And, as you can imagine that set off a storm of posts ranging from Israel as the chosen people of God and the erroneous Replacement Theology teachings - to the Rapture, the Tribulation, and on, and on, and on. I jump in once in a while just to see where we are today - but avoid getting totally caught up in such a never ending discussion.
First, let me clarify one possible misconception in the question above. Yes, the church is separate from Israel in God's plan. But the church has not replaced Israel in God's divine plan. Dispensationalists, which includes Conservative Christians, teach that the Church has NOT replaced Israel in God’s plan - and that the Old Testament promises to Israel have not been transferred to the Church. Yet, that said, the ONLY way to eternal life in the presence of God has always been and still is - through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
The Covenant which God made with Abraham, found in Genesis 12, is an Unconditional Covenant, a Unilateral Covenant - meaning that it was not dependent upon the actions of Abraham or of the Israelites for its validity:
Genesis 12:1-3, "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
That said, let us continue. From the gleanings of my posts inthe "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" discussion, I would like to present what I see in Biblical End Times prophecies. And, I suppose the biggest debate is about the Rapture. Will there be a Rapture of the church? Will it happen Pre-Tribulation (before the Tribulation begins) - Mid-Tribulation (after 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation) - PreWrath (after 5:1/4 years of the Tribulation) - Post-Tribulation (after 7 years of the Tribulation) - or not at all?
If there is a Rapture - does that mean there will be TWO Second Comings of Jesus Christ, i.e., a "secret coming" (the Rapture) - and then His final Second Coming for all the world to see?
There are a thousand and one differing interpretations of Scripture regarding just this one aspect of Eschatology, i.e., the End Times. Why? Well, I believe the problem is two-fold: First, we have to look at Topical Bible teaching versus Expository Bible teaching. What's the difference? Glad you asked.
To stay as close as possible to the literal teaching of God's Word, one will choose Expository Bible teaching, i..e, teaching through the Bible verse by verse. Does that mean we have to start at Genesis 1:1 and teach through to Revelation 22:21 - in that order? No, of course not. Matter of fact if I were leading a new Bible study I would probably start with the book of John. But we would study from John 1:1, verse by verse, all the way to John 21:25. And, then we would select another book and study through that book, verse by verse.
What is the value of Expository teaching/study of the Bible? It prevents us from skipping over a verse, verses, or passages - which we might not understand so well. Solution: to better understand that less understood passage, discuss it as a group, refer to commentaries, etc., written by trusted theologians and Bible scholars - but most importantly we must take the knowledge gained from those discussions and commentaries - and test them against the actual Scripture passage. In other words, test the teaching and the teacher against Scripture (Acts 17:11).
But, most importantly, Expository Bible teaching/study prevents us from skipping a verse, verses, or passages which disagree with a predetermined theology. In other words, if I wanted to have a theology which supports Same-Sex Marriage - I would skip over the verses which tell us that the homosexual lifestyle is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), a detestable act (Leviticus 20:13), a degrading passion and unnatural (Romans 1:26), an indecent act (Romans 1:27), contrary to sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:10), and those living that lifestyle will not enter the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Heaven forbid! Don't teach those verses. Those verses teach that God is against the LGBTQ lifestyles and would destroy our Liberal theology. Skip those!
And that is where Topical Bible teaching enters the picture. How do we avoid teaching those passages which are forbidden in our predetermined theology? We teach all around them. We cherry-pick preferred topics and Scripture verses/passages which support the theology we want to follow - and we avoid all which negate our chosen theology.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying there is no place for Topical Bible teaching. Most definitely at Christmas, Easter, for special events such as weddings, baptism, baby dedications, etc. - a well chosen Topical message is very appropriate. However, to be in a church fellowship where 70, 80, 90 percent of the Sunday messages and Bible studies are Topical teachings - I believe is treading on very dangerous spiritual ground.
Second, a wrong understanding of the Bible can be laid at the doorstep of erroneous Hermeneutics (Bible interpretation). Some folks practice Exegesis interpretation - while others practice Eisegesis interpretation. Exegesis and Eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study.
To make it simple: Exegesis is to read FROM the Bible what God intended us to learn ~ AND ~ Eisegesis is to read INTO the Bible what a person, church, denomination "wants" it to say to support their man-chosen theology.
In other words, using Exegesis we let God's Word, the Bible, tell us the teachings and doctrines, i.e., the theology God wants us to follow. And, using Eisegesis some folks have already predetermined the theology they want to follow, for whatever reason - and they are determined to make the Bible fit, or adapt to, the theology they have chosen to follow.
Now, please do not get me wrong. I am not saying that all folks who disagree with our theology are all bad people, bad Christians. Not at all. I just believe that those who practice eisegesis style hermeneutics are confused - most likely from growing up in a church which follows an erroneous theology. We have the same problems in our public schools. Many of the teachers - from kindergarten to Ph.d. level colleges and universities - are totally indoctrinated in liberal thinking, liberal secular world views, or even liberal Christian theologies. Young children who learn from such liberal teachers through all their years of education - most likely will be liberal in their thinking and theologies.
In the same way, folks who from childhood grew up in a liberal theology church - will most likely follow that path in adulthood. All we, as conservative Christians, can do is to share the true meaning of God's Word with them - and hope that some small seed of literal Bible understanding will find fertile soil in their hearts and minds, and will begin to grow. That is why I will, to some degree, continue to be involved in discussions such as the one which prompted this writing - but I will stop short of allowing it to dominate all my time.
Let's take a moment to look at, and compare, the different Scripture verses/passages which describe the Rapture vs the Second Coming? You will notice that the two events differ in virtually every aspect - the Rapture being an exclusive "For Members Only" or "For Our Eyes Only" event ~ AND ~ His Second Coming will be a very public, worldwide event that every person on earth will see and experience.
The term “preterism” is based on the Latin preter, which means “past.” Preterism refers to that understanding of certain eschatological passages which holds that they have already come to fulfillment. . . . The preterist approach teaches, for instance, that many of the prophecies of Revelation and the first portion of the Olivet Discourse have already been fulfilled. (They teach that) Matthew 24:1-34, and parallel (Scripture passages), in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. (To them) In Revelation, most of the prophecies before Revelation 20 find fulfillment in the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). (Dr. Kenneth Gentry, "He Shall Have Dominion," p. 159)
Fellow preterist, Gary DeMar says, “A preterist is someone who believes that certain prophecies have been fulfilled, that is, their fulfillment is in the past.” (Gary DeMar, "Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church," American Vision, 1999, p. viii.) Thus, a preterist interpretation of a given prophecy would attempt to explain it as an event that has already taken place in the past. Preterists are those who believe that the future is in the past. As noted above, Dr. Gentry (along with all preterists) believes that Christ’s Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), and virtually the entire Book of Revelation, were fulfilled through events leading up to and including the destruction by the Romans of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.
Let's just take a moment and look at some of the key Scripture passages which relate to the Rapture and to the Second Coming:
Since a misinterpretation of a portion of Christ's Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, 25) led to this writing, I suppose I should start there:
Matthew 24:29-31 (nkjv), "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds ("in the clouds" in the KJV) of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
In Matthew 24:15-28, Jesus Christ talks about the Great Tribulation, i.e., the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. In the first half of the Tribulation, first 3 1/2 years, there is relative peace since the Jews still believe the lies of the Antichrist - and his persecution of the church is more stealth, not really affecting the Jews as much. Most of the people of Israel believe they have signed a seven year Peace Accord with the Antichrist. And he will make it possible for them to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount, i.e., all is well as far as most Israelis are concerned. Yet they do not see that he already has his hands around their throats.
Daniel 9:27, "Then he (Antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many (Israel) for one week; But in the middle of the week (3 1/2 years) He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
In the middle of the Tribulation (3 1/2 years), the Antichrist, empowered and led by Satan, will enter the Jewish temple, sit on the throne, and declare himself to be God. That is called the "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 24:15). And that starts the second half of the Tribulation which Jesus Christ calls the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) - and marks the time when the full wrath of God is poured out on the earth.
And, that is what Christ is referring to when He says,"Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . . " That is referring to the Great Tribulation, the last 3 1/2 years - and marks the time when Jesus Christ will return, His Glorious Second Coming as the Lion of Judah to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
But, before the seven year Tribulation begins, Jesus Christ has promised to protect His church, His worldwide body of believers:
1Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."
1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, "For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and 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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
Let's look at the Rapture. Is it even in the Bible? In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the English phrase "caught up" is the Greek word "harpazo." In 405 AD, in the Latin Vulgate Bible, commissioned by the Roman Catholic Pope Damasus, Jerome translated the Greek word "harpazo" to be the Latin word "rapiemur." And the Latin word "rapiemur" has been transliterated into our English word "Rapture." So, the word Rapture (rapiemur) IS in the Bible.
Which Scripture passages tell us about the PreTribulation Rapture?
1 Corinthians 15:51-53, "Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (given our immortal, glorified bodies - 1 John 3:2). For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
What about His Glorious Second Coming as the Lion of Judah?
Revelation 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen."
Revelation 19:11-14, "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war (battle of Armageddon where He will destroy the armies of the Antichrist at the close of the seven year Tribulation). His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (the Living Word, i.e., Logos, of God). And the armies in heaven (OT saints, NT saints , i.e., the Bride of Christ, and the martyred Tribulation saints), clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses."
So, in conclusion when studying Scripture in an exegetical, expository style of study - the only Biblical view I see that can be valid is a PreTribulational Rapture of the church and a PreMillennial Second Coming of Christ to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom on earth, from the throne of David in Jerusalem. And the earth will experience true peace and joy for 1000 years because we will be governed by Jesus Christ Himself, the ONLY true legitimate Theocracy.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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