Tim Lahaye Eschatology: The Pre-Tribualation View

Tim Lahaye eschatology for our purpose is a critique of the Pre-Tribulation view of futurism. What most views of eschatology have in contrast to fulfilled prophecy, Preterism or Covenant Eschatology, is their focus on future versus past events.

Lahaye's focus is primarily on the Rapture which he believes and teaches will occur before the great tribulation mentioned in Daniel 12:1, Jeremiah 30:7, and Matthew 24:21. Tim Lahaye eschatology admits in "The Rapture," Who Will Face the Tribulation" that the Latin term "Rapture" never occurs in the Greek New Testament.

We will cover about 10 points in this lesson showing the idea of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture to be false. Elsewhere, you may find lessons on other versions of the Rapture, i.e. Mid, and Post-Tribulational views.

Tim Lahaye Eschatology versus the Apostle Paul.

These words are full of faulty assumptions. The Father's house is the heavenly tabernacle and New Jerusalem which John describes in Revelation 21:2, 3. Unlike Tim Lahaye eschatology, John sees that house coming "after" the great tribulation, not before it.

In fact, John wrote in his gospel, and quoting Christ's words to them (apostles then alive) said, "Indeed the hour is coming, yes has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:32, 33).

These words were spoken directly to Jesus' apostles. They accord well with the "short" but "imminent" time frame Jesus place between his "going away" and his "coming again."

Tim LaHaye Eschatology and 'A Little While'

"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." (16:16). Jesus' apostles were so taken aback with this "little while" that they held a private conference about it, (17-18).

Hearing this the Lord tells them that during the interim of His going away, they would experience tribulation, (thlipsis). This is the term used by Daniel and Christ to describe the great tribulation. It would occur in the interim between Christ's going away and return.

Luke recorded Paul saying that the church must through great tribulation enter the kingdom of God, (Acts 14:22). Paul told the Thessalonian church that they would be counted worthy for the tribulations and persecutions which they endured, --in the first century!

Peter, writing to the Diaspora (Israelites scattered among the Gentiles) address his first century audience as those experiencing the last times tribulation. What is noteworthy is his focus on the duration. As in the words of Christ, it would be for "a little while."

Who are kept by the power of God through faith to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:5-7).

Peter's words are so emphatic and filled with imminent and present time (in the first century) references that they should not be misunderstood. "He speaks of the inheritance which had been "prepared" for them. He uses the same word Jesus used to speak of the prepared place in John 14:1-3. It would be revealed in the last time, i.e. the last days. Those were the days in which Christ was crucified meaning the last days of the Jewish age, (1 Peter 1:20; Hebrews 9:26).

He tells the first century church, "you have been grieved by various trials, but those trials were which he says were happening 'now' were only for a 'little while.' In other words, as Jesus promised, they would end at his Parousia.

Further, Peter tells them the time had drawn near for the expected end of all things. (1 Peter 4:7)

Tim Lahaye eschatology ignores these imminent time statements in applying them to the text. Yet, he cannot but admit that they are in the text.

He writes that "The apostles and the church of the first three centuries whole-heartedly expected that Christ would return for His church during their lifetime." "The Rapture, p. 28. See also page 73.

The inspired New Testament only recorded the events of the first century. The evidence for an expectation of imminence is valid only for those of the first century. Inherent in Tim LaHaye eschatology is his belief that the expected imminent return of Christ did not occur. He does not believe that the prophesied great tribulation occurred in the first century, even though John said he was in the tribulation, Revelation 1:9).

LaHaye and 1 Corinthians 15:51

Now, if we have established that the lifespan of men is short, then for an event to happen within the lifetime of men is a reference to a short time. Only in relative comparison can it be styled a long time, i.e. compared to other matters of temporal brevity as in Matthew 25:19 To the Corinthians, Paul said, "we" shall not all sleep, but "we" shall all be changed. Tim Lahaye eschatology says this is the Rapture.

To this Corinthian readers, Paul's words are "We" meaning his first century audience would not all sleep (a euphemism for death). Thus, this resurrection of which Paul writes would occur in their day and time. If this were the Rapture, it occurred in their lifetime. Tim Lahaye eschatology cannot evade the imminent reference.

This is why Paul earlier wrote to the Corinthians that (1) they would live until the day of Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:7, 8); (2) that they were then undergoing the present distress (thlipsis, i.e. great tribulation), [3] that the time was short, 7:26 and [4] the world was at that time passing away and [5] the end of the ages had come upon them, 1 Corinthians 10:11.

We cannot therefore place events emphatically said to happen in the days of first century saints in our day and time and claim they are imminent to us. Expecting an imminent endtime today is no more effective than expecting and imminent first coming of Christ today.

1 Thessalonians 4 Versus Tim Lahaye Eschatology

However, there is no Rapture in the text. In addition, the Thessalonicans were then in the tribulation. "So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations (thlipsesin)that you endure. Remember Jesus words to his disciple. "He that shall endure to the end, shall be saved. The Thessalonicans were being admonished to endure to the end until the arrival of the Parousia.

Tim LaHaye Eschatology Missing it on the Rapture

Caught Up Together In The Air

"Air is used metaphorically in the scriptures to speak of the realm of authority and influence. In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. The war in which the saints engaged the devil was in "high places." However, Satan was cast out, Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7-12. Clouds are symbols of the presence of God. These are not references to literal clouds and air.

Tim Lahaye eschatology takes the language of clouds and air and being caught up in them to be literal, yet he rejects the time statements to mean imminent on the first century. He writes that every generation should believe in an imminent return, but an event cannot be imminent to everyone. Apparently, Tim Lahaye does not see his contradiction.

F.F. Bruce comments on 1 Thessalonians and the meaning of "to meet the Lord." When a dignitary paid an official visit (parousia) to a city in Hellenistic times, the action of the leading citizens in going out to meet him and escort him back on the final stage of his journey was called the apantesis. So Cicero, describing Julius Caeser's progress through Italy in 49 C.C., says , Just imagine what apanteseis he is receiving from the town, what honors are paid to him!: (Ad Att. 8:16. 2), and five years later he says much the same about Caesar's, adopted son Octavian: " The municipalities are showing the boy remarkable favor...Wonderful apanteseis and encouragement!" (Ad Att.16:11.6). Compare with Matthew 25:6 where the bridal party is summoned to go out and meet the bride groom (eis apantesis autou), so as to escort him with a torchlight procession to the banqueting hall, and Acts 28:15, where Christians from Rome walk south along the Appian Way to meet Paul and his company (eis apantesin hemin) and escort them on the remainder of their journey to Rome.

These analogies (especially in association with the term Parousia) suggest the possibility that the Lord is pictured here as escorted on the remainder of this journey to earth by his people--both those newly raised from the dead and those who have remained alive. But there is nothing in the word apantesis or in this context which demands this interpretation; it cannot be determined from what is said here whether the Lord (with his people) continues his journey to earth or returns to heaven. Similarly it is not certain whether the Son of Man, coming in the clouds" (Mark 13:26 par.' 14:62 par.), is on his way to earth or (as in Dan. 7:13) to the throne of God." F.F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, 1 Thessalonians p. 102-103.

While nothing in the word suggests this is the meaning Paul gives the word, the examples are all very clear both from history and Scripture. The meaning of many words are only established in the context in which they are used. For example, the same is true for "resurrection" from anastasis. The context must bear out whether it is the resurrection of the body, a cause, or from sin, whether literal or spiritual.

Speaking more particularly of the prepared place, John writes, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." (Revelation 21: 2, 3) This is contrary to the picture Tim Lahaye paints for us.

We have here a picture of the "prepared" place that comes down out of heaven, the place to which Jesus went to prepare it. It came within the "at hand" and "shortly to come to pass" time frame of the message of Revelation. God is with them in the New Jerusalem tabernacle, of which John says we shall go no more out. (3:12).

Hence we are ever with the Lord. It comes after the resurrection of Revelation 20, hence 1 Thessalonians 4, and meets all the criteria for Jesus' coming within their lifetime. Yet it does not mention a Rapture from the earth, but a coming of God to be with men through his Presence in within the New Jerusalem which Paul says is his spiritual body, the church, Hebrews 12:22, 23. It shows that Tim Lahaye eschatology cannot meet the demands of sound exegesis of the text.

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The Holy Spirit and the Last Days