Evidence for the Rapture: A Biblical Case for Pretribulationism - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802412912 ISBN 13: 9780802412911

Verlag: MOODY PUBL, 2015

Inhaltsangabe

Is the rapture still going to happen? And if so, when?

With contributing scholars from schools like Moody Bible Institute, Dallas Theological Seminary, and The Master’s Theological Seminary, Evidence for the Rapture is a convincing and thoroughly biblical case for the rapture.

This collection of exegetical essays looks at the rapture from a number of biblical angles: the words of Jesus in the Gospels, Paul’s teachings in the epistles, and even prophetic and apocalyptic literature. In sound exegetical technique, the authors corroborate Scripture’s main teachings on the end times to provide a trustworthy and concise treatment of a multi-faceted issue.

For the last several hundred years, the doctrine of a pretribulation rapture has been a fixture in many churches and institutions. Evidence for the Rapture is a fresh polish upon this long-standing doctrine.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

John Hart is professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute for over 30 years. He received his TH.D. from Grace Seminary where he wrote his dissertation on Matthew 24. 

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Will the church experience the tribulation?

While disagreement about the end times may seem trivial, the times themselves are anything but that. God’s revelation is to be taken seriously, even the more puzzling parts. Evidence for the Rapture sorts through what has stumped many for centuries: Scripture’s teaching on the rapture.

In this collection of exegetical essays, professors from leading Bible schools give a biblical and convincing case for a pretribulation rapture. In sound interpretive technique, they incorporate the relevant Scriptures from a number of biblical angles, including:

• The words of Jesus in the Gospels
  
• Paul’s teachings in the epistles
  
• Prophetic literature
  
• Apocalyptic literature
  
• The redemptive history of Israel

A strong contender in the ongoing end times debate, the doctrine of a pretribulation rapture has remained a fixture in many churches and institutions over the last few hundred years. Evidence for the Rapture is a fresh polish on this long-standing doctrine.

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Evidence for the Rapture

A Biblical Case for Pretribulationism

By John F. Hart

Moody Publishers

Copyright © 2015 John F. Hart
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8024-1291-1

Contents

In Tribute, 5, 
Acknowledgments, 9, 
Contributors, 11, 
Abbreviations, 15, 
Introduction: Predicting the Rapture, 17, 
1. The Rapture and the Biblical Teaching of Imminency Robert L. Thomas, 23, 
2. Jesus and the Rapture: Matthew 24 John F. Flart, 45, 
3. The Rapture and the Day of the Lord Glenn R. Kreider, 73, 
4. Jesus and the Rapture: John 14 George A. Gunn, 99, 
5. Paul and the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 15 Michael G. Vanlaningham, 123, 
6. Paul and the Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4–5 Kevin D. Zuber, 145, 
7. Paul and the Rapture: 2 Thessalonians 2 Nathan D. Holsteen, 173, 
8. John and the Rapture: Revelation 2–3 Andrew M. Woods, 195, 
9. What Child Is This? A Forgotten Argument for the Pretribulation Rapture Michael J. Svigel, 225, 
10. Israel: Why the Church Must Be Raptured Before the Tribulation Michael A. Rydelnik, 255, 

CHAPTER 1

The Rapture and the Biblical Teaching of Imminency

BY ROBERT L. THOMAS

Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

Luke 12:35

Imminence is a crucial teaching of Jesus and the apostles related to end-time prophecy. The English word imminence means an event that can occur at any time. An imminent danger is a threat that is close at hand and can happen at any moment. There can be no detectable signs that such a danger is about to take place.

When interpreting prophecy, however, some scholars use the word "imminent" less precisely to mean an event that may occur soon, but may also be preceded by specific signs or warnings. Contrary to this, pretribulationists understand the Bible to teach that some prophetic events, such as the rapture and the day of the Lord, will occur at a future time without any preceding signs or events. Therefore, if pretribulationism is the correct New Testament teaching, it must be demonstrated biblically that the rapture will occur without warning and without signs that necessarily indicate its nearness.

The testimony of the ancient fathers, the earliest leaders of the church after the apostles, could perhaps help answer this question. The church fathers definitely speak of future imminent events. But surprisingly, their testimony is mixed, sometimes speaking of the imminence of Christ's return and other times of the imminence of the future time of God's wrath. For example, Clement speaks of the return of Christ as imminent:

Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, "Speedily will He come, and will not tarry;" and, "The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Holy One, for whom ye look."

Ignatius speaks of the coming of God's wrath on the earth as imminent:

The last times are come upon us. Let us therefore be of a reverent spirit, and fear the long-suffering of God, that it tend not to our condemnation. For let us either stand in awe of the wrath to come, or show regard for the grace which is at present displayed — one of two things.

But Irenaeus speaks of both as imminent:

And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be."

Why this apparent ambivalence among early Christian leaders who were following the same teachings of the New Testament that we follow today? I propose that there is good reason for their teachings that both are imminent. The return of Christ for His church and the return of Christ to inflict wrath and tribulation on the world is close at hand and can happen at any moment.

Years ago, I investigated the book of Revelation to substantiate this dual imminence, i.e., that both the coming of Christ and the coming of God's wrath on the world are imminent. This chapter will focus its attention on Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonian church, but it first must probe the question of how the New Testament teaching on imminence originated. The concept of the imminence of these two future happenings interweaves itself into New Testament teaching from beginning to end, raising the strong probability that the origin of the teaching was none other than Jesus Himself. Thus the first area to explore briefly will be some of Jesus' teachings on the subject.

JESUS' EMPHASIS ON IMMINENCE

The Olivet Discourse

In Luke 12:35–48, as part of His later Judean ministry, Jesus instructed His disciples about the need to be ready for His return:

"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the doorto him when he comes and knocks. ...

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect. ..."

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers."

These two parables contain two pictorial expressions that became a vital part of Christian vocabulary throughout the history of the first-century church. The first is that of the master standing at the door and knocking, and the second is that of the unexpected coming of a thief. Both figures are designed to teach the imminence of Christ's return. In each parable the unexpected coming brings blessing to the followers who are prepared, but in the latter parable that coming brings punishment to those who are unprepared.

On Tuesday of His last week on earth, Jesus taught similar lessons regarding the imminence of His return. In Matthew's and Mark's Gospels when giving the parable of the fig tree immediately after speaking of His return in glory to the earth, He derives this application from the parable: "When you see all these things, recognize that He is ... at the door" (Matt. 24:33). The signs given in Matthew 24:4–28 are within Daniel's Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:24–27) and indicate the nearness of Jesus' return to earth as described in Matthew 24:29–31. These signals of nearness cause this parable to differ from the parable in Luke 12:35–48, which contains no signs of nearness. Neither are there signs available in Luke 17:26–37 where Jesus, with several similar comparisons, predicts the imminent coming of the kingdom of God.

But in Matthew 24:36 Jesus turns the page to speak of the absence of all signs as signals of the beginning of Daniel's Seventieth Week. His words are, "But of...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: MOODY PUBL
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2015
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0802412912
• ISBN 13: 9780802412911
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Herausgeber: Hart John F.
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Moody Publishers; https://www.moodypublishers.com; ; 820 NORTH LASALLE BLVD.; CHICAGO; IL; 60610; USA
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar