A Sketch of the Premillennial, Pretribulational Rapture of the Saints - By David Huffstutler

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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This is a textbook example of how to fit a doctrine into the Bible. We have long had complaint with the pre-trib rapture teaching. Those who teach this doctrine are inevitably obtuse and confusing. But we had some hope the author would be able to supply a coherent explanation. Alas, he could not.

In fact, the crucial concept that the rapture would occur before the Tribulation is never biblically demonstrated.

We must regard this as Bad Bible Teaching.

In our view, the rapture is on the Last Day of the last days, the Day of the Lord.

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The rapture is the event in which “the dead in Christ will rise first” and “then we who are alive, who are left” are “caught up together… in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). We can never know when exactly the rapture will take place, but Scripture at least indicates that it precedes a future 1,000-year period and a 7-year period that takes place just before the 1,000. (These are the author's premises. Let's see if he demonstrates them.)

We describe the rapture as premillennial because it takes place before the Millennium, the 1,000-year rule of Christ on earth (Revelation 20:1–6). (Ordinarily we would rebuke the author for not quoting Scriptures, and we would then proceed to quote them ourselves. But for this Scripture and some others we will simply note the obvious: This passage does tell us what the author says it does. 

It does not say anything about the rapture.)

We describe the rapture as pretribulational because it takes place before the Tribulation, a 7-year period of divine wrath characterized by its name (cf. Matthew 24:21, 29; Mark 13:19, 24; Revelation 7:14). (Again, none of these verses mention the rapture. They all are regarding the Tribulation.)

Explaining the rapture’s timing before the Tribulation requires a bit of explanation. (Indeed. We wait with bated breath.)

Multiple passages refer to a future 7 years of tribulation (thus, the Tribulation) whereby God pours out His wrath upon the world.

Daniel 9:24–27 spoke of seventy sets of seven years to come, sixty-nine of which would end when “an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing” (Daniel 9:26). (Let's quote the verse: 

Da. 9:26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens’, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

We need to discuss this. First, we don't need to accept that the anointed one must be Jesus. Because Jesus did not end up with nothing. He rose to take His seat at the right hand of the Father. That is certainly not "cut off and have nothing."

But we really need to back up a little. In this passage Daniel was pouring out his heart to God in repentance regarding the grave sin of his people and his own sin [9:20]. He was still in prayer when Gabriel came [vs. 21] and delivered his message [9:24-27].

Gabriel said,  As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given... [vs. 23]. An answer to what? Daniel's prayer of confession! We must not neglect the context of this passage that Daniel was confessing the sins of Israel. 

The angelic message tells of a time frame of 70 sevens [vs.24]. 70 sevens is how long Israel and Jerusalem have to do these things: 

• Finish the transgression
• put an end to sin
• atone for iniquity
• bring in everlasting righteousness
• seal both vision and prophet
• anoint a most holy place.

Israel must get its house in order. First, it is reasonable to ask, did Daniel really tell them they had 490 years to do this? Or is this period of time representative of something else, perhaps? We are not so certain as the author.

Let's continue. The angel told Daniel there will be 7 sevens and 62 sevens [vs. 25]. Why the two periods? Unknown. This seems to be the beginning point of the time to rebuild Jerusalem [vs. 25], which is what the above list is about. In addition, the rebuilding will be done in times of trouble [vs. 25].

It seems that the anointed one, the ruler, comes at the end of the 7 sevens plus 62 sevens [i.e., after seven 69, vs. 25]. He will be cut off after the 62 sevens [vs. 26]. Then the anointed ruler's people will destroy Jerusalem and the temple [vs. 26].

The anointed one, the ruler who was cut off, will make a covenant "with many" for one seven [vs. 27], even though he was cut off at the end of the 62 sevens, which is after the 7 sevens. This would seem to be the last, the 70th seven. He will put an end to sacrifice in the middle of this seven and will set up an abomination in the temple [vs.27].

The abomination will be come upon the pinnacle of the desecrated temple and will remain there until the end that was decreed for Jerusalem is poured out [vs.27]. So it seems that the decree to rebuild and sanctify the city was never completed, for the ruler's people destroyed and desolated the city at the end of the 62 sevens. 

This means we're dealing with the failure of Jerusalem to repent and rebuild itself as the holy city [vs. 24, c.f. Is. 52:1].

This in no way can be interpreted as a countdown to the Tribulation. It's not possible that this anointed one is Jesus. The account falls more naturally as meaning the nation of Israel was called to repentance and to cast out its sin. They failed to do so and were destroyed and the temple was desecrated.

Lately, 70 sevens are often interpreted as years, but we know of no principle which requires this. Maybe they were months or days? Make up your own scenario, dear reader, it will be just as valid as any other.)

The anointed Jesus Christ was cut off at the cross, and seven years are still to come. (Let's quote the verse: 

Da. 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’. In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

"He" (the anointed ruler, the one who was cut off) will make a covenant. This is not Jesus. 

Further, the author asserts without evidence that this seven year period is yet to come. There's no Bible verse that says this. So how could the last seven be separated from the first 7 plus 62? How can there be a period of time that must be broken up into sections in order to fit the doctrine? So the doctrine forces us to regard the sevens as figurative so that they can equal 490 years, then we have to also agree they are not consecutive sevens.

We think this convolution is too much a stretch. It's statements like this that first caused us doubt pre-trib ideas. 

And we see from vs. 27 that the anointed one set up the abomination. Da. 9:27 says that "he" will confirm a covenant. Who is "he?" Verse 26:

...the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.

So this ruler who was cut off, his people will lay waste to Jerusalem and the temple. Jerusalem has been destroyed twice in its history that we know of, first by Nebuchadnezzar [2Kg. 25:8-11] in 589 BC and second by Titus under Nero in 70 AD. 

This anointed ruler will put up an abomination on a wing of the temple.  

So what if the angel Gabriel was telling Daniel about the impending doom of the city, and not the end of the world? What if he was really telling Daniel the truth, that Jerusalem needed to get its act in order [Da. 9:24] or get destroyed? And what if the anointed one is not Jesus at all?)

Revelation 11:2–3 tells of 1,260 days to come, followed by 42 months. 1,260 days is 42 months of 30 days each, and 42 months is 3.5 years. So, 1,260 days followed by 42 months is 7 years, Daniel’s 7 years to come. (Let's quote:

Re. 11:2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.

Waait. The author without reason totals the two numbers as if they are sequential, and also reverses the position of the two time periods. Further, the author arbitrarily divides up the numbers by 30, but the Hebrew calendar is comprised of both 29 day and 30 day months.

It is presumptuous and dangerous to jumble things together to fit a preconception.)
 
God’s initial judgments during this time affect the entire earth and its inhabitants (cf. Revelation 6:4, 15), and then God’s judgments increase in severity as time goes on. Daniel 9:27 prophesies that the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel for the first half of these 7 years but breaks it and persecutes Israel for the rest of this time. (But, but... the author previously told us this man was Jesus.)

Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 speak of this persecution as well. Revelation 12:1–6 speaks of Satan’s role in the matter. Matthew 24:15 refers to the events at the midpoint in the Tribulation (Let's quote: 

Mt. 24:15-16 So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

There is no reference here to "the midpoint." Later the author will claim that the church will be removed before the Tribulation, which makes us wonder how it will be possible for the church to see the abomination and then flee to the Judean mountains if they're not actually there in Judea.)  

and records Jesus calling the rest of this time “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). All 7 years are tribulation, the second half of them greater tribulation than the first. The Antichrist rises to power in the first half and rules more terribly in the second. (No documentation.)

Thankfully, Jesus rescues us from the wrath of the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). (Sigh. Let's quote: 

1Th. 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 

This verse does not tell us that the church will be rescued before the wrath comes. The wrath comes, then the church will be rescued. Something cannot be rescued unless it's already in the midst of trouble.

1Th. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is not even about the Tribulation. We have two things here, the wrath and the salvation. One or the other. When we are saved we are no longer appointed to suffer wrath.)

This rescue is soon (Revelation 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20), and Jesus promises, “I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). (This promise was written to the church in Philadelphia. There was much trouble all around in the first century church. Jesus promised this church He would keep (Greek, téreó) them, to guard them and preserve them out of their situation. This has nothing to do with end times.)

The means whereby Christ keeps us from this wrath is the rapture of the saints (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). (Let's quote: 

1Th. 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.

Uh, what? There's no wrath mentioned here. The Lord will come in glory and great fanfare and take up His from the earth [Mt. 24:31]. Yet the earth, where every eye will see him [Rev. 1:7], will not somehow not notice the glorious appearing and will continue on in sin for seven years? Then, the Lord will come in glory [again] with another trumpet, even though there's only one Last Trump [1Co. 15:52]? 

Sigh. What in the world is the author talking about?)

We go up to heaven with Him (cf. John 14:2–3) and, 7 years later, come down to rule with Him in His kingdom (Revelation 3:21; 19:11–16). (Sigh again. Let's quote: 

Re. 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Nothing here about 7 years later. 

The second Bible reference, which we will not quote, is regarding the rider of white horse, the King of kings. Again, no mention of 7 years.

Thank the Lord, this article is done. What a nightmare it has been. An absolute disaster.)

May God hasten that day as we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)!

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David Huffstutler is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Troy, MI. He blogs here, where this article also appeared. It is published here by permission.