I began my journey of study on the pre-tribulation rapture when in my dispensational church. I had been taught about the existence of a pre-tribulation rapture my entire life and had no reason to doubt it. In fact, it was a great comfort all through life – looking for that blessed hope! No matter what circumstances satan, this world, life in general threw at you, you always had the great comfort that any day, literally any minute, Jesus might return to take you home!
For those who do not know what I mean when I refer to a pre-tribulation rapture -- it is an event where all those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior by believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, by grace through faith, will be instantaneously removed from this bodily life prior to the last seven-year period on this earth, otherwise generally known as the tribulation period.
For those who do not know what I mean when I refer to a dispensational church -- it is a method of reading Scripture such that you understand that not all Scripture is written directly to you as an individual in the time that you are living now. During each period of time, or dispensation, God has dealt/deals with His creation differently. For example, the time period prior to sin entering into the world in the Garden of Eden is called the Dispensation of Innocence. Then the Dispensation of Conscience when man lived ruled by their God given conscience to determine right from wrong. Then the Dispensation of Human Government when man had kings and rulers over them. Then the Dispensation of Promise when God gave the promise to Abraham for His people. Then the Dispensation of Law when God gave Moses the 10 commandments (as well as all the other Jewish commandments). Then the age that we are currently living in, the Dispensation of Grace when we know about the work of the cross. That salvation is a free gift from God, bought by Jesus’ blood on the cross and given freely to man by grace through faith. The final dispensation is the Millennial Kingdom.
So, as I said earlier, I started my journey of study on the pre-tribulation rapture years ago. I read Matthew 24 as I had many times before, but this time it struck me differently. I read about something that sounded like our rapture being described at the end of what I had always been taught as the tribulation period and I was quite frankly startled and very confused. I decided that since the pre-tribulation rapture was such a well-accepted belief in my circles that it must be very easily proven, so I set my study to see that proof in Scripture for myself. I was looking for the one verse that stated clearly that the rapture happened prior to the last seven-year period known to everyone in my circles generally as “tribulation.” I studied intently and singularly for almost a year to find that one verse, that one proof of a pre-tribulation rapture. I found none. I believed whole heartedly that I had to be the problem, I was just not smart enough to find it, it had to be obvious for everyone else to accept it so widely--I had to be the issue.
I went to a trusted family member and asked him frankly for the one verse that proved a pre-tribulation rapture. He also could not provide that, and seemed confused as well when I showed him the anti-pre-tribulation verses that I had found in my studies. Trying to be helpful, he took me to our pastor. He, as I was, was sure that our pastor could help me find the proof I was looking for to support this staunchly held belief of a pre-tribulation rapture. To my surprise, instead of easily giving me book, chapter and verse of Scripture to answer my pre-tribulation question, my pastor gave me a book to borrow. This book went into all kinds of detail on how humans had interpreted Scripture to come up with the pre-tribulation rapture teaching, but still not book, chapter and verse from Scripture of proof.
I went back to my studies, confused and frustrated, but determined to get answers from Scripture. All the Scripture I found made it sound like our rapture was at the end of that seven-year period I had always known as “tribulation!” Matthew 24: 29 - 31 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. 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. 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. Matthew 24:37 – 42 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Now I was flat terrified!
Then the Holy Spirit showed me the key to the whole misunderstanding! The problem was the definition of “tribulation” and the definition of “wrath!” I had been taught unequivocally that the entire last seven-year time period was tribulation AND wrath, all at the same time with those names being used interchangeably – that there was no distinction – tribulation is wrath and wrath is tribulation, but what does Scripture say about that? I start with some basic accepted truths:
There is a last seven-year time period.
At roughly midpoint, the antichrist will enter the Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself a god (deliberate little g!). This is referred to as the abomination of desolation.
That as a saved individual, we are not appointed unto wrath. I Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. I Thessalonians 5:9 - 10 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
The seals, trumpets and bowls in Revelation are chronological and sequential, meaning the seven seals happen first, then the seven trumpets and then the seven bowls. We know this because of verses like Revelation 8:1 - 2 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And chronologically, after the seven trumpets have sounded, in Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
I submit that the only thing that Scripture calls “wrath” is the seven bowls of wrath. Every other reference to this time period is tribulation. Or for those who know Scripture, there are a couple of references to the second half of tribulation as “great tribulation.” Still distinguishing the two halves.
There are verses in Scripture that refer to the first half as “wrath” but if you read who is making that statement, it is not God or His Scripture. It is a human exclaiming that it is, such as in Revelation 6:16 – 17. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Here it clearly says in verse 15 that the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man are the people making this claim of wrath – not God or His Scripture. So, I challenge you to pay attention to who is naming what tribulation and who is naming what wrath. It matters. The only thing that God names as His wrath are the seven bowls of wrath. Humans are the ones who have mistakenly used tribulation and wrath interchangeably.
In Revelation, we have the seven seals. The last seal introduces the seven trumpets. We go through the first six trumpets and what do we see at the seventh (or last trump)?
Revelation 10:6 - 7 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 11:14 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Revelation 14:14 – 19 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
For those keeping track, that puts the “last trump” rapture roughly mid-point of the last seven-year period – after “tribulation” and immediately before “wrath.”
For a dispensational believer, everything is dictated by where a Scripture is placed. If it is from Genesis to roughly Acts 9, it is considered the Old Testament, under law and to Israel only – not for us today. From the raising up of Saul, later known as the apostle Paul, to Philemon is to the believer today under the Dispensation of Grace. The remainder of Scripture through the end of Revelation is supposed to apply only to Israel again after the Body of Christ is raptured out. Based off of that statement/belief alone, most dispensationalists would have immediately dismissed everything that has been said so far, just simply based upon where in the Scriptures the support verses are found. They would without study, dismiss everything because it is in Revelation and therefore “is not ‘to’ the Body of Christ.” I challenge that here. Dispensational believers are also well aware that God has placed throughout all dispensations and Scripture what we know as universal truths – simply put, truths that are true and applicable no matter what dispensation you are in or reading. An example of universal truths would be the nature of God, the love of God, His feelings toward sin, etc. things that exist and we learn about throughout all of Scripture, they do not change regardless of what dispensation you are in. I submit that a pre-wrath rapture is a universal truth that has threads throughout all dispensations of Scriptural teachings, and when you understand to differentiate between “tribulation” and “wrath” it is easily seen.
Revelation 10:7 to Revelation 14:19 encompasses the events of the middle of the last seven-year period. There are some passages of history and other instruction on things happening in these passages. This is why I stated earlier that “roughly” at midpoint of the last seven years, the antichrist will perform the abomination of desolation. And I did not state that the rapture was at midpoint. I actually believe that Scripture supports it to be slightly past midpoint, but it is most certainly pre-wrath. In these passages, we have the antichrist performing the abomination of desolation and his imposition of the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. Then we have the conclusion of the rapture passage in Revelation 14.
Dispensational believers are very familiar with I Corinthians 15:51 – 52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. And I Thessalonians 4:13 – 17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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. Paul goes on in chapter 5 to discuss the timeframe for this event. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are the children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
That was a lot, so I’m going to pause a minute and point some things out. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is saying “behold I shew you a mystery” and that is that there are those who will not have to face death. A rapture of the Body of Christ will be at the “last trump.” He goes on to say that that day (last trump rapture) will not come until “they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” What do we know about that time? Last trump time period Revelation 10:6 – Revelation 14:19 specifically look at:
Revelation 10:6 - 7 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 11:14 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 12 is an entire chapter speaking of a woman giving birth to a child, we know this to be a reference to Israel and Christ’s birth. I don’t know if Paul’s reference “as travail upon a woman with child” has any correlation with this passage, but Paul’s use of this language and symbolism fits the language of this same timeframe passage in Revelation.
Revelation 13:7 – 8 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Now, if the Body of Christ is gone before the tribulation begins, who is this reference to the Book of Life referring to?
God specifically states that at the voice of the seventh angel (or last trump) the mystery is finished. In 11:14 they are declaring victory in Heaven for the Dispensation of Grace is done and wrath is forthcoming. The fullness of the Gentiles is come in. I will point out that a dispensationalist recognizes the word “mystery” to refer to the Body of Christ. I will also draw your attention to Paul’s further explanation in the I Thessalonians passage above that says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” We specifically will be saved at that time by the return of Christ – our rapture, “whether we wake or sleep” (alive or dead), we should live together with him.
A dispensationalist will tell you that the “last trump” referred to by Paul and the trumpet referred to by Jesus in Matthew and the seventh trumpet in Revelation are distinctly different. Two different trumps – they hold that because the Thessalonians passage says “trump of God” it is distinctly different from the Revelation passage that says “voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound” or “the seventh angel sounded”. I understand that words carry great meaning, but I am unaware of any angel sounding in Scripture that was not at the direction of God – therefore any time an angel sounds, it would be a trump of God. God is not blowing either trumpet, but giving His angels direction to do so. Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. That verse makes it clear that God is intentionally giving these angels the trumpets.
However, a dispensationalist would say the trump that Paul refers to is simply the “last trump” of the Dispensation of Grace and the seventh trumpet in Revelation is simply that – the seventh trumpet in a series of trumpets. I challenge that here. Paul was a Jew and therefore knew all the prophecies of the end times. If he were speaking of a different “last trump” than what everyone knew about in the prophecies, why would he not specify that? Is there anything in Paul’s writings to indicate that there were other trumpets sounded during the Dispensation of Grace? Why would he not simply say that a trumpet will sound to end the Dispensation of Grace rather than specifying the “last trump?” The fact that he specified “last trump” is not by accident. I can find no other Scripture to support the position that Paul intends that this “last trump” is a singular trumpet sound to close out the Dispensation of Grace. If there were no trumpets that sounded prior to that in the Dispensation of Grace, he would not have had to specify that it was the last. Or in the alternative, would it line up with Scripture to understand that there is a series of trumpets in Revelation, and that as a former Pharisee and zealot of Scripture, Paul was plainly speaking about events that he had previously taught, so that all those being addressed knew these events would happen at the end of time. Paul was just giving them the additional information that not everyone would face death, at the last trump pre-wrath rapture – the final trumpet in the series of seven!
Now let’s go back to the Revelation last trumpet Scriptures. Where is Jesus at this time? Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. Jesus at the time of the last trump pre-wrath rapture is standing on mount Sion. Let me be clear, the Body of Christ is not the 144,000 referenced here, those are the sealed Jews from the 12 tribes. However, according to Paul, we meet Jesus in the air and immediately are with Him on earth from that point on – Paul states “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:17 Wherever He is, we are!
That’s a lot from a dispensationalist perspective, so to confirm that, we’ll go back to Paul’s writings. II Thessalonians 2:1 – 5 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? Paul is confirming with these believers what he had previously told them, that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him, our rapture, will not happen until the antichrist is revealed and performs the abomination of desolation! Which we know from the timeframes does not happen until sometime around midpoint of the last seven-year period. And again, remember that as believers we are not appointed unto wrath – which we know are the seven bowls of wrath that happen after this point in the last seven-year period.
Once you recognize this, passages like Matthew 24 make more sense! Jesus is giving the disciples the information about His coming and the end of times. He gives a recap in verses 4 – 14, then he specifically speaks to that middle point timeframe and tells them that when they see the abomination of desolation to run! Matthew 24:15 – 21 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountain: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Jesus gives more information and then in verse 29 says 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: 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. 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. II Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Now let’s pause for another minute. One of the biggest arguments against a pre-wrath stance is what Jesus says in verse 36 – But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. It goes on from there to give the information about the days of Noe and the explanations of two being in the field, one taken and the other left. A pre-tribulation believer takes that to mean that we will know nothing about the timeframe – that it will be a literal shock such that any narrowing of that timeframe makes it against Scripture and consequently not the same event. However, I will go back to Paul’s writings on this topic, I Thessalonians 5:1 – 6 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. Why? He explains – the answer is not that no one has any clue! For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety;…But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Do you see what Paul is saying there? It is not that Christ’s return takes everyone by surprise as a thief in the night – just the non-believers! We are to walk soberly as children of the light so that His return does not take us by surprise.
Jesus said “but of the day and hour knoweth no man” does that by default mean that no one will know that it’s close? That we won’t know the year? Or even the month? Jesus only said we would not know the day or the hour…we can get pretty close though with the guide of events that is in Scripture! Not knowing the day or the hour is a far cry from it taking the entire earth by complete and total surprise! The “surprise” rapture teaching is contrary to II Thessalonians 2 as well. Paul says again in verse 3 that that day shall not come except the antichrist is revealed and performs the abomination of desolation. Remember in II Thessalonians 2:1, Paul specifically states that he is referring to “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” before he gives this timeframe. That is a pretty plain explanation of the events and how they line up. And Matthew 24:29 – 31 tells us that after the tribulation (or the first half of the last seven years) 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. Sound like our Revelations passages too? Revelation 14:15 - 19.
Now that we have established that the Gospels agree with Paul’s writings and Revelation on this pre-wrath rapture timeframe, we can determine that a pre-wrath rapture is a universal truth of Scripture, not a dispensational teaching that is only to the Body of Christ. The first half of this last seven-year period is called tribulation, and the last half is wrath. Remember the only place that Scripture names an event as wrath are the literal bowls of wrath happening after the abomination of desolation and our last trump pre-wrath rapture.
Daniel speaks specifically about timeframes. Daniel 8:11 – 14 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Using our current calendar, 7 years is 2,555 days. Using a Jewish calendar, 7 years is 2,556 days. I believe that this means that about 8 months into this last seven-year period, Temple worship will resume, then at roughly midpoint, the abomination of desolation occurs. The time from the point that Temple worship resumes to the end of that seven-year period is 2,300 days.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of the abominations he shall make it desolate even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Quick note: Does anyone know of any other book that believers’ names are written in other than the Book of Life? If not, why would this not apply to all believers of all times? Does God have a different book for the Body of Christ than the Book of Life? Does God have a different book for the Jews than the Book of Life? I don’t know of any Scripture that says that.
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
So working that math backward a bit, that would mean that prior to the abomination of desolation there would be about 1,265/1,266 days or that the abomination of desolation is roughly a week or two before midpoint.
Daniel then goes on to say in verse 12 – Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. Whatever that “blessed” means, it is past midpoint and the abomination of desolation – could that be our last trump pre-wrath rapture? Of course, the uncertainty of what calendar Scripture is using, makes the day and hour impossible to determine with exact specificity (just as Jesus said); however, we can get close! Not to mention all the different time zones/location differences would make a day and an hour impossible to pinpoint. And this passage lines up with the Gospels, Paul’s writings and Revelation regarding a pre-wrath rapture. It is not a pre-tribulation rapture or a mid-tribulation rapture – Scripture describes a slightly after midpoint (approximately 57-70 days) pre-wrath rapture. Leaving approximately 1,220 days of wrath after we are secured with Christ.
Now to a pre-tribulation rapture believer, this is not good news! This is absolutely terrifying! I mean, have you seen all that occurs in the seals and the trumpets? I totally understand! I actually spent a couple of years in full blown panic thinking of my young children and all that it could mean for our family. I even went so far as to say that if I had known that we were going to be here and go through everything that is going to happen, that I would not have had my children if I had that understanding! And then it hit me why God blinded so many of His believers to this truth—I’m sure I’m not the only one who would have forgone having children in these times had we understood. And the end result of that would have been that the people that needed to be here during this time, would not have even been born. I believe it was a deliberate blinding by God, until closer to time. Scripture says in several places concerning the end times that things are shut up until the end. Essentially, those truths would not be unlocked and revealed until the time came that we needed to know them.
As a dispensationalist, I have always been taught that the Body of Christ has a different end times scenario than that of Israel. That we are distinct and separate. I challenge that here. Every time I heard preaching on this topic, Ephesians 3:1 - 5 was read. However, to understand this passage, you need to include verse 6. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward; How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Did you see what Paul said? He defines the “mystery” as Gentiles being fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise -- with the Jews! The mystery, what was kept secret, is that the Gentiles get to be fellow-heirs with the Jews! And in all reality, Paul does not say that it was not known AT ALL, he says it was not made known as it is now revealed – meaning now they have been given all the details! And they have the Holy Spirit to help them understand it! Many times in the Old Testament, God told Israel through His prophets that He would bring others into His flock. Isaiah 56:8 The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. He just did not name who those “others” would be. And in the Old Testament, the prophets distinguished between the true believing Jews (circumcised) and non-believing Jews (uncircumcised). Jeremiah 4:4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem:..." Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Acts 7: 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. As was stated in the prophets, although there were outward signs of faith that were required of the Jews, Paul reiterates that it was ALWAYS by faith.
Paul explains and states this in:
Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Romans 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. (This is referring to the promise given to Abraham.)
Romans 4:13 – 16 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.
Romans 9:6 – 8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Romans 10:19 – 20 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
I Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3:7 - 9 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:17 – 18 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Galatians 3:28 – 29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Ephesians 2:11 – 20 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances: for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
And again, the very definition of the mystery:
Ephesians 3:1 – 6 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward; How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Colossians 1:12 - 13 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Paul specifically states that Gentiles are heirs according to the promise – the promise given to Abraham – and that we are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise. We have the same inheritance as the saints in light! And to reiterate, the Gentiles were never given a promise. The Jews were the ones given a promise; therefore, being fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise can literally only go one way – the Gentiles are fellow-heirs with the promise given to Abraham. The ability of the Jews to now be saved in the Dispensation of Grace cannot be a fulfillment of Paul’s statement here because the Gentiles were never given a promise or an inheritance prior to Christ’s death on the cross – there would literally be no promise or inheritance for the Jews to join with the Gentiles. Paul states over and over again that the blessings of Abraham are now open to the Gentiles! Not that the Gentiles have a totally different program and a totally different inheritance. In light of all this, it starts to make a whole lot more sense when we understand that we will be present and see the first half-ish of the last seven-year period.
It is important to point out that there were promises made to the Jews that were not universal truths and therefore those would not carry over into the Dispensation of Grace. There was a dispensational change – the requirements of the law were no longer, the dietary restrictions were ended, the requirement for physical circumcision ended, etc. Basically, the things that Paul taught – the change from trying to live by the law to freedom in grace were the changes of this dispensation. The Jews had already gone through several dispensational changes up to this point so a change from the law to grace would have been similar to a change from conscience to human government, etc. However, the universal truths of salvation always being by faith, the Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God and the end times scenario were not changed by this dispensational change as seen plainly by Paul’s reiterating and further expounding on them, i.e. the mystery that the promise that once was only for the Jew was now open to the Gentiles and no longer corporately for Israel, but for everyone individually.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. This verse is often used to say that the Body of Christ’s inheritance is in heavenly places whereas the Jews’ inheritance is the earthly kingdom. The belief is that the term Kingdom of Heaven in Scripture differentiates the earthly Millennial Kingdom, believed to be only a Jewish inheritance, from the term Kingdom of God, believed to be the heavenly kingdom that is solely the inheritance of the Body of Christ. To be clear, the belief here is that this Jewish Kingdom of Heaven is the Jews’ earthly kingdom that is currently in Heaven and will come down from Heaven to the earth. I challenge that here.
Jesus is quoted (red letters) as using both terms Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God to refer to the same place/events in the Gospels. Now if the above were true and the Kingdom of Heaven is strictly the Jewish kingdom on earth and the Kingdom of God is strictly for the Body of Christ, our Lord and Savior would know and use those distinct terms without fail and correctly in context – each and every time. If there was a distinction to be made, our Lord would make it.
However, Jesus is quoted to use the phrase Kingdom of Heaven in the following passages:
Matthew 5:3, 5:10, 5:19, 5:20, 7:21, 8:11, 10:7, 11:11, 11:12, 13:11, 13:24, 13:31, 13:33, 13:44, 13:45, 13:47, 13:52, 16:19, 18:3, 18:4, 18:23, 19:12, 19:14, 19:23, 20:1, 22:2, 23:13, 25:1 and 25:14.
Kingdom of God in the following passages:
Matthew 6:33, 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, 21:43; Mark 1:15, 4:11, 4:26, 4:30, 9:1, 9:47, 10:14, 10:15, 10:23, 10:24, 10:25, 12:34, 14:25, Luke 4:43, 6:20, 7:28, 8:10, 9:27, 9:60, 9:62, 10:9, 10:11, 11:20, 12:31, 13:18, 13:20, 13:28, 13:29, 16:16, 17:20, 17:21, 18:16, 18:17, 18:24, 18:25, 18:29, 21:31, 22:16, 22:18, John 3:3, 3:5.
If Jesus was only here for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, as Scripture states, then it would stand to reason that He would be very careful and specific to use the correct term for their inheritance only when addressing them. So that it would not muddy the waters using a broader reference to a larger Kingdom of God, that would later purportedly also include Gentiles, that had not yet been revealed. It makes much more logical sense that He used both terms interchangeably because they are the same thing, the same place, the same inheritance for both groups as Paul states! The Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God is currently in Heaven and will come down to earth during the Millennial Kingdom and God will create a new Heaven and a new earth to go into eternity. Revelation 21:22 – 27 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. This is a direct reference to the heavenly Jerusalem – Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. I hope that all who read this understand the above reference to the Lamb’s book of life – any saved person has their name written there from the foundation of the world. So, in plain language, Revelation states that in the new Jerusalem, all whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be there.
For dispensational believers, Paul is always touted as the "first" in the body of Christ. I challenge that here using Paul's own words...Romans 16:7 Salute Adronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Now that we have established that we are joint-heirs with the Jews, it is important to show more of that origin. Prior to God calling out Paul, Jesus stated in Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now a dispensationalist would say that that reference is to the Jewish church; however, since Scripture has shown that we are joint-heirs, this statement applies to us as well. To further explain this, Jesus tells the apostles in Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Notice all the groups that Jesus tells the apostles that they will witness to. In Acts 2, they receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Paul was struck down on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 and Acts 9:15 says, But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: Again, notice all the groups that Jesus tells Ananias that Paul will witness to. And Paul began to preach in Acts 9:20 to the Jews, And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. Notice also that Paul was preaching to affirm that Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of God.
God actually revealed the dispensational shift to Peter in Acts 10 through a series of three dreams where Jesus speaks to Peter and states in 10:15 ...What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. Peter explains this shift to other believers in Acts 10:28, And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Acts 10:34-11:1 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree; Him God raised up on the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. I believe Scripturally, that this interaction of Peter's was the first account of Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit and therefore being a part of the Body of Christ.
We understand that Paul was given direct revelation from Christ, but it was also a progressive revelation over a period of years. I believe that Scripture bears out the same progressive revelation of Peter as well when he says in Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. But later, in Acts 10, Peter sees that Gentiles have received the Holy Ghost prior to water baptism. It was in Acts 11 that the Jews confronted Peter regarding the news that Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost. Peter recounted the dreams and stated in Acts 11:15-18 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
It was later in Acts 13:46 when the shift begins to be seen from Paul preaching to Jews and turning to preach to Gentiles. Then Paul and Barnabus waxed bold, and said. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. And later, when the larger dispute arose, in Acts 15:7-11 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Then all the multitudes kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabus and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. So in this dispute, Peter validates the ministry of Paul and Barnabus with the Gospel message and by expounding the dispensational shift to grace through faith that is now open to the Gentiles. And as we know, later there is an agreement by all that Peter and the other apostles would continue with the ministry to the Jews and that Paul and Barnabus would continue with the Gentiles.
Let me redirect back to our pre-wrath rapture. For pre-tribulation believers, I Thessalonians 4:13 – 17 has always been touted as a victory lap, proof that we will not endure tribulation. However, if you read what Paul says, he states “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together…” He does not state, there or ever, that there is nothing to worry about, that we won’t endure tribulation, that we won’t even be affected by it…etc., in contrast he makes a sober statement regarding them which are alive and remain. When you read the seals and trumpets of Revelation, you realize that the believers’ numbers are dwindled drastically – right along with the rest of the world. And so Paul says…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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. That passage has a much different feel and undertone when you read it in a pre-wrath light.
Now, I must confess, even before I had any understanding about the pre-wrath rapture, it never made sense to me how satan (yes, I deliberately did not capitalize his name – he does not deserve that honor) could gather troops to fight against Christ in the Battle of Armageddon. I mean, what would influence them to choose Christ as their enemy? Then God showed me this….
Everyone knows the story of the Exodus right? It’s one of the most well-known Biblical accounts! Even most non-believers know this account! Well, everything in Scripture is for our learning, even when it is not directly addressing you. II Timothy 3:16 – 17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. So, let’s look at the Exodus. Exodus 5 through 8:20, all these first plagues affected the Jews as well as the Egyptians. But in Exodus 8:21 – 23, God specifically states that he will sever the land of Goshen (where the Jews lived) from the Egyptians and will plague the Egyptians while protecting the Jews. And from that point on, the Jews had protection while the Egyptians had plagues. The Egyptians could see the Jews had protection while they were suffering each plague! The Jews could see the Egyptians suffering while they were protected! And then God showed me, THAT is exactly what happens during the wrath period of the last seven years! His people are not protected from the seals and the trumpets, they experience them with the rest of the world as tribulation; BUT, when the last trumpet sounds, Christ returns and is standing on mount Sion (and we are with Him! “so shall we ever be with the Lord.”) But now we are bodily transformed and physically protected by Christ Himself while He reigns down wrath on the rest of the world. They see us protected while they are tormented. We see them tormented while we are fed and protected by Christ. It makes a whole lot more sense that satan could influence them to battle Christ when they see Him reign down wrath and see Him protecting us from all of it! Just as in Egypt, you can imagine the hatred and bitterness.
I Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Psalm 58:9 – 11 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Isaiah 40:10 -11 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 62:11 – 12 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
Matthew 24:37 – 42 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Pause for a minute on that – how was it in the days of Noah? Noah and his family were told by God that the flood was coming. They were told by God to build the ark. They knew the ark was completed. They did not know the exact day or hour that He would tell them to move in, but when He told them to go up into the ark, it did not take them by surprise! It did not take them as a thief in the night! It took the rest of the world by surprise as a thief in the night! As in the days of Noe – Noah and his family were safe and secure in the ark, protected by God, before the rain started. The same way that we will be safe and secure, physically protected personally by Christ, before wrath begins. And if we are paying attention, because we are the children of the light, it will not take us by surprise as a thief in the night because He has given us the events in Scripture!
II Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Revelation 11:15 – 18 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Revelation 22:12 John is ending this revelation with a statement from Jesus. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Remember all the verses where Paul pointed out that the Gentiles are joint-heirs with the saints in light! Does it make sense to be “joint-heirs” but have a different inheritance? These Scriptures specifically state that Jesus returns to reward His children and reign down wrath. His reward is with him and his work (wrath) before him.
My heart in this is singular and simple. Once God opened my eyes to these truths, my thoughts immediately went to my fellow pre-tribulation rapture believers. I am not trying to rob anyone of their “blessed hope.” I am however concerned that when things start to happen in this world that are undeniably related to that last seven-year period, all those who believed genuinely that we would not see any of those events because of the escape of a pre-tribulation rapture, will think they were lied to. They will be angry, confused, terrified and not know what truly is happening. And worst of all, people might believe that everything was a lie and doubt even God Himself in light of what they are experiencing.
II Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; I believe that the fearful, emotional reaction from believers facing tribulation just might be that falling away that Paul refers to in this verse. If people are not prepared Scripturally, mentally, emotionally, physically (as much as is humanly possible) to face tribulation, they will likely turn and run from anything related to God! They will be so overwhelmed, confused, terrified, unprepared, angry, etc….Matthew 24:9 - 10 says Then shall they deliver you to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. That sounds like a great falling away!
Though the great falling away is prophesied – as such, nothing we do will stop it, I write this with the belief that some will read it and God will open eyes such that they are not one of the numbers that falls away! I have no delusion that everyone that reads this is going to agree with it or see what I see in Scripture. Obviously, if I am correct and this was a deliberate blinding by God, that means very likely that many will continue to be blinded and unable to see Scripture’s truth. However, Scripture says over and over, that in the end times, passages/truths that were “sealed” until the time of the end will be opened up! I trust God to work to open the eyes that need to be opened.
I feel compelled to state that God owes us nothing! Believers, especially those who have been blessed to live in America, are spoiled and soft. If God did nothing more for us in this life other than give us His salvation, we would still be blessed beyond measure and far above what we deserve! We do not deserve His gift of salvation, much less any further favor from God Almighty! Most believers can testify to a lifetime of God’s provision, mercy, grace and favor – do not allow the circumstances of tribulation to rob you of those memories or the knowledge of Who God is! He is Almighty God, holy and just and He deserves our praise and faithfulness regardless of our circumstances! I pray regularly that I will be found faithful during these times!
I want you all to know that Scripture is true and can be trusted. That our God laid it all out for us. That as terrifying and as awful as the period of tribulation will be, we are not appointed unto wrath. We know that our God wins in the end! Until then, He has a purpose for each and every one of His believers and He will sustain each of us up to then. Then He will graciously transition us to Heaven to await His glorious return to earth at the last trump! I still struggle to know what that purpose is for me and for my family, but I believe just as He has opened up the Scriptures for this time, that He will reveal His will and lead us each and every step.
I want you to know that in the truest sense, you were not deliberately lied to. Good, faithful believers and ministers of God were teaching what they believed to be true. As I mentioned earlier, I believe it was a deliberate blinding such that all those who needed to be born for this time, would be born. I want all who read this to know that I love my dispensational pre-tribulation rapture believing pastor! Even though God has shown me differently on these topics, my pastor has always been loving, gracious and kind! I would never say or do anything to harm him! I want all who read this to not dismiss what is here simply based on where the Scripture reference exists and to study the Scriptures and see what God shows you through His Word -- not what you’ve always been taught, or what your church believes -- but what is truly being said in the Word of God. II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
May God gives us all wisdom in these times. I believe it is right at the door! Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.