It’s been brought to my attention an explanation is needed regarding posts I’ve made about disagreements with different tenets of conventional pretrib rapture doctrine. There are several reasons for these posts:
First, as most of you know, I spend huge amounts of time studying God’s word. I, literally, study full time. Because of what I’ve learned, not only can I show where Jesus teaches the rapture in all four gospels, I can also explain to non-pretribbers how their belief creates contradiction in scripture. Funny thing is, what I’ve learned did not cease to exist at the border of non-pretrib beliefs. Once I learned the complete truth of the rapture, I came to understand the conventional pretrib belief has several aspects of its own which create contradiction in scripture. After all, it’s not permissible or honest to call out other believers on the errors in their doctrine while refusing to admit the errors in our own.
Second, I post to demonstrate I don’t follow a ‘man-made doctrine’ as accused by non-pretribbers. I don’t believe something just because a person told me to believe it. I believe what I do because Jesus taught it. I could certainly keep quiet about what I’ve learned regarding the contradictions created by the common pretrib belief. I could play dumb, and no one would ever know the difference. No one, that is, except God. So, there’s that consideration, and what a huge consideration it is. Each of us must live as if there is a day of reckoning because....well, there is a day of reckoning! There’s also this: How do I serve others by keeping to myself what God taught me? Where’s the love in staying silent?
Paul tells us to comfort AND build up one another with reminders about the rapture. 1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11. Faith comes by hearing the word of God, so how does one build up others without using the word of God? If pretribbers are too proud to admit the doctrine they believe gets some things wrong, we fail in honesty, transparency and accountability. If that’s the case, why should anyone take us seriously? Anyone who’s read any of my posts is well aware I include countless scriptures, contextually applied, and include all relevant information from Strong’s. I ask no one to take MY word for anything. Now, whether or not someone refuses to acknowledge the scriptures I use is not on me. That’s on them. But no one can honestly say I offer only my opinion.
Third, I post to demonstrate any error of understanding on the part of people does NOTHING to change the timeless truth of God’s word. His end time plan will unfold exactly as He promises regardless of how many people support a given rapture belief. The rapture doctrine is founded in the teaching of Jesus Christ and will not change for any reason, especially one based on popular vote. What Jesus taught agrees flawlessly with what we are taught in OT prophesies, the letters to the churches, as well as, the book of Revelation.
Here's another funny thing: God's lessons for me did not stop at exposing the flaws in commonly held pretrib doctrine. Extensive study has taught me what a person believes about the rapture is important to salvation. Why? Because 1 Peter 1:7-9 tells us we obtain the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls, at the appearance of Jesus. Jesus appears at the rapture! As a result, the rapture is, by definition, a salvific event. Those not permitted to leave with Him will not receive the salvation of their souls at that time. They will enter the tribulation where it will be necessary to overcome the rejection of Jesus, then endure in faith to either the end of their life or the end of the tribulation. These things are in scripture, and they are unpleasant to think about, but denial does nothing to change what’s coming. Isn’t it best to make decisions with ALL the relevant information, to be warned BEFORE you go over the cliff?
It’s not that someone must agree with me… I’m irrelevant. But disagreeing with Jesus, comes with big consequences. You can learn more about that on the page titled: Why Your Rapture Belief Matters. This is the reason He places in the gospels the numerous warnings He spoke. These passages serve no other purpose in the Bible. I have asked countless people to explain them to me and I’ve yet to have a single person try. (John 12:48 and 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 5:10 tell us what happens to those who disregard what Jesus teaches. 1 Peter 4:17:18 tells us God’s Judgment begins with the church, some leave with Jesus and the rest don’t. Matthew 8:11-13, 22:10-14, 24:48-51, 25:30 and Luke 13:24-30 and Matthew 7:21-23).
These scriptures indicate Jesus was under the impression the rapture is a VERY big deal. So, much so, He told us to pray to be counted worthy to escape the tribulation. Luke 21:36. Since He’s smarter and wiser than me, offering insider information with the teaching He gives, I’d be foolish to argue with Him. Even more foolish to dismiss what He teaches. John 12:48. I listen to everything He taught, including what He taught about the rapture. Christians want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend what they believe doesn’t matter. There is no scripture which states we can take Jesus for granted and still get into heaven. There is no scripture which tells us we will perish because we know too much. Hoping for the best, and planning for the worst is Plan B. Plan B is not faith. Plan B is the LACK of faith! If you have a PLAN B, you are not trusting Jesus. This is the reason for the warnings given by Him.
God has called me to serve as a watchman, to wake up as many Believers as I can, to show them in scripture where Jesus personally taught the rapture, to encourage them to trust Him to keep His promise, and when they refuse, to show them the warnings He issued about taking the rapture for granted! Time is almost up, folks! We are nearly out of time! Jesus can appear to catch us up unto Himself at, literally, any moment!
Finally, during my journey to discover the complete truth of end time events, I have learned the errors of my own belief. I didn’t run from them. I didn’t pretend they weren’t in the Bible because they made me uncomfortable. Doing so would expose my own faith as that which exists on spiritual milk. Facing the errors in my own belief called me to an even deeper, refined faith. I allowed them to draw me closer to God. What I’ve learned from God’s word convicted me and motivated me to change what I believe and align it completely with His infallible, unchangeable Word. I’m a long way from perfect, but I can honestly say, I don’t think there is a single contradiction created in scripture by my rapture belief. When one follows Jesus’ simple instruction on how to separate end time scriptures, ALL contradictions fall away. They disappear. Every single one of them. That’s an enormous indication truth has been attained.
If you read one of my posts and are offended by it, please know offense is NOT my objective. I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything I say. That would be ridiculous. Just know, however, I’m only stating what I’ve learned for myself in the hopes of helping others build up their rapture doctrine while, hopefully, reaching some who never knew Jesus taught the rapture. That is a Win! Win! for anyone willing to listen to Jesus!
There are simply several precepts of Pre-trib rapture 'doctrine' with which I do not agree. After extensive study on the rapture and the book of Revelation, I feel these conventional precepts are NOT supported by scripture. That being said, my understanding of these precepts does NOTHING to change the truth of Jesus' rapture teaching. His words stand as the COMPLETE truth of God, regardless of the subject matter. I list them here in no particular order:
THE First conventional pretrib rapture tenet with which I disagree is that Revelation 4:1 represents the rapture. The language used by the Bible does not support Revelation 4:1 as a reference to the rapture of the church.
First, 1 Thess. 4:16 says there is a SHOUT of an archangel, NOT actual words spoken by anyone. This is a significant difference in that a person can shout without using three words.
Second, it states that God’s TRUMPET sounds at the rapture, NOT a voice AS a trumpet which is clearly stated in Revelation 4:1. The voice as a trumpet means someone is speaking loudly, NOT that the sound they make is that of a trumpet.
Third, Hebrews 10:36-39 tells us people who trust Jesus to save them will NOT draw back to destruction (loss or ruin 684), but to the preservation of the soul (spirit, animal sentient principle only 5590). The Greek language has two words which are most often translated 'soul or spirit.' The 'animal sentient principle only' used in Hebrews 10:36-39 is also called a body. It is NOT the 'rational immortal' soul which is defined by Strong’s (#4151) as ‘spirit’ and can reference the spirit of people, demons or the Holy Spirit, and is determined by context.
This passage is saying that people who trust Jesus to save them will NOT suffer loss or ruin at the rapture, but their body will be preserved. This agrees with what Jesus says in Luke 17:37 where the word 'body' (4983) is defined as 'as a sound whole. It is this ‘body as a sound whole’ which is raptured, caught up to Jesus where the eagles fly. The word used for ‘soul’ in Hebrews 10:36-39 is the same word used in Revelation 6:9 for the martyred ‘souls’ who are waiting for vengeance. They are preserved as animal sentient principles only, NOT as immortal rational souls.
In Revelation 4:2, where John ‘became in spirit’ at once, 'spirit' IS defined as the ‘rational immortal soul’ 4151, NOT the ‘spirit, animal sentient principle 5590.’ Notice how the language in Rev. 4:1 and Hebrews 10:39 FAIL to match? They use different words for ‘soul.’ When John says he ‘became in spirit,’ he’s describing that his immortal rational soul is what witnessed the events of Revelation. He’s saying that his body did not leave earth. So, if the rapture happens at Revelation 4:1, then it disagrees with Hebrews 10:36-39, Luke 17:37 and Revelation 6:9 as to the type of soul that’s involved.
Fourth, another reason I feel Revelation 4:1 doesn’t represent the rapture of the church is that it clearly states that John saw ‘a door being opened in heaven.’ This door being opened is a sign which preceded John’s ‘going up.’ Everything Jesus taught about the rapture states He appears without any warning, any visible signs (ocular evidence 3907 Luke 17:20). So that John saw a door open prior to being called heavenward contradicts all these scriptures, eliminating Rev. 4:1 as a reference to the rapture.
I believe there are simply too many scriptural reasons to doubt that Revelation 4:1 refences the rapture of the church. Instead, it is a singular command given to only John for the specific purpose of showing him the Revelation Christ had for him. I have scriptural support for believing the rapture happens in Rev. 5: 8 - 9.
Here again, my disagreement with conventional pretrib teaching never disagrees with what Jesus taught. Jesus' teaching stands as the perfect doctrine it is, cohesive and in complete agreement with the rest of the Bible.
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The Second tenet with which I disagree is this: I've yet to hear a pretrib preacher who failed to state we receive our incorruptible bodies at the rapture. First, the rapture happens at the TRUMP OF GOD 1 Thess. 4:16. The trump of God is a singular trumpet sounded nowhere else in end time events, and is completely disconnected to any series of trumpet sounds.
Second, 1 Corinthians 15:52 states we receive our incorruptible bodies at the LAST TRUMPET. ‘Last’ is defined by the Greek, as ‘farthest, final’ 2078. This trumpet is sounded in Matthew 24:31 and IS part of the series of seven trumpets tribulation plagues. So, its definition matches its placement in end time events.
Third, 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52 both state we will ALL be changed. “ALL” is both raptured and tribulation saints. Raptured saints alone does not include tribulation saints and cannot be ‘all’ of them.
Fourth, Hebrews 11:40 tells us none of us will be perfected apart from the others. Here again, the rapture is a partial collection of believers as those who come to salvation during the tribulation will have not yet been saved. If we receive our new bodies when we are all together, the change must happen after the second coming (last trumpet sounded in Rev. 11:15), not the rapture (which sounds at the trump of God). I believe the change happens in the ‘twinkling of an eye’ because the dead who are resurrected are changed AS they leave the grave. 1 Cor. 15:52.
For those of you who hold to the belief that flesh and blood cannot ENTER the kingdom of heaven…this is not what 1 Cor. 15:50 says. It says ‘flesh and blood cannot INHERIT (to be an heir, to obtain inheritance 2816) the kingdom of heaven. We already know that Enoch and Elijah were raptured from the earth in bodily form, without inheriting the kingdom of heaven, so there is no reason Jesus can’t do the same for us at the rapture.
So, when do we inherit our salvation? 1 Peter 1:4-5 tell us, “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, by the power of God, having been guarded through faith to a salvation ready to be revealed in the LAST time.” The Greek definition of ‘last’ is the same as it is in 1 Cor. 15:52: “‘farthest, final’ 2078.” The end of the church age, which precedes the rapture, is NOT the farthest final time…the tribulation age is the farthest final time, and it precedes the second coming.
I do not find scripture supports we receive our incorruptible bodies at the rapture. Here again, my understanding of this event in no way contradicts what Jesus taught about the rapture.
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Here is the Third reason I disagree with conventional pretrib rapture doctrine: I do not agree the Bema Seat, or rewards judgment for the saints, will happen at the rapture.
First, nothing in scripture tells us there is more than one rewards judgment, so it must be placed where ALL the redeemed are together.
Second, Revelation 11:18 tells us rewards are given AFTER God's wrath, at the time of the judging of the dead. This takes place at the Sheep/Goat Judgment of Matthew 25:31ff which is the same as the judgment spoken of in John 5:25-29 and Rev. 20:4-6.
Third, Matthew 16:27 tells us we receive our reward when the Son of Man comes in glory with His angels. Jesus comes alone at the rapture. Luke 24:50-51and Acts 1:9 & 11/1 Thess. 4:13-17/Rev. 14:14-16. He comes in glory with His angels only at the second coming. Matthew 24:30-31/Mark 13:26-27.
The only rewards granted at the rapture are exemption from THE Tribulation AND participation in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I'll gladly wait another seven years for the rest of my reward!
Nothing about my understanding of the Bema Seat Judgment disagrees with what Jesus teaches about the rapture.
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Fourth, conventional pretrib doctrine states it is only the church which is raptured before the tribulation begins.
First, even though Paul speaks about the rapture in 1 Thessalonians, a letter written to a specific body of believers, he never mentions the ‘church’ when he speaks of the rapture. He says those ‘in Christ’ will be raptured, stating the dead will rise to meet Jesus ahead of those who are living.
Second, in 1 Peter 3:19 and 4:6, we learn Jesus went to the Old Testament souls and preached the gospel message to them. Any of those who accepted Jesus as Savior is ‘in Christ’ and will be raptured on that glorious day along with those in the church who trust Jesus for salvation.