I am typical with regard to end time beliefs. I began as a pre-tribber simply because the literature for that position was widely published and available when I was learning about end time scenarios. Under the influence of the writings of Lindsey, Walvoord, Chafer, LaHaye, Heibert, Weust, Jensen, et al, I accepted the standard line for Christ’s return as pre-trib. It was the easy position to believe since the supposed outcome is rapture prior to the 7-year tribulation period. However, when studying the pre-trib position, I was never satisfied with the order of or explanation of events in light of the plain teaching of Scripture.
In 1983 I was called into full-time ministry. After completing undergraduate work at Columbia Bible College, I entered my first ministry in 1986 as a dedicated pre-tribber. I committed to expository preaching at the inception of my ministry. In the process of my teaching and preaching I was isolated with the Bible and all my pre-trib commentaries. In 1989 the crisis moment came. While exegeting 2 Thess 2:1-4, I realized the Bible described two conditions that had to exist before the return of Christ. Further, I realized those two conditions made pre-trib rapturism untenable. None of the pre-trib commentators dealt honestly with what I plainly saw in the Bible. The crisis was this: God seemed to ask me, “Which one is correct? The Bible or the commentators?” From that day I was looking for a better explanation for the return of Christ and attendant events.
While I was going through my dilemma, I was a subscriber to the pre-trib ministry and magazine “Israel, My Glory.” At the time the ministry was under the leadership of Marv Rosenthal. I am sure most pre-wrathers know his story. Since I was on his mailing list, I received an invitation for a copy of his new book, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. I received the book on June 30, 1990 and read it immediately. Upon completion of his book, I remarked to my wife that someone had finally put together a sensible Scriptural scenario about Christ’s Second Coming. Since that reading I deserted the pre-trib position due to the plain truth of the pre-wrath position. What the pre-trib position could not explain became abundantly clear through the pre-wrath interpretation.. In 1992 I also read Robert Van Kampen’s book, “The Sign.” The study of his book served to solidify my place as a pre-wrath adherent.
As a pastor I advised my congregation of my new position about the timing of the rapture. They heard me openly, and although the church was historically pre-trib, they allowed me to remain and teach the new position without controversy. Since the inception of the pre-wrath position, I have held to this approach concerning the return of Christ. It is the only position which takes into account all portions of Scripture without having to resort to what I call “theological tap dancing.” Pre-wrath is an honest appeal to Scripture for understanding of the plain sense of the Bible with regard to end time events.
In His Service,
John Hall
Pastor
CROSS Roads Church