Some christians believe that their church and denomination say it’s pre-tribulational rapture. Other churches or denominations believe that the rapture will take place in the middle of the tribulation. Another group posit that it is after the tribulation.Amazingly, all these groups presume to have scriptures to back their positions. Many times it turns into argument and name calling. We are supposed to examine scriptures for ourselves when we hear them just like the saints in Berea (Acts 17:11). Now let me also share what I believe is written in scripture concerning this matter so that you can know my knowledge in this matter and the questions I have.All these positions believe however that in the rapture of the church, the dead in Christ have to rise first (resurrection of the dead). If this is so, we can then look at different scriptures if not all, what the LORD Himself said about resurrection.In Daniel 12:1-2, the angel of the LORD gave a message to Daniel. He spoke this: “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a “TIME OF TROUBLE” Such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, EVERYONE who is found written in the BOOK. And many of those who ‘sleep in the dust’ of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt..”In this above text, the angel explicitly said that there will be a “time of trouble” before the deliverance and resurrection of the dead. God promised prophet Daniel that in the time of great trouble, only those whose names are written in “the book” shall be delivered; meaning those who will be raptured shall have their names in the Lamb’s book of Life. Ask yourself this: “Are those who are of Israel whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life (Jewish christians now called Messianic Jews) going to have a different resurrection than those who are Gentile christians? Would you have Bible scriptures to back your point if you said yes to the above question? If No, then let’s find out about what the trouble is about?The next thing we have to address is this: “the time of trouble.” In the subsequent verses of Daniel 12, especially in the verse 7-9, the angel revealed this; “……that it shall be for a time, times and half a time; and when the power of the Holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. The statement “time, times and half a time” represent three and half years (3.5years). This calculation can be seen in Daniel 7:25, typifying “The Great Tribulation” which is echoed in Revelation 13:5 as forty two months (42 months equals 3.5 years).Therefore, from Daniel 12, we can understand that the people, elect of God who will go through the tribulation already have their names in the book of life. If the people of Daniel, meaning, Messianic Jews in these last days have to go through the tribulation, who believes in Jesus Christ and are in Him; then, why should the Gentile believers claim that they won’t go through the tribulation despite the angel saying that the Jewish Christians will? Are the Gentile christians claiming superiority over Messianic jews? Are the Jews and Gentiles not supposed to be one in Christ? (Galatians 3:28). Moreover, the anti Christ was to make war against the saints and overcome them from every tribe, tongues, nation (Revelation 13:7). So it’s not going to be only Messianic Jews (saints) going through the tribulation but every Christian from all nations and tongues. The argument of supposed “left behind” christians going through the tribulation is not scriptural. If that was possible, the 5 foolish virgins will have a second chance (read Matthew 25). But Jesus told them plainly “I DO NOT KNOW YOU.”Again, the Apostle John received this revelation not for the Jews in Judaism (non Christian Jews) but for the church (which at that time were both Jews and Gentiles/Greeks). So, for us to assume that the non saved Jews will go through the tribulation to be saved or converted is unfathomable. For in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, the word of God says that “…..because the people did not RECEIVE the love of the truth (GOSPEL), that they might be SAVED, and for this reason God will send them a STRONG DELUSION that they should believe a lie; that they “MAY ALL PERISH” who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. “ That means when the Anti Christ is revealed, the salvation door closes for all, whether Jews or Gentiles and all unsaved people will believe the lie from the man of Sin and will perish forever.Think about this. The church began with Jews because the gospel was preached to them first. Many believed and many rejected the gospel. All those who believed among them have died and are waiting for the day of Resurrection. Aren’t they also part of them that the angel said those who “sleep in the dust shall awake” (Daniel 12:1)? And if they will be awakened, shouldn’t their resurrection be after the “great trouble” as the God told Daniel through the prophet? Should we trust God’s word or man’s opinion?Unless any church or denomination can prove from scriptures that there will be “two resurrections”; one for Gentile church and another for the Jewish christians/ church(Messianic Jews), we all should begin to question this position of pre-tribulational rapture. Because those whose names are written in the Lambs book of Life are the elect of God, the chosen before the foundation of the World. And the elect from the Messianic Jews and the Gentile church are one in Christ and Jesus Christ, our Lord will gather them as one.END OF PART 1
Blog
