I am finally delving further into eschatology. I consider myself a historic premillennialist as I didn't see a reason to divide the Second Coming into two stages.
However, I decided to examine let the pre-trib position objectively and fairly. I think the pre-trib people make lots of good points, but I'm still iffy about the rapture and the official Second Coming.
Does the verse below refute a pre-tribulation rapture?
"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." -John 17:15 (ESV)
John 17:15 is not a verse on the rapture. Jesus was praying for His disciples who lived 2000 years ago. If that's a verse on the rapture, that would mean the rapture happened 2000 years ago when they were still alive.
You can see from John 17:9, Jesus said
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world." He's praying for His disciples.
If that's not enough, look in the link.
~From John 17:1-5, He prays for Himself.
~From John 17:6-19, He prays for His disciples.
~From John 17:20-26, He prays for all believers.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+17&version=NKJV
John 17 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Prays for Himself
17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said:“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as Weare. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who wille]" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px;"> believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
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John 17:15 is a common verse advocates of the post-tribulation rapture pulls out of context to promote a false doctrine.
If you do some serious research, you'll find all verses they claimed pertaining to a post-trib rapture are all taken out of context and falsely interpreted. But feel free to post more questions like this with other verses and I'll be happy to reveal what the verses mean for you.
There's a very good reason why a big part of the church has been deceived on the timing of the rapture. The devil wants Christians to endure the tribulation because of Daniel 7:25, Revelation 13:10, Revelation 20:4. The saints will be handed to the a/c during the tribulation and beheaded for their faith. Satan will have a feast those 42 months torturing God's people to death.
Jesus will not rapture anyone who wish to go through the tribulation. He will not override anyone's freewill. The bible tells us not to let anyone rob you of your crown. If someone has convinced you of the post-trib rapture, he's robbed you of your crown. You have to be raptured into heaven in order to receive your reward at the Bema Seat. Christ will not take you if you firmly believe in a post-trib rapture. All rewards will be forfeited if one cannot be present at the Bema Seat.
Revelation 3:10-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
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Pre-Tribulation Rapture Bible Verses
Isaiah 26:19 - 27:1New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
The earth will also disclose her blood,
And will no more cover her slain.
1 In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong,
Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
Leviathan that twisted serpent;
And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Romans 5:9 (ESV)
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Hebrews 9:28 Good News Translation (GNT)
In the same manner Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 12:22-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
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