MONDO GONZALES' MUDDLED ARGUMENTS: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:3

Apostasy - The Prophecy Watchers

Mondo Gonzales: "Is the apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to a spiritual rebellion of the Church? Is it a rebellion of the Jewish people? Or is it in reference to the physical departure of the rapture?"

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

Paul’s argument is straightforward: the church is not appointed to the eschatological wrath associated with the day of the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). The term orgē refers specifically to the day of the Lord's wrath, which is not to be confused with the tribulation. (Matthew 24:21). In the previous letter to the Thessalonians Paul instructed believers: to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath (ὀργῆς) to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10). This deliverance is explicitly from divine wrath, not from the Antichrist’s persecution.

Gonzales’ critical error is that he collapses two distinct eschatological categories—the great tribulation and the day of the Lord—into a single event encompassing the entire seven year period. Once these are conflated, he arrives at the erroneous conclusion that “we are saved from the future 7‑year tribulation day of the Lord.” The New Testament does not support this interpretation. Tribulation (thlipsis) is consistently portrayed as satanic and directed against the saints, while wrath (orgé) is consistently divine and directed against the earth‑dwellers. Paul’s teaching is precise: believers are delivered from the coming wrath i.e. the day of the Lord, but not from the great tribulation.

The Thessalonian church had been misled by some false information that the day of the Lord had already arrived. Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Below is an example of the exegetically implausible and logically unsound claims of pretribulation teachers:

Robert Thomas: "Let me belabor this point a little further. Some people interpret that the apostasy and man of sin must come before the arrival of the DOTL (day of the Lord). This is unfortunate because the word “before” or “precede” does not appear anywhere in these verses. This erroneous interpretation leads some people to embrace a pre-wrath rapture view. For them, the rapture cannot happen until the apostasy and man of sin are revealed before the arrival of the DOTL. They have made a serious mistake. Paul never says that these two events happen before the arrival of the DOTL. He says that they are the first events which kick off the DOTL."

The text does not state “before" or "precede" but it does explicitly state that the rebellion comes first (πρῶτον proton). 

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasia) comes first (πρῶτον), and the man of lawlessness is revealed.. (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Gonzales refers to Andy Woods' untenable claim that apostasia as "spiritual departure" rather than apostasy/rebellion. The claim that apostasia denotes a physical departure has no lexical support; the evidence consistently points to a spiritual or religious defection, not a spatial removal. For me, this line of argument is simply an exercise in manufactured mischief.

Gonzales misidentifies the day of the Lord as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:24–27). Yet again he repeats the same category error by treating the entire seven‑year period as the day of the Lord and collapsing the tribulation into it. In scripture, the time of Jacob’s trouble refers to the Antichrist’s persecution—i.e., the great tribulation—which begins at the midpoint of Daniel’s seventieth week. When Satan fails to annihilate Israel, he redirects his hostility toward believers, “those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.” This persecution precedes the rapture, which occurs between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation.

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent. But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:13-17).

Immediately after the tribulation (thlipsis) of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 cf. 2 Peter 3:10).

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath (ὀργῆς) of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath (ὀργῆς) has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

I will not pursue Gonzales’ tangled reasoning any further. His exegesis is so poor that it is remarkable anyone still defends a view rooted in the mid‑19th century and unknown to the early church. Pretribulationism is rejected by a large portion of global Christianity; its acceptance is largely limited to certain Western circles that have embraced this serious doctrinal error.    

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY

STEVE KOZAR AND DANIEL LONG'S DERANGED RESPONSE TO RUSLAN CRITICISM

When "Discernment" is Dishonest: Is Ruslan KD Really "Evil?"

A question for Steve Kozar: What is an ad hominem attack?

Ad hominem: A criticism directed against a person rather than against what that person says.

To my knowledge, none of Ruslan KD’s critics have engaged in ad hominem attacks. The concerns have been directed at his relentless pursuit of money—identified in scripture as greed and love of money—which Ruslan himself has articulated in the most disgusting terms. (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:10; Luke 12:15). Chris LaSala notes: "Ruslan KD has always planned to make merchandise of his followers. He has tried to monetize everything from prayer journals, Christian concerts, t shirts, therapy sessions, upper tier Patreon subscriptions, and more. This man is not a Christian, he is a lover of money and he is a friend of the world. He also promotes cigar smoking, tattoos, carnal hip hop artists, and he green lights women wearing yoga pants. He is also a free gracer disguised as a repentance preacher."1 

Kozar and Long have responded by attacking Michael Grant, Sean Christie (Revealing Truth), Jordan Riley, and others, asserting that Ruslan’s critics are "lying and taking him out of context". That is an exceptionally strong allegation and is demonstrably false. 

Ruslan's damage control: "When I came onto YouTube the objective was not to be a public Christian."2 

Anyone who chooses to operate on YouTube is functioning in a public arena. Ruslan’s claim that he was a full‑time musician who was “a rapper who was Christian, not a Christian rapper” is a distinction without substance. 

The monetisation‑focused statements now circulating online originate from Ruslan’s own recorded material, largely between 2018 and 2021, during the period in which he was advising aspiring Christian creatives on building financially viable platforms. In a recent interview he accused his critics of participating in “cancel culture” and claimed that his intent was merely to motivate Christian artists, not to address ordinary believers. The difficulty with that defence is obvious: at what point does a Christian supposedly remove the “Christian” hat and replace it with an “artist” hat? What framework of values is he communicating to Christians who identify as artists? Scripture does not permit compartmentalising the Christian life. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.. (Colossians 3:23).

Kozar and Long's claim that Ruslan has "repented" is absurd. Ruslan has recently reaffirmed his own monetisation‑focused statements: "But we went back and particularly looked at 'how do I monetize people' and 'stop pussy footing around, you want to build a business around your art  and not a ministry'. And I stand by those 100%."

Ruslan > I want.. I want.. I want .. 

"I want to be free so I got zero overhead.. I don't want no bill.. I don't got to pay mortgage.. I want to be part of a church plant and be able to give and help.. I want to live in southern California, I have to.. I am going to live in Southern California. I have to figure out how to get into a million dollar home and pay it off.. I need seven figures.. I would love to be in a position someday where I just have F.U. money." His manner of speaking aside, the substance is clear: he wants to participate in ministry while exempting himself from the ordinary responsibilities and obligations that other people must carry. He has expressed a desire for income levels far beyond what most people will ever attain. 

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.(1 Corinthians 5:11 cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 16:16-17).

Only blatant deceivers and narcissists would consider charging people for “meet and greet” access to so‑called "celebrity preachers". The pricing for Ruslan’s March 2026 Bless God Summit — including a $75 meet‑and‑greet ticket — speaks for itself. The broader pattern is even more egregious offering an additional $450 for a celebrity meet‑and‑greet, and children being charged $422 to meet a “celebrity preacher.” This commercialisation of alleged religious figures is indefensible.  All Christians are obligated to uphold consistent Christian values and to serve as public witnesses to Christ. No believer should even mention or be speaking about "F.U. money"  and "monetizing people" in any context. 

Ruslan's financial compromises alone warrants rejecting this ministry outright. But the wider problem is structural: the entire Bless God Summit genre is theologically unsound, commercially driven, and ecumenical in substance. It is not Christian ministry in any meaningful doctrinal sense.

Although Ruslan disputes Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox structures and practices, he still treats both traditions as doctrinally aligned with the gospel and draws no substantive line between their teaching and what he considers biblical truth. He refers to "Our respective streams of Christianity.. I love my Eastern Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters.. We (Protestants) believe that you have a valid church and a valid communion."4

The heart of the ecumenical heresy is soteriological. Bible believers who trust that we are saved by grace through faith alone are at complete odds with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The Roman Catholic/Eastern Orthodox premise is that we are saved by faith plus works. Although they share our vocabulary, they load those terms with different theological content. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy diverge from one another in various aspects, yet they stand together in treating the sacraments as efficacious channels of grace and as necessary components of salvation. This is another gospel and is anathema biblically. (Galatians 1:8-9).

Ruslan's questionable list of speakers at his ecumenical summit included Mike Winger, Gavin Ortlund, Sean McDowell, Wes Huff, Michael Knowles, Lila Rose (Roman Catholic) and other dubious characters. He consistently elevates some of the most destructive influencers operating in the church today—Carl Lentz, TD Jakes, Gabe Poirot, and the self‑styled “demon slayer” contingent: Mike Signorelli, Isaiah Saldivar, "Apostle" Alexander Pagani, and Vlad Savchuk.

I can only describe Steve Kozar and Daniel Long's response to Ruslan's critics as deranged. They fail to articulate even the most basic definitions, and the claim that Ruslan has “repented” is demonstrably false. Ruslan’s own recorded statements are sufficient to indict him without further analysis. Their reaction warrants serious scrutiny: at minimum, their discernment should be questioned, and the motives behind issuing blatantly false claims of this nature should be examined. These two self-appointed "discerners"  are already in serious error due to their Lutheran commitment to baptismal regeneration—a significant deviation from sound biblical soteriology—the pattern is predictable. (Isaiah 5:20).

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:17-21).

1. Demonic Merchandiser Ruslan KD Claims His Followers Are Not As Important To Him As His Bank Account
2. Ruslan Exposed: Addressing the "Allegations"
3. (386) THIS Famous "Christian" YouTuber Must Be AVOIDED | Ruslan KD Exposed - YouTube
4. The Real Reason I Won't Convert to Orthodox or Catholic Christianity

ONE CHURCH LEICESTER: DAVID HIND PROPHESIES TO A BUILDING!

 One Church Together | 30th August 2026, 11.30am

Prophesying to a building? David Hind: "We prophesy to this building to be built in the name of Jesus.. I believe that we are living in the middle of a miracle.. God has spoken to us about many things.. it is just a matter of time." Scripture does not present prophesying to inanimate objects as a normative or authorized prophetic practice. When biblical figures address non‑living things, the speech is judgment‑declaration to people through the object, not communication with the object itself. Believers are encouraged to make all kinds of petitions and requests to God. (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:1). However, 'name‑and‑claim’ decrees and declarations are inauthentic and have no grounding in the Spirit’s work as revealed in scripture. (1 Timothy 4:1). If someone prophesies to an inanimate object it is a clear sign that something is seriously wrong.  

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11).

It is telling that verses 8–10 were omitted from the reading. Those verses supply the central point of the miracle: its evangelistic purpose—to catch men. "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” That line throws decisive light on the entire narrative and requires us to read it as Christ’s deliberate instruction in the work to which these men were being appointed.

The habit of commandeering Jesus’ miracles as personal life‑applications is a familiar marker of false teachers. Hind’s handling of the phrase “push out a little from the shore” reduces the text to a pretext for self‑congratulation and completely bypasses the passage’s actual meaning.

Hind’s altar call at the beginning of his "sermon"—devoid of the gospel—collapsed into the usual emotional prompts: “If you want Jesus in your boat, come to the front,” When that failed and no one responded, he made a later attempt with the standard miracle rhetoric. He implied that some were on the cusp of a miracle and urged those seeking healing, family salvation, prodigals restored, career breakthroughs, a child, a marriage, or any other “miracle”, to step forward and “be released.” The miraculous catch of fish was invoked as proof that expectations would be exceeded, and he called on the musicians to “sing something over you" and those who responded were urged to “receive something". Hinds encouragement "to keep expectant that it is just a matter of time" is very dangerous. He inserts himself into the very thing people most desperately hope for, and that misplaced hope can eclipse their hope in Christ Himself. 

I have attended many such meetings where false prophets prey on people's vulnerabilities. This form of ungodly rhetoric constitutes spiritual abuse. The emotional intensity is predictable, but the pattern is the same: verses taken out of context, inflated promises, manufactured hope, and the inevitable collapse into confusion and disappointment—often damaging faith. Praying for healing, salvation, and restoration is biblical, but when the anticipated “miracle” does not materialize, the only faithful conclusion remains: “Your will be done." Repeating the mantra "we are in the middle of a miracle" does not make it so. 

In the same chapter, Jesus instructs believers to anticipate divisions even within their own households (Luke 12:51–53; cf. Micah 7:6; Matthew 10:34). These texts underscore why presumptuous expectations are unwarranted and why faith must be grounded in the Lord Himself rather than in human assumptions. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33).

Hind’s relentless self‑promotion—especially the vaunted merger of two openly apostate NAR assemblies five years ago—is repulsive in its essence. This is not God‑honouring speech. It is the textbook case of “glorying in their shame”, minds locked onto earthly metrics. The catalogue of red flags already documented in previous posts makes their true allegiance unmistakable. Scripture is clear: legitimate boasting is confined to the Lord alone. Self‑commendation is worthless; only the Lord’s verdict stands. (2 Corinthians 10:17–18).

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

If further confirmation were needed, Hind even inserts a clip from The Chosen. His comment—“It’s wrong in one point because Jesus was in the boat”—barely scratches the surface. The series is fundamentally unsound and should not be promoted. It is riddled with inaccurate quotations and distorted portrayals of Jesus and the disciples, including a wholly fabricated depiction of Judas Iscariot. Angel Studios, the producing company, is Mormon‑founded and carries clear LDS associations. The CEO and the Executive Producer of The Chosen are Mormons. The danger is obvious: Christians are being led to grow attached to unbiblical dramatizations and as a result their discernment is eroded. Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus, is a Roman Catholic; baptized originally in the Greek Orthodox Church, he later entered Roman Catholicism and is publicly active in Catholic ministry. From his own lips, Roumie admits that he is a Freemason and a Nights Templar. Need I say more?

NAR leaders routinely assert a superior “anointing” that allegedly elevates them above ordinary believers and grants their teaching special authority. David Hind’s self‑assigned status as an “apostolic leader of leaders” is a textbook example of narcissistic inflation—grandiose claims of spiritual rank where no such anointing exists.

The megachurch collapse 

My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers. (Matthew 21:13).

Hind's wannabe megachurch model is fast going out of fashion. 

Paula White now cannot fill a hundred seats on a Sunday morning:🚨PAULA WHITE‼️The Fall of a MegaChurch EMPIRE

The fall of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church: The Fall of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church: What Really Happened?  

Greg Locke's Global Vision Bible Church falls from 3,000 members to under 300: Greg Locke‼️The True Story Behind Global Vision Bible Church 90% Collapse

There are many more examples.. Gateway Church, Hillsong, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Saddleback Church: Megachurches Are Losing Members at an Alarming Rate

It has taken a long time and there are many casualties, but the pattern has finally broken. Many believers are no longer submitting to the wolves that lead false churches. They are walking away from abusive, money‑driven pastors and the corrupt systems that sustain them.

The dark history of Pentecostalism: Best Kept Secret: The Hidden Catalyst Behind Pentecostalism’s Second Wave | Hyde Park Cult

MONDO GONZALES: THE DAY OF THE LORD AND THE RAPTURE CONFUSION

Are We in the Final Jubilee Before the Rapture? | Prophecy Answer Man | Ep. 3

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

Mondo Gonzales points out that the word "day" does not appear in the Greek text in 1 Thessalonians 2:3. (35:00 mark)

This passage is a clear prewrath rapture indicator. In essence, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 in Greek communicates a caution against deception, clarifies the sequence of end-time events, and identifies the man of sin as a central figure whose revelation signals the approach of the day of the Lord. The Greek vocabulary underscores rebellion (ἀποστασία), lawlessness (ἁμαρτία), and ultimate destruction (ἀπωλεία), providing a linguistic and theological framework for understanding the verse. 

μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας.

Let no man deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness-the son of destruction-is revealed.

ὅτι..because - conjunction -  because (it will not be)1

The passage indicates that before the day of the Lord begins, two events must happen; the apostasy and the revelation of the man of lawlessness. 

Gonzales: "The first event of the day of the Lord is the rapture and the man of sin showing up.. That's exactly what we believe". 

Gonzales treats the rapture and the day of the Lord as concurrent events, which (more or less) aligns with the prewrath framework. However, he misidentifies the day of the Lord. The difficulty is straightforward: the day of the Lord is not the moment the Antichrist appears. Pretribulation teachers merge two distinct categories: thlipsis (tribulation) and orgē (the day‑of‑the‑Lord - wrath). This conflation is the core error. The man of sin is revealed at the mid point of the 70th week of Daniel. (Daniel 9:27). The day of the Lord—defined as God’s judicial wrath—does not begin until the seventh seal is opened. The church is exempt from the day of the Lord. When scripture differentiates between thlipsis and orgē, responsible research should preserve that distinction. 

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slaved and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath (orgē) has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-16).

“For then there will be great tribulation (thlipsis), such as has not been from the beginning…” — The “great tribulation”; human-directed suffering. (Matthew 24:21).

1. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Interlinear: 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;

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

The Greek GRAMMAR in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Supports Prewrath - Ep. 147 | Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner

LEE BRAINARD'S THREE QUESTIONABLE ARGUMENTS FOR A PRETRIB RAPTURE

Will Christians See the Seven Seals? | Lee Brainard

In this post I will debunk Lee Brainard’s three proposed reasons for the rapture before the first seal of Revelation. 

Brainard's first reason: 24 elders are the redeemed church in heaven

The twenty‑four elders appear as enthroned figures clothed in white and crowned with gold. (Revelation 4:4). Although pre‑tribulation commentators assert that the elders represent the redeemed community, the claim is exegetically weak. It relies on inference rather than demonstrable textual evidence, and therefore cannot be treated as a provable conclusion. Revelation offers no explicit identification of the elders as the church. Their identity is left undefined, and any assertion equating them with the church is relies on eisegesis. 

Brainard argues that  the elders must be human because the text refers to those purchased by the blood of Christ. (Revelation 5:9). However, the elders do not place themselves within the redeemed group by using any first‑person pronoun. There is no “we” or “us” in their statement, which indicates that they are not identifying themselves as part of those redeemed by the blood of Christ. Brainard misinterprets the verse by rendering it as “you have redeemed us to God by your blood”, a translation unsupported by reliable versions. The Codex Sinaiticus text of Revelation 5:9-10: καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες· Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ θεῷ ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους. καὶ ἐποίησας αὐτοὺς τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν βασιλείαν καὶ ἱερεῖς, καὶ βασιλεύουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Forensic translation: And they sing a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and you purchased for God with your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And you made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they reign upon the earth.'"

note: αὐτοὺς (them)— third‑person plural, not first‑person (“us”)

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10 ESV).

 This translation is taken from the later Byzantine tradition

Brainard: "Go right to the apparatus in the UBS text. Go right to the apparatus in the Nestle-Aland text and you're going to quickly determine if you know how to use the apparatus that the best attested reading by far is the US reading of the King James Bible and the New King James Bible. It should read, 'For you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood.'" 

For academic study, textual criticism, and reconstruction of earliest attainable readings, the Alexandrian text is preferred. The later Byzantine text is useful for devotional reading and for understanding the history of transmission, but it is not typically used as the primary base for critical reconstruction.

Logos: "The Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece (28th ed.) and the United Bible Society, Greek New Testament (5th ed.) are often considered the best for scholars due to their comprehensive textual apparatus and editors' confidence in their decisions. For pastors and students, the United Bible Society, Greek New Testament (5th ed.) is recommended for its smaller apparatus and helpful letter grades. The Society of Biblical Literature Greek New Testament is a textbook example of reasoned eclecticism and is edited by Michael W. Holmes. The Theological Greek New Testament (THGNT) is a modern edition that represents a departure from many modern printing conventions and focuses on the textual traditions of the first five centuries.. The editors purposefully limited their manuscript base, leaving the vast majority of what are generally considered later, Byzantine-text manuscripts out of the apparatus."1 

The earliest manuscript evidence keeps the elders distinct from the redeemed. In Revelation 5:9–10 the decisive variant—αὐτούς versus ἡμᾶς—is settled by the oldest witnesses, The textual weight lies entirely with the early Alexandrian manuscripts, not the later Byzantine expansion.

Sinaiticus: them / they reign
Alexandrinus: them / they reign
Vaticanus: does not contain Revelation
Byzantine tradition: us / we shall reign (a later development)
UBS5 / NA28: follow Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus2   

Brainard's second argument about the twenty four elders: "They must be resurrected because they are rewarded". 

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns (στεφάνους) on their heads. (Revelation 4:4).

Brainard’s constricted reading is yet another instance of the same pattern—interpretations shaped less by the text itself than by his own distorted framework.

White is the typical colour associated with angelic beings in scripture and can simply signify purity. The white garments of the twenty‑four elders therefore do not automatically correspond to the white robes given to the saints. In Revelation 6:11 the saints receive white robes yet are instructed to wait; they are not depicted as already enthroned or crowned. The resurrected saints do not appear in their white robes until Revelation 7:9–14, when "the great multitude" is finally seen before the throne.

Stephanos (στέφανος) has a broader semantic range than simply denoting a crown of reward. It can denote any wreath‑type crown, including one used for honour, festivity, suffering, or mock coronation, depending on context:

Bible Hub: "a. properly, as a mark of royal or (in general) exalted rank (such passages in the Sept. as 2 Samuel 12:30; 1 Chronicles 20:2; Psalm 20:4 (); Ezekiel 21:26; Zechariah 6:11, 14 (yet cf. 2 Samuel 1:10 Complutensian, Lagarde LXX), perhaps justify the doubt whether the distinction between στέφανος and διάδημα (which see) was strictly observed in Hellenistic Greek): Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2, 5; Revelation 4:4, 10; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 9:7; Revelation 14:14; with a genitive of the material, ἀστέρων δώδεκα, Revelation 12:1; the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games (cf. BB. DD. under the word ): 1 Corinthians 9:25, cf. 2 Timothy 2:5.
b. metaphorically, α. the eternal blessedness which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ: ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, the crown (wreath) which is the reward of righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8;"3

At best, this reflects sloppy research on Brainard’s part; at worst, it is another instance of disingenuous handling of the text. In reality, the identity of the twenty‑four elders is not disclosed, and any attempt to specify who they are rests on speculation rather than evidence.

Brainard’s interpretation provides no account of “the great multitude” (Revelation 7:9-17), yet Revelation presents a multitude that appears abruptly after the sixth seal is broken. John had not observed them earlier; they emerge suddenly, and the angel identifies them as those who have come out of the great tribulation. By contrast, the twenty‑four elders remain a distinct group positioned around the throne, aligned with the angelic host and the four living creatures. This structural separation carries far greater exegetical weight and yields a more defensible interpretation than collapsing the elders into the multitude.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:9-17).

Brainard's second reason: The Antichrist is the preeminent sign that the world has entered the Day of the Lord.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

Brainard fails to acknowledge that "the Day of the Lord " is the day of God’s wrath, not the tribulation. I have addressed this distinction extensively in earlier posts. When scripture differentiates between thlipsis (tribulation) and orgē (wrath), responsible research should preserve that distinction.

Brainard's third reason: The great delusion of the Antichrist is sent by God as a judgement.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.(2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).

Brainard removes these verses from their context in an effort to argue that the rapture occurs before the Antichrist’s persecution. The fact that the great delusion is a judgement against unbelief does nothing to exclude the presence of believers during the Antichrist’s period; the text simply does not support his conclusion. The New Testament maintains a rigid distinction between satanic tribulation and divine wrath, consistently placing the Antichrist’s persecution before the Day of the Lord. Jesus and Paul frame the final crisis as a period of human and demonic hostility against the saints. Believers are promised exemption from wrath but never from tribulation; 1 Thessalonians 5:9 guarantees deliverance from divine wrath, while the broader New Testament witness affirms the church’s experience of tribulation (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Revelation 7:14). The recurring call for believers to “overcome” in Revelation presupposes endurance through the tribulation associated with the Antichrist. The Day of the Lord begins only after the cosmic disturbances that signal the arrival of divine wrath. (Revelation 6:12–17; Matthew 24:29). The sequence is clear: Antichrist’s oppression comes first, followed by the Day of the Lord’s judgment.

Matthew 24:15–18 presupposes that believers are still present on earth when the abomination of desolation occurs. This directly excludes any model that places the rapture before that event.

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:15-28).

Brainard claims that his aim is “truth”, but that claim is open to serious challenge. His pretribulational readings repeatedly compromise the integrity of the text through eisegetical manoeuvres that cannot be sustained by the Greek or by responsible exegesis. His selective interpretation of Revelation 5:10 shows us that he is desperate to define the twenty-four elders as the church. One wonders whether he has considered the consequences scripture assigns to those who alter the book of Revelation. (Revelation 22:18–19). Mistranslating scripture—and also misrepresenting the writings of the church fathers—is a dangerous pattern in his work. It reflects a consistent willingness to distort sources rather than submit to them. 

1. The Greek New Testament: 3 Most Common Editions & Which You Should Use
2. Revelation 5:10 Greek Text Analysis
3. Strong's Greek: 4735. στέφανος (stephanos) -- Crown

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

Prewrath - Early Church Fathers

DANIEL LONG AND STEVE KOZAR "DISCERNERS" WITHOUT DISCERNMENT

Long & Kozar love & appreciate the Ruslan KD podcast?

These two self‑styled “discerners” appear to have abandoned all sense of humility and proportion. Steve Kozar, in his characteristic arrogance, now suggests that he and Daniel Long represent the initial “snowball” of resistance to NAR and charismatic deception, and that their influence is prompting charismatics to follow suit. This claim is baseless. The fact that many believers have discerned and exposed false teachers without any reference to Long or Kozar is attributable solely to the sanctifying work of God in their lives; the example of those two figures has no theological relevance to that outcome. (Galatians 6:3; 1 Corinthians 8:2; Proverbs 3:7).

Long and Kozar behave like superiors patronizing their inferiors. Long: "We do listen to these guys, we take what they say, we appreciate them." Do they realise how patronizing they sound? More concerning is their demonstrated lack of discernment in endorsing Ruslan KD and Mike Winger, both central figures in the so‑called “Evangelical swamp” aka the “Christian YouTube Establishment”. Kozar’s nodding and tacit approval places him at the same level. I hold no regard for either of these Lutherans, given their commitment to baptismal regeneration — a substantive deviation from sound soteriology.

Ruslan’s pursuit of “F.U. money” and his stated intent to monetize Christians should not receive approval from anyone. This pattern of conduct aligns precisely with the forms of ungodliness scripture warns against. (Matthew 6:21,24; Proverbs 23:4-5; 1 John 2:15-17). 

Ruslan quotes:

"How do I monetize these people?"
"How do I build a business?"
"What is my bank account going to look like in the next two to three years?"
"I have to make more than six figures.. I need seven figures."
"You will grow your audience, and then you've got to find a unique way to monetize them."
"I am not doing anything for less than $500 an hour."

"I love TD Jakes."

"I would love to be in a position someday where I have F.U. money."

Only blatant deceivers and narcissists would consider charging people for “meet and greet” access to so‑called "celebrity preachers". The pricing for Ruslan’s March 2026 Bless God Summit — including a $75 meet‑and‑greet ticket — speaks for itself. The broader pattern is even more egregious offering an additional $450 for a celebrity meet‑and‑greet, and children being charged $422 to meet a “celebrity preacher.” This commercialisation of alleged religious figures is indefensible.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Paul's example for believers to imitate. 

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12).

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 6:24; Hebrews 13:5).

Ruslan's questionable list of speakers at his ecumenical summit included Mike Winger, Gavin Ortlund, Sean McDowell, Wes Huff, Michael Knowles, Lila Rose (Roman Catholic) and other dubious characters. He consistently elevates some of the most destructive influencers operating in the church today—Carl Lentz, TD Jakes, Gabe Poirot, and the self‑styled “demon slayer” contingent: Mike Signorelli, Isaiah Saldivar, "Apostle" Alexander Pagani, and Vlad Savchuk.

Although Winger has exposed various NAR figures and elements of its "cover-up culture", he nevertheless fails to address the dangers of ecumenism or the overtly worldly values embraced by Ruslan and his "Bless God Summit". His endorsement of Ruslan, his alignment with TPUSA, and his claim that false prophets can be rehabilitated into ministry are all fundamentally incompatible with any serious reading of scripture.

Ruslan refers to "Our respective streams of Christianity.. I love my Eastern Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters.. We (Protestants) believe that you have a valid church and a valid communion."1  

The sobering reality is that while Ruslan and his associates elevate themselves, generate substantial revenue, and engage in ecumenical theatrics at an upscale resort, their conduct ultimately undermines the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 7:20).

1. The Real Reason I Won't Convert to Orthodox or Catholic Christianity

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: BLESS GOD SUMMIT> RUSLAN / MIKE WINGER / MICHAEL GRANT

ROBERT VAN KAMPEN: WARNINGS IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

The Olivet Discourse – The Sign (Robert Van Kampen) | Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner

Robert Van Kampen was the principal systematiser of the prewrath rapture model, though its structure was already present in scripture long before the term existed. Here he addresses the Olivet Discourse.

And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” (Luke 21:7-9 cf. Matthew 24;3-8).

 ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. (Luke 21:8).

Van Kampen was convinced that this phrase was added in Luke's gospel as a warning for pretrib believers. He makes an interesting comparison with the Thessalonians who were confused about the Parousia and apparently had received false information that they were in the Day of the Lord and had missed the rapture. 

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

The appearance of "false christs" (pseudo messiahs) who will lead many astray (Matthew 24:5). is the first sign recorded in the Olivet Discourse. As John observed, numerous false christs have emerged from the earliest period of the church. (1 John 2:18). Van Kampen anticipates a dramatic escalation of false christs and wars and rumours of wars from the outset of Daniel’s 70th week. (Matthew (24:5-7). This is underscored by the stark declaration that peace will be removed from the earth when the second seal is broken. (Revelation 6:3–4). As a result of these events, Van Kampen anticipates dramatic destabilization within the church from the beginning of the 70th week. His observation—“When we get in that seven‑year period there is going to be chaos within Christianity”—accurately captures the confusion that will engulf those who allegorize or misread eschatology, including pretribulationists, amillennialists, postmillennialists, and preterists.  

Van Kampen presents a chilling portrayal of the end of the age, in which many will fall away from the faith. He underscores the necessity of perseverance and steadfast commitment to the truth until the end.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14).

Because of the preceding pressures and the activity of false christs and false prophets arising from within the church, the love of many—for Christ, for his doctrine, and for one another—will grow cold. The apostasy is extensive—τῶν πολλῶν, of the many i.e. of the majority.