Who am I?
Despite this blog’s focus on the papacy as it relates to end-time prophecy, I am not nor have I ever been Roman Catholic. I am an ordained evanglical minister concerned about people’s reactions to prophecies concerning the end times. My concern is not the prophecies themselves — my concern is that people will become so focused on the possibility of the end of the world that they will act in ways contrary to faith in God through Christ. If people start thinking — correctly or not — that the end of the world is right around the corner, they could start to panic, certainly a natural reaction. But if in fact the end of the world is near, then now–right now, this moment, is the time when we should start strengthening our faith and trust in God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
August 11, 2007 at 5:52 am
Dear –?–
I note your concern that “pre-tribbers” need to prepare themselves to go through the Great Tribulation, in case they are wrong about the timing of the rapture.
I contend that as long as any Christian is fully trusting and obeying Christ; then no event will cause them great anxiety.
Indeed, I would be quite “happy” to go through most of the Tribulation, and would consider it a *great* honour if I suffered and was beheaded for the sake of Christ.
August 11, 2007 at 6:15 am
Dear Ross,
You hit the nail on the head when you said “as long as any Christian is fully trusting and obeying Christ; then no event will cause them great anxiety.” My concern is that far too many Christians will be trusting this faulty notion that they will be raptured before the Tribulation more than they will be trusting Christ. The notion of a pre-trib rapture is very sinister because it builds up a false hope in people that they won’t be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for Christ, and so complacency sets in, and when they are faced with the reality first of all of having to go through the Tribulation and proclaim their faith in the one true Christ, and to very possibly be martyred for taking a stand for Him, if they have not prepared themselves spiritually to endure tremendous hardship no matter what it takes for the sake of Christ, so many people will be tempted to literally sell their souls to Satan to preserve their earthly lives because they will not have become willing to suffer for Christ. And if people have been putting their hope and trust in an early exit, so to speak, instead of nurturing and strengthening their relationship with Christ, they will be tempted to abandon Christ because they find it too hard to follow Him. Just like in John 6 when so many turned away from Jesus and no longer followed Him (verse 66, I believe), so it will be with so many at the time of the Tribulation who will be thinking that the Lord would give them an early and easy exit instead of calling them to take up their cross and follow Him, even at the cost of their earthly life. The bottom line is whether they are going to trust Christ more than they trust this notion of a pre-trib rapture.
Chad