Today, we are going to look at The 7 Biblical reasons that Andy Wood’s states will make the Rapture’s Timing pre-Trib. This will take some time, so don’t get angry with me.

A Look at Andy’s 7 reasons or Arguments for the _______Rapture

1. Tribulation’s purpose concerns Israel (Jer. 30:7, Dan 9:24).

In our last post just a couple of days ago we showed the connection between Daniel and us as believers in Messiah. And we drew the conclusion that the church is included with Daniel’s people (one with the saints). But if that is true then the church must also be present in Great Tribulation according to scripture just as we see Israel there. In order for God to prove that to us, that teaching must come from His word.

Revelation 2:22 ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed [of sickness,] and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (NASB1995)

This message is stated to one of the seven churches, but this action is taken by God and it will show all of the church (All of us who are represented in the seven churches) exactly what He will do and when He will do it. Remember if the church is Raptured before the Tribulation, then we will no longer be represented in these seven churches, but instead we would be one bride. So these churches will learn from Great Tribulation.

Andy’s next point:

2. No reference to the church on earth during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 4-22)

If the above is true, then neither should their be any believers in Christ as savior in these chapters 4-22. But this issue goes deeper than Andy’s reason number 2. There is in fact no mention of the church by that title anywhere in these chapters, either on the earth or in the heavens. So, let’s go deep. John the Apostle who penned the Revelation, also penned his gospel, and three other epistles. No where within them is the church mentioned as the word “church” representing the Body of Christ. In only one of his writings, 3 John, does he use “church” or Ekklesia in the Greek to describe the local assembly, exactly as it was used in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Therefore he never used in scripture anywhere the word church to represent the bride or body of Christ. If you find one instance please make it known. Not even was “church” used in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 as a description of the entire body of believers in Christ. In Chapter 19 it is said that the bride hath made herself ready, speaking of the complete Church.

So this statement by Andy and the pre-Trib scholars is only a deception, a distraction.

3. The Church is promised an exemption from divine wrath.

This is true, but it does not explain what Divine Wrath is. If the Tribulation is God’s wrath then God’s wrath must be intended for Israel, right? This is what they must think. Andy states in his first point above that the Tribulation is for Israel. So what of this promise in the Old Testament to Israel all about?

Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. (KJV)

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here. I’ve written on this subject of wrath before, so I will refer you to one of those posts where you will come to see what God’s wrath really is, and it’s not Tribulation.

https://raptureonline.blog/2019/04/27/making-sense-of-revelations-wrath-and-jesus-coming-without-adding-to-or-subtracting-from-what-jesus-sent-his-angel-to-tell-us/

4. The Rapture is imminent. (1 Cor. 15:51 & 1Thess. 4:15

1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], (AMP)

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For we say this to you by the Lord’s [own] word, that we who are still alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede [into His presence] those [believers] who have fallen asleep [in death]. (AMP)

We have spoken of this before in posts, but if the Rapture is pre-Trib; then we would have actually preceded those who die in the Lord during the Tribulation, and Paul clearly states in this passage that that will not happen. But what exactly in these verses which Andy used on this point, will make Our Lord’s Coming imminent? Imminent means that there is nothing to look for before it will happen; yet Paul states elsewhere, that this will occur at the last Trumpet; implying that there are trumpets that will precede it. He also says:

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (KJV)

If Jesus coming is at or during the night, as He Himself has stated it to be in Matt. 24 and Mark 13, then there must be darkness all over the earth when He comes as He describes it. Scriptures in the Old Testament referencing this day of the Lord also speak of the Sun moon and stars not giving their light Joel 2; Isa 13. These times and seasons of which Paul speaks are known by us because of their signs. These signs make the Lords coming imminent. For more proof read the following post:

https://raptureonline.blog/2019/08/07/obadiah-the-day-of-the-lord-and-the-rapture/

5: Rapture is a comfort 1 Thess. 4:18

Paul in this passage is comforting those who have seen their loved ones in Christ die, and up to this time there. Was no explicit teaching on Resurrection. Even the gathering or catching up of which Jesus spoke, will not preceded the resurrection of your loved ones in Christ. Why would the resurrection and Raptures promise not be a comfort to us all, including to those, who are going through Tribulation and seeing their loved ones killed? Andy, mockingly implies that this message of Paul’s can be no comfort. Enough said.

6. Antichrist cannot come to power until the restrainer is removed (2 Thess 2:6-7)

There is no real proof that the restrainer is anyone other than God Himself. Jesus stated that the Father was the only one to know the day and hour of His Coming, and therefore He must be the only one who could know of the timing of Antichrist’s coming. The church is certainly not the restrainer of evil. It cannot even completely restrain evil within itself. The Holy Spirit is God, He is everywhere. He cannot be taken from the earth. He is the only force for salvation, no matter if in Tribulation or before it.

7. Symbolic parallels (2 Peter 2:5-9)

This message by Peter is that the end of the age will culminate as in Noah’s day this is Andy’s point.

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Luke 17:27-29 KJV

These verses are used by every pre-Trib dispensational teacher of prophecy to tell us that the Tribulation will proceed following the removal of the church. Just look at Noah and Lot, they say. But destruction fell in Noah’s case as soon as he entered the ark, and it is understood to be even more immediate in our Lords statement concerning Lot. The destruction left no one in Noah’s case except his family which was in the ark with him. The Tribulation’s end, however leaves most of the truly evil men alive and well (marrying and giving in marriage after the so called pre-trib rapture. It is these very evil people, who are leading the world through this Tribulation. They were not destroyed as in Noah’s and Lot’s day. They even include the Antichrist himself, who is being worshiped, and who remains alive until the end of the age when Jesus comes. So my question is — how does the Tribulation meet the criteria laid out in Jesus’ own description of this coming destruction? They did eat. They drank, they married and gave in marriage until Noah entered the ark.

And my point to Andy, is that pre-Trib rapture does not meet this criteria, and therefore that its misuse in the discussion of the timing of the church’s exit places it in the same category as other end time deception of which Jesus speaks. It is high time for believers, who are lovers and followers of Christ to realize that it just may cost us something to be followers of Israel’s Messiah as were the Apostles. Maybe it will even cost our lives. Will this be demanded from the overcomer of these last days? Wrong expectations in this life can be very destructive to the very soul of man.

More deception is coming in these times from sites like the above. Don’t be caught up (no pun intended) in these deceptions. What you need is God’s perspective on our time. Read your Bible and believe what you read.