Summary of End-Time Views

Some risks in various end-time views are as follows:

1) Ammillennialism is dangerous because it claims the 1000 years is now, even though Rev. 20.3 says the nations will not be deceived in the 1000 years. Since the 1000 years is rewards for overcomer believers over the nations, there is no accountability for ammellenialists in the time of recompense because they are not expecting the regeneration of the world, nor the return of Christ to reign on earth for a great length of period before the earth is without the sea. Only those believers who "overcometh" (during the church age, Rev. 2 & 3 and under the dispensation of the law, 20.4a) will return to reign for the 1000 years.

2) Postmillennialism has the same problem, except they do expect the regeneration of the world (Matt. 19.28), but not a return of overcomer believers to reign on earth, so they too think the 1000 years is now which is a dependence on man not God to return in Person to reign for the 1000 years to solve the biggest problems.

3) Preterism is faulty because it claims Jesus already returned, denying the phrase, "we shall all know it". Partial preterism tries to be cute, by saying Jesus returned spiritually at 70 AD, but he is also going to return in Person. However, they also say the 1000 years is now, denying the millennial peace to come.

4) Post-trib rapture onlyism is problematic because they take away the hope of the church, for with the hope of the church is the hope of being received to the throne (Rev. 7.9) before the Tribulation if accounted worthy (Luke 21.36) for being watchful (Matt. 24.42) and keeping the word of His patience (Rev. 3.10). So when in the Tribulation they will accuse the millions of brethren raptured before the Tribulation as being of the devil. Satan through men accuses the brethren day and night (Rev. 12.10).

5) Pre-trib only rapture is problematic because they overassume they will be raptured before the Tribulation without regard for the condition of Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36 and Matt. 24.42. Consequently, when they are in the Tribulation they won't acknowledge it or even recognize it, because they assumed if it was the Tribulation they would have been raptured already. The pride in their faith controls them, and they will also accuse those ready to be received at first rapture.

6) What then is God's way for the consummation of this age? It is clear that first rapture is according to readiness (Rev. 12.5) and the last trumpet resurrection and rapture is a completion of the harvest of the saints (Rev. 14.14-16). As one writer puts it, there are advanced parties and harbingers in every sphere.

Other proofs as follows:

(1) By reading Matthew 24.42 together with 1 Thessalonians 5.2, 4, it is evident that there are at least two raptures: for note that the first passage suggests rapture before the Tribulation because one must be watchful since he does not know when his Lord will come; while the second passage suggests rapture after the Tribulation because one knows when the day of the Lord shall come.

(2) The places to be raptured towards are also different. Whereas Revelation 7.15 mentions to “the throne of God” and Luke 21.36 mentions “to stand before the Son of man”, 1 Thessalonians 4.17 says that it is to “the air” – Such distinctions would thus indicate that the entire body of believers is not raptured all at one time.

(3) Mark 13 states, “But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (v.32), So that the day of the coming of Christ is unknown. But 1 Thessalonians 4 declares that “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (v.16). From this second passage we know that the appearing of Christ is after the sounding of the seventh trumpet. And hence the first passage relates to pre-tribulation rapture while the second relates to post-tribulation rapture.