By David Ebaugh

He did not!!

He said “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” (John 17:15)

CHANGE YOUR MIND

A great churchman, Dr. OSWALD J. SMITH (TORONTO) said, “now, after years of study and prayer I am absolutely convinced that there will be no Rapture before the Tribulation, but that the Church will undoubtedly be called upon to face the Anti-christ, and that Christ will come at the close and not at the beginning of that awful period.”

He said, “I have always held (in the past) the view that the Rapture precedes the Revelation by some seven years.” Something changed the mind of that great Bible Student and Preacher.

He went on to say, “I believed the other theory simply because I was taught it by W.E. Blackstone in his book “Jesus is Coming”, the Scofield Reference Bible and Prophetic Conferences and Bible Schools; but when I began to search the Scriptures for myself I discovered that there is not a single verse in the Bible that upholds the pre-tribulation theory, but that the uniform teaching of the Word of God is of a post-tribulation Rapture?Search the Scriptures for yourself and your mind also will be changed.

Paul the apostle clearly states, “We shall be changed at the LAST trump:” (1 Corinthians 15:52) The LAST trump is described as the SEVENTH trump in the book of Revelation. (See Revelation 10:7 and 11:15-19) Jesus placed the sign of His second coming “immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days.” (Matthew 24:29) The Bible DOES NOT say the Christians will be Raptured FIRST when two are in the field, one taken and one left. (Matthew 24:40-41) It does not say who is first in Matthew 24. However it is clear that the children of the wicked one are taken FIRST from reading Matthew 13:24-43.

SUPERNATURAL PROTECTION

Noah was not Raptured out of the flood water; he accepted the supernatural word of God and went through the waters. God said, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isaiah 43:2) Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego saw the fourth man and went through the fire. They were not Raptured out. Daniel was not Raptured out of the lion’s den, he went through it.

God has established a pattern of always providing supernatural protection for His people so that they had the power to go through the test, not out of it. Why would He change His pattern for the last great tribulation?

God said, “Only with thin eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. There shall no evil befall thee.” (Psalms 91:8)

A mighty supernatural deliverance was wrought by God by protecting all His children in Egypt.

THROUGH NOT OUT

The went through the LAST SEVEN plagues, but Israel did not suffer from them. (Exodus 8:22-23, 9:4)

When we study how God poured out His wrath in Egypt during the LAST SEVEN plagues we notice an amazing parallel to when God will pour out His wrath during the LAST SEVEN vials of wrath (also seven trumpets) of the book of Revelation.

Just as God protected His people from His wrath in Egypt, He will also protect His people from His wrath in the end time. We are living in the end time. But it should be noted; His people always go through it, not out of it.

FAMOUS CHURCHMEN AGREE

Dr Henry W. Frost. Former Home Director of China Inland Mission wrote a book “Matthew 24 and the Revelation.” It argues conclusively for a POST-tribulation Rapture.

A man from England, Edmund Shackleton, wrote a book, “Will the Church escape the great tribulation?” Anyone who reads either book will be convinced that there will be no Rapture before the tribulation.

Rev Pat Robertson, a famous radio and TV personality on the east coast has spent many hours on his own stations telling his audience that they would have to be prepared because they would go through the tribulation, not out of it.

Here is a list of Bible Teachers who have written to show that we will go through the tribulation: David Baron, Dr Bergin, Dr Horatius Bonar, Charles T. Cook, Charles R Erdman, W.J. Erdman, Bishop Frank Houghton, Dr Campbell Morgan, Dr Adolph Saphir, Dr AB Simpson, HW Soltan, Dr JW Thirtle, Henry Varley, Nathaniel West, Lennard Darby, Norman S. McPherson.

Other famous men who have taken this position are George Muller, John B Scruby, Norman Douty and George Ladd (Fuller Theological Seminary)

HISTORY OF THE RAPTURE THEORY (FALSE)

Mr Edmund Shackleton opened his book with the statement, “All who held the premillennial Coming of Christ were…of one mind on the subject:…(until circa. 1830) About that time a new view was promulgated that the Coming of Christ was not one event, but that it was divided into stages, in fact, that Christ comes twice from heaven to earth, but the first time only as far as the air. This first descent, it is said will be for the purpose of removing the Church from the world, and will occur before the Great Tribulation under Anti-christ. This they call ‘The coming for His Saints’ or ‘Secret Rapture’. The second part of the Coming is said to take place when Christ appears in glory and destroys the Anti-christ. This they call, ‘The coming with His saints’.”

Mr. H.A. Baker wrote, “For eighteen centuries the fundamental principle of tribulation to glory was the universal belief of the truly born again members of the Church.”

Dr. Oswald J. Smith said, “The new pre-tribulation Rapture teaching was first proclaimed as a direct revelation by a woman in Edward Irving’s church, and then taken up by John Nelson Darby (and the Scofield Reference Bible) in direct contradiction to the teaching of the Church for eighteen hundred years.”

H.A. Baker said, “Beginning with the lrvingite woman, then propagated by John N. Darby about 1830, this new “doctrine” has come down to us until it has become popular. GEORGE MULLER opposed it; so did Benjamin Wills Newton; so did Dr. S.P. Tregelles and other Brethren.”

RESURRECTION TRUTH

Scripture does not show the amount of time between the events. It does however, establish the chronological order of the events, that is, it shows which event follows which event. The blowing of the LAST trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 clearly is tied in with the LAST trumpet of the book of Revelation. (Revelation 10:7 and 11:15-19) Paul says concerning the Rapture that we shall be changed at the LAST trump. (1 Corinthians. 15:52)

I blindly followed my denominational teaching by proclaiming that it would be first the Rapture then secondly the appearance of the Anti-christ. But I discovered that the scripture really says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) The scripture says plainly, FIRSTLY the Anti-christ then SECONDLY the Rapture.

The word “Rapture” cannot be found in the Bible. Look it up and see! We have added that to our Christian vocabulary; God did not put it in His word. Many of my “Rapture” quoting friends have learned their lesson well, but I think they studied the wrong teacher.

CHURCH IS NOT READY YET

Jesus Christ is going to present a glorious Church without spot, or wrinkle (Ephesians5:27). It is obvious that the Church is not ready for His coming according to that standard. There is yet much perfecting of the Church to do, first, before Jesus comes.

It is a very grave error to promise Christians an escape instead of preparing them for the tribulation.

MORE BIBLE TRUTH

In studying 2 Thessalonians. 2:1, Dr. Oswald J. Smith said, “‘He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.’ I learned from the Greek that the second ‘he’ is the Anti-christ, and that the Greek does not say ‘taken out of the way’, but ‘revealed in the midst’, or, ‘born out of the midst’. In other words, lawlessness will be restrained until the appointed time for the lawless one, the Anti-christ, to appear. There is no mention of the Holy Spirit at all. That is a Scofield Bible assumption. The Holy Spirit and the Church remain to the end of the age.”

SUPPER FOR SEVEN YEARS?

It is taught that after the Rapture we will all go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and will be there for seven years, eating and enjoying ourselves while God punishes the world. A close analysis of the scripture in 1 Thessalonians. 4: 17 shows that the word “meet ” was only used in two other places, in Scripture. In both places it means “returning with” and not “remaining at” the place of meeting. There is no Scripture anywhere in the Bible that says we will remain for seven years in the air. I have been taught that the Greek word “parousia” always referred to the Rapture and that other words were used for the Coming of Christ in glory after the tribulation. But I found that this also is not true. “Parousia” is used for the coming in glory , in 2 Thessalonians. 2:1.

I BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION

I believe that the saints will be resurrected at the end of the tribulation and we who are alive will meet them. Since the Rapture occurs after the tribulation, then every born again believer in Jesus Christ needs to be awakened to this truth. They need to prepare and perfect themselves, through the word, by the Holy Spirit. If I am wrong, then tell me so, all the way up. After the resurrection we will all be too busy for you to bother correcting me. But if I’m right you had better get ready right now because your hope of being taken out and away from the bad things may let you down and you may not have the power (Holy Spirit) to go through the trouble. Remember the parable of the virgins; five wise had oil (Holy Spirit) and five foolish did not.

If you are not saved – you had better get saved, fast!

If you have not received the Holy Ghost SINCE you believed you had better start asking, fast! (Acts 19:2)

If your fire has been going out, you had better get hot – fast! (Revelation 3:16)

READ THE BIBLE

Let’s look at some scriptures which are normally used to teach the Rapture to see if they really tell just WHEN the Rapture takes place.

1 THESSALONIANS 4: 13-17

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch- angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

There is no indication here as to just WHEN the resurrection takes place.

I used to read that and say, “See! Here is the pre- tribulation Rapture!” But now I see that there is no indication that the resurrection takes place before the tribulation. I just wanted it to read that way!

LUKE 21:36

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.

The METHOD of escape is not identified. I used to say it was Rapture, but really, I did not have any scripture. I just wanted it to read that way.

1 THESSALONIANS 1:10

10 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.

It does not say HOW He delivered us. I said Rapture, but it does not. I just wanted it to read that way.

2 PETER 2:9

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.

I said that means Rapture, but there is no indication of a Rapture. I just wanted it to read that way.

MATTHEW 24:39-40

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of Man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

I said that the Christian would be taken in the Rapture first and the sinner left, but the scripture does not say that at all. In fact, in Verse 39 it says that the unrighteous were taken away and the righteous left; just the opposite of what I said.

This most famous of all the Rapture scriptures teaches really that the Christians are LEFT and the bad ones are to be TAKEN. Matthew 13:30 says “Gather FIRST the tares (bad ones) …to burn them.”

I used to teach that we would be Raptured BEFORE the anti-Christ appeared but 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says that day shall NOT come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

I have taught over 20,000 fundamental Christians these new concepts. They formerly believed the same’ traditions as I did. Not one person has ever found a single scripture that says we will be Raptured before the tribulation. Can you? I would like to hear from you, if you can.

When scripture conflicts with tradition, which should we believe? Change your mind; like I did!

© Israel My Beloved