Fall/Winter 2003
Are
You A Midtribber?
This is part
two of a three part follow-up series to interpretive articles, “Interpreting
the Rules of Revelation” and “The Rapture”
in our fall/winter 2001 issue. We recommend that you select and read
them both if you haven’t already. Then read “Hunting
for Key Words the Inductive Way,” before continuing with this
rapture critique. The hermeneutic principles contained in all three
articles will equip you to better understand this and every other
study article we present in future issues for your interpretive critique. |
nyone who dedicates the time to engage a systematic study of the
doctrine of the Rapture will come away from the text mentally challenged
by the event. That God would choose to reconstruct
a spirit based body like Christs for the disembodied spirits of
His righteous dead and raise them heavenwardwhile at the same time
snatching and changing immortal His embodied churchis mind-boggling.
Nevertheless, it will happen. Just exactly when and why it will happen
has provoked a three-way debate over its timing and theology for years.
Will it happen because of the Great Tribulations deliverance? Or
as its reward? Who will be here? And, when, and why, will the Rapture trump blow?
In last
quarters issue we examined the basic principles of her-meneutics.
In this issue we took a closer look at key word connection and literal
intent. If youve studied both of these articles (Interpreting
the rules of Revelation and Key Word Hunting the Inductive
Way), you should be well equipped to take on this second rapture
position through the eyes of Gods observable, literal intent.
Could
you be a midtribber? You decide.
Prophecys Promise of Deathlessness
RAPTURE from the Latin word: RAPIO,
to seize or be carried away in ones spirit. New Testament
Greek: HARPAZO to be caught up.
The Bema (reward seat) of Christ takes place immediately following the
translation of the church out of this earths sphere. According
to Luke 14:14 reward is associated with the resurrection. Since, according
to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, the resurrection is an integral part of the
trans-lation, reward must be a part of that program. When the Lord returns
to the earth with His bride to reign, the bride is seen to be already
rewarded.
Dwight Pentecost
Things To Come, p. 218
"O death, where
is your victory? O death, where is
your sting?"
1 Corinthians 15:55
Midtribulationalism
From:
The End, by Norman B. Harrison p. 75.
St. Paul, by inspiration of the Spirit, definitely places the Resurrection
and the Rapture of the saints through the coming of Christ at
the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:51-53). This is a specific locating
of the event. Unquestionably the Holy Spirit revealed the fact and inspired
the recording of it. How dare any one locate it otherwise?...Can we postulate
the Rapture at any other place than that given by and through the Apostle
Paul and claim to maintain the integrity of Gods Word?
From: Understanding End Times Prophecy, by Paul Benware
p. 216.
One supporter of this view prefers that it be called the mid-seventieth
week theory of the Rapture, noting that his view is popularly
known as the midtribulational theory, but such a term gives rise to a
possible misunderstanding. Those who believe that only the second
half of Daniels seventieth week (3.5 years) is the time of tribulation
would see themselves as really advocating a pretribulational rapture of
the church.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable
must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Revelation 11:15
15 And the seventh
angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom
of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ;
and He will reign forever and ever."
Whereas the posttrib position is heavily dependent upon the Messianic
eschatology of Jesus and the Revelation of John, the midtrib position
depends upon Paul and John. Key words in Pauline eschatology and Revelation
have convinced midtrib proponents of the Raptures placement three
and one half years into the Tribulation, half-way through Revelations
text.
Connecting Key Words to Determine the Event
So, does the midtribulational rapture position have a last eschat-ological
trumpet? Yes. In fact, the theory in whole is based on this one hermeneutic
point.
Included with the Rapture/Resurrection connection, the midtrib position
applies the contextual use of the key words, trumpet, mystery,
and last, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; and
Revelation 10 and 11 in determining the time of the event.
First of all, the position emphasizes the fact that Pauls 1 Thessalonians
revelation connects the Rapture with a trumpet blast:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of
God
Announced as the trumpet of God it will at the time of the
Rapture accompany the descending Lords shout
(Strongs 2752, Arnt & Gingrich 427B: keleusma cry
of command; voice of the archangel).
and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort
one another with these words.
Next, proponents cite Pauls 1 Corinthian 15 resurrection discourse
that adds to the key word, trumpet, the descriptive timing adjective,
last:
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable
must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Focusing on the key words in this passage and counting trumpets
to find the last eschatological trumpet blown in Revelation, the midtrib
position connects the Raptures prophetic fulfillment in history
to the last and seventh trumpet blown midway through Revelations
text:
Revelation 11:15-19
15 And the seventh
angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His
Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four
elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and
worshiped God,
17 saying, "We give
Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because
Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign.
18 "And the nations
were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to
be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the
prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small
and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
19 And the temple
of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared
in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals
of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Resurrection/Rapture Rewards for the Saints
Midtrib
proponents embellish their position by pointing to the eschatological
event of verse 18 (what eschatologians have identified as the Bema [reward]
Seat of Christ), which takes place immediately following the blast of
Revelations last and seventh trumpet (see 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10;
1 Cor. 3:9-15).
Revelation 11:18
18 "And the nations were
enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged,
and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets
and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the
great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
Midtribulationalists point out two distinct events that John reports at
this eschatological juncture following the seventh trumpets blast.
1. Judgments and rewards for the righteous dead v.
18a.
Revelation 11:18a.
18
and the time
came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to
Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear
Thy name, the small and the great
2. The coming of the Eschaton's final series of judgments
v. 18b.
Revelation 11:18b.
18
and to destroy
those who destroy the earth."
These two events,
according to the position, occur after the church
is raptured, and will usher in the last three and one half years of Daniels
Seventieth Week (Great Tribulation) through the release of the judgment
bowls.
The FinishedMystery of God
Another hermeneutic consideration midtrib proponents mix into their theory
is the key word, MYSTERY (Strongs 3466, Arnt & Gingrich
530A: musterion MU [mouth] STERION [guard]: secret teaching,
thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God which are hidden from human
reason).
Recorded twenty-one times in Pauls New Testament discourses, the
words use is consistently aligned with those
exclusive redemptive insights veiled under the Old Covenant but made known
through his ministry. Included among them are the incarnation of Christ
and the believer, joint heirship of Jew and Gentile, and among others,
that some would not die:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
The word appears again Revelation 10:7:
Revelation 10:7
7 but in
the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound,
then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants
the prophets.
Positionalists
connect these key mysteries of Paul and John, be-lieving their echatological placements could
serve as a seventh trumpet rapture roadmap.
Midtrip Critique
The interpretations
of this position are the most hermeneutically cohesive of the three major
views so far as key word connections are concerned. But criticisms of
it must address some free interpretations applied in assigning the Rapture
(1 Cor. 15:52), to Gods mystery (Rev. 10:7), and interpreting the
actual event (Rev. 11:15-19).
Lets look first at this positions connection of the
Rapture and Gods mystery in Revelation 10:7.
7
but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about
to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His
servants the prophets.
The Greek word for the message preached in this verse (Strongs
2097, Arnt & Gingrich 317B: euaggelizo to announce
good news, evangelize, the Divine message of salvation, the gospel)
pertains to the glad tidings and good news of the New Testament.
So it
is possible that Gods mystery fulfilled in the days of the seventh
angel could be some gospel fulfillment totally mysterious and unrelated
to the Rapture event. It may even be contained in the mystery message
of the seven uttered thunders sounded before the angels statement
that John was forbidden to reveal.
Revelation 10:4
4 And
when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and
I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven
peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them."
So key word connections of mystery and preached make a good
case for Pauls New Testament Rapture mystery (1 Cor. 15:51). But
the application of key words and events in such nondescriptive passages
must be understood as free interpretations.
Now lets look at what chapter 11 literally says about the results of the
last Revelation trumpet.
Does Revelation 11 Record the Literal Rapture
Event?
No, it does not. Thats not true concerning a rapture
though. Revelation 11 contains the only literally recorded rapture in
biblical eschatology. It occurs to the chapters two prophets who
appear to be Gods earthly agents of the seven trumpet events.
Revelation 11:3-10
3 "And I
will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for
twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These are
the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord
of the earth.
5 And if
anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours
their enemies; and if anyone would desire to harm them, in this manner
he must be killed.
6 These have
the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain may not fall during
the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters
to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as
often as they desire.
7 And when
they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the
abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
8 And their
dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically
is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9 And those
from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their
dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead
bodies to be laid in a tomb.
10 And those who dwell
on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send
gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who
dwell on the earth.
They will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (42 months or 3.5
years) (v.3); be killed (v.7); then three and one half days afterward
will be resurrected and raptured from the dead.
Revelation 11:11-13
11 And after the three
and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and they
stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were beholding
them.
12 And they heard a loud voice
from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up into heaven
in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
13 And in that hour there
was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand
people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and
gave glory to the God of heaven.
Two
verses later, John views a startling prophetic scene.
Revelation 11:19
19 and the ark of
His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning
and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Could
this awesome scene be connected to the Rapture? Midtrib proponents believe
the hermeneutics of the position could yes because of the roadmap they
provide in regard to the seventh (last) trumpet in timing
the event. The whole of this positions findings are directed
by this trumpets key role in defining the time of the Rapture event.
A Hermeneutic Roadmap?
Midtribbers
believe key words and timeframes observed in this passage also present
the possibility of a shadow and type timing of the Rapture event. Positionists
believe the length of the prophets ministries (3.5 years, v. 3)
and the amount of time that they lay dead after their martyrdom before
they are resurrected and raptured (3.5 days vv.11-15)could provide
a parabolic timeframe of the event.
But because
a literal interpretation is key to any biblical search, the midtribulational
rapture position falls short, as do the other three positions of claiming
a completely literal confirmation anywhere in any text.
Eschatology Today Conclusions
Like the posttrib and pretrib rapture theories, the midtribulational rapture
theory shares a mix of literal and free interpretations in developing
its findings. Its attention to key words in interpreting the event,
however, is the most logical hermeneutic of the three positions, and therefore
Eschatology Today's position choice.
Why?
For there to be a last trumpet, there must be a first,
and the seven-fold trumpet sequence in Revelation contains a first and
a last. Because the doctrine of the Rapture is exclusively
New Testament, it is also logical that Paul and Johns eschatology
could provide such a hermeneutic roadmap.
Adding to this the
fact that the Great Tribulation's inaugurating Abomination of Desolation
doesn't happen until Revelation 13, the principle
of chronological ascent places the Rapture before the Great Tribulation. So
we therefore regard it as the mid-text pre-trib rapture
position. But again, because there is no hard literal evidence, it is
still just a theory.
Here again,
is a review of the positions possible evidence.
Pauls Rapture revelation in 1 Thessalonians 4 connects the Resurrection
with the Rapture and synchronizes the event with a coming trumpet.
1Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Pauls eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 reveals the mystery
of an immortal bodily change that will occur in sync with the Resurrection
at the last trumpet.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Counting trumpets in Bible texts, the midtrib position locates and interprets
the last blown trumpet in Revelation as the key word link to Pauls
last trumpet timing ingredient.
Revelation 11:15
15 And the seventh
angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom
of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ;
and He will reign forever and ever."
There is a possible key word connection between Pauls mystery
of an immortal bodily change and the New Testament mystery of God
that is finished when the seventh trumpet sounds.
1 Corinthians 15:51
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
Revelation 10:7
7 but
in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound,
then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants
the prophets.
The message preached to His servants the prophets
is a distinctive New Testament mystery. (Strongs 2097, Arnt &
Gingrich 317B: euaggelizo: to announce good news [evangelize],
the divine message of salvation, the gospel). Of the twelve New
Testament mysteries revealed in Scripture, Pauls eschatological
mystery of the Rapture appears a logical choice. Want to know what the
other eleven mysteries are? Do a word search!
The two witness ministry is literally revealed as spanning three
and a half years (Rev. 11:3). The three and one half days they lay dead
can be interpreted as a parabolic shadow and type of the timeframe
on either side of the Rapture event (Rev. 11:11). They are both resurrected
and raptured at the end of that time (Rev. 11:12).
The Bema
Seat of Reward occurs after the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:18).
But because
the midtrib rapture theory isnt irrefutable, like the other two positions,
it can be challenged.
There
is no literal church rapture recorded after the seventh trumpet blows.
There
is no conclusive proof that the mystery of God fulfilled in the days
of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, is the
mystery of the Rapture.
The Bema
Seat revelation in Revelation 11:18 is debatable because of its
general revelation with no exact timing of the event.
Where the Word of God is Bound, So
Are We
Where It's Not, We Are Free
So, what do you think? Could you be a midtribber? Key word connections
of Paul's timing revelation and John's description of events in this position's
hermeneutics are compelling. You decide.
Take your Bible and
look over each of these heremeneutical assertions to divide the literal
from the nonliteral. Then when youre ready, move on to our final
position critique, Rapture Right or Wrong, Are You a Posttribber?
Make up your own mind.
Study,
pray, think.
Mark Norris
Eschatology Today Sr. Editor
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