SAM ADAMS INDEPENDENCE BAPTIST CHURCH: PRESUPPOSITION AND ERROR

Sam Adams Independence Baptist Church
(36) Sam Adams - The Judgment Seat of Christ - YouTube

Sam Adams: "The book of Revelation is not given in chronological order.. The three series of judgements -- the seal judgements of Revelation 6, the trumpet judgements in chapters 8 through 11, and the vial judgments over in chapters 15 to 16. Those three series of judgements are actually three separate visons of the entire tribulation period. When we compare the sixth seal to the seventh trump and the seven vial judgments, they are all the same judgement, all the same event.. which ends the tribulation..  (21:00 mark)

Sam Adams does not teach the book of Revelation by exegetical principles. Instead he relies upon unverifiable assumptions, and in doing so, he imposes his own ideas upon the text. Adams is not a competent teacher of bible prophecy. If he had studied the book of Revelation at all, he would know that the great tribulation is cut short immediately before the sixth seal cosmic disturbances commence. (Matthew 24:22). Even a cursory reading of the scriptures reveals this basic information! Adams should refer to the scriptures in order to test his various skewed post-trib presuppositions. (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1).  

The sixth seal of Revelation 6, also described in Matthew 24, releases the cosmic disturbances. At this point, the wrath of God upon the ungodly becomes imminent. These events follow the great tribulation. (Matthew 24:21-22).

Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.' (Matthew 24:29). 

And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14).

And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

The book of Revelation is chronological from chapters 4-12. Chapter 12 onwards also also follows a chronological sequence. Both of these sections include parentheses. 

When we study the book of Revelation correctly, we find that the rapture precedes the opening of the seventh seal of Revelation 8:

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. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.. These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation.. (Revelation 7:9-14).  The seventh seal of Revelation 8 follows this event.. 

Let us do exactly as Adams suggests and compare the sixth seal, the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet and the seven bowl judgments:

The Sixth Seal: Revelation 6:12-17 

And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

The above verses describe a devastating global event involving a massive earthquake so severe that every mountain and island was moved from its place. Coincidentally, there appears to be a literal shaking of the heavenly bodies.

The prophet Joel describes the cosmic disturbances of Revelation 6 as portents of the coming wrath: And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord. (Joel 2:30-31 cf. Acts 2:19-20). {1}

The Seventh Seal: Revelation 8:1-2

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. 

When the seventh seal is opened God prepares the seven angels to unleash the trumpet judgements. It is therefore not the sixth seal, but the seventh seal that initiates the day of the Lord i.e. the wrath of God via the trumpet and subsequent seventh trumpet/bowl judgements. Post-trib teachers have to discard the numbering of the seals given in the scriptures in order to shoehorn this verse into their simultaneous interpretation. 

7Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass. 8Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, 9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter waters. (Revelation 8:7-10).

Note: The first two trumpet judgements initiate the destruction of one third of everything living on the earth. 

12Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well. (Revelation 8:12).

Revelation 8:12 may seem to align with Revelation 6:12-17, but there are differences. Revelation 8 refers to a third of the sun moon and stars, as against the phenomena described in Revelation 6: the sun, the whole moon etc. (Revelation 6:12-17).

The Seventh trumpet: Revelation 11:15-19 

15:Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”.... 19:Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The Seven Bowls: Revelation 15:1; 16:1-17

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. (Revelation 15:1).

Revelation 16

1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
4The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,
“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
for you brought these judgments.
6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”
7And I heard the altar saying,
“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
true and just are your judgments!”
8The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
10The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15(“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

In Revelation 6:17 every mountain and island was moved from its place, whereas the seventh bowl of Revelation 16:18-20 describes an even more devastating earthquake: no mountains were to be found. There are no cosmic disturbances mentioned at all in the relevant seventh seal passages. (Revelation 11-16). We do see repetition in Revelation 11:19 and Revelation 16:18-21 regarding the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl, but nothing in exegetical terms identifies the sixth seal as the seventh seal/seventh trumpet/seven bowls. We have to make a considerable eisegetical leap in order to come to this conclusion. In other words, to interpret similarities and contextual analogies with precisely identical events is very poor exegesis. 

Adams appears to have made the mistake of placing his confidence in the flawed second hand teachings his post-trib mentors rather than taking the trouble to study the scriptures for himself. (2 Timothy 2:15).

When we hold a view based upon our presuppositions, and that view is problematic, then it is necessary to humble ourselves and go back to the scriptures. In this kind of situation there are two choices:

1. We can be stiff necked and resist the Holy Spirit. (Acts 7:51; Proverbs 29:1).

2. We can carefully examine the scriptures and test whether our doctrine can be defended biblically. 

The latter choice is always the right way forward in God's will. To do otherwise is to rely on our own presuppositions and to distort the scriptures at our own peril! (Revelation 22:18-19). We all have a responsibility to re-examine, and if necessary unlearn certain doctrines that do not stand the test of the scriptures. (Deuteronomy 13:3; Psalm 119:30; 1 Corinthians 11:19). The twice repeated phrase "I have this against you" in the book of Revelation should serve as a deterrent to those who think that they can rely upon their own presuppositions and distort the word of God! (Revelation 2:4, 20).

If post-trib teachers really are interested in helping those believers who are confused and/or deceived about the rapture question, then they have a responsibility to dispel confusion and provide clarity. (1 Corinthians 14:8). The repercussions for the body of Christ are weighty!

“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). 

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12 cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10; James 3:1).

1.  Strong's Greek: 4250. πρίν (prin) -- before (biblehub.com)

Further Links:

Seals, Trumpets, Bowls – At the Same Time or One After the Other? (i.e. Concurrent-Recapitulation or Consecutive-Progressive?) (alankurschner.com)

(39) 7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) - YouTube

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: JOE SCHIMMEL BLESSED HOPE CHAPEL: VICTORINUS IS UNRELIABLE (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: GOOD FIGHT MINISTRIES SKEWED POST-TRIB RAPTURE VIEW (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)