The Rapture Question Answered, Part 6

John Little in his Shock Letter of April 28, 2014 writes against the pre-tribulation Rapture position.

I have never yet read a convincing refutation of the Bible-based pre-tribulation Rapture viewpoint to which I hold. I have made a careful study of this issue for many years. I have collected a sizable library of books written about this issue.

I have found that those who support a different viewpoint:

(1) fail to carefully interpret the Scriptures involved in the light of their immediate context;

(2) fail to grasp the larger prophetic teaching taught in Scripture based on the provisions of the unconditional eternal covenants made by God with Abraham and David;

(3) sometimes engage in ad hominem arguments–arguments that do not address Scripture, but attack or criticize the alleged historical source of the pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine, or its supposed newness;

(4) base their non-acceptance of the pre-tribulation Rapture issue upon issues that have no direct bearing upon the truthfulness of the doctrine, but the alleged negative outcomes belief in such teaching will bring to those who do believe the Bible teaching about the pre-tribulation Rapture.

I will try to present what Mr. John Little has written in his Shock Letter as fairly as I know how. If he can prove his point, should it disagree with what I believe, I of course will be obligated to change my position.

John writes:

Now, there’s a reason why I am so passionate about this, and it’s the same reason why this website exists. If you don’t get this, and if you don’t prepare, you are going to die a terrible death.

I believe this very sincere and concerned statement by Mr. Little illustrates the reason why Mr. Little does not believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture. Such a reason is flawed logic, and illustrates my point (4) immediately above. I furnished the most extensive cross references for Proverbs 22:3 to show careful students of the Bible will indeed seek faithfully to be prepared for any contingency. I gave the cross references for Acts 14:22 to show the Bible teaches that true Christians will suffer persecution and tribulation, but I would call attention to the fact that I proved from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 that believers of this age will not experience the Great Tribulation, for they will be removed by the Rapture before that singular event transpires.

Next, Mr. Little states:

When I proved to you that the Resurrection must happen before the Rapture, the verses that almost immediately follow that passage, say this:

The problem is, Mr. Little has failed to provide any Scripture properly interpreted which would show that the Great Tribulation [I’m quite sure this is what he meant to say here] must happen before the Rapture. The passage Mr. Little appealed to was from Matthew 24:29 and following verses. He suggested that the Rapture is mentioned in Matthew 24:31. I argued in a previous post that this argument presumes that the “elect” are the Christians who will be raptured. I demonstrated that the reference in Matthew 24 is to the Jewish elect which at that future time will at last be completely regathered to their promised homeland, Israel, in accordance with Old Testament promises and prophesies and the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenant provisions.

Mr. Little then states:

When I proved to you that the Resurrection must happen before the Rapture, the verses that almost immediately follow that passage, say this:

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Right now, the people who speak the loudest about ‘peace and safety’ are those who either 1) support Obama or 2) believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture.

Notice what Mr. Little failed to see: (1) “the day of the Lord” referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 is mentioned AFTER the Rapture taught by Paul in the preceding chapter, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. (2) The order of mention corresponds here to the order that will be seen fulfilled when these events take place. (3) The rather unfair, even invidious assertion stating those who speak the loudest about ‘peace and safety’ either support Obama or believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture is a clear instance of ad hominem attack or argument, a logical fallacy which has no weight in a careful discussion of such an important issue, and an example of my point (3) above. Even if such a statement were true, and I doubt it is, that does not refute the Biblical basis of the pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine.

Mr. Little next brings in considerations he draws from Revelation 12:

Revelation 12

I was asked to give an interpretation of Revelation 12, and I finally sent it out last night. That chapter talks about Satan being cast down to Earth and about the beginning of the Tribulation. It also offers a reason why some Christians will NOT experience the wrath of God during the Tribulation and WHY they survive the Antichrist:

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. – Revelation 12:6

And, Revelation 12 repeats this here:

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. – Revelation 12:13-14

If you want to escape the Antichrist and the wrath of God… get to that place in the wilderness that has been prepared by God for the coming of the Tribulation. It is the Tribulation equivalent to the Land of Goshen, when the Children of Israel were sheltered from the plagues of Egypt, that were sent by God.

That woman in Revelation 12, is Israel. She gave birth to Christ, and she wears a crown of 12 stars. And, when this part of Revelation 12 happens, she will already have accepted Christ. She will already have been a follower of Jesus, before she escapes the Antichrist.

Mr. Little is correct when he identifies the woman in Revelation 12 as Israel.

Whether Israel at the time this happens will already have accepted Christ I am not sure at this time in my studies–in my large project to expand the cross references available for serious Bible study I am only as far as Revelation chapter 1. But I am making steady progress, and will get to chapter 12 eventually, the Lord willing. Most likely though Israel will not believe in Jesus Christ until He appears in Zion (see Romans 11:26, 27). When Christ returns He will destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8). It is likely that a remnant of the Jews will be hid and escape the ravages of the Antichrist (Isaiah 16:1-5).

Mr. Little continues:

The Chilling Part Of Revelation 12

Here’s the chilling part:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. – Revelation 12:17

Please understand what is being said here. If you are not with this woman, or at least in a position to go where this woman goes… you will die an awful death at the hands of the Antichrist.

Period.

I know of no Scripture that teaches that believers of “this age” (Matthew 12:32) who are presently the Church, the body of Christ, will be involved in the events depicted in Revelation 12.

God Himself inspired John when he wrote the book of Revelation to give us the broad outline of its structure in the first chapter at Revelation 1:19. Chapter 12 is part of the third point in that outline, “the things which shall be hereafter.” The very expression occurs in Revelation 4:1, which shows the careful reader that the events starting at Revelation 4:1 are all yet future to us and have not been fulfilled as of yet. You will seek in vain to find any mention of the “church” in the third section of Revelation. The evidence is that the church is not mentioned because the church is not present where these events are taking place.

Therefore, it is unlikely in the extreme that God will call any of His believing Church of this age to be involved with hiding from the Antichrist. There is no Scripture that I am aware of that suggests that at the event mentioned in Revelation 12 there will be any persons other than the Jews who are hidden.

Mr. Little continues to develop his theme most interestingly:

Worse, most of you will probably have died a terrible death already, because there is just a remnant that the Antichrist goes to fight against.

Why will there be just a remnant?

Solar EMP

Well there are a host of possible reasons, and I’ve described many of them on this site. But, there is one Biblical reason what concerns me the most:

And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord. – Ezekiel 39:6

THAT happens during the coming of Gog and Magog, a battle that will usher in the salvation of Israel. The problem is that the ‘fire’ of Ezekiel 39:6 sounds like a Solar EMP. If that is true, you will die terribly, if you are not prepared.

The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself, so I will give the cross references for Ezekiel 39:6 as I have them at this time:

Ezekiel 39:6. I will send a fire. Note: Some terrible judgment will destroy the countries whence the army of Gog was led forth, about the same time that the army itself shall be cut off. Ezk 28:18. 30:8, 16. *Ezk 38:19-22. 1 K 18:24, 38. 2 K 1:10. *Ps 11:6. *Is 66:14-16. Am 1:4, 7, 10. Nah 1:6. Zc 14:12. He 12:28, 29. *Re 20:9. Magog. Ezk 38:2. and among them. Je 46:25. carelessly. or, confidently. Ezk 30:9. +*Ezk 38:8h, Ezk 38:11mg. Jg 18:7. Je 49:31. in the isles. or, coasts, or maritime lands. Ezk 26:15, 18. 27:3, 6. *Ezk 38:6, 13. Ps 72:10. +Is 11:11. 42:4, 10. %Is 49:1. %Is 60:9. *Is 66:19. Je 25:22. Zp 2:11. they shall know. ver. Ezk 39:28. +Ezk 6:7, +Ezk 6:10. 22:16. 35:15. *Ezk 37:6. 38:16, 23.

Mr. Little continues:

This Solar EMP may also make it impossible for you get to that ‘wilderness place’ that God is going to prepare for the Revelation 12 Woman. It will do terrible damage to the transportation systems of North America and Europe – should you survive this ‘fire’.

Now is the time to choose whether or not to join the ‘Peace and Safety’ Christians. If you choose the truth, you might be able to join the Revelation 12 Woman who is protected from the wrath of the Antichrist and the wrath of God. However, just like those few children of Israel that may have chosen not to believe God during the Passover plague, you will suffer the wrath of God – if you choose not to believe what God is telling you here.

I do think everyone should act prudently (Proverbs 22:3) and have a plan should the area where you live suffer from either a man-made or a solar EMP (electro magnetic pulse–very damaging to modern electronic circuitry now used almost everywhere). But this does not mean we will suffer from such a devastating event, whether man-made or natural as from a solar flare.

It is unlikely in the extreme that Ezekiel 39:6 has anything to do with an EMP.

I have reached the bottom of page 4 of my saved file of the April 28, 2014 Shock Letter by Mr. John Little. His argument continues for quite a number of pages, an argument that will prove very interesting and instructive for all to consider.

This post is already nearly 2000 words long, so I’ll have to continue the examination of more of Mr. Little’s fine letter in my next installment, The Rapture Question Answered, Part 7.

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