I was hoping that this would be the last onslaught against the prewrath rapture position by Andy Woods, but apparently not. This week he began with a brief repetition of his previous arguments against prewrath and continued with The Blessed Hope and The Restrainer. Apparently he has found four more arguments against prewrath, which is rather tiresome considering that every one of his arguments to date have been shown to be fallacious.
The Blessed Hope
The pre-trib camp dislocate the rapture from the second coming (Parousia) of Jesus Christ and place it before the first seal in the book of Revelation. The problems with this view are insurmountable. The pre-trib camp are battling not only with the fact that there is not one single verse of scripture to validate their claim, but also that the scriptures directly contradict them! Biblically, the second coming of Jesus begins with the prewrath rapture at some unspecified point between the sixth and seventh seal in the book of Revelation.For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14).
The pre-trib mantra that Christians will not have to suffer the persecution of the Antichrist has all the lethal echoes of.. did God really say? (Genesis 3:1); This shall never happen to you. (Matthew 16:22-23); and false prophets like Hananiah who prophesied "peace". (Jeremiah 28:9-11). Jesus prefixed his warnings in the Olivet Discourse with See, I have told you beforehand. (Matthew 24:25). He warned believers to be prepared to endure during this critical time in history. It is necessary for the pre-trib camp to silence Jesus Christ on this subject by invalidating the specific warnings given to Christians in the Olivet Discourse.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. (Revelation 12:7-8).
This phrase is used by the Angel of the Lord in Zechariah 3:2. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! According to Keil and Delitsch, the phrase "The Lord rebuke you" is believed to be a standing formula for the utterance of the threat of a divine judgment, from which no conclusion can be drawn as to the relation in which the person using it stood to God. {3} It may be that Jude was referring to some rabbinical tradition, or to the apocryphal Assumption of Moses. In any event, this phrase does not prove that Michael does not contend with/restrain Satan. In fact, quite the reverse is the case as the scriptures demonstrate.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short (koloboó), no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:21-22). koloboó means to curtail. {4}
Andy Woods asks the question: "How is the prewrath rapture a comfort to the believer (John 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; Titus 2:13?"
The above passages are not time specific i.e. they do not prove the imminency of the rapture. The assumption that the rapture is imminent is contradicted primarily by Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 and Revelation 7:9.
The comfort (encouragement) of believers is based on the sure hope of all Christians based on the promise that they will ultimately be received to heaven and will dwell with the Lord forever. (Hebrews 6:18-20).
Our motivation is the cross of Jesus Christ. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19).
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10). Persecution on some level is promised to all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:12). No matter what trials or persecution we might face in this life, our ultimate destiny is to be with Him. In the meantime we persevere until He comes. The danger of the pre-trib theory is that believers will take offence, and apostasy/rebellion (apostasia) will result due to dashed hopes of an escape from the persecution of the Antichrist. (Matthew 24:10 cf. Proverbs 13:12). Tribulation or persecution are two reasons specifically given by Jesus Christ as the cause of falling away ..yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:21; cf. John 15:20).
Michael the Restrainer?
And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7).
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion (apostasia) occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.. And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:3,6,7).
A further argument against the pre-trib view is the great tribulation, i.e. the period when the church will be persecuted. The Antichrist will make war with the saints, who have the testimony and faith of Jesus. (Revelation 12:17, 13:7, 14:12). The body of Christ i.e. the church will be on the earth and resisting the Antichrist during the great tribulation. Jesus prefaced his warning to the disciples: ..when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation'.. (Matthew 24 15). Pre-trib teachers deny the significance of the eschatological implications for the church in the Olivet Discourse. However, there are several scriptures confirming that Jesus was addressing the church as his primary audience. For instance Jesus assured his disciples: And behold, I am with you always (πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας), to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
According to Andy Woods, the church is the restrainer, or to be more specific, the Holy Spirit in the church is the restrainer. This dubious presumption precludes the presence of the church on earth during the 70th week of Daniel.
The Antichrist is revealed at the mid point of the 70th week of Daniel. (2 Thessalonians 2:4). In context, Paul links two events specifically in time: (a) the Antichrist will be revealed when he takes his seat in the temple of God and proclaims himself to be God; (b) the restrainer will cease restraining in order to facilitate the revealing of the Antichrist. Neither of these events occur at the beginning of the 70th week when Andy Woods claims that the restrainer will be taken out of the way.
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion (apostasia) occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.. And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:3,6,7).
Of all the various theories regarding the identity of the restrainer, the most feasible candidate is the archangel Michael. This view has been reinforced following groundbreaking research undertaken by Colin R Nicholl and taught by Alan Kurschner (Eschatos Ministries).
I will briefly summarize this view, but I recommend that readers of this post listen to Alan Kurschner on this topic on the links below.
In Jewish thought, Michael, whose name means "Who is like God" is the principal angel who is believed to act as the right hand of God and is represented as the tutelary prince of Israel. He is a military commander with a critical eschatological role in opposing, and ultimately defeating Satan/Belial and punishing the fallen angels.
At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up (Hebrew amad). (Daniel 12:1).
The prewrath view takes the definition of amad as stand still, stop, cease moving, of moon as in Joshua 10:13) {1} This view agrees with Rashi's early interpretation of Daniel 12:1 i.e. Michael will withdraw or stand aside immediately before the great tribulation. In addition, the Greek term parerchomai in the Septuagint (LXX) is translated to pass by. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7; Daniel 11:45-12:1). {2}
Michael’s war against the dragon in Revelation 12:7-17 coincides with the unprecedented persecution of God’s people. These events are consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 and Daniel 11:45–12:1.
According to Andy Woods, Michael does not "like" to have conflict with Satan on the premise of Jude 1:9. These fallacious arguments from Andy Woods are an insult to any Christian with even the slightest biblical knowledge! Whether the archangel Michael likes it or not, there is absolutely no doubt that he does contend with Satan!
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1).
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 1:9).
Three Parts?
The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21) identifies three separate phases of the 70th week of Daniel ~ birth pains, great tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Andy Woods tacked his puzzling objections to Jesus' teaching on this subject onto the end of part 5:
The great tribulation will begin at the mid point of the 70th week when the Antichrist takes his seat in the temple of God and causes the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Andy Woods fails to take into account that those days will be cut short.
The Day of the Lord will be unleashed after the great tribulation is curtailed for the sake of the elect. God's wrath will continue throughout the remainder of the seven year period. In other words, the Day of the Lord is an inclusive part of the 70th week of Daniel.
1. Strong's Hebrew: 5975. עָמַד (amad) -- to take one's stand, stand (biblehub.com)
2. Strong's Greek: 3928. παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) -- to pass by, to come to (biblehub.com)
3. Zechariah 3:2 Commentaries: The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (biblehub.com)
4. Strong's Greek: 2856. κολοβόω (koloboó) -- to curtail (biblehub.com)
2. Strong's Greek: 3928. παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) -- to pass by, to come to (biblehub.com)
3. Zechariah 3:2 Commentaries: The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (biblehub.com)
4. Strong's Greek: 2856. κολοβόω (koloboó) -- to curtail (biblehub.com)
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