THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE DOCTRINE IS FALSE

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For a considerable period, I held the belief that Jesus will be coming to secretly rapture the Church to heaven before the Great Tribulation, but a few years ago this doctrine came crashing after studying the Scriptures in-depth. I know you will be saying: “how can the rapture doctrine be false when it is clearly stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that Jesus is coming and believers (dead and alive) will be caught up to meet Him?”. Yes, you are right: Jesus is coming and believers (dead and alive) will meet him in the air. So, if Jesus is coming in the clouds and believers will meet him in the air, then what is wrong with the rapture doctrine?

I was in the same position as you are and believed everything I was taught concerning the secret rapture doctrine. Please get your Bible (KJV preferably) and study along with us as you read this article and you will discover where the problem is with the rapture doctrine. I kindly urge you to approach the study in this article with an open mind; make notes; ask questions and cross-check Bible references, and most importantly ask God for guidance. After completing the study in this article, you will discover that the pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture doctrine is another fable—another ‘on the back of envelope’ doctrine.

Before we attempt to delve into the study, it is essential to understand what we are talking about. The Rapture: what is the official definition? The widely accepted definition states that the rapture is different from the second coming of Christ and it will happen before the Great Tribulation. Jesus will come in phases and the first phase, which is the secret rapture, He will come and secretly rapture believers (both dead and alive) to heaven to escape the Great Tribulation. And while in heaven, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be taking place. After the Great Tribulation, Jesus will make the second phase of the second coming with the saints to establish His Kingdom. This is largely drawn from 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 & 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. The term rapture, of course, you will not find in the Bible and there is nothing wrong with the word itself or its usage for the gathering or catching away or assembling of the saints. When Jesus comes for the second time, He will gather the saints with the sound of a trumpet. If you want to use the term rapture (or any other term like catching away or assembling) for the gathering process that will take place at Christ’s second coming, that’s fine! The problem is with the doctrine and not the term.

Now on the surface, this doctrine sounds nice and genuine but as you dig beyond the surface, you will discover holes and contradictions of great order. Beyond the surface, this doctrine could be dangerous and deceptive and you will soon learn why it is dangerous and deceptive—just take note of these two things.

Like a jigsaw puzzle, if you have a jigsaw puzzle of a picture of the State Empire Building (New York, US), what would happen if you have parts of the puzzle missing? Your guess would be as good as mine: you are likely to come up with something other than the State Empire Building—and that’s where the rapture doctrine problem comes from. The passages used for the rapture doctrine are parts of a bigger puzzle but they have been detached from other parts and thus appearing as a separate event and different from the second coming of Christ—but in reality, they are not!

With the above said, let us begin so that we can uncover where the problem is. The study in this article will focus on the Scriptures and not the opinions of men. Let us first begin by looking at a brief history of how this doctrine all started—who started it? Where and how?

HISTORY—WHO STARTED THE SECRET RAPTURE DOCTRINE?

Historically, the early Christians never taught the rapture doctrine. This doctrine was not mentioned in any Christian literature before 1830. There were two key things the early disciple taught: the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the righteous dead. So, where did the rapture theory come from? Who popularised this theory? This doctrine was started, to a large degree, by a young Scottish girl named Margaret MacDonald. This lady revealed through vision and prophecy that Christ’s return would be in two phases, and not just one. Christ would come visibly in the first phase for the righteous only; He would then come in the second phase with the raptured saints to execute judgment on the unrighteous after the great tribulation. The idea of secret rapture was promoted by Edward Irving.

Later on, John Nelson Darby further strengthened this false doctrine by analysing some Bible translations in 1833; this gave rise to the false idea that there will be a secret rapture, and the rapture will precede the false seven-year tribulation, which will culminate in Christ’s second coming and be followed by a thousand-year Messianic Kingdom (Christ Millennial reign). John Nelson Darby’s analysis was false but very few ever questioned where this man erred in his analysis. Very few people question this doctrine—whether it agrees with the Bible or not, and where it all started. This booklet is geared toward unveiling where John Nelson Darby and those who followed this doctrine erred.

KEY FACTS

Let’s establish some foundation truths from the Scriptures as we will be referring to them throughout this article.

THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection of the dead is generally divided into two:

• The resurrection of the righteous—which is the first resurrection and will happen at Christ’s return.
• Resurrection for the rest of the dead—which is the second resurrection and will happen after the 1000 years of Christ’s reign (Millennial reign) is completed.

How do we know the above? Let us see:

When will the first resurrection happen—is it at the rapture (if at all there is a rapture) or at the second coming of Christ? Is the resurrection of the righteous dead (the first resurrection) divided into phases? Take note of these questions and by the end of this study, you will have them answered.

THE TRUMP OF GOD, THE LAST TRUMPET, AND THE SEVENTH TRUMPET—THEY ARE ALL ONE AND THE SAME THING

Understanding these terms is key to understanding the truth about the pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture doctrine—whether it is true or false. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 Apostle Paul clearly states that the resurrection of the righteous dead will occur at the Last Trumpet. The Last Trump mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 is the same as The Trump Of God mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. In both passages (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16), Apostle Paul states that dead believers will be resurrected with a glorified body (or spirit bodies—incorruptible bodies) and other believers who are still alive will have their bodies changed to glorified bodies and all will be caught up to meet the Lord.

As we have already established, there is one resurrection for the righteous dead. So, the resurrection of the righteous mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and the resurrection of the righteous mentioned 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 are the same. So, we have established that the Last Trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52) is the same as The Trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Let us pause and ask a question: what is Jesus coming to establish in both 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 with the sound of the trumpet? Jesus is coming to establish His kingdom on this earth and His kingdom will start with the Millennial Reign.

It should be understood that the Bible clearly states that Jesus will make two comings:

• Coming to die for the sins of mankind: this has been fulfilled.
• Second Coming: coming to establish the kingdom of heaven. This is yet to happen. The resurrection of the righteous dead only happens at the second coming of Christ.

Apostle Paul’s usage of the term Last Trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is very strategic and not random—why? The last trumpet is what ushers in or triggers or announces the second coming of Christ—coming to establish His Kingdom on this Earth. There will be major events leading up to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and these events are announced by angels sounding a trumpet for each. At the last trumpet, it means it’s all over! There will be no trumpet after the last trump—and Apostle Paul knew it very well.

What is the importance of Apostle Paul’s writing?  The book or Revelation clearly states there are seven trumpets and these trumpets will be sounded by angels. Each of these trumpets will trigger an event when sounded. These can be found in Revelation 8-9; series of events will be happening as the trumpets are sounded by angels. The Seventh and final angel to blow the Seventh Trumpet (The Grand Finale—if you like to call it), what event will this trigger? Let us find out:

From the above passage it can be seen that when the seventh angel sounded the Seventh Trumpet—which is the last, there were great voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever. Notice this: the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of Christ only at His second coming. What else will happen at the sound of the seventh trumpet in the book of Revelation? Let us dig deep:   

Notice two key things stated:

1. The righteous (both dead and alive) are judged and rewarded.
2.  And shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

These events will only happen at the second of Christ and not at any other time.

At the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, the righteous dead will be resurrected—how do we know? Revelation 11:18 “and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name”

There is only one resurrection for the righteous dead, and the resurrection of the righteous dead Apostle Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 isthe same as the resurrection of the dead mentioned in Revelation 11:18.

Now we can see that The Last Trumpet of God (1 Corinthians 15:51-53), Trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and the Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-18) are all the same—they are talking the same thing—the second coming of Christ.

Further, now that we are clear that these trumpets are the same thing; they all trigger the same event—the second coming Christ, here comes another key question: when will the last trumpet (or the trumpet of God or the Seventh Trumpet) sound—before or after the Great Tribulation? Let the Bible give us the answer.

The seventh trumpet ushers in the second coming and the day of the Lord—a day of His wrath, and rewarding of the saints (Revelation 11:17-18).

The Abomination of Desolation will precede the Great Tribulation Matthew 24:15-22.

The Abomination of Desolation would come 1290 days before the resurrection of the righteous (Daniel 12:11-13)—just over 3 and half years.

In Daniel 12:11-13:

In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus stated:

Notice that Jesus mentioned all people will see Him coming with power and great glory and shall mourn, and He will send His angels to gather His elect with the sound of a trumpet.

Now let us compare what we have seen in Matthew 24:29-31 with Revelation 6, where the saints were martyred.

Further, the rest of the passage completes the picture:

Notice verse 17: “the great day of His wrath has come; and who shall be able to stand?”  Therefore, the event in Revelation that ushers in the coming of Jesus to set up His kingdom on this earth is the same as what Jesus stated in Matthew 25:29-31. The events in these passages will occur at the second coming of Christ and after the great tribulation (tribulation of those days or time of Jacob’s trouble).

The day of the Lord’s wrath is associated with the second coming of Christ. The saints will be unaffected by the wrath of the Lord. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. When Noah entered the ark (like Lot and his family left Sodom), destruction fell on the unbelievers and the disobedient children (Luke 17:26-30). So likewise, at the second coming of Christ, when Jesus has gathered all the saints (both dead and alive), his wrath will be unleashed on people who have disobeyed Him. Are there other passages that talk about the Day of The Lord? Yes, there are; let us explore them:

Prophet Joel prophesied the same thing:

All these passages above are talking about the Lord’s wrath; and what will happen at His second coming. So, just as Noah and his family entered the ark and destruction came (or like Lot; when he and his family left Sodom, fire and brimstone fell on the city), so shall it be when the Jesus is revealed: He will gather His saints and His wrath will be released on many that have disobeyed him.

Please don’t confuse the Great Tribulation and the day of the wrath of God; these two are entirely different and not interchangeable. The wrath of God will be unleashed on sinners and not the saints. The Great Tribulation, also referred to as time Of Jacob’s Trouble, is the time when the Antichrist will release great trouble on Jacob (Israel—and all who have accepted and served/serving the God of Israel faithfully), knowing that they are the chosen; Satan is the one behind the Antichrist.

In the book of Revelation, the trumpets are not blown randomly but blown to herald the heavenly signs that represent the time of the Day of the Lord.

Prophet Joel prophesied the same thing that Jesus stated in Matthew 24:29-31.

The seventh trumpet comes after the Great Tribulation period of 3 ½ years. It is only at this time that the dead in Christ are raised and believers that are alive will be changed and have a glorified (spirit) body. The resurrection of the righteous will not happen before the Great Tribulation.  The Bible doesn’t say people will be raptured before the Great Tribulation—the Scriptures don’t allow for this.

When Jesus’ disciple came to Him and ask Him for the signs of His coming, He never mentioned rapture of the saints as an event leading to His Second coming—why? Because there is no such thing as secret rapture before the Great Tribulation. If there was anything as rapture before the Great Tribulation, Jesus would have mentioned it to His Disciples; He definitely would have! The fact that Jesus did not mention means there is no event called rapture preceding His second coming. If there was ever a rapture, He would not have told them to flee to the wilderness when they see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place.

Now, if there is no rapture but the second coming of Christ—and this will happen after the Great Tribulation, how will believers be protected during the Great Tribulation? Let us see:

PROTECTION FOR BELIEVERS

Jesus specifically told His followers in Matthew 24:15-18

The instruction is to flee into the wilderness and not to hope for the so-called rapture theory. Please read our article on The Wilderness: The Place of Safety During the Great Tribulation.

What Jesus said to His disciples: flee to the wilderness, is stated also in Revelation 12:14: the woman in the above passage refers to Israel and all who have followed the God of Israel and kept His commandments.  The woman [Israel and all who have followed the God of Israel] will be in the wilderness for a period of three and half years—one (time) plus two (times) plus one half (half a time), equalling 3 ½ years. Please note that the Bible didn’t state that the Church will be raptured and get protection in heaven—it is not stated! The instruction is: flee to the wilderness!

God has a way of protecting his people and it will be dangerous and deceptive preaching to people protection that will never come—the rapture to escape the great tribulation. The Bible never separated the second coming of Christ into phases—the Bible never did! It will be a deception to create a phase called rapture—something the Bible doesn’t teach.

One of the questions that people have asked is: if believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, what happens then—since they will not be taken to heaven? This is a great question! Yes, believers (dead and alive) will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the sound of the trumpet (Last Trumpet, The Trumpet of God or The Seventh Trumpet), and after meeting the Lord in the clouds, Jesus will descend on Mount Olive. How do we know this?  Let us find out from the Bible:

This chapter largely focuses on coming prophecies—the coming Day of The Lord—a day of His wrath. Notice the first verse of the chapter.

Mount Olive was the last place that the feet of Jesus touched when He left the Earth, and His feet will touch Mount Olive when He comes back.

As mentioned above, Israel is referred to symbolically as the woman; Israel is also the church. Understanding these key terms is very important in getting a good handle on this subject. Let dig further to get more light.

If you are a good student of the Bible, you will remember one of the great rules of Bible study: Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” If you are dealing with a subject, you would assemble all related precepts to build what the bigger picture is. In this respect, the question that should be asked is, who is the Church? The answer is not far-fetched; the CHURCH is Israel (and of course it extends to all who have accepted and served/serving the God of Israel faithfully). Contrary to the belief that the church started in the Acts of the Apostles period and it is separate and different from Israel, this belief is false. The Church is ISRAEL and it started in the wilderness; how do we know this? Let us see:

Acts 7:38 “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”

The word church was derived from the Greek word ekklesia and it means “the called-out ones”; Israel is the called-out ones (and of course all who have identified with the God of Israel). The disciples in Acts of the Apostles did not start the church but are rather the descendants of the Church which was in the wilderness. Therefore, the church is Israel and it started in the wilderness; don’t be deceived to think that the gentiles have now replaced Israel—this is not true.

With the above said, let us see Revelation 12:1-6:

As we have already established, Israel is referred to symbolically as the woman, how do we know this?  Verse 1(Revelation 12:1) says a woman clothed with sun and moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. The woman being referred to here is Israel; the crown with twelve stars are the 12 tribes of Israel. How do we know that the crown with 12 stars is Israel; the twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel? Let us see:

From the above passage, we can see the twelve tribes of Israel in the dream that Joseph had; they are referred to as stars. The dream that Joseph had was ordained by God and it was not random.

Revelation 12:5 says the woman brought forth a child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; this is referring to Jesus Christ coming through the woman—through Israel. The woman delivered a child who was to rule all nations; Israel delivered Jesus Christ who was to rule all nations.

Notice verse 3 (Revelation 12:3): a great dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. The dragon here is referring to the devil represented by the Roman empire. The Devil (the dragon) wanted to devour the child as soon as the child was born i.e., the devil wanted to kill Jesus Christ as soon as He was born (verse 4); this is when king Herod (a Roman and part of the then ruling Roman empire) wanted to kill Jesus when He was born. See below:

The Bible has repeatedly referred to the Devil as the dragon or the serpent; and referred to Israel as the woman. How do we know this? Let us see:

GENESIS 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The above verse talks about the enmity that was created between Israel (the woman and her seed) and the serpent (the Devil). Since then, there has been a great enmity between Israel (the woman) and the Devil (serpent, dragon).

Remember, in this section, we are dealing with protection for the children of God during the great tribulation; notice something very striking in verse 6:

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days

The above passage says the woman (referring to Israel) fled to the wilderness where she had a place prepared for her and will be nourished there for 1260 days—that is the period of the great tribulation, 3 ½ years. So, we can see that the place of safety prepared for Israel—the woman (and of course all who have accepted the God of Israel faithfully) is in the wilderness.

Verses 14-17 complete the picture:

Please notice verse 14: the woman (Israel and all who have accepted the God of Israel faithfully) was given wings that she might fly into the wilderness where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. We can see here the place of protection during the great tribulation is the wilderness. The serpent referred to here is still the devil but operating in the capacity of the Antichrist—the false prophet and the beast—the Roman empire.

Verse 15 is talking about the great persecution that the Antichrist will bring upon the woman (Israel); verse 17 mentions something very striking, what is it? Let us see:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The above passage talks about the dragon being wroth with the woman (Israel) and the remnant of her seed. There are two key qualities of the remnant of the seed of the woman, what are they? Let us see:

• Keep the commandments of God.
• Have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This verse destroys the false idea of pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture theory. So many people falsely believe that a greater part of Israel will be left behind because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ, and it is during the great tribulation that they will come to know Jesus. This idea is wrong. We can see according to verse 17 that the dragon (the devil operating in form of the Antichrist) is wroth with the remnant of the seed of the woman; those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This destroys the idea of the false rapture that people who will be left are people who don’t keep the commandments of God and don’t have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Further, we have seen that God will surely protect His children; some passages specifically mention the wilderness as the place of safety; God will protect His children, let us see:

Beyond any shadow of a doubt, we have seen that there is protection and the protection is in the wilderness; here are questions that should be asked: where is the wilderness? Is it a random wilderness near you? It is literal or metaphorical? Read our article on The Wilderness: The Place of Safety During the Great Tribulation.

Figure 1 illustrates the sequence of key events and what happens when He appears.

Let us correlate and summarise what we have learned so far:

From the above table (Table 1), it is very clear that the rapture doctrine was created as a result of not bringing all parts of the puzzle together. Most of these passages have an element of the resurrection of the righteous dead—and there is only one resurrection for the righteous dead. All these passages are talking about the same thing—the second coming of Christ—and this will happen after the Great Tribulation at the sound of the seventh trumpet (last trumpet).

THIS SAME JESUS, WHICH IS TAKEN UP FROM YOU INTO HEAVEN, SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN (ACTS 1:6-12)

As a good student of the Bible, one of the burning questions that should come to your mind is: why do theologians and Bible scholars like to make things complicated even when the Bible has simplified things? Why would people add things that the Bible never stated? When Jesus ascended into heaven, at the time of His ascension, the disciples were puzzled/astonished regarding how Jesus was taken up into heaven; and angels appeared to them—what happened? Let us find out:

From the above passage, Jesus was taken up and was received into the clouds and up into heaven. The angels stated: Just as Jesus was taken into the cloud and heaven, He will come back the second time in like manner. Now the question that we should ask ourselves is: how was Jesus taken up into heaven? Was Jesus’ ascension divided into phases? The answer is obvious; Jesus’ ascension was not in phases. Just as Jesus’ ascension was not in phases, His second coming will not be in phases. The angels said: just as you see Jesus taken up into heaven, He will come back in like manner. How plain can this be? It can’t be clearer than this!

Why would people complicate things by breaking the second coming of Christ into phases? If Jesus’ second coming was going to be in phases, the angels wouldn’t have used the phrase in like manner. In like manner, what does it mean? It means: ‘similarly’, ‘as’, ‘comparably’. In like manner: Just as Jesus’ ascension was not in phases; His second coming will not be in phases. The angels said it all: his second coming will be similar to His ascension.

Verse 12 mentioned something very important, what is it? Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet; Mount Olives (Olivet—Hebrew) was the last place that the feet of Jesus touched when He ascended into Heaven. When He comes the second time, His feet will first touch Mount Olives. How do we know this? Let the Bible give us the answer:

Zechariah 14 talks substantially about the second coming of Christ and the day of the Lord. The second coming of Christ and the day of the Lord are associated; the day of the Lord will occur at the second coming of Christ. Verse 4 states: And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east (Zechariah 14:4).

Let us bring Acts 1:12 and see how they correlate:

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey (Acts 1:12).

When Jesus ascended, His ascension took place on Mount Olives (Acts 1:12), and when he comes the second time, His feet will first touch Mount Olives (Zechariah 14:4; read the whole of 14).

You can see that the words of the angels fit perfectly with the entire bible.

As the angels have said, His second coming will be just like his ascension. Don’t complicate things by breaking His second coming into phases; Jesus’ never stated that His second coming will be separated into phases and, the angels never stated that also. Keep it simple where the Bible keeps it simple.

HOW LONG IS THE GREAT TRIBULATION? 3 ½ YEARS AND NOT 7 YEARS

The great tribulation, also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”); Jesus also mentioned it in Matthew 24:21. This was also revealed to John and recorded in Revelation 7:14. Prophet Daniel also prophesied the same thing: Daniel 12:1:

The question that people ask is, how long is the great tribulation? Let us see:

All the above passages talk about the same thing but are expressed differently. Let us summarise them in bullets:

1. Revelation 12:2: forty and two months: 3 ½ Years
2. Revelation 13:5: forty and two months: 3 ½ Years
3. Revelation 11:3: a thousand two hundred and threescore days—1260 days: 3 ½ Years
4. Daniel 12:7: a time, times, and half: 3 ½ Years
5. Revelation 12:14: a time, and times, and half a time: 3 ½ Years

From the above passages, we can see that the period for the great tribulation is 3 ½ years expressed differently in different parts of the Bible. So, where did people get the idea of seven years of great tribulation from? The false idea of seven-year great tribulation comes from Daniel 9:24-27. People have massively misinterpreted these verses thinking that it is referring to the Antichrist—it is not. To understand this properly, we will need to deal exhaustively with Daniel 9; this will lead us to the next subheading—the 70 weeks of Daniel.

THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL

The 70 weeks of Daniel—what are they? Are they literal weeks? Is Daniel chapter 9 talking about the Antichrist and 7-year tribulation? How long is the 70-weeks period? The doctrines of a pre-tribulation rapture, mid-tribulation rapture, and 7-year tribulation period are largely drawn from the wrong interpretation of Daniel 9. Therefore, understanding this chapter is key to clearing the errors that have trailed this chapter for centuries. 

In this exhaustive study, we are going to answer all these questions, and much more. We are going to show the 70 weeks of Daniel and how it applies to the chosen people (Israel), and how it applies to Jesus and His second coming.  

Let us begin from Daniel 9:1-14:

Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah and he understood the desolation of Jerusalem and the 70-year time frame—the time that the children of Israel will be in captivity. He wanted to understand what desolation is all about and what the future holds for Israel and the city of God—Jerusalem. Daniel understood clearly that the calamity that came upon Israel was as a result of departing from the law of Moses and the prophets; he also understood that Israel has been scattered throughout the nations of the earth.

In the time past, Israel had always rebelled against the Lord by disobeying His laws, statutes, and commandments. Sadly, today, the children of Israel are still scattered all over the world and experiencing the curses outlined in the writings of Moses. The captivity of Israel was a result of disobedience to the laws of God delivered by His servant Moses. Daniel knew clearly that the Lord is righteous in all His ways by delivering His children into captivity, and repentance was required to turn things around. In Daniel’s prayer, he acknowledged the sins of his people and humbly pleaded to God for forgiveness and mercy.  

Verses 1-20 document the prayer of Daniel and the latter part (verses 21-27) document the prophecy; let us move further to Daniel 9:21-27 to see the prophesies.

Bear in mind, Daniel prayed and was determined to understand things concerning the desolation of Jerusalem and what the future holds for the city as we have read earlier (Verses 1-20); God sent angel Gabriel to deliver the prophecy. In the passage that we just read (Daniel 9:21-27), there are strong points stated, and to enhance our understanding and learning let us break them into bullets:

Seventy weeks (Seventy weeks of years) are determined upon thy people and thy holy city, to:

• Finish the transgression: Bring an end to transgression through Christ.
• Make an end of sins: Bring an end to sins through Christ’s death.
• Make reconciliation for iniquity: Reconcile Israel (and all who are willing to obey) back to God through Christ.
• And to bring in everlasting righteousness: Bring in everlasting righteousness through the sacrifice of Christ.
• Seal off the vision and prophecy.
• Anoint the Most Holy: Anoint Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
• From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: 69 weeks of years in total.
• The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times: The temple and the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt but under difficult conditions (Nehemiah 4:18).
• At a set time, the Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself but for reconciliation: Jesus will die but not for himself; die for the sins of many.
• And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary: At a later time, people are going to come and destroy Jerusalem and take over.
• And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (one week of years): Jesus’ ministry was intended to last for one week of years. Jesus will confirm the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for one week (one week of years—7 years).
• And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease: In the middle of a literal week Christ will die; also, in the middle of one week of years, Christ ministry will stop—Jesus’ ministry lasted 3 ½ years.

With the above broken into bullets, the question that should come to your mind is, what do 70 weeks mean and represent? What is the definition of a week in this context? Let the Bible interpret itself:

From the above passage, how many years is a week?  7 years! When Jacob fulfilled her week (Rachel’s week), he served for 7 years; he also served one week (seven years) for Leah. So, when the Bible says in the middle of the week, it is referring to 3 ½ years. So now we understand that 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and Jerusalem—it means seventy weeks of years are determined upon thy people and Jerusalem.

To understand properly how the 70-weeks prophecy was going to be fulfilled, let us look at the events that led to the 70 weeks—the children of Israel disobeying the commandments of God time and again. Let us see Leviticus 26:35, 36-46.

In the above references, God warned Israel that if they will not hearken unto His voice and commandments, He was going to bring great evil upon them and Jerusalem because of disobedience. God listed all the punishments / evil things He will bring upon Israel if they hearken not unto His voice.

Also, God has indicated that He will remember the land of Israel and His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob if they demonstrate genuine repentance and shun their evil ways. God instructed them through His servant Moses not to go contrary to His commandments, statutes, and decrees, but sadly, they did.

Before God brings punishment or executes judgment, He always sends His servants to warn people. This time was no different; the Children of Israel sinned greatly and God sent Jeremiah the prophet to warn them.  Let us see Jeremiah 25:1-11.

God sent Jeremiah the prophet to warn the people but they did not hearken. They repented not and continued in their wickedness. Because they hearken not to the commandments of the Lord, the Lord sent/used Nebuchadnezzar to bring punishment against Israel. And the nation of Israel shall serve the Kingdom of Babylon for 70 years. This was going to be a set time but it is not the prophetic years.

It should be realised that God passed His covenant from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; let us see: Psalm 105:6-11.

Don’t be mistaken, although Israel has rebelled against God, they are still His people. His covenant with them is everlasting. The idea that the gentile nations have now replaced Israel is not true.

We will be going back and forth in the 9^th chapter of Daniel. Let us see Daniel 9:16-19.

Daniel was interceding and pleading to God for the sake of his people and Jerusalem; he asked God to remember his people because they were called by His name and the city of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 21:1-4, 25-27

God sent Ezekiel to prophesy against the city because of its wickedness; God removed their diadem (kings) because of their wickedness.

Notice verse 27:

“27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”

The lord will overturn their kings three times and after that, they will have no king until whose right it is—i.e. until Jesus comes to reign as King of Israel. Zedekiah was the last king of Israel and after that, there was going to be no king until Jesus comes to reign as king. Did these come to pass? Did the Lord overturn their kings? Yes, He did; let us see:

2 Chronicles 36:4-21:

From the above reference, God did exactly as he stated. Notice verse 6:

“6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.”

This was the first desolation; all lined up as the Lord has spoken. Notice verse 10:

“10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.”

This was the third desolation and yet His children continued in their wickedness and hearken not unto the Lord and His prophets.

The Lord overturned three times and the last one was a total desolation; the Lord brought desolation upon the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel just as He prophesied by the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet. There is something very striking and central to this subject (the 70 weeks of Daniel) in verse 21, what is it?

21 To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

Threescore and 10 years, how many years? 70 Years! This is how long Israel was going to be in Babylonian captivity. This is not the 70 weeks; a precursor to it. This history is reported in many encyclopedias. Don’t lose track of what we are trying to do; we are looking at the 70 Weeks of Daniel, but the desolation of the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem before the start of the 70 weeks is important in understanding the 70 Weeks; we will see and understand more in the latter stage of this article.

Let us see Jeremiah 29:1, 4-10.

Jeremiah sent a letter to the children of Israel that were taken captives; notice verse 10-11:

“10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

After 70 years, the Lord will visit Israel and perform good things towards them; after 70 years, they will be brought back from captivity.

Let us go back to Daniel 9:24-25:

Take note, it has got to be 69 weeks (69 weeks of years) from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince. Jerusalem has to be rebuilt and all set in place before the first coming of Christ to be anointed as the Messiah.

Who are the people involved in carrying the command to rebuild Jerusalem? Let us see:

These three kings were involved in rebuilding Jerusalem:  Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes was one of the kings that sanctioned the return of the Jews to Palestine (the land of Israel was renamed to Palestine by the Romans). During the rulership of this king (King Artaxerxes), he did something seven years later—It is at this point that we will begin the calculation of the 70 Weeks. 70 Weeks period: when did it start? When is it going to end? Let us start the calculation:

465 BC (reported in Grolier Encyclopedia: Artaxerxes), in the 7^th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, he commissioned Ezra to go up and rebuild Jerusalem. Please note: when dealing with BC (Before Christ, or Before Caesar), one has to subtract.

465 BC — 7 Years = 458 BC (Ezra 7:1-4, 21-23)

Bear in mind, when it comes to week of years, 1 week is 7 years as we have already established. With that said, let us continue with the calculation:

7 Years X 70 = 490 Years

Notice something: 69 weeks (69 weeks of years) from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince. From the time that God, through the Persian kings, issued a decree requesting the Jews to go back and rebuild the temple and Jerusalem to the time that Jesus will be anointed as the Messiah, it will be 69 weeks of years. How long is this?

7 Years X 69 = 483 Years BC (Daniel 9:1-25)

483 Years BC — 458 Years BC = 25

The death of Herod was in 4 BC + 2 Years—Time when he enquired about the birth of Christ = 6 BC.

25 Years + 5 Years = 30 Years (Jesus obeyed protocol and waited till He was 30 before starting His ministry).

5 Years (BC) + 25 Years (AD) = 30 Years. At 30, Jesus was anointed and it was then He started His ministry.

To further strengthen understanding of the calculation, let us see Matthew 2:13-15;

Egypt at that time was Mizraim (black people), how can a white person hide among black people? This is a topic for another article concerning the true colour of the true biblical Israelites.

As we have read earlier, from going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem to the anointing of the Messiah, it will be 69 weeks of years (Daniel 9:1-25).

The above passage lined up with what was prophesied. Jesus was 30 years when He was anointed and began His ministry: 69 weeks (69 weeks of years) from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince. Jesus did not break protocol; to start His mission/ministry, he had to be 30 years old.

Who anointed Jesus Christ? Let us find out: Psalm 45:6-7

“6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

It was His Father that anointed Him; Let us see John 1:32-41.

Notice something very striking in the above passage, what is it? See verses 40-41

“40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

How did he know that Jesus was the Messiah? Because He (Jesus) was anointed. Jesus was anointed by His father.

When was Jesus crucified? He was crucified in AD30; all lining up with the timeline and calculations we have established earlier.

Let us read Daniel 9:25 again:

“25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

When Jesus came, there had to be a temple and that’s why the temple was rebuilt. It says: it will be built in difficult times; can we prove this? Absolutely! Let us see:

We can see that the temple and Jerusalem were built in troublous times as prophesied in (Daniel 9:25); for a certain period, Jerusalem was not being built because of fierce opposition. From the time that the commandment to build Jerusalem was issued to the time when Jesus will be anointed as the Messiah, it has to be 69 weeks of years (Daniel 9:25).  Did the situation change? Let us read further:

Ezra 6.1-3, 8-13;

Darius the King made a decree that these men not be hindered in carrying out the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Because God was behind this prophecy coming to pass, king Darius issued a strong decree that the work not be hindered.

Let us see how they rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple; Nehemiah 4:17-23.

They built it in troublous times with sword by their side as prophesied in

This aligns with the prophecy in Daniel that Jerusalem will be rebuilt in troublous times. The building was guarded. Jerusalem and the temple had to be built before the Messiah can come and be anointed. It had to be within the timeframe of the 69 weeks of years.

Daniel 9:24,26:

• That from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks).
• The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

All the things that we have seen happening in the times of Nehemiah and Ezra were all geared up to the coming of the Messiah; all had to be fulfilled as it was prophesied.

It had to be 69 weeks of years to the anointing of the Messiah. He then had around 3 ½ years for ministry before being cut off (die for the sins of many). Even after Jesus was raised and sat at the right hand of God, Jerusalem was still going to be destroyed.

Notice something in verse 26:

He will confirm the covenant with many for one week of years (one week of years—7 years); Christ’s ministry lasted for 3 ½ years; only 3 ½ years of Christ’s ministry that was intended for 7 years was completed.

He will be cut off in the middle of the week (Daniel 9:26-27).

The above passage, contrary to the popular belief that it is referring to the antichrist, is referring to the Messiah (Jesus Christ)—Vs 26. Jesus will confirm a covenant (the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) with many and bring an end to animal sacrifice in the middle of the week.  The one week referred to in the above passage has dual prophecy meaning:

One week means one week of years (7 years) but it also means literal week:

1. Christ’s ministry was intended to last for seven years but in the middle of His ministry (3 and half years), He shall be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of many.
2. Also, in the middle of the week is talking about when Jesus will die; He will die in the middle of a literal week—Wednesday.

So according to Daniel, Christ will die in the middle of the week; what Daniel wrote agrees with other parts of the Bible.

Verse 26 clearly states “Messiah” and the Messiah referred to in Vs 26 is Jesus Christ and not the Antichrist. We can see that the Bible overwhelmingly states the period of the tribulation will be 3 ½ years. The idea of a seven-year tribulation shows the wrong understanding of Daniel 9. How did Jesus fulfill the things written in Daniel chapter 9? Let us see:

Isaiah 53:1-8:

This passage is talking about Jesus; it is Jesus that was bruised for our iniquity. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for the sins of many (cut off but not for Himself Daniels 9:26). Jesus was killed for our transgression. And that’s why Daniel 9:24 says “to bring an end to sin and iniquity”.

Let us see further confirmation of this in the New Testament. Bear in mind, the New Testament is a testimony of what was prophesied to happen in the Old Testament (the law and the testimony).

Romans 15:8:

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

Jesus confirmed all that was spoken to the forefathers of Israel. Let us see more examples:

What Apostle Paul is saying in the above verse is the same thing that Daniel the prophet wrote about in Daniel 9:24—to make reconciliation for iniquity; Jesus will reconcile us back to God the Father. As wrongly understood by many, the apostles are not against the law and the prophets—they are all in harmony.

So, according to 2 Corinthians 5:18-21:

• Christ put an end to iniquity (as prophesied in Daniel 9:24).
• And reconciled us back to the Father (as prophesied in Daniel 9:24).

Daniel said that the Messiah will cause the sacrifice of the oblation to cease, did that happen? Let us see: Matthew 27:50-51.

When the veil of the temple was rented into two, it marks the end of animal sacrifice; this was the end of the sacrificial law. This is the law that Christ nailed to the Cross—the law of animal sacrifice; all other laws are still in place.

What is the current state of Israel and Jerusalem today? Where are the true children of Israel? Let us find out:

Let us see Luke 19:41-44.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, seeing the things that were to come upon Jerusalem—the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

Luke 21:20-24

Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple;

“24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Currently, Jerusalem is being trodden by the gentiles and it will continue to be trodden until Jesus comes. The true children of Israel are scattered all over the globe and will be gathered at Christ’s second coming. How do we know this? Let us see:

Isaiah 11:10-12;

Was the 1948 creation of Israel a fulfillment of any Bible prophecy? The answer is no. Israel will be recovered when the Lord comes the second time. Let us see another proof:

Ezekiel 20:33-38;

The Lord will gather His people at His coming. He will bring His children into the wilderness and plead with Israel face to face. Jerusalem is still desolate and her children are not living in her; let us see further:

Ezekiel 37:21-28;

Has this happened yet? This is yet to happen; it will happen at Christ’s second coming.

WHY DANIEL 9:21-27 IS NOT TALKING ABOUT 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR THE ANTICHRIST

The rapture theorists have largely used Daniel 9 to refer to the 7-year tribulation and the Antichrist. However, this chapter is talking about Jesus and not the antichrist; how can illustrate this? Let us see:

• Finish the transgression:  The Antichrist cannot finish the transgression; only Jesus Christ can.
• Make an end of sins: The Antichrist cannot make an end of sins; only Jesus Christ can.
• Make reconciliation for iniquity: The Antichrist cannot make reconciliation for iniquity; only Jesus Christ can.
• And to bring in everlasting righteousness: The Antichrist cannot bring everlasting righteousness; only Jesus Christ can.
• Seal off the vision and prophecy: The Antichrist cannot seal the vision and the prophecy; only Jesus Christ can.
• Anoint the Most Holy: Jesus is the Most Holy One and not the Antichrist.
• At a set time, the Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself but for reconciliation: Jesus will die but not for himself—for the sins of many; the Antichrist never died for the sins of anyone.
• And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: The antichrist cannot confirm the covenant that was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; only Jesus can confirm the covenant, and he did!
• And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease: In the middle of a literal week Christ will die and cause the sacrifice of oblation to cease; also, in the middle of one week of years, Christ ministry will end—Jesus’ ministry lasted for 3 ½ years. The Antichrist fulfilled none of these.

SUMMARY OF THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL

The 70 weeks of Daniel are neither referring to the antichrist nor 7-year tribulation—none of these. The 70 weeks of Daniel is simply about: 

1. The children of Israel disobeyed the Lord time and again, and God delivered them into captivity and Jerusalem became desolate; Daniel prayed to God concerning his people Israel and the city of Jerusalem for mercy.
2. God answered the prayed of Daniel by sending Angel Gabriel to tell him what will happen to Israel and the city of Jerusalem, and the timeframe involved.
3. 70 Weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem). This is the timeframe that God gave.
4. the key events that will happen during the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24).
5. The 70 weeks will start when the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple goes forth (Daniel 9: 25).
6. 69 weeks out of the seventy weeks will be from when the decree to restore Jerusalem and the temple goes forth to when Jesus will be anointed as the Messiah.
7. Jesus will confirm the covenant (the covenant God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) for one week—in the 70^th week.
8. Jesus will be cut off in the middle of the week (die after 3 ½ years of ministry, and also in the middle of a literal week).

WHY CHRIST’S 3½ YEARS OF MINISTRY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL

The rapture theorists are quick to conclude that Daniel 9:27 is referring to the Antichrist and a 7-year tribulation; they also agree to the fact that the 69 weeks of the 70 weeks have been completed, but one week is still outstanding. It is the Antichrist, as wrongly taught and believed, that would confirm the remaining one week. 

Is Daniel 9:27 referring to the Antichrist and 7-year tribulation? What is the truth? The rapture theory is a victim of its success, how? The rapture proponents, by claiming that Daniel 9:27 is referring to the Antichrist and 7-year tribulation, kill the rapture theory fast without realising it. Christ’s 3½ years of ministry is an integral and inseparable part of the 70 weeks of Daniel. The 3½ years come after the 69 weeks, can we prove this? Absolutely!

Daniel prayed a prayer of repentance on behalf of his people and was determined to understand what the future holds for his people Israel and the city of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:1-21). God answered his prayer by sending angel Gabriel to deliver prophecies concerning the plan of God for his people Israel and the city of Jerusalem, and what timeframe is involved. Let us see:

Verse 24 states the key plans of God that will be accomplished within 70 weeks. All the things listed in Daniel 9:24 must happen within the 70 weeks. 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city. The question that one should ask is: 70 weeks, to do what? Let us break verse 24 into bullets to get a proper understanding.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city:

Now that we have all the key things that will happen within the 70 weeks broken into bullets, let us break the 70 weeks.

• From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: 69 weeks. From when the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem is issued, to the time when Jesus is anointed as the Messiah (to anoint the Most Holy—verse 24) is 69 weeks.
• Where can we fit it? Let us see:

All the things listed in Daniel 9:24 are part of God’s plan for the salvation of His people Israel. Who fulfilled the things listed in Daniel 9:24? It was Jesus Christ who fulfilled Daniel 9:24—God’s plan of salvation for Israel. All the points listed in Daniel 9:24 are part of the 70 weeks and were fulfilled by Christ after the 69 weeks were completed. Christ was anointed at 69 weeks and it was after his anointing that he fulfilled Daniel 9:24:

We have illustrated sufficiently that Christ’s 3½ years of ministry are an integral part of the 70 weeks; Christ fulfilled Daniel 9:24 but after He was anointed at 69 weeks. Therefore, Daniel 9:27 cannot be referring to the Antichrist nor the false idea of 7-year tribulation.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF BELIEVING THAT DANIEL 9:24-27 REFER TO THE ANTICHRIST / 7-YEAR TRIBULATION

How can a seasoned and right-thinking Bible scholar take Jesus out of Daniel 9? This is exactly what the proponents of the rapture theory have done—they have taken Jesus out of Daniel 9. Christ’s 3 ½ years of ministry is a part of the 70 weeks (see Figure 2). It is very easy to do “on the back of envelope” Bible study and reach a conclusion quickly. Daniel 9 is one of the go-to-texts for the rapture theorists to support the false idea of 7-year tribulation and the Antichrist confirming a covenant for a week (7 years). The theorists never answered all the questions. There are huge implications of believing that Daniel 9:24-27 refers to the Antichrist and 7-year tribulation. What are the implications? Let us see:

• If you take Jesus out of Daniel 9:24-27; question: have the events prophesied in Daniel 9:24 been fulfilled? If one goes by the rapture theory, the events in Daniel 9:24 (even if they have been fulfilled) cannot fit into the 70 weeks timeframe—why? Because from the time that the commandment to rebuild and restore Jerusalem goes forth, to the time that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) will be anointed, it will be 69 weeks (69 weeks of years). The 69 weeks have been completed. According to the rapture theory, one week of years (7 years) is still outstanding, and it is the antichrist that will confirm the remaining one week of years. One cannot take Jesus and His 3 ½ years of ministry out of Daniel 9, and His 3 ½ years of ministry comes after the completion of the 69 weeks.   
• If the events in Daniel 9:24 have been fulfilled, who fulfilled it and where can one fit these events in the 70 weeks timeframe? According to the rapture theory, the 3 ½ years of Christ’s ministry cannot fit into the 70 weeks timeframe. Why? Because the 69 weeks starts from the time that the command to rebuild Jerusalem goes forth, to the time that Jesus will be anointed—69 weeks of the 70 weeks. The rapture theorists claim that it is the antichrist that will confirm one week of years out of the 70 weeks. Can you see that rapture theory is stating that the 3 ½ years of Christ’s ministry is not part of the 70 weeks timeframe? Things not adding up with the rapture theory! When Jesus was anointed at 30 years, He fulfilled Daniel 9:24 in his 3 ½ years of ministry. The 3 ½ years of Christ’s ministry are an integral part of the 70 weeks of Daniel.
• By stating that Daniel 9:27 is referring to the antichrist and 7-year tribulation, what correlation does the antichrist has with Daniel 9:24-26? There is no correlation, whatsoever.
• What is the context of the entire chapter of Daniel 9?
• The great tribulation cannot be 7 years, why? Because Daniel 12:2 states the tribulation and the duration is given in Daniel 12:6-7.

We can see that the rapture theorists have massively misinterpreted Daniel 9:27 to make their theory fit into the Bible. The 3 ½ years of Christ’s ministry has a place in the 70 weeks of Daniel, and these 3 ½ years come after the 69 weeks. Almost all the events prophesied in Daniel 9:24 have been fulfilled (fulfilled by Christ), and these happened after the 69 weeks. With the rapture theory, things don’t add up—no matter how you turn them.

HOW DANGEROUS IS THE RAPTURE DOCTRINE?

The danger of the rapture doctrine lies in the promise of false protection. This doctrine promises a kind of protection the Bible never stated. According to Jesus, the place of safety during the Great Tribulation is the wilderness. Jesus said: Flee to the wilderness (or the Mountains) when you see the Abomination That Causes Desolation: Matthew 24:16-18; Revelation 12:14. If you wait for the false rapture instead of fleeing to the wilderness (or mountains), you will face the great tribulation. Are you going to believe the words of Jesus and flee to the wilderness when the Abomination that causes Desolation happens or are you going to believe fables from men? The choice is yours. Be warned!

PROBLEMS / ERRORS IN THE RAPTURE THEORY:

As can be seen, the events in (1 Thessalonians 4; Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 11-20) are the same thing; the rapture doctrine was created by detaching 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 from other passages that talk about the same event. The rapture theory was created in sheer disregard to other parts of the Bible. If other parts of the Bible had been considered, the rapture theory (and yes, it is a theory) would not have seen the light of the day. The rapture theory creates multiple problems than solutions—more questions than answers—more confusion than clarity. What are these problems?

1. Jesus will make three comings (one—coming to die for mankind, two: the first phase of his second coming called the rapture, and three—the second phase of his second coming—when He comes back with the saints after the Great Tribulation). The Bible never taught this. If there was anything like Jesus coming in phases, the Bible would have stated it; but there is nothing as secret rapture before the great tribulation. Especially, when the disciples of Jesus came and ask him about the signs leading to his second coming, He would have told them if there is.
2. If the dead will be raised at the supposed rapture, where will you fit the event in Mathew 24:31? Jesus will send His angel to gather his saints—and there will be a resurrection of the dead also—although not explicitly stated in the text. With the rapture theory, will there be two resurrections for the righteous? The Bible doesn’t teach two resurrections for the righteous dead—only one!
3. If the supposed pre-tribulation rapture is true, why would Jesus tell his followers to flee into the wilderness for safety when they see the Abomination of Desolation? Wouldn’t He have told them that they would be raptured for protection and there is no need to flee to the wilderness? Notice that the Abomination that Causes Desolation will be at the start of the great tribulation.
4. The 144,000 that will come from the 12 tribes of Israel are people who will rule with Christ. Revelation 7 states that these come out of the great tribulation. According to the Rapture theory, the 144,000 will miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The raptured church will be having the Marriage Supper of Lamb in heaven while the 144,000 undergoes the Great Tribulation. The problem is, there is only one Marriage Supper of the Lamb—and it is for everyone who has accepted and served the God of Israel wholeheartedly. The rapture theory only creates things you cannot explain!
5. The rapture theory would mean the celestial events (the sun turns dark, the moon to blood, and stars falling Matthew 24:29) that mark the second coming of Christ occurring many times—how can this be? Confusion!!
6. If Matthew 24:31: “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect…” and 1 Corinthians 15:52 “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the dead in Christ shall rise…” If these two are separate events, then what are they?
7. “But of that day and hour, no one knows…” Matthew 24:36: Is this talking about the supposed secret rapture or the second coming of Christ/the Day of Lord?  This is referring to the second coming of Christ—although, after the great tribulation, no one knows the day and the hour.
8. If the Last Trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is before the great tribulation, according to the rapture theory there will be 7 more trumpets during the great tribulation—how can this be? When Apostle Paul says Last—it is exactly last—there will be no trumpets after this. People who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture theory always will argue that 1 Corinthians 15 is talking about a different set of trumpets—they are in error! 
9. Revelation 13:5-8: 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. According to the above passage, power was given to the beast to make war with the saints. If the saints are raptured away before the great tribulation, which saints is the beast (the Antichrist) going to make war with? Are there going to be two batches of saints? Please notice that the term saint is used for both natural-born Israelites and non-natural-born Israelites—as long as people have served God and obeyed His commandments.   
10. Matthew 24:22: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Who are the elects the Bible is talking about in the above passage? The elect refers to Israel (and all who have accepted and served the God of Israel faithfully). The proponents of the pre-tribulation rapture would argue that the ‘elect’ is only referring to Israel—they are in error.  If people will be raptured away, why will the days need to be shortened?
11.  Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The rapture theorists state in their theory that most of Israel will be left behind because they don’t keep the commandments of God and don’t have faith in Jesus Christ. However, according to the above passage, the dragon—the devil operating in the capacity of the Antichrist, makes war with the remnant of the seed of the woman i.e., makes war with Israel. The war is very strategic, how strategic? With those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So, we can see that the saints will be around during the great tribulation. Although the instruction is to flee to the wilderness, not many will heed to this and make it. A question: where did the rapture theorists get the idea that most of Israel (people who don’t keep the commandments of God and don’t have the faith/testimony of Jesus) would be left behind?                                                                 

THE IMPLICATIONS OF BELIEVING THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE THEORY IS THAT:

1. After the trumpets mentioned in Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, there will be more trumpets after this. Is this what the Bible says? No!
2. People who have stood firm during the great tribulation and died as a result of not giving in to the Antichrist, will there be another resurrection for them? The Bible never says there will be two resurrections for the righteous dead.

THE TIMING OF THE RESURRECTION—IS THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS DEAD DIVIDED INTO PHASES?

One of the ways the rapture theorists were able to propagate the theory was to create so many things the Bible never mentioned; the rapture theorists were able to use eisegesis to fit the theory into the Bible by breaking things into phases—even when the Bible never separated things into phases.  Christ’s Second coming was falsely divided into phases—something the Bible never did. The proponents of the pre-tribulation rapture, to cover for the different phases of Christ’s second coming they created, went further to divide the resurrection of the righteous dead into phases. According to the rapture theory, there are four phases of the resurrection of the righteous dead. What are they?

1. The resurrection of Christ, the first fruit (I Corinthians 15:3,4,12,20,23).
2. The resurrection of the Church-age saints at the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:13-16).
3. The resurrection of the tribulation period saints (Revelation 20:3-5).
4. The resurrection of Old Testament saints at the second advent of Christ to the earth (Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 26:19).

Looking at the above on the surface, it makes the rapture theory fits perfectly, doesn’t it? However, deeper beyond the surface, when all precepts are assembled, these don’t add up. Let us pause and ask some questions: does the Bible teach that the resurrection of the righteous dead will be in phases?  To answer this question, let us see all the “go-to-verses” that the theorists use to break the resurrection of the righteous dead into phases (Table 3).

THE IMPLICATIONS OF BREAKING THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS DEAD INTO PHASES:

1. At the so-called secret rapture (as falsely taught and believed), Old Testament saints like Abraham, Elijah, Isaiah, Samson, David, Elisha, Abel, Noah, Enoch, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, and the list goes on (the people with whom God had covenant), will not be resurrected. They will miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? How can all these people miss the marriage supper of the Lamb?  The marriage supper of the Lamb is all about God taking Israel back as wife; and how can all these people miss the marriage supper of the lamb? The rapture theory only creates things that don’t add up—confusion!
2. According to Isaiah 26:19 & Daniel 12:2, the righteous dead will be resurrected; at what trumpet will they be raised? Will there be another “Last Trumpet” after the last trumpet mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52?
3. How many more trumpets will there be after the supposed first phase of the resurrection of the righteous dead?
4. According to the rapture theory, there will be several “last Trumpet”; the Bible teaches that there will be one and only one Last trumpet.
5. Are these passages breaking the resurrection into phases or simply talking about the resurrection of the righteous dead in different perspectives?

NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY NOR THE HOUR—IS THIS TALKING ABOUT A SECRET RAPTURE?

Without assembling all precepts related to a subject in the Bible, it is easy to selectively pick few verses to make them say something different—eisegesis. One of the ways the rapture theorists were able to propagate this theory is by selectively picking few verses to support the “secret rapture theory”.  When the Bible says no one knows the day nor the hour, what does it mean? Is it talking about a secret rapture? No, it is not referring to a secret rapture; all these verses in Table 4 are talking about the same thing—the second coming of Christ. The second coming of Christ is not going to be a secret (all eyes will see Him), but the day and time are unknown—no one knows except the Father. There is no such thing as a secret rapture—it is a fallacy. Understand that the day of the Lod is associated with the second coming of Christ. The day of the Lord is the day of His wrath, but it will take place when Christ comes the second time. The righteous will not be exposed to the wrath of God.

THE TRUMPETS—HOW MANY SERIES OF TRUMPETS?

The memorial of the blowing of the trumpets (Leviticus 23:24) is one of the feast days the Most High God commanded His children (native-born Israelites and non-native-born Israelites) to keep forever. What is the significance of this feast? This feast is a reminder that the Most High God, through Christ, will one day set up His kingdom on this earth and it will happen by the blowing of trumpets. The Most High God has revealed through John that there will be seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6-12) —one and only one series; one to seven (1-7), and that is it.

Some of the verses the rapture theorists often quote as a proof text for this theory are 1 Thessalonian 4:16-17 and I Corinthians 15:52. Despite so many years the rapture theorists spent cooking up things to perfect this theory, there are still burning questions that are boldly pointing to the fact that things are not adding up for this theory. 

If someone tells you, for example, this is the last item, it means there is more than one item in the series. There have to be other items in the series, or otherwise the term last is meaningless and incorrect.

1 Corinthian 15:52 mentions the Last Trumpet: this means that this last trumpet is part of a series.

The Book of Revelation also mentioned that there will series of 7 trumpets (Revelation 8:6-12). According to the rapture theory, some of the saints to die during the great tribulation will be resurrected at the 7^th Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19).

Things that we can see from the Scriptures:

1. The 7 trumpets of Revelation: This is a series consisting only of seven trumpets (1-7).
2. 1 Corinthian 15:52 mentions the Last Trumpet: The text does not mention explicitly which series this belongs to.

PROBLEMS / QUESTIONS:

1. According to the rapture theory, there are more than one series of trumpets. The 7 trumpets of Revelation and the Last trumpet mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52 are two different series. The Bible does not teach this.
2. According to the rapture theory, after the last trumpet mentioned 1 Corinthians 15:52, there would be another “Last Trumpet”. Another Last after Last? This is confusion!
3. If the last trumpet mentioned 1 Corinthians 15:52 is part of the 7 trumpets of Revelation, where does it fit?  The 7^th Trumpet comes after the great tribulation and the rapture theorists don’t want to agree that it is part of the 7 trumpets as the theory would collapse.
4. The rapture theorists claim that the Last Trumpet mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is different from the final trumpet; if they are different, how many trumpets are there before the Last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52?
5. The trumpet mentioned in Matthew 24:31, what series is this part of? And how many trumpets are there in the series?

By asking few questions, there are a lot of things in the rapture theory that don’t add up—you can see them crumbling. Even by breaking so many things into phases, it ends up creating more problems for the rapture theory rather than making it fit.  The Bible never taught that there will be more than one series of trumpets leading to the second coming of Christ.  The rapture theory is teaching that there will be multiple series (which means multiple lasts) leading to the second coming of Jesus—all false.

FURTHER THINKING ROOMS:

THINKING ROOM FOR 2 THESSALONIANS 2:2-9

From the above passage in verse 2, what coming of Jesus is Apostle Paul referring to? It is obvious that Apostle Paul was referring to the second coming of Christ; how do we know? Verse 2: by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. The gathering of the saints will happen at the second coming of Christ. Apostle Paul strongly warns: let no man deceive you; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed; what day is Apostle Paul referring to?The answer is in verse 2:the second coming of Christ and gathering of his people. Before Christ’s second coming, these things must happen according to Apostle Paul:

1. A falling away first.
2. And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

Apostle Paul never separated the second coming of Christ into phases—he never did! The second coming of Jesus and the gathering of his people in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 is the same as the gathering of the saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 & 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

Where is the so-called secret rapture before the great tribulation in all these? You will not find it because it is not there. Apostle never mentioned rapture (or gathering of the saints) as an event that will happen before the Man of Sin is revealed—why? Because there is no such thing called the secret rapture of the saints (or gathering of the saints) before the second coming of Christ. Paul clearly states in the passage that the second coming of the Lord shall not happen until the Man of Sin is revealed; the Man of Sin will be revealed and will rule for three and half years; how do we know this? Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Time (one year), times (2 years), and the dividing of time (half a year): 3 ½ years.

Paul is not writing something different from what Prophet Daniel wrote; prophet Daniel knew that the saints will be around when the Man of Sin is revealed: and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; which saints is Daniel referring to?The righteous people of God. Paul never separated the second coming of Christ into phases, and he was clear as to when the Lord will make the second coming, and how this relates to the Antichrist (or the Man of Sin or the Son of Perdition)—it is after the Man of Sin is revealed and has ruled for the period stipulated for him.

THINKING ROOM FOR DANIEL 7:23-27

Prophet Daniel, who initially penned down these prophecies, agrees with all other prophets, the apostles, and Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know this? Watch Verse 25: And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High. If the saints are raptured away before the Antichrist, who are the saints that the Antichrist shall wear out?  From the writings of Prophet Daniel, there is no such thing as the saints taken away (or raptured) before the Self-willed King (or the Antichrist or Son of Perdition) is revealed. Where is it stated in the writings of Daniel the rapture of the saints before the period of the Self-willed King of 3 ½ years? Where?

 If you are a good student of the Bible, you would have noticed something? What is it? Daniel 7:27 and Revelation 11:15

REVELATION 11:15-18

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Daniel 7:27 and Revelation 11:15: these two are talking about the same thing:Christ and the saints taking dominion and rulership over all kingdoms under heaven after the Antichrist has ruled for a time and times and the dividing of time (3 ½ years).

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ‘RAPTURED SAINTS’ AND ‘TRIBULATION SAINTS’

The rapture theorists claim that there will be two batches of saints: the saints that will be raptured away and the tribulation saints—people who will be left behind after the rapture but will repent and stand firm. Is this what the Bible teaches? Is the Church separate and different from Israel? Rapture theorists believe that most of Israel will be left behind and will have to undergo great tribulation to be saved. What is the truth concerning this? Although the instruction is to flee to the wilderness for safety, unfortunately, not all people will make it to the place of safety. Some of the saints will make it to the place of safety in the wilderness during the great tribulation; some of the saints will not make it to the wilderness and will face the wrath of the Antichrist—not all will stand, sadly; some people, it is during the great tribulation that they will come to know God. All these are saints and there is no such thing as one batch will be raptured away and some left behind. At Christ’s second coming, He will gather all the saints with the sound of a trumpet—the righteous dead, the saints in the wilderness, and all saints elsewhere. The false idea that there will be multiple batches of saints comes from a wrong understanding of who the true Biblical Israelites are today.

So many theologians (including the rapture theorists) teach that the church is separate and different from Israel and that the church started in the Acts of the Apostles period—is this the truth? According to the rapture theorists, the Church Age is defined as the period from Pentecost (Acts 2) to the supposed rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Is this true? This is not true! How do we know? Let us go further to establish the truth:

Who are the true biblical Israelites today? This will require a separate article to deal with this subject. The true Israelites will be led away captives into all nations and Jerusalem will be trodden by the gentiles, and will continue to be trodden until the time of the gentiles is fulfilled (Luke 21:20-24). The time of the gentiles is not yet fulfilled. The idea that Israel has rejected God and that the Church is separate and different from Israel is wrong. The church and Israel are the same. How do we know? Let us see:

Acts 7:38 “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”

The term church was derived from the Greek word ekklesia—meaning the called-out ones. The Church did not start in Acts of the Apostles but the wilderness. Anyone who has accepted the God of Abraham as his/her God is part of the Church—part of Israel. It would be an unwise thing to think that the Church is separate and different from Israel. God makes no distinction between the natural-born Israelite and non-natural born Israelite in terms of the standard He expects. Watch this:

EXODUS 12:47-49 “47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”

Therefore, it can be seen that the church is Israel and it started in the wilderness. The disciples in Acts of the Apostles, who people wrongly think started the church, were the descendants of the church that was in the wilderness; the church—the called-out ones—started in the wilderness. Therefore, the Church is Israel and Israel is the Church. Anyone who has accepted and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob faithfully, has become a spiritual Israelite and is part of Israel—part of the Church. Don’t be confused with the split names of churches we have today. See our article on The Church and Israel Are the same.

Further, don’t be deceived that the gentiles and other nations who have accepted Jesus are now the church and God is going to rapture them away; the Bible never teaches that the Church is different and separate from Israel. The church is Israel (both native-born and non-native born—spiritual) and whatever programme God has for the church, it is not going to be in separated forms as projected by the rapture theory.

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB: THIS CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT ISRAEL

Have you heard about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? According to the rapture theory, the church (which people wrongly claim is different and separate from Israel) will be raptured to heaven and will be having the marriage supper of the Lamb while the great tribulation is taking place. But is this what the Bible teaches? The Marriage of Lamb is drawn from the fact that God entered into a covenant relationship with Israel. By entering into a covenant agreement with Israel, God married them. However, because they were unfaithful, He divorced them. God has indicated that He will marry them again and this will take place at the second coming of the Lord. How do we know this? Let us see from the Bible:

This is the covenant that Israel made with the Lord:

How did Israel fail to live according to the covenant? Let us see:

However, Israel did what was displeasing to the Lord by behaving as a harlot; therefore, God divorced Israel and gave them over to their enemies. Let us read further to see how God divorced them:

From the above passages, the Most High God married Israel, and the Marriage of Lamb will all be about taking (remarrying) Israel back; taking back those that have lived a righteous life. Now here are things to ponder about:

• The rapture theorists claim that some Israelites will miss the Marriage of the Lamb, how can this be? God will remarry Israel in whole and not in batches. One single event and is for all Israelites (native-born and spiritual).
• Will there be two marriage suppers of the Lamb? That is the implication of believing the rapture doctrine. Rapture doctrine only creates things you cannot explain.

It is false to claim that some Israelites will miss the marriage of the Lamb—this teaching is not from the Bible.

The marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10) will happen at Christ’s second coming and not during the great tribulation. It is a single event and not in batches; it is for the whole of Israel and all who have accepted and served the God of Israel.

TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU

Jesus was very clear when His disciples asked him:

Matthew 24:4-5 4 “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

He started by warning them, let no man deceive you; and Apostle Paul stated the same thing: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The Bible never separated the second of Christ into phases—the Bible never did! From Prophet Daniel to Jesus Christ and the Apostles, no one separated the second coming of Christ into phases—no one did! None of the apostles separated the resurrection of the righteous dead into phases—no one did!  Why would you allow unlearned ministers, false prophets, and false pastors to easily deceive you with what cannot be proven in the Bible? Are you going to believe the Bible or these false prophets and unlearned pastors to ride on your emotions and deceive you with a pre-tribulation rapture? This article is intended to gear you to study the Bible on your own and to understand the truth. You need to flee to the wilderness when the Self-willed King is revealed, or in other words, when you see the Man of Sin standing in the holy place. You have the options to follow the true teachings of the Bible or follow fables from men and undergo the great tribulation. FLEE TO THE WILDERNESS! Be Warned!

FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE RAPTURE THEORY

Most people who teach the rapture theory base their beliefs on:

1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath…”  But the question that should be asked is, is Tribulation = Wrath?

Watch this: John 16:33 says, “In the world you shall have tribulation…”  The wrath mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is not referring to the Great Tribulation—it is not!

What about millions of Christians that have been killed because of their faith—if that type of tribulation is equated to wrath, then why didn’t God deliver them? Where is their rapture? Why didn’t God rapture them to escape these terrible persecutions and death?

What of thousands of Christians in different parts of the world killed because of their faith?  Where is the promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:9 to these people?

The wrath in Thessalonians 5:9 is referring to “the day of the Lord” wrath.  Not a reference to “tribulation.”

Further, another bargaining chip used to propagate the pre-tribulation rapture theory is REVELATION 3:10-11

10 Because thou hast 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.

As a rule of thumb, any interpretation of the Bible must line up with other parts of the Bible otherwise it should be rejected. If the above passage is used to validate the rapture theory, then there is a problem with this interpretation. Clearly, Revelation 3:10-11 is not referring to the church being raptured. The Church will be in the wilderness during the great tribulation and God will protect the church there (Matthew 24:16-18; Revelation 12:14).

HOW IMPORTANT IS KNOWING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS?

Knowing the accurate timeline of events before the great tribulation is very important. Why is it important? Because your safety during the period of great tribulation depends on it. Let us see the Bible:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be; and the instruction is: flee to the wilderness (or mountains) for safety. The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the Man of Sin or Son of Perdition (Destruction) or The Antichrist will move to Jerusalem and occupy the temple and exalt himself above God. Jesus was very specific regarding when His children should flee to the wilderness for safety. If it is not important, why would Jesus tell His disciples to flee when they see the Man of Sin standing in the holy place?

Some have argued all that matters is accepting Jesus in our hearts and the Holy Spirit will tell us what to do when the time comes—what a dangerous ignorance! What will the Holy Spirit say different from what is already written? The Holy Spirit of God will not tell you to do otherwise from what has already been written.  If all that matters is accepting Jesus, Jesus would not have instructed His disciples to flee to the wilderness. If you are prepared to face the great tribulation under the Antichrist, you can ignore the instruction to flee to the wilderness.

Jesus stated: flee into the mountains (or wilderness), this sounds like a poem, right? YOUR SAFETY DURING THE GREAT TRIBULATION IS IN THIS STATEMENT. Don’t ignore it! Where is the wilderness? How do I get there? How will God take care of me there? All these questions are covered in our article: WILDERNESS: THE PLACE OF SAFETY DURING THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

Further, The Abomination of Desolation Standing in The Holy Place is not referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD; this is a future prophecy and is yet to be fulfilled—it is referring to the Antichrist (Son of Perdition or Destruction; or the Man of Sin). 

SUMMARY

We have sufficiently illustrated from the Scriptures that the rapture theory presents more problems than solutions—more questions than answers—more confusion than clarity. The doctrine of the rapture is another “on the back of envelope” doctrine; it was formed in rush and without in-depth study of the entire Bible. There is only the second coming of Christ and it will occur after the great tribulation period of 3 ½ years. Christ’s second coming is not divided into phases. You need to be prepared and flee to the wilderness when this period comes—something most pastors are not teaching. It will require humility to ditch this false doctrine and embrace what the Bible teaches.