GOOD FIGHT MINISTRIES - THE POST-TRIB RAPTURE

This post is not written with the intention of exposing Joe Schimmel as a false teacher, but rather to question his understanding regarding the timing of the rapture.

The timing of the rapture has been a hot topic for some years and the controversy continues to rage on. Good Fight's DVD Left Behind or Led Astray successfully refuted the pre-trib error, and yet still many Christians remain divided and confused over the issue.

As much as I concur with Good Fight Ministries teaching in many respects, there are some questions about the post-tribulation rapture that I am unable to resolve.


In Good Fight Ministries recent podcast above, Joe Schimmel states that believers will be resurrected on "the last day", i.e. the literal last day of the current age. (20 minute mark) I believe that this is erroneous. The phrase "the last day" (τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ) occurs seven times in the New Testament and is peculiar to the Gospel of John.
(John 6:39,40,44,54;11:24;12:48).

A literal interpretation of the scriptures should always be taken unless the context indicates otherwise. In this instance the Apostle John does not expand on the phrase "the last day", and I have not found a commentary that really addresses the subject. Eschatologically "the last day" finds it equivalence in "the day of wrath" aka "that day", "the day of the Lord" etc. as found in a number of passages. (e.g. Joel 2:3; Acts 2:17-21; Isaiah 2:12; Amos 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). More specifically the book of Revelation identifies the exact time when this "day" begins.. for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:17). The day of wrath commences when the seventh seal is opened, following the cessation of the great tribulation and the cosmic disturbances of the sixth seal. (Revelation 6:12-17). This "day" cannot be a literal twenty four hour period for obvious reasons. (Revelation 9:5,10; Revelation 10:7). ..but that in the days (plural) of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7). 

In Revelation 7, the rapture appears to have taken place before the wrath of God is poured out i.e. before the trumpet judgements begin in Revelation 8.

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. (Revelation 7:9-14)

White robes are indicative of the marriage supper:

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:6-9).

Although prewrath and post-trib do have elements in common, there are weaknesses in the post-trib view that are irreconcilable with the scriptures. These weaknesses give ammunition to those who attempt to justify the deceptive pre-trib view. At the same time, the obvious deficiencies of the post-trib view do nothing to convince those who would otherwise accept a prewrath rapture.

Alan Kurschner (Eschatos Ministries) has summarised some of the inconsistencies found in the post-trib position as follows:

The resurrection takes place in Revelation 20
The second coming begins in Revelation 19
The second coming begins when Jesus physically comes to earth
The seals, trumpets, bowls occur concurrently
The rapture happens at the seventh trumpet
Paul’s “last trump” refers to the seventh trumpet in the book of Revelation
The great tribulation is 3 1/2 years long
The day of the Lord is a literal 24-hour day

After the rapture, God’s people immediately descend to earth {1}

It would be helpful to get some response from GFM on these questions?

1. https://www.alankurschner.com/2015/10/10/replies-to-the-post-tribulational-rapture-view/