“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Mathew 24:26
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13 Biblical Facts
Pre-tribulation Rapture is False The Counterfeit Rapture
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Scriptures:
"And now ye know what withholdeth, (that which is restraining him), that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity, (lawlessness), doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, (or only he who is now restraining the lawlessness one will continue to do so until he is gone). And then shall that Wicked, (lawless one), be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5 It is impossible to enter the Kingdom of God unless a person is born of the Spirit. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne." Rev. 1:4 "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." Rev. 2:1 "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Rev. 2:4 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Daniel 10:13 & 20-21 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:" Daniel 12:1 |
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TWELVE: REMOVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Many Pretribulationists believe that 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 refers to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit filled Church as holding back the lawless one, (the Antichrist), from taking power and that when the rapture occurs the Holy Spirit, the Church, will be removed from earth allowing the Antichrist to take possession of power over the kingdoms of earth, to be revealed. This assertion is contradicted by the fact that there will be millions of Holy Spirit filled Christians, the Church, living during the tribulation reign of the Antichrist as already acknowledged by the Pretribulationist's position. Some in the Pre-Trib position claim that the tribulation saints are different saints than the Church and have a different means to salvation. This is not true for the Word of God make no distinction between the Pre-Tribulation saints and the Tribulation saints. John 3:5 applies to the Tribulation saints. The tribulation saints overcome the beast with the blood of the Lamb, the blood of Jesus, and their testimony of the truth in Jesus. Rev. 12:11 The 144,000 Jewish witnesses are called "first fruits" of God. Additionally there will be the two witnesses of God, Rev. 11:3-12, witnessing to the world after the sixth trumpet was blown and during the second "woe" of God and just prior to the seventh angel blowing the final trumpet of God. Rev. 9:13 & 11:14-15. These two witnesses are called the "two olive trees" and the "two candlesticks" who stand before the God of the earth. There is a consensus among bible teachers that a candlestick is a reference to believers abiding in God and the light that shines from the candlestick is the Holy Spirit. The six branched and seven bowl candlestick, the Menorah is described in Exodus 25:31-37. The bowls of the candlestick are made into almonds and their buds and blossoms, fruit. Exodus 25:33. The oil for the candlestick is described in Exodus 27:20. Jesus said that he is the light of the world. John 8:12 & John 9:5 Jesus said that believers in him are the light of the world. Mathew 5:14-16 Jesus said that he is the vine and that believers are the branches. John 15:5 Jesus said that a branch that is not connected to the vine bears no fruit of the Spirit and can do nothing. John 15:5 Jesus is the shaft, the vine, of the candlestick, and believers are the branches of the candlestick. The branch connected to the shaft has the oil, the Holy Spirit, in order to reveal the light and truth of God and to bear the fruit of the Spirit, represented by the almond. If the Holy Spirit were not in the world during the tribulation then no one could be saved. If the Holy Spirit were not in the world then all tribulation saints, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses and the two witnesses could not overcome the Antichrist with the blood of Christ and could not witness to the truth and could not produce any fruit of the Spirit and could not perform the works for God for all are dependant upon the saints being filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Revelation 11:11-12 specifically reveals the, "spirit of life from God" entering the two witnesses raising them from the dead and rapturing them up to heaven. Only the Spirit of God can raise the dead and lift believers up to heaven. The identity of the being that is preventing the Antichrist from coming to power is not precisely given. It could very well be the Holy Spirit and even if it is the Holy Spirit the words, "taken out of the way" or "removed" or "he be gone" does not exclusively mean that the Holy Spirit is removed from the world in order to reveal the Antichrist. It could just be that the Holy Spirit is using His power preventing the Antichrist from coming to power until the appropriate time and when that time comes the Holy Spirit will cease using his power for that purpose enabling the Antichrist to come to power. In much the same way that four angels are currently bound at the great river Euphrates and are released at the sounding of the trumpet of God by the sixth angel from their bonds at the specific hour, day, month and year for which they were prepared for; and they were prepared to kill a third of mankind. Rev. 9:14-16. This would also point to the plausibility that the "he" in 2 thess. 2:7 is an angel, perhaps the archangel Michael since we know that angels are fighting against the spiritual rulers of this world. |
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Daniel chapter 9:
There are many disputes about Daniel chapter 9 and the prophecy therein concerning the 70 weeks, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to bring in everlasting righteousness, the anointing of the most Holy, the Messiah, or Anointed one, who is cut off, the prince who causes the sacrifices and offerings to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations shall make it desolate. Additionally there is great controversy regarding the dates surrounding the fulfillment of these prophecies.
With that said it is not necessary to address the legitimacy of one theory over that of another in order to prove that the Antichrist, the beast, and his image, the abomination that makes desolation will be physically revealed prior to the rapture at some future date. Jesus places the time of the abomination of desolation of Daniel at the time just before his arrival in Mathew 24. Unless the rapture occurred sometime over the last 1,900 the prophecies of Daniel have not been completed.
"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)." Mathew 24:15
There is no historical record among the Jews or Christians of an abomination of desolation standing in the holy place between 25 AD and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. Therefore this must be future.
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Mathew 24:21
The tribulation executed upon the Jews in 70 AD and thereafter up to 135 AD was substantial, yet it is clear that it paled in comparison to the two world wars and the Nazi genocide of the 1930s and 1940s and comes no where near a tribulation that must be shortened for if not all flesh would be destroyed:
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Mathew 24:22
This tribulation which is directly associated with the abomination of desolation of Daniel is yet to come.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,........And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.....And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Mathew 24:29-31
For those who have shown a historical record that correlates to the events in Daniel it is conceivable that God has revealed the future through some of the events of the past: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'" Isaiah 46:9-10
There is no definitive answer as to what the “abomination of desolation” is, however Revelation 13:14-15, 14:9 & 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20 and 20:4 all refer to an “image of the beast,” an image of the Antichrist that is worshiped like an idol. This image is made by the people of earth as if it is an inanimate object and then is given life from the second beast, the false prophet, which enables the image of the beast to both speak and kill anyone who will not worship the image of the first beast, Revelation 13:14-15
"Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen...And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)" Deuteronomy 27:15 & 17
"For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites...Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon." 1 Kings 11:5 &7
"And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile." 2 Kings 23:13
Interestingly in Daniel chapter 3, king Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue of gold 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide and forced all to worship the statue by royal decree. If anyone refused to worship the statue they were to be killed in a fiery furnace. Similarly the beast that causes all to receive a mark in order to buy or sell is a number of a man and that number is 666, Revelation 13:17-18. Nebuchadnezzar's statue and the mark of the beast contain three "sixes."
Daniel 9 Clarification:
"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not (for himself): and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." Daniel 9:26
(Note: “for himself” is not in the original Greek.)
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27
There are some believers who believe that Daniel 9:27 refers to the Antichrist making a covenant with Israel in the future which will complete the 70th week of Daniel.
There are other believers who believe that Daniel 9:27 refers to Jesus making a covenant with His disciples, with Christians, and therefore Daniel's prophecy has been completed.
These two contrasting views illustrate the magnitude in the two different interpretations and the breakdown of unity withing the body of Christ.
A few of things to think about:
First, the Pretribulationists believe that this covenant kicks off the tribulation period and that the rapture of the Church occurs shortly before to shortly after this event. Additionally Pretribulationists assume that in the middle of the week or sometime shortly after the middle of the week in conjunction with the cessation of the sacrificial system the abomination of desolation is set up. This is pointed out not to endorse the Pretribulationists concepts put forth here but rather to demonstrate that even if these two interpretations were true they would be contradicted by the fact that the rapture does not occur until after the abomination of desolation is seen standing in the holy place. There exists no rationale by which one can assert the rapture occurs concurrent with the beginning of the 7 year covenant. Furthermore, the scripture in Daniel does not state the “abomination of desolation” as Jesus cites in Mathew 24. It states, “for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.”
Mathew 24:15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
Dan. 9:27: for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate
The abomination of desolation standing vs. he shall make it desolate because of abominations overspreading.
Abomination of desolation standing vs. abominations overspreading
These are two different entities, two different events. Daniel 11:30-31 and 12:11 which refers to “the abomination of desolation” being placed and set up proved greater weight to Jesus referring to these prophecies in Mth. 24:15 and not Daniel 9:27.
Secondarily, there is no evidence which conveys that the tribulation is solely for 7 years commencing when the covenant is enacted. It is clear that if the covenant is established by the Antichrist as attested to by the Pretribulationists than he must have already been in possession of power and authority to confirm such a covenant. This power and authority no doubt would be being used against Christians prior to the covenant.
Those who assert that Jesus is the one the prophecy is speaking of in Daniel 9:27 confirming the covenant for one week also assert that Jesus is the one who is cut off in the middle of that week, Daniel 9:26.
The scripture is very clear, it states:
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:”
It does not state:
“And he shall confirm a one week covenant with many.”
Most interpret the scripture based upon the latter rendering but this is not what the Word of God says and therefore this is not how we should interpret it. If we are take the text as saying what it says, than the “he” is alive for the entire week confirming the covenant with many during that time. If the “he” is alive for the entire week then the “he” cannot be the “Messiah” or “Anointed” in verse 26 who or is cut off, killed, at the end of the 69 weeks, the 483 years.
Un-associated with the covenant itself except for the concurrent time period, “he” also puts and end to the sacrifice and offering during the middle of the week, yet if he is still confirming the covenant with many to the end of the week “he” cannot be Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
LINKS:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_wars
There are many disputes about Daniel chapter 9 and the prophecy therein concerning the 70 weeks, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to bring in everlasting righteousness, the anointing of the most Holy, the Messiah, or Anointed one, who is cut off, the prince who causes the sacrifices and offerings to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations shall make it desolate. Additionally there is great controversy regarding the dates surrounding the fulfillment of these prophecies.
With that said it is not necessary to address the legitimacy of one theory over that of another in order to prove that the Antichrist, the beast, and his image, the abomination that makes desolation will be physically revealed prior to the rapture at some future date. Jesus places the time of the abomination of desolation of Daniel at the time just before his arrival in Mathew 24. Unless the rapture occurred sometime over the last 1,900 the prophecies of Daniel have not been completed.
"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)." Mathew 24:15
There is no historical record among the Jews or Christians of an abomination of desolation standing in the holy place between 25 AD and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. Therefore this must be future.
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Mathew 24:21
The tribulation executed upon the Jews in 70 AD and thereafter up to 135 AD was substantial, yet it is clear that it paled in comparison to the two world wars and the Nazi genocide of the 1930s and 1940s and comes no where near a tribulation that must be shortened for if not all flesh would be destroyed:
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Mathew 24:22
This tribulation which is directly associated with the abomination of desolation of Daniel is yet to come.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,........And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.....And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Mathew 24:29-31
For those who have shown a historical record that correlates to the events in Daniel it is conceivable that God has revealed the future through some of the events of the past: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'" Isaiah 46:9-10
There is no definitive answer as to what the “abomination of desolation” is, however Revelation 13:14-15, 14:9 & 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20 and 20:4 all refer to an “image of the beast,” an image of the Antichrist that is worshiped like an idol. This image is made by the people of earth as if it is an inanimate object and then is given life from the second beast, the false prophet, which enables the image of the beast to both speak and kill anyone who will not worship the image of the first beast, Revelation 13:14-15
"Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen...And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)" Deuteronomy 27:15 & 17
"For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites...Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon." 1 Kings 11:5 &7
"And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile." 2 Kings 23:13
Interestingly in Daniel chapter 3, king Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue of gold 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide and forced all to worship the statue by royal decree. If anyone refused to worship the statue they were to be killed in a fiery furnace. Similarly the beast that causes all to receive a mark in order to buy or sell is a number of a man and that number is 666, Revelation 13:17-18. Nebuchadnezzar's statue and the mark of the beast contain three "sixes."
Daniel 9 Clarification:
"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not (for himself): and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." Daniel 9:26
(Note: “for himself” is not in the original Greek.)
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27
There are some believers who believe that Daniel 9:27 refers to the Antichrist making a covenant with Israel in the future which will complete the 70th week of Daniel.
There are other believers who believe that Daniel 9:27 refers to Jesus making a covenant with His disciples, with Christians, and therefore Daniel's prophecy has been completed.
These two contrasting views illustrate the magnitude in the two different interpretations and the breakdown of unity withing the body of Christ.
A few of things to think about:
First, the Pretribulationists believe that this covenant kicks off the tribulation period and that the rapture of the Church occurs shortly before to shortly after this event. Additionally Pretribulationists assume that in the middle of the week or sometime shortly after the middle of the week in conjunction with the cessation of the sacrificial system the abomination of desolation is set up. This is pointed out not to endorse the Pretribulationists concepts put forth here but rather to demonstrate that even if these two interpretations were true they would be contradicted by the fact that the rapture does not occur until after the abomination of desolation is seen standing in the holy place. There exists no rationale by which one can assert the rapture occurs concurrent with the beginning of the 7 year covenant. Furthermore, the scripture in Daniel does not state the “abomination of desolation” as Jesus cites in Mathew 24. It states, “for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.”
Mathew 24:15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
Dan. 9:27: for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate
The abomination of desolation standing vs. he shall make it desolate because of abominations overspreading.
Abomination of desolation standing vs. abominations overspreading
These are two different entities, two different events. Daniel 11:30-31 and 12:11 which refers to “the abomination of desolation” being placed and set up proved greater weight to Jesus referring to these prophecies in Mth. 24:15 and not Daniel 9:27.
Secondarily, there is no evidence which conveys that the tribulation is solely for 7 years commencing when the covenant is enacted. It is clear that if the covenant is established by the Antichrist as attested to by the Pretribulationists than he must have already been in possession of power and authority to confirm such a covenant. This power and authority no doubt would be being used against Christians prior to the covenant.
Those who assert that Jesus is the one the prophecy is speaking of in Daniel 9:27 confirming the covenant for one week also assert that Jesus is the one who is cut off in the middle of that week, Daniel 9:26.
The scripture is very clear, it states:
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:”
It does not state:
“And he shall confirm a one week covenant with many.”
Most interpret the scripture based upon the latter rendering but this is not what the Word of God says and therefore this is not how we should interpret it. If we are take the text as saying what it says, than the “he” is alive for the entire week confirming the covenant with many during that time. If the “he” is alive for the entire week then the “he” cannot be the “Messiah” or “Anointed” in verse 26 who or is cut off, killed, at the end of the 69 weeks, the 483 years.
Un-associated with the covenant itself except for the concurrent time period, “he” also puts and end to the sacrifice and offering during the middle of the week, yet if he is still confirming the covenant with many to the end of the week “he” cannot be Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
LINKS:
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/revolt.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_wars
