Church And The Tribulation

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

In the opening chapter, Robert Gundry states, "It is hoped that the following pages will contribute to an understanding and appreciation of the posttribulational position and that it will do so in a manner characterized by 'wisdom from above. . . First pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy' (James 3:17)." In keeping with this expressed desire, the author presents his thesis regarding Christ's second coming, not as a polemical argument, but as a reasonable and tenable position. This book propounds the thesis that Jesus will return after the tribulation and that the first resurrection will occur at that time. Dr. Gundry believes that biblical evidence points most naturally to this conclusion. Because of his discerning analysis of Scripture, his careful logic, and the thoughtful presentation of his views, he is one of today's leading spokesmen for posttribulational eschatology.

There's a debate in theological circles as to whether or not the church will be here when God's wrath is unleashed upon the earth. Many are saying the church must go through this time period of judgment known as the Great Tribulation. They speak disparagingly of the blessed hope that Christ will come for His church before God's judgments are loosed upon the earth. Since they maintain that there's to be no escape for the church, they make the prayer Christ encouraged us to pray in Luke 21:36 meaningless. "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." The purpose of this book is to examine the biblical reasons why the church will not be here during the Great Tribulation.

The rapture--or the belief that Jesus' living followers will, at some point, join him forever while others do not--is an important but contested doctrine among evangelicals. Scholars generally hold one of three perspectives on the timing and circumstances of the rapture, all of which are presented in this important volume of the Counterpoints series, Three Views on the Rapture: Alan D. Hultberg (PhD, Trinity International University and professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology) explains the Pre-Wrath view. Craig Blaising (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary and president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) defends the Pre-Tribulation view. Douglas Moo (PhD, University of St. Andrews and professor of New Testament at Wheaton College) sets forth the Post-Tribulation view. Each author provides a substantive explanation of his position, which is critiqued by the other two authors. A thorough introduction gives a historical overview of the doctrine of the rapture and its effects on the church. The interactive and fair-minded format of the Counterpoints series allows readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions.

One of the most popular and hotly debated topics in recent years has been the subject of what is commonly called “The Tribulation Period”. Theories, speculations, and predictions abound as to when this apocalyptic time begins and who will be a part of it. Some Bible teachers insist that Christians who have been born again during the “Church Age” will have no part whatsoever in this time while others teach that it is the Church’s prophesied destiny to endure to the end and wait for the cataclysmic 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which one is right? Which one is wrong? The one thing that all current theories seem to have in common is an abundance of inconsistencies and missing pieces. This book seeks to explain many of the obscure passages in Scripture that seem to have been misunderstood and misapplied for the last two thousand years and bring to light a couple of important truths that have been right in front of us all along, which when properly understood, bring consistency to the puzzle of prophecy and causes many of the hitherto difficult pieces to fit.

The rapture of the church is perhaps the most awaited hour of Christianity and perhaps one of the most disputed events. The irony is that scripture never mentions the word rapture but the event is accounted for in other language. It is referred to as the day of the Lord, the catching away, the resurrection, the second coming, and the gathering of the elect. It is the time when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to redeem His church out of this world. So, what is the mystery? What is the dispute? Like many things in scripture, the rapture is clouded in mystery. In the modern world, the events surrounding the rapture, to include the rapture itself, makes for great cinema and story. A picture of cataclysmic destruction and agony strike fear and anxiety in the heart of the hearer. Couple that with confusion to its timing and sequence in events leads to a misunderstanding of the times that Jesus said we are supposed to know. People like the shroud of mystery and inconclusive understanding. It tickles the ears of those who seek to have a divine revelation of these events and perpetuates the interests of the seemingly unknown. End time prophecy existed from the beginning and as we read throughout the Old Testament we find many scriptures that pertain to those times. Nearly one-third of the Bible discusses prophecy so its importance is significant. It seems that the Lord wanted us to know something. This is what He told His disciples. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. (John 14:28-30) Jesus spoke of His ascension to Heaven and His return from Heaven, the rapture. He said that He tells us things before they happen so when they happen, we might believe. His disciples worried about His going away but He reassured them of His return and as we look at what Jesus said throughout His ministry, He was not shy about discussing His return. After studying the Word and prophecy for many years, I know this truth. There is no doubt as we see the world shaping up today that the events discussed throughout scripture are happening. The news headlines are saying the same thing that scripture foretold and it builds my faith. It is so clear that those who profess Christianity around the world see that the prophecies are coming to pass. There seems to be a stirring among believers that Jesus Christ is getting ready to return. There is no doubt in their minds of this truth. The problem is the confusion surrounding end time prophecies and there doesn't have to be. While writing this book I was very careful to use scripture and nothing but scripture. Anything outside of scripture is opinion. I don't want opinion. I want to know what God has to say about these topics. The popular view of end time events sees it one way and in their view it as absolute, even if the possible shows another way. I wrote this book on tribulation and rapture so we can see what the Bible says. I hope to show you truth through scripture. You must evaluate that for yourself through study and prayer. This work has much scripture in it because people tend not to look up references. I encourage you, have your Bible with this book and look it up for yourself. We can know certain things by looking at the scriptures and we can understand with confidence how things will happen, to a certain degree. That's why God gave it to us, so we can know the signs of the time.

Many Christians think of end times prophecy as a gigantic, intimidating puzzle -- difficult to piece together and impossible to figure out. But every puzzle can be solved if you approach it the right way. Paul Benware compares prophecy to a picture puzzle. Putting the edge pieces together first builds the 'framework' that makes it easier to fit the other pieces in their place. According to Benware, the framework for eschatology is the biblical covenants. He begins his comprehensive survey by explaining the major covenants. Then he discusses several different interpretations of end times prophecy. Benware digs into the details of the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the judgements and resurrections, and the millennial kingdom. But he also adds a unique, personal element to the study, answering questions as: -Why study bible prophecy? -What difference does it make if I'm premillenial or amillenial? If what the Bible says about the future puzzles you, Understanding End Times Prophecy will help you put together the pieces and see the big picture.

Christians today are widely being taught that the next event on the prophetic calendar is the "any moment" and "signless" Rapture of the Church. Thus, the bride of Christ will not have to go through the Great Tribulation. But is that what the Bible truly teaches? The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation examines the biblical doctrine of the Rapture and its timing in relation to the Day of the Lord, as revealed by Jesus and the apostles. If you have questions about the Rapture, or doubt some of the things that are being taught by modern-day prophecy teachers, this timely work sheds light on the subject and will help clear up any confusion you might have.