Bible student:
Pastor Ron, makakagulo lang talaga ng isip ko yung mga post sa Facebook. Madami kasi akong nakikitang Christians na pre-wrath daw ang paniniwala nila tungkol sa rapture. Tapos parang ang yabang pa ng dating kasi kesyo "debunked" na daw yung ibang views. Totoo ba yung pre-wrath position, Pastor?
Pastor Ronald:
Ah, social media eschatology! Haha! Mark, you get rid of your frustration. Pero let me say this upfront: yung "yabang" na nararamdaman mo, baka hindi naman talaga yabang yun, bro. Baka passionate lang sila sa conviction nila. Pero tara, pag-usapan natin nang masinsinan yung pre-wrath view. Fair and square, ha?
Bible student:
Sige po, Pastor! So ano ba talaga yung pre-wrath rapture view?
Pastor Ronald:
Okay, so yung pre-wrath rapture theory popularized ni Marvin Rosenthal noong 1990s nagsasabi na ang rapture ay mangyayari within the 70th week ni Daniel, specifically pagkatapos ng "great tribulation" pero bago dumating yung "wrath of God" o Day of the Lord. Kumbaga, parang may tatlong phases: seal judgments, trumpet judgments, at bowl judgments. According to them, yung church ay dadaan sa seal judgments at sa great tribulation, pero kukunin bago dumating yung Day of the Lord's wrath.
Bible student:
Ah! So parang mid-trib pero hindi exactly mid-trib?
Pastor Ronald:
Exactly! Hindi siya mid-trib kasi hindi naman exactly sa gitna ng 7 years. Pwedeng somewhere between 5-6 years na sa tribulation period. Yung key distinction nila is yung pagkakaiba ng "tribulation" at "wrath."
Bible student:
Ano pong biblical basis nila para dyan?
Pastor Ronald:
Good question! Let me give you their main verses:
Una, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Sabi nila, exempt tayo sa wrath, pero hindi sa tribulation.
Pangalawa, Matthew 24:29–31: after the tribulation, makikita yung signs sa kalangitan, tapos susunod yung gathering ng elect.
Pangatlo, Revelation 6:12-17 yung sixth seal, nasabi dun "the great day of their wrath has come." So ang argument nila, yung wrath ay nagsisimula doon, meaning yung rapture ay dapat mangyari bago yung sixth seal o pagkatapos.
Bible student:
Hmm, makes sense naman po yung logic nila, ano? So ano po yung problema?
Pastor Ronald:
Well, hindi siya necessarily "mali" in a sense na may biblical texts silang ginagamit. Pero may mga serious hermeneutical at theological issues ako dito as a postmillennialist at partial preterist.
Bible student:
Ano po yun, Pastor?
Pastor Ronald:
Let's break it down.
Una, yung whole framework nila ay based sa futurist premillennial interpretation. As a partial preterist, naniniwala ako na yung karamihan sa Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) at sa Revelation ay natupad na during the destruction of Jerusalem noong AD 70. Yung "great tribulation" na sinasabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 24:21 is specifically about yung unprecedented suffering ng Jewish people during the Roman siege.
Bible student:
Wait, so ibig sabihin po, nag-happen na yung great tribulation?
Pastor Ronald:
Yes, bro! Read mo si Josephus, yung Jewish historian. Gruesome yung mga detalye cannibalism, starvation, massacre. Sinabi ni Jesus na yung generation na yun ay hindi maglilipas hangga't hindi nangyayari ang lahat (Matthew 24:34). Yung "this generation" ay yung generation na nakikinig sa kanya.
Bible student:
Pero Pastor, paano yung rapture? Paano yung resurrection ng believers?
Pastor Ronald:
Excellent! Dito papasok yung postmillennial framework ko. Yung "rapture" o yung gathering ng believers sa 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ay hindi isang secret escape mula sa tribulation. Yung context niya is yung parousia, yung final coming ni Christ sa end ng history para humatol at i-perfect yung kingdom.
As a postmillennialist, naniniwala ako na yung kingdom ni Cristo ay unti-unting lumalaki at nag-spread ngayon sa buong mundo through the gospel. Yung "millennium" ay figurative period na we're living in now. At sa end ng age, babalik si Cristo once, visibly, gloriously para sa final judgment at resurrection.
Bible student:
So ibig sabihin po, walang pre-wrath rapture kasi ang rapture mismo ay sa very end na?
Pastor Ronald:
Tumpak! At dito ang issue ko sa pre-wrath (at sa lahat ng pre-trib, mid-trib variations): they create a complex timeline na hindi naman explicitly taught sa Scripture. Ang dating ng New Testament is simple: Christ will return, the dead will rise, we who are alive will be caught up, judgment will happen, and the new creation will come.
Bible student:
Pero Pastor, yung 1 Thessalonians 5:9 about sa wrath paano po yun?
Pastor Ronald:
Good catch! Tingnan mo yung context. Basahin mo yung 1 Thessalonians 1:10 "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
Yung "wrath" dito is yung final eschatological judgment yung eternal condemnation. Hindi ito physical tribulation sa Earth. Yung believers ay hindi appointed sa eternal wrath dahil si Cristo na ang tumanggap ng wrath ng Diyos para sa atin sa cross!
Kaya hindi ito tungkol sa timing ng rapture kundi sa status natin: we are justified, saved from God's condemning wrath.
Bible student:
Ah! So parang nag-confuse sila ng categories ng wrath?
Pastor Ronald:
Exactly! May distinction between:
- Historical suffering and persecution (which Christ promised believers will face, John 16:33)
- God's redemptive discipline (which purifies the church)
- God's eternal wrath (which is only for the unrepentant)
Ang pre-wrath view ay nag-assume na yung physical tribulations sa Earth ay automatically wrath ng Diyos na dapat iwasan ng church. Pero yan ay contrary sa whole testimony ng Scripture martyrs, apostles, early church all faced intense tribulation!
Bible student:
So, paano naman po yung Revelation 6 na yung wrath ay nag-start sa sixth seal?
Pastor Ronald:
Again, partial preterist lens, bro. The book of Revelation primarily addressing yung seven churches in Asia Minor in the first century. Yung visions ay about yung judgment sa Jerusalem, Rome, at yung vindication ng church na persecuted.
Yung "Day of the Lord" language ay prophetic language na ginamit na rin sa Old Testament for historical judgments like sa Babylon, Egypt, etc. Yung wrath sa Revelation 6 is yung judgment sa Israel at sa pagan Rome for persecuting the church and rejecting the Messiah.
Bible student:
Grabe, Pastor! So parang yung whole pre-wrath framework ay based sa wrong interpretation ng timeline ng Revelation?
Pastor Ronald:
Well, I'd say it's based on a different hermeneutic futurism. And to be fair, maraming sincere, godly scholars ang futurist. Pero sa perspective ko, it creates unnecessary complications.
Bible student:
So ano po yung practical takeaway dito, Pastor? Especially kasi nakakagulo pa rin sa akin yung mga posts na yabang.
Pastor Ronald:
Ayan! Important yan, Mark. Here's what I want you to remember:
First, humility. Yung eschatology is a secondary issue. Hindi ito gospel issue. Puwedeng magkaiba tayo ng view sa rapture, tribulation, millennium, pero kung same tayo ng faith kay Cristo, magkapatid pa rin tayo.
Second, focus on what's clear. Clear sa Scripture: Christ will return, there will be resurrection, there will be judgment, there will be new heavens and new earth. Yan ang importanteng truths.
Third, live faithfully now. Yung postmillennial hope ko is optimistic naniniwala ako na yung gospel ay mag-transform ng nations through faithful witness ng church. Yan ang dapat mag-motivate sa atin not escape mentality, but kingdom advancement mentality.
Bible student:
So paano ko po sasagutin yung mga kaibigan ko na pre-wrath?
Pastor Ronald:
With grace, bro! Tanungin mo sila, engage respectfully. Sabihin mo, "I appreciate your study, but have you considered other interpretative frameworks like partial preterism?" Share your convictions without being defensive. At tandaan mo, yung goal ay hindi manalo ng debate, kundi mag-grow in understanding at unity sa body ni Cristo.
Bible student:
Salamat, Pastor! Ang laking tulong nito. So bottom line: yung pre-wrath view has biblical texts but may interpretative issues, especially kung partial preterist at postmillennialist ka?
Pastor Ronald:
Tumpak! And ultimately, yung eschatology natin should drive us toward faithfulness, hope, and love. Kung yung eschatology mo ay nag-cause ng pride, division, o fear pause ka. Baka may mali sa approach.
Bible student:
Amen, Pastor! Maraming salamat!
Pastor Ronald:
Walang anuman, bro! Keep studying, keep seeking truth, at lagi mo tandaan "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12). May mga bagay tayong hindi pa fully naiintindihan, and that's okay. Humility and love should mark our discussions.
Mark: Yes po! Tara Bible study ulit next week!
Pastor Ronald: Game! Soli Deo Gloria!
End of Bible Study
Para sa karagdagang questions o discussions, feel free to reach out or join us sa next session!
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