"Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD, AND THE RULER OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5-6 NKJV -- Emphasis Added)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE (JESUS CHRIST) MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, THESE HE ALSO GLORIFIED." (Romans 8:28-30 - Emphasis Added)

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, EVEN SO IN CHRIST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE. BUT EACH ONE IN HIS OWN ORDER: CHRIST THE FIRSTFRUITS, AFTERWARD THOSE WHO ARE CHRIST'S AT HIS COMING. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power." (1 Corinthians 15:20-24 - Emphasis Added)

"...BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS, whom God set forth as a propitiation BY HIS BLOOD, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:24-26 -- Emphasis Mine)

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; AND AVOID THEM. FOR THEY THAT ARE SUCH SERVE NOT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, but their own belly; AND BY GOOD WORDS AND FAIR SPEECHES DECEIVE THE HEARTS OF THE SIMPLE (SPIRITUALLY INEXPERIENCED)." (Romans 16:18 -- Emphasis Added)

• Catholicism
  
  
• Reformed Theology (and its countless variants
  of Calvinism and Replacement Theology)
  
  
• Dispensationalism
  

Why the Tenants of Reformed Theology Opposes
the Pre-tribulational Rapture

Many of the verbal assaults against the Pre-tribulation rapture originate from what we call, Pharisaical religion (based on the rejected doctrine of the "believing Pharisees" in Acts chapter 15), which shares many of the same beliefs as modern-day Reformed theology. Keep in mind that these two theological belief systems is the core of "Christian fundamentalism", which exists under countless names - and influences thousands of churches. Scripture reveals that God will use what Jesus called, "the tribulation of those days" (also known as "Jacob's Trouble") to restore Israel back to Himself in the last days. But, Pharisaical religion and Reformed theology takes the forbidden liberty of merging Israel's Old Testament program of the Law (Judaism) with the Church's New Testament program of Grace (or the unmerited favor of God). One reason the merging of these programs (Law and Grace) takes place is a refusal to acknowledge this future restoration, which God promises to Israel through an everlasting and unbreakable covenant. This refusal is based on the belief that Israel is "permanently rejected" by God; meaning that any restoration back to God can never happen. This is why the merging (or transfer) of programs is thought to be correct. As if things aren't confusing enough, there is one more chapter to this twisted story, which answers many questions. As part of the transfer/merging of programs - the Church (because it is now thought to be "the New Israel) must assume old Israel's role during the Tribulation as an expression of God's will. According to the convoluted way various Reformed theologians think, it means any teaching about a pre-tribulational rapture for the Church (its removal before the tribulation) must immediately be condemned as heresy.

Many of the tenants of Reformed theology, operating under a different name, are what nearly destroyed the Galatian Church of the first century and was condemned by both Paul and the entire apostolic leadership of the Church. Some theologians refer to it as "the Galatian Error" or "Galatian religion". This is why these well-intentioned, yet misguided theologians (and their followers), think it's the will of God for the Church to go through the tribulation. Why? They believe that the Church is now "The New Israel", which is a dangerous violation of Biblical context. Paul warned that this wrong way of believing the Bible, "perverts the salvation of Christ". This is why those who embrace Pharisaical religion (or what some call Galatian Religion and Reformed theology) consider the Pre-tribulation rapture teaching to be a heresy. They strongly object to the belief that Christ's blood-bought Church (or God's worthy people) are exempt and allowed to escape God's future judgment against the world's sin. This same objection is what also drives their offensive attacks aimed at anyone who believes in the Church's pre-judgment or pre-tribulational escape. Yet, few of them seem to care that their accusations of heresy are directed at a truth taught by our Lord Jesus Christ and later by Paul in his epistles. It also reveals one other disturbing problem; they don't really believe in the completed work of Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God, who took away all our sin". It raises serious questions about the validity and truthfulness of their salvation doctrine - and gives new meaning to Paul's warning; "Let no man deceive you by any means".

Note: In any casual discussion of this subject it's easy to get tangled in a confusing web of various names and labels. In our commentaries the names; Reformed theology, Galatian error, Galatian religion, Calvinism and Treadmill religion all have deep roots in we call the "pharisaical theology" of the first century (found in Acts chapter 15), which was exposed and condemned by the apostolic leadership of the Church in Acts chapter 15.


Paul does not agree that God has
permanently rejected Israel - as
Reformed theologians claim. He
also confirms that the plan to
restore Israel back to God remains
on track. For this reason, the
belief that the Christian Church
is "the New Israel" is proven to
be both dangerous and false.


"I say then, hath God cast away his people (The Jews)? GOD FORBID. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. GOD HATH NOT CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE WHICH HE FOREKNEW." (Romans 11:1-2 - Emphasis Added)

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you (Christian believers living today) should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. AND SO ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED….” (Romans 11:25-26 - Emphasis Added)


These statements and the truths they
contain were made several years
(some think 7-10 years) after Jesus
was crucified. It proves that God's
promise to restore Israel remained
intact after the cross.

GOD HAS NOT PERMANENTLY REJECTED
ISRAEL, RESULTING IN THE REASSIGNMENT
OF THEIR SPIRITUAL PROGRAM TO
THE CHURCH.

“In contrast to Reformed theology is Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism says that to find the believer’s rule of life you must go not to Mount Sinai, but to Mount Calvary. Mount Sinai is powerless to justify a person and Mount Sinai is also powerless to sanctify a person. The law is not the believer’s rule of life. Something else is. The Scofield Bible states this position very clearly: "The test of the gospel is grace. IF THE MESSAGE EXCLUDES GRACE, OR MINGLES LAW WITH GRACE AS THE MEANS OF JUSTIFICATION OR SANCTIFICATION, OR DENIES THE FACT OR GUILT OF SIN WHICH ALONE GIVES GRACE ITS OCCASION AND OPPORTUNITY, IT IS 'ANOTHER' GOSPEL, AND THE PREACHER OF IT IS UNDER THE ANATHEMA OF GOD."

[From "Footnote #6" in the SCOFIELD REFERENCE BIBLE under Galatians 1:6--Emphasis Mine.]


“Most of us have been reared and now live under the influence of Galatianism. PROTESTANT THEOLOGY IS FOR THE MOST PART THOROUGHLY GALATIANIZED, in that neither the law or grace is given its distinct and separate place as in the counsels of God, BUT THEY ARE MINGLED TOGETHER IN ONE INCOHERENT SYSTEM. The law is no longer, as in the divine intent, a ministration of death (2 Cor. 3:7), of cursing (Gal. 3:10), or conviction (Rom. 3:19), because we are taught that we must try to keep it, and that by divine help we may. Nor does grace, on the other hand, bring us blessed deliverance from the dominion of sin, for we are kept under the law as a rule of life despite the plain declaration of Romans 6:14.” -- C.I. SCOFIELD --

"I say then, hath God cast away his people (The Jews)? GOD FORBID. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. GOD HATH NOT CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE WHICH HE FOREKNEW." (Romans 11:1-2)

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. AND SO ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED….” (Romans 11:25-26 - Emphasis Added)

THE CHURCH (ALL TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST)
ACCEPTED HIS SALVATION AND DOES NOT NEED
TO BE JUDGED FOR THIS SIN.

NOTE: THE "CHURCH" BEING TALKED ABOUT HERE
IS NOT THE SAME AS THE INSTITUIONAL CHRISTIAN
CHURCH OF THE WORLD.

Jesus Christ as, “The Lamb of God that took
away the sin of the world” – completely
took away all the sin of the Church and made
them “worthy to escape the judgments of
the Tribulation”.

"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—IF INDEED YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power." (Ephesians 3:1-7 - Emphasis and Clarifications Added)