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In this their latest book, Tin Nosotros Still Believe in the Rapture?, prophecy teachers Ed Hindson and Mark Hitchcock have on the raptu
As our world becomes increasingly secular a growing number of Christians are looking at the claims of the Bible with growing skepticism. Main amid those claims is the promise of Christs render and His gathering of believers to Him. Paul in his epistle to Titus described this future event as the "bessed promise". Today this promise is most often referred to as the rapture.In this their latest book, Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?, prophecy teachers Ed Hindson and Mark Hitchcock accept on the rapture skeptics equally they explore one of the Bible'south about beloved and controversial eschatological subjects.
The book explores two main aspects of the rapture. Beginning they provide a spirited Biblical defense of the rapture or catching away of believers. After providing a reasonable Biblical foundation for the rapture, Hindson and Hitchcock and so explore the timing of the rapture. Among Christian'southward this aspect of the discipline is often the nigh controversial and frankly circuitous. As to the timing of the Rapture the authors give a cursory overview of the post-obit positions:
• The Pretribulation Rapture View
• Midtribulation Rapture View
• Posttribulation Rapture View
• Fractional Rapture View
• Prewrath Rapture View
Of these Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock spend most of their fourth dimension looking at the pre-tribulation and the post-tribulation view of the rapture. I must say I idea the authors could have washed a more thorough exploring the pre-wrath position, equally the Biblical arguments for this position are gaining credibility of late.
Though I practise believe the case for the rapture is Biblically solid and the authors do a skillful job of laying out that information, I admit that personally I have non yet been able to wrap my listen around all the complexities and varying opinions regarding the subject field of its timing.
To me the best role of this volume was the writer's warnings about the dangers of making assumptions about Bible prophecy. Ironically these warnings are at the root of my personal doubts virtually the pre-tribulational rapture view that Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock concur so strongly.
First let me share with you some of their excellent observations regarding assumptions and their troublesome offspring - speculations.
• "Thus, the bully temptation for those who attempt to translate prophecy is to move from the biblical facts to their own assumptions and speculations." - (p. 33)
• "Here is a fundamental principle to keep in listen at all times: Be sure to distinguish the facts of prophecy from the interpretive assumptions you lot describe and the speculations you make." (p. 33).
• "Our interpretive assumptions need to be based upon a proper exegesis of Scripture. If our interpretive assumptions are correct, they will lead to valid conclusions, but if not, they may lead to ridiculous speculations." - (p. 35)
• "Speculations
These are calculated guesses based upon interpretive assumptions. In many cases, there may be no clear factual basis for these. They are simply educated (or uneducated) guesses." - (p. 35).
• "The outcome at stake is not whether we can win an argument, but whether we can properly translate biblical prophecy. In our attempts to exercise so, nosotros must all conspicuously distinguish between the biblical facts, our interpretive assumptions, and our personal speculations—which exist in all the prophetic views." – (Hitchcock, Mark. Tin can Nosotros Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 36). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.)
Unfortunately Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock appear to take failed to follow their own advice regarding the pre-tribulation view of the rapture. Consider the following foundational argument regarding pretribulationism:
• "Pretribulationism teaches that the rapture of the church will occur before the commencement of the seven-year tribulation period, as well known equally the seventieth calendar week of Daniel." (Hitchcock, Mark. Can Nosotros Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 66). Harvest Business firm Publishers. Kindle Edition. )
Co-ordinate to this argument pretribulationism is related to the prophecy found in Daniel affiliate 9 which is virtually normally called Daniel'southward Lxx Weeks.
What Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock don't tell you most their view of Daniel ix is that is built upon an incredibly important set up of chronological assumptions about the 2nd temple era. These assumptions, and so required sure speculations which they cannot back up with a reasonable rendering of the Biblical record.
You see, the prophecy of Daniel ix begins with a "commandment to restore and build Jerusalem". (This is a Biblical fact.) This commandment both Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock believe was given to Ezra or Nehemiah during the reign of a Persian king named "Artaxerxes" Longimanus. (This is an assumption considering the Bible does not plainly state the identity of the Western farsi "Artaxerxes".)
Troublingly neither Mr. Hindson nor Mr. Hitchcock (as far as I'm enlightened) have ever provided a reasonable Biblical (chronological) explanation why they believe Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries of Artaxerxes Longimanus. This is especially troubling because the Bibles own chronology does not support such a contemporaneous human relationship.
In fact in order to believe Mr. Hindson'south and Mr. Hitchcock's chronology about Ezra and Nehemiah you lot have to believe that Ezra was at his youngest a quarter century older than Moses when the events describe in the book of Nehemiah took identify. (his begetter died in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar) The aforementioned unreasonable age applies to the priests and Levites who came up with Joshua and Zerubbabel in the first year of Cyrus (536 BC) and who Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock would have us believe were still alive in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus (445 BC). This also would crave Eliashib the loftier priests to exist 80-120 years erstwhile when he help his brethren rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
The Biblical chronology on the other mitt if taken at face value in its most reasonable and natural reading would have these men in their prime of life during the reign of Persian "Artaxerxes" known as Darius 'the great'.
What's peculiarly difficult to understand is that Mr. Hindson in his recent book Charting the Bible Chronologically makes stiff case for the Exponential Decay Curves which posits that subsequently the flood flesh's natural lifespan decreased to roughly lxx-80 years by the time of King David nigh five centuries before the era of Ezra and Nehemiah.
However Mr. Hindson's assumptions regarding Ezra, Nehemiah, and the 2nd temple era crave him to suggest that the men of that era were about twice that age. An historic period that even with today'southward incredible medical advancements is not accessible. It'southward but non a reasonable or justifiable supposition.
If then Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock'due south position on the starting bespeak of Daniel 9 is established upon an unreasonable and unproven assumption and then by their own rules their view of Daniel's seventy Weeks is in big function speculative. To the extent then that their pre-tribulationalism is dependent on Daniel nine, by their own admission their position must be considered speculative.
I want to brand articulate that I believe both Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock are fine Biblical scholars. I merely believe they accept unwittingly made a well-meaning assumption that they accept probably never taken the time to verify for themselves. My hope is that in some future writings they will give this subject the Berean's stewardship it rightly deserves.
In closing my respectful criticisms notwithstanding, I think that Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock indeed have made a solid Biblical case for the doctrine of the Rapture. Their view of the timing of the rapture on the other hand is based upon far too many assumptions and their commensurate speculations and demands a Bereans skepticism. In closing I leave y'all with their sobering reminder:
• "Our interpretive assumptions demand to be based upon a proper exegesis of Scripture. If our interpretive assumptions are correct, they will lead to valid conclusions, but if not, they may lead to ridiculous speculations." - (Hitchcock, Mark. Can We Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 35). Harvest Business firm Publishers. Kindle Edition.)
Maranatha!
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For more than full disclosure, I found the work of Michael Gorman (Reading Revelation Responsibly) and Richard Bauckham (The Theology fo Revelation) more consistent and cogent to me and sensibl
v stars for beingness written with clarity; simply 2 stars because I even so find the perspective securely forced. I definitely learned more through this book nearly premillenialist dispensationalist perspectives on eschatology. Nevertheless, I imagine there have to be more convincing books out there for this perspective!For more than full disclosure, I found the work of Michael Gorman (Reading Revelation Responsibly) and Richard Bauckham (The Theology fo Revelation) more consistent and cogent to me and sensible with my own theological intuitions and understanding of the biblical narrative.
Once over again, though, I am thankful to have read this to gain more knowledge to ameliorate understand where Premil Dispensationalists are coming from. I practise non doing their genuineness in desiring to precisely, thoroughly, systematically account for the scriptural information. While I cannot follow their methodology or conclusions and find the logic deeply unconvincing, I respect the attempts fabricated hither and can see myself recommending people to read this book to better understand this perspective.
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Outstanding! A book every Christian should read. The authors do a great job of explaining the unlike eschatologicql views and provide multiple references and other authors opinions on the issues. They show decisively why a Pretribulation understanding of Scripture is the clearest and much less outcome fraught view. Highly recommended!
I am running into more than Christians who follow a mail tribe conventionalities. Nosotros need to counter these beliefs wherever nosotros find them. This book will aid.
Marking Hitchcock was born and raised in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from constabulary schoolhouse in 1984. Later on working for a guess at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for four years, Marking was led to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1991. Since that fourth dimension, he has served as senior pastor of Religion Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He completed
Marker Hitchcock was born and raised in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from constabulary school in 1984. After working for a judge at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for iv years, Mark was led to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1991. Since that time, he has served equally senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He completed his PhD at Dallas Theological Seminary in 2005 and serves as an acquaintance professor of Bible exposition at DTS. He has authored over thirty books related to end-fourth dimension Bible prophecy that have sold over one million copies. His books accept been translated into over ten languages. Mark is a frequent speaker at churches and prophecy conferences both in the United states of america and internationally. Marker and his married woman, Cheryl, alive in Edmond, Oklahoma. They accept two sons, Justin (married to Natalee) and Samuel, and two grandchildren..
You can too connect with Marking on Facebook ...more
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