the dishonesty of geoffrey grider 'now the end begins': the lie that the post-tribulation rapture is anti-semitic

Geoffrey Grider, Author and Editor-in-Chief of "Now The End Begins".
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/teaching-church-will-go-tribulation-antisemitic-replacement-theology/ 

Grider's Shocking False Statements: 

"Christians who find the church within Daniel's 70th week have embraced replacement theology and a pernicious form of antisemitism."

"People who, in error, attempt to place the Church in the time of Jacob's trouble can only do it by putting the Church where Israel should be, and as such are guilty of teaching Replacement Theology. They are guilty of stealing promises made to the Jews and Israel alone, and God will have none of that."

"Christians are never 'God’s people' in the Bible, we are His redeemed through the work that Jesus did on the cross at Calvary."

Perhaps Mr Grider should read his Bible again! Christians are indisputably referred to as "God's people" in the New Testament: 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 cf. Romans 9:25-26)

Grider: "We are 'elect of God' but we are not 'the elect' as that is always a reference to the Jews."

Grider makes a false distinction, making the definite article preceding "elect" exclusively applicable to Israel. The word “elect” simply means “chosen”. There are many references to both Israel and the church as God's elect/his elect/the elect.  "The elect" are those Gentiles and literal Jews/Israelites who have known, now know, or will know Jesus as Lord, Saviour, and Messiah.{1}

Further verses about the elect: Matthew 24:22-31; Mark 13:20-27; Luke 18:7; 2 John 1:1; Romans 8:33, Romans 11:7; 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1). 

Jacob's Trouble

Despite being at odds with the multifarious errors of pretribulational doctrine, the post-tribulation view is in complete harmony with the pretribulationism concerning Israel and could never be described as being antisemitic! Post-tribulationists, in agreement with the Apostle Paul, believe that God has not rejected his people (Israel), and that there is a remnant chosen by grace (Romans 11:1-7). Post-tribulationists believe that all the Old Testament prophecies will yet be literally fulfilled in their minutiae; such as in Isaiah 11 and 65 for example. This new angle being pushed by some militant pre-tribulationists is totally dishonest and entirely misrepresents the post-tribulation view! Mr Grider's allegations are totally inappropriate and are very damaging to the Body of Christ. According to Grider, Spurgeon, Ryle, Muller, Newton, Tregelles, and a whole host of other historic pre-millenial believers are now anti-semitic! It was only the post-millennial believers that the charge of "antisemitism" could be directed, but apparently not any more!

Does Jeremiah 30:7 automatically preclude the church from the great tribulation? The faulty dispensational position that the church cannot be present for any of the 70th week of Daniel is a non sequitur fallacy. It is based on the false presupposition that God deals with Israel exclusively after the church (believing Jews and Gentiles) is raptured. However, the evidence that the 70th week is not limited to Israel alone is overwhelming, just as the destruction of the temple and the diaspora was not limited to the Jews (Israel) alone, but most certainly affected believers (Acts 8:1-4, 11:19; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). Where there is a distinction, is that one third of unbelieving Israel will flee from the Antichrist into the wilderness (Petra?) and will be divinely protected for 1260 days/42 prophetic months (Revelation 12:1-6; Daniel 12:1,7,11,12; cf  Matthew 24:15-22). 

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10; )

Who are the remnant of Israel's seed?

Revelation 12:17 clearly shows that in his frustration at being thwarted in his pursuit of Israel, the dragon (Satan) will make war with "the remnant of her seed".  Who else keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ except Christians?

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:13-17) 

Grider: "The Bible never calls this time the ‘Great Tribulation’, that is a misquote from Matthew 24 where Jesus says there will be ‘great tribulation’ as an adjective, but not as a definitive noun."  

Nevertheless Jesus Christ does define this time as a period of ..great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21 cf. Daniel 12:1). The term "great tribulation" is repeated in Revelation 7:14 as a noun phrase. This period is clearly defined twice as "great tribulation" affecting the whole world in the scriptures, so why does Grider split hairs about adjectives and nouns? 

The Pre-tribulation Rapture Deception

Pretribulationism has no scriptural support and actually throws up more problems than answers. Passages which contradict pretribulationism, such as 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 and the book of Matthew, are either ignored altogether or ascribed to unsaved Israel. The absurdity of relegating the entire book of Matthew as having no application to the church, as some do, is dangerous nonsense, leaving believers unprepared for the last days and extremely vulnerable to deception.. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 cf. Matthew 28:20). As such, and given its history, we can accurately say that pretribulationism is human tradition which nullifies the word of God (Matthew 15:3). J.N. Darby appears to have appropriated the pre-tribulation rapture from the Irvingites and began teaching it circa 1830. It was subsequently popularised by C.I. Scofield via his "reference Bible".  Darbyism, so-called, spread like wild fire throughout the USA, giving rise to the Dallas Theological Seminary and all its off-shoots that we see today in the form of the "Left Behind" series and "Rapture Ready" website and many other such populist outlets. 

The Post-Tribulation Rapture

People can mean different things by the post-tribulation rapture. In my view, the most coherent position is the pre-wrath rapture i.e. the rapture occurs after the sixth seal is opened (Revelation 6:12). In contrast to pretribulationism, the pre-wrath position can be argued consistently from several passages of scripture, including the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and the Book of Revelation. Paul Dorgan gives a good comprehensive teaching on the pre-wrath view on the link below. Unfortunately, pseudo theologian and chancer Jacob Prasch (Moriel Ministries) has corrupted the pre-wrath position and has muddied the waters in recent times with his intra-seal rapture nonsense (Ezekiel 34:18). Intra-seal is extremely problematic and brings nothing but confusion to the debate.{2}




Post-tribulationist Joe Schimmel of Good Fight Ministries (Left Behind or Led Astray){3}, has a different view to pre-wrath. As the link below shows, Schimmel is demonstrably not anti-semitic!



{1} http://www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/Revelation/elect.html 
{2} http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/jacob-prasch-rapture-holy-spirit-and.html
{3} http://www.leftbehindorledastray.com/featured/left-behind-or-led-astray/

Recommended Reading:
http://www.banash.org/blog/2014/02/13/Replacement-Theology-does-God-Mean-what-He-Says.aspx