We received a letter about the Rapture in which several "types" are mentioned as possible models for a pre-trib rapture.
The words of the sister who wrote us are in black italicized,
our response is in blue,
and several points are emphasized in red. (scripture in bold black)
We hope you will study the verses for yourself with God's Spirit to show you the truth.
Dear Brother Moore,
The Bible is full of typologies, which serve to confirm and reaffirm certain doctrines, events and teachings from OT to NT. As many have said, "The OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed". I don't know if I got that right, but I believe it has to do with the Old pointing to the New and New exposing the hidden things of the Old.
Typologies may or may not be useful due to our inclination to "bend" them toward our own point of view.
I do love typology, but the Bible says it is "doctrine" that must be established as follows:
"line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a litle, there a little. Isa. 28:10-11 John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
So, when it comes to the Rapture, or if you prefer, the "Catching Up"; one can look at a possible two OT typologies and one possible NT one. They are incidences in which God supernaturally rescues His faithful, chosen few, before impending doom and judgment. These are evident as follows:
ENOCH:
1) Enoch's "catching-up" into heaven without tasting death at the age of 365. By then his son Methusaleh - which means "his death shall bring" was 300 years old who died at age 969 when his grandson, Noah, was about 2 years old. Of course, there is an estimated 1100 plus years from Enoch's removal from the earth to the start of the actual flood. But, one could definitely see a parallel here, whereby God removes a gloriously righteous man that walks with Him before the coming judgment.
Enoch does not fulfill a pre-trib typology bcause his "Catching up" did not happen immediately before the floodjudgement. God told Noah, "For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground".
If there is a type for Enoch, it is at the end of the 365 years, which may represent (365 days a type of a solar year), which is the year of wrath, after which the church is caught up. The year of wrath is the year that follows the 7 years of tribulation.
NOAH:
Genesis, starting with ch.5. Noah and his family were "caught up" in a boat to escape the judgment of the Great Flood.
If Noah and family were in the boat for seven days prior to judgement, the pre-trib type is broken. Gen.7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth. (10) And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
God said that “after the seven days” the flood would come and, of course, they would lift off. We see those in the ark of Christ will be "raptured" after the seven days. Those seven days represent the seven years of tribulation as in many other places.
The seventieth week of Daniel will be a week of years, or seven years, just as the first sixty-nine weeks proved to be weeks of years totaling 483 years, which led to the time of Christ
(Dan.9:25,26). (Dan.9:27) And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week
(Hebrew: shabua, meaning “a seven” of days or years)….
-Noah’s seven days also represented the seven years of the tribulation and yet Noah was told nothing of a pre-tribulation rapture.
-His tribulation (7days) and the flood, (1 year). From the time the flood started (Gen.7:11) until the waters dried up (8:14) was ten days over a year, which foreshadowed the wrath of God on those who persecute His people during the tribulation. This year was also called a day.
(Isa.34:8) For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
-Here we see that the wrath of God, also called the day of the Lord, is also a day (a "type" for a year) following seven day/years, a truth not seen by the majority of pre-trib writers.
: one more point is that prior to the 7 days, as Noah rested in the ark, he was preparing according to the Lord's instructions, and during those 7 days, the "beasts" were also loading on to the ark.
-Here we have a type of the same "beasts" God showed Peter in the vision in Acts 10
. ..."a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth: 12 wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven.. a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common."
The "beasts" represented people whom God would cleanse. Solomon said:
Ecc 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Daniel 4:16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
These are a clear type of the redeemed who come out of "great tribulation" during the 7 years:
Rev. 7:9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and whence came they? 14 And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The type of Noah and the beasts and Daniels 70th week being fulfilled during the 7 years.
2) Lot was by no means a gloriously righteous man, having made the unwise decision to "pitch his tent" towards Sodom, of all the places he could have chosen. However, he was referred to as a righteous man, and especially as compared to the abominable citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. But again, before the coming judgment God supernaturally removes His chosen few before the great and terrible judgment. Review Genesis 19.
Lot more accurately fits the type of the compromised believer/ leader whose works are burned yet he himself is saved as by fire during tribulation.
1Cor 3: 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man`s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man`s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man`s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man`s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
Lots' works were tried and burned in a fiery tribulation judgement. He was saved by Abraham's intercesstions on his behalf, yet his wife forfeited her life by looking back.
Jesus compared Lot to the day in which Christ is revealed.
Rev.1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him
Jesus compared Lot directly to the time of His visible return: Luke 17:28 Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all:30 after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.
Luke 18:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife.
3) Of the 7 churches to whom Jesus asked John to write in Revelation chs 2 & 3, only two had all commendations and no corrections whatsoever. They were Smyrna, which many equate as the early, persecuted church of the 1st thru 3rd centuries. The second was Philadelphia, which is understood to be a last days, remnant, called-out, separated, glorious church; that is around during the Laodicean church period. However, unlike all the rest, the Philadelphians get this glorious promise in ch.3 v.10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Couldn't this too, be a prophecy that the true Body of Christ that are alive during the last days will be Raptured before the Great Tribulation and resulting ultimate judgment?
This is also written to the modern church for our example and admonition. We cannot "box" in what was said to Syrna not applying to our day, just as we cannot box in what Jesus said to the Jews of His day not applying to the church. "which many equate as the early, persecuted church of the 1st thru 3rd centuries"
The "Hour" of trial:
Rev17:12 And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. Rev18:10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.Rev18:17 for in an hour so great riches is made desolate.
The babylon city-harlot church (recall we are born from above, the city of New Jersalem from above). This judgement falls on the harlot, not the Bride.
An example of this was Israel in Goshen as the judgements fell on Egypt, God having caused a Psalm 91 Passover separation between His people and them that dwell upon the earth.
Isa.34:8) For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Rev.14:14) And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud [I saw] one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand sharp sickle. (15) And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (16) And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Here we see that the wrath of God, also called the day of the Lord, and the hour of judgement, is also a day/year following seven day/years, a truth not seen by the majority of pre-trib writers.
Here is some prophecy guaranteeing the church to go into the tribulation:
Deut 4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days
The same word is spoken unto New Testament Spiritual Israel:
1 Thessalonians 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
-all of these also occur in The Tribulation, and passages such as these are given for God's people to prepare His way.
Notice it here also:
Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Again, a "pre" trib verse from Titus 2: 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The final nail in the pre-trib coffin, for which there is no argument is the timing of the resurrection.
The 15th chap of 1Cor is one of the mainstays of the pre-trib position:
:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ`s, at his coming.
1Cor 15: 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the *dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. :53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Notice other verses which mention this same event and timing:
John 11:
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall *rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will *raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will *raise him up at the last day.
John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should *raise it up again at the last day.
So is the LAST DAY of the "resurrection" event, before the 7 days of trib and the "day"-year of wrath? The pre-trib position somehow says yes in order to defend itself. Yet when we go to the very text used to teach the pre-trib rapture we find:
1Cor 15:
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the *dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Here it is again, right in another supposed pre-trib verse:
1thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.
The timing of the resurrection is shown over and over to be "at the last day". The rapture, the "harpazo, "catching away" better stated as "our gathering unto Him", occurs in the twinlking of an eye immediately following the dead raised incorruptible.
It is impossible to have a pre-trib rapture because of all the "saints" that are mentioned both dead and alive DURING the tribulation that must take part in the resurrection also. To put the rapture ahead of them would eliminate them from both the "dead in Christ" being raised, and those that are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord.
The pre-trib does violence to the timing of the resurrection, as does the mid- trib timing. The only place for the rapture-resurrection to occur is at "the last day" when Christ returns.
And like the reurrection, If the Lord returns as a thief in the night and snatches the church away prior to the 7 year trib, then notice the tribulation saints and earth dwellers have no heavens as they pass away also:
2peter 2:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
1st Thess 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief:
5 for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness
6 so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
