Let us return to the original post: the unbiblical false doctrine which teaches the ‘secret’ Rapture of the saints 7 years prior to the end of the Age.
Nowhere in Scripture is it clearly and simply stated Christ returns in two distinct stages separated by a duration of 7 years.
This alleged biblical doctrine was unknown in the Christian Church for 1800 years.
1. Because it is different than your belief doesn't make it false. A good percentage of those on this board believe it to be true. Even some of those who contributed to the four volume work edited by R.A. Torrey "The Fundamentals," believed in the rapture and a seven year tribulation. Those fundamentals were formed or collated between 1910 and 1916. Obviously they were believed on much longer before that time. If it was a "fundamental" of that time, then why should it not be fundamental to our faith now? It certainly is not worthy of being called false doctrine, and you should abstain from referring to it as such.
2. This statement of yours:
"This alleged biblical doctrine was unknown in the Christian Church for 1800 years."
In logic it is called a universal negative. It is an illogical statement and impossible to prove or demonstrate. In order for you to prove this statement you would have to be able to go back into history and interview every Christian of every age that ever lived: "Do you believe in the pre-trib rapture?" Otherwise, you don't know if it was unknown in Christianity for 1800 years, and you can't prove it. If there was but one person who came to that conclusion on his own study, then you are wrong, aren't you? How can you speak so authoritatively for the entire human race of 1800 years of history? Were you there? Only God knows the hearts and minds of all those people.
3. You said:
"Nowhere in Scripture is it clearly and simply stated Christ returns in two distinct stages separated by a duration of 7 years."
First, let's tackle the seven year period.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
--No doubt you are familiar with Daniel's seventy weeks. The word "week" simply means "seven," any group of seven--seven days, weeks, months, years, etc. Here there are seventy weeks of years. A week of years is seven. That means there is a total of 490 years.
After 490 years everlasting righteousness will be brought in. It hasn't come yet. It is still future.
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince
shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
1. There are seven weeks or 49 years to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Those are in troublesome times and went forth from the command given to Nehemiah (Neh.2:1ff).
2. There will be an additional 62 weeks or 434 years (483 in all) until the Messiah is cut off (specifically to the date of Palm Sunday leading to his death). That leaves one week of seven years.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with a
with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
--There is a double fulfillment here. The Roman army will indeed come and destroy the city of Jerusalem as they did.
But that wasn't the end. The end is yet to come. The destruction of Jerusalem was by the Romans. The prince of the Romans is still to come.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make
it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
--And whoever that man is, he shall confirm the covenant (with the Jews) for seven years. In the midst of that seven year period (3 1/2 years) he shall make an abomination in the Temple, desecrate it in some way, and Temple sacrifice shall cease. Then there will be a time of Great Tribulation during the second half of this Tribulation Period.
As you read through the Book of Revelation you will find terms as 3 1/2 years, 1260 days, 42 months, all of which refer to half the period of the seven year Tribulation period. They are literal terms and should not be spiritualized.
Now when does Christ come?
He comes in two stages: the Rapture, and the Second Advent.
The first for believers, and the Second in Judgment.
There is a sharp contrast in these two which is easy to see in a simple comparison of Scripture. Even Jesus said there will be two resurrections. The first resurrection takes place at the rapture. The second will take place just a thousand years later after the Millennial Kingdom at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Paul wrote:
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
--There is not a hint of the unsaved in this passage. He is coming for his own. He is coming for the church. The dead IN CHRIST shall rise first, and then we which are alive IN CHRIST. This is not for unbelievers. It is the rapture.
Contrast to:
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
--This is the Second Advent! It is entirely different from the Rapture.
He is coming in Judgment, not in comfort; coming to judge the world in His wrath, not to keep believers from His wrath.