Notes
Notes
Chapter 1 Some Questions to Consider
. Distinctions such as those in John F. Walvoord,
The Return of the Lord
(Findlay, Ohio: Dunham, 1955), 87–88; and Walvoord,
The Rapture Question
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), 101–103, are never incompatibilities; they simply depend on arguments from silence where some passages omit details that some other passages include.
. Note that in cases like this, the usual pre-Tribulational insistence on literalism (Walvoord,
Rapture Question
, 41, 56–58) falls silent!
. Arthur D. Katterjohn,
The Rapture—When?
(Wheaton, Ill.: A. D. Katterjohn, 1975), 58–59.
. Pre-Tribulationalists sometimes recognize that their case rests on inferences but object that the post-Tribulational case also rests on inference. See, e.g., Allen Beechick,
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
(Denver: Accent Books, 1980), 76. The primary post-Tribulational inference, however, is simply that if the Bible does not affirm something, we cannot claim that it does.
Chapter 2 How We Left Behind Our “Left Behind” Theology
. Likewise, Walvoord, a leading traditional defender of pre-Tribulationalism, supported “an attitude of Christian tolerance . . . toward those who differ on this doctrine” (
Return of the Lord
, 89).
Chapter 3 Pre-Pre-Trib
. For more detailed surveys, see, e.g., George Eldon Ladd,
The Blessed Hope
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 20–34; Robert H. Gundry,
The Church and the Tribulation: A Biblical Examination of Posttribulationism
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), 172–188.
. E.g., The Epistle of Barnabas 4.5, 13; Irenaeus,
Adversus haereses (Against Heresies)
5.28.4; 5.29.1.
.
Didache 16.4–8; Shepherd of Hermas 6.7–8; 23.5. Escaping tribulation there means being protected from it (Hermas 23.3–4).
. Irenaeus,
Haer
. 5.35.1.
. For amillennialism and other views, see also Stanley J. Grenz,
The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options
(Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 1992).
. See Walvoord,
Rapture Question
, 19–23, 65–69, 143–44; and Walvoord,
The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation: A Biblical and Historical Study of Posttribulationism
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 41, 56, 64–65; cf. also J. F. Strombeck,
First the Rapture
(Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 1982), 30, 59, 140.
. Craig S. Keener,
The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 62. I adapt this survey of views from there.
Chapter 4 Shall We Dispense with Dispensationalism?
. Stephen R. Miller,
Daniel: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture
, vol. 18 of
The New American Commentary
(Nashville: B&H, 1994), 257.
Chapter 5 Does the Old Testament Support a Pre-Trib Rapture?
. I understand the flood to be universal rather than local. For a classic defense of the worldwide flood, see John C. Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris,
The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications
, 50th anniversary ed.
(Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Publishing, 2011); for a more recent study, focusing on Noah’s Ark, see John Woodmorappe,
Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study
(Dallas: Institute for Creation Research, 1998). See further Philip Ernest Williams,
The Archeological Evidence of Noah’s Flood
(Charlotte, N.C.: Christian Leaders & Scholars Press, 2011). Craig prefers the more local approach of Reasons to Believe (www.reasons.org): the Flood covered only the limited part of the earth that humans inhabited (the Hebrew phrase can mean “all the land”).
. See, e.g.,
Bible Prophecy: 16 Proofs of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
(Prattville, Ala.: Making Life Count Ministries), http://storage.cloversites.com/makinglifecountministriesinc/documents/16%20Proofs%20of%20a%20Pre-Trib%20Rapture.pdf.
. Already a generation after Matthew, Christians understood this passage with reference to Jesus gathering the Church into His Kingdom at the end of the age (see Didache 10.5).
. Nathan E. Jones, “Why I Believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture: 11 Reasons Why Jesus Will Come Back before the Tribulation,” Lamb & Lion Ministries, http://christinprophecy.org/articles/why-i-believe-in-a-pre-tribulation-rapture/.
. Ibid.
Chapter 6 There Is Only One Second Coming
. John F. Walvoord,
Christ’s Olivet Discourse on the End of the Age
,
reprinted by the Theological Journal Library, http://walvoord.com/book/export/html/324.
.
Revelation was written after 1 Corinthians but coheres with it. See Craig’s treatment in chapter 8.
. “What Is the Difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming?,” Got Questions Ministries, https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-Rapture-Second-Coming.html.
. Ceslas Spicq,
Theological Lexicon of the New Testament
, trans. James Ernest (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1995), 3:54–55.
. Here are other verses with
apokaluptō
(to reveal): Matthew 10:26 (secret words being revealed; see also Luke 12:2); Matthew 11:25, 27 (see also Luke 10:21–22); 16:17; John 12:38; 1 Corinthians 2:10 (God revealing things); Luke 2:35 (secret thoughts); Romans 1:17–18 (righteousness and wrath revealed); 8:18; 1 Peter 5:1 (future glory); 1 Corinthians 3:13 (works revealed by judgment fire); 14:30 (prophetic word); Galatians 1:16 (Son revealed to Paul); Galatians 3:13 (faith revealed); Ephesians 3:5 (mystery of the Gospel); Philippians 3:15 (further insights); 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6, 8 (man of lawlessness to be revealed first!); 1 Peter 1:5 (future salvation); 1:12 (our salvation revealed to the prophets).
. The quotation marks within this passage indicate that Jesus is citing several verses from the Old Testament.
. See Craig S. Keener,
Matthew
, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 1997), 343–344, 347–351; see also Craig S. Keener,
The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 563–564, 575–583.
. Note that in the Septuagint,
sunteleia
occurs twice in both Daniel 12:7 and 13, meaning that the word is found six times in this chapter.
Chapter 7 Evaluating Some Pre-Trib Arguments
. See, e.g., Strombeck,
First the Rapture
, 95, 133.
. Strombeck sees experience of that future Tribulation as incompatible with God’s love for us, in contrast with present experiences of tribulation (
First the Rapture
, 45, 177).
. See Walvoord,
Rapture Question
, 41.
. Walvoord,
Blessed Hope and the Tribulation
, 10; Beechick,
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
, 10, 18–19; Strombeck,
First the Rapture
, 11–13, 135.
. E.g., Strombeck,
First the Rapture
, 151.
. Those who want to include the Tribulation in the Day of the Lord so they can apply it to both the beginning and end of the Tribulation (e.g., Strombeck,
First the Rapture
, 46–54) want to have their cake and eat it, too. Not only does this approach handle the text inconsistently, but it falls into the same fallacy of applying words differently that is evident in Michael’s Uncle Fred illustration.
Chapter 8
Post-Tribulational Passages
. And perhaps the “end” already mentioned in Daniel 12:6 (cf. verse 9).
. Heaven is “out,” not just “up.” We have a foretaste of its spiritual dimension now, united with Christ in the heavenlies (see Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1–2). Jesus’ ascension to heaven was His exaltation (see Acts 2:33; 5:31; Ephesians
1:20; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). He is already reigning until all His enemies are put under His feet (see Acts 2:35; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 10:13); His current reign is the “already” aspect of the Kingdom’s “already/not yet.”
. I adapt the following table from Craig S. Keener,
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2014), 590.
Chapter 9 What Is the Tribulation?
. Michael Gryboski, “Billy Graham’s Warning to American Churches: ‘Prepare for Persecution,’”
The Christian Post
, October 30, 2015, https://www.christianpost.com/news/billy-graham-warning-american-churches-prepare-persecution-148764.
Chapter 10 How to Live in Light of Post-Tribulationalism
. Clarence Larkin, “The Failure of Christianity,” in “Anchored to Pure Christianity” (Fig. 1), BCFi Mega Manila District Resources, May 1, 2017, https://mmdchurchworkers.blogspot.com/2017/05/anchored-to-pure-christianity.html.
. For the varied interpretations of Revelation 12, see Keener,
Revelation
, 312–325. See also Craig S. Keener, “One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty Days: A Charismatic-Prophetic Empowerment Reading of Time and God’s People in the Book of Revelation,” in
But These Are Written . . .: Essays on Johannine Literature in Honor of Professor Benny C. Aker
, eds. Craig S. Keener, Jeremy S. Crenshaw, and Jordan Daniel May (Eugene, Ore.: Pickwick Publications, 2014), 235–246.
. Florence Taylor, “Muslims Converting to Christianity in Nigeria, despite Brutal Persecution,” Christian Today, February 24, 2016, https://www.christiantoday.com/article/muslims-converting-to-christianity-in-nigeria-despite-brutal-persecution/80567.htm.
. Eberhard Arnold, ed.,
The Early Christians in Their Own Words
(Rifton, N.Y.: Plough, 1997), 20.
. Literally, it is “gates of hades,” a familiar expression in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (and in Greek literature more generally) for the realm of death. Some suggest that in context its point here is that even martyrdom (see Matthew 16:21, 24–27) cannot stop the Church. The protest against a theology that accepts martyrdom (verse 22) is deemed satanic (verse 23). See discussion in Keener,
Matthew
, 270–277; Keener,
The Gospel of Matthew
, 427–435.
. Some claim that John 9:4, where Jesus tells His disciples, “Night is coming when no one can work,” speaks of the need for us to work for God now before the Tribulation comes. But the idea that no one can work for God during the Tribulation belies the texts about testifying for Christ during the Tribulation (see Revelation 6:9; 11:7; 12:11, 17; 20:4). Worse yet, this is a conspicuous example of the need of pre-Tribulationalists to take Scripture out of context to support their views. With inferior lighting, people in antiquity normally could work only during daylight. The night in this context is when Jesus is no longer in the world (see John 9:5). Jesus’ public ministry will soon be over, and His works will not continue
again until Jesus imparts the Spirit after His resurrection; for such a transition time see, e.g., John 16:19–22; cf. perhaps Mark 2:19–20; Luke 22:53. Nowhere in John’s gospel does
night
or
darkness
refer specifically to the Tribulation period.
. Larry W. Hurtado,
Destroyer of the gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World
, (Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press, 2016), loc. 645–647, Kindle. For these statistics, Hurtado relies on scholars such as Rodney Stark,
The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History
(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1996), 4–13.
. See, e.g., Scott Manning, “World Population Estimates, Interpolated and Averaged,” Historian on the Warpath website archives, http://www.scottmanning.com/archives/World%20Population%20Estimates%20Interpolated%20and%20Averaged.pdf.
. Craig also argues this in Craig S. Keener, “The Plausibility of Luke’s Growth Figures in Acts 2.41; 4.4; 21.20,”
Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity & Judaism
7 (2010): 140–163.
. Michael L. Brown,
The Revival Answer Book: Rightly Discerning the Contemporary Revival Movements
(Ventura, Calif.: Renew, 2001), 255–257.
. “World Christian Growth Statistics!,” Prayer Foundation, http://www.prayerfoundation.org/world_christian_growth_statistics.htm.
. “State of the World: Growth of the Church,” The Traveling Team, http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/growth-of-the-church.
. For a more complete discussion, see chapter 7, section “Removing the Restrainer,” and chapter 8, section “An Escape from (Post-) Tribulation?”