Since you are taking the time to poke around on my website I wanted to give an explanation as to why someone who studies the Hebrew Roots Movement would endorse the Pre-Wrath Position and the Parousia Magazine.
To begin with I was a Calvary Chapel attendee for over a decade and believed very strongly in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position until I decided that I wanted to really study why we (Calvary Chapel) believed what we believe. I want to be clear. I was never on staff at ANY Calvary Chapel. I didn’t go to Seminary or Calvary Chapel Bible College; however, there was a time when I really desired to do so. In fact for almost a year I lived in a condo that literally jutted up against their property and could see and hear what was going on most of the time. I could walk to the book store if I wanted or even jam on over to the coffee shop on a hot day for some cool refreshments!
A few years ago when I was struggling with trying to really understand matters of prophecy I went in earnest to the head pastor of a Calvary Chapel my wife and I were attending. I shared with him a study published by Kristen Wisen the daughter of the late Robert Van Kampen champion of the “Pre-Wrath” Position. I had begun studying the different positions wanting desperately to be able to:
A few years ago when I was struggling with trying to really understand matters of prophecy I went in earnest to the head pastor of a Calvary Chapel my wife and I were attending. I shared with him a study published by Kristen Wisen the daughter of the late Robert Van Kampen champion of the “Pre-Wrath” Position. I had begun studying the different positions wanting desperately to be able to:
“…always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…”
I was shocked to discover the wide expanse of choices that can be chosen from regarding prophetic matters of the LORD’s return. Here are just a few of the different views:
That’s enough to almost make your head spin!!!
Having been at Calvary Chapel for so long I had grown accustomed to hearing the “rapture” taught from the “PRE-TRIBULATION” position and felt confident that I too would participate in the great gathering in the sky that awaited us when the LORD blows His Trumpet and descends from a cloud with the shout of an archangel as is taught. In fact, the very passage appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
At this point I would like to admit to you that for most of my life I prayed to the Father asking for stuff…for myself. Blessings for my family, health, finances, customers, and anything else I could think of. When I was in the mortgage business it was along the lines of “Please God, help me find another customer…so I can afford to make the payment on my Mercedes Benz; on my home; so I can go spend some money at Men’s Warehouse; so I can get a new couch; so I can take my wife out to dinner…and so on. Get the picture?
At the age of 36 the Father revealed to me that the “good gift” I was supposed to be asking for was the Holy Spirit. I really thought about this for about week too. Chewed on it, spit it up, chewed on it, spit it up. Just like sheep and cows do when they are digesting food. I was digesting the very words of the one whom I was counting on for my salvation. I considered how joyful it made me around the holidays to give my children gifts. I thought about how much joy I got to see them excited about receiving their gifts and opening them for the first time.
Later that week as I was coming home my daughter met me at the gate. She was running as I walked through it. “DADDDDDDYYYYYYYY!!!” She was beaming from ear to ear and so happy to see me. It really touched me for some reason that day. And as I carried her I thought about how the Father [YHWH] wants us to run to Him in the manner my daughter had run to me that day.
That night, for the first time in my life I specifically asked for the Holy Spirit. I didn’t ask for anything else; if the Holy Spirit is the good gift that he gives, then I wanted it. I knew that without the help of the Holy Spirit I was going to continue to have difficulty seeing the truth. I wanted His truth, and not the truth that the world has pulled over our eyes because of who it currently belongs to. I didn’t want man’s truth either; but, the truth that belongs to the Father. I didn’t want just “one man’s interpretation” anymore. I wanted the Father to teach me.
Want to ask for something?
- Pre-Trib
- Mid-Trib
- Post-Trib
- Preterism
- Pre-Wrath
- Partial Rapture
- Christian Reconstruction
- Historical Premillenialism
- Dispensational Premillenialism
- Amillenialism or (Non-Millenialism)
- Kingdom Now Theology
- Post Millenialism
That’s enough to almost make your head spin!!!
Having been at Calvary Chapel for so long I had grown accustomed to hearing the “rapture” taught from the “PRE-TRIBULATION” position and felt confident that I too would participate in the great gathering in the sky that awaited us when the LORD blows His Trumpet and descends from a cloud with the shout of an archangel as is taught. In fact, the very passage appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
*** ALIVE AND REMAIN STUDY ***
THE DRIVER'S SEAT PREACHER
10 VIRGINS PARABLE.BLOGSPOT.COM
While I was at Calvary Chapel Murrieta I listened to Charlie Campbell from Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry do an incredible teaching on Preterism and why we can scrap it as false doctrine. He does an excellent job of dismantling the position so I didn’t feel I needed to dig into it any further.
According to the Mid-Trib position Christ returns at the midway point of the Tribulation period which would allow someone to simply count forward to the end awaiting the return of the Father so I reasoned that it was too much like date setting and elected not to dig too deeply into it but gave it a cursory once over.
Christian Reconstruction essentially teaches that the Kingdom of God [YHWH] began when Christ came almost 2,000 years ago and it is our duty to progressively advance His kingdom until it fills the whole earth through conversion to Christianity. Knowing that there will be a falling away first I didn’t quite bite on this particular viewpoint and crossed it off my list now that I had a better idea of what it taught.
I didn’t bother to study the Post Trib position at the time because I thought it was ludicrous and as most had prejudices even when it came to studying prophecy. The Post Trib position teaches that the Church will be present on the earth during the Tribulation period and will suffer the wrath of God [YHWH], after which He makes His return and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. Nobody wants to be around for the suffering part and as such I did as most probably do and distanced myself from that position because I found it to be offensive.
Historical and Dispensational Premilleialism are more lengthy to explain and both the Pre and Mid Trib position are variants of these positions making it easy to keep going on my study.
The Amillennialist position teaches there is no literal 1,000 year reign of Christ but that it is symbolic and that the 1,000 years has already in fact begun and ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This happens to be the position of the Roman Catholic Church and as I strongly disagree with just about everything Catholicism teaches it made it easy to cross this position off my list. Besides, Christ Himself says seven times in the Book of Revelation that there is a 1,000 year period. How many times does He need to say it before I believe it?
The position that DID peak my interest was the Pre-Wrath position because of how carefully they ensured to define stages of the Tribulation according to the Biblical Text. I found an abbreviated study online (follow the link below) and began to study. You should know that Kristen Wisen was simply making the position her father championed available to the public. She did not create the position.
According to the Mid-Trib position Christ returns at the midway point of the Tribulation period which would allow someone to simply count forward to the end awaiting the return of the Father so I reasoned that it was too much like date setting and elected not to dig too deeply into it but gave it a cursory once over.
Christian Reconstruction essentially teaches that the Kingdom of God [YHWH] began when Christ came almost 2,000 years ago and it is our duty to progressively advance His kingdom until it fills the whole earth through conversion to Christianity. Knowing that there will be a falling away first I didn’t quite bite on this particular viewpoint and crossed it off my list now that I had a better idea of what it taught.
I didn’t bother to study the Post Trib position at the time because I thought it was ludicrous and as most had prejudices even when it came to studying prophecy. The Post Trib position teaches that the Church will be present on the earth during the Tribulation period and will suffer the wrath of God [YHWH], after which He makes His return and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. Nobody wants to be around for the suffering part and as such I did as most probably do and distanced myself from that position because I found it to be offensive.
Historical and Dispensational Premilleialism are more lengthy to explain and both the Pre and Mid Trib position are variants of these positions making it easy to keep going on my study.
The Amillennialist position teaches there is no literal 1,000 year reign of Christ but that it is symbolic and that the 1,000 years has already in fact begun and ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. This happens to be the position of the Roman Catholic Church and as I strongly disagree with just about everything Catholicism teaches it made it easy to cross this position off my list. Besides, Christ Himself says seven times in the Book of Revelation that there is a 1,000 year period. How many times does He need to say it before I believe it?
The position that DID peak my interest was the Pre-Wrath position because of how carefully they ensured to define stages of the Tribulation according to the Biblical Text. I found an abbreviated study online (follow the link below) and began to study. You should know that Kristen Wisen was simply making the position her father championed available to the public. She did not create the position.
What shocked me as I went through the study was how the author began by laying a foundation as to how we should look at scripture. I didn’t disagree with any of the four basic rules which were laid down from the start.
1. Take the Bible at its face value—in its natural normal customary sense.
In other words, don’t make the Bible say something it isn’t saying. If you say to your friend, “I have a dentist appointment today,” she will take that at face value and understand that you have plans for the day. You expect her to accept what you say at face value. You don’t expect her to think, “Hmmm…dentist appointment? She must be trying to tell me that she is struggling with her self-image because the ‘dentist’ represents someone who can make your teeth whiter, therefore, she is down about her image and is crying out for help!” Take the Bible at face value.
2. Make sure you understand the context of the passage.
Don’t just take one verse and run with it. Read the verses before and after. Understand what the author was teaching at the time. Remember that chapters and verses were not in the original texts. For example, Luke 12:19 says, “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’” If I only read that verse, I would determine that once my debt is paid off and I have some savings, that I can rest, relax and just enjoy life. But the context of that passage is not supporting retirement, but the fact that accumulation of wealth is folly and something that man should not put his hopes in (Luke 12:13-34 is a discourse on greed).
3. Make sure you let scripture interpret scripture.
Always compare passages. Sometimes a passage can seem unclear, but other passages on the same topic can give clarity. For example, Christ is going to point to a specific event in the heavenlies – He will talk about the sun darkening and the moon and the stars losing their light. If you look up other passages where the sun, moon and stars are mentioned together, you will get a better understanding of the event Christ is talking about. Scripture can elaborate on itself if you do some study!
4. The Bible never contradicts itself.
If you find an apparent contradiction, you need to do more studying. Dig deep. The answer is in there, but a contradiction is not possible, since He is God and He can’t say one thing in one place and the opposite in another. Studying the Word was never meant to be easy, per se. It takes work, but with the complete revelation of God in written form and the Holy Spirit, you can find the Truth!
With that I began to study. Within the study itself the author takes you through piecing together the pieces of scripture like a puzzle. He doesn’t twist the scripture or take anything out of context. It was very methodical, easy to follow and revealing. I spent every night for almost a month reading and re-reading, and redoing the study over and over to see if I had made a mistake.
1. Take the Bible at its face value—in its natural normal customary sense.
In other words, don’t make the Bible say something it isn’t saying. If you say to your friend, “I have a dentist appointment today,” she will take that at face value and understand that you have plans for the day. You expect her to accept what you say at face value. You don’t expect her to think, “Hmmm…dentist appointment? She must be trying to tell me that she is struggling with her self-image because the ‘dentist’ represents someone who can make your teeth whiter, therefore, she is down about her image and is crying out for help!” Take the Bible at face value.
2. Make sure you understand the context of the passage.
Don’t just take one verse and run with it. Read the verses before and after. Understand what the author was teaching at the time. Remember that chapters and verses were not in the original texts. For example, Luke 12:19 says, “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’” If I only read that verse, I would determine that once my debt is paid off and I have some savings, that I can rest, relax and just enjoy life. But the context of that passage is not supporting retirement, but the fact that accumulation of wealth is folly and something that man should not put his hopes in (Luke 12:13-34 is a discourse on greed).
3. Make sure you let scripture interpret scripture.
Always compare passages. Sometimes a passage can seem unclear, but other passages on the same topic can give clarity. For example, Christ is going to point to a specific event in the heavenlies – He will talk about the sun darkening and the moon and the stars losing their light. If you look up other passages where the sun, moon and stars are mentioned together, you will get a better understanding of the event Christ is talking about. Scripture can elaborate on itself if you do some study!
4. The Bible never contradicts itself.
If you find an apparent contradiction, you need to do more studying. Dig deep. The answer is in there, but a contradiction is not possible, since He is God and He can’t say one thing in one place and the opposite in another. Studying the Word was never meant to be easy, per se. It takes work, but with the complete revelation of God in written form and the Holy Spirit, you can find the Truth!
With that I began to study. Within the study itself the author takes you through piecing together the pieces of scripture like a puzzle. He doesn’t twist the scripture or take anything out of context. It was very methodical, easy to follow and revealing. I spent every night for almost a month reading and re-reading, and redoing the study over and over to see if I had made a mistake.
I can still remember the night I finished. I was dumbstruck, shaken and realized more than ever how much I was going to need my relationship with the Father and His Son to be as solid as possible.
I came to the conclusion that the position I had been taught for almost a decade in the Calvary Chapel movement was a lie. It is impossible for the “rapture” to occur before the final 7 years plays out just prior to the return of Christ to set up His Millennial Kingdom here on earth. I was so shaken that I knew I needed to take this to someone else, someone I believe I could trust.
Upon completing the study I approached the head pastor at the Calvary Chapel we were attending in our hometown. You’ll excuse me if I don’t say specifically where we live because of the Islamic Content on my website. Believe it or not some people would like to sever my head from my body. As I was saying, My wife and I had been attending there since our move to the area. When I would go we would make it a habit of sitting behind the pastor and his wife in the front. It was a small church and I genuinely wanted to get to know him.
When I finished the study I was concerned that I might have come to a heretical view point and earnestly wanted correction. I wanted to know WHY we believed what we did (The “Pre-Trib” Position) and to be able to PROVE it using Scripture. At that moment I didn’t believe it was possible to defend the position being taught at Calvary and I wanted assurances and guidance at the same time. I went to him in earnest, I wanted the truth.
I didn’t come with the intent to deceive him, or to challenge him, I was serious in my request. The position I had just finished studying literally blew ours out of the water, shredding it in pieces and rendering it full of fault and I was seriously concerned. I waited patiently for him to respond to me.
Upon completing the study I approached the head pastor at the Calvary Chapel we were attending in our hometown. You’ll excuse me if I don’t say specifically where we live because of the Islamic Content on my website. Believe it or not some people would like to sever my head from my body. As I was saying, My wife and I had been attending there since our move to the area. When I would go we would make it a habit of sitting behind the pastor and his wife in the front. It was a small church and I genuinely wanted to get to know him.
When I finished the study I was concerned that I might have come to a heretical view point and earnestly wanted correction. I wanted to know WHY we believed what we did (The “Pre-Trib” Position) and to be able to PROVE it using Scripture. At that moment I didn’t believe it was possible to defend the position being taught at Calvary and I wanted assurances and guidance at the same time. I went to him in earnest, I wanted the truth.
I didn’t come with the intent to deceive him, or to challenge him, I was serious in my request. The position I had just finished studying literally blew ours out of the water, shredding it in pieces and rendering it full of fault and I was seriously concerned. I waited patiently for him to respond to me.
Six weeks later after a Wednesday evening service he approached me afterwards. He apologized for taking so long to get back with me. “Not a problem I said,”
“So?” I asked.
“Well,” he responded “After reviewing it several times, I couldn’t find anything wrong with it Biblically.”
I waited almost as if there was going to be a punch line.
“And?” I said gesturing with my hands and head. “It was well written, but you just have to remember, that study is just one man’s interpretation” he said.
I was bothered by his answer. He didn’t provide ANY EVIDENCE as to why the “Pre-Trib” position was correct. He didn’t try to refute anything the other author had presented; he simply answered by saying “It’s just one man’s interpretation.” There was no correction, no “Tell you what; Come by my office and I will take you though the passages of the Old and New Testament that we believe support our position fully so you can be assured of this doctrine that we teach.” He simply said it was just one man’s interpretation.
This haunted me; and, remained tormenting me like a splinter in my mind.
This haunted me; and, remained tormenting me like a splinter in my mind.
“Aren’t you ‘just a man’ I thought? Isn’t Chuck Smith just a man? What about Greg Laurie, and Raul Ries, and David Rosales aren’t they just men too? What about the host of other Calvary Chapel Pastors to whom I had been listening to for years on KWAVE (107.9 in Southern Calif.)? Aren’t they all just men?
If they are all just men then what makes THEIR “interpretation” any better than the one I just finished studying? Especially when you can’t even find anything wrong with it? Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t looking to bad mouth them at that moment, I was sincerely looking for an answer to my question; and, instead of providing with an answer he left me with even MORE questions than I had before I started. With so many different positions on the timing of the return of Christ I knew they couldn’t all be correct. In fact, because truth is exclusive rather than inclusive I knew I had a real problem on my hands if I wanted to get through all the mess and get to the truth.
About a month had gone by and I was speaking with an acquaintance on the east coast who is well read regarding prophecy. He had studied many of the different positions and had at one time hosted a prophetic website that drew a considerable amount of traffic. He had never officially taken a stand on the issue online because he felt it would polarize those who were seeking the truth and instead of studying the positions to learn where their strengths and weaknesses were he simply didn’t take a side on the matter…officially. Off the record he happened to agree with my conclusions.
I told him about the conversation I had with the head pastor and just how badly it was bothering me. Each week I would sit in my pew and listen to our Pastor teach and I would cringe when he would take passages out of context using them to support the position taught by Calvary Chapel. I was listening and taking notes, but inside I was screaming at the top of my lungs. One day as my friend and I were speaking on the telephone we were discussing my discomfort with the issue. He said to me “Don’t you know that prophecy isn’t open to the private interpretation of man?” “Where does it say that?” I said “Do you have a Bible nearby,” he answered? “Go to 2nd Peter 1:19, read it out loud”
I was stunned. It is not up to us to decide how we will interpret matters of prophecy. The Bible says that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. What is so shocking is that the context within which it is used pertains to false teachers. If we go back to 2nd Timothy 3:16 we know what Scripture is useful for.
Additionally the words of Revelation come straight from Yeshua himself to the writer John to give to us. Simply turn to the very first chapter and sentence in Revelation.
The Book of Revelation is Scripture. John was a Holy man and was moved by Yeshua Himself to write these very words so that you could read them today and believe. In fact it happens to be the ONLY book in the Bible that contains a specific blessing.
At the time, I knew I desperately needed to be able to understand what was written here in the New Testament text of Revelation. Prior to beginning this study I had read a book by Francis Chan called Forgotten God which speaks specifically about the Holy Spirit. During the time I was reading Francis book I was reading all four of the Gospels when I came across a passage in Luke that I had not read before. I have never read it before because I have never read Luke from cover to cover either. Here is what gave me pause.
Up until this point I had read the passage in Matthew and knew about it; except I didn’t really understand it. I approached the Father as if He were some cosmic genie who was going to give me whatever I asked for because that is what it says in Matthew. Or so I thought. Let go back and read the corresponding passage in Matthew shall we?
What most people miss is they stop reading at this point and don’t finish the next sentence which is a big clue. …
If they are all just men then what makes THEIR “interpretation” any better than the one I just finished studying? Especially when you can’t even find anything wrong with it? Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t looking to bad mouth them at that moment, I was sincerely looking for an answer to my question; and, instead of providing with an answer he left me with even MORE questions than I had before I started. With so many different positions on the timing of the return of Christ I knew they couldn’t all be correct. In fact, because truth is exclusive rather than inclusive I knew I had a real problem on my hands if I wanted to get through all the mess and get to the truth.
About a month had gone by and I was speaking with an acquaintance on the east coast who is well read regarding prophecy. He had studied many of the different positions and had at one time hosted a prophetic website that drew a considerable amount of traffic. He had never officially taken a stand on the issue online because he felt it would polarize those who were seeking the truth and instead of studying the positions to learn where their strengths and weaknesses were he simply didn’t take a side on the matter…officially. Off the record he happened to agree with my conclusions.
I told him about the conversation I had with the head pastor and just how badly it was bothering me. Each week I would sit in my pew and listen to our Pastor teach and I would cringe when he would take passages out of context using them to support the position taught by Calvary Chapel. I was listening and taking notes, but inside I was screaming at the top of my lungs. One day as my friend and I were speaking on the telephone we were discussing my discomfort with the issue. He said to me “Don’t you know that prophecy isn’t open to the private interpretation of man?” “Where does it say that?” I said “Do you have a Bible nearby,” he answered? “Go to 2nd Peter 1:19, read it out loud”
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But, there were also false prophets among the people, as even there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies , even denying the LORD who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
I was stunned. It is not up to us to decide how we will interpret matters of prophecy. The Bible says that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. What is so shocking is that the context within which it is used pertains to false teachers. If we go back to 2nd Timothy 3:16 we know what Scripture is useful for.
Additionally the words of Revelation come straight from Yeshua himself to the writer John to give to us. Simply turn to the very first chapter and sentence in Revelation.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him [Jesus] to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He [God] sent and signified it by His angel [Jesus] to His servant John.” (Revelation 1:1)
The Book of Revelation is Scripture. John was a Holy man and was moved by Yeshua Himself to write these very words so that you could read them today and believe. In fact it happens to be the ONLY book in the Bible that contains a specific blessing.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
At the time, I knew I desperately needed to be able to understand what was written here in the New Testament text of Revelation. Prior to beginning this study I had read a book by Francis Chan called Forgotten God which speaks specifically about the Holy Spirit. During the time I was reading Francis book I was reading all four of the Gospels when I came across a passage in Luke that I had not read before. I have never read it before because I have never read Luke from cover to cover either. Here is what gave me pause.
If you then, being evil, know who to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Up until this point I had read the passage in Matthew and knew about it; except I didn’t really understand it. I approached the Father as if He were some cosmic genie who was going to give me whatever I asked for because that is what it says in Matthew. Or so I thought. Let go back and read the corresponding passage in Matthew shall we?
If you then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.
What most people miss is they stop reading at this point and don’t finish the next sentence which is a big clue. …
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
At this point I would like to admit to you that for most of my life I prayed to the Father asking for stuff…for myself. Blessings for my family, health, finances, customers, and anything else I could think of. When I was in the mortgage business it was along the lines of “Please God, help me find another customer…so I can afford to make the payment on my Mercedes Benz; on my home; so I can go spend some money at Men’s Warehouse; so I can get a new couch; so I can take my wife out to dinner…and so on. Get the picture?
At the age of 36 the Father revealed to me that the “good gift” I was supposed to be asking for was the Holy Spirit. I really thought about this for about week too. Chewed on it, spit it up, chewed on it, spit it up. Just like sheep and cows do when they are digesting food. I was digesting the very words of the one whom I was counting on for my salvation. I considered how joyful it made me around the holidays to give my children gifts. I thought about how much joy I got to see them excited about receiving their gifts and opening them for the first time.
Later that week as I was coming home my daughter met me at the gate. She was running as I walked through it. “DADDDDDDYYYYYYYY!!!” She was beaming from ear to ear and so happy to see me. It really touched me for some reason that day. And as I carried her I thought about how the Father [YHWH] wants us to run to Him in the manner my daughter had run to me that day.
That night, for the first time in my life I specifically asked for the Holy Spirit. I didn’t ask for anything else; if the Holy Spirit is the good gift that he gives, then I wanted it. I knew that without the help of the Holy Spirit I was going to continue to have difficulty seeing the truth. I wanted His truth, and not the truth that the world has pulled over our eyes because of who it currently belongs to. I didn’t want man’s truth either; but, the truth that belongs to the Father. I didn’t want just “one man’s interpretation” anymore. I wanted the Father to teach me.
Want to ask for something?
Try asking for the Father to pour your vessel out, to break you and remold you in the image He desires and then ask Him to fill you up with His Holy Spirit. If you walk in the Spirit you can see the truth because you will have eyes to see and ears to hear, AND He gives it to those who ask Him for it. If you aren’t asking Him then don’t be surprised that you find yourself in confusion. You have not because you ask not, or you ask with the wrong motive.
When I figured out that the Pre-Trib position was a lie the most obvious question for me was.
What else did they get wrong? What else have they taught us in error; either intentionally or unintentionally didn’t really matter to me what mattered was that it wasn’t the truth.
I don’t agree 100 percent with everything the Pre-Wrath teachers are teaching either. However, what I will say that I agree with is that we need to be prepared to stand. We need to be prepared to endure to the very end even if that means losing our lives because of our faith. If we are not prepared then we may find ourselves like the seed in the Parable of the Soil that did not fall of good soil.
The Pre-Trib position teaches church goers that they will not need to endure to the end because they will be removed and will not have to make a stand. They will be whisked away with the Trumpet of God and will be with Jesus in heaven for seven years. However they fail to answer a good deal of questions about the Pre-Trib position that just don’t wash.
When I figured out that the Pre-Trib position was a lie the most obvious question for me was.
What else did they get wrong? What else have they taught us in error; either intentionally or unintentionally didn’t really matter to me what mattered was that it wasn’t the truth.
I don’t agree 100 percent with everything the Pre-Wrath teachers are teaching either. However, what I will say that I agree with is that we need to be prepared to stand. We need to be prepared to endure to the very end even if that means losing our lives because of our faith. If we are not prepared then we may find ourselves like the seed in the Parable of the Soil that did not fall of good soil.
But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (Matthew 13:20)
The Pre-Trib position teaches church goers that they will not need to endure to the end because they will be removed and will not have to make a stand. They will be whisked away with the Trumpet of God and will be with Jesus in heaven for seven years. However they fail to answer a good deal of questions about the Pre-Trib position that just don’t wash.
I encourage you to be a Berean and search the Scriptures for answers. And while you are at it, please remember the books that Yeshua himself called Scripture. It will greatly enhance your learning. Please check back as we will be adding more content specifically on the rapture positions and the position which I now hold as well as the passages used to support my existing belief.
James E. Matthews
