Alan – I would like to know if there are any study Bibles with pre-wrath notes? All the study Bibles I have contain pre-trib notes.
Thanks,
Judy
No there isn’t. However, there is an alternative. Photocopy the Scripture Indexes from prewrath books of Rosenthal, VanKampen, Cooper, et al., then place those pages in the back of your Bible, or near your Bible, for reference.
[Editor’s Note: The following prewrath story is similar to so many stories we receive in the sense that many believers come to the prewrath rapture on their own. As far as I am concerned this validates the natural Biblical reading of the Prewrath position. I have never known any pretribber who has come to the pretribulational position on their own–it is always by Tradition or some other secondary source.]
Fellow Believers,
I was raised in a Church of Christ (amillennial) home and educated at the leading Church of Christ-affiliated college (Abilene Christian University), so I was thoroughly saturated with C-of-C exclusivist (“the only true church”) doctrine. But later, when I was in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, God began to work on me, then, through a series of rather remarkable events (miraculous, I believe), led me out of that bondage.
But then, since C-of-C teachings were all to which I had been exposed, I was adrift on a vast ecumenical sea without a chart, compass, or paddle. Again, my heavenly father had mercy on me and led me to a small Brethren assembly, and the leading elder/pastor (they don’t have paid ministers) took me under his wing and helped me to get the biblical doctrine of salvation straightened out. The C-of-C emphasizes correct doctrine and Christian living over a personal, spiritual relationship with God, so it’s a subtle works-based salvation doctrine. Brother Ed showed me the meaning of Eph. 2:8-10 – salvation by grace through faith, which lifted about 30 years and a million pounds of do-it-yourself indoctrination and practice off my shoulders. I was free at last! … thanks be to God’s merciful intervention.
Although I had some doubts about two other doctrines they adamantly espoused (pre-tribulation rapture and once-saved-always-saved), and I visited numerous other denominations (everyone from mildly charismatic to word-of-faith to Seventh Day Adventist to Nazarene to other main-line churches), I continued to fellowship primarily in the Brethren assemblies. But then, about 15 years ago, God gave me a keen interest in eschatology and I have, since then, studied many books and commentaries on Daniel, Revelation, and related Scriptures. And, although they all seemed to have some strong arguments to support them, I just couldn’t get a pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture to fit into the end-times scenario of Revelation.
I had finally come to the conclusion that the Rapture must be at some point during the second half of the 7-year trib period, but I felt like Elijah must have – I had no idea that anyone else shared that view. Then, one day just a couple of months ago, I was searching the Internet for something (I can’t remember what), and ran across your site. And I couldn’t believe what my eyes were reading! I immediately devoured most of the articles published on your site and ordered several books, including The Sign, The Fourth Reich, and The Rapture Question Answered by Robert Van Kampen, and The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin Rosenthal. I have read the Fourth Reich (my wife and I like to read Scripture-based fiction together) and am presently going through the others with a fine-toothed comb. I think there are a few errors, which have led you to some wrong conclusions. But those are tangential, and by-and-large, I agree with your position and thank God for bringing it to my attention.
The Lord be with you in “enduring to the End.”
Yours in Him,
Bob Giffin
Greetings,
I wanted to write to you and let you know that I enjoy reading the information on your website, and have found it very helpful. I have also been reading the back issues of Parousia magazine.
Early last year I began to feel very challenged about my pre-trib views. This was what I had been taught and had believed for many years, but as I began to pull on the loose threads I came to the conclusion that this view could not really be supported through Scripture, and was built upon too many assumptions. One day I was reading Matthew 24 and in particular verses 29-31. I came to the conviction that this was referring the rapture, and when I tied it together with the signs in Revelation 6 and Joel 2, I was convinced that the rapture occurred after the 6th seal, and discovered the significance of the Day of the Lord. At this point I did not know what this view was called, but after searching on the Internet I found your site along with others that have helped to confirm that I was on the right track.
Recently I have began sharing the prewrath rapture view with others. I am glad to say that my wife, mother and sister who I have been doing a Bible study with are now converts to the prewrath view. I have shared copies of Parousia and other articles with my Pastor and elders, and they have been impressed, but still have questions and haven’t come around just yet. At least they were open to hearing about it.
Dear Mr. Best,
I am a recent convert who God has in His mercy saved I. I am writing because I have questions concerning God’s plan for Israel in Eschatology. I am questioning Dispensationalism partially due to the division of the body of Christ into two peoples of God. What is the prewrath view on Israel? Will Israel be eternally separate from the Church? Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
Thank you for your question and I will do my best to shed some light on this for you. This is a highly debatable topic and the problem is that so many are tied to their systems of theology rather than simply taking a face value approach to the Word of God.
Those of the Covenant system, who are prevalent in your area (Reformed, Christian Reformed) believe that because Israel fulfilled a particular purpose when Christ came the first time he has fulfilled spiritually the promises God gave Israel; therefore, according to Amillennialists, the Church is now considered the “true Israel” and thus there is no future promises for an ethnic Israel. Obviously we see no Biblical substantiation for this line of thought. Amills have reductionisticly reduced God’s promises to only spiritual terms, without allowing for the ethnic, political, social, and physical aspects of God’s promises in the culmination of the Kingdom. Then we have the strict dispensationalist who believes God has eternally separated Israel and the Church. You must remember that these systems, although at times can be of help, are developed by fallible men and as a result you would expect some error.
Now to your question. . .right up front let me say the Bible is clear that there is no division between Israel and the Church in the Body of Christ. However as we move toward the “Day of The Lord” when the Rapture of the Church takes place and God pours out His wrath on this old world, God is dealing with Israel and the Church simultaneously. Here when I speak of Israel I am speaking of national Israel and not saved Israel. In other words there is a difference between an ethnic Jew and a saved Jew (see Luke 3:8). Allow me to quote from an article written by Charles Cooper, “Only by placing faith in the promises of God do natural Jews become saved or part of the “remnant according to the election of grace.” This is Paul’s meaning in Romans 9:6 when he writes, “they are not all Israel who are of Israel.” Rather, “at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” The disciples of Christ belong to this Jewish remnant of righteousness. Paul indicates that he too belongs to this Jewish remnant of righteousness (Romans 11:1-2). Israel therefore consists of a remnant of righteousness (the elect) and those who are hardened (unsaved). Any discussion about Israel that does not take this point into consideration may error when addressing her future.”
I do believe that there is vast biblical evidence that God’s dealings with ethnic or natural Israel and the Church do overlap.
It is obvious in the day in which we live that God is dealing with natural Israel. He is fulfilling the Old Testament promises (Ezekiel 36 for example) to bring Israel back into the land, establishing them as a nation and allowing them to control the city of Jerusalem setting the stage for the Seventieth week of Daniel (the tribulation) to begin. Israel is definitely still in God’s plan, He has not forsaken her. He has made promises to Israel that are forever and He will fulfill them.
According to many Old Testament promises and Romans 11:26 there is a day coming when all Israel will be saved. That day is at the end of the Seventieth week when all Israel who survive this period and have not taken the mark of the beast will be saved and become a part of the Body of Christ. In Revelation 12 the woman is obviously Israel and in verse 17 it speaks of her offspring as those “who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”, obviously the Church.
I have attempted to keep this brief and trust it will be a help to you. A study of Scripture will continually show you that Jews and Gentiles who are saved are one in Christ. Unfortunately not all in the church today are saved, but there is a remnant, likewise not all Jews are saved but there is a remnant. Those two remnants will be joined together through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for eternity. May God bless in your continued study and growth in Christ.
In Christ’s love.
Prewrath Resource Institute,
I recently read Marvin Rosenthal’s book, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. The book was well written and I consider myself thoroughly convinced of his position. I greatly appreciate the labor and sacrifice represented by the book.
I am one of those who was previously convinced of the pre-tribulation rapture. I was convinced because every pastor and every spiritual mentor I’ve ever looked up to has been adamant about that position. It served as a litmus test between orthodoxy and heresy. This prevailing attitude was addressed in the book, so I know you understand. This attitude was deeply ingrained in me as well. If it were not for the high esteem I already held for the author, I wouldn’t have “wasted my time” reading the book.
I was impressed by the way Rosenthal laid out scripture after scripture in a way that gave corrected definitions to terms like, Day of the Lord, wrath, tribulation, Coming (parousia), seals, bowls, and trumpets. As prophetic passages were laid out alongside each other, the scheduling of events was made evident. As I read these passages now, it seems so clear that scripture teaches only one second coming of the Lord.
Thank you for your ministry.
Sincerely,
Douglas Fox
Maryville, TN
