What is your BEST PROOF for a pre-trib Rapture?

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presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#61
Thank you sir! Can you answer this:

Historical premillennialism - You have the problem who populates the millennium? 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 proves to be a stumbling stone here too, because all the saved are given rest, glorified bodies, resurrected, and the lost are destroyed, leaving no one left in the flesh the populate the millennium. How do they get around it? They go to Zechariah 14, say some people are left, or try to otherwise twist 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 to say only SOME lost are destroyed, those who WILLINGLY dont know Him and so on.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 is a tough passage for all premillennialists since it both disproves pre-trib rapture and disproves the idea that anyone is left to populate the millennium and no one is able to rebel at the end of it.

ESCHATOLOGY IS FUN ISNT IT
II Thessalonians does not say all the destruction will be immediate. It's also a problem for pretribbers who have to have someone living into the millennium. II Thessalonians 2 has the church present, receiving rest when Jesus returns. Pretribbers, in my experience, typically teach that the church is gone seven years before the second coming.

What I described was pre-trib though. I'm not sure if historic premillennials believe in an actual rapture or people surviving on earth into the tribulation. My understanding of eschatology is fairly dispensational, but with the resurrection at the parousia like I Thes. 4 and I Corinthians 15 teach instead of seven years before it.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#62
Good day president,
Also, the whole earth was not under God's wrath, just Egypt.
God's wrath is God's anger. It's not just bad stuff happening. God is not angry with redeemed saints who are in right relationship with him.

The 'not appointed unto wrath' verse says but ye are not appointed unto wrath, but to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice the context is wrath versus obtaining salvation. It's not about going through tough times.

Do you believe that the tribulational saints are appointed unto wrath, and not appointed to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ?

This coming wrath is the time that the prophets and the apostles spoke of as "the day of the Lord." To give you an example of the destruction, with just the fourth seal and the sixth trumpet, a fourth and a third respectively, over half the earths population will have been killed and that is not including trumpets 1, 2 and 3, nor the fatalities that will occur from the seven bowl judgments.
So some will be destroyed and some will live. If a tribulational saint dies during these events, do you think that means God is angry at him or her? Does it mean that they are not saved through Jesus Christ?

This is supported by the fact that Jesus said, and I paraphrase "if those days had been allowed to go on any longer, no one on earth would be left alive."

Matthew 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Do you think God is angry at the elect, for whose sake this verse implies the dead are shortened.

Really? How do you explain the bride/church present at the wedding of the Lamb which takes place in heaven prior to the Lord returning to the earth and we with Him.
Where is your evidence for this? Are you familiar with Revelation 19 which announces the marriage supper right before the passage about the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, which many of us take to refer to the parousia. Why should I assume a pretrib scenario here that the passage does not state. That seems to be the whole 'proof' for pre-trib, assuming pretrib scenarios around Biblical passages.

Then you have the following Revelation 17:14

"They (beast and ten kings) will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
I Thessalonians tells us that at the parousia the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Where is the contradiction to post-trib here? You have to stretch the second coming out for seven years, or have two second comings with the rapture at the first one to make this work.

The biggest problem with post-trib, is that it puts the living church through the entire wrath of God, which we are not appointed to suffer.
Show me the verses that put the tribulational saints through the wrath of God. Why wouldn't you believe they wouldn't be saved?
I Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Which category are the tribulational saints in, the 'appointed unto wrath' categry or the 'obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ' category?

Like many, you don't recognize the different between "our being gathered to Him" vs. "the day of the Lord," which is your error. Paul starts out with "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him" and then in verse 2 & 3 he says "asserting that the day of the Lord has already come."
Notice the order there in that verse you quote, II Thes. 2:1, I think, It says 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him". Why do you reverse the order? You have the gathering happening before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at the previous chapter. It tells us that the church will receive rest when Jesus comes back to execute vengence on them that know not God. Pre-trib has the church already gone when that happens. Jesus comes back to execute vengence when He returns to be glorified in the saints. Pre-trib makes two times out of that, not at the same time, like the passage says. Chapter 1 describes this as happening on 'that day.' The same day is described in chapter 2.

There is no way to get any evidence for pre-trib out of II Thessalonians 2. Pre-tribbers assume pretrib and read the theory into the passage, in spite of what it says.

Our being gathered to Him = the church being caught up
I agree. Compare to 'gather' Matthew 24.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The day of the Lord = God's wrath upon the earth

Our being gathered and the day of the Lord, are closely linked together. Once we are gathered, then the day of the Lord begins. You and others look at "our being gathered to Him" and "the day of the Lord" as the same event, which is the error. The day of the Lord, which is the time of God's wrath, follows the church being gathered to Him.
Do you have any Biblical evidence to split up these events? I have pointed out evidence against that idea. Do you believe in two parousias or one long seven-year second coming?

The day of the Lord begins when that apostasy takes place and the man of lawlessness is revealed
The wicked will be destroyed by the parousia of Christ (II Thes 2.) At the parousia, the saints will be raptured and resurrected (I Thes. 4.)

First of all, the city (new Jerusalem) does not descend after the tribulation, but after the thousand year reign of Christ.
There is a logical problem there since the thousand year reign is after the tribulation in revelation, so, yes it does descend after the tribulation and not before it in the narrative of Revelation.

And second, when a believer in Christ dies, their spirit departs and goes immediately to be in the presence of Christ. This is not a resurrection. In fact, the spirit departing from the body is the exact opposite of resurrection. The word "anastasis" is made up of "ana=up and hestemi=to stand" properly, to stand up again in a physical body. Therefore, the spirit departing at the time of death is not a resurrection.
I do not recall anyone calling that a resurrection. I believe in the resurrection of the body. I don't call a disembodied state before the resurrection a 'resurrection' either, and I have opposed that idea on these forums.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#63
Ha! If you're post you're toast? Never heard that one before, but true.

Being caught in that time period is not an honorable thing as some believe and teach. Anyone on earth during that time, will be here because they will have not believed and been ready when Jesus came to call up the church.

Though it is a blessing to endure trials and tribulation, it is not an honor to go through the wrath of God.
Have you actually read the book of Revelation.

Take a look at this verse here at Revelation 12:11.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

How could any Christian not see this as honorable. Does the Bible say you overcame the devil, or that you loved not your life to the death? It says it about these honorable souls.

Would you say that they are not appointed to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, but rather to God's wrath?
 

TooFastTurtle

Active member
Apr 10, 2019
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#64
Excuse me but how does John 14:1-3 "PROVE" a pretrib second coming or rapture? What your doing is simply quoting some verses without any sort of a time line to prove those scriptures are identifying a rapture? Anyone can state a position but as far as I have been taught one has to "PROVE" their position with evidence.

So let me get this straight? It says at Hebrews 9:28 the following. "so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eargerly await Him." When Jesus appears a second time like this verse states, will this be the pretrib rapture mr. turtle?

And how about answering this question by going to the Lord Himself at Matthew 24:1-3 who was ask by His disciples the following question? Context first! "And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple building to Him. Vs2, And He answwered and said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stonehere shall be seft upon another which will not be torn down."

Vs3 which is the key question the disciples want to know. "And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming. AND THE END OF THE AGE." The second part of their question was asking Jesus for a sing that would precede His coming and "the end of the world." Greek, aion, "age, period, era"

So without me going through all the verses of Matthew 24 verses 4-14 Jesus describes various problems that we as Christians and the world generally will go through. Ha ha, then we get to vs15, "Therefore," (And here's the tip off), when you see the Abominatio of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (let the reader understand).

What do we do, vs16-"we flee or run." So vs16 to vs28 describes what will be taken place, i.e the tribulation. Now look at another key and important verse. Vs29, "But immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give the light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Vs30. AND THEN THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN THE SKY, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky and great glory."

Vs31, And He will send forth His angels with a GREAT TRUMPET and they will gather together HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." So I ask you, where in this detailed account given by Jesus Himself are we raptured first before all of this takes place? Have you seen the "Abomination of Desolation" yet mr. turtle? Or have you seen a dark Sun, a dark Moon or any stars falling from the sky? If Jesus does not know when He is coming back you can't know. :eek:

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto
Matthew 24:29-31 is nothing new to me or any other pre-tribber, trust me ;) I simply see it talking about the second coming which is preceded by signs, 42 months from the abomination of desolation Jesus returns. Yet later in the chapter Jesus says no man knows the time? Because when it comes to Jesus coming for the Church it is imminent, the second coming is not.

Matthew 24:31 says nothing of a resurrection either, it is talking about the elect being gathered from all over the earth to Jerusalem.

Luke 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

The doctrine of the Rapture was a mystery revealed to Paul (1 Cor 15:51-52), the Jews knew about the resurrection but not about a translation of living believers into glorifies bodies
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#65
Oh that is easy.
Postribs invented the white horse uturn.
Pre-tribbers invented the seven year U-Turn. Why would it take so long?


Paul writes of the Lord descending and the saints rising.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
16 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:
17 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.

Which way does the Lord Jesus go in this verse?

Read what the angels said in Acts 1

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

When Jesus ascended, did He ascend, and descend again, and ascend again seven years later? No. He ascended. He will come back the same way He went up.

Where is the evidence for the whole pre-trib scenario in the first place? What is the justification for reading it into passages like this? I Corinthians 15 says they that are His will be made alive at His coming/parousia. It does not say seven years before His coming. It doesn't say at Jesus' third coming. It does not say that His coming will take seven years. I Thessalonians 4 also uses the word 'parousia.' The wicked on is destroyed at the brightness of Jesus' parousia.

Where is the justification for multiple parousia? Where is the justification for pre-trib at all from the Bible? Why isn't there a pre-trib rapture mentioned in Revelation? Why is it inconsisted with Matthew 24 which has the sign of the coming of the Son of Man after the tribulation?
 

TooFastTurtle

Active member
Apr 10, 2019
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#66
The wicked will be destroyed by the parousia of Christ (II Thes 2.) At the parousia, the saints will be raptured and resurrected (I Thes. 4.)
Who is left to populate the millennial kingdom? Who will satan deceive at the end of the millennium?
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#67
In both the parable of the 10 virgins,and rev 14,jesus returns,gathers,and never touches earth.
So your position is that a bridegroom getting married never touches the ground. I don't see how this supports yoru point of view. Do you not believe that Jesus is returning? What do you do with Acts 1 where the angels say that Jesus will come again the same way he went up?
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#68
Can anyone show a clear reference to a pre-trib rapture in any sequence of events presented in the New Testament? Can you show evidence for it int he book of Revelation, Paul's writings, the eschatological passages from Christ, or anywhere else?

Where in Revelation does it say the pre-trib rapture will occur? All I've read along these lines is a rather outlandish claim that John being told 'come up hither' is about the rapture of the church-- as allegorical interpretation any amil or postmil adherent might use, and not really consistent with a literal approach to eschatology.
 

Nehemiah6

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Jul 18, 2017
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#69
Can anyone show a clear reference to a pre-trib rapture in any sequence of events presented in the New Testament?
Since it was always an imminent event it would not require any *sequence* of events. So are you prepared to believe Christ who insisted that His coming for His saints would always be (1) imminent, (2) unexpected, and (3) sudden?

IMMINENT
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Mt 24:44)
UNEXPECTED
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be... The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not forhim, and in an hour that he is not aware of
(Mt 24:36,37,50)
SUDDEN
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Mt 24:42; 25:13)

All the apostolic churches hoped and expected that the Lord would come for His own during their lifetimes. Thus it was the Blessed Hope of the New Testament churches.

Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing [at the Rapture] of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

For our conversation [citizenship] is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ [at the Rapture]: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phil 3:20, 21)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear [at the Rapture], we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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#70
Since it was always an imminent event it would not require any *sequence* of events. So are you prepared to believe Christ who insisted that His coming for His saints would always be (1) imminent, (2) unexpected, and (3) sudden?

IMMINENT
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Mt 24:44)
UNEXPECTED
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be... The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not forhim, and in an hour that he is not aware of
(Mt 24:36,37,50)
SUDDEN
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Mt 24:42; 25:13)

All the apostolic churches hoped and expected that the Lord would come for His own during their lifetimes. Thus it was the Blessed Hope of the New Testament churches.

Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing [at the Rapture] of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

For our conversation [citizenship] is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ [at the Rapture]: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phil 3:20, 21)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear [at the Rapture], we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
Since it was always an imminent event it would not require any *sequence* of events. So are you prepared to believe Christ who insisted that His coming for His saints would always be (1) imminent, (2) unexpected, and (3) sudden?

IMMINENT
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Mt 24:44)
UNEXPECTED
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be... The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not forhim, and in an hour that he is not aware of
(Mt 24:36,37,50)
SUDDEN
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come...
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Mt 24:42; 25:13)
That first one should be in the 'unexpected' category. What event are you talking about? Are you talking about the rapture or the coming of the Son of Man...or two things that occur at once.

Let's look at what the passage says.
Matthew 24
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

So this is the event you are quoting Matthew 24 about? This event that happens after the tribulation. How is Matthew 24 supposed to support pre-trib, when it places the coming of the Son of man 'after the tribulation' (i.e. 'post trib)?

Why would Jesus want His disciples to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man if they were leaving seven years before it happened? If the coming of the Son of Man refers to the rapture, then Matthew 24:29-30
places it after the tribulation.

Can you show a single passage that lays out a sequence of events where the tribulation occurs before the rapture? The passage you are referring to shows the events you identify with the rapture happening after the tribulation, 'great tribulation', even (v. 21.)j

All I see from pre-tribbers is spinning a pre-trib story around passages that do not support it, which sometimes flat out contradict it.





All the apostolic churches hoped and expected that the Lord would come for His own during their lifetimes. Thus it was the Blessed Hope of the New Testament churches.
Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing [at the Rapture] of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

For our conversation [citizenship] is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ [at the Rapture]: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phil 3:20, 21)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear [at the Rapture], we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
I do not disagree with you that the rapture happens at the time described here, but I notice you keep adding in the 'at the rapture' phrase in your own words in these passages. But where is there any evidence in here that this is talking about a pre-trib rapture? Imagining the rapture is pre-trib when you read verses about it does not prove pretrib.
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,159
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#71
God's wrath is God's anger. It's not just bad stuff happening. God is not angry with redeemed saints who are in right relationship with him.

(Part I)
The 'not appointed unto wrath' verse says but ye are not appointed unto wrath, but to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice the context is wrath versus obtaining salvation. It's not about going through tough times.
Tough times? I would suggest that you go back and do an in depth study on the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments. And that time of God's wrath is about bad stuff happening, the worst the world will have ever seen.

Here is the scripture:

"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

It is because believers are saved, that they will not go through God's coming wrath. Those who are not, will.

"While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

In the above scripture, it states that destruction will come upon them suddenly and they will not escape. The next words are "but you

"But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief."

The first three words "but you, brother" infer the opposite of not escaping, i.e. we will escape that time period and that by what Paul had taught just prior to this which is the gathering of the church. And the way in which it will not overtake us like a thief, is because the faithful will be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. If you don't like that scripture, here is another:

"They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." (I Thess.1:10)

Do you believe that the tribulational saints are appointed unto wrath, and not appointed to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ?

Matthew 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

This is supported by the fact that Jesus said, and I paraphrase "if those days had been allowed to go on any longer, no one on earth would be left alive."

Do you think God is angry at the elect, for whose sake this verse implies the dead are shortened.
I don't know whether the tribulation saints are appointed to suffer wrath God's wrath. However, because they will have not believed prior to the gathering of the church, they will unfortunately be on the earth during the time of God's wrath and will be exposed to it, just like the rest of the inhabitants. This is the very reason that Jesus urges believers to be watching and ready so that day does not take them by surprise. Regarding the great tribulation saints, consider the following:

=================================================
"Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst;

nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat" (Rev.7:16)
=================================================

The reference to them never again hungering and being thirsty, is referring in part to the third seal judgment, which is famine and which will get worse as a result of some of the following plagues of wrath.

It also states that they will never thirst again, which would in part, be indicative of the third trumpet where a third of the rivers and fresh water are contaminated which cause many to die from drinking the water. Their thirsting would also be the result of the 2nd and 3rd bowl judgments where the ocean and fresh waters are all turned into literal blood.

And lastly, it states that the sun will no longer beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat, which is referring to the 4th bowl judgment where that angel pours his bowl upon the sun allowing it to scorch men with fire, searing them with intense heat.

So yes, they will be exposed to God's wrath and that simply because they will not have been believers when Christ appears to gather His church and will remain on the earth for that reason. During that time, they will become believers and in the midst of God's wrath and the beasts reign, they will keep the testimony of Jesus and the word of God and will not worship the beast, his image, nor receive His mark, with a great number of them being killed. Consider what Jesus says to His disciples and all believers regarding that time leading up to His appearing to gather His church:

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

"That day" is referring to "the day of the Lord" which begins after the church has been caught up. Once the church has been gathered then that time period will be like a trap, because God's wrath will begin to be poured out throughout that entire time period up until Jesus returns to the earth to end the age and establish His millennial kingdom.

So some will be destroyed and some will live. If a tribulational saint dies during these events, do you think that means God is angry at him or her? Does it mean that they are not saved through Jesus Christ?
No! It just means that they will have not been believers when Jesus comes for His church and are therefore not saved prior to that time and will therefore not be watching or ready. Jesus continues to warn believers to be watching and ready so that they can escape that time of wrath. Those tribulation saints will simply have not believed in Christ up to that point, but many will become believers once they realize that the church has been removed. I'm sure that will include many who believed in Christ, but fell back into willfully living according to the sinful nature and will therefore not be watching or ready. At that time, they will know what is coming and what they are going to have to go through. So, they will be saved, but after the church has been removed and during the time of God's wrath .

(Continued)
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,159
2,375
113
#72
(Part II)

God's wrath is God's anger. It's not just bad stuff happening. God is not angry with redeemed saints who are in right relationship with him.

Where is your evidence for this? Are you familiar with Revelation 19 which announces the marriage supper right before the passage about the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, which many of us take to refer to the parousia. Why should I assume a pretrib scenario here that the passage does not state. That seems to be the whole 'proof' for pre-trib, assuming pretrib scenarios around Biblical passages.
Well for one thing, it is the bride, which is another moniker representing the church, who is present at the wedding of the Lamb, where at which time she will be receiving her fine linen, white and clean. Then in verse 14 of the same chapter, we see the bride wearing her fine linen that she had just received and following Christ out of heaven. This is the second coming and the church will be with the Lord as He is coming down to Armageddon. Regarding the Lord's and our descent to Armageddon, consider the following:

"They (the beast and ten kings) will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Rev.17:14)

I Thessalonians tells us that at the parousia the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Where is the contradiction to post-trib here? You have to stretch the second coming out for seven years, or have two second comings with the rapture at the first one to make this work.
You and many others make the same error by pigeonholing words, which is what you are doing here with the word "Parousia," when you should be concerned with the contexts regarding this event.

One of the biggest problems with this event, is that many do not understand that the event of the church being gathered is a separate event from when the Lord returns to the earth to end the age and establish His millennial kingdom. Simply put, they are not the same event. As I said in a previous post, putting the church through the time of God's wrath stems from not understanding the underlying principle, which is that Jesus already took upon himself God's wrath that every believer deserves, satisfying it completely. Therefore, God's wrath no longer rests upon the believer. Believers have been reconciled to God. This is exactly why we cannot and will not go through God's wrath.

Show me the verses that put the tribulational saints through the wrath of God. Why wouldn't you believe they wouldn't be saved?

I Thessalonians 5:9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Which category are the tribulation saints in, the 'appointed unto wrath' category or the 'obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ' category?
As I said previously, it is simply because the tribulation saints will have not been believers at the time the resurrection and catching away of the church takes place. And something else that is important to understand is that, once the church is caught up, that completes the church. Meaning that, the great tribulation saints, though saved, do not belong to the church. There are a number of different groups who are saved, but not all belong to the church. You have the nation Israel, which God will be dealing with, you will have the 144,000 who come out of the twelve tribes who are not the church and there will be the great tribulation saints who will not be apart of the church. These will all be different saved groups. In support of this, from chapter 1 thru 3 the word "ekklesia" translated "church" is used 19 times. Within those same chapters you never see the word "hagios" translated "Saints." Likewise, from chapter 4 through chapter 18, we never see the word ekklesia/church. It changes to hagios/saints. The words church and saints are never used interchangeably anywhere in Revelation. Revelation 4:1 is a prophetic allusion to where the church is gathered within Revelation, which is why the word never appears during the narrative of God's wrath.

(Continued}
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
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#73
(Part III)

God's wrath is God's anger. It's not just bad stuff happening. God is not angry with redeemed saints who are in right relationship with him.

Notice the order there in that verse you quote, II Thes. 2:1, I think, It says 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him". Why do you reverse the order? You have the gathering happening before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The order is not reversed, as that is the order in which appears in 2 Thess.2:1. Below is the scripture:

Verse 1 = "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him"

Verse 2 = "asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

* The coming of our Lord and our being gathered to Him to take the church back to heaven (John 14:1-3)

* The day of the Lord (God's time of wrath)

* The Lord's return to the earth to end the age and establish His millennial kingdom

In verse 1, Paul is referring to our being gathered to the Lord which is referring to I Thess.4:16. Then, he uses the phrase " the day of the Lord" which is referring to the time of wrath which takes place after our being our being gathered to the Lord.

These two events are closely linked, with our being gathered taking place first and then followed by the day of the Lord, which is the time of God's wrath, which continues up until Jesus returns to the earth to end the age.

Look at the previous chapter. It tells us that the church will receive rest when Jesus comes back to execute vengence on them that know not God.

Pre-trib has the church already gone when that happens. Jesus comes back to execute vengence when He returns to be glorified in the saints. Pre-trib makes two times out of that, not at the same time, like the passage says. Chapter 1 describes this as happening on 'that day.' The same day is described in chapter 2.

There is no way to get any evidence for pre-trib out of II Thessalonians 2. Pre-tribbers assume pretrib and read the theory into the passage, in spite of what it says.
Oh you guys! I wish that you were as interested in finding out the truth as you are to jump on a scripture that doesn't support your claim! I have heard this very same argument with this same scripture so many times! Let's look at the scripture in question:

"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, [and to us as well]. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels."

In the scripture above, Paul includes himself and those believers with him living at that time, to be given relief from as those who troubled when the Lord is revealed from heaven.

However, we know that Paul and those believers with Him have long since died. Therefore, since Paul includes himself, how can he and the believers with him be alive at the time when the Lord Jesus is revealed, which hasn't happened yet?

In their haste, most pass over that part of the verse or attempt to create some type of apologetic. They are so quick to think that they have found the ultimate scripture to defeat the pre-trib belief and by doing so they miss the fact that Paul includes himself and those with him when the Lord is revealed from heaven. Paul and the churches of that time certainly aren't going to be alive in their mortal bodies to see that vengeance when the Lord returns.

The crux of that verse is that, the Lord is going to avenge all believers who have been persecuted and troubled throughout the church period, which will take place when the Lord returns to the earth to end the age. That is unless you believe that Paul and the believers with him will still be alive when the Lord is revealed? Context, context, context! Details, details, details.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
You have proven nothing that would make the event of the gathering of the church as being the same event as when the Lord returns to the earth to end the age.

The events of Verse 29 regarding the sun, moon and stars takes place just prior to the Lord returning to the earth to end the age.

Verse 30 is synonymous with Rev.1:7, 19:11-21, which is referring to the Lord's return to the earth to end the age and establish his millennial kingdom.

As stated in verse 31, Jesus sends out His angels with a "loud trumpet call" which is not the same as the "last trumpet" which Paul refers to in I Cor.15:52. But are two different trumpets. This is why it is important not to pigeonhole words in scripture.

Also, when the event of the church being caught up takes place, angels do not gather us. The dead and living in Christ will be caught up in their immortal and glorified bodies and will be caught up by the Lord.

The reference to the angels gathering together His elect, is referring to the remnant of Israel and those great tribulation saints who will have made it alive through the entire tribulation period. This is synonymous with the parable in Matt.13:30, where at the end of the age the harvesters, which are the angels, first gather the weeds, which just isn't mentioned in Matt.24:31, but is mentioned in Matt.13:30.

So, at the end of the age when Jesus returns to the earth, the angels will go throughout the four corners of the earth, from one end of the heavens to the other and "first collect the weeds," which are the wicked. After that, they will bring in the wheat, which are those great tribulation saints who will have made it alive through the entire tribulation period. These along with Israel, will repopulate the earth during the millennial kingdom.

To be clear, Jesus sending out His angels to gather His elect, is not referring to the gathering of the church (rapture). By your bolding of the word "gather" you are also pigeonholing this word. For when the Lord comes for His church they will be gathered and when He returns to the earth to end the age, living survivors will also be gathered. The use of the same word doesn't mean that it is the same event.
 

TooFastTurtle

Active member
Apr 10, 2019
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#74
I would argue that the "rest" in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 is talking about the rest the saved are to obtain while ruling and reigning and enjoying the millennial kingdom which happens after the Second Coming.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
9,160
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#77
Ahwatukee, you posted quite a bit, and I may respond later if the Lord permits. But again, I did not see you post any evidence for pretrib. I see you having an a priori assumption for pretrib, asserting it is true, and trying to argue that only pretrib will fit certain passages.

But that is not evidence for pretrib. What is the evidence fir the whole pretrib theory in the first place? Can you show me a scripture that says Jesus is coming back two more times? Canyou show me a sequence of events in scripture where the rapture is mentioned followed by tribulation then the second coming.

You arguments seem strained and tenuous. Why would you assume if most drinking water is unusable that God did not preserve the usable water or some of it for the saints.? Why would that be a reason for believing in pretrib when there is no evidence for it. I do not find any of your arguments for not believing in a more straightforward interpretation of II Thessalonians. Your objections about Mt. 24 are the same critiques of pretrib. That pretribbers explain with imminence and the disciples not knowing the day or the hour. Matthew 24 tells the disciples about waiting for the coming of the Son of Man. Why would He speak this day if there were a doctrine that the saints would be raptured before the coming of the Son of Man. Can you show me where scripture teaches pretrib, not assume pretrib and try to read scripture with a pretrib assumption?
 

Hevosmies

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2018
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#78
I think there will be survivors.
But broski how are there any survivors? It says in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 that ALL of the unbelievers are destroyed by Jesus. Those that "dont know God" and "dont obey the Gospel" that just about covers EVERYONE that aint saved!
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,085
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#79
But broski how are there any survivors? It says in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 that ALL of the unbelievers are destroyed by Jesus. Those that "dont know God" and "dont obey the Gospel" that just about covers EVERYONE that aint saved!
See post #76.
 

Hevosmies

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2018
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#80
Sorry bro I was asking him cause he is a post-tribber. I know for pre-tribbers who populates the millenium AINT NO PROBLEM.
But for posties it should an OBSTACLE. So im waiting for them to answer!