What I realise now in hindsight, is this doctrine is not far different than what happened with the story of “the emporer’s new clothes”. Speak a lie confidently enough you will get some who believe it. Once that number grows it carries great momentum, until rapidly it becomes the majority who proclaim the lie with confidence, and it is the minority who stand for the truth, simply because the truth speaks clearly for itself to those who will listen to it.

I realise now the source of this doctrine, and understand how dispensational theology successfully turned it into the “norm” of Christianity today. However I am utterly convinced they are sorely mistaken, and unless many are woken up to this myth for what it is, they will be weakened in their faith to a dangerous degree should severe tribulation fall upon them. Therefore whilst it is certainly true that I know many beloved Christians who believe and teach this doctrine, some even renowned Christian leaders who I have much respect for in other areas of teaching, I still believe they are deceived and as a result, are deceiving others also.

More than likely there are a few dispensationalists clicking on the comment button already to give me a piece of their mind that I should dare raise a hammer to their golden calf, but before you reel off the same twisted and out of context portions of Scripture, I strongly suggest you read the following article first, and then comment if you remain adamant. It is a fairly long article, but in my opinion by the end of it, the false doctrine of a pre tribulation rapture of the church is completely blown out of the water. That’s providing of course the reader is not determined to hold onto the traditions of men even when being refuted by God’s Word, which sadly is often the case.

The Timing of the Rapture!

by Tony Warren

In many Christian circles there is a popular theological view which states that the Church must somehow be taken out of the world before the Great Tribulation period. Sadly this doctrine has become one of the most predominant views in the Church. This form of theology is the product of spurious dogma that over the years has been taught relentlessly. It is not supported by sound Biblical hermeneutics, but is constantly repeated so that now many Christians actually believe that the scriptures themselves say these things. Clearly they do not! Neither do they imply, nor allude to such things. In truth, this doctrine is a predisposed handling of certain scriptures which say other things, but which Theologians teach to indirectly support this doctrine. If you were to ask these people to give you the exact chapter and verse of scriptures which says that the Church will be taken out of the world before the Great Tribulation period, they couldn’t do it. For they are forced to provide other scriptures which they then allege implies it, even though they readily admit it doesn’t say it! i.e., it’s their own interpretation of the verses, not something that God has actually declared. However, the scriptures are not subject to private or personal interpretation. Interpretations belong to God (Gen. 40:8, 41:16). unfortunately, this very glaring lack of sound hermeneutics doesn’t deter those who choose to believe these type doctrines. The age old adage still applies:

“if you repeat an untruth enough times, many will begin to believe it simply by process of indoctrination, and will look upon it as their truths.”
-WiseManSay

This is how all false teachings start. If you say things enough times in a way which on the surface sounds reasonable, or which seems right in their own eyes (proverbs 12:15), there are always people who will believe it, no matter what the scripture actually says. There is not one Theologian who can give you a single solitary verse which actually says these things, nor which unambiguously alludes to them, but somehow to many this is not an important point. However, this is ignoring a most basic fundamental Biblical principle of sound exegesis. That which states that, “Man cannot of himself interpret God’s Word, the scriptures interpret scriptures.” Which means that we cannot of our own will personally interpret or assign meaning to scripture which God has not assigned to it. If God doesn’t say this in some part of the scriptures, or if there is no unambiguous scripture which supports this view, then it’s simply not God’s interpretation, it’s man’s own interpretation. Because as righteous Joseph declared, “it is not in me, interpretations belong to God -Gen 40:8, 41:16“. Unless God is talking to us through the burning Bush, or from the smoke on the Mountain, then His revelation is in His Holy Word, the Bible, and this is where the interpretation must be found. In the Word of God revealed by the Spirit of truth.

As a practical example, we cannot privately interpret Ezekiel’s wheel to be a flying automobile, or that the 7 candlesticks of revelation are 7 great volcanoes in Asia, or that the 10 horns of daniel as collection of utilities which help men put their shoes on. to do so would constitute making private (personal) interpretations. Interpretations belong to God, not Webster’s dictionary nor man’s own thoughts on a matter!

In this study we will take a careful look at this teaching to see if it is in any way in agreement with the rest of the Bible. Comparing scripture with scripture we shall see if it can possibly be true. If so, then it will be made manifest by the Spirit of God via the Word, and if not, that will be made known as well.

First of all, a brief recognition that there are some Christians who object to the use of the word Rapture. Generally they argue against it because it’s not a word that is found in the Bible, or because they have the idea that it pertains to premillennialism or dispensationalism. This is because so many of this Theological viewpoint use this word in their unbiblical doctrines. However, the word Rapture has nothing whatsoever to do with Premillennialism or Dispensationalism. Not only do I see no problem with using this word, I think it perfectly describes what is unquestionably scripture. We should understand that the word Rapture is derived from a Latin term meaning “caught away” and is merely used by Christians to avoid repetitive awkward quoting of an entire verse of scripture each time we reference an the event it describes. So let me be clear that when I use the word Rapture, I am simply speaking about nothing more and nothing less than what the scripture itself define as:

when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and 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 forever be with the Lord.
-1st Thess. 4:17

This is our being caught up (Raptured) together to be with Christ in the air at His Coming. In order to avoid typing or repeating that whole verse every time we refer to this great event, we simplify it by calling this “The Rapture!” So when we use this word Rapture, know that 1st thessalonians chapter 4:17 is what we are referring to. ..Nothing more should be read into it.

The first obvious question about this belief that the Church must be removed before the Tribulation would be, “Why would God want to take the believers out of the world before the great tribulation?” The most common responses are,

1. “because God does not want his believers to go through the horrendous Tribulation of that time”
2. “He has not appointed the Church to wrath”
3. “He has said He would keep us from the hour of temptation.”

Let’s be the faithful stewards and try/test these reasons by what the Word of God has to say. Does God say that He won’t let the believers go through any tribulation, whether Great or Small? The only Biblical answer is, No! It is an absolute fact that God nowhere in scripture says believers will not go through Great Tribulation. So we’ve established that Biblical fact right from the onset. God never “ever” uses that word tribulation to either say, imply, indicate, or even allude that we won’t go through it. On the contrary, when we search the scriptures (correct Biblical hermeneutics), and we examine the places where that word is used, and the event spoken of, we see believers are always there! And if believers are there, that means that the Church is there. Because they are one and the same. God tells us all through scripture that we “will have tribulation” in this world and we will have trial in this world, but we will overcome it because we are in Christ who is our strength. The Word declares “Plainly” that tribulation is in fact normal for the believer, not something that we fear or are expect to be taken out of the world from. Great Tribulation is simply more of what Christians normally have in the world. It’s the normal expectation. Many Theologians understand this truth about tribulation and believers, and so they attempt to make an artificial distinction by claiming:

“..Yes, True, but in this time, it will be different tribulation, and so God will be merciful and not let us go through that, for he is not going to beat up on His bride”.

As faithful Christians, the first obvious question is, Where is the scriptural support for the claim that God won’t allow His believers to go through Great tribulation? Moreover, where is scriptural support that this tribulation will be different (other than more or greater)? There is no scripture where God says, “I will let my Church go through tribulation, but not if I add the word Great to it?” That is a addendum by those who believe this in doctrine, but not prescribed by the Word. This is nothing more than the rationalizations required to justify believing this theory. There is not one scripture anywhere in which God tells us that He will not let the Church go through Great Tribulation! And the Word of God being our authority, we should not presume to say it either.

Something that we need to understand here is that this Greek word Great [megale] means large in size or big in dimension. For example as we would use it in a sentence like, “A great fire swept through Chicago“, or “the tribulation in New York was great“. It doesn’t mean a new kind of tribulation, it simply delineates there is a greater degree of tribulation.

The way some Theologians speak on this issue, you would think that there is going to be new ways invented to persecute Christians in this time. Not at all! Christians have been persecuted in every imaginable way, and had tribulations which are unthinkable, but God never took them out of the world to avoid it. Great tribulation is used to denote that the tribulation of this period will be more widespread, greater than it has ever been in history. Just as if we say, “Noah was in a Great flood“. It doesn’t denote there was a new kind of water or flood, it simply denotes that this flood was greater (more water) than all the rest! The flood waters were the same, there was simply “more” of it.

Likewise, that is how the word great is used to describe this period of tribulation. At this time Christ speaks about, there will be much more iniquity abounding and persecution of anyone holding to the truth of scripture. Thus, greater tribulation in the world than ever before. But nowhere does God say Christians won’t go through it. On the contrary, indeed the Church is the very ones who are in tribulation and persecuted for the cause of Christ. Just as they have been for centuries.

They have been burned at the stake, Stretched on the rack, Stoned to death, Sawn asunder, fed to the lions, crucified, tortured, and severely beaten. God didn’t rapture them because he didn’t want them to suffer in this world, He allowed it! Are we better than these who went before us that we won’t go through the same? Theologians say these things, but God says, “pick up your cross and follow Me“. God says, if they’ve done it to me, expect that they’ll do it to you, for we are not greater than He.

John 15:20

• “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also”.

These are the things God says, not, “..you poor Christians, I’ll not let you go through Great Tribulation“. That would be the exact opposite of what we see as normative for Christians all throughout scripture. Indeed it is through these persecutions that we learn humility and grow closer to the Lord! Our weakness in tribulation makes us aware of our lack of ability to overcome of ourselves. It highlights our inadequacies cause us to turn our hearts to God, from whence cometh our help. In trial and persecution we come to understand more fully our dependence upon God, to His Glory! Tribulation humbles us and is a blessing in disguise, compelling our dependence on Him. We don’t need to be taken out of the world, for Grace is more than adequate.

2nd Corinthians 12:9-10

• “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”.

Paul understood this concept, for he knew that nothing this world could offer was a defeat. Stephen was dreadfully and brutally stoned to death, and God allowed it. Would Christians in the time of future Great tribulation be killed in a more horrible way, so that God couldn’t allow it? There is no scripture to support this. For that is not what is in view for this period. Tribulation in fact is normative for the believers. But don’t take my word for it,

John 16:33

• “These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me, ye might have Peace, in the world ye shall have Tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We’ve all heard what these Theologians tell us about believers and tribulation, but here is what God Himself tells us about the matter. God didn’t promise us peace in the world. On the contrary, He promised us Peace with God, and war with the world. We shall have tribulation in this world, and Christ didn’t add a end note of, “unless it is Great tribulation!” That idea is a product of wishful thinking, sensationalism, and humanism.

The unsaved hate us and revile us and persecute us. God isn’t going to take us out of the world so we can have peace. As John 16:33 says, our Peace is in Christ and that is all we need! Yes, in the world we shall have tribulation, but He has overcome the world for us. That is precisely why “His Grace is sufficient.”

Note that whenever these Theologians allege that we won’t be in the great tribulation period, the verse they will give you as (supposed) Biblical support will never “ever” have this actual word Tribulation in it. Mark that down in indelible ink because it is a faithful truth! Whenever they explain about how we won’t go through the Tribulation, any verse they give to confirm this, will never actually have the word tribulation in it. ..Amazingly some do not find this curious that God would talk about saving us from the Tribulation, without ever using the word.

But we can readily discern why this is the case. It’s Because God never says we won’t go through the tribulation, “therefore” they can’t give you a verse where he uses the word. Think about that! They will give you a verse and tell you we should interpret it as the Great Tribulation period that Jesus spoke of, or they will give you a verse and tell you God “means” tribulation when He says this, but they can never give you a verse where the actual word is used. That’s no small caveat to brush aside. It’s a very telling fact when we consider wisely what this means. It means God didn’t actually say what they are alleging, they did! By contrast, I have given you an unambiguous verse, direct from scripture that says, “in the world you shall have tribulation.” And there was no exception to great tribulation.

Moreover, the very 24th chapter of Matthew which speaks of the Great Tribulation Period clearly illustrates that believers are both there, and they are being warned of Christ how to deal with it!

Matthew 24:20-21

• “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
• For then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”.

Christ is talking to the Church throughout this narrative, and he says “Pray ye” (indicating that the Church are still here during this Great tribulation period), and telling them that they are to flee to the mountains. How can Christ’s people (The Church) flee to the mountains if they are not here?

So who is right, God’s Word or these theologians? Will believers have tribulation in the world as God says, or will God take them all out of the world so they won’t have great tribulation? According to what scripture declares about this great tribulation and persecution, and the people who will be trying to deceive them (believers) at the time, they will be there. That indeed is why Christ is warning the Church here. So it comes down to the same age old question. Are we going to believe man’s tradition, or believe what God’s Word says?

The fact is, this tactic of making an artificial distinction between tribulation, and Great tribulation (as different persecution where God won’t allow us to be persecuted this way), does a great disservice to the great Christians who went before us. The logic is extremely flawed. Tribulation is tribulation. Whether great, or small it’s still the same thing. The word does not change, only the amount changes as a mathematical equation. In other words, the difference between Tribulation, and Great Tribulation, is the amount of it. It’s not a completely different thing, it’s been qualified! The rationalizing of this is a diversion from the contradictions and lack of biblical support manifested in this whole theory. It’s only different (as God’s description of it demonstrates), in that there is simply a greater amount of it. We can make it simple. We simply define Tribulation, then we define Great Tribulation.

Tribulation:

• a time of persecution, hatred, offences, revilings, betrayal, and affliction.

Great Tribulation:

• a time of great persecution, great hatred, great offences, great revilings, great betrayals, and great afflictions.

Where is the mystery? It is very simply a time when tribulation is multiplied greatly.

More than that, all we have to do is look where the Great Tribulation is spoken about in scripture and we see clearly that believers are still in the world. Unlike those who teach the theory of a pre-tribulation rapture, “we” can look at the places where the actual word Tribulation is found and get our understanding direct from these scriptures. That’s the way to come to real truth. By comparing scripture with scripture that we know what God says. For example, speaking of the Great Tribulation (and talking to believers) Jesus says:

Matthew 24:9

• “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake”

Sounds very consistent with what Jesus said before doesn’t it? In the world, ye shall have Tribulation. Note that these are Christians. i.e., People who are being afflicted for Christ’s name sake. Carefully note the language, “hated for the name of Christ!” It’s the Church who takes the name of Christ, we are the Christ-ians! It’s Christians who are hated because of the name of Christ. Not Non-Christians, but the body of Christ. The Church! In the literal, that verse says:

“..being hated by all the nations because of the name of Me!”

These believers are being hated because of the name of Christ. i.e., they are Christians. We are either with Christ or against Him, there is no in between. And those hated for Christ’s name are quite “obviously” here during this tribulation.

Verse 13

• “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be Saved.”

No one is going to be Saved but Christians. If there are those here who will endure this Great Tribulation for Christ name sake (Christians), and be Saved, then obviously the body of Christ is still on the earth when this is happening. As Paul asks in the Corinthians, “Is Christ Divided?” And the answer of course is, No! There is only one body who takes the name of Christ and that is the Church of Christ. And we see here that it is still here at this time, being persecuted, reviled, and hated, because of His name!

Moreover, if God doesn’t want his bride to go through this horrible tribulation, then what are these believers that Jesus is talking about doing going through the Great tribulation for Christ’s sake? It makes no sense because it is man’s private interpretation and not biblically validated. It’s man’s wrested or twisted Theology! God is not going to take His people out of the world because He doesn’t want them to go through this horrible tribulation, and then turn right around and have a whole other group of His people go through that very same Tribulation. That is just plain ridiculous! Unsound exegesis which is contradictory to all that God has written. God is not the author of confusion, man is.

Verse 14

• “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the End come!”

Who is this preaching the gospel to all nations if the Church has been taken out of the world? This is the Church’s job! That’s what Acts chapter one tells us is our commission! To be a witness unto all nations in the name of Christ. It’s one of the very last things Jesus told the Church before He ascended back to heaven,

Acts 1:8

• “..and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Now, if Matthew 24:14 is not the Church, are we to assume that the Church failed in it’s commission to do this? Perish the thought! No, they did not fail, because they are here in the tribulation and they are the ones doing the witnessing and being reviled and persecuted because of it. And when their testimony is finished, God says, “..and then shall the end come.” It’s totally consistent with verse 31 which declares, immediately “after” the tribulation Christ will return and gather the chosen. The gospel is preached “by the Church” to all the world, then there is a short period of Great tribulation as Satan is loosed (Rev. 20), and then the end will come. It only becomes clouded when Theologians go to the scriptures with preconceived ideas about a Pre-tribulation Rapture. Then they of necessity make God’s Word uncertain and confused so that their own word will appear to stand. But in order for the Church to be preaching the gospel to the whole world at this time, it has to be here in the world. There are not two separate bodies of Christ! Christ is not Divided!

Matthew 24:21-23

• “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
• And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be Saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
• Then if any man say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe it not.”

We are still here, and there are false prophets and false Christs’ abounding, trying to deceive us. And God warns us, follow them not! Don’t Believe them! So why would God warn the Church if the Church was not present at this time? Of course the truth is, He wouldn’t! He warns the Church not to be deceived because they are still here. They are those commanded to Watch!

If we were to listen to all the voices telling us that we would be taken out of the world before this Great Tribulation occurs, we’d have to ignore great blocks of scripture altogether. Not once or twice, but continually and consistently. But many seem to have no conscience in doing just that. It’s just amazing what man will believe without one shred of Biblical validation that it is true. And it’s because he is indoctrinated or just too dependent upon others to check it out in the scriptures for himself. How can someone say to the Church, Lo here is Christ, or lo there is Christ (trying to deceive them), if the Church isn’t even there? How could it almost deceive even the very chosen (elect) if that were possible, if the very chosen are not here? The Chosen are the believers, Chosen from the foundation of the world.

1st Peter 2:9

• “But ye are a Chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an Holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praise of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:”

Note the word Chosen there. It’s the exact same word as you read in Matthew chapter 24. Elect and Chosen are the exact same word. If you want God’s definition of the elect, read God’s Word rather than listen to the traditions of men. On the old testament side of the cross, the Old Testament Congregation primarily were the chosen, and on the New Testament side of the cross, the New Testament congregation are the Chosen! We are the Elect (Eph. 1:4, Romans 9:11) that the false Christs’ will be trying to deceive, but who they cannot deceive, because we are the Children of God who endure to the end. They will deceive the unfaithful of the Churches, but not the Elect.

Again, how is it that these Theologians say the Church is raptured, and yet no one on earth knows that Christ had come (secret rapture) and taken them? Are we to believe that Christ will come and gather the elect and no one will notice, or that they’ll notice, but go about their business as usual? That quite frankly is Ludicrous!

God says the rapture is with the Sound of a great trumpet and the Lord descending with a Shout and the voice of the Chief Messenger! Without conscience man teaches that, “No, Christ comes in secret (as a thief in the night) so the world doesn’t notice the Church is gone“. It’s not only unbiblical, it’s anti-biblical. The verses that speaks about Christ coming as a thief in the night is signifying how the unbelievers won’t expect anything until they see Christ in the air. It doesn’t mean they won’t see Him come and take the Church. In other words, it means the end catches them unawares! But this is just another example of how some Theologians use scripture carelessly and without mandate. He comes as a thief in the night to the unsaved because they’re not “Watching” as the believers are. But the true believers is not caught off guard like the unbelievers. He doesn’t come as a thief to us! And that contradicts this teaching. But again, don’t take my word for it..

1st Thessalonians 5:2

• “For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1st Thessalonians 5:4

• “but ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a Thief.

It’s the “day of the Lord”, The Day of Judgment, and notice they are both here. The Church as well as the unrighteous. For the unsaved, that Day overtakes them as a thief in the night because they live in darkness they won’t see it coming. The judgment of God will come on them quickly as they are subject to the wrath of God. But notice God says that Day shall not overtake us as a thief. Why not? Because we are the Children of light. We see and we’re ready! As Jesus says in Matthew 24, we’re Watching! Read that chapter carefully. It’s one day, the day of Judgment, and the day of deliverance. That Day is the day of the Rapture of God’s Church, and of God’s wrath upon the wicked.

1st Thessalonians 5:9

• “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That day will be a day of wrath for the unsaved, but we have been spared from it “by the blood of Christ”. We are not appointed to wrath and judgment in the lake of fire as the unsaved are. There is absolutely no question that this wrath of God is the judgment at the end of the world. We see all through scripture the same consistency.

2nd Peter 3:10

• “But the DAY of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Does that (coming as a thief) sound like a secret coming to you?

…He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!

How do most of these Theologians get past all these verses which are contradictory to their doctrines? They usually “ignore” them or pretend that they aren’t there. Others attempt to explain that, “they don’t really mean exactly what they say“. Still others wrest the scriptures and twist them until they conform to their own ideas. But to the faithful it is clear that the coming as a thief in the night refers to Christ’s second advent at the “last” day, the end of the world. All of scripture uniformally confirm this.

Matthew 24:29-30

• “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
• And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with Power and great glory.”

We see that immediately after the tribulation Christ will return (and verse 43 illustrates it’s as a thief and the unrighteous are not watching), and that is when the Chosen will be raptured. Curiously, many Theologians say that the rapture is when Christ comes as a thief in the night. However, when they get to Matthew 24 they claim that this chapter speaking of Him coming as a thief, is not the rapture? ..it becomes like Alice in wonderland getting curious-er and curious-er.

Matthew 24 says Christ will return, and verse 31 says, with the sound of a trumpet Christ will send his angels and gather the elect (remember God’s definition of the elect) from the four winds of heaven. We’ll all be gathered together in the air to be with the Lord. So here we have the Word of God telling us the rapture is after the Tribulation, and we have man telling us it is before. Nowhere does the Word of God say the rapture is before the Tribulation. On the contrary, it illustrates immediately after. I didn’t say it, God’s Word said that the Chosen were raised here immediately after the tribulation of those days. And it’s with the sound of the Trumpet, not in secret. Christ will appear on the clouds and send his angels to gather his chosen from the four winds. Written clearly there in Matthew 24:29-31. This is the rapture, and is exactly what’s spoken of again in,

1st Thessalonians 4:16

• “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a Shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trumpet 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.”

Compare scripture with scripture, Matthew with 1st Thessalonians, and the picture is clear when and how the Rapture occurs. And again note, it is with a shout and sounding trumpet, not secret! To think that the Lord will take the Church out first (before tribulation) is to ignore both content and context of matthew 24. Scripture is in agreement only with “a last day” rapture.

Another telling passage is the parable of the tares. All parables are given by inspiration of God for our learning, and there is a valuable lesson in this one concerning how we will be left in this world.

The Parable (Matthew 13) is that there are wheat and tares sown in a field. The wheat is the believers and the tares are the unbelievers. The field is the world and the harvest is at the end of the world. That’s how God (not I) interprets the parable. So it was said, “Shall we take the tares out of the world so they won’t hurt the wheat“. God said No! He wanted the tares and the wheat to remain “together” in the field until the end of the world (Which He said is the harvest), and then the separation would occur. Note carefully, God didn’t say, I want to take the tares out so they won’t hurt the wheat, nor the wheat out of the world because He doesn’t want the tares to hurt them, He says leave them both there until the end of the world when the separation would occur. Clearly, without ambiguity, we see in this that both believer and unbeliever will remain in the world “together” until the end of the world. Then the tares will be burned in the Furnace, and the wheat gathered into God’s barn. This parable teaches us that the separation is at the end of the world, and not before.

One reason given by some Theologians for the belief that the Church won’t go through the tribulation period is based on a misinterpretation of verses such as:

1st Thessalonians 5:9

• “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Carefully note, the word Tribulation is never mentioned here (as usual), yet it is read “into” this verse by these Theologians. The most common teaching method is to read the verse quickly, and then declare, “..you see, the Lord has not appointed us to go through the wrath of the tribulation.”

….Wait!   That’s Not what it says!

This is the slight of hand method of interpretation, or simply put, subterfuge. Frankly, it’s deceitful handling of the scriptures where people hope you listen to them, rather than read the actual text. It’s to make something appear to say things that it really doesn’t say. God has a perfectly good word translated tribulation and it is not the word “Wrath.” If God wanted to say He hath not appointed us to go through the wrath of the great tribulation, He most certainly would have said it. ..He didn’t! God doesn’t need man to add his private interpretations or additions to His Word.

It goes without saying that the Lord has not appointed the Church to wrath! But the wrath is the wrath of God’s final judgment for sin. When the unsaved stand before God, they will feel the wrath of God as they are Judged. That’s the wrath that we are not appointed to, not the tribulation period. They might have a leg to stand on if the verse indeed said, “we are not appointed to Tribulation,” but it doesn’t. And do you know why it doesn’t? Because God is not the author of confusion, and He’s already said that in the world we shall have Tribulation! Being appointed to wrath, and going through the tribulation are two entirely different things. For example, here is what is meant by the Church (believers) not appointed to the wrath of God.

John 3:36

• “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him.”

You see, this is the wrath of God that the Church is not appointed to. It’s the coming judgment of the unbeliever. Of course we are not appointed to this. But that does not say we are not appointed to go through the Tribulation. In fact, we can see this clearly explained right there in the very verses of Thessalonians that these Theologians use to try and support this theory.

1st Thessalonians 1:9

• “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

There we have solid Biblical proof that Christ has “Already” delivered us from the wrath to come by the cross. Because the wrath to come is the Judgment of God for our sins, not the Great Tribulation period. Christ didn’t go to the cross to deliver us from the tribulation period (in the world we shall have Tribulation), He went to deliver us from the wrath of God that would come upon us for our sins. And this verse shows that conclusively.

Another verse that is often used to make the claim that the Church won’t go through the tribulation, is Revelation 3:10. But once again note carefully (as usual) the word tribulation is “Nowhere” to be found in that verse. It is again “read into” the verse by those predisposed to do so.

 Revelation 3:10...the hour of temptation to come on the world
                                 /|\
                                  |
                 NOTE: Does Not Say Tribulation

They read this, and then they declare, “this is talking about the Great Tribulation Period!” But again, it says nothing about a Great Tribulation Period, and this verse applies to us all throughout time. It spoke to the Church in Philadelphia (over 2000 years ago) which has been faithful, and it says God will keep them from the hour of temptation. Was that Church in Philadelphia under any danger of going through the Great tribulation period? No, not at all, and yet this message was to them, as well as us! Because we keep the Word, we are all kept from the hour of trial or temptation, because God keeps us from falling in time of trial. But that in no way equates to the Church being “taken out of the world” to avoid any tribulation. This is where the problem lies. These theologians assume that the wording “kept from” means taken out of the World. It does not, it never has, and we can see this by comparing scripture with scripture.

First of all, the word temptation there is the Greek word [peirasmos], meaning “Trial or Testing” and is never translated Tribulation. They are two entirely different words. The word Tribulation is [thlipsis] meaning “Persecution or Affliction”, and is never translated temptation. We cannot simply take the word temptation or trial (which is used liberally throughout the scriptures) and make the claim that it is the Great Tribulation period. This would be personal interpretation, a sloppy and unsound handling of the scriptures. Temptations or trial “can” be by evil or deceivings, but that does not give licence to say that where this word is found, it means the Great Tribulation period. If that were true, we’d have all sorts of verses made ridiculous by the use of that word.

Revelation 3:10

• “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Note again they use this verse an an attempt to prove that the Church is not here, and yet we see the language of the earth being “tried” and those who overcome in this time of trial being made a pillar in God’s Temple. He who overcomes is he who is in Christ. But their theory is that the Church isn’t even here during this temptation (trial) in order to be tried. It is confusion! By the context we know believers are obviously here, and where two believers are gathered together in Christ’s name, Christ is in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). I.e, that is the Church! So again, the bible illustrates that the Church is still here. They are the ones being “tried” to see if they will remain faithful in the face of the false teachings and Apostasy, and be a part of God’s Temple.

This message to the Church of Philadelphia (2000 years ago) was a promise to them, and it is a promise to the Church today as well. It’s a promise to all of us no matter if we lived at 33 A.D. or today. If we keep God’s Word, He will deliver us out of the hour of trial. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in the hour of temptations today, yesterday, 500 years ago, or 1000 years ago. The promise remains un-abrogated. God promises to deliver the Church out of trial if they keep His word is the prayer we pray every day.

Matthew 6:13

• “And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the Kingdom”

The word Temptation there is the same word [peirasmos]. We are praying here for the same thing God is promising the believers in that Church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3. The Promise is that in trial, testing, or temptation (all are the same Greek Word), we’ll be delivered out of the temptation, out of the evil of judgment. We pray not to be taken “out of the world”, but that God will “deliver” us out of this temptation. In other words, bring us safely out of a time of temptation, or trial. In Contrast to the world, when the world is tried by evil, it falls headlong into it. It’s deceived by it like a bird snared in a trap, and it is not delivered out of it. Our prayer is that we will not be brought into this trap of temptation, but delivered out of it. The Lord’s prayer. That’s the temptation or trial that Revelation 3 says we are keep from the hour of. When the time of trial or tempting comes upon the world, the Lord’s prayer we pray is that, God will Keep us from it. Not from the world, but from the temptation in the world. And to be sure, “God will see to it..”

1st Corinthians 10:13

• “There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with that temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it.”

There it is again, the time of temptation (same word, peirasmos) that God will keep “The Church” from who keeps His Word patiently. Note that God says it will never be greater than we can bear. That’s an Important Point! There is No Temptation taken the Church which is Greater than we can bear, and that logically, Biblically and Rationally would include the temptation that is spoken of in revelation chapter 3. That is to say, if God’s Word is True! So why are these people talking about the temptation of Revelation 3 that is so bad and uncommon that we have to be taken out of the world to be kept from? ..Good Question! Look at that scripture above. It says, when the temptation comes, God provides a way of “Escape” out of it. That’s not what I said, that’s what God said! And notice carefully, it’s out of the temptation, but not out of the world. though it uses the word escape, it is clearly not from the world, but from snare of this evil. And that’s what Revelation is saying. He’ll keep us from the hour of temptation. He’ll make a way of escape out of it, but nowhere does it say, allude or imply that it will be by taking us out of the world!

Notice also the verse clearly says there isn’t “any” temptation taken the Church but is common to man. That’s nothing to be ignored as if it is insignificant in this issue. Consider what it says humbly and with understanding. God is telling us that there is,

“no temptation on this earth but that is common to man, and that He will with that temptation make a way for us to escape it”.

And God further defines that “escape” as “being able to bear it!” So be not deceived by words like escape and kept from temptation. There is no temptation too great for the Church to bear that God will take it out of the world. God says there isn’t any temptation greater than that He will provide a way to escape “that” we’ll be able to bear it.

By contrast, the Pre-tribulation Rapture theorists claim, “look at revelation 3, it’s temptation so great, that the Lord will take His Church out of the world”. But God never said it, and it blatantly contradicts all that He has said. Because it is man’s humanistic logic and reasoning, and not God’s Word. We’re going to escape the hour of temptation all right, but it will be as God defines it, not man! God will provide that we shall endure (matt. 24:13) to the end. He will provide a way of escape, that we will be able to bear it. Jesus taught this lesson of endurance when He spoke of the parable of the sower, that the seeds that fell on rocky soil were those who would not endure?

Luke 8:13

• “…and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of Temptation fall away.”

This is the same word [peirasmos]. These are those who were not really Saved. These are those who hear the Word, but have no root in themselves (Christ is the Root), and so they are not kept by God to escape the hour or time of temptation or trial, and they fall away. They have no Saving faith to patiently keep the Word of God. But with true belief there is the keeping of God’s Word, and when the time of temptation comes (whenever it comes), there is a way of escape made, that we are able to “endure” or bear up under it. Whether this Church in Philadelphia, or our Church today, we are kept from the hour of temptation. Not plucked out of the world, but escape out of the temptations in the world. That’s what we just read in 1st Corinthians 10:13. And that is why revelation 3 says it’s “those who keep the Word of His patience.” That’s the key. Those who keep the Word patiently in the face of this temptation (testing) will endure. God will provide a way of escape, that we are able to endure in tribulation, or in Great Tribulation. AMEN! It’s not unlike what we read in:

1st Samuel 26:24

• “And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation”.

Does that verse mean that this was a prayer that God would take him out of the world? No, it’s a prayer that when all tribulation comes, God will make a way for him to escape it. Just like the verse we read in 1st Corinthians chapter 10. It’s the exact same principle.

If we are going to listen to what God says, we have to compare scripture with scripture in surrender to what it says, not what our teachers told us about this. In doing so, it becomes abundantly clear that God has promised to deliver us from the hour or [hora] time of temptation, by keeping us when we are tried. Not delivering us out of the world, but by keeping us in time of Trial that we do not fall. This is a fundamental principle of Christianity which seems to have gotten lost somewhere in these changing times. There is no reason to be delivered out of the world. We are here for a reason, and that reason is to spread the gospel, and that mission is not complete for us until the “Last” day. Our prayer is to “…bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. It is not to “..take us out of the world of temptation”. It’s not OUR prayer, and it’s not our Lord’s Prayer for us..

John 17:15

• “I pray Not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

I ask you plainly, how much clearer can it get? Christ’s prayer is not that we’ll be delivered from the world of evil, but kept from it. And just as kept from evil doesn’t mean we are delivered out of a world of evil, neither does kept from the hour of temptation mean we are delivered out of a world of temptation. We are tried by it! God knows what he wants for us, and He’s said it. But don’t take my word for it (Because you shouldn’t) Compare Revelation 3:11 with James 1:11 and see if we are delivered from the world in order to get the crown, or if we are delivered in time of trial “in” the world. Compare these things carefully, and let the Holy Spirit of God reveal truth.

James:1:12

• “Blessed is the man that endureth Temptation: for when he is Tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that Love Him.”

Look at that Verse carefully It speaks of being tried, it speaks of being tried in the time of temptation. It speaks of being tried in time of temptation, and enduring! It speaks of those blessed who being tried in time of temptation and enduring, receive a crown of life. Compare that with the Revelation chapter 3 verse. That’s the same promise he has given here to the Church of Philadelphia, and to us, and to all who keep His Word patiently.

Revelation 3:11

• “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to Try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy Crown.”

We will never fall or become apostate, we are safe that no man can take our crown as we endure (hold that fast) and keep the Word patiently. We endure the temptation when we are “tried,” and God promises the faithful of the Church Philadelphia from 2000 years ago, to now, he will keep them from this hour of trial and temptation that shall come upon all the world, if they keep the Word patiently.

Again note: God says, “Hold fast that no one takes their crown”. He’s talking to the Church there! If they were going to be taken out of the world at this time, no one could take their crown because they’d be in heaven in this time of temptation. So obviously, they are not taken out of the world, but are in the midst of those trying to take their crown by falsehoods and deception. Just like James clearly says, Blessed is he who “endures Temptation” for when He is tried he receives a crown of life. The crown is the Kingdom and everlasting Life. No question but that they are here and must endure that no one take the crown promised them who endure.

It continues: God says, Because you keep My word.. That’s what we’re trying to get across here. The Church is kept from temptation because they keep the Word of God’s patience, or in the Literal, “The Word of endurance of God.” In other words, to endure in the Word of God patiently. There is nothing here or anywhere else that says one single word about the Church being raptured before the tribulation. Just because this verse says, “Because we keep the word of God’s patience, God will keep us from the hour of temptation,” does not mean that we can arbitrarily re-interpret that to read, “We won’t go through the Great tribulation period.” God simply does not say that. ..Man does.

Yes, the Church will be raptured. But it will be the time that God says, not man. It will not be before the Great Tribulation, it will be immediately after. The Last day of the world is when Jesus will return. And as we saw in the parable of the tares, it will be to raise up both the Believers to everlasting life, and the unbelievers to judgment. The last day, not a minute before. But again, don’t take my word for it. Get it from the source:

John 6:39

• “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at The Last Day!“

John 6:40

• “And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at The Last Day!“

John 6:44

• “No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at The Last Day!“

John 6:54

• “Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at The Last Day!“

John 11:24

• “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at The Last Day!“

And God makes it plain that not only the resurrection is on The last day, but also the Judgment of the unjust is also on the last day. This is totally consistent with sound biblical theology, and contradicted by Premillennial Pre-tribulation Rapture theories.

John 12:48

• “He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in The Last Day!“

In a court of law, I think they’d call that an open and shut case. As we see above in the quotes, both the judgment, and the Resurrection will come on the very same “Last Day.” Not 7 years before the the last day, and not 7 years before the Word of the Lord will judge men, but God says they both occur at the same time. At the Last Day! Totally consistent with what God said about the wheat and the tares. Totally consistent with what God says in Matthew 24, about immediately after the tribulation. Totally consistent will all of scripture. Man can retort, “..but which Last day?” But God is not mocked!

Likewise, God says both the Resurrection and the Judgment is also at the “Last Trumpet”. uniformally consistent because it’s the truth of God’s Word rather than premillennial tradition.

1st Corinthians 15:52

• “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at The Last Trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Seriously, could God have made it any Clearer? And yet, the unrighteous take God’s clear scripture and twist it and turn it until it bears no resemblance to what God has actually said. I’ve had Theologians tell me, God really didn’t mean the last trumpet, He really meant “next to the last”. Why would they do this to scripture? The answer is, because God’s Word of this last trumpet being the Rapture conflicts with their tradition and man’s word that the Matthew 24 trumpet actually occurs “after” this rapture Trumpet! i.e., in their warped Theology, the rapture cannot be at the “last” trumpet because there is a trumpet in matthew 24 which they “claim” is not the rapture of the Church after the Great tribulation.

Frankly, what they are doing is tossing God’s Word behind their back, and seating their teachers as the authority of God. Their understanding of the Matthew 24 trumpet is that it takes place “after” the rapture trumpet in 1st Corinthians. And so (believe it or not), they actually claim the trumpet God said was the Last, is not really the last at all. In this, they deny God’s Word! And deceiving themselves, they wipe their mouths and protest, “..What evil hath we done?” It’s the age old story that began in the garden of Eden with the serpent’s question of “..hath God said?”

If the Matthew 24:31 trumpet, is the last Trumpet (as Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists rightly confess), then it is abundantly clear that both the rapture and the judgment is on the last day. For clearly 1st Cor. 15:52 tells us that the Rapture is at the “Last Trumpet.” That means, there “Cannot” be a trumpet after that one. And Matthew 24:29 clearly tells us this is immediately “after the Tribulation”. ..Case Closed right? Not for the indoctrinated! For they will not receive the love of the truth of God’s Word, but will wrest these scriptures in order to cling to the false teachings of man that the rapture is not at the Last Day, and the matthew 24 Last trumpet is after the Corinthians last trumpet. They cling to the tradition of their Church teachers as if it were their security blanket. But this Contradiction is self evident!

This is the difference between those who keep God’s Word faithfully, and those who have no conscience and will change the Word of God to fit their doctrines or theology. They condemn catholics for this error, and then drink from the same troth. They make their teachers the authority over God’s word, therefore anything that God says must be viewed in light of what their Church teaches, when it should be vice versa. Often that means that scripture must be manipulated in order to conform to their views. It’s a matter of the will of man verses surrender to the will of God. After all (they reason), their teachers can’t be wrong, so God must not have meant what He said. They’ve been taught that the trumpet in Matthew is the last one, and that the rapture has already taken place before this, so they will not receive the scriptures about the last trumpet in 1st Corinthians being the Rapture and the last trumpet. Oh, they won’t use the words “God is wrong,” but they in practice make that statement none-the-less. They do this by simply ignoring His Word about the Rapture at the last Trumpet! And when faithful Christians bear testimony to this obvious contradiction, they retort that this is merely “just their interpretation” and not what God said. Man’s Word that was taught them becomes more precious to them than God’s actual Word, evidenced by their holding onto it, instead of forsaking it for what God said.

Not one Christian can give you one scripture that says we won’t go through the tribulation. We can give scripture after scripture which says we will have tribulation in the world, and near the end there will be the Greatest Tribulation, and we will be right there in the midst of it. We have given scripture that shows that the wrath that we are not appointed to, has nothing to do with going through a certain period. It is God’s Wrath upon the unrighteous. His judgment for their sin. No scripture has been given to show the “last” day is not the last day. No scripture is given to show the “last” Trumpet, is the next to the last trumpet. No scripture has been given to show that the Wheat comes out of the field and the tares remain in the field for many years thereafter. So the question is, shall we believe the Words of the Bible, or the words of men. That’s always been the question, and how we answer it may determine our spiritual well being. Because it is a good indicator of just who our authority is. If the Word of God is your authority, then you serve God. If the word of man is your authority, then you serve man. But you cannot serve two masters. If we serve the lawless man (man forsaking God’s laws), it’s for sure that we’re not serving God, no matter what we call ourselves.

Dispensational Premillennialism is a popular doctrine in our day, and these people don’t take kindly to the witness against it. But it’s not a question of how many people will revile you, or call you a false prophet, or hate you, or gainsay. The only question worth anything here is, “is this truly what God says, or is it all man made?” Did it truly come from God’s Book, or is someone’s personal ideas and the manipulation of it? Did they use slight of hand, or did they quote from the scripture Word for Word? Is this doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture substantiated in scripture, or is it a house built upon straw and earth that will fall when tried by the Word? Remember this, “when your foundation is the Word of God, then you know you’ve built on something solid.” When your foundation is the word of men, you don’t know what you’ve got, and when the winds blow (Rev 7:1-2) you will find yourself where you don’t want to be. And it very well may not be as inconsequential as much of the Church might think.

…He that hath ears to hear let him hear.

You cannot be deceived by Satan if you keep the word of God. And you know the difference because one is verifiable in scripture, and the other is based on assumption, subjection, traditions, slight of hand, subterfuge, and private interpretation. Try or test your teachers! Because the unfaithful ones all have one thing in common. They never reconcile or consider “all” of scripture, because they can’t! For God’s word doesn’t contradict God’s Word. So they will Ignore one verse, in favor of their pet verse. I.e., ask them about one verse, and instead of answering you about that verse, they’ll write back, “what about this other verse..” You see, they won’t reconcile the two verses because they don’t really want the truth. They want to be justified! There is one thing we can know for sure, and that is that any two verses that “seem” to contradict each other, must be reconciled in order for us to come to truth. They’re both true, so let no teacher use one to make the other null and void! That’s the first rule of sound Biblical Hermeneutics. You cannot use one verse to nullify another. If you’re going to follow one verse, and throw the other out the window, then it’s a sure recipe for being Seduced/Deceived by Satan.

Many have, and will fall in the hour of temptation that tries the world because they refuse to receive the Love of truth. But by the strength of our merciful God, some will keep the Word of God patiently, and these are who God will Keep from the time of temptation (Trial), and no one will take their crown. They will escape out of temptations, for God has given them eyes to see it, ears to hear it, the strength to bear up under it, and the wisdom to escape it..

The Great Tribulation period will come upon the world, as judgment and a trial of our faith. And when things seem their darkest, the Lord will return on the clouds of Glory. Immediately after this Tribulation! And He will gather together His Elect Children of God, from among the tares, (one taken, the other left) and all the world shall behold His Glory. And the wicked shall be judged. All on one day, the Last day, at the Last Trumpet, immediately after the Tribulation. If we follow scripture carefully, there can be no question but that “The Timing of the Rapture” is at the Last day. At the second advent of the lord Jesus Christ!

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the Churches;…”
-Revelation 2:7

Peace,

Copyright ©1993 Tony Warren
For other studies free for the Receiving, Visit our web Site
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The message is preached from Zechariah 8:1-23 , and Acts 15:11-19 . The reality of a restored Zion prophesied from the Old Testament is examined, and how it is related to Christian believers today.

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From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled “Lessons From Nature,” delivered August 13, 1871. Image of Antarctic sky by Christian Revival Network under Creative Commons License.

Sourced from: The Daily Spurgeon

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The title of this article is obviously not meant in a charismatic sense. We offer no advice on how to cast out demons, rather on how to help true believers who have been heavily influenced by charismatic ideas, and who have come to see them as wrong. They have come away from the world of tongues, visions, prophecies, ecstasies, dancing, falling down slain, and all associated activities, and have sought fellowship among ‘traditional’ Bible-believing Christians.

These friends often have many problems, and pastors and church officers must be ready to help. Some former charismatics have made the transition so well and so speedily that one can scarcely believe they once thought and acted very differently. We readily acknowledge that some need little or no help in adapting to conservative, biblical Christianity.

Many, however, find that their time in the charismatic movement has left them troubled, unsure, and perhaps even scarred spiritually. They have wrested themselves away from a host of emotional props, and severed connections with numerous dear friends, and this has cost them much pain.

Doctrine, worship, fellowship and service now take a vastly different form. Their new environment has a way of thinking and looking at matters utterly unlike that of charismatic circles. Furthermore, in the back of the mind lies the nagging fear that these ‘traditionalists’ are indeed the cold, lifeless formalists they have been long warned about – people who have never tasted the Spirit, and who wilfully oppose his liberating power.

Broadly speaking, there are three causes for people leaving the charismatic move-ment. The first one mentioned here is the best, and most often leads to them adjusting wholly to orthodox evangelical teaching. The last two give rise to the least stable ‘converts’.

A first cause of leaving occurs when people experience some serious disappointment or disillusionment with the charismatic movement, and begin to evaluate its claims more carefully. Perhaps a relative or close friend has died and they have seen at close quarters the false promises and the failure of -healing prophecies. It may be that they have seen through some of the dishonesty and pride which stalks the citadels of charismatic activity, and have recoiled with shock.

Some years ago, for example, charismatics all over the world were shaken by the wild phenomena of the Toronto Blessing, and they turned to God’s Word in a new spirit of enquiry. Objective Bible study then caused the entire edifice of charismatic practice to crumble and fall before them.

A second cause of departure from charismatic activity is personal disaffection. While this may lead to people’s eyes being opened, it often does not. In charismatic house groups and cells an artificially high degree of emotional interdependence is fostered, and in such a climate offences can occur which drive people out. These may come over to the derided traditionalists almost as an act of protest. The real issue is one of personal disaffection, not doctrinal unease, and while these émigrés may criticise everything they have left, it may only be the outworking of hurt feelings.

Sometimes people leave because their ‘gifts’ have not been sufficiently recognised, or their own leadership hopes have been thwarted. Such leavers will probably return, if not to the same group, to another section of the charismatic camp. We may almost say that the more heated the invective, the sooner a person will go back. We certainly have an opportunity to help such disgruntled people see the real issues, and we pray that the Lord will open their eyes, but our efforts may well be in vain.

A third cause of departure which usually leads to people returning is that of a generally unstable temperament. This is not a comment on the mental stability of peo-ple, but on their inability to think clearly and to recognise foundational principles of biblical conduct. Because charismatic teaching is so subjective, experience-based, emotional and speculative, it produces this instability in certain people.

They take on a great mass of ideas and anecdotes, but possess no reliable way of verifying them. The mind trades so much in disconnected fragments, that it loses its capacity to get things in order of importance, and to judge clearly.

Helping friends in this state is almost impossible. As fast as you try to explain one matter, another dozen ideas leap into their minds. For such people, whether something is right or wrong is determined by the quantity of supporting claims which can be thrown into the discussion, not by the biblical validity of the claims. Unstable thinkers are likely to re-settle in the comfortable confusion of a charismatic group.

It is necessary to mention these last two categories because we must be ready for disap-pointment. However, the Lord is at work. Many of God’s children are being led out for wholesome and biblical reasons, and we trust that many more will be. We would like to rescue as many people as possible from the mass of mistakes that make up the charismatic movement, and from their exploitation by insincere and dishonest ‘top’ leaders.

Another caution is necessary. We should not assume that all who leave the charismatic fold are truly converted. We say this with care, for many are, but we remember that numerous people have been lured in by promises of healing, and even prosperity, rather than by the challenge to repent and yield to Christ. Once there, they have been sustained, not by doctrine, but by a diet of emotional thrills. In many charismatic meetings life is all about the feel-good-factor of entertainment and personal happiness, and the real issues of the Faith are obscured. When the Gospel is presented, it is often no more than a shallow form of ‘easy-believism’. Friendship and phenomena take the place of a real spiritual life. There will, therefore, be many who are not truly saved, and if they should leave and find their way to sound evangelical churches, their greatest need will be to hear the Gospel.

This caution must be balanced by a plea for respect for ex-charismatic people who most certainly are earnest believers. Some of these may even have been driven into the charismatic movement years ago by the lifelessness of a traditional evangelical church. There are numerous Bible-believing churches where so little is done for the Lord that one sympathises with members who defect to charismatic fellowships. They may be mistaken, but what an ordeal they have endured to keep their faith and love alive in an unenthusiastic ‘sound’ church! They have felt forced to leave that sound, but sound asleep, church. It has often been a hunger and thirst to please God which has led people (however mistakenly) into more lively charismatic churches. Their new teachers persuaded them that God wanted them to seek tongues and other phenomena, and their desire to obey God caused them to open their minds to these new experiences.

They were misled, but they were earnest, and this we must respect. They may have been more earnest than the sound fellowship they left behind.

We say this to inspire a due measure of respect for those who come back to us from charismatic groups. We, as traditional evangelicals, may have wronged them in the past through spiritual lethargy and coldness.

What are the problems or scars which continue to affect believers who have left the charismatic movement? The following pages review some of the difficulties encountered and highlight the areas of biblical teaching to be stressed by way of remedy.

TEN LINGERING PROBLEMS

1 Lordship of imagination
2 Anecdotes & revelations
3 Reverent worship
4 Visible phenomena
5 Lack of service
6 Cessation of sign-gifts
7 Prevailing worldliness
8 A Superior experience
9 Emphasis on fellowship
10 Uncertain belief

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1. What is Amillennialism?
2. These Things Were Foretold – Part 1
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlUezCAWUbU

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My apologies for being a little tardy in posting this episode, but the whole series can be listened to at anytime by visiting the blog directly: http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com

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In this issue of the White Horse Inn podcast, Michael Horton and the guys discuss the Gospel of the Kingdom, and what the Bible actually says about it.

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In this lecture from the amillennialism 101 series, Riddlebarger explains some of the differences held between Christians with regard to prophetic interpretation, based largely on our pre-suppositions, whether we like to admit that we hold them or not.

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Here is a very interesting episode of White Horse Inn hosted by Michael Horton and co. Various questions are asked in a survey held at a Christian booksellers convention, with regard to the way in which the Gospel should be conveyed. Whether we like to admit it or not, the seeker sensitive, “me, me, me” Christianity has very deep roots!

Listen to podcast here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/whipodcast/wi20101219.mp3

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(Please note that I have posted this article as an address to the classic form of dispensationalism that has caused me much confusion over the years, and many of those points have been addressed directly in this article. Not all points addressed may be the same with regard to progressive dispensationlism.)

DISPENSATIONALISM AND EPHESIANS

One of the distinctive advantages of dispensationalism is that it “rightly divides the word of truth.” That is, it properly sorts out those things in Scripture that belong to Israel and those which belong to the Church. It recognizes that the current Church Age was unknown to the Old Testament prophets and is a temporary aside in the major plan of God as his prophetic time-clock was put on hold in the first century when Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah. In this age we are awaiting the Rapture and the consequent conversion of Israel during the Great Tribulation.

Dispensationalism greatly extols Israel as “the apple of God’s eye.” It recognizes the future glory awaiting them when Christ returns to the earth to re-build their temple and to establish his millennial kingdom headquartered in their holy city, Jerusalem. This system of biblical truth promises that we will rule and reign with Christ as the glorious Old Testament prophecies finally come to perfect fulfillment.

Many of us have grown up in homes where the Scofield Reference Bible was held in high esteem. We have attended churches and Sunday schools where we learned that we are living in the last times just preceding the Rapture of the Church. Our parents and pastors have encouraged us to live expectantly, awaiting the time when God will again turn his attention to Israel. What could be more exciting?

Is this your experience as a Christian? Do these doctrinal commitments sound like your own? Have you experienced this excitement of living in the end times? You are not alone. For tens of millions of Christians this outlook on Scripture and the world is the very foundation of their spiritual lives and religious commitments.

Dispensationalism is widely believed and promoted. But is it biblical? That is the question that we must consider if we are truly Bible-believing Christians.

The Challenge of Ephesians

Let us take a brief walk through Ephesians, one of Paul’s most beloved epistles. Let us see if Paul’s outlook is compatible with dispensationalism. Unfortunately, as we will see, Ephesians directly contradicts many of the very foundations to the system that so many hold dear.

We will work our way through Paul’s letter in the order he presents it, rather than in any sort of theological order. As we read along, you may become surprised at how clearly Ephesians conflicts with this beloved system.

(1) Christ is presently ruling in his kingdom

Dispensationalism teaches that Christ is not presently enthroned as king. His enthronement awaits the future establishment of his kingdom during the millennium. But in Ephesians 1 Paul teaches that Christ was already established as the king and enthroned in the first century. His statement shows that Christ is not now awaiting his future kingly reign.

In Ephesians 1:20–23 Paul declares:

“He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.”

Note the following complicating problems that arise from this statement.

First, we see quite clearly that Jesus in fact has already been seated at God’s right hand in heaven. This being “seated” (note the past tense) at “God’s right hand” obviously speaks of his being seated at God’s throne in heaven. After all, Jesus himself declares elsewhere that he “sat down with My Father on his throne” (cp. Mark 16:19; Acts 7:56; Heb 8:1; 1 Pet 3:22).

In fact, when he was being tried by the rulers of Israel they asked him if he was the Christ. He chastised them for not believing him in this regard (Luke 22:66–78). He then warned them that he was soon to be seated with God in heaven: “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69). No postponement theory here: in the very context of Israel’s formal, official, and final rejection of him he declared that he would be “seated at the right hand of the power of God” despite their rejection.

Second, we further learn that his throne is in heaven and not on the earth. This contradicts a fundamental of dispensationalism’s premillennial scheme. The Messianic throne is not a literal throne on earth, it is a spiritual reality in heaven. Thus, his reign does not involve political and bureaucratic rule. Rather it is a spiritual-redemptive reality. The earthly kingship of Christ is absolutely denied by Paul.

Third, this enthronement in Ephesians gives Christ authority “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Indeed, God “put all things in subjection under His feet.” This is as high an authority as is possible. What would be the point of his coming to the earth to rule in a literal millennium? He is the ruler of all things now. Why would he come to rule in Jerusalem in a millennium? Why would he leave his heavenly throne where he rules universally to return to his earthly footstool to rule locally (Isa 66:1; Matt 5:35; Acts 7:49)?

Fourth, in fact, Paul says that Christ’s rule continues “not only in this age [right now!], but also in the one to come.” If dispensationalists claim that Christ is not now ruling, then what is Paul talking about? Paul sees Christ’s current function at the right hand of God as not only present now, but as continuing into the future age which lies beyond the present age. Put in the best possible light for dispensationalism, they should argue that his kingship takes a new form in the millennium. But their peculiar system construct will not allow this. In their view, Christ’s kingdom was presented, rejected, and postponed. He is not now in any way reigning as king.

Fifth, this kingly rule of Christ is related “to the church.” And this church is “His body.” But the church is the very redemptive-historical institution that dispensationalism distinguishes from Israel — and therefore from the millennial kingdom. In fact, in their dispensational structuring of history (“rightly dividing the word of truth”), the present age is the Church Age, which is to be followed by (and distinguished) from the Kingdom Age (the millennium).

(2) We are presently ruling with Christ

Dispensationalism teaches that Christ’s future literal rule from a literal throne will include our reigning with him But since his kingdom is not now present, then obviously we are not now reigning with Christ. But Ephesians contradicts such an interpretation.

In Ephesians 2:4–6 we read:

“God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4–6).

And where had Paul just stated that Christ was seated? According to Ephesians 1:20–21 God “raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” He is at God’s right hand ruling over all.

According to the plain-and-simple method of literal interpretation our enthronement must wait until after the second coming of Christ at the Rapture. Why does Paul here speak in the past tense by using the aorist verbal forms of “raised” and “seated?” Why does he teach that Christians in the first century are already enthroned with Christ, that is, that they are already ruling and reigning with him in his kingdom?

And Paul is not alone in this: Peter calls first-century Christians a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9), i.e., a kingdom of priests. And even John, does the same — long before he speaks of the millennium (which occurs in only one chapter in all of the Bible, which happens also to be its most difficult book) and our reigning with Christ as kings and priest (Rev 20:6). John states in the past tense: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Rev 1:6).

To seal the matter, Paul even mentions the celebration of Christ’s enthronement in Ephesians 4. He speaks of his enthronement in terms reflecting a formal Roman triumph where the conquering ruler returns to his capital and divides the spoil with his jubilant citizens. In Ephesians 4:8 Paul states regarding the heavenly-enthroned Christ: “When He ascended on high, / He led captive a host of captives, / And He gave gifts to men.”

(3) The Jew and Gentile are forever merged into one body in the final phase of God’s redemptive plan.

The leading classic dispensationalist scholar of the last fifty years is Charles C. Ryrie. On p. 39 in his important 1995 work Dispensationalism he reiterates his 1966 observation from the book’s first edition: “A dispensationalist keeps Israel and the church distinct.” According to Ryrie: “A. C. Gaebelein stated it in terms of the difference between the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God.” He then states rather dogmatically: “This is probably the most basic theological test of whether or not a person is a dispensationalist.”

We must note two aspects of the matter that come undermine the system. In dispensationalism’s two-peoples-of-God theology they must hold that God (1) distinguishes Jew and Gentile and (2) that he does so permanently (at least in history, though many carry the distinction into eternity). How are these observations fatal to the system? And in light of our study in Ephesians, how do we see that problem in Paul’s epistle?

Paul notes very clearly and forcefully that God merges Jew and Gentile into one body, which we now call the church. He even encourages the Gentiles with the knowledge that they are now included among God’s people and are partakers of their blessings. They are not separate and distinct from Israel but are adopted into her. Note Ephesians 2:11–19:

“Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands — remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”

Note very carefully what Paul states and how it contradicts the notion of a distinction between Jew and Gentile, between Israel and the church:

1. Paul states that the Gentiles were “formerly . . . at that time . . . excluded from the commonwealth of Israel” (Eph 2:12). This is an observation about their past condition.

2. He argues that the Gentiles were “formerly . . . at that time . . . strangers to the covenants of promise” (plural covenants / singular promise). This is an observation about their past condition.
3. He reiterates the Gentiles’ former condition that has now been changed: “But now in Christ you who formerly were far off have been brought near” (Eph 2:19). This is their new experience and condition.

4. He resolutely declares that Christ has effected “peace” in that he “made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph 2:14). This is their new experience and condition.

5. He restates this once again by noting that Christ made “the two into one new man, thus establishing peace” (Eph 2:15). This is their new experience and condition.

6. He recasts this very thought noting that Christ determined to “reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” This is their new experience and condition.

7. He continues by insisting that Christ “came and preached peace to you [Gentiles] who were far away” (Eph 2:17). This is their new experience and condition.

8. He states still again that “through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). This is their new experience and condition.

9. He declares this fact once again: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens” (Eph 2:19). This is their new experience and condition.

10. He insists: “but you are fellow citizens with the saints [obviously the Jews], and are of God’s [singular] household” (Eph 2:19). This is their new experience and condition.

11. Paul states once again that the Gentiles are a part of “the [singular] whole building, being fitted together” and “are being built together” (Eph 2:21). This is their new experience and condition.

Dispensationalism distinguishes Jew and Gentile permanently. Paul merges the two into one new body permanently.

(4) Paul sees Gentiles as receiving Jewish promises.

In our last comment we noted that Paul saw Jew and Gentile merged — permanently — in one body, the church (Eph 2:11–19). Now we would note that in the early part of that text he teaches that this new, merged body — the church — receives the Old Testament promises given to Israel. Consider Paul’s statement to these Gentile Christians:

“remember that you were at that time [before your conversion] separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).

What is happening here? Paul is speaking of matters involving “the commonwealth of Israel.” He is declaring that before these Gentiles came to Christ they were “strangers to the covenants of promise.” This necessarily means that now that they have come to Christ they are no longer strangers to the covenants of promise.

Thus, they are now recipients of “the covenants of promise,” which include the distinctive Abrahamic Covenant with Israel (Gal 3:16–18). After all, he goes on to say that though they were “a that time” (Eph 2:12) excluded and strangers they now “have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13) and that Christ “broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” that separated Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14).

Thus, if Gentiles are no longer “excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,” if Gentiles are no longer “strangers to the covenants of promise,” if Gentiles “have been brought near,” if Jew and Gentile are merged into one body , and if that which distinguishes Jew and Gentile has been “broken down” (the “dividing wall”), then by parity of reasoning: the Gentiles receive the promises given to Israel. How can it be otherwise? The two are now one, so that the promises to the old covenant people belong to the new covenant people who have been merged with them.

(5) The rebuilt temple is the Church of Jesus Christ.

The future rebuilt temple is a distinctive feature of dispensationalism. The Dictionary of Premillennial Theology (Kregel, 1996; hereinafter, DPT) states that:

“The prophecy of a future Jewish temple in Jerusalem . . . is part of the greater restoration promise made to national Israel. This promise, made at the close of the first temple period (cf. Isa. 1:24–2:4; 4:2–6; 11:1–12:6; 25–27; 32; 34–35; 40–66; Jer. 30–33; Ezek. 36–48; Amos 9:11–15; Joel 2:28–3:21; Micah 4:–5; 7:11–20; Zeph. 3:9–20), made again by the prophets who prophesied after the return from captivity (cf. “Dan. 9–12; Hag. 2:5–9; Zech. 8–14; Mal. 3–4), and reaffirmed in the New Testament (cf. Acts 3:19–26; Rom. 11:1–32) contained inseparably linked elements of fulfillment. . .” (DPT 404).

Paul is provides a spiritual interpretation of the promise of a rebuilt temple. In Ephesians 2:19–22 he states:

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

The Apostle certainly believes in a rebuilt temple, but not one built of stone. He sees “the whole building”as currently in his day already “being fitted together” and “growing into a holy temple in the Lord.”He allows this despite the fact that the earthly temple is still standing as he writes. And despite the fact that the millennium still lies off in the distance (already almost 2000 years distant, at least).

To make matters worse, Paul sees the rebuilt temple in spiritual terms because it is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” with “Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” And the current and ongoing building process involves Christians themselves as the building stones for “you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

This is why Jesus could inform the Samaritan woman: “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. . . But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:21, 23). And Jesus presents this “coming” hour as a permanent, final reality not to be withdrawn as a new order of localized, physical temple worship is re-instituted.

This is no stray statement by Paul: he returns to this theme time-and-again. We read of his conception of the spiritual temple in the following verses:

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Cor 3:16–17)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19)

“What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will Dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (2 Cor 6:16).

The third sample in 2 Corinthians 6:16 is important because it specially applies Old Testament prophecy to the New Testament spiritual temple. Notice how Paul argues: “We are the temple of the living; just as God said, ‘I will Dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” The Old Testament backdrop to this “just as God said” statement is Ezekiel 37:27: “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

What is remarkable about all of this is that this Paul takes this statement from Ezekiel’s prophecy of Israel’s dry bones coming back to life. Thus, Paul commits two hermeneutic sins: (1) he applies a prophecy regarding Israel to the church and (2) he spiritualizes God’s prophetic dwelling, applying it to God’s spiritual indwelling his people, rather than God’s building a new temple.

(6) The mystery of the Church was revealed in the Old Testament

The Prophecy Study Bible (2001; hereinafter PSB) defines the mystery character of the Church:
“A mystery or hidden secret in the biblical sense was something in the mind and plan of God but unknown to mankind until it was revealed in the New Testament. Here the mystery is not merely that Gentiles would be blessed . . , which was predicted and well known. The mystery, not known in Old Testament times, was that believing Jews and believing Gentiles would be united as fellow heirs within the same body, to be sharers of God’s promise in Christ through the gospel” (PSB 1388).

Indeed, PSB (1338) explains that “the word ‘mystery’ is often used to describe a New Testament truth not revealed in the Old Testament (Eph. 3:3–5, 9; Col. 1:26–27).” The “prophecy of Christ’s Church is carefully defined by the apostle Paul as a ‘mystery, which from the beginning of the of the ages [i.e., eternity past] has been hidden in God’ (Eph. 3:9). . . . The Church itself was a mystery hidden in God until the revelation in the New Testament” (PSB 1286).

However, once again, Paul contradicts this dispensational view, as we see when we look closely at one of the very verses used to support the system. Ephesians 3:1–10 reads as follows:

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

Paul certainly states that “by revelation there was made known to me the mystery.” We are clearly dealing with a biblical mystery, and one that was especially revealed to Paul. But notice what he actually says:

1. Paul states that “in other generations [it] was not made known to the sons of men” (Eph 3:5a). By “sons of men” Paul is referring broadly of all men, especially those outside of Israel, the Gentiles. He uses the phrase that often appears in the Old Testament to refer to men generically, the wider human race.

David uses this phrase in Psalm 14:2 in speaking of the fool who says there is no God and who works wickedness in order to “eat up my people” (Psa 14:4). We see this generic usage also in Psalm 21:10; 31:19; etc. Indeed, the psalmist declares that “the Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men” (Psa 33:19; cp. 53:2; Jer 32:19). Even when he uses the term inclusively as including Israel, it is because Israel is a part of the whole human race. Ecclesiastes frequently employs the phrase generically (Eccl 1:13; 2:3; 3:10, 18–19; 8:11; 9:3, 12). Daniel 2:38 agrees.

Thus, Paul is teaching that the human race outside of Israel as such did not know the blessings God had in store for them. Paul has been commissioned to take this news to them: “of which I was made a minister’ according to the gift of God’s grace” (Eph 3:7). We must remember that he was appointed as the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 1:5; 11:13; Gal 2:8; Eph 3:5–6; 1 Tim 2:7).

2. Paul continues by adding: “as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Eph 3:5b). The word “as” is a comparative. That is, this revelation was not revealed during the Old Testament era to the degree that it is now revealed in the New Testament. He is comparing the revelation of the mystery in the Old Testament to its fuller revelation in the New Testament. Thus, the earlier revelation was not to the same degree as that which “has now been revealed to his Holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.” We must not overlook the comparative.
3. In fact, we know he is speaking comparatively, not only because of he uses the word “as,” but because of what he states at the end of Romans. In Romans 16:25–27 we read:

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

Note that in this passage he clearly declares that this mystery “now is manifested,” but then immediately adds: “and by the Scriptures of the prophets.” Here he speaks of the Old Testament Scripture for he opens Romans by a similar expression. At Romans 1:2 he speaks of the promise “beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures” (Rom 1:2), which definitely refers to the Old Testament Scriptures. Indeed, all through Romans he refers to the Old Testament as “the Scripture[s]” (Rom 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4), just as he does elsewhere (1 Cor 15:3–4; Gal 3:8, 22; 4:30; 1 Tim 5:18).

Thus, this “mystery” is a revelation of God that cannot be accessed by man’s unaided wisdom. But it appeared before in the Old Testament Scriptures, though it is now made more central and clear in the New Testament. In fact, Paul even adds in Romans 16:26b that this “has been made known to all the nations.” So then, this mystery is no longer confined to Israel in her covenantal Scriptures, but is now being proclaimed to all the nations.

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To be honest, when I first began to look at this theology, I kept fleeing because of fearing it to be some sort of heretical departure to the standard theology of the Church. I had accepted the labels of “replacement theology” and “Roman Catholic theology” that were firmly covering it by the dominant dispensationalists that I was surrounded by. However I have come to realise recently that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

If I were to attempt to try and offer some sort of rebuttal against the accusations against amillennialism, as much as I now fully embrace it, I’m sure it would be more than a little messy to say the least. Therefore I will be making a series of posts containing the audio from a group of lectures given by Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, who in my opinion is an excellent mouthpiece for reformed amillennialism, but is also extremely gracious to those who oppose the theology.

The following audio message explains what amillennialism actually is, and is well worth listening. I would also highly recommend his book called “A Case for Amillennialism“.

One final thing I would like to point out is that although I openly embrace amillennialism as my own eschatology, it is not necessarily the same for all at Faith Defenders, nor many of the ministries linked to through our website. Therefore although I would very much like to create a strong argument in favour of amillennialism through some of the posts I make here, I am not against others making their own case for alternative eschatological views, providing it is done so graciously and based upon Scriptural arguments.

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“He writes as follows concerning the Father’s part: I the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto my only begotten and well-beloved Son, a people countless beyond the number of the stars who shall be by Him washed from sin, by Him preserved, and kept, and led, and by Him, at last, presented before my throne, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. I covenant by oath and sware by myself, because I can sware by no greater, that those whom I now give to Christ shall be forever the objects of my eternal love. Them will I forgive through the merit of the blood, to these will I give a perfect righteousness; these will I adopt and make my sons and daughters, and these shall reign with me through Christ eternally.

He continues as follows as he speaks of the part of the Son in the covenant of grace: My Father, on my part I covenant that in the fullness of time I will become man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people I will keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Thy just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Thou shall exact their debts on me; the chastisement of their peace will I endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. I will magnify Thy law, and make it honorable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Thy law, and all the vials of Thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head. I will then rise again; I will ascend into heaven; I will intercede for them at Thy right hand; I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom Thou hast given me shall ever be lost, and I will bring all my sheep of whom, by Thy blood, Thou has constituted me the Shepherd – I will bring every one safe to Thee at last.

Concerning the Holy Spirit’s part in the covenant, Spurgeon writes: I hereby covenant that all whom the Father giveth to the Son, I will in due time quicken. I will show them their need of redemption; I will cut off from them all groundless hope, and destroy their refuges of lies. I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling; I will give them faith whereby this blood can be applied to them; I will work in them every grace; I will keep their faith alive; I will cleanse them and drive out all depravity from them, and they shall be presented at last spotless and faultless.”

Source of Quote: Gospel Pedlar

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by R.C. Sproul, excerpted from Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1992), pp. 215-218.

We have often heard statements such as “War is hell” or “I went through hell.” These expressions are, of course, not taken literally. Rather, they reflect our tendency to use the word hell as a descriptive term for the most ghastly human experience possible. Yet no human experience in this world is actually comparable to hell. If we try to imagine the worst of all possible suffering in the here and now we have not yet stretched our imaginations to reach the dreadful reality of hell.

Hell is trivialized when it is used as a common curse word. To use the word lightly may be a halfhearted human attempt to take the concept lightly or to treat it in an amusing way. We tend to joke about things most frightening to us in a futile effort to declaw and defang them, reducing their threatening power.

There is no biblical concept more grim or terror-invoking than the idea of hell. It is so unpopular with us that few would give credence to it at all except that it comes to us from the teaching of Christ Himself.

Almost all the biblical teaching about hell comes from the lips of Jesus. It is this doctrine, perhaps more than any other, that strains even the Christian’s loyalty to the teaching of Christ. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of minimizing hell in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus’ own teaching. The Bible describes hell as a place of outer darkness, a lake of fire, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of eternal separation from the blessings of God, a prison, a place of torment where the worm doesn’t turn or die. These graphic images of eternal punishment provoke the question, should we take these descriptions literally or are they merely symbols?

I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain. That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols.

A breath of relief is usually heard when someone declares, “Hell is a symbol for separation from God.” To be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person. The ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God. Their problem in hell will not be separation from God, it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.

No matter how we analyze the concept of hell it often sounds to us as a place of cruel and unusual punishment. If, however, we can take any comfort in the concept of hell, we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God is incapable of inflicting an unjust punishment. The Judge of all the earth will surely do what is right. No innocent person will ever suffer at His hand.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of hell is its eternality. People can endure the greatest agony if they know it will ultimately stop. In hell there is no such hope. The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. The same word is used for both eternal life and eternal death. Punishment implies pain. Mere annihilation, which some have lobbied for, involves no pain. Jonathan Edwards, in preaching on Revelation 6:15-16 said, “Wicked men will hereafter earnestly wish to be turned to nothing and forever cease to be that they may escape the wrath of God.” (John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell [Orlando: Ligonier Ministries, 1991], 75.)

Hell, then, is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God, a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief. Understanding this is crucial to our drive to appreciate the work of Christ and to preach His gospel.

Summary

1. The suffering of hell is beyond any experience of misery found in this world.
2. Hell is clearly included in the teaching of Jesus.
3. If the biblical descriptions of hell are symbols, then the reality will be worse than the symbols.
4. Hell is the presence of God in His wrath and judgment.
5. There is no cruelty in hell. Hell will be a place of perfect justice.
6. Hell is eternal. There is no escape through either repentance or annihilation.

Biblical passages for reflection: Matthew 8:11-12, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31, Jude 1:3-13, Revelation 20:11-15.

Sourced from: Defending. Contending.

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I have to say this is one of the best arguments put forward for the authenticity of the New Testament accounts, and done in the unmistakeable style of the “underweight fat guy” himself!

If you get the chance, I urge you to listen to the following audio, which lasts just short of an hour, and read through the PDF file of the slide show that Chris used during the lecture. Absolutely wonderful, thankyou so much Chris!

Download the PDF file here

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