Daniel
This is my last response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
DeWaay asserts that Antichrist’s rule will be 7 years. He does not attempt to provide any Biblical evidence for his assertion.
It is not 7 years, instead, his rule is formally for 3 1/2 years:
“The beast [Antichrist] was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months [3 1/2 years]. So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God–to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven.” (Rev 13:5-6).
This will begin at the midpoint of the 7 years:
“He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”” (Dan 9:27).
Also related to the midpoint:
“”So when you see the abomination of desolation-spoken about by Daniel the prophet–standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),” (Matt 24:15).
“He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.” (2 Thess 2:4).
He also thinks that the Great Tribulation is seven years in duration. He makes no distinction between the terms “Great Tribulation” and “Tribulation,” which is fatal to his conclusions on eschatology (the Great Tribulation starts at the midpoint, the abomination of desolation, see Matt 24:15ff.)
I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay. He asserts:
“Prophecy is not given in chronological order in the Bible. You need to know that.”
We have made a case that the Bible does indeed emphatically contain prophetic chronological material in Matthew 24, Thessalonians, and Revelation.
There are other prophetic passages in the Bible that contain chronological information, but I want to mention two final texts in Daniel that are incredibly insightful. I direct the reader to this article on page 3 of the section entitled “An Overview of Daniel 7.” One will observe a consistency with Revelation’s teaching.
The second text is Daniel 12:1-3. Again, note the consistency with the Olivet Discourse: Great Tribulation followed by the resurrection.
I find it ironic the DeWaay talks about a “composite” for eschatological events. Yet, he is not able to see the most conspicuous, consistent composite in Scripture of a basic eschatological framework: (1) Antichrist’s Revelation (midpoint) (2) Antichrist’s Great Tribulation against God’s People (3) The Resurrection-Rapture (4) The Day of the Lord’s Wrath (5) The Reclamation of God’s Kingdom on Earth.
And one will search in vain for a pretrib rapture that occurs before # 1.
The Rapture in Matthew 24:31
Here are my slide presentation notes in pdf format on the rapture in Matthew 24:31. I very much enjoyed the fellowship at the conference.
Pretribulationists believe that “gather his elect” is a reference to the regathering of Israel at the end of the 70th week of Daniel. Preterists, on the other hand, interpret it as the Christian mission beginning in AD 70 to gather in God’s people to the Kingdom through evangelization. I showed, instead, that the Prewrath position is the most natural and consistent reading, demonstrating that this is indeed the rapture.