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I have been tossed into a whirlpool of confusion by reading this view of
the Lord's return for his church. At first glance this view seems to
harmonize well with the chronolgy of revelation 6, but there are some
gaping holes in this doctrine.

Has anyone else been in contact with this teaching ? Just would like to
know that blessed hope IS intact for those who DO worship the ONE LORD in
Spirit and Truth. Pray for me everyone that the LORD will take away every
dark cloud of confusion, after all he is NOT the author of it..

Those unfamilliar with this view... here is a basic synopsis:
If this is a heretical view then there ought to be someone to refute it
according to the scriptures and NOT church DOGMA (AMEN)

*THE PREWRATH RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH:*

The expectations of men will blind you to the truth of God's Word
everytime!!!

The day is coming when this world, as we know it, is going to go through
some very dramatic change. Earthquakes abound, murder is running rampant
on the streets of major cities throughout the world, there just doesn't
seem to be enough time in each day....and still, in the midst of chaos,
there seem's to some to be a "peace". Then, just when people think that
it couldn't get any better, when they speak of peace and safety, "sudden
destruction will come upon them." There will be some very major wars,
racial hatred, ethnic cleansing like the world has never seen, and a mass
movement towards an understanding of God. But through it all, God will
bless and protect His church. 

This view of the Rapture of the Church will not astonish you. It is
straight from God's Word. We believe that the Church will go through the
Tribulation period, but will be removed to be with the Lord before the
wrath that will be poured out on the Day of the Lord. It is powerful, it
is Biblical, and we believe that this is what God has told us all along. 


A POINT OF UNDERSTANDING


The Rapture of the Church is first presented in the Gospel of Matthew, in
Chapter 24. This is commonly known as the Olivette Discourse, and are the
answers that Jesus gave to His disciples in response to three questions
that they had posed to Him.... 

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be
the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matthew 24:3


Jesus then goes into His discourse on the conditions of the last days. He
speaks of wars and rumors of wars, nations against nations (ethnos) and
kingdoms against kingdoms. He speaks about persecution and false
prophets, and how the love of many will grow cold because of iniquity.
Then He makes a statement that is often skipped or overlooked by many
Bible teachers today... 

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew
24:13


Then, as He continues with the discourse, telling of how the gospel of
the kingdom would be preached in all the world, He comes to one of the
definite signs that will point to His imminent return...the Abomination
of Desolation.... 


"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand)" Matthew 24:15 

The first real sign that will be recognizeable will be the coming of the
Antichrist, the son of perdition, who will establish himself on the Holy
Place (Mount Moriah, or the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), and declare
himself to be God. This is covered fully in Daniel Chapter 9. Now, do not
be confused by some who will tell you that this occurred previously, and
that the Tribulation occurred in A.D. 70, because common sense and an
understanding of the Book of Daniel will show that an abomination did
occur approximately 150 years before Jesus was born when Antiochus
Epiphanes slaughtered a pig on the Altar and desecrated the Temple. He
and his forces (the Syrians) were cleared during the revolt of the
Maccabees, and from this cleansing of the Temple, and some of the events
that occurred is where the Jewish people now celebrate the "Feasts of
Lights", or Hanukkah. The event that Jesus was relating to was, and still
is, a future event. 

We also know that the Abomination of Desolation must occur before Christ
returns, along with another event, apostacy of the church, as taught by
the Apostle Paul... 

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition."
1 Thessalonians 2:3

God's Timing Is Perfect

To be removed from the scourge of the Antichrist and the world is a great
thought. It "fits" our plans. We have no need to be firmly committed in
Christ. We could live like "heathens" and still be taken away before all
hell breaks loose on earth (literally). But this would also be contrary
to God's own Word, where He asks us to repent and to be an overcomer.
Jesus continues to speak of how false prophets, showing great signs would
come into the world and possibly deceive the very elect. Then He comes to
the sign that will tell the world that He is at hand...the one sign that
would signify is immediate return... 


"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 the 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. 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."
Matthew 24:29-21


This is the same as recorded in Mark 13:24-27. So, why do some call the
Rapture a mystery when Jesus stated it so clearly? 

A MYSTERY TO WHO?

The Apostle Paul is the only Apostle to mention the Rapture of the Church
after Christ returned to be with the Father. He records this in his first
letter to the Corinthians.... 

"Behold, I shew you a mystery,; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

This teaching on the resurrection and the taken of the saints to be with
the Lord was a mystery to the people of the churches...the Body of
Christ. It wasn't a secret or mystery to the disciples because Jesus had
told them of it as recorded in Matthew 24. It was a mystery simply
because it had not been taught before. 

Paul goes on in his first letter to the Thessalonians to describe the
specific events that would take place, and it is here that, by looking
into the Greek definitions used, that we will see the truth of the
Rapture of the Church.... 

"But i would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of
the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which ar asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18


Let's break this down. First, those of us who are "alive and remain". The
Greek translation for these words would be more properly translated
"scattered and surviving". This would match up with a world where the
Antichrist has full reign and is making war with the saints of the
Almighty. We would be scattered and trying to survive! Next, the word
"caught it" is the Greek word "harpazo", meaning to literally "snatch or
take away from". It is this word, translated to Latin that the word
"rapier" comes from, which translated into modern English is the root
word for "rapture". So, if anyone ever tells you that the word does not
appear in the Bible, you now have a basis of explanation. 

Next, let's look at this one event, which is in actuality, a series of
events.... 

First, the Lord Jesus Christ will begin His return with a shout. This is
the Day of the Lord (Matthew 24:29-31); then we shall hear the voice of
the archangel and the trump of God. This will cause the resurrection of
believers who have died. Graves will burst open and those who have been
dead in Christ will come out! Then, we shall all be changed to our
immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-52), and then we shall be taken up
by the angels of Heaven to be with the Lord (Matthew 24:31). Although our
changing to immortal bodies will occur in the "twinkling of an eye", our
rising to be with the Lord will not. Every unsaved person on earth at
that time will see it, just as over 500 witnesses saw Christ rise in the
Book of Acts (Acts 1:9-11), and as will be the resurrection of the two
witnesses of in the Book of Revelations (Rev 11:9-12). According to God's
own Word, the resurrection of believers and the Rapture of the Church
will be the greates witness to unrepentant man the world has ever seen. 

THE PROMISE OF SALVATION AND THE BLESSED HOPE

We have seen how two events must occur before these things come to
pass...apostacy and the revealing of the Antichrist. We have seen the
truth of God's Word regarding how these things are going to happen. Now,
we will look at a specific promise that God has given us through his
Apostle Paul... 

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to ibtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we
should live together with him." 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

We are not appointed to God's wrath, pure and simple. Regardless of our
condition morally and spiritually as believers, God loves us to the point
that His divine wrath is not for us....it is for those who refuse Him,
and it is for the Satanic realm of the time to come. Some say that the
entire Tribulation period is God's wrath, but that is not true. God's
wrath does not begin until Jesus begins His return on the Day of the
Lord. It is at that time that He will have His angels pour out the wrath
of God's judgment onto the world....and this is just after the sounding
of the "last trump".... 



"And the seventh angel sounded; 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. And the four and
twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their
faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God
Almighty, which are, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken
to thee thy great power, and has reigned. And they nations were angry,
and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the
prophets, and to the saits, and them that fear thy name, small and great;
and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." Revelations 11:15-18

It is at the seventh trumpet...the last trump, that Jesus will begin His
return, snatch out of the world His church, and bring His divine wrath
onto the world. His divine wrath is further described as the events in
Revelations Chapter 16. This is the Rapture of the Church, and this is
the blessed hope of the believers: not that we will be taken out before
tribulation, but that we will have an eternal testimony of how God
provided for us throughout the tribulation, and how He came for us, and
saved us from the wrath of God. 

A FINAL THOUGHT BEFORE YOU LEAVE


Many people will disagree about the Rapture of the Church presented here.
They will hold fast to the teachings of men. Beloved, now is the time to
be especially discerning to the teachings of men! When all is said and
done, and you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, you cannot use the
excuse that "Pastor so-and-so said", or "I read that...", for here,
today, you have been presented with the straight forward facts according
to God's own Word. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to seek and
learn the truth of God's Word. No one is responsible for you. If you are
not sure of just "where" you stand in your relationship with Jesus
Christ, then please, look over what salvation is all about, and make a
determination now to purpose in your heart to follow Christ. 

PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS PROBLEMS
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PROBLEMS WITH THE PREWRATH VIEW:

First, the 24 elders seem to be a clear representation of the church:

1) They are redeemed men and not angelic creatures. 
2) They are out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.  3)
They are made kings and priests unto God. (they are wearing crowns ~ 
signifying that the bema judgement of believers has taken place and    
rewards for service given out.)
4) As a point of contrast the redeemed group of Revelation 7 are spoken  
  of as servants.. whereas these elders will rule and reign on the earth
    (this is said of the CHURCH)

Second, the pre-wrath interpretation seems to break up the chronology of
the Book of Revelation. As a key outline Rev 1:19; that is, the things
which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be
hereafter. (as a progressive unfolding of events) In chapter 4 it begins
with the things which must be hereafter and immediately we see this
represenative group (the 24 elders) before the throne. It seems highly
significant. There are a few chapters that are parenthetical in nature,
but this view(Pre-wrath) seems to distort the chronology of the book.

Third, the scriptures tell us that there will be a series of
resurrections; Christ , the firsfruits and then we which are Christ's at
His coming.. every man in his own order. 'tagma' Will there also be  a
resurrection when the LORD has physically returned (REV 20:4) ? Are
tribulation saints a scriptural teaching ? Will there be saints
resurrected following the battle of Armageddon ? What is the common
denominator in the Word of God that reconciles these difficulties ? If
the Pre-wrath view is correct then these difficulties must be resolved.

Hungry for ALL the truth,
which alone is truth, 
and not an amalgamation
of contradictory information....

In Jesus Name,

Ken Vermillion