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What is the objection to the teaching that the Church is to pass through the Tribula tion? The first and most important and all-de cisive objection is that this teaching is con trary to the Word of God. There is not a single passage in the Bible that teaches that the Church shall pass through the Tribula tion. We are familiar with the passages that are urged in defense of this teaching, but these passages do not teach nor imply this doctrine which some try to build upon them. One of the most prominent and able advocates of this teaching -last year circu lated very widely a tract to prove his con tention that the Church would pass through the Tribulation. It was probably the strong est tract that has been published on that side, but we could not but feel after a care ful and prayerful reading of the tract that if this was the strongest argument that could be put up for this teaching that the teaching certainly had very little foundation in Scrip ture. On the other hand, the whole trend of the teaching of the Word of God on this subject is to show that the Church will not be on earth when the Tribulation time comes, but will already have been “caught up to meet the Lord in the air” and to be forever with Him. In the first place, every passage that definitely and explicitly refers to the Tribulation, clearly refers to Israel. The four most striking and explicit passages on the subject are Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21; ,Mark 13:19. Jere miah 30:7 reads, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like i t : it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Here then we have the most explicit statement that the time of the Tribulation is the “time of Jacob’s trouble.” Certainly then the Church has nothing to do with it. The Church age is over the Church
has been caught up and God is dealing again with Israel. Daniel 12:1 reads, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great princd which standeth for the children of thy people : and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time (it is evi dent from this that the passage refers to ‘the Great Tribulation’) : and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the Book.” Here again it is "thy people,’’ i. e., Darliel’s peo ple, Israel who shall be concerned. Matthew 24:21 reads, “For then shall be great Tribu lation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” There can be no question that this refers to the great Tribulation, but in the context the whole setting is Jewish. The instruction is for those that are in Judea to flee unto the mountains (v. 16). Every thing is Jewish and it evidently stands for ■the time after the Church has been removed and when God is dealing with Israel and immediately afterward Christ descends on Olivet for the deliverance of Israel, not the Church. Mark 13:19 reads, “For in those days shall be Tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be” (R. V.). Of course, there can be no question that this refers to “the Great Tribulation” but here again the setting is Jewish. The fourteenth verse re fers to the “abomination of desolation” standing where he ought not, i. e., in the re stored temple. In the same verse, instruc tion is given to the Israelites who are rer gathered in Judea, Everything is Jewish, -no reference to the Church. The Church is not there, is not in it in any sense. In the parallel account in Luke, the Gentile Gos pel, there is no mention of this Great Trib-
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