B. A Post-Tribulation Rapture Is Unscriptural and Unfounded In Scripture. The word post means after. Here are some final thoughts which seal the fate of the philosophy of a Post Tribulation Rapture. Follow with me as we look at some basic facts: 1. All raptured Christians receive their glorified bodies (Romans 8:22,23; and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). 2. There are no children born to glorified bodies. (Matthew 22:23-30 3. All unsaved are cast into Hell before the 1,000 Year Kingdom Reign of Christ. (Revelation 19:11-21 and Matthew 25:41) If the Rapture is post Tribulation, several problems arise with impossible solutions. Where do the mortal bodies come from of those that are born during the Millennium and rebel at the conclusion of the Millennium? (Revelation 20:7-10). There would be no lost people alive to have children, so they cannot come from them. All of the saved have their glorified bodies. No children can be born to them as a result of a Post Tribulation Rapture Remember; at the end of Christ’s 1,000 Year Reign there are unbelievers who will give their allegiance to Satan in an attempt to defeat Christ. (Revelation 20:7-10). How would they get their human bodies? Placing the Rapture at the end of the Tribulation and the start of the Millennium makes an impossible situation. At the Rapture all Christians have their glorified bodies, which do not produce human beings. All the lost are cast into Hell at the end of the Tribulation Period. Therefore, the philosophy of a Post-Tribulation Rapture is impossible. The Post-Tribulation Rapture philosophy also leads to other false doctrines. Colossians 2:8 is God’s warning concerning false teachers, “Beware lest any man spoil you through PHILOSOPHY and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) Note. If Post-Tribulation Rapture were true; then, the last generation alive would be the only generation in over 2,000 years since the Church Age began to have to go through the Tribulation. Then, we would have to conclude that God is not a fair God. Note. If the Rapture occurs at the conclusion of the Tribulation; then, why are we not told to be praying for “that blessed hope and glorious appearing of that blessed tribulation!” Yet, the Word of God tells us, in Titus 2:13, that the Christian is to be, “Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” C. Final Proof of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. In conclusion, we shall examine one more proof of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture as opposed to a Post-Tribulation Rapture. Our text is recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (V. 1) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (V.2) 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; (V.3) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (V.4) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?(5) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.(6) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (V.7) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (V.8) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:1-9) D. Examination of 2 Thessalonians 2:3. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away (departure) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) We are now introduced to the Greek word, “apostasia,” which is translated as “falling away” in the King James Translation. The basic meaning of the word is “departure.” One cannot tell from the meaning of the word, itself, whether it is in reference to the departure, i.e., the Rapture of the Church; or, a “departure from the truth,” known as apostasy. “Apostasia” translated as “falling away” is quite misleading, as it does not incorporate the meaning “to fall” or “fell.” For example, check Matthew 10:29 (“fall”); Matthew 17:6 (“fell”); John 18:6 (“fell”), etc. These are translated from the Greek word “pipto,” not “apostasia.” Therefore, only by the context in which “apostasia” occurs can it be determined if it is in reference to a departure from the faith; or, the departure of the Church from the world at the Rapture. It should be noted, that to the best of my knowledge, all English translations prior to the King James Translation translated “apostasia” either as “departing” or “departure.” Also, the Bible known as the Vulgate, about 400 A.D., was Jerome’s Latin translation. Here Jerome uses the Latin word, “discessio,” meaning “departure” for “apostasia.” With this in mind, one can see that this is in perfect harmony with Verse 1, which ascribes to the Rapture. “Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and BY OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM.” E. The Event of the Rapture. This is the same as Paul had previously spoken about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 concerning the Rapture. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) In 1Thessalonians 4:13-17, Paul gives the principles of the Rapture; whereas, in 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2, he gives the procedure concerning the Rapture, which is pre-tribulation. May we make a few more observations which lead us to conclude that the word, “apostasia,” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, is speaking of the Church departing from the Earth, raptured to meet her Savior in the clouds; and not a departure from the faith. Notice in Verse 7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth ALREADY WORK.” Paul states that apostasy from the faith was already present. 1. Hymenaeus and Alexander were two of them. (1 Timothy 1:19,20). 2. There were false teachers of the law. (1Timothy 1:4-7). 3. False teachings concerning the Resurrection. (2 Timothy 2:16-18). 4. Read Jude; 1 John 2:18; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3. ...and we could go on and on. In other words, from the time of the offspring of Adam and Eve, there has always been apostasy from the faith. To what do we attribute the Flood? In Israel there were the false prophets and priests. It was the same at the time of Christ and ever since, to the present. Therefore, it would be ludicrous to think that “apostasia” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 was in reference to “apostasy from the faith;” when there has never been a time when apostasy has not been with us. Therefore, how would the Thessalonians recognize any apostasy different from the apostasy that already existed and that has always existed in one way or another? From the context, itself, we know the “apostasia” in Verse 3 is not in reference to departure from the faith, already existent; but, rather, a departure of the Church from the world, or the Rapture. Apostasy already existed as stated in Verse 7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work…” We have the same false teachers today, advocating a Partial or a Post-Tribulation Rapture, as those believers in Thessalonica encountered over 1900 years ago. As we have stated previously, the Christian is admonished to be... “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13) ...NOT, “the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the Tribulation Period; i.e. the Day of God’s Wrath! A final note. Many are not aware that the Roman Catholic Church does not believe in the Rapture. Also, the Evangelistic Lutheran Churches of America (ELCA); the Missouri Synod Lutherans and the Wisconsin Lutheran Synod deny four basic prophetic doctrines: 1. They deny the Rapture, 2. They do not believe in the Restoration of the Nation of Israel, 3. They deny the literal reign of Christ in his earthly Kingdom on Earth for 1,000 years. 4. Both organizations deny that faith in Jesus Christ and His payment for the sins of all mankind is not completely sufficient for the receiving eternal life. Christ’s last words on the Cross in John 19:30 were, “IT IS FINISHED. “Finished” is the Greek “teleo” and means “to bring to an end.” It is in the perfect tense, meaning that nothing can be added to it. And, both organizations will tell you that Christ paid for our sins, thus, our salvation; BUT, Christ will not give you His salvation until you are baptized. I will let each organization speak for themselves. First, I will quote from the official document of the Catholic organization, their Catechism. This is found on Page 312, # 1213. “Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God…Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” Second, Luther states in his Small Catechism, Page 16, and II. “What does Baptism give or profit? It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the Devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this…” How did they come to these conclusions in denying major portions of the Word of God? Very simple. Their teachings were founded by a man named Martin Luther, who has been dead over 460 years! (Luther, 1483-1546). Maybe they are not familiar with the middle verse of the Bible, Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:54:54 +0000
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