david reagan lamb and lion ministries: pre-tribulation rapture deception

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: 11-14)
 
David Reagan Lamb and Lion Ministries

In Defense of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

In Defense of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

2 Thessalonians 2:3
Can the Rapture be found in this passage?

In Defense of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

http://christinprophecy.org/articles/2-thessalonians-2-3/

Before considering David Reagan's arguments that the pre-tribulation rapture can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it should be noted with alarm that he is an annihilationist. This view, as far as I am concerned, puts a massive question mark over the validity of his ministry. The lie of annihilationism inevitably deconstructs the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we deny that hell is eternal, then we must also deny eternal salvation and the eternal nature of God's very being, since the very same Greek noun aión is used for all three! I have written about Regan's annihilationist views in some detail in my previous post.{1}

Reagan relies heavily upon Thomas Ice for his pre-tribulation rapture argument based on 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Whilst the Greek noun episunagógé  (v 1) clearly does refer to the rapture, the argument that the noun apostasia (v 3) means physical departure i.e. the rapture is indefensible.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, (episunagōgēs) 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 (apostasia) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.... (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)

Thomas Ice: "The first seven English translations of apostasia all rendered the noun as either " departure" or " departing." They are as follows: Wycliffe Bible (1384); Tyndale Bible (1526); Coverdale Bible (1535); Cranmer Bible (1539); Breeches Bible (1576); Beza Bible (1583); Geneva Bible (1608)." {2}  

Actually there is compelling evidence to show that physical departure is NOT what the above translators had in mind. The marginal notes from the Geneva Bible authored by John Calvin, John Knox, Miles Coverdale, and many other leaders of the Reformation, show that their translation of apostasia as "departure" was in fact "a departure from the faith."

Original Notes From The Geneva/Breeches Bible:

The Second Epistle Of Paul To The Thessalonians:

"Lest the Thessalonians should think that Paul neglected them, because he went to other places, rather than come to them, he writeth unto them and exhorteth them to patience and other fruits of faith, neither to be moved with that vain opinion of such as taught that the coming of Christ was at hand, for as much as before that day there should be a falling away from the true religion, even by a great part of the world, and that Antichrist should reign in the Temple of God;"

2 Thessalonians 2: " 2 He sheweth that the day of the Lord shall not come, till there be a departure from the faith, and that the Antichrist be revealed, 8 whose destruction he setteth out, 15 and thereupon exhorteth to constancy." {3}

Further Evidence:

The Bishops' Bible is an English translation of the Bible produced in 1568 under the authority the Church of England. It was substantially revised in 1572, and the 1602 edition was prescribed as the base text for the King James Bible that was completed in 1611.{4} 

Bishops Bible: "2Th 2:3 Let no man deceaue you by any meanes, for [the Lorde shall not come] excepte there come a fallyng away first, & that that man of sinne be reuealed, the sonne of perdition..... " {5} 
 

Wycliffe Bible: "2 Thessalonians 2:3 - No man disseyue you in ony manere. For but dissencioun come first, and the man of synne be schewid, the sonne of perdicioun.^"{6}

The Middle English word “dissencioun” comes from the Old French "dissension" which is not physical departure! {7} 

William Tyndale interpreted apostasia as a departure from the faith..

"sheweth that there shall be a departure from the faith....." 

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no ma deceave you by eny meanes for the lorde commeth not excepte ther come a departynge fyrst and that that synfnll man be opened ye sonne of perdicion. {8}

Tyndale NT Commentary: "The necessary prelude to the coming of Christ is 'the rebellion'.... falling away hardly gives the force of apostasia..... In classical Greek, the word apostasia denoted a political or military rebellion; but in the Greek Old Testament we find it used of rebellion against God (e.g. Joshua xxii. 22), and this becomes the accepted biblical usage." {9} 

Martin Luther: "In chapter 2, he (Paul) teaches that before the Last Day, the Roman Empire must pass away and Antichrist rise up before God in the Church, and seduce the unbelieving world with false doctrines and signs until Christ shall come and destroy him by His glorious advent, first slaying him with spiritual preaching." {10}

Erasmus: "signifies that great and before-predicted apostasy." {11}

The Greek noun "apostacia" was originally translated "abscessio" (separating or going away) in the Old Latin (Tertullian). The Vulgate has "discessio" (withdrawal, dispersal separation division). The word "discessio" is the Latin word from which we get the English word "dissension" (rebel). Apostasia is translated "revolt" in the the Douay-Rheims Bible which was translated from the Latin Vulgate of Jerome (1582):

Latin Vulgate: ne quis vos seducat ullo modo quoniam nisi venerit discessio primum et revelatus fuerit homo peccati filius perditionis 

Douay-Rheims: Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. {12}

Historically apostasia was well understood to mean "apostacy", even going back as far as the writings of Ireneaus (130-200) Against Heresies Book V Chapter 25: 

".....concerning whom the Apostle in the second letter to the Thessalonians (ii. 3) says : " Except there first come a falling away,^ and that man of ^ abscessio, rj anjcrTaaia, the apostasy." {13} 

There are fourteen occurrences of aphistémi in the New Testament, and since this verb can mean physical departure as well as a departure from the faith (below), some have used the connection between the word apostasia and aphistémi as a pretext to teach that apostasia means physical departure, i.e. the rapture. Ice's mentor, pre-tribulation rapture authority John Walvoord (1910-2002), once held this view, but he was honest enough to change his mind after considering the lexical arguments of Robert Gundry.{14} Actually Walvoord admitted that no single verse of scripture by itself clearly teaches the pre-tribulation rapture.{14}

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from (aphistémi) the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1) 

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away (aphistémi) from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12)

John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), the crazed cult leader responsible for promoting the pre-tribulation rapture deception translated apostasia as apostasy:

 

Darby Bible Translation: "Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because [it will not be] unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of perdition;"{15} 

Darby: "With nominal Christians this has necessarily the character of apostacy, or at least it is connected with this apostacy, and is consequent upon it; as Verse 3 (Th2 2:3) teaches us, the apostacy takes place, and then the man of sin is revealed."{16} 

The question remains: Why would Thomas Ice use the inappropriate "alternative definition" of apostasia as physical departure in light of compelling evidence to the contrary?

***************************************************** 

Reagan cites further "passages" (actually isolated verses of scripture) in order to "prove" a pre-tribulation rapture:

But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)

Reagan: "Notice that He says that believers should live anticipating the Lord’s appearance at any time, and that they are to pray for their escape from all the horrors of the end times which He had been talking about. To me, this passage strongly infers a Pre-Tribulation Rapture."

Luke wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem which was fulfilled in 70AD (verses 5-24). From verse 25 he develops the theme to events associated with the end times i.e. distress of nations and the cosmic disturbances associated with the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-17). At the point of the sixth seal, the tribulation has ended (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24). The extreme imminence of the wrath indicated in Revelation 6:17 follows the great tribulation - notice that imminency it is not indicated in Luke 21 until certain other things have happened which must first take place (Luke 21:9, 28, 31). Since these warnings were given by Jesus Christ to his disciples, it follows that the church will be present when these things take place. The context of Luke 21:25-36 concerns God's wrath i.e. the Day of the Lord and the parousia. The instructions to stay awake and to pray that you may have strength to escape all these things refers to the immediate context of verses 25-38 i.e. the wrath, not the tribulation. Matthew 24 refers to the same eschatalogical events and confirms that believers will suffer persecution and tribulation (24:9-14). The onus is on the believer to endure the persecutions of the tribulation in order to escape the wrath of God (Matthew 24:13). Matthew 24:42: THEREFORE be ready (therefore - consequently i.e. in light of what has been previously said).

***************************************************** 

.....you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath (orgēs) to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

For God has not destined us for wrath (orgēn), but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ..... (1 Thessalonians 5:9) 

Reagan: "I consider this passage to be the most convincing one that points to a Pre-Trib Rapture. After all, the Bible clearly teaches in both the Old and New Testaments that the Tribulation will be a period of the pouring out of God’s wrath (Isaiah 24 and Revelation 6-19). This verse promises that Jesus will deliver believers 'from the wrath that is to come.' A similar promise can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:9)"

• Isaiah 24 concerns God's judgement upon the earth, it does not speak of tribulation.

• The church is expressly exempted from God's wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10). However, "the hour of trial" (peirasmou) in Revelation 3:10 is NOT referred to as God's wrath. The day of God's wrath becomes imminent AFTER the sixth seal is opened and AFTER the cosmic disturbances: 

Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave 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 (orgēs) of the Lamb, for the great day of their WRATH (orgēs) has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12-17)

It is absolutely NOT the case that the source of the tribulation is the wrath of God!!! 

orgé (wrath) is a completely different word and has a completely different meaning to thlipsis (tribulation).

Further confirmation that Gods wrath does not fall at the beginning of the Great Tribulation is found in Revelation 6:9-10. The martyrs call out to be avenged AFTER the fifth seal is opened, but they are told to "rest" until the number of their fellow martyrs should be complete. These are the tribulation martyrs who will be killed by the beast (Antichrist). The wrath of the beast is indicated here, not the wrath of God.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Revelation 6:9-10)

 ***************************************************** 

Because you have KEPT my word about patient endurance, I will KEEP (tērēsō)YOU FROM  (ἐκ) the hour of trial (peirasmou) that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10) 

téreó  = keep, guard, observe, watch over.  
ἐκ = out of 
peirasmos = trial, testing, temptation.

Reagan: "These are some of the words that Jesus addressed to the church at Philadelphia. They constitute a promise that true believers will be kept from the testing that will one day encompass the entire world."

The hour of trial in this verse appears to be the persecution of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. Greek téreó is to keep/guard/watch over/observe. The Philadelphian Christians kept/guarded/observed (tetērēsas) Christs word. As a result of their faithfulness Christ will keep/guard (tērēsō) them from (ἐκ) the hour of trial/temptation.

The Greek preposition ἐκ (out of) means to exit something from within. In context it would not make sense to say that Christ will keep/guard them if they were to "exit" (be raptured) prior to the Great Tribulation. The only other place where téreó and ἐκ are found together is John 17:6:: I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you KEEP THEM FROM the evil one.

Joe Schimmel has an excellent in depth teaching on Revelation 3:10:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGi9PBUJwAg

Persecution/tribulation is directly linked to the falling away of believers: 

.....yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation (thlipseōs) or persecution (diōgmou) arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17) 

And blessed is the one who is not offended by me. (Matthew 11:6 cf.Matthew 5:29; James 1:12) 

The scriptures repeatedly refer to a proliferation of spiritual deception and false teachers in the end times. Matthew 24 gives us an important link between false prophets, tribulation and falling away:

Then THEY (the wicked) will deliver you up to TRIBULATION (thlipsin) and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will FALL AWAY (skandalisthēsontai) 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 cf. 1 Timothy 4:1)

skandalizó =  to set a snare, entice or cause to stumble, cause to sin, cause to become indignant, shock, offend. Are those teaching a pre-tribulation rapture setting a snare that will cause shock, indignation and even hatred when their false teaching fails to materialise? Proverbs tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). Instead of strengthening believers to face the Great Tribulation, many false teachers are feeding the Body of Christ false hopes of deliverance and escapism. In actuality believers are called upon to endure through this terrible time (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; Revelation 2:10). Some pretribulationists are already offended with those who point out their error, such as Paul Wilkinson of The Berean Call/PWMI, who has publicly condemned post-tribulationist/pre-wrath/intra-seal defenders as "heretics". Some say that the timing of the rapture is not a salvation issue, but it appears to be just that for those who will fall away, if in fact they are enticed do so by those giving them a false hope of escape from the Great Tribulation.

{1} http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/edward-fudge-david-reagan-heresy-of.html
{2} http://www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/TheRapturein2Thessalonians2_3.html
{3} http://www.genevabible.org/Geneva.html
{4} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishops'_Bible
{5} http://thebiblecorner.com/englishbibles/thebishopsbible/2thessalonians/2.html
{6} http://oldebible.com/wycliffe-bible/2-thessalonians-2.asp
{7} https://www.wordnik.com/words/dissension
{8} http://oldebible.com/tyndale-bible/2-thessalonians-2.asp
{9} Leon Morris, 1956 "Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1&2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary" Inter-Varsity Press p.126
{10} https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=Luther|reference=2Th.2
{11} http://www.godvine.com/bible/2-thessalonians/2-3
{12} http://vulgate.org/nt/epistle/2thessalonians_2.htm
{13} https://archive.org/stream/treatiseofiren02iren/treatiseofiren02iren_djvu.txt
{14} http://www.walvoord.com/article/137#G77B2
{14} http://www.walvoord.com/article/137#G77B2
{15} http://biblehub.com/dbt/2_thessalonians/2.htm
{16} http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/darby/th2002.htm

Further Links:

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2015/jovial53-2.htm  
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/2th002.htm 
http://www.alankurschner.com/2016/01/25/why-pretribulation-teachers-refuse-to-obey-jesus-great-commission-teaching-them-to-obey-everything-i-have-commanded-you-and-remember-i-am-with-you-always-to-the-end-of-the-age/