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Welcome to
the May, 2007, edition of Strong Tower Publishing's
e-newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE:
* “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church” Back in Print
* The Arrogance of Prophecy
* Responses to Reader Questions
'PRE-WRATH RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH' BACK IN PRINT
One of the great losses to the prewrath rapture community was
when Marvin Rosenthal's “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church”
was taken out of print. Now it's back - most likely thanks to
today's print-on-demand technology, which allows publishers to
print books on demand, even if it's one at a time. We suspect
that Amazon.com itself is printing these books (yes, Amazon.com
now seems to have become a printer, as well as a retailer) on a
one-off basis, as they are ordered. This is a fabulous model for
keeping niche titles in print. Thanks to a Strong Tower
Publishing reader who alerted us to this terrific news!
ARE YOU AN ARROGANT PROPHECY HOUND?
We were blessed recently when we decided to check out the
reviews of books by Strong Tower Publishing's authors on
Amazon.com. The one thing that struck us about the reviews of H.
L. Nigro's book, “Before God's Wrath,” was the emphasis in the
reviews on Nigro's gentle treatment of other rapture views.
Readers appreciated that, while addressing the claims of other
rapture views head on, Nigro dealt with these positions and the
authors she cited, with graciously, without the emotionalism
that often attends prophecy discussions. We were abundantly
blessed by words like “fair” and “charitable.”
It's true that, in the realm of prophecy, words can often be
harsh and writers arrogant. We can stand on what we believe to
be the truths of scripture, and citing Jesus' treatment of the
money changers in the temple, claim to be “loving” our brethren
while lashing them with verbal whips. It's a real problem in the
world of prophecy, whether in books or online, and it reflects
poorly on the Body of Christ.
When we are writing on the topic of prophecy, we should strive
to stand on what we believe to be the truth of scripture, while
also loving our brethren, considering others better than
ourselves, and being without offense. Strong Tower Publishing
strives to maintain this standard, both in its own work and in
the tone it brings to the manuscripts that it edits. We are
deeply grateful that these values shine through the pages of the
books that come through our hands.
For more discussion of this topic, see our online column, “The
Arrogance of Prophecy”:
http://www.strongtowerpublishing.com/arrogance.htm
RESPONSES TO READER QUESTIONS
Q: I have a question about the resurrection. If both pre-trib
and pre-wrath believe in a rapture that occurs prior to the Lord
coming back to establish His throne, how do you account for Rev.
20:4-6 where the "first" resurrection is mentioned.
If there is a resurrection of the dead, that precedes the living
at the rapture, and then there is a resurrection of all those
that died during the great tribulation (or after the rapture)
that would be a double resurrection. And the Rev. 20 4-6 clearly
says that those who come through the great tribulation were part
of the "first" resurrection.
The Bible clearly does not teach a two-part resurrection. Can
you help with this?
A: This is a problematic verse for prewrath, there is no doubt
about it. Some believe that the first resurrection occurs in
stages - with Jesus being the first, then those who were
resurrected immediately after His resurrection in the first
century, then those at the rapture, and then those after
Armageddon. Another possibility is that, since the Great
Tribulation is ended just before the rapture (Matt. 24:22, 29),
and God's wrath will not be poured out upon believers during the
Day of the Lord, there are no believers who will die during the
DOL. Thus, no further resurrection of the just is necessary.
Posttrib ties this up nicely, with a single resurrection after
the DOL. However, posttrib requires an overlap of the seals,
trumpets, and bowls, to make Rev. 6:12-13 occur at Armageddon,
and since there are so many textual indicators within Revelation
that seem to point strongly to the consecutive nature of these
events, I can't make the timing work out. There are those in the
posttrib camp who feel that they can do this based on
similarities between events. I see this as very subjective and
not strong enough evidence to override what I believe to be
incredibly strong internal textual evidence to their consecutive
nature.
Therefore, despite how neatly posttrib ties up the "first
resurrection," I can't justify abandoning a prewrath position
based on this verse. Whatever problems Rev. 20:4 may create, I
have adopted a position of grace and humility that perhaps I am
wrong, or perhaps posttrib is wrong, or perhaps we are all
wrong, and things will not work out exactly as we all, perhaps,
think they will.
Q: Could you take moment to define your timeline for the
rapture? I understand saying it would be after the sixth seal
and before God's wrath, but are talking 3.5 years plus
days...four years...five years? I know there is no way to nail
down a date and we are told that no man will know the day, but
He has surely given us the "signs of the season" and as well are
you articulate this, I assume you have thought the timeline
through.
And on that note, from reading nearly all of the articles on
your site, it is clear that you have given all of this
considerable thought. So, I wanted to run something past you.
This is nothing more than pure speculation on my part....but
have you ever thought that maybe America is the revived Roman
empire? All of our roots, as a people group come from Europe,
for the most part. We have become so much of what Rome was prior
to their demise it is frightening.
We have become a melting pot for all ethnic / political /
religious groups that we allow anything and everything. We have
all but lost our identity as a Christian nation. To the point
that our congress constantly evaluates new legislation that is
anti-Christian in language and intent. I could easily see a
leader from our country that would talk Israel in signing a
peace treaty with anyone. And considering how much it seems the
Muslim world wants to take Israel and us out, having someone
from our country trying to lead, even if by force, in what they
think is their land, would give them all the reason in the world
to attack.
I know the EU "seems" like the logical place, but I can't help
but to figure how America plays into this situation. If it is
not us, how far do we have to fall as a power and as a nation to
stand by and let Israel come under attack. How weak does our
military and our economy be to not defend them.
Anyway, just a thought.
A: If you are looking for detailed timelines, one place to start
is my book "Before God's Wrath," which has about 30+ charts in
it. It can sometimes be difficult to visualize the prewrath
timeline, just based on words, so I included lots of charts to
help people see it visually, as well.
In a nutshell, prewrath sees the following...
* Start of the 70th Week / start of the seals
* Rise of the Antichrist / seal one
* Beginning of sorrows / seals two, three, possibly four
* Antichrist commits abomination of desolation / midpoint of the
70th Week
* Great Tribulation / seal five
* Sign of sun, moon, and stars / sixth seal
* Second Coming / rapture
* Start of the Day of the Lord, including the trumpets and the
bowls
So the rapture occurs after the Great Tribulation, after the
midpoint of the 70th Week, but before the end of the week. How
long after the midpoint of the 70th Week it occurs, no one
knows. The only definite time indicator is that the fifth
trumpet lasts five months, so the trumpets, as a whole, have to
last at least that long. But that's as definite as we can make
it.
As for America being Babylon, yes, I've heard this, but I don't
think so. The seat of all prophecy is the Middle East and the
nations surrounding Jerusalem. I think to move it out of that
context to the U.S. is an artificial move. Sure, we have many
similarities to Babylon, but it's not an exact fit. And it
removes the symbolism that is so central to that prophecy.
Many have asked, "Where is America in prophecy?" There are lots
of reasons, potentially, that we aren't mentioned. Maybe we're
not a superpower anymore. Maybe we simply have a new political
wind that holds a policy of non-intervention. Maybe we're part
of the coalition of "other nations" that are mentioned. Maybe
many of the prophecies in Revelation have a local geographic
orientation, not a worldwide one. There are lots of options.
We'll have to wait and see.
If you want to discuss this further, I suggest that you join our
PrewrathOnly discussion board on Yahoo. There are plenty of
folks there who have a great interest in this subject and I'm
sure you could stir up a nice discussion.
URL is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prewrathonly/.
Q: How would you explain the scripture in Matthew 16:27-28
concerning Jesus' telling His disciples that some of them would
not see death before His return? The Preterists see this as
strong evidence in support of their views. What is the answer to
this argument? Or is there a good one at all?
A: There are two approaches, that I'm aware of. The first is the
standard response, which is that "some of you" refers to Peter,
James, and John, who saw a preview of Jesus' coming in glory
during the transfiguration. Personally, I do not find this to be
a very satisfying response, but it's the standard one you will
get from evangelicals.
The second approach is one I've only heard from Charles
Spurgeon, in a book I picked up at a restaurant a few years
back, but unfortunately, didn't purchase. His analysis was that
the word used there, "taste" is important and refers to an
experience that goes beyond merely seeing with one's eyes, but
requires a personal interaction with at a fundamental level. To
"taste" death, he suggested, is something that no Christian will
do, since our death is merely an instant transport to Jesus'
side. Those who truly "taste" death, who experience its
fullness, are those who die twice, the unsaved. Even though they
die once, they will not truly "taste" the fullness of death and
hell until after the Second Coming, when they are moved from the
temporary abode of hell to the eternal fire. It's an interesting
argument, and another approach, but I don't know that it's fully
satisfying either.
My ultimate answer is that, with major prophecies such as these,
as we know from the OT, they are fulfilled in a literal way that
all peoples and nations could see. They were visible to all as a
sign of God's power over creation and history. Since we know
that Jesus has not yet returned in His tangible power and glory,
it doesn't matter how unsatisfying the evangelical responses
are. He HASN'T returned that way yet. So preterism cannot
provide a solution any more than we can provide a fully
satisfactory resolution.
In all intellectual honesty, I believe that none of us can fully
resolve this mystery, and perhaps it's one of those mysteries we
will have to wait until after His coming in order to understand.
The more I study biblical prophecy, the more I realize how
important it is to have humility when approaching these
scriptures, and this is one area where a lot of humility is
required. But one thing we know... while our answers are not
FULLY satisfactory, preterism is even less so.
IMHO.
Q: Could you please briefly explain Matthew 25? What does the
oil and the lamp represent? Were those 5 that went out to buy
oil because they were not prepared, lost in hell?? Please
explain.
A: This is a parable, so not every detail is meant to be taken
literally or as a direct parallel. So we should be careful in
looking to analyze every detail, such as what the oil represents
or the lamps. Parables are intended only to make a general
point. Trying to look for direct parallels in every detail will
take you places that the writer never intended to go.
The standard prewrath answer to your question is that this
parable simply represents the readiness of believers for
Christ's return at the rapture, and those left behind must face
God's judgment during the Day of the Lord. So it's just about
readiness - and not to read anything more into it. Jesus does
say, however, that those left behind will be "wailing and
gnashing teeth," which is language used of hellfire.
There are several ways to look at this.
1. This is a general warning only - that those who are left
behind MAY face eternal judgment if they don't accept Christ.
2. There is telescoping here, such as prewrath holds is being
done in many of NT passages that seem to indicate the final
judgment at Christ's Second Coming - passages that were written
before the writing of Revelation, and therefore, the additional
information given to us by John interprets these passages and
tells us that there is actually a passage of time (telescoping)
here, even though the writer pens the words as if the events are
simultaneous.
3. Jesus really does mean that those not taken at the rapture
will face eternal judgment. This would only be consistent with a
posttribulation view, however, since it appears that there are
believers alive during the trumpets, if not the bowls.
I am sorry that I cannot give you a more satisfactory answer. In
prophecy, there are always going to be areas that are a little
gray or uncertain. We hold to the position that makes the most
consistent sense, but if we think that every detail is going to
be locked down, I think we are being intellectually dishonest.
There are many interpretations of this passage, and if someone
says they have the one and only interpretation, I think they may
be overstepping.
Q: Hi from Australia. I see the logic in most of what you have
put forward in your 70th Week argument. The part that catches my
attention is where you have used "we" in the context of the
millennium humanity.
My understanding is that the "Lord cometh with ten thousands of
his saints.....to rule and reign.” These then having
resurrection bodies are no longer subject to sin and temptation
or death. As in the parable of the talents, one was given
rulership over 10 cities and another over 5 cities. I see this
as the basis for saints reigning over the earth with
geographical areas according to their degree of faithfulness in
this life. This then makes them the responsible ruler for that
region, at whose bidding the local population would be required
to assemble annually at a certain place to be transported
supernaturally to Jerusalem with the ruling saint to worship
before the Messiah. Those who refuse to go, the Bible tells us,
receive no rain on their crops for the next 12 months as
punishment.
This then puts the saints in the resurrection body in a
different category than the general populace. We have been
proved but they have not and are still wearing their humanity.
(I do not say mortal, because no death is recorded in the
millennium). They have the same longevity as Adam obviously had
before the fall.
I see the time soon to come as very exciting for the children of
God. Ruling with Christ is not something I have heard expounded.
This is just something quickened to me as I meditate upon what I
have read in the Word.
Bless you all for your faithfulness in working to rightly divide
the Word of Truth.
A: I think the reason you don't see a lot written on the subject
of the saints reigning with Christ during the Millennium is that
there is so little information given to us in scripture about
it. It's enough to tantalize us, but not enough to allow us to
expound with any confidence. So it's really an exercise in
extrapolation, which we can't do with any real certainty. But it
sure is fun to think about, isn't it?
Q: Hello and thank you so much for such an informative web site.
I'm a Pre-Tribber currently being convinced of the Pre-Wrath
view. As an
associate pastor who had many questions in the back of my mind
about
Pre-trib interpretation, it's thrilling to have many of those
questions
answered with the Pre-wrath view.
I have read some books on the prewrath view but haven't gotten
to H. L.'s book or “The Sign” yet. But I was thinking about the
whole sign of the sun, moon, and stars involving Christ's second
coming. I remembered teaching my youth Sunday school class
around last Christmas on the Magi and while studying it hit me
right between the eyes when they said "We saw His star in the
East and have come to worship Him" (Matt. 2:2). Interesting that
this "star" quietly announced that this "King of the Jews" had
come! How did they know this? They obviously had the Scriptures
and studied them. I have only found one verse pointing to this
and that is in Numbers 24:17 "I see Him, but not now; I behold
Him but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob (Israel), And
batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult."
I found this incredibly interesting especially when I started to
study the
P/W view and the "sign" of His return. His first coming was
quiet, hushed, with only a few personally informed whether by
angel(s), dream, or even a star; yet most everyone missed it
though it was spelled out what to look for in the scriptures.
But with His return He will ascend with a shout, the voice of an
arch angel, and the trumpet of God; as well as the great cosmic
disturbances; again, just as it's recorded in the Bible.
Do you think there is any parallel here with the "star" of His
first coming
and the cosmic disturbances of His return?
Just curious!
A: The parallel here, I think, is that God frequently uses
natural metaphors and symbolism that human beings readily relate
to, and stars and lights in the sky naturally lend themselves as
symbols for God's guidance, direction, and manifestations. So,
yes, I think they are related, but my guess is indirectly, in
that God has used this common symbol as a sign readily
understandable to all.
If you'd like more input on this question, I encourage you to
check out the Prewrath Only discussion board on Yahoo!. It's a
board dedicated to the prewrath position, with a very dedicated
and knowledgeable membership, including a number of pastors.
It's a great place for fellowship, discussion, and debate on the
details of the prewrath position. So feel free to join and
pepper us with questions.
The URL is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prewrathonly/.
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