Prologue various readings of the text of the New Testament and sought to develop a critically consistent one. He originated the principle The more difficult reading is to be preferred. In 1741 he was made prelate of Herbrechtingen and in 1749 of Alpirspach. Influential in New Testament criticism and theology, he held that the scholar should read nothing into the sacred writings that is not there but should draw everything from them and permit nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. Bengels major works include Novum Testamentum Graecum (1734), a Greek text of the New Testament that contains a thorough critical appendix, and Gnomon Novi Testamenti (1742), an exegetical commentary. In his Essay on the Right Way of Handling Divine Subjects, this noted Bible scholar made one of the most profound observations and statements concerning a writer’s approach to things of the Bible. Bengel states: Put nothing into the Scriptures, but draw everything from them, and suffer nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. Though each inspired writer has his own manner and style, one and the same Spirit breathes through all, one grand idea pervades all. Every divine communication carries (like the diamond) its own light with it, thus showing whence it comes; no touchstone is required to discriminate it. The true commentator will fasten his primary attention on the letter (literal meaning), but never forget that the Spirit must equally accompany him; at the same time we must never devise a more spiritual meaning for Scripture passages than the Holy Spirit intended. The historical matters of Scripture, both narrative and prophecy, constitute as it were the bones of its system, whereas the spiritual matters are as its muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. As the bones are necessary to the human system, so Scripture must have its historical matters. The expositor who nullifies the historical groundwork of Scripture, for the sake of finding only spiritual truths everywhere, brings death on all correct interpretations. Those expositions are the safest which keep closest to the text. [Parenthesis by Bengel] Like Bengel’s uplifting advice, the author tried to maintain this standard throughout the writing of this book, by not assuming, inferring, nor presenting any theories, conjecture or hypotheses; but rather, he allowed The Holy Spirit to quicken his spirit to dig as deeply as possible into the words of God, and then let each word speak for itself. The word hypothesis (according to Webster’s Dictionary) means “an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument; an interpretation of a practical situation or condition taken as the ground for action; or a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.” In essence, a hypothesis or theory means a formula derived by inference from scientific or other data that explains a principle operating in nature or the subject matter at hand. Prologue Throughout his reading and studying of other expositors’ works, the author encountered numerous eschatological hypotheses and theories’ concerning the Lord’s Parousia and was amazed by two glaring idiosyncrasies existent among the many scholars and writers of prophecy. Number one was their total disregard of the admonition of James 3:1, and, also their boldness and daring to provide proper noun titles to their biblical inferences, which in essence is altering the word of God: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book, (Revelation 22:18, KJV). The author speaks primarily about theorists who (by virtue of their exegetical conclusions) conjured up many hypotheses and have gone so far as to coin proper nouns for their inferences, such as The Great Tribulation, The Rapture, Daniel’s 70 Weeks, and The Millennium. Certainly we live in a period where it is much easier to lump ideas, religious belief systems, philosophies and political thought and affiliations into various proper noun or pronoun categories. We hear of various pronouns that have been bandied about for years, such as political labels like liberal versus conservative, categorical words and phrases that obviously make it easier for people to narrow down an individual’s political or philosophical positions. This categorizing approach obviously eliminates the need to think or explore any deeper into a person’s total and complete knowledge and works than one has to, in order to make quick identifications. Herein lay the genesis for the birth of stereotypes or categorizations concerning writers who present their research, who are then quickly judged or lumped into varying doctrinal categories. The author does not view himself as being of one doctrinal school or the other, such as a Pre, Mid, Post-Tribulationists, nor a Pre, Post or AMillennialist, neither futurist, preterist or historicist, nor espouses nor identifies himself with any doctrinal camps whatsoever. His research is just that, research. His conclusions are based solely on what the word of God clearly states. When and where there were any doubts as to what a specific word truly meant, he did not allow his religious affiliations (past or present), theological subjectivism, ego nor pride, to interfere with his seeking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Like any true journalists, the author merely began his research from a neutral position. Albeit, when he first came to the Lord in 1975, he accepted without challenge the Dispensational and Secret Pre-Tribulation Escape doctrines, which he cannot agree with any longer, solely because the Bible clearly does not state, teach nor conveys that message. Therefore, when the author began his research in 1982, he completely cleared his mind of any doctrinal precepts, and approached the Bible with a complete willingness to change his mind about any preconceived notions and rhetoric he had heard or was taught before he began this project. The author believes that in order to deal with and diligently study God’s word, students/teachers/writers have to completely remove from their mindset any perceived biblical notions based on tradition, culture and subjectivism. For example, in the majority of the books the author read on eschatology, ethnic identifications were made by theorists about the Hebrew people, beginning with Prologue Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, more than often calling them Jews (rather than Hebrews) in many Old Testament chapter references, even though the term Jew was not introduced in the Bible until after ten of the Israel tribes were excommunicated from the original twelve. After the ten tribes were dispersed among the nations, the tribe of Judah, Benjamin and the Levites were the ones that were ordained by God to carry forth His Word and His laws, (Genesis 49:10). It wasn’t until after the split between the kingdoms of Judah and the ten northern tribes of Israel that the tribe of Judah (including Benjamin and the Levites) came to be known as Jews. Although the term Jew was not used until it is first mentioned in 2 Kings 16:6-7, most Bible expositors to this day still use the word Jew when referring to many individuals, national and historical issues and prophecies, concerning the patriarchs in the Old Testament, including Abraham, the Hebrew great-grandfather of Judah! The author was extremely diligent to not fall into these generalizations and incorrect labeling traps, or allow expositor-coined proper nouns such as The Great Tribulation, The Rapture, or The Millennium, to influence his biblical discernment. Instead, he allowed the word of God to clearly and precisely speak for Himself. In this book, the author will be presenting scripture upon scripture that refute many of the premises of the two major doctrinal camps. First, the one that espouses a (supposed seven year) period of time called The Great Tribulation and, secondly, the one that espouses another period of time called The Millennium. These two doctrines have existed almost from the first century, BC (maybe even longer), and are still believed upon (in similar and yet varying forms) by many scholars and Bible students alike. The author will not only be challenging many myths contained within The Great Tribulation and The Millennium doctrines, he will be examining many of the sub-doctrinal issues that lie embedded within these two major doctrines, including many theological clichés that have been used by theorists for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, these two doctrines have become so widely accepted as Bible truth by the Christian masses that very few people lack the intestinal fortitude to not only question or challenge these myths, but would never think about going public with their findings. The author has determined that the myriad of secret escape from tribulation myths that exist today, especially among many of our beloved fundamentalists and evangelicals, are not based on scriptural proof; but rather, they are more conjecture, inference and hypotheses based on many traditions and theories that cannot withstand true exegesis. And, these hypotheses, unfortunately, are being readily accepted without question due to the incessant pulpit pounding that has ensued through the modern day media methods of opportunistic evangelicals. Madison Avenue has no match in modern-day evangelicals’ effectiveness in swaying Christian masses to gullibly accept their mythologies. This is not to say that many theorists are not well intended, nor lack a genuine love for God and His ecclesia. However, too many theorists (in the media, on the Internet or in their local pulpits) throughout the world are propagating a variety of fanciful Prologue myths that are lulling called out ones into a false sense of hope that precludes the impending persecutions that lie ahead for God’s ecclesia. The doctrinal phrases Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation have created much confusion for a throng of Bible expositors and their adherents for the last 200 years or so. The mere fact that those in any of these three doctrinal camps sometimes find themselves intellectually confused or theologically misinformed is because they try to place the return of Christ somewhere before, in the middle or after a special seven-year period they call The Great Tribulation. Their foundational belief in The Great Tribulation and its dispensational progeny, The Rapture, is basically based on their whole-hearted acceptance of an interpretation of the Book of Daniel, where most dispensationalists interpret Daniel 9:24-27 through novel time juxtapositions and conclude a unique time-framed theory they call Daniel’s 70 Weeks. In essence, dispensationalists believe that Daniel 9:24-27 conveys a unique prophetic time formula that biblically proves there exists a specific time period of tribulation that will be experienced by mankind before The Second Advent, and they call this period of time The Great Tribulation. Since there exists so many diverse opinions about this 70 Weeks theory, and not one single person can make claim this theory is absolutely correct, this means in essence that the three (Pre, Mid and Post-Tribulation) Rapture doctrines are based on yet another unproven theory. Those who believe in The Rapture theory (whether Pre, Mid or Post,) basically believe that God has to remove the Christian Church from earth to heaven in order for it to escape the horrible persecutions that will increase tremendously during the time period that precedes the visible return of Jesus Christ, a return that was promised in Acts 1:11. They primarily base their suppositions (and hopes) that God surely would not allow His modern-day Christian Church to suffer any persecutions; although many tribulations have been experienced by a myriad of God’s called out ones throughout history, as is recorded in the Bible and chronicled by various scribes throughout history! [Read Fox’s Book of Martyrs, which historically documents some of the persecutions experienced by God’s ecclesia during the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Reformation period] For many different reasons and motivations (some sincere and well intended), theorists try to paint a painless picture of Christianity and use the secret escape to heaven theory to build a bigger following in their respective ministries. They use these soothing mythologies to allay the fears of the impending persecutions that lay ahead for the Christian Church, rather than preparing it for this eventuality, by speaking, writing and prophesying about the impending wrath to come, as did all the prophets in the Old Testament. These theorists have hereby concocted various escape theories by twisting God’s words into soothing theological placebos that include when and how the Christian Church is to be removed from earth to heaven to escape times of great tribulation. This escape from tribulation mindset is more prevalent within the Christian communities based in the United States, primarily due to never experiencing foreign aggression on American soil, as well as America’s long history of peace through its military strength. However, Prologue the hijacking of four commercial airplanes on September 11, 2001 by Islamic terrorists, and their subsequent suicide attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City and The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., became a wake up call for many Americans that no one person or no one country is immune from great tribulation. Therein lies theorists’ doctrinal dilemmas: As they attempt to allay the fears of Christian Church persecution, they find themselves having to either postulate or defend their various theories, which have been based or built primarily upon other theories (which have not been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt), rather than allowing God’s word to speak for itself. And God’s word clearly states in Acts 14:22…that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Therefore, instead of connecting all the scriptural dots together, to prophesy the truth needed by the Christian Church, theorists have conjured up primarily three major secret escape to heaven theories. They are preaching these varying and soothing rescue plans instead of facing (and preaching about) the realities of the impending horrors that lay before God’s ecclesia and all of mankind. And these doctrinal fancies unfortunately become a detriment to the called out ones and, many times, are primarily motivated by the financial or church community status benefits of those who perpetrate these myths. Pre-Tribulationists misuse scripture to paint a secret rescue picture that supposedly shows the Christian Church will be removed from earth to heaven seven years before Christ returns. Mid-Tribulationists believe they see the same secret rescue scenario; however they see the Christian Church being removed to heaven three and a half years before the return of Christ. Post-Tribulationists have also been led to believe that The Rapture (supposedly a secret snatching up escape to heaven) is also seen in the 1 Thessalonians 4:17; however, they conclude this rescue to heaven supposedly happens within days, hours or minutes before The Second Advent. Post-Tribulationists, more than the other two doctrinal camps, oftentimes feel a little squeamish about their respective position and are placed in a difficult corner when defending their interpretation, primarily because the other two camps often smirk at what they perceive as a foolish notion that the Lord would catch up His church, take it to heaven and then immediately bring it back within minutes. However, Post-Tribulationists are probably more on target than they realize; the only fact they have yet to accept is that scripture prove that the Christian Church never reaches the stationary heaven, it only greets a descending Jesus Christ to have a meeting in the air with Him, and then escorts the King of Kings back to earth to rule and reign, forever! Most theorists, unfortunately, also base many of their conclusions on how they interpret the true identity of the God’s ecclesia. They separate Old Testament prophecies that were meant for God’s children of promise and apply them solely to genetic Israel, and vice verse, for convenience sake, and as their inferences warrant. Basically, all three camps find them having to defend, explain away or formulate additional theories based on their acceptance of selective dogma already presented by many expositors’ misinterpretations and their unfounded Prologue theories. For example, most theorists are convinced that God’s overall redemption program is designed to deal differently with two entities: Israel as a genetic nation and the Christian Church as a spiritual nation. Therefore, they apply certain scripture to either as their mythologies warrant. They also build their many theories on various mathematical formulae (Daniel 9:24-7, Revelation 20:1-6), which they conclude are specific time-framed seasons or events, which they now can call The Great Tribulation and The Millennium. Therefore, The (Pre, Mid, and Post) Tribulation and The (Pre, A, and Post) Millennium camps only squabble now as to which one of their theories best fits their particular understanding (and conclusions) as to the exact timing of both The Rapture and or the Millennium. Tribulationists (Pre, Mid and Post) believe there is a specific period of time preceding the return of Christ where God will pour out His retributive judgments on mankind, and they call it The Great Tribulation. They just can’t make up their minds whether this so-called time period or event (The Great Tribulation) lasts three and a half to seven years in length. Most tribulationists base their theories on what is clearly stated in Matthew 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. However, the original manuscript (best rendered by the King James Version) does not contain the article (the) before the word great, which is a clear message that the word great is talking solely about the intensity of tribulation, not the specific timing nor length of the subject matter under discussion, even if these judgments are the harbinger of the Second Advent. This verse (Matthew 24:21) attaches no specific (three and a half to seven-year) time frame to this mighty persecution, whatsoever! There is mention in Revelation 13:5 of a specified time of 42 months where the beast is given special authority to war against the saints. In Revelation 11:2, it does mention that the Gentiles shall tread the holy city under foot forty and two months, a verse that mid-tribulationists to support their specific doctrine. There are also two other verses that are found in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, which use the phrase time, times, and an half, which many theorists conclude speaks of a precise forty-two months period of persecution. Whereas mid-tribulationists believe these 42 months strengthens their position, they are unable to provide other scriptures to conclusively validate a Mid-Tribulation Rapture. There is no specific scripture that clearly states that this period of intense judgment and wrath will be for an exact seven years. The prevailing theory is held by pre-tribulationists who conclude that a specific seven year period of time will ensue before the return of Christ. They conclude this, basically, by juxtaposing an esoteric mathematical formula gleaned from the Book of Daniel. They call this theory Daniel’s 70 Weeks. They build upon this unproven theory to enhance their notion that a seven year period of judgment and wrath will befall unbelievers, and they have concluded this supposed time period needs to be called The Great Tribulation! However, the author is convinced that the scriptures speak clearly that there is no specified time frame of tribulation stated in the Bible that would warrant any proper noun given to this hypothesis. Prologue If we can prove that there is not going to be any specific time-framed event called The Great Tribulation, then all three (pre, mid, and post) tribulation doctrines have to be reexamined. If we can provide specific biblical evidence to the contrary, then tribulationists can have no biblically-based foundation to support or allow them to coin proper nouns to their secret escape to heaven mythologies. Throughout this book the author will be providing specific biblical evidence that will tear down the hypotheses being presented by theorists and novice speculators. He will provide evidence the specifically refutes the majority of their premises, and will outright debunk much of the mythology that is driving a wedge between God and His plans for His children of promise. The author will provide irrefutable proof that will actually make moot theories that lack accurate Bible foundation. Basically, if we can provide this evidence in a clear and precise fashion, theorists will no longer be able promote their Left Behind theories any longer. If there is no specific time-frame event or season called The Great Tribulation, there obviously can be no Pre, Mid nor Post Tribulation conclusions. More importantly, if there is not going to be any secret catching away to heaven, then the Pre, Mid and Post Tribulation positions have no basis to even be called such. Surely there will be a ‘snatching’ of God’s children of promise from earth to greet and have a meeting in the air with the returning and arriving King of Kings, but there will be no intermediate respite in heaven for three and a half to seven years, as will be proven by the scriptures the author will provide in this book. The author does believe that scripture states the persecution by and at the hands of the “man of lawlessness” and other anti-Christian forces will accelerate exponentially to a great degree before the return of Christ. There will be an intensified campaign of persecution against God’s people as has never been known before to mankind. However, the author will prove there is no biblically confirmed time-frame event that can be called The Great Tribulation mentioned in scripture. These proponents of Left Behind theories conjure up many scenarios and infer by virtue of their dubious interpretations that the Bible confirms a specific time frame period of tribulation. But, merely because they interpret scripture thusly, does not necessarily mean it is so. True, there is mentioned twice of a time period of 42 months in the Book Revelation, and two allusions to 42 months in the Book of Daniel concerning the tribulation that God’s children of promise will experience. However, there is no specific name or title given in these biblical verses that specifically confirm or is made required that one must label these time frames in any specific proper noun such as The Great Tribulation. These theorists, by virtue of giving proper nouns to their inferences, actually lock themselves into various camps of doctrinal theories that prevents any further development of biblical knowledge and wisdom that can provide the Christian Church with a greater and deeper understanding of God’s will. It’s as if once a Pre, Mid or Post-Tribulation doctrine has been formed, there can be no other information included or excluded to expand upon sound biblical exegesis without Prologue being labeled or branded a heretic. Although all three of these tribulation camps provide much scripture that is accurate in defense of their theoretical positions, much of their hypotheses contain various gaps that lead them to dead ends, thereby causing them to force certain scripture into areas that don’t compute with God’s overall plan of redemption. No one person or group has a lock on scriptural truth. Although God’s word is perfectly designed and inspired, no one person has nor will ever have the true and complete knowledge of God’s plan until He returns. Then, we will truly know what God meant through His word, because we will then be like Him, all knowing: “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, (1 John 3:2, KJV).” The same dilemma holds true for those theorists who debate over the subject of there being a specific period of a literal 1000-year Kingdom reign on earth in the future called The Millennium. Those who espouse the Premillennial and Postmillennial doctrines actually find themselves experiencing the same problems as the Pre, Mid and Post Tribulationists, because Pre and Postmillennialists believe that Jesus and the Christian church are going to reign over a restored Jewish geopolitical Kingdom on earth. Premillennialists believe this geopolitical Kingdom reign will begin on earth for a literal 1000-year period after The Second Advent, while Postmillennialists believe the Millennium began somewhere during this present age and will end with a total conversion of humanity to Christ before His return. Postmillennialists also believe that God will provide a special salvation program for national Israel (or ethnic Jews) after God (through preaching by the Christian Church) conquers Satan and his kingdom before The Second Advent. However, pre-millennialists believe ethnic Jews will not be converted to Christ until (during or immediately after) The Great Tribulation that is supposed to precede The Second Advent. A-millennialists do not believe in a literal 1000-year geopolitical kingdom reign on earth, believing that the 1000 years (spoken of in Revelation 20:1-5) represents an indeterminate time of spiritual binding of Satan, accomplished by Jesus Christ’s atoning work at the cross, and that it also represents an indeterminate amount of spiritual reign for Christians (on earth) that began on the Day of Pentecost and concludes at The Second Advent. All three millenarian doctrine camps believe the final outcome of human history (regardless if there will or will not be a 1000-year Millennium reign on earth) will result in God creating a new heaven and a new earth, with the Christian Church as part of the eternal Kingdom administration of God, residing forever up in heaven. A-millennialists and post-tribulationists are probably more on target in their Rapture scenarios than their antagonistic premillennial brethren. However, all three millenarian camps fail to see that God’s word clearly states that the Kingdom reign of God will be fulfilled in its fullness right here on earth, for eternity!
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:09:45 +0000
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