By Dr. Donald V. Erickson

 1. The early church believed in the imminency of the Lord's return.

While it can be debated which church father said what, there is a
consistency in the early church on imminency which is essential to the
pre-trib position and in opposition to some other positions.

2. The Pre-trib position is the ONLY one which truly teaches imminency.

 3. The fact that there is a greater development of the doctrine in
recent centuries does not preclude it from the early centuries. In the
very early years of the church you see the development of great
fundamentals doctrines of Trinity, Deity, God-man, canon of Scripture,
etc. Following those early church councils is a time of decline in the
corporate church into great apostasy. The teaching of that time are
built on many of the heresies of Augustine. When the Reformation comes,
there is a period of reestablishing the foundational doctrines of
salvation. Now, in these last days there is both and ability and a need
in the church to better understand the doctrines of eschatology and the
Spirit is continuing His ministry of guiding the church in all truth.

 4. The exhortation to be comforted by the "coming of the Lord" (1Thes
4:18) is valid only in the context of the pre-trib view. It could even
be a fearsome thing in a post-trib view.

 5. We are exhorted to look for the "Glorious Appearing of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13) If there are any prophetic events

(ie: tribulation) to come first, then this passage is nonsensical.

 6. Again, we are to "purify ourselves" in view of his coming.(1 John
3:2-3) If his coming is not imminent then the passage is meaningless.

 7. The church told *only* to look for the Coming of Christ. It is
Israel and the tribulation saints that are told to look for signs.

Nature of the Church

 (Those who do not understand the nature of the church as unique in

the program of God will continually be confused about the nature of His

coming for the church.)

 8. The translation of the church is never mentioned in any context

dealing with the second coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

 9. The church is "not appointed to wrath" (Rom 5:9; 1 Thes 1:9-10)

The church cannot enter into the "great day of their wrath."

 10. The Church will not be "overtaken by the Day of the Lord." (1

Thes 5:1-9) (Day of the Lord is another term for the great tribulation.)

 11. The church will be "kept from the hour of testing that shall come

upon all the world." (Rev. 3:10)

 12. The believer will escape the tribulation (Luke 21:36).

 13. It is in the character of God to deliver His own from the

greatest times of trial. (Lot, Rahab. Israel, Noah,etc)

 14. It is clear that there is a time interval between the translation

of the church and the Return of Christ. (John 14:3)

 15. Only the pre-trib position does not divide the Body of Christ on

a works principle as does partial rapture does so clearly and others to

a lesser extent. It becomes a climatic finale to the grand plan of
salvation.

 16. The Scriptures are adamant that the church is undivided. In this

age the church is divided by the continuing old nature in the believers.

When we are glorified at the coming of Christ, the church is no more

divided.

 17. The godly remnant of the tribulation has the attributes seen in

OT Israel and not the church. The church is not present in the

prophecies of Revelation.

 18. The pre-trib view, unlike the post-trib view does not confuse

terms like elect and saints which apply to believers of all ages, as

opposed to terms like church and in Christ, which apply only to those

who are the body of Christ in this age.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

 19. The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer of evil in the world. He cannot

be taken out as prophesied unless the church which is indwelt by the

Holy Spirit is taken out.

  20. The Holy Spirit will be taken out before the "lawless one" is

revealed. That lawless one will certainly be revealed in the

tribulation. In fact, the tribulation begins with the signing of the

covenant between that lawless one and Israel. That act will reveal him.

 21. The "falling away" in 2 Thes 2:3 would better be understood in

its context as "the departure." This is a reference to the departure of

the Holy Spirit as He indwells the church.

 22. The work of the Holy Spirit making the church like Christ where

they submit to death and persecution, whereas the OT saints (see many of

the Psalms) and the tribulations saints cry out for vengeance (Rev 6:10)

 The Hermeneutical Argument

 23. Only the pre-trib view allows for a truely literal interpretation

in all of the OT & NT passages regarding the great tribulation.

 24. Only the pre-trib position clearly distinguishes the church and

Israel and God's dealing with each. The Necessity of an Interval of Time

between the Rapture and the Second Coming

 25. All believers must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2

Cor 5:10). This event is never mentioned in the account of events

surrounding the second coming.

 26. The "four and twenty elders" in rev 4:1-5:14 are representative

of the church. Therefore it is necessary that the church, undivided, be

brought to glory before those events of the tribulation.

  27. There is clearly a coming of Christ for his bride before the

second coming to earth. Rev 19:7-10.

 28. Tribulation saints are not translated at the second coming of
Christ but carry on

ordinary activities. These specifically include farming, construction,

and giving birth. (Is 65:20-25).

 29. The Judgment of the Gentile nations following the second coming

(Mat 25:31-46) indicates that both the saved and the lost are in a

natural body which would be impossible if the translation had taken

place at the second coming.

  30. If the translation took place at the same time as the second coming,

there would be no need to separating the sheep from the goats at the

subsequent judgment. The act of the translation would be the separation.

 31. The Judgment of Israel (Ez 20:34-38) occurs after the second

coming and requires a regathered Israel. Again, the separation of the

saved and the lost would be unnecessary if all the saved had previously

been separated by a translation at the second coming.

Differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming.

 32. At the Rapture, the church meets Christ in the air. At the second

coming, Christ returns to the Mt of Olives.

 33. At the time of the Rapture, the Mt of Olives is unchanged. At the

second coming it is divided forming a valley east of Jerusalem.

 34. At the time of the rapture, saints are translated. No saints are

translated at the time of the second coming.

  35. At the time of the rapture, the world is not judge for sin, but

descends deeper into sin. At the second coming, the world is Judged by the

King of kings.

36. The translation of the church is pictured as a deliverance from

the day of wrath, whereas the coming of Christ is a deliverance for

those who have suffered under severe tribulation.

  37. The rapture is immanent whereas there are specific signs which

precede the second coming.

 38. The translation of living believers is a truth revealed only in

the NT. The second coming with the events surrounding it is prominent in

both OT and NT.

  39. The rapture is only for the saved, while the tribulation and

second coming deals with the entire world.

  40. No unfulfilled prophecy stands between the church and the

rapture. Many signs must be fulfilled before the second coming of

Christ.

  41. No passage in either OT or NT deals with the resurrection of the

saints at the second coming nor mentions the translation of living

saints at that same time.

 The Nature of the Tribulation

   42. Only the pre-trib view maintains the distinction between the

"great tribulation" and the tribulations in general which we all

experience.

 43. The great tribulation is properly understood in the pre-trib view

as a preparation for the restoration of Israel. (Deut 4:29-30. Jer

30:4-11, Dan 9:24-27, Dan 12:1-2)

  44. Not one single passage in the OT which discusses the tribulation,

mentions the church.

  45. Not one single passage in the NT which discusses the tribulation,

mentions the church.

  46. In contrast to mid trib or pre-wrath views, the pre-trib view

offers an adequate explanation for the

beginning of the great tribulation in Rev 6. These others are clearly

refuted by the plain teaching of Scripture that the great tribulation

begins long before the 7th trumpet of Rev 11.

 47. There is no proper groundwork provided that the 7th trumpet of

Rev is the last trumpet of 1 Cor 15. It is accepted only on the basis of

assumption. The pre-trib view maintains the proper distinction between

the prophetic trumpets of the church and the trumpets of the tribulation.

 48.The Unity of Daniel's 70th week is maintained by the pre-trib view. By

contrast, the mid-trib view destroys the unity and confuses the program

for Israel and the church. The post trib view usually denies the clear

teaching of the 70th weeks by subverting it into some form or another of

allegory.

 49. The gathering of saints after the tribulation is done by angels

whereas the gathering of the church is done by "The Lord Himself."

 50. Rev 22:17-20 And the Spirit and the Bride say come. And he that

heareth, let him say come ... He who testifieth of these things saith

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites