MHGinTN "The sermon known as the Pseudo-Ephrain, daterd to between 400 and 600 AD, speaks of the pre-tribulation departure of the Body of Christ."That's false --
Firstly, it’s called pseudo as we’re pretty sure it wasn’t written by Ephraim. The word “Pseudo” (Greek for false) is a prefix attached by scholars to the name of a famous historical person or book of the Bible when one writes using that name. Pseudo-Ephraem claims that his sermon was written by Ephraem of Nisibis (306-73), Rather it dates to the 8th century. However that is irrelevant to the point we are discussing.
Secondly, what does it say?
For all the saints and the elect of God are gathered and joined to the Lord before the tribulation that is to come, lest at any time they experience the confusion that will overwhelm the whole world because of our sins. It would be easy to read into these texts a pre-tribulation rapture, if that is what someone wants them to say. However, to do so is to succumb to confirmation bias (a term that is used for the inclination of people to favor data that meets their bias regardless whether it is even true). This is made apparent when the rest of the text is examined, which is usually ignored or neglected by most pre-tribulation rapture proponents. Because of this tendency toward confirmation bias, it is crucial to now clarify further what the passages do and do not say.
The most important thing to notice in these passages is that the focus of deliverance is not on the tribulation itself. Christians are instead being rescued from the “confusion” that comes with that tribulation. Also, though an additional aspect of these passages is that those delivered from that confusion are being gathered to the Lord in some sense, it does not say that this is a physical gathering that requires movement nor is that even implied. There is no mention of leaving anywhere or going to any specific place. It does not say we are being taken from the world or going to heaven. It simply emphasizes being gathered together to the Lord to be rescued from the confusion in a contrast to those who are being deceived and being gathered together to the Antichrist as explained below: Then that worthless and abominable dragon shall appear, he, whom Moses named in Deuteronomy, saying: Dan is a young lion, reclining and leaping from Basan. ... “Basan” certainly is interpreted “confusion.” He shall rise up from the confusion of his iniquity. The one who gathers together to himself a partridge the children of confusion, also shall call them, whom he has not brought forth, just as Jeremiah the prophet says. Also in the last day they shall relinquish him just as confused. (Section 5)
I would strongly urge you to read the whole of Pseudo ephraim that you tossed about.
The actual meaning of this passage is that the elect will not be deceived by the confusion and the great tribulation coming upon unbelievers.
You will, upon reading, notice it does not say anything about being raptured or going to heaven, and does not mention a physical place, but simply says “gathered together.” Also, notice that the word “confusion” is the main emphasis on what they are being rescued from
AND there is nothing in the original Greek that can be translated as “taken.”
When read in its context, the real teaching of this document is quite apparent. Even if we accept the translations of the Latin by Rhoades, there is no support for a pre-tribulation rapture without forcefully trying to stuff it into the text.
The writer of the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Ephraem is insisting that those who do not place their trust in Jesus Christ before the coming of the Antichrist will be deceived along with the rest of the world. The writer explains further, when he says: When therefore the end of the world comes ... neither is anyone able to be recovered in that time, who has not been made completely aware of the coming danger, but all people, who have been constricted by fear, are consumed because of the overhanging evils. (Section 3, Rhoades) The writer insists that all who have not been made completely aware of the coming danger will be lost forever with no possibility of coming to Christ. And if Christians will be gone, what does he mean by “who have not been made completely aware of the coming danger”? The implication is that those who have been made aware will escape it because of that awareness.
The teaching in this medieval document is that we need to be following Christ if we want to be delivered from the confusion and deception coming upon the world during the great tribulation.
It is almost amusing this obsessive behavior. See post $11 this thread.
What is lost on you as is lost on all other Catholics is that Ephraim knew the bible where you guys don't...The major point that your Catholic critics point out is that Ephraim reminds us and especially you that 'believers' will die during the Tribulation...So your Catholic critics take this to mean that Ephraim couldn't possibly be referring to a pre-Trib Rapture since the tribulation is in full swing when these 'believers' die...
What we know as Christians and bible believers is that Ephraim is exactly right...After the Rapture at some point will be the Tribulation...And after the Rapture and before the Tribulation many will be turning to God, after they realize the 'church' is gone...And after the Tribulation starts many more will be turning to God...
The fate of those believers will be to die...They will starve to the point of eating their kids...They will be dismembered...They will be beheaded...They will be run out of their homes and if their flight is in the winter, many will freeze to death for lack of shelter...Their friends and even relatives will turn them in to the Catholic, One World Church to face their fate...
We know that...Ephraim knew that...But after all these Centuries, you guys still don't know that...So yes, the Christians back in Ephraim's time knew of the pre-Trib rapture...
What's interesting is that the claim is Ephraim's original manuscripts don't exist...But his understanding of the Rapture was so important that there were copies made in different languages...And thus became widespread...So when your Church got the original they destroyed it like they did to so many other Christian documents back then but they didn't locate and destroy all of the translations of that document...
So yes, the early church, or parts of it knew of the pr-Trib Rapture...