Just a reminder for those who have registered to attend the 2008 Prewrath Conference and live out of state: If you have not booked your plane tickets yet, hurry because January is creeping up soon! And those who are sitting on the fence–you still have some time to sign up and make arrangements–it is just over two months away!
Robert Fisher writes,
While serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1952, myself and others attended Lowry AFB at Denver Colorado for advanced electronics training. While there I joined a Southern Baptist church and came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Shortly thereafter I was baptized and also became a student of the bible, including both bible prophecy and also pseudo-Christian cults.
Upon my eventual return to Canada I became associated with the Plymouth Brethren movement and joined an assembly of believers. On leaving the air force I attended the Toronto Bible College a non-denominational school, studying English Bible, Church History, Cults, Apologetics and Eschatology, together with various other related subjects. I was indoctrinated into “pre-tribulationism” by studying the text of “Systematic Theology” by Louis Sperry Schaeffer. This was further augmented by constantly having the “pre-trib” view preached at many, many meetings of the “brethren.” As an avid student of the prophetic word I purchased most of the then current literature on the subject, and was quite content to accept what I had been taught and instructed.
Then about forty years later in 1990 came a new book by Marvin Rosenthal, “The Pre-wrath Rapture of the Church” Since my knowledge of the subject matter was indeed current, this new view as told by Marv was a shocker to say the very least. I was completely intrigued and impressed by his forthright presentation of the facts, backing everything he observed with adequate unstrained scripture to support his viewpoint.
My Christian brethren immediately dismissed this “new” viewpoint with disdain, and were completely unwilling to give it due consideration, They were quite close-minded over the entire thing, refusing to give any sort of scriptural defense to their “pre-trib” position which they claimed was indisputable. This of course sent me right back to studying Marv’s book for a second, third and fourth readings.
I asked the Lord for guidance of His Holy Spirit to grant me the wisdom to understand this entire matter. The result of my personal study was that Marv had it correct, and that the “pretrib” viewpoint was utterly wrong, and fabricated entirely on dispensational teachings and the visionary dreams of that Scottish lassie, Margaret McDonald, with no sound scriptural exegesis to back it up at all. So after 40 or more years as a “pre-tribber,” I, like Marvin Rosenthal was forced to reconsider and change my viewpoint forthwith. Since then I have ingested every scrap of information and writings on this subject I can from all available sources, I consider myself to be a “Berean” by nature and stand entirely on the indisputable truth of the Word of God.
This of course meant that I owed it to my “brethren” to try to enlighten them concerning doctrines they hold dearly, and while the “pretrib” viewpoint appeals to the comfort of the “flesh.” The “pre-wrath” viewpoint appeals to the “truth” of the word of God, which no true Christian could or should deny, or try to twist around to fit their own pre-conceived ideas. At that time, I wrote several articles on the subject and re-reading them today, I find nothing within them that needs to be changed or re-edited.
One of my proudest possessions is a hard cover copy of “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church” personally signed by its author Marvin Rosenthal in April 1991. I have read it through many times in the interim and I am as convinced today concerning the truth of the Pre-Wrath viewpoint as I was back then.
My personal congratulations are due the dear Christian brothers who maintain this web site. This site must stand as a guidepost to all earnest seekers of prophetic truth in these closing days of the age. It is my prayer that many more Christians will become forewarned of the apostasy and perils that lie ahead for the entire church, and will take the necessary steps to guard themselves from the possible onslaughts of antichrist when he assumes his end-time role. Much future suffering could be avoided if the vast body of Christians clinging to the “pre-trib” position could be persuaded to take a more thorough and prayerful look into the Pre-Wrath viewpoint!
Leen Ritmeyer is the world’s leading authority on the first century temple mount.
Todd Bolen writes on this important discovery as well.
These are sober times to reflect on the judgment that is soon to come on this nation in full force. Indeed, homosexuality, secularism, and those who believe they are a law unto themselves are judgments in themselves on this nation.
Those whose happiness is tied up in things will find those things passing away. Truly, we must examine to see what attachments we have for this world system. Here is our power during times of persecution–indeed, it should be our mindset even now,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
And our attitude should be,
“…if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1Peter 4:16-19)
Our Blessed Hope is not escaping trials and persecution in itself, nor having wealth and good health. What is our Blessed hope? It is now, being secure in the love of Christ; and it is a future promise of being with Christ at his appearing and subsequent fellowship in glory. It is not a blessed hope to see Christ at his return in the midst of watching television sitting on a plush sofa cramming our faces with food. No. It is a blessed hope for the one who is naked and hungry sitting on a hard floor in jail who refused to bow the knee to Antichrist. It is a blessed hope for the one who has been betrayed by their children and siblings for the Name of Christ. It will be a blessed hope to see Christ at his return in the midst of persecution–not prosperity.
And in those future dark days, may we press close to our hearts this most awesome promise from our Creator and Savior,
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39) (Katherine views this passage as pivotal as well.)
May we prepare our hearts now, for God does not honor unprepared foolish virgins who will not be vigilant. It is Godly wisdom to prepare now for the banquet.
Take heed brothers and sisters:
White concludes his poignant article saying,
I pray God will cause me to love His truth, His church, His people, His gospel, more and more, so that my attachments to this world will grow ever weaker and weaker. The only Christians who will remain strong in the coming years will be those who realize the strong antithesis of these simple words: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The only “leverage” the world has against us is that which we willingly give: our ungodly attachments to this world system. The more we are crucified to the world, the more we live in light of our death in Christ and our life in Him, the less power they will have. This is the secret of the persecuted church, and it is a lesson our brothers and sisters in other lands know well. It is one we must learn, and quickly.
Click here to read the full article.