For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Paul Bayne
I just finished a great series by Dr. Walter Martin on the falacy of the Pretribulation Rapture, the Antichrist and the return of Jesus Christ. Great stuff and it will clear up a lot of questions for those who have them.
http://revivalandreformation.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/dr-walter-martin-investigates-the-pre-tribulation-rapture/
JD Abshire
Does Mr. Martin conclude that the pre-trib rapture and the person of the antichrist are both fallacies?
Paul Bayne
He disproves the pre-trib rapture but agrees that the Antichrist is either a real person or group.
JD Abshire
Do you remember him specifically referencing Revelation 3:10 in his book? "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
Al Mari
My current understanding of the word "anti-Christ" is not about opposing Christ.
Rather, it means "in place of Christ", one who claims to be Christ and will seat in the Holy of Holies in the future 3rd Temple and institute the Temple laws, but will deceive many.
Also, he is the "little horn" that will subdue "3 kings" or " 3 toes" of the resurgent "12 toes of the Roman Empire" so that he as head of the Beast will be the 8th.
Our President is nowhere near this possibility.
Ann Wood
I was watching Obama being interview on tv before he was elected president. When he was asked his religion...he said muslim. The commentator said.. "You mean Christian." Obama agreed. Obama is muslim. The Kenyan government recently said they would release his Kenyan birth certificate.
As for getting out of here before the tribulation, Thessalonians says that Christians will know the man of sin and the temple will have been built before the rapture.
Christians have been murdered since the crucifixion. In Africa and the Middle East, Christians are being killed unmercifully as I write this.
I don't know where anyone gets the idea Christians are going to be raptured and not suffer in what is coming upon the earth. Pre trib rapture teaching is going to cause many to fall away and take the mark of the beast when trib' begins because of not proper study of God's Word and pastors not teaching truth.
Julian Pechacek
Being empowered with God's word, we will have no problem recognizing the Anti-Christ when he arrives.
For years, I was involved at the precinct and state level in politics. I became disenchanted over the lack of Christian witness. Although I disagree with President Obama's philosophy, I am under the authority of Christ who ordains governmental authority. Under God's authority, I am prevented from slandering those in governmental authority; I must temper my emotions with civility and good Christian judgement.
My Prayer is that Christians redirect the enthusiasm for national politics toward edifying themselves and their own local Church.
James Kraft
I am a pretrib guy. But the bible does say that the anti-chirst will rule from the temple. So, it is my belief that the temple will have to be rebuilt before that can happen, and the mosque that is there now will have to be destroyed. I also believe that the anti-chirst will have to come on the scene before the rapture because the bible says that even the elect would be deceived if it were not for the spirit of God in us.
So to me, It looks like the rapture will happen shortly after the anti- christ comes to power but before the great tribulation period.
As fast as things can happen today that could be shortly. It will be interesting to see how God moves the mosque that is there now. Also with what technology we have now the temple could be rebuilt in a very short time.
Only God knows for sure when that time is. I still believe that the rapture will take place before the tribulation begins according to my understanding. When these things start falling into place the bible says to look up as our redemption draws near. Those of us that have put our faith in Christ alone will go to meet the Lord in the air. The dead in Christ shall rise first, and those who remain shall be cought up to meet the Lord.
Kind of makes our daily problems on earth trivial at best. Heaven is our home. We aught to be rejoycing even now.
Brian Ansell
If the antichrist exists, my bids are for trump, Hitler, thatcher