Through Tribulation - Chapter I - H.A. Baker

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

February 24, 2012


*2012-02-24 - THROUGH TRIBULATION - Chapter I - H.A. Baker*


 *THE GOSPELS, THE BOOK OF ACTS,*

*THE EPISTLES AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION*

*ALL TEACH THAT THE RETURN OF CHRIST*

*WILL BE AT THE END OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION AFTER THE*

*1) REIGN OF THE ANTICHRIST AND AFTER*

*2) UNPRECEDENTED PHYSICAL DISTURBANCES OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.*


 *A. CHRIST, IN THE GOSPELS, TAUGHT THAT TWO SERIES OF EVENTS*

*WOULD PRECEDE HIS COMING.**

(* The method followed in this study is as follows:

*1*. Each main heading is a PROPOSITION founded on scripture.

2. Immediately below the main proposition follow other *propositions*, also
founded on scripture further corroborating the main proposition.

3. Next in order is the scripture proof-text which should show the
correctness of the preceding propositions.

4. The scripture text is next followed by “Notes” which consist of personal
comments relating to the foregoing topic.

5. The *black-faced type* in the scripture quotations are the special
proof-texts of the preceding propositions. This black-faced part of the
quotations may be read, if so desired, without taking time to read the
attendant context, printed in ordinary type.

6. Scripture quoted is from the American Standard Version of 1901.)


 (1) The reign of the anti-Christ during the concluding years of earth's
tribulation must *precede* the Lord's return. Christ said that wars and
rumors of wars must come, “but the end is not yet.” There must first be the
definite signs that conclude the great tribulation, one being the
abomination of desolation prophesied by Daniel. Jesus stated that His
coming would be *after* the tribulation of those days, the days of the
anti-Christ.

(2) Before Jesus comes there will be also the second series of events,
“signs in sun and moon and stars - the roaring of the sea and billows -
when the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.”


 *Proof Text: the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?*

*wars and rumors of wars;*

*the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel, the
prophet, ... then shall be great tribulation such as has not been from the
beginning of the world until now; no, nor ever shall be.*

*But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall
appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:*

*the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matt. 24:3-6, 15, 21, 29, 30.*

*be great earthquakes,*

*great signs from heaven*

*the roaring of the sea and the billows;*

*powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Luke 21:11, 25, 26*


 *Note: *Jesus disciples asked him a plain question, “What shall be the
sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus gave a plain and
one hundred per cent clear answer: “There shall be great tribulation, such
as has not been from the beginning of the world ... immediately *after* the
tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of
heaven shall be shaken; and *then* ... they shall see the son of man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”


 To avoid this clear statement of Jesus to His disciples that His coming
would be at the end of the tribulation and *after* the disturbances in
heaven and on earth, Darby by his system of “inference,” and by “inference”
alone, said that here Jesus was talking to Jewish disciples and all this
applied to the Jews alone and has nothing to do with us, or Gentile
believers.


 Was not this group of disciples to whom Jesus was speaking the same group
to whom the Lord gave the great commission to preach the gospel to all the
world? Does that have nothing to do with us? Were only the Jews to preach
the gospel? Did not many of these same Jewish disciples write books of the
New Testament? Were these revelations to the Jews to be the commands and
promises to the Jews alone? The promise of the Holy Spirit was made to the
Jewish disciples, was it for the Jews alone?


 Surely any unprejudiced mind must see that here Jesus was talking to His
disciples as representatives of all the disciples to follow, whether Jew or
Gentile, for in Christ there is no distinction.


 To whom was this command and promise, to Jew or Gentile disciples: “Go
you, therefore, and teach all nations ... and lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world.” Who was to “Go,” only the Jews? With whom would
the Lord be present in this preaching? Only the Jews? Who was to do this
preaching to the nations till the “end of the world,” Jews? Gentiles? Was
this great promise of the Lord's blessing to only the Jews? Were not
*all*disciples, all true Christians, of the church age to preach to
all the
world? Was not Jesus by His Holy Spirit to be with *all* disciples Jew or
Gentile - all members of His true church wherever they worked till the “end
of the world?” In the same way and to the same group represented of all
disciples for all the age as was the commission and promise given, was the
information given by Jesus that His coming would be *after* the great
tribulation ended and the heavens and earth were shaken and the stars fell.


 In all fairness, is it not like this: Jesus told His disciples, without
distinguishing Jew or Gentile, to preach to all the world to the end of the
world and promised to be with them in this preaching till the end of the
world, and when they asked Him when the “end” would be (that would end all
preaching) He unqualifiedly replied that the end would be after the great
tribulation. In all this Jesus very evidently included all disciples in
general without race distinction. He did not say or hint that he meant all
or any of this for the Jews alone. Darby by “inference,” without one
definite statement from the scripture to support him, said the *Jews alone*.
Here we have it: Jesus definite statement, unqualified; Darby's contrary
“inference.”


 Since the disciples of Christ were to preach the gospel till “the end of
the world,” and since Jesus said that “the end of the world would be
*after*the greatest tribulation and
*after* the physical disturbances of heaven and earth, and since the
disciples of Christ, without distinction between Jew and Gentile constitute
His Church, it follows that the Church will be on earth witnessing till
“the end of the world” *after* the great tribulation.


 *B. THE HOLY SPIIRT IN THE ACTS AND EPISTLES TEACHES THAT THE COMING OF
JESUS WILL BE PRECEDED BY THESE TWO EVENTS.*

*(1) *Here we read, in the first place, that Jesus' coming will not be
until after “the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,” the
anti-Christ, whose reign will be during the concluding years of the great
tribulation.

*(2) *The Holy Spirit says that, in the second place, the coming of Christ
will also be preceded by physical disturbances in heaven and upon earth:
“wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath - blood and
fire and vapor of smoke; that sun shall be turned into darkness and the
moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes.”


 *Proof Text: coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together
unto him;*

*as that day of the Lord is just at hand;*

*it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition; he that opposes and exalts himself against
all that is called God, or that is worshiped;*

*And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay
with the breath of his mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of
his coming. 2 Thess. 2:1-8.*

*wonders in the heaven above, *and* signs on the earth beneath;*

*the sun shall be turned into darkness. *And* the moon into blood, before
the day of the Lord. Acts 2:19, 20*


 *Note: *Here we quote again Paul's definite statement about the time of
the Lord's return: “Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him ... it will not
be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, he
that opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God, or that is
worshiped.”


 Here Paul definitely says that no one is to believe a contrary teaching
about the time of the coming of Christ, even though it claims to be a
special revelation given by a “spirit.” He warns, “Let no man beguile you
in any wise, “for,” as he goes on to say, “the coming of Christ will not be
... “except ... the man of sin be revealed” (the anti-Christ). Here is
clear, definite statement that would appear sufficient to settle the
question for any unprejudiced mind.


 Was Paul talking about *two* comings of the Lord, or one coming? He said
that “it,” that day (singular), will not come, except - etc. What did Darby
say? He said that “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering
together unto Him” was one coming of the Lord *before* the reign of the man
of sin, the anti-Christ, and that “the day of the Lord” mentioned in this
connection is another coming of Christ *after* the man of sin, the
anti-Christ, comes. “Inference.” Wholly “inference.” Hand the Bible to any
man, woman or child who knows nothing about the question discussed and ask
such a one whether the writer of these verses is talking about *one* coming
of Christ, or *two*. Ask whether or not, after reading these and preceding
verses in the chapter above, it is not apparent that the day of the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ is the same as the “day of the Lord.” Will not ten
out of ten such readers answer that Paul is talking about *one* event and
that the day of the Lord and the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
are that same day? Try this on an unprejudiced reader and see. Were Paul
talking about *two* events would he not have taken pains to make it clear,
since he was definitely writing this to the Thessalonians to clear up some
confusion they had in their minds? If he meant *two* when apparently he
indicated but *one* coming of Christ, would he not have been adding
confusion to confusion, rather than clearing up a question already
confused? What say you? I say, yes.


 It is in place here to refer to another of Darby's “inferences” in this
connection. Paul said that there was something that hindered the
manifestation of the “man of sin” and that until this hindrance was
removed, the man of sin would not appear, he who is also called “the
lawless one,”: at the head of the “mystery of lawlessness.”


 By pure “inference,” without even a hint in scripture as to what this
hindrance was, Darby declared that this hindrance is the Church. Therefore,
Darby said, since this hindrance was the Church and since this hindrance
had to be removed before the appearance of the man of sin, the anti-Christ,
the Church will be raptured before the so-called great tribulation under
the anti-Christ.


 But where is there any scripture-statement that this hindrance is the
Church? Who can prove by even “inference” that there could be no other that
the Church to hinder? Nearly all the world has been heathen to the present
day. In the society and the governments of the greater part of the world
the church has had very little, if any, noticeable influence. How about
China? How about India? How about the tribes of Africa? How about South
America? Here is a whole continent shut away from light by the nominal
church. Who can show from the Bible, or from history, that it is the Church
that has restrained and still hinders lawlessness from running its full
course?


 Satan is the prince of this world; he would have destroyed it long ago, or
at least, made it all his, had it not been for the restraining hand of God,
who over-rules all. God's power and ways of restraining evil and saying,
“Thus far and no further,” are not now, nor ever were confined to the
Church of the New Testament. How about pre-church days of Old Testament
time?


 The Bible does definitely make some statements in comparing the power of
the church and that of the anti-Christ. It says: “And it was given unto
(the beast, the anti-Christ), to make war with the saints, and to overcome
them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues and nations.”
Rev. 13:7.


 We missionaries did not keep the lawless, godless communists out of China.
They ran us out. The church in China could not “hinder” them. They are
hindering the church.


 *C. THE BOOK OF REVELATION ALSO TEACHES THAT THE LORD'S RETURN WILL BE
PRECEDED BY THESE TWO SERIES OF EVENTS.*

*(1) *Revelation teaches that the first series of events that will take
place during the final years of the great tribulation will precede the
coming of the Lord, for all the events of the “six seals” must take place
before Jesus' returns. The things under these seals end the great
tribulation.


 *(2) *The second series of events - the physical disturbances in heaven
and earth - must also precede the Lord's return, for after the “sixth
seal,” or ending with the sixth seal, “was a great earthquake and the sun
became black as sackcloth of hair while the moon became as blood and the
stars of heaven fell unto the earth.” These disturbances just precede the
great day of “the wrath of the Lamb,” the return of Christ.


 *Proof Test: opened one of the seven seals, and - forth conquering, and to
conquer.*

*he opened the second seal, - peace from the earth.*

*he opened the third seal, - a measure of wheat for a shilling and three
measures of barley for a shilling;*

*he opened the fourth seal, - a black horse, - his name was Death; - the
fourth part of the earth to kill with a sword, and with famine and with
death,*

*opened the fifth seal, - had been slain for the word of God, - their
fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed,*

*he opened the sixth seal, - a great earthquake; - sun became black - moon
became as blood; - stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, - heaven was
removed as a scroll when it is - every mountain and island were moved out
of their places. - kings of the earth - princes, chief captains, - the rich
- the strong, - every bondman - free man hid themselves in the caves and in
the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains and to the rocks,
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and
who is able to stand? Rev. 6:1-17.*


 *Note: *Darby and his school started another line of argument by
“inference” regarding the book of Revelation. He said that since the Church
is not definitely mentioned after the fourth chapter of Revelation it must,
therefore, have been translated by rapture before the events that will take
place according to the following chapters of this book.


 But the Church is not definitely mentioned in some of the epistles. To be
consistent with Darby's line of “inference,” must we believe then, that
Paul and Peter and John wrote these epistle to churches that were not on
earth? We know by a better “inference” that there was the Church on earth
to whom these epistles were written, for they were written to “believers,”
and it is “believers” who constitute the Church.


 Likewise, there are “believers” all through the book of Revelation. Are
not all “believers” member of the Church, or body of Christ, till the day
He returns to set up His kingdom? Must not all true believers be born again
of the Holy Spirit to see the kingdom of God? When born of the Holy Spirit
are they not then in the real Church?


 Then again, John was to write the book of Revelation to “the seven
churches.” Rev. 1:3, 4. That is the statement at the beginning of the book.
At the end of the book we read: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify
unto you these things *in the churches.” * Rev. 22:16. If all the book of
Revelation did not concern the whole Church, why write it to the
“churches?” That the message of Revelation is to more that the seven
churches is proven by the facts that the revelations of the things that
“must come to pass” as revealed to them did not come to pass in the days of
these seven churches. Who will allow Darby's “inference” to take from us
all of Revelation but the first four chapters?


 This whole book of Revelation harmonizes with the outline of events in the
gospels and epistles. The physical disturbances of the heavens and the
earth being considered *as the last revealed events* just before the Lord's
return, this book will be seen to present a series of views and partial
views of scenes and events preceding and following the great day of the
Lord's return in glory to judge and reign over all the world. Thus
considered, the events of Revelation are not continued successive series
but various pictures many of which might be partial views of differing
events of the same time. Thus it will be seen that the judgments are
followed by the *seventh seal, *the* seventh trumpet* and *seventh vial, *all
of which usher in the return of Christ and the setting up of His eternal
kingdom.


 *Conclusion: *Since messages of the book of Revelation were written to all
“the churches” and must apply to the Church, and since these messages
indicate that the reign of the anti-Christ and the signs in the heavens
will precede the coming of Jesus, the Church will, therefore, go through
the great tribulation.* *


 *Replies:*

Oregon pastor - What a needed teaching.


 Oregon Leader - I'm enjoying the Tribulation series. The Part A is very
much like a teaching I heard from David Pawson of England. He is of your
age group and an excellent Bible teacher. He reminds me of you. I've
attached a teaching he does that coincides with Part A. I think you would
be particularly interested in what he says about Darby. His family were in
the Plymouth Brethren sect - some agreed with Darby and some did not.
Anyway, if you have time, take a listen.


 B.C. National Leader, Teacher and Preacher: Thanks for this Jim. Very
interesting. It is also illustrative of how important it is to study the
Word with as few of man's preconceptions as possible. Though I have never
delved in to study this subject at depth, just my general reading of the
Word had left me to dismiss the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. Now I'll
have to even question my mid-trib view!


 Canadian Leader: I found these two articles on the Rapture and Tribulation
very encouraging, showing me that my understanding on these issues was
scriptural. I have since the 1970's when I first heard that the rapture
theory was not scriptural, and checked it out, and I found that Jesus told
his disciples in Matt. 24 that first tribulation would come and then the
angels would gather His Elect from the earth. Yet this false teaching is so
prevalent in almost all denominations, that if it is brought up, in Bible
studies, most think you are spreading heresy. For this reason I would like
your permission to post these two articles on my web-site. Thanking you in
advance.



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