(Part 7)
Pertaining to last week’s article, I overlooked a couple of verses in 1Cor15 that are crucial to proving there is no pretribulation rapture/ resurrection. I would like to develop that now before we continue in Thessalonians. I want to talk about the “last trumpet” that will sound just before or as the rapture/resurrection happens and the completion of a mystery: Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great SOUND OF A TRUMPET, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1Cor 15:51 Behold I show you a MYSTERY; we shall not all sleep (die), but we all shall be changed.
1Cor 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.
1Th 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: Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded (the trumpet); and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (compare 1Cor15:24).
And what is finished? Whatsoever mysteries God has revealed to the prophets and apostles concerning the propagation of the gospel, the ruin of the antichrist and the end of the age (Matthew Poole’s commentary). AT THE LAST TRUMPET OF GOD.
One coming: At the end of the age. Scripture interpreting scripture. Harmonizing perfectly. How anyone could see a pretrib resurrection in these scriptures is beyond me.
Continuing from last week with the exposure of the false doctrine of a Pretribulational Rapture/Resurrection of believers, let’s look at some more scripture used by the theorist in the fabrication of this false teaching found in 2 Thessalonians.
2Ths2:1, “now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Messiah, Yashua, and by our gathering together to Him”....
To make the pretrib rapture/resurrection theory fit their narrative, theorist teach that the coming of our Messiah Yashua is the Second Advent and our gathering together to Him is the rapture/resurrection described as “the falling away” in Vs 3. Two phases. We proved in last week’s article this is impossible. This is the preconceived bias I am talking about. They have to misconstrue verses to make the doctrine fit. How anyone can logically reason this verse is describing two events at separate times is a really strange interpretation to me. Consider this: If “the falling away” is the rapture as is taught and not a defection from the truth, then the scripture would mean this: “our gathering together unto him cannot happen until our gathering together unto him happens first, then the antichrist is revealed. Makes no sense. Again, injecting conjecture to fit the narrative. Not allowing scripture to interpret scripture.
Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians (and to the church today), was reassuring them that the resurrection day was not yet “at hand” when he wrote: 2Th 2:2 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 Messiah is at hand”. Why was he so sure the “day of Messiah was not at hand? Because the great falling away and son of perdition had not been revealed yet. Just curious but does anyone reading this not know that the “day of Messiah” is speaking about the “last day” or the “day of the Lord”? Then Paul says something very remarkable; he tells them (as he is telling us today) two things will happen FIRST before the day of Messiah comes.
2Th 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the day of Messiah or “last day” or the “day of the Lord”) shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasia) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (the Antichrist)”.
These two things will happen FIRST before the resurrection. However, another error that is taught by theorist who believe in a pretribulation resurrection is that the term, “falling away”, means the departure of the church and then the Antichrist is revealed. Again, trying to make scripture say something it doesn’t, to prove a preconceived bias towards a particular belief. The wording “falling away” in the Greek is “apostasia” meaning: defection from truth, to forsake, a defection revolt (this is why some bible translations say “rebellion instead of falling away). In Acts21:21 it is translated “to forsake” (“thou teachest apostasia from Moses”). If there was actually a departing of the church (rapture/resurrection) at this point in the timeline, one would think Paul would declare it plainly at this time, but he didn’t and for this reason; Paul writes to Timothy about the same thing: 1Tim4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall “depart” (aphistemi) from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”. Yashua referred to this in Mt 24:5,11. But Paul used “depart” in 1Tim4:1 to clearly show he was talkling about defecting from the truth. The greek word “depart” is aphistemi - it means to remove, instigate revolt, to desist, desert, depart, draw away, fall away (1Ths2:3), refrain, withdraw self. But never depart from earth !!
The Geneva Bible (1599) which pre-dates the KJ Bible says, “Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a departing *(aphistemi)* first, and that man of sin be disclosed, the son of perdition”. Interestingly, footnotes to this verse (written some 300+ years before dispensationalism doctrine took over in this country) say this; “The Apostle foretelleth that before the coming of the Lord, there shall be a throne set up clean contrary to Christ’s glory, wherein that wicked man shall sit, and transfer all things that appertain to God, to himself, and many shall fall away from God to him”. Christian, do you see anything in these verses that would indicate the rapture before the Antichrist is revealed? This interpretation is confirmed in 2 Ths 2:11, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”. Scripture interpreting scripture.
Another error in interpretation of scripture theorist use to try and prove a pretribulational rapture/resurrection is 2 Ths2:68. They use these verses to prove that the “church” will not be here during tribulation because “He” (the Holy Spirit) is withholding the antichrist until “He” (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way so the antichrist can be revealed. The “reasoning” (if one can call it that) is that the “church” has the Holy Spirit in them and if the “church” is removed, it stands to reason, the Holy Spirit is removed also. The antichrist can now be revealed. Unfortunately for the theorist, the scriptures “explicitly” say: Verses 6-8: “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming”. One coming, at some time after the antichrist is revealed. Scripture interpreting scripture.
Christian, did you read anywhere in those scriptures the words “Holy Spirit” or “the Spirit” or any word that would allude to the Holy Spirit? Neither did I. But yet the whole doctrine is built around these verses. One has to think Paul would just plainly tell us who “He” is at this point. Paul had already told the brethren about this previously when he was with them (vs 5). To the Pretrib teachers, this has to be the Holy Spirit to make “falling away” make sense in verse 3. This is so misleading but if that’s all one has ever heard, it’s believable. “Why would my pastor and SS teachers lie to me”, you ask? Well, more than likely that’s all they’ve ever heard too, so it’s not lying if you don’t know what you don’t know. I believed it for 46 years.
Now we can look at a scripture that proves the church will escape the tribulation. Or does it? Let’s dig deeper.
Rev 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write.......
Rev 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”.
When one reads Rev 3:10 with a pretrib rapture bias already instilled in their mind, it sure does sound like the “church” is going to escape this “hour of temptation” that is coming on the whole earth, doesn’t it. This proves it right? Not so fast Christian. First, to whom did Messiah Yashua write the letter? To the angel of the church at Philadelphia. May I point out that this church is the only church Yashua said He would keep from the hour of temptation. He did not say that to the other six churches. So by the reasoning of pretribulation rapture theorist, we, today, would have to belong to the church at Philadelphia. All would be under their umbrella, so to speak. Seriously? This is a real stretch of scripture.
Let’s look at the words of Yashua to see if we can shed some light on what Rev. 3:10 really means.
John 17:11 and 15:11 - “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, “KEEP” through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
15 - I pray that thou shouldest not take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest “KEEP” them from the evil”.
In both instances (John 17:11,15 and Rev 3:10) the word “KEEP” in the greek is “tereo”. What does this word mean? From Strongs Hebrew and Greek Concordance, G5083 tereo means “a watch”, akin to G2334; to guard (from loss or injury), properly by keeping the eye upon”. What “tereo” does not mean is a taking away, or escape from temptation or depart from the earth. What this letter does say, and also the other six letters to the individual churches is the admonishment from Yashua to “overcome to the end”.
Christian, why would Yashua encourage us to overcome if the rapture/resurrection is before great tribulation? It would have no meaning. Did the Apostles escape from loss or injury. Hardly. Many suffered martyrdom. Great tribulations and injury was had by all especially Paul (2Cor11:23-27). Again, Yashua’s and the Apostle Paul’s words: Joh 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”....
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Messiah Yashua shall suffer persecution.
Christian, as I have said before, this is the number one reason there is no pretribulation rapture: the “church” of God, the body of Messiah, has been persecuted, suffered tribulation, and death since the day Yashua was taken down off the tree. To believe that the last generation of believers will escape this time of persecution is worse than ridiculous, it is misleading, and unknowingly by those who continue to teach it, this doctrine is setting up the great “falling away” / defection from the truth that is prophesied will happen. I have noticed a very substantial number of folks commenting on Post-Trib videos that if the church has to go through tribulation then they want nothing to do with such a vengeful God. Others have said it would be the “blasted hope”, not the Blessed Hope. I have a real hard time understanding the mindset of those who believe that this last generation of believers is somehow different and much more special than those who have suffered and given their lives for the testimony of Messiah down through the centuries. Could it be this is the reason WE WILL go through tribulation? The refining fire upon us? I am reminded of two verses in 2Ths2:4,5: 4) So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5) Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.
Continue to pray for this country and those who rule over us. From President Biden down to our city and county officials, that we may live peaceable and honorable lives. Remain steadfast in the faith, abounding in His work.
Pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who endure persecutions, tribulations and even death as you read this. Grace.
Max Hill Woodville [email protected]
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