November 30, 2009

Part 1 - A Response to Bob DeWaay and "The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture"

Pastor Bob DeWaay critiqued the prewrath position in a Sunday School hour, while explaining his own position (November 29, 2009). It is only about 60 minutes in length, so I was hoping that he would focus on one or two elements, not take the shotgun approach and claim more than he could support. But he was all over the map, and thus I found it incoherent. He made numerous assertions without meaningful argumentation. Nevertheless, I still want to respond to what he said, since it will be instructive for the readers here.

At the outset, I want to say that I do appreciate pastor DeWaay's tone (I'll let the "arrogant" remark go; I have been called worse :-) Besides, when pressed, I am sure he would not see it as arrogant to be certain, but a noble conviction; at least I would hope so. Further, I appreciate his willingness to try to be faithful to the text.

That said, I really think he has some blind spots on this issue. He makes a number of salient exegetical, contextual, and historical errors---even a couple of strawmen that require responding to. And he invokes a few hackneyed pretrib statements along the lines of: "I am looking for Christ, not the Antichrist." These may sound nice and pious and play on the emotions, but they do not hold up to Biblical scrutiny. Hence my series.

At one point, he faults prewrath for making a "psychological argument"; that is, prewrath affirms that a proper understanding of eschatology will prepare us better than, for example, a pretribulational teaching. We are told that we should not be teaching that those who are expecting persecution are more prepared than those who do not expect persecution.

I will commit an entire post to this, but I want to say a couple of words. I admit, I was taken back when I read that because it is not some prewrath "psychological argument"; instead, it is the belief that God uses Biblical teaching and exhortation on this subject as a means to prepare believers if God calls them to be that generation. Not to mention, it spiritually prepares them in the present trials.

In other words, I do not believe that a pretribulational believer who affirms that we will be raptured out of here in bed's of ease will be "just as prepared" for the Antichrist's Great Tribulation as a prewrather who prepares his body, mind, and soul, and has studied and taken heed to Jesus' teaching in the Olivet Discourse. That is not Biblical reality; and it minimizes Jesus' warnings to be ready.

Can someone honestly read Matthew 24 and tell me that Jesus thinks that any old interpretation will do? Jesus is not using psychological tactics when he uses parables in Matthew 24-25 to prepare believers. Pretribulational theology teaches that those parables do not apply to them, which has spiritual ramifications.

Theology does matter---and don't let anyone tell you differently.

He has more to say about this psychological argumentation, and I will as well in a later post.

In the beginning of his lecture he starts off with this error:

We know that there will be Daniel's 70th week, and which I believe is the Great Tribulation.

The Great Tribulation is not identified with Daniel's 70th week. The Great Tribulation begins at the midpoint (Dan 9:27; Matt 24:15). Even pretribulational theologians and authors recognize that the Great Tribulation begins at the midpoint. This is not even a debatable issue and I was surprised that he would make this error.

Starting his eschatology on this error will tremendously distort one's understanding of the relationship between Antichrist, Rapture, and the Day of the Lord. Perhaps, this is largely the reason why he thinks we cannot be so certain. Consequently, later he asserts that Antichrist's rule lasts seven years. No where in Scripture does it teach this; yet he is certain about this, even though he does not provide us any Biblical evidence.

November 29, 2009

Eschatology: Certain or Uncertain?

Recently, a pastor critiquing the prewrath position wrote:

We must all admit that there is a degree of uncertainty and that it would be wrong and arrogant to claim to know for certain what is in fact uncertain.

A few comments:

i. Do you see the self-refuting assertion in that statement? This person is certain that we cannot be certain. To be consistent, he would have to admit that he is being "wrong and arrogant."

Prewrathers, do not be afraid when people are uncharitable and call you arrogant for believing confidently in the clarity of God's revelation on this truth. Do not let this blunt your assurance. Just because believers disagree on this issue it does not necessarily follow that we cannot be certain; frequently, there are other variables that prevent agreement. It is not God's fault when he communicated this to us, but Man's. When people use this "arrogant" tactic, don't start name calling back. Focus and stick with the text and encourage them to have meaningful, consistent, Biblical interaction.

ii. Paul wrote a second epistle to the Thessalonians clarifying and unpacking his eschatological teaching of the Lord's Coming. Paul did not write back and say, "It's OK to be uncertain about these matters, so continue in your confusion." Paul intends for believers to grasp these truths.

iii. In Matthew 24:15-31, Jesus stresses the chronological language and emphatically teaches that believers will encounter the Antichrist and his Great Tribulation. Jesus does not intend to be ambiguous on this point. If someone is uncertain to his teaching, it is their fault --- not Jesus'.

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates (Matt 24:32-33).

Jesus is making an explicit chronological statement in that passage. And notice Jesus does not say, "you should be uncertain as to when summer is near."

I plan soon to interact with this pastor's critiques against the prewrath position in a series. He makes assertions that he is certain about.

November 25, 2009

It's the Antichrist, Stupid

Once again, recently, I had an ex-pretribber write me and share his encouraging epiphany of how the Truth was under his nose all this time in 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul makes it explicitly clear that the Church will see the revelation of Antichrist. This text is the most commonly cited when I read prewrath "testimonies."

How someone reads the following passage and concludes that the rapture occurs before the revelation of Antichrist is a lesson in how Tradition prevents many believers from seeing the Truth.

"(1) Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, (2) not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. (3) Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. (4) He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God's temple, displaying himself as God. (5) Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you." (2 Thess 2:1-5).

November 15, 2009

Contend for the Faith that Was Once for All Delivered to the Saints

Roger Best exhorts us from the book of Jude to live holy in these godless days. This is a session from the 2009 2nd Annual Prewrath Conference in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Download as MP3

November 12, 2009

The Thought of an Asteroid Hitting the Earth Reveals Human Fear of Finiteness

Recently in the news, there was trepidation about an asteroid that just missed the earth by a few thousand miles. The scientists talked about the vast devastation that would occur if just a single one hit depending on its size. It revealed how the ungodly react to their finiteness and puniness. Their only concern is self-preservation---not having peace in their Creator no matter what happens. Imagine when this will actually happen at the sixth seal. It will not be a single occurrence:

"and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale." (Rev 6:13).

The ungodly's self-preservation will not be to find refuge in their Creator, but to flee from Him to the caves:

"Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, (16) calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb," (Rev 6:15-16).

November 8, 2009

The Rapture in Matthew 24:31

Here are my slide presentation notes in pdf format on the rapture in Matthew 24:31. I very much enjoyed the fellowship at the conference.

Pretribulationists believe that "gather his elect" is a reference to the regathering of Israel at the end of the 70th week of Daniel. Preterists, on the other hand, interpret it as the Christian mission beginning in AD 70 to gather in God's people to the Kingdom through evangelization. I showed, instead, that the Prewrath position is the most natural and consistent reading, demonstrating that this is indeed the rapture.

November 4, 2009

Prewrath Conference this Saturday!

I am looking forward to meeting all of you who will be attending the conference in a few days. We will have wonderful prewrath fellowship. If you are staying until Sunday, you are welcome to visit for Church at Conquering King Fellowship, where Ryan Habbena pastors. I will be giving a talk on responding to common prewrath objections from 9:00 am - 10:00.

November 4, 2009

What Will be the Sign to Christ's Second Coming?

"As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age? (27) For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (28) Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (29) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (30) Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matt 24:3, 27-31)

I have read scores of commentaries on Matthew 24, and I am always baffled that there are so many different interpretations of this question (preterists have the most strained readings). The most natural reading is that the sign is the lightning, which represents Christ's Shekinah glory --- his divine presence-glory.

"Parousia" (Coming) means presence. Ezekiel sadly witnessed the inverse of the sign of God's presence departing from the Temple.

"And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city." (Ezek 10:4, 18; 11:23)