Examining the fruits of Pre-Tribluationism
If you were born before the 21st century, you probably have noticed that the clamor of Yeshua’s return has reached a peak in your lifetime. There was significant speculation of when he’d return in the 20th century also (that is, he was returning in 19xx) but not like it has been in this 21st century. There’s nothing wrong with hoping he is returning soon; don’t get me wrong! But just because it seems like he is coming soon and just because a significant portion of the Body of believers declare it does NOT- make- it- so. Even if a Teacher or Preacher says it will happen in 20xx does not make it so! In fact, I would be willing to pick 100 Messianic teachers all who would pick a year from now until 2123 and say that one of them will probably be right! Does this matter if someone turns out to be right? There is a reason why Yeshua did not give a date when he’d return and we’ll get into that toward the end.
A Condensed History of false prophecies in the A.D. era
Christianity and early Messianism has had a long, long history of predicting Yeshua’s return and failing 100% of the time. This, alone, should inform any wild-eyed Believer who even insinuates Yeshua’s return. It’ll happen; don’t get me wrong but even our own Authorities got it wrong from the get-go.
For those who teach the Inerrancy principle of the Bible have to admit that almost all of our Apostles thought Yeshua’s return was imminent:
“When we say this, we base it on the Lord’s own words: we who remain alive when the Lord comes will certainly not take precedence over those who have died… then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” 1 Thessalonians 4:15+17
“Meanwhile, through trusting, you are being protected by God’s power for a deliverance ready to be revealed at the Last Time. Rejoice in this, even though for a little while you may have to experience grief in various trials” 1Kefa 1:5-6
“The Prophets…were trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of the Messiah in them was referring…It was revealed to them that their service when they spoke about these things was not for their own benefit, but for yours.” 1Kefa 1:10-12
I am going in chronological order here but my point on the Apostles was that they thought they were going to see the Lord’s return in their lifetime. Paul even says to the Thessalonians that he based it on the Lord’s own words! Isn’t that all too familiar?? We interpret Scripture to mean one thing when the Lord really means another thing. Unlike what came after the 1st century, they will be exonerated in the Judgment because they hadn’t received the book of Revelation yet (and who knows; maybe Yeshua sent that book because of the damage the early Believers experienced when He didn’t come back after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD!)
After the first century, we have countless number of sects who predicted or insinuated that the Lord’s return was on a certain date. I won’t go into ALL of them but some of the most prominent in “modern” history are:
- The 5th Monarchy Movement of the 17th century believed they were on the verge of seeing the Kingdom of God come and took militaristic action in Britain
- William Miller, before he started the Adventist sect, said Yeshua was coming in Oct 1844 (on the Day of Atonement in which one Jewish historian claimed was the largest gathering of people on Atonement ever to that point!). The failure of this prediction came to be called the Great Disappointment
- I came to believe in Yeshua through a Christian sect that taught he was returning in 1975. They did not teach this because of the outbreak of the Yom Kippur war either; they had been teaching it before 1973 and when the Arab hordes invaded Israel in 1973 that year, you can EASILY see why that event only reinforced their erroneous belief! I heard of stories (I didn’t join until after the 70’s) that people sold their businesses, stopped planning for retirement and God knows what else and when it didn’t happen, it wasn’t unlike the Great Disappointment of 1844
- One man (not a Pastor), Edgar Wisenhunt, said that Yeshua would return in 1988. When that proved wrong, he went on to predict 1989, 1993 and 1994, all the while selling millions of books[1]
And let us not forget that the Crusades at the turn of the 1st millennium AD was started in part by the Papal belief that since Yeshua hadn’t returned at 1000 AD, it was up to the Catholic church to set up and be the Kingdom that Yochanan referred to.
Will the Madness ever stop?
You’d think that with all the false prophesies that we can look at for the last 2000 years that Messianics and Christians would stop trying to stir fear – or elation – on when the return of Yeshua would be.
FOR SURE: He is closer in coming than in times past. That is indisputable.
What is NOT indisputable is that His coming is in the coming years, as in this decade! On top of the multitude of false prophecies (and false leadings without a date), we now have a formidable, mostly Christian, sect of Believers who believe in a “pre-Tribulation rapture” that is only a couple hundred years’ old who see Yeshua popping out from behind every tree, “just around the corner” upon the publishing of every possible bad news event that the TV or internet spews forth without regard to either source or biblical bias! Every local, state or international event is another “proof” of Yeshua’s return…
I don’t know every verse reference this eschatological worldview involves but there is one passage I do know that proves to me that the pre-tribulation rapture is not only wrong but yet another false Christian doctrine and that is Mattituyahu 7:16 “you will know them by their fruits”. The context of this passage is not only false prophets (v.15) but can be used to judge every doctrine that is taught by religious ministers.
Why can I say pre-tribulationism is false prophecy? Because it is not only built upon very poor interpretations of biblical passages but it is very personal prophecy: “for never has a prophecy come about as a result of human willing” – 2 Kefa 1:21. I have heard actual Teachers in our faith who can’t be convinced the Rapture will be at any time other than before the Tribulation begins, who refuses to argue or defend their personal prophecy say, “Well, you can be here but I ain’t going to be!” Or “He (Yeshua) should come because…” (these rumored things are going to happen) Or “I hope he comes by (month/year) because I’d like to be out of here when that happens”! These are not statements that back the veracity of prophetic scripture; these are statements of willing prophecy to happen. It isn’t dependent on the Father’s timing; it is interpreting scripture how they want it to happen!!
And since we are on the subject of the timing of the Rapture that Paul speaks of to the early Kehillot, I can tell you why we will be here right until Yeshua’s coming without a whole litany of verses to “prove it”. I only need one: Remember the wrath that YHVH poured out on ancient Egypt? You should since we rehearse it every Pesach. Where were the children of Israel in all this and what was their condition when Egypt was systematically destroyed in over a years’ time (period of time is debatable)?? And as we often say, Egypt is symbolic of the world…
Conclusion:
Enough said on that subject. Even if I am wrong in my interpretation of the End Days, the reason it shouldn’t matter to a Believer when Yeshua returns is also because of one passage:
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant…Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.” Mattityahu 24:45-46 (NKJV)
This may be MY own hermeneutics at work here but I see this statement that Yeshua made as the heart of what he is looking for. Many Teachers teach that we should essentially “sit up” and be on your best behavior when he returns as if ALL of your eternal future was dependent on what you did when he returns and also as if there was no Judgment Day! The reason that Yeshua gave no date when he was incarnate was 1. Because he didn’t know at that time 2. If the Believers knew the date he returns, we would have an entire generation of Believers who did nothing for the Kingdom! And 3. Because there really isn’t a pre-ordained date. It the Father is truly All-powerful as we say, He is not dependent on a date in space/time to do what needs to be done. Yeshua’s return is waiting for all the prophetic conditions to be met. When that happens, then look up!
[1] Backtojerusalem.com “5 times the return of Jesus was predicted…”
Superwebsite 