These are the reasons the Pre-Trib Rapturists cite as proof for an event that never happens from Chosen's article.
1. Church-age believers are promised salvation from wrath (1 Th. 1:9-10; 5:1-9; Rom. 5:9; Rev. 3:10).
Again, this wrath is final judgment wrath whereby believers have salvation. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT Tribulation wrath. Paul wrote this letter in AD 51, more than 40 years before Revelation was written. God's wrath in Revelation are the 7 bowls and they are specifically poured out on the Beast and his kingdom. Rev 16:1.
2. The Holy Spirit will be removed before the Tribulation (2 Th. 2:1-8).
This passage does not identify the Holy Spirit as the one to be removed or doing the restraining. This is another example of putting man's words into God's Word!! It is Michael doing the restraining, Rev 12:7
3. Church-age believers are promised mansions in heaven (John 14:1-3).
This does NOT prove a Pre-Trib Rapture. First for 2,000 years there will be saints who sleep, they will go to heaven. We then have a 1,000 year millennial kingdom. After that a new heaven on earth. Jesus could be talking about mansions for those who go to heaven before the Day of the Lord or After.
4. The Rapture of church-age saints is imminent (it could happen any time) whereas the Second Coming is said to be preceded by specific signs.
The biggest sign for the Second Coming would have been the Rapture, would it not? Funny the Rapture was not listed as a sign for the Second Coming. This "immanency" thinking was a result of 1 Thessalonians. The early church was concerned that they missed the Lord's return so Paul wrote 2nd Thessalonians to clear that point up. Obviously the Lord's return isn't that immanent since it has been 2,000 years. Maybe Jesus wanted us to think his return was immanent so we would always be walking right with the Lord. Or maybe since every day could be our last, we should always be right with the Lord. Or maybe simply, Jesus wanted us to always think he could come back at any time so that we would not be living in sin. Whatever His reason, clearly, the Lord's return has not been immanent.
5. The church is a mystery that is not revealed in the Old Testament (Eph. 3:1-11).
True, the OT did not refer to the church. But we are taught by Paul in Romans 11, that the church is to be grafted in with the Jews. Therefore the Time of Jacob's trouble applies to the church equally.
6. The book of Revelation shows that the church is not on earth during the Tribulation.
a. The church is not seen on earth in chapters 4-18.
Just because the church isn't mentioned in those chapters does mean it is in heaven! What an incredible leap. There are a lot of chapters in the NT where the church is not mentioned. The church was addressed earlier in Revelation. Then after the fullness of the Gentiles have come in, the church becomes part of the Olive Tree, thus part of Israel and together they are treated the same.
b. The witness for God in the earth during the Tribulation is Israel, not the church (Rev. 7).
The 144,000 are Jewish but they are believing Jews, thus would have been raptured if there was one. We know they are believing Jews from the start and not recent converts because they are called "virgins" which in this sense means they never believed in false Gods, religions or teachings. They follow the lamb wherever he goes. The absence of the church being mentioned doesn't imply a rapture from the earth.
c. The prayers of the saints in Revelation 8 are prayers for judgment. Only Israel prayed such prayers.
How thin is this? We are not shown the church in heaven before the tribulation. However, we see a ton of martyrs who come out of the Tribulation in heaven.
d. The scorpion-like creatures of Revelation 9 are given freedom to hurt all earth-dwellers except those Jews who were sealed by the angel of Revelation 7; if church-age believers were on earth, they would be subject to this horrible judgment.
First off this isn’t a judgment. This is the wrath of Satan which we are warned about. But he isn’t allowed to kill us here, just torment us. Wasn’t Paul tormented? How about the other disciples? Oh well, guess the church-age believers will suffer Tribulation. Duh. Why are we told to watch??? Why is Jesus telling us what to do in Mat 24 if we are to be gone? Look at Revelation 13:7. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Clearly we see the Beast/Satan will be harming Christians and we know in a big way. That’s why so many are seen in heaven having “Come Out of The Great Tribulation.”
e. Revelation 10 identifies the events of Revelation 4-18 with those foretold by Old Testament prophets--the days of the Great Tribulation, the “Day of the Lord.” The church age was never in the view of these Old Testament prophecies; it was a mystery not yet revealed. The church has a different purpose and program than national Israel. It is Israel that is in view in Old Testament prophecy and in Revelation 4-18.
This is Replacement Theology which is NOT of GOD. The Gentiles were allowed in to make the Jews jealous. The Gentiles were told not to be haughty or they could be ripped out. Jesus teaches that Salvation is of the Jews. One Plan for One People – God’s People. Besides, nothing here suggests a pre-Trib Rapture.
f. The ministry of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 identifies them with national Israel and with Old Testament prophecies of the “Day of the Lord.”
This is so lame it’s hardly worth a response. Does the Lord have to mention the Church every time He mentions something about Israel? Of course not. The whole Bible is written with a Jewish slant the size of Titanic. When will the church realize that they are lucky to be included in the Jewish Messiah’s Salvation plan?
g. The devil persecutes Israel, not the church, during the Tribulation (Rev. 12)
Of course he does but he then goes after Her offspring and as I pointed out that Rev 13:7 has Satan making war with the saints and overcoming them.
The writer then goes on to state why it is important for our psyche to believe in this “LIE.” How about we believe in the Word as it is written instead!!!
Pre-Trib Doctrine is a lie and the work of Satan. Mid Tribbers are those who see Jesus coming back at the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Trump but don’t realize the Bowls have been poured by then. Post Tribbers see Jesus returning at the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Trump and the Day of the Lord lasts 1,000 years as we are told. This is what the clear reading of the Word teaches us.
Jesus taught POST TRIB
Paul taught POST BEAST
John taught POST TRIB
None of them taught two returns of Christ. None of them taught the church would be raptured to heaven.
The whole above exercise is a clear example of what Peter warned us about in 2 Peter 3:16.
“…speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”
There is no false doctrine as big as the so-called Pre-Trib Rapture which has ZERO evidence in the Bible and exists only from much twisting of scriptures by man’s foolish desires to ignore the Word of God in an attempt to spare him the trials and tribulations that Jesus promised His followers.
Clearly man doesn't want to go through the Tribulation. Who wants to suffer pain and/or death. However, Jesus tells us repeatedly that we will suffer for our faith in him. We cannot as true Christians take Jesus' clear words about his plans then alter them using dispensationalism or whatever other method we have into a plan that we like better. That is what Pre-Tribbers do. And, they do so at their own peril and the peril of those who listen to them.
Pre-Trib is under attack and rightly so. The end is near, very near and Satan wants us to believe his lie. I am devoting my time exposing his lie.
