JOE SCHIMMEL: TERTULLIAN VICTORINUS AND TRIBULATION

 (5) Rev Series: What, When and How Long is the Day of the Lord?- Part 2 - YouTube

Below are some further thoughts on Joe's sermon on The Day of the Lord.

Joe Schimmel really should give up the habit of quoting certain unreliable Church Fathers in order to promote the post-trib rapture. The early Church Fathers are a very useful source in order to prove that the church will face the Antichrist, but they do not specify when precisely the rapture will occur. Joe's view that the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl are simultaneous events is pure eisegesis. There is no evidence whatsoever that this is the case. Joe's attempt to prove that the early Church Fathers believed in what he refers to as the "classical historical premillennial rapture view" (i.e. post-trib), is problematic. Like the mid-trib view, post-trib is fast becoming obsolete due to the research of modern prewrath scholars whose questions post-trib teachers are unable to answer. Those of us who are interested in communicating in truths do not need to resort to ancient unreliable sources in order to demonstrate the prewrath position. (2 Timothy 3:16). I will apply the common criticism that is usually levelled against the pre-trib camp: There is not one single verse of scripture that supports the post-trib view.

Why does Joe quote Victorinus, a very confused so called "Church Father" who no-one of any note regards as reliable? In this particular video, Joe quotes Tertullian's reference to "the last day". We might assume that compared with Victorinus, Tertullian was sound in his faith. The answer is yes and no. Tertullian practiced extreme asceticism and some time before 210 AD he became a Montanist. In my view, his writings are protracted and tedious, and there are some issues with his theology. 

Tertullian's Skewed Rapture View (?)

Tertullian: "..before we put off the garment of the flesh, we wish to be clothed with the celestial glory of immortality. Now the privilege of this favour awaits those who shall at the coming of the Lord be found in the flesh, and who shall, owing to the oppressions of the time of Antichrist, deserve by an instantaneous death, which is accomplished by a sudden change, to become qualified to join the rising saints; as he writes to the Thessalonians: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we too shall ourselves be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." {1}  

If I have understood Tertullian correctly, he taught that those Christians who are alive at the Parousia will die instantaneously in order to qualify to meet the Lord in the air. If this is correct then he contradicts 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51. 

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

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).

What did Tertullian mean by "the last day"?   

Tertullian:  "..our prayers are directed towards the end of this world, to the passing away thereof at the great day of the Lord — of His wrath and vengeance — the last day, which is hidden (from all), and known to none but the Father, although announced beforehand by signs and wonders, and the dissolution of the elements, and the conflicts of nations."  {1}

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40, 44, 54 cf. John 11:24). 

The phrase "the last day" only occurs in John. Elsewhere it is called "the day of the Lord", "the great day", "the day of the Lord's wrath &c. These slightly different nuances used by different authors all describe "the day of the Lord" in some sense.

Post-trib writers define the tribulation period in a generic sense as the entire present age, or more specifically all the events leading up to Armageddon. However the scriptures make a definite distinction between tribulation and wrath. (Matthew 24:29). Joe's mindset that "the day of the Lord's wrath" must be a literal twenty-four hour period of time is an assumption. The prewrath position is that the church age comes to an end on "the last day" i.e. the rapture. ..concerning that day and hour no one knows (Matthew 24:26-34). On the last day a shift occurs and events move from tribulation ~ to resurrection (rapture) ~ to the onset of God's wrath. In other words, "the day of God's wrath" is an ongoing event. It appears that "the day of the Lord" continues in some sense throughout the millennial period. 

Joe's persistence in continuing to refer to the entire 70th week of Daniel as "the tribulation" is unacceptable. In my view this is the thin end of the wedge. Be careful! This is how error and false teaching creeps in. We don't need to be especially "technical" to divide the 70th week into the beginning of birth pains (Matthew 24:8), and the tribulation, we simply need to be scriptural! The tribulation is always associated with the abomination of desolation event at the mid point of Daniel's 70th week. (Matthew 24:15-28; Daniel 9:27).

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. (Matthew 24:9,21 cf. Daniel 9:27).

Joe makes much of "rightly dividing the Word of truth" in this video. (2 Timothy 2:15). This is something we all need to take to heart.

1.  CHURCH FATHERS: On the Resurrection of the Flesh (Tertullian) (newadvent.org)

Further Links

Montanism - New World Encyclopedia

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: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

Articles for Posttribulationism to Consider | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)