Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
This pretty much ends the argument of the Pre-Trib Rapture being a new or recent doctrine. It is more like the seal being slowly broken as we reach the last days. We may have some minor details off that we will learn as we get closer, but the main points of the doctrine I think are clearly taught.
While there may have been some that speculated on this long before the theology was defined more clearly and preached in recent times they were on the track but could not get it all together because it was not meant to be understood until the end times. After all, Aristotle said that the only way men would understand God was if He came down as a man. That was 200 years before Christ so he was close, but no cigar, so to speak.
Personally, I believe the age of apostasy started in the 19th century when men starting taking God out of His Word, creation, economics and ultimately early in the 20th century out of man's mind with Freud and others' teaching, This is prime atmosphere for a prophecy revelation and also sparked the movement in Azusa for the revival of the teaching of all of the gifts of the Spirit since neither the Spirit or His mission ever changed. That said, there is a lot of hoo-ha going on that is not of the Spirit.
The Tribulation is God's wrath on man and the 70th week of Daniel, which is a Jewish prophecy not a church issue. We did not replace Israel. We are a parenthetical bubble between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel. God will fulfill ALL of His promises to them. They may be on the bench, so to speak, for the times of the Gentiles, but they are not off the team and in a sense are the first string, Mixing the two of us has been a problem for centuries and has led to all sorts of problems in theologies and practices.
It is obvious that the 1st Century Church expected Jesus to return any time because the "Lord is at hand," (Phil 4:5,1 Peter 4:7)
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
One of the motivations for people in Acts 2 to be selling everything and sharing may have been the fact that they felt long range investments and retirement plans were no longer needed so they could have all things in common.
Yes, that is speculation, but one thing is proven that they were not practicing Socialism or Communism because they were not forced to do as the couple died for lying about their donation, not because they kept some money back.
Later on Peter, had to explain to people that time is not the same for God as it was for men when they scoffed about the return of Christ. God led him to write that a thousand years is as a day to the Lord meaning today Jesus has only been gone a bit over two days.
There is no place where the Church was waiting for 7 years of Tribulation before the Rapture. They were wondering why He was not already here. Indeed, John, a pillar of the Church, was called up to view the Tribulation from Heaven. It would not be the first time that God ever revealed something to a prophet on the earth, but it was the first time He revealed something to a prophet while he was in heaven. There has to be some reason for that change since it was a significant change.
God could have made a place for Noah and the animals to go where he could put a shield around then like Atlantis in the Star Gate series. In a sense, He took them off the Earth to a safe place.
He removed Lot and his family from Sodom before He destroyed the city. He could have wiped the whole area out and spared Lot's house with the family. He spared them by taking them out of the fire rather than in it.
The children of Israel were in a different place so they did not suffer the plagues Moses brought upon Egypt. They were not in the midst of the Egyptians and being spared. They were will in a separate place.
The Tribulation will be a world wide judgment seeing that God puts His people in places where the judgment does not harm or effect them it is not really hard to see that the concept of God pulling His people out before the judgment hits.
So while the concept is more defined than previous Christians could do only shows that it was a prophecy that was not ready to be fully revealed before the end times. Do we understand it fully now? I think we will see some refinements or get more clarity as the clock winds down, but the basic premise is solid.
Some would argue a Mid-Trib or a Pre-Wrath Rapture because the first half is not the pouring out of His wrath. Again, I would point out that the 70th week is all about the Jews. If the Church were here we could help the 144,000 male virgin Jewish evangelists or they might not even be needed as we could be empowered to reach the Jews since we are winning some Jews to Christ now.
It is a different time or season where God is specifically dealing directly with His Chosen people. We Gentiles had our time. We will be gone. The Church and OT saints will be coming back with Him to finish off the time of satan's folly and bring the remnant of Jews into His Millennial reign! Alleluia! Maranatha!!
May 18, 1976 Pre-Rapture Meditations
The day is growing quickly near,
When I will leave this earth so drear.
I will be engulfed completely by His sweet love
In that glorious home somewhere above.
For twenty two dismal years His love and law, I spurned
Then my Lord Jesus saved me from the Hell, I had earned.
I could not love Him or look Him in the face
If not for His blood and matchless grace.
I search my flesh and in it find no speck of good
But, I know He saved me because He said He would.
Any righteousness I may have is not really mine,
It is the life that comes from the Everlasting Vine.
My finite mind cannot begin to comprehend
A love for me that is without end.
No one could even begin His portrait to draw
For in comparison to His glory it would be a childish scrawl.
I am only a sinner saved by grace.
Look not to me, as I still run the race.
Rather look to Jesus Christ instead
For it is He who has risen from the dead.
I still trip, stumble and fall.
Only He is conqueror over all.
He has elected me because I believed
And from my burden of sin I am relieved.
He is coming soon to receive His own unto Himself
And take His judgment vials from off the shelf.
He will pour out His wrath on all Mankind
Because, they desired to be spiritually blind.
You can escape this dreadful curse
And the sentence to Hell, which is far worse.
Believe in your heart that Jesus is the Saviour God sent.
Ask Him to save you; confess and repent.
It is easy to be saved, so do it today.
To enter Heaven, Christ is the only way.
Tomorrow He may take us in the wink of an eye
And, I will be gone before you say "Good-
