by Alan Kurschner
Dave Hunt of the Berean Call is a well-known Pretribulationist, which many of you know. With this article, I am beginning a series on the errors of Hunt’s Pretribulationism. Each article will be a short digestible piece, which you the reader can use for your own discussions with others.
Back a number of years ago, he wrote a “critique” against the Prewrath position. To my knowledge, no one has responded to it. I would like to respond point by point to his unsubstantiated–and misrepresented–remarks on the Prewrath Rapture. Let’s begin.
He says,
We could be caught up at any moment to meet Him in the air. That “blessed hope” causes this earth to lose its attraction, purifies our lives and motivates us to win the lost because we believe the time is short.
It should be noted that the Pretrib notion that Christ can come back at “any moment” is a relatively new idea that finds its origins in the 1830s. There is no documented evidence pre-1830 that anyone believed such an idea. Why? Because Christians for centuries have understood that certain prophesied events must occur first before Christ will come back and deliver his people and pour out his Day of the Lord’s wrath upon the ungodly.
Hunt identifies this novel idea with the “Blessed Hope.” The verse says, “while we wait for the blessed hope– the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:13. No where in this text does it even hint that Christ’s return is at any moment—this promise is not teaching “imminency” but expectancy and eagerness.
The Blessed Hope is simply seeing the glorious appearing of Christ–it is not some “any momentness” that makes it blessed.
Moving on,
Our removal from earth to heaven in the Rapture will allow the Antichrist to be revealed to rule over the revived Roman Empire.
At this point we are not getting much interaction from Hunt on Prewrath Rapture literature. He makes the assertion that the rapture will allow the Antichrist to be revealed. Where is his scriptural support for this? What text even hints at such an idea.
What is Paul’s opinion on this matter? He says,
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
In the clearest of words, Paul states that the “gathering to him” (i.e. rapture) and its corollary, the Day of the Lord, cannot occur “until” the man of lawlessness is revealed (a.k.a. Antichrist).
This one Pauline text has made more ex-pretribbers than any other text in Scripture. Paul is so emphatic that he says, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until.”
But what does Hunt do? He turns Paul’s teaching on his head and states the complete opposite meaning. I would like to challenge Hunt to examine the Pauline text above and explain where does he get the rapture occurring before Antichrist is revealed, in which Paul states just the contary with the gathering not occuring until the Antichrist revelation.
In pt.2 of responding to Hunt, we will continue critiquing his article.
