Our Blessed Hope (Part 1)

Derek discusses the Pre-Tribulation Rapture with Christine Darg, explaining its purpose in terms of the Divine Romance, comparing it to the Jewish Wedding Customs. They point out why the Rapture is a different event to the 2nd Coming, revealing the differences between them. One reason the Rapture must be before the Tribulation is that we are promised Jesus will come for His Church to rescue us from the coming Wrath of the Day of the Lord (1Thessalonians 1:9-10, 5:2-3,8), and this time of God's Judgment-Wrath of God includes the whole Tribulation, starting with the breaking of the first 6 Seals in Revelation 6 and concluding with the 2nd Coming in Revelation 19. Moreover, Derek shares 4 clear contradictions that arise from the Post-Tribulation Rapture position, which says that the Rapture happens at the same time as the 2nd Coming. (1) The Rapture is signless and imminent, but the 2nd Coming is signposted and predictable for those living in the Tribulation. (2) Before the Rapture, normal life is going on ('peace and safety') as in the days of Noah, but before the 2nd coming all hell is breaking loose in the Great Tribulation, including the 7 Bowls of Wrath and Armageddon. (3) After the Rapture Jesus will take His Church to Heaven (John 14:1-3), but if the Rapture is at the 2nd Coming, we will not go to Heaven, but instead do a U-turn and return with Jesus to the earth. (4) If all believers are raptured at the 2nd Coming, then there will be no believers (sheep) left in their natural bodies to populate the earth in the Millennium. Moreover, since all the unbelievers (goats) will be removed from the earth by death at the 2nd Coming (Matthew 25), that will leave no one alive for the Millennium. This means that the Rapture of the Church must take place a significant time before the 2nd Coming. The Bible reveals that in fact the Rapture takes place at least 7 years before the 2nd Coming.