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The
rapture of the church still makes sense to the premillennial, dispensational
position. Because God’s plan for Israel and the Church are different, the
Church is not appointed to the time of Israel’s tribulation. Also, because
God’s promises to Israel are taken literally, the events surrounding the Day of
the Lord (judgment, return in glory, millennium) will happen as the Bible
describes them. Similarly, the promises to the Church (rapture to the Father’s
house, Bema seat, marriage of the Lamb, return in glory from the Father’s house,
marriage supper) will also happen precisely as the Bible says.
In
trying to make prophetic events fit together, many have made the error of
cutting and pasting various passages with little regard to the larger context of
when and why they were given. As has been noted, understanding of the rapture
increased as the New Testament was being written. Each new book added to the
revelation already given and helped complete the picture of these end-time
events, especially for the Church. Our New Testament (as well as the Old) is
arranged topically, not chronologically and therefore the rapture is best
understood by studying the passages in the order in which they were written.
Each one builds upon the next until the book of Revelation places the roof upon
the completed structure.
In the
first article, we followed this progression from the parting words of Jesus in
John 14 to the book of James, and then through First Thessalonians. Whereas
Jesus only described the fact of a departure to heaven, James added the ideas of
imminency and patient waiting. Paul adds greatly to our understanding with a
thorough description of the rapture event (chapter 4) and then the promise of
the Church’s absence from the tribulation as light is absent from the darkness
(chapter 5).
2 Thessalonians (AD 51)
Second
Thessalonians was written next, shortly after First Thessalonians. Some
confusion evidently had arisen as to when the tribulation period would begin and
whether, in fact, they were already in the tribulation. Paul’s answer gives us
the next piece to the rapture puzzle which concerns the timing, or more
specifically, the precursors before the tribulation can begin. In chapter two,
Paul gives the church two reasons (initially) why they could not yet be in the
tribulation period. These are followed by two others also. Certain events prior
to the tribulation period must transpire before the great Day of the Lord
begins.
Chapter 1
The
sufferings of the believers had already begun. They were even then enduring
“persecutions and tribulations” (1:4). Yet this is not unusual in itself
because it is given to the Church not only to believe but also to suffer for
Christ (Phil. 1:29; 1 Peter 4:12-16). But suffering as a Christian does not
mean one is in the tribulation period. Rather, for the Christian, suffering has
nothing to do with the tribulation period. In the first chapter, Paul reminds
the believers that their sufferings would be the source of reward and
glorification of Christ when they return with Him in glory (1:10). In addition,
those who have persecuted them will be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord at the same time (1:9). For these reasons,
believers ought to pray that God would help them by His grace to be worthy of
the honor of suffering for Christ now, and also worthy of the reward that will
one day be theirs when suffering is over (1:11-12).
Chapter 2
As the
apostle begins to enumerate why the Church will not go through the tribulation
period, we could also add many reasons from a dispensational and premillennial
standpoint. However, this chapter contains significant reasons for the
pretribulational timing of the rapture.
Verse 1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Paul
puts two thoughts together here: the coming (parousia)
and our gathering together unto Christ.
We have already discovered that the word
parousia can refer to either the rapture or the revelation of Christ.
Since the second expression, our gathering
together unto him, without a doubt refers to the rapture, this use of
parousia must also. One article is used
with two nouns: “the coming and gathering.” If these were different events,
this would be highly unusual. The rapture becomes the subject of chapter two
from the beginning verse. Paul had also spoken and written to the church
extensively about the rapture in his previous visits and in his first epistle.
Verse 2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the
day of Christ is at hand.
The
Thessalonians could be deceived in three ways: by
spirit (supposed vision); by
word (false preaching); by
letter (forgery). This, no doubt, was
the cause of their fear. The theme of this deception was that the Day of the
Lord was at hand. The perfect tense
here also emphasizes that some were teaching that the tribulation period had
already begun and was now going on.
(Myron
Houghton notes: “Some Greek texts read ‘day of the Lord’ rather than ‘day of
Christ,’ but in either case, this ‘day’ refers to the time when Christ will
directly intervene in human affairs by bringing destruction upon the world.”1)
Verse 3
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;
Two
reasons are given in this verse why the Day of the Lord could not have already
begun: the “falling away” and the revealing of the “man of sin” have to happen
first.
#1
The
Apostasia.
The “falling away” is a translation of the Greek work
apostasia or apostasy. There are two (pretribulational)
views as to what this means. 1) The traditional view is that this refers to a
great falling away from the faith in the end time just before the rapture
occurs. We know this will happen (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) and this very
well could be Paul’s meaning here. The only other place where the noun form of
this word appears is in Acts 21:21 where the expression “to forsake Moses”
obviously means a falling away from an orthodox belief. I only give this view
less space here because it is the most common view and no doubt most familiar to
all.
2) The
other view of apostasia is that this
word refers to the rapture itself as a “departure.” The primary idea is that
Greek words have basic root meanings upon which subsequent history has added
various accumulated meanings. If this word (to the first century reader)
originally meant “to depart,” then it may be that “apostasy” gives the wrong
connotation. Even “falling away” should only mean “coming away” or
“departing.” Defenders of this view have been E. Schuyler English,2
Kenneth S. Wuest,3 and (among our fundamental Baptist scholars) Myron
Houghton.4
Various reasons are given in support of this view. 1) The word
apostasia simply means “to depart” and
context must determine the rest. In this case, context argues strongly for
rapture. Of the fifteen verbal uses of this word, at least half mean a physical
departure from a particular place e.g. Acts 2:10. 2) The use of the definite
article refers the noun back to something previously mentioned. In this context
it would be the parousia and
our gathering together unto Him. 3)
Houghton emphasizes the flow of the text, that is, since the man of sin is
further explained in the context, therefore, the discourse on the departure of
the Restrainer must be the explanation of the “departure.” 4) A general
apostasy wouldn’t be a definite sign that believers could point to since there
has always been apostasy in any age. 5) English sites earlier translators who
used the word “departure” including Tyndale, Cranmer, Beza, and the Geneva
Bible.
#2 The Revealing of the Antichrist.
The second assurance Paul gives the believers for not being in the tribulation
is that “the man of sin” or the antichrist will first be revealed. What is
crucial here is whether the Scriptures teach that he will be revealed before the
tribulation or only at the abomination of desolation half way through. It
appears however, that he will be revealed by God whether all the world knows it
or not. 1) Daniel 9:27 shows that “the prince that shall come” will sign a
treaty with Israel at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. 2) Verse 4 of our
text is similar to Rev. 6:2 where the antichrist, at the beginning of the week,
aggressively seeks power and control over what will become the ten nation
federation of the western nations. 3) The “then” of verse 8 designates the time
of his revealing as immediately after the Restrainer is removed.
Verses 6-7
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might
be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he
who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Two
more reasons why the believers are not in the tribulation period are added later
in the passage.
#3 The Removal of the Restrainer.
Though there have been many views as to the identity of this Restrainer (e.g.
the Roman Empire, human government, etc.), the predominate view has been that
this is the Holy Spirit who is removed when the Church is removed. The presence
of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that is keeping the mystery of iniquity
from engulfing the world. We cannot fathom the wickedness that will be released
when the Holy Spirit’s influence is removed and Satan is free to wreak havoc on
the earth. This has been the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. When His work is
done, everything will change.
The
Church must go when the Spirit goes, and visa versa. We cannot be separated from
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Another reason for the assurance of a pre-tribulational
rapture is this work of the Holy Spirit. If the Church is still on earth during
the tribulation, anyone, Jew or Gentile, who would be saved in that time would
become a member of the Church by baptism of the Holy Spirit (since the Holy
Spirit would not be removed and would also retain His divine ministry).
Consequently, there would be no Jews who were not first part of the Church.
Since this would be true, there would be no nation of Israel to repatriate their
land during the millennial kingdom either.5 Yet 144,000 are
converted who make up redeemed Israel!
Verses 11-12
And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
#4 The Strong Delusion. As Paul
was writing, the Spirit was still convicting and this kind of delusion had
obviously not begun. Certainly, no Jews had been sealed by God on their
forehead nor had any others received the mark of the beast being deceived by
signs and lying wonders. Rather, the gospel was still very effective in
Thessolonica (1 Thes. 1:8).
This
passage strongly indicates that those who refuse a gospel presentation now will
be greatly deceived in the tribulation. The switching of tenses here from the
future to the past indicates that the ones who will be deluded had refused
Christ in the past. John Walvoord wrote, “It is unlikely that a person who
rejects Christ in this day of grace will turn to Him in that awful period of
tribulation. . . . The Scriptures definitely teach that God will send strong
delusion to those who do not believe after the church is gone.”6 The
last state of a man is always worse than the first. It is better not to have
known the way of righteousness than to turn from it and expect to come back.
How much greater in that awful time to come!
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