CHAPTER 15
Final Conclusions
Assume, if you will, that the issue of the pre-Trib rapture is being decided in a courtroom, and you are a member of the jury. The question you are to decide is simply this: Based on the evidence presented, should we believe in the pre-Trib rapture? As you assume this duty, you are reminded of the importance of being impartial. How you prefer the end-times to unfold does not matter; what you previously thought does not matter. All that matters is the evidence before you. And what is that evidence? It is none other than the 14 Reasons we have been considering. Since no passage explicitly teaches the pre-Trib view, it follows that it must be established through indirect means. That's where the 14 Reasons come in. The hope was that these arguments will be sufficient to establish the pre-Trib rapture as a bona fide Biblical doctrine. There is, however, something which must not be forgotten: These arguments are all the pre-Tribulationists have. That means, if they fail, so does the pre-Trib rapture.
In truth, the case described above would never go to a jury. Rather, it would be dismissed for lack of evidence. No court in the land would consider these pre-Trib arguments as evidence. Once the logical fallacies are stripped away, it becomes apparent that there isn't a shred of Biblical proof in any of the 14 Reasons. That, of course, leads us to the inescapable conclusion that the pre-Trib rapture is NOT in the Bible. And if it isn't in the Bible, it isn't in God's plans. "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).
But you say, what's the harm? Why should we care if someone believes in the pre-Trib rapture? If nothing else, it keeps believers on their toes, or so we are told. Unfortunately, after weighing that potential benefit against the harm which has been wrought, we find plenty of reasons for standing against pre-Tribulationism. Here are three specific areas in which the church has been injured by the pre-Trib rapture theory or by its proponents:
The harm brought to Christian truth
In Chapter One we made reference to the noble-minded Bereans of Acts 17. Remember, they were the ones who listened eagerly to what the Apostle Paul had to say, but nevertheless took time to carefully weigh his message against the Scriptures. We wonder, what was it that made them noble-minded in the eyes of Paul? Perhaps the answer is that they had great respect for truth. So much so, they were unwilling to judge Paul's message for themselves. Instead, they subjected what they heard to the word of God—which was their sole standard for measuring truth. Happily, because Paul's message was in agreement with the Sacred Writings, "many of them believed" (Acts 17:12). No doubt, those who believed would heartily echo the words of James 1:18, "He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures."
Unfortunately, seeking truth is not always a simple task. In the words of Isaac Watts, "deceit and evil are often clothed in the shapes and appearances of truth and goodness." He goes on to explain that it is the place of logic "to strip off the outward disguise of things, and to behold them and judge them in their own nature."1 Regrettably, the pre-Trib view is replete with arguments which are made to appear Biblical, but the application of logic reveals they are not.
With this in mind, we pose the following question: Would God decree a doctrine which can only be apprehended through faulty reasoning? Before you answer, observe the manner in which other important truths are revealed. In introducing the doctrine of justification, Paul devotes six chapters in the book of Romans, laying out its development in logical, step by step progression. Now, contrast this with how the pre-Trib rapture is "revealed." First, through fallacious reasoning, pre-Tribulationists realize there are two peoples of God, then define the church so it reflects that division. (Never mind that those excluded from the church are written in the Lamb's book of life). Then, by means of another logical fallacy they conclude there are two future Comings of the Lord (though the Bible mentions just one). Next, they assume one of those comings must occur before the Tribulation. Why? Because they have fallaciously reasoned the church will be delivered from the Tribulation and the rapture is the means of that deliverance. Incredibly, every link in the pre-Trib system is forged by applying one logical fallacy or another to the Scripture. Can anyone honestly believe this is how God reveals His plans? Or that the word of truth is rooted in logical fallacies? Bottom line, the methods used to produce the pre-Trib rapture are an embarrassment to the cause of Christ, who is, Himself, truth personified.
The harm brought to Christian fellowship
No one can deny that large numbers of Christians are leaving the pre-Trib camp. We would do well to analyze why this is happening. Certainly it has nothing to do with publicity. Virtually all television and radio teachers still promote pre-Tribulationism. And Christian bookstores are overflowing with pre-Trib publications. The answer, it seems, is that believers are beginning to search the Scriptures for themselves, and because of that, they are coming to the realization that the pre-Trib rapture is simply not in the Bible.
As defections from the ranks increase, it is natural that pre-Tribulationists would want to defend their beliefs. But what sort of defense are they mounting? Unfortunately, much of their efforts seem directed toward denigrating those who disagree with them. In logic, these are called arguments ad hominem, meaning against the man. As an example, LaHaye suggests there are five possible reasons why people "attack" the pre-Trib position. They are anger, jealousy, pride, personal vendetta, and shabby scholarship.2 Far more serious, however, is the implication that those who oppose pre-Tribulationism may be in league with the devil. He writes, "When the pre-Trib position is attacked, undermining the faith of a young Christian, or when a minister embraces a different theory and divides his church by teaching it, Satan notches another victory."3 Apparently, in his mind the pre-Trib rapture has become so intertwined with the Christian faith, that to attack one is to undermine the other. Can anyone argue that such attitudes are beneficial to Christian fellowship?
The harm brought to Christian preparedness
In the closing chapter of II Timothy, Paul gave his young protégé a solemn charge. He urged him to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (4:2). Why these instructions? Because, he said, "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." (4:3). Surely, the pre-Trib rapture is such a doctrine. Today, countless believers tenaciously cling to it, not because of any basis in Scripture, but simply because that's how they hope the end-times will unfold.
I once asked a pastor friend if his congregation was prepared for coming persecution. He responded, "No, not at all." As was suggested in the last chapter, the Bible has much to say about tribulation in general. It also has considerable insight into conditions during the Great Tribulation at the end of the age. Thanks to the dominance of pre-Trib teaching, most think that information is not relevant; its for the "Tribulation saints." But I ask you: What if we Christians ARE the Tribulation Saints?
It is my hope that if you are a pre-Tribulationist, you will least accept the possibility that the church will go through the Tribulation. That way, if the end-times do not unfold as you have been taught, you will not think God has "broken His promise." What's more, you will be better prepared to take on the unique challenges the end of the age has to offer, even though it will no doubt involve suffering hardship "as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
A Final Word
In closing, I leave you this promise which was spoken by an angel of God. Speaking of the end- times, the angel declared, "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." If ours happens to be the generation which sees the coming of the Lord in glory, and if we do, in fact, go through the Tribulation, may God grant that this bright shining be our eternal legacy.
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen" (Revelation 22:20).
Notes to Chapter 15.
Last Updated December 4, 1997 by Larry Simmons