LEE BRAINARD'S PHONY TRANSLATION OF EUSEBIUS DOES NOT PROVE THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE!

(38) The PRE-TRIB RAPTURE According to EUSEBIUS | Guest: Lee Brainard - YouTube

The pre-trib camp has been desperate to find confirmation of a pre-tribulation rapture amongst the Church Fathers for many years, but despite all their efforts, they have failed to do so. 

Brainard is not the trailblazer or the Greek expert he claims to be in this interview with Lamb and Lion Ministries. Brainard: "I have uncovered passages in Eusebius that were unknown to the evangelical world." Unless evangelical scholars live in a bubble, they will be aware of Eusebius. Author and historian Roger Pearse published the first-ever translation of Eusebius into English in 2017. This translation includes the Greek text printed in the Sources Chrétiennes edition, and also fragments of the Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic and Arabic versions in medieval bible commentaries. Alex Poulos' translation (published by Pearse) differs from Brainard's translation.

Alex Poulos' translation

“And just as happened in the days of Noah…” (Lk. 17:26)

As was stated,[1] he says that the destruction of the wicked will take place like it did for those who lived at the time of the flood, since the message of the gospel had been driven out due to their apostasy. Indeed, just as he destroyed all people then, except those who had gone with Noah into the ark, so too at his coming he will shut out and destroy as in the days of Noah the ungodly and unfaithful, who waste their time on luxury, sex, drink, and the pleasures of this life.

So that no one would think these too will perish through water, he needed also to use the example of Lot— “Just as it happened in the days of Lot: ‘they were eating, drinking etc.’ but on the day that Lot left Sodom, he rained fire from heaven and destroyed everyone. It will be the same on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” He thereby teaches that unspeakably terrible wrath will come upon all the wicked as fire and brimstone sent from heaven. Thus, the word of the prophet is extended to the wicked who pray for that day to come— “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!” Why? “it will be darkness to you, and not light; a day of darkness and shadow, a day of dispair and disgrace” (Amos 5:18). The Savior was extremely precise in his observation when he said that the divine fire from heaven did not come down upon the wicked in Sodom until Lot went out and was separated from them. It was the same way at the flood, when he came and destroyed all the inhabitants of the earth only after Noah had entered the ark. [24.585] He says that it will be the same at the end of the age: the cataclysm of destruction for the wicked will not occur until those men found to belong to God are gathered into the heavenly ark, in accordance with the example of Noah. To these this word of the prophet will be spoken: “Go, my people, enter into your inner room… until the wrath of the Lord passes by” (Is. 26:20). Now just as in the time of Lot he acted so that the righteous did not perish along with the wicked, so at the end of age this destruction will not take place until all the righteous and God-fearing men on the earth are separated from the wicked and gathered into God’s heavenly ark. So when no righteous man can any longer be found among men, but all are godless, impious, and born from the antichrist and apostasy rules throughout the whole world, then the wrath of God will come upon the wicked. {1} 

Pearse's publication confirms the prewrath rapture position. Eusebius refers to the righteous being taken (raptured) immediately before the wrath of God falls upon the unrighteous at the end of the great tribulation. (Matthew 24:21-22,30-31). In other words, the rapture will occur between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation. (Revelation 6:17). 

Lee Brainard's translation

As all perished then except those gathered with Noah in the ark, so also at his coming, the ungodly in the season of apostasy shall perish, while according to the pattern of Noah, all the righteous and godly are to be separated from the ungodly and gathered into the heavenly ark. For in this way comes a time when not even one righteous man will be found any more amongst mankind, and when all the ungodly have been made atheists by the Antichrist, and the whole world is overcome by apostasy the wrath of God shall come upon the ungodly. {2} 

Brainard: "So, you notice the order here. First, the righteous are removed from the presence of the ungodly and taken to the heavenly ark. And then there’s a season of apostasy down here on earth where not even one righteous man is going to be found, and the Antichrist is going to take all the ungodly and make them all perfect atheists, and then the wrath of God will come at the Second Coming." {2}

Regarding Brainard's "original" translation of Eusebius' commentary on Isaiah 43:5-6: Eusebius' commentary on Isaiah was translated into English by Jonathan J Armstrong in 2013. {3} Jonathan J Armstrong (Ph.D., Fordham University) is assistant professor of Bible and theology at Moody Bible Institute - Spokane, Washington. {4}

Pseudo Ephraim (Ephrem the Syrian) is another example of Brainard's duplicity! Please refer to Dave MacPherson's article on this subject written in 2017: WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: PSEUDO-EPHRAEM TAUGHT PRETRIB - NOT! BY DAVE MACPHERSON (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

Brainard's claim that he is doing original research is patently untrue - he is certainly no "Indiana Jones". Furthermore, Brainard is either incompetent or unwilling to give an accurate interpretation of Eusebius and Pseudo Ephraim. Neither of these sources teach a pre-tribulation rapture.

Alan Kurschner: "Every early church father who wrote on this topic believed that the church would face the Antichrist.. It is common knowledge that the church fathers used terms like 'the tribulation' or 'the great tribulation' to refer to God's wrath. Yet can you provide a single instance where Ephraim or an early writer claimed that the church will be raptured before the Antichrist arrives?" {5}

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. (1 John 4:1 cf. Ephesians 4:25).

1. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on Luke – now online in English – Roger Pearse (roger-pearse.com)
2. The Pre-Trib Rapture According to Eusebius with Lee Brainard | Rapture | Lamb and Lion Ministries (christinprophecy.org)
3. Fourth Century Christianity » Eusebius of Caesarea – Commentary on Isaiah4. Jonathan J. Armstrong - InterVarsity Press (ivpress.com)
4. Jonathan J. Armstrong - InterVarsity Press (ivpress.com)5. A Reply to Lee W. Brainard | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
5. Bible Prophecy Daily™ on Twitter: "@soothkeep It is common knowledge that the church fathers used terms like "the tribulation" or "the great tribulation" to refer to God's wrath. Yet can you provide a single instance where Ephraim or an early writer claimed that the church will be raptured before the Antichrist arrives?" / Twitter