The Importance of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
The Importance of
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Truth or Fiction…???
By Pastor F. M. Riley
Updated
December 30, 2011
“Because thou hast kept the Word of My
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth,” Revelation 3:10
(KJV).
“Because you kept the Word of the patience
of Me, I also you will keep out of the hour of trial being about to come upon
the habitable world all, to try those dwelling on the earth,” Revelation 3:10
(Henderson’s Interlinear).
Introduction
For about the “umpteenth” time over these
past 55 years, I have received another
email informing me that “The trib
position is never considered as GOSPEL.” Over these many years I have
received and heard similar statements again and again. “One’s
position on the rapture is not really important.” “The only important thing is that we are
saved.” “The Lord never intended that
the rapture question should divide His people.”
“Our position on the rapture is a matter of personal choice.” “It is our relationship with the Lord that is
really important. What we believe about
the rapture really doesn’t matter.” And
on and on and on…..
Dear readers, I know from many years of personal experience that such
dogmatic statements are used by every “false teacher” [2 Peter 2:1-2] and religious “con
artist” who has infiltrated the ranks of “Christianity” as a “smoke screen” to
hide behind while they spread their “damnable heresies” among God’s
people. So in this study I propose to
examine these claims by God’s inspired Word to see if they have any real
Scriptural merit.
Is the position on the rapture, taken by one
who claims to be “a Christian;” Pre-trib,
Mid-trib, Pre-wrath, Post-trib,
Past-trib [preterist], Non-trib, really important, or does God’s Word just leave it
up to the individual as a matter of personal choice? What about it? Have our readers ever seriously considered
this question in the light of God’s Word?
No? Then I suggest you prepare to
be enlightened to the real truth about one’s position on the rapture…..
The Lord’s Statement
In our text the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
explicitly promised His New Testament church, “…..I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation…..” Obviously, the first thing we need to do is
to identify “the hour of temptation.” What
is it? When does it occur? Where should it be placed in the fulfillment
of Bible prophecy? Let’s see…..
The English word “temptation” in this
verse is translated from the Greek word, “peirasmos.” This Greek word occurs 21 times in
the New Testament, the last occurrence of it being in Revelation 3:10. The literal meaning of this Greek word is “experiment; test; trial; prove; temptation;
to test or try (by trouble, adversity, affliction, conflict, confrontation,
persecution, etc.). See Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, page 498-499, Strong’s No.
3986.
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It is then more than coincidence that “21”
is the Bible number repeatedly associated with “the exceeding sinfulness of sin,” especially as related to the 21
judgments of the Tribulation period which follows the church age. In
addition, it is evident that the Greek word “peirasmos”
as used by the Lord in Revelation 3:10 refers to the
seven year Tribulation period.
Proof? Gladly…..
When the disciples asked the Lord to teach
them how to pray, the Lord gave to them the “model” prayer and explicitly told
them in Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye…..” Here is explicit instruction for the
Lord’s people directly from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And what is the “manner” the Lord set
before His people? Here it is…..
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be
Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation [peirasmos], but
deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.”
Here in this “model” prayer is the very first
occurrence of the word “peirasmos” in
the New Testament. In this first
occurrence the Lord Himself instructed His disciples to pray that they will
not be led into “peirasmos.” This exact same instruction given by the
Lord Himself is also recorded a second time in Luke 11:4.
Then four
more times as recorded in Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:40, and
22:46,
the Lord urged His disciples to pray that they would not enter
into “peirasmos.” This makes six times in the New
Testament that the Lord urged His disciples to pray that they would be kept
from “peirasmos.” Then Revelation 3:10 makes it clear that “the peirasmos” the Lord had in
mind when He was instructing His disciples in all six of these passages is
still future. Hello! Are you paying attention?
Folks, did the Lord instruct His disciples
six times to pray to be kept from “peirasmos” when He already knew that their prayers would not
be answered? Is this the god you
serve? Is this the lord you
“profess” to believe in? …..and claim to
be your savior? A lord who
instructs his people to pray for something even when he already knows that he
will not answer their prayers? Is
it? Well…??? God forbid!
I am well aware that the word “peirasmos” is used in the New Testament
to speak of the trials and troubles that the Lord Himself went through during
His personal ministry. See Luke
4:13 and 22:28. I am also aware
that this same word is used in referring to the trials and troubles that God’s
people were faced with during the previous dispensation, as well as our trials and troubles during this present
dispensation. See Luke 8:13, Acts 20:19, 1
Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 4:14, 1 Timothy 6:9, Hebrews 3:8, James 1:2-3,
1:12, 1 Peter 1:6, and 2 Peter 2:9.
But it is
also obvious from Revelation 3:10 that the “peirasmos”
the Lord urged His disciples to pray to be kept from is still future. But let’s not stop here. Let’s add another passage to Revelation
3:10. In 1 Peter 4:12, an epistle
expressly addressed to the Jewish people [1
Peter 1:1], it is explicitly stated, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you [peirasmos], as though some strange thing happened to
you:” This statement is
obviously referring to a future event. So here are two passages
clearly placing the “peirasmos” the
Lord wanted His disciples to avoid in the future following the “church
age.”
It
should then be glaringly obvious to our readers that the “peirasmos” the Lord had in mind when He warned His disciples to
pray, and which He promises in Revelation 3:10 that He will keep
His New Testament believers “from,” is the future seven year
2
Tribulation
period.
Could it be made any plainer?
Well…??
The “hour” of Temptation
But let’s not stop here. Let’s
nail it down…..
At some time most of our readers have
heard the statement, “The darkest hours
of the night come just before the dawning of the day.” For thousands of years this statement has
been repeated by mankind, and passed on from one generation to another. But is this statement true, or is it just an
“old wives” tail? Let’s see…..
In 1957 the very first satellite to orbit
the earth was placed into space. Since that time
the space
programs of the nations have mushroomed, so that today there are many satellites
in space. Men on earth, through the use
of these satellites have photographed and mapped every square inch of the
earth’s surface, and have repeatedly photographed the rising and setting of the
Sun from every conceivable position.
Well guess what?
The photographs taken by these satellites
show a band of darkness encircling the entire earth right before the
rising of the Sun at dawn, and right after the setting of the Sun at
twilight. On that position on the earth
where the Sun is rising, the band of darkness is extremely dark just
ahead of the dawn. So it really is
true that “The darkest hours of the night
come just before the dawning of the day.”
This band of darkness has been observed and documented by
satellite photos, and any reader can see this for themselves by checking out
the NASA photographic library that is open to the public.
What
is my point? Just this….. The width of this band of darkness
that precedes the dawning of the day is approximately two hours wide. In other words, the last two hours of
the night are the darkest hours of the night. Is this just coincidence? Not at all!
Psalm 19:1-3 clearly states that “The heavens declare [present tense; are declaring] the
glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night
unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their
voice is not heard.” Glory to
God! Praise the Lord!
Folks, the very heavens confirm this
amazing truth set forth in the Scriptures.
In Revelation 3:10 the Lord promised His church and all New
Testament believers that He would keep them “from the hour of temptation”
[peirasmos]. Then in Revelation 14:6-7, at the middle
of the Tribulation, the Lord sends an angel flying through “…..the
midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell
on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give
glory to Him; For the hour of His
judgment is come…..”
What we
learn from these two statements is that the entire seven year Tribulation
period, from the viewpoint of the Lord Himself, is divided into two hours. The first half of the Tribulation is “the
hour of temptation” [peirasmos]. The second half of the Tribulation is “the
hour of His judgment.” These two
hours are the darkest hours of this world’s night; the two darkest hours
in human history, just preceding the dawning of the “day of God,” 2
Peter 3:12. Glory! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord! How great and
awesome is our God!
The
Seven Year Tribulation Period
“the hour of temptation” “the hour of
judgment”
!___________________________________
!__________________________________!
1,260 days 1,260 days – 42 months
3 ½ years
3 ½ years
Here is the seven year Tribulation period
illustrated exactly according to what the
3
Scriptures
literally state and teach. So it is
absolute Scriptural truth that the “hour of temptation” is indeed
a reference to the first half of the seven year Tribulation period,
which is still future as I write.
The Spiritual Significance
Now what was it the Lord Jesus Christ
promised His church and His people in Revelation 3:10?
“Because thou hast kept the Word of My
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [peirasmos],
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth,”
Revelation 3:10.
Folks,
it is obvious that since “the hour of temptation” [peirasmos] precedes the “hour
of judgment,” and the Lord’s New Testament believers are to be kept
from “the hour of temptation,” then no true believer in this
present dispensation is ever going to enter any part of the seven year
Tribulation. No part of it! None! Period!
Defining the Gospel
Folks, God’s “rightly divided” Word proves
[2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:21]
that the “hour of temptation” [peirasmos]
in Revelation
3:10 is a reference to the first half of the future seven year
Tribulation period, and that “the hour of His judgment” refers to
the last half of the Tribulation period. This truth is verified by the fact
that there is an actual literal two hour period of intense darkness
which precedes the dawning of the day, and that the very “heavens” [Psalm 19:1-3] testify to this truth. This
two hour period of extreme literal darkness which precedes the
dawning of the day is obviously a type
of the two hour Tribulation period of extreme spiritual darkness
which will precede the dawning of the “day of God. These proven truths make it obvious that the only position that any true
believer can take on the “rapture” question that is in harmony with God’s
Word is that of the Pre-tribulation
rapture. Period! Any other position
makes the statement of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 3:10 out to be
a lie and therefore the Lord Himself out to be a liar! Are you listening? Do you want that on your conscience?
But I have been repeatedly told over the
years by those who don’t want to believe these truths that “one’s position on the rapture has nothing to do with the gospel.” In the light of what I have just pointed out to
our readers, is this claim [or excuse]
really so? Let’s find out…..
The English word “gospel” is translated
from three different Greek words in the New Testament. These words are…..
[1]
“euangelizo” which literally
means, “to preach the good news;
especially of salvation in Christ, but also including its implications
for mankind and their relationship to God; to bring glad tidings; to
declare glad tidings; to show glad tidings.” See Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, pages
256-257, Strong’s No. 2097.
[2]
“euangelion” which literally
means “good news; good tidings;
glad tidings; the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be
set up; the glad tidings of salvation through Christ; the proclamation
of the grace of God manifested and pledged in Christ.” See Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, page 257,
Strong’s No. 2098.
[3]
“proeuangelizomai” which
literally means “to announce the gospel
in advance; to preach beforehand the good tidings; before the event by
which the promise is made
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good.” See Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, page 539, Strong’s No. 4283.
It is obvious that the sole and only true
meaning of the word “gospel” as defined by each of these
three Greek words is simply “good news” or “glad tidings.” But good news of what? The answer to this question is found in the
context in which these words occur where they are obviously connected with different
aspects of “good news” for
humanity and for God’s people.
For instance, there is the “good news” of the
birth of Christ, the “good news” that both John the Baptist and the Lord
Jesus Christ proclaimed announcing the coming of the kingdom of God, the
“good news” of salvation through faith in Christ, the “good news” of
Christ making an atonement for sin at Calvary, the “good news” of the
resurrection of
Christ, the “good news” of God’s grace providing an opportunity for
salvation, the “good news” of the Lord’s future Millennial Kingdom of true
righteousness and peace, and the “good news” of “the blessed hope” of
the rapture for God’s people preceding the Tribulation period. Folks, every one of these things [and more] are part and parcel of “the
gospel [good news] of
the Lord Jesus Christ.” Praise
the Lord!
Yes, I am
well aware that men pick out a Scripture here or a Scripture there and
attempt to dogmatically define “the
gospel” as this or that or something else, totally ignoring the fact
that the Greek words translated as “gospel” simply mean “good news.” In the light of God’s Word, can “the
gospel” really be limited to only one
solitary event in all of God’s Word? Or,
are there many events in God’s Word which true
believers rejoice in as “good news” from the Word of the Lord? Well…??
Folks, the entire Word of God is “the
gospel” [good news] which the
Lord has graciously bestowed upon mankind in order to bring those who will
repent and believe to a saving knowledge of His Son. Proof?
Gladly! Compare Matthew
4:4, John 5:24, Ephesians 1:13, Acts 20:26-27, Roman 10:17, and many
more similar Scriptures. The Word
of the Lord is “the gospel” which saves, keeps, and will deliver a true
believer into the presence of the Lord and into His promised glorious
Kingdom. Praise the Lord!
What are YOU
“looking for”?
Folks, in view of the times in which we
are living today and the swiftly approaching terror that is staring the whole
world in the face right now, what news could possibly lift the spirits of true believers any more than “the
gospel” [good news] of the Pre-tribulation rapture? Well…??
The Pre-tribulation
rapture promised by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in Revelation 3:10 is indeed
considered to be “good news” [gospel]
by the Lord Himself, for even His Word explicitly instructs
God’s people [true believers] to live
daily “looking for” it.
“For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
Who gave Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous
of good works.
These
things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”
Titus 2:11-15
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Compare Luke
21:36 with Luke 20:35-36, then carefully study Colossians 1:12-14. This latter passage explicitly states
that the Lord has already “…delivered us [true believers] from
the power of darkness…”
Now study 1
Corinthians 15:49-52, noticing carefully the words “we” and “all.” Look at Galatians 1:4 and notice
that it is “us” [true believers]
who are to be delivered “…from this present evil world [age; dispensation], according to the will of God
our Father:” Look at 1
Thessalonians 1:10, where we true
believers are explicitly told that the resurrected Lord Jesus has
already “…delivered us from the wrath to come.” Glory! And then 1 Thessalonians 5:9 which explicitly
states, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now read 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 noticing especially the five times the
word “we”
occurs, and the explicit statement, “caught up together with them” [the dead in Christ], clearly pointing
out that all New Testament believers will be raptured at the same time. Then notice that the last verse explicitly
admonishes God’s people, “Wherefore comfort one another with
these words.”
Folks, are
none of these verses of Scripture “good
news” [gospel] to you?
Do none of them stir up “the blessed hope” in your heart and
spirit? Are none of these Scriptures of
any “comfort”
to you? No? Then evidently you need to quit “hiding”
behind your worthless “religious profession” and seek the Lord for the
salvation of your soul.
Conclusion
Today many who call themselves
“Christians” look down upon and criticize those who hold fast to belief in the Pre-tribulation
rapture. But that is precisely what the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself clearly promised in Revelation 3:10. And you know it is!
“Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience,
I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [peirasmos], which shall come upon all
the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Folks, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
explicitly promised to keep His people “from the hour of temptation.” Therefore the Pre-tribulation rapture
of God’s people is indeed the only position on the rapture which does
not make the Lord Jesus Christ Himself out to be a liar. The Lord promised
only the Pre-tribulation
rapture in Revelation 3:10. This
passage makes no allowance for God’s people [true believers] to take any other position on the rapture.
God’s people are then most certainly on Scriptural
ground when we believe in, hold fast to, and teach, the Pre-tribulation rapture of all true
believers. In fact, a careful study
of Christian history will reveal that throughout this entire “dispensation
of grace” there has always been “a remnant” of God’s people who held to
and considered the Pre-tribulation
rapture to be part and parcel of the
Christian faith. Folks,
taking Revelation 3:10 at face
value for what the Scripture actually and literally says is nothing less than
adhering to and contending for “…..the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” Jude 3. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
Glory to God! What a living hope Gods people have in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory!
Folks, the Lord Jesus Christ is not a
liar. He made a promise to His church and to all
true New Testament believers, and He will keep His promise. Read Hebrews
10:23 and believe it.
In setting
this study before our readers, it should now be obvious that the only
position on the rapture that is in perfect harmony with the Lord’s statement in
Revelation
3:10 is the Pre-tribulation
rapture position. Praise the Lord!
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Folks, every one of us who are true believers are going to be
standing face to face with the Lord at the “bema” seat of judgment very
soon. I don’t want to have to look my
Lord in the face and confess in shame and sorrow that I made Him out to
be a liar because I refused to believe what He Himself plainly stated
about the Pre-tribulation rapture
of His people in Revelation 3:10. Do
you?
I would further add that we New Testament
believers today are living in the very “time frame” when the Lord’s promise in Revelation
3:10 is about to be fulfilled.
No! I do not know the day or
the hour when our Lord is coming to resurrect and rapture His people to glory,
but I do know that the time is very close. Folks, don’t let anyone steal your “blessed
hope” from you. Dates may come
and go, but just keep on watching and praying and witnessing and warning and
seeking to win the lost to Christ.
Never! Never! Never! give up your “blessed hope” for any man’s silly
theory. Our Lord is coming!
“Even so, come,
Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20.
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NOTICE: Permission is
granted to any true believer,
or to any Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share
with others, or to quote from it in
context as written.
This ministry is supported solely by the freewill offerings of those
who feel led of the Lord to help us send forth God’s wonderful Word.
All comments, questions, and correspondence should be addressed to:
Pastor F. M. Riley
Last Call Gospel Ministry
Or I can be reached by email at: fmrglbd5@yahoo.com
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There is not one verse in scripture (including the king James version) that teaches a pre tribulation rapture. The Scripture does teach a post trib- pre wrath rapture.
ReplyDeleteGod truly has a great sense of humor. "WISE VIRGINS MEDIA"... Professing yourself to be wise you're a fool. Read Romans 1:18-32. KJB. The virgins parable is referring to the Tribulation and you most likely will NOT be the wise but the foolish. Or perhaps you may be the one who wakes up... Only God knows. Your comment is posted and your idle words speaking lies are recorded in heaven as an eternal memorial that will stand as both a witness and testimony against you at your judgement. The reason you and your kind can NOT see the truth is because the truth is NOT in you and your kind. Read John 8:42-47 KJB.
DeleteAmen! Maranatha!