The Case for a Post-Tribulation Second Coming

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William Barton

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"There was a lunar eclipse when Jesus died (Matthew 27:45).

The next such eclipse (from the perspective of Israel) is December 31, 2028.

See also Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Luke 23:45, Revelation 6:12. Blood moon!
 
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CrowCross

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"Sun will be darkened, moon will not give it's light" refers to a lunar eclipse, during which the moon temporarily blocks the light of the sun. There was a lunar eclipse, as seen from Jerusalem, when Jesus was crucified (Luke 23:44).

Likewise there will be a lunar eclipse when Jesus returns. (Matthew 27:45). The next such eclipse is December 31, 2028.

See also Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24-25, Luke 21:25, Joel 2:31, Revelation 6:12-13.
All that means nothing.
Are you saying Jesus can't come back until December 31, 2028 or some other eclipse?
 

Spiritual Israelite

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24But in those days, after that tribulation:
‘The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Your theology says at that time...Jesus comes back. I agree. This is the Rev 19:11 return.

But, there's one little detail you guy forget about.
Acts 1:9 After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Jesus didn't leave under conditions when the sun was darkened...when the moon didn't give its light...when stars were falling from heaven...while the powers of heaven were shaking.....When you add to it Rev 19:11 and the return of Jesus on a white horse...and the understanding that Jesus didn't leave on a white horse it should be pretty clear that 1 Thes 4:16 is a DIFFERENT EVENT.
You are not understanding the context of Acts 1:9-11. It does NOT say that Jesus will come back with the same atmospheric conditions as when He left. That is ridiculous. It says He will come in like manner as He left. You are reading far more into it than what is intended in the verse. All that means is that the manner or way in which He left and ascended to heaven was visibly and bodily. So, He will come back in like manner from heaven. Visibly and bodily. There's no reason to read any more into it than that. The reference to a white horse in Revelation 19 has nothing to with Him not coming back in like manner as He left. That's utterly ludicrous. Matthew 24:29-31 (and Mark 13:24-27) make no mention of a white horse, but you still believe that passage is the same event as Revelation 19:11-21. So, your argument about the white horse is invalid.

I agree. When 2 Thes 2:1 speaks of the "gathering" it is speaking of the rapture mentioned in 1 Thes 4:16.
So, why would Matthew 24:29-31 (Mark 13:24-27) be talking about some other gathering? There's no basis for that belief.

You said..."Scripture does not speak of "social economical conditions" relating to when Jesus comes"
What is this? 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage...added too in Luke 17:28 they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;....How is that not a description of "social economical conditions"??????
Hello? Are you reading that passage carefully at all? Jesus indicated that people were doing their normal activities right up until the flood came and destroyed them all, right? What does that have to do with "social economical conditions"? Plenty of people do their normal activities even when social economical conditions are poor. How can you not know that? It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with people being spiritually oblivious to the fact that God is angry with them and that His wrath will come down on them. This lines up with 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 where Paul says people in spiritual darkness will be saying "peace and safety" as if they are safe from God's wrath, but then the next thing they know "sudden destruction" will come upon them from which "they shall not escape".

Do you think that the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24:30-31 is not the same coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24:39? If not, then how do you think that Matthew 24:37-39 can possibly support the pre-trib rapture theory when Matthew 24:29-31 clearly indicates that Jesus will come AFTER the tribulation of those days?

Why do you think the social economical conditions mentioned above is the way it will be at the end of the tribulation?
You don't understand what the tribulation entails. It's not about physical tribulation, it's about spiritual deception, wickedness, apostasy and persecution (Matthew 24:4-14; 23-26, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). Just as in the days of Noah before the flood people during the days before Jesus comes again will not know what is coming before Christ's wrath comes down upon them when He returns. That is what Jesus taught in Matthew 24:37-39. That passage does not support the pre-trib rapture theory whatsoever.

John 14 answers that question.
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”...........Jesus said "I'll be back" long before Arnold did.

What do you think Jesus is talking about here?
He is talking about when He comes from heaven and we meet Him in the air, after which we will be with Him forever. Nowhere does that passage indicate that after Jesus leaves heaven He will then turn around and go back there and bring us with Him. Why would He do that? Why wouldn't we just meet Him in heaven if that's where we were going? No pre-tribs have any answer for that.
 

CrowCross

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You are not understanding the context of Acts 1:9-11. It does NOT say that Jesus will come back with the same atmospheric conditions as when He left. That is ridiculous. It says He will come in like manner as He left.
LOL...you can make it say whatever you believe. Go for it.

The bottom line is the angels say Jesus return in the same way He left....and Jesus didn't leave on a white horse with the sun and moon not shining and stars falling from heaven. Sorry.
 

CrowCross

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Hello? Are you reading that passage carefully at all? Jesus indicated that people were doing their normal activities right up until the flood came and destroyed them all, right? What does that have to do with "social economical conditions"? Plenty of people do their normal activities even when social economical conditions are poor. How can you not know that? It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with people being spiritually oblivious to the fact that God is angry with them and that His wrath will come down on them. This lines up with 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 where Paul says people in spiritual darkness will be saying "peace and safety" as if they are safe from God's wrath, but then the next thing they know "sudden destruction" will come upon them from which "they shall not escape".
You started with the rude..."Hello? Are you reading that passage carefully at all? " YUP!!!! I read the verses. Dozens of times.

Here's your problem. You said..."Plenty of people do their normal activities even when social economical conditions are poor. " Long sigh......shakes head.....tell me, what do you think the status of the world will be like at the end of the tribulation? PLEASE ANSWER THAT QUESTION. Perhaps I should start a new thread asking you post tribbers that question.
 

Spiritual Israelite

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LOL...you can make it say whatever you believe. Go for it.
That is exactly what you are doing. What the text itself indicates is that people literally saw Jesus ascend up towards heaven. That's the manner/way in which He ascended there. Visibly. Bodily. There's no reason to read any more into it than that, but you have to do that in order to keep your imaginary pre-trib theory afloat.

The bottom line is the angels say Jesus return in the same way He left....and Jesus didn't leave on a white horse with the sun and moon not shining and stars falling from heaven. Sorry.
LOL. Again, you're misunderstanding what Him coming back in like manner means. You have to make it mean something else to make it fit your beliefs.
 

Spiritual Israelite

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You started with the rude..."Hello? Are you reading that passage carefully at all? " YUP!!!!
Is it rude to respond like that in response to utterly ridiculous comments? I don't think so. You just need to stop saying ridiculous things that have nothing to do with the context of the passage we're talking about.

Here's your problem. You said..."Plenty of people do their normal activities even when social economical conditions are poor. " Long sigh......shakes head.....tell me, what do you think the status of the world will be like at the end of the tribulation? PLEASE ANSWER THAT QUESTION. Perhaps I should start a new thread asking you post tribbers that question.
This illustrates the problem with pre-tribs. They take all of Revelation literally and cause it to contradict passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:14-5:3 and Matthew 24:29-39 that very clearly refer to Christ's return and the rapture occurring AFTER the tribulation, not before. You can't even bring yourself to answer my question about whether you think the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 24:39 is the same as the coming of the Son of Man described in Matthew 24:30-31. So, do you think they are the same or not? If not, why not? There's no reason why not. If you understand that each verse is referring to the same coming of the Son of Man then it should be clear that it will happen "immediately after the tribulation of those days" (Matthew 24:29).

Have you ever read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12? What type of tribulation does Paul describe as occurring before Jesus returns? Global physical tribulation? No. Spiritual tribulation. Unrestrained wickedness and mass apostasy and such. That is my understanding of the tribulation that occurs before Jesus returns. So, our understanding of the tribulation is completely different. Which makes it so that we're not even talking about the same thing when we talk about the tribulation.
 

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God’s mercy endures forever! View attachment 91966
AMEN! I am looking Up and forward to, after God's Great [ Any Moment ] GRACE Departure,
to an Eternity Of His Loving Attribute! = ie:


"That in the ages to come He might shew The Exceeding Riches of His ​
Grace In His Kindness Toward us Through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7 AV) ​

hlo
-------------
And, precious friend(s), Please Be Very Richly Encouraged and Edified
In The Lord Jesus Christ and In His Precious Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided:

The Bible: The BIG Picture


Amen.
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William Barton

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The return of Jesus with his angels is shown in Revelation 19:11-21.

"Stars falling" (Matthew 24:29) is a meteor shower, this is not unusual.
 
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CrowCross

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That is exactly what you are doing. What the text itself indicates is that people literally saw Jesus ascend up towards heaven. That's the manner/way in which He ascended there. Visibly. Bodily. There's no reason to read any more into it than that, but you have to do that in order to keep your imaginary pre-trib theory afloat.
If Jesus ascended into heaven in a manner remotely close to the way Jesus is described as returning...they would have written about it.
 

Spiritual Israelite

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If Jesus ascended into heaven in a manner remotely close to the way Jesus is described as returning...they would have written about it.
Again, you are adding things to what is written in Acts 1:9-11 that are not there. What does it actually describe? Jesus bodily ascending to heaven with people literally seeing Him ascend with their own eyes. THAT is the manner in which He left. He will return from heaven in like manner. Visibly and bodily. There is no reason at all to read any more into it than that. But, you have to in order to support your doctrine.
 
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rebuilder 454

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Brother in Christ,

at the end, all of us have be ready and persevere and to remember;

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42)
so far I don't think any of us can prove conclusively when the rapture will occur.

Blessings
If it were not for the bible.
 

CrowCross

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Again, you are adding things to what is written in Acts 1:9-11 that are not there. What does it actually describe? Jesus bodily ascending to heaven with people literally seeing Him ascend with their own eyes. THAT is the manner in which He left. He will return from heaven in like manner. Visibly and bodily. There is no reason at all to read any more into it than that. But, you have to in order to support your doctrine.
I'm adding? Sheeze ...you're the one who adds the requirement of a white horse.
 

Spiritual Israelite

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I'm adding?
That's what I said.

Sheeze ...you're the one who adds the requirement of a white horse.
What are you talking about? I have said several times now that the context of Acts 1:9-11 is that Jesus will return from heaven in like manner as He ascended there in the sense that He will descend from heaven visibly and bodily just as He ascended to heaven visibly and bodily. I'm not adding anything beyond that. You are the one doing that by saying that Revelation 19:11-21 doesn't relate to Acts 1:9-11 because that passage doesn't mention Him leaving on a white horse. That is not part of the "like manner" in which He will descend from heaven as He ascended there. The only thing the passage describes is Him ascending to heaven bodily and visibly so He will return bodily and visibly, also.
 

CrowCross

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That's what I said.


What are you talking about? I have said several times now that the context of Acts 1:9-11 is that Jesus will return from heaven in like manner as He ascended there in the sense that He will descend from heaven visibly and bodily just as He ascended to heaven visibly and bodily. I'm not adding anything beyond that. You are the one doing that by saying that Revelation 19:11-21 doesn't relate to Acts 1:9-11 because that passage doesn't mention Him leaving on a white horse. That is not part of the "like manner" in which He will descend from heaven as He ascended there. The only thing the passage describes is Him ascending to heaven bodily and visibly so He will return bodily and visibly, also.
Besides not leaving on a white horse...Jesus didn't leave in the spectacular way in which He returns in Rev 19.
Secondly, when Jesus left He didn't leave when " sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" as mentioned in Matt 24.

I'm simply telling you what the bible says...If you don't want to properly apply hermeneutics...then have at it.
 

jeffweeder

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Besides not leaving on a white horse...Jesus didn't leave in the spectacular way in which He returns in Rev 19.
The white horse isn't real, but symbolic.
He ascended in complete victory and authority over lost souls and he will return in complete victory and authority as King of kings to raise them to glorification on the last day.... when the heavens are no more. Simple connective scriptural truths of what happens next as the Gospel is preached to every tribe before the door is shut.
.

 
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William Barton

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"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a WHITE HORSE! He who sat upon it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns; and he has a name inscribed, which no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The WORD OF GOD. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on the white horse. " (Revelation 19:11-13)

"In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God" (John 1:1).

It seems as though the Lamb of God (John 1:29) will return as the Lion of Judah (Genesis 49:9-10).

He ascended into the sky (Mark 16:19), and he will return the same way, descending from the sky (Revelation 19:11-21).

"Sun darkened" (Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29, Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12, Isaiah 13:10) refers to a lunar eclipse. There was a similar lunar eclipse when Jesus was crucified in April 3, 33 A.D. (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44).

"Lunar" stems from Latin luna= "moon."
"Eclipse" stems from Greek εκλειψις (ekleipsis) = "failure to appear."
 
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CrowCross

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The white horse isn't real, but symbolic.
Whether it's literal or symbolic....Jesus didn't leave with the literal or symbolic description presented in Rev 20
He ascended in complete victory and authority over lost souls and he will return in complete victory and authority as King of kings to raise them to glorification on the last day.... when the heavens are no more. Simple connective scriptural truths of what happens next as the Gospel is preached to every tribe before the door is shut.
.
 
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rebuilder 454

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Whether it's literal or symbolic....Jesus didn't leave with the literal or symbolic description presented in Rev 20
Correct.
Acts one really gets em going with creativity and bible changes.

It is so nice and beautiful to be in sound doctrine that requires no changes to acts 1, mat 24, mat 25, rev 13, rev 19, the last supper dialogue, and the 2 escape verses.

Whew, what a postrib rapture train wreck.
 
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