 |
| The Crystal Cathedral |
Another danger of the Pre-Tribulation view is that it plays neatly into the "health and wealth" gospel that is so popular in the U.S.A., and increasingly in Africa. The health and wealth lie says that being a Christian means God blesses you in every way right now. That sounds pretty good. Except the Bible has all of these passages no one wants to consider. Like, "If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it." (Matt. 16:24-25) As I heard a very famous TV pastor say recently in a sermon, "if you are having trouble paying your bills, it's because you lack faith!" Another lie of Satan meant to "tickle the ears".
1 Timothy 4:3-4 tells us that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching (tickled) ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." The Pre-Tribulation rapture view has as a central tenet that the rapture could occur at any moment, even as I'm writing this article. This makes it "signless". It also tickles the ear of those who believe the Lord will deliver them from the horrors or Daniels 70th week. This despite the evidence of 2,000 years of suffering for those who "take up their cross". In fact, Jesus told John in Revelation 12:11 that "they (believers, the faithful) overcame him (the Dragon) by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." This occurs during Daniels 70th week. Christians will overcome by giving their lives, literally, for their Lord.
The Pre-Trib view can be traced back to 1820's and pastor John Darby, usually given the credit for being the "originator" of the idea. The biggest boost for this belief came from it's inclusion in the 1909 Scofield Study Bible. Other famous proponents inclued D.L. Moody, John Walvoord, Warren Wiersbe, and the most prolific writers on the idea, Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye. I do not write this as a personal disagreement, but to state the obvious. As outlined in my previous article, the rapture is not signless, that is, prophecies must be fulfilled before it occurs. We know the signs that Paul mentions (2 Thes. 2:1-4) occur at the mid-point of the final seven years of this age (Dan. 9:27). We also know that Christians have only been promised deliverance from God's wrath that will be unleashed on the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:12-17, Matt. 24:29-31).
If you have read the Rev. 6 passage, you know that the Day of the Lord coincides with the opening of the 6th seal. The 5th seal, the one preceeding the 6th, simply shows an altar before the Lord in Heaven. Underneath this altar are "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony they held." (Rev. 6:9) This 5th seal event also follows the fourth seal opening, which unleashes "Death, and Hell followed with him." (Rev. 6:8) These two are given the power to kill one fourth of the inhabitants of planet Earth. If that indeed happens soon, you are talking about the death of nearly 2 billion people. And this occurs before the events of the fifth seal, that are clearly aimed at Christians.
The rapture will occur, but it will not deliver believers from suffering or from the Devil's wrath. (Rev. 12:12) All the promises of deliverance are for the escape from God's wrath. Believers have never been exempt from suffering. Blessings are promised to those who suffer in Jesus service, going back to the beginning of His earthly ministry. (Matt. 5:11-12) Suffering for Christians is not a possibility, it's a promise. (Acts 9:16, Rom. 8:36, 1 Cor. 4:10, 2 Cor. 4:11, 2 Tim. 3:12)
The greatest danger of the Pre-Trib rapture is generations of Christians who are not prepared to suffer. By suffering, I don't mean missing a meal or going to worship when you don't feel great. By suffering I mean assault and insult because of Who we love. I mean imprisonment for what we believe. I mean likely death in the last days for all who hold fast to the name of the Lord. As Paul said to the Ephesian church, "Awake thou that sleepest..." (Eph. 5:14). It's time we awaken and prepare for the coming persecution.
