Addressing Intemperate Remarks about the PreTribulation Rapture

by Jeremy James 

The Adversary has different ways to attack the Word of God and it behoves believers to know what they are. Those who study His Word daily and take it to heart will learn to recognize what the sceptics are up to and act accordingly. Normally it is the attitude of these people that we recognize first. Unless they are experienced deceivers, they will generally behave as though they are scouting for a weakness or seeking a line of attack. However, three times in recent weeks I came across instances where commentators whom I thought were completely sincere said something which resounded like a thunder clap. There was no lead in, no sign that something was brewing. These individuals are generally fair and balanced in their approach, respectful of Scripture, and even-handed when discussing opinions that don’t match their own. Nevertheless they each announced, as though from nowhere, that the doctrine of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture was “Satanic”. 2 None of them attempted to present any scriptural evidence to support their opinion – which, by the way, was expressed with real passion. Nor did they issue their condemnation as part of a general review of false teaching in the church today. There seemed to be only one errant position on their mind, only one that deserved to be labelled “Satanic.” All three defined it as a heresy dreamt up by two Jesuits in the 18th century or part of a subversive plot involving C I Scofield in the early 20th century. That seemed to be their sole justification. One would have expected them to describe the great harm that this alleged heresy has caused, but they made no reference to that. Presumably their respective audiences were meant to nod their heads in silent agreement, as though the calumny was too well known to warrant further discussion. The bile and rancour of these outbursts was surprising. Even though they were premeditated they seemed to serve no purpose. Normally articulate, these people reverted momentarily to the level of a loudmouth who gets a buzz from chanting slogans and goading his audience. As we stated in a previous paper, the Enemy hates the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, so outbursts like these may become more common. A rainbow of mercy The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is like the rainbow, radiant with God’s mercy. Just as Satan mocks the rainbow, linking it blasphemously to all kinds of sexual perversion, he also likes to mock the “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:13). The idea that Christ would return without warning for his bride is, to him, a gut-wrenching catastrophe. Just when he is about to spring his trap and capture the whole of mankind in his Antichrist deception, Lord Jesus comes from heaven, from the right hand of the Father, and carries his bride far from this troubled world. Believers everywhere will hear his voice and the trumpet of the Archangel, but everyone else will hear nothing. In an instant they are gone. This astonishing act of mercy really ought to awaken the sleeping and rebellious dwellers upon the earth, but seemingly it won’t. All kinds of confusing reasons will be given to explain the sudden disappearance of so many people. 3 The Babylonian lie The fallen angels who channeled the New Age plan to Alice Bailey, whose works now constitute the core teaching of Theosophy, were quite open about the removal from the earth of a certain class of people at the end of the age. They knew the Rapture would occur just as the Bible foretold and they needed an alternative way to explain it. Since it encompassed only those who were faithful to the LORD God of the Old Testament, Bailey called them “Jews”. This was her derogatory term for anyone who refused to take the Luciferian initiation offered by the Antichrist: “You have often been told how, at the close of this solar system, a certain percentage of the human family will fail to make the grade and will then be held in pralaya, or in solution, until the time for the manifestation of the next and third solar system comes around.” – The Externalization of the Hierarchy, p.41 She added: “When that happens, the problem will be rapidly solved and one of the major difficulties will disappear off the face of the earth.” So who will “disappear off the face of the earth”? The church, of course. This is the portion “of the human family” which failed “to make the grade.” The Ascended Masters – the deified gurus of Theosophy – had to remove them from the earth before the Antichrist could begin his ministry and lead humanity into the New Age. Had they been allowed to remain they would have constituted a “major difficulty” and jeopardized the serene mystical process of Cosmic Transformation. Even though they have their answers ready, the architects of The Great Reset are not keen that believers put their trust in the Blessed Hope. It is not called by that name for nothing! Someone who has that hope has certainty. He is secure in Jesus and unshakeable in his faith. The Enemy hates this since it greatly reduces the impact of his disabling End Time weapon – universal fear and trepidation. He intends to use fear on a scale never seen before, to cripple the masses and drive them like a stampeding herd into the beguiling arms of the Antichrist. 4 The closer we get to that critical period in history, the more dangerous are those who are not shaken by the ever-expanding campaign of terror. Just as the entire effect is spoiled if just one person in a theatre chuckles during a tense and frightening scene, the dark theatrical performance that the Enemy has prepared will lose a lot of its force if a small group of people refuse to buckle. They will continue to remind the world that Satan breaks his teeth when he tries to chew on God’s Word. They will trust in the promises that God made and will repeat again and again the commitment that Jesus made to the church at Philadelphia: "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." (Revelation 3:10) Those who condemn the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as “Satanic” should look carefully at what God has said – lest they break their teeth. The Blessed Hope was revealed for a reason and we take a lot upon ourselves when we treat it lightly. Perhaps the critics think the church is weakened by this doctrine? If so, they have no respect for the promise that Jesus made to the church at Philadelphia. In their view everyone should go through the Tribulation, but in making this claim they are showing an arrogant disregard for what the Bible teaches about Calvary, God’s Wrath, the nature of the Church, and much else besides. How to avoid the worst mistakes Since we have covered this doctrine in detail in previous papers, we will not go over it again here. However, we would like to draw attention to a set of verses which, by themselves, obliterate the case made by the sceptics. Perhaps they won’t induce a diehard sceptic to change his position, but they may help other believers, who are less sure about the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, to avoid making the same mistakes. We’ll start with one of the most beautiful doctrines in the Bible, the day of Jesus Christ. 5 The Day of Jesus Christ This doctrine is not properly understood because of scandalous corruptions in several modern translations of God’s Word. The corruption in this instance is very subtle but also very damaging. The Textus Receptus, which was used as the exclusive source for the translation of the KJV, includes the following Greek words in 1 Corinthians 5:5: ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ The last word is Ἰησοῦ - iēsous or Jesus. The full verse in the KJV reads: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:5) [KJV] Incredibly the word “Jesus” is omitted from several modern translations, including the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the New English Translation (NET), and the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) – see box below: “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” [NIV] “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” [ESV] “hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” [CSB] “turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” [NET] “turn that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.” [HCSB] Why did the translators do this? Was it because they didn’t understand the passage or because they were engaged in a deliberate deception? Many Christians will think the difference is slight, when in fact it is enormous. The false translations are referring to “the day of the LORD”, while the KJV is referring to “the day of the Lord Jesus”. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! 6 The day of the LORD is the day of God’s wrath upon a sinful and rebellious world. The day of the Lord Jesus, on the other hand, is the day Jesus comes for his church. The first “day” is a period of time, seven years. The second is a specific day. They do not and cannot overlap. We know this because they are described as distinct events, each having its own time or “day” in the LORD’s calendar. For this reason alone the day of the Lord Jesus cannot fall in the period known as the day of the LORD. We also know that Jesus returns with his saints during the day of the LORD. THEREFORE the Rapture (Harpazo) must take place before the day of the LORD commences. The following words appear in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 of the Textus Receptus, the original Greek text used by the translators of the KJV: ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ The last word is Χριστοῦ - Christos or Christ. The full verse in the KJV reads: “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2) [KJV] Once again the modern translators did their cunning work and replaced “Christ” with the word “Lord”, thereby changing the meaning from the day of Jesus Christ to the day of the LORD. The duplicity shown by these alleged experts is shocking. The versions include the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the New English Translation (NET), the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the American Standard Version (ASV), and the New Living Translation [NLT] – see box below: 7 “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us – whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter – asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.” [NIV] “not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” [ESV] “not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come.” [CSB] “not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.” [NET] “that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” [NASB] “not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” [RSV] “to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand;” [ASV] “not to be easily upset in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a message or by a letter as if from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has come.” [HCSB] “Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun...” [NLT] 8 The Day of the LORD We’ll now look briefly at some verses that show the stark difference between the day of the LORD and the day of Jesus Christ: “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.” (Amos 5:18) As Amos tells us, the day of the LORD is not something anyone should look forward to! It is a day of darkness, and not light. He then adds the following: “Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:20) Again he stresses the depth of spiritual darkness that will characterize the day of the LORD. He confirms also that there will be “no brightness” in it. Is not the Rapture of the church an occasion of spiritual “brightness” and “light”? Of course it is! – therefore it cannot occur during the day of the LORD. Isaiah refers in stark terms to the day of the LORD, a time of calamity and destruction from the hand of God, when all men shall howl. Lest anyone miss the horrifying significance of this, he describes it in more detail a few verses later: “Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.” (Isaiah 13:6) 9 “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.” (Isaiah 13:9) Ezekiel tells us that the day of the LORD is uniquely “the time of the heathen”. The “heathen” are those who have rejected the Gospel. If this is the case, then the church CANNOT be involved: “For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” (Ezekiel 30:3) God in His Mercy repeats this singular truth in the short book of Obadiah: “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” (Obadiah 1:15) We must pay attention to what the Word of God is telling us! The Tribulation is the day of the LORD, a time when the heathen – those who have rejected the Gospel – will be judged severely by God. As they have done, so will it be done unto them. The Age of Grace has ended and the church is no longer on the earth, leaving behind it a great spiritual darkness. The heathen will be obliged to face the consequences of their rebellion, their arrogant refusal to accept the salvation offered by Jesus – “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 10 Jesus paid our sin debt on Calvary and he paid it in full. As believers, we are no longer under condemnation. The wrath of God will come upon the earth in the seven-year Tribulation, the great day of the LORD. It will be concerned exclusively with those who are still under condemnation, who in their pride are determined to find salvation by some other means. The church cannot be here on earth while His “fierce anger” is poured out. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:3 This is the time that John the Baptist was referring to when he chided the Pharisees and the Sadducees for coming out into the wilderness to hear his message: “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). In contrast, the Apostle Paul tells us that believers will be rescued (or delivered) by Jesus from the wrath to come, and that they are waiting patiently for this precious moment: “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10) To know that we will be delivered or rescued from the wrath to come is a joy and a blessed hope. It is a special day indeed, the day of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul liked to remind believers of the joy he experienced when he thought of the many souls – known to him personally here on earth – who would stand with him in the presence of our Lord on that special day: 11 “As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (2 Corinthians 1:14) “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6) “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;” (Philippians 1:10) “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” (Philippians 2:16) CONCLUSION There is so much more we could say. Our earlier papers cover the subject in detail, setting out and expounding the numerous passages in God’s Word that point very clearly to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Do believers “deserve” to be rescued in this way? Not at all! As the Psalmist said, “...verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity...” (Psalm 39:5) We have done nothing to merit salvation. Neither have we done anything to merit the Blessed Hope. Christ earned this great blessing for us on Calvary. He paid the price. He paid our sin debt in full and freed us from the power of Satan. Everyone else on earth, whether they know it or not, are governed by Satan and subject to the Satanic world system. As we have already seen, the Bible refers to them as “them that dwell upon the earth”: "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." (Revelation 3:10) The original Greek word for "dwell" in the phrase "dwell upon the earth" has a deeper meaning than its English counterpart. The more usual Greek word is oikeo, which means simply ‘to dwell’, while the word used by John in the book of Revelation is katoikeo, which means to dwell permanently. It is used, for example, to describe the fullness of the Godhead that dwells in Christ Jesus (Colossians 2:9). Therefore "them that dwell upon the earth" are those who see the earth as their true home. As such they are citizens of the earth by choice. 12 It is deeply troubling to think that most of the population of the earth today are in this category. In the Age of Grace the Holy Spirit shed abundantly His wonderful mercy, reaching out to all who sincerely longed for Truth. Nevertheless, a huge proportion did not have any real love for the Truth and failed to heed His call. They are those who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). God could justly close the door right now, but He intends instead to offer all who dwell upon the earth one last opportunity to accept His Son. The suffering of the Tribulation, “the hour of temptation”, will spur many of these rebellious souls to repent, to set aside their pride and humbly accept the priceless gift of salvation. Incredibly, in His Mercy – before this great door closes – He will send forth tens of thousands of witnesses to preach the Gospel over the entire earth and issue a final warning to mankind. 

Jeremy James Ireland April 2, 2022