This an online book on the rapture from a Pre-Tribulational perspective, graciously hosted by Berean Watchmen Ministries and Rapture Ready.
Chapter One: A Theme of Great Significance
Chapter Two: Not Appointed Unto Wrath
Chapter Three: Is the Church in Matthew 24
Chapter Four: The Day of the Lord
Chapter Five: Who is "The Restrainer"?
Chapter Six: The Imminency of the Coming of Christ for the Church
Chapter Seven: The Golden Rule of Biblical Interpretation
Chapter Eight: The Partial Rapture Theory
Chapter Nine: The Mid-Tribulation Rapture Theory
Chapter Ten: The Post-Tribulation Rapture Theory
Chapter Eleven: The Rapture: Incidental or Fundamental?
Addendum – see also:
12 His Coming – Our Hope
13 The Rapture Debate
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11 comments:
Hi Mac,
I read through Gerald Stanton's comments on the day of the Lord. He says towards the end of that section that "The Day of the Lord is likewise a period of time, but it commences after the rapture and comprehends the entire Tribulation period on earth." I agree that it commences after the rapture but a careful look at the Scriptures shows that the Day of the Lord does not encompass the entire 7 year tribulation period. I would love for you to read my latest post at Overcomer. I think I clearly lay out from Scripture that the Day of the Lord begins at some point after the midpoint of Daniel's 70th Week. The rapture occurs at the onset of the day of the Lord, but before God's wrath begins to fall. Please let me know what you think.
I trust you had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday.
Kathy
By the way, I've tried to post an image at my header but it wouldn't work...sigh.
Re placing a photo on your blog header
Assuming you have the latest template allowing you to do this procedure:
Go into Customize.
Go to the Overcomer (Header) area and click Edit.
This will bring up a dialog/option box and give you the option to import a pic from your computer.
Check the Image From your computer option and then Browse to the location on your hard drive.
Once you’ve selected it click Open.
Select what you want from the Placement option: Behind Title, or instead of, and Shrink to fit – if you desire.
Click Save Changes.
Note; make sure you pick a panoramic view photo.
Re the DotL: I am aware of the different perspectives on the DotL but I happen to believe that the Broad and Narrow sense, as Renald Showers argues for, is on the money. See also Paul Benware’s “Understanding End Times Prophecy”.
I want to eventually do a study on this as well as 2 Thess; however, I get easily sidetracked. For example, I’ve spent some time contemplating questions regarding the events of Revelation and why some have the Two Witnesses appear in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. Some have them earlier but not at the start. I know Van Kampen had his reasons for placing them there but it still creates problems for the Pre-Wrath model regardless of how late or early in the week they appear. Think about what they’ll be doing:
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
I guess that’s why Van Kampen wants them late in the week. That sounds like God’s wrath to me. When the AC defeats the Witnesses, apparently the world will celebrate. All this when God’s wrath is in full swing at the end of the week according to the Pre-Wrath model?
The Two Witnesses: First or Second Half of the Tribulation?
I also want to know why angels - and not the Holy Spirit - seal the 144,000 witnesses. I want to know why a plain reading of the criterion for “salvation” in the “Sheep and Goat” judgment is not the same as “Salvation by Grace thru Faith” which we currently enjoy. Salvation by works is implied here. Salvation/damnation by works is also implied by the fact that those who take the Mark of the Beast (and worship the Beast) will be cast into the lake of fire. This creates a paradox if you believe in Eternal Security and OSAS. I’ve asked this before; if a Christian is already saved and then accepts the Mark of the Beast – do they then become unsaved? Let me ask anyone who reads this - are you saved? How do you know? How are you preparing for the possibility of being coerced into taking the Mark in case you’re not saved now?
All this is suggestive to me to me that during Daniel’s 70th week there is a different dispensation in effect than what is current. And why wouldn’t there be? The focus of Revelation is primarily on Israel and the (much disputed) Elect.
Kathy, I meant to ask you if you were a dispensationalist. I had assumed Pre-Wrathers were dispensationalist because of Rosenthal’s background and because they are Pre-Millennial. But I believe that Charles Cooper, in his latest book, is arguing for a later fulfilment of Daniel’s 69th week. He’s basically attempting to debunk the doctrine of dispensation by arguing that the 69th week was completed in 70 AD. If that were true, then it would mean that we had the Church age beginning during the 69th week and this would somehow add strength to the Pre-Wrath model of God dealing with the Church and Israel simultaneously in Daniel’s 70th week. I’ve read a couple of reviews of Cooper’s theory but I’ll let other, more knowledgeable, people judge his methods.
The idea that the Tribulation, and/or God’s judgment, is not part of all the seals being opened is a strange one IMO. It’s simple; Christ opens the seals and He is the only one worthy to do so. And what happens when Christ opens the seals?
Rev 6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him sitting on it was Death, and Hell followed with him. And authority was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with hunger and with death and by the beasts of the earth.
Who gives that authority?
This is initiated as a result of Christ opening the seals. This is where Christ begins His intervention in this world! Think about the enormity of that passage and try to remember how the world reacted when the tsunami struck Sumatra killing about 225,000. A fourth of the current world population is about 1.6 Billion people. I’m honestly dumbfounded that anyone could objectively argue that this isn’t God’s wrath! I don’t see it as man’s wrath at all.
I’m also aware of the …but you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief…explanations from a Later-Trib viewpoint as per your article etc. I’m just not convinced.
Put it this way, when 1.6 billion people die, when people are coerced into worshipping the Beast and take a Mark of recognition, when millions are martyred and when the AC sets up his image in the Temple and calls himself God – can anyone really, honestly believe people won’t have a clue that something is afoot? Is there really peace and safety happening here - especially with the Two Witnesses doing their stuff?
People won’t need to see any more signs to get the drill. The secular unbelieving world isn’t exactly oblivious to “End Times” scenarios even now (thanks to LaHaye!), let alone after the evangelising that should be occurring as these things are taking place. There is no “Thief in the Night” scenario happening here at all. I definitely don’t know all the answers but this doesn’t gel for me.
Here’s something else. Right at the end of the article on the following link, the author asks an interesting question. Thanks to Brother Mark at Growandknow for this article:
Matthew 24:29-31 Explained
PS I didn’t post Stanton’s online book link on my blog to try to convince people to change their rapture views. Not that I think I ever could! Once someone is saved, they can be a Preterist as far as I’m concerned. However, I will post articles supporting the Pre-Trib position for those who are interested, because I believe it’s the more CORRECT view and Stanton makes many salient points throughout his book.
YBIC
mac
Hi Mac,
Not choosing a panoramic image was probably the problem.
I could go through and address all the points you make if you want me. Just let me know.
I appreciate that you recognize me as a sister in Christ. To question one's salvation over a timing issue of the rapture has always bothered me.
Kathy
Hi Mac,
You might find this article interesting regarding prewrath and dispensations.
Kathy, sorry I haven't been to my blog in days.
There's absolutely no way in the world that anyone can question your salvation based on your rapture view. It's pretty obvious to me by your dedication to the Lord that you're saved. Anyone who thinks differently needs to do some serious Bible study.
The rapture question is a highly emotional and divisive one but Christians should never doubt anyone's salvation over different viewpoints, although I do know some who run a little hot on this and actually do!
YBIC
mac
Thanks Mac for those very kind words.
I've been missing the comments at Joel's but I'm wondering if he had to shut it down because of the potential new visitors who would find it from reading his new book. It was getting pretty bad. I'm waiting for Dead Heat from Amazon. Looking forward to reading it.
I noticed that link I posted didn't work. Here is the web address that you can cut and paste if you are interested.
http://www.biblefragrances.com/studies/pwdispen.html
That's html at the very end by the way.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
Your sister in Christ,
Kathy
(I haven't tried the panoramic pic thing yet. Say, how do you write in bold? New post at my blog by the way.)
Hi Kathy; regarding how to make text bold - take a look at the following link: HTML
I've often been to Ron's site but I hadn’t read the dispensation article:
PRE-WRATH RAPTURE AND DISPENSATIONS
I sometimes visit the Pre-Wrath blog and I note that Ron (while I disagree with him on many issues) is the only one who begged to differ with Cooper over his 69th week conclusion. It shows Ron’s a free thinker - even tho he's a pre-wrather (shock/horror) :-)
I’m sure Joel shut the comments section down because:
1) The mockers and scoffers weren’t letting up.
2) His post frequency was going to increase because of his new book and the other projects, and he could see that the negative comments always concentrated after a new post.
You are very welcome to fellowship at the other place. Let me know if you’ve lost the address and I’ll e-mail you.
YBIC
mac
Thanks for the invitation Mac. I've taken you up on it!
You know, I was thinking this morning...it's not our position on eschatology that determines where we spend eternity - it's our position in Christ! I'm so thankful He drew me out of the sea of death and breathed spiritual life into me. I was dead, and dead people can't do anything! Now, it really is a wonderful life, even in the hardest of circumstances, because He is my wonderful Savior.
A blessed Lord's day to you.
Kathy
...it's not our position on eschatology that determines where we spend eternity - it's our position in Christ!
Absolutely!
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