Left Behind after a Pre-Trib Rapture? Let’s test it out…
Published by Rob Skiba October 5, 2014 at 12:59 AM
When does Jesus Christ Himself say He will be in the clouds?
Matthew 24:
29 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 shaken:
30 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.
31 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.
Here you have Jesus mention three key phrases: “in the clouds” the “sound of a trumpet” and a “gathering together” which all occur AFTER the Tribulation.
Now let’s see what Paul had to say…
2 Thessalonians 2:
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and by our GATHERING TOGETHER unto him,
2 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.
3 LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU by any means: for that day shall NOT come, except there come a FALLING AWAY (apostasy) FIRST, and that man of sin (the Antichrist)be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 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.
Paul says don’t be deceived into thinking the GATHERING TOGETHER will happen anytime prior to the Antichrist going into the Temple, which is when/where the Abomination of Desolation takes place. Nearly everyone agrees this is a MID-Trib event. He previously elaborated on his position in…
1 Thessalonians 4:
15 For this we say unto you BY THE WORD OF THE LORD (not the doctrines of men), that we which are alive and remain unto the COMING OF THE LORD shall NOT prevent (precede) them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST:
17 Then we which are alive and remain (AFTER the Tribulation) 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.
So we have all the same key phrases used by Jesus in Matthew 24. It cannot be more clear. And just to be sure, John tells us when the dead in Christ rise:
Revelation 20:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were BEHEADED FOR THE WITNESS OF JESUS, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands (during the Tribulation); and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION.
To believe in the Pre-Trib Rapture is to totally ignore and in fact contradict all of the above. Plus, you have two Second Comings and two First Resurrections. Seems to me this doctrine fails the test… miserably. And it would appear that Paul himself is refuting the whole idea of a Pre-Trib “gathering together” – yet so many use his writings to try and justify that very thing (in fact, at one time I did too). You’ll note however, that we should “let no man deceive us by any means.” If it fails the test of Scripture, we should not believe in it. Paul understood this truth. Do you?
As for the whole imminent “thief in the night” concept, note also what Paul had to say concerning that:
1 Thessalonians 5:
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 BUT YE, BRETHREN, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, THAT THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Furthermore, the so-called “secret Rapture” Doctrine of Immanency contradicts what the prophet Amos wrote…
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do NOTHING, but he REVEALETH HIS SECRET unto his servants the prophets.
He revealed nothing about any secret Pre-Trib. Rapture that could happen at any time. Rather, He told His servants exactly when the gathering together will happen. The question is, will you believe what He said or what men are teaching you?
“Be not deceived” was the first thing Jesus said when His followers (i.e. the first Christians) asked Him what the End Times would be like in Matthew 24. They asked for the signs that would precede His coming. Don’t you think a MASSIVELY HUGE SIGN to mention would be something like, “Well, when you see millions of people flying up into the clouds to meet me, then you will know that the following is about to take place…” He said nothing of the sort. Rather, He gave a bunch of signs and then said AFTER all of that, He would come in the clouds and gather His people unto Himself.
Personally, I’m going to believe Jesus, Paul and John over New York Times Best Selling authors. Just sayin.’
Be not deceived…
– Rob Skiba
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