First,Last,Before,After

Exploring Prophetic Mysteries

With Daniel Speck 10.25.13

First does not mean first, last does not mean last, before does not mean before and after does not mean after in the Pre-Tribulation world

In the bizarre world of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, straightforward statements of prophetic Scripture often don’t mean what they clearly state

Those who had not worshipped the Beast or His image…they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years…This is the FIRST resurrection. Revelation 20:4-6. According to I Thessalonians 4:16-17 the first resurrection occurs during the Rapture. Pre-Tribulation advocates teach that the First Resurrection takes place long after the Rapture.

Behold I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the LAST trumpet. I Corinthians 15:51-52. According to Revelation 10:7 the Seventh Trumpet is the last trumpet to sound. Pre-Trib advocates insist the last trumpet will sound before the Tribulation even with seven more trumpets to sound.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon into blood BEFORE the great and awesome day of the Lord. Joel 2:31. According to Revelation 6:12 this will occur during the sixth seal near the end of the Tribulation. Pre-Trib advocates say these signs will happen after the Day of the Lord is well under way.

But immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light…and they will see the Son of Man coming one the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:29-31. According to Revelation 6:16-17, 11:15-17 and 14:14-16 Christ will appear on the clouds, harvest the Church and begin to reign after the Tribulation. Pre-Trib advocates teach Christ will return and the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation.

Once again, first does not mean first

Now we request you brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him…it will not come unless the apostasy comes FIRST, and the man of lawlessness is revealed…he takes his seat in the temple of God… II Thessalonians 2:1-4. According to Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 13:7-15 the Abomination of Desolation will occur and the Beast will make war with the saints before the elect are raptured. Pre-Tribulation advocates say the Apostasy and the Abomination of Desolation will happen after the Rapture.

A test does not mean a test

I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to TEST those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10. I Peter 1:6-7 says the Church will be tested by fire. Pre-Tribulation advocates insist that the Tribulation is the Wrath and Judgment of God even though it is never described as wrath or judgment in the Bible, only a test.

The saints do not mean the saints

“I kept looking and the horn was waging war with the SAINTS and overpowering them, until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the highest one…” Daniel 7:21-22 Here is the perseverance and the faith of the SAINTS. Revelation 12:10. I Corinthians 1:2 calls the Church the saints. Pre-Trib advocates try to tell us these Tribulation saints are not the Church.

The elect does not mean the elect

And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His ELECT from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:31. Colossians 3:12 calls the Church the elect. Pre-Trib advocates deny the elect gathered from the sky in Matthew 24 is the Church and the Lord Jesus is not describing the Rapture here.

Visible does not mean visible

Behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will SEE Him... Revelation 1:11

For as lightning that comes from the east is VISIBLE even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:27 (NIV). Contradicting this, Pre-Tribulation advocates teach that the return of Christ will be invisible, a doctrine found nowhere in the Bible.

Summary

In the bizarre world of Pre-Tribulation eschatology, first does not mean first, last does not mean last, before does not mean before and after does not mean after. In this school of interpretation many clear, straightforward statements of Scripture do not mean what they say and must be rejected in favor of the teaching of a 19th century heretic and cult founder. The First Resurrection at the Rapture, the Post-Tribulation Day of the Lord, the Seventh Trumpet Rapture, the Tribulation as a wrathless test, the Church as the elect saints, and the visible return of Jesus Christ must be denied even though the Bible straightforwardly teaches them all. Any believer desiring a clear and accurate understanding of the prophetic Scriptures must commit exclusively to the authority of the written Word and reject any eschatology filtered through a faulty system of theology like John Nelson Darby’s Dispensationalism and Pre-Tribulation Rapture.