----- Original Message -----
From: Don Samdahl
Sent: Tuesday, 07/29/2014 5:47 PM
Subject: Is the 'Pre-Trib Rapture' a LIE?
 

NOTE:  On Monday, July 28th, 2014 John Little of OmegaShock posted an article stating his belief that the pre-trib rapture belief is not just a flawed (in his opinion) eschatology, but is in fact a LIE from Satan.  This would mean that those believing and teaching the pre-trib rapture are liars.  Is it a SIN to believe and teach this view?

Jimmy Staten didn't think so, so he invited Dr. Don Samdahl to refute the errors in Mr. Little's work.  That refutation follows:

 

Paul's point in 2 Thessalonians 2.1-2, was to correct the false teaching that the Thessalonicans were experiencing the Day of the Lord, the Tribulation.  Someone had written a letter that they were experiencing the Day of the Lord.  This had shaken them.  It contradicted what Paul had taught them previously, in 1 Thessalonians, that the Lord would come for His Church, the body of Christ, and remove it before the Tribulation.  The reason for 2 Thessalonians was to correct the false teaching that Christians would experience the Tribulation.

The Rapture was a Pauline revelation.  Jesus never spoke of it in His earthly ministry.  The Twelve never taught the Rapture.  Only Paul taught the Rapture.  Why?  Because it was a secret (μυστήριον) according to 1 Corinthians 15.51.  The Rapture and the 2nd Coming are two different events.  In the first, the Lord comes for His body, the Church.  He comes to meet us in the air (1 Thessalonians 4.16-17).  His feet never touch the earth in this coming.  The Church is a heavenly people, whose destiny is heaven, not earth.  When the Lord comes He comes to take us to our destiny.  In the 2nd Coming, He comes for Israel and the nations at the end of the Tribulation.  He comes to earth--His feet come to the Mt. of Olives (Acts 1.11 cf. Zechariah 14.4).  Israel's destiny is earthly--they are an earthly people, whose destiny is the kingdom of God on the earth.  Precipitating His return for Israel is their national repentance (Matthew 23.37-39).  His return for the Church is pure grace based upon faith in His death and resurrection alone (1 Corinthians 15.1-4).

The Bible states clearly that members of the Church, the body of Christ, will not experience God's wrath, the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1.10, 5.9).  One only need read 1 Thessalonians 4.13-19 and 1 Thessalonians 5.1-1 and contrast the "we" verses with the "them" verses to recognize that "we," the Church, have no part of God's wrath.  Those who experience God's wrath in the Day of the Lord are "them"--unbelievers, not members of the Church.  These will experience the Day of the Lord.

The essence of the problem with the teaching of Mr. Little is his failure to understand that Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles and that the Church and Israel have separate programs.  The Lord ministered to Israel (Romans 15.8).  He did not reveal the doctrines he revealed to Paul while on earth.  He revealed those doctrines from heaven (Galatians 1.11-12).  Unless one understands Paul's unique apostleship and his disclosure of doctrines unrevealed in the Lord's earthly ministry, one will become enmeshed in a multitude of errors.

Few doctrines are more sure or explicitly taught than the pretribulation Rapture.  It is a sure a doctrine as salvation by faith alone.  Paul explicitly taught that those who teach that the Church, the body of Christ, will go into the Tribulation are false teachers.  It is remarkable is that despite Paul's clear and explicit teaching, some still want to ride the hobby-horse that the Church will go into the Tribulation.  For goodness sake, if you're going to err, at least choose a subject that the Scriptures don't expressly declare you to be a false teacher!  Heed Paul's warning of 2 Thessalonians 2.3, "let no man deceive you."  See http://doctrine.org/the-day-of-christ/ for more on this subject.

Published a new article, "The Gentile Exceptions" recently.

Grace and peace.

Don

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