BOOK: IF NOT “PRE-TRIB RAPTURE,”
THEN WHAT?
A new Joint Christian and Jewish Postribulational
Pre-Wrath Resurrection theory
NOW IS THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND. God told Daniel that the revelations he received would at first be sealed from human understanding, “for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end” (Dan. 12:9). I believe that now is the time for a correct understanding, after centuries of mistaken interpretations regarding the end-times. We must begin by changing certain misconceptions that force the interpretation of past, present, and future events into a paradigm that does not match God’s eternal paradigm. If the end result is not a joining of both Jews and Christians into a single spiritual entity through Yeshua the Messiah, both experiencing together the one and only resurrection event, it is evidently faulty. Select a page on the left to see the re-definitions regarding terminology and timing elements that I discuss in my book IF NOT A “PRE-TRIB RAPTURE,” THEN WHAT?
First of all, the modern term “rapture” itself, obtained from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, carries a lot of baggage and presumes a whole set of conclusions. This term just describes how Jesus will raise the living believers when He returns to gather His people. The original Greek verb for “caught up” is harpazo, while the Latin verb is “raptare,” which has been converted to a noun, thus calling it a “rapture.” But the verb simply describes the theological term known as “resurrection from the dead.” Pretribulationism differentiates between “rapture” and “resurrection” as though they were different events. The correct and Biblical term has always been “resurrection,” since this is the noun, and being “caught up” is merely a verb, one of the visible manifestations at the moment of the resurrection (whether of the still living or of the dead). It can also be described as a “rising up,” as in the Hebrew word “kum” of Isaiah 26:19, and also as a “gathering” or “assembling together” of God’s people, as in the Greek term “episunogage” of 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Some people also claim that the term “resurrection” only applies to those who will be actually dead, while “rapture” refers to those who will still be alive when Jesus raises them up. This distinction is quite unnecessary, since “resurrection” refers to both the dead and those that are still living at the time of the resurrection. Sadly, this idea of being “caught up” leads to a position that only the Church will be “raptured” while Israel stays behind for the “Tribulation.” This theory also seems to willfully discard, ignore or misinterpret Jesus’ own words from His Olivet Discourse about when He would gather “His elect”:
First of all, the modern term “rapture” itself, obtained from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, carries a lot of baggage and presumes a whole set of conclusions. This term just describes how Jesus will raise the living believers when He returns to gather His people. The original Greek verb for “caught up” is harpazo, while the Latin verb is “raptare,” which has been converted to a noun, thus calling it a “rapture.” But the verb simply describes the theological term known as “resurrection from the dead.” Pretribulationism differentiates between “rapture” and “resurrection” as though they were different events. The correct and Biblical term has always been “resurrection,” since this is the noun, and being “caught up” is merely a verb, one of the visible manifestations at the moment of the resurrection (whether of the still living or of the dead). It can also be described as a “rising up,” as in the Hebrew word “kum” of Isaiah 26:19, and also as a “gathering” or “assembling together” of God’s people, as in the Greek term “episunogage” of 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Some people also claim that the term “resurrection” only applies to those who will be actually dead, while “rapture” refers to those who will still be alive when Jesus raises them up. This distinction is quite unnecessary, since “resurrection” refers to both the dead and those that are still living at the time of the resurrection. Sadly, this idea of being “caught up” leads to a position that only the Church will be “raptured” while Israel stays behind for the “Tribulation.” This theory also seems to willfully discard, ignore or misinterpret Jesus’ own words from His Olivet Discourse about when He would gather “His elect”:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:29-31; similar to Mk. 13:3-27).
After placing the various confusing pieces of the final-day scenario puzzle within the non-negotiable and irrefutable framework of God’s intended purposes for all mankind (see page of "God's Eschatological Puzzle"), we end up with a general Post-Tribulation / Pre-Wrath Resurrection picture that, according to my estimation, seems more Biblical than any other. Nevertheless, I prefer to call this a Joint Christian and Jewish Postribulational Pre-Wrath Resurrection theory. Both eschatologies are on a convergent path towards the same finality, which upholds a common resurrection of the saints at the end of their earthly tribulations, but before God rains down His wrath upon unrepentant mankind.
Of fundamental importance is the declaration in 1 Corinthians 15:50 that no one, whether Jew or Christian, can inherit the Kingdom of God without first experiencing the resurrection: “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” This is an event that both faiths look forward to, and expect to participate in, as part of their eschatology, but we can only experience the resurrection together. Clearly, there will be only one unique resurrection event of the saints in human history, and both have to experience it at the same time! Yet very few theologians have come to this conclusion since it can be highly controversial, both from the Jewish point of view as well as from the Christian. But if both faiths concur in the basic idea of a coming resurrection and a future Messianic Kingdom, then we must also concur that the resurrection will take place for both at once. There are not two different Messiahs, and there cannot be two separate “brides,” just as there are not two separate Kingdoms.
In conclusion, we should be very diligent in discerning correct Biblical eschatology, seriously inspecting everything that is being taught, especially the popular “Pretribulational rapture” theory, which purports to give a “Tribulation-free” pass to Christians, leaving the Jews behind. Any picture that does not have the Jewish and Gentile people of God together as the Body of the Messiah before, during and after the resurrection of the saints must be erroneous, and we might even classify it as a profanation of God’s holy masterpiece.
Book is available for purchase on Amazon.
Book is available for purchase on Amazon.
