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IMPOSSIBLE-TO-RESOLVE PROBLEMS FOR PRETRIBULATION RAPTURISM

If, as pretribulation rapturism maintains, the Day of the Lord starts at the beginning of the Seventieth Week and if, as they normally teach, the Rapture begins the Seventieth Week, then it must be concluded that these two events (the apostasy and the revealing of the man of sin) occur before the Rapture of the church. That glaring anomaly simply cannot be denied. One of two things should be conceded: either the doctrine of imminency, which maintains that no prophesied events can precede the Rapture , is invalid; or the proposition that the Day of the Lord starts at the beginning of the Seventieth Week must be rescinded. There is no legitimate escape from either conclusion. But those difficulties, as major as they are, only begin the impossible-to-resolve problems that pretribulation rapturism faces when examined in the light of 2 Thessalonians 2. This larger difficulty is related to the following demonstrable facts:

1) The apostasy and revelation of the "man of sin" occur within, not before, the Seventieth Week of Daniel;

2) the Day of the Lord must, according to Paul, occur after the apostasy and revealing of the man of sin;

3) the Rapture immediately precedes the Day of the Lord; and therefore,

4) the Rapture cannot possibly be pretribulational.



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WHO IS THE RESTRAINER (THE ONE WHO IS HINDERING ANTICHRIST)?

(2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-12)

First, as has been repeatedly pointed out, the Day of the Lord does not commence with the beginning of the seventieth week of Daniel. Its approach is said to be heralded by cosmic disturbances (the sixth seal, Rev. 6:12-13), and it begins with the opening of the seventh seal.

Second, the hinderer, or restrainer (whoever he may be for the moment) is not removed until the middle of the seventieth week with the occurence of the abomination that makes the temple desolate. Paul makes that patently clear. Speaking of the Antichrist, he wrote, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" (2 Thess. 2:4-5).

It is in connection with that event which occurs in the middle of the seventieth week, not at its beginning, that Paul teaches concerning the one who hinders. (2 Thess. 2:6-9). The hindering is associated with the events of the Great Tribulation, not with the entire seven year period.

Third, of paramount importance is the identification of the one who restrains or hinders the Antichrist until "he (the restrainer) be taken out of the way." The restrainer is neither the Holy Spirit nor human government. Evidence is strained to support either of those contentions. There is, however, substantial evidence to identify the restrainer. He who restrains until "he be taken out of the way" is the archangel Michael. The following evidence will substantiate that fact.

1. The archangel Michael has long been recognised by both Jewish and Christian scholars as having a special guardian relationship to Israel (Dan. 10:21). His name means Who is like God? almost as if in contrast to Satan who desires to be "like the Most high" (Isaiah 14:14). Daniel is told that Michael is "the great prince who standeth [present continuous tense; that is, he continuous to stand] for the children of thy people" (Daniel 12:1).

2. Revelation 12 describes a war that occurs in heaven. The time for that conflict can be pinpointed at precisely the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel (Rev. 12:6, 13-14). It is described this way:

And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, and [the dragon] prevailed not, neither was their place found anymore in heaven .... And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child. (Rev. 12:7-8. 13.)

The woman represents Israel, who gave Christ (the male child) to the world Rev. 12:5) and who will be severely persecuted during the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12:13-17).

3. Speaking of this one who will hinder the Antichrist, Paul said, "only he who now hindereth will continue to hinder until he be taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 2:7). The word hindereth means to hold down, and the phrase taken out of the way means to step aside. Therefore, the one who had the job of hindering the Antichrist will step aside; that is, he will no longer be a restraint between the Antichrist and those the Antichrist is persecuting.

4. The Bible is explicit that the archangel Michael is the personage who will step aside. Daniel records that event this way: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (Daniel 12:1).

It is important to note when this event occurs. The preceding verse says, "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas and the glorious mountain" (Daniel 11:45). This can only refer to the Antichrist, who will establish his headquarters between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea on the glorious mountain - Jerusalem. This occurs in the middle of the seventieth week in connection with his desecration of the temple and erection of a statue of himself.

Further, that unprecedented time of trouble can only refer to the Great Tribulation. Since Daniel is told that this great trouble relates to his people - and his people are the Jews- this can only be "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7), which is a synonym for the Great Tribulation. It is at that time that the archangel Michael will stand up.

But what does the Hebrew word for stand up (amad) mean? Rashi, one of Israel's greatest scholars and one who had no concern regarding the issue and timing of the Rapture, understood stand up to literally mean stand still. The meaning , according to one of Israel's greatest scholars, would be to stand aside or be inactive. Michael, the guardian of Israel, had earlier fought for her (Dan. 10:13,21), but now this one "who standeth for the children of thy [Daniel's] people" would stand still or stand aside. He would not help; he would not restrain; he would not hold down. The Midrash, commenting on this verse, says, "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Michael, 'You are silent? You do not defend my children'."

Other biblical instances of stand up (amad) meaning to be still or desist are "they... stood still (desisted), and answered no more" (Job 32:16), and again, Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people); and when he opened it, all the people stood up" (Neh. 8:5). Commenting on this verse, Rashi indicates that the people kept quiet (stood still) while Ezra read the Torah.

It is clear that the restrainer is neither human government nor the blessed Holy Spirit of God. The restrainer is not taken out of the world; he simply ceases restraining. The restrainer does not cease his activity at the beginning of the seventieth week but at midpoint. Interestingly, the identification of Michael as the restrainer is by no means a new and novel idea. Michael is mentioned as the restrainer of Satan as early as the first or second century A.D. in Greek magical papyri. (Who knows better than Satan himself?)

If one finds it hard to stand up against popular error now - imagine what it will be like when true christians will be up against an apostate church - deluded by signs, lying wonders, craving wierd unscriptural gifts, extra- biblical revelations and mega manifestations etc. How difficult it will be to resist that global mass of deceived humanity being shepherded by (false) "apostles and prophets" who will jubilantly receive (and expect you to bow down and worship) the Antichrist as if he were the True Messiah. The "church" today is already a long way down that tragic path of deception.

Finally Brethren, as we see that day approaching, let us earnestly beseech our Lord to raise up fearless, faithful overcomers on behalf of His beloved Blood-Redeemed Bride. If ever there was a time when true Christians were called upon to "come out from among them, and be ye separate (2 Cor. 6:17)", and, to enthrone Christ above all else in their lives "that I may know Him (Phil. 3:7-10)" - that moment is now!

"..But the people that do know their God shall be strong,

and do exploits." ( Dan. 11:32 )



FROM TIME TO ETERNITY

VERNON B. HANSEN

P.O. BOX 20981, DURBAN NORTH 4016, SOUTH AFRICA

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