This Revelation Timeline Decoded post reviews a video by Joel Richardson of FAI STUDIOS, called ‘What Did the Early Church Believe About the Rapture?’
Video description: MARANATHA Global Bible Study // The Rapture and the Endurance of the Saints Episode 18: Irenaeus Refuting the Claims of Pretribbers.
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 serve as 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!
This pretribulation rapture series from Joel Richardson of FAI Studios is based on a false premise.
Joel is teaching that there is no pretribulation rapture before a 7-year tribulation period.
The pre-trib / mid-trib / post-trib rapture debate is based on the concept of a futuristic 70th week of Daniel, but that is a deception to fool the end times saints. The 70th week of Daniel 9 prophecy foretold when Messiah would appear to carry out His ministry, and when (in the middle of the 70th week) He would confirm the everlasting covenant (that was mentioned in Daniel 9:4) with His blood as the Passover Lamb, to atone for our sins. It’s not about the end times or the antichrist.
Read The 70th Week Of Daniel 9 Decoded
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios says that he’s trying to show when the pretribulation rapture was first taught, in the 1800’s.
What he’s not telling you is that the concept of a futuristic 70th week of Daniel which features a one-man antichrist who causes a time of great tribulation when most of the prophecies in Revelation are fulfilled, was not believed by the saints before the 1800’s either!
Joel is being intellectually dishonest with his statements, effectively hiding the historicist view of prophecy fulfillment, which shows how most of the prophecies in Revelation have already been fulfilled during the last 1,900 years.
Read Revelation Fulfillment Timeline
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios says that the early church fathers expected that the saints would face the antichrist and be here during the tribulation period.
Again, this is an intellectually dishonest statement because it’s all based on the tribulation period taking place in the end times, during a future 70th week of Daniel 9.
But the early church fathers were not proclaiming that the 70th week of Daniel and most of Revelation would be fulfilled during the last seven years; so Joel is cherry-picking statements to defend his beliefs.
Read The Antichrist Beast Of Johns Epistles And Revelation
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios he says that the post trib rapture has been the opinion of scholars throughout history.
Historicism has been their view up until the last few centuries. Joel’s explanations hide this truth.
The saints have already faced the tribulation periods which were proclaimed in Daniel and Revelation. They are not yet future, as Joel teaches.
Read Times Of Great Tribulation In Daniel And Revelation
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites John F. Walvoord, former president of Dallas Theological Seminary.
DTS is the primary place where the leaven of the Jesuits false, futuristic prophecy fulfillment explanations have spread around the world.
Read How The Futurism Deceptions Spread
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites Thomas Ice, co-author of the Left Behind books and movies, who says that Irenaeus was not teaching pretribulationism.
Thomas Ice is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he was misled by futurism, which assigns the 70th week of Daniel, the Olivet Discourse and most of Revelation to the end times.
Read The Olivet Discourse Deception
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites Irenaeus Against Heresies, V, 26, 1.
After the Western Roman Emperor was removed from power in 476 AD during the fourth trumpet judgment, the kingdom split into ten civil kingdoms, who then gave their power to the antichrist beast popes of Rome.
The popes and the Catholics of their harlot church of Rome have already put Messiah’s church to flight, during the Dark Ages and Inquisition. Many saints came to North America to escape the persecution.
Read Prophecy Points To The Leader Of The Roman Beast Study
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites Irenaeus V, 30, 3, 4.
Ironically, it says that the saints should be aware of who the antichrist is, but Joel Richardson and Dalton Thomas have no clue about who is the antichrist, as they’ve been misled by the false, futuristic explanations of prophecy fulfillment.
The Protestant Reformers all told us the answer, the office of the papacy, the Popes of Rome, fulfill Bible prophecy as the ‘little horn’ of Daniel 7, the ‘son of perdition’ of 2 Thessalonians 2, and ‘the beast’ of Revelation 13, who leads the ‘harlot’ church of Rome.
Read We Know The Antichrist Beast, False Prophet And Harlot Of Revelation By Their Fruit
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cites Irenaeus V, 35, 1.
The antichrist beast of Revelation has already come, it’s the popes of Rome.
Watch The Antichrist And False Prophet Beasts Of Revelation 13
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios points to Matthew 24:29-31 saying that it’s clearly post trib.
He says that pretribbers are not even trying to agree with what the text says.
The text says that all of those things take place in that generation, yet Joel Richardson doesn’t seem to even try to see how that was fulfilled!
Read The Great Tribulation Of The Olivet Discourse
Joel says that the text declares that the elect will be gathered in the sky.
It doesn’t say that, as it does not mention the dead rising first or the saints meeting Messiah in the sky.
It’s pointing to the saints who has fled Judea like Messiah told them, for protection during the Jewish-Roman War of 66-70 AD, when 1.1 million Jews died in and around Jerusalem from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, evisceration, crucifixion and by the Roman sword.
After the war was over, the leaders (aggelos, angels) blew the trumpet to gather an assembly of people who were in the mountains northeast of Jerusalem. Some returned to Jerusalem to ministry to those who came back to the city, some stayed in Pella to minister to the saints in that area and others went out into the Roman Empire proclaiming the Gospel to gather the elect into the kingdom.
Read Gathering The Elect
Joel Richardson of FAI Studios cited Lee Brainard who says that all believers will recognize the antichrist. Joel agrees that it’s true.
What sad irony, as the antichrist beast is hidden in plain sight!
It’s the office of the papacy, the popes of Rome, who proclaim to lead Messiah’s church, but they teach a false gospel of works through the sacraments and a false intercessor in Mary; which has deceived billions of Catholics.
The popes of Rome have made war with Messiah’s saints, torturing and killing tens of millions during the Dark Ages and Inquisition.
Watch The Antichrist Is Hidden In Plain Sight
I pray that this posts helps wake you up, so that you can see how the enemy has deceived the end-times saints, for Messiah’s return draw nigh and you don’t want to be caught off-guard like the foolish virgins who don’t have the oil of Scriptural truth to light their way.
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.
#daltonthomas #joelrichardson #faistudios
David,
Have you read Foxe’s Book of the Martyrs?
Sherry
No Sherry, I’ve not read the book, though I’ve read people cite it to show how many saints were killed.
David,
I recently found this book published in 1968 and recently got the updated version that I reading for comparison watching for infiltration of the truth. The older one is not easy to find which is telling. You really should try to find it , I realized that some of the quotes used are taken out of context.
Respectfully,
Sherry
“When he comes, all believers will recognize him. All agree this is true.”
Sad irony doesn’t even capture the sorrow in this statement. I certainly don’t agree that this is true, so all believers do not agree this is true. The evidence shows the exact opposite, that the majority does not recognize the antichrist at all despite him fulfilling all prophetic fulfillments and centuries upon centuries of Christian witness against him.
There are some believers who believe the Pope is the false prophet, and that he gives rise to the antichrist, but it’s all still futurism dependent on a future antichrist. I think your assessment of the Jesuit Superior General as the false prophet leading the final phase of the Roman beast kingdom (the earth beast) is the most accurate among all the current historicists I’ve seen when compared to what the text of our Lord’s Revelation says.
Finally, Sherry mentioned Foxe’s Book of Martyrs which is a sobering and heart-wrenching read, and I recommend it too, though I never finished reading it all the way through. There is also “Martyr’s Mirror” by the Dutch Mennonite Thieleman J. van Braght:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299702.Martyrs_Mirror
Yeah Matthew, his statement is so absurd, given the current church age which has no clue about who is the antichrist and false prophet, and that his teachings serve to hide the antichrist and false prophet.
What about the mark of the beast and St Germaine trust. Nesara Gesara acceptance is the mark
Mary, how does accepting Nesara Gesara worship the antichrist beast popes of Rome?