Hi Fat I feel a little bit better now. I was tired and dizzy since yesterday. Now my neck and head kind of hurt but not to bad over all.
Well if you are Pre trib rapture and you say Post trib is not a true teaching you say that because you hold to the one view point which you believe to be more true than the other view. Because you know you can not be both Pre trib and Post trib at the same time. So in order to prove one of them is right is also to prove the other one is not . .
So in knowing this I want to let you know I am ‘Not’ personally attacking you. . Rather I must try if I can to show why I believe Post Trib is more of a correct view point than Pre trib rapture. Yet I apologize Fat because in this kind of debate it is difficult not to offend others. But as much as we don’t like to oppose even our friends we as Paul still need to stand for what we believe is being taught in God’s words. . I will try my best to be sportsman ship debate on this topic. I debate Pre trib. . Not words personally against you. So let us continue in this debate Pre and Post trib and anyone Mid trib. . Preterism would have to be in another thread itself since it is a complete different Biblical view point.
I began to learn about God in 1997 when I first started getting more serious to reading the Bible. I began to watch TBN on TV. I got a few books one from John Haggee the coming of the Antichrist. One from Pat Robertson the World order. Bruce and Stan End time for dummies. This I used to follow the WPM with Ed Hindson and Tim La Hayes with Thomas Ice.
But I was a follower back then. I used to believe every Church program on TV. I did not know the difference between Christian and Catholic Churches. . I thought Baptist and Pentecostal were the same thing.
In saying this I became Pre trib Rapture because that is only what I knew and heard. . while I read books and new letters I did not that much look up scriptures. I just believed what I was told. . I guess it was a bad habit not to look this up. But since they printed it on the page why look up what they already put in their letters?
On a certain forum some had challenged my Pre trib rapture views. Yeah I told them Jesus will return before the trib . and then bring the Church back 7 years later. What is you proof they asked? This is where I got in trouble. I actually did not know how to teach pre trib. So I just went to Rev 3:10. I said you know because of Noah's flood we can't be here. I could not protect myself. So I wrote to WPM where Tim La hayes was located. I told them look I am stuck on this posting forum . I am trying to defend pre trib rapture. Can you help me? They wrote me back and said they can't do that. They are not going to get involved on a minor posting board disagreement. To think I was going to get help from Tim La Hayes or Ed Hindson they had backed out. . So I was on my own. .
Then Bill said something did you know that Pre trib did not exist for centuries? I said what are you talking about? He said let me share with you some links. I just ended up deleting them. Come on you can’t prove Hal Lindsay Greg Laurie that they are wrong. So I kept defending pre trib even not being that well in the Bible at that time. .
Some time had passed and I was on another forum with all Pre ttrib believers. . they kept saying Jesus is going to be back soon. No matter a quake a war story they did not seem to care much except being Rapture. This is what got me to start reading in a new method. . I can’t just open the pages and scripture to believe them just because they told me. I must believe God first. So I must read every verse to take notice where God stands on these things. . after some study I then concluded I am now Post Trib Rapture. With the books I have read in the Bible I am not convinced of a seven year Early Rapture. .
Where does Jesus or Paul actually say and the Lord said seven years before the end will come the rapture? I began to use Matt 24 as an accurate testimony how these things should happen Dispensational understanding of God’s word. . That all other scriptures had to agree with the Olivet Discourse. Because you will notice Matt 24 is accurate and plain in language. I read all the way to verse fifteen. There is the abomination. Now where is the mention of this Pre trib Rapture? If it is not here in this testimony then there is already a great problem why Jesus would not mentioned it here..
So I read on to 1 and 2Thess. Please notice that 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians are 2 letters. It is a 2 part letter. . therefore to understand letter 1 I also read letter 2 for more explanation. . Because 1Thess 4:16-17 to be caught up with Jesus. . Notice this happens on the “Last Trumpet’. What is the last Trumpet in Revelation? That is the Seventh Trumpet. So if this is the last trumpet that means it happens at the End of the age. . the End of age happens at the End of the 3 and a half great trib period.
The first 3 and a half were fulfilled when Jesus was here for 33 and a half years to understand Daniel 9 for this will be cut off but not for himself only. And the end shall come as a Flood and of desolation. So the last 3 and half year the Great trib happens as Noahs flood which is the Son of man coming in the clouds in his glory. So it is only the last 3 and half year that will fulfill this prophecy of Daniels 70 weeks..
Yet there will be a 42 months that proceeds before the great tribulation. This first 42 months brings forth the first Beast in Revelation. He is of world Nations represented by ten Rulers. These 10 will be the most powerful among the first Beast world unity. Then from ten shall come 2 horns He is the second Beast that will take over the first Beast. He will rule over all nations for 3 and a half years. . Rev 13. He will cause all small great free and slave to have a mark place on their right hand or forehead the number to this wisdom. .
Christians will be here during this time. And why is that? Because in 1Thess 1:4 they are gathered with Jesus. But this verse does not say they went up to the Third Heaven. Neither did it say they went down either. It only says they gathered with him and shall ever be with him. . It take 2Thess 2 to answer what took place in chapter 1 or letter 1. The Thess. church was trouble when the gathering to occur? First they were told those who died are a sleep and will be raised on the last day. . Now in chapter 2 Paul gets more specific in verses 1 2 and 3 saying.
Brethren do not be shaken or trouble in your mind. For the day of the Lord and the gathering to be with him shall be no means happen not even by any letter written by anyone. And neither by any spirit or angel. Do not let any man deceive you. For this can not happen until the apostacy happens first and then shall the man of perdition be revealed..
There we got. That is the answer. This is not a parable. This is not symbolic, metaphoric or allegory. This is plain words in simple language. Notice Paul says both the gathering and the day of the Lord can not happen till these 2 happen first. If it also says gathering along with the day of the Lord side by side how can we question this or change the order of this?. We were told not even to let any man deceive us telling us these events would be in another order. Notice also Paul doesn't say and first there shall be a rapture then apostasy and the man of perdtion?
But 2Thess 1-3 answers 1Thess 4:16-17 the very question they wanted to know when they day would occur. Therefore now see Daniel 9, Daniel 12, Mat 24, 1Thess and 2Thess all agree in the same time line. For even Daniel was asked when shall be the end of these things? So he is told of the abomination count 1335 days.
Now we are told this in Matthew. Matthew is New Testament books for all believers. Those who believe in Judaism does not read Matthew. . so neither do they read Revelation. Only Messianic Jews and Christians read the New Testament. The message of Mathew 24 is for both Messianic Jews and Christians alike. For the Bible says there is no difference of Jew and Gentile.
Romans 10:12
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
So if there is no longer any difference Jesus has shown us believers what is to happen. The only way to be out of here is to exclude part of Matthew 24, part of 2Thess and most of Revelation. . that would be partial teaching. But as believers we need to believe God wrote these instructions for all of us. If you believe these New Testament books only apply to Jews and not to Christians or only to Christians and not to Messianic Jews then you have divided these groups. .
We will see both the Jews and Gentiles go into the seven year trib. Because the last trumpet is also the 7th. The seventh is the day Jesus returns. The wrath of God and the resurrection will occur on the same day. The Day of the Lord. Day is singular. Not multi returns. There can not be 2 seven trumpets and 2 last days. There is only one seven and 1 last day at the end of the trib to end of this age. So if Matthew 24 and 1Thess are 2 different trumpets then one needs to create a whole new trumpet not found in Revelation. Because we know Jesus appears in the clouds only on the last trumpet number seven.