How did I come to this conclusion?
Today I was thinking about being prepared for the Lord's return and what we need to do to be ready. The thought occured to me to do a keyword search of the New Testament for the word "watch." Here are some of the results:
Matthew 24:42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Matthew 25:13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Mark 13:35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
Mark 13:37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "
Luke 12:37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
Luke 21:36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Clearly the word "watch" in the above scriptures is talking about watching specifically for the Lord's return. Notice that there are no preconditions in the scriptures such as "watch when" or "watch if", it just says "watch" period. Here's where the prewrath and post tribber positions implode........
The bible clearly tells us to "watch," but are the prewrath postribbers "watching" right now? If the answer is no, then they are in clear disobedience to the Lord's command to "watch," right? If they answer "yes" they are watching for the Lord's return right now, then this nullifies their position that the Lord will return either at mid or post tribulation. Either way, their position is discredited.
Let's look at another, even more straightforward example of where the prewrath/post trib position is indefensible.
Luke 21:36 says : "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Are prewrath/post tribbers obeying the Lord's clear command here to "pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen?" If they are not praying for escape as the scripture clearly commands them to, are they not being disobedient to the Word of God? If they are praying for escape, then once again, they nullify their own position that we must go through part or all of the tribulation. Notice that the Lord's command is to pray to escape ALL
that is about to happen.
In both cases, the prewrath and post tribulation positions are discredited. People who hold prewrath or posttrib views are not watching for the Lord's return right now although the Lord clearly commands them to be watching (right now), nor are they praying for escape as the Lord commanded them to.
Why would a prewrath or post tribber pray for escape? They are to busy arguing with everyone that they are going through the tribulation. Praying for escape goes against everything they stand for, so they just disregard the word of God and hold on to the word of man.
What do you think is going to happen to servants who are not found watching when the Lord comes back like a thief as He said He would? If the Lord commands a man to pray for escape, that man better pray for escape, or he is a fool.
These things are worth pondering....
Be Anxious For Nothing
5 years ago
