our private relationship with God, with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. This is what the Lord wants of His creation, a relationship in which we can truly appreciate the multitude of wonders we’ve discovered about our Creator and it evokes our desire to worship Him deeply.

In the next segment, we will continue with reason number 10. I trust that you find these Pre-Tribulation Rapture truths helpful and reassuring. This study on “Deliverance before Judgment” has been a project that has been in process since I first began studying Bible prophecy in 1967. I’ve often considered writing a book on the theme of “Deliverance before Judgement”.

Pastor Bob

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