Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

The following scriptures I believe also support the Pre-Trib position.  However, in comparison to some of the many others I have brought up in the past weeks it can be interpreted differently.

Luke 21:34-36 –³⁴“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. ³⁵For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

The first thing a person who does not believe in the Pre-Trib position is going to say that escape doesn’t mean rapture.  That’s correct escape by itself doesn’t mean rapture.

In verse 34 we have a warning from Jesus to make sure that the worries, preoccupation, and cares of this world, don’t blind us of…….what?

Even if one is drunk or busy their going to see the things that are happening during the tribulation.  Almost all will be terrified and half of those left on earth are expected to perish.  It is also a warning that if you’re not careful it will close in on you unexpectedly like a trap.

Then it goes on to say in verse 35 that it will come upon all of those who live on the face of the whole earth.  So if you’re on the earth it will come upon you. 

In verse 36 Jesus says to always be on watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen.  There is a lot that is going to happen during the tribulation.  It doesn’t say pray that you are hidden from what’s going to happen.  Because if your still on earth that’s what would have to happen.  Also it states that the beast was given power to make war with the saints and conquer them.

Revelation 13:7 –  ⁷He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

It appears that if you do believe Luke 21:34-36 is a pre-trib rapture verse then these saints must be the drunk and the one’s not praying, because it doesn’t appear the saints are escaping at this point. 

Last it says pray that you may escape and be able to stand before the Son of Man.  If we are raptured and escapes the tribulation, that’s where we’re going to be standing.

Tomorrow I want to expound a little further on this.

In Revelation 11 we read about two witnesses.  A couple of weeks ago we read on the 144,000 Jews also.  Both of these groups are significant because if the Church is still here, why are these Jews and two  witnesses needed?

Revelation 11:3-4 – ³And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

These two are the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth?

Wasn’t the Church signified by seven lampstands?  Also they appear to be in Heaven.  Here we have two witnesses that are from God and they are lampstands on the earth.  They are Prophesying and have protection from God to not only witness about the Lord, but have a real Old Testament style way of causing havoc on the earth to those who try and harm them.

Which brings up the other point, what separates the Old and New Testaments?  The coming of Jesus Christ.  With the rejection of Jesus as the Jews’ Messiah, we have a church age that appears to have stepped in separating Daniel’s 69^th to the 70^th week.  That’s a whole other study if you’re not familiar with it and is found in Daniel 9:20-27.  Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would be cut off from the people after the 69^th week.  These weeks are symbolized by a period of 7 years.  Thus 70 weeks of years is 490 years. 

The symbolic nature of this is Jesus died 483 years after Daniels prophecy started ticking.  What is the 70^th week?  It’s the 7 year peace treaty with the antichrist.  So there is a gap and we know it as the church age.  In essence there was an Old Testament time freeze.  What starts it back up?  Not the rapture, but the signing of that peace treaty between Israel and the antichrist.

I say all this because, the judgments in Revelation along with those that the two witnesses are causing have Old Testament written all over them.  As we saw in verse three above they were clothed in sackcloth.  That is an Old Testament tradition.

Revelation 11:5-6 – ⁵If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

No rain?  Water to blood along with plagues?  This is why some believe these two witnesses to be Elijah and Moses.

So it appears the Church comes in after Daniel’s 69^th week and leaves before his 70^th week, which I believe points to more Pre-Trib rapture support information.

Once again, if the Church is hear doing its job, what’s the reason for the two witnesses?  Why are they referred to as the two lampstands on earth?  If the Church was still here wouldn’t they be considered the seven lampstands that stand for the Lord of the Earth?