Tag Archives: Dispensationalism

November 19, 2025

The Translation of Enoch and the Rapture of the Church

By The Paleofundamentalist

In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt24:37). The Flood of Noah is a type of the coming Tribulation period (i.e., Daniel’s 70th Week). Noah and his family, who endured the judgment of the Flood on earth, but were Divinely preserved through it, are a type of the nation of Israel; Israel will endure the judgment of the Tribulation on earth, but will be Divinely preserved through it (Zech13:8-9; Rev12:6,14). In contrast, the translation of Enoch from earth to heaven (without dying; Gen5:24; Heb11:5) is a type of the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church (1Thess4:15-17; Rev4:1-2); the Church will be supernaturally removed from the earth before the judgment of the Tribulation begins (Luk21:36; 1Thess1:10; Rev3:10). In the translation of Enoch prior to the Flood, only a single person was removed from the earth; in the rapture of the Church prior to the Tribulation, the singular Body of Christ (i.e., the “one new man”; Eph2:15) will be removed from the earth (1Cor12:27; Eph1:22-23). Note also that Enoch was supernaturally translated from the earth to heaven, whereas Noah had to build an Ark according to God’s revealed specifications in order to be saved from the Flood; this comports with the fact that the Church will be raptured according to grace, whereas Israel was required to keep the Law delivered by God through Moses (Cp., Jn1:17).

Note that there was a gap of time between the translation of Enoch and the beginning of the “days of Noah”; from the translation of Enoch to the birth of Noah was 69 years. Since the “days of Noah” correspond typologically to the Tribulation, this observation is consistent with the expectation that there will be a gap of time between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation (i.e., the rapture is not the event that begins the Tribulation; cf. Dan9:27). However, to conclude that there will be 69 years between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation is almost certainly pressing the type too far; whereas the Flood was a type of the Tribulation, it lasted only slightly more than a year (not 7 years), and the “days of Noah” were 950 years (Gen9:29).

While the 69 year gap between the translation of Enoch and the beginning of the Flood likely has no literal connection to the gap of time between the rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation, it may yet be found to have a typological significance.

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October 31, 2025

How Soon is “Shortly”?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The Book of Revelation opens, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…” (Rev1:1a). The remainder of the book is a revelation of the details concerning the coming Rapture of the Church, the 7-year Tribulation period (i.e., Daniel’s 70th Week), the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom on this earth. When the Lord Jesus revealed these things to John the Apostle at the end of the 1st century, he said these were events that “must shortly come to pass”. To date, they have not come to pass, and almost two thousand years later we still await their fulfillment (to the scoffing of the world; Cp., 2Pet3:3-4).

Preterists connect the “shortly” of Revelation 1:1 with “this generation” of Matthew 24:34 and insist that the events of the Book of Revelation had to have occurred within the lifetimes of the Jews who were alive at the first coming of Christ. Clearly, that understanding of “shortly” cannot be valid, as the second coming of Christ did not occur in the 1st century in any literal sense. Thus, “shortly” did not mean within one generation. The question, therefore, remains, “How soon is shortly”?

The beginning of an answer to this question is found in the very passage in which the Apostle Peter warns of second coming scoffers who would arise “in the last days” (2Pet3:3-4). He goes on to conclude, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2Pet3:8; Cp., Ps90:4). The point is that God’s experience of time is not the same as ours, and this truth is observed throughout the scriptures.

Consider the following examples:

  • “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed” (Deut4:26). The LORD spoke these words through Moses c. 1400 BC. The first dispersion of the Jews from the Promised Land, the Babylonian exile, occurred c. 600 BC, followed by the Roman Diaspora in 70 AD. Thus, “soon” in this context meant at least ~800 years into the future, and perhaps ~1,500 years.
  • “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb” (Ps37:1-2). This psalm of David would have been written c. 1000 BC. The judgment of the wicked occurs at the Great White Throne, which takes place at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Thus, “soon” in this context meant at least ~4,000 years into the future.
  • “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2Cor4:17). Here, the Apostle Paul characterizes the lifetime of a person (i.e., 70-80 years; Ps90:10) as “a moment”. In Psalm 90:10, a man’s life is said to be “soon cut off”.
  • “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Rom16:20). The Apostle Paul spoke these inspired words in the 1st century. Depending on one’s understanding, the defeat of Satan will either come at the second coming of Christ, when Satan is bound in the bottomless pit (Rev20:1-2), or at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, when Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Rev20:10). Thus, “shortly” in this context meant at least ~2,000 years into the future, and perhaps ~3000 years.

Thus, when the Lord Jesus Christ told the Apostle John that the events of the Book of Revelation “must shortly come to pass” (Rev1:1), the fact that they were yet ~2,000 years into the future was entirely consistent with the way in which God characterizes time, from His perspective, throughout the scriptures (Cp., Hos5:15-6:2).

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September 20, 2025

Gentiles and the Abrahamic Covenant

By The Paleofundamentalist

In Genesis 12:1-3, God initiated what would become the Abrahamic covenant (for its full development, cf. Gen12:1-7; 13:14-17; 15:7-21; 17:1-8).  This covenant was made by the LORD with Abram (i.e., Abraham), and it was unconditional; in it God made commitments to Abraham and put no obligations on him in order to receive its promises other than the faithfulness of God Himself.  The question today is, what is the relationship of Jews and Gentiles to the covenant God made with Abraham?

First, the Jews are a party to the covenant and stand to inherit all of its promises in the most literal way.  In Genesis 12:2, God viewed Abraham as more than merely a man, but as the “nation” He intended to make from him.  Furthermore, God extended the covenant to Abraham’s son Isaac (but not Ishmael; cf. Gen17:19), then to Isaac’s son Jacob (but not Esau; cf. Gen28:13-14).  No distinction is made after Jacob, such that all of Jacob’s descendants are included in the covenant (cf. Ps105:8-11).  In Romans 11:28, the Apostle Paul says that “as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake”, where “the election” is Israel as God’s chosen nation (Isa45:4), and “the fathers” are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod4:5).  Today, the Jews are the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, some of which have been gathered to the nation of Israel reestablished in 1948, but many of which remain scattered throughout the world.

Second, the Gentiles are not a party to the covenant.  Nevertheless, their salvation is provided through it; namely, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen12:3; Gal3:8), since “salvation is of the Jews” (Jn4:22).  Furthermore, in the covenant there is an obligation for the Gentiles to “bless” Abraham and his descendants (i.e., the Jews), for which they are promised a blessing from God, as well as a threat that those who “curse” Abraham and his descendants will be cursed by God.  At the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, He will judge the Gentiles who survive the 7-year Tribulation period alive according to this standard (cf. Matt25:31-46).  Those Gentiles who “blessed” the Lord’s “brethren” will be granted entrance into “the [Millennial] kingdom” (Matt25:34,40), whereas those who “cursed” them are not (Matt25:41).

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August 12, 2025

Who Are the Many?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The adjective/pronoun “many” occurs hundreds of times in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. In the vast majority of those instances, the immediate context makes clear to whom/what “many” refers. However, there are a small number of important instances in which there is no definite referent for “many” (e.g., Dan8:25; 9:27; 11:14,18,26,33,34,39; 12:10; Matt19:30; 20:16; 20:28; 22:14; 26:28; Mk10:31,45; 14:24; Luk14:16); it should be noted that these instances tend to occur primarily in the O.T. and the synoptic Gospels, whose focus is the nation of Israel under the Dispensation of Law. In these instances, the “many” refers to Israel. For a study of this issue, see the article Who Are the Many? Under the Biblical Studies tab.

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August 31, 2024

The Pre-Trib Rapture is the Sign

By The Paleofundamentalist

To the question of His disciples, “And what shall be the sign of thy coming” (Matt24:4), Jesus responded with the Olivet discourse (Matt24:4-41; Mk13:5-37; Luk17:26-37) in which He gave an expanded recounting of Daniel’s 70th Week (Dan9:27; which would be greatly expanded by the Apostle John in Revelation 6-19).  This recounting, as recorded by Matthew and Luke, ended with an allusion to a mysterious disappearance.  Jesus said, “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed [i.e., night]; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  Two women shall be grinding together [i.e., morning]; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field [i.e., afternoon]; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Luke 17:34-36).

Dispensationalists have long disputed the proper understanding of Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-37 which relates a future event in which a multitude of persons around the world instantaneously disappear.  On its face, this event would seem to correlate with the Rapture of the Church (cf. 1Cor15:51-52; 1Thess4:13-17), yet the majority of Dispensationalists, especially those adhering to the revised Dispensationalism of Walvoord, Ryrie, and Pentecost, have argued that the Rapture of the Church has no logical place in Jesus’ Olivet discourse.  Rather, the Olivet discourse pertains only to the nation of Israel and has nothing to do with the Church, which at that time had not yet been revealed.  While it is admitted that the birth of the Church had not yet taken place, nor does Jesus refer to it by name, He most certainly referred to its Rapture at the end of the Olivet discourse.

Jesus’ Olivet discourse is not about the Church; rather, it is a message to the nation of Israel.  But its subject concerns the “sign” for which the nation of Israel should “watch” (cf. Matt24:42; Mk13:33-37) in order to know that the second “coming” of Christ is near (cf. Matt24:4).  While Jesus gave numerous signs throughout the discourse (e.g., “wars and rumors of wars”, “pestilences”, “earthquakes”, “the abomination of desolation”, and “false Christs, and false prophets”), He concluded the discourse with the ultimate “sign”; it is the “sign” that precedes all the other signs, and one which cannot possibly be missed by the nation of Israel (and the world), which is the unexpected, sudden, and instantaneous disappearance of a multitude of persons all around the world.  It awaited the writings of the Apostle Paul to fully reveal the doctrine concerning the Rapture of the Church which ends the parenthetical Dispensation of Grace, a temporary pause in God’s prophetic program for the nation of Israel, but the Lord Jesus most certainly pointed to the event as the “sign” to the nation of Israel that the return of Christ was drawing near.

The moment after the Rapture of the Church, no believer will remain on earth.  And yet, 144,000 Jews will be converted and used by God to evangelize the whole world during the Tribulation (cf. Matt24:13; Mk13:10; Rev7:1-17).  How are these Jews converted?  Might not the sudden disappearance of millions of people around the world, for which Jesus exhorted the nation of Israel to watch, be the “sign” that triggers the conversion of the 144,000? Maranatha!

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August 9, 2024

Interpreting Scripture

By The Paleofundamentalist

Covenant (Reformed) Theology and Dispensational Theology have long debated the proper hermeneutic to use when interpreting Scripture.  While both use a literal method for much of Scripture, Dispensationalism (especially so-called Revised Dispensationalism under Charles Ryrie) has emphasized the consistent use of literal interpretation for all of Scripture.  This is seen most clearly in that both Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology interpret historical narratives literally, whereas Covenant Theology often interprets prophetic passages of Scripture allegorically.  Forgotten in this discussion is that Classical Dispensationalism as developed under the Plymouth Brethren, Scofield, Chafer, and especially Arno Gaebelein, while not denying the literal historicity of historical passages, also allowed for a typological understanding of them (see the CHART: Philosophies of Interpretation under the Biblical Studies tab).  They viewed many of the Bible’s historical accounts as establishing patterns having prophetic significance (cf. Eccl1:9-10; 3:15; Cp., Rom5:14; Col2:17; Heb8:5; 10:1; 11:19).  Indeed, the Apostle Paul affirmed that O.T. historical accounts “were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope” (Rom15:4), and that “all these things happened to them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Cor10:11).  The word translated “ensamples” is from the Greek tupos (i.e., types). Typology is a rich and fruitful feature of Scripture that should not be neglected!

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June 4, 2024

The Identity of the 24 Elders

By The Paleofundamentalist

In Revelation 4:4, “four and twenty elders” are seen by the Apostle John sitting on “four and twenty [thrones]” in heaven.  The identity of these 24 elders has long been debated.  However, most Dispensationalists have traditionally held that the 24 elders represent the completed Church (i.e., the Body of Christ).  If that view is correct, the completed Church is in heaven before the 7-year Tribulation (i.e., the 70th Week of Daniel; Dan9:27) begins in Revelation 6, which all but necessitates a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church; such a conclusion is seemingly inescapable.  Hence, the correct identification of the 24 elders is pivotal to a proper understanding of the chronological sequence of eschatological events. A systematic analysis of the Identity of the 24 Elders can be found under the Biblical Studies tab.

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February 14, 2021

Why Were the Thessalonians Shaken?

By The Paleofundamentalist

The second chapter of Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians is a mighty tour-de-force polemic for the pre-tribulational nature of the rapture of the Church.  It has long been recognized that the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is the Holy Spirit, and that His removal before the Antichrist is revealed (i.e., before the Tribulation begins) necessitates the rapture of the Church due to the Spirit’s indwelling of the Body of Christ as a temple in the present dispensation (1Cor6:19).  It has more recently been recognized that the “falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV; Greek, apostasia) that also must occur before the Antichrist is revealed is in context better understood to be a departure (i.e., the rapture of the Church).  However, even without these clear and powerful witnesses, a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church is a necessary inference from Paul’s opening to the chapter in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2.

FIGURE 1. Timing of the Rapture in the Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib,
Pre-Wrath, and Post-Trib Views.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul introduces the subject of the chapter as “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him”.  The subject is a single event, since the first substantive clause is articulated and the second is not, being connected by an epexegetical kai in the Greek text (i.e., the Granville Sharp rule).  Paul’s subject is that particular “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” which involves “our gathering together unto him” (cf. Jn14:1-3; 1Thess4:13-18). Thus, the subject of the chapter is the rapture of the Church.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, it is revealed that the Thessalonians had become “shaken in mind” and “troubled”, apparently as a result of a “letter as from us” (i.e., a letter alleging to be from the Apostle Paul, which was in fact a forgery). Their alarm was caused by the fact that the letter asserted that “the day of the Lord” had begun. The remainder of the chapter presents an iron-clad polemic for why that could not possibly be the case. However, one must ask why this news so disturbed the Thessalonians; why were the Thessalonians shaken?

In 2 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he had previously instructed them concerning this subject. Indeed, Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians discusses the rapture in every chapter (cf. 1Thess1:9-10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:1-11). Presumably Paul had taught them when the rapture would occur relative to the coming 7-year Tribulation (i.e., the day of the Lord; 2Thess2:2). If he had taught them that the rapture of the Church would occur mid-trib, pre-wrath, or post-trib (i.e., any view that sees the rapture of the Church as occurring at some point during the Tribulation; see FIGURE 1), there is no reason for the Thessalonians to be “shaken” or “troubled”. There would be no inconsistency between those rapture views and the counterfeit message alleging that the Tribulation had begun. Rather than causing them to be “shaken”, such news would be cause for excitement and anticipation, since it would mean that their rapture was necessarily drawing near. However, if Paul had taught the Thessalonians that the rapture of the Church would occur before the Tribulation begins (i.e., pre-trib), then it is easily understandable why news that it had begun would be so troubling; if true, it would mean either: 1) that Apostle Paul’s previous teaching was untrue, or 2) the rapture of the Church had already occurred, and they had been left behind.

Only a belief in a pre-trib rapture as taught to the Thessalonians by the Apostle Paul explains why they were so “shaken” and “troubled” by the counterfeit message that the day of the Lord (i.e., the Tribulation) had begun. No other rapture view would have troubled the believers at Thessalonica. Properly understood, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 is a powerful witness to the fact that the Apostle Paul taught that the rapture of the Church would be pre-trib!

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January 2, 2021

Dispensationalism’s Necessity of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture

By The Paleofundamentalist

A proper dispensational understanding of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15) absolutely necessitates a pre-tribulational Rapture of the Church.

What is the Church? The Church is being formed during the present Dispensation of Grace and is comprised of all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile, who are subsequently baptized into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Furthermore, the Church is not (the nation of) Israel, or any other nation, but a unique body comprised of believers from all nations. However, if the Church is present on earth during the Tribulation period (i.e., the 70th Week of Daniel; Daniel 9:27), all who believe during the Tribulation must become members of the “Church”. If this is to be the case, there can be no “saved” nation of Israel or Gentile nations present on earth at the end of the Tribulation to enter the Millennial Kingdom.

Utter confusion results if the Church is present on earth during the Tribulation. But thanks be to God, who has promised to remove the completed Church, the Body of Christ, at the Rapture (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 3:10). During the Tribulation, the Church will be wed to Christ in heaven (Revelation 19:7-8), and those on earth who believe and endure to the end make up the “saved” nations who enter the Millennial Kingdom at the second coming of Christ.

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April 26, 2020

The Answer to Preterism

By The Paleofundamentalist

“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:34)

Based on this verse, Preterists conclude that the 70th Week of Daniel must have occurred within the lifetime of those hearing this prophecy spoken by Jesus; thus, it took place in the 1st century and is a past event from our present point of view. Matthew 10:23 and 16:28 present similar challenges that are resolved within Preterism by placing the fulfillment of prophecy in the 1st century AD.

However, the tension created by Matthew 24:34 is not resolved by conceding that its prophecy was fulfilled in the past. Such a solution creates more problems than it solves, since it is self evident that the 2nd Coming of Christ (as described in the Bible) did not occur in the 1st century. Rather, the tension is revolved by the two-fold recognition of:  1) the contingent nature of the Kingdom, and 2) the mystery nature of the Church (Age).

A study of this issue, titled Answer to Preterism, has been added under Biblical Studies.

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