ANDY WOODS SUGAR LAND BIBLE CHURCH: THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE

Andy Woods Sugar Land Bible Church
7 Reasons To Trust The Pre-trib Rapture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZBoSaG4-KY

In this video, Andy Woods, summarises various rapture views before moving on to his alleged seven reasons to trust the pre-trib rapture.

Andy Woods' argument: "..because the pre-trib rapture is constantly attacked is proof that it is true", is a logical fallacy. In that case, we might as well dismiss all strong opposition to false teaching. (Acts 20:28-30, Ephesians 5:11; 1 Timothy 1:3; Titus 1:13-14; 3:10).

Andy Woods' disparaging remarks about the prewrath rapture view are astonishing considering the murky history of the pre-trib theory. Pre-trib believers should acquaint themselves with certain embarrassing pre-trib facts before dismissing other views out of hand. Apart from lacking one single verse of scripture to verify it, the pre-trib rapture was provably unknown prior to the mid 1800s when cult leader and heretic John Nelson Darby brought it into focus. During the 20th century, the pre-trib theory was widely promoted by Cyrus Scofield via the Scofield Reference Bible. Scofield was a particularly unwholesome character, leaving in his trail a catalogue of misdemeanours and deceptions after his "conversion" to Christianity.

Below is an excerpt from the Topeka newspaper The Daily Capital dated 27th August 1881:

"Cyrus I. Schofield, formerly of Kansas, late lawyer, politician and shyster generally, has come to the surface again, and promises once more to gather around himself that halo of notoriety that has made him so prominent in the past.

The last personal knowledge that Kansans have had of this peer among scalawags, was when about four years ago, after a series of forgeries and confidence games he left the state and a destitute family and took refuge in Canada.

For a time he kept undercover, nothing being heard of him until within the past two years when he turned up in St. Louis, where he had a wealthy widowed sister living who has generally come to the front and squared up Cyrus’ little follies and foibles by paying good round sums of money.

Within the past year, however, Cyrus committed a series of St. Louis forgeries that could not be settled so easily, and the erratic young gentleman was compelled to linger in the St. Louis jail for a period of six months.

Among the many malicious acts that characterized his career, was one peculiarly atrocious, that has come under our personal notice. Shortly after he left Kansas, leaving his wife and two children dependent upon the bounty of his wife’s mother, he wrote his wife that he could invest some $1,300 of her mother’s money, all she had, in a manner that would return big interest.

After some correspondence he forwarded them a mortgage, signed and executed by one Chas. Best, purporting to convey valuable property in St. Louis. Upon this, the money was sent to him. Afterwards the mortgages were found to be base forgeries, no such person as Charles Best being in existence, and the property conveyed in the mortgage fictitious..” {1}

In more recent times, the pre-trib rapture has been promoted by Tim LaHaye and other cronies of false messiah Sun Myung Moon (Moonies). (See Further Links).

Thomas Ice gave prewrath the derisory label "three quarters rapture" in his flawed analysis of 2009. {2} In 2004, Ice scandalously distorted the Greek noun apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as a "spacial departure" in a desperate attempt to make it fit the pre-trib rapture. However Ice was unable to provide evidence to back up his interpretation during a debate with Alan Kurschner in 2015. {3}
Also exposed by Alan Kurschner ~ Andy Woods' substandard research into apostasia. {4}

Andy Woods is one of many teachers that make the false assertion that God's wrath occurs during the entire 70th week of Daniel. The scriptures make a distinction between "birth pains" and "the day of wrath", i.e. the undiluted cup of His wrath. (Matthew 24:8 -9; Revelation 14:10). Technically, "the day of wrath" is a particular series of events that become imminent following the cosmic disturbances of Revelation 6:12-17. ..for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:17 cf. Acts 2:20; Matthew 24:29. The phrase “the day of the Lord” also refers to this period of time and is often referred to by the OT prophets, e.g. Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5).

Ellicott: "Against the day of wrath.—Strictly, in the day of wrath—i.e., wrath to be outpoured upon the day of wrath. “The great and terrible day of the Lord” is a conception running through all the prophetic writings. (Comp. also, in the New Testament, Luke 17:30; Acts 2:20; 1Corinthians 1:8; 1Corinthians 5:5; 2Corinthians 1:14; 1Thessalonians 5:2; 1Thessalonians 5:4; 2Thessalonians 2:2; 2Peter 3:10; 2Peter 3:12; Revelation 6:17; Revelation 16:14.)" {5}

Another fallacy is the argument that because "the church" is absent from Revelation 4–21, the rapture must occur prior to the 70th week of Daniel. Andy Woods calls this "the concept of the missing church". This is an astonishing assumption considering the various references to believers in these chapters. God's focus does come upon Israel during the 70th week. (Daniel 9:24). However, there is no evidence to suggest that the church is absent during that time.

In the New Testament, the word church (ekklēsia) applies to local congregations in many instances. (e.g. Matthew 18:17; Acts 8:1). The apostle Paul's letters are addressed to individual named churches. Acts 9:31 refers to "churches" (plural) in named geographic areas. Similarly, specific named churches (plural) are addressed at the beginning of the book of Revelation. (Revelation 1:11). Where the church is referred to in general terms, it often signifies the entire body of Christ, past, present and future. (Ephesians 3:21; 5:23,32; Revelation 22:16).

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16).

It is not common to find ekklēsia applied to the whole body of Christian believers in the New Testament. The absence of ekklēsia in Revelation chapters 4-21 is therefore consistent with the New Testament use of the term.

Revelation chapters 4-22 refers to believers in generic terms i.e. the churches are not broken down into their constituent parts as in Revelation chapters 1-3. The suggestion that "saints" or "bond servants" does not refer to "the church" in the book of Revelation is shamelessly dishonest. Numerous passages in the New Testament use both these expressions to define faithful members of the true church. Note: "bond servant", as found in the introductions to Romans, Philippians, Titus, James, and 2 Peter, applies to faithful believers cf. Philippians 2:7. Similarly in the book of Revelation, faithful believers are identified as "saints" i.e. they are ..those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (Revelation 14:12 cf. Colossians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1). The cost of their loyalty to Christ will be martyrdom in many cases. (Revelation 17:6 cf. Revelation 13:10).

In a worldly sense "the church" describes the whole of Christendom, whereas the whole of Christendom does not consist of faithful believers. During the great tribulation, the apostate church will doubtless be falsely known as "the church", since the religion of the Antichrist will be a form of counterfeit/perverted Christianity. Furthermore, it is likely that the true churches will be in disarray during the great tribulation due to the persecution of the Antichrist and the betrayal of apostate believers. (Matthew 24:10). In our own time we see this scenario developing with the decline of previously sound biblical churches and the rise of ecumenism.

Israel and the Church

According to Andy Woods the entire purpose of the "seven year tribulation" is to shatter the holy people i.e. Israel. (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:24). He partially quotes Daniel 9:24:

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city.. 

Incredibly, he fails to quote the remainder of Daniel 9:24: ..to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness.

Furthermore, the "birth pains" described by Jesus occur globally (all nations/various places). (Matthew 24:5-8). Specific tribulation, in the shape of the Antichrist's persecution, comes upon Israel at the mid point of the "week". This three and a half year period is in fact the great tribulation referred to by Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:21). Andy Woods quotes Daniel 12:7, a pivotal verse that confirms the 3.5 year time frame i.e. time, times, and half a time.

And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. (Daniel 12:7).

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 is a critical passage confirming that two events must occur before the Parousia i.e .the second coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture:

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together (episunagōgēs) 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. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

The coming of our Lord Jesus and the rapture (episunagōgēs) are closely related in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, clearly indicating a late rapture. ..that day, the day of the Lord i.e. the wrath of God, will not occur until after the mid point of the "week" when the Antichrist is "revealed". Also note Paul's warning "Let no one deceive you in any way" concerning "that day".

Andy Woods poses the question: "Why would the church be here, we have no need of that? We are already in faith. We have already acknowledged Jesus, Israel is yet to do that.." (7:00 mark) This is to limit the church to "us".

My Question: Does Jesus retrieve an incomplete bride at the rapture?

In his Jewish marriage analogy below, Andy Woods teaches that Jesus returns at the beginning of the seventieth week of Daniel to retrieve his bride, the church. However, his analogy fails because the bride is incomplete at that point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYaIKKQUpOg  

The scriptures demonstrate that the cosmic disturbances of Revelation 6:12-14 mark the end of the great tribulation, and that the church appears complete and in heaven before the onset of the day of the Lord.

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...
Then one of the elders addressed me: “These in white robes,” he asked, “who are they, and where have they come from?”
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.”
So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9-14). 

During the day of the Lord, people do not repent. (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9-11). It is reasonable to conclude from these events that the rapture occurs at some point between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation.

Jesus addresses His disciples i.e. the church, and warns them that they will enter the great tribulation:

“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: 9-14,21).

Revelation 12:17 identifies "the rest of her offspring" as Christians:

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:13-17).

Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: (Revelation 13:7-9).

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:12-13).

There is no evidence to suggest a massive revival during the great tribulation as some teach. Nevertheless there are opportunities to repent and potential conversions:

And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:13).

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7).

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11). 

Once Again, Andy Woods quotes half a verse in a miserable attempt to prove that that church are in heaven during the great tribulation! He teaches that the seven lampstands i.e. the seven churches in Revelation 1:20, are the seven lamps burning before God in Revelation 4:5. (12:00 mark). He fails to quote the second half of Revelation 4:5, which states unequivocally that the seven lamps in Revelation 4:5 are in fact the seven spirits of God:

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, (Revelation 4:5).

Some view the various rapture differences as an in-house debate lacking real importance. I differ with that analysis due to the severe warnings given in the scriptures, and in particular, the book of Revelation. Why is it that so many scriptural evidences for the church's presence on earth during the great tribulation are blatantly mistaught and disregarded? Those teaching the pre-trib rapture put many believers at serious risk of falling away during the great tribulation. (Matthew 24:10-11). They compound their error when they teach pre-trib in tandem with "eternal security". (2 Timothy 4:3). He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:11).

I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).

1. http://poweredbychrist.homestead.com/files/cyrus/scofield.htm
2. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1042&context=pretrib_arch
3. https://www.alankurschner.com/2018/04/12/the-transcript-of-my-2015-debate-with-taomas-ice-is-now-available/
4. https://www.alankurschner.com/2017/12/02/a-reply-to-andy-woods-on-apostasia-is-the-rapture-ep-104/
5. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/romans/2.htm

Further Links:

Darby's Deadly Doctrine
http://freestockphotos.com/COMING1/DarbysInvention.htm
CI Scofield's Hidden Side by Dave MacPherson
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2017/07/ci-scofields-hidden-side-by-dave.html
The Seven Year Pre-tribulation Rapture Deception: Chuck Missler And The Berean Call
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-seven-year-pre-tribulation-rapture.html
Chuck Missler and Friends - Council For National Policy
https://youtu.be/IQ1WQQv1e3o
A Reply to Andy Woods on ‘APOSTASIA Is the Rapture’
https://www.alankurschner.com/2017/12/02/a-reply-to-andy-woods-on-apostasia-is-the-rapture-ep-104
God has worked with Israel and the church at the same time in the past..
https://www.alankurschner.com/2017/06/26/god-has-worked-with-israel-and-the-church-at-the-same-time-in-the-past/
Does the Absence of the Word ‘Church’ (Ekklēsia) in Revelation 4–21 Support a Pretribulation Rapture?
https://www.alankurschner.com/2017/01/20/does-the-absence-of-the-word-church-ekklesia-in-revelation-4-21-support-a-pretribulation-rapture-ep-75/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The Biblical Defense for the Prewrath Rapture of the Church v=QL5hQLCYPXk&list=PLaVrnyfOkO2GaQr1amD55vigrWuRivHuP&index=2&t=0s