PJ HanleyA Replacement Theology understanding of the prophets, and even the New Testament, interprets the prophetic Scriptures in a “figurative” or “allegorical” way, as only applying to the church made up of all “believers” who will spend eternity in heaven someday when Jesus comes. Thus the mention of a remnant, or special call on a nation or a “First Fruit Company,” is rejected as “elitist,” “escapist” or even “divisive.” Since there is only the church and that church is made up of all believers, lukewarm or otherwise, and there is clearly a great harvest in the Tribulation, no other group can exist in this mindset. This is an Amillennial (No Millennium) or more likely Post-Millennial understanding underlying a Pre-Millennial cover. In other words, it’s not a true New Testament Pre-Millennialism, which is impossible without the complete rejection of Replacement Theology, and all of its deep and intertwined roots. The Biblical Hebraic view of Eschatology is more about the literal kingdom of Messiah and sees the end of the age in an agricultural way, i.e. the “First Fruits,” “Harvest,” and “Gleanings.” The Bride of course is the “First Fruits.”
Hebrew thinking is much different from Greek thinking. For example: we are told in Revelation that the resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium is the 1st Resurrection. Yet, this cannot be a numerical first as we Greek-minded people think, since there are two resurrections before it – Christ and His First Fruit Company, and the Bridal First Fruit Company of 1 Thess 4:17.
Lack of Understanding of the Day of The Lord
The understanding of the Day of The Lord which, is a predominant theme of the Hebrew prophets, and also the New Testament, has been lost to the modern church. The reason of course lies in the roots of Replacement Theology. Yet, without the understanding of the Day of The Lord, clarity in Eschatology is impossible. It’s like preaching on the kingdom without mentioning Jesus. The Day of the Lord is crucial to the understanding of the end of the age because the end of the age is The Day of the Lord. However, as a result of the absence of the Biblical understanding of The Day of The Lord, “The Tribulation” referred to by Jesus, has been taken out of context, being understood as the second half of Daniel’s 70th Week and given the title of The Great Tribulation, rather than the Day of the Lord. Thus, Daniel’s 70th Week is viewed by Evangelicals and Charismatics alike as, “The Tribulation” with the last half being “The Great Tribulation” of which Jesus spoke. Though Charismatics are thoroughly confused and sadly indifferent on the subject, Evangelicals have gone on to fortify this understanding in the minds of all. Thus the Biblical view of the Day of The Lord presented in the Hebrew prophets, and clearly expounded on by Paul in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, has been lost. So too has the clearest presentation of the timing of the Rapture.
This is a chaotic understanding of the 70th Week but it remains the predominant view. The Left Behind series has buried it in the psyche of the church and few take the time to examine it. But this view of the 70th Week is absurd. The earth is destroyed during a time of Peace & Security and then destroyed again after the Abomination. This view of the 70th Week as the Tribulation is the reason why anyone who believes in the Rapture has to be Pre-Week in order to be Pre-Trib. All other views are immediately discredited because they have to fight this well established view. Even the so called “Mid-Trib” view is an acceptance of this understanding of the Tribulation. As a result, when I repeatedly say “Mid-Week” rather than “Mid-Trib” I am assumed to be teaching a “Mid-Trib”view. But there is not one verse or passage that even suggests that the Tribulation is 7 yrs long, or that there is a Tribulation and a Great Tribulation. I challenge any teacher or scholar to present one. It is merely presumed since the first half of the Week is about Israel’s apostasy it must be Tribulational, and the church cannot be there for that. It’s as if God can’t work with Israel and the nations and the church at the same time, as He is clearly doing now.
Once we understand that the Day of the Lord and The Great Tribulation are one and the same, then the timing of the Rapture becomes abundantly clear. Jesus referred to the Day of The Lord by calling it the Time of Great Tribulation or Distress. Besides this, there are many verses and passages that substantiate the timing of the Rapture as Mid-Week (not mid-Trib). However, Paul addressed it directly in 1st Thess and 2nd Thess. In these passages, the Pre-Week and Post-Trib view are completely debunked. The blindness that remains upon Christians when they read these passages is astonishing. It’s almost the same as the blindness on Israel when they read the Old Covenant. Something that Paul wrote to clarify continues to be used in a confusing way! Let’s now look at these passages carefully!
As we look at these passages please remember that there are no chapters and verses in the original – it is one letter. Thus until the subject matter changes we have to understand that it is still being spoken about. In other words, the verses are a continuous discussion on the same subject and do not change with the introduction of a new verse or chapter. Thus 1Thessalonians 5 must be seen as a continuation of 1Thessalonians 4. Thus in the following passages, I will omit the chapters. I will also stay away from any other points mentioned in the texts for the sake of clarity.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” 1Thess 4:13-1Thess 5:11
RAPTURE
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming (PAROUSIA – PRESENCE) of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Now as to the times and the epochs, (TIMING OF THE RAPTURE & DAY OF THE LORD) brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (NOTICE HOW THE RAPTURE & THE DAY OF THE LORD ARE THE SAME SUBJECT AND ARE SIMULTANEOUS) While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. (MIDDLE OF THE WEEK – DAY OF THE LORD – PEACE & SECURITY ENDS) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. (THIS DAY WILL NOT SNEAK UP ON THE ALERT BRIDE – SHE WILL SEE IT AND KNOW IT – NOT JUST BY REVELATION BUT THROUGH SCRIPTURE & EVENTS) We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. (HOPE OF DELIVERANCE AS IN THE RAPTURE) For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (THIS IS NOT A SALVATION FROM SIN BUT FROM THE TIME OF WRATH WHICH IS THE DAY OF THE LORD) who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. (BE WITH HIM) Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
THE COMFORT IN THESE WORDS HAS TO BE THE RAPTURE AND BEING WITH HIM. WHAT ELSE CAN IT BE?
2 Thess 2:1-13
“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, (SUBJECT – PAROUSIA & RAPTURE) that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (SAME SUBJECT – THE PAROUSIA AND RAPTURE ARE THE SAME SUBJECT AS THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THIS SENTENCE. EVEN THE RULES OF GRAMMAR FORCE THIS).”
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (DAY OF THE LORD & SIMULTANEOUS RAPTURE) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (THE RAPTURE AND THE DAY OF THE LORD CANNOT COME UNTIL THE APOSTASY OF THE JEWS AND THE REVEALING OF THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS OCCURS – THIS CLEARL Y HAPPENS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (THIS VERSE SHOWS THAT THE REVEALING OF THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS IS THE ABOMINATION WHICH HAPPENS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK) Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation (DELIVERANCE OF THE RAPTURE) through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth (SANTIFIED – IN LOVE BRIDE).”
It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (GLORIOUS BRIDE RAPTURED).
Both the Pre-Week view and the Post-Trib view are clearly addressed in these verses. There is no other way to read them that makes sense or deals honestly with the text in my opinion. This is the definitive view and was presented by Paul deliberately to put the timing of the rapture to bed.
In Conclusion
When the rapture and the Day of The Lord are presented as occurring in the Middle of the70th Week, some are quick to say that this does away with the imminency of Christ’sreturn. Since we have a clear set of events to watch for, it is presumed that all will be able to discern it and thus there would be no reason for Jesus to warn about His coming suddenly and we not being aware. However, this view negates the severity and power of the deception and delusion of the last days. Today all the Biblical signs say we are in the last generation, but the majority of believers have no clue. They do not see the signs. The sad reality is that the church is, for the most part, fast asleep at the time they should be most awake. The false prophecies and teachings about the “End-Times” have lulled them into a sense of complacency and indifference. This is what they were meant to do, and this is precisely why Jesus warned us so much. Most pastors and Bible teachers are clueless that we are at the end of the age and many are even downplaying or denying the return of Christ. I predict that when Israel signs the Treaty to divide Jerusalem and restore the Holy Place to Jewish worship, and to permit Israel to become a member of the EU, beginning the 70th Week, most Christians and pastors will celebrate it as a great event and will join the others dancing in the streets. Indeed, right up to the Middle of the Week they will perceive this peace as wonderful and lasting until the Rapture and the Day of The Lord suddenly come upon them. But those who are longing for His appearing will be alert and sober and aware of the events just like they are now!