Discussions on the timing of the ecstasy in relation to the period of Tribulation has been a combative subject among theologists. Assorted persons and schools of ideas have come up with their positions on this issue. The three major schools of ideas are: the station, Pre and mid Millennialists. The Post Millennialist believe that there would be a period of perfect peace, a millenary, before Christ would come. The Amillennialist though portion the same position with the Post Millennialist, they objected to any actual earthly millenary while the Pre-millennialist asserts that since the prognostication of his first coming was interpreted literally and it came to go through, his 2nd coming should be accepted literally excessively.[ 1 ]
In the visible radiation of the above, this assignment seeks to transport out basic expounding of 1Thessalonian 4:13-17, measuring the Pre, Post and Mid Tribulation Rapture position of the church and Pauls eschatological position about God ‘s alone relationship with the church.
There's a specialist from your university waiting to help you with that essay.
Tell us what you need to have done now!
order now
Greene explained that the Thessalonians were comforted by the Apostle for the decease of their loved 1s who died in Christ. He exhorted them non to cry overly as those who have no hope like the disbelievers. That the hope trusters have is more than plenty to equilibrate all heartaches. This is due to ignorance refering those who are dead. He explained they sleep in Jesus, retired out of this universe to rest from all their sorrows. They are non lost, nor also-rans, but great gainers by decease and are removed out of this wicked universe to brood with Jesus. The Resurrection philosophy and the 2nd approach of Christ is a glorious counterpoison against the fright of decease and inordinate sorrow for those trusters who died ; and in this philosophy there is full confidence for trusters because we believed that Christ died and rose once more.[ 2 ]
Meanwhile, two words used to depict the 2nd approach of Christ are, Epiphaneia which merely means the visual aspect or presence of Christ to give visible radiation or go seeable ( 1Tim 6:14 ) , “ Parousia, which means the immediate presence, personal approach, subsequent visit of a male monarch to govern the Earth. { Mt 24:3 } . Ecstasy is hence defined as the visual aspect of Christ in the air to take the saints of Christ off ; outright, having a glorious organic structure. The Ecstasy is the first stage of Christ return, which includes every truster alive at that clip. Believers who died in Christ will be resurrected ; those of us who remain alive and saved will be caught up with
Jesus before the commencing of Daniel ‘s 70th hebdomad. It should be stated that Bible does non expressly set apart or bespeak specific clip for the ecstasy of the church. However, from the positions expressed by the assorted schools, we can deduce the period.[ 3 ]
The Pre-tribulationalist Rapture position of which Pentecost is one of the bookman provinces that ecstasy will be succeeded by a period of seven old ages during which clip the Anti-Christ will come in into a pact with Israel, and latter on breach the pact after three and half old ages of his reign ; The Pre-Tribulationalist farther stresses the difference between Israel and the Church, explicating that the period of the great trial concerns Israel } it implies that ecstasy will happen before the trial period. The subsequent three and half old ages of Anti-Christ reign marks the period of the great trial which Christ spoke about in Mt.24:21. This will later be followed by the return of Jesus with His Saints during the millenary Kingdom for one thousand old ages to govern the universe in righteousness { Zech.14:3-5 } .[ 4 ]
The Mid-Tribulationalist:
Based on the position of { J. Oliver Bus good. Jr, in his book, Systematic Theology, 11 ; 456 } , he believed that trusters would be taken off mid manner, that is three and half old ages through the seven twelvemonth period of the Anti Christ compact with Israel. He says that Christ will come all of a sudden as a stealer in the dark, every bit far as the disbelievers are concerned [ Mt.24:43 ; 1Thess.5:4 ; Rev.16:15 ] but non so with the trusters because there will be marks. The mid tribulationalist asserts that the universe will look to be at peace [ 1thess5:3 ] . The trial temple would hold been rebuilt [ Mt.24:15 ] , after which it will be all of a sudden be desecrated [ Mt.24:15 ; Dan.9:27 ] . They claimed that the Christian will merely get away the great trial.
Post Tribulationalist Rapture Theory: However, Reese, disagreed with the Preaˆ¦
He says “ the Church of Christ will non be removed from the Earth until the
coming of Christ at the very terminal of the present age: the ecstasy and the
looking take topographic point at the same crisis ; hence Christians of that
coevals will be exposed to the concluding affliction under Antichrist ”[ 5 ]
This school of idea asserts that ecstasy will happen at the terminal of the great trial but before the pouring out of the seven phials of God ‘s wrath. The ground for which this position was echoed by Apostle Paul is as followings:
trusters are non appointed to wrath even as others, the disbelievers, [ 1Thess.5:9 ]
that Christ 2nd coming will be as a stealer in the dark was merely mentioned really tardily in disclosure, in between the 6th and 7th phials of God ‘s wrath, [ Rev.16:15 ]
if trusters ne’er escape trial, persecution and hurting before at ant clip in history, why should this go on at the terminal times?
in Mt.24:15, Jesus Christ spoke in such off as to connote that trusters will come in the trial when He says “ when you see the abomination of desolation..flee into the mountains.
half old ages, the pact will be broken, the Temple desecrated and the 2nd half of his reign will show in the period of Great Tribulation. Following this event is the return of Christ { 2nd coming } with the Saints to govern the Earth in glorification and righteousness, { Zech.14:3-5 ; Jude.14 } ; and this will tag the millenary Kingdom. During the Tribulation, in line with the place held by the Dispensationalists, 144000 Messianic Jews would evangelize the universe. This position was expounded in J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to come, and decidedly stated by the popularizer, Hal Lindsey in his book, The Late Great Planet Earth.[ 6 ]
The Mid-Tribulationalist seems to be a via media between the pre-tribulation and the station trial positions. They claim harmonizing to { J. Oliver Buswell. Jr ; Systematic Theology, 11, 546 } that ecstasy takes topographic point half manner through the seven old ages of
trial ; that is after the three and half old ages of the fallacious peace instituted by the Anti-Messiah, and before the three and half old ages of opinion in the trial. It therefore explains that Saints of Christ will get away the Great Tribulation, but will witness the period of false peace, the rebuilding of the Temple and eventually, it ‘s profanation. { Mt.24:15 ; Dan.9:27 } .
Paul did state inA 1Thessalonian. 5:9 that God did non name us to endure wrath but to have redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation, which deals chiefly with the clip period of the trial, is a prophetic message of how God will pour out His wrath upon the Earth during the trial. It seems inconsistent for God to assure trusters that they will non endure wrath and so go forth them on the Earth to endure through the wrath of the trial. The fact that God promises to present Christians from wrath shortly after assuring to take His people from the Earth seems to associate those two events together.
Another important transition on the timing of the ecstasy isA Rev.3:10, in which Christ promises to present trusters from the “ hr of test ” that is traveling to come upon the Earth. This could intend two things. Either Christ will protect trusters in the thick of the tests, or He will present trusters out of the tests. Both are valid significances of the Greek word translated “ from. ” However, it is of import to acknowledge what trusters are promised to be kept from. It is non merely the test, but the “ hr ” of test. Jesus is assuring to maintain trusters from the very clip period that contains the tests, viz. the trial. The intent of the trial, the intent of the ecstasy, the significance ofA 1Thessalonian5:9, and the reading of all give in Rev.3:10 gives a clear support to the pre-tribulational place. If the Bible is interpreted literally and systematically, the pre-tribulational place is the most biblically-based reading.
