By Jonathan C. Brentner
Why do we believe that the rapture will happen before the tribulation? There are a number of signposts in Scripture that point us in the direction of which I will write about in the coming weeks. I will start with premillennialism.
Premillennialism is the belief in the thousand year reign of Jesus before the eternal state (see Rev. 20:1-10). Those who hold to this position believe in a literal seven year tribulation after which Jesus returns to earth to setup His kingdom and rule over the nations from Jerusalem.
This is why affirming a belief in these things must come first. The timing of the rapture does not matter if one denies the reality of the tribulation and relegates the judgments of Revelation 6-16 either to history or to allegory with hidden spiritual meanings.
In order to establish a solid basis for providing biblical evidence of a pretribulation rapture, we must first show how why amillennialism, the belief that there is no millennium, contradicts the Word of God.
Most amillennialists believe God replaced Israel with the church after the Jews rejected His Son. They change to the physical promises to the nation into ones with spiritual significance for the body of Christ. Another strain of amillennialism errantly asserts that Jesus fulfilled all covenants God made with Israel.
Both the above theologies deny the literalness of all scriptural prophecies relating to the millennium, Israel, and the tribulation.
In other words, they make God a liar and a breaker of covenants. Let me explain why I say that.
In Psalm 105:8-11, the Psalmist tells us in no uncertain terms that God’s promise of land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is “an everlasting covenant.” It’s not only impossible to regard Jesus as fulfilling the promise of physical land to Israel; it contradicts the clear words of Scripture regarding the enduring nature of that promise.
In words that cannot be regarded as allegory or explained away in any other way, the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah states that Israel will remain a nation in God’s eyes as long as the “fixed order” of day and night exists (Jer. 31:35-37). The prophet repeats this promise in Jeremiah 33:23-26 for the Israelites in his day who were saying the Lord had rejected them.
The rising of the sun each day testifies to Israel’s abiding place as a nation in the eyes of the Lord.
In words that cannot be explained in any other way, Paul tells us Romans 11 that God has not rejected Israel as a people or nation and that someday they will turn to Jesus as a people.
Though amillennialists will argue to the contrary, their beliefs assault the character of God as One who keeps His promises to us. As Paul said in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” This applies to Israel as well as to us. Just as with Israel, we are forever secure!
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