For God hath not appointed us to wrath. 1 Thess. 5:9
Now many will look at this verse and claim, that because God has not appointed us to wrath, that we must be removed, we must be secretly taken, we must be raptured before the tribulation. Well, I'm sorry, but all your hopes, wishes and fairy tales don't have to come true.
We are never to be the object of Gods wrath. We are in total agreement, You are the temple of the Living God, God will not pour out His wrath upon His own temple, for He loves the believer, He loves His children. But that does not require a rapture before the tribulation. Just as the Israelites were in Egypt... the Exodus... the angel of death destroyed the first born of every Egyptian, but not of the Isrealites. Why? Because they were under the Blood of the Lamb... the analogy is very clear.
The judgements of God are righteous and true, The book of Revelation is a book of Love. God in His mercy and love will shake this world one last time, in order to bring all men to repentance. It will refine the believer, but the heathen will only continue to blaspheme God. The vials are the wrath of God, and these are only poured out onto the ones who have taken the mark of the beast, or worshipped its image, or killed the saints. The judgements of God are poured out upon the entire earth, but the wrath of God, the vials or bowls are only poured out upon the blasphemers of God, the wrath of God is a very discriminating judgement. In the parable of the marriage of the Kings Son, the people killed His servants. The King is going to be angry at those who killed His servants. The messenger of death killed the firstborn of everyone who was not covered by the blood of the Lamb. They were divinely protected. If you want a type or a simile, there it is. And who is Pharoah? It is obviously the one who persecuted and was oppressing the people of God. During the tribulation there are two witnesses, in the exodus there was Moses and Aaron. God did not rapture the Israelites when they were being persecuted by Pharoah and his army. He led them through the Red Sea, not around it. God leads His children through hardships. There is no problem with God protecting His own during the tribulation. But... even so, the first century christians were fed to the lions. During the middle ages, christians were burned alive at the stake for owning a bible. Women were tortured in dungeons by priests. What do you think these people were thinking? What was going through their heads? No weapon formed against me shall prosper? God has not appointed us to wrath? Read Foxes book of Martyrs, it is a history of believers who have died for their faith in Jesus Christ. The disciples were all persecuted and many tortured, are we any different from them? Are we any different from those who were brutally murdered under the reign of Nero? Study the Inquisition sometime. Look at China, Sudan, Iran, and many other countries, where christians right now, are being killed and persecuted and even tortured for their faith. Try telling them, that we are not going to suffer, that we are going to escape the tribulation, many of them already think we are in the tribulation. Its only in the United States and the West, where we think we can escape so easily. Personally, I would much rather be be-headed then fed to lions and wild beasts, or burned at the stake.
Now another problem we have is with the term "elect" Many rapture teachers have said that the 'elect' in Matthew Mark and Luke refers to the Jews. Some have even suggested that Matthew 24 is only written for the Jews. If so, does that mean that only Jews will be born again during the tribulation? Who are the elect? The elect are the believers who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The greek word for elect, means "chosen ones".He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Eph. 1:4. There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Coll 3:11 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. Titus 1:1 Try reading 1 Peter 1:2, Romans 8:29-33, 2 Tim. 2:10...
Some have also suggested that the 24 elders found in Rev. chapter 4, represents the raptured church. First of all, it does not even state that these elders are human beings. Secondly, in Rev. 5:5, an elder speaks to John. The elders are individuals, not multitudes. Furthermore, according to Strongs Concordance, the greek word used for 'elder' can be used figuratively as "member of the celestial council".
The rapture teachers will say, "What about this, and what about that." And they can't read the plain texts without distorting them to fit their own doctrine... The rapture is a lie. They are like Peter, Jesus says that He is going to be betrayed and crucified, and Peter rebuked Him saying, Be it far from thee Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But how did Jesus respond? Get thee behind me Satan. It is Satan who wants to give you the easy way out. It was Satan who told Jesus that he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world, if He would take the easy way out. The devil said, "God loves you, just jump off the cliff, so then everybody will have to believe in you, and then you wont' have to go to the cross. Jump off, the Father will protect you." Those are words from the deceiver and the liar, thats not what Jesus said. All who live godly will suffer persecution. Jesus said, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Jesus will never leave us or forsake us... never. So when they say the Holy Spirit is removed, that starts another arguement, for how can anybody be saved without the conviction of the Holy Spirit? And once they have received Christ, how can they be filled with the Holy Spirit? Some will say that by not taking the mark of the beast, they are saved... but that is preaching salvation by works. The martyrs of Jesus are found under the alter, and they have been murdered for their faith in Jesus. They overcame by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Does that sound like an easy way out? You cannot just dismiss them. Once again I will ask, how can anyone be saved without the Holy Spirit, it is not possible.
End of Part IV
back Home
The Rapture - Part V