The Pre-Tribulation Rapture vs the wanderings of Steven Anderson (Part 2)

Argument #1: The Pre-Tribulation Rapture originated with a satanic vision had by Margaret MacDonald in the 1830. She then gave the idea to John Darby who popularized it.

Answer: This is a rather weak argument, it is one not based on scripture but rather it is based on Church History and archaeology. This type of argument falls apart when new archeological discoveries are made. Proof of a doctrine should be based on scripture rather than Church History. (and quite frankly, the church has had a rough history--1 Cor. 1:11-12, 3:1-4, 5:1-2, 6:1-7, 11:18-34, 15:12, Gal. 1:6, 3:1, 4:9-11, etc.)

Secondly, anyone who has actually studied the dates knows that there are some issues with the timing of McDonald's "vision" and when Mr. Darby learned the doctrine of the rapture through rightly dividing the word of truth. Her vision does not line up with Darby's belief and it would not make sense for him to believe some crazy lady that claimed to have had a vision.

Meanwhile, there is historical evidence of people believing the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation rapture lonmg before Darby and Scofield. Here is an excerpt from Chuck Missler's article Byzantine Text Discovery: Ephraem The Syrian.

"Epharaem the Syrian said, in 373 AD, "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins." English translation of the Latin text in C.P. Caspari's Briefe, Abhandlungen und Predigten aus den zwei letzten Jahrhunderten des kirchlichen Altertums und dem Anfang des Mittelater (Christiania, 1890, pp. 208-20)"

Argument #2: There is no verse in the Bible that says that the rapture will be before the Tribulation.

Answer: This argument sounds very good, but it is a "straw man".

First of all, there is no such thing as "THE rapture" (by "rapture" I mean a catching up). This argument was developed by somebody that does not know the Old Testament very well at all.

There is the catching up of Enoch (Gen. 5:24, Heb. 11:5, Jude 1:14-15) and the catching up of Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).

Then the Old Testament prophesies of the catching up of JEWS to the LAND in Israel with Christ as King AFTER the Tribulation in the following places: 

• Ezekiel 11:16-20, 20:33-38, 28:25-26, 34:1-31, 36:16-38, 37:1-14, 37:21-28,  39:23-29
• Jeremiah 23:1-8, 30:1-31:9, 31:31-34, 32:36-42, 33:1-18, 50:18-20
• Isaiah 10:20-23, 26:19, 51:11, 54:5-9
• Micah 2:12, Hos. 1:11, etc. 

If you check every one of those references you will see that there is a gathering of living Jews (rapture) and a resurrection of dead Jews to Israel after the Tribulation (often called God's "fury" and "wrath") to be with Christ in the Millennium. This is when their sins will be blotted out as a nation and will be saved nationally. Check the references. Note that this is not a "post-trib pre-wrath" deal as some teach, those Jews will experience the wrath of God. In fact, they are the main ones that God will be punishing in the Tribulation ("time of Jacob's Trouble"--Jer. 30:7, Ezek. 7). There is no such thing as a "post-trib pre-wrath" rapture.

Jeremiah 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:

Isaiah 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Isaiah 60:10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

Luke 21:22-23 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

What most people refer to as "THE rapture" is the rapture that we will have--the catching up of the church which is the Body of Christ. The "post trib" believers confuse the rapture/resurrection of Israel after the Tribulation with the rapture/resurrection of the Body of Christ.

Which brings me to my second point, there are verses that say that the rapture of the Body of Christ will be Pre-Trib:

•  Notice that every chapter in the Bible that mentions the Tribulation (that occurs prior to the Millennium) is about Israel, not the Body. Check every reference to the Tribulation, it is always in the context of Israel. Which is saying that it is NOT about the Body of Christ (Gal. 3:26-28, 1 Cor. 12:13, Col. 3:11, etc). 
• Also notice that the "gathering" (Isa. 54:7, Jer. 23:3, 31:8-10, 32:37, Ezek. 11:17, 28:25, 30:33-41, 34:13, 36:24, 37:21, 39:27-28, Hos. 1:11, Micah 2:12, Mat. 24:31, Mark 13:27) is always to the LAND of Israel. The rapture of the Body of Christ is to the air and then to heaven (1 Thes. 4:13-18, Phil. 3:20-21, Eph. 1:3, 2:6). 
• The Bible plainly says that the Body of Christ will not experience God's wrath (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9), that wrath is for the Jews (Jer. 30, Ezek. 7, Luke 21:20-23, 1 Thes. 2:14-16). This IS a plain statement on the Pre-Tribulation rapture. 
• Paul says that the basis for not being troubled about the Tribulation is because of the coming of Christ and our gathering together unto Him (2 Thes. 2:1-4). How would the rapture keep us from being "troubled" if it was post trib???
• The Tribulation and the rapture at the end of it (for the Jews) is a main subject of prophecy (verses listed above), but the doctrine of the Body of Christ and its rapture is said to be a "mystery" "by the word of the Lord" "kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 11:25, 16:25-26, Eph. 3:1-9, 5:22-32, Col. 1:24-28, 1 Cor. 2:7, 15:51-58, 1 Thes. 4:13-18). Jesus was a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises made unto the fathers and He said that the Tribulation was going to happen "that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:22). Because the Body of Christ and our rapture was a mystery hidden from the prophets, we obviously will not go into the Tribulation (2 Tim. 2:15). We are in the Dispensation of Grace (Rom. 6:14, Eph. 3:2) and will not go into the wrath/vengeance/trouble of the Tribulation. 
• Paul preached "the gospel of the grace of God" which was Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Acts 20:24, Rom. 16:25). This gospel was first revealed to Paul (Gal. 1:11-12, 2:1-11) and it was a mystery before that (1 Cor. 2:7, Rom. 16:25, Eph. 6:19). This gospel is defined by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:1-4) which is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. All who believe this gospel will be justified from all things (Acts 13:38-39, 16:30-31). If anyone preaches any other gospel then they will be accursed (Gal. 1:5-8). This gospel was not preached by the 12 apostles (Matt. 16:21-23, Mark 9:9-10, 9:31-32, Luke 9:44-45, 18:31-34, John 20:6-10). The 12 apostles were apostles of Israel preaching the "gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 3:2, 4:17, 4:23, 10:7, 16:28, 24:14, Mark 1:14-15). This "gospel of the kingdom" is what will be preached during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:14). Therefore the Body of Christ cannot go through the Tribulation because its gospel is not going to be preached. Also, "the everlasting gospel" is preached by "an angel from heaven" in the Tribulation which would also contradict Galatians 1:6-8 (Rev. 14:6-7). The Body of Christ and its gospel cannot be present in the Tribulation. 
• Since the "gospel of the kingdom" is what will be preached during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:14), the Body of Christ cannot go through it because the gospel of the kingdom requires works*. This means that the Tribulation and Grace (as dispensations) cannot overlap (Rom. 6:14, Eph. 2:8-9).  

Those are the Biblical proofs of the Pre-Tribulation rapture and that answers the two main arguments against the Pre-Tribulation rapture doctrine. The only way you can believe in a post trib rapture is to believe in replacement theology (that the Body of Christ is Israel), ignore hundreds of verses in the OT that say that the Tribulation and the post trib rapture are for Jews, and teach that the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of the grace of God, and the everlasting gospel are the same thing. In other words, the only way to believe in a post trib rapture is to not "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

*works salvation in the Tribulation...The works required under the Gospel of the Kingdom were these:

• The Baptism of Repentance, which was repenting/confessing/baptism (Matt. 3:1-11, Mark 1:4-5, Luke 3:3, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16).
• Selling all that you had (Matt. 6:19-34, 8:20, 10:8-10, 13:44-46, 19:16-24, Mark 6:7-9, 10:17-23, Luke 3:8-11, 9:1-4, 12:15-34, Acts 2:44-45, 3:1-6, 4:32-37, 5:1-11).
• Forgiving others of their sins against you (Matt. 6:12-15, 18:21-35, Mark 11:25-26, Luke 6:37, 11:4).
• Maintain good works (Matt. 5:20, 5:48, 16:27, 19:16-19, John 5:29). This included very seemingly "little" sins, such as not calling someone a fool (Matt. 5:22).  
• Doing works meet for repentance (Matt. 3:7-10, Luke 3:8-11).
• Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
  pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. You must do this to be a child of God (Matt. 5:43-45).
• Bring forth fruit to abide in God's love or be cast into the fire (Matt. 7:15-20, John 15:1-10). 
• Do the will of God keeping His words (Matt. 7:21-27).
• Endure to the end of the Tribulation until Christ comes without denying the Lord (Matt. 10:22, 10:32-33, 24:13-14, Luke 12:8-9, Mark 13:13, Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 21:7, Heb. 3:6-14, 4:1, 4:11, 6:4-8, 8:8-13, 10:16-17, 10:38-11:31).
• Do not take the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 13:15-18, 14:9-11). 
• Do not try and save your physical life by denying Christ in the midst of persecution, you will lose your soul if you do (Matt. 10:38-39, 16:25-26, Mark 8:35-36, Luke 9:24-25, 17:33).
• Do not blaspheme the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 12:10, 1 John 5:16).
• Watch for Christ's Second Coming to the earth and be a faithful servant (Matt. 24:42-51, Mark 13:32-37, Luke 21:34-36).
• Do not hate your brethren (1 John 3:14-15).
• Take care of the Jews and believers in the Tribulation (Matt. 25:30-46).

 --Eli Caldwell