Mark Hitchcock Multnomah Books 2005-07-26

Hitchcock, pastor of Faith Bible Church, Edmond, Oklahoma, has written a succinct, popular defense of the pretribulational rapture. Author of twelve books on the end times, he addresses numerous questions people raise about the rapture, including these: Is the pretribulational rapture a recent invention? What will the raptured believers’ bodies be like? Is it wrong to set a date for the rapture? What will happen to babies and young children at the rapture?

Careful attention is given to arguments used by proponents of posttribulationism, and the weaknesses of these arguments are shown. Numerous sound arguments from Scripture are given in support of the view that the rapture is imminent, that it could occur at any time. These include the role of the twenty-four elders in Revelation, the many differences between the rapture and Jesus’ second coming, the nature of the tribulation, the believers’ exemption from God’s wrath, the several purposes of the tribulation (none of which relate to the church), the removal of the Restrainer, and others.

An appendix includes John F. Walvoord’s fifty arguments for pretribulationalism, first published in the July-September 1957 issue of Bibliotheca Sacra.

Here is a succinct, easy-to-read presentation of the believers’ blessed hope, an excellent resource for any pastor and layperson interested in the end times.

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