PRE-TRIB RAPTURE THEORY: REFUTED  


 

 EVERYTHING PRE-TRIB

THE PRETRIB RAPTURE THEORY: Answered and refuted

The PreTrib rapture position, though very popular among Christians today, is based on suppositions that cannot be substantiated by Scripture. This position claims to be faithful to the literal system of interpretation, but instead consistently violates that system.

John Walvoord himself has acknowledged that “neither postribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the Scriptures. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either.”
(The Rapture Question, page 148).

That leaves the pretib position defective.
In contrast, the PreWrath position follows the literal system of interpretation consistently, and will be shown to be more consistently in tune with all of Scripture than the PreTrib position is.

ORIENTATION TO VOCABULARY
One of the major issues involved is the proper definition of TERMS. Terms such as "tribulation," "wrath," "dispensations" and "the day of the Lord" need to be accurately defined according to the statements of Scripture.

1. The tribulation is NOT 7 years long. It is NOT the same as the 70th week of Daniel. The tribulation begins at the midpoint of the 70th week according to Matthew 24:9-29 and Mark 13:19. It will also be "cut short" of its expected duration by the sovereign decree of God, at which time the Lord will return in the clouds of the sky (Mat. 24:29-31), at some unknown day and hour after the midpoint of the week (Mat. 24:32-44).

2. God's wrath is not expressed during the tribulation. The tribulation is a time when Satan uses men to express his wrath against God and against God's people (Rev. 12:7-17; 13:1-7).
God's wrath will not begin until after the 6th seal of Revelation (Rev. 6:15-17 with 7:1-3 and 8:1-5).

3. The Day of the Lord is the time of God's wrath which will be expressed toward the unbelievers who remain on the earth after the arrival of Jesus in the clouds, and the rapture of the church at the 6th seal.
(Mat. 24:29-31; Joel 2:15; Rev. 6:12-17; 2 Thes. 1:6-10 1 Thes. 5:1-3).

4. The rapture and the glorious appearing of Jesus are the same event. (Mat. 24:29-31; Titus 2:13; 2Thes. 1:7; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7).

5. Dispensations involve who God uses for His evangelistic agent. They do not have anything to do with whom God is DEALING WITH. There is overlap in the dispensations because of a need for transition from one to the next. There is no violation to have family priests still functioning as Israel begins to function as the NATIONAL priesthood. There is no violation of dispensations to have the nation of Israel still in place for 40 years after the church began to function as the SPIRITUAL priesthood. And there is no violation of dispensations to have the church still functioning on the earth during the 70th week of Daniel while God prepares to use Israel once again.

The intent of these pages is to demonstrate the defectiveness of the PreTrib position and the Scriptural consistency of the PreWrath position. This will be done by refuting the claims of PreTrib adherents as represented in articles that appear on THE PRETRIB RESEARCH CENTER and THE THOMAS ICE COLLECTION, as well as any other articles that come to the attention of this writer.

THE IMPOTENCE OF IMMINENCE
1. The EIGHT Blows to Imminence

2. Does the Bible Teach an Any Moment Rapture? By Marv Rosenthal
3. Dr. Gerald Stanton: The Doctrine of Imminency: is it Biblical?

 

I. Articles from THE PRETRIB RESEARCH CENTER
These will be answered in the order that they appear on the site, and since this is on on-going project, articles will be added when completed.

Allen, David: The Eschatology Wars
Bigalke, Ron: Comparison of Olivet and The Revelation
Combs, Dr. James: He claims that the fig tree in Matthew 24 represents Israel.
Feinberg, Dr. John: Arguing about the rapture - Who must prove what and how.
Gunn, George: 2 Thessalonians 2:13; A Rapture Passage?
Hinson, Dr. Ed: A
ppearing of Jesus Christ
Hocking, David: The Rapture in Revelation
House, Dr. H. Wayne: comparing Mat. 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4.
Stanton, Dr. Gerald: The Doctrine of Imminency: is it Biblical?
Townsend, Dr. Jeffrey: The Rapture in Revelation 3:10
 

II. Articles from THE THOMAS ICE COLLECTION
These will be answered in the order that they appear on the site, and since this is on on-going project, articles will be added when completed.
1. Refutation of the Thomas Ice claim that apostasia should be interpreted as the rapture at 2Thes. 2:3. 
2.
The Rapture and the Second Coming – An Important Distinction by Thomas Ice.
This is refuted by:
The coming of the Lord: parousia and Ten Second Coming Factors


III. Miscellaneous articles from various sources.

1.
Pre-Trib. vs. Pre-wrath Rapture
   Answer to Todd Strandberg

2. Refutation of Fruchtenbaum's Review of Marv Rosenthal’s book


3.
Answer to Mike Vlach: Biblical Evidences for a Pretribulational Rapture

 

 
 
 

Questions and comments are always welcome

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