PREMIES, MIDDIES & POSTIES

[WILL THE CHURCH GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION?]

Rick Jackson

When we talk about the millennium we call ourselves by three possible names. A "premillennialist" believes Christ will come back before the millennium, a postmillennialist believes Christ will return after the millennium, while an amillennialist says, "Aw, there ain't gonna be no millennium." Make no mistake about it it I am a premillennialist. I am a premillennial Christian because I believe that's what the Bible teaches. I came to this doctrine with no preconceived ideas (I was not raised a fundamental, Bible-believing Baptist-I came to be one through salvation and conviction from studying the Scriptures) and I am convinced this is what the Bible teaches!

You can be a premillennialist and still be a post-tribulationist. Or you can be a premillennialist and be a mid-tribulationist. Or you can be right and be a pre-tribulational premillennialist. At least that's the way I like to think of it. I have reasons I believe that is right and I want to share just a few of them with you now from the Word of God.

I am a pre-tribulational, premillennialist because:

I. OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE IMMINENT RAPTURE

I Cor. 1:4-7 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

I Thess. 1:9-10 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep

Titus 2:11-13 the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Note that in all these verses we are to look for His coming, not the tribulation.

II. WE ARE PROMISED DELIVERANCE FROM WRATH

I Th. 1:9-10, 5:2-9

Rom. 5:8-9 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Rev. 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Rev. 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

We are promised deliverance from God's wrath and though the primary emphasis may be the lake of fire it cannot be denied that this time on earth is designated as the wrath of the Lamb!

There are a few who may believe in a "Pre-Wrath Rapture - the church will go through the great tribulation by Antichrist during the end times, but will be raptured immediately before the 'Day of the Lord' wrath, when Christ cuts short the persecution of Antichrist." This is better than the post-trib. view but still not as good as the pre-trib. view as we shall continue to explain.

Others may believe in a "Partial Rapture - only those who are faithful in the church will be raptured or translated and the rest will either be raptured sometime during the tribulation or at its end." This could better be called the rupture of the church since they believe some will go through the tribulation and some won't. I am going to be raptured because of Christ's work... not mine!

III. THE CHURCH ISN'T MENTIONED IN REVELATION 6-9 (WHICH DEALS WITH THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IN DETAIL)

Rev. 1-3 mentions "church" or "churches" almost 20 times then you will not find the church mentioned again by name until 22:16. Many believe Rev. 4:1 is a picture of the Rapture (compare with I Th. 4:16-17 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: 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).

"This is a definite statement concerning the rapture. When anyone tells you the word rapture is not in the Bible, remember that the Greek word for 'caught up' is harpazo; it means 'caught up, raptured, or snatched up.' ... If you don't like the word rapture then call it harpazo. That's what paul called it. We are to be caught up, and His voice will be like a trumpet. It pulled John up, and someday it will pull you and me up." -J. Vernon McGee

The church returns with the Lord in Rev. 19:7-9

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT'S RESTRAINING MINISTRY THROUGH CHRISTIANS MUST BE REMOVED

II Th. 2:3-9, Mt. 5:13-16

V. OF THE MANY EXAMPLES OF GOD'S DELIVERING HIS CHILDREN BEFORE PUNISHING THE UNGODLY

Noah was delivered before the flood, Lot (am unfaithful Christian at best) was delivered from Sodom & Gommorha [II Peter 2:1-9]