Bible Question: Is there anyone else out there who feels that all the rapture chronology positions (pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, post-trib, ex-trib [O.K., I made that one up]) leave some loose ends scripturally? After studying pre-wrath I was sure I had the answer, but there are a few passages that still don't seem to fit. Sometimes I wonder if we're missing the point with all the rapture chronology emphasis (which I suppose I am perpetuating). |
Bible Answer: I do not believe Revelation is trying to give us "chronology" of endtime events. After all, it is not a book of history -- it is prophecy. And prophecy is often told in poetic form, using repetition, allegory, symbolism and other literary devices. Even though the events described in prophecy are real historical events which will in actuality occur (or have already occurred in some cases), the events are told in a specific genre of writing -- poetic and apocolyptic. While it is always about true events, it is not always meant to be a historical accounting of how those events will be played out. This is obvious when you just take a look at double fulfillments from the Old Testament and the fact that OT prophecies are not at all given in chronological order but rather topical order. For these reasons, I would say it is like chasing one's tail to study "rapture chronology." The point of the prophecies is not to give us a historical timetable of precisely what will happen when. The point of prophecy is to declare the judgments which God will execute against people for violating His laws and also how God will bring about the coming of Christ, (both His first and second comings), in order to save people from God's judgments against them for their sins. The main point is that looking for chronologies is to entirely miss the context of prophetic passages. We need to ask, "What is the GENRE of the book which I'm reading?" With prophetic books, we are not reading historical narratives, we are reading prophetic, judgmental pronouncements told in non-chronological, but topical order, using the literary devices of apocalyptic writing and poetry. Regards, waldo garcia www.choosecalvinism.org |