Does John 17:15 teach that Christians will go through the Tribulation period?
| By: Dr. John Ankerberg; ©1996 |
| Bible Prophecy Questions Answered by Leading Christian Scholars. |
Does John 17:15 teach that Christians will go through the Tribulation period?
Dr. John Ankerberg: There are some Christians who, after reading the promise on Revelation 3:10, do not believe that Christ will come and keep Christians totally from the hour of trial via Rapture because of a parallel verse in John 17:15. In that passage the same Apostle John who wrote Revelation 3:10 also writes and uses the same phrase found in Revelation 3:10. Jesus is praying to the Father and the verse reads, “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one.” The word ek is found in “out of the world” and then the same phrase, “keep them,” tereso ek, “keep them out” or “keep them from” the evil one. As a result, some folks look at this and argue that Jesus clearly asked the Father not to remove Christians from out of the world. Rather, He only asked that Christians be protected ek, from the devil, while living in the world. They see the use of ek in Revelation 3:10 saying the same thing; namely that Christians will be kept through the time of trial by God’s special providence, not by their being raptured out of the world before the hour of trial.
Now, I personally believe there are three reasons why their views are wrong and this is not what the Scripture teaches.
First, in the Gospel of John, protection is from the devil and his harmful power while Christians live in the world. But in Revelation 3:10, protection is from a time period, the hour of trial.
Second, the hour of trial in Revelation 3:10 is a judgment of God on the rebellious inhabitants of the earth called “earth dwellers.” Where as God has promised faithful Christians, “God hath not appointed us to wrath,” 1 Thessalonians 5:9, and according to 1 Thessalonians 1:10, we are “waiting for God’s Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus who rescues from the coming wrath.” In Philippians 3:20 the Apostle Paul tells Christians, “For our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Third, I believe the Lord’s promise here is that He will rapture the Church saints before the hour of trial, the seven-year Tribulation time period, ever begins. Because it’s impossible to say that the saints of the Tribulation time period are going to be protected while they’re going through it.
All one needs to do is to look through the Book of Revelation to see that Christians are not preserved but they’re martyred during this time. Then, what kind of promise would it be if Jesus said to these faithful Christians, “Because you have passed the test of faithfully and obediently living for me, I want to promise you that in the future you will go through the final terrible test that will come on all those who have lived ungodly all of their lives.” That wouldn’t be any promise at all. The real promise is that they will be exempt from this final period of testing. They’ll be separated from it. They won’t go through any part of it.
Unfortunately it appears that according to Matthew 24 we will endure the great tribulation and in fact Jesus will have to send down his angels to gather the elect just before we all fall away. For most saints to be close to losing their faith I would submit that we will suffer great torment at the hands of the enemy. I would to book out of here early but god’s word says differently
I don’t have a posttrib or Pretrib stance. I haven’t dug in the Bible that deep yet
Revelation 11: 11 IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. The 2 witnesses are murdered for witnessing (tormenting) the evil ones. The “lamp stands & olive trees” are 2 groups: gentile & semitic Christians. The command to Christians is “TO WITNESS.” We are the witnesses. @ the time of our rescue we will either be dead or alive; the dead go first immediately followed by those alive & this will be witnessed by the evil ones left behind, just like the disciples witnessed the ascension of JC.
You need to understand all of Matthew 24 in order to form a biblical view. You’re only address one point.
These 3 biblical facts alone confirm the pre-Tribulation rapture:
1 – no man knows the day. This CANNOT be Jesus’ 2nd Coming because we will know the day of the 2nd Coming. We have a countdown from the midway point of the Tribulation – to the day!!
2 – people will be buying and selling and building and marrying. This CANNOT be referring to the end of the 7-year Tribulation as that time will be global catastrophe.
3 – pre-Trib saints (dead & alive) are CAUGHT UP/raptured into the air to be with the Lord, and their flesh bodies are changed from mortal to immortal (glorified bodies) – 1 Thess 4:16-17 & 1 Cor 15:50-53). These same saints are in Heaven (clothed in linen, clean and white) and are at the marriage supper of the Lamb BEFORE Jesus’ 2nd Coming (Rev 19:1-9). These same pre-Trib saints (clothed in white linen) also come back with Jesus when He destroyes the anti-christ and his armies at Armageddon (Rev 19:11-15 & Jude 14). But it’s the Tribulation saints that were beheaded during the Tribulation who are resurrected (first resurrection) and then live and reign with Christ for 1000 years (Rev 20:4-5).
The Bible clearly states several times that there is a sudden “thief in the night” appearing of the Lord in the air to rescue His bride, which will catch the world unawares. Not a grand and glorious procession coming on the clouds with great power (2nd Coming), but a “thief in the night” event!!
Luke 21:36 – Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Revelation 3:10 – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from (original Greek – “se tereso ek” = WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF) the hour of temptation/trial, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The coming hour of trial (7-year Tribulation) is the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), and is to try the Earth Dwellers, not the saints in Heaven.
What happened to humanity? Why are there so many different churches, incorrect chapter brakes, various translations of the Bible that don’t jive with another version. For money? For power? Evil can reside inside a church as easily as it can outside… Was it to benefit their church and not to help the lost wondering about? I understand needing language translation. Is that jacked up too? Everyone thinks they know everything – and they are right and everyone else is wrong. Seeing Christians arguing with one another..it makes me sick. No wonder so many people rebel and say there is no God. Things should have never became so complicated. Above all, God is LOVE. I do get angry with myself when I fall short and sin. Not because I fear going to hell, but because I want to please him. I want to bring him joy. I want him to work through me. No, hell does not sound pleasant. But what I fear is being separated from our creator, our father, our true love.
2 Thess 2:3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him Verse 1) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” NASB
You claim the hour of temptation (peirasmos) is a judgment from God. However, the Bible says that God does not tempt (pierazo) anyone. Satan is the tempter, not God. Therefore the hour of temptation cannot come from God.