Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," December Edition 2007
After Peace And Safety What?
During the last week of November President George Bush held a much
publicized conference at Annapolis, Maryland, for the interest of peace and
safety in the Middle East, particularly in regard to the long-standing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Avid dispensational premillennialists, no doubt, will be eager to see in this
event the beginning (or near beginning) of their imagined start of the future
seven year great tribulation period, which they universally assume begins when
the party of emerging Antichrist orchestrate a peace deal with the Jews--all
based, ostensibly, on the prophetic scenario envisioned in Daniel 9:27.
Don’t hold your breath to be secretly rapture out of the midst in the next few days or weeks! Instead, try reading what Paul says about this very situation in I Thessalonians 5:1-4. Here it is: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
It's time to have this conversation. If you are ready, here we go.
"Does this text say anything about a 'seven year great tribulation period'”?
"No."
"Well, then how do we know that the idea of a seven year great tribulation period
even existed in the mind of Paul when he wrote this letter, if he never
mentioned it?"
"Well, er, uh, duh."
Answer: "we don’t know that such an idea existed in the mind of Paul. We are merely assuming that it did, based on our own ulterior preconception that we are attempting to read into the text."
"Well, I never thought about it that way before, but I see your point."
"Good." (I'm thinking to myself: "You are now starting to think a little outside the box.") "Another question for you: does this text say anything about the 'first half' of anything--like a seven year period of time?"
"No, I guess not. I cannot honestly say that that idea is actually stated there."
"Well, then how do we know that the saying of 'peace and safety' in verse three is supposed be be the point of beginning for the first half of Daniel’s future seventieth week?"
"I guess don't know the answer to that question. You tell me."
Answer: "we don’t know that. Again, it is our own preconception that is being read into the text--a preconception derived from Sir Robert Anderson’s misguided theory of interpreting Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks."
"Ok, so what does the text really say?" (You are making a mental note now: "at this point I am really trying to keep my own ulterior preconceptions out of the mix, and not read anything into this text that is not clearly stated to be there.")
Here we go again. "Verse three says that when they shall say 'peace and safety' then 'sudden destruction cometh.'”
"Sudden destruction and not secret rapture?"
"Yes, that's what the text says. It says nothing about a secret rapture."
"I guess I have to agree, that is what the text says."
"Think about this awhile. Maybe God is trying to show you a different kind of picture of what the end-time will be like, and you are mentally asleep to it."
"Mentally asleep to it?"
"Yes. Ironically, the very condition that the Thessalonians were being warned against in verses 4-6!"
"What's that?"
"Being mentally asleep."
"Oh. So you think I have been mentally asleep?"
"You are catching on. In reading your preconceived theory of dispensationalism into this text, you are indeed miscued, and that means being mentally asleep."
"So you think my problem is that I need to get over the ignorance and nonsense of the unscriptural dispensational theory?"
"In a heart beat, brother! You're right on! Move off the prejudicial dime, and start your journey to do that now."
"Yes sir! Yes sir!"
Related Article Links
The Truth About I Thessalonians 5:3
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