Written By: Gail Green
I hope this article will force common sense to prevail where absolute scripture always fails concerning the pre-trib rapture. There is more danger to believing in a pre-trib rapture than most think. If a person is to believe that Jesus comes before the tribulation then they must accept many other lies constructed to enforce that false belief. The purpose of this commentary will be to show a few examples of how someone has to throw out common sense and embrace irrational arguments to hold to the pre-trib rapture theory. I hope what is said here will bring at least one person to the truth of the matter because when a person trust in the information surrounding the pre-trib rapture they are putting their confidence in a mountain of lies allowing themselves to be deceived.
There are three things a person HAS TO ACCEPT AS TRUTH in order to hold a pre-trib point of view:
The Tribulation Saints are not part of the Church/Bride/Body of Christ
The Tribulation Saints do not participate in the Marriage supper of the Lamb
The Tribulation Saints do not participate at the Bema seat judgment.
If a person is to hold a pre-trib point of view it is imperative to believe that when the rapture happens all those who have died in Christ over the last two thousand years will be resurrected and those who are alive and remain will be caught up with them in the air, go up to heaven, stand before Christ at the Bema seat, and after the crowns are handed out the Bride and the Groom will be married and celebrate at the marriage supper of the Lamb; And while all the “true Christians” are getting rewarded and their bellies full, millions of Johnny come latelys are being martyred.
Those Johnny come latelys are the “Tribulation Saints” and it seems (according to the pre-trib theory) that even though they give their life for Christ they don't rank up there with the “true Christians” because they weren't saved before the rapture. Since they were left behind they are seriously penalized. Unlike all those Martyrs before them they won't be participating in the Bema Judgment, the Wedding, or the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. As far as I know pre-tribbers teach there are two judgments: the Bema seat judgment where the Body/Bride/Church are judged and the Great White Throne Judgment where the wicked is judged. If I'm not mistaken in thinking that then I must ask: when do the “Tribulation Saints” get their rewards if the Bema judgment for Christians happens while they are being killed and the Great White Throne judgment is for the unsaved?
Church Not Mentioned in Most of the book of Revelation?
One of the most unfounded arguments made by pre-tribbers is that the Church is not mentioned in most of Revelation and therefore what is said between chapters four and nineteen referring to the saints is not talking about the Church. The Saints in those chapters are some alienated group of folks (until chapter nineteen then they become the raptured church) who are going to endure great tribulation while us perfect peoples get married, eat a lot, and collect our rewards at the Bema seat judgment. I don't mean to sound disdainful but that is the way it sounds to me when a pre-tribber boast they will be in heaven having supper and living it up while millions of their brothers and sisters are suffering on earth. Honestly, does it seem logical to you that millions of people will die for Christ during the tribulation and they will not be part of the Bride or participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb?
What is a Saint anyway?
“Strong's Concordance” #G40:
hagios—adjective: most holy thing, a saint. 'Thayer's Greek Lexicon” gives us a little more insight:(2)
SET APART FOR GOD, TO BE, AS IT WERE, EXCLUSIVELY HIS. So this appellation is very often in the N.T. Transferred to Christians, as those whom God has selected, that under the influence of the Holy Spirit they may be rendered, through holiness,
PARTAKERS OF SALVATION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G40&t=KJV
Eph. 1:1-2—Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, TO THE SAINTS which are at Ephesus and TO THE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph. 4:10-13—He that descended is the same also that ascended up above all heavens, that he might fulfill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, for the work of the ministry, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Rev. 14:12—Here is the patience of THE SAINTS; here are THEY THAT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THE FAITH OF JESUS.
In the preceding verses we have the saints referred to as: the faithful in Christ, the body of Christ, and those who keep the commandments of God. Undeniably in the New Testament the saints are people who follow Christ (His body/bride/church); they are the partakers of the kingdom of God. With that in mind I would think it is safe to conclude that throughout Revelation when the word saint is used it means God's people: the Church, but for more edification let's look a little deeper.
The word church is used thirteen times in the Book of Revelation. The first time is in John's greeting and the second time is when Jesus told John to write what he sees in A Book and send IT to the seven churches. Understandably the same message (the Revelation) was to be given to the Christians who attended the brick and mortar churches of Asia. Seven of the times the word churches is used it is to say, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” When Jesus says “He who has an ear let him hear” he is talking to individual people telling them that they need to pay attention to what he is saying and those individual’s are you and me. The word church(s) is not used in chapter nineteen but according to pre-tribbers (as I pointed out earlier) the word saints miraculously becomes the church to return triumphantly with Jesus to rule and reign for a thousand years. All instances of the word churches that are in Revelation are in chapters 1, 2, and 3 except for the last time it is used and that is in Rev. 22:16—I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto YOU THESE THINGS IN THE CHURCHES. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
1 Cr. 14:33-FOR GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION, BUT OF PEACE, AS IN ALL CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS.
REV. 2:29—“HE WHO HAS AN EAR LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES.”
In conclusion we have established that if a person is a saint (even in the book of Revelation) they are followers of Jesus and common sense tells us that when that person becomes a follower of Jesus it is at that moment they become part of the body, bride, and church of Christ. It doesn't make sense that part of the body of Christ will not be involved with the marriage supper of the Lamb, or that they would not receive their rewards, not to mention resurrected body, along with the rest of the Martyrs from times past. I pray that if you are a pre-trib believer reading this you see the logic and realize that these are just a few of the lies that one must believe in order to protect the idea of a pre-trib rapture.
What you believe about the timing of the rapture has nothing to do with if you are saved or not but that doesn't mean that it isn't important. As a Christian it is your duty to know the truth (study to show yourself approved) and if you believe one lie then you have to believe other lies to substantiate that lie and believe me there are many many lies that are used to back up the pre-trib rapture. Please think about this, there is only one truth; there is either going to be a pre-trib rapture or there's not. Me? I really don't care as long as I know the truth: Amen?
Many Blessings to YOU!!!
