Day of the Lord

Part 13 – A Response to “The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture”

by Alan Kurschner
written by Alan Kurschner

I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
DeWaay unfoundedly asserts that the prewrath position teaches that:

“only the sixth seal is wrath, and nothing else is really the wrath of God.”

By this he means that prewrath teaches that God has not expressed his wrath in other forms throughout Church history. This, of course, is an absurd strawman. I would like to challenge DeWaay to produce documentation for this assertion.
He cites Romans 1:18

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Every prewrath interpreter that I know understands that Romans 1:18 is an expression of God’s wrath in Paul’s present time and ongoing. So how is this relevant to affirming that God’s eschatological wrath (associated with his Second Coming) begins at the seventh seal (not the sixth seal, by the way)? We are not told.
He also cites the judgment of God on Israel in AD 70, suggesting that prewrathers do not believe that this was God’s judgment. Again, I am just left shaking my head, and ask where is he is getting this stuff.
There are many expressions of God’s wrath throughout history. Just to name a few during the Church Age and beyond:
1. Judgment on the Cross upon his Son (which, by the way, I have written a section in my forthcoming book showing how there was a Day of the Lord judgment on the cross).
Judgment on the Unbelieving:
2. The Judgment on Israel in A.D. 70 (and the ongoing judgment on Israel through the “partial hardening”)
3. Homosexuality and other Forms of Unrighteousness (Romans 1:18ff.)
4. Reprobation (Romans 9:22)
Judgment on the Believing:
5. Chastening (1 Cor. 11:31-32; Heb 12:5-11)
6. Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10)

Eschatological Judgments:
7. Judgment on the Nation of Israel (Ezek. 20:37-38; Zech 13:8-9)
8. Judgment on the Nations (Matt. 25:31-46; Isa. 34:1-2; Joel 3:11-16)
9. Judgment on Fallen Angels (Jude 6)
10. Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15)
11. Eternal Perdition (Matt 10:28)

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ExhortationPretribulationismPrewrath

Part 12 – A Response to “The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture”

by Alan Kurschner
written by Alan Kurschner

I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
He asserts that Prewrathers use a “Psychological Argument” for their position. He says that we believe that “if we do not think we are going to be martyred, we will not be prepared.” That is true, since how can someone prepare for persecution, if they think they will be exempt from it?
And he asserts: “No Christian is prepared for martyrdom on the grounds he or she thinks it will happen.”
He misses the point since he discusses this on the psychological level, not the spiritual level. Somewhere (not in any primary prewrath literature) he was told that prewrathers believe that if you just propositionally understand that believers will encounter the Antichrist, then you are somehow prepared for it. That is a blatant strawman, a gross misrepresentation. Prewrath does not believe that it is a psychological state that prepares a believer’s heart—but a spiritual state.
I would like to point DeWaay to some primary material such as this book by Charles Cooper: Fight, Flight, or Faith: How to Survive the Great Tribulation.
Notice the book is not titled: Fight, Flight, or Assent to a Proposition: How to Survive the Great Tribulation.
How does he explain Jesus and Paul’s warning of persecution to stay faithful during the Antichrist’s persecution? Is Jesus and Paul making psychological arguments?
There is a real connection between the warning to be prepared and one’s faith. This is called God’s means to prepare the believer. What other possible purpose was there of Jesus’ warnings if not to prepare them for what lies ahead? We are not told by DeWaay.
I do not believe that a pretribulational believer who affirms that we will be raptured out of here in bed’s of ease will be “just as prepared” for the Antichrist’s Great Tribulation as a prewrather who prepares his body, mind, and soul, and has studied and taken heed to Jesus’ teaching in the Olivet Discourse.
After John describes the threat that Christians will undergo by Antichrist in Revelation 13, he warns:

“This requires the steadfast endurance of the saints—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to their faith in Jesus.” (Rev 14:12).

How does DeWaay negate that this warning is real? Someone can ignore this warning and be “equally prepared”? I don’t accept that.
To blunt these specific warnings, DeWaay says: “People have been martyred throughout church history.” So how is that relevant to the specific warnings given by Jesus, Paul, and John? We are not told. He also says that “everybody [in Church history] who has ever been martyred was given grace by God.” That is not the point. How many in Church history denied the Lord? How many of them did not take Peter’s warnings of persecution seriously? (1 Peter 4:12-19)
Next, he asserts:

“If Christians find themselves alive during the great tribulation, God will give them grace despite what view of the rapture they had.”

Never mind the fact that the grace of God was revealed in Biblical truth to believers in Scripture, warning them that this day would come. Theology does matter. He says that it does not really matter what rapture view one has. So if I am a pretribber who rejects the Olivet Discourse, which includes the parables of the Ten Virgins and all the other “Be Ready” parables,” God is going to bless that? There will be this peanut butter grace spread evenly among all Christians at this time? So why the vigilance? Can one really read 2 Thessalonians and come to the conclusion that “it really does not matter what you believe about this”?
In conclusion, the prewrath position prepares the believer for the persecution of Antichrist. Not because we assent to the proposition “prewrath is correct” as DeWaay would have you think. Instead, the prewrath position teaches with exhortation. The pretrib position cannot teach with exhortation because they believe they will be raptured out of here before Antichrist. The Prewrath position takes the warnings of Christ, Paul, and John as real and applicable to the Church.
Incidentally, if someone says that either position is “possible,” it still blunts the warnings in the Bible—for what believer is really going to discern Biblical authority in a faint-hearted maybe.

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Exhortation

Part 11 – A Response to “The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture”

by Alan Kurschner
written by Alan Kurschner

I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
DeWaay acknowledges that there are certain passages that teach signs to Christ’s Return. Then he lists some contrary passages that he believes show that it will be unexpected. Rather than interact with the context of these latter verses in any meaningful fashion, he sort of just leaves it and concludes that Christ’s Return will be unexpected.
For example he says the following verse contradicts the prewrath position:

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”” (Luke 12:40).

For DeWaay, this verse is suppose to teach that there will not be any signs to Christ’s Coming for believers. DeWaay stresses the “you” toward the disciples in verse 40, but Jesus qualifies this in the very next few verses. Note the context:

“(41) Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” (42) And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? (43) Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. (44) Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. (45) But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, (46) the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. (47) And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. (48) But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:41-48).

The point Jesus is making in the parable is quite simple: those who do not live faithful, godly, watchful lives, the Lord will come unexpectedly for them: “will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.” But those who do live faithful, godly, vigilant lives, Christ will not come back unexpectedly.
Vigilant believers will not be caught off guard. They will be watchful and know the season: “So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near,” (Matt 24:33). Further, this is consistent with Paul’s teaching: “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thess 5:4).
Moreover, this parable is found later in Matthew 24. So by necessity you have these warnings after the incident of the Antichrist’s Great Tribulation with Christ’s Coming following afterwards.
Incidentally, the term in v. 40 for “expect” is δοκέω. A better rendering is “suppose, seem, or think.”
DeWaay also cites Matt. 24:42-44, 50; 25:13 (cf. Mark 13:32, 33) as evidence that the timing of the rapture is uncertain. But again, as in our last passage the context clearly indicates that this applies to those who are not prepared and watchful. See the context of Matthew 24:32-41.

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Pretribulationism

Part 10 – A Response to “The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture”

by Alan Kurschner
written by Alan Kurschner

I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
He says that the prewrath rapture teaches the identification of the timing of the rapture “quite precisely.” Actually, of all four major rapture positions, it is the prewrath rapture position that is the least precise. Pretribulationism (as DeWaay affirms) identifies the rapture as occurring as the same day when the 7 year period begins. Midtribulationism identifies it exactly at the mid-point. Post-tribulationism identifies the rapture on the last day of the 7 year period. So all those three rapture positions identify the rapture on a specific exact day in relation to the 7 year period.
In contrast, the prewrath rapture position says the rapture will occur sometime during the second half of the 7 year period when the Great Tribulation is cut short. It is the prewrath position that can only make sense out of Jesus’ words that no one can know the day or hour (see this video commentary for a point against the pretrib interpretation of this verse).

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Church HistoryPretribulationismPrewrath

Part 9 – A Response to “The Uncertainty of the Timing of the Rapture”

by Alan Kurschner
written by Alan Kurschner

I am continuing my response to Pastor Bob DeWaay.
He devotes a brief time in talking about what the Early Church writers believed on eschatology. He rightly states that the Early Church was premillennial. But what was conspicuously absent from his discussion was any acknowledgment of the fact that Early Church writers believed that the the Church will encounter the Antichrist, and that the resurrection would follow after the Great Tribulation. This is exactly the core of what Prewrath affirms.
It is not that every Early Church writer wrote on this subject; but everyone that actually did affirmed that the Church would go through the Great Tribulation.
Not only can someone search in vain for a pretribulational statement in the Early Church, but you will not find any pretribulational statements until the early 19th century.
As Evangelicals our ultimate authority is not in what the Early Church writers believed—it is in the inspired Scriptures. It is, however, very telling that the first generations of the Church believed what Prewrath affirms: The Church will encounter Antichrist.
Click here for primary evidence.
Click here for an audio discussion.

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