Normally I greatly respect John MacArthur’s teachings and his love for the Word of God. He’s one of those few men I can look up to in our time. However, I disagree with him on the subjects of election, and as I discuss below, the rapture of the Church.
THE DANGER OF ZEAL
I was a “pre-Trib” believer for twenty-eight years, until I began to honestly deal with those difficult passages on the subject. And one of those difficult passages is the subject of this post. I heard John recently use it in a sermon on Revelation. And I have to say that if I didn’t know that John was a truly upright man, I would have to say he was being intentionally dishonest in what he said about this passage. However, I know from my own experience that in our zeal to defend the pre-Tribulation rapture, or any other belief we hold, we can hop over or twist truths with good intentions, and I’m sure that’s the situation here.
WHO IS REVELATION FOR?
John MacArthur discussed the first three chapters of Revelation in which Jesus Christ addresses the seven churches. He then stated that the Church is nowhere mentioned in Revelation until you get to chapter 22. Therefore, he’s implying, there has to be a pre-Tribulation rapture.
What John said about the Church is true in the sense that the word “church” is not used after chapter 3 until chapter 22. However, John, as I once did and as others do, conveniently skipped over the fact that in the intervening chapters, saints who are faithful to Jesus despite persecution, including Gentile saints saved by their faith, live among the nations throughout the Tribulation.
John went on to comment on the statement of Jesus concerning the Church in chapter 22. Here’s part of that statement:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches” (Revelation 22:16).
John MacArthur, in stating that the Church isn’t mentioned in all the other chapters and that consequently there must be a pre-Tribulation rapture, summarizes this sentence this way (not a word-for word quote, but close):
“Jesus is saying ‘Go back and read what I said to the churches'”.
In this way John is denying half of what the Revelation is really for, in an attempt to defend his theory. He’s attempting to re-direct Christ’s admonition to be aware of what’s coming, and instead to say that only the first three chapters apply to the Church, but not the chapters on what will take place on the earth. In truth this is not what Christ is saying. He’s saying that the entirety of the Revelation is given as a testimony to the churches. It’s all for us: it’s all relevant to us.
Here’s what John wrote at the very beginning of the Revelation:
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1).
Jesus instructs John to write down everything he sees, and pass it on to the seven churches:
“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea” (verse 11).
“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later” (verse 19).
THE CHURCH IS THERE ALL THE TIME
The Church is there, all the way through, which is why Jesus told John to pass on the message of what will take place later. If it isn’t, we don’t need it. Why do we study Bible prophecy if, as pre-Tribulation people claim, the imminence of Christ’s coming means that “nothing else needs to happen on God’s prophetic clock”? If we aren’t going to be here, why do we need to even think about it?
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Why does it matter? It matters because millions of people who now are certain that they will be whisked away from the earth before anything bad happens to them, are going to be badly shocked and very possibly shaken in their faith, when they realize it’s not happening.
I’ve written posts before on Revelation as it relates to the rapture, going into more depth on why the Church is very much in those chapters from four to twenty-two. As one example, pre-Tribulation teachers when discussing the gathering in heaven in chapter 4, say that it includes the Church or representatives of the Church, as a demonstration that the Church has been raptured before Tribulation events. However, there is no mention of the word “Church”! Think about it: the word “Church” is not used for anyone in heaven from chapters 4 to 22, any more than it’s used for people on the earth!
I’ve also made videos which probably contain more detail and insights than the posts, if you have the time. Finally, I have a book available on Amazon on the subject of the rapture. Find links below.
Fuel for Faith 