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50 Reasons Why we are living in the end times.
50 Reasons
Why we are living in the end times.
by Dr. David R. Reagan
The Bible says we cannot know the time of the Lord's return (Matthew 25:13). But the Scriptures make it equally clear that we can know the season of the Lord's return (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6):
"You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night... But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober."
This passage asserts that Jesus is coming like "a thief in the night." But then it proceeds to make it clear that this will be true only for the pagan world and not for believers. His return should be no surprise to those who know Him and His Word, for they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of the nature of the times.
Furthermore, the Scriptures give us signs to watch for — signs that will signal that Jesus is ready to return. The writer of the Hebrew letter referred to these signs when he proclaimed that believers should encourage one another when they see the day of judgment drawing near (Hebrews 10:25-27).
Jesus also referred to the end time signs in His Olivet Discourse, given during the last week of His life (Matthew 24 and Luke 21). Speaking of a whole series of signs which He had given to His disciples, He said, "When you see all these things, recognize that He [the Son of Man — that is, Jesus] is near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:33).
A Personal Experience
Every time I think of "Signs of the Times," I am reminded of a great man of God named Elbert Peak. I had the privilege of participating with him in a Bible prophecy conference held in Orlando, Florida in the early 1990's. Mr. Peak was about 80 years old at the time.
He had been assigned the topic, "The Signs of the Times." He began his presentation by observing, "Sixty years ago when I first started preaching, you had to scratch around like a chicken to find one sign of the Lord's soon return."
He paused for a moment, and then added, "But today there are so many signs I'm no longer looking for them. Instead, I'm listening for a sound — the sound of a trumpet!"
The First Sign
One hundred years ago in 1907 there was not one single, tangible, measurable sign that indicated we were living in the season of the Lord's return. The first to appear was the Balfour Declaration which was issued by the British government on November 2, 1917.
This Declaration was prompted by the fact that during World War I the Turks sided with the Germans. Thus, when Germany lost the war, so did the Turks, and the victorious Allies decided to divide up both the German and Turkish empires.
The Turkish territories, called the Ottoman Empire, contained the ancient homeland of the Jewish people — an area the Romans had named Palestine after the last Jewish revolt in 132-135 AD.
In 1917 Palestine included all of modern day Israel and Jordan. In the scheme the Allies concocted for dividing up the German and Turkish territories, Britain was allotted Palestine, and this is what prompted the Balfour Declaration. In that document, Lord Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, declared that it was the intention of the British government to establish in Palestine "a national home for the Jewish people."
The leading Evangelical in England at the time was F. B. Meyer. He immediately recognized the prophetic significance of the Declaration, for he was well aware that the Scriptures prophesy that the Jewish people will be regathered to their homeland in unbelief right before the return of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:11-12).
Meyer sent out a letter to the Evangelical leaders of England asking them to gather in London in December to discuss the prophetic implications of the Balfour Declaration. In that letter, he stated, "The signs of the times point toward the close of the time of the Gentiles... and the return of Jesus can be expected any moment."
Before Meyer's meeting could be convened, another momentous event occurred. On December 11, 1917 General Edmund Allenby liberated the city of Jerusalem from 400 years of Turkish rule.
There is no doubt that these events in 1917 marked the beginning of the end times because they led to the worldwide regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland and the reestablishment of their state.
Since 1917
Since the time of the Balfour Declaration, we have witnessed throughout the 20th Century the appearance of sign after sign pointing to the Lord's soon return. There are so many of these signs today, in fact, that one would have to be either biblically illiterate or spiritually blind not to realize that we are living on borrowed time.
I have personally been searching the Bible for years in an effort to identify all the signs, and it has not been an easy task to get a hold on them. That's because there are so many of them, both in the Old and New Testaments.
I have found that the best way to deal with them is to put them in categories, and in doing that, I have come up with six categories of end time signs.
1) The Signs of Nature
"...and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:11)
This category of signs has always been the least respected, even among believers. The mere mention of it usually evokes a sneer accompanied by the words, "Come on, what else is new? There have always been earthquakes and tornadoes and hurricanes." But those who have this attitude forget that Jesus said the signs would be like "birth pangs" (Matthew 24:8). That means they will increase in frequency and intensity the closer we get to the Lord's return. In other words, there will be more frequent natural disasters and more intense ones.
And that is exactly what has been happening. For example, between October of 1991 and November of 2004 — a period of 13 years — the United States experienced:
- 9 of the 10 largest insurance natural disasters in history.
- 9 of the 10 greatest disasters as ranked by FEMA relief costs.
- 5 of its costliest hurricanes in history.
- 3 of its 4 largest tornado swarms in history.
And keep in mind that these statistics were complied before the Hurricane Katrina disaster in August of 2005!
2) The Signs of Society
"Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
This passage sounds like a typical evening newscast today! Notice the three things it says people will love in the end times: self, money, and pleasure.
The love of self is Humanism — the belief that Man can accomplish anything on his own. The love of money is Materialism. When Humanism is your religion, your god will always be money. The love of pleasure is the third love that is mentioned. This is Hedonism, the lifestyle that is always produced by Humanism and Materialism.
But God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:7). He therefore sees to it that when people chose Humanism, Materialism, and Hedonism, the payoff is always Nihilism — which is a fancy philosophical word for despair.
Need I emphasize that our world is wallowing in despair today? We live in a society plagued by abortion, homosexuality, domestic violence, child molestation, blasphemy, pornography, alcoholism, drug abuse and gambling.
Like the days of the Judges in the Old Testament, people are doing what is right in their own eyes, and the result is that people are calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
3) The Spiritual Signs
There are more signs in this category than any other. Many are evil in nature, but there are also some very positive ones. Concerning the negative signs, a typical passage is the following one found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:
"The time will come when they [professing Christians] will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths."
Some of the negative spiritual signs that are specifically prophesied include the following: false christs, cultic groups, heresies, apostasy, skepticism, deception, occultism, and persecution.
The one that Jesus mentioned most frequently was false christs and their cultic groups (Matthew 24:5, 11, 24). And in fulfillment of these prophecies, we have experienced an explosion of cults since 1850.
But, praise God, we are told that there will be some very positive spiritual signs in the end times. The most important one that is prophesied in many places is a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29).
This outpouring began at the dawn of the 20th Century, and proved to be one of the greatest spiritual surprises — and blessings — of the century. You see, when that century began, the prevailing viewpoint among both Catholics and Protestants regarding the Holy Spirit was Cessationism. This view held that the gifts of the Spirit ceased when the last Apostle died. In effect, it was a belief that the Holy Spirit had retired in the First Century.
The 20th Century had hardly gotten started when a Holy Spirit revival broke out at a small Bible college in Topeka, Kansas in 1901. Three years later, a similar Holy Spirit revival swept Wales and began to spread worldwide. Then, in 1906, the Spirit fell with great power on a humble Black preacher in Los Angeles named William J. Seymour. The Azuza Street Revival, as it came to be called, continued for four years and gave birth to the Pentecostal Movement.
The Bible prophesies two great outpourings of the Spirit and symbolically pictures them as the "early and latter rains" (Joel 2:23), based on the two rainy seasons of Israel. The early rain occurred at Pentecost in the First Century when the Church was established. The latter rain was prophesied to occur after the Jewish people had been re-established in their homeland (Joel 2:18-26).
The latter rain began with the Pentecostal Movement, just as God began to regather the Jews to their homeland under the visionary leadership of Theodore Herzl. But the rain did not become a downpour until after the re-establishment of the state of Israel in May of 1948, just as prophesied by Joel.
First came the anointing of Billy Graham's ministry in 1949, followed by the Charismatic Movement of the 1960's. Today, most of Christianity, whether Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Traditional, fully recognizes that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is alive and well in Spirit-led worship, the continuing validity of spiritual gifts, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the importance of a Spirit-filled life in winning that warfare.
In addition to the rediscovery of the Holy Spirit, there are other positive spiritual prophecies being fulfilled today — like the preaching of the Gospel worldwide (Matthew 24:14), the revival of Davidic praise worship (Amos 9:11) and the emergence of Messianic Judaism (Romans 9:27).
Another remarkable positive sign is the understanding of Bible prophecy. You see, the Hebrew prophets often did not understand the end time prophecies that the Lord gave to them. A good example can be found in Daniel 12:8-9 where the prophet complains to the Lord that he does not understand the prophecies that have been entrusted to him. The Lord's response was, "Don't worry about it. Just write the prophecies. They have been sealed up until the end times."
In other words, the Bible teaches that many of the end time prophecies will not be understood until the time comes for them to be fulfilled. And that is exactly what has been happening in the past 100 years. Historical developments and scientific inventions are now making it possible for us to understand end time prophecies that have never been understood before.
Take Israel for example. All of end time prophecy revolves around the nation of Israel. But how could those prophecies be understood as long as Israel did not exist and there was no prospect that the nation would ever exist again?
This is the reason that Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, became such a phenomenal bestseller in the 1970's. For the first time it explained the events prophesied in the book of Revelation in natural terms that people could easily understand.
4) The Signs of World Politics
"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars... for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..." (Matthew 24:6-7)
I taught international politics for 20 years before I entered the ministry full time, so this is an area that is particularly fascinating to me.
The Bible prophesies a very specific end time configuration of world politics. Israel is pictured as being re-established (Ezekiel 37:21-22) and surrounded by hostile Arab neighbors intent on its destruction (Ezekiel 35:1 - 36:7). This, of course has been the situation in the Middle East since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in May of 1948.
Daniel prophesied that the Roman Empire would be revived (Daniel 2:36-41), something many men — like Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Hitler — tried to do through force. But the prophecy had to await God's timing for its fulfillment, and that came after World War II, with the formation of the European Common Market that has since morphed into the superpower called the European Union.
The Bible pictures a great power located in the land of Magog in the "remote parts of the north." This nation will menace Israel in the end times and will ultimately lead an invasion of Israel together with specified allies, all of which are modern day Muslim states (Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16). Russia with all its Muslim republics and its Muslim allies fits this description precisely.
All the nations of the world are prophesied to come together against Israel in the end times over the issue of the control of Jerusalem (Zech. 12:2-3) — a prophecy being fulfilled today.
The magnitude of warfare in the 20th Century is another fulfillment of end time prophecy related to world politics. The 20th Century was one of unparalleled war. Like birth pangs, the frequency and intensity of war increased exponentially. It is now estimated that more people died in wars during the 20th Century than in all the previous wars throughout all of recorded human history.
5) The Signs of Technology
"Men will faint from fear over the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21:26)
The development of nuclear weapons seems to be foreshadowed by this prophecy in Luke 21 that speaks of people "fainting from fear" due to the "powers of the heavens being shaken." The incredible carnage of the Seal and Trumpet Judgments portrayed in chapters 6 and 8 in the book of Revelation indicates that the Antichrist will conquer the world through the use of nuclear weapons. We are told that one-third of the earth will be burned and that one-half of humanity will be killed. Further evidence that this is a nuclear holocaust is found in Revelation 16 where we are told that at the end of the Tribulation the survivors will be covered with sores that will not heal (Revelation 16:11).
As I pointed out earlier, there are many end time prophecies that simply cannot be understood apart from modern technological developments. Consider the prophecy in Revelation 11 about the two witnesses who will call the world to repentance during the first half of the Tribulation. When they are killed by the Antichrist, we are told that their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days, and the whole world will look upon them (Revelation 11:9). How could anyone understand such a prophecy before the development of satellite television in the 1960's?
Likewise, how could the Antichrist control all buying and selling worldwide (Revelation 13) without the aid of computer technology? How could the False Prophet create the illusion of giving life to a statue (Revelation 13) without the technology of holograms, virtual reality, and robotics? How could an army of 200 million come out of the Far East (Revelation 9) before the population explosion that was produced by modern medical technology? How could the Gospel be proclaimed to all the world (Matthew 24) before the invention of motion pictures, radio, television, and the Internet? The list goes on and on.
6) The Signs of Israel
"And it shall come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it." (Zechariah 12:3)
The signs that relate to Israel are the most important of all because the Jews are God's prophetic time clock. What I mean by this is that the Scriptures will often tie a prophesied future event with something that will happen to the Jews. We are told to watch the Jews, and when the prophesied event concerning them occurs, we can be sure that the other prophesied event will also occur.
An example can be found in Luke 21:24 where Jesus prophesied that the Jews would be dispersed from Jerusalem and be led captive among the nations. But then He added that one day they would return to re-occupy Jerusalem, and when this happens, the end time events will occur that will lead to His return.
There are many prophecies concerning the Jews in the end times, many of which began to be fulfilled in the 20th Century, but there are four key ones. The first is their worldwide regathering in unbelief (Isaiah 11:11-12). In 1900 there were only 40,000 Jews in Palestine. By the end of World War II that number had risen to 800,000. Today, there are more than 5.7 million who have come from all over the world. Very soon there will be as many Jews in Israel as died in the Holocaust. The prophet Jeremiah says twice that when history is completed, the Jewish people will look back and conclude that their worldwide regathering was a greater miracle than their deliverance from Egyptian captivity (Jeremiah 16:14-15 and 23:7-8). We are truly living in momentous times!
The second key prophecy concerning the Jews is a natural consequence of their regathering. It is the re-establishment of their state which occurred on May 14, 1948 (Isaiah 66:7-8). The third key prophecy is the re-occupation of Jerusalem which occurred on June 7, 1967 during the miraculous Six Day War (Zechariah 8:4-8).
The fourth key prophecy is the one whose fulfillment we are witnessing today — the re-focusing of world politics upon the nation of Israel (Zechariah 12:2-3). All the nations of the world, including the United States, are coming against Israel over the issue of the control of the nation's capital — the city of Jerusalem. The Vatican wants the city put under its control. The United Nations wants it to be internationalized. The European Union is demanding it be divided between the Arabs and the Jews. The Arabs want all of it.
Summary
And so you have it — six different categories of signs, each category containing many prophecies concerning the end times, all of which are being fulfilled before our very eyes. Let me conclude by specifically listing 50 of those prophecies.
31) Unification of Europe.
(Daniel 2 & 7)
(Daniel 2 & 7)
41) Russian threat to Israel.
(Ezekiel 38 and 39)
(Ezekiel 38 and 39)
42) Arab threat to Israel.
(Ezekiel 35 and 36)
(Ezekiel 35 and 36)
This list could be greatly expanded, but the 50 examples above should be sufficient to show that we are living in the season of the Lord's return.
The Bible clearly teaches that God never pours out His wrath without warning for He is a just and loving God who does not wish that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). That's why He has provided so many signs to alert us to the fact that we are living on the threshold of the Tribulation.
The Message
The bottom line message of the signs is that we are living on borrowed time. And the crucial question for every human being is "Are you ready?" Are you ready for the return of Jesus? Will He come as your Blessed Hope or your Holy Terror?
It will be one or the other, for God is determined to deal with sin, and He does so with either grace or wrath (John 3:36). If you have put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you are under God's grace. Your sins have been forgiven and forgotten, and you can look forward with confidence to that glorious day when Jesus will appear in the heavens.
But if you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are under the wrath of God, and you have nothing to look forward to except the terror of His wrath.
The choice is yours. I personally cannot understand why anyone would turn their back on God's free gift of grace through faith in His Son. I have placed my faith in Jesus, and I therefore am able to look forward to His soon return with great anticipation and expectation. All that is within me cries out, "Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus" (1 Corinthians 16:22).
Wake up, sober up, and suit up ~ Greg Laurie
Wake up, sober up, and suit up
How are we, as followers of Jesus Christ, to live as we await His return? There are three things: we need to wake up, sober up, and suit up.
We need to wake up
Scripture tells us, “Let us not sleep, as others do” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). The Encyclopedia Britannica defines sleep as “a state of inactivity, with a loss of consciousness and a decrease in responsiveness to events taking place.”
There are people in the Church today who have gone to sleep. They are not watching the signs of the times, nor are they observing the “times and seasons.”
There is a lethargy and passiveness, even a laziness. There seems to be a disconnect between their so-called “spiritual life” and real life. Instead of “walking in the Spirit,” they are sleepwalking.
What Paul is saying in this verse is “Wake up and be ready for the Lord’s return!”
The excitement of Christmas Eve
Remember when you were a little kid and it was so hard to fall asleep on Christmas Eve? Maybe it was the excitement of opening your presents the next day. Or perhaps it was the hope of seeing Santa Claus. But it was a joyful anticipation that kept you awake, not some kind of dread or fear.
In the same way, looking for Christ’s return is not a miserable, repressive, or confining way to live. It’s a happy, joyful, purposeful way to live.
It detaches you from the world
Let me close today with the words of C.H. Spurgeon, who said, “It is a very blessed thing to be on the watch for Christ, it is a blessing to us now. How it detaches you from the world! You can be poor without murmuring. You can be rich without worldliness. You can be sick without sorrowing. You can be healthy without presumption. If you are always waiting for Christ’s coming, untold blessings are wrapped up in that glorious hope.”
The Convergence of 2012 ~ Mary Miller
by Mary Miller, Koinonia Institute
As 2009 is rapidly passing, I have been approached by many friends asking, “What do you think of all of this 2012 non-sense?”
I had to admit I hadn’t given it much thought except for the attention to the Mayan Long Calendar I had studied years ago (many years ago) in college.
Needless to say, soon after these conversations, everything that crossed my desk had “2012” somewhere in the title or the summary.
I started to research what is behind this 2012 phenomenon, which is building steam even as this article is being written.
What began as a study of the year 2012 quickly turned into a study of cycles. What many have come to believe throughout the generations as the apocalyptic end of our age as defined in the Mayan culture and calendars is actually a stunning convergence of cycles.
Cycles impact our everyday life. Many of which are so in-grained in our daily routines we do not even think about them. The definitions of these cycles and the impact of their convergence on the times in which we live are the focus of this series.
Definition
Most of us have been taught to think linearly, as in the use of historical time lines, to explain where mankind has been in history, where we are now, and where we are headed in the future. The challenge of this study is to begin to think cyclically; life as a grouping of cycles and patterns.
The following definitions are excerpted from Definitions and Concepts used in Cycle Study, by Edward R. Dewey, founder of the Cycles Research Institute. The Greek word for cycle is kyklos (a ring, circle, cycle): a complete course of operation returning to its original state. Associated with the study of cycles are the words “order,” “pat-tern,” and “rhythm.”
The Latin word for “order” is ordo (order): conformity to law. The Latin word for “pattern” is pater (patron, father): an arrangement or composition that suggests or reveals a design; a configuration; formal or regular arrangement. The Greek word for “rhythm” is rhythmos (measured motion): movement marked by reasonably regular recurrence, or reasonably regularity of alternation.
Topical cycles currently being studied by this Institute include: astronomy, biology, chemistry, climate, harmonics, geology, history, wave structure of matter, social trends, lunar, solar, war, commodities, currencies, economics, markets, stock trading, astrology, and religion, just to name a few.
Interestingly, this Institute’s study of cycles, although secular in nature, fully supports the intelligent design of God’s plan.
Cycles in Creation
Within the creation story of Genesis, cycles are first defined. The cycle of the day is defined:
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:5
The cycles of days, weeks, months, years, and “appointed times” or feasts with the Lord are defined:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Genesis 1:14
These cycles are often taught as circles within circles, the innermost circle representing the smallest unit of a cycle. For instance, the inner circle could represent days. When seven days are reached, a cycle of weeks is started in the next larger circle. When four weeks are reached, a cycle of months is started in the next larger circle, and so forth.
Bill Cloud presented the concept of a cycle in his presentation “Light in a Dark Place.” In Hebrew, the letter Samekh is written in cursive as a circle, “o.” Interestingly, this letter means “to support” and has a numeric value of 60. Time is represented by the hands of a clock going in a circle—60 seconds to make a minute; 60 minutes to make an hour. Time does not march in a straight line; it is represented by increasing measurements of repeating cycles.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a be-ginning.”
“Signs” in the Sky
Scripturally, the “end” has been foretold from the beginning—another cycle. This is a foundational concept to under-stand, as it relates to the natural cycles of our lives and the universal cycles God placed in the observable heavens.
Prior to the written Scriptures, the story of man’s redemption was placed in the stars in what the Hebrews came to call the Mazzaroth—the original understanding of the constella-tions in the sky.
We have no doubt as to God’s hand in the creation of the heavenlies as He poses His questions to Job:
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst though bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
Job 38:31-33
Although scholars vary in some of the particulars, the general understanding of the original zodiac defines the chronicle of redemption as: Ancient Civilizations Interpret the Constellations.
This incredible prophecy was, however, corrupted in Babylon with a “different zodiac.” When the tower of Babel was destroyed, the people scattered, and the language confounded—a form of the corrupted story traveled with them.
In addition to changing the definition of the stars, some ancient civilizations have been considered expert in tracking the movement of the constellations in relation to the earth and the cycles of time.
Archaeological finds have found similar zodiacs and stories of former and future world cycles in the Hopi Indian Tribe of North America; the Hindu traditions of ancient India; the Mayan civilizations of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; the Aztec civilization of central Mexico; and the Inca civilization of Peru, among others.
With the advent of 20th-century science, proponents of the intelligence of these ancient societies endorsed the meanings of their calendars and prophecies. Characteristics in common among these include the tracking of an approximate 26,000-year cycle for the “precession of the equinoxes” (the time it takes for the earth to journey through the 12 constellations) and a smaller “world age” cycle of 5,125 years. The one eye-catching similarity in their stories, their zodiacs, and the end of their current “world cycle” is the year 2012. However, unlike the popular press of the anticipated apocalyptic end of time, it is actually interpreted as simply the end of the current cycle, which means it is also the beginning of a new one.
Even traditional scholars, extrapolating from the cycles of human history, have reasoned that the coming years will be extraordinary.
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, wading through the mystique surrounding the popular focus of the year 2012 is actually a study in cycle theory. Without regard for the Mayan Long calendar, scholars and analysts, extrapolating from the cycles of human history, have reasoned that the coming years will be extraordinary.
Long ago, someone else was searching for meaning in an otherwise troubled world—his name was Solomon.
As Solomon explains, there is a time to every purpose under heaven. We are the generation that will witness a radical global shift of “purpose” that will strain the capabilities of individuals, businesses, support organizations, and government administrations.
The Foundation for the Study of Cycles
Richard Mogey, Director of Research for the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, has worked with leading academicians and scientists from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Temple University, Western Reserve as well as other global institutions to build archives of cyclical data spanning 5,000 years. According to Mr. Mogey:
I’ve dedicated my entire adult life to studying the natural cycles that govern the universe and all of human existence —including the cyclical ebb and flow of stocks, currencies and commodities. I’m proud to occupy the position at the Foundation for the Study of Cycles that was created by President Herbert Hoover’s chief economist, Edward R. Dewey, nearly 80 years ago.
It is of interest that this Foundation was put in place to study historical cycles and determine if the factors that brought about the Great Depression could have been fore-known and likewise changed. The results of years of studies provided the “revelation that economies, investment markets and individual investment vehicles move in regular, rhythmic, predictable cycles—one of the greatest breakthroughs in financial history.”Considering the current condition of economic collapse around the world, and the U.S. in particular, one might wonder if the knowledge of cycles is all that helpful. However, experts had been warning for years that a domino-like collapse was inevitable.
2012 Economic Cycles
The convergence of economic and geopolitical cycles for the United States in 2012 paints a picture worthy of note: one that may or may not come as a surprise to anyone watching current events.
Beginning in 2010 and converging to an all-time low in 2012 are the valuations of the 20- and 60-year cycles of the U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
According to the International Monetary Fund figures for 2008, the U.S. is currently behind the European Union, but staying well ahead of Japan and China (see chart, below).
In the light of other cycle predictions, the tide could change rather rapidly. The valuation of the dollar against gold is also expected to reach a low peak during this period. While some would speculate that this turn would be only temporary as it has been in the past, another convergence may adversely impact the recovery time of these economic cycles.
According to the Foundation, every 500 years, there is a geopolitical power shift moving east to west or west to east. Converging with these economic low cycles in 2012 is the anticipated geopolitical shift of power from the West (U.S.) to the East (Asia).
The debate between the financial analysts (wealth is moving to Asia) and the geopolitical analysts (the U.S. will remain a dominant world power) will be interesting to watch. Depending upon the outcome of these cycles, the U.S. may very well feel as if an apocalypse has occurred.
The U.S. Past, Present, Future
William Strauss and Neil Howe are researchers and observers of American and human history. Their writings, including the 1994 Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, depicts the cyclical themes in social psychology within America since the time of the Pilgrims.
Observations through the looking glass of cycles have caused Strauss, Howe, and other institutional analysts to suggest that the period between 2005 and 2015 will see a merging of “economic, social, cultural, ecological, technological, geopolitical, and military distress and disruption of unprecedented magnitude.”
Unfortunately, Strauss and Howe lead a myriad of voices characterizing this as a time of “unique opportunity”—a chance, if not an obligation, to craft a new civic order.
Is This the “Change” We’ve Been Hearing About?
These are not the cosmic catastrophes predicted in ancient cultures or popularized in modern entertainment; these are the predictions of analysts who have studied the cycles of human existence. To a serious student of Biblical eschatology, the results are striking.
John L. Peterson, founder of the Arlington Institute, a non-profit future-oriented think tank, presented his thoughts regarding preparation for the coming storm of 2012 [emphasis mine]:
To ultimately become part of a global effort, there are four general functions that must become an integral part of any organization, business, or government (whether local or national).
Anticipation
• We must learn how to anticipate what is coming our way before it shows up, otherwise every big event is a surprise.
• Anticipatory roles and capabilities must be encouraged throughout the social system—government, business, schools, homes and families.
• A communications and response capability will have to be implemented to quickly and effectively communicate early warning signals to all levels of society.
Innovation• The rapid development of new theories of adaptation and resilience must be encouraged to determine how organizations, governments, and families can organize and prepare themselves for external shocks.
• Considerable incentives should be established to encourage practical new ideas about living well using less energy and other resources.
Adaptation• A priority must be established to make all levels of society more resilient and adaptive to change.
• A major initiative must be put in place to familiarize the general populace with the potential implications of big changes and convince them of the importance of getting ready for the times ahead.
• Decentralization must become a national value.
• Breakdown scenarios must be studied so everyone can be-come familiar with failure possibilities.
Education• Incentives should be put in place to encourage a search for historical models of how societies adapted (or not) to big change.
Continuing with Peterson’s analysis [emphasis mine]:Implementing this level of institutional change is very hard and, for governments, unprecedented. A strong leader must have clear mental pictures of both the implications of staying the course and the necessity for change coupled with a pointed sense of urgency for his actions.
Are these the foundations for the “Change You Can Believe In” slogans that permeated the 2008 U.S. Presidential election? Keep in mind that 2012 is also the next election for that post.
Moving Forward
Rahm Emanuel (White House Chief of Staff) has declared, “Rule 1: Never allow a crisis to go to waste, they are opportunities to do big things.” According to the current U.S. administration, all aspects of life are now in “crisis mode.” The speed with which “change” is being achieved is startling.
The advocates of the 2012 “Age of Aquarius” collapse of the old world system and rebirth of a new, enlightened world system would have us believe that our position in the solar system and the position of the stars in a pagan zodiac will dictate the future of mankind. In truth, there is a carefully planned agenda. Visionary and 1969 “Humanist of the Year,” R. Buckminster Fuller once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” The launching of this “new model” between 2010 and 2012 is the most worrisome of 2012 chaos theories.
Solomon explains in Ecclesiastes 2:13-14, “Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happenth to them all.”
This is a time to ensure your walk is in the light with eyes wide open to the events surrounding you.
By 2012 this new world, born out of the creative minds and compassionate hearts of self-empowered visionaries every-where, will be even more visible and influential, affecting every aspect of life.
¬—John L.Peterson A Vision for 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change
What is the Pretribulation Rapture? ~ Todd Strandberg
What is the Pretribulation Rapture?
The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians."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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess, 4:16-18).
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning--something Jesus used quite frequently--I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.
The word "rapture" comes from Paul's "caught up" remark in verse 17. The words "caught up" are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to carry off," "snatch up," or "grasp hastily." The translation from harpazo to "rapture" involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word "rapture."
Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture
The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27).
Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it's time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house.
This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14).
What They Didn't Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I'm at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons.
During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.
The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.
The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?
"Come Up Hither"
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, "come up hither," as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to "come up hither," the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.
Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army's members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.
The Time of Jacob's Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people" (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians.
However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.
"He" That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain "He" must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the "He" that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.
War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He's rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.
The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn't fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they'll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.
God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth.
Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them.
A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church.
Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.
The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.
God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church.
A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn't need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, "We're already in heaven."
Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.
The World TestCommon-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, "Do you believe in the rapture?" If you answered "yes," your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.
That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don't Jehovah's Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley?
Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don't know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.
The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.
A Warning From Revelation ~ Jack Kelley
A Warning From Revelation
Q. In the Bible it says, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:19Revelation 22:19English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. out of the book...: or, from the tree of life
My question is, what exactly constitutes adding to the Bible? Is it permissible for me to mark important passages or write my own notes beside a verse or story I find particularly confusing?
A. Rev.22:18-19 says,
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
This is a warning that applies only to the Book of Revelation. It prohibits changing the text of the book by either adding to or taking away anything John has written. Underlining, highlighting, or making marginal notes in your Bible won’t change the text and therefore these actions are not included in the warning.
Jesus is coming! Are you ready? ~ Greg Laurie
Jesus is coming! Are you ready?
Yes, Jesus Christ is coming again.
As a student and teacher of Bible prophecy for 35 years, it is my belief that the next event on the prophetic calendar will be the rapture of the Church. That is the event when we will be “caught up to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
I will be speaking on this topic at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove today through Wednesday.
So, in light of all this hope of Christ’s return, how are we to live? What are we to do as we await His return?
Three things come to mind: We need to wake up, sober up, and suit up.
Paul tell us, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8).
We should welcome His return
The teaching of Christ’s return is real litmus test of where you are spiritually.
For the person who is right with God, it motivates and purifies them. For the person who is not right with God, it frightens and alarms them.
For the believer who is watching and waiting, Christ’s return is welcomed. For the person who is not where they need be spiritually, He will come as a thief.
So how are we to live in light of the fact Christ could return at any moment? More on waking up,sobering up and suiting up tomorrow.
Opposing View: The Prewrath Rapture (link posted by "Alan")
November 15, 2005
The Prewrath Rapture
The Prewrath Rapture position is a biblical synthesis of pre-, mid-, and posttribulationalism, together with a refinement of the timing issue that brings harmony to all of the rapture passages in question.A thorough examination of the Prewrath position reveals that an unquestionable truth from each of the three positions is kept while the errors of each position are discarded. The proponents of these three major positions would probably concur that the major area of disagreement concerns the actual timing of the rapture which, they would have to admit, also influences their interpretation of many passages that deal with issues related to the rapture question.
Each camp on the rapture question has committed followers of Jesus Christ as adherents. Dr. John F. Walvoord was an advocate of the pretribulational view. Having studied at Dallas Theological Seminary and spent time in his company, I can personally testify to Dr. Walvoord's love for God and His Word. "A giant of the faith in modern time" is a fitting title for this man of God. The fact that he believed the church will be taken before Daniel's Seventieth Week begins makes him no less an honorable man. Dr. Gleason L. Archer, Jr. on the other hand follows the midtribulational viewpoint.
He argues that Christ returns to rapture His church at the mid-point of the Seventieth Week. I have not personally met Dr. Archer, but I have read and utilized his writings. As an Old Testament professor, Dr. Archer has distinguished himself as a first rate exegete of God's Word. The fact that he believes the church will be taken at the mid-point of the Seventieth Week, before the "great tribulation," makes him no less a serious student of the Bible. Dr. Douglas J. Moo endorses a posttribulational rapture. As a Professor of New Testament, Dr. Moo has demonstrated an outstanding mind for New Testament exegesis. The fact that Dr. Moo believes Scripture teaches that Christ will return at the end of the Seventieth Week to rapture His church, after the "great tribulation" and after the six trumpets and six bowl judgments, makes him no less a committed follower of Christ.
The number of faithful followers of Jesus Christ who hold to each of the positions stated above are many. Logically, it makes sense that the correct position on the timing of Christ's return is some combination of the three major views, given that each view is based on the same passages of Scripture. It is arrogant and illogical then to conclude that only one of these positions is absolutely right and the other two are totally wrong.
The question that each position is attempting to answer concerns the timing of the rapture. This continues to be the irreconcilable difference. Countless hours of time and gallons of ink have been expended in order to prove the other two positions wrong. Scholars continue to search for the one argument that will close the debate in favor of their own particular position. The sad result is that the discussions have gotten so trivial and the distinctions between words so technical that the average follower of Christ cannot follow the arguments. The price of this continual infighting is, on the one hand, an uneducated laity convinced that the truth cannot be known. On the other hand, committed godly men and women support pre-, mid-, and posttribulationalism with fierce devotion to their position.
For now, the debate is purely esoteric. No real danger exists, for all things continue as before. However, one day there will be a world full of people that will be called upon to be that final generation of humanity to experience the climactic events of history. The old adage that end-time events "will all pan out in the end" will not be taken so lightly by the generation that will see these things begin to happen.
A Starting Point
The Church of Jesus Christ is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. On this point, posttribbers (George E. Ladd and Robert H. Gundry), midtribbers (Gleason L. Archer Jr. and J. Oliver Buswell), and pretribbers (John F. Walvoord and Leon Wood) are in accord. The message of 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 is unmistakable in asserting that believers are promised deliverance from the eschatological wrath of God. But in light of this fact, certain questions arise. Precisely, then, what is the wrath of God and when does it occur? What method will God use to deliver His people? Will He remove them from the world or merely protect them while in the world?
To illustrate the eschatological positions, let's use a chair. This chair has a beautiful place in which the believer sits--the rapture. The problem: the legs are missing. The correct eschatological position must give the seat the support it needs--four solid legs--for the chair to be complete, reliable, and practical.
The Truth of Pretribulationalism
Pretribbers teach that the Church of Jesus Christ is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. However, every other element of the pretrib position can be and is debated. The flaw of the position is the insistence that the entire Seventieth Week of Daniel is the direct wrath of God, thereby requiring the Church to be evacuated from the earth before the Seventieth Week begins. There is no incontrovertible biblical support that says the entire Seventieth Week of Daniel is the wrath of God.
Perhaps this is why Dr. John F. Walvoord wrote some years ago, "Neither posttribulationalism nor pretribulationalism is an explicit teaching of Scripture. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either." (1) The pretrib position also allows for contradictions. While arguing that Matthew 24 is not applicable to the Church, they consistently use Matthew 24:36 to support their claim for an imminent rapture. In this writer's opinion, the pretrib position has only one valid leg to stand on.
The Truth of Midtribulationalsim
Midtribulationalism also recognizes that the church is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. But midtribbers also make a fundamental distinction in the nature of the Seventieth Week of Daniel that is different than those of the pretribulational persuasion. Dr. Gleason L. Archer, Jr. indicates two sources of wrath during the Seventieth Week. When speaking of the wrath issue, he writes,
However, like pretribulationalism, the flaw of this position is Dr. Archer's incorrect assessment of the nature of the Seventieth Week when it comes to the timing of the rapture. Daniel 9:27 indicates three-and-a-half years of tranquility for Israel followed by three-and-a-half years of intense persecution at the hands of "the Prince who is to come." New Testament Scriptures emphasize that Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will execute a reign of terror against the people of God during the second half--42 months--of the Seventieth Week (4) and Revelation 12:12-14 explains that these final three-and-a-half years of persecution is "Satan's wrath." More specifically, Satan will give his power to Antichrist who will persecute the people of God.
Revelation 6:12-17 indicates when God's wrath begins upon the earth, beginning with the trumpet judgments, and Revelation 15:1 explains the end of His wrath, the bowl judgments. It is clearly the wrath of God that brings Satan/Antichrist's wrath to an end. Therefore, the wrath of Antichrist and the wrath of God will both be evident during the second half of Daniel's Seventieth Week. This, in part, contradicts the midtribbers who insist that only God's wrath will be incurred during the second half of Daniel's Seventieth Week.
This position also contradicts Matthew 24:36 by indicating the midpoint of Daniel's Week as the day of the rapture.
Continuing the chair illustration, while the pretrib position has only one solid leg to stand on, the midtrib chair has two solid legs to stand on: the exemption from the eschatological wrath of God and the distinction between God's wrath and the wrath of man.
The Truth of Posttribulationalism
The posttrib position takes the rapture question one step further. Like the midtrib position, posttribbers recognize the involvement of both the wrath of God and the wrath of Satan during Daniel's Seventieth Week. (5) However, posttribulationalism offers a different explanation for the order of events and the timing of the rapture. Dr. Douglas Moo explains that the great tribulation will be the persecution of the saints by Antichrist and will continue for a large portion of the second half of the Seventieth Week.
The wrath of God will be concentrated in the very last part of the Week. The wrath of God is limited to the eschatological Day of the Lord which Dr. Moo argues is "a decisive intervention of God for judgment and deliverance." (6) Since the eschatological Day of the Lord involves both the judgment of God (7) and the deliverance of His people, (8) posttribbers argue that the eschatological Day of the Lord and "the great tribulation" cannot be the same event. Dr. Moo writes,
The flaw of the posttrib position is in its timing of the rapture. By placing it at the end of the Seventieth Week there is insufficient time allowed for the trumpet and bowl judgments to occur sequentially (as the text indicates), and for the salvation of Israel's remnant and some Gentile converts to populate the millennial kingdom. Another flaw of the posttrib position states that believers will not be removed from earth during the eschatological wrath of God, but rather that they will be protected from it as if under a big umbrella. The rather fancy attempt by Dr. Robert H. Gundry to explain how God's people can be protected if God's judgment is selective does not measure up to biblical scrutiny. (11)
Posttribbers' continual insistence that believers will be caught up to heaven and immediately returned to earth cannot be harmonized without serious problems in sequencing as outlined in Revelation. The correct position must allow sufficient time between the rapture and the Second Advent. Dr. Paul Feinberg outlines this necessity when he writes,
The Truth of Prewrath
I believe that the Prewrath position adds the fourth leg to the chair illustration. By taking what is biblically defensible from each of the other three positions, the Prewrath position begins with strong supports already in place. As do all the rapture positions discussed, I also believe that the saints will not experience the eschatological wrath of God. Like those who hold to the midtrib position, I see a distinction between the wrath of God and the wrath of Antichrist/man.
Like the posttrib position, I believe that the wrath of God will be evidenced only after the persecution of Antichrist is finished. Therefore, like the posttribbers, I believe that the Church will experience the direct persecution of Satan/Antichrist.
This is where the Prewrath position adds the critical fourth leg to the chair.
The Word of God teaches that Satan/Antichrist's persecution will be cut short (13) in Matthew 24:22. (14) How? By removing the object of the evil one's persecution--the Church--to heaven and putting the remnant of Israel in protective custody. (15) This one refinement makes several things possible: 1) it provides sufficient time for all of God's wrath to occur without manufacturing a way for the Church to be present while that wrath rains down all around them; 2) it provides the necessary time needed for the salvation of Zechariah's prophesied one-third remnant of Israel who will be the inhabitants of the millennial kingdom; 3) it provides the time necessary for the salvation of a remnant of Gentiles from the nations who refuse to take the mark of Antichrist.
Therefore, the Prewrath position stands on four solid legs. One leg involves the Church's exemption from the wrath of God (pretribulationalism). One leg consists of a distinction between the wrath of God and the wrath of Antichrist (midtribulationalism). One leg constitutes a distinction between the "great tribulation" and the eschatological Day of the Lord (posttribulationalism). The last leg shows that the persecution by Antichrist will be cut short (16) before the end of the Seventieth Week, providing the interval between the rapture and Christ's coming at the battle of Armageddon during which time all of the trumpet and bowl judgments will be played out.
The identification of the wrath of God with the eschatological Day of the Lord is the key. All sides agree that the eschatological Day of the Lord involves both the final judgment of God and the deliverance of His saints. Drs. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock in reference to 1 Thessalonians write,
The timing issue can be settled if the beginning of the Day of the Lord can be determined within the frame work of end-time events. The Prewrath position acknowledges that the eschatological Day of the Lord will be signaled by a sign given in the sun, moon, and stars, a sign distinctly described in the eschatological book of Joel. (19) Jesus indicates in the Olivet Discourse that His Parousia will immediately follow the sign Joel prophesied, which marks the inception of the eschatological Day of the Lord. Jesus also indicated in His revelation to John that Joel's sign in the sun, moon, and stars will be the sign that announces the day in which His wrath begins, a sign given in the heavenlies that will be displayed at the breaking of the sixth seal.
Therefore, as one compares the six seals to the events outlined in the Olivet Discourse, one quickly sees that the rapture must occur after the Seventieth Week of Daniel begins, after the mid-point of that same Week has begun, and after Satan/Antichrist's persecution of the Church is cut short (Matt. 24:22) when the sign of the eschatological Day of the Lord and the parousia of Christ is given in the sun, moon, and stars. The exact day or hour when the sixth seal will be broken is not detailed in the Scriptures (Matt. 24:36), but when that happens it will announce to the entire world the inception of the eschatological Day of the Lord.
Does the timing component offered by the Prewrath position have incontrovertible biblical support? If you search the Scriptures we believe that it does. Our four-legged chair is durable, reliable, and practical. Have a seat, and test it for yourself.
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ENDNOTES
1. John Walvoord, The Rapture Question, (Findlay, Ohio: n.p. 1957), 148.
2. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 139.
3. ibid., 108.
4. See Dan. 9:27 and Rev. 12:7-13:18.
5. See Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:3; and Rev. 13:1-8 with Rev. 15:1, 7 and 16:1.
6. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 183.
7. See Ob. 15; Zeph. 1:15-18 and Is. 13:6.
8. See Is. 27; Jer. 30:8-9 and Joel 2:32.
9. ibid., 182.
10. ibid., 177.
11. Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the Tribulation, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 44-63.
12. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 72.
13. The term koloboo in the passive sense refers to that which has been amputated or reduced in size. The LXX used this verb to explain the actions of David's men in 2 Samuel 4:12 where clearly amputation is the sense. Extant occurrences of the term support a literal interpretation in Matthew 24:22.
14. It is important at this point for the reader to understand that it is the persecution that Christ is referring to, not the second half of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. Antichrist will reign for three-and-a-half years, but his persecution will not.
15. This position is argued in detail in The Rapture Question Answered Plain and Simple and The Sign by Robert Van Kampen.
16. See endnote 14 above.
17. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1993), 263-64.
18. J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, (Grand Rapids: Dunham Publishing Company, 1967), 230-231. Dr. Pentecost would make the Day of the Lord 1007 years long--a fact that is greatly debated.
19. See Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 24:29-31; Acts 2:14-21 and Rev. 6:12-17.
He argues that Christ returns to rapture His church at the mid-point of the Seventieth Week. I have not personally met Dr. Archer, but I have read and utilized his writings. As an Old Testament professor, Dr. Archer has distinguished himself as a first rate exegete of God's Word. The fact that he believes the church will be taken at the mid-point of the Seventieth Week, before the "great tribulation," makes him no less a serious student of the Bible. Dr. Douglas J. Moo endorses a posttribulational rapture. As a Professor of New Testament, Dr. Moo has demonstrated an outstanding mind for New Testament exegesis. The fact that Dr. Moo believes Scripture teaches that Christ will return at the end of the Seventieth Week to rapture His church, after the "great tribulation" and after the six trumpets and six bowl judgments, makes him no less a committed follower of Christ.
The number of faithful followers of Jesus Christ who hold to each of the positions stated above are many. Logically, it makes sense that the correct position on the timing of Christ's return is some combination of the three major views, given that each view is based on the same passages of Scripture. It is arrogant and illogical then to conclude that only one of these positions is absolutely right and the other two are totally wrong.
The question that each position is attempting to answer concerns the timing of the rapture. This continues to be the irreconcilable difference. Countless hours of time and gallons of ink have been expended in order to prove the other two positions wrong. Scholars continue to search for the one argument that will close the debate in favor of their own particular position. The sad result is that the discussions have gotten so trivial and the distinctions between words so technical that the average follower of Christ cannot follow the arguments. The price of this continual infighting is, on the one hand, an uneducated laity convinced that the truth cannot be known. On the other hand, committed godly men and women support pre-, mid-, and posttribulationalism with fierce devotion to their position.
For now, the debate is purely esoteric. No real danger exists, for all things continue as before. However, one day there will be a world full of people that will be called upon to be that final generation of humanity to experience the climactic events of history. The old adage that end-time events "will all pan out in the end" will not be taken so lightly by the generation that will see these things begin to happen.
A Starting Point
The Church of Jesus Christ is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. On this point, posttribbers (George E. Ladd and Robert H. Gundry), midtribbers (Gleason L. Archer Jr. and J. Oliver Buswell), and pretribbers (John F. Walvoord and Leon Wood) are in accord. The message of 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 is unmistakable in asserting that believers are promised deliverance from the eschatological wrath of God. But in light of this fact, certain questions arise. Precisely, then, what is the wrath of God and when does it occur? What method will God use to deliver His people? Will He remove them from the world or merely protect them while in the world?
To illustrate the eschatological positions, let's use a chair. This chair has a beautiful place in which the believer sits--the rapture. The problem: the legs are missing. The correct eschatological position must give the seat the support it needs--four solid legs--for the chair to be complete, reliable, and practical.
The Truth of Pretribulationalism
Pretribbers teach that the Church of Jesus Christ is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. However, every other element of the pretrib position can be and is debated. The flaw of the position is the insistence that the entire Seventieth Week of Daniel is the direct wrath of God, thereby requiring the Church to be evacuated from the earth before the Seventieth Week begins. There is no incontrovertible biblical support that says the entire Seventieth Week of Daniel is the wrath of God.
Perhaps this is why Dr. John F. Walvoord wrote some years ago, "Neither posttribulationalism nor pretribulationalism is an explicit teaching of Scripture. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either." (1) The pretrib position also allows for contradictions. While arguing that Matthew 24 is not applicable to the Church, they consistently use Matthew 24:36 to support their claim for an imminent rapture. In this writer's opinion, the pretrib position has only one valid leg to stand on.
The Truth of Midtribulationalsim
Midtribulationalism also recognizes that the church is exempted from the eschatological wrath of God. But midtribbers also make a fundamental distinction in the nature of the Seventieth Week of Daniel that is different than those of the pretribulational persuasion. Dr. Gleason L. Archer, Jr. indicates two sources of wrath during the Seventieth Week. When speaking of the wrath issue, he writes,
It simply regards the first three and a half years, during which the Antichrist will increase his power and mount his persecution against the church, as a less tribulation, not nearly as terrifying or destructive of life as those fearsome plagues that will dominate the last three and a half years. In other words, this interpretation makes a clear division between the first half as the period of the wrath of man, and the second half as the period of the wrath of God. For the reasons adduced . . . we understand that the final generation of the pre-Rapture church will be subject to the wrath of man, but spared from the wrath of God. (italics added) (2)He also adds that,
. . . when we speak of the "wrath of man" as the distinctive feature of the first half of the "week," we mean that the wrath of the Antichrist and his associates in government is the dominating feature on the stage of this drama. . . . But as the second half of the week comes into play, with the church safely removed from the scene, the indignation of the Lord breaks forth with overwhelming, supernatural power. . . . Hence we rightly speak of this period as the "wrath of God." (3)I agree with Archer in that a distinction must be maintained between the wrath of Antichrist/man and the wrath of God. This is a critically important point. Satan's wrath marks the second half of Daniel's week according to Revelation 12:7-17.
However, like pretribulationalism, the flaw of this position is Dr. Archer's incorrect assessment of the nature of the Seventieth Week when it comes to the timing of the rapture. Daniel 9:27 indicates three-and-a-half years of tranquility for Israel followed by three-and-a-half years of intense persecution at the hands of "the Prince who is to come." New Testament Scriptures emphasize that Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will execute a reign of terror against the people of God during the second half--42 months--of the Seventieth Week (4) and Revelation 12:12-14 explains that these final three-and-a-half years of persecution is "Satan's wrath." More specifically, Satan will give his power to Antichrist who will persecute the people of God.
Revelation 6:12-17 indicates when God's wrath begins upon the earth, beginning with the trumpet judgments, and Revelation 15:1 explains the end of His wrath, the bowl judgments. It is clearly the wrath of God that brings Satan/Antichrist's wrath to an end. Therefore, the wrath of Antichrist and the wrath of God will both be evident during the second half of Daniel's Seventieth Week. This, in part, contradicts the midtribbers who insist that only God's wrath will be incurred during the second half of Daniel's Seventieth Week.
This position also contradicts Matthew 24:36 by indicating the midpoint of Daniel's Week as the day of the rapture.
Continuing the chair illustration, while the pretrib position has only one solid leg to stand on, the midtrib chair has two solid legs to stand on: the exemption from the eschatological wrath of God and the distinction between God's wrath and the wrath of man.
The Truth of Posttribulationalism
The posttrib position takes the rapture question one step further. Like the midtrib position, posttribbers recognize the involvement of both the wrath of God and the wrath of Satan during Daniel's Seventieth Week. (5) However, posttribulationalism offers a different explanation for the order of events and the timing of the rapture. Dr. Douglas Moo explains that the great tribulation will be the persecution of the saints by Antichrist and will continue for a large portion of the second half of the Seventieth Week.
The wrath of God will be concentrated in the very last part of the Week. The wrath of God is limited to the eschatological Day of the Lord which Dr. Moo argues is "a decisive intervention of God for judgment and deliverance." (6) Since the eschatological Day of the Lord involves both the judgment of God (7) and the deliverance of His people, (8) posttribbers argue that the eschatological Day of the Lord and "the great tribulation" cannot be the same event. Dr. Moo writes,
Several factors suggest that it is not. First, no reference to the eschatological 'day' in the New Testament clearly includes a description of the Tribulation. . . . Second, Malachi 4:5 (the coming of Elijah) and Joel 2:30-31 (cosmic portents) place what are generally agreed to be Tribulational events before the Day. . . . Third, Paul seems to suggest in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the Day cannot come until certain, clearly tribulational, events transpire. (9)Second Thessalonians 2:3 indicates that "the man of lawlessness" is revealed before the "Day" begins. Therefore, posttribbers contend that the eschatological Day of the Lord follows the period called "the great tribulation" that occurs at the beginning of the second half of the Seventieth Week. Since Paul teaches that the coming (parousia) of Christ ends the reign of "the man of lawlessness," the Parousia must occur at the very end of the Seventieth Week, i.e., posttribulational. Dr. Moo writes,
The Parousia is indisputably posttribulational in Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39 and in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. . . . On the other hand, the Parousia of Christ is explicitly stated to be an object of the believer's expectation in 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; James 5:7-8; and 1 John 2:28. . . . If, then, believers are exhorted to look forward to this coming of Christ, and this coming is presented as posttribulational, it is natural to conclude that believers will be present through the Tribulation. (10)Continuing the chair illustration, posttribulationalism is three-legged. Like the first two positions, posttribbers hold to the Church's exemption from the eschatological wrath of God. Like the midtribbers, the Seventieth Week of Daniel will evidence both the wrath of God and the wrath of Antichrist. Thirdly and differently from the other two positions, the eschatological Day of the Lord and "the great tribulation" do not cover the same time period during the second half of Daniel's Seventieth Week, but the "day of God's wrath" follows the time of Antichrist's tribulation. It is my position that all of these legs are incontrovertible.
The flaw of the posttrib position is in its timing of the rapture. By placing it at the end of the Seventieth Week there is insufficient time allowed for the trumpet and bowl judgments to occur sequentially (as the text indicates), and for the salvation of Israel's remnant and some Gentile converts to populate the millennial kingdom. Another flaw of the posttrib position states that believers will not be removed from earth during the eschatological wrath of God, but rather that they will be protected from it as if under a big umbrella. The rather fancy attempt by Dr. Robert H. Gundry to explain how God's people can be protected if God's judgment is selective does not measure up to biblical scrutiny. (11)
Posttribbers' continual insistence that believers will be caught up to heaven and immediately returned to earth cannot be harmonized without serious problems in sequencing as outlined in Revelation. The correct position must allow sufficient time between the rapture and the Second Advent. Dr. Paul Feinberg outlines this necessity when he writes,
To begin with it is important to see the need for saints in nonglorified, physical bodies. While the Millennium will see the radical reduction of evil and the flourishing of righteousness, sin will still exist. . . . There will be sickness and death (Isa. 65:20). . . . All of these are not usually thought of as a part of the life of those who have been glorified. (12)Matthew 25:31-45 indicates that only believers will enter the millennial kingdom. Isaiah 19:18-25 clearly indicates that Gentiles along with Jews will populate the millennial kingdom in nonglorified bodies. Since the fully glorified do not sin, and some earthly kingdom constituents will sin, the rapture must have an interval between it and the coming of Christ at the battle of Armageddon to allow for the salvation of those nonglorified people who will populate the millennium. While it is certainly true that God has in the past protected His people in the midst of judgment, Scripture indicates a different type of protection in the last days . . . as in the days of Noah . . . as in the days of Lot.
The Truth of Prewrath
I believe that the Prewrath position adds the fourth leg to the chair illustration. By taking what is biblically defensible from each of the other three positions, the Prewrath position begins with strong supports already in place. As do all the rapture positions discussed, I also believe that the saints will not experience the eschatological wrath of God. Like those who hold to the midtrib position, I see a distinction between the wrath of God and the wrath of Antichrist/man.
Like the posttrib position, I believe that the wrath of God will be evidenced only after the persecution of Antichrist is finished. Therefore, like the posttribbers, I believe that the Church will experience the direct persecution of Satan/Antichrist.
This is where the Prewrath position adds the critical fourth leg to the chair.
The Word of God teaches that Satan/Antichrist's persecution will be cut short (13) in Matthew 24:22. (14) How? By removing the object of the evil one's persecution--the Church--to heaven and putting the remnant of Israel in protective custody. (15) This one refinement makes several things possible: 1) it provides sufficient time for all of God's wrath to occur without manufacturing a way for the Church to be present while that wrath rains down all around them; 2) it provides the necessary time needed for the salvation of Zechariah's prophesied one-third remnant of Israel who will be the inhabitants of the millennial kingdom; 3) it provides the time necessary for the salvation of a remnant of Gentiles from the nations who refuse to take the mark of Antichrist.
Therefore, the Prewrath position stands on four solid legs. One leg involves the Church's exemption from the wrath of God (pretribulationalism). One leg consists of a distinction between the wrath of God and the wrath of Antichrist (midtribulationalism). One leg constitutes a distinction between the "great tribulation" and the eschatological Day of the Lord (posttribulationalism). The last leg shows that the persecution by Antichrist will be cut short (16) before the end of the Seventieth Week, providing the interval between the rapture and Christ's coming at the battle of Armageddon during which time all of the trumpet and bowl judgments will be played out.
The identification of the wrath of God with the eschatological Day of the Lord is the key. All sides agree that the eschatological Day of the Lord involves both the final judgment of God and the deliverance of His saints. Drs. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock in reference to 1 Thessalonians write,
Deliverance in the Day of the Lord is a special theme of 1 Thessalonians. At His return, Jesus "delivers us from the wrath to come" (1:10). Paul teaches the church that the Day of the Lord will not "over take you like a thief" (5:4). . . . In the context, this deliverance would seem to be the blessing of resurrection and translation into immortality which Christ will grant His own at His coming (1 Thes. 4:13-18), an event which is called the Rapture. . . . This deliverance, or rapture, would appear to coincide with the inception or coming of the Day of the Lord, since that is the focus in 1 Thessaolonians 5:2-4. (17)Both Drs. Blaising and Bock taught at Dallas Seminary during my time of study there. It was from Dr. Blaising that I studied eschatology. Both are solidly pretrib, yet they recognize the biblical basis for claiming that the eschatological Day of the Lord and the timing of the rapture must occur at the same time. J. Dwight Pentecost writes in his book, Things to Come,
The only way this day could break unexpectedly upon the world is to have it begin immediately after the rapture of the church. It is thus concluded that the Day of the Lord is that extended period of time beginning with God's dealing with Israel after the rapture at the beginning of the tribulation period and extending through the second advent and the millennial age unto the creation of the new heavens and the new earth after the millennium. (18)Pentecost is obviously pretribulational. However, he too recognizes the necessity that the eschatological Day of the Lord follows the rapture.
The timing issue can be settled if the beginning of the Day of the Lord can be determined within the frame work of end-time events. The Prewrath position acknowledges that the eschatological Day of the Lord will be signaled by a sign given in the sun, moon, and stars, a sign distinctly described in the eschatological book of Joel. (19) Jesus indicates in the Olivet Discourse that His Parousia will immediately follow the sign Joel prophesied, which marks the inception of the eschatological Day of the Lord. Jesus also indicated in His revelation to John that Joel's sign in the sun, moon, and stars will be the sign that announces the day in which His wrath begins, a sign given in the heavenlies that will be displayed at the breaking of the sixth seal.
Therefore, as one compares the six seals to the events outlined in the Olivet Discourse, one quickly sees that the rapture must occur after the Seventieth Week of Daniel begins, after the mid-point of that same Week has begun, and after Satan/Antichrist's persecution of the Church is cut short (Matt. 24:22) when the sign of the eschatological Day of the Lord and the parousia of Christ is given in the sun, moon, and stars. The exact day or hour when the sixth seal will be broken is not detailed in the Scriptures (Matt. 24:36), but when that happens it will announce to the entire world the inception of the eschatological Day of the Lord.
Does the timing component offered by the Prewrath position have incontrovertible biblical support? If you search the Scriptures we believe that it does. Our four-legged chair is durable, reliable, and practical. Have a seat, and test it for yourself.
Click here for a comparison chart.
ENDNOTES
1. John Walvoord, The Rapture Question, (Findlay, Ohio: n.p. 1957), 148.
2. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 139.
3. ibid., 108.
4. See Dan. 9:27 and Rev. 12:7-13:18.
5. See Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:3; and Rev. 13:1-8 with Rev. 15:1, 7 and 16:1.
6. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 183.
7. See Ob. 15; Zeph. 1:15-18 and Is. 13:6.
8. See Is. 27; Jer. 30:8-9 and Joel 2:32.
9. ibid., 182.
10. ibid., 177.
11. Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the Tribulation, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), 44-63.
12. Richard R. Reiter, Paul D. Feinberg, Gleason L. Archer and Douglas J. Moo, The Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulational? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 72.
13. The term koloboo in the passive sense refers to that which has been amputated or reduced in size. The LXX used this verb to explain the actions of David's men in 2 Samuel 4:12 where clearly amputation is the sense. Extant occurrences of the term support a literal interpretation in Matthew 24:22.
14. It is important at this point for the reader to understand that it is the persecution that Christ is referring to, not the second half of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. Antichrist will reign for three-and-a-half years, but his persecution will not.
15. This position is argued in detail in The Rapture Question Answered Plain and Simple and The Sign by Robert Van Kampen.
16. See endnote 14 above.
17. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1993), 263-64.
18. J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, (Grand Rapids: Dunham Publishing Company, 1967), 230-231. Dr. Pentecost would make the Day of the Lord 1007 years long--a fact that is greatly debated.
19. See Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 24:29-31; Acts 2:14-21 and Rev. 6:12-17.
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