LEE BRAINARD'S BLATANT MISREPRESENTATION OF THE PREWRATH RAPTURE VIEW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N-6Lb40v7c?cc_lang_pref=

Demolishing the Pre-Wrath Rapture / Lee Brainard

Lee Brainard: "Many of us have friends that are wrestling with the pre-tribulation rapture versus the prewrath rapture or maybe some other version".

According to Lee Brainard, the prewrath rapture view is the biggest threat to the pre-trib view. In the above video, he confirmed various reports that a number of pre-trib believers are turning towards the prewrath view. I find this admission very encouraging, and it is good to know that a significant number of pre-trib believers are seriously considering the prewrath view. 

It is very concerning that Brainard felt the need to give such an offensive refutation of the prewrath rapture view. His portrayal of the prewrath rapture was highly distorted in a number of key areas, and his misrepresentations were unworthy of a bona fide bible teacher. (Titus 1:7-8). A huge concern for many Christians is whether pre-trib really is the scriptural position. The correct way to critique another view, even if we strongly disagree with it, is to represent it accurately, and Brainard singularly failed in this respect. Such a blatant misrepresentation of the prewrath rapture view is likely to have very serious consequences, both for Brainard himself - who will have to give an account, and for his hearers. (Romans 14:12). Unless believers are prepared to research this subject themselves, they are likely to be misled by some teachers, who, for their own reasons, are determined to misinform them. 

It would be a grave mistake to pay attention to Brainard's detrimental remarks about prewrath teachers. In particular, his claim that prewrath teachers do not know the scriptures and that they are deliberate deceivers is disingenuous. In view of his own flawed presentation, Brainard should consider whether these accusations apply to himself. In my experience, prewrath teachers are head and shoulders above their counterparts within both the pre-trib and the post-trib camps. The false hope of a pre-trib rapture poses a signicant risk to the faith of many believers. (Matthew 24:10, Jeremiah 23:16; Proverbs 13:12). 

There is no information that the pre-trib rapture view existed prior to the mid 1800's despite the combined efforts of many pre-trib scholars to find it. The pre-trib rapture theory is a relatively new doctrine that fails to find specific confirmation in the scriptures. (1 John 4:1). The history of the pre-trib rapture theory has been extensively explored in my previous posts: WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Rapture (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

Brainard weighed in almost immediately with the extraordinary claim that the prewrath view is "to argue from the position of fear". He continued: "We want to argue from the position of faith." The accusation that prewrath believers are operating in fear was a heavy handed attempt to discredit this view. Brainard's not so subtle attempt to discourage believers from testing the spirits is to go explicitly against the scriptures. (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). His ungodly tactics effectively erect a stumbling block in front of believers who are genuinely uncomfortable with the pre-trib view. (2 Corinthians 6:3). My own motivation for holding the prewrath view is a sincere desire to know the truth! (John 8:32; Luke 12:4).

Brainard's alleged six fatal arguments against the prewrath rapture view

1. There is no time between tribulation and second coming

Brainard: "The rapture and the arrival of the day of the Lord concur.. Their major premise is that the day of the Lord arrives at the sixth seal.. The rapture happens at the opening of the sixth seal.. The wrath doesn't start until after the sixth seal opens."  

The above is is a blatant misrepresentation of the prewrath view!

The prewrath view clarified

The prewrath view maintans that the rapture occurs between the 6th and the 7th seals. Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 and 7 confirm that the prewrath rapture occurs between the cosmic disturbances at the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-14, and the opening of the 7th seal in Revelation 8:1.The period of God's wrath (the day of the Lord) begins with the seventh seal trumpet judgements in Revelation 8:6 ff. 

Brainard's claim: "Based on Matthew 24:29-30, there is no time between the tribulation and the second coming."  Brainard "forgot" to mention Matthew 24:31 which explicitly refers to the rapture! The cosmic signs referred to in Acts 2:19-20, Joel 2 and Isaiah 13 indicate the imminency of the rapture. The prewrath view sees the parousia as an extended period of time, beginning with the rapture, as against a single isolated event at Armageddon. 

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.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).

Brainard's persistent error throughout this video is to insist that "the day of the Lord" is the entire 70th week of Daniel. The prewrath view asserts the biblical distinction between "the beginning of birth pains" (the first half of the 70th week), Satan's wrath i.e. the great tribulation (thlipsis) (the second half of the 70th week), followed by God's wrath (orge). Biblically, the great tribulation begins 3.5 years after the Antichrist confirms "the covenant with many for one week" in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. (Daniel 9:27). The great tribulation will last for a time, time and half a time i.e. three and a half years, 42 months or 1,260 days (cut short -Matthew 24:22 cf. Daniel 12:2). The day of the Lord is initiated at the 7th seal. (Revelation 8:1-5). 

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 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, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:15-22).

2.  The Identity of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4-5

Brainard: "The church are in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5 prior to the opening of the first seal."

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. (Revelation 4:4).

..and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10).

In Revelation 5:10, the twenty-four elders distinguish themselves from the church whom they refer to in the third person. Revelation 4-5 describes the scene in the throne room of God immediately prior to the opening of the first seal. The scene depicts precise numbers i.e. twenty-four thrones, twenty-four elders, four living creatures and the Lamb, nothing more. The addition of the church is an allegorization of the text and is a weak attempt to strengthen pre-trib predilections. (Revelation 22:18-19).

Meyer: "..for they are distinguished from believers, Revelation 5:10 (according to the correct reading), Revelation 7:9 sqq., 14, Revelation 11:16 sqq.; and the glorified as yet wear no crowns, but are expecting only the time of dominion (Revelation 2:10 to Revelation 6:9); but it is the heavenly council, composed of representatives of the people of God in heaven.” {1}

The scene described in Revelation 7 at a later stage depicts "a great multitude" i.e. all believers including the raptured church.

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, (Revelation 7:9).

3. The economy is back to Mosaic Law during the 70th week

Brainard seemed to get confused and I am not sure if he finished making his third point. The prewrath view maintains that both Jews and Christians will be on the earth simultaneously during the 70th week of Daniel i.e. until believers are raptured some time after the sixth seal is broken. The prewrath view rejects the error of hyper-dispensationalism, in particular, the false claim that the gospels are not relevant to the church.

4. Kept from the hour of trial

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial (πειρασμοῦ) that is coming on the whole world, to try (πειράσαι) those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10).

The hour of trial or testing (peirasmos) coming on the whole world is the wrath of God. God's wrath begins after the great tribulation and is carried out during the seventh seal trumpet and bowl judgments. (Revelation 8-9, Revelation 15:1,5-8, 16:1-21). Those believers who keep God's word and are faithful during the great tribulation will not suffer God's wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Unfortunately the pre-trib view fails to make the appropriate distinction between Satan's persecution against believers, and God's wrath on the whole world.

5. The Greek preposition ὑπὲρ (uper) 

Brainard argues that the Greek preposition ὑπὲρ (uper) is translated wrongly as περί (peri) by prewrath scholars in 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Brainard's paraphrase of this verse: "We plead with you brethren, because of the rapture, not to worry about the day of the Lord."

"ὑπὲρ (uper) ~ A primary preposition; "over", i.e. (with the genitive case) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case superior to, more than -- (+ exceeding, abundantly) above, in (on) behalf of, beyond, by, + very chiefest, concerning, exceeding (above, -ly), for, + very highly, more (than), of, over, on the part of, for sake of, in stead, than, to(-ward), very. In the comparative, it retains many of the above applications." {2}

ESV: Now concerning (ὑπὲρ) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). 

KJV: Now we beseech you, brethren, by (ὑπὲρ) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.. (2 Thessalonians 2:1).

The preposition ὑπὲρ (uper) with the genitive case frequently refers to the object under consideration - concerning, of, as respects, with regard to.. on behalf of, beyond. {2} The translation of ὑπὲρ as "concerning" or "regarding" in this verse is a legitimate translation in my view. I do not claim to be an expert in biblical Greek by any means, but having studied the subject at degree level I do have some knowledge. Brainard's quibbling over ὑπὲρ appears to be an attempt to confound his audience with his alleged "knowledge" of biblical Greek. I am not quite sure why Brainard spent so much time making this point since it makes no difference to the argument. The discussion in these verses in context is the coming (parousia) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rapture. It appears that the Thessalonians had received a message or a letter allegedly from Paul that had misled them into thinking that the day of the Lord had already come. Brainard's interpretation does not alter the fact that the rapture precedes the day of the Lord i.e. the wrath of God, and that the day of the Lord does not begin until the 7th seal is opened following the great tribulation, the cosmic disturbances and the rapture. Brainard repeats the error of failing to distinguish the period of wrath that follows the great tribulation. (Matthew 24:29).

6. The strong delusion is judgement 

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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 cf. Revelation 3:10).

Brainard refers to the strong delusion as the day of the Lord. He fails to distinguish between the strong delusion and the actual period of God's direct eschatological wrath upon the earth which begins with the seven trumpets in Revelation 8. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the common element that delineates God's eschatological wrath is FIRE. (Joel 2:3; Isaiah 66:15; Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 8:5, 7, 8). The seven bowls of wrath  (Revelation 6:16, 8:6-13, 15:1 16:1 cf. Revelation 14:10) are the culmination of God's wrath. 

Pulpit Commentary: "It is the ordinance of God that the wicked by their wicked actions fall into greater wickedness, and that thus sin is punished by sin; and what is an ordinance of God is appointed by God himself. That they should believe a lie; or rather, the lie, namely the falsehood which the man of sin disseminates by his deceit of unrighteousness. Being destitute of the love of the truth, they are necessarily led to believe a lie - their minds are open to all manner of falsehood and delusion." {3}

Is the day of the Lord a literal 24-hour day?

Brainard has three separate definitions for the day of the Lord: the common sense which he thinks is the entire 70th week; the legal sense which he thinks is a literal 24-hour day (Malachi 4:1-3; James 1:9-11); and the figurative sense, the millennium. The problem with Brainard's convoluted view is that the scriptures do not refer to the day of the Lord in these terms.

It will be a day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light. (Zechariah 14:7).

Alan Kurschner: "..the term 'one day' should be better properly translated 'unique day' or 'never-ending day.' This is the rendering of most modern versions. For example: 'And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light' (Zech 14:7 ESV, emphasis mine). See also the NIV and NASB for the same rendering. In other words, translators recognize that the context suggests this new era will be unique in redemptive history. It will be the new established conditions that will be ongoing. Thus, rendering and interpreting it as 'one day” misses the oracle’s point entirely." {4} 

Out of context verses cited by Brainard 

Brainard ends his abysmal presentation with two out of context verses which have no relevance to the day of the Lord.

"And on that day,”declares the Lord GOD, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. (Amos 8:9 cf. Matthew 27:45).

This verse refers to the crucifixion, not the day of the Lord.

Coffman: "This is Amos' answer to the question propounded by the dishonest traders in Amos 8:5, 'When will the new moon... and the sabbath ... be gone?' Very well, the answer was: 'At that time when the sun goes down at noon, and the earth is darkened in a clear day,' an undeniable reference to the crucifixion of the Son of God, that being the only occasion in the history of the world when the sun set at noon, and the earth (not just a portion of it, but all of it) was darkened in a clear day! We may only marvel at the blindness of Biblical interpreters who fail to see this." {5} 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. (Psalm 46:5).

Psalm 46 concerns Israel's deliverance from the Assyrians and has no relevance to the day of the Lord. Pulpit Commentary: "The deliverance of Israel from Sennacherib came, it is to be remembered, when it was discovered 'early in the morning' that in the camp of the Assyrians were 185,000 'dead corpses' (2 Kings 19:35)." {6}

1. Revelation 4 Meyer's NT Commentary (biblehub.com)
2. Strong's Greek: 5228. ὑπέρ (huper) -- over, beyond, fig. on behalf of, for the sake of, concerning (biblehub.com)
3. 2 Thessalonians 2 Pulpit Commentary (biblehub.com)
4. Zechariah 14:7 and a Response to Post-Tribulationists | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
5. Amos 8 - Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org
6. Psalm 46 Pulpit Commentary (biblehub.com)