The two great doctrines that hold together the prophecies of the Holy Bible are the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the Great Tribulation of Seven Years.
Deny or disregard these two truths and prophecy falls apart. The Book of Revelation must be reduced to a bunch of non-sensical symbols or else removed from the Bible. Israel becomes an unimportant problem and the antiChrist a shadow of the night. We end up with the idea that anything prophesied in Scripture is a lot of foolish talk that nobody pays much attention to. It all becomes a lot of nonsense to argue about.
At the same time, keep the great hope of the Rapture in its proper place, followed by the Great Judgment of this universe, and the beautiful puzzle becomes a mosaic of Biblical perfection. Every book in the Bible fits the picture and helps paint the future with excitement. You cannot blame the devil for trying to destroy these truths because he is the ultimate loser. We owe to our generation the message of hope and the absolute assurance that this confusion against the truth is wrong. The future is as bright as the sunburst on Resurrection morning.
Let’s look at six great truths which suffer death when the Rapture and the Great Tribulation are denied. (Part Two of this article will list six more). When you see what the loss of the two main doctrines of prophecy does to the rest of the Bible, you will receive a wake-up call. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the Seven Years of Judgment are the bedrock of our future.
1. The first heart break that is suffered is the future of Israel. The Bible is filled with prophecies that place Israel in their homeland when “Jacob’s Trouble” begins its course. This is where the stubborn will of the Jews is broken. Israel is converted at the end of the “Great Tribulation” which Jesus witnessed of in St. Matthew chapter twenty-four. Their future is ultimately tied to the fullness of judgment that the seven dark years represent. The antiChrist in the Jewish temple at the halfway mark of God’s judgment is an absolute part of the Holy Scripture. Anti-Semitism falls on its face when we preach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the Great Tribulation. Watch for a full article covering just this one very important point concerning Israel’s future.
2. The Book of Revelation is God’s perfect outline for end-times prophecy. The Holy Spirit spoke in eloquent terms when He stated: “Write the things… which shall be hereafter.” (Revelation 1:19 a & c) The saints of God are not called saints after Revelation four but elders around the Father’s throne. It is impossible to open the seals of chapter six of Revelation without the removal of the Bride of Christ to a heavenly triumph. The Seven Years of Tribulation is the primary message of the Book of Revelation. Every false doctrine in the prophetic sphere is duty bound to pounce on the literalness of this closing Biblical revelation.
3. Satan’s antiChrist spirit was already creating havoc in the early church and his shadow is seen throughout church history. Apostle Paul was careful to show the powers of the Holy Spirit holding his attack in check until the end. These words leave no doubt that this spirit of antiChrist is the devil and his false Christ that must appear in person: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” (II Thessalonians 2: 8-9) If there is one truth the devil hates, it is the exposing of this dark person that he wants to hide until he appears.
4. Nothing in our future is more exciting than the glorious saints returning with Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.This great company of His saints is clearly from the Old and New Testament. The Spirit said, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war… And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (Revelation 19: 11; 14) These saints are returning from heaven to reign on earth a thousand years. When did they ascend in glorified bodies ready to come back again as His army? If someone denies the Rapture before the Great Tribulation judgment, this entire scene is impossible. The Battle of Armageddon becomes a single event where Christ returns with His Bride and His angels.
5. There are several incredible things that happen during the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation. All of them are denied if you deny the Seven Year period itself. One of the most fascinating events is the two witnesses preaching for three and one half years. “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.” (Revelation 11:3-5) The antiChrist is clearly reigning over the world as the testimony of Christ is proclaimed. These two prophets are invincible until they finish their ministry. After the Beast finally succeeds in killing them, his problems are multiplied by their visible resurrection and rapture up to heaven. What a miraculous victory the false teachers of Post-millennialism and Dominion Theology are refuting.
6. The seven-sealed book in the Father’s hand in Revelation five is one of the greatest scenes of the whole Bible. This seven-sealed scroll is recorded in this ancient passage by the Holy Ghost and preserved in the very archives of heaven. The earth was sold by Adam and Eve and could not be redeemed until the next of kin to God Himself had earned the right to do so. The scene in this explosive chapter of Revelation becomes completely destroyed without the saints in attendance and the process of judgment ready to begin. It is in God’s prophetic plan to redeem this earth and His saints must be with Him because He said we are His witnesses to the developing end times.
This is only the beginning of the great truths our modern church world would deny. I will continue to name these truths in Part Two of this article. The prophecy writers and God-called ministers must take a stand against the many doctrines and enemies of the truth who are attacking the Rapture and the antiChrist’s appearance after the Rapture. These people are causing a multitude to be lost for eternity. Pray for me as I write these truths under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.
Joseph R. Chambers