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Tonight I will bring up a subject which is very important. This subject is the rapture. Rapture is a special term; it refers to our being taken up to the heavens at the time of the Lord's coming again. We all know that the Lord will come again soon. The Bible tells us that before He comes down to the earth, He will bring us to the heavens, after which He will come down. His bringing us to the heavens is called the rapture.
Concerning the rapture, there are several opinions among Christians. Let me bring a few points to your attention. What is before us, and what we are looking forward to, is the rapture. However, a terrible tribulation is also before us. This tribulation can be called the trial, or the last three and a half years. According to the Bible, this tribulation is very great. "For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall by any means ever occur" (Matt. 24:21). Both the rapture and the tribulation are before us. If we are not raptured, we will surely go through the tribulation; if we do not go through the tribulation, we will surely be raptured. Among Christians there are several different views concerning the matter of rapture.
Some Christians say that all the saved ones who are genuinely regenerated and have new life will be raptured before the tribulation. This means that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation.
Other Christians say that the whole church will go through the tribulation and then be raptured. This means that all saved ones who are genuinely regenerated and have new life will go through the trial before they will be raptured.
Some other Christians say that among all the saved ones, a minority will be raptured before the tribulation and the majority will go through the tribulation before they are raptured. They say that not every regenerated person will be raptured before the tribulation, but only the regenerated ones who have been watching, preparing, and waiting for the Lord's coming back day after day will be raptured before the tribulation. The regenerated ones who do not watch, prepare, and wait for the Lord's coming will not be raptured before the tribulation. In other words, the whole church will not be raptured before the tribulation; only a minority will be raptured before the tribulation. Neither does this mean that the whole church will have to go through the tribulation before it can be raptured. It means that the majority will go through the tribulation. Those who hold this view make a compromise between the first and second view.
In brief, the first group says that the whole church (all the regenerated ones) will be raptured before the tribulation. The second group says that the whole church (all the regenerated ones) will be raptured after the tribulation. The third group says that the minority who are watching, preparing, and waiting for Lord's coming will be raptured before the tribulation, whereas the rest (also regenerated ones) will go through the tribulation and then be raptured.
We must be careful! Regarding the rapture, although there are three different views, our attitude must be fair and proper, because among these three groups there are persons who are very good in Bible knowledge and are very spiritual. They all have their arguments. For example, among those who believe that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation are J. N. Darby, William Kelly, R. A. Torrey, D. L. Moody, J. H. Brookes, J. M. Gray, A. C. Gaebelein, J. A. Seiss, C. I. Scofield, and others.
Among those who believe that the whole church will go through the tribulation and then be raptured are George Müller, A. J. Gordon, A. B. Simpson, Dr. Erdman, Professor Moorhead, H. W. Frost, Robert Cameron, James Wright, B. W. Newton, and others.
Among those who believe that a minority will be raptured before the tribulation and the majority will go through the tribulation before being raptured are: Hudson Taylor, R. C. Chapman, R. Govett, G. H. Pember, D. M. Panton, Paul Rader, and others.
Because every one of these is a reliable scholar and a spiritual person, it becomes impossible to follow man in this matter. If you want to follow man, whom should you follow? They all are outstanding children of God! This kind of situation only causes us to acknowledge that even the best persons can make mistakes. We need to come solely to the Lord and beseech Him for light.
Because there are very reliable scholars and spiritual persons on each side, when opinions differ, no one should revile others, and no one should say anything that is unbecoming of a Christian, such as, "Such a teaching is from Satan," or "Such a thought is from Satan," and so forth. We must realize that these are our brothers, and their life in Christ is probably deeper than ours. We should by no means consider them as "false prophets," or consider that they are "ignorant of the principles of prophecy," or that their views are "absurd" or are "cunning teachings." If we say these things, we will not only offend the brothers, but we will offend the Lord. We should only present the reasons and make a clear judgment according to the Bible.
It is impossible that all three of these views are correct. Either all three are wrong, or only one is correct and the other two are wrong. If we want to know who is correct and who is wrong, we must judge everything according to the Bible. Only the Bible has the authority to judge. We should find out the proofs from the Bible, and we should see whose reasons are most convincing and whose reasons are not trustworthy.
However, we have to be very careful about one thing. We cannot just quote verses every time we look for proof from the Bible. We should not presume that as long as a person has some verses, he has the proof. We must be careful that the verses we quote do indeed prove the things we are discussing. If we only quote verses, without asking whether or not the verses are appropriate to the subject matter, it would be like an incapable lawyer who quotes many irrelevant laws to defend his client. Is this not an unacceptable practice in the law? Now we will begin by considering the view of the first group.
Approximately one year after I was saved, I read many books written by those who believe that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation; as a result, I thought that the whole church would be raptured before the tribulation. However, I did not tell anybody about it. Later, when I read 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 carefully, I felt that it did not quite make sense for the whole church to be raptured before the tribulation. It is true that both passages talk about the rapture, but where in these two passages does it say that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation? What gives us the authority to say that 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 tell us that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation? As I asked myself this question, I was troubled. Since then, I have searched the Bible very carefully. After many years of study, my research shows that those who teach that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation are making two big mistakes. First, the Scriptures they quote do not actually prove that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation. Second, they rely upon too many presumptions which they use as facts. I will first talk about the unreliability of their reasons, and then I will point out their many presumptions.
According to my knowledge, those who believe that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation have seven reasons which they consider as substantial and very reliable. I believe I have not missed any, and even if I have, they would be minor points. The seven reasons they hold are very unconvincing. We will consider them one by one and see how they are unreliable.
Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, having now been justified in His blood, we will be saved through Him from the wrath." First Thessalonians 1:9-10 says, "For they themselves report concerning us what kind of entrance we had toward you and how you turned to God from the idols to serve a living and true God and await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath which is coming."
They say that these passages tell us that we shall be saved from the wrath through Jesus' blood, and that the Lord will deliver us from the wrath which is coming. What is the coming wrath? Does it not refer to the great tribulation? Therefore, being delivered from the coming wrath is being delivered from the coming tribulation. We must be raptured to be delivered from the coming tribulation; if we are not raptured, we must go through the tribulation. Therefore, they believe that the rapture must take place before the tribulation.
First Thessalonians 5:9-11 says, "For God did not appoint us to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us in order that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do."
They say that the great tribulation is God's great wrath. Since God did not appoint us to wrath, we will not go through the tribulation. If we go through the tribulation, this means that we will receive the great wrath. But since God did not appoint us to wrath, we all must be raptured before the tribulation.
Based upon the Scriptures we have quoted, are these reasons sufficient? Is there any evidence that the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 refer to the great tribulation? If this question cannot be answered first, how can they use these three passages as evidence that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation?
Even if we concede that "the wrath" refers to the great tribulation, we still cannot base our reasoning upon these passages and say that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation. Yes, the great tribulation is a wrath from God. It is true that these three passages say that we will not suffer God's wrath. But these three passages do not say that we will not suffer Satan's wrath and will not be afflicted by Satan, because in the great tribulation there will be wrath and afflictions from Satan as well! God punishes the unbelievers, while Satan afflicts the believers. If we search the book of Revelation, we will see that what Christians suffer from is the wrath and affliction from Satan. During the great tribulation, not only is there wrath from God, but there is also wrath and affliction from Satan. Therefore, according to the Bible, the three passages that are quoted cannot be counted as valid reasons.
Jeremiah 30:6-7 says, "Ask now and see/Whether a man can give birth./Why do I see every man/With his hands on his loins like a woman about to give birth/And every face turned pale?/Alas! For that day is great,/And there is none like it;/And it is a time of distress for Jacob,/But he will be saved out of it."
Daniel 12:1 says, "And at that time Michael, the great prince who stands for the children of your people, will arise; and there will be a time of distress, such as never occurred since there came to be a nation until that time; and at that time your people, every one found written in the book, will be delivered."
These ones point out that Jeremiah said, "It is a time of distress for Jacob," and Daniel said, "Your people...will be delivered." From this, they contend that the great tribulation is coming to the Jews only and not to the church, because the church is not the house of Jacob or the people of Israel.
If we consider only what Jeremiah and Daniel said, then the great tribulation is indeed limited to the Jews. But we should remember what the Lord said. He not only said, "It is written," but also said, "Again, it is written" (Matt. 4:4, 7). It is not sufficient to see only one aspect of the Scriptures; we need to see other Scriptures. "Again, it is written"; this is a very important principle. According to other Scriptures, the great tribulation is not only for the Jews, because Revelation 3:10 says clearly, "I also will keep you out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth." Everyone agrees that this refers to the great tribulation. It is the hour of trial which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, and not only to the Jews. Therefore, we may say that, on one hand, the great tribulation is the time of Jacob's trouble, but on the other hand, it is also the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole inhabited earth. They cannot quote just these two verses as evidence. Logically, this argument cannot stand.
Revelation 4:1 says, "After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here."
Revelation 4:4 says, "And around the throne there were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and upon their heads golden crowns."
These ones say that Revelation 2 and 3 refer to the age of the church, and that in Revelation 4:1, "Come up here," refers to the whole church's being raptured. John represented the church. Therefore, when a voice said to John, "Come up here," it meant that the whole church would be raptured. The twenty-four elders also represent the whole church, and therefore, the twenty-four elders sitting on the twenty-four thrones refer to the whole church in heaven, that is, the glorified church. The great tribulation in Revelation begins in chapter six. But in chapter four, the whole church is in the heavens. This means that the church will not go through the great tribulation but will be raptured before the tribulation.
However, Revelation 4:1 is not spoken to the seven churches in chapters two and three; it is spoken to John individually. This matter is in the past, not in the future. It was the Lord's personal word to John when he was on the island of Patmos. John was caught up from the island of Patmos because the Lord wanted to show him what must take place after those things. The book of Revelation is the record of what John saw. If this verse can be quoted as evidence that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation, then "the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away" (Acts 8:39) can also be quoted as evidence that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation. We know that although the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, he was later found at Azotus; we all know that this cannot be counted as an evidence.
Saying that the twenty-four elders represent the whole church is totally unreliable. According to the Bible, the twenty-four elders cannot be counted as the representatives of the whole church. This is because:
(1) The number twenty-four is not the number of the church. The Bible never uses the number twenty-four to represent the church. The number that represents the church is either seven or a multiple of seven.
(2) The Bible never uses the elders to represent the church. It is true that there were elders among the Jews in the Old Testament, and there are elders in the New Testament. But the church is not an elder. According to historical facts, God first chose the angels, then the Jews, and finally the church. Not only can the church not be the elders, even the Jews cannot be the elders. The elders in this verse have something to do with the heavens, the earth, and the seas; they have nothing to do with human beings. Even though there are elderly ones in the church, can we say the whole church is composed of elders? Even though there is the eldership in the church, can we say that the whole church constitutes an eldership?
(3) Revelation 4:2 says, "There was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting." The "One" is God. Then 5:6 says, "In the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing." Who is the Lamb? We know that it is Christ. Revelation 4:4 says, "And around the throne there were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones twenty-four elders sitting...and upon their heads golden crowns." These three verses tell us that God is sitting on the throne in the center; Christ is standing in the midst of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders; and twenty-four elders are sitting on twenty-four thrones which are around the throne. If the twenty-four elders represent the whole church sitting in the heavens, can God sit on the throne and the church also sit on a throne with a golden crown on her head, and Christ not sit on a throne and not have a golden crown on His head? It is not until chapter nineteen that Christ has the crown on His head, and it is not until chapter twenty that Christ sits on the throne. Can the church sit on a throne with a crown on her head before Christ does? What does sitting on the throne and wearing a crown indicate? It indicates authority; it indicates reigning. Is it possible that the church can have authority and reign before Christ? We know that this is impossible. So the twenty-four elders must not represent the church.
(4) The Bible does not say that the elders' white garments have been washed in the precious blood. In other places, when a white robe is mentioned, it says that the robe has been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). When the Bible mentions white garments, does it not refer to the righteousness of Christ? Since the elders' white garments have never been washed in the blood of the Lamb, does this mean that they have no sin? Since the church has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, how can the elders who are not washed in the blood of the Lamb represent the church?
(5) The song that the elders sing is not the song of redemption. Revelation 4:11 says, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for You have created all things, and because of Your will they were, and were created." The song that the elders sing is concerning God's creation; it is not the song of their redemption. Revelation 5:8-10 says, "The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb...And they sing a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth." Although this is the song of redemption, they praise the Lord for redeeming others, not for their redemption. Both the old Chinese translation and the English King James Version are wrong in translating "men" into "us." If the "men" is translated into "us," then how can the following word "them" make sense? [The Chinese version translates "them" in verse 10; but the English King James Version translates "us."] Among all of the reliable scholars who have studied the manuscripts, none consider it reliable to translate "men" into "us." But those who believe the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation hold onto such an unreliable translation tenaciously. How can this be a valid reason? Can we say the twenty-four elders are the church, even though the song they sing is for the redemption of others? Does this make sense?
(6) The elders are the elders in the universe. Revelation 4:4 says, "And upon the thrones twenty-four elders sitting." Revelation 4:7 says, "And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle." The things mentioned here are not the church, the Jews, the Gentiles, or the earth; the sphere here is the whole universe. Can the church be considered as the elders of the universe? If not, then the twenty-four elders here surely are not the church; they are the elders of the universe.
(7) Revelation 5:8 says, "And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which bowls are the prayers of the saints." It is interesting to see that in this verse the prayers of the saints were brought to God by the elders. The church can pray, and the church can pray for others, but the church cannot bring the prayers of others to God. This is not what the church does; the church has never done this. It is obvious that the elders are not the raptured church.
(8) In 7:13-14, it is interesting to note that there are three kinds of people: the elders, John, and those who came out of the great tribulation. The elder asked John who they were and where they had come from. John answered, "My lord, you know." If we say that the twenty-four elders represent the church, and John also typifies the raptured church, then we face a tough problem, because the elders asked John, and John asked the elders. This would mean that the representative is asking the representative, the type is asking the type. This would make the church asking the church who they were, and the church asking the church where they came from.
(9) In Revelation 7:14, John called one of the elders "my lord," but the elder did not correct John by telling him not to call him lord. It is obvious that John's position is lower than that of the elder. John confessed that the elders' position was higher. If the elders are the church, then John is an elder too. If John is also an elder, he would only need to call the elder "brother." Why did John call him "my lord"? We conclude that the elders are not the raptured church.
(10) The number twenty-four should be interpreted literally: it is not a sign. In the book of Revelation, John said that one of the twenty-four elders was speaking to him a few times. It is obvious that there were literally twenty-four elders. Therefore, the number twenty-four is a literal number and not a sign. If the twenty-four elders are the church, then one of the twenty-four elders speaking to John means that one twenty-fourth of the church was speaking to John. We know that this is impossible. If twenty-four here is a literal number, the elders must be literal too. Since the number twenty-four is not a sign, the elders are not a sign either. We cannot consider the elders as a sign and consider the number twenty-four as a literal number. Otherwise, it becomes completely absurd.
Therefore, it does not make sense for some to say that the twenty-four elders are the church. The twenty-four elders cannot be the church.
First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, "Because the Lord Himself, with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are living, who are left remaining, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will be always with the Lord."
They quote this passage and argue, "Does this not refer to the rapture?" I say yes, and I believe that it does. But I would like to ask if 1 Thessalonians 4 mentions the time of our rapture. First Thessalonians 4 only tells us the fact of our rapture; it does not tell us when we will be raptured. If some say that this passage mentions the fact of the rapture, I would readily agree. But I cannot find the time of the rapture from this passage. No matter how I read it, forward or backward, I can only find the fact of the rapture; I cannot find evidence that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation.
A brother said to me once, "Do you not believe 1 Thessalonians 4?" I said, "First Thessalonians 4 does not say as much as you say. My 1 Thessalonians 4 only says that we will be raptured; it does not say that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation." This cannot be used as a proof. It is all right to take this verse as a proof that there will be a rapture. But it is not all right to take this verse as a proof that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation.
First Corinthians 15:51-52 says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed."
They argue that since it says we will all be changed, dead or alive, does it not mean that everyone will be raptured before the tribulation? I would say that this argument is the same as that in 1 Thessalonians 4. In fact, it only tells us that the church will be raptured; it does not tell us that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation. It does not say that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation; on the contrary, there is evidence that the rapture will take place after the tribulation. We see this from the words, "At the last trumpet...the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed." Which trumpet is the last trumpet? Only the book of Revelation talks about the seven trumpets. The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet. The last trumpet spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15 corresponds to the seventh trumpet mentioned in Revelation. If the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15 is trumpeted before the tribulation, how can there be, after this last trumpet, another seven trumpets being trumpeted in the tribulation? If the last trumpet is trumpeted before the tribulation, then there should not be another trumpeting during the tribulation. If the last trumpet is not the seventh trumpet in Revelation, then what trumpet does the last trumpet belong to? For instance, can someone say, "This is my last dollar, but I still have seven dollars"? If he says this, it would be very meaningless. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15 is not a proof that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation; on the contrary, it proves that the rapture is after the tribulation.
Luke 21:36 says, "But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man."
They argue that this verse clearly says "that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man." Is this not a promise that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation? Yes, this is a promise. But can this verse be considered a proof that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation? This verse does not promise that once a man is saved, he will not go through the tribulation. This verse does not exhort men to believe in the Lord and be regenerated quickly in order to escape the tribulation. This verse says, "But be watchful at every time, beseeching." This is something that takes place after salvation. A man is not saved by watching and beseeching. We are saved by grace and through faith. There is no direct relationship between the rapture and salvation. One is raptured through watching and beseeching. According to the original text of this verse, it can be translated as, "But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would be counted worthy to escape all these things which are about to happen, and stand before the Son of Man." Therefore, the rapture is not a matter of grace but a matter of being worthy. This verse is a promise, but it is a promise with conditions. If the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation, are all the Christians watching at every time and beseeching? If some of them are not, this verse cannot be used as an evidence that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation.
Revelation 3:10 says, "Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep you out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth."
These ones consider this verse to be the strongest proof. They argue that this verse clearly promises that the church will not pass through the tribulation. It is true that this verse is a promise. But does this verse say that all the Christians will be kept from the tribulation? No, it does not, because again, this verse has a condition; it is not unconditional. This verse does not promise that all the Christians will not go through the tribulation. It says, "Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep you out of the hour of trial." It is because you have kept the word of His endurance that you will be preserved. The Lord preserves only the ones who keep the word of His endurance; He does not preserve everyone regardless of whether or not they keep His word.
What is keeping "the word of My endurance"? In Revelation 1, there are the words, "fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus" (v. 9). This tells us very clearly that today is the time we endure with Christ; our reigning with Christ will not take place until the future. Today is the time Christ endures. People revile Him, but He does not beat them to death; people curse Him, but He acts as if He has not even heard them; people oppose Him, but He does not threaten them. It seems that no matter how others treat Him, He does not care. Today is the time that He is opposed and blasphemed by men. This is the word of Christ's endurance. This is how Christ is, and this should be how all Christians are. Today there are many oppositions and persecutions, yet Christ endures them all. We ought to endure with Christ. Two thousand years have passed, and we have not seen Christ avenged once. He endures to such an extent that it seems as if He does not even exist in this universe.
However, has every regenerated and saved Christian, who has trusted in the blood, kept the word of Christ's endurance? If all Christians have kept the word of endurance, then they will not go through the tribulation. If there is one who has not kept the word of Christ's patience, this promise is not for him. This promise is conditional. If one has not met the condition, he cannot receive the benefit that is dictated by that condition.
One summer there was a Bible study in Kuling. A group of people were studying Revelation 2 and 3. One time I went and listened to their meeting. On that day they were talking about Revelation 3:10. One brother said, "There is a group of people who say that the whole church will not be raptured before the tribulation. How blind their eyes are! Does it not say clearly here that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation?" After the meeting, when I was walking with four or five brothers among them, I asked them, "Does this verse promise that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation? Have all the Christians kept the word of Christ's endurance today?" Of course they have not. If we only hold onto the promise of this verse and ignore the condition in the previous sentence, the whole world could hold onto the promise of John 3:16 and say that everyone in the world is saved. If someone would say this, you can tell him that he has missed several words, "Every one who believes into Him." "Every one who believes into Him" is a condition; "Would not perish, but would have eternal life" is a promise. One cannot just ask for eternal life without believing in the Lord. If a sinner does not believe, he will perish; he will not have eternal life. Likewise, if a Christian has not kept the word of Christ's endurance, he will not be kept out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth. Those who believe that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation have left out the words, "Kept the word of My endurance." Therefore, the verse they quote cannot be counted as evidence.
They say that the promise is given to the whole church in Philadelphia. The church in Philadelphia has kept the word of Christ's endurance, and the church in Philadelphia represents the whole church. So it can be said that the whole church has kept the word of Christ's endurance, and thus the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation.
However, we must know that Revelation 2 through 3 talk about the seven churches in Asia at that specific time. These seven churches were actually present then. Although the seven churches indicate the seven ages of the church, the seven churches were present at the same time then. Did the Lord say the same words to the church in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea? No, He did not. Why did the Lord say these words only to the church in Philadelphia? The Lord's speaking to the church in Philadelphia proves that the church in Philadelphia does not represent all the churches. If it did, then the churches in Laodicea, Thyatira, and so forth would all have been given the same promise as the one to the church in Philadelphia.
In 1931 I was in Peking and I met a Western friend who said to me, "Did the Lord not promise the church in Philadelphia that they would not go through the trial? Does not the church in Philadelphia represent the whole church? Is not this a proof that the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation?" I said, "The Lord gave the promise to the church in Philadelphia, but not all the churches are the church in Philadelphia. Therefore, the Lord did not promise all the churches."
All of these points show us that the reasons held by those who believe the whole church will be raptured before the tribulation cannot stand as valid. Besides this, they also made some basic mistakes. We will cover that too, but we have to wait until tomorrow.
