ROBERT VAN KAMPEN: WARNINGS IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

The Olivet Discourse – The Sign (Robert Van Kampen) | Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner

Robert Van Kampen was the principal systematiser of the prewrath rapture model, though its structure was already present in scripture long before the term existed. Here he addresses the Olivet Discourse.

And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” (Luke 21:7-9 cf. Matthew 24;3-8).

 ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. (Luke 21:8).

Van Kampen was convinced that this phrase was added in Luke's gospel as a warning for pretrib believers. He makes an interesting comparison with the Thessalonians who were confused about the Parousia and apparently had received false information that they were in the Day of the Lord and had missed the rapture. 

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 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. 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 2:1-12).

The appearance of "false christs" (pseudo messiahs) who will lead many astray (Matthew 24:5). is the first sign recorded in the Olivet Discourse. As John observed, numerous false christs have emerged from the earliest period of the church. (1 John 2:18). Van Kampen anticipates a dramatic escalation of false christs and wars and rumours of wars from the outset of Daniel’s 70th week. (Matthew (24:5-7). This is underscored by the stark declaration that peace will be removed from the earth when the second seal is broken. (Revelation 6:3–4). As a result of these events, Van Kampen anticipates dramatic destabilization within the church from the beginning of the 70th week. His observation—“When we get in that seven‑year period there is going to be chaos within Christianity”—accurately captures the confusion that will engulf those who allegorize or misread eschatology, including pretribulationists, amillennialists, postmillennialists, and preterists.  

Van Kampen presents a chilling portrayal of the end of the age, in which many will fall away from the faith. He underscores the necessity of perseverance and steadfast commitment to the truth until the end.

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).

Because of the preceding pressures and the activity of false christs and false prophets arising from within the church, the love of many—for Christ, for his doctrine, and for one another—will grow cold. The apostasy is extensive—τῶν πολλῶν, of the many i.e. of the majority.