It's been several weeks since I put up reader questions on this website, so here goes... One comment that I would like to make before doing so, however. There are many believers who are obviously passionate about their beliefs, and this is an admirable passion; however, I find that these same believers sometimes tend to express their passions in unkind ways. For example, in this batch is a question from one reader who expressed these passions with intense sarcasm. I do not believe this is the spirit in which Jesus would have us discuss the His holy word.

I would like to encourage all believers who participate in the debate about the rapture, or any other subject matter, to do so in the spirit of James 3:13: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” Meekness of wisdom. And Paul said that we should always conduct ourselves in humility, “esteeming others above ourselves.” Please remember that we are all believers here, and that harsh and condemning words are not befitting the character of Christ to which we aspire.

Our discussions should always be conducted with respect, and the power of our arguments should come from scripture. If our arguments are correct, the Holy Spirit is the One who will convict the prepared and ready heart. Strong or condescending language does not bring glory to our Lord and only serves to detract from our purpose.

Q: I believe in the prewrath rapture, but I have a question concerning Rev. 7:13-15. "Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, `Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?' And I said to him, `Sir, you know.' So he said to me, `These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' If we believe this is the Rapture of the Church, where are the others? Why do we see only those who came out of the Great Tribulation? Where are the saints who have died since Acts 2?

A: As far as I can tell, the other saints who have gone to be with the Lord are not mentioned in Revelation, most likely because this is not the purpose of the book. Revelation was written, in part, as a consolation to believers who would be undergoing the terrible persecution of the 70th Week, and the vision of "those who come out of the great tribulation" has a specific purpose — to encourage, strengthen, and give hope to those who are alive during this time.

Revelation is also a recounting of the events of the end times. All of the events described in its pages directly relate in some way to the 70th Week. Those who have died in Christ prior to the 70th Week are not part of this particular story, so to speak, and so have not been included. But it doesn't mean that they aren't there. Keep in mind, too, that those who were believers prior to the advent of Christ, who died under the Old Covenant, are not mentioned either, but we know that we will all be in heaven together.

The focus of Revelation is very narrow — the events of the 70th Week, and only those events, so the fact that we only see the raptured Church, and the martyrs of the 70th Week that follow the rapture (in Chapter 15), is what we might expect.

Q: Have you ever noticed that in the book of Daniel an angel speaks to Daniel and says this is what will happen to THY PEOPLE? Daniel 10:14: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall THY PEOPLE in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” And again in Daniel 12:1: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of THY PEOPLE: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time THY PEOPLE shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

Who are these people that are of the people of Daniel??? Could they be the seed of Abraham living in Israel? This seven-year period is known as the Birthpangs of Messiah (Chevlai shel Machiach) or the time of Jacob's Trouble (Jacob's name was changed to Israel). The prophecies in the book of Daniel are about his people, the Jews in the last days. Look at Revelation 15:3: “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” Who is it that can sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb? The Jewish saints during the time of Jacobs (Israel's) trouble. Who are the 144,000 witnesses sealed during this time? Are they not Jews from the 12 tribes (excluding the tribe of Dan)? These are the saints that are persecuted. This is the remnant and whoever is converted because of them during this time.

If the rapture occurs after the seven years, how is it that the armies in heaven return with Christ at the end of the seven years to fight for Jerusalem? Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Who is this army and when did this army get to heaven? I thought we were to be in that army???

A: You say, "If the rapture occurs after the seven years how is it that the armies in heaven return with Christ at the end of the seven years to fight for Jerusalem?" I do not believe that the rapture occurs after the seven-year period that comprises the 70th Week, so you must have me confused with someone else. I teach a prewrath position, which is that the Church will be raptured prior to God's wrath, which scripture teaches clearly and repeatedly teaches will occur during the Day of the Lord, which begins after the sixth seal.

I respect your attempt to prove the relevance of the 70th Week only to Israel. Certainly, this is a position that many scholars have taken. However, the argument as you present it is called "arguing from absence" and is a fundamental mistake that many people make, whether discussing the rapture or anything else. Unless the scripture says "this will only happen to thy people" — which it does not — these scriptures cannot be used the way you describe. If the weatherman tells me that it will rain in my town tomorrow, this does not mean that it will not rain in the neighboring town unless he specifically says that the weather pattern will be restricted to my local area.

Arguing from absence is an error of logic that applies both to weather forecasts and to scripture. An "Israel-only" position also creates too many direct scriptural contradictions and other scriptural problems to be the correct reading [see Talkin' Rapture, “Was Matthew 24 Fulfilled?”].

I respect your obvious passion for this subject and your desire to see the truth revealed. I humbly suggest, however, that you are considering only a sliver of scripture rather than the whole. I invite you to read my book, Before God's Wrath: the Bible's Answer to the Timing of the Rapture, which discusses the hundreds of scriptures, from the Old Testament to the New, that discuss the return of Christ and the timing of the rapture. When looked at as a whole, these hundreds of scriptures clearly, repeatedly, and consistently point to the same conclusion — and it cannot be pretribulational. I also discuss in-depth the pretrib position and the tremendous scriptural problems it creates. If, after reading it, you still feel that I am in error, I would love to hear back from you.

Q: I recently read the FAQ's on Jack Van Impe's website. They mentioned that the Day of the Lord begins one minute after the rapture. I know from Joel 2:31 that the sun will be darkened and the moon turned to blood before the Day of the Lord. It looks like this sun and moon sign happens in Rev. 6:12-13. I emailed them with this information and asked, “How can this be if we are raptured before the seals begin? Are the first five seals only a minute long? Please help me understand this.” This is the response I got: “Thank you for contacting us. We believe that the Bible teaches that the Day of the Lord begins immediately after the Rapture and lasts until the end of the Millennium. The Bible tells us that the renovation of the world by fire happens during the Day of the Lord which we know will not happen until after the Millennium.”

I don't know whether to laugh, cry or scream. It almost seems as if the question is ignored because it can't be answered. I have to wonder what some pre-tribbers are thinking about the pre-wrath theory?

A: Nice try! Basically, from what I recall from Van Impe's book Revelation Explained, he believes that the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls occur simultaneously. Thus, the entire chapter of Matthew 24 takes seven years; the seals, which are the same as Matthew 24, take seven years; the trumpets, which run concurrently with the seals, take seven years; and the bowls, which run concurrently with the seals and the trumpets, take seven years.

This removes many of the scriptural conflicts, including the one you mention about the Day of the Lord, inherent in the pretrib position because it allows the Day of the Lord to start after the sixth seal and also be at the end of the 70th week. Clever! Except that it creates far more scriptural contradictions and problems than it solves. It is truly amazing to what lengths people will go — even very godly, intelligent people — to avoid the obvious.

Q: With everything that is in happening in the Middle East, is this it? Are we on the cusp of seeing Jesus return today?

A: It is important that we not act rashly, but continue to plan for our futures. Although the prophecies have been laid that would allow Jesus to return in our lifetimes, this does not mean that He will. We must still be prudent, planning for our families, our retirements, and sending our children to college. Jesus said, “Occupy `til I come.”
 

Recommended reading on the rapture debate