Many are the end-time scenarios that have been proposed that suggest how the Lord will bring about the close of the Church Age and bring in the Kingdom. For instance those that deal with different beliefs about when the Rapture will occur; pre, mid, pre-wrath, or post.
This is not an article about those, except to assume the way I think is scripturally accurate, a pre-trib belief. That was not always my belief, but I am convinced of its scriptural accuracy now. That being said, I know that it is sometimes difficult for a Christian to change his ingrained beliefs that have been part of a church or denominational teaching that he grew up in, even when faced with scriptural evidence to the contrary.
Scripture trumps all our beliefs, what we were taught in seminary, how we think it would be best, theories of ours, etc.
I am commenting on an article I read that followed a Pre-Trib pattern, but suggested the notion that those saved during the Tribulation would all be martyred, and then have to be resurrected at the end of the Tribulation in order to populate the Millennium. The entire basis for this idea stemmed from misinterpreting one verse of Scripture and an error in defining a biblical term concerning the resurrection of the dead.
Also, to add insult to injury, the article left out the many other Scriptures that explain and add light to realizing that, although many believers will die in the tribulation, there will be those who survive. First, the author of the article fell into a trap that leads many into error in biblical interpretation. That is, taking one verse and building a belief around it.
For instance, Revelation 13:15 was used as a proof thatall would be killed who would not worship the beast’s image. Well, a better translation reads, “as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed,” not all. But even if it said “all,” there are some exceptions in Scripture, not having to do with salvation. For instance the verse that says “It is appointed unto man once to die…” Well, if all have to die, the Rapture cannot include those living believers at the time, so we know there’s an exception to that.
Second, the author’s attempts to prove that all believers will die in the Tribulation and then have to be raised, he incorrectly or inaccurately defined the term “the first resurrection.” Revelation 20: 4-5, referring to those believers martyred during the Tribulation, speaks of these being brought back to life and saying “this is the first resurrection.”
The gentleman concludes that these are the onlybelievers that enter the Millennium. However, without going into an in-depth study, the first resurrection includes all believers, no matter when in history it occurs. Some Old Testament saints were resurrected right after Jesus was; they were part of the first resurrection. Those who will be raised at the Pre-Trib Rapture will be in the first resurrection. So there are several waves in the first resurrection that happen at different times.
Also, many other Scriptures interpret for us why all believers in the Tribulation will not be killed. In the article in question, Matthew 25:31 is not considered. Here Jesus describes the great multitude of people who survive the Tribulation, and the subsequent separation of the believers from the lost.
The believers are told to inherit the kingdom (the Millennium). Hence, this judgment will supply the Millennium with people who have not died, but only the believing group (the sheep). The lost are condemned to hell.
Finally, in the article, an integral part of the Tribulation is not mentioned. It adds to the biblical proof that explains why all Tribulation saints will not be killed. God always reserves a remnant of Jewish believers. I have not been able to understand how the Jew could be left out of his article’s discussion. There will be a remnant of Jews who flee to the wilderness and be protected from the wrath of the Beast, Rev 12:13-17.
They do not worship the image of the beast or take his mark, but are kept safe. At the Second Advent, Jesus Christ will go and show Himself to this remnant of Jews and they will believe in Him (“they will look upon me whom they have pierced” Zechariah 12:10). These are Jews He will save after or at His coming.
A picture of this is how Jesus went to his brothers, James and Jude, after He rose, but before He ascended. They believed in Him then, but hadn’t before. So we see, these believing Jews also, will be survivors of the tribulation who enter into our Lord’s Kingdom in their natural bodies.
To repeat, Scripture trumps all our beliefs, what we were taught in seminary, how we think it would be best, theories of ours, etc.