Dear brother Nikos, many of us who have participated in your thread have stated our views on the return of Christ whether it happens in a pre, mid, or post second coming accompanied with scriptures that we believe give an accurate timing of the event. Ezekiel is correct in asking you to give your opinion with scripture instead of inserting others opinions / teachings on the subject. I too would love to hear you present your case on "pretribulism" in your own words. Also, I might add that I don't think it is anybody's deliberate intention to mock or ridicule you amongst us members here at LFF. Maybe I can give you an example if you will, of what I mean and Ezk means in your own words. I will give you a few paragraphs below in my own words why I no longer hold to the pre-trib view and favor a post-trib view.Originally Posted by Ezekiel 33
"...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13). This is a definite reference to the second coming of Jesus. I used to believe the "blessed hope" was the secret catching away of the church in a pretribulation rapture. As you well know, I no longer believe this. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ Himself is the Blessed Hope.
And I also believe instead of this verse referring to a secret rapture, it is instead a direct reference to Christ's coming to reign, when He appears in glory to the world, puts down His foes, and sets up His kingdom as depicted in Revelation 19:11-16).
And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name upon Him which no one knows except Himself.
And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron,
and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
The Lord Jesus Christ comes back as the Almighty Conqueror, 'Field Marshall' of the armies of heaven, coming to subdue the rebellious earth, which are led by the powers of hell and the armies of antichrist. Pretribulation preachers teach that the "armies of heaven" coming back with Jesus is the church that was caught up 7 years earlier at the start of the tribulation. Although I used to believe this, I no longer do. The armies of heaven that follow Christ are the "hosts of heaven", the angels that surround Him in 1 Kings 22:19. And Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. Furthermore, Mark 8:38 makes it clear that it is the angels that accompany Jesus when He returns to earth.
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
If Jesus was coming in a secret rapture prior to a 7 yr. tribulation, then His soon return back to earth would be His 3rd coming.
1st coming: Born in Bethlehem Mt 2:1.
2nd coming: Secret rapture 1 Thess 4:15-17.
3rd coming: Coming in the clouds with great power and glory Mk 13:26.
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is only coming back one more time for a total of two, not three as stated above.
"...so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (Heb 9:28). The believer should be prepared and looking for His glorious arrival.
Permit me to be rather blunt here. The secret pre-tribulation rapture snatching away of the church before a 7 yr. tribulation period is quite frankly, a false teaching.
The scriptures need to be "twisted" and taken out of context in order to present this false doctrine.
The participants who shall be "changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor 15:51-52) are those who have "died in Christ" and we "who are alive and remain" (1 Thess 4:17). We shall meet the Lord in the resurrection (Jn 11:24) at His literal second coming (1 Jn 2:28). Dead or living, the participants of this future event are identified as "those who are Christ's (1 Cor 15:23).
Lastly, it should be noted that when Jesus returns with His angels, He will send them to "gather His Elect" from the four winds, from the furthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven (Mk 13:27). The rapture occurs when Jesus returns a 2nd time at His soon second coming.
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