FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHAPEL FALL PROPHECY CONFERENCE Q&A: CHARLES COOPER CONCERNS

2019 10 12 FBC Prophecy Session Five - Cooper, Kurschner, Haller and Clapham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXJKrPqYIUc

As a prewrath proponent, I had very high hopes of this conference at Fellowship Bible Chapel in Ohio. The speakers were Alan Kurschner, Charles Cooper, Mike Clapham and John Haller. Alan Kurschner is something of a prewrath expert and the go-to person on this subject. I have only recently heard of Charles Cooper and Mike Clapham. Charles Cooper is described as ".. an author, lecturer and church consultant, and is also the founder and director of the Prewrath Resource Institute of Orlando, FL" {1}

I am concentrating this post on Session Five, i.e. the Q&A session at the end of the Prophecy Conference. Sadly, the session was rather badly managed with Cooper dominating the panel discussion with questionable eisegeses and various lapses into extraneous anecdotes. It would have been better to have had more input from the other speakers.

Cooper answered the first question (paraphrased for clarity): "What physical preparations should Christians make for the great tribulation?" Cooper on provisions: "If you only have one cupful of meal in a barrel, God will refill that cup every day.. While " ..nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37), there is no indication in the scriptures that the word of Elijah the prophet for a specific situation in the OT will be applicable to Christians during the great tribulation. (1 Kings 17:14-16; Romans 8:35). Cooper: "The only thing you are going to need is a bible." Cooper went on to say that Christians would need a bible made of a material such as leather or plastic that would not easily be destroyed by water or heat. I do not know that such an item exists. These irrational remarks set the tone for Cooper's further questionable responses during the session.

Cooper completely dismissed the question about the identity of the Restrainer (2 Thessalonians 2:4). (7:45). I do not think that the identity of the Restrainer should be a point of contention, with one proviso. When various teachers insist that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit, there are ramifications. This view forms an important part of the pre-trib argument and it has also been utilised by Jacob Prasch to form part of his flawed intra-seal theory.

Cooper identified the apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2:3, not to the professing church, but specifically to Israel. (14:00). Cooper: "Professing people cannot commit apostasy." This sounds like the 'once saved always saved' error. Apostate Israel does not make sense within the context of Matthew 24:9-12. In context Jesus spoke about the persecution and martyrdom of his followers. Matthew 24:10. And then (at that time) many will fall away.. Matthew 24:12: ".. the love of most will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." (Matthew 13:21, 57). Revelation 12:13-14 tells us that the dragon (Satan) will persecute the woman (Israel), that a remnant will flee and will be nourished and protected for 3.5 years in the wilderness i.e. the period of the great tribulation. Zechariah 13:8-9: In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. (cf. Jeremiah 30:7). If one third of the Jews are protected in the wilderness (Petra?), and two thirds perish, then who amongst the Jews are left to apostatize? In any event, how can unconverted Jews apostatize from something they have never believed in?

Cooper stated that the cleansing of the church will occur before the great tribulation! (22:00). When Cooper refers to "the church", he includes the apostate church, which he claims will be drastically reduced prior to the tribulation. However, the scriptures state that apostasy will increase in the last days. (Matthew 24:12; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; Revelation 3:14-22).

Regarding the third temple: I agree with the literal interpretation of the third temple. (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15). Cooper: "If Antichrist takes his seat in a place and desecrates it, it has to be holy because God makes it holy.. When Antichrist takes his seat, he is going to take a seat in a holy place, and the only way it can be holy is that God makes it so." (33:00).  My problem with this view is that since the third temple is not divinely sanctified, then how can it be holy prior to the point when the Antichrist takes his seat there? From what I gather, the third temple will be ecumenical.. is this not a desecration, and is not the Dome of the Rock a desecration of the Temple Mount? The glory of the LORD came on Solomon's temple. (2 Chronicles 5:13-14 cf. Exodus 40:35; Zechariah 8:3). A principal theme in the book of Ezekiel is the departure and eventual return of God's glory to Jerusalem. Stephen proclaimed the truth that God no longer dwells in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48). Coopers statements are very confusing on this subject.

Regarding Jesus' return with the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:14-15) Cooper: "I am not convinced at all that the bride accompanies Him at that event.. I think the bride comes down in the New Jerusalem.. I don't think she descends with Him coming to do battle.." Cooper does not recognise the relevance of the "bride to armies" metaphors. (46:00).

There are problems with this view:

After the rapture, the glorified saints will always be with the Lord:

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19:14). This verse follows the description of the Bride in Revelation 19:8: ..it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 

Cambridge Bible: "fine linen, white and clean] The dress of Angels in St Matthew 28:3 and parallels, Acts 1:10; but of Saints in this Book, Revelation 3:4, Revelation 7:9, and probably Revelation 4:4 : compare the almost exactly similar words of Revelation 19:8." {2}

The "bride to armies" metaphors are not inexplicable actually - the bride is often referred to in terms of an army as per the following examples:

Ephesians 6:10-17 - ..put on the full armour of God..
Romans 13:12 - So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
2 Corinthians 10:4 - For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith..  

I won't go into Cooper's opinions about the mark of the beast. (48:30). However, Mike Clapham made an interesting observation earlier on in the session about the apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (10:30) i.e. that kai (and) links the man of lawlessness with the apostasy: For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.. I agree that there is a connection between the apostasy and the man of lawlessness, but unless I am mistaken, the scriptures indicate that the mark of the beast occurs later than the mid point of the 70th week. The message of the third angel of Revelation 14:6-9 warns people of the consequences of worshipping the beast and its image and receiving the mark. This indicates that the mark is not yet compulsory? The time line indicates that prior to the third angels warning, the false prophet deceives those who dwell on the earth by performing great signs. After the people are deceived by the signs, the false prophet instructs them to make an image for the beast. The third element, the mark i.e. the name of the beast or the number of its name, appears to coincide with the image of the beast. It is unlikely that the angels proclamation of the gospel worldwide, and the third angels dire warnings about worshipping the beast and its image, and taking the mark are made ex post facto. I have gone into this scenario more thoroughly elsewhere and I have inserted two links at the end of this post.

During the prayer at the end of the session, Cooper decided to rebuke cancer in a woman's liver (I gather that it was a woman attending the conference). He went on to rebuke Satan himself and commanded the cancer to withdraw. (1:22). I do not doubt that the Lord heals, but I have seen too much of this sort of thing in the Pentecostal/Charismatic churches and I have become jaded by all the drama. (Jude 1:9).

I am rather troubled by the sloppy interpretations of Charles Cooper. I associate faulty eisegeses on this level with charismania. My concern is that others will also pick up on these problems and that the prewrath position will be impeded. Prewrath has hitherto been blessed with careful exegeses from Robert Van Kampen, Marvin Rosenthal, Alan Kurschner and others.

1. https://www.alankurschner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Prewrath-Conference-2019.pdf
2. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/19-14.htm

The Mark Of The Beast:
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-mark-of-beast.html
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-mark-of-beast-two-witnesses.html