On Prophecy Charts and Virgins. Or putting it another way, how does believing a posttrib chart turn someone into a Tribulation Prepared Saint? Some people seem to think it does.
I used to be one of the administrators of a pretrib-prophecy Facebook group. Every now and then I revisit the forum. On one trip someone had posted a non-pretrib end-times chart. The disagreeing feedback was mostly friendly and objective. Nonetheless this person didn’t appreciate being prompted to defend his view. He was there to wake up sleeping pretribbers.
When asked why pushing his view was so important, he mentioned the parable of the Ten Virgins. Presumably, we run the risk of being those virgins lacking oil in their lamps. On the other hand taking a posttrib view of the rapture enhances the chances of your lamp being filled with oil.
Elsewhere there was a conversation between folk holding the same view as the chart guy. One person expressed concern for his pretrib friends. Another proffered that they could encourage pretribbers when the time comes. Still another said they could explain what was happening to confused pretribbers once the Antichrist was on the scene and the church was still on the earth.
This isn’t an anomaly – it’s taught in the books and articles they read. They assume they’re prepared because of their rapture view. Hence they want to convert pretribbers. Their hearts may be in the right place, but perhaps they might consider some humble introspection.
Assuming the Antichrist comes out of his closet in this generation…
Once a Third Jewish Temple is built; and a man claiming to be God begins beheading those who don’t worship him, and restricts commerce to those who take his Mark on their hands or foreheads – and we’re still here – most will understand what’s going on. It’s all pretty straight forward.
Then there’s the thing that most pretribbers are easy believing victims of the pretrib rapture deception. We have collaborating data…well, somewhere I suppose.
No doubt one can find examples of folk living with an end-times-prosperity mindset. I’ve seen the occasional abysmal statements by prophecy teachers who ought to know better. Clearly this should be rejected at every level.
In this world we will have tribulation! Tribulation is now.
By far the majority of (pretrib et al) people I associate with understand that persecutions and resulting deaths may come (in many cases has) before Christ raptures the church. Death, trials and persecutions are always imminent (John 16:3; Rev 1:9).
We understand you posttrib-prewrath folk. What we can’t figure out is the nuts and bolts of how you prepare. Is simple intellectual assent to your posttrib view the key? This appears to be the case sans any meaningful discussion on preparation from your materials, other than rapture timing debates.
May I suggest that this position is as problematic as the so-called easy-believism-pretrib view? Why? – Because, if that’s the case, you appear to be placing trust in a rapture timing position, and yourself.
Who should you trust? We all know the answer, right?
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:35-39
I like this comforting meme from Steadfast Bibles: It’s not my grip of Christ BUT Christ’s grip of me!
At time of writing this article the world is dealing with a virus crisis and panic. And so Dr. Paul Henebury has written a timely blog meditation on trusting the Lord. It will hopefully be followed by others. I like his concluding remarks especially:
The plan of God for our lives is usually not revealed but one step at a time (otherwise why would we need faith?). Yet faith acknowledges God. Faith lays hold of Him, and knows that the next step is known to Him. May we always beware of relying on our own limited understandings. For only the Lord can say to us, “this is the way, walk ye in it.”
You can read it HERE
Maranatha!
Further reading:
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