               WHY I BELIEVE THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
               =========================================
                            by Alan Yusko

This tract may be freely copied/printed and distributed in any means
possible.  The only restriction is that it not be changed.

   I wrote this tract in light of all the confusion concerning the
timing of the rapture.  I believe the Scriptures support the 
pre-tribulation rapture and this tract will outline some of the
reasons why.

   One thing that pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, and post-trib 
rapture folks all have in common....they all believe that the Lord
Jesus is coming back soon!  However the 'blessed hope' is only for
those who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture.  The other views
unfortunately, are all waiting for the anti-christ and not the Lord
Jesus Christ.  They have lost their blessed hope!  The other views
are robbers to the Christian as they seek to steal from the believer
the imminent, soon, unknown, time & hope of the rapture.
  Another thing the other views have in common.  They all viciously
attack the pretribulation rapture.  The goal is to disprove the
pre-tribulation rapture at all costs.  Each of the views contradict
and disprove each other but they are all strangely united in their
attack of the pre-tribulation rapture.
  The attacks have confused many Christians and caused some to forsake
all prophecy.  What a sad thing to happen!  Prophecy is a blessing
and it should be studied as about 1/4 of the Bible deals with prophecy
in some way.  Jesus rebuked the people of His day for not recognizing
what was written by the Old Testament Prophets.  They should have
recognized all the prophecies related to the Messaiah.  Today we are
living in the days before the Second Coming of Jesus.  How much more
should we study and be encouraged by the sure Word of prophecy in these
troublesome days.

   In this tract I'll present several reasons why I believe in the
pre-tribulation rapture.


REASONS FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
---------------------------------------

*********
NUMBER 1     The 70 weeks of Daniel's prophecy.
*********    This is for Israel not the Church!

  All the other false views on the timing of the rapture have one
thing in common.  They don't understand that God has a plan for the
Church and God has a plan for Israel.  The Church is a mystery, a
called out people between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel's
prophecy.

 Daniel   9
  24  Seventy weeks are determined upon THY PEOPLE and UPON THY HOLY
 CITY, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and
 to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
 righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to
 anoint the most Holy.

 **Note: notice that the 70 weeks are 'determined upon thy people
and upon thy holy city'.  This is the Jewish people of Israel and
Jerusalem.  We could stop right here as Daniel specifically says
that the 70 weeks are for Israel and not the Church.  The Church is
a called out people between the 69th and 70th week.  To put the
Church on earth during the 70th week is to contradict Daniel above.

   Notice that 70 Weeks of years (490 years) are determined upon the 
people of Israel to: 
               - finish the transgression
               - to make an end of sins
               - to make reconciliation for iniquity
               - to bring in everlasting righteousness
               - to seal up the vision and prophecy
               - to annoint the most Holy  (The Lord Jesus in the 
                 Millennial Kingdom)

    All this has NOT yet been fulfilled.  It will yet be fulfilled
upon the nation of Israel just like Daniel was told.  Lets continue
on in the prophecy:
 
 Daniel   9
  25  Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of
 the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah
 the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:
 the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous
 times.
  26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
 but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come
 shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
 [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations
 are determined.

   These verses are talking about the 7 weeks and 62 weeks of years 
which add up to 69 weeks.  At the end of the 69th week the Messiah will 
be cut off.  This happened at the cross of Calvary.  So all that is left 
is that final week of 7 years.  For a more detailed explanation get a 
good prophecy book that studies Daniel's 70 weeks.  (Hal Lindsey, Grant
Jeffery, M.R. Dehaan, Dwight Pentacost, J. Walvwood, Dave Hunt, Paul
LaLonde etc...)

    For a review:   Daniel said there was appointed 70 weeks of years 
for Israel to bring in all righteousness and setup Messaiah.  When
Jesus entered Jerusalem in His triumphal entry it marked the end of
the 69 weeks.  So we are waiting for the 70th week to be fulfilled.
This 70th week begins when the anti-christ confirms a covenant with
Israel for 7 years.  In the middle of the week he will break his
covenant and commit the abomination of desolation.

  27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and
 in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the
 oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he
 shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that
 determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

   Now between the 69th and the 70th week there is a time gap...commonly 
refered to as the Church age.  Here it is graphically:

     69 Weeks of years            Church age                 70th week
  |-------------------------| ============================ |----------|
       483 years            |
                            +
                          The 
                          Cross

   Points to consider:
        - The prophetic 70 weeks stopped at the rejection and 
          death of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Messaiah.
        - That occured after 69 weeks or 483 years.
        - God has been using the Church (invisible body of Christ) 
          during that time period.

  QUESTION:  What caused God's prophetic time-clock to stop ticking 
after 69 weeks and what will cause it to resume at the 70th Week?

 Notice the following Scripture:

 2 Thessalonians   2
  3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not
 come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin
 be revealed, the son of perdition;
  4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
 or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
 God, shewing himself that he is God.
  5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you
 these things?
  6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in
 his time.
  7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
 letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
  8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
 consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
 brightness of his coming:
  9  [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
 power and signs and lying wonders,

   God is currently restraining the anti-christ by His Holy Spirit
working in and through the Church (all the Spirit-reborn believers).
When this restrainer (The Church) is removed, then and only then may
the anti-christ be revealed so he can rise to power and confirm the
covenant with Israel.  As long as that restrainer is in the world
the anti-christ cannot come to power...God's restrainer is preventing
that. (2 Thess 2:7)

  None of the other rapture positions can give any account for what is
restraining the anti-christ.  To clear up any misconceptions I'll say 
that the Holy Spirit will NOT be removed from the world.  This is a 
common argument - based on lack of knowledge of the pre-trib rapture.  
It is usually given by those who say this 'proves' the pre-trib rapture 
is wrong.  But the pre-tribulation rapture does NOT state that the Holy 
Spirit will be removed, but rather the Church will be removed.  How 
can an omni-present being be removed from anywhere?  It cannot be done.
God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and will never cease to be
anything less than that.
  However in this Church age, God is restraining the Wicked One by His
Holy Spirit through the Church.  When the Church is removed the Holy
Spirit will still be here....but the restrainer won't!  At that point
the anti-christ will be free to rise to power and confirm that covenant
with Israel to start the 70th Week of Daniel.

  To restate, the 70th week is a prophetic week for the Nation of
Israel.  The first 69 Weeks were for Israel and so it is with the 70th
Week.  During the 70th week God again deals with Israel and there is
really no need for the Church to be present on earth.

*********
NUMBER 2    The Wrath of God is NOT to be poured out on His Church.
*********

  Many scriptural promises of escape from the wrath of the
Tribulation or the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy must be ignored by
the other rapture positions.

  Verses like:

 Luke  21
  36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
 accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
 pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

 Romans 5:9 
  9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
 saved from wrath through him.

 1 Thessalonians 1:10 
  10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
 dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 1 Thessalonians 5:9 
  9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
 salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

 Revelation 3:10 
  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.

   THE ABOVE VERSES MUST BE IGNORED!  It is amazing how the Second
Coming will be like the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot.  Notice
that God did not pour out His wrath UNTIL He had safely removed both
Noah and Lot to a safe place.  The post tribbers ignore this and
expect the Church, the Bride of Christ to endure the full inpact of
the Wrath of God....and the question is WHY?  Why must the church
endure the Wrath of God?  It just doesn't make sense.

    To teach that the Church will go through the 70th week just
doesn't line up with the Bible.  During the 70th week the book of
Revelation will be fulfilled....with the seal judgments, trumpet
judgments, and vial judgments.  This is the WRATH of God and the
Church has no part of it.

   Why should the Church go through the 70th week of Daniels
prophecy when that time is specifically for the nation of Israel and
not the Church.  God has made provision for Israel after the
abomination of desolation.  They are told to flee and there is a
place prepared for them.  There is no such provision for the
Church...because the Church will not be here in the 70th week.

 - God made provision for Noah and the flood.
 - God made provision for Lot at Sodom
 - God makes provision for Israel in the 70th week of Daniel.
 - There has been no provision for the Church to go thru the 70th
week.  Why....no need as the Church will not be in the world at
that time.

 After the rapture at the beginning of the 70th week God will seal
144,000 Jews.  The spotlight is again on the nation of Israel and
these 144,000 will win an innumerable number of people to Christ.
They will take over and do the Commission the Church has done for
the last 2000 years.  The Gospel will go world-wide and everyone on
earth will hear it!

  So why should the Church be in the 70th week?  There is really no
reason or purpose.  Today we have Christians in every major
city....during the wrath of God we will have pestilence, all the
vegatation burned, all water polluted and some say that it will not
affect the Church?  Sorry I find that hard to believe.

  A final point is that during the Church age the devil (gates of
hell) will not overcome the Church.  During the 70th week the devil
WILL overcome the tribulation saints.

*********
NUMBER 3     The coming of Jesus is imminent!  His coming will
*********    be at an UNKNOWN time and a KNOWN time.

 The other views destroys the doctrine of the imminent coming
of Jesus.  Jesus is coming at an unknown time and believers are
constantly being told to watch and be ready in Scriptures.  All the
other incorrect rapture views deny the imminent coming of Jesus.

   These verses must be ignored - or destroyed by the other views.
Notice that the command is to watch because the time of the coming
of Christ cannot be known!  That is called imminence!...as it could
happen TODAY!

 Matthew 24:36
  36  But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the
 angels of heaven, but my Father only.
  37  But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of
 the Son of man be.
  38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were
 eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
 day that Noe entered into the ark,
  39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;
 so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
  40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and
 the other left.
  41  Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be
 taken, and the other left.
  42  WATCH THEREFORE: FOR YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH
 COME.
  43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in
 what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would
 not have suffered his house to be broken up.
  44  Therefore be ye also ready: FOR IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK
 NOT THE SON OF MAN COMETH.

 Matthew 24:42 
  42  WATCH THEREFORE: FOR YE KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH
 COME.
  43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in
 what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would
 not have suffered his house to be broken up.
  44  Therefore be ye also ready: FOR IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK
 NOT THE SON OF MAN COMETH.

 Matthew 25:13 
  13  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
 wherein the Son of man cometh.

 Mark  13
  31  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not
 pass away.
  32  But of THAT DAY AND [that] HOUR KNOWETH NO MAN, no, not the
 angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
  33  Take ye heed, WATCH AND PRAY: for YE KNOW NOT WHEN THE TIME
 IS.
  34  [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who
 left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every
 man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
  35  Watch ye therefore: for YE KNOW NOT WHEN the master of the
 house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or
 in the morning:
  36  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
  37  And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH.

 Luke 12:36
  36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord,
 when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and
 knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
  37  Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh
 shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird
 himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth
 and serve them.
  38  And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the
 third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants.
  39  And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known
 what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not
 have suffered his house to be broken through.
  40  BE YE THEREFORE READY ALSO: FOR THE SON OF MAN COMETH AT AN
 HOUR WHEN YE THINK NOT.

 1 Thessalonians 5:1 
  1. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need
 that I write unto you.
  2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so
 cometh as a thief in the night.
  3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
  destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child;
 and they shall not escape.
  4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
 overtake you as a thief.
  5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the
 day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
  6. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us WATCH
 AND BE SOBER.

 1 Peter 4:7 
  7. BUT THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND: be ye therefore sober,
 and WATCH UNTO PRAYER.

  Now as you have read the above verses...let me ask you a question.
Can the time of the Second coming be known?  Can we know the exact
day? ...... According to these verses the answer is NO!  We cannot
know the exact day of the return of Christ.  Jesus is coming at an
UNKNOWN time!

  The UNKNOWN DAY of Jesus' return:....the rapture:  We will not know
when the rapture will occur.  It is an imminent event ... which
means it could happen at any time.  No prophecy needs to be fulfilled
before it happens.

  In light of the UNKNOWN day there is also a KNOWN DAY of Jesus'
return.  Did you know that after certain prophetic events the exact
day of Jesus's return can be marked on a calendar.  Did you also
know that you cannot have a KNOWN day of Jesus's coming and an
UNKNOWN day of His coming...on the same day?  The UNKNOWN day is the
rapture and the KNOWN day will occur at the end of the 70th week
where Jesus will setup His kingdom on earth.  Read on for more
information about the KNOWN day.

 Daniel 9:27 
  27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for ONE WEEK:
 and in the MIDST OF THE WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and the
 oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he
 shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that
 determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
       ONE WEEK = 7 YEARS
       MIDST OF WEEK = 7 years divided by 2 = 3 1/2 years

 Daniel 12:7 
  7  And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the
 waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left
 hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it
 shall be] for a TIME, TIMES, AND A HALF; and when he shall have
 accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these
 [things] shall be finished.
     TIMES, TIMES, AND A HALF = 3 1/2 YEARS

 Revelation 12:6 
  6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a
 place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand
 two hundred [and] threescore days.
      AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS

 Revelation 12:14 
  14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that
 she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
 nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face
 of the serpent.
      AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS

 Revelation 13:5 
  5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
 and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty
 [and] two months.
      AGAIN 3 1/2 YEARS


                             Midst of week

 |              Dan 12:6,7        | <----------3 1/2 yrs----------> |
 |              Rev 13:5          | <------- 42 months------------> |
 |              Rev 12:6          | <------- 1260 days -----------> |
 |                                |                                 |
 |<-------------------------------|-------------------------------->|
                         7 years: 1 week (Dan 9:27)               Jesus
                                                                  Returns

  The KNOWN day:  Once the 70th week of Daniel, or the time of
Jacobs trouble begins we can easily tell the exact day when Jesus
will return.  Once the antichrist and Israel sign the covenant we
know that in exactly 7 years Christ will return.  In the midst of
the week (3 1/2 years) the antichrist commits the abomination of
desolation.  From that point in time we know there is: 3 1/2 years
left, or 42 months left, or 1260 days left.  At this point the
coming of Christ is KNOWN.  So what do we do with all the verses
that say His coming is UNKNOWN?  Throw them out?  Of course not!

   NOW in light of all this information about the KNOWN day and the
UNKNOWN DAY we can think this through.  Since the incorrect
views put the rapture sometime after the 70th week begins, they
have lost the unknown day.  All the verses that say that the coming
of Christ will occur at an unknown time must be thrown out.  If I
am here then when the antichrist signs the covenant with Israel
then I know that in exactly 7 years Jesus will return.  You can be
assured that I will mark my calendar!...and count the days!
  If by chance I miss the beginning of the 70th week, I won't
miss the abomination of desolation in the middle of the 70th week.
At that point I know that in exactly 1260 days Jesus will return.
You see I've lost the unknown day because I can mark the day on my
calendar.  I may as well throw all those UNKNOWN coming verses out.
There is no problem with the pre-tribulation view on the rapture.
The rapture will occur at an unknown time sometime before Daniels
70th week begins.  At that point the Church is taken to heaven and
with the restrainer removed the antichrist may come to power.  There
an UNKNOWN day and a KNOWN day at the end of the 70th week.  We
have perfect harmonizing of Scripture with the Pre-tribulation
rapture....the correct view.  With the all the other incorrect rapture
views we have to throw out the Scriptures related to the UNKNOWN day.

To repeat:
   Since the false rapture views believes the rapture will occur
sometime after the 70th week then why the command to WATCH and
be READY?  In the verses above the exhortation is to WATCH, WATCH,
WATCH, and be ready!   Why WATCH if the rapture will not occur until
the end of the 70th week.  Why bother watching for the coming of Jesus?
Why not wait until you are in the 70th week to begin the watch.  Human
nature being what it is, that is what most people will do.  So not only
does the incorrect rapture views rob the Christian of the Blessed Hope
of Christ coming to take him from the world before God judges it....he
has no purifying incentive in lifestyle.  Jesus cannot come today so
why live in Holy expectation of His coming? However the pre-tribulation
view has a great BLESSED HOPE looking for the coming of Jesus at an
UNKNOWN time....that time could be today!!!!!  Since the time is
unknown and it COULD be today this is a purifying hope also....and
encourages Holy living.

 Titus 2:13
  13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
 the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 The post/pre/mid/pre-wrath robs the believer of both the blessed
imminent expectation of the believer and the purifying hope of
Christ's return which could happen today!  These views are a robber.
Another way these incorrect rapture views robs from the blessed hope
is... if the Church has to go through the 70th week it doesn't have
much to look forward to.  There will be 7 seal judgments, 7 trumpet
judgments, and 7 bowl judgments.  During that time all the vegation
will be burned up, all the water will be polluted and turned to blood,
the sun will scorch men, there will be massive earthquakes that shake
every city in the world, and 100 pound hailstones.  Now for the average
person looking forward to going through that....we don't have a hope
but rather a dread and something to be feared.   Then as a result of
God judging the world there will be massive death and not many men
will make it to the end...maybe only several million as opposed
to 6+ billion currently living.  What a 'hope' these views offers...
almost certain death as God judges the world with His bride it it.
Then they have the nerve to call those who believe in the
Pre-tribulation rapture as an 'escape' theology.  God has promised
an escape from His Wrath and Judgment for His people and these false
views make a mockery of that promise.  This does not make sense to
me!!...or to the intelligent person who thinks it through.

**********
NUMBER 4     Populating the Millenium: and Post-tribbers
**********

   Lets draw the picture here.  We are at the end of the Tribulation
and Jesus is coming.  At this point the post-trib wrath rapture happens
and all Gods people are raptured and given new immortal bodies.  The
wicked are left to be judged by God...  So we have all God's people
removed from the earth...and all the wicked left.  Now the question
is:  who will populate the nations of the millenium?  The fatal
error is that there is no one left to populate the nations of the
millenium if the rapture happens at the Second Coming.
  If the rapture occurs according to pre-wrath or post-trib we
have a problem.  Maybe you can answer that little problem....If all
God's people are raptured at the end of the Tribulation at the 2nd
coming of Jesus...then who will populate the millenium?  Surely not
the wicked..  You see the folks with the truth of the pre-tribulation
rapture don't have any problem populating the millenium with
mortals...but the post trib view does.
  This is a nasty problem for the incorrect rapture views.  You see if
all of God's people are raptured at the very end when Jesus returns
that leaves only the wicked left.  The wicked will all be destroyed
at the coming of Jesus...so you have a problem.  Who will populate
the millenium?  If the rapture occurs at the 2nd Coming all of God's
people will have their immortal bodies and they will not marry, have
children etc...so they cannot be the ones who populate the millenium
and have children etc.  Some of course try to argue that the wicked
will inherit the Kingdom of God.  What foolishness to lower oneself
in order to defend an incorrect doctrine.

 2 Thessalonians   1
  7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus
 shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
  8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
 and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

  Notice that ALL those who are not saved will be destroyed.  By
that time men will have accepted or rejected Jesus.  So I repeat at
the second coming of Jesus...all the wicked (Christ rejectors) are
destroyed and all Gods people are raptured (according to post) then
there is no one left to populate the millenium.

Lets dig a bit deeper about the lost inheriting the Kingdom:
   Will the Christ rejectors inherit the Kingdom...in other words
the wicked.  Sorry that will not happen.  By the end of the 70th
week all mankind will have chosen sides either for or against
Christ.

   Again no problem with the pre trib view as there will be
tribulation saints that will survive to the very end of the 70th
week. The survivors of the tribulation saints will go into the
Kingdom and not the wicked who will be destroyed.  These saints
will have children who must choose to accept or reject Jesus.  As
in every dispensational age sinful man has failed and at the end
there will be many who have rejected Christ.

  However if the rapture happens when Jesus returns you have no one
to populate the kingdom.  Problem for post trib and pre-wrath...no
problem for pre tribulation.

  For those who are still not convinced and think the unsaved may
inherit the kingdom of God....here are some verses that say it all:

 Psalms 2:12 
  12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the
 way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all
 they that put their trust in him.

 Zephaniah 3:9
  9  For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
 may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one
 consent.

 Malachi 4:1 
  1. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and
 all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:
 and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of
 hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

 Matthew 13:41 
  41  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall
 gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which
 do iniquity;

 Matthew 24:51 
  51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion
 with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
 teeth.

 Matthew 25:12 
  12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
 not.

 Matthew 25:30 
  30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 Luke 17:29 
  29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire
 and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all.

 Luke 17:27 
  27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were
 given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
 and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

 Luke 17:32 
  32  Remember Lot's wife.
  33  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and
 whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

 1 Thessalonians 5:3 
  3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
 destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child;
 and they shall not escape.

 2 Thessalonians 1:7 
  7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus
 shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
  8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
 and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:


*********
NUMBER 5
*********

 The other tribulation views allows no time for the Judgment Seat of
Christ, the Marriage of the Lamb, and the Marriage Supper to occur.

   The Judgment seat of Christ:
   ----------------------------

 Romans 14:10
  10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
 nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment
 seat of Christ.

 2 Corinthians 5:10 
  10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
 that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body,
 according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

 1 Corinthians 3:9 
  9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's
 husbandry, [ye are] God's building.
  10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a
 wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another
 buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
 thereupon.
  11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
 is Jesus Christ.
  12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,
 precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
  13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall
 declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
 shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
  14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, 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 by fire.

 1 Corinthians 4:5 
  5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come,
 who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and
 will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall
 every man have praise of God.

The Wedding and Marriage Supper of the Lamb follows the Judgment
seat (Rev 19:7-9).  This occurs BEFORE the second coming which is
recorded in Rev 19:11-21.

 Revelation 19:7
  7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
 marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
 ready.
  8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine
 linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
 of saints.
  9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are
 called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
 me, These are the true sayings of God.

   Only the Pre-Trib position allows sufficient time for these
events to occur.  You see believers will be in heaven at least 7
years before the second coming of Christ...lots of time for the
Judgment seat, the Wedding, and Marriage Supper.

********
NUMBER 6      24 Elders:  Representative of the GLORIFIED Church
********

  Here is a description of the 24 Elders:

 Revelation 4:1 
  1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in
 heaven: and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a
 trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will
 shew thee things which must be hereafter.
  2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne
 was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne.
  3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
 stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight
 like unto an emerald.
  4  And ROUND ABOUT THE THRONE [were] four and twenty seats: and
 upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in
 WHITE RAIMENT; and they had on THEIR HEADS CROWNS OF GOLD.
    - location is around the throne
    - Wearing White Raiment which is a promise to the Church
    - They had crowns of Gold on their heads indicating that
      the judgement seat of Christ has already occured and His
      Church has been rewarded

  5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings
 and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before
 the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
  6  And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto
 crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the
 throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
  7  And the first beast [was] like a lion, and the second beast
 like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the
 fourth beast [was] like a flying eagle.
  8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him];
 and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and
 night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was,
 and is, and is to come.
  9  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him
 that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
  10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on
 the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and
 cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
  11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
 power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
 they are and were created.

 Revelation 5:8 
  8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four
 [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one
 of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the
 prayers of saints.
    - They are kings and priests before God.  Another promise to
      God's Church

  9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
 book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and
 hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
 tongue, and people, and nation;
  10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
 shall reign on the earth.
  11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round
 about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of
 them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
 thousands;
  12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
 to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
 honour, and glory, and blessing.
  13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and
 under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
 them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power,
 [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for
 ever and ever.
  14  And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty
 elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and
 ever.

-  Then have crowns on their heads.   Only the Church will receive
and wear crowns which they will then throw at the feet of the Lord
Jesus in worship.   The fact that they are wearing crowns indicate
that the Judgment Seat of Christ has already occurred.  This alone
refutes the other incorrect views on the timing of the rapture and
proves the pre-tribulation position as correct.

 Some more points proving that the 24 elders represent the Church:

-  They are numbered (24).  On the other hand angels are never
numbered

-  Their position suggests that they represent the Church.  They are
seated on thrones surrounding the Throne of God.  God gave the
promise to His Church that she would reign with Him. Here are some
promises the Lord Jesus gave to His people related to reigning with
Him:

 Revelation 3:21
  21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
 throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
 in his throne.

 Matthew 19:28 
  28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye
 which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man
 shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
 twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

-  They have white raiment again suggesting the Church.  The white
rainment represents the righteousness that has been imputed to the
believer as a result of what Jesus did on the cross.

 Revelation   3
  5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
 raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of
 life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before
 his angels.

-  They have a priestly ministry:  They have "harps and golden vials
full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints." (Rev 5:8)

  This concludes this section.  I think there is enough evidence to
suggest that the 24 Elders represent the Church.  The fact that they
have crowns on their heads proves the Beama seat judgment has
already occurred.  Only the Church is promised crowns in Scripture
and in Revelation Chapter 4 they are wearing those crowns!
 If that is true, which it is, then the rapture must have already
happened!

OTHER POINTS
------------
  Here are a few additional points to consider related to the timing
of the rapture.

=========
POINT 1
========
 The other incorrect rapture views cannot explain why the church
is so prominent in Revelation chapters 1-3, yet so totally absent
during the wrath portion (Chapters 6-18)

    The obvious reason is the Church is not on the earth.

    Again the question arises?  Why must the Church endure the wrath
of God?  The Seal, Trumpet, and Vial judgments will decimate the
planet and there is no purpose at all for the Church to be here
during that time.  The 70th week, The Time of Jacobs Trouble is for
the nation of Israel.

========
POINT 2
========

  Trumpet errors.  The post/mid trib view tries to make the trumpet in
1Corthians & 1Thessalonians 4 the same as the trumpets in
Revelation & matthew 24.  They get really hung up on the trumpets
trying to prove the last trumpet is all the same: in Matthew 24 &
Revelation, and 1 Corinthians.

  The trumpet error has lots of holes in it.  For example the
trumpet Paul is talking about in 1 Cor 15:52 is a trumpet of
blessing directly blown for the church.  It is associated with great
blessing for the Church.   Also in 1 Cor 15:51 Paul states that this
is a mystery....something new...not revealed.  At the trumpet in
Matthew 24...men will hide and be fearful as Jesus is returning in
judgment.  The last trumpet in Revelation is a trumpet of judgement.
Clearly different trumpets...unless you want to twist, twist, and
bend the Scriptures a bit.

  The incorrect assumption made is that there is only one kind of
trumpet blast.  This is a bad assumption.  There are trumpets of
judgment in Revelation.  Who says the trumpet calls for Israel,
The Church, and the judgments of Revelation are the same type
and trumpet????  Only be streeeeeeeching the Scriptures can those
trumpets be linked into the same trumpet blowing.

THE TRUMPET IN REVELATION IS NOT THE SAME AS THE ONE IN MATTHEW 24

 In the book of Revelation the 7th angel sounds and the call is
made that the kingdoms of this world become Christs'.  BUT we still
have the 7 bowl judgments to be poured out on the earth.  This is
also a proof that we have a different trumpet than the one
in Corinthians and in Matthew. When the one in Matthew sounds,
Jesus is seen by all on earth as He returns (Matt 24:30).  Matthew 24
does not have the bowl judgments as they have already occured...Jesus
is returning to earth and everyone will see Him coming.  But when the
last trumpet sounds in Revelation, this signals the beginning of the
bowl judgments. Clearly a different trumpet from the one in Matthew 24.

 This is proof positive that the trumpets are DIFFERENT.  All
those who try to twist the trumpets into their incorrect views of
the rapture are standing on very shakey ground. (earthquake!!)

==========
POINT 3     No resurrection in Matthew chapter 24
==========

RESSURECTION IN MATT 24???  When Jesus returns....Not in My Bible!
But that is what I have been told by some followers of the incorrect
views of the rapture.

  Where is the resurrection in Matthew 24?  There is clearly no
resurrection in Matthew 24...in fact if you look at Matt 25 you
will see a separation of Sheep and goats rather than a resurrection.
Matthew chapter 25 follows right after Matthew 24 and should not be
ignored OR 'ignored by spiritualization'.

 Matthew  25
  31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
 holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
 glory:
  32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
 separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his]
 sheep from the goats:
  33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats
 on the left.

  Notice that after Jesus returns in Matthew 24 there is a sheep and
goat separation in Matthew 25.  This is not necessary if the rapture
happens according to the post trib view.  The separation would have
already occurred at the rapture.  There is no problem with the
pre-trib view as the rapture would have happened before Daniel's
70th week and the separation of the survivers of the Tribulation in
Matt 25 makes perfect sense.
  Another point is if the resurrection occurs in Matthew 24 they why
bother separating the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25..the
rapture would have done that?  To have a resurrection in Matthew 24
just doesn't make sense or line up with the Bible OR Matthew 25.

  Another thing I have been told is that the elect in Matthew 24 are
the Church.  Where does it say the elect He gathers are the Church
in Matthew 24 and not tribulation saints or Israel?  Some claim the
term 'the elect' only refers to the Church.  They are probably the
same ones who claim all the last trumpets are the same.  The elect
can be Israel, or the tribulation saints, or the Church.

   CONCLUSION:
   ***********

  Many times when talking to the adherents of the incorrect rapture
views I hear this death question.

CLASSIC STUPID QUESTION
=======================

>If a day comes in your lifetime when there is a mark given on the
>right hand or on the forehead, without which you cannot buy or sell
>anything, will you receive that mark?...or die?

   This is a really stupid question ... a standard one given by the
followers of the incorrect rapture view.  This is not the first
time I have heard it.

  It shows the following:
    - These people cannot tell the difference between the
tribulation that the Church has experienced for the last 2000 years
and the tribulation of the 70th week of Daniels prophecy for Israel.
Try picking up and reading Foxes Book of Martyr's and read about some
'tribulation' that the church has experienced in days past.  Do a few
studies on the current persecution of the Church in China, Russia,
Mexico and other places.

    -  It assumes a bloodbath in the 70th week for all believers.
It is a death question...a what-if that will not happen to the
Church because of the pre trib rapture.  It will however happen to
the tribulation saints.  Why would God send His loved bride into the
70th week and into the bloodbath?  There is no reason at all and
certainly has no part of the 'blessed hope'.  The blessed hope of
these incorrect views is the bloodbath of the 70th week of Daniels
prophecy which is...certain death.

   - If these people have a martyr complex then why wait
until the tribulation of the 70th week.  Why not go to Saudi Arabia
and preach the Gospel...or go to Tehran and hand out Gospel tracts?
I guarantee you will get your desired results TODAY!  Prove you do
not wish to 'escape tribulation'.

  For those reasons there is no reason to answer a question that is
doctrinally incorrect....and just downright stupid.

To conclude:
-----------

  In this tract we have looked at the fact that the 70 weeks of
Daniels prophecy is for Israel and not the Church.  We saw that the
wrath of God is not to be poured out on His beloved Church.  Also,
there is no reason for the Church to be on earth during Daniels 70th
week.  We showed that there was a KNOWN day of Christ's return and
an UNKNOWN day which is the rapture.  We looked at the problem of
populating the millenium.  This alone refutes the post tribulation
view as they leave no one alive on earth but the wicked to populate
the 1000 year reign of Christ.  We also had a peek at the Judgment
seat of Christ, the marriage, and the 24 elders in Revelation who
are representative of the glorified & rewarded Church.  We covered a
few other points but surely enough evidence has been given to show
that the pre-tribulation view is Scriptural and is the only view
that harmonizes with the entire prophetic picture.

  Why stop here?  There are lots of good books that give Scriptural
references to the pre-tribulation rapture.  Authors like Dwight
Pentecost, John Walvwood, Hal Lindsey, Grant Jefferies, and Dave
Hunt Paul LaLonde give lots more reasons for the pre-tribulation
rapture.

 Here is some points to study or ponder in light of what you have
read:
   - What about the KNOWN day and the UNKNOWN day of Jesus' coming?

   - Study Daniels prophecy about the 70 weeks to ISRAEL.  The post
trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath all make the same error.  They cannot tell
the difference between God's plan for Israel and the Church which is
a mystery and a called out people between the 69th and 70th week.

   - Have a look at the 24 elders in Revelation
         - Notice they have crowns & sit on Thrones etc...
         - Sounds like the Judgment seat of Christ has occurred.
         - Who else but the Church will wear crowns? (no one)

  - Think thru the 'who will populate the millenium' problem. The
post trib leaves no saved mortals after the 'rapture' to inherit the
Kingdom of God and populate the nations.  The pre-trib leaves the
saved, unresurrected Tribulation saints who will go into the
millenium, have children etc.

The Seed Sowers BBS and home of SON-NET Bible network
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