Confessions of a change of views on prophecy

I was brought up in a wonderful Bible believing family. We prayed regularly, had devotions together, went to Bible believing churches, and my father was a true man of God, in my eyes.

Most of the churches I went to, as well as the Bible College (Grace University, Omaha NE) and seminary (Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake IN) had series on prophecy. Invariably all the pastors and professors espoused the Pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church. That is, that true believers will suddenly disappear from earth before the prophesied 7 years of horrible Tribulation, mentioned in Daniel 9, and 11, and Matthew 24, and the Book of Revelation. I absorbed this training well, and was convinced it was right.

Then, in my first church in Lake View NY, I had a seminary student from a different seminary. When he came home on vacation, we would discuss many things, especially our different views on End Times. I would sing, "Jesus May Come Today", and he would respond "No way, No way".

One summer, he challenged me to just study the prophecy Scriptures, without using all the books on prophecy that were in my library.  I agreed, and spent that summer comparing Scripture with Scripture.

I admit that I was surprised that the Pre-tribulation Rapture of Christ's Church wasn't as plainly taught as I thought.

I shared my thoughts with a neighboring pastor, who had also graduated from my seminary, and comparing notes, we agreed. After much prayer, I spoke to the leaders of the church, and thankfully, they didn't just have me removed (This has happened to other pastors and teachers). Thankfully, I belong to a denomination (Conservative Congregational Christian Conference or CCCC) that allows for differing views on End Times.

Since that time, in the mid-70s, I have spent much time re-reading Scripture, re-reading books on prophecy, and purchasing new ones.

Now, it is 2010, and I still believe that Christ's Church will go through at least the majority of the 7-year time called the Tribulation, when most of the world will turn on true believers, Jew and Gentile, because of Jesus Christ.

I believe that Jesus Christ gave the signs to look for in what is called The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21). Here are my reasons:

1) All three Gospel records of this teaching time mention that it was specifically given to Jesus Disciples, especially Peter, James, John and Andrew. He was carefully preparing them to be the leaders in His Church. This Discourse was given only one or two days before His death on the cross for our sins. Jesus did not want to lead them astray, so He spent many hours preparing them for what the world was going to become before He would return to earth to gather His chosen ones and bring them into His Millennial Kingdom, to reign with Him on the earth. He clearly gave them their role in spreading the Gospel to every ethnic group. He keeps using the second personal plural pronoun "you". Even though the disciples have long since died, we who are still here and are true believers are included in this "you" plural.

2) The early church, for at least 200 years believed this way. Prophecy students call this view "historical pre-millennialism". It was only when church leaders, such as Origen and Augustine began to spiritualize (really allegorialize) prophecy that the church lost its belief in the clear, normal/natural interpretation of Scripture.

3) I believe that to teach pre-tribulationism to the church makes for unprepared believers when real persecution arises. Jesus repeated time and time again, that the whole world would hate believers "because of Me" before He returns to earth. Though He centered His teaching on Judea and Jerusalem, and the awful situations that will happen there, He includes all the nations of the world in hating believers in Jesus.

4) I have found that the simplest and most natural interpretation of prophetic Scriptures has forced me to use my teaching and preaching time to prepare people for a time when the world will think they are doing a service to God to persecute, and kill Christians and Messianic Israelites.

I have many, many more reasons for my change of views on prophecy, but I want you all to understand that I am not moving away from the normal/natural interpretation of Scripture, but I am actually being more literal.

For instance:

1) Jesus said no man knows the DAY OR THE HOUR when He will return. I take that literally, because I believe Jesus meant it. He had just spent hours telling His disciples what would be the "signs" to watch for as we near the time when He will return.

2) Pre-tribulation Rapturists have misinterpreted Scripture to fit their scheme. For instance, all the Left Behind series and previous pre-tribulational movies center around the sudden disappearance of the saints, leaving automobiles to crash into people, planes to crash, etc., etc. All of this is eroneously based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-52(NIV) 51 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Re-read these two verses carefully. They do NOT say we will disappear in a twinkling of an eye. They clearly teach "we will be changed" in a twinkling of an eye! There is no hint of disappearing. In fact, if we compare this with their other favorite passage, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we are even noisy events that will accompany this time: "the trumpet call of God" will blow. I have two shofar's I bought in Israel. Neither one of them are quiet instruments. Some of my people cringe when they see me bring one into the auditorium.

3) Pre-tribulationists use Jesus' message to the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:10) where Jesus says "I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those living on the earth", to teach that we won't be on earth during this time.  Imagine my surprise, when I was translating this verse, and compared it with Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17:11, 12, 15 to find that He used the same word there.  In John 17, it is translated "protect", while in Revelation 3:10 it is translated "keep".  John 17:15 says: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one". Literally, the phrase "protect them from the evil one" should be translated "guard (tereo) them out from within (ek) of the evil one." Revelation 3:10 should read "I will guard (tereo) you out from within (ek) the hour of trial". Comparing Scripture with Scripture, as I was taught to do in Bible College and Seminary, this verse doesn't promise we will be raptured out before the Tribulation, but that believers will be guarded and protected from the evil one, and the hour of trial that will come on those who refuse to believe God's Good News. 

I liken this to how God protected Israel from the latter plagues, when they were being delivered from the gods and slavery of Egypt. The plagues happened all around them, but the Israelites were not affected in a negative way.

As an old preacher used to say at Bible Camp, "I could go on and on", and he would. I won't.

I invite you to do as I do and keep studying the Word of God for yourself. You will be strengthened and prepared for whatever takes place.  "Even so come, Lord Jesus. Amen!"