Christian Zionism - New Life Tabernacle of Chattanooga

estraining presence of the Holy Spirit removed from the world, the Antichrist
will arise, evil will prevail and unbelievers, including the Jews now restored to
Israel, will suffer for seven years during the Tribulation. Satan’s rule will finally
be crushed by the public appearance of Jesus Christ. Concerning the
Rapture, Darby argued that, ‘The Church’s joining Christ has nothing to do
with Christ’s appearing or coming to earth. Her place is elsewhere. She sits
in Him already in heavenly places. She has to be brought there as to bodily
presence.’ 1050 This hope in a secret Rapture perhaps explains why
dispensationalists are either complacent or uninterested in what will happen
to the Jews during the Tribulation. Blackstone, for example, says, ‘The detail
of the manner of their restoration, and of their repentance and acceptance of
Christ, is not so important to us. For those who are of the Church are to be
taken away first, in the Rapture, and escape all these things through which
Israel must pass.’ 1051 This is why dispensationalists are not afraid of another
imminent holocaust. Whereas Israel is seen as the ‘Fuse of Armageddon,’ 1052
Christians will be safely raptured to heaven just before Armageddon begins.
So, in a review of End Times written by John Walvoord, 1053 Jews for Jesus
promise, ‘The end times can be happy and rewarding for Christians. The key
is understanding them. With clarity, logic and conviction, this book
dramatically explores world events in light of biblical prophecy, outlining the
precepts of our faith. Written by one of the field’s top experts, it is the
definitive work on prophecy.’ 1054 With increasing interest in the end of time,
other dispensational writers have ventured to emulate Hal Lindsey and
speculate about the Rapture and Tribulation. 1055 For example, Jews for Jesus
in the Church’ Morning Watch, II, March (1830), pp156-158, cited in Paterson, op.cit., p165.
1050 Darby, ‘Rapture,’ Collected, op.cit., pp153-155.
1051 Blackstone, Jesus, op.cit., p176.
1052 Lindsey, Late, op.cit., p44.
1053 John Walvoord, End Times, Understanding Today’s World Events in Biblical Prophecy,
(Waco, Texas, Word, 1998).
1054 Jews for Jesus, http://www.store.jewsforjesus.org/books/products/BK232.htm
1055 John Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan,
1975); The Blessed Hope and the Kingdom, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1976); The
Rapture Question, revised edition (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1979); Tim LaHaye, No
Fear of the Storm, Why Christians Will Escape All the Tribulation, (Sisters, Oregon,
Multnomah, 1992); Marvin Rosenthal, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church, (Nashville,
Thomas Nelson, 1990); Marvin Rosenthal and Kevin Howard, Examining the Pre-Wrath
Rapture of the Church, (Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1994); Finis Jennings Dake, The
227