The most difficult apprehension in the view laid out on these pages, is that all preconceived ideas of the time of the rapture in the book of Revelation must temporarily be set aside. This involves a major paradigm shift (in this present age). The sole reason for a change is what does the scripture say? Comparing Scripture with Scripture, and not concerned if our conclusions do not conform to our, or others, preconceived ideas. And if the result is that God wants us to live holy lives then let us preach holiness and His coming kingdom, because He will surely come. Maranatha!
i. John knew of the destruction of the Temple, the apocalyptic discourse, and is writing much as Daniel did after the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s seventy years.[1]
ii. Revelation is written after 70 A.D.
iii. Matt 24, Mk13,[2] Lk 21 are events that at least partially occurred before 70 A.D., and all the synoptic gospels were written before the destruction of the Temple.
iv. John is written after the destruction, and around the time of the Book of Revelation. There is no mention of the apocalyptic discourse, but there is reference to the destruction of the Temple being a reference to His body.
v. 2 Thess is written in 51-52 A.D., the earliest recorded account of the rapture, which the Church was already aware of, and were upset that it had happened.[3] They must have had the teaching of Christ on Mt Olivet being explained as His return, not coming.[4] Observe what the disciples ask in Acts 1:6.[5] An event as profound as the rapture should be talked about.[6]
vi. Peter and Paul had been martyred by the time Revelations is written, John was probably aware of Paul’s teachings on the rapture, and his hope.
vii. Conclusion: John addresses the apocalyptic discourse, in Rev 4-6.[7] And from his perspective all these things had happened, even the abomination of desolation, as Titus, or the Zealots [8] but yet Christ had not returned. The Book of revelation again reiterates that the things revealed in the Olivet discourse will take place before the Day of the Lord.[9] In language similar to Matthew,[10] Rev 7:1 speaks of the four angels sealing the 144,000 Jews, and then mentions the great multitude, which unlike Rev 6:9, had not been slain[11] are clothed in white as saints, as the bride of Christ. They are kept from the Great Tribulation. The flow of Revelations remains chronological, but indicates what their eternal state will be.
i. Identity is crucial in the pre-trib argument, and becomes a symbolic interpretation to explain the Church[12], a rapture in chapter 7 resolves this.
ii. By Revelation 7:11 one elder speaks to John, the symbol of the elder as the church breaks down for now he is an individual.
i. The literal meaning “out of” cannot be attached to ek in a considerable number of passages. In several instances ek obviously has the significance of ‘away from;’ and where either meaning seems possible, the context, or some other passage, affords guidance. The following are examples in which ek does not mean ‘out of the midst of’ or ‘out from within,’ but has much the same significance as apo: John 17:15, “that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil one;” 1 Cor. 9:19, “though I was free from all men;” 2 Cor. 1:10, “who delivered us from so great a death” (A.V.); 2 Pet. 2:21, “to turn back from the holy commandment;” Rev. 15:2, “them that had come victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name” (ek in each case).[14].
ii. Much is said about the importance of ejk in Rev 3:10,[15] and how it indicates that the Church will not go into the tribulation.[16] Similar arguments for v. 7:14 could be made, based on the context of the sealing of the 144,000, along with the rapture of the Church, which must take place at the beginning of the tribulation; believers are “away from” or from an outside position, “kept from” the Great tribulation. And if the rapture does not occur prior to the tribulation, it could be at the onset. I do not think there is a separation of the great tribulation from the rest of the tribulation, because the first seals are just anticipation of the rapture.( Matt 24:21)[17]
iii. If the translation of this passage is in the sense of continuous action, then there is no point in reading any further- my point has no meaning. Robert Thomas in his study of Revelation states it can (but does not state only) have the meaning of those “coming out” of the Great tribulation, the last half of the tribulation. Several of the best translations have it as a completed action in the past: ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb;’[18] “ ... ones who come out of the great tribulation”[19] “…the ones who come out of the great tribulation,”[20] “These are those who have emerged from the great tribulation.”[21]
iv. Traditionally most would conclude that the great multitude is a jump to the future. But what time in the future? If prior to the second coming (and assuming the traditional view, those that are being killed in the tribulation), which makes the most sense, how are they in there resurrected bodies (the resurrection of tribulation saints will be at the end of the tribulation, not during), and will not suffer any longer? If in the millennium, would they not be on earth with Christ (assuming the multitude here described is obviously in heaven). If in the New Jerusalem, the eternal state, there will be no temple[22] (the word for temple which is naoj~ is the term Jesus used to refer to his body, so it could be the eternal state, though symbolic language of day and night, as well as temple would be needed). An immediate post rapture presence of the Church, and I believe some of Israel, is most compatible with this group. They have no history of a resurrection (except clothed in white), but also no history of death, and they will be in the eternal state, white robes, with the Lord, in the temple now in heaven.
i. Luke does not mention the Abomination of desolation, and the question that is asked is: “when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place (LK 21:7)?” This refers only to the Temple destruction.[23] John’s Gospel very early in JN 2:19, talks of the destruction of the Temple, but never mentions the anti-Christ, although he does mention him in his epistles.
ii. The other gospels ask when the end of all things will occur (Mark’s account implies the Matthew questions). Matthew and Mark include the Abomination of Desolation, and whether this was fulfilled in Titus of Rome, or awaits its only fulfillment in the tribulation does not matter. [24]
iii. Luke 17 gives the tribulation account, which is separated from the Temple destruction account in Ch. 21.[25] Those who are left go into judgment, the tribulation, just as Noah or Lot[26] were taken out[27] and rescued (the judgment of God could not start till they were taken out). As Rev 6:16 states the rapture of the saints will be known (not like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, or the Millerites of the Seven Day Adventist), and the people will know that the wrath of the Lamb has come.
iv. The three questions in Matthew are crucial as to ones view. Most contemporary pretribulationists think that Jesus did not respond to the first question in Matthew. [28] If this be so why does Luke 21 line up sequentially with Matthew 24? They are the same accounts with a little different emphasis. Nowhere in the Luke 21 passage is it mentioned that the disciples (in fact the disciples are not even specifically mentioned) went to the Mount of Olives, but the discussion took place in the temple. The questions cannot be assumed to be the same if the location cannot even be shown to be the same.
v. Many in the pretrib camp would say that because Jesus never talked about the rapture before Matt 24, that the disciples could not be talking about the time of the rapture, but this is not true. Luke 17 gives an account before entering Jerusalem that is a very clear reference to the rapture. The allegory of Sodom and Gomorrah are too close to the rapture to be overlooked. Yahweh (Jesus) comes down to see Sodom (it is not mentioned that He entered the city), His angels lead out the elect, then destruction occurs, after the elect is taken out. With a partial rapture one can understand the precaution given in Luke regarding Lot’s wife.
i. In the OT there are similar ideas.[30] “pavreimi occurs in the LXX, … over 70 times, mostly for a/B, also ht;a;,… It thus means “to come,” and this affects parousiva accordingly. The context sometimes gives it numinous overtones, though it is never technical. parousiva occurs only in works originally written in Gk.: Jdt. 10:18; 2 Macc. 8:12; 15:21; 3 Macc. 3:17, always in a profane sense.” [31]
· His appearing to conclude the covenant (Ex. 19:18, 20).[32]
· The anointed one sent by Yahweh may take His place. In this connection a/B is used Gen 49:10 "Until Shiloh comes”[33]
· For His apostate and disobedient people, too, esp. its rebellious members, His coming is terrible, His anger fearful (Am. 5:18–20; Zeph. 1:15–18; 2:2)[34]
· parh`san aujtw`/.[35] One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.[36]
ii. In the NT every reference to Parousia (parousiva), presented below, that is used in an eschatological sense would have a meaning of the rapture, while epiphania (ejpifavneia)[37] would be reserved for His glorious reign.
· 1 Cor 15:23 those who are Christ’s at His coming,
· 1 Thess 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
· 1 Thess 4:15 we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
· 2 Thess 2:1 with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
· James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
· 1 Pet 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God[38]
· 1 John 2:28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
iii. To say that the four references to Parousia in Matt 24:3,27,37,39 are not relating to the rapture isolates this from the rest of the NT eschatological uses of this word. I would say the Matt 24 passage also relates to the Rapture, and the question of His coming (parousiva), reflecting previous thoughts from Luke 17 and 21.
iv. A brief statement about 2 Thess 2:9 “Then that lawless one will be revealed (ajpokaluvptw) whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance (ejpifavneia) of His coming; (parousiva).” Here His coming is qualified by appearance or brightness (as in KJV), and relates to His coming in glory, not at the rapture.
v. “parousiva denotes esp. active presence, e.g., in legal documents (BGU, IV, 1127, 37; 1129, 27; P. Gen., 68, 11 f.; P. Masp., 126, 15; P. Oxy., VI, 903, 15), of representatives of the community,” [39] “a presence, para, with, and ousia, being (from eimi, to be), denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with;”[40] “coming, advent as the first stage in presence (Soph., El. 1104; Eur., Alc. 209; Thu. 1, 128, 5. Elsewh. mostly in later wr.: Polyb. 22, 10, 14; Diod. S. 15, 32, 2; 19, 64, 6; Dionys. Hal. 1, 45, 4; inscr., pap.; Jdth 10:18; 2 Macc 8:12; 15:21; 3 Macc 3:17; Jos., Bell. 4, 345, Vi. 90).” [41] For a word to mean presence as defined above and as Walvoord defined in the opening, it seems strange to speak of the rapture as being secret. Every time the word is not used of the rapture event it speaks of the physical presence of someone. For the word to have its usual meaning the coming of Christ at the rapture must be obvious if not visible.
i. Num 10:4 revealed in Rev 7. Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you.[42] There are two soundings of the trumpets, the rapture is the first single trumpet, the heads of Israel are summand, and they are listed by the individual twelve tribes in Rev 7.[43] In Exodus 19 God Himself calls all the people to the mountain. In Hebrews 12:19 there is a similar description.
ii. Zechariah 9 makes it clear that the Lord will fight for Israel after the trumpet,[44] not before as many pre-trib positions suggest. Also Joel states that the Day of the Lord occurs after a trumpet.[45]
iii. A great trumpet will sound from God perhaps a second time and all Israel will be gathered and be saved.[46] This may be the Feast of Trumpets, which after ten days leads to the Day of Atonement, and the judgment of the nations. This may be found at the end of the seven trumpets, for it is here that the reign of God and Christ begin, Rev 11:15. The next vial judgments are the wrath of God poured out on those in Rev chapters 12-16[47]. There are 75 days of God dealing with the world after the seventy weeks, and I believe that Revelation also includes that portion of Daniel 12.
i. It is interesting to note both Thessalonica and Corinth, the youngest and necessarily the most immature churches, have the only books in the NT with a detailed description of the rapture, that is, if the gospels and Revelation do not.
ii. The Thessalonians feared The Day of the Lord already occurred, or so they thought, and with good reason.
iii. The Persecution as Matt 24:8, famine[48] as Paul taking a collection in the Gentile Churches for Jerusalem, earthquakes[49] as at the time of Christ crucifixion. False Messiahs as Bar Kochba is a later notorious example, or prior to the first revolt of 66 A.D. And as cited in footnote 5 above, the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple.
iv. Paul tells them what to look for, the Apostasy[50] (2 Thess 2:3), and the man of lawlessness physically in the Temple. These are signs of the Day of the Lord, and it will not begin until the Church is gone; however, the Church may see the revealing of the antichrist but not the abomination of desolation (as an event as described in Daniel 11). It is interesting when reading Matt 24 or Luke 21 that the people being spoken to are in the 2nd person plural (you all), while at the ends of these passages, before the coming of the Lord, it switches to the third person plural, i.e. ‘they.’( Lk 21:25,Matt 24:29, MK 13:24)
v. Most people would place the writing of John’s gospel and epistles before the book of Revelation. John’s epistles make the same assumption that Paul makes to the church at Thessalonica, which knew of the Antichrist, or the lawless one. Yet without the book of Revelation where does this idea come from? It has to be from the apocalyptic discourse. That John was very much aware of Daniel 11 can be shown from the reference to Dan 11:37. The desire of women was the messianic hope, and Christ was that hope I John 2:22.[51]
i. kevleusma (shout):[53] only used here in the NT,[54]. The idea of rebuke or command as in OT theophanies. Compare Rev 7:2, probably an Archangel since he is in charge over others.
ii. The Archangel’s call: also in Rev 7:2
iii. The trumpet of God: mentioned in Matt 24:31, 1 Cor 15:52, Rev 8:1 (ch. 7 being an interlude), Rev 11:15 the last of the seven trumpets, and the call of all Israel. Of note is that the Revelation (Chap. 7-8) has the beginning of the trumpets at the rapture. (See not on trumpets above.)
iv. The clouds: a scene in heaven is described, the clouds being in the second heaven, and Matt 24:31 describing literally from heaven. Mk 13:27 describes “from the farthest part [55] of the earth to the farthest part of heaven” (From the highest point on earth to the tip or lowest part of heaven, the air, or the second heaven.)
v. The same essential and sequential order is described in 1 Thess 4:16-17 is also in the rapture passage in Revelation 7-8, and Matt 24:31.
i. There is much disagreement over the length of the Day of the Lord among pretribulationalists, but it must include the millennial reign of Christ, as well as the whole seven years of the tribulation.[56]
ii. “Men will go into caves of the rocks And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the Lord And the splendor of His majesty When He arises to make the earth tremble.”[57] Before the Day of the Lord, or at His appearing, men will hide themselves as in Rev 6:15. Men are hiding themselves before (temporal) the Day of the Lord, so the length of this time period is important, otherwise you can have a pre-wrath position like Rosenthal since the Day of the Lord could be shorten for his purpose.
iii. 1 Thess 5:1-9 stresses that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, but this will be to unbelievers, but to us who are awake and watchful we know, as today that the return of the Lord is near.
iv. Comparing the “thief in the night” phrase in Matt 24:43, 2 Pet 3:10, 1 Thess 5:2, they all indicate an unexpected event for the lost, and even somewhat to the believer.[58] The Matthew passage is often viewed as the second coming by the pre-tribulational view, but if this is a rapture passage it squares with the rest of scripture. Daniel 12:11 tells us that when the abomination of desolation is present then there will be 1290 days till Christ comes in glory. How can that be like a thief or unknown? (Although He probably returns before this for judgment.)
i. The last seventieth week is not over until the time of the gentiles is fulfilled. The bride of Christ, which will be mostly gentiles, will be raptured. The 144,000 will be sealed at this time, and this will be the first fruits of the time when “all Israel will be saved.”[59]There will be a time of intense persecution for the Jews, and the holy city being trod under foot, and Satan coming against the woman.
ii. The time of the gentiles does not completely end with the rapture, just as the OT age did not end at the resurrection - but at Pentecost. At the beginning of the tribulation the temple must be rebuilt, though not stated in Revelation till chapter 11. This also is the end of the time of the gentiles.[60]
i. The seventy week prophecy begins with Israel, and ends with Israel. “Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.”[61]
ii. The above verse is a broad overview of God’s plan to bring in the end of this age. It ends with the destruction of Babylon the Great Harlot, as explained in Rev17-18.
iii.
Daniel’s further revelation gave a time period till the
Messiah, which is the agent that brings about the end, but the time of the
Church age is left as a mystery. “Then after the
sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of
the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end
will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations
are determined. 27 And he
will make a firm covenant with the many for one week[62],
but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes
desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out
on the one who makes desolate.”[63]
iv. John in the Apocalypse then gives the time of the end of the seventy weeks including the millennial age and the eternal state after the seventieth week.
i. The trumpet judgments may be the nuclear exchange of the Gog of Magog war at the beginning of the tribulation. It seems likely that the prophecy of Ezekiel would be mentioned in Revelation.
ii. The temple is still standing after this in chapter 11, and nowhere in this mass destruction is Israel mentioned in the judgment, much as Israel is spared in the Gog of Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39.
iii. Some would argue that since the weapons will burn for seven years, that it would have to be prior to the onset of the seven years of tribulation, even as far as 3 ½ years before the onset of the seventieth week. The events of the Magog conflict are very devastating, and if involving a mass annihilation of the surrounding Arab neighbors about Israel, then the carnage would not be merely a ‘rumor of war,’ but WW IV. Placing Magog later preserves believers from significant calamity and great distress.
i. Toussaint states that the elect is the OT saints, because this term is used in Ps 105:6,43 Isa 41:8. But this could equally be the Church as Col 3:12, 2 Tim 2:10 or Rom 8:33.
ii. Isa 11:11-16 speaks of a re-gathering of Israel from the four corners of the Earth, in Matt literally these are being gathered from the sky (heaven oujranov"), a picture of our understanding of the rapture.[64],[65] Every reference in the O.T. to the return of Israel mentions land or Earth or nations, Deut 30:4, Isa 11:12, 27:13, Jer 31:8, Ezek 11:17, 28:25, 34:13. Most mentions that the gathering is to bring them into the land; nowhere is it to bring Israel into judgment or destruction, as the Matt or Luke 17 reference “one taken one left.” The NT passages speak of a gathering in the air, not one OT passage of the gathering of Israel mentions the air or being taken out of heaven.
iii. Another point, and the strongest, that Toussaint makes is that the terms used i.e. “holy place, Messiah, Sabbath” are Jewish terms.[66] However this would be appropriate since this view has the end of the age in mind and the Ancient of Days, the Son of Man, and the abomination of desolation. The desecration of the Temple is prophesied and fulfilled by 70 A.D (let the reader, not the hearers, understand), and will also occur in the tribulation. But Jesus states this is not yet the end of the age. In Rev., even before chapter 4, the terms are very Jewish.
iv. Another objection is that this can’t be the rapture because it is in the tribulation. The main point I’m trying to state is that ‘these things’ are not the tribulation, merely birth pangs. [67]
i. Matthew 24: 28 “Wherever the corpse (ptoma) is, there the vultures will gather [68]
ii. Luke 17:37 And answering they *said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body (soma) is, there also will the eagles be gathered.”[69]
iii.
Why the different words? Are they synonyms? No, one is
dead Israel, and the Judgment that will occur[70],
the great tribulation, Jacob’s trouble.
The other is the body of Christ that is taken at the rapture, and the
sealing of the 144,000. George Peters in The Theocratic Kingdom says that
although the words are different they refer to the same. I do not agree with him on this point,[71]
but he gives an extensive list of people, including Calvin, Luther, Ambrose, and
many others who held to the view of Christ’s coming and the eagles (ajetov") as
the saints.[72]
i.
Pentecost and most pretrib people would agree that they
are Israel.[73]
If Israel, they certainly are not all saved. Rom 11:26 then looses its literal
meaning. (Also Zech 13:8)
ii.
Much of this interpretation is based on Matt 24:31 as
the regathering of the Jews, but, if the rapture, Matt 24:45-51 represent those
who are not ready for the rapture and suffer loss in the tribulation. Those who
miss the rapture do not loose eternal security if they are the Lord’s, but they
suffer loss at the time of the bema seat of Christ, they suffer through the
tribulation.[74]
Then the 10 virgins would more readily represent tribulation saints, as well as
Jews. Those who are left at the
rapture are now invited guests, as well as the Jews, to the wedding supper.
Those who still are not ready will not reign with Christ, there is “forfeiture
of honor due only to faithful servants when the Lord returns.”[75]
iii. This view of the 10 Virgins is in accord with later NT writings exhorting believers to holy lives: “instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”[76] “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,”[77] “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”[78] Let’s be holy and waiting for the Lord’s return.
iv.
The symbolism is congruent
with the Virgins representing tribulation saints. The Rapture Matt 24:31 being the
“stealing of the bride” with “a shout” as a “thief in the night;” then the
bridal chamber for seven years followed by the Marriage Supper.[79]
This point represented by the groom coming for his bride in his father’s house,
and going to His own house[80] and would correspond to Rev 19.( Also compare the
exhortation in Luke 12.[81]) If the
traditional view is that they represent the Jews at the end of the tribulation,
how is it that they all are not saved? Remember all fell asleep, and the only
difference was the oil, the Holy Spirit, which the unwise also had, or at least
tasted of as in Heb 6:4. If the
symbolism of the bride is the Church before the rapture, and now we say the
Virgins represent the Church, then who is the bride? But if at the end of the
tribulation, and the wedding has taken place, and all the tribulation saints
both Jew and Gentile welcome the bride (the Church), all Israel that remains
alive is saved, and the wise Gentiles that are relying upon the Holy Spirit will
enter into the Kingdom.
v.
Psalm 45 a very Messianic
Psalm quoted in Heb 1, now takes on
a very literal prophetic fulfillment:
“10 Listen, O daughter, give attention
and incline your ear; Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty; Because He is your
Lord, bow down to Him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre will
come with a gift; The rich among the people will entreat your favor.
13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within; Her
clothing is interwoven with gold. 14 She will be led to the
King in embroidered work; The virgins, her companions who follow her, will be
brought to Thee.15 They will be led forth with gladness and
rejoicing; They will enter into the King’s palace.”[82]
Here the richest of the Gentile nations (Tyre) give praise to the bride as well
as kings daughters (Israel), and the King is described as setting up His Kingdom
(palace), later sons of God will be princes reigning in this kingdom, a very
literal sequential prophecy.
i.
Many, even Walvoord, would
agree that the first verses 3-14 verses of Matt 24 relate to birth pangs (See
footnote 67).69
ii.
Matt 24:15 because of the
reference to the great tribulation everyone (both pre and post-trib) find this
as the last half of the tribulation. Walvoord identifies this as the last half,
so he has gone from signs to the middle of the week, and if the reference to the
preaching of the Gospel is in Rev 14:6, then the tribulation week is over in one
verse, and the heavenly bodies refer to the fifth vial in Rev. Verse 31 refers
to the gathering of Israel, I guess to judgment, and then Christ begins to rule.
The rest of 24 and 25 refer to the post return of Christ and judgment, yet in
all honesty these cannot be sequential. Pentecost in undermining the midtrib
view would state that if the rapture occurred mid week then the church would
know from the signing of the covenant when the rapture would occur.[83] The only verse that would state that no
one knows when the rapture is v.36, and that now has to be applied to the second
coming. If the rapture could be
known from the signing of the covenant, then how much more the coming of Christ
after the midweek abomination of desolation. Below is my proposed sequential
outline of Matt 24 which is based upon Luke 21, see also the chart at the end of
the paper.
iii.
The new proposal answers the
questions in verse 24:3, and does not ignore them or add additional
information.
·
Answer question one v.4-28
(or maybe verse 20): the Temple destruction AD 70. The abomination of desolation is a
prophecy of an immediate fulfillment and an end of the age fulfillment of the
antichrist.
·
Answer question two
24:29-25:1(or begin with 24:21):
now in the third person, the rapture described, and those not ready
suffer loss in the tribulation, thus the exhortation to persevere in Rev.
2-3.
·
Answer question three
25:1-46: ‘Then the Kingdom of
Heaven” a reference to the millennium, and the judgment of the nations, as in
Rev 19.
iv.
Thus we see a very orderly
sequential answering of the questions, which is very characteristic of Matthew,
which also is sequential with Revelation, and remains pretrib. The main change to bring this
understanding about is Matt 24:15.
First, if this section was an immediate fulfillment in the Temple
destruction, then, secondly, it relates to end time events as the personage of
the antichrist. If this is talking about the tribulation in general, and the
antichrist being revealed[84],
then this occurs at the beginning of the week, the only sign of the coming of
Christ as in Joel 2:10,31; Is 13:10, Rev 6:12 will then be manifest before the
great and terrible Day of the Lord.
v.
In Rev 12 we read of the work
of Satan against Israel. In verses 12:6[85] and 12:14[86] we see two descriptions of the end time events related to
the flight of Israel. Are they both
describing the same events? The first passage occurs after the resurrection of
Christ, and the woman leaves on her own power. Could this be what is described in Matt
24:15-20, and then the second reference is to the last week of Daniel, the
tribulation period, where God delivers Israel by supernatural power, and the
flight is not by foot, or a violation of the Sabbath Laws.
vi.
Essentially to disprove my
argument one must only believe that the Great tribulation[87]
refers to the last half, and not the whole period. Study hard on this question, and if my
points can easily be left in a trash heap, then do so, and do it quickly least
your mind be corrupted by such thinking.
But if there seems to be some glimmer of truth then fall upon Christ who
alone has the power to save, and keep us now and to the time of His coming which
will bring about the end of the age, and will be a time of distress for those
not ready for His appearing (parousia).
i. “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” [88]
ii. These are warning signs for which the Church should look. The disciples were hearing, at the time of the revelation, in the OT age, but the time of the writing and the circulation of the letter were to believers of the Church age.
iii. If Matthew 24 is in the tribulation, then how can it be like the days of Noah? How can the Jews act as though nothing is going on when ½ of the Jewish Nation will be destroyed, and there will be worldwide destruction?[89]
iv. The warning is to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man: “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”[90]
v. Generation in Matt 24:34 is taken to be the people of Israel, a genealogy[91]. This would be different than the usual use of the word, and the only use by Matthew to mean something other than generation. [92]
vi. If generation (geneaŒ) has its usual meaning of generation then this would make most sense of those that saw the destruction of the Temple, and again as we see these signs unfolding we should be looking for His coming.[93]
|
Rev 4-6,
Matt 24:1-30 |
|
Rev 8
-9 |
|
Rev 16-18 |
Rev 19-20 |
|
Present Age Time of the Gentiles |
Rapture |
First 3 ½ years Trumpet
judgments |
MID -Week |
Second 3 ½ years Vial
Judgments |
Millennium |
|
A
retelling of the apocalyptic discourse and the eventual revealing of the
abomination of desolation .
The kings of the Earth see the Lamb |
Rev. 7, Matt 24:31 |
After
the seventh seal is opened, and a pause in heaven, the 144,000 sealed, Gog
of Magog war, the beast and false prophets activities, The 2 witnesses
revealed.[96] |
Abomination of
Desolation |
Satan
and his angels cast down to earth. Intense persecution of the Jews. The
destruction of Babylon, and the gathering of everyone to Armageddon. |
Beginning reign of Christ with the
destruction of the antichrist and the establishment of the Davidic throne,
and blessing for the nations. |
|
|
Matt |
Mk |
Lk |
Rev |
|
1st Seal False Messiahs, not the antichrist |
24:5 |
13:6 |
21:8 |
6:1-2, |
|
2nd Seal Wars |
24:6-7 |
13:7-8 |
21:9-10 |
6:3-4 |
|
3rd Seal Famines |
24:7 |
13:8 |
21:11 |
6:5-6 |
|
4th Seal Pestilence & Death |
|
|
21:11 |
6:7-8 |
|
5th Seal Martyrdom |
24:9-21 |
13:9-13 |
21:12-19 |
6:9-11 |
|
The prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Temple. The revealing of the Abomination of desolation brings in the Day of the Lord |
24:15-22 |
13:14-20 |
21:20-24a |
|
|
Further warning of False Messiah, prior to the revelation of Christ |
24:23-25 |
13:21-23 |
17:21-23 |
|
|
6th Seal Physical disturbances |
24:26-30 |
13:24-26 |
17:23-24; 21:25-28 |
6:12-17 |
|
7th Seal The rapture, and the beginning of the Day of the Lord |
13:27-33 |
17:26-36 |
7-8:1 |
Sac—V119 #476—Oct 62—324
The First Horseman of the
Apocalypse Zane C. Hodges, More than Conquerors William Hendriksen
p.96
The oldest known interpretation of the first apocalyptic rider of Revelation 6 is undoubtedly that of Irenaeus (d. 202), whose teacher, Polycarp, had known the Apostle John face to face. In his work Against Heresies Irenaeus leaves no doubt as to his view of the matter when he states, “For to this end was the Lord born…of whom also John says in the Apocolypse: ‘He went forth conquering, that he should conquer.’“ In this, Irenaeus has found some followers among modern commentators, but others, while close to this view, have tended to impersonalize the vision to a greater or less extent.
BSac—V119 #476—Oct 62—325
The opposite view, that the
rider represents the future Gentile world-ruler, or Antichrist, is of special
interest for the present discussion because of its popularity with many—if not
most—dispensational expositors. It seems to prevail in dispensational
literature. Yet despite this fact, it is the contention of this study not only
that the older view that the rider is Christ is correct, but that this view
harmonizes more consistently with the dispensational system revealed in
prophecy.[97]
In the light of this, it seems a little strange that the majority of dispensational expositors of the Apocalypse have not seen the almost uniquely suitable setting of Revelation 6:2 in relation to the rapture of the church. Indeed, it is common to regard the catching up to heaven of the Apostle John in chapter 4 as representing the rapture of the church as found in Revelation. But this view of things suffers considerably from the obvious weakness that it is related to an experience of the inspired seer himself and not to any prophetic event foreseen by him. While there is no need to deny that the apostle’s experience, coming as it does immediately after his messages to the churches, may have illustrative value in this connection, it fails to face the difficulty that so great an event
BSac—V119 #476—Oct 62—332
ynoptic gospels, particularly the Matthean form. Although many of the symbols do occur in Jewish apocalyptic, the figures appear in isolated texts but never all together as one finds in the Matthean parallels.
That Paul is drawing on traditional eschatological material is implied by his statement in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 in which he says, “We say this to you by the word of the Lord .” A number of solutions have been offered for this difficult phrase. 61 Hill is probably correct when he writes, “May it not mean, as Rigaux and others maintain,
Tracy L. Howard The Literary Unity of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11— GTJ —V9 #2—Fall 88—181
that Paul goes back, not to a single saying of Jesus but to his apocalyptic teaching as a whole, in order to validate his message and clarify the issues which agitated some of his correspondents?
[1] Mk 13:2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great
buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown
down.” When he was sitting on the
Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him
privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign
that all these things are about to be accomplished? NRSV Daniel 9:2 During the first year of his
reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the
word of the Lord, as recorded by
Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.
3
So I turned to
the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I wore rough sackcloth
and sprinkled myself with ashes. NLT
Rev 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his
servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his
servant John, 2 who
testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus Christ….9 I, John,
your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance
that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus. 10
On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice
like a trumpet, 11 which
said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to
the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia
and Laodicea.” NIV
[2]
Walvoord states that
there is no mention of the rapture in the Gospels: “While both
pretribulationists and posttribulationists have strained to find some specific
reference in support of their views, most adherents of either view usually
concede that there is no explicit reference” Walvoord, The Rapture
Question, p. 182 I think this really is only pretribulationalists see Ladd,
The Blessed Hope,71.
[3] He [the messenger] managed
with difficulty while sobbing and breathing spasmodically to say, “Our Temple is
lost, Gaius has ordered a colossal statue to be set up within the inner
sanctuary dedicated to himself under the name of Zeus.” As we marveled at his
words and, petrified by consternation, could not get any further, since we stood
there speechless and powerless in a state of collapse with our hearts turned to
water, others appeared bringing the same woeful tale. Then gathered altogether
in seclusion we bewailed the disaster personal to each and common to all and
such thoughts as the mind suggested we discussed at length. For nothing is more
ready of tongue than a man in misfortune. “Let us struggle,” we said, “to save
us from delivering ourselves altogether to fatal acts of lawlessness.” The fact
that eventually Gaius was assassinated before his order was carried out was
little comfort to those Jews who interpreted the event as desolating sacrilege
of Antiochus Epiphanes come again.
J. Julius Scott, Jr., PhD,
JETS 15:3
(Summer 1972) 141
[4] that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 2 Thess 2:2 This was possibly the second letter ever written, ( maybe third if Galatians was earlier) that we have recorded.
[5] So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
[6] “Their bodies will be
suddenly changed, they will meet the Lord in the air and proceed to heaven. The
departure of the church from the earth will obviously cause quite a stir, though
the Bible never seems to refer to it directly.” Walvoord, BSac—V128
#510—Apr 71—115[6]
[7]
The book of Revelation
by Clarence Larkin , on page 61 states :
“At this point it will be interesting to compare, as on the next three
pages[an extensive chart but the? Rapture? passage v.31 of Matt is left out],
Christ’s “Olivet Discourse” (Matt 24:1-30), with the “Six Seals” of Rev. 6:1-17. The similarity between them is most
striking, and proves that the author of the “Olivet Discourse” foreknew, in the
“Days of His Flesh.” In their exact order, the things that shall come to pass in
the “Day of the Lord”
[8] During this period the Zealots moved into and occupied the Temple area (War IV. 111. 7), allowed persons who had committed crimes to; roam about freely in the Holy of Holies (War IV. m. 10), and perpetrated murder within the Temple itself (War IV. v. 4). These acts of sacrilege were climaxed in the winter of 67-68 by the farcical investiture of the clown Phanni as high priest (War IV. iii. 6-8). It was in response to this specific action that the retired high priest Ananus, with tears, lamented: "It would have been far better for me to have died before I had seen the house of God laden with such abominations and its unapproachable and hallowed places crowded with the feet of murderers" (War IV. iii.1: 10). Jewish Christians who had met in the porches of the Temple from the earliest days would have found this spectacle no less offensive. It seems probable that they recognized in Phanni "the appalling sacrilege usurping a position which is not his," consigning the Temple to destruction. In response to Jesus' warning they fled to Pella. The oracle specified that those in Judea were to flee "to the mountains." Since Jerusalem itself is located in the mountains the Christians understood the prophecy to refer to some other range of mountains beyond Judea. The nearest such range was the Trans-jordanian mountains where Pella is located in the foothills. It can be assumed that by the year 66 there were Gentile Christians in the Decapolis, including Pella, who may have acted as sponsors for the Jerusalem fugitives in that traumatic period. William Lane. NICNT, Mark, p. 469.
[9]
Rev 6:16
They
called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of
him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath
has come, and who can stand?”
NIV
[10]
Matt 24:31 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 the sky to the
other.
[11] It is doubtful, even,
whether there are any resurrected people at all among this multitude. There may
be such, but there is no proof to that effect. There is nothing said about
resurrection, and nothing which necessarily involves it. A rapture or
translation, like that of Enoch or Elijah, is implied, for these people are in
heaven, and have received their places and rewards; but it is not intimated that
any of them had ever died. Seiss.
[12] Dwight Pentecost, Things
to Come, p.257, Larkin, The Book of Revelation, p. 38; Thomas, Robert; Revelation 1-7, p.347 “Yet the fact
remains that in the context it is nowhere hinted that the elders are symbols of
a larger group. There is no
compulsion that they stand for something else. See also Walvoord, The millennial
kingdom. (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Publishing c1959) p.281 as holy angels.
[13] [kai;
ei\pen moi: ou|toi eijsin oiJ ejrcovmenoi ejk th`" qlivyew" th`" megavlh"
[and he said
these are ones who come away from the great tribulation]kai;
e[plunan ta;" stola;" aujtw`n kai; ejleuvkanan aujta;" ejn tw`/ ai{mati tou`
ajrnivou.[and
they have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the
lamb]
[14] Vine, W. E., Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1981
[15] Moffat, James; The
Expositors Greek NT, p.399 notes the similarity of ek in these two
passages.
[16] John 17:15. In order to determine the most probable meaning of threvw ejk in Revelation 3:10, its usage in John 17:15 must be considered. This is the only other occurrence of threvw with ejk in either biblical or classical Greek. It is significant that both verses are Johannine and in both cases Jesus speaks the words. Hence much can be learned from John 17:15 about the meaning of threvw ejk in Revelation 3:10.John 17:15 begins with a negative petition using ai[rw and ejk. Jesus uses these words to express His prayer that the disciples not be physically removed from the earth. Removal would be one way of preserving them spiritually in His absence, but it would violate their commission as witnesses (cf. John 15:27). It is significant that in the case of ai[rw with ejk the idea of motion in the verb naturally lends itself to the idea of taking ejk in the sense of motion out from within (cf. oiJ ejrcovmenoi ejk, Rev 7:14). This points up the necessity of considering the verb and the preposition together and not simply isolating the components of the expression. The context is also an important determining factor in deciding the exact force of the phrase. The disciples were in the world (17:11 ), so ejk must mean “out from within” in John 17:15a. Jeffery Townsend, BSac—V137 #547—Jul 80—258
[17] Pentecost, Things to Come,
p.184 “yet nowhere in the scriptures is this period divided into two unrelated
parts” though he identifies the later half as the great
tribulation.
[18]The New International
Version, 1984.
[19]The New American Standard
Bible, 1995 Update, 1996.
[20]The New King James
Version, 1998, c1982.
[21]Aune, David E., Word
Biblical Commentary, Volume 52b: Revelation 6-16, 1998. Also see his explanation in the
commentary
[22]And I saw no temple in it,
for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple The New American
Standard Bible, 1977.
[23] “The answer to the first question given only in Luke 21:20–24 referred to the destruction of Jerusalem occurring in A.D. 70.” Walvoord, BSac—V128 #511—Jul 71—208.
[24] Everything predicted from verse six to verse 22 was fulfilled to the letter in connection with the Fall of Jerusalem within a generation. Morgan Campbell, Gospel of Matthew, p.286.
[25] Luke 17:24 For just like the lightning, when it
flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will
the Son of Man be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be
rejected by this generation. 26 And just
as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of
Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were
being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood
came and destroyed them all. 28 It
was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were
drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were
building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. NASB
[26] Walvoord references Noah in
the context of 2 Pet 2:6-9, and relates this to Rom 5:9 and Rev 3:10, but would
not make the application to Lk 17.
The Rapture Question p.67,190
[27] paralambavnw (to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self, an associate, a companion) is used here and Matt 24 of those taken, and almost always has a good meaning in the rest of the NT (the taking of Christ being excepted). Compare this with the verb ai[rw in Matt 24:39, and John 15:2.
[28] Mal Couch in An intro into Classic Evangelical Hermeneutics, p.241 states “Since the first answer relates to the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70, it will not be dealt with here. Matthew and Mark (Matt. 24:4-14; Mk 13:5-13) only deal with the answer to the second question.” Walvoord, The Rapture Question. P.185. Alfred Edersheim also espouses this view. Mark 13:5 reads “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” The plural “these things” may refer to the Matthew questions, but the readers of Mark would have to find a copy of Matthew to know this. Or is it really not all that complicated? Toussaint states “Why would Matthew include the first question of the disciples and then leave the answer unrecorded?’ p.268 Behold the King. Also Clarence Larkin gives a diagram of the three questions being answered on p.62-3, and stops short of mentioning Matt 24.31 as a rapture passage in Rev chapter 7. Larkin, Clarence. The Book of Revelation
[29] As its etymology indicates,
the word means to be near or alongside, from parav and eijmiv. It involves all that the
English word presence connotes. It is found frequently in classic Greek
writings, but not at all in the LXX, according to Thayer. Robertson, citing
Deissmann, states, “The word parousia was the technical word ‘for
the arrival or visit of the king or emperor’ and can be traced from the
Ptolemaic period into the second century A.D. (Deissmann, Light from the
Ancient East, p. 368).” Walvoord. Eschatological Problems IV: New
Testament Words for the Lord’s Coming-BSac-V101 #403-Jul
44-285
[30] Since Semitic forms of speech
are more concrete, there are no words for “presence” and “coming” in Heb. For
the verbs “to be present” and “to come,” however, there are several other terms
in addition to ht;a; and a/B Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids,
MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 2000, c1964.
[31]Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids,
MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 2000, c1964. See footnote 42 about Joel 2.1 as
well.
[32]Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
c1964.
[33]Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
c1964.
[34]Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids,
MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 2000, c1964.
[35]Septuaginta, (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
Stuttgart) 1979.
[36] Daniel 7:13, the verb pareimi
is used from which the noun Parousia is derived. NASB, 1995 Update, (La
Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1996.
[37] Walvoord. “Eschatological
Problems IV: New Testament Words for the Lord’s Coming”-BSac-V101
#403-Jul 44-288
[38] In reference to the Day of
the Lord in 3:10, the whole of His appearing + 7years + 1000
years.
[39]Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich,
Gerhard, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids,
MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 2000, c1964.
[40]Vine, W. E., Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Fleming H. Revell) 1981.
[41]Bauer, Walter, Gingrich, F.
Wilbur, and Danker, Frederick W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press) 1979.
[42]The New American Standard
Bible, 1995 Update, Numbers 10:4
[43] It should be noted that Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned here, but are in the millennial kingdom in Ezekiel’s Temple Ez 48:1-7, and the twelve tribes are mentioned, though not by name, in the eternal state in Rev. The reason maybe that in Deut 29:18-21 anyone who introduces idolatry shall have their names blotted out, and these are the two locations of the high places introduced by Jeroboam. Yet they are not cut of forever, they suffer loss in the tribulation even as church age saints who are not ready will suffer loss.
[44] Then the Lord will be seen over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, And go with whirlwinds from the south NASB Zech 9:14
[45] Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound
an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the Lord is
coming;
(pavreimi,
from the Hebrew
awBo in the LXX)
Surely it is near, Joel 2:1
[46] Isa 27:13
“It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown,
and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in
the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at
Jerusalem.” If Luke 17 refers to
the Judgment of Israel and some being taken to death, Isa 27:13 would not be prophetic for here a
blessing is implied for Israel.
[47] Zeph 1:15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and battle cry,… On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
[48] in the time of Claudius
(Acts 11:28, in his reign there were frequent famines, one of which in 45 AD
severely affected Palestine; Josephus, Ant, XX, v); Christ predicted “famines
.... in divers places” as characterizing the end of the age (Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8;
Lk 21:11); in the siege of Jerusalem by Titus a terrible famine raged, the
consequences of which to the people have never been surpassed. I
SBE
[49] 6. at Christ’s death (Matthew 27:51-54);7. at Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 28:2);8. at Philippi when Paul and Silas were freed from prison (Acts 16:26).Most of these shocks seem to have been slight and caused little loss of life. Josephus mentions one in the reign of Herod, “such as had not happened at any other time, which was very destructive to men and cattle” (Ant., XV, v, 2). Professor G. A. Smith in his recent work on Jerusalem is of the opinion that earthquakes were sufficiently frequent and strong to account for the appearance and disappearance of Nehemiah’s Fountain (Jerus, I, 74). The Hebrew ra`ash is commonly used to mean a great noise. Large earthquakes are sometimes accompanied by a rumbling noise, but as a rule they come silently and without warning ISBE
[50] “Paul suggest that the great
departure will become fully ripe probably sometime just before the rapture of
the Church ( 2 Thess. 2:2, 7-9; 2 Tim. 3:1). Paul also wrote that a form of this
apostasy in some way was already evident in his generation.” Mal Couch, “The
Coming Apostasy of the Church”, The Fundamentals for the 21st
Century.
[51] The Jewish women longed for the Messiah,
and that the would give birth to Him. The antichrist does not care for God or
His Son. Walvoord, Daniel p.274.
This would then make much sense of what John talks about in 1 John 2:22
"Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the
antichrist.”
[52] “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. “NASB 95
[53]an order, command, spec. a
stimulating cry, either that by which animals are roused and urged on by man, as
horses by charioteers, hounds by hunters, etc., or that by which a signal is
given to men, e.g. to rowers by the master of a ship, to soldiers by a commander
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
1995.
[54] In the NT the term is found
only at 1 Th. 4:16, where it denotes a shout of command: ejn … Though it is easy to fix
the meaning of the term, it is not so easy to gain a clear picture of the course
of events at the parousia. Various questions arise.
First, the ejn does not seem to be temporal
or instrumental, as though the kevleusma marked the decisive point
for the katabaivnein (as a signal). It seems
rather to express the accompanying circumstances of the katabaivnein (with a word of command).
Who gives the order? God? Christ? Or the archangel? The last possibility is
linked with the further question whether the three things introduced by
ejn are three different events
or whether the fwnh;
ajrcaggevlou and
savlpigx
qeou` are more
concrete indications of the kevleusma, so that in effect we have
only two events, i.e., kevleusma by means of the voice of the
archangel and then by means of the trumpet of God (but who blows this?). This is
suggested by the lack of a gen. in the case of kevleusma and by the kaiv between the second and third
members. But no certain answer can be given to these questions Kittel, Gerhard; Friedrich, Gerhard,
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.
B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 2000, c1964.
[55]a[kron,
ou n: the tip or top of a pointed
object - ‘tip, top.’ prosekuvnhsen
ejpi; to; a[kron th`" rJavbdou aujtou` ‘he bowed in worship on the
top of his walking stick’ Louw,
Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988,
1989.
[56] “.. when at last the day of
grace is ended the day of the Lord will succeed it... The day of the Lord
follows [the rapture]. It will be
the time when the judgments of God are poured out upon the earth. It includes
the descent of the Lord with all His saints to execute judgment on His foes and
to take possession of the kingdom ... and to reign in righteousness for a
thousand glorious years.” Harry Ironside, James and Peter, p.98-99. “ .. the Day of the Lord is that
extended period of time beginning with God’s dealing with Israel after the
rapture at the beginning of the tribulation period and extending through the
second advent and the millennial age unto the creation of the new heavens and
the new earth” Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, p.230-31. Arnold Fructenbaum holds to the seven
years, Premillennial Theology, p.88
[57] Isa 2:19 The New American
Standard Bible, 1995 Update, 1996.
[58] George Peters views the same passages as I do except the first part of the advent of His coming is not visible, the sign of His coming will be explained away( II:327) in his view. “.. the second advent when it is represented to us under two aspects, viz., one, a coming when men are at peace, buying, selling, marrying, etc., and anticipating no evil, but only " peace and safety," all things apparently prornising continued prosperity and happiness (so e.g. Luke l7 :26-30; Matt. 24:36-39;1Thess. 5 :3, etc.) ; the other, a coming in a time of war, of great distress and suffering (as e.g. Zech. 14, Rev. 19, Joel 3, Luke 21:27, etc.); the one, a coming in a concealed, thief-like manner, i.e. unobserved, unnoticed, unheralded (1 Thess. 5:2; Matt. 24: 43, 44 ; Luke 12:37-40 ; Rev. 3:3, etc.); the other·, a coming so open, conspicuous, that all shall witness it (as e.g. Matt. 24:30; Rev. 19 ; Matt. 25 : 31, etc.).” Peters, Theocratic Kingdom, II:318.
[59] Rom 11:26
[60]
Rev 11:15 Then the
seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the
world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will
reign forever and ever.”
[61] Jeremiah 25:12 The New
American Standard Bible, 1995 Update,
1996.
[62] The Covenant with the many is that described in Rev 13?
[63] Daniel 9:26 The New
American Standard Bible, 1995 Update,
1996.
[64] Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
[65] Walvoord states that no
posttrib person has ever explained the absence of a resurrection or a
translation. First the reference is
to the disciples who are living so a resurrection is not indicated, lest they
should die first and disrupt imminency.
Secondly, a translation is implied since the gathering will be in heaven,
oujranov".
No pretrib,
which is my position, states why there is no mention of land, Earth or city to
indicate that the rapture is not being referenced.
[66] Mal Couch. An intro to
Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics, p.251, also states this
point.
[67] Matt 24:8, Mk 13:8, 1Thess
5:3. Matt 24:4-14 “are general signs leading up to the second coming of
Christ-signs that can be observed throughout the entire age.” Walvoord, The Rapture Question,
p.186
[68]The New American Standard
Bible, (La
Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
[69]The New American Standard
Bible, (La
Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
[70] “Your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away Deut 28.26
[71] Although he states that the
rapture or “first advent” is secret he states that Matt 24:30 “is a sign” that
will be scientifically explained away, but will be in the clouds and at night.
Peters, Theocratic Kingdom, II:327. Ó1884
[72] Vide quotations from Chrysostom, Origen, Jerome, Augustine, Hilary, Luther (as e.g. " as the eagles are gathered where the carcass is, so shall Christs people be gathered where He is"), in Proph. Timas, vol. 9, p. 106 and 107, and references to others who teach the same, as Ambrose, Theophylace, Euthemius, Calvin, Brentius, Bullinger, Bucer, Ganlter, Beza, Pellican, Flecius, Musouhls, Pardaeus, Piscator, Cocceius, Jansenius, Quesnel, Du Veil, Calovius, Suicer, Raranell, Poole, Trapp, Cartwright, Pearce, Leigh, Andrews, Wordsworth. This list could readily be swelled to a vast extent, and we only refer to a few writers who have specially treated of it, as Seiss, neineke, Bell, Chester, Brookes, Barter, Boss, Purdon, Birbs, Hunter, Phillips, Kelly, and others.
[73] Pentecost, Things to Come, p.282. “In the parable of the ten Virgins the Lord is indicating that, following the regathering of Israel (Matt. 24:31), the next event will be the judging of living Israel on the earth to determine who will go into the kingdom.”
[74] certain class of
persons (called the wise Virgins in contradistinction to another class
pronounced the Foolish), living at the time of the Sec. Advent, shall be so
fortunate, owing to preparedness, as to be received by Jesus Christ at
His Coming, while others shall be left.
The adverb of time, " then, " binds this parable to the
preceding context, and forces us to interpret it as a representation of the
condition of the Church at some distinctive point of the Sec. Advent. Without insisting upon the
explanation given by Olshausen, Alford, Stier, Seiss, etc., that the
foolish Virgins are even persons of some piety, who, neglecting to look for the
Bridegroom, are left to endure the Incoming tribnliltion, it is amply
sufficient to say that the persons left are, at least ,professing
believers of the Church and that, as the announcement of the marriage
(Rev. 19) precedes the overthrow of the Antichristian powers, those left behind
must necessarily endure the trials incident to the arrogance, etc, of those
powers. Those going in to the
marriage--living saints taken away; translated for this
purpose—preceed the time of sore tribulation. Peters, Theocratic
Kingdom, II:323, also III:299-302 (Peters has a very strange view of Christ’s
coming, and breaks it up in to several stages, to the point that when Christ
comes he sets up a kingdom on Mt. Sinai and then enters Jerusalem via the Mt of
Olives. Interesting reading and
more scriptural references than one might think.) In regards to those who suffer
loss see 2 Thess 2:10-12, these are people who have not lived for Christ prior
to the tribulation. Gromacki,
Robert Glenn. New Testament survey . (Grand Rapids :
Baker Book House, [1974]), 287.
[75] Dillow, Joseph. Reign of the Servant Kings, p.396. His view is very similar to the placement of this event at the end of the tribulation, and he identifies them as tribulation saints p.392. He does not specify the time of unrighteous servant in 24:45, since he would definitely break with the Pretrib thought of suffering loss in the tribulation: “weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
[76]The New American Standard
Bible, 1995 Update, Titus
2:12-14
[77]The New American Standard
Bible, 1995 Update, 2 Pet
3:10-11.
[78]The New American Standard
Bible,
1977. Heb 9:28
[79] Levitt, Zola. “In my
Father’s House;” The same flow as above but the 10 virgins are identified with
the stealing of the bride not the marriage supper.
[80] There is a disappointing
uncertainty as to the exact ceremonies or proceedings connected with marriage in
Bible times. We have to paint our picture from passing allusions or
descriptions, and from what we know of Jewish and Arabic customs. ..The first
ceremony, the wedding procession, apparently a relic of marriage by capture
(compare Jdg 5:30; Ps 45:15), was the first part of the proceedings. The
bridegroom’s “friends” (Jn 3:29) went, usually by night, to fetch the bride and
her attendants to the home of the groom (Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29). The joyousness of it
all is witnessed by the proverbial “voice of the bridegroom” and the cry,
“Behold the bridegroom cometh!” (Jer 7:34; Rev 18:23). The procession was
preferably by night…She is escorted by a company of attendants of her own sex
and by male relatives and friends conveying on mules or by porters articles of
furniture and decoration for the new home. As the marriage usually takes place
in the evening, the house is given up for the day to the women who are busy
robing the bride and making ready for the coming hospitality. The bridegroom is
absent at the house of a relative or friend, where men congregate in the evening
for the purpose of escorting him home. When he indicates that it is time to go,
all rise up, and candles and torches are supplied to those who are to form the
procession, and they move off...women take up the peculiar cry of wedding joy
that tells those farther along that the pageant has started. This cry is taken
up all along the route, and gives warning to those who are waiting with the
bride that it is time to arise and light up the approach, and welcome the
bridegroom with honor. As at the house where the bridegroom receives his friends
before starting some come late, and speeches of congratulation have to be made,
and poems have to be recited or sung in praise of the groom, and to the honor of
his family, it is often near midnight when the procession begins. Meanwhile, as
the night wears on, and the duties of robing the bride and adorning the house
are all done, a period of relaxing and drowsy waiting sets in, as when, in the
New Testament parable, both the wise and the foolish virgins were overcome with
sleep. In their case the distant cry on the street brought the warning to
prepare for the reception, and then came the discovery of the exhausted
oil. Of the bridegroom’s retinue
only a limited number would enter, their chief duty being that of escort. They
might call next day to offer congratulations. An Arabic wedding rhyme
says:“To
the bridegroom’s door went the torch-lit array, And then like goats they
scattered away.” With their dispersion,
according to custom, the doors would be closed, leaving within the relatives and
invited guests; and so, when the belated virgins of the parable hastened back,
they too found themselves inexorably shut out by the etiquette of the occasion.
The opportunity of service was past, and they were no longer needed. Orr James,
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, (Albany, OR: Ages Software,
Inc.) 1999.
[81] Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and fyour lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
[82]The New American Standard
Bible, (La
Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1977.
[83] Pentecost. Things to come, p.185
[84] Mk 13:14 is very difficult because it sounds like this describes the event mid week, the abomination of desolation, but if this be so how does John in 1 John speak of the antichrist coming, and that the readers would know? There is no other reference to the antichrist prior to Revelation.
[85] Then the woman fled into the
wilderness where she *had a place prepared by God, so that there she
would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The New
American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, (La Habra, California: The Lockman
Foundation) 1996.
[86] But the two wings of the
great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness
to her place, where she *was nourished for a time and times and half
a time, from the presence of the serpent. The New American Standard Bible,
1995 Update,
[87] Which the term great tribulation only occurs here and in Rev 7, the very passages that I find so related, and to explain Rev 7, the book becomes non-sequential by typical explanation.
[88] Luke 21:28The King James
Version, 1769.
[89]
For the
coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 “For as in those
days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and
they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall
the coming of the Son of Man be.
[90] Luke 21:36 The New
American Standard Bible, 1995 Update,
1996.
[91] Pentecost, Things to Come, p.281 quoting Scofield “Still others hold that the word generation is to be taken in its basic usage of ‘race, kindred, family, stock breed,’ so that the Lord is here promising that the nation Israel shall be preserved until the consummation of her program”
[92] geneaŒ. This means a. “birth,”
“descent,” b. “progeny,” c. “race,” and d. “generation.‘’ In the NT it is common
in the Synoptics, rare in Paul, and absent from John. It mostly means
“generation” and is often qualified: “adulterous” (Mk. 8:38), “evil” (Mt.
12:45), “unbelieving and corrupt” (Mt. 17:17); the formula “this generation” is
very common (Mk. 8:12 etc.). “Crooked generation” in Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:15 is
based on Dt. 32:5 (cf. Mt. 17:17 and Dt. 32:20). The use of “generation” by
Jesus expresses his comprehensive purpose: he aims at the whole people and is
conscious of their solidarity in sin. geneaŒ has the sense of “age” in
Mt. 1:17; Acts 13:36; Eph. 3:5; Col. 1:26, and of “manner” in Lk. 16:8. In Acts
8:33 there is an allusion to Is. 53:8 in a literal rendering of the obscure
original.
genealogéŒa. “Genealogical tree.” The
only NT instances are in 1 Tim. 1:4 and Tit. 3:9. The meaning here is contested.
The texts link the term with (Jewish) myths and therefore with Jewish Gnostics
who claim to be teachers of the law (1 Tim. 1:7) but who do not truly keep the
law (1:8), teaching human commandments instead (Tit. 1:14). The genealogies,
then, are probably human ones taken from the OT and the reference in the phrase
“myths and genealogies” is to the biblical history enriched by interpretations
and additions. Kittel, Gerhard, and
Friedrich, Gerhard, Editors, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
Abridged in One Volume, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company) 1985.
[93] eujqevw", “immediately.” “But immediately after the tribulation of those days” Matt 24:29
[94] Isa 46:10
[95]The New American Standard
Bible, 1995 Update, (La Habra, California: The
Lockman Foundation) 1996. Amos 3: 7
[96] The witness, Elijah, must come before the great and terrible day of the Lord. Mal 4:5
a Notice that Luke is very specific, an associate of Paul, and the abomination of desolation is not mentioned in this discourse, and Jesus probably did not state it as this was another time and place than the Olivet discourse, and the question answered was when would the temple be destroyed?
[97]Multiple, Bibliotheca
Sacra, (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Theological Seminary (Electronic edition by
Galaxie Software)) 1999.
[98]Multiple, Bibliotheca
Sacra, (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Theological Seminary (Electronic edition by
Galaxie Software)) 1999.
61 61. J. Jeremias suggests that the phrase refers to an agraphon ( Unknown Sayings of Jesus [London: SPCK, 1957] 67); J. G. Davies suggests that Paul is using a saying of the exalted Jesus given to the church through one of its prophets (possibly including himself) (“The Genesis of Belief in an Imminent Parousia,” JTS 14 [1963] 106); Neil states that Paul is drawing from a Jewish or Christian apocalyptic writing ( Thessalonians , p. 98); Gunther Bornkamm says that the phrase means an apocryphal word of Jesus which came into existence only in the post-Easter church ( Paul trans. D. Stalker [New York: Harper & Row, 1971] 221).
[99]Grace Theological Journal. electronic edition. Garland, TX: Galaxie Software, 1998.