Joel Richardson FAI STUDIOS Does Revelation 3:10 Teach a Pre-Trib Rapture?

This Revelation Timeline Decoded post reviews a video by Joel Richardson of FAI STUDIOS, called ‘Does Revelation 3:10 Teach a Pre-Trib Rapture? // THE RAPTURE & ENDURANCE OF THE SAINTS: Episode 5.

Before I begin my review of Joel Richardson’s explanations, let me declare that I do these type of reviews, not just to expose false teachers; but to show what they teach, which you may have also been taught, so that you can see the truth and the deception.

These reviews are not a personal attack on the person, but an open rebuttal of their explanations. It’s not about me, it’s about the truth of prophecy fulfillment which reveals the glory of our beloved Messiah!

Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites Revelation 3:10 to say that it invalidates the pretribulation narrative.

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

It is true that Revelation 3:10 does not prove a pretribulation rapture, but the prophecy fulfillment explanations of Joel Richardson are out of context.

Joel teaches that the letters were written to the saints in the churches that existed when John wrote down the apocalyptic vision.

The letters to the seven churches have general instructions to the saints of the first century and to saints of all ages; but the primary message of the letters is to seven church eras which span from the first century until Messiah returns.

The irony of Joel Richardson’s explanation is that we are in the last church age of Laodicea, which faces the hour of temptation that Messiah mentioned in Revelation 3:10.

Messiah was telling the saints of the Philadelphia church age, which was a glorious time of worldwide missions and Bible Societies spreading the little book of Revelation 10 (the printed Bible) around the world; that they wouldn’t have to face the many deceptions which would come after them.

By this, Messiah is declaring that the hour of temptation comes upon the next church era, that of Laodicea, in which we live.

And the enemy has fulfilled this prophecy by causing teachers like Joel Richardson and Dalton Thomas to proclaim the false, futuristic prophecy fulfillment explanations; which deceive saints about how the end-times will play out.

Before our Laodicean church age, the saints taught that the 70th week of Daniel 9 was about Messiah’s ministry and death for our sins. They did not teach that it’s about the end times or the antichrist. Read The 70th Week Of Daniel 9 Decoded

Before our Laodicean church age, the saints taught that the prophecies in Revelation have been in the process of being fulfilled since it was written. They did not teach that most of them are fulfilled furing the last seven years. Read Revelation Timeline

The enemy has pushed aside the historicist narrative of prophecy fulfillment and has used places like Dallas Theological Seminary to teach the false, futuristic explanations; so that the leaven of their deceptions has spread around the world through DTS graduates like Hal Lindsey, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah and Thomas Ice of Left Behind fame.

Read How The Deceptions Spread

Joel Richardson of FAI Studios says that Revelation 2-3 has specific warnings to churches in the first century.

Here’s the map that Joel showed, which lets you see how close they were to each other.

It makes no sense that churches which are so close to each other would face such drastically different situations in the first century. 

Instead, Messiah was writing to the saints of the seven church ages which have historically faced:

• The persecution from the Roman Emperors during ten persecution periods from the first century until 313 AD.
• The formation of the false Christian religion of Romanism by Constantine and the Roman bishops in the fourth century.
• The rise of power of the popes of Rome who proclaimed to be God, forgive sins and provide salvation.
• The banning and burning of the handwritten Scriptures and the persecution of millions of saints during the Dark Ages.
• The Protestant Reformation when millions of Catholics were redeemed for the kingdom.
• And the persecution of millions of saints during the Inquisition.

Read Revelation 2-3 Seven Church Eras

Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cited Revelation 2:10 to point to the ten days of tribulation, proclaiming that it refutes a pretribulation rapture.

Once again, Joel’s misses the mark in understanding that Messiah was writing to seven church ages.

The name Smyrna comes from the word “myrrh” which is a tree resin with a bitter taste that was crushed and used in perfume, in incense, and as a preservative in burial. It’s a symbol of death, which is appropriate for this church era.

Messiah had nothing about which to reprimand the church; He had only words of encouragement and comfort in her sufferings at the hands of her persecutors. The church of Messiah was hated in the Roman Empire, and every natural calamity, whether flood, earthquake or drought, was blamed on the saints and on their refusal to worship the Roman gods.

The church era of Smyrna endured eight persecution periods from the Roman Emperors:

• The Third Persecution occurred under Trajan in 108 A.D.
• The Fourth Persecution occurred under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in 162 A.D.
• The Fifth Persecution commencing with Severus in 192 A.D.
• The Sixth Persecution occurred under Maximus in 235 A.D.
• The Seventh Persecution occurred under Decius in 249 A.D.
• The Eighth Persecution occurred under Valerian in 257 A.D.
• The Ninth Persecution occurred under Aurelian in 274 A.D.

The most terrible, most prolonged persecution in the history of the early church occurred during the Tenth Persecution, as Diocletian sought to root out Messiah’s Ekklesia of saints from the very face of the earth, from 303-313 A.D.

The “ten days” of tribulation that Messiah prophetically spoke of were ten years of the Diocletian Persecution where so many saints were martyred.

This aligns with the narrative of Revelation 12, which is about Satan using the Roman Emperors to persecute the early church, making its birth very painful, like labor. Read Revelation 12 – The Roman Empire Beast Phase

This aligns with the narrative of the fifth seal, in which the blood of the martyred saints symbolically cries out for vengeance against the pagan Roman Empire. And it came during the trumpet judgments, when army after army were sent to attack it, which led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Read Revelation 6 – 5th Seal Martyrs

But Joel Richardson isn’t telling you any of that.

Joel Richardson of FAI Studios says that there is not a single witness among early church writers who take a pretribulation view.

That statement is based on a false premise, that the pretrib rapture would take place before the supposed 7-year tribulation, a future 70th week of Daniel 9.

The early church fathers understood that the 70th week of Daniel 9 was fulfilled after the 69th week, when Messiah carried out His multiyear ministry and confirmed the everlasting covenant with His blood in the middle of the seven years of the 70th week.

So the early church fathers didn’t warn of a pretribulation rapture because they didn’t believe in a futuristic 70th week of Daniel 9.

This means that the declaration of Joel Richardson, that no early church father’s pointed to a pretrib rapture, is based on a false premise.

Joel Richardson of FAI Studios showed quotes from early church fathers to seemingly prove his explanation.

But they did the opposite, as they show that the early church fathers did not apply the letters in Revelation 2-3 to the churches of the first century, but to the saints who existed in the future.

Tyconius, who wrote this in the fourth century, points to the hour of temptation in Revelation 3:10 as being fulfilled in the future, which invalidates the explanation of Joel Richardson.

Aspringius, who wrote this in the sixth century, points to the hour of temptation in Revelation 3:10 as being fulfilled in the last times, which invalidates the explanation of Joel Richardson.

There’s really no excuse for this level of ignorance from someone who proclaims to have studied prophecy fulfillment in depth and is providing a Revelation video series.

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Joel Richardson and Dalton Thomas teach a futuristic fulfillment of the 70th week of Daniel 9, the Olivet Discourse and the prophecies in Revelation.

The 70th week of Daniel 9 is about Messiah’s ministry and His blood sacrifice as the Spotless Lamb to atone for our sins. It has nothing to do with the antichrist or the end times.

The Olivet Discourse foretold the events that would lead to the desolation of Jerusalem, the second temple and the Jewish nation; as punishment for the Jewish leaders continuing in rebellion against the Heavenly Father and for delivering His Son up to be killed. It has nothing to do with the antichrist or the end times.

Most of the prophecies in Revelation have been fulfilled in exacting detail during the last 1,900 years. It describes the historical narrative of the Satan-empowered leaders of the Roman beast kingdom (pagan Emperors > antichrist beast Popes > false prophet Jesuit Superior Generals) fighting against Messiah and His saints.

The explanations of Joel Richardson and Dalton Thomas serve to deflect blame away from the enemy in Rome, and to mislead the end-times saints so that they’re not prepared for how the end-times will play out, and don’t know the context of Messiah’s return.

On the Bible Prophecy Decoded website you will find summary PDF’s, links to request free PDF’s on my books and links to order printed books.

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