Full Version: 50 Evidences For The Pre-trib Rapture
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50 Evidences for the Pre-Trib Rapture
Historical Doctrine of Imminency
1. The early church believed in the imminency of the Lord's return.
While it can be debated which church father said what, there is a consistency in the early church on imminency which is essential to the pre-trib position and in opposition to some other positions.
2. The Pre-trib position is the ONLY one which truly teaches imminency.
3. The fact that there is a greater development of the doctrine in recent centuries does not preclude it from the early centuries. In the very early years of the church you see the development of great fundamentals doctrines of Trinity, Deity, God-man, canon of Scripture, etc. Following those early church councils is a time of decline in the corporate church into great apostasy. The teaching of that time are built on many of the heresies of Augustine. When the Reformation comes, there is a period of reestablishing the foundational doctrines of salvation. Now, in these last days there is both and ability and a need in the church to better understand the doctrines of eschatology and the Spirit is continuing His ministry of guiding the church in all truth.
4. The exhortation to be comforted by the "coming of the Lord" (1Thes 4:18) is valid only in the context of the pre-trib view. It could even be a fearsome thing in a post-trib view.
5. We are exhorted to look for the "Glorious Appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13) If there are any prophetic events (ie: tribulation) to come first, then this passage is nonsensical.
6. Again, we are to "purify ourselves" in view of his coming.(1 John 3:2-3) If his coming is not imminent then the passage is meaningless.
7. The church is told to look for the "Signs of the Times" (Mt:16:3) in relation to the Coming of Christ. It is Israel and the tribulation saints that are told to look for the tribulation signs and wonders.
Nature of the Church
(Those who do not understand the nature of the church as unique in the program of God will continually be confused about the nature of His coming for the church.)
8. The translation of the church is never mentioned in any context dealing with the second coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
9. The church is "not appointed to wrath" (Rom 5:9; 1 Thes 1:9-10) The church cannot enter into the "great day of their wrath."
10. The Church will not be "overtaken by the Day of the Lord." (1 Thes 5:1-9) (Day of the Lord is another term for the great tribulation.)
11. The church will be "kept from the hour of testing that shall come upon all the world." (Rev. 3:10)
12. The believer will escape the tribulation (Luke 21:36).
13. It is in the character of God to deliver His own from the greatest times of trial. (Lot, Rahab. Israel, Noah,etc)
14. It is clear that there is a time interval between the translation of the church and the Return of Christ. (John 14:3)
15. Only the pre-trib position does not divide the Body of Christ on a works principle as does partial rapture does so clearly and others to a lesser extent. It becomes a climatic finale to the grand plan of salvation.
16. The Scriptures are adamant that the church is undivided. In this age the church is divided by the continuing old nature in the believers. When we are glorified at the coming of Christ, the church is no more divided.
17. The godly remnant of the tribulation has the attributes seen in OT Israel and not the church. The church is not present in the prophecies of Revelation.
18. The pre-trib view, unlike the post-trib view does not confuse terms like elect and saints which apply to believers of all ages, as opposed to terms like church and in Christ, which apply only to those who are the body of Christ in this age.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
19. The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer of evil in the world. He cannot be taken out as prophesied unless the church which is indwelt by the Holy Spirit is taken out.
20. The Holy Spirit will be taken out before the "lawless one" is revealed. That lawless one will certainly be revealed in the tribulation. In fact, the tribulation begins with the signing of the covenant between that lawless one and Israel. That act will reveal him.
21. The "falling away" in 2 Thes 2:3 would better be understood in its context as "the departure." This is a reference to the departure of the Holy Spirit as He indwells the church.
22. The work of the Holy Spirit making the church like Christ where they submit to death and persecution, whereas the OT saints (see many of the Psalms) and the tribulations saints cry out for vengeance (Rev 6:10)
The Hermeneutical Argument
23. Only the pre-trib view allows for a truly literal interpretation in all of the OT & NT passages regarding the great tribulation.
24. Only the pre-trib position clearly distinguishes the church and Israel and God's dealing with each. The Necessity of an Interval of Time between the Rapture and the Second Coming
25. All believers must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). This event is never mentioned in the account of events surrounding the second coming.
26. The "four and twenty elders" in Rev 4:1-5:14 are representative of the church. Therefore it is necessary that the church, undivided, be brought to glory before those events of the tribulation.
27. There is clearly a coming of Christ for his bride before the second coming to earth. Rev 19:7-10.
28. Tribulation saints are not translated at the second coming of Christ but carry on ordinary activities. These specifically include farming, construction, and giving birth. (Is 65:20-25).
29. The Judgment of the Gentile nations following the second coming (Mat 25:31-46) indicates that both the saved and the lost are in a natural body which would be impossible if the translation had taken place at the second coming.
30. If the translation took place at the same time as the second coming, there would be no need to separating the sheep from the goats at the subsequent judgment. The act of the translation would be the separation.
31. The Judgment of Israel (Ez 20:34-38) occurs after the second coming and requires a regathered Israel. Again, the separation of the saved and the lost would be unnecessary if all the saved had previously been separated by a translation at the second coming.
Differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming.
32. At the Rapture, the church meets Christ in the air. At the second coming, Christ returns to the Mt of Olives.
33. At the time of the Rapture, the Mt of Olives is unchanged. At the second coming it is divided by a Great Earthquake forming a valley east of Jerusalem.
34. At the time of the rapture, saints are translated. No saints are translated at the time of the second coming.
35. At the time of the rapture, the world is not judge for sin, but descends deeper into sin. At the second coming, the world is Judged by the King of kings.
36. The translation of the church is pictured as a deliverance from the day of wrath, whereas the coming of Christ is a deliverance for those who have suffered under severe tribulation.
37. The rapture is immanent whereas there are specific signs which precede the second coming.
38. The translation of living believers is a truth revealed only in the NT. The second coming with the events surrounding it is prominent in both OT and NT.
39. The rapture is only for the saved, while the tribulation and second coming deals with the entire world.
40. No unfulfilled prophecy stands between the church and the rapture. Many signs must be fulfilled before the second coming of Christ.
41. No passage in either OT or NT deals with the resurrection of the saints at the second coming nor mentions the translation of living saints at that same time.
The Nature of the Tribulation
42. Only the pre-trib view maintains the distinction between the "great tribulation" and the tribulations in general which we all experience.
43. The great tribulation is properly understood in the pre-trib view as a preparation for the restoration of Israel. (Deut 4:29-30. Jer 30:4-11, Dan 9:24-27, Dan 12:1-2)
44. Not one single passage in the OT which discusses the tribulation, mentions the church.
45. Not one single passage in the NT which discusses the tribulation, mentions the church.
46. In contrast to mid trib or pre-wrath views, the pre-trib view offers an adequate explanation for the beginning of the great tribulation in Rev 6. These others are clearly refuted by the plain teaching of Scripture that the great tribulation begins long before the 7th trumpet of Rev 11.
47. There is no proper groundwork provided that the 7th trumpet of Rev is the last trumpet of 1 Cor 15. It is accepted only on the basis of assumption. The pre-trib view maintains the proper distinction between the prophetic trumpets of the church and the trumpets of the tribulation.
48. The Unity of Daniel's 70th week is maintained by the pre-trib view. By contrast, the mid-trib view destroys the unity and confuses the program for Israel and the church. The post trib view usually denies the clear teaching of the 70th weeks by subverting it into some form or another of allegory.
49. The gathering of saints after the tribulation is done by angels whereas the gathering of the church is done by "The Lord Himself."
50. Rev 22:17-20 And the Spirit and the Bride say come. And he that heareth, let him say come... He who testifieth of these things saith
Yes, Jesus is coming back. Perhaps He will come today, Are you ready? If not, you can be. Without another second's delay, pray something like this: "God be merciful to me a sinner. Receive me now for Christ's sake. Cleanse me from my sin by your precious blood, shed on the cross for me; lead me to be Baptized and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Teach me to pray each day; to read Your will for my life from your word, the Bible; and help me to worship and serve You in the fellowship of your church. I thank you Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!
That is the first and most important step in getting ready for His return, a return that may be today'
#1 The early church did not at all believe in any sort of imminency.
One of the key elements of pretribulation thinking is the idea that Jesus could
come at any moment, and no intervening prophetic events need occur prior to
Jesus' coming. Some pretribulationist authors have claimed the early Christians
believed Jesus’ coming was imminent. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. While there
are passages in the Church fathers that show they expected a soon return of
Christ, we should not mistake this for belief in "imminence." The one thing that
precludes an "any-moment" coming is their clear belief that intervening events
must occur prior to the coming of the Lord for His Church. Yet, most were
convinced the end-time scenario would unfold soon. Therefore, they had a
healthy EXPECTANCY of the Lord's soon return, while NOT believing in
"imminence."
Below is a quote from Irenaeus, Bishop of the Church at Lyons. In this excerpt,
Irenaeus was speaking unapprovingly about a group of fellow believers who
were enthusiastically trying to figure out the name of the Antichrist based on the
value the Greek letters. (There were a few manuscripts of Revelation circulating
that had an error in the number of the name of the Beast, 616 rather than 666).
Their expectation was quite real, thinking that the end-time scenario —
tribulation, Antichrist, second coming — would play out in the near future. But
they were in error by using a corrupt manuscript with the erroneous number. In
this section, Irenaeus was concerned both with this erroneous number, as well as
their unhealthy eagerness to find a candidate who's name added up to the
number of the Beast. Irenaeus' advice was to await the fulfillment of certain
prophecies in Revelation, including the fall of the Roman Empire and rise of the
ten kings, before they begin to speculate on who the Antichrist might be.
Hence, it is obvious they did NOT believe the coming of the Lord was "imminent."
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"Moreover, another danger, by no means trifling, shall overtake those who
falsely presume that they know the name of Antichrist. For if these men
assume one [number], when this [Antichrist] shall come having another,
they will be easily led away by him, as supposing him not to be the
expected one, who must be guarded against. These men, therefore,
ought to learn [what really is the state of the case], and go back to the
true number of the name, that they be not reckoned among false
prophets. But, knowing the sure number declared by Scripture, that is, six
hundred sixty and six, let them await, in the first place, the division of the
kingdom into ten; then, in the next place, when these kings are reigning,
and beginning to set their affairs in order, and advance their kingdom, [let
them learn] to acknowledge that he who shall come claiming the
kingdom for himself, and shall terrify those men of whom we have been
speaking, having a name containing the aforesaid number, is truly the
abomination of desolation. ... It is therefore more certain, and less
hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making
surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves,
inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number
mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved. ... But
he indicates the number of the name now, that when this man comes we
may avoid him, being aware who he is: ... But when this Antichrist shall
have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six
months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come
from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and
those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous
the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and
restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the
Lord declared, that many coming from the east and from the west should
sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) Anonymous, 1st Century
"Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins
unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord
cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are
befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if
ye be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets
and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into
wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness
increaseth, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and
then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs
and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall
do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the
beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and
many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in
their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear
the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in heaven; then the
sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the
dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints
with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of
heaven."
The Shepherd of Hermas: (Early 2nd Century)
"You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their
ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great
glory. Stand steadfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt
not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who
endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall
not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who
denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now
these are to deny Him in the days that are coming."
Hippolytus: (AD. 170-236)
"When the times are fulfilled, and the ten horns spring from the beast in the
last (times), then Antichrist will appear among them. When he makes war
against the saints, and persecutes them, then may we expect the
manifestation of the Lord from heaven." 4
"With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the
blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a
conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show
us what we seek to know. ... Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if
this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not
otherwise be designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we
ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by blessed prophets,
in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for
them, and not be deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of
whom these things are said, will be manifest."
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"For you ought to know and to believe, and hold it for certain, that the
day of affliction has begun to hang over our heads, and the end of the
world and the time of Antichrist to draw near, so that we must all stand
prepared for the battle; nor consider anything but the glory of life eternal,
and the crown of the confession of the Lord; and not regard those things
which are coming as being such as were those which have passed away.
A severer and a fiercer fight is now threatening, for which the soldiers of
Christ ought to prepare themselves with uncorrupted faith and robust
courage, considering that they drink the cup of Christ’s blood daily, for
the reason that they themselves also may be able to shed their blood for
Christ. ... For there comes the time, beloved brethren, which our Lord long
ago foretold and taught us was approaching, saying, “The time cometh,
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these
things they will do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor
me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye
may remember that I told you of them.” Nor let any one wonder that we
are harassed with increasing afflictions, when the Lord before predicted
that these things would happen in the last times, and has instructed us for
the warfare by the teaching and exhortation of His words. Peter also, His
apostle, has taught that persecutions occur for the sake of our being
proved, and that we also should, by the example of righteous men who
have gone before us, be joined to the love of God by death and
sufferings. For he wrote in his epistle, and said, “Beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, nor do ye fall away,
as if some new thing happened unto you; but as often as ye partake in
Christ’s sufferings, rejoice in all things, that when His glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
One of the key elements of pretribulation thinking is the idea that Jesus could
come at any moment, and no intervening prophetic events need occur prior to
Jesus' coming. Some pretribulationist authors have claimed the early Christians
believed Jesus’ coming was imminent. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. While there
are passages in the Church fathers that show they expected a soon return of
Christ, we should not mistake this for belief in "imminence." The one thing that
precludes an "any-moment" coming is their clear belief that intervening events
must occur prior to the coming of the Lord for His Church. Yet, most were
convinced the end-time scenario would unfold soon. Therefore, they had a
healthy EXPECTANCY of the Lord's soon return, while NOT believing in
"imminence."
Below is a quote from Irenaeus, Bishop of the Church at Lyons. In this excerpt,
Irenaeus was speaking unapprovingly about a group of fellow believers who
were enthusiastically trying to figure out the name of the Antichrist based on the
value the Greek letters. (There were a few manuscripts of Revelation circulating
that had an error in the number of the name of the Beast, 616 rather than 666).
Their expectation was quite real, thinking that the end-time scenario —
tribulation, Antichrist, second coming — would play out in the near future. But
they were in error by using a corrupt manuscript with the erroneous number. In
this section, Irenaeus was concerned both with this erroneous number, as well as
their unhealthy eagerness to find a candidate who's name added up to the
number of the Beast. Irenaeus' advice was to await the fulfillment of certain
prophecies in Revelation, including the fall of the Roman Empire and rise of the
ten kings, before they begin to speculate on who the Antichrist might be.
Hence, it is obvious they did NOT believe the coming of the Lord was "imminent."
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"Moreover, another danger, by no means trifling, shall overtake those who
falsely presume that they know the name of Antichrist. For if these men
assume one [number], when this [Antichrist] shall come having another,
they will be easily led away by him, as supposing him not to be the
expected one, who must be guarded against. These men, therefore,
ought to learn [what really is the state of the case], and go back to the
true number of the name, that they be not reckoned among false
prophets. But, knowing the sure number declared by Scripture, that is, six
hundred sixty and six, let them await, in the first place, the division of the
kingdom into ten; then, in the next place, when these kings are reigning,
and beginning to set their affairs in order, and advance their kingdom, [let
them learn] to acknowledge that he who shall come claiming the
kingdom for himself, and shall terrify those men of whom we have been
speaking, having a name containing the aforesaid number, is truly the
abomination of desolation. ... It is therefore more certain, and less
hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making
surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves,
inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number
mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved. ... But
he indicates the number of the name now, that when this man comes we
may avoid him, being aware who he is: ... But when this Antichrist shall
have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six
months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come
from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and
those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous
the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and
restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the
Lord declared, that many coming from the east and from the west should
sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) Anonymous, 1st Century
"Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins
unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord
cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are
befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if
ye be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets
and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into
wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness
increaseth, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and
then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs
and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall
do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the
beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and
many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in
their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear
the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in heaven; then the
sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the
dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints
with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of
heaven."
The Shepherd of Hermas: (Early 2nd Century)
"You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their
ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great
glory. Stand steadfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt
not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who
endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall
not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who
denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now
these are to deny Him in the days that are coming."
Hippolytus: (AD. 170-236)
"When the times are fulfilled, and the ten horns spring from the beast in the
last (times), then Antichrist will appear among them. When he makes war
against the saints, and persecutes them, then may we expect the
manifestation of the Lord from heaven." 4
"With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the
blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a
conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show
us what we seek to know. ... Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if
this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not
otherwise be designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we
ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by blessed prophets,
in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for
them, and not be deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of
whom these things are said, will be manifest."
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"For you ought to know and to believe, and hold it for certain, that the
day of affliction has begun to hang over our heads, and the end of the
world and the time of Antichrist to draw near, so that we must all stand
prepared for the battle; nor consider anything but the glory of life eternal,
and the crown of the confession of the Lord; and not regard those things
which are coming as being such as were those which have passed away.
A severer and a fiercer fight is now threatening, for which the soldiers of
Christ ought to prepare themselves with uncorrupted faith and robust
courage, considering that they drink the cup of Christ’s blood daily, for
the reason that they themselves also may be able to shed their blood for
Christ. ... For there comes the time, beloved brethren, which our Lord long
ago foretold and taught us was approaching, saying, “The time cometh,
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these
things they will do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor
me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye
may remember that I told you of them.” Nor let any one wonder that we
are harassed with increasing afflictions, when the Lord before predicted
that these things would happen in the last times, and has instructed us for
the warfare by the teaching and exhortation of His words. Peter also, His
apostle, has taught that persecutions occur for the sake of our being
proved, and that we also should, by the example of righteous men who
have gone before us, be joined to the love of God by death and
sufferings. For he wrote in his epistle, and said, “Beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, nor do ye fall away,
as if some new thing happened unto you; but as often as ye partake in
Christ’s sufferings, rejoice in all things, that when His glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
The “Six Day” Theory Precludes “Imminence”
One important reason the Church Fathers could not have believed in an "any
moment" coming of Christ, is the "six-day theory." Many of the early Church
Fathers believed in the theory that the earth would continue for six thousand
years under the curse. The Millennium would be the Sabbath of rest.
Consequently, they tried to calculate the time since creation, by using the
genealogies from the Old Testament, to calculate the approximate time of the
Lord's coming. It is noteworthy that even some of the Church Fathers, who are
alleged by pretribulationists to have believed in "imminence," taught this theory.
This theory is totally incompatible with the idea of imminence.
Epistle of Barnabas (Late 1st Century)
"And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on
the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children,
to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that
the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a
thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as
a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six
thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh
day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time
of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the
moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day." 7
Commodianus: (AD. 240)
"This has pleased Christ, that the dead should rise again, yea, with their
bodies; and those, too, whom in this world the fire has burned [martyrs],
when six thousand years are completed,..." 8
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years
shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: "Thus the
heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God
brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made;
and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works." This is an
account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is
to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days
created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will
come to an end at the sixth thousand year." 9
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"You have desired, beloved Fortunatus that, since the burden of
persecutions and afflictions is lying heavy upon us, and in the ending and
completion of the world the hateful time of Antichrist is already beginning
to draw near, I would collect from the sacred Scriptures some exhortations
for preparing and strengthening the minds of the brethren, whereby I
might animate the soldiers of Christ for the heavenly and spiritual
contest.... For he cannot be a soldier fitted for the war who has not first
been exercised in the field; nor will he who seeks to gain the crown of
contest be rewarded on the racecourse, unless he first considers the use
and skillfulness of his powers. It is an ancient adversary and an old enemy
with whom we wage our battle: six thousand years are now nearly
completed since the devil first attacked man. All kinds of temptation, and
arts, and snares for his overthrow, he has learned by the very practice of
long years. If he finds Christ’s soldier unprepared, if unskilled, if not careful
and watching with his whole heart; he circumvents him if ignorant, he
deceives him incautious, he cheats him inexperienced. But if a man,
keeping the Lord’s precepts, and bravely adhering to Christ, stands
against him, he must needs be conquered, because Christ, whom that
man confesses, is unconquered." 10
Methodius: (AD. 260-312)
"For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday: seeing that is past
as a watch in the night." For when a thousand years are reckoned as one
day in the sight of God, and from the creation of the world to His rest is six
days, so also to our time, six days are defined, as those say who are clever
arithmeticians. Therefore, they say that an age of six thousand years
extends from Adam to our time. For they say that the judgment will come
on the seventh day, that is in the seventh thousand years." 11
Lactantius: (AD. 260-330)
"But we, whom the Holy Scriptures instruct to the knowledge of the truth,
know the beginning and the end of the world, respecting which we will
now speak in the end of our work, since we have explained respecting
the beginning in the second book. Therefore let the philosophers, who
enumerate thousands of ages from the beginning of the world, know that
the six thousandth year is not yet completed, and that when this number is
completed the consummation must take place, and the condition of
human affairs be remodeled for the better, the proof of which must first
be related, that the matter itself may be plain. God completed the world
and this admirable work of nature in the space of six days, as is contained
in the secrets of Holy Scripture, and consecrated the seventh day, on
which He had rested from His works. But this is the Sabbath-day, which in
the language of the Hebrews received its name from the number,
whence the seventh is the legitimate and complete number. For there are
seven days, by the revolutions of which in order the circles of years are
made up; and there are seven stars which do not set, and seven
luminaries which are called planets, whose differing and unequal
movements are believed to cause the varieties of circumstances and
times.
Therefore, since all the works of God were completed in six days, the
world must continue in its present state through six ages, that is, six
thousand years. For the great day of God is limited by a circle of a
thousand years, as the prophet shows, who says "In Thy sight, O Lord, a
thousand years are as one day." And as God labored during those six
days in creating such great works, so His religion and truth must labor
during these six thousand years, while wickedness prevails and bears rule.
And again, since God, having finished His works, rested the seventh day
and blessed it, at the end of the six thousandth year all wickedness must
be abolished from the earth, and righteousness reign for a thousand
years; and there must be tranquillity and rest from the labors which the
world now has long endured.... Perhaps some one may now ask when
these things of which we have spoken are about to come to pass? I have
already shown above, that when six thousand years shall be completed
this change must take place, and that the last day of the extreme
conclusion is now drawing near. It is permitted us to know respecting the
signs, which are spoken by the prophets, for they foretold signs by which
the consummation of the times is to be expected by us from day to day,
and to be feared. When, however, this amount will be completed, those
teach, who have written respecting the times, collecting them from the
sacred writings and from various histories, how great is the number of
years from the beginning of the world. And although they vary, and the
amount of the number as reckoned by them differs considerably, yet all
expectation does not exceed the limit of two hundred years. The subject
itself declares that the fall and ruin of the world will shortly take place;
except that while the city of Rome remains it appears that nothing of this
kind is to be feared. But when that capital of the world shall have fallen,
and shall have begun to be a street, which the Sibyls say shall come to
pass, who can doubt that the end has now arrived to the affairs of men
and the whole world? It is that city, that only, which still sustains all things;
and the God of heaven is to be entreated by us and implored - if, indeed,
His arrangements and decrees can be delayed - lest, sooner than we
think for, that detestable tyrant should come who will trader-take so great
a deed, and dig out that eye, by the destruction of which the world itself
is about to fall. Now let us return, to set forth the other things which are
then about to follow." 12
"For six thousand years have not yet been completed, and when this
number shall be made up, then at length all evil will be taken away, that
justice alone may reign." 13
As is apparent from the preceding quotations, some believed they were only a
hundred or so years from the second coming and the Millennium. Others
believed the time was very near. Their was a serious problem with their
calculations, however. They were all based on the Old Testament they were
familiar with, the Greek Septuagint [LXX]. This version differs dramatically from
the Hebrew text regarding the ages of the Patriarchs when they begat children,
the LXX giving much longer life spans. For example, if you add up the life spans
of the patriarchs in Genesis eleven, from the flood to the birth of Abraham, there
was 292 years according to the Hebrew Masoretic text. But, according to the
Septuagint, there was over 1,000 years. Consequently, the early Christians, using
the Septuagint version, were off by about 1,500 years. Since they did not use the
Hebrew Scriptures which give the correct years, they did not know the
completion of the six thousand years was more than 1,500 years away. So they
looked for the appearing of Antichrist and the signs that would signal Christ's
return in their generation.
Theophilus: (AD. 115-181)
"And from the foundation of the world the whole time is thus traced, so far
as its main epochs are concerned. From the creation of the world to the
deluge were 2242 years. And from the deluge to the time when Abraham
our forefather begat a son, 1036 years. And from Isaac, Abraham’s son, to
the time when the people dwelt with Moses in the desert, 660 years. And
from the death of Moses and the rule of Joshua the son of Nun, to the
death of the patriarch David, 498 years. And from the death of David and
the reign of Solomon to the sojourning of the people in the land of
Babylon, 518 years 6 months 10 days. And from the government of Cyrus
to the death of the Emperor Aurelius Verus, 744 years. All the years from
the creation of the world amount to a total of 5698 years, and the odd
months and days." 14
This author, calculating from the LXX, believed the second coming was still
about 302 years away. This is hardly belief in "imminence." While some of the
Church Fathers may have been a bit over enthusiastic about dates, or trying to
figure out if any of their would-be rulers' names added up to 666, who can
blame them? They were suffering terribly for the Faith. Many are making similar
calculations today, but expect that the tribulation is still entirely future. We will
reserve judgment on the "six thousand year theory," which seems possible based
on the true Hebrew text genealogies, placing the end of the sixth millennium
shortly after the year 2,000. However, we must not ignore the fact that the early
Church Fathers could not have believed in "imminence" and still believe the six
thousand year theory. Obviously, in their thinking, Christ would not return until the
end of this predetermined period. They placed the tribulation in the future, and,
as posttribulationists, they could not be looking for a pretribulation rapture
before this time. The preceding quotations clearly indicate that they expected
intervening events would occur before the Lord's coming. Therefore, they did
not believe in "imminence," as defined by pretribulationists.
One important reason the Church Fathers could not have believed in an "any
moment" coming of Christ, is the "six-day theory." Many of the early Church
Fathers believed in the theory that the earth would continue for six thousand
years under the curse. The Millennium would be the Sabbath of rest.
Consequently, they tried to calculate the time since creation, by using the
genealogies from the Old Testament, to calculate the approximate time of the
Lord's coming. It is noteworthy that even some of the Church Fathers, who are
alleged by pretribulationists to have believed in "imminence," taught this theory.
This theory is totally incompatible with the idea of imminence.
Epistle of Barnabas (Late 1st Century)
"And God made in six days the works of His hands, and made an end on
the seventh day, and rested on it, and sanctified it." Attend, my children,
to the meaning of this expression, "He finished in six days." This implieth that
the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years, for a day is with Him a
thousand years. And He Himself testifieth, saying, "Behold, to-day will be as
a thousand years." Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six
thousand years, all things will be finished. "And He rested on the seventh
day." This meaneth: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time
of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the-sun, and the
moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day." 7
Commodianus: (AD. 240)
"This has pleased Christ, that the dead should rise again, yea, with their
bodies; and those, too, whom in this world the fire has burned [martyrs],
when six thousand years are completed,..." 8
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years
shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: "Thus the
heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God
brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made;
and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works." This is an
account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is
to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days
created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will
come to an end at the sixth thousand year." 9
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"You have desired, beloved Fortunatus that, since the burden of
persecutions and afflictions is lying heavy upon us, and in the ending and
completion of the world the hateful time of Antichrist is already beginning
to draw near, I would collect from the sacred Scriptures some exhortations
for preparing and strengthening the minds of the brethren, whereby I
might animate the soldiers of Christ for the heavenly and spiritual
contest.... For he cannot be a soldier fitted for the war who has not first
been exercised in the field; nor will he who seeks to gain the crown of
contest be rewarded on the racecourse, unless he first considers the use
and skillfulness of his powers. It is an ancient adversary and an old enemy
with whom we wage our battle: six thousand years are now nearly
completed since the devil first attacked man. All kinds of temptation, and
arts, and snares for his overthrow, he has learned by the very practice of
long years. If he finds Christ’s soldier unprepared, if unskilled, if not careful
and watching with his whole heart; he circumvents him if ignorant, he
deceives him incautious, he cheats him inexperienced. But if a man,
keeping the Lord’s precepts, and bravely adhering to Christ, stands
against him, he must needs be conquered, because Christ, whom that
man confesses, is unconquered." 10
Methodius: (AD. 260-312)
"For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday: seeing that is past
as a watch in the night." For when a thousand years are reckoned as one
day in the sight of God, and from the creation of the world to His rest is six
days, so also to our time, six days are defined, as those say who are clever
arithmeticians. Therefore, they say that an age of six thousand years
extends from Adam to our time. For they say that the judgment will come
on the seventh day, that is in the seventh thousand years." 11
Lactantius: (AD. 260-330)
"But we, whom the Holy Scriptures instruct to the knowledge of the truth,
know the beginning and the end of the world, respecting which we will
now speak in the end of our work, since we have explained respecting
the beginning in the second book. Therefore let the philosophers, who
enumerate thousands of ages from the beginning of the world, know that
the six thousandth year is not yet completed, and that when this number is
completed the consummation must take place, and the condition of
human affairs be remodeled for the better, the proof of which must first
be related, that the matter itself may be plain. God completed the world
and this admirable work of nature in the space of six days, as is contained
in the secrets of Holy Scripture, and consecrated the seventh day, on
which He had rested from His works. But this is the Sabbath-day, which in
the language of the Hebrews received its name from the number,
whence the seventh is the legitimate and complete number. For there are
seven days, by the revolutions of which in order the circles of years are
made up; and there are seven stars which do not set, and seven
luminaries which are called planets, whose differing and unequal
movements are believed to cause the varieties of circumstances and
times.
Therefore, since all the works of God were completed in six days, the
world must continue in its present state through six ages, that is, six
thousand years. For the great day of God is limited by a circle of a
thousand years, as the prophet shows, who says "In Thy sight, O Lord, a
thousand years are as one day." And as God labored during those six
days in creating such great works, so His religion and truth must labor
during these six thousand years, while wickedness prevails and bears rule.
And again, since God, having finished His works, rested the seventh day
and blessed it, at the end of the six thousandth year all wickedness must
be abolished from the earth, and righteousness reign for a thousand
years; and there must be tranquillity and rest from the labors which the
world now has long endured.... Perhaps some one may now ask when
these things of which we have spoken are about to come to pass? I have
already shown above, that when six thousand years shall be completed
this change must take place, and that the last day of the extreme
conclusion is now drawing near. It is permitted us to know respecting the
signs, which are spoken by the prophets, for they foretold signs by which
the consummation of the times is to be expected by us from day to day,
and to be feared. When, however, this amount will be completed, those
teach, who have written respecting the times, collecting them from the
sacred writings and from various histories, how great is the number of
years from the beginning of the world. And although they vary, and the
amount of the number as reckoned by them differs considerably, yet all
expectation does not exceed the limit of two hundred years. The subject
itself declares that the fall and ruin of the world will shortly take place;
except that while the city of Rome remains it appears that nothing of this
kind is to be feared. But when that capital of the world shall have fallen,
and shall have begun to be a street, which the Sibyls say shall come to
pass, who can doubt that the end has now arrived to the affairs of men
and the whole world? It is that city, that only, which still sustains all things;
and the God of heaven is to be entreated by us and implored - if, indeed,
His arrangements and decrees can be delayed - lest, sooner than we
think for, that detestable tyrant should come who will trader-take so great
a deed, and dig out that eye, by the destruction of which the world itself
is about to fall. Now let us return, to set forth the other things which are
then about to follow." 12
"For six thousand years have not yet been completed, and when this
number shall be made up, then at length all evil will be taken away, that
justice alone may reign." 13
As is apparent from the preceding quotations, some believed they were only a
hundred or so years from the second coming and the Millennium. Others
believed the time was very near. Their was a serious problem with their
calculations, however. They were all based on the Old Testament they were
familiar with, the Greek Septuagint [LXX]. This version differs dramatically from
the Hebrew text regarding the ages of the Patriarchs when they begat children,
the LXX giving much longer life spans. For example, if you add up the life spans
of the patriarchs in Genesis eleven, from the flood to the birth of Abraham, there
was 292 years according to the Hebrew Masoretic text. But, according to the
Septuagint, there was over 1,000 years. Consequently, the early Christians, using
the Septuagint version, were off by about 1,500 years. Since they did not use the
Hebrew Scriptures which give the correct years, they did not know the
completion of the six thousand years was more than 1,500 years away. So they
looked for the appearing of Antichrist and the signs that would signal Christ's
return in their generation.
Theophilus: (AD. 115-181)
"And from the foundation of the world the whole time is thus traced, so far
as its main epochs are concerned. From the creation of the world to the
deluge were 2242 years. And from the deluge to the time when Abraham
our forefather begat a son, 1036 years. And from Isaac, Abraham’s son, to
the time when the people dwelt with Moses in the desert, 660 years. And
from the death of Moses and the rule of Joshua the son of Nun, to the
death of the patriarch David, 498 years. And from the death of David and
the reign of Solomon to the sojourning of the people in the land of
Babylon, 518 years 6 months 10 days. And from the government of Cyrus
to the death of the Emperor Aurelius Verus, 744 years. All the years from
the creation of the world amount to a total of 5698 years, and the odd
months and days." 14
This author, calculating from the LXX, believed the second coming was still
about 302 years away. This is hardly belief in "imminence." While some of the
Church Fathers may have been a bit over enthusiastic about dates, or trying to
figure out if any of their would-be rulers' names added up to 666, who can
blame them? They were suffering terribly for the Faith. Many are making similar
calculations today, but expect that the tribulation is still entirely future. We will
reserve judgment on the "six thousand year theory," which seems possible based
on the true Hebrew text genealogies, placing the end of the sixth millennium
shortly after the year 2,000. However, we must not ignore the fact that the early
Church Fathers could not have believed in "imminence" and still believe the six
thousand year theory. Obviously, in their thinking, Christ would not return until the
end of this predetermined period. They placed the tribulation in the future, and,
as posttribulationists, they could not be looking for a pretribulation rapture
before this time. The preceding quotations clearly indicate that they expected
intervening events would occur before the Lord's coming. Therefore, they did
not believe in "imminence," as defined by pretribulationists.
PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY ANTICHRIST
The early Christians unanimously believed the Antichrist would persecute the
Church, and that the resurrection and gathering to Christ would occur at a
single coming, after the tribulation.
Justin Martyr: (AD. 110-165)
"Two advents of Christ have been announced: the one, in which He is set
forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified; but the other, in
which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy,
who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do
unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, ... Now it is evident
that no one can terrify or subdue us who have believed in Jesus over all
the world. For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown
to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do
not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the more
do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God
through the name of Jesus." 15
Epistle of Barnabas: (AD. 100)
"The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning
which it is written, as Enoch says, "For for this end the Lord has cut short the
times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the
inheritance." And the prophet also speaks thus: "Ten kingdoms shall reign
upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue
under one three of the kings." In the like manner Daniel says concerning
the same, "And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and the
more savage than all the beasts of the earth and how from it sprang up
ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued
under one three of the ten horns. ... We take earnest heed in these last
days; for the whole (past) time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless
now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as
becometh sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of
entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the
way of wickedness." 16
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"In a still clearer light has John, in the Apocalypse, indicated to the Lord's
disciples what shall happen in the last times, and concerning the ten kings
who shall then arise, ... These have one mind, and give their strength and
power to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them, because He is the Lord of lords, and King of kings. ...
And they shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give
their kingdom to the beast, and put the church to flight. After that they
shall be destroyed by the coming of our Lord." 17
"But he indicates the number of the name now, that when this man
comes we may avoid him, being aware of who he is:... But when this
Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for
three years and six months, and sit in the temple in Jerusalem; and then
the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father,
sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but
bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the
hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised
inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared, that "many coming from
the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob." 18
"For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to
the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of
Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of]
which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign on the earth, waxing stronger
by the sight of the Lord: and through Him they shall become accustomed
to partake in the glory of God the Father, and shall enjoy in the kingdom
intercourse and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual
beings; and those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from
heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands
of the Wicked one." 19
The Shepherd of Hermas: (2nd Century)
"You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their
ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great
glory. Stand steadfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt
not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who
endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall
not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who
denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now
these are to deny Him in the days that are coming." 20
"Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren a
representation of the tribulation that is to come. I was going to a country
house along the Campanian road. Now the house lay about ten furlongs
from the public road. The district is one rarely traversed. And as I walked
alone, I prayed the Lord to complete the revelations which He had made
to me through His holy Church, that He might strengthen me, and give
repentance to all His servants who were going astray, that His great and
glorious name might be glorified because He vouchsafed to show me His
marvels. And while I was glorifying Him and giving Him thanks, a voice, as
it were, answered me, Doubt not, Hermas; and I began to think with
myself, and to say, What reason have I to doubt I who have been
established by the Lord, and who have seen such glorious sights? I
advanced a little, brethren, and, lo! I see dust rising even to the heavens. I
began to say to myself, Are cattle approaching and raising the dust? It
was about a furlong’s distance from me. And, lo! I see the dust rising more
and more, so that I imagined that it was something sent from God. But the
sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and
out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was
about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep,
and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it. Then I remembered the word
which I had heard, Doubt not, O Hermas. Clothed, therefore, my brethren,
with faith in the Lord, and remembering the great things which He had
taught me, I boldly faced the beast. Now that beast came on with such
noise and force, that it could itself have destroyed a city. I came near it,
and the monstrous beast stretched itself out on the ground, and showed
nothing but its tongue, and did not stir at all until I had passed by it. Now
the beast had four colors on its head-black, then fiery and bloody, then
golden, and lastly white. Now after I had passed by the wild beast, and
had moved forward about thirty feet, lo! a virgin meets me, adorned as if
she were proceeding from the bridal chamber, clothed entirely in white,
and with white sandals, and veiled up to her forehead, and her head was
covered by a hood. And she had white hair. I knew from my former visions
that this was the Church, and I became more joyful. She saluted me, and
said, Hail, O man! And I returned her salutation, and said, Lady, hail! And
she answered. and said to me, Has nothing crossed your path? I say, I was
met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through
the power of the Lord and His great mercy I escaped from it. Well did you
escape from it, says she, because you cast your care on God, and
opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no
other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has
sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri,
and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you. You have escaped
from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not
doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of
the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the
great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent
with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to
escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the
days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Cast your cares upon the
Lord, and He will direct them. Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is allpowerful,
and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges on
the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them:
better were it for them not to have been born. I asked her about the four
colors which the beast had on his head. And she answered, and said to
me, Again you are inquisitive in regard to such matters. Yea, Lady, said I,
make known to me what they are. Listen, said she: the black is the world
in which we dwell: but the fiery and bloody points out that the world must
perish through blood and fire: but the golden part are you who have
escaped from this world. For as gold is tested by fire, and thus becomes
useful, so are you tested who dwell in it. Those, therefore, who continue
steadfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For
as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and
straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower.
But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will
dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure.
Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This
then is the type of the great tribulation that is to come. If ye wish it, it will
be nothing. Remember those things which were written down before. And
saying this, she departed. But I saw not into what place she retired. There
was a noise, however, and I turned round in alarm, thinking that that
beast was coming. 21
Tertullian: (AD. 145-220)
"In the Revelation of John, again, the order of these times is spread out to
view, which "the souls of the martyrs" are taught to wait for beneath the
altar, whilst they earnestly pray to be avenged and judged: (taught, I say,
to wait), in order that the world may first drink to the dregs the plagues
that await it out of the vials of the angels, and that the city of fornication
may receive from the ten kings its deserved doom, and that the beast
Antichrist, with his false prophet may wage war on the Church of God;
and that, after the casting of the devil into the bottomless pit for a while,
the blessed prerogative of the first resurrection may be obtained from the
thrones; and then again, after the consignment of him to the fire, that the
judgment of the final and universal resurrection may be determined out of
the books. Since, then, the Scriptures both indicate the stages of the last
times, and concentrate the harvest of the Christian hope in the very end
of the world." 22
"Now the privilege of this favor [the resurrection] awaits those who shall at
the coming of the Lord be found in the flesh, and who shall, owing to the
oppressions of the time of Antichrist, deserve by an instantaneous death,
which is accomplished by a sudden change, to become qualified to join
the rising saints; as he writes to the Thessalonians: "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 are 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 too shall ourselves 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."
23
Hippolytus: (AD. 170-236)
"It is proper that we take the Holy Scriptures themselves in hand, and find
out from them what, and of what manner, the coming of Antichrist is; on
what occasion and at what time that impious one shall be revealed; and
whence and from what tribe (he shall come); and what his name is, which
is indicated by the number in Scripture; and how he shall work error
among the people, gathering them from the ends of the earth; and (how)
he shall stir up tribulation and persecution against the saints; and how he
shall glorify himself as God; and what his end shall be; and how the
sudden appearing of the Lord shall be revealed from heaven; and what
the conflagration of the whole world shall be; and what the glorious and
heavenly kingdom of the saints is to be, when they reign together with
Christ; and what the punishment of the wicked by fire." 24
"With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the
blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a
conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show
us what we seek to know. ... Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if
this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not
otherwise be designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we
ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by blessed prophets,
in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for
them, and not be deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of
whom these things are said, will be manifest." 25
"Now concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon
the Church from the adversary, John also speaks thus, "And I saw a great
and wondrous sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, ... And to
the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a
time, from the face of the serpent." That refers to the one thousand two
hundred and threescore days (the half of the week) during which the
tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church.... These things then, being
come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts,
and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two
prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the
whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the
coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we
have looked in hope." 26
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"[T]he Lord hath foretold that these things would come. With the
exhortation of His forseeing word, instructing, and teaching, and
preparing, and strengthening the people of His Church for all endurance
of things to come. He predicted and said that wars, and famines, and
earthquakes, and pestilences would arise in each place; and lest an
unexpected and new dread of mischiefs should shake us, He previously
warned us that the adversary would increase more and more in the last
times." 27
"Nor let any one of you, beloved brethren, be so terrified by the fear of
future persecution, or the coming of the threatening Antichrist, as not to
be found armed for all things by the evangelical exhortations and
precepts, and by the heavenly warnings. Antichrist is coming, but above
him comes Christ also. The enemy goeth about and rageth, but
immediately the Lord follows to avenge our sufferings and our wounds.
The adversary is enraged and threatens, but there is One who can deliver
us from his hands. He is to be feared whose anger no one can escape, as
He Himself forewarns, and says: “Fear not them which kill the body, but
are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy
both body and soul in hell.” And again: “He that loveth his life, shall lose it;
and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.” And
in the Apocalypse He instructs and forewarns, saying, “If any man worship
the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his
hand, the same also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed in
the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb; and the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever;
and they shall have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his
image.”
Victorinus: (AD. ?-304)
"He speaks of Elias the prophet, who is the precursor of the times of
Antichrist, for the restoration and establishment of the churches from the
great and intolerable persecution." 30
"The woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet,
and wearing the crown of twelve stars upon her head, and travailing in
her pains, is the ancient Church of fathers, and prophets, and saints, and
apostles,..." 31
"He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in
the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and
thence utter voices and oracles. ... The Lord, admonishing His churches
concerning the last times and their dangers, says: "But when ye shall see
the contempt which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the
holy place, let him who readeth understand." 32
"[T]he thousand years should be completed, that is, what is left of the sixth
day, to wit, of the sixth age, which subsists of a thousand years; after this
he must be loosed for a little season. The little season signifies three years
and six months, in which with all his power the devil will avenge himself
under Antichrist against the Church." 33
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles: (2nd or 3rd Century) Anonymous
"Be watchful for your life. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning, and ye like unto men who wait for their Lord, and when He will
come, at even, or in the morning, or at cock-crowing, or at midnight. For
at what hour they think not, the Lord will come; and if they open to Him,
blessed are those servants, because they were found watching. For He will
gird Himself, and will make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth
and serve them." Watch therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto
death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of
your life you go astray from the true faith. For in the last days false
prophets shall be multiplied, and such as corrupt the Word; and the sheep
shall be changed into wolves, and love into hatred: for through the
abounding of iniquity the love of many shall wax cold. For men shall hate,
and persecute, and betray one another. And then shall appear the
deceiver of the world, the enemy of the truth, the prince of lies, whom the
Lord Jesus "shall destroy with the Spirit of His mouth, who takes away the
wicked with His lips; and many shall be offended at Him. But they that
endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven; and afterwards shall be the voice of a
trumpet by the archangel; and in that interval shall be the revival of those
that were asleep. And then shall the Lord come, and all the saints with
Him, with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of His
power, in the throne of His kingdom, to condemn the devil, the deceiver
of the world, and to render to every one according to his deeds. "Then
shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
shall go into life eternal," to inherit those things "which eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, such things as
God hath prepared for them that love Him."
The early Christians unanimously believed the Antichrist would persecute the
Church, and that the resurrection and gathering to Christ would occur at a
single coming, after the tribulation.
Justin Martyr: (AD. 110-165)
"Two advents of Christ have been announced: the one, in which He is set
forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified; but the other, in
which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy,
who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do
unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, ... Now it is evident
that no one can terrify or subdue us who have believed in Jesus over all
the world. For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown
to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do
not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the more
do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God
through the name of Jesus." 15
Epistle of Barnabas: (AD. 100)
"The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning
which it is written, as Enoch says, "For for this end the Lord has cut short the
times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the
inheritance." And the prophet also speaks thus: "Ten kingdoms shall reign
upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue
under one three of the kings." In the like manner Daniel says concerning
the same, "And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and the
more savage than all the beasts of the earth and how from it sprang up
ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued
under one three of the ten horns. ... We take earnest heed in these last
days; for the whole (past) time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless
now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as
becometh sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of
entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the
way of wickedness." 16
Irenaeus: (AD. 120-202)
"In a still clearer light has John, in the Apocalypse, indicated to the Lord's
disciples what shall happen in the last times, and concerning the ten kings
who shall then arise, ... These have one mind, and give their strength and
power to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them, because He is the Lord of lords, and King of kings. ...
And they shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give
their kingdom to the beast, and put the church to flight. After that they
shall be destroyed by the coming of our Lord." 17
"But he indicates the number of the name now, that when this man
comes we may avoid him, being aware of who he is:... But when this
Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for
three years and six months, and sit in the temple in Jerusalem; and then
the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father,
sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but
bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the
hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised
inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared, that "many coming from
the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob." 18
"For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to
the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of
Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of]
which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign on the earth, waxing stronger
by the sight of the Lord: and through Him they shall become accustomed
to partake in the glory of God the Father, and shall enjoy in the kingdom
intercourse and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual
beings; and those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from
heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands
of the Wicked one." 19
The Shepherd of Hermas: (2nd Century)
"You will tell, therefore, those who preside over the Church, to direct their
ways in righteousness, that they may receive in full the promises with great
glory. Stand steadfast, therefore, ye who work righteousness, and doubt
not, that your passage may be with the holy angels. Happy ye who
endure the great tribulation that is coming on, and happy they who shall
not deny their own life. For the Lord hath sworn by His Son, that those who
denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair, for even now
these are to deny Him in the days that are coming." 20
"Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren a
representation of the tribulation that is to come. I was going to a country
house along the Campanian road. Now the house lay about ten furlongs
from the public road. The district is one rarely traversed. And as I walked
alone, I prayed the Lord to complete the revelations which He had made
to me through His holy Church, that He might strengthen me, and give
repentance to all His servants who were going astray, that His great and
glorious name might be glorified because He vouchsafed to show me His
marvels. And while I was glorifying Him and giving Him thanks, a voice, as
it were, answered me, Doubt not, Hermas; and I began to think with
myself, and to say, What reason have I to doubt I who have been
established by the Lord, and who have seen such glorious sights? I
advanced a little, brethren, and, lo! I see dust rising even to the heavens. I
began to say to myself, Are cattle approaching and raising the dust? It
was about a furlong’s distance from me. And, lo! I see the dust rising more
and more, so that I imagined that it was something sent from God. But the
sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and
out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was
about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep,
and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it. Then I remembered the word
which I had heard, Doubt not, O Hermas. Clothed, therefore, my brethren,
with faith in the Lord, and remembering the great things which He had
taught me, I boldly faced the beast. Now that beast came on with such
noise and force, that it could itself have destroyed a city. I came near it,
and the monstrous beast stretched itself out on the ground, and showed
nothing but its tongue, and did not stir at all until I had passed by it. Now
the beast had four colors on its head-black, then fiery and bloody, then
golden, and lastly white. Now after I had passed by the wild beast, and
had moved forward about thirty feet, lo! a virgin meets me, adorned as if
she were proceeding from the bridal chamber, clothed entirely in white,
and with white sandals, and veiled up to her forehead, and her head was
covered by a hood. And she had white hair. I knew from my former visions
that this was the Church, and I became more joyful. She saluted me, and
said, Hail, O man! And I returned her salutation, and said, Lady, hail! And
she answered. and said to me, Has nothing crossed your path? I say, I was
met by a beast of such a size that it could destroy peoples, but through
the power of the Lord and His great mercy I escaped from it. Well did you
escape from it, says she, because you cast your care on God, and
opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no
other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has
sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri,
and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you. You have escaped
from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not
doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of
the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the
great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent
with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to
escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the
days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. Cast your cares upon the
Lord, and He will direct them. Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is allpowerful,
and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges on
the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them:
better were it for them not to have been born. I asked her about the four
colors which the beast had on his head. And she answered, and said to
me, Again you are inquisitive in regard to such matters. Yea, Lady, said I,
make known to me what they are. Listen, said she: the black is the world
in which we dwell: but the fiery and bloody points out that the world must
perish through blood and fire: but the golden part are you who have
escaped from this world. For as gold is tested by fire, and thus becomes
useful, so are you tested who dwell in it. Those, therefore, who continue
steadfast, and are put through the fire, will be purified by means of it. For
as gold casts away its dross, so also will ye cast away all sadness and
straitness, and will be made pure so as to fit into the building of the tower.
But the white part is the age that is to come, in which the elect of God will
dwell, since those elected by God to eternal life will be spotless and pure.
Wherefore cease not speaking these things into the ears of the saints. This
then is the type of the great tribulation that is to come. If ye wish it, it will
be nothing. Remember those things which were written down before. And
saying this, she departed. But I saw not into what place she retired. There
was a noise, however, and I turned round in alarm, thinking that that
beast was coming. 21
Tertullian: (AD. 145-220)
"In the Revelation of John, again, the order of these times is spread out to
view, which "the souls of the martyrs" are taught to wait for beneath the
altar, whilst they earnestly pray to be avenged and judged: (taught, I say,
to wait), in order that the world may first drink to the dregs the plagues
that await it out of the vials of the angels, and that the city of fornication
may receive from the ten kings its deserved doom, and that the beast
Antichrist, with his false prophet may wage war on the Church of God;
and that, after the casting of the devil into the bottomless pit for a while,
the blessed prerogative of the first resurrection may be obtained from the
thrones; and then again, after the consignment of him to the fire, that the
judgment of the final and universal resurrection may be determined out of
the books. Since, then, the Scriptures both indicate the stages of the last
times, and concentrate the harvest of the Christian hope in the very end
of the world." 22
"Now the privilege of this favor [the resurrection] awaits those who shall at
the coming of the Lord be found in the flesh, and who shall, owing to the
oppressions of the time of Antichrist, deserve by an instantaneous death,
which is accomplished by a sudden change, to become qualified to join
the rising saints; as he writes to the Thessalonians: "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 are 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 too shall ourselves 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."
23
Hippolytus: (AD. 170-236)
"It is proper that we take the Holy Scriptures themselves in hand, and find
out from them what, and of what manner, the coming of Antichrist is; on
what occasion and at what time that impious one shall be revealed; and
whence and from what tribe (he shall come); and what his name is, which
is indicated by the number in Scripture; and how he shall work error
among the people, gathering them from the ends of the earth; and (how)
he shall stir up tribulation and persecution against the saints; and how he
shall glorify himself as God; and what his end shall be; and how the
sudden appearing of the Lord shall be revealed from heaven; and what
the conflagration of the whole world shall be; and what the glorious and
heavenly kingdom of the saints is to be, when they reign together with
Christ; and what the punishment of the wicked by fire." 24
"With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the
blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a
conjectural account of it; for when he appears, the blessed one will show
us what we seek to know. ... Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if
this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not
otherwise be designated. But having the mystery of God in our heart, we
ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by blessed prophets,
in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for
them, and not be deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of
whom these things are said, will be manifest." 25
"Now concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon
the Church from the adversary, John also speaks thus, "And I saw a great
and wondrous sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, ... And to
the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a
time, from the face of the serpent." That refers to the one thousand two
hundred and threescore days (the half of the week) during which the
tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church.... These things then, being
come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts,
and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two
prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the
whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the
coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we
have looked in hope." 26
Cyprian: (AD. 200-258)
"[T]he Lord hath foretold that these things would come. With the
exhortation of His forseeing word, instructing, and teaching, and
preparing, and strengthening the people of His Church for all endurance
of things to come. He predicted and said that wars, and famines, and
earthquakes, and pestilences would arise in each place; and lest an
unexpected and new dread of mischiefs should shake us, He previously
warned us that the adversary would increase more and more in the last
times." 27
"Nor let any one of you, beloved brethren, be so terrified by the fear of
future persecution, or the coming of the threatening Antichrist, as not to
be found armed for all things by the evangelical exhortations and
precepts, and by the heavenly warnings. Antichrist is coming, but above
him comes Christ also. The enemy goeth about and rageth, but
immediately the Lord follows to avenge our sufferings and our wounds.
The adversary is enraged and threatens, but there is One who can deliver
us from his hands. He is to be feared whose anger no one can escape, as
He Himself forewarns, and says: “Fear not them which kill the body, but
are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy
both body and soul in hell.” And again: “He that loveth his life, shall lose it;
and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.” And
in the Apocalypse He instructs and forewarns, saying, “If any man worship
the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his
hand, the same also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed in
the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb; and the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever;
and they shall have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his
image.”
Victorinus: (AD. ?-304)
"He speaks of Elias the prophet, who is the precursor of the times of
Antichrist, for the restoration and establishment of the churches from the
great and intolerable persecution." 30
"The woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet,
and wearing the crown of twelve stars upon her head, and travailing in
her pains, is the ancient Church of fathers, and prophets, and saints, and
apostles,..." 31
"He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in
the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and
thence utter voices and oracles. ... The Lord, admonishing His churches
concerning the last times and their dangers, says: "But when ye shall see
the contempt which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the
holy place, let him who readeth understand." 32
"[T]he thousand years should be completed, that is, what is left of the sixth
day, to wit, of the sixth age, which subsists of a thousand years; after this
he must be loosed for a little season. The little season signifies three years
and six months, in which with all his power the devil will avenge himself
under Antichrist against the Church." 33
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles: (2nd or 3rd Century) Anonymous
"Be watchful for your life. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning, and ye like unto men who wait for their Lord, and when He will
come, at even, or in the morning, or at cock-crowing, or at midnight. For
at what hour they think not, the Lord will come; and if they open to Him,
blessed are those servants, because they were found watching. For He will
gird Himself, and will make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth
and serve them." Watch therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto
death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of
your life you go astray from the true faith. For in the last days false
prophets shall be multiplied, and such as corrupt the Word; and the sheep
shall be changed into wolves, and love into hatred: for through the
abounding of iniquity the love of many shall wax cold. For men shall hate,
and persecute, and betray one another. And then shall appear the
deceiver of the world, the enemy of the truth, the prince of lies, whom the
Lord Jesus "shall destroy with the Spirit of His mouth, who takes away the
wicked with His lips; and many shall be offended at Him. But they that
endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven; and afterwards shall be the voice of a
trumpet by the archangel; and in that interval shall be the revival of those
that were asleep. And then shall the Lord come, and all the saints with
Him, with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of His
power, in the throne of His kingdom, to condemn the devil, the deceiver
of the world, and to render to every one according to his deeds. "Then
shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
shall go into life eternal," to inherit those things "which eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, such things as
God hath prepared for them that love Him."
4. The exhortation to be comforted by the "coming of the Lord" (1Thes 4:18) is valid only in the context of the pre-trib view. It could even be a fearsome thing in a post-trib view.
This passage of scripture is written to comfort those who have loved ones who have already died. The comfort is that there is going to be a victorious resurrection one day. The rapture is just icing on the cake.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, [4] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thes 4:13-18
This passage of scripture is written to comfort those who have loved ones who have already died. The comfort is that there is going to be a victorious resurrection one day. The rapture is just icing on the cake.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, [4] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thes 4:13-18
5. We are exhorted to look for the "Glorious Appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13) If there are any prophetic events (ie: tribulation) to come first, then this passage is nonsensical.
How so? Why would the Holy Spirit encourage us by telling us to look forward to an antichrist? The beautiful thing is that Jesus is coming back one day. It just so happens to be at the end of the tribulation, which is only a few years as opposed to our eternal fellowship with Christ on earth after his return. Which is the most important and encouraging event, antichrist or Jesus return and permanent rule?
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
How so? Why would the Holy Spirit encourage us by telling us to look forward to an antichrist? The beautiful thing is that Jesus is coming back one day. It just so happens to be at the end of the tribulation, which is only a few years as opposed to our eternal fellowship with Christ on earth after his return. Which is the most important and encouraging event, antichrist or Jesus return and permanent rule?
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
8. The translation of the church is never mentioned in any context dealing with the second coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
Lol. You can't be serious, can you?
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Mat 24:27-31.
Lol. You can't be serious, can you?
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Mat 24:27-31.
10. The Church will not be "overtaken by the Day of the Lord." (1 Thes 5:1-9) (Day of the Lord is another term for the great tribulation.)
Which is exactly why Paul went on in the very next paragraph after the famous "rapture passage" in 1 Thes 4:13-18 to say this:
1"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thes 5:1-11.
Which is exactly why Paul went on in the very next paragraph after the famous "rapture passage" in 1 Thes 4:13-18 to say this:
1"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thes 5:1-11.
11. The church will be "kept from the hour of testing that shall come upon all the world." (Rev. 3:10)
No,
the Philadelphian church of the first century was promised this, whatever it was about:
"7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write..."
No,
the Philadelphian church of the first century was promised this, whatever it was about:
"7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write..."
It really makes no difference what the early "church fathers" taught .... or any later attempt to form doctrines. There were and are more who error than those who understand correctly. One must study the scriptures for themselves and the Lord will withhold nothing if one's motivation is correct and one is willing to spend the time and effort
Isaiah foretold of the VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST...........
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
before Christ was born,,,,,,,,,the Jews could NOT have understood that this verse predicted the VIRGIN BIRTH of Christ.........they didn't have enough info,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT AFTER christ was born, and the bible was finished.............THEN we understood that Isaiah's prophecy had BOTH a NEAR-future and FAR-future fulfillment
many prophecies in the bible are like this,,,,,,,with 2 fulfillments,,,,,,,,,,near and far
my point is:
now that we are in the ENDTIMES,,,,,,and we've seen the Return of Israel to the PROMISED LAND,,,,,,,,,we know much more NOW than the early Christians did.
and, likewise, christians in the future will understand things BETTER than us NOW
Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
before Christ was born,,,,,,,,,the Jews could NOT have understood that this verse predicted the VIRGIN BIRTH of Christ.........they didn't have enough info,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT AFTER christ was born, and the bible was finished.............THEN we understood that Isaiah's prophecy had BOTH a NEAR-future and FAR-future fulfillment
many prophecies in the bible are like this,,,,,,,with 2 fulfillments,,,,,,,,,,near and far
my point is:
now that we are in the ENDTIMES,,,,,,and we've seen the Return of Israel to the PROMISED LAND,,,,,,,,,we know much more NOW than the early Christians did.
and, likewise, christians in the future will understand things BETTER than us NOW
Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
dennis--> ................. Yes, Jesus is coming back. Perhaps He will come today, ................
JP- Yes, Jesus is coming as per Revelation 19.
After the "beast" "wages war on the saints"
Anybody promising people that Jesus is "rapturing' His people
PRIOR to the "beast waging war on the saints"
is setting people up to be confused when the "beast
amazes the world" and the "saints" are still
right here on earth.
JP- Yes, Jesus is coming as per Revelation 19.
After the "beast" "wages war on the saints"
Anybody promising people that Jesus is "rapturing' His people
PRIOR to the "beast waging war on the saints"
is setting people up to be confused when the "beast
amazes the world" and the "saints" are still
right here on earth.
QUOTE (Eli @ Sep 21 2008, 03:30 PM) 
The “Six Day” Theory Precludes “Imminence”
One important reason the Church Fathers could not have believed in an "any
moment" coming of Christ, is the "six-day theory." Many of the early Church
Fathers believed in the theory that the earth would continue for six thousand
years under the curse. The Millennium would be the Sabbath of rest.
Consequently, they tried to calculate the time since creation, by using the
genealogies from the Old Testament, to calculate the approximate time of the
Lord's coming. It is noteworthy that even some of the Church Fathers, who are
alleged by pretribulationists to have believed in "imminence," taught this theory.
This theory is totally incompatible with the idea of imminence.
One important reason the Church Fathers could not have believed in an "any
moment" coming of Christ, is the "six-day theory." Many of the early Church
Fathers believed in the theory that the earth would continue for six thousand
years under the curse. The Millennium would be the Sabbath of rest.
Consequently, they tried to calculate the time since creation, by using the
genealogies from the Old Testament, to calculate the approximate time of the
Lord's coming. It is noteworthy that even some of the Church Fathers, who are
alleged by pretribulationists to have believed in "imminence," taught this theory.
This theory is totally incompatible with the idea of imminence.
This theory is totally incompatible with the idea of imminence.
You are correct, certain other prophecies had to be fufilled before Jesus could/would return.
Especially the "TWO DAYS" (day=1000 years) Israel would be "blinded" until the "fulness of the Gentles". (church age)
Ho 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day (seventh day/MK) he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
www,daysofgod.com
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