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All right, so we are sort of continuing the sermon that I started last week, but it is a little bit different. The sermon last week was on the tribulation. I think I caught it, misunderstandings on the tribulation, something along those lines. So we're not gonna rehash the entire sermon, but I do wanna get my setup now. Now, if you may remember, I used my pulpit, the width of the pulpit, to describe that future seven-year period to come, which some people call the whole thing the tribulation by mistake. Actually, if we put the midpoint as the stapler here, the midpoint, I won't drop the stapler this time, but the midpoint is the stapler. I've still got this box, the sun and moon, which are darkened. Remember that period of time from the midpoint to the time the sun and moon are darkened is a maximum of 75 days. And then we have Christ's return when the sun and moon are darkened. We still have this period of time left after Christ's return, which is when God pours out his wrath, the seven trumpets and the seven vials. And from this point here, the beginning of the seven years to the midpoint, is known as the beginning of sorrows, okay, with his kingdom against kingdom, pestilences, famines, et cetera, also described in the book of Revelation as the four horsemen, okay? The four horsemen that you read about in Revelation chapter five. Now, what I want to do as well, well, let me just see if I've got anything else. No, okay. We'll leave it there. So if we have a look at 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse number 15, we're looking at the most famous passage on the rapture. And the title for the sermon this evening is arguments for the pre-tribulation rapture, arguments for the pre-tribulation rapture. So if this entire thing represents seven years, those that teach a pre-tribulation rapture would say the rapture takes place just before these seven years begin. And as I had told you now, actually, Jesus Christ, the rapture takes place after the sun of the moon of darkness, okay? At the end of the seven years, Christ comes on a white horse, the battle of Armageddon, he comes with the saints on white horses, and they come and defeat the antichrist and the armies of the antichrist, okay? So that's separate from the rapture which takes place here, separate from when Christ comes in Revelation chapter 19 on a white horse. So one of the things that people often say, because this position is a post-tribulation, because it's after the tribulation, but pre-wrath, they'll say, well, you don't believe in the rapture. Of course we believe in the rapture. We just believe that the timing of the rapture is different. So if you look at, once again, 1 Thessalonians four, verse number 15, let's just understand that the rapture is a biblical teaching, okay? The Bible does not have the word rapture, but the word rapture basically means to be taken away, okay? So 1 Thessalonians four, 15 says, "'For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, "'that we which are alive and remain "'unto the coming of the Lord "'shall not prevent them which are asleep, "'for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven "'with a shout, amen.'" The Lord's going to descend from heaven. "'With the voice of the archangel "'and with the trump of God "'and the dead in Christ shall rise first, "'then we which are alive and remain "'shall be caught up together with them in the clouds "'to meet the Lord in the air, "'and so shall we ever be with the Lord.'" Okay, so let me make it very clear, I believe in the rapture. Now, the more biblical term, the better term that I prefer to use, just from the Bible standpoint, is the resurrection. Because the resurrection takes place at the rapture. It's when we receive our new resurrected bodies and we go up to be in the clouds with the Lord Jesus Christ, okay? Our church holds a position, it happens at this point after the tribulation, but before God pours out his wrath, the pre-tribulation rapture teaches that it happens over here, okay? So there's a significant period of time, not that significant, I guess when you think about all of human history, but it is a few years difference there between the pre-tribulation rapture and the post-trib pre-wrath rapture. And I said the title for the sermon this evening is arguments for the pre-tribulation rapture. So look, there are many arguments for, now the reason I call this arguments for is because you may recall last week, I said that they have no Bible verses, and it is 100% true. You're not gonna find any Bible verses that says that Christ has come in before the tribulation, okay? Now, as I said, an honest pastor would admit that, okay? So they haven't got verses for a pre-tribulation rapture, what they have is arguments for. So they'll argue, they'll try to reason, okay? They'll try to use, you know, just reasoning and what's the word I'm looking for? I can't remember what I'm looking for right now. Let's say arguments, right? To describe, well, the Bible, the gist of the Bible is pre-trib. The feeling, you know, the expectation, God just expects us to know that it's pre-trib. And so when we read the passage on the end times, we just come with that thought that was pre-trib, okay? When the Bible actually black and white states that it is like post-trib pre-rapture, okay? So we'll look at that shortly. Now, I already kind of touched upon it last week, okay? But last week, as I said, it was mostly on the tribulation period. Now we're gonna be focusing on the rapture. So please take your Bibles and turn to Matthew 24. Turn to Matthew 24. And when you ask a pre-tribber, why do you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture? I think the most common verse that is used is gonna be found here in Matthew 24. So let's turn there. Matthew 24 and verse number 36. Matthew 24 and verse number 36. Very famous verse. It says, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. See what I'm saying? See, no one knows. It's gonna catch us by surprise. We're just gonna be living our life and it's just gonna happen at any moment. You know, it could happen two seconds from now. It could happen after the service. It could happen tonight. It could happen tomorrow morning. It could happen anytime. We don't know. It's a pre-tribulation rapture. It's not caught by any signs. Let's keep going to verse number 37. But as the days of knoweth were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So you can see it's tiring with the coming of the Son of Man. Of course, Jesus Christ being the Son of Man. And they'll say, since nobody knows, then it's gotta be a pre-tribulation rapture. But my question to you is, is this verse saying that it's before the tribulation? No, it's just saying no man knows the day or the hour. Now, even though I said this period of time is a maximum of 75 days, I still don't know the day or the hour. I don't know when this 70 period begins, okay? I have no idea. It doesn't, whatever position you hold on the rapture, no one claims, unless you're a complete lunatic, no one claims that they know the day or the hour, okay? Knowing the day over the hour does not prove that rapture takes place before the tribulation. It doesn't even prove that it takes place after the tribulation, okay? But let's keep going. It says for verse number 38, for as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So let me ask you brethren, did anybody know? No, it says here they didn't know, but no one knew the day of the flood, okay? And that's the same truth. You know, when the sun and moon are darkened, that's the day that we're gonna know. That's the day that we can lift up our heads for our redemption, Jor-El 9. Now what's hilarious about, now I'm sure we've heard, preacher after preacher, online or maybe in church, continually say that this is proof for the pre-trib rapture, that no man knows the day or the hour. But what's hilarious about this, that look, that's verse number 36. If you just go, just drop down, sorry, go up, I should say, to verse number 29, in the same chapter, verse number 29, okay? Just seven verses before, seven verses before it says, no man knows the day or the hour. What does it say in verse number 29? Immediately after the tribulation of those days, immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, there it is, that's the thing, right? And the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, tell you, that's what 1 Thessalonians 4 just told us, right? And they shall gather together his elects from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. So Christ comes back when? The sun and moon are darkened immediately after the tribulation of those days. And then as we keep going, we get to verse number 36, but of that day and hour, no man knoweth, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. The coming of the Son of Man is referenced there in verse number 37, speaking of no man after the hour, it's also referenced there about the Son of Man coming in verse number 30, following immediately after the tribulation of those days. So what's amazing about this is so many pre-tribbers, they quote no man knoweth the day of the hour, but they don't just, they don't read the whole chapter. They just have that one verse, they isolate that one verse, or this proves a pre-trib rapture. When you just go back a few verses and it proves the rapture after the tribulation. So, you know, it's ridiculous. Can you please turn to Mark 13? Mark 13, verse number 32, sorry. Yeah, Mark 13, verse number 32, Mark 13, verse number 32. If Matthew, if that one passage doesn't convince you, then let's go to Mark 13, verse number 32. And it says here, but of that day and that hour knoweth no man, know not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is. Hey, there it is again, no man knows the day of the hour, right? Only the Father knows. And again, the pre-tribbers, well, this, maybe this one, maybe this one has before the tribulation. Well, again, they make the mistake, if you just go up to verse number 24, okay? It's the same teaching. It's a parallel passage from Matthew 24. Go to verse number 24, Mark 13, 24. But in those days, after that tribulation, shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken, and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory, and then shall he send his angels, and he shall gather together his elect from the four winds from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Praise God, the Bible's very consistent, okay? After that tribulation, immediately after the tribulation of those days, okay? Shall the Son of Man be darkened, and then Christ comes, the Son of Man, okay? Sending his angels to gather his elect to heaven. Praise God, the Bible's consistent. So again, no man knows the day of the hour of Christ coming, but we know it's after the tribulation, praise God, okay? That's the biblical position. So that argument for a pre-trib rapture just falls flat. All right, let's go to Revelation chapter three. Revelation chapter three and verse number 10, you know? And again, they haven't got verses that just say that Christ is coming before the tribulation, but we have verses that say Christ is coming after the tribulation, okay? I mean, that should put to rest immediately anybody that believes in a pre-trib rapture, okay? But let's go to Revelation chapter three, verse number 10. This is probably the next verse that they use to teach that the rapture is before the tribulation. Revelation chapter three, verse number 10. And of course, this is Christ writing or speaking to the churches here, the seven churches in the book of Revelation. But in Revelation chapter three, verse number 10, it says, "'Because thou has kept the word of my patience, "'I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, "'which shall come upon all the world "'to try them that dwell upon the earth.'" So you see, Christ is gonna keep us from the hour of temptation. So what they mean by that, what the pre-tribbers mean by that is not that Christ will keep you from the hour, what they do, because they don't take the Bible literally in this aspect, they'll say, "'Well, the hour, it's not an hour, it's seven years. "'God's gonna keep you from the seven years.'" Because they believe the entire seven years is tribulation. So he's gonna keep us from the hour, or it should have been seven years. And then they'll say, well, what else does it say there? From the hour of temptation. Say, well, okay, maybe it could be tribulation. The Bible says temptation. I know they both start with the letter T, but the different words, temptation and tribulation, are different things. I can be tempted to sin, but tribulation are trials, okay? They're difficulties that you go through. It's different from being tempted, all right? Temptations, tribulations, these are two different things. And brethren, an hour is not seven years. You're not gonna find anywhere in the Bible that equates an hour to a seven-year period. No way, okay? But again, the pre-tribbers, they want you to read the Bible like this. Say, well, this is why you can't just read the Bible. This is why you gotta go to Bible college. This is why you have to go listen to this prophecy expert so you actually get taught that an hour in your brain equals seven years, okay? There's a reason why God puts an hour, okay? So this is just nonsense. And this is how they want you to read the Bible. They don't want you to take it literally. They want you to read it, and then they wanna tell you what it actually truly means according to their dispensational doctrines, okay? Now, what is this actually about, though? People ask me, well, if it's not about being delivered from or being raptured before seven years of tribulation, what is it about? And I don't think it's that complicated because when we use the Bible, we're supposed to compare scripture with scripture, okay? And if you just keep your, well, you don't have to keep your finger there, but go to Luke chapter eight for me. Go to Luke chapter eight, verse number 11. Luke 8, 11. Luke 8, 11, we're looking at the parable of the sower, okay? And I haven't got time to go for the whole parable right now, but if you look at the parable of the sower and how Christ teaches on this doctrine, Luke chapter eight, verse 11, it says, now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear, then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their heart. So you can see the word's taken out there, okay? Lest they should believe and be saved so that they, the word gets taken out of the heart by the devil so they can't believe and they can't be saved, okay? Let's keep going. Because remember in Revelation 3, 10, it says, for those that have kept the word of his patience, these people are unable to keep that word. It's been taken away from them by the devil. Let's keep going, verse number 13. They on the rock are they, which when they hear receive the word with joy, and these have no roots, which for a while believe, so they do believe, okay? And what must you do to be saved? Must believe from the Lord Jesus Christ, so they do believe. These are saved people, but then it says this, and in time of temptation, fall away. So what's the hour of temptation? When you're tempted, okay? When you have some challenges in life, right? And these people, yeah, they get saved, but I guess they don't get plugged into a good church. They don't get a fellowship with God. They're not reading the Bibles. They're not living a faithful Christian life, and the temptations of the world come and they fall away. By the way, the Bible tells us that in the last times, there's going to be a great falling away, okay? And these are those that give into temptation, okay? Now, this is a time of temptation. When we looked at Revelation chapter three, it said that God will keep us from the hour of temptation. Well, how is it that we're kept from the hour of temptation? How is it that we're kept from falling away from God's truth? Well, let's keep going, verse number 14. It says, and that which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Verse number 15, but that on the good ground are they, which, look at this, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, so we hear God's word preached, look at this, heard the word, keep it. So what was God promising the church that kept his word? Well, they're going to be delivered from the hour of temptation. They're not going to fall away, okay? So having heard the word, keep it, look at this, and bring forth fruits with patience. What is bringing forth fruits? That is winning souls, preaching the gospel, seeing people saved. We bring forth that righteous fruit of the tree of life, okay, and we do that with patience. So if in Revelation 3, 10, it says that you've kept the word of my patience, this is meaning we've kept God's word, we've got out, we've been preaching the gospel, seeing people saved, and he's going to keep us from the hour of temptation, from the time of temptation. He's going to keep us from being tempted and fall away from the truth. This tells us that if we don't keep God's word in our heart, if we don't prepare ourselves to bring forth fruit, then we can be Christians that fall in the hour of temptation and give into our lusts and fall away, okay? Don't forget that in the last days, this is going to be a great falling away. And so if we just compare Scripture with Scripture, we see all of these elements in the parable of the sower, it makes perfect sense, okay? So no, this is not proof that Christ is coming before the tribulation. Where did it say that Christ is coming before the tribulation in that verse? All right, now you're in Revelation, please go to Revelation chapter, anyway, go back to Revelation now, go to Revelation chapter four, please. Go to Revelation chapter four. The next verse that they use, they'll say, well, John, the apostle John, because he's the one that wrote the book of Revelation, he was raptured to heaven before God started, before the tribulation period started, okay? Before that seven year period started that which they call the tribulation, they say John was taken up to heaven before that. And yes, they're actually correct. You know, when you look at the book of Revelation, John was taken up to heaven before God starts showing John about all the events of tribulation. So they'll say here in Revelation chapter four, verse number one, after this, I looked, that's John the apostle speaking about himself. I looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet, oh, there's a trumpet, right? Talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit and behold, a throne was set in heaven, the one, sorry, and one sat on the throne. So we have John, we hear this voice of God, sounds like a trumpet there, dun, dun, dun, dun, and then he finds himself in heaven before God's throne. Okay, so we'll see he's raptured before the tribulation begins. All right, but is this evidence that, you know, that Christ is coming before the tribulation? Is this even evidence of a rapture, okay? Now, first thing I want you to notice is that it says in verse number one, after this, I looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And then it says, and the first voice which I heard, so is he speaking singular here or is he saying, speaking in a plurality? You know, is this a rapture of all the saints or is this just one person going to heaven? Well, first, number one, it's one guy going to heaven. The rapture is not one guy going to heaven, the rapture is all the believers, all the saints being caught up into heaven, okay? That's point number one. Point number two, it says, and the first voice which I heard wasn't as it were, of a trumpet talking with me. So it wasn't a trumpet, but his voice was as it were a trumpet. It's like a trumpet, it's loud, it blasts like a trumpet, but it's not a trumpet. And in the rapture, we actually have an actual trumpet blow. It's not something that is like a trumpet, it literally is a trumpet that blows into the rapture. That's number two, this is not the rapture. You know, it's not tied in the rapture. But then if we look at verse number two, it says, and immediately I was in the spirit. So was John bodily caught up to heaven? No, he's spiritually in heaven. His body was still on the earth. His body was still on the Isle of Patmos. And in the rapture, our bodies, hey, they come out of the graves if we've died, our bodies are changed and it's caught up to heaven. The rapture is a bodily resurrection of all believers, okay? And there's an actual trumpet that blows. So there are three elements of Revelation chapter four that doesn't line up with the rapture whatsoever. This is John being caught up into heaven so he could see future events, so God could explain future events to him so he could write the book of Revelation for us. Keep your finger there, go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, please. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 51. We're looking at the second most popular passage on the rapture, 1 Corinthians 15, 51. Whether you're pre-triba, whether you're post-trib or pre-raff or whatever you are, brethren, everyone agrees that 1 Corinthians 15 is about the rapture, all right? Verse number 51. The Bible says, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, that's not, we won't all die, but we shall all be changed. Our bodies are gonna be changed. Why are our bodies gonna be changed? Because the rapture is a bodily resurrection. Verse number 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, now remember we had God's voice that sounded as he were a trumpet, but look at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound. So it's an actual literal trumpet. It's not something that is like a trumpet or as he were a trumpet, no, it is a trumpet, okay? For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible, that's our corruptible bodies, must put on incorruption and this mortal, that's our mortal bodies, must put on immortality because our bodies are resurrected. Our bodies are taken to heaven at the rapture, okay? It's not a spiritual thing. It's a, well, our spirits are caught up as well. Our spirits go back into that resurrected body, but it's a bodily resurrection, okay? So Revelation chapter four, John being caught up in the spirit, that is not the rapture. It's not even close to being in the rapture. All right, can you please turn to Genesis chapter five? Genesis chapter five and verse number 24. And again, what did John being caught up into heaven anyway have to do with when Christ is coming? You know, did it mention that Christ is coming before the tribulation or after tribulation? It wasn't even mentioned, but this is what they use, right? Again, it's not verses, it's arguments for the pre-tribulation rapture, which of course it doesn't, the Bible doesn't have it. Listen, I would be a believer of the pre-tribulation rapture if the Bible told me Christ is coming before the tribulation, okay? We're meant to build our doctrines on the Bible. We're meant to be Bible students. We're meant to believe what God's word says and not just create arguments that match up with our dispensational beliefs or whatever it is that's causing you to believe that way. Genesis 5 24, Genesis 5 24 says, and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. Praise God for Enoch, what an experience. God took him to heaven, okay? And what we have here is the pre-tribulation will say, see, Enoch was raptured before God flooded the earth. Remember in the days of Noah, Noah created the ark and the flood came and destroyed the earth. So Enoch was raptured, they'll say, before God flooded the earth. And that proves that the rapture is going to be before that seven year period, future period to come, okay? Well, before the tribulation. Now, if you don't read your Bible carefully, I guess you could fall for that. You could think, well, yeah, Enoch was taken just before God flooded the earth, right? To parallel a pre-tribulation rapture. Let me just show you how silly that is. All right, now let's go up a little bit, verse number 21. Let's learn a little bit about the timing of everything here. Verse number 21, and Enoch lived 60 and five years and begat Methuselah. So his son Methuselah was born when Enoch was 65. Verse number 22, and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were 365 years. So Enoch lived for 365 years and then God took him to heaven. All right, so 365 years he lived and Methuselah was born when he was 65 years old. Let's keep going, verse number 25. It says, and Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Lamech. All right, so when was Lamech, that's Enoch's grandson born? Well, when Methuselah lived 187 years. So here's how we start calculating this. When was Enoch taken? How long before the flood was Enoch taken? Well, we take the 65 years when he gave birth to Methuselah and then Methuselah gave birth to Lamech when he was 187. So we add 65 plus 187, and we get 252 years, okay? So let's keep that in mind, 252 years so far. Let's drop down to verse number 28. And Lamech lived 182 years and begat a son and he called his name Noah. Now we have Noah on the scene, right? This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil for our hands because of the ground which the Lord have cursed. So now we have to add the 182 years from the time that Lamech had his son, Noah, okay? So that was 252 years plus 182 years, right? And you add that and you get 434 years, okay? 434 years. Now what we need to do from that 434 years is subtract the 365 years that Enoch lived, okay? If that makes sense, all right? Because we're trying to work out from the time Enoch was taken up by God, okay? So we take the 434 years, we subtract 365 years and we're left to the number of 69 years, okay? 69 years from the time that Enoch was taken by God, raptured as they say, which he wasn't raptured by the way, but let me just say, that's what they say, raptured, okay? 69 years later, Noah was born. All right, let's keep going. If we go to Genesis chapter seven now, go to Genesis chapter seven, verse number 11. Now we wanna work out when the flood came, okay? Because they're parallel in the flood with the rapture. They say, well, it's a pre-trib rapture, okay? Well, let's work out when the flood came in Noah's life. So Genesis chapter seven, verse number 11, Genesis 7-11, it says, in the 600th year of Noah's life in the second month, the 17th day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. So when did the flood come? When Noah was 600 years old. All right, so we have the 69 years from the time that Enoch was taken by God to the time that Noah was born. And then we have Noah live in 600 years and then the flood comes. So we gotta add 69 to 600. So the total there is 669 years. Enoch was so-called raptured 669 years before the flood came. And our pre-trib brethren say, well, that proves the pre-trib rapture. What in the world? You know, they don't believe that the rapture is going to take place 669 years before the tribulation. They believe the rapture takes place just before the tribulation begins or the seven year period begins. So this doesn't even come close to teaching. You can't even parallel this to a pre-tribulation rapture. That's number one, okay? Number two, Enoch was not raptured. Yes, he was taken to heaven. Yes, you know what? Every time an Old Testament Saint died, he went to heaven. I've already proved this from the Bible in previous sermons, okay? But again, 1 Corinthians 15, maybe you turn away from there. 1 Corinthians 15, verse number 22. Let me just prove to you that Enoch was not raptured. Enoch did not receive his new resurrected body, all right? 1 Corinthians 15, verse 22. 1 Corinthians 15, 22 says, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Verse number 23, But every man, every man, that includes Enoch, every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits. So who's the first to be resurrected with a new resurrected body? Christ is the first. Christ the firstfruits. Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. The first to be resurrected with a new resurrected body, reverend, the first to be raptured as it were, is Jesus Christ himself. After he came out of the tomb, he had a new resurrected body, okay? And then 50 days later, he was taken up into heaven. That's the first rapture. Christ the firstfruits. And then at his coming, after the sun and moon are dark and when Christ, the day that Christ comes, those that are his, then will receive the new resurrected bodies, including Enoch. Enoch's gonna come back with his, in soul and spirit, take up that body and be taken up into heaven. All right, so nobody was raptured. No one received the new resurrected bodies before Jesus Christ. Christ is the firstfruits. All right, please turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter five, verse number nine. 1 Thessalonians chapter five, verse number nine. You know, if you've been in a independent Baptist church, you know that these verses are verses they use, all right? I'm not setting up straw men here and taking them down. You know, they use these verses for their arguments for a pre-tribulation rapture. But 1 Thessalonians chapter five, verse number nine. It says, for God have not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. They say, see, we're not appointed to God's wrath. And so they look at the entire seven year period and they say, well, that entire seven year is the tribulation. But then they confuse and conflate the entire seven years. And they say, well, the whole thing is God's wrath as well. I proved to you last week. No, that's not true. We have the beginning of sorrows for the first three and a half years. Then we have the tribulation for a maximum of 75 days. The sun and moon are dark and Christ comes in the clouds. Then we have the rest of the three and a half year period, which is when God pulls out his wrath, okay? Got the tribulation, God's wrath is separated by the sun and moon being darkened. And actually this proves to us that the pre-wrath position is correct. Because I agree, for God have not appointed us to wrath because God's wrath begins here. And guess when we're raptured? Right here, okay? This whole period is not God's wrath. But see, they'll say, well, we're not appointed to wrath and they're correct, but God's wrath begins here. Yes, of course, we're not appointed to God's wrath because Christ is gonna come and rapture us when the sun and moon are darkened. Now, it's very clear that we're not appointed to wrath, but in the same book, in the same book there, 1 Thessalonians, let's just go back a few, that no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. So are we appointed to something? Okay, we're not appointed to wrath, but it told us here that we're appointed to afflictions. Verse number four, keep going. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass as ye know. So what is it saying here? We should suffer tribulation. We are appointed to afflictions and tribulations, but we're not appointed to wrath, all right? Look at that seven year period, okay? The tribulation begins, all right? The rapture has not occurred yet because we're appointed to afflictions, we're appointed to tribulations, but we're not appointed to God's wrath, which is why the rapture takes place when the sun and moon are darkened, okay? So again, 1 Thessalonians five, nine, not appointed to wrath, amen, but that doesn't prove that Christ is coming before the tribulation. Again, they're just using arguments, okay? They're trying to reason, you know, and yeah, I mean, it's not, they haven't got the Bible verses that say that Christ is coming before the tribulation, okay? And remember, they're the ones that call it a pre-tribulation rapture. What does that mean? Pre, before the tribulation. The rapture is before the tribulation according to them. So where's the verse that says that? Okay, where is the, we say it's post-tribulation, amen. It's after the tribulation, pre-wrath, amen. We have all these words for us immediately after the tribulation we're not appointed to God's wrath, amen, but we are appointed to afflictions and tribulations. We actually have verses that teach this, okay? That point to this. What do they have? Arguments, all right? They're faulty, illogical arguments that they create for this false doctrine. All right, now you're in 1 Thessalonians, go to 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse number 18. 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse number 18. They'll say, well, it's gotta be before the tribulation because the pre-tribulation rapture is comforting. And it kind of is comforting. You know, I wish we're never afflicted. I wish I never have to go through tribulation, but I know that tribulation will give patience, okay? I know that tribulation is going to make us better Christians, more mature, okay? We're going to earn rewards in heaven. In fact, I'd rather go for the tribulations because for all eternity I can rejoice with the great rewards that God would give us so long as we remain faithful to Him when we go through afflictions. But they'll read here in 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse number 18, they'll say, wherefore, and we read this before, it's about the rapture. It says, wherefore comfort one another with these words. So you see, God wants us to be comforted. So in the pre-tribulation, that's comforting. That means we're not going to go through all these trials in a seven-year period. We're not going to go through tribulation. Boy, that's comforting, they'll say. Yeah, I guess it's comforting, all right? But you know what? That's not what this is about. That's not what the comfort is about, okay? So all we have to do to figure out what the comfort is is backtrack a little bit and look at verse, backtrack to verse number 13, please, verse number 13. Let's look at what the comfort is about within context of this passage. Is the comfort that Christ is coming before the tribulation? Is the comfort saying that we're not going to face tribulation, is that the comfort? No, it says here in verse number 13, I would not have you be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. So the Apostle Paul is telling the church here, I don't want you to sorrow the way that others sorrow, the unsaved, those that have no hope, don't sorrow in the same way for those that have, which are asleep, those that have died. You know, your brethren, believers, that have died before you, you don't need to sorrow in the same way, okay? Why don't we have to sorrow in the same way? Because the unbeliever, they don't know what the future holds, they don't know about eternity. They don't know if they'll ever see their loved ones again. But it says here in verse number 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them, also which sleep, those that have died, in Jesus will God bring with him. God's gonna bring them again. Verse number 15, for this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, there's the trumpet again, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, that's the dead that have gone before us. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. What's the great comfort here? That we're gonna see our loved ones again, those that have died before us. They're gonna be raptured first, they're gonna be in the clouds first, we're gonna be with them in the clouds with Jesus Christ, we're gonna see our loved ones again, our saved brethren, our saved loved ones, we're gonna see them again. So we don't have to sorrow like those that have no hope, brethren. And then it says in verse number 18, wherefore comfort one another with these words. What words? That we're gonna see them once again, that we're gonna be caught up together, and we're gonna be together with Jesus Christ for all eternity. That's the comfort, that's the comfort of these words. Where in these words did it say that Christ is coming before the tribulation, or you're gonna avoid the tribulation, therefore that's the comfort. That's not the comfort of these words, the comfort of these words is that we're gonna see saved loved ones again that have died before us, and that we're gonna be with Christ forever. That's the comfort, and that is comforting. That is comforting. So these pre-tribbers, again, they pull these verses, they take it out of context, and I feel sorry for them. I wish they just faced reality, they just understand that the rapture before the tribulation is nowhere in the Bible. Look, they can believe it if they want. I'm happy to be their friend, I love them, I'll encourage them in the Lord, I won't even try to convince them otherwise. You know, if they're my brother in Christ and that's what they wanna believe, fine. But at least admit that it's not in the Bible. At least admit you've gotta create arguments for it rather than read clear Bible passages, okay? And once you come to that truth, and you've got an open and sincere heart, God's gonna lead you to the truth that the rapture takes place after the tribulation, but before God pulls out his wrath. All right, can you please now go to Matthew 24 once again, Matthew 24, verse number 29? Matthew 24, verse number 29, you say, well, okay, there's no verses for a pre-tribulation rapture. And I was speaking to my pastor once, I won't name him because I love him, and I appreciate him. But I was speaking to my pastor once and I basically said to him, so would you admit at least, at this point in my life, I wasn't sure whether they really had any verses or not, and I just said to him, so would you admit that there are no verses for the pre-tribulation rapture? And instead of saying no, in fact, another pastor said no, but well, like there are no verses, instead of just saying no, there are no verses, he said to me, well, do you have any verses that it's after the tribulation? And I was like, absolutely, okay? I mean, what kind of argument is that? Have you got verses? I don't want to say no, but do you have verses for a post-trib? Like saying that I don't have verses. So now we just got above what, create just arguments for what we believe. That's not how we want to build our doctrine. That's not how we believe the Bible. We take God's word at face value. We see what God says, we believe it, and we place our faith on God's word. Reverend, that's what God loves. He loves someone that places his faith on his word. All right? So of course we have verses. I've already read some of them. Let's just repeat what they are. Matthew 24, verse number 29. Praise God. Go to Mark 13, verse number 24. Go to Mark 13, verse number 24. Mark 13, verse number 24. And they'll say, no, that's Christ coming on the horse. Where does it say Christ is coming on the horse here? No, this is not Armageddon, okay? Christ still has to pour out his wrath, the seven trumpets, the seven vials. Then at the end of the seven years, he comes on his white horse, okay? If you may recall, the son of Meneth darkened in the book of Revelation at the sixth seal. We still haven't gone into the trumpets and the vials, which is the wrath of God, okay? Anyway, Mark 13, verse 24. Mark 13, verse 24. I mean, we have this for us not just once in the Bible. This is something that should be easy to understand. This is something that God does not want to be confused in. Let no man deceive you. Mark 13, 24. But in those days, or what days? After that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give a light. After that tribulation, all right? And the stars of heaven shall fall and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the son of man come in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the outermost part of the earth to the outermost part of heaven. Praise God that we have this repetition. We have these parallel passages and Christians are still confused. I don't understand, okay? Oh, I do understand. I understand what's happened. I taught about dispensationalism. I taught about the misunderstandings of the tribulation period. I understand, but what I don't understand is why believers don't go, well, let me put all of that aside. Let me just go to God's word and let me just believe and trust what God's word says in black and white. That's what I don't understand. Why would you exchange that faith in God's word, what he has written, with all the education that comes from Bible college? Bible college is nonsense if it's contrary to God's word. Please go to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. Now, one thing that I want you to remember when we look at this seven-year period to come, at the midpoint, what took place? Whether you're a pre-tribba, whether you're a post-tribba or pre-rapha, we all agree the same thing. At the midpoint, the Antichrist will claim to be God, he'll claim to be worship, he desired to be worshiped and will bring in that mark of the beast technology to be worshiped, okay? Which is what brings on the great tribulation, okay? But that's when the man of sin, that's when the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint, okay? Now, if you look at 2 Thessalonians 2, verse number one, what other verses have we got that the rapture takes place after the tribulation? Well, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse number one, now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, is this about God's Christ coming? Absolutely. And by our gathering together unto him, are we gonna be gathered together? Yeah, it's the rapture, amen. That ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, that the day of Christ is at hand. What's the day of Christ? The day of Christ, we can look at other verses, I don't have time right now, but it's about the rapture, it's when Christ is coming, okay? Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day, what day? The day of Christ, the day of the rapture, for that day shall not come, it's not gonna come, the rapture's not gonna come, except, so something's gonna happen first, except the come are falling away first. Who are those that fall away? Those that give in to temptation, okay? Those that have not kept God's word, those that have not been faithfully preaching God's word to the lost, okay? Many are gonna fall away, okay? But then it says, and, so what else has to come? And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, when is he revealed? At the midpoint, okay? That's when the great tribulation begins, okay? So guess what? Is the rapture, is Christ coming going to happen before the man of sin is revealed, which is over here, the pre-tribbers? No, okay? What did it say? For that day shall not come, except the come are falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. So this has to come first before the rapture. Is that consistent with a post-trib pre-rap position? Absolutely. Is it consistent with a pre-trib rapture? No, it's contradictive, okay? It's against God's word, okay? So we don't just have Matthew 24, okay? We have multiple passages that prove to us Christ coming is after the tribulation. This passage is after the man of sin is revealed, all right? Now, my favorite portion of the scripture that proves that the rapture takes place after the tribulation, okay? My favorite passage, and I haven't heard a lot of pastors preach this. In fact, I don't think I've heard any other pastor preach this, but it's just so basic in the Bible, it's so clear, okay? Go to Revelation chapter seven, please. Go to Revelation chapter seven, verse number 14. Revelation chapter seven and verse number 14. Revelation 7, 14 says, you may recall this great multitude that appears in heaven. We looked at it last week, but it says, and I said unto him, sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation. Okay, the great tribulation takes place here. They came out of that great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb, so these are saved people. Therefore are they before the throne of God and they serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat, for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters. Now the next point is important. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Praise God. So these that go through the great tribulation and then they come out of that, they stand before God's throne, God's gonna wipe away all the tears from their eyes. Why would they be tearful? Well, I believe it's because they've just gone for that great tribulation. They've gone for that great affliction, that great persecution against God's people. It's been a time of difficulty. There's been tears cried at the, let's say, is it the rapture? Well, we can see these people did go for the great tribulation. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Now, please turn to Isaiah 25. Isaiah 25. Isaiah 25. Isaiah 25 speaks about this time when God is going to wipe away the tears from their eyes. So Isaiah 25, verse number eight. Isaiah 25 and verse number eight. What I love about this is that there are many pre-tribbers that will say, I don't know if they will say this, but many do. They'll say that the Old Testament saints, the Old Testament Jews, they knew nothing. The Israelites of old, they knew nothing about the rapture, okay? Which is so Christ never taught on the rapture or something, okay? This was only, you know, Paul only taught it, you know, to the churches or something like this. And so what I love about it is the fact that Isaiah knows about the rapture. In fact, maybe I'll preach this one day. You know, there are multiple Old Testament saints that knew about the rapture, okay? But Isaiah 25, verse eight, please. Isaiah 25, verse eight. He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. Wow, okay? So there's the parallel there from, in Revelation chapter seven, okay? God's going to wipe away the tears off their eyes, off the faces, okay? To whom? To those that went through the great tribulation, okay? Why is that? Well, because if our position is correct, Christ came at the rapture, took up his saints and they're standing before the Lord God, all right? Now let's keep going. Verse number, sorry, I'll read verse number eight again. He will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord have spoken it. Now look at verse number nine. And it shall be said in that day. What day? The day that he wipes away the tears, right? This is our God. We have waited for him. That's interesting, we have waited for him. And he will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. But why do they wait for him? Well, I'm telling you because they went for the great tribulation. They were waiting for the Lord's salvation, waiting for the Lord's deliverance. They're caught up to heaven. God wipes away the tears from their faces. But look at verse eight once again. He will swallow up death in victory, okay? He will swallow up death in victory. He will swallow up death in victory. I want that phrase stuck in your head because now I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 15, please. 1 Corinthians 15, verse number 51. 1 Corinthians 15, 51. As I said to you, 1 Corinthians 15 is the second most popular passage on the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4 is the most popular. 1 Corinthians 15 is the second most popular. Even pre-tribbers believe this is about the rapture, okay? Now let's read again. We've already read some of it. It says in verse number 51, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. Now let's keep going. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this moral must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this moral shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. So when this corruptible body gets an incorruptible body, when this moral body gets an immortal body at the rapture, at the resurrection, then it'll be brought to pass the saying, what saying? The saying in Isaiah 25 that we just read, death is swallowed up in victory. Brethren, when is death swallowed up in victory? At the rapture, okay? What's gonna happen? Isaiah 25 said, God's gonna wipe away the tears from their faces. Then we go to Revelation chapter seven. When does it take place? It's that multitude that came out of great tribulation and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. So brethren, 1 Corinthians 15, 51, teaches that the rapture must take place after that great tribulation. Does it make sense? So after that great tribulation, the son of the moon and the dark in Christ comes, where before God's throne, he wipes away the tears from off our faces. And we're gonna be saying, death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15 about the rapture, okay? So, you know, Revelation chapter seven is most definitely about the rapture. And again, when does it take place? After the great tribulation, before God pours out his wrath, okay? The Bible could not be any clearer. We have clear verses that teach us the rapture is after the tribulation. Hey, we're appointed to affliction, we're appointed to tribulation, but we are not appointed to God's wrath, praise God. All right? So brethren, as I said to you today, the title for the sermon was arguments for the pre-tribulation rapture. They are arguments, they got no Bible verses, and I wish I'd just admit that. All right, praise God that we have a church that believes the truth, and we're not ashamed, you know? And if people think that we're some wicked people for believing otherwise, I don't know what's wrong with their minds. This is not something worth breaking fellowship over. But we ought to be people that, you know, the Bible's still important, the rapture's still important. We ought to know exactly what God has to say about the timing of his rapture. Okay, let's pray.