Monday 2 November 2015

Stormy Weather and Car Repairs.


Appropriately enough for the beginning of the rainy season, September was a tempestuous month, few can have failed to observe the storm that blew in from the outer Left Behind regions after the recent release of the DVD "Left Behind or Led Astray" in which Jacob featured. This harsh weather looks set to abound rather than abate, and as it has been occupying a good deal of my own thought recently, and as Moriel supporters (who generally lean towards a non-Pretribulational eschatological viewpoint) may in their local fellowships find their views the subject of controversy, I thought it best to address one of the issues in this bulletin.

The Dangers of Acquiring Second-Hand Goods.

After learning to drive, in my now distant youth, the first two cars I acquired were second-hand. The first was the inherited family car, (with synchromesh so awful I learnt how to double de-clutch), and the second a Citroen 2CV, the first car I bought myself, and my most beloved car ever (as my wife says I never stop telling everyone). Both cars gave me good service, but there were problems: I had to fix or replace a number of things, and I always took a full tool kit with me on any long journey, (and was sometimes glad I did). For each car I bought the workshop manual, and I learnt a lot about fault diagnosis, repair and maintenance. Truth is, when you get something second-hand it needs checking over and possibly some rectification.

Even so with theology and doctrine. When we are new believers, we are bequeathed something. For the most part the doctrinal "car" might be basically roadworthy, but after we have been driving it a while, we may perceive things that are less than perfect and need to be fixed, to restore it to factory condition.

I rapidly learnt how to fix things by the roadside and do repairs away from home by myself, when there was no one around to help. I also discovered, however, after I acquired the workshop manual, that my Dad, who did know something about cars, sometimes had faulty advice which caused problems if followed. Yes, I discovered that even though he knew quite a bit about engineering, he didn't know everything and he wasn't infallible. Sometimes I had to choose between listening to my Dad or following the manual, and occasionally this caused friction, but in the end I was now an adult, it was now my car and I was responsible for it.

When we are new in the Lord, we lack the discernment and knowledge of the workshop manual (the Bible) to ascertain whether the body of doctrine we are being taught by our pastor or in the books we read is actually wholly biblical. We have not established enough of a working knowledge yet of biblical doctrine, or even how to skilfully and rightly handle the Word of Truth for ourselves. Such things as understanding context, the importance of grammar, skills of observation, inductive study and critical thinking, might be new and foreign to us. But it should not stay that way for ever. We absolutely must grow in our understanding and grasp of the Word, and how to interpret it properly and fully grasp the teachings contained within it, Though not everyone is called to be a teacher of the Word or a pastor, every pastor should be encouraging his flock to develop these skills, and to test and evaluate even what he himself is teaching in the light of the Word. In fact, any pastor who advocates or expects that his flock accept everything he says carte blanche, is not worthy of the name; and members of the flock who uncritically accept everything that proceeds from their pastor's mouth are failing not only in their own duty to "test everything", for the sake of their own safety and spiritual well-being, but also in their duty of care towards their pastor as well. We are biblically obligated to flag up or approach him with something that just doesn't seem quite right, or line up with Scripture.

This does not mean that there should be a weekly "bash the pastor" session or, that there should be constant interruptions during the sermon or disruptive behaviour of dissenting members; these things can be done in good order with humility, love and respect: but any congregation where there is no atmosphere of openness, no humble willingness to discuss doctrinal matters or that does not equip its members in how to interpret the Word and discern between truth and error; or where the pastor is not open to correction is extremely vulnerable (even with the best intentions of its leadership), to becoming what is in effect, a cult.

Another thing that we can acquire second-hand is Christian-Jargon. Of course all specialist fields have their technical terminology and theology is no different. The specialist theological meaning of terms such as justification, imputation, redemption etc. are very different to how these terms are used in the secular world, but on the whole the meaning of these terms is well established, and I don't really mean those. By jargon, I mean those kind of terms and expressions that we hear at a popular level and often absorb unthinkingly almost by osmosis. I remember many years ago, reading of a pastor who had just finished a meeting at some town or other, and was set to travel on. The congregation offered to pray for his safe journey: "Preacher, do you want us to cover your car with the blood?" they asked. "Actually" he said, "I would much rather that you washed it. for me." The congregation, though well-intentioned, had unthinkingly adopted an understanding of the blood of Jesus, via this jargon, that was disconnected from any biblical reality. This kind of phenomenon is absolutely rife in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, where believers accrue the "Christianese" of their peer-group assuming it to be true and scriptural without further investigation, and use such jargon with almost mantra-like repetitiveness. Sadly this is not restricted to the lunatic fringe it can even affect otherwise sound believers and well-known preachers.

This usage of terminology divorced from biblical meaning or context was amply illustrated in Dr Paul Wilkinson's emotionally charged and excoriating tirade (with which most Moriel supporters will most likely now be familiar) delivered at the recent Berean Call Conference against those who would dare to disagree with the Secret Pretribulational Rapture Theory. Dr Wilkinson's eyebrow-raising speech and his later written paper expressing similar sentiments, have indeed created some waves and also attracted a certain amount of notoriety, which he may later come to regret. However, their tone and manner is not my concern here, but rather the scriptural issues which his "rebuttals" raise, and for the purposes of this bulletin, one in particular:
. . . . it's destructive it's damaging, and it's thoroughly dishonest. . . . the Post-Tribulation belief that Joe Schimmel espouses, Joel Richardson, the Pre-Wrath view that Jacob Prasch espouses, these are heretical views. To teach that the Church is going to go through any part of the Tribulation period is an abominable thing to teach. because it robs believers of the blessedness of the Blessed Hope. It doesn't fill believers with joy and expectancy and longing , it fills them with fear, it fills them with a kind of militancy that they have to stand against the Antichrist, they have to face the Mark of the Beast. I have spoken at Churches in England where people have been in fear how they are going to get through the Tribulation, how their children are going to get through the Tribulation. Will they be strong enough to resist the Mark of the Beast when it comes. Praise God the Lord uses many of us to bring freedom and release from that kind of teaching.
Throughout his message the term "blessed hope" was repeated as something being under attack by non-Pretrib proponents, and from this it soon became impossible to escape the impression, that Dr Wilkinson, (who is a dear brother in Christ; we must never forget that!) and it grieves me to say it, does not actually comprehend what the "Blessed Hope" is,--from Scripture; that his understanding of the term as referring to a secret Pretribulational Rapture, is merely something received from others; that he has never investigated the meaning of it for himself, and is merely parroting second-hand theology and religious jargon, and this can be demonstrated by a simple text, context and co-text study of the term.

What then is the "Blessed Hope"?

The term "blessed hope" only occurs in one place in Scripture, namely Titus 2:13:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and [or even, Gr. καὶ] the glorious appearing [lit. the appearing of the glory] of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
In order to ascertain what the term "blessed hope" means; we need to look at what information we are provided in the context. For the pretribulationist to honestly (an important distinction) equate "the blessed hope of the appearing of the glory," with their theorised Secret Pretribulational Rapture, then the following is needed:
  • A clear chronological reference that places the event before the Tribulation.
  • A clear indicator that the event is "in secret", that is to say the unsaved world as a whole does not perceive the Lord's return for his Church, as Pretribulational Rapture Theorists would put it.
In the letter to Titus, the fact is that both these indicators are lacking. There is nothing, in its context in Titus, to even remotely suggest that it refers to a secret or Pretribulation Rapture. There are no direct chronological indicators or other such explicit information, therefore another approach is needed. We need first of all to observe how Paul defines the term "blessed hope" in context in the passage and then look for the same concept in related co-texts.

In the A.V. the "blessed hope" is defined as "the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour," but the Greek would be better rendered as "the appearing of the glory," and the Greek word behind "appearing" is ἐπιφάνεια (Epiphaneia).

The Greek word καὶ: translated in some versions as "and" can also mean even, which essentially means that the "blessed hope" and the "appearing of the glory" are not separate items but that the "blessed hope" is the "appearing of the glory," and this is the way also most Christians understand this verse anyway. Indeed, Dr Wilkinson's own translation of choice, the Revised Standard Version, renders it:
. . . awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
We should note that this theme of "appearing" is also mentioned a few verses previously.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
This grace that appeared to all men (not the Church only) is described as a completed act, something that has already happened, and surely must refer to Jesus' First Coming. It should be noticed that this is not described as a secret appearing but open and manifest to all, this hints that Paul may be using the first to inform us to some extent about the second; namely that both comings share this characteristic, and indeed, Paul uses ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaaea) to also describe Jesus' first coming in 2 Tim. 1:10.
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Now, the Greek noun ἐπιφάνεια behind the English word "appearing" is also translated as either manifestation, appearing, or in one place in the A.V. brightness. It appears in but a few places in the NT, and all of them are in Paul's letters, (namely: 2 Thess. 2:8, 1 Tim 6:14, 2 Tim 1:10, 2 Tim 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:8, Titus 2:13) this also gives us a hint that it is a term that Paul uses to describe something specific.

Moving on to our next occurrence of ἐπιφάνεια, we see Paul use it in his exhortation to Timothy:
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;1 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Tim 6:14)
Once again, the context is absent of any implication that this "appearing" is before the Tribulation, or that this "appearing" is only to the Church.

Next we read in Paul's second letter to Timothy:
. . . God . . Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. . . .
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) and his kingdom;  . . watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (ἐπιφάνεια). 
There are many themes in common between the letters to Timothy and Titus. Paul exhorts both to a godly and dedicated life, in light of the appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) and to teach the same to others. It is self-evident that the appearing in chapter 1.v. 10 is that of the Lord's first coming. It is superfluous to add once again, that this first appearing was in now way secret or done in a corner.
In v. 18 Paul introduces another element, namely "that day".

In chapter four, Paul adds some extra information about this "appearing" that is to come:
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.
To the time of the appearing Paul adds the idea of kingdom and that Jesus shall judge the living and the dead.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
In v. 8 Paul reiterates the judgement theme again and this verse makes it clear that the time of judgement, at least includes all believers, for Paul specifies the reward which he will receive. Secondly v. 8 reveals the connecting information, that, that day, the time of judgement of living and dead, the appearing and the kingdom are all at the same time.

Thus far then, we have the following information connected with this term ἐπιφάνεια "appearing":
  • It is the appearing of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
  • It is linked with the idea of Jesus revealing that He indeed King of kings and Lord of lords and the time of the kingdom.
  • It is a judgement of living and dead, and therefore includes a resurrection.
  • It is a time of giving rewards to believers: "rest".
  • It is also referred to as "that day".

While these passages inform us of events associated with it, none of them directly tell us when the time of this appearing is, but certainly none of them even remotely suggest in their context that this appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) is either secret or Pretribulational. There is however, one final passage in which this word appearing (ἐπιφάνεια) occurs, that pulls nearly all the above motifs together and also provides us with an unambiguous chronological reference.
 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;  so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure;  which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:  if so be that it is righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,  and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation [Gr. ἀποκάλυψις (apocalupsis)] of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire,  rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:  who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,  when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power;  that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the Coming [Gr. παρουσία (Parousia)] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together [Gr. ἐπισυναγωγή (episunagoge)] unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand [is come as most modern versions render it];   let no man beguile you in any wise: for [it will not be], except the falling away [Gr. ἀποστασία Apostasy] come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,  he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.  For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.  And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation [ἐπιφάνεια (Epiphaneia)] of His Coming; [Gr. παρουσία (Parousia)] even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:  that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
What do we see in this entire passage?

Firstly in chapter 1:7-10 there is a glorious, and highly visible to all, revelation of the Lord Jesus, from heaven with his angels, because He punishes (i.e. judges) the wicked as well as gives rest to His saints. Paul also calls this event that day:

"when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all who have believed, . . ." (RSV)

This is most clearly occurs after the Tribulation and is obviously a reference to Matt. 24:
"they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, . . . . but of that day and hour knoweth no man"
Now in chapter 2:8-12 we clearly see the same event as in chapter 1:7 etc., because once again Paul reveals that at this time unbelievers are judged. It is abundantly clear that these verses refer to the same event as chapter 2:8-12:
And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation [ἐπιφάνεια (Epiphaneia)] of His Coming; [Gr. παρουσία (Parousia)] even he , whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Thus the Coming (Parousia) of chapter two is referring back to the "revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, . . . when he shall come to be glorified in his saints" in chapter one. In this highly informative passage, the Apostle links the Epiphaneia chronologically with the destruction of the Antichrist; which all would agree occurs at the end of the Tribulation period.
And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation [ἐπιφάνεια (Epiphaneia)] of His Coming; [Gr. παρουσία (Parousia)].
So now we have the following information about the ἐπιφάνεια -the Appearing:
  • It is the appearing of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
  • It is linked with the idea of Jesus revealing that He indeed King of kings and Lord of lords and the time of the kingdom.
  • It is a time of judgement of living and dead, and therefore includes a resurrection.
  • It is a time of giving rewards to believers, "rest".
  • It is also referred to as "that day".
  • It occurs at the end of the Tribulation period when the Antichrist is destroyed, and it is connected with the Lord's coming (Parousia) in glory.
  • The fact that three things the Parousia, the ἐπιφάνεια-Appearing and the destruction of the Man of Sin occur on or around the same time is very helpful, because it now gives us a time frame for another prophesied event:

Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the Coming [Gr. παρουσία (Parousia)] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together [Gr. ἐπισυναγωγή (episunagoge)] unto him . . .


Paul now adds to the visible glorious, angelically-accompanied Parousia event, another linked concept: namely the "gathering together [Gr. ἐπισυναγωγή (episunagoge)] unto Him."

There are no chapter divisions in the Greek; not only so, but chapter two contains no contextual information that indicates Paul has now changed subjects to speak of a Santa-like secret coming and rapture separate from that of the first chapter. Neither is there ought to suggest a disconnection or seven-year gap between the Parousia event and the "gathering together;" there is no hint that one is invisible and the other not; nor is there anything from which we can honestly infer that the Episunagoge is anything other than a part or component of the Parousia event itself. When we are establishing doctrinal truths, we must never, ever, look for, insert into, or infer from a biblical text, what it does not explicitly state or can clearly and unambiguously be drawn from it. In Second Thessalonians, Paul intimately connects the Episunagoge (which all with one consent know to be the Rapture) event with the Parousia, and later in the passage he connects the Parousia with the ἐπιφάνεια-Appearing by the phrase "Epiphaneia of His Parousia," that is to say, Jesus' manifest coming in glory.

And of course, in reality, Paul, in his eschatological teachings is really just faithfully presenting the teachings of Jesus Himself from Matt. 24 and other places,, where we see the same elements, with the same chronology, and this is of course only to be expected (Matt. 28:20).
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun 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: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together (ἐπισυνάγω [episunago]) his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
In an interesting note of irony, W. E. Vine, whom Dr Wilkinson mentions as helping to understand the fulness of meaning of biblical words, and who was himself a pretribulationist, refers thus in his very useful Expository Dictionary to Titus 2:13:
" . . . the shining forth of the glory of the Lord Jesus "as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west," Matt. 24:27, immediately consequent on the unveiling, apokalupsis, of His Parousia in the air with His saints, 2Thess. 2:8; Titus 2:13."2
The fact that Vine, who had every motive to interpret the "blessed hope" as a pretrib rapture if he could have, but did not, is very telling. Dr Wilkinson should take note.

It was the purpose of this article only to deal specifically with one issue, the biblical definition of the "blessed hope" of Titus 2:13 and to expose the error and hermeneutical bankruptcy of the assertion that it refers to a pretribulational rapture. Exegetically, from the text in question and related co-texts, we can only draw the sure and certain conclusion, that the "Blessed Hope," or more correctly "the blessed hope of the appearing, -the Epiphaneia of the glory," is connected with a visible appearing in glory of Jesus to gather his saints, destroy the Antichrist and set up His kingdom after the Tribulation; no other information is provided to assume otherwise. We must therefore conclude that Dr Wilkinson's definition of the "Blessed Hope" is in actual fact a serious misrepresentation of this precious scriptural concept, and one which robs it of its blessedness, because he is in fact presenting his audiences with a lie, even though we would believe there is no deliberate intent to deceive on his part. We would remonstrate with our good brother Dr Wilkinson; that surely, brother Paul, in the interests of remaining true to the Scriptures and to the God who is their Author, and also to yourself and to those whom you minister; that you desist from using the term "blessed hope" or "appearing" in your current misleading and damaging manner, that you should discontinue this unhelpful and destructive labelling as "heretics" those who are actually trying to understand this term in its biblical context; and finally, that you as a matter of urgency, stop listening to those voices that are giving you faulty information, pull out your workshop manual, do some fault-finding, and please, please, fix your second-hand car, because some things are seriously out of alignment.


Elon Moreh.

Moriel Israel


1 The sentence, "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords." is an interesting one. Though of course, it could not be pressed exegetically from this text that Paul is referring to Rev. 19, (which was written considerably later) the thematic connection however, is certainly obvious, because Revelation 19 does reveal exactly to us which are the times in which the Lord Jesus Christ will shew who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

2 I am also aware of the fact that Vine presented in his dictionary epiphaneia also "the coming of the Lord Jesus into the air to the meeting with His saints, 1Tim. 6:14; 2Tim. 4:1,8" as if it were a separate event, (i.e. a Pretrib Rapture) however there is no contextual or exegetical reason for doing so. Vine at that point was simply reading his presuppositions into the text.