NELSON WATERS BRASH STATEMENT: THE "TRIBULATION" HAS BEGUN (DANIEL 9:27)

(54) ANSWERED! 8 Tough Questions on Whether the TRIBULATION Really Started - YouTube

In his own words, Nelson Walters describes his claim that the 70th week of Daniel began on October 2nd as "a brash statement". Walters: "There is a 95-99% chance the 'tribulation' began on October 2nd.2024." Walters consistently makes the error of referring to the 70th week of Daniel as the "tribulation". The tribulation begins at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week following the “abomination of desolation” event. (Matthew 24:15,21 cf. Daniel 9:27).*

Strike 1: Misinterpreting Jesus' parable of the ten virgins 

According to Walters, the reason people are unconvinced that the 70th week of Daniel has started is a sign based on the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. He claims that everyone will be asleep before the 70th week begins.     

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (Matthew 25:5-7).

If "all became drowsy and slept" then how is it that Walters is awake? Apparently, Walters believes he is the exception because he is an Ezekiel-style "watchman" based on Ezekiel 33:6. The problem with this logic is that Ezekiel was a true prophet who brought forth the very word of God, Nelson Walters is not!

In context, the parable of the ten virgins is a continuation of Matthew 24 regarding the coming of the Lord. (Matthew 24:31,50). In other words, it refers to the prewrath rapture which occurs between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation. Walters has detached this parable from its original context and has shifted the specific timeframe from the Parousia to the onset of Daniel's 70th week. From a prewrath rapture perspective, the time difference between the first and sixth seals of Revelation is significant. (Revelation 6:12). 

Jesus' parables are fictional stories with a spiritual lesson. They convey literal truth, but they should not be pressed in every detail to force a connection of our own making. (2 Timothy 2:15). The message of the parable of the ten virgins is to watch. They all fell asleep (?) The parable is not intended to affirm as fact that no one will be ready for Jesus' return, rather it emphasizes the length of the delay. Jesus summarises this parable with a warning: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13 cf. Matthew 24:50; Luke 21:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3). This parable ties in with Luke 17:22 ff. One will be taken and the other left. (Luke 17:34-35). 

Walters claims that the jigsaw pieces all fall into place, but even on a cursory examination, they do not!

Strike 2: Walters: "The main impetus of this covenant was to force Israel to divide their land under the guise of a false peace." The United Nations Pact for the Future is not an imposed covenant upon Israel! The Pact is a broad non-binding agreement i.e. it does not impose legal obligations on UN Member States. Various global conflicts were mentioned in non-specific terms, but the proposed two-state solution and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were not directly mentioned at the summit.   

Strike 3: Walters: "God's immediate reaction was to permit Hurricane Helene to devastate the USA." This is speculation. The pact was signed by more than 140 countries at the UN's headquarters in New York. Hurricane Helene did not significantly affect New York, and it did not touch most of the other countries that signed the pact. Beware of newspaper eisegesis!

Strike 4: Walters: "The world's immediate reaction to the covenant was an international alliance headed by Saudi Arabia designed to divide Israel in a two-state solution."  Walters disproves his own claim by admitting that various nations continue to push for a two-state solution. This is evidence that the "strong covenant with many" did not come into existence on October 2nd. (Daniel 9:27). 

DUBAI, Sept 27 (Reuters) : "Saudi Arabia has formed a global alliance to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the country's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York."2 

Strike 5: Walters: "The exact day the 'tribulation' (70th week) must begin is on the feast of Trumpets." Rosh Hashanah is the first of three Fall festivals: the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur (aka the Day of Atonement), and the Feast of Tabernacles. Rosh Hashanah is not mentioned specifically in the bible; rather it is referred to as the day of the blowing of the shofar or the Feast of Trumpets. (Leviticus 23:23-25). Walters' view is very odd since the onset of the 70th week and a covenant with the Antichrist hardly represents a "holy convocation" or a celebration. It is more likely that Rosh Hashanah will begin when the trumpet sounds at the rapture when Jesus returns. (Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:15).

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:23-25).

Strike 6: Walters: "God marked this day with signs in the heavens; a bright visible comet; a supernova; and a solar eclipse." This foolishness is comparable to the false speculations concerning the zodiac constellation Virgo in 2017 hailed by false teachers as the sign of "the woman in labour" based on Revelation 12:1. Walters regurgitates this so-called "sign" of "the woman in labour" to refer to October 2nd and the 70th week. We should not be relying on astrology for biblical evidence of end-time events. It is possible for anyone to employ Stellarium to justify this or that momentous "sign" as evidence for whatever they want it to signify.

Strike 7:  Where is the Antichrist? According to Walters, the covenant doesn't have to have occurred on exactly October 2nd based on the Hebrew verb gābar (hiphil stem) which is causative.3 Walters theorizes that the Antichrist can cause the action to happen secretly behind the scenes without being revealed. This seems unlikely since the Antichrist will be the prime mover of the covenant. Walters confuses the issue by claiming that the 70th week has begun without any reasonable evidence that it actually has! No doubt this is why no reliable teachers are making the same claim.

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he (Antichrist) shall confirm (gābar) the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination ns he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27 cf. Daniel 12:11).

Blue Letter Bible: "גָּבַר gâbar, gaw-bar'; a primitive root; to be strong; by implication, to prevail, act insolently:—exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more (strength), strengthen, be stronger, be valiant."1 

Strike 8: According to Walters, the daily sacrifice and the temple are not tied to the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel. The daily sacrifice and the temple must be in place before the mid-point of the week since the Antichrist will stop the sacrifices and will sit in the temple and proclaim himself to be God at this point (the abomination of desolation event). (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). It seems likely that the Antichrist will at least agree to the restoration of the daily sacrifice and the rebuilding of the temple as part of his "strong covenant" with Israel. In my view, these things cannot come into existence without the specific endorsement of the Antichrist. 

Strike 9. Based on Daniel 11:22, Walters submits that "the prince who is to come" is not likely to be the Antichrist. He argues that the man who makes/renews the covenant will be destroyed by the Antichrist. Walters: "This prince seems to appear later, again in Daniel 11:22. I personally have never heard anyone else talk about this.." Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. (Daniel 11:22). The reason no one else talks about Daniel 11:22 as a direct reference to the Antichrist is that Daniel 11:1-36 refers to the rise and fall of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who persecuted the Jews who is a type of the Antichrist. According to many expositors, a shift occurs in the narrative from Daniel 11:36 onwards from Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the future fulfillment i.e. the Antichrist "the wilful king". (Daniel 11:36). Walters' reference to Daniel 11:22 is therefore invalid because the destruction of the prince referred to is a past event.

Crying wolf!

 

According to Walters, even if he is wrong about October 2nd it doesn't matter because people will be prepared. What! Walters gives himself a convenient get-out with his 95-99% accuracy claim, but God is not mocked! (Galatians 6:7). Making end-time predictions is an extremely reckless, counterproductive and reputationally risky business. We have all witnessed the fallout from various false date-setters like the NAR "prophets" and the false Trump "prophets". These people are the scourge of Christianity! When the 70th week does actually begin and we bring the evidence, many people are likely to reject it on the basis that "prophecy experts" like Walters have been wrong in the past. 

Wannabe prophets and their "brash" statements 

Walters' admission to making a "brash" statement is a red flag. (Matthew 12:36-37).

WordHippo describes "brash" as: "Excessively or recklessly confident or bold." Synonyms for "brash" are: foolhardy, audacious, daredevil, madcap, overbod, reckless, temerarious, overconfident, rash, heedless, incautious, imprudent, irresponsible etc..4 

There is one whose rash (reckless) words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18).

The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. (Proverbs 15:7).

* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

1. H1396 - gāḇar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

2. Saudi Arabia forms global alliance to push for Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution | Reuters
3. Stem Hiphil — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation (uhg.readthedocs.io)

4, What is another word for brash? | Brash Synonyms - WordHippo Thesaurus

NELSON WALTERS CLICKBAIT ESCHATOLOGY: THE PRINCE WHO IS TO COME (DANIEL 9:26)

Who is the Prince of the Covenant that Just Launched the Tribulation? We NAME NAMES! (youtube.com)

In the above video, Nelson Walters speculates that the covenant that initiates the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26) is the Pact for the Future adopted by the United Nations on the 22nd of September 2024. According to Walters the 70th week of Daniel was launched on October 2nd when globalism and new powers were given to the International Court of Justice to become the ultimate source of judicial power in the world.  

United Nations: "New York, 22 September 2024 – World leaders today adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.1 

The Pact contains a number of pledges related to international peace and security, including calls for all countries to comply with the decisions of the International Court of Justice;" 2 

Walters discusses the identity of "the prince who is to come" in Daniel 9:26, i.e. the man who renews the covenant that launches what Walters refers to as the seven year "tribulation". Although many teachers refer to 70th week of Daniel as the "tribulation", technically this is not the case. The tribulation begins at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week following the “abomination of desolation” event. (Matthew 24:15,21 cf. Daniel 9:27). Prior to the midpoint of the 70th week, the first four seals will likely be broken by the Lamb (Jesus Christ). (Revelation 6:1-8).

The overwhelming consensus among prewrath teachers is that "the prince who is to come" is the Antichrist aka "the man of lawlessness". (2 Thessalonians 2:3). 

..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. (2 Thessalonians 2:4; cf. Daniel 7:25,11:36; Revelation 13:5–6).

Based on Daniel 11:22, Walters submits that "the prince who is to come" is not likely to be the Antichrist. He argues that the man who makes/renews the covenant will be destroyed by the Antichrist. Walters: "This prince seems to appear later, again in Daniel 11:22. I personally have never heard anyone else talk about this.." Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. (Daniel 11:22). The reason no one else talks about Daniel 11:22 as a direct reference to the Antichrist is that Daniel 11:1-36 refers to the rise and fall of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who persecuted the Jews who is a type of the Antichrist. According to many expositors, a shift occurs in the narrative from Daniel 11:36 onwards from Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the future fulfillment i.e. the Antichrist "the wilful king". (Daniel 11:36). Walters' reference to Daniel 11:22 is therefore invalid because the destruction of the prince referred to is a past event.

Walters: "It is possible that there are actually two princes; the Antichrist, who makes or causes the covenant with the many on the one side, and the prince who actually signs that covenant on the other side. So could one prince be an Israeli and the other the Antichrist who forces or causes the covenant upon the Israeli? It's entirely possible.. Maybe the prince who is to come is a secular person who just enforces the covenant on Israel or maybe it's the Antichrist who does this.."  The Antichrist is the prince who enforces the covenant upon Israel. (Daniel 9:27). The scriptures do not mention "two princes" in relation to the covenant. 

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he (Antichrist) shall confirm (gābar) the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination ns he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27 cf. Daniel 12:11).

Based on the Hebrew verb gābar (hiphil stem) which is causative, Walters proposes the novel suggestion that the Antichrist causes or orchestrates the renewed covenant behind the scenes and that he is not directly involved.3 He doesn't seem to have considered the possibility that the Antichrist could be both the cause and the enforcer of the covenant.     

For the 70th week to begin, the confirmation of the covenant specified in Daniel 9:27 is generally expected to be an enforced covenant of peace with "many" (Israel). It is also anticipated that daily sacrifices will be reinstituted on the Temple Mount since "he (the Antichrist) will put an end to sacrifice and offering" at exactly the midpoint point of the 70th week. (Daniel 9:27). The Temple Institute, Yaraeh, and other groups consider building the Third Temple on the Temple Mount imperative, although all that is strictly required is an altar. 

Walters regurgitates an old argument cooked-up by Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson in 2008. In their reckless attempt to authenticate an Islamic Antichrist, Shoebat and Richardson attempted to show that "the people of the prince who is to come" (Daniel 9:26), will be Islamic based on the idea that Syrians and other Middle Eastern peoples made up the majority of the Roman army that destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70AD. There is good evidence that Titus authorized the destruction of the Temple; Roman generals oversaw the operation; and Roman forces carried it out. Note: Historian Sulpicius Severus (apparently based on Tacitus' lost history) contradicts Josephus' account of this event.4 The plain sense of this passage is that Rome was the rod of God's judgement, not the soldiers fighting for Rome. I recommend Chris White's excellent series debunking the Islamic Antichrist theory.* 

I have written a number of posts exposing Joel Richardson's false teaching.5

On the strength of his speculation that the 70th week began on the 2nd of October, Walters digs a deeper hole in a follow-up video in which he claims that the "pretrib rapture" has failed to take place.6  Pretrib teachers JD Farag and Amir Tsarfati are heavily featured in this second video. Walters' fallacious information is likely to provoke contempt from the pretrib camp since they will not find it difficult to demolish his argument. Walters' ill-advised speculations will no doubt cause further confusion to the deluded followers of Farag and Tsarfati if they dignify his video with a response.

Walters: "..But you might ask 'Why doesn't anyone else seem to see this, my favorite Bible teacher has nothing to say about this'. Jesus prophesied exactly that in the parable of the ten virgins, that all ten virgins, the entire Kingdom of Heaven, or what we'd call the church today, that they would be asleep prior to his return. Folks aren't going to wake up and realize this until the midnight cry that wakes them up, so Christians being oblivious is exactly what we should expect.. It's a blessing if you have seen that this has happened.. A much larger group are saying 'This can't be the tribulation' and you are going to find reasons to deny what just happened and you will argue it with fervour.."

These are very arrogant assertions considering Walters' claim does not pass the test of scripture. (1 John 4:1). Walter's perplexing assertions appear to be based on clickbait and are precisely what the body of Christ does not need to hear right now! Although globalism is increasing exponentially and the 70th week does not seem far off, it is not reasonable to claim that the 70th week began on the 2nd of October. At this present time, it is essential to trust in Jesus Christ while we keep watch for the Lord's return. (Matthew 24:42,25:13). 

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6).

* Islamic Antichrist Debunked Chris White | Bible Prophecy Daily

   7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) (youtube.com)

1. Press Release | United Nations adopts ground-breaking Pact for the Future to transform global governance - United Nations Sustainable Development
2. Summit of the Future Explainer: A new global peace plan for ‘uniquely dangerous’ times | UN News
3. Stem Hiphil — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation (uhg.readthedocs.io)
4. Chronology of the War According to Josephus: Part 7, The Fall of Jerusalem
5. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Joel Richardson (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
6. If TRIBULATION Began on OCT 2 - DId We Just Miss the Pre-trib Rapture?????? (youtube.com)

CHARLES COOPER: WHAT IS OUTER DARKNESS?

Crown Me (Part 4) – The Price of Victory | Bible Prophecy Daily 

Bible Prophecy Daily is a weekday podcast that is usually very good. I believe the prewrath rapture position is the correct view, and I normally have no hesitation in recommending this podcast to anyone interested in eschatology. It therefore pains me to write this critique of Charles Cooper's teaching regarding the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Some of Cooper's foolish remarks have caused me concern in the past, and this particular episode is misleading and inaccurate.

"In this episode, he (Charles Cooper) picks up at Matthew 25:24-30, where he now discusses the sad peril of the third man in the Parable of the Talents and the implications for the Christian who is faithLESS: “Derision”, “Demotion”, and “Divarication”."  

Evidently Cooper has discovered a new word, although it might have been more straightforward to have used the word "separation". According to Merriam-Webster: "The word 'divarication' derives from the Medieval Latin divaricatio, which in turn descends from the verb divaricare, meaning 'to spread apart.' Divaricare itself is derived from the Latin varicare, which means 'to straddle' and is also an ancestor of prevaricate ('to deviate from the truth'). The oldest sense of divarication, which first appeared in print in English in 1578, refers to a literal branching apart (as in 'divarication of the roads'). The word eventually developed a more metaphorical second sense that is used when opinions 'stretch apart' from one another."1   

Cooper refers to the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ and the rewards given to believers prior to the millennium. (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10). In particular, he discusses the fate of the third servant who made no increase on the talent he was entrusted with. This parable follows the previous parable about the ten virgins, five of whom are denied access to the marriage feast. (Matthew 25:1-12).  

For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you30 in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ (Matthew 25:14-23).

Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:23-30)

Cooper: Why would Jesus Christ give an unbeliever, who has no capacity to please God, the responsibility of watching over God's property? It makes no sense."

Cooper's reasoning.. because the third man is referred to as a "servant" he must be a believer in order to merit the Lord's trust with the talent. Cooper: "Is this man a believer or not? Many people think he is an unbeliever..  'wicked' is misleading..  the word that is translated 'wicked'.. one of the nuances is 'worthless'". This parable is related to the earlier parable of the ten virgins. It appears that the "foolish virgins" had a superficial belief in Christ and an outward profession of faith. The chilling words "I do not know you" excluded them from the wedding feast. (Matthew 25:11-12 cf. Matthew 7:23). In other words, they were not part of the bride of Christ and therefore not qualified to enter the wedding feast. The parable of the man at the wedding banquet with no wedding garment is another example: Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14). There is something essentially lacking in both instances; the foolish virgins had no oil, and the man with no wedding garment was not clothed with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10 cf. Revelation 6:11,7:9,13). Gaebelein: “'For many are called, but few chosen.' The many which are called are all those who heard the call and made an outward profession, without having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ."2 

The NASB is the only version that translates πονηρός as "worthless". All the other versions translate πονηρός as either "wicked" or "evil".  Strong's Definition: "toilsome, bad; Usage: evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful."3  In the other occurrences of πονηρός in the New Testament there is no evidence for Cooper's translation of "worthless" e.g. Matthew 5:11,37,39,45,6:13,23,7:11,17,18,9:4 etc.4  I therefore concur with the majority of translations that in all but one instance translate πονηρός as "wicked".     

Pulpit Commentary: "Verse 26. - Thou wicked and slothful servant. In marked contrast with the commendation, 'good and faithful,' its vers, 21, 23. He was 'wicked,' in that he calumniated his master, who really seems to have been ready to acknowledge the least service done to him, and never looked for results beyond a man's ability and opportunities; and he was 'slothful,' in that he made no effort to improve the one talent entrusted to him."5  

Outer Darkness?

Cooper: "Many conclude that the phrase 'outer darkness' is the judgment of unbelievers, but I do not believe that any other places where 'outer darkness' is used refers to unbelievers. Hell certainly is not outer darkness. The lake of fire in Revelation 20 certainly is not characterized by darkness. In fact, the destiny of the damned, those who do not know God, is never, is nowhere, described as darkness. Darkness is not a characteristic of the place of assignment for unbelievers, nowhere in scripture. Hell is not dark, the lake of fire of course is not dark. This is a description of the state of believers who prove unfaithful.. The darkness outside is the place where those unfaithful believers will be assigned to spend, how long I don't know.. He is not describing hell here or the destiny of unbelievers. He is actually describing the destiny of the unfaithful believers who have no rewards. Because you have nothing to give, you receive nothing.  This is not talking about salvation, it is talking about sanctification and the reward for your faithfulness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; profound regret, wailing and weeping, they are going to be divaricated. It means to separate. There is going to be derision, demotion and divarication; criticism, condemnation and separation.."  

Cooper has been teaching this strange doctrine since 2020.6  

 

Cooper's eisegesis of the unfaithful servant in this parable is unacceptable. He seems to be describing something analogous to purgatory! His assertion that the destiny of unbelievers is never described as "darkness" is inexplicable. For example, the judgement of false teachers is described as "blackest darkness". Blackest darkness is reserved for them. (2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:12-13).

The day of the Lord is described as "darkness".

Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:20 cf. Zephaniah 1:15; Isaiah 13:9-10; Matthew 24:29).

The contrasting metaphors of "light" and "darkness" are ubiquitous within the scriptures. Darkness is a metaphor to refer to evil and sin, whereas light is a metaphor representing God’s presence and goodness. Darkness is often associated with death and wickedness.

I am the light of the world.. (John 8;12,9:5). 

God is light and in him is no darkness..  (1 John 1:5 cf . John 1:4-5,4:18-19, 8:12,3:19; Acts 26:17-18 etc.

GotQuestions: "Darkness is used as a symbol of moral depravity (Psalm 82:5; Proverbs 2:13; Romans 3:12). Darkness can also refer to trouble and affliction (Job 5:12; Proverbs 20:20; Isaiah 9:2) and to death and nothingness (1 Samuel 2:9; Ecclesiastes 11:8; Job 3:4-6)."7  

..while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12). "The sons of the kingdom" are the unbelieving Jews who reject Jesus as their Messiah.

The overwhelming view of bible expositors is that "outer darkness" refers to the place assigned to unbelievers. I have only come across one other instance of similar deviant ideas from false teacher Zane Hodges.*

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15).

* The “Outer Darkness”: Heaven’s Suburb or Hell? | Bible.org

1. Divarication Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
2. Matthew 22 Gaebelein's Annotated Bible (biblehub.com)
3. Strong's Greek: 4190. πονηρός (ponéros) -- toilsome, bad (biblehub.com)
4. Strong's Greek: 4190. πονηρός (ponéros) -- 79 Occurrences (biblehub.com)
5. Matthew 25:26 Commentaries: "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. (biblehub.com)
6. The Outer Darkness - the Punishment for Unfaithfulness! (youtube.com)
7. What is the outer darkness in Matthew 22:13? | GotQuestions.org

JOEL KORYTKO: ARE THE COSMIC DISTURBANCES METAPHORS?

Did Jesus' Prophecy Fail? It's Not Conditional or a Failure @InspiringPhilosophy @maklelan (youtube.com)

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (Mark 13:30).

Question: Did Jesus' prophecy fail or was it conditional?  

I like Joel Korytko's answer to this conundrum i.e. "these things" refer to the destruction of the temple in 70AD and not the coming of Jesus Christ.

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:1-4)

But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things (the destruction of the temple) taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:23,28-31).

Another interpretation is "this generation" does not refer to the current generation, rather it applies to the future generation that will experience the things previously mentioned; "all these things" seem to indicate the imminent return of the Son of Man. ..no one knows the day or the hour etc. (Mark 13:32-37). 

According to Joel Korytko, Jesus' use of Old Testament language regarding cosmic disturbances does not refer to Jesus coming because of their limited geographical context. He sees Jesus' language as metaphoric descriptions of tumult and chaos in society. Korytko's understanding of these OT passages does not factor in their near/far fulfillment.

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. (Mark 13:24-27).

The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil,and the wicked for their iniquity; (Isaiah 13:1,9-11).

My understanding is that the OT passages regarding the cosmic disturbances represent "the day of the Lord" (the day of His wrath). The language expands beyond the local situation in Babylon into a global context. 

Keil and Delitsch: "The day of Jehovah's wrath is coming - a starless night - a nightlike, sunless day. "Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, a cruel one, and wrath and fierce anger, to turn the earth into a wilderness: and its sinners He destroys out of it. For the stars of heaven, and its Orions, will not let their light shine: the sun darkens itself at its rising, and the moon does not let its light shine." The day of Jehovah cometh as one cruelly severe ('aczâri, an adj. rel. from 'aczâr, chosh, kosh, to be dry, hard, unfelling), as purely an overflowing of inward excitement, and as burning anger; lâsūm is carried on by the finite verb, according to a well-known alteration of style ( equals ūlehashmı̄d). It is not indeed the general judgment which the prophet is depicting here, but a certain historical catastrophe falling upon the nations, which draws the whole world into sympathetic suffering. 'Eretz, therefore (inasmuch as the notions of land generally, and some particular land or portion of the earth, are blended together - a very elastic term, with vanishing boundaries), is not merely the land of Babylon here, as Knobel supposes, but the earth. Verse 10 shows in what way the day of Jehovah is a day of wrath. Even nature clothes itself in the colour of wrath, which is the very opposite to light. The heavenly lights above the earth go out; the moon does not shine; and the sun, which is about to rise, alters its mind. "The Orions" are Orion itself and other constellations like it, just as the morning stars in Job 38:7 are Hesperus and other similar stars. It is more probable that the term cesiil is used for Orion in the sense of "the fool" ( equals foolhardy).."1

Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations..  

The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? (Joel 2:1-2,10-11).

"And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. (Joel 2:30-31).

Gods judgement on the nations

Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it;
the world, and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood. All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:1-4)

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slaved and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

Can the Lord's return happen at any time? 

This is the erroneous "imminence" doctrine of the pretrib rapture camp. The man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) will be revealed and the great tribulation must occur before the coming of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 7:25). All three synoptic gospels affirm the Son of Man will return immediately after the cosmic disturbances. (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25-28). 

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)

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, (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

1. Isaiah 13 Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary (biblehub.com)

Further Links

Celestial Disturbances Archives | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) (youtube.com)

ANDY WOODS "CORRECTION" OF JOHN RICH + TUCKER CARLSON: TAKEDOWN OF PRETRIB RAPTURE

Tucker Carlson and John Rich Tackle the Pre-Trib Rapture! (youtube.com)

Olivier Melnick and Andy Woods have attempted but ultimately failed to prop up the "Holy Grail" of pretribulationalism during their "correction" of John Rich following his recent interview with Tucker Carlson: John Rich: Donald Trump, the Darkness of Eminem’s New Album, and the Song Inspired by God (youtube.com) 

Rich comes from a Christian background and is a country singer. His interview with Carlson came on the back of the success of his song "Revelation", inspired by the prophecies of John the Revelator about the future and the return of Jesus Christ.1 The interview has rattled the pretrib rapture camp and provoked Andy Woods, Olivier Melnick, Lee Brainard, and others to react negatively.2  

Woods: (regarding Tucker Carlson) "..but you start to see a pattern. First you see Munther Isaac.. then a month or two later you see this guy who is trying to trash the pretrib rapture.. Either he or his producer or whoever is intentionally giving platforms to people that are trying to tear down the Zionist dispensational understanding.." Melnick and Woods are expecting too much of Tucker Carlson. As far as I am aware, Carlson is not a Christian, although he is evidently reading the scriptures and exploring different views. We cannot reasonably expect non-Christians to have a theologically sound view of Romans 9. (1 Corinthians 9:12).

The Scofield Bible 

Andy Woods proceeded to "rectify" John Rich's claim that the Scofield Bible was the first study Bible including study notes ever made. Technically Woods is right, but he is splitting hairs. The first full edition of the Geneva Bible (1575) predates the first Scofield Reference Bible (1909) by more than three hundred years. However, the Scofield Reference Bible is generally considered to be innovative. It is described by Got Questions as "..the first of its kind—an annotated Bible designed to aid the reader in understanding the text."3 Wikipedia: "The Scofield Bible had several innovative features. Most important, it printed what amounted to a commentary on the biblical text alongside the Bible instead of in a separate volume, the first to do so in English since the Geneva Bible (1560)."4  I think we can overlook John Rich's peccadillo since the Geneva Bible with its Calvinist slant was controversial and was not well received in the UK, especially by King James, who considered the notes to be subversive due to their political undertones. In contrast, the Scofield Bible was widely accepted and has had a huge impact on modern evangelicalism.

John Nelson Darby

Woods "John Darby was very godly man and he was I believe part of the Plymouth Brethren Movement he started churches really all over the place.. he was a top notch scholar.."  (15:18 mark)  I have no argument with those who assert Darby's intelligence; however his character is an altogether different matter! Much has been written about Darby from varying perspectives, but it is irrefutable that Darby was the cause of much consternation by Bible scholars and leaders of his time and was considered arrogant and self-willed. 

Brethren leaders George Müller, Anthony Groves, and Benjamin Newton suffered intensely at the hands of Darby, who would broker no opposition to his sectarian views. Darby would not even tolerate anyone who wished to remain neutral. Darby's response to ANY opposition was to simply annihilate it. Those who disagreed with him were excommunicated. Why? - Because according to Darby, the Lord had personally revealed dispensational hermeneutics to him directly. In his own eyes, this made him 'right' and gave him liberty to butcher the body of Christ. It is difficult to argue against anyone with such obvious forcefulness, intelligence and powers of intimidation.5 

Charles Spurgeon: "Mr. Darby is, to all intents and purposes a thorough Pope, though under a Protestant name. He will never admit that he is in error; and therefore very naturally declines to argue with those who controvert the soundness of his views. How, indeed, could it be otherwise? If Mr. Darby holds, which he does, with a firm grasp, the principle that whatever conclusions he and those acting in conjunction with him may come to, express beyond all question the mind of the Spirit; and if those Darbyites who gather together in London, can go so far as to exclude all other denominations, even the most godly among them, 'believing themselves to be the one or only, assembly of God in London,' how need we feel surprised that Mr. Darby, as the 'prophet, priest, and king' of the party, should exercise a perfect despotism within the domains of Darbyism?"6 

George Müller: "Scripture declares plainly that the Lord Jesus will not come until the Apostasy shall have taken place, and the man of sin shall have been revealed..."7 

Borivali Assembly: "He (Anthony Groves) became increasingly concerned with the drift of the Plymouth Brethren towards sectarianism under the leadership of Darby and aligned himself with George Müller when the brethren split in 1848 to form the Open Brethren and Exclusive Brethren."8

The secret rapture

Woods further "correction" of Rich for using the term "secret rapture" is illegitimate.

Woods: "When someone uses the expression 'secret rapture' it shows me that they are really not doing original research. They are just sort of reading what someone else said. I think that's what Mr Rich did in that video. I think he has hooked into certain.. anti-dispensational authors. Because when you take the Bible at face value there is nothing secretive about it.."   (22:00 mark)

The expression "secret rapture" was employed by Darby and was a common expression within the "Left Behind" (Tim LaHaye) pretrib camp. It is only relatively recently that the pretrib camp have backtracked and no longer use this expression for the obvious reason that it is false. It is illegitimate to accuse Rich of doing poor research or using anti-dispensational material for his information as Woods suggested.

To quote one of Woods heroes Thomas Ice: "Darby introduced the concept of a secret rapture to take place ‘at any moment’, a belief which subsequently became one of the chief hallmarks of Brethren eschatology.. Ernest Sandeen tells us: Darby’s view of the premillennial advent contrasted with that held by the historicist millenarian school in two ways. First, Darby taught that the second advent would be secret, an event sensible only to those who participated in it. . . . There were, in effect, two 'second comings' in Darby’s eschatology. The church is first taken from the earth secretly and then, at a later time, Christ returns in a public second advent as described in Matthew 24.9 

Alan Kurschner: An older expression in pretribulational literature—and can still be used occasionally today—is secret coming or secret rapture. From my exposure to older pretrib and non-pretrib literature, it seemed to be used synonymous with the expressions signless coming or signless rapture, in contrast to an announced coming or announced rapture."10

The term "rapture"

Woods: "This idea that the word 'rapture' is not in the Bible. I mean that's just so silly; I can't believe people even use that argument anymore."

It is important to note that Rich described the prewrath rapture of the church, he did not deny the rapture. Rich did his best to articulate the difficult subject of eschatology to a mixed audience, including those who were perhaps unfamiliar with the term "rapture". Woods seemed to make the assumption that everyone in Carlson's audience was familiar with Christianese.

Rich: "..the word 'rapture' is nowhere in the Bible. It talks about us being caught up with him and pulled out of here, and then the ultimate wrath is poured out on this planet. That's what we call the rapture, but that's not in debate. The question is what happens leading up to that? It's a good question to ask right? For some reason nobody ever preaches that. They don't want to talk about what happens prior to it.. "11 

The myth that the pretrib rapture was taught prior to Darby    

   

Woods and other pretrib teachers are determined to propagate the myth that Darby's rapture teaching predates the 1800s. Frankly, they should abandon the idea of inventing fallacious "evidence" which is repeatedly debunked. Darby himself claimed that the Lord had personally revealed dispensational hermeneutics to him directly. The resulting furore from Darby's peers is testimony that the pretrib rapture had not been previously articulated.

Darby: "..what God has with infinite graciousness revealed to me concerning His dealing with the Church... it was in this the Lord was pleased, without man's teaching, first to open my eyes on this subject, that I might learn His will concerning it throughout."12

Woods: "To my knowledge there are probably around forty discovered pre-Darby pretribulation rapture statements.. I do remember the Pseudo Ephraem discovery.."

For the umpteenth time, there are no early sources prior to 1830 that articulate a pretrib rapture. Pseudo Ephraem has been repeatedly debunked as a pretrib document by reliable Bible scholars. The author of Pseudo Ephraem placed the rapture event after the Antichrist's arrival. I have added some links that demonstrate this at the end of the post. When you are dealing with dishonest scholarship there is no hope of meaningful discussion.   

Andy Woods: "Even if John Rich is right on 1830, who cares. The rapture doctrine is found in the Bible."

The rapture doctrine is found in the Bible; the pretrib rapture doctrine is not found in the Bible!

Melnick and Woods' pettiness paid off in one respect ~ they managed to catch Rich out in one error to their obvious delight. Rich was in error when he said that the word "Antichrist" does not exist within the Bible. The word Antichrist can be found in 1 John 2:18, 224:3 2 John 1:7. (35:00 mark) This is the only legitimate criticism they have against Rich.  

Woods: "Lets just pretend that Scofield and Darby were just horrible people. All the mud about them and slander about them is true. Well that doesn't change the fact that the pretrib rapture is wrong. Because you can't demolish an idea by trying to link it to a source and discrediting the source when the truth of it is found in God's Word." 

The character of church leaders and teachers is critically important biblically. (1 Timothy 3:1-7). We should have learned throughout the murky history of the church age that when anyone presents a novel doctrine caution is advised. (1 John 4:1). Both Darby and Scofield were very dark characters. Scofield's history is shocking. Wikipedia: "During the early 1890s, Scofield began styling himself Rev. C. I. Scofield, D.D.; but there are no extant records of any academic institution having granted him the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.13 Furthermore Scofield was a self-confessed heavy drinker and he abandoned his wife and two daughters and married another woman. He faced criminal charges of fraud and embezzlement between 1877 and 1879, even after his alleged conversion, and he served at least one jail sentence.14 In short, Scofield had no business setting himself up as a Bible scholar/teacher! (1 Timothy 3:2,7; Acts 6:3; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 3:1). Woods' claim that pretrib rapture is found in God's Word is unreliable and highly disputed. There is not one clear verse in the scriptures that backs up a pretrib rapture! 

The lie of pretribulationism is one of the greatest scandals within Western Evangelicalism of our time. Pretrib leaders have accepted the lie and are sticking to it no matter what evidence to the contrary is presented to them. (Thessalonians 2:11). Woods' obfuscations and half-truths are worthy of any blatant false teacher and his Pharisaic attack upon Rich tells us more about Woods than Rich. 

The tactics of pretrib leaders: "..never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it."15  

Not only does Woods knowingly persist in promoting the false pretrib rapture doctrine despite its defects, he does not believe in repentance as it relates to salvation, and he also promotes the false doctrine of once saved always saved (OSAS). These are very serious errors that put both him and his followers in a very precarious position before Jesus Christ. 

  . 

1. John Rich - Revelation (feat Sonya Isaacs) (youtube.com)
2. Tucker Carlson, John Rich, and the Rapture (youtube.com)
3. What is the Scofield Reference Bible? | GotQuestions.org
4. Scofield Reference Bible - Wikipedia
5. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: berean call conference 2015: paul wilkinson's divisive pre-tribulation delusion!!! (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
6. http://spurgeon.org/s_and_t/dbreth.htm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_M%C3%BCller
8. Anthony Norris Groves - Borivali Assembly
9. Ice-2-PTRC 2011 (pre-trib.org)
10. The Meaning of 'Secret' in the Pretribulational Rapture Expression 'the Secret Coming of Christ' | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
11. John Rich: Donald Trump, the Darkness of Eminem’s New Album, and the Song Inspired by God (youtube.com)

12. Reflections Upon The Prophetic Inquiry And The Views Advanced In It | Plymouth Brethren Writings
13. C. I. Scofield - Wikipedia
14. Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson (tshaonline.org)
15. Joseph Goebbels On the “Big Lie” (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)

Further Links

Writings & Arguments Against Actions and Doctrines of John Darby – The TRUTH SOURCE
Pseudo-Ephraem Is NOT a Pretribulation Document | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
Pseudo-Ephraem.pdf (alankurschner.com)
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)

BILLY CRONE: WILL THE PRETRIB RAPTURE BE PASSED OFF AS A MASS ALIEN ABDUCTION?

 Their Plan to Hide the Rapture | Billy Crone (youtube.com)

Billy Crone has done some good research on witchcraft and the occult, but unfortunately, when it comes to the rapture he is unreliable. Both Billy Crone and Mondo Gonzalez reject the influential but inaccurate "Left Behind" version of the rapture promoted by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. This misleading interpretation of the rapture portrays believers' instantaneous disappearance with just their clothes remaining.

The departure from "Left Behind" is long overdue within the pre-trib camp, but there are serious issues in that they still fail to connect with the scriptures. In the above video, Crone and Gonzalez refer to Jesus' visible ascension in the clouds.

After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11).

The pretrib view of the rapture is so embedded within the Western church that teachers of this error will resort to almost any interpretation other than the correct one. Crone has omitted the critical information that everyone will actually see the Son of Man coming on the clouds i.e. no one will be in any doubt about what is happening when the rapture occurs. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26 cf. Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7,24:30,6:15-17).

Billy Crone's fantastical red herring

Crone: "We go up, they show up".  In other words, those left behind after the rapture will be deceived into believing that aliens have abducted millions of people.

Crone: "The ultimate excuse is to explain away the rapture.. ..you should see the government going from denial to admittance including the admittance of aliens.. it has slowly methodically foisted on us. It started 150 years ago or more with the lie of evolution/Charles Darwin, moving forward just to get that mindset, to lead to the next mindset, now that there are aliens/evolution out there and then you can explain this away. But as soon as that happens, here comes spaceships in whatever form right maybe they land on the White House lawn or whatever and other places around the world.. people will fall for it just like that.."

Crone's claim that UFOlogy has become the new world religion and that the rapture will be passed off with the rationale that Mother Earth is cleansing herself is extremely problematic biblically. No doubt these speculations sell books and DVDs, but that is not what we need; Christians need truth! (John 8:32). Incredibly, Crone and Gonzalez would rather resort to fantastical and unverifiable speculation instead of simply reading the scriptures. There is no information in the bible that people will believe that the rapture is an alien abduction. The only instance of a mass invasion of the demonic is when Satan and his angels are thrown down. (Revelation 12:7-9). This event is generally understood to be the ultimate expulsion of Satan from heaven rather than his original expulsion. (Daniel 12:1). Satan's expulsion from heaven precedes the abomination of desolation event at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel. No doubt things will get very weird at that point, and there will be unprecedented deception, but there is no indication that the Antichrist will pose as an alien, rather he will claim to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4). In any event, the pre-trib camp claims that the rapture will precede the 70th week of Daniel. No other event in the scriptures describes Crone's fantastical scenario. (1 John 4:1).

Pretribbers have been indoctrinated with the falsehood that Matthew 24-25 does not apply to the church but to the Jews, and that Matthew 24 refers to the regathering of Israel. There are a number of problems with this assumption. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus addresses his followers i.e. the future church. When Jesus says "Therefore when you see.." (Matthew 24:15) he expands on his response to the disciples' original question about the destruction of the temple and the sign of his coming and the end of the age. (Matthew 24:3). The sum of the scriptures confirms a prewrath rapture between the 6th and 7th seals of Revelation. (Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). A straightforward reading of the text exposes the folly of a pre-70th-week rapture. It is inexplicable that pretrib teachers fail to acknowledge the relevance of the Olivet Discourse to the church, especially considering its potentially devastating repercussions for themselves and their followers. (Matthew 23:36,24:10). I recommend Alan Kurschner's article below for a detailed exegesis of the Olivet Discourse as it relates to this subject.* 

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. 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 cf. Isaiah 13:10,34:4; Joel 2:10; Daniel 7:13-14).

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7).

Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64).

 

* The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25) is for the Church, Not the Jews (alankurschner.com)

LEE BRAINARD DEMOLISHING THE PREWRATH RAPTURE - NOT!

 (348) Demolishing The Prewrath Rapture - YouTube

Lee Brainard: "Many folks today are rejecting the pretrib rapture and flocking to the prewrath rapture. The main argument for the prewrath rapture claims that the wrath of God and the tribulation are not the same, but rather that the wrath of God arrives during the tribulation, being heralded with the opening of the sixth seal and arriving with the first trumpet. Is this theory correct?"

The reason Lee Brainard keeps banging on about the pretribulation rapture is that his favourite false doctrine is failing and discerning Christians are rejecting it. (1 John 4:1). The pretrib rapture theory has troubled the church since the mid-19th century, and it presents a considerable threat to believers, especially those who will be alive during the 70th week of Daniel. There is no evidence that the early Fathers taught pretribulationism despite Brainard's best efforts to prove otherwise.1 I find increasingly that there is little to choose between NAR false prophets and pretrib "prophecy experts" who speculate and fail to rightly divide the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15). The pretrib camp are not doing the church any favours with their continual misapplication of Old Testament prophecies such as Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 38 and Jeremiah 49. Although believers are instructed to "keep watch" (Matthew 24:42), some are cashing in on the current world situation by promoting questionable theories about end-time events. The speculators would not take such delight in anticipating the day of the Lord if they knew they would face the Antichrist! (Amos 5:18). False prophets make great boasts and wonderful promises, but ultimately their words lead to false hope and tragedy! (Jeremiah 23:16).     

Defining "the day of the Lord" in the scriptures.  

To clarify the prewrath position: The rapture and the day of the Lord are back-to-back events i.e. the day of the Lord begins on the same day as the rapture after the sixth seal is broken. Brainard's skewed perception of the prewrath view of "the day of the Lord" is incorrect. He claims, it is wrong to view the day of the Lord as "a static chunk of time" separated from the first five seals. Brainard: "It doesn't start small and get big it starts full-blown wrath and it ends full blown wrath." The day of the Lord is distinguished from the previous 70th-week catastrophes during the first four seals (i.e. war famine and death). After the seventh seal is broken there is a pause (Revelation 8:1), and God begins to pour out His wrath directly from heaven via the seven angels' trumpet and bowl judgements. There is a progression as each trumpet judgement unfolds. (Revelation 8:6-13; 9:1-20, 16:1-20).    

Brainard: "Okay we got a three-and-a-half-year tribulation and immediately at the end of that tribulation these signs in the heavens happen. If they happen after the tribulation, they can't happen during the tribulation. They're going to happen at the second coming. there's zero room here to squeeze in one day much less 6 months or a year. This tribulation comes to an end, the Lord descends from Heaven he takes the Antichrist the false prophet throws those foul beings into the Lake of Fire.. " (29:00 mark)

If we accept Brainard's pretrib view, it is impossible to reconcile Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12-17. Furthermore, Brainard fails to take into account that the tribulation will be cut short. (Matthew 24:21-22). We must therefore conclude that the great tribulation ends immediately before, or coincides with, the sixth seal cosmic disturbances if we are to harmonize the scriptures. (2 Timothy 2:15).

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29).

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slaved and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

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 24:21-22).

The biblical pattern

The symbolism of the plagues of Egypt foreshadows "the day of the Lord". The day of the Lord is not a literal 24-hour day, it will be a period of unknown duration, lasting at least five months. (Revelation 9:5,10), when the Lord will bring ultimate judgement upon the world.

Alan Kurschner: "There is a biblical pattern where God supernaturally rescues his people just before he executes divine judgment upon the wicked. For example, this is memorably portrayed in the story of God’s plagues against Egypt, culminating in the deliverance of Israel from the hands of Pharaoh’s army that was ultimately destroyed in the Red Sea.. The day of the Lord is not a mere literal twenty-four day. It is the unified complex-whole of events starting with deliverance of the saints and followed by an undetermined period of judgment.2  

The locust plague in Joel 1:1-15 is viewed by the prophet as prefiguring the far worse calamity i.e. the day of the Lord. 

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown:"5. day of the Lord—(Joe 2:1, 11); that is, the day of His anger (Isa 13:9; Ob 15; Zep 1:7, 15). It will be a foretaste of the coming day of the Lord as Judge of all men, whence it receives the same name. Here the transition begins from the plague of locusts to the worse calamities (Joe 2:1-11) from invading armies about to come on Judea, of which the locusts were the prelude."3  

Who are the 24 elders?

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).

Brainard's attempt to place the rapture before the opening of the first seal and his argument that the twenty-four elders are representative of the church is based on a single verse of scripture. However, there is no mention of "a great multitude" in Revelation 4 and 5, whereas "a great multitude" (the redeemed) appears in Revelation 7. 

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.. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9,13-14).

Revelation 5:8-11 and different interpretations

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:8-11). 

The KJV differs from the majority of versions bible versions: ..And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

Alan Kurschner argues for the third person as the correct interpretation of the ransomed, as against the first person in Revelation 5: 8-11. Instead of "made us a kingdom" and "we shall reign on the earth", according to Kurschner, the best and oldest manuscripts use the third person "them" and "they".4  If this interpretation is correct, the twenty-four elders are not included in the ransomed people of God. 

Kurschner's argument is confirmed by various commentaries:

Pulpit Commentary: "And didst redeem unto God by thy blood out of every kindred, etc. Though the reading 'us' is supported by various manuscripts, and similarly the first person is used in ver. 10. yet, on the whole, it seems better to omit it, the phrase being taken in a partitve sense - 'Thou didst redeem unto God by thy blood some out of every kindred, etc., and hast made them, etc., and they shall reign.'"5

Cambridge Bible: "us] Should be omitted. The elders probably represent the whole multitude of the redeemed, but they are not here said to belong to their number, and the living creatures certainly do not. The true reading is, 'Thou wast slain, and hast purchased to God by Thy Blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nations, and hast made them unto our God a kingdom and priests, and they [shall] reign upon the earth.'”5   

Brainard's argument that the twenty-four elders represent the church fails on a number of levels. As demonstrated above, the majority of bible versions differentiate between the twenty-four elders and the church. Furthermore the KJV describes the four living creatures as "redeemed". However, the four living creatures are angelic beings who are not part of the redeemed church. 

And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

Now concerning 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 2:1-4).

     

1. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Lee Brainard (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
2. The Day of the Lord Begins with the Rapture | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
3. Joel 1 Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (biblehub.com)
4. Twenty Four Elders Archives | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
5. Revelation 5:9 Commentaries: And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (biblehub.com)

MARK BILTZ: 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE SORCERY

The total solar eclipse to cross North America on April 8, 2024 has given rise to negative speculations from various suspect bible teachers. According to NASA, "The Monday, April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean.."1 

False teacher and date setter Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries claims to be the first person to have discovered the blood moon phenomenon.2 These baseless speculations were promoted primarily by Mark Biltz, John Hagee, and Jonathan Cahn in 2014 and 2015. These three false teachers continue to speculate about the end times regardless of their past failures.

Wikipedia: "The prophecies stated that a tetrad (a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses—all total and coinciding on Jewish holidays—with six full moons in between, and no intervening partial lunar eclipses) which began with the April 2014 lunar eclipse was the beginning of the end times as described in the Bible in the Book of Joel 2:32, Acts 2:20 and Revelation 6:12. The tetrad ended with the lunar eclipse on September 27-28 2015." 3

In his latest offering, Biltz refers to the 2024 total solar eclipse: "The first of Nisan has a huge biblical meaning. It’s the beginning. And just like it’s the beginning of the inauguration of the Tabernacle, I believe it’s going to be the beginning of judgment upon America."4

Paul Begley: "It is truly a prophetic sign in the heavens, no doubt about that.. "5

Alton B Don Billingsley: "In view of Prophetic Biblical teachings, connected with major disastrous events, now occurring, and projected to worsen on a national and international scale over the next few years, strongly implies Jesus Christ will be standing on this earth in the year-2029."6

Genesis 1 describes the creation of the heavenly bodies and God's practical purpose in separating the day from the night and establishing time and seasons. 

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19).

Amplified Bible: Then God said, “Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God’s provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "8 signs, tokens of changes of weather & times Genesis 1:14 (P; of heavenly luminaries) אוֺתוֺת הַשָּׁמַיִם Jeremiah 10:2 (changes of the heavens as omens to frighten the nations) compare Psalm 65:9.7 

Genesis 1:14-19 is a powerful witness of God's attributes and allows no excuse for atheism: For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20).

A stern warning was given to the ancient Israelites regarding replicating the superstitions of "the nations" or "the heathen" and their practice of foretelling portents in the heavens. Jeremiah 10:2-3 is an allusion to the condemned Babylonian practice of astrology which corresponds to sorcery. (Isaiah 47:12-13).

Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. (Jeremiah 10:2). 

Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you. (Isaiah 47:12-13).

I am no fan of John Calvin, but in this instance, he gives a good sense of Jeremiah 10:2 "..certain inquisitive persons abuse this passages to give color to their frivolous predictions: I call those men Chaldeans and fanatics, who divine everything from the aspects of the stars. (69) Because Moses declares that the sun and moon were appointed for signs, they think themselves entitled to elicit from them anything they please. But confutation is easy: for they are called signs of certain things, not signs to denote whatever is according to our fancy. What indeed does Moses assert to be signified by them, except things belonging to the order of nature? For the same God who here ordains signs testifies by Isaiah that he ‘will dissipate the signs of the diviners,’ (Isaiah 44:25;) and forbids us to be ‘dismayed at the signs of heaven,’ (Jeremiah 10:2.) But since it is manifest that Moses does not depart from the ordinary custom of men, I desist from a longer discussion. The word מועדים (moadim,) which they translate ‘certain times’, is variously understood among the Hebrews: for it signifies both time and place, and also assemblies of persons. The Rabbis commonly explain the passage as referring to their festivals. But I extend it further to mean, in the first place, the opportunities of time, which in French are called saisons, (seasons;) and then all fairs and forensic assemblies. (70) Finally, Moses commemorates the unbounded goodness of God in causing the sun and moon not only to enlighten us, but to afford us various other advantages for the daily use of life. It remains that we, purely enjoying the multiplied bounties of God, should learn not to profane such excellent gifts by our preposterous abuse of them. In the meantime, let us admire this wonderful Artificer, who has so beautifully arranged all things above and beneath, that they may respond to each other in most harmonious concert."8  

Geneva Study Bible: "God forbids his people to give credit or fear the constellations and conjunctions of stars and planets which have no power of themselves but are governed by him, and their secret motions and influences are not known to man and therefore there can be no certain judgment of it, De 18:9."9

Clarke: "Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed - The Chaldeans and Egyptians were notoriously addicated to astrology; and the Israelites here are cautioned against it."10

No astronomical signs are mentioned by Jesus concerning the end of the age until the sixth seal is broken. (Revelation 6:12-14). The signs that believers are specifically warned about in the Olivet Discourse are spiritual deception, wars and rumours of wars, famines and earthquakes, persecution, apostasy, and the abomination of desolation. (Matthew 24: 4-15).

Extraordinary signs

Extraordinary signs relating directly to Jesus Christ:

Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2).

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. (Matthew 27:45).

The scriptures give information about specific extraordinary astronomical signs linked to end-times events. In particular, the sixth seal cosmic disturbances will be seen and experienced globally - they indicate the rapture and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and 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 heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).

And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14 cf. Joel 2:10,3:15; Isaiah 13:10,34:4).    

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Revelation 16:17-20).

Speculation regarding the coming eclipse go specifically against God's command not to learn the way of the heathen or to be dismayed by events in the heavens. Biltz and other fearmongers are nothing less than sorcerers and astrologers and should be avoided. (Romans 16:17).

For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:11-13).

1. 2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When - NASA Science
2. 'Blood moon' brings prophecies of end times – but Nasa says not to worry | Religion | The Guardian
3. Blood moon prophecy - Wikipedia
4. https://www.wnd.com/2024/02/biblical-expert-solar-eclipse-mark-beginning-judgment-upon-america/
5. Breaking "7 Planets In Line During Solar Eclipse" (youtube.com)
6. Biltz: Judgment of USA begins with solar eclipse April 8, 2024; Billinglesy: Jesus will be on earth in 2029; COGwriter: Accept God’s criteria for a prophet - Church of God News
7. Strong's Hebrew: 226. אוֹת (oth) -- a sign (biblehub.com
8. Genesis 1:14 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org
9. Jeremiah 10:2 Commentaries: Thus says the LORD, "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; (biblehub.com)
10. Jeremiah 10 Clarke's Commentary (biblehub.com)

Further Links

False Teacher and Failed Date Setter Mark Biltz Makes a Most Dangerous Statement: 'We are safe and have another seven years' (alankurschner.com)
The Questionable Teachings of Mark Biltz | Creation Today