The Five Worlds of Bible History, Science, and Prophecy. (Bible Cosmology 21)

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1 The Five Worlds of Bible History, Science, and Prophecy (Bible Cosmology 21) Note: I did not have enough material to conclude our study on the rapture to fill two 30-minute lectures so I gave one longer lecture instead (including some question and prayer this lecture runs about 50 minutes). Review: This Bible teaches that there will at some point be a sudden, supernatural removal of God s people from the earth (the rapture). The controversy centers on when this event will take place. Some believe it will take place before the 7-year tribulation period; others say it will happen after the tribulation. Some see this event occurring at the mid-point of the tribulation. In this course I have been defending a pre-tribulation rapture view. Recall my basic arguments from previous lectures: 1. Day known/unknown 2. Crowns prior to Tribulation 3. Sheep and Goat Judgments 4. Who populates the Millennium? In this lecture we will discuss two common arguments for the Post-Tribulation view: 1. The Rapture Occurs at the Last Trump: 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. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 On the Post-Tribulation view, this trump is identified with the trumpet judgments that occur during the Tribulation period: And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Revelation 8:2 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Revelation 8:6 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 11:15 In addition, consider the words of Jesus Himself: 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

2 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. Matthew 24:29-30 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 24:31 These verses do seem to support a Post-Tribulation view. Even so, these passages do not answer the objections we raised earlier. I think there are better ways to interpret these passages. Let s consider the trumpets first. Beginning in Revelation 6, God begins pouring out judgment on the planet; it begins with 7 seal judgments (each seal is a separate judgment), proceeds to 7 trumpet judgments, and ends with 7 bowl judgments. Consider the following diagram: This is a commonsense view of the judgments described in the Book of Revelation. Notice that is a telescopic view of the Tribulation judgments; the 7 th seal contains the 7 trumpets. The 7 th Trumpet contains the 7 bowls. If we understand the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15 to be the same as the last trumpet judgment, then we have to abandon the above view of the Tribulation judgments. Instead, we would have to adopt a view like the one below: On this view, the seals, trumpets, and bowls are correspond to each other. That is, the first seal is the same as the first trumpet, which is the same as the first bowl, and so on. There are some similarities between the judgments but there are differences too. Each believer must study this issue for themselves and decide which view seems more reasonable. I personally (but tentatively) hold to the first view. So what did Paul mean when he described the rapture as occurring at the last trump? I do not think he was referring to the trumpets of Revelation because that book would not be written

3 for another 40 years (Paul wrote to the Corinthians about AD55; John wrote Revelation around AD95). So if Paul was not referring to the trumpet judgments, what was he referring to? I can think of 5 possible explanations for the last trump that Paul referred to: 1. The Last Trump may Refer to Special Revelation The Importance of the Shofar, by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Shoresh, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada, Sept. 2011, p. 5: The shofar is an ancient instrument full of deep symbolism. First, it symbolizes revelation. The shofar was sounded at Sinai when God gave Moses the Torah. Relevant Bible Verses: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. Exodus 19:13 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:16 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. Exodus 20:18 So - Paul might be drawing a contrast between the giving of the law and the revelation of the sons of God at the rapture:

4 1st trump at Sinai: Revelation of the Law Last trump at Rapture: Revelation of the Sons of God Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1John 3:2 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the *manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8:19 *α ποκα λυψις, apokalupsis disclosure: - appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation. This is one way to interpret Paul s mention of the Last Trump at the Rapture. There is a second way: 2. The Last Trump may Refer to the Contrast Between the Giving of the Law (the Ministration of Death), and the Rapture (the Receiving of Grace and Life) Notice that 1 Corinthians 15 is full of contrasts: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:47 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: Hebrews 12:18-19 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 1Corinthians15:56 Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 2 Corinthians 3:6-8 Again, the last trump may be in contrast to the first trump (which was sounded at Sinai at the giving of the Law): 1st trump at Sinai: Giving of the Law the ministration of death. Last trump at Rapture: Receiving grace and life.

5 3. Paul May be Referring to Jewish Feasts and Holidays The feasts of Israel (ordained of God in the Old Testament) seem to map out (in symbolic form) the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. Clearly, the Passover symbolized the Lord s death on the cross: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 1 Cor. 5:7. Likewise, Paul saw Christ at His resurrection as the first fruits : But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1 Cor. 15:20. We also know that the day of Pentecost (weeks) was the day that the church was born (Acts 2). Jesus called Himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and thus the Feast of Unleavened bread clearly points to Jesus sinlessness. After the Feast of Weeks comes the summer growing season, which may map onto the church age, when members are added to the body and bride of Christ. After the summer months come the fall feasts, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets, which may correspond to the Rapture of the church. The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23; Numbers 29:1-6) No work was allowed Gathering at the Tabernacle. Trumpet: a reminder that the time was near for the Day of Atonement This sounds similar to the Rapture of the church; at the sound of the trumpet, Christ s people are lifted from the earth and brought to heaven. On the pre-tribulation view, the Rapture signifies that the Tribulation is near. On the view that I am suggesting, the Day of Atonement points to the Tribulation period; this feast signifies Israel s affliction of soul and day of national atonement; it may point to the Time of Jacob s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). The Feast of Tabernacles obviously points to the Kingdom Age, when God in Christ will reign and rule over a restored created order (Isaiah 11; Revelation 19-20). So when Paul refers to the last trump at the Rapture, he might have the feasts of Israel and their symbolic expression of the life and ministry of Jesus in mind; on this view, the last trump at the Rapture corresponds to the Feast of Trumpets and the gather of saints at the House of God. There is yet another way to understand Paul:

6 4. Paul May be Referring to the Military Use of the Trumpet Among the Greeks The term Paul uses refers to a Greek war trumpet (salpigx) used to give signals to the troops Prepare for battle/attack End battle Regather March back to camp Dead Sea Scrolls: The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness : 1st trumpet assembly for battle Last trumpet reassembly/return They shall write on the trumpets of return, The Gathering of God. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5: Paul May be Referring to the Military Use of the Trumpet Among the Romans Guards trumpet blast Saints commanded to watch (1 Cor. 16:13, Eph. 6:18, Col. 4:2) Trumpet signals end of watch Summary what Paul could have meant by the last trump : 1. Revelation Sinai Rapture 2. Contrast Sinai Sin/Law/death vs., Righteousness/grace/glorification 3. Feast of Trumpets Last blast Precedes Day of Atonement 4. Greek/Hebrew warfare (cf. DSS) 1st trump - assemble for battle Last trump - reassemble after battle 5. Roman Military Term 1st trump - begins watch Last trump ends watch

7 So: the first argument for the Post-Trib Rapture view is that Paul s mention of the last trump at the rapture corresponds to the last of the trumpet judgments spoken of in the Book of Revelation. This view (as we just saw) is questionable. There are several reasons for thinking that Paul is referring to some other trump in 1 Corinthians 15. The second major argument for a Post-trib Rapture view is that the early church fathers all held to this view; it is often claimed that the Pre-trib view was invented in the 1800 s. Here are some quick facts about the early church before AD 325: Expected physical 2 nd coming 1,000-year kingdom period Immanent coming of Christ Did not equate present persecution with the great tribulation It is true that most of the church fathers believed in a post-tribulation rapture, but it is not true that all ancient Christian writers believed this. Here are some examples of early church thinkers who appeared to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture: You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Shepherd of Hermas (AD ; VISION FOURTH. CONCERNING THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATION THAT ARE TO COME UPON MEN, chapter 2) All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins. Ephraem of Nisibis (AD ) from his sermon, On the Last Times, the Antichrist and the End of the World From Grant Jeffery: The early Christian writer and poet, Ephraem the Syrian, (A.D ) was a major theologian of the early Byzantine Eastern Church. He was born near Nisbis, in the Roman province of Syria, near present-day Edessa, Turkey. Ephraem's fascinating teaching on the Antichrist has never been published in English until I wrote FINAL WARNING in 1995 (Grant Jeffrey). Some scholars suggested that this manuscript was written several centuries later (5th or 6th century) but definitely before the birth of Islam in 622. However William Bousset, one of the greatest scholars on ancient eschatology, concluded in his book The Antichrist Legend that it

8 was written by Ephraem the Syrian before A.D. 373 [1]. Andrew R. Anderson wrote in his book Alexander's Gate that he accepted the early date as being valid [2]. 1. William Bousset, The Antichrist Legend, trans. A. H. Keane (London: Hutchinson & Co., 1896) 2. Andrew R. Anderson, Alexander's Gate: Gog and Magog and the Enclosed Nations. Monographs of the Mediaeval Academy of America, no. 5. (Cambridge, MA.: Mediaeval Academy of America, 1932) Codex Amiatinus (AD ) Biblical Latin Manuscript from England: In the title to Psalm 22 (Psalm 23 in the Latin Vulgate): Psalm of David, the voice of the church after being raptured. Brother Dolcino (d. 1307) Leader of the Apostolic Brethren in N. Italy; persecuted by the Catholic Church. His teachings were compiled in 1316: The Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino] and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. - The History of Brother Dolcino The Reformation Era and After: French Reformer Peter Jurieu (Approaching the Deliverance of the Church, 1687) Phillip Doddridge Commentary (1738) John Gill Commentary (1748) James Macknight (1763) Thomas Scott (1792) Morgan Edwards ( )