The Bible and...: Part 5c: Theology

The Bible and...: Part 5c: Theology
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Prophecy and End Times. Some groups seem to be absolutely certain about what will happen and more importantly for our discussion, exactly how it will happen. They claim to have all prophectic passages figured out. Their view is the only true correct one.

Dispensationalists are perhaps the most adamant about their position. Personally, I do agree with much of it. For example, Revelation 20:6–7 speaks of Christ’s 1,000 year reign. I see no reason not to take that literally, as that is what Scripture states. In addition, I find no biblical justification for those who insist that the book of Revelation is a strictly symbolic book, nothing more than an example of the literature of the oppressed, a common view among “Progressives”. To deny Revelation is a book of prophecy, prophecy that one day will be fully realized, is a major mistake.

But can we say with certainty that we know exactly how it will all work out? There are many views regarding how to interpret the book of Revelation. To cover them all is not possible in this brief blog entry. Some are arguably more biblical than others, while a few of them have virtually no support from the biblical text.

For our example, we will focus on one theological point: the timing of the Rapture. Among Dispensationalists there is almost—though not quite—an 11th commandment: “Thou shalt not believe in anything except the pre-tribulation Rapture.” That the pre-trib view isn’t the only possibility is given brief lip-service, but see the 11th commandment above.

Can various Scriptures be pieced together to bolster the pre-trib theological position? Yes. But, does doing so bring absolute certainty concerning the position? On a selfish level, I’d like to answer that: “Yes.” I’d like to be raptured out before the Great Tribulation happens. Nevertheless, the Biblical answer is a resounding: “No!”

And therein lies the biggest problem. Let’s assume for a moment the Rapture isn’t pre-trib. I wonder: How many “Christians” will get angry with God and denounce their faith, should their cherished theological position on the pre-trib rapture prove false?

Could the Rapture be pre-trib? It is possible, although I think unlikely. To me, I think the most probable position is some version of post-tribulation. My opinion is that the pre-tribulation rapture is now more of an American theological belief, although the father of dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby hails from Ireland.

Do I agree with many aspects of his views? Yes. To cite one example, I’d agree that the Church and Israel are separate entities. But, let’s get back to the “Rapture” question.

We’ve seen that the Bible isn’t conclusive about the pre-tribulation Rapture, and speaks of other scenarios. To therefore insist upon the “truth” of a pre-trib Rapture is to place a theological system, in this case dispensationalism, above the Scriptures, and to force all Scripture to fit within that system.

Thus, we see another example of how a specific theology ends up as a biblical problem. We must be careful to never place a human-created theological system above the Scriptures. We’ll continue the discussion in the next post.

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