Pre-Trib Rapture Arguments

Right now there is huge debate going on about whether the church will go through the tribulation. After studying some passages that seem to convincingly lean toward a pre-trib rapture. First of all, Jesus in Luke 17:26, states that "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man." We learn of two key individuals during that time Enoch and Noah. Enoch who some have seen as a type of the church is translated before the Flood while Noah is delivered through the world-wide judgment.

We also find in Luke 12:37-40 gives evidence it could happen at second or third watch like a thief and to be ready since the Son of man comes at an hour when you don't think He will come. Jesus further exhorts that servants may start treating fellow servants harshly and getting drunk. The lord will come in a day when he looks not for him and at an hour when he is not aware. This seems to suggest some semblance of peace since drunkeness occurs in this case with ease. In fact, the servant has said in his heart, "My lord delays in his coming"; These give the appearance of a lack of persecution going on world-wide since the servant is not watching. With persecution, there would be no time for drunkeness since people would be hiding for their lives.

In I Thess. 5:2, the Apostle Paul states that "the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." What does a professional thief do? He plunders the house without the occupants waking up until morning to find their valuables gone. Again there is calm while the robbery is taking place. Furthermore Paul states, they shall say Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as birth pains upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. This seems to indicate there is a them and us. Sudden destruction on them but you are not surprised. In vs. 9, 10 he states "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. The tribulation is the wrath of the Lamb so why would the Jesus put wrath of His spiritual body after His physical body experienced God's wrath.

Also, in II Thess. we find that the Holy Spirit with whom believers are sealed with is prevent the mystery of iniquity to work fully. The Holy Spirit must be taken out of the way before the wicked one "Anti-christ" is revealed. All mention of the churches goes silent after chapter 3 of Revelation while the man of peace (Anti-christ)on the white horse shows up in Rev. 6. The last church (Laodicean church) is not looking for the rapture. Also, Christ states to the church of Philadelphia that he will keep them from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Tribulation)

No, the truth is we must watch and be ready for Christ's imminent return. I believe the rapture will be a cataclysmic event that make the world beg for a ruler of peace to calm down the world. God likes to have major events to display His power so it would seem likely that the Tribulation will begin with the vanishing of Christ's spiritual body which states in Romans 11:25 requires the fulness of the Gentiles be come in before it happens which is when God will take away the blindness of Israel. Right now, when a google search is done, one can see many people turning to christ. The harvest rate is accelerating. Jesus at Rev. 22:20 says, "Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

I read the following this morning and it goes along with what we were discussing:

Nahum 1:2. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

7.The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.

The "Day of Trouble" is either the Lord's Day, the millennium and/or the day He returns, at the 7th trump. Either way the key words are that "He reserveth wrath for His enemies" and "He knoweth them that trust in Him".

I love knowing that........Ping

"...and He reserveth wrath for His enemies."

Puts a whole new light on the term, "You're either with us or your with our enemy", doesn't it?

Wiley

I’m disturbed that pretrib rapture promoters like to chop contexts in half. For example, they read pretrib into I Thess. 4:17 and ignore that it’s tied to the posttrib “destruction” of the wicked in I Thess. 5:3. And they read pretrib into I Cor. 15:52 and ignore that it’s tied to vs. 54 (a quote of Isa. 25:8 which all agree is Israel’s posttrib resurrection).
Lounor

I've stated before that I honestly don't know THE way the end is going to happen. I do know the outcome for me. The problem is when you make a statement as you did, it sounds to me that you think that it's your way or the highway. Is that inference correct? Do you KNOW how the end is going to be? Or are you like the rest of us who do the best we can and read the Scriptures the way they are written and not put into them things that aren't really there?

How do you tie in post tribulation destruction into, 1Thessolonians 5:3; "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."?

I just don't see how you get that from that verse. I'm not saying that it doesn't I just don't see it. Please explain.

Wiley

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