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There is a theory where the 7 churches in Revelation stand for 7 ages in church history. The sixth church is Philadelphia, Asia Province. (Not Pennsylvania.) It is the next to last church, and is assumed to be the church of the missionary age. And that seems to fit. Jesus promises to open a door for them none can close, etc. But those favoring the theory of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture find a verse in this church’s section that they insist is not for the missionary age, but for the final last days church.
In Rev 3:10 ESV Jesus says to the Philadelphia church: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
They insist this proves that Jesus will rapture the church before the tribulation starts, so they won’t have to go through the lively times about to come. Yet St Paul says that when Jesus comes: (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 CEV) “We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.”
Exciting stuff. And I totally believe it. But there is one colossal flaw in using this as a verse about the pre-trib rapture. Did you spot it? Probably not. I am not surprised that you didn’t. Read it again. Still didn’t see it? Good boy! That is because the problem is not located in those verses by themselves. If it was, I doubt that the pre-trib rapture movement would have gotten started in the 1830‘s. Instead the problem comes out when we compare this section of scripture with another set. Revelation 20:4-6 ESV.
“Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God's word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over these, but they will be priests of God and the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.”
Now do you see it? If the first resurrection doesn’t occur until after the tribulation (which as even pre-trib fans admit is when the antichrist runs around beheading those who refuse to take his mark) how can the saints be raised from the dead before the tribulation starts?
I have never met a pre-tribulation follower who can explain that one. The vast majority in fact are greatly surprised when I point it out.
Time for a short history lesson on something that hasn’t happened yet.
There are no writings or references by any writer about the pre-tribulation rapture prior to 1830. Every reference to the rapture before 1830 is to the post-tribulation rapture. There are web sites that offer thousands of dollars in prizes for the first person to offer evidence that it was ever taught before 1830. The size of the prizes grows, but the rewards are never claimed. This doesn’t prove that the theory is false, only that it did not exist among the early Christians, the Church fathers or any Christians throughout history until 1830.
The pre-tribulation rapture theory began with a fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald of Port Glasgow, Scotland. In 1830 she had a dream or vision that Christians were raptured just prior to the Great Tribulation. In 1831 or 1832 a Presbyterian pastor in London, named Edward Irving heard about this dream or vision of Miss MacDonald, and started teaching it to his congregation. These are well-known and perfectly established facts among scholars of eschatology.
It is also well-documented that John Nelson Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren, only began teaching this new theory after visiting Miss MacDonald, In 1917, C. I. Scofield published his improved edition of the Scofield Reference Bible which contained the dispensational pre-tribulation teachings of Darby. Soon many Bible Colleges such as Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary became promoters of the pre-tribulation rapture. Still, it did not grow too much until after WWII. When Israel became a nation again in 1948, interest in the end times grew by leaps and bounds.
In 1970 Hal Lindsey, who attended Dallas Theological Seminary, published ‘The Late Great Planet Earth‘. Millions of copies were sold and a movie of it was made. The huge success of this book turned the pre-tribulation from a fringe doctrine into the standard in the USA.
I read this book before I became a Christian, and was greatly influenced by it. I didn’t know the shaky background of this theory at the time, and it helped make me decide to become a Christian.
The popularity of the ‘Left Behind’ series of books and movies has catapulted the popularity of the theory even farther, until questioning this Pre-Tribulation theory is seen as denying the Bible, rejecting the Gospel, and repudiating Christ and His Grace.
But widespread acceptance of a doctrine does not make it true. What really matters is not whether some Bible colleges or many pastors teach the pre-tribulation rapture theory, or even if many Christians accept it as true; what really matters is what does the Word of God say?
Most Christians in this country are not spiritually ready to go through what is on the horizon if it is as late as many believers think it is. The days of the Great Tribulation will be the worst time that this world has ever seen. And this earth has seen some very bad times. Not many Christians are ready to go through the Great Tribulation. Believing you are going to be raptured out before it begins is certainly not conducive to spiritual preparation for it. And unfortunately, a great many Christians think they are going to view the coming tribulation from a perch up in heaven where they feel they will be nice and safe.
Now back to Revelation 3:10. “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” (ESV)
Note that Jesus addresses the church in Philadelphia. A real church made of real people existing at that specific time and place. While the church as a whole can learn from the advice Jesus is giving them, as He ends His letter “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”, He ends every one of the seven letters that way. Is there anything that makes this one verse be a promise to the entire church at the end times? I am afraid that the only thing doing that is wishful thinking. There is nothing in this verse that indicates that it is an absolute unconditional promise to the church at large in the last days just before the tribulation.
Let’s look at history. Did Jesus keep the church there from the hour of trial that was coming? No. Their bishop and 12 of his followers died in it. We can safely say that if Jesus meant that He was going to keep the Philadelphians safe and secure from tribulation, He failed miserably.
But we know Jesus never fails to keep His promises. So something must be missing here. And if we look at the Greek of the verse, we find it. Kamoi Tereo Se Ek Ho Hora Peirasmos is actually better translated as “I will get you through the hour of trial”. And GW does translate it “Because you have obeyed my command to endure, I will keep you safe during the time of testing which is coming to the whole world to test those living on earth.” Now that fits in better with His praising them that they did not deny that they were His followers in verse 8, His reference to their patient endurance in verse 10, and His urging them to hold on firmly in verse 11. They continued to hold on firmly with patient endurance and not deny they were His followers when the much bigger persecution came. They not only held on, despite the persecution and martyrdom of their bishop, the church there came out of the persecution bigger and better than it was when it went in. That is actually a much better source of encouragement for the church in the end times. That results in:
“After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders asked me, "Who are these people robed in white, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary. The One seated on the throne will shelter them: no longer will they hunger; no longer will they thirst; no longer will the sun strike them, or any heat. Because the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; He will guide them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17 HCSB)
I am afraid that those who have bought into the pre-trib scenario will be shocked and horribly disappointed to find themselves going through the tribulation and having to face Antichrist. When that happens, millions will give up on God and His word. They will believe that God did not keep His promise of a pre-trib rapture. Therefore His Word must be false. Then they will reject Him.
Luke 18:8 ESV “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
In Rev 3:10 ESV Jesus says to the Philadelphia church: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
They insist this proves that Jesus will rapture the church before the tribulation starts, so they won’t have to go through the lively times about to come. Yet St Paul says that when Jesus comes: (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 CEV) “We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.”
Exciting stuff. And I totally believe it. But there is one colossal flaw in using this as a verse about the pre-trib rapture. Did you spot it? Probably not. I am not surprised that you didn’t. Read it again. Still didn’t see it? Good boy! That is because the problem is not located in those verses by themselves. If it was, I doubt that the pre-trib rapture movement would have gotten started in the 1830‘s. Instead the problem comes out when we compare this section of scripture with another set. Revelation 20:4-6 ESV.
“Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God's word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over these, but they will be priests of God and the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.”
Now do you see it? If the first resurrection doesn’t occur until after the tribulation (which as even pre-trib fans admit is when the antichrist runs around beheading those who refuse to take his mark) how can the saints be raised from the dead before the tribulation starts?
I have never met a pre-tribulation follower who can explain that one. The vast majority in fact are greatly surprised when I point it out.
Time for a short history lesson on something that hasn’t happened yet.
There are no writings or references by any writer about the pre-tribulation rapture prior to 1830. Every reference to the rapture before 1830 is to the post-tribulation rapture. There are web sites that offer thousands of dollars in prizes for the first person to offer evidence that it was ever taught before 1830. The size of the prizes grows, but the rewards are never claimed. This doesn’t prove that the theory is false, only that it did not exist among the early Christians, the Church fathers or any Christians throughout history until 1830.
The pre-tribulation rapture theory began with a fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald of Port Glasgow, Scotland. In 1830 she had a dream or vision that Christians were raptured just prior to the Great Tribulation. In 1831 or 1832 a Presbyterian pastor in London, named Edward Irving heard about this dream or vision of Miss MacDonald, and started teaching it to his congregation. These are well-known and perfectly established facts among scholars of eschatology.
It is also well-documented that John Nelson Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren, only began teaching this new theory after visiting Miss MacDonald, In 1917, C. I. Scofield published his improved edition of the Scofield Reference Bible which contained the dispensational pre-tribulation teachings of Darby. Soon many Bible Colleges such as Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary became promoters of the pre-tribulation rapture. Still, it did not grow too much until after WWII. When Israel became a nation again in 1948, interest in the end times grew by leaps and bounds.
In 1970 Hal Lindsey, who attended Dallas Theological Seminary, published ‘The Late Great Planet Earth‘. Millions of copies were sold and a movie of it was made. The huge success of this book turned the pre-tribulation from a fringe doctrine into the standard in the USA.
I read this book before I became a Christian, and was greatly influenced by it. I didn’t know the shaky background of this theory at the time, and it helped make me decide to become a Christian.
The popularity of the ‘Left Behind’ series of books and movies has catapulted the popularity of the theory even farther, until questioning this Pre-Tribulation theory is seen as denying the Bible, rejecting the Gospel, and repudiating Christ and His Grace.
But widespread acceptance of a doctrine does not make it true. What really matters is not whether some Bible colleges or many pastors teach the pre-tribulation rapture theory, or even if many Christians accept it as true; what really matters is what does the Word of God say?
Most Christians in this country are not spiritually ready to go through what is on the horizon if it is as late as many believers think it is. The days of the Great Tribulation will be the worst time that this world has ever seen. And this earth has seen some very bad times. Not many Christians are ready to go through the Great Tribulation. Believing you are going to be raptured out before it begins is certainly not conducive to spiritual preparation for it. And unfortunately, a great many Christians think they are going to view the coming tribulation from a perch up in heaven where they feel they will be nice and safe.
Now back to Revelation 3:10. “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” (ESV)
Note that Jesus addresses the church in Philadelphia. A real church made of real people existing at that specific time and place. While the church as a whole can learn from the advice Jesus is giving them, as He ends His letter “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”, He ends every one of the seven letters that way. Is there anything that makes this one verse be a promise to the entire church at the end times? I am afraid that the only thing doing that is wishful thinking. There is nothing in this verse that indicates that it is an absolute unconditional promise to the church at large in the last days just before the tribulation.
Let’s look at history. Did Jesus keep the church there from the hour of trial that was coming? No. Their bishop and 12 of his followers died in it. We can safely say that if Jesus meant that He was going to keep the Philadelphians safe and secure from tribulation, He failed miserably.
But we know Jesus never fails to keep His promises. So something must be missing here. And if we look at the Greek of the verse, we find it. Kamoi Tereo Se Ek Ho Hora Peirasmos is actually better translated as “I will get you through the hour of trial”. And GW does translate it “Because you have obeyed my command to endure, I will keep you safe during the time of testing which is coming to the whole world to test those living on earth.” Now that fits in better with His praising them that they did not deny that they were His followers in verse 8, His reference to their patient endurance in verse 10, and His urging them to hold on firmly in verse 11. They continued to hold on firmly with patient endurance and not deny they were His followers when the much bigger persecution came. They not only held on, despite the persecution and martyrdom of their bishop, the church there came out of the persecution bigger and better than it was when it went in. That is actually a much better source of encouragement for the church in the end times. That results in:
“After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders asked me, "Who are these people robed in white, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary. The One seated on the throne will shelter them: no longer will they hunger; no longer will they thirst; no longer will the sun strike them, or any heat. Because the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; He will guide them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17 HCSB)
I am afraid that those who have bought into the pre-trib scenario will be shocked and horribly disappointed to find themselves going through the tribulation and having to face Antichrist. When that happens, millions will give up on God and His word. They will believe that God did not keep His promise of a pre-trib rapture. Therefore His Word must be false. Then they will reject Him.
Luke 18:8 ESV “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
