41 years ago, during Thanksgiving of 1980,
as a newly repentant believer, I told my grandpa about the End Times.
I described the rapture, the 7-year tribulation,
the antichrist, the whole bit.
Grandpa looked over at me and said, “That’s the stupidest thing
I’ve ever heard!
What kind of idiot would believe that?”
Then Grandma, who never argued with anyone
about anything her entire life, looked over at him and said,
“Why Grandpa, I believe that.”
For 18 years, during Bible college, up through starting to work with Jack
at Chick Publications, I was an ardent Amillennialist.
Now you can believe anything you want.
But here are a couple of the reasons why I came to believe
in a catching away before the tribulation.
Hi, I’m David Daniels from Chick Publications.
I hope no one would accuse me of being too flippant in my positions.
When I have questions, I endeavor to find answers.
And when I make a mistake, I do my best to be quick to admit it.
I’ve done that on this channel, regarding my mistakes about Simonides
and Codex Sinaiticus.
Please pause and get your King James Bible.
This is too important to leave to a lesser Bible,
or not to consider honestly.
And please, pause to look up the verses.
They are worth it.
Are you ready?
Revelation 19:6-8 “And I heard as it were
the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine linen is
the righteousness of saints.”
God stops the narrative about the wife of the Lamb
to tell us that her fine linen, clean and white was
“the righteousness of saints.”
So this is saved people we are talking about.
Now go a few verses further.
It’s Jesus at the end of the tribulation,
coming down to earth, with details not revealed in Joel 3,
Zechariah 14 or Matthew 25.
Revelation 19:11-13 “And I saw heaven opened,
and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge
and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns;
and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:
and his name is called The Word of God.”
Revelation 19:14.
This is clearly Jesus returning physically to the earth.
“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
What did we just learn about “fine linen, white and clean”?
Verse 8 once again: “And to her [the wife of the Lamb]
was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
So the wife of the Lamb has become the armies which were in heaven
that followed Jesus upon white horses!
That sounds very suspiciously like the church coming back to earth
with Christ.
And if so, then let me ask the question:
When did they go to heaven, if they are coming back with Him
at the end of the 7 year tribulation?
It had to be before the end.
And it had to be long enough for millions of people to be judged
for their rewards (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
“But there is no time in heaven!”
I have heard it said.
Really?
Revelation 6:9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal,
I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain
for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge
our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them;
and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet
for a little season, until their fellowservants also
and their brethren, that should be killed as they were,
should be fulfilled.”
So in the throne room of God described in Revelation,
there are events happening in the same time frame
as events on earth.
So time has to be allowed for the wife of the Lamb
to be turned into the armies of Christ for His return.
How much time do we need?
We already know how many people it is: It’s everyone
from Adam to that last person who received Christ
before Jesus grabbed every believer.
So how long would it take to go over events
in every believer’s life through all history for rewards?
1 year?
2 years?
3 years?
My best guess would be 7 years.
Your estimates may vary.
This is just one quick video of just a couple of reasons
why I believe in a Pre-Trib Rapture, as they call it.
If you want me to make more videos on this topic, let me know!
I’m drawing tracts and writing books, but I also want to give you
something to think about, while I complete other projects.
I’ve thought about these questions for 41 years.
And over time, the answers I found
led me to stop objecting to the end times views in Chick tracts,
and in fact to contribute new information
to them myself.
I hope this helps!
Until the next video, God bless you and have a wonderful day.