Week #7 The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Part #7

Transcription

1 Week #7 The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Part #7 I. Introduction and review A. We have been able to establish over the last several weeks that John 14:1-4 is Jesus statement or promise concerning the rapture of His bride B. And that this rapture event of which Christ speaks, is the same event described in I Thess. 4:13-18 and I Cor. 15:50-55 C. But there is one question still open, when does this event occur in relation to the Seven Year Tribulation period: 1. Prior to the tribulation s commencement, 2. Sometime during its seven year term, or 3. At the end, when the wrath of God is about to come to completion D. There a number of proofs which lead to the inescapable conclusion that our Lord will return for His church before His wrath is poured out on this earth, which is before the Day of the Lord (the tribulation) commences E. I want to share with you eight of those proofs II. The Blessed Hope [Titus 2:13] A. Jesus told His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled. B. Paul in I Thess 4:18 tells the Thessalonians that knowledge of the coming rapture should serve as a comfort to them 1. Sometime after Paul first wrote to the Thessalonians they did become discomforted a. Apparently someone was trying to convince them that the rapture either wouldn t come until sometime during the tribulation, or that it had already come and they had missed it 2. Paul felt compelled to write a second time on the rapture subject matter Page 1 of 11

2 3. II Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (the rapture), 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 4. The day of the Lord is the tribulation period 5. They either thought a. That the rapture had come and they had missed it; or more likely b. That someone had told them that the rapture would occur sometime after the start of the tribulation C. Why is this rapture promise so comforting? 1. The promise is that we avoid the troubling nature of facing the wrath of God 2. The rapture promises a rescue from the tribulation to come, God s final judgment on the world as we know it. 3. Consider 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. 4. Can we really be comforted looking toward the horror of spending any amount of time in the tribulation? a. The wrath of God will be poured out throughout the entire seven year tribulation b. Consider Rev. 6:1-17 [tribulation chart] (1) As the tribulation progresses, the judgment of God becomes more rapid fire and severe, that is it increases in frequency and intensity (2) The Seal Judgments are only the first wave of God s wrath (3) The sixth seal is broken in Rev. 6:12-17 (4) Revelation 6:16-17 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (5) Has come is the verb e;rcomai erchomai {er'-khom-ahee} (a) Meaning to come Page 2 of 11

3 III. (b) This verb is in aorist tense, indicative mood (c) The aorist tense expresses punctiliar action [of or relating to a particular point of time]. (d) Only in the indicative mood does the aorist also indicate past time. It often corresponds to the English perfect tense (e.g. I have loosed). (6) So here the verb erchomai speaks of a wrath that has already come, but is just now being recognized (1) as having come previously and (2) who is responsible for it c. If the believer is to escape the wrath of God, he must leave this earth prior to the commencement of the tribulation d. Such escape is God s promise (1) 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (2) Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Imminence of the rapture A. When translating John 14:3 we recognized a grammatical form referred to as the futuristic present, which is used Greek to express certainty and/or imminence of a future event. B. Jesus wants us to recognize that His return is imminent and therefore to live in such a way that His imminent return is ever present in our hearts C. This imminence is confirmed in the following passages: 1. James 5:8-9 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. 2. Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 3. I Corinthians 1:7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly Page 3 of 11

4 the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, IV. Jesus is coming back for His bride, which is the church A. The Jewish wedding covers a seven day period The tribulation lasts seven years B. The bride is secluded in the father s house during that period the church will be secluded in the Father s house during that period C. The bride and groom will stay in the place that the groom has prepared Jesus has prepared for us dwelling places in His Father s house D. If the church has to go through any part of the tribulation, which is a time of God s wrath being poured out on the earth, it will mean that the groom has, in effect, decided to beat up His bride before marrying her V. The Revelation picture A. The book of Revelation can be easily divided as to the role of the church 1. There is chapter one which is introductory 2. Chapters 2-3 speak of the church and the churches 3. Chapters 4-5 are set in heaven 4. Then chapters 6-18 describe the tribulation 5. There is then no mention of the church throughout chapters 6 through 18, it just disappears from the scene 6. Then in chapter 19 we see the church returning to earth with Jesus B. The word for church is used 19 times in chapters 2-3 C. In chapter 4, we see John being taken up to heaven to be with the Lord in a type of the rapture [Rev. 4:1-3] 1. From his vantage point in heaven, John sees heaven, and then the seven year tribulation D. We should also consider Rev. 3:10 what is Jesus saying? VI. There has been a judgment or pouring out of God s wrath upon the entire world once before A. That was the flood as recorded in Gen. 6-9 B. Now prior to that judgment there lived on earth a very righteous man named Enoch see Gen. 5:21-24 C. Enoch was raptured before the flood came D. Enoch was a type of the church VII. The Dispensational concept A. There are ages or time periods in the history of the earth which are referred to as epochs. See: Page 4 of 11

5 VIII. 1. Daniel 2: Acts 1:7 3. I Thess. 5:1 B. These epochs can also referred to as dispensations NKJ 1. Ephesians 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him. NKJ 2. Ephesians 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3. A dispensation is a period of time during which one group or entity is responsible for disseminating the gospel to the world 4. There was the dispensation of the patriarchs 5. The dispensation of the Jews 6. The dispensation of the church 7. And the millennial dispensation C. According to Daniel the prophet, the Jewish dispensation was to be extended for 490 years, but once the Messiah was rejected and then killed, and the dispensation of the church commenced, only 483 years had passed 1. The Jewish people are still due seven years, that will be the tribulation period, when they will be responsible once again for the dissemination of the gospel, not the church 2. Why? Because the church will be gone The removal of the Holy Spirit A. The Holy Spirit will be removed before the tribulation [II Thess. 2:1-15] 1. II Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. a. This passage speaks of the rapture, the same event which had been explained to the Thessalonians in the first book Paul had written to them b. Paul claims that he has already explained these things to them. [See 2:5] c. Paul counsels them against allowing someone to mislead them Page 5 of 11

6 2. II Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, a. What is the antecedent of the neuter pronoun it? b. It is the day of the Lord, that is the tribulation [I Thess. 5:1-2] c. This verse provides that the tribulation period will not commence until two things have occurred (1) The apostasy (2) The man of lawlessness is revealed 3. The man of lawlessness is the Anti-Christ a. In verse 4, Paul identifies this man as one who seats himself in the temple and claims to be God (1) Daniel refers to this event in Dan. 9:27 and calls it the abomination of desolation (2) Jesus quotes Daniel on the event: Matthew 24:15 Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (3) John also identifies this man in Revelation 13:4-6 (a) 13:6 those who dwell in heaven the church, the bride of Christ (b) as a result of his frustration and hatred of the bride, he seeks to kill all saints on the earth [13:7-8] (4) Paul then ties this man to the one Jesus slays in Rev. 19:15, 20 [2:8] 4. Paul is saying that the tribulation will not start until the anti-christ is revealed a. Revealed apokalupto means to lay open what has been veiled or covered up (1) The world leader that enters into the treaty spoken of in Daniel 9 will be the one who is revealed as the anti-christ (2) And the one who starts the seven year tribulation period b. But someone is restraining him right now so that he cannot be revealed [2:6-8] Page 6 of 11

7 IX. c. Some would argue it s the church d. I believe that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit He is the force of righteousness does not let evil have its way e. But the Holy Spirit will be removed f. But when? g. Before the anti-christ is revealed, therefore before the start of the tribulation h. Can the Holy Spirit be removed from the earth if you are still on the earth? (1) Holy Spirit always with us (a) Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. (b) John 14:16-17 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (2) So if God takes the Holy Spirit out of the world, He must take us II Thess. 2 the departure A. Consider again verse 3 there are two conditions precedent which are mentioned in that verse 1. Paul then speaks of the revelation of the man of lawlessness, but not about the first one, the apostasy 2. Why not? They already know about that condition precedent. 3. How is this word translated? avpostasi,a ESV a. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, Page 7 of 11

8 KJV b. 2 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; NAU c. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, NKJ d. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, NLT e. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed the one who brings destruction. 4. Each of these versions translates this word except the NASB which transliterates it. That may have been the result of a compromise with one Greek scholar, because what most of these translators have done is to interpret this word and its role in the passage. 5. I believe that they are all wrong! B. This word avpostasi,a has two distinct meanings according to Liddell and Scott, a well respected classical Greek Lexicon. Those meanings are: 1. A falling away from or a forsaking 2. A departure or a disappearance C. The root of this noun, avpostasi,a is the Greek verb avfi,sthmi aphistemi {af-is'- tay-mee} 1. It means to cause to withdraw, to go away, to depart, to withdraw from 2. In a context where the accuracy or correctness of one s doctrinal position or belief in involved, it is used to mean to fall away from true doctrine or faith position, but this additional meaning must come from the context. 3. But here, there is no such contextual addition, the word stands on its own D. This root verb appears fifteen times in the Greek N. T. 1. It is used once to refer to a departure from the faith I Tim. 4:1 2. I Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, a. The phrase from the faith is not a part of the translation of the verb Page 8 of 11

9 itself but is additional verbiage added to the verse to help understand the verb itself b. This phrase was added to the verse to instruct the reader as to how to understand what the writer intended c. The inclusion of that qualifying phrase shows that the verb by itself does not have the meaning of defection from the truth 3. Of the remaining 14 times it is used, it is translated depart 11 of those times 4. The predominant meaning of this word in the Greek N. T. is the act of one departing from a person or a place E. The noun in question, which is derived from this verb, appears three times in its neuter form. 1. On each of those three occasions, it is translated as divorcement or defection, which suggests the withdrawal or departure of one from another F. This noun in its feminine form, avpostasi,a, [used in II Thess. 2:3] is only found in two places in the Greek N. T. 1. One of those places is the passage in question 2. The second is in Acts 21:21 a. Acts 21:21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. b. Here in Acts it is translated to forsake c. But that is as a result of contextual direction of the meaning 3. Of the interpretations in the various translations we considered the first made was by the translators of the KJV a. Remember how such translators were selected b. The translation was done by 47 scholars, all of whom were members of the Church of England c. King James selected and gave the translators instructions intended to guarantee that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its belief in an ordained clergy. d. The Church of England, although reformed, accepted the Augustinian allegorical interpretation method of eschatological Page 9 of 11

10 subject matter e. These translators were suppose to take into consideration: The Tyndale New Testament, The Coverdale Bible, The Matthews Bible, The Great Bible, The Geneva Bible, and even the Rheims New Testament. 4. The early translations: a. Tyndale [1534] translates this noun as a departure b. Coverdale [1535] translates this noun as a departure c. The Geneva Bible [1537] translates this noun as a departure d. Cranmer [1539] translates this noun as a departure e. Beza [1565] translates this noun as a departure G. Although Liddell and Scott gave this word two different meanings, and properly so, the first meaning is an acquired meaning, while the second is the original, basic and literal meaning of this word H. Am I the only one who has found this translation misdirection? 1. Remember all of those early English translators they discovered it also 2. Consider first one of the most renowned Greek scholars of the 20 th century 3. Kenneth Samuel Wuest ( ) was a noted Christian New Testament Greek scholar of the mid-twentieth century. a. Wuest was a professor of New Testament Greek at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago b. He published over a dozen books on the New Testament. c. Wuest is credited as one of the translators of the original New American Standard Bible (NASB). d. He later went on to produce his own English translation of the New Testament (the Wuest Expanded Translation abbreviated WET) based on Nestle's critical text. 4. Then also consider a leading scholar of our day Dr. Henry Morris a. He authored the study and translation notes in the Defender s Study Bible b. He, along with Wuest and others, unequivocally stands for a translation of this word to mean departure or disappearance X. Final thoughts A. There should not be any question as to whether or not the rapture will occur before the Tribulation, so what should we do? Page 10 of 11

11 B. Rejoice 1. Send s 2. Acknowledge His coming return C. Share our faith 1. Develop a plan 2. How to start 3. Then what to say D. Pray for unbelievers 1. Adopt a prayer target and pray for them for one month 2. Then repeat the process 3. You can readopt if you want to 4. Develop a plan for finding those you will pray for Page 11 of 11