Post versus Pre Trib Rapture questions

[Sam V]

Some who oppose the Posttribulation Rapture say that there will be nobody left to repopulate the earth, if all the Christians receive immortality at Christ’s return and non-Christians cannot enter the millennial kingdom (per John 3:5).

John 3:5 NKJV
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Does scripture indicate that anyone becomes a Christian after Christ’s posttribulational coming but before He establishes His earthly Kingdom?

On a related note, how do I reconcile John 5:3 with Isaiah 66:19’s reference to those “who have not heard My fame” (which is apparently posttribulational)?

Isaiah 66:19 NKJV
I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

[Raymond]

Hi Sam,

A number of people will survive the great tribulation that have not taken the mark of the beast, but who never came to faith. I dont know how Christians can think that no one will survive in the whole world from the seals, bowls and trumpets. Just like WW 1 and 2 did not impact many nations around the world so will the events of Daniels 70th week. At the battle of Armageddon it is only military personnel that are killed.

Remember that the tribulation events and much of the war will not be world wide contrary to what the pre-tribbers think. A lot of the fighting will be around the Middle East area as the scriptures indicate.

I hope this helps.

[Sam V]

Hi Raymond,

Yes, I agree with you. My concern was the following.

None of Christ’s followers will be involved in procreation in the Kingdom (per Matthew 22:30). Some other survivors of the great tribulation must enter into Christ’s kingdom in mortal bodies in order to repopulate the earth.

But the only people left to repopulate the earth will be unbelievers. And Christ ruled out the entry of unbelievers into His kingdom when He told Nicodemus “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

How will the survivors who have not come to faith in Christ enter into Christ’s kingdom?

I think Zechariah provides the answer. (I just remembered this, when I woke up this morning.)

It seems that several things will occur between the glorious appearance of Christ in the air and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom in Jerusalem. Two of those things will be the destruction of the armies that have come against Jerusalem and the conversion to Christ of those in Jerusalem.

[Zec 12:9-10 NKJV] 9 It shall be in that day [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son], and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Some of those who are converted to Christ will be sent to distant lands, resulting in the conversion of those who, as Isaiah 66:19 says, “have not heard My fame nor seen My glory.”

Thus, some mortal survivors of the great tribulation (who have not taken the mark of the Beast) will then believe in Christ and enter His kingdom.

[Sam V]

I see that I should have been more clear in my last post.

I meant to say “When Christ returns all His followers will receive immortal bodies, per 1 Co 15:52. Therefore, none of them will be involved in procreation in the Kingdom (per Matthew 22:30).”

[Timothy]

Sam,

I agree with your last post. I would also add that what Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless a man be born again, he cannot SEE the Kingdom of God,” and again, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot ENTER the kingdom of God,” these words were spoken in a very limited context. That context was the fact that the Jewish leaders (particularly the Pharisees), had placed their “hope” in achieving an inheritance in the Kingdom in two things:
1. Their physical descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
2. Their outward adherence to the Law of Moses.

Jesus repeatedly condemned them as “hypocrites” (see Mat. 23), and He challenged the validity of their physical descent from Abraham in John 8:33-59. When they said, “Abraham is our father” (v. 39) Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil” because their “works” revealed that they were not Abraham’s descendants in God’s sight because they did not do the works of Abraham.

So, within THIS context, speaking to Nicodemus a Pharisee, Jesus made the above statements in John 3. These words were not intended to make an all-inclusive theological claim about all mankind, but addressed these Pharisees of whom Nicodemus was a part. In other words, unless they embraced the Gospel they would have no part in the resurrection of the just.

[Author]

Posts