These are my reviews of certain books that I have read. I will be adding more reviews in the upcoming days. Check back regularly.
When Will the Tribulation Begin? By Dr. Louis Arnold (published 2002, by Arnold Publications)
A Reasoned Response to:
By: Pastor Marty O. Wynn
Prefatory Note
This response is in no way an attack upon the author of the referred book, in either his person or his motivation. Upon reading the book, it is apparent that Brother Arnold is a long time student of the Word of God, and appears to have a love for the things of God. It is not the intention of this writer try to discredit the author’s work or ministry. Neither is it this writer’s intention to try and “prove him wrong.” Either intention would be neither charitable nor Christ-like. Therefore, I trust that this feeble rebuttal will serve only to challenge the conclusion drawn in When Will the Tribulation Begin and cause the author to re-examine his position.
Introductory Note
The premise of his book is that there is an indeterminate period of time, of at least “forty or more years” (p.16), between the rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation. Obviously, one’s position on this matter should not be a test of fellowship or spiritual commitment. Brother Arnold presents some interesting arguments, which are worthy of taking note. His deduction is certainly what he feels is the result of diligent study. However, it is to be noted that, likewise, for others to hold to the traditional eschatological approach does not mean they have not been true to Scripture. For, although his arguments are provoking and compelling, Brother Arnold does not present an “end all” conclusion that settles this matter beyond debate. This writer feels that his conclusions are less than conclusive and present more problems than they solve.
The following observations are the deduction’s of this writer’s study and limited insight. For the matter at hand, let it suffice to say that either conclusion will not effect the plan of God in one iota. The rapture of the church will signify the end of the believer’s life on this earth, and what takes place after our departure is solely in the hand of our Divine Lord.
A Reasoned Response
1. On page #11, in Chapter 1 (Future Events), Dr. Arnold states that we should write “Fulfilled” over the text of Matthew 24:4-7. It seems that he has applied the signs Jesus speaks of as signs of the rapture. The student of Scripture must realize that the rapture is nowhere to be found in the passages of Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21.
These passages are Jesus’ response to the disciple’s questions concerning the end of time and the Second Coming of Christ (Matt. 24:3). The disciples had been impressed with the beauty and stateliness of the Temple. Jesus informed them that they day was coming when “There shall not be left here on stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This response mystified the disciples. Therefore, they ask Christ two questions, which are: (1) “When shall these things be,” and (2) “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world.”
In this same chapter (i.e., chapter 1), Dr. Arnold continues to apply the signs to the rapture. He writes, “Jesus predicted that the last days would be like the days of Noah: But as the day of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matt. 24:34).” He then states that the conditions of our day are like the days of Noah because of the abundant wickedness. The problem with this comparison is two-fold. First, while it is true that our present days are very wicked, it must be deemed true that we are not yet at the same level of wickedness as that of Noah’s day, yet. For, God destroyed the entire Earth because of the wickedness of Noah’s day, and our present Earth is still standing. Second, the comparative wickedness of Noah’s day and the last days was not the Lord’s intent. The meaning of the Lord’s comparison is found in the verses following Brother Arnold’s excerpt. Notice Matthew 24:38-39, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away. . . .” From these verses, we can see that the Lord was simply saying that in the last days, Life will be going on as normal. After all, eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage are normal life activities that are not, in themselves, wicked. It is also important to notice that those who were “took. . .away” where the sinners. The one’s left behind were the righteous family of Noah! Obviously, the signs Jesus gives here are not rapture signs. Those who are “took away” in Matthew 24, are the one’s who are taken by God’s wrath at His Second Coming.
It seems the author does not distinguish between Israel and the Church. This error will lead to other problems in the rightly dividing of the Word of Truth. The dispensational division of God’s dealing with man is a well-accepted theological approach.
2. On page 17, the author seems to attempt to justify the extended period between the rapture and the Tribulation by assuming that the Antichrist is not “presently on the earth.” He implies that it has to be true because, he writes, “If he is, he has not been revealed.” Of course the Antichrist, even if he were present on Earth, would not yet be revealed. It is not the beginning of the Tribulation that will reveal the Antichrist, but it is the rapture of the Church (see II Thess. 2:6-8). Paul, in writing concerning the removal of the church and the revealing of the Antichrist, stated, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed. . . .” The “he” who “letteth” (i.e., “hold back, detain, retain”) is the Holy Spirit. After the Holy Spirit is taken out at the rapture of the Church (which is His bodily dwelling place), then the Wicked (i.e., Antichrist) will be revealed. Therefore, it could be possible that Antichrist is already present on the Earth today.
3. On page 17, the author mentions the problem of the Temple not yet being rebuilt. However, this is not a problem if the Antichrist is alive, and of age, at the time of the rapture. While the signing of the covenant with Israel is essential, it is not essential for there to be a gap of time preceding the signing. It must be considered that Israel would sign a treaty today, if the right treaty were offered her. The current situation of the world scene today is all focused on Israel. The Mideast is the center of world attention. The Israeli and Arab conflict is a conflict that Israel desires to see end. If, after the rapture, the Antichrist steps on the scene of what will be world chaos and offers peace to Israel, including the destruction of the current Muslim temples and establishment of a Jewish temple, then Israel would sign it tomorrow. The student of Scripture must keep in mind that Israel is still looking for her Messiah to come and set up an Earthly kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital city.
4. In his book, the author indicates that there must be at least thirty-three years plus the seven-year Tribulation between the rapture and the beginning of the Millennium. This allows for a total of forty years, which the author states must take place before the beginning of the Millennium. This conclusion is based upon Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning a forty-year barrenness of Egypt (cf. Ezk. 29:8-12). This prophecy has a couple of different viewpoints by various scholars and theologians.
One viewpoint states that his prophecy is generally considered to have been fulfilled with the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes and the fall of Alexander the Great’s empire. Matthew Henry states, “All this is a prophecy of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, the little horn spoken of before (Da 8:9) a sworn enemy to the Jewish religion, and a bitter persecutor of those that adhered to it.”
However, the viewpoint that this writer feels to be more accurate is the view that Egypt’s forty-year desolation is still future. According to Dr. Arnold, such a viewpoint would mandate the extended time-period between the rapture and the Millennium. He seems to hold to the idea that a desolate land could not exist on Earth during the Millennium reign of Christ. Yet, the basis for such a conclusion cannot be found in the Scriptures. What Scripture can be quoted that would make such an event during the Millennial “unthinkable”? It would appear that the author holds the misconception that the Millennial Reign of Christ is a time of global perfection. That viewpoint is not founded upon proper exegesis of Scripture. The Millennial Reign of Christ is a time of Christ’s absolute reign upon this earth. It is not a time of a perfect earth. Remember, the new heavens and earth will not be created until Revelation chapter 21. Therefore, this old Earth that we currently live on will be the same Earth that is occupied during the Millennial reign. It is true that nature’s curse of sin will be corrected (Isa. 11:6-9 “6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” The key of the Millennial Reign is in verse 9, which states, “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD” (cf. Isa. 65:25). The point is that Christ will reign globally over the whole Earth, and everyone will know of the Lord, and yield to His authority. However, the will be humanoids on the Earth during that time, and they will be capable of rebelling. This is also proof that the Millennial Reign is not a time of perfection. However, those who do rebel will die. Sin, during the Millennial Reign, will be instantly judged (see Isa. 65:20). It must also be remembered, that tears will still be present during the Millennial Reign, because tears are not wiped away until Revelation 21:4. Therefore, the position in assuming that Egypt could not lie desolate during the Millennial Reign is not only untenable, but it cannot be substantiated with Scripture.
However, the Bible does clearly say that Egypt will lie desolated in the Millennium. The latter portion of Joel chapter 3 deals with this issue. In Joel 3:9-18, we find a reference to the Battle of Armageddon, and the Millennium to follow. Then, in verse 19, we find these words. . .”Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness.” From the statement of this verse, we find that Egypt’s prophesied desolation will definitely occur in the future time during the Millennium.
5. Concerning the large number of people that are saved during the Tribulation period, the author also assumes that the extended period of time must exist. The assumption seems to be that the “innumerable host” will begin with newborns, infants and toddlers? Why is this assumption made? The assumption seems to be based upon the fact that the innumerable host of believers will be composed of people that have never before heard the Gospel message. This is a true statement. However, that host may include grown adults who are alive at the rapture, but have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. The strong delusion given by God in the Tribulation time is for a select group of people. The Bible states, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:11-12, emphasis added). For those who never heard the truth, there will be a time of opportunity where they may chose to receive or reject the truth of God.
Furthermore, how many years is needed to develop such a host of people? Is it to be assumed that it must be an extended period of time because it must be an “innumerable” host? If so, what is meant by “innumerable.” If it is meant that there is such a crowd of people that they could not be counted, then we have developed a whole new problem. For example, we have currently counted 6.5 Billion people upon the earth, so the host would have to be larger than that. If so, then there would need to be several thousand years for such reproduction to take place. (Remember: A sizeable portion of the Earth’s population will be removed at the Rapture. Also, a great percentage of the Earth’s remaining population will be destroyed at during the Tribulation time. Therefore, the Earth’s population will be significantly less that our present 6.2 billion, which obviously is not “innumerable”). It is Biblically consistent to understand that the term “innumerable” refers to a large group of people. This is one of those cases where the Bible is speaking figuratively (like when Jesus said “I am the door,” “the vine,” etc.). So, the seven years of the Tribulation will obviously allow enough time for the conversion of an untold host of people.
In conclusion, it is this writer’s studied opinion that the standard interpretation of Scripture is to be the accepted position to be held. That is, the position that the Tribulation will begin very soon after the rapture of the church. Understanding that the dispensational interpretation of Scripture reveals that God has distinct and separate plans for Israel and the church, one can readily see the problems with holding Dr. Arnold’s position. According to dispensational theology, the program for Israel (i.e., week seventy of Daniel’s prophecy) will resume at the end of our current Church Age.
Again, I feel it important to reiterate that it is not this writer’s intent to attack the person or ministry of Dr. Arnold in any way. It is my belief that he is a man who loves Christ, and seeks to be a diligent student of God’s Word. However, we are all vessels of flesh that are capable of faulty conclusions. It has been my experience, over the years, that we all have to constantly review our dearly held positions, and see to validate them with the proper exegesis of Scripture. If it is not possible to do so, then we must relinquish our positions for the proper view.
May the Lord continue to bless the ministry of Dr. Arnold as we continue as co-laborers in the field of the world for God’s glory.
© 2009 PastorWynn.com (May not be altered, copied or sold without author’s permission)
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