Here is the first of this site’s proofs. It’s an Old Testament Scripture used to prove that the Day of the Lord is the Tribulation.  

There are many Day of the Lord scriptures in the Old Testament. He chooses one that is a bit hard to discern by itself.  It is not so hard when we examine other Day of the Lord Scriptures along with it.  I’ll link below my most recent  “Day of the Lord” posting for your examination. Then I’ll give you my thoughts on his teaching here. Then in a future post we will examine this Zephaniah passage. 

https://raptureonline.blog/2025/02/26/the-day-of-the-lord/

So back to his take on Zephaniah. And I Quote:

” We can divide in half what we call the Old Testament (literally, the “Old Covenant,” referring to the covenant that was made with Israel). There are basically two ages: one before and one after Abraham. That’s where everything changes. I will refer to the earlier age, for lack of a better term, as the “Age of Gentiles.” There were no Jews. Isn’t it amazing that God calls Abraham out of Ur of Chaldea and starts a new race, the youngest race on the planet—the Jewish race. So, the Age of the Gentiles is then followed by the “Age of Israel” or the Law. All that leads up to the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With the finished work of Christ on the cross, an entirely new age begins—the marvelous “Church Age.””

I want to speak here of a basic pre-Trib misunderstanding that is presented here.  What is being referred to here as the Church age is not called such in the Scriptures.  In fact the church is introduced by Christ’s death burial and resurrection which is the bringing in of the New Covenant also promised to Israel.  Therapy age of Israel is not over.  In fact, children are still being produced for Israel (see Isa. 54) even when Israel is disbursed throughout the nations and seemingly barren, because she rejected her New Covenant giver. Now we return to their argument. 

“After the Church Age comes seven years of Tribulation. There are so many passages that make it clear that there are seven years. It can’t even be contested.”  End Quote. 

So what is the implication here?  It seems implied that the seven year  tribulation is being contested; obviously this is not the issue. The issue is who is here for this tribulation period.   What must be remembered is this: that God interacts with His people in different ways that some believers will call ages, but the world itself is always made up of the fallen man refusing God.  Gods people are in the world but not of it.  Humanity is always seen living in this fallen state, without God.  But God is at the same time completing Abraham’s seed.  This seed is known by many names: Israel; the Church; the Bride; the Olive Tree. The people of God. 

They continue:

“According to Jesus in Matthew 24, the Tribulation Period is the most awful time human history ever has or ever will experience…Men will seek death and not be able to find it. It will be so horrible.” End quote

What is not stated here is that believers in Christ will be persecuted and most will possibly die in or  during this 7 year time frame.  These obviously are not among those seeking death and not finding it.  If you see fit to read their entire article; then you will know that the fact that God has His people (believers) here at that time is not explored nor is it properly explained.  What these saints are saved for according to Pre-Trib doctrine, is to have a people to rule over during the millennium.  Why, these who die “in Christ” are not included in the Church, is a big problem for their doctrine.  Jesus explains those to be ruled over in Matthew 25 as those He will judge in the sheep/ goats judgment.  They will be called into the millennium because they treated some of His brethren standing with Him (when still here as the Church) in a helpful way when they needed help during the time preceding this judgment of nations. That preceding period Jesus called the Tribulation.  These being judged do not know Scripture and they are being judged for their works.  They are not judged because of  a relationship with Jesus. They are obviously not among those who died in Christ during that terrible Tribulation, for those who died are resurrected and are standing with the Bride, “the dead in Christ will rise first”, and they are standing among Jesus brethren, whom they had helped survive even though only temporarily. 

So our teacher now explains the Jews predicament. And I quote:

“One of the reasons that the Jews couldn’t understand who Christ was is because they put First Coming and Second Coming prophecies together. And they didn’t realize there had to be something in between. So where is the “Victorious King?” End quote. 

Now, we need to answer this their question for them:  He the King is coming back after the Remnant of the Jews are saved and after they are added back to the chosen. They are correct that the final remnant of Israel’s salvation will occur as a result of Great Tribulation.  But being saved no matter if Jew or gentile means being placed in Christ. 

1 Corinthians 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (KJV)

Therefore if any of them die in Christ; then they are to be resurrected before the Rapture. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Tribulations dead are in Christ, because no man can be resurrected in the first resurrection without being in Christ.  Paul told us that. Then he says:

1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (KJV)

This is the teaching of Scripture that Dispensationalists can’t get around without doing things with the word of God that are not literal to the word.  And when taken together the teaching’s of Paul obfuscates; then denies a pre-Trib Rapture.