The Posttribulational Rapture of the Church: With an Examination of the Theology of the Pretributational Rapture of the Church

By Bruce Tucker

There are numerous texts written about the rapture and the end times. A brief excursion to your local Christian bookstore will provide ample evidence of the interest in this topic. From time to time people will attempt to give their text a twist or a slant in order to make their text different from the others. Nevertheless, most books about the rapture present the standard pretribulational argument, and their unique nesses rest primarily in the contemporary issues which have stimulated the renewed discussion. New developments in the Middle East will usually generate a new set of books. Today the New World Order, Y2K, and even El Nino have provided fresh grist for predicting an imminent rapture. The interest, enthusiasm, publications, and even movies about the rapture are still increasing. A series of fictional novels about the tribulation period are cranked out monthly. Recent Hollywood motion pictures, including "Left Behind", are based upon this.

This book is different for several reasons. It does not emphasize any contemporary issue or current events which relate to the pretribulational scenario. Instead, it will spend its energies on specific biblical principles and doctrines, and leave the application of those doctrines to the reader. What is more unique is that this book promotes a posttribulational rapture, a position which is different from most of the other books, and it critiques the theology of the pretribulational rapture which is the foundation for most of the other texts. Books which promote a posttribulational rapture are few, indeed, and they are often too technical for the average lay-person. There is a need for a book which is a comprehensive look at the rapture question, and yet attempts to keep the language more understandable.

To achieve the goal of being comprehensive, this book is divided into three parts: 1.) a critique of the major arguments for a pretribulational rapture, 2.) an analysis of the major biblical sections which discuss the rapture, and 3.) a selective commentary on the Book of Revelation.

The first section defines and evaluates the major pretribulational arguments. These arguments are repeated time and again in books promoting a pretribulational rapture. They are significant because they either help sustain a pretribulational rapture if justified, or they weaken it significantly if not.

" The church is not destined for wrath."

"The rapture must be imminent."

"The distinction between the church and Israel."

"The posttribulationists spiritualize the Bible."

"The types and parables teach a pretribulational rapture."

"The differences between the rapture and second coming."

The second part of the book is an exposition of the major sections of the Bible which discuss the rapture. As the first part writes from the perspective of systematic theology, the second part deals with biblical theology. The Bible is evaluated independently from a system of theology, and attempts to interpret the major texts on the rapture. Here are the passages to be addressed.

"The rapture passages in the Gospels."

"The rapture passages In First and Second Thessalonians."

"The rapture passages in First Corinthians."

"The rapture passages in Second Peter".

The third part focuses upon the Book of Revelation. No discussion of the issue of the rapture or eschatology could be complete without including a discussion on this book. This book is both complicated and controversial, and my intent is not to write a complete commentary about Revelation, but only to discuss what is necessary to

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 17, 2001
• ISBN: 9781462800339

Bruce Tucker

Bruce Tucker earned an M.A.C.M. from the International School of Theology, an M.Div. From Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. He has ministered five years with Campus Crusade for Christ and twelve years in the pastoral ministry. He is the author of Twisting the Truth published by Bethany House Publishers, Concise Answers To Common Complex Questions , and The Posttribulational Rapture of the Church, both published by Xlibris. He is married to Margie, his wife of over twenty-five years, and together they have raised three children, Chris, Phil and Jeni.

Book preview

Copyright © 2001 by Bruce Tucker.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-7-XLIBRIS

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

Contents

List Of Tables And Charts

Introduction

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Part II

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Part III

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Conclusion

Endnotes

I dedicate this book to my family, the ones who have always stood beside me, supported me, and encouraged me. Without them I would not be the person I am today. My success in life will be measured by whether they and my future grandchildren spend eternity together with Christ.

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

#1—The Day of Christ or the Day of the Lord?

#2—Alleged Differences between the Rapture

and the Second Coming

#3—The Similarities between the Rapture

and the Second Coming

#4—Technical Terms Used for the Rapture

and the Second Coming

#5—Pretribulational Outline of the Tribulation

#6—Summary of the Descriptive Sections of Revelation

#7—A Posttribulational Outline of the Tribulation

#8—Summary Chart

#9—The Overlapping of the Seven Church Ages

#10—Division of the Tribulation

between Persecution and Wrath

#11—Summary of Sections which

Elaborate the Main Events

#12—The Historical Context for the 1260 Days

#13—Comparison of the Trumpets and Bowls

INTRODUCTION

THE POSTTRIBULATIONAL

RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

E VERY ONE WAS EXCITED. The final speaker in this years annual prophecy conference had demonstrated that the New World Order was the foundation for the events of the tribulation. Babylon now had a literal fulfillment in Saddam Hussein. While no one was willing to predict with absolute certainty the actual month of the rapture, most were saying unofficially that they would be surprised if they would even reach retirement age. The stage was set all too well for an imminent rapture. The missionary offering was higher than usual and a new determination for evangelism was taking root. Even the youth group was creating a pool on the identity of the antichrist. Emotions were running high and everyone was charged up, everyone except Mike and Debbie.

The car ride home for Mike and Debbie was quite somber. Their three sons are 9, 12 and 14 years old. The boys are old enough to be accountable to God, but at their ages faith is the least of their adolescent concerns. They had entered that skeptical stage of life where youngsters seek more independence and often challenge their parent’s religion and faith. For Mike and Debbie the thought of celebrating their own escape from the ravages of the tribulation period while their children struggle to survive is not a blessed hope.

Like many loving parents they would rather sacrifice their rescue and spend those tough years with their children. The best hope that their children would have to survive, and to come to saving faith, would be their own parents.

While sermons and conferences do generate a great deal of enthusiasm for many Christians and instill within them the hope that they may never grow old or suffer death, there are always thousands of parents who struggle emotionally. The promise that God would wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4) is no solace. Plain and simple, a pretribulational rapture is not a joyous thought because it would be like throwing their children to the wolves while they sang and danced in heaven.

If the Bible does teach that the rapture will happen before the tribulation, then as difficult as this will be for these parents, truth is truth. Time will be up. Those parents will have to hope that the second chances their children receive during the tribulation will be enough. However, does the Bible really teach this?

the two views defined

While there are several views of the rapture, the two most common are the pretribulational rapture and the posttribulational rapture. The pretribulational rapture view believes that before the seven year time of tribulation, Jesus will return secretly, meet His church in the air, and then take them back to heaven. Later, at the end of the tribulation Jesus will again return with the church all the way to the earth. It is a two phase return of Christ.

On the other hand, the posttribulational rapture view says that Christ does not return until the end of the seven year tribulation. In conjunction with the second coming He will rapture the church, meeting them in the air, and then they will escort Him the rest of the way down to the earth.

why write another book on the rapture?

There are numerous texts written about the rapture and the end times. A brief excursion to your local Christian bookstore will provide ample evidence of the interest in this topic. From time to time people will attempt to give their text a twist or a slant in order to make their text different from the others. Nevertheless, most books about the rapture present the standard pretribulational argument, and their uniquenesses rest primarily in the contemporary issues which have stimulated the renewed discussion. New developments in the Middle East will usually generate a new set of books. Today the New World Order, Y2K, and even El Nino have provided fresh grist for predicting an imminent rapture. The interest, enthusiasm, publications, and even movies about the rapture are still increasing. Fictional novels about the tribulation period are cranked out monthly. Several recent Hollywood motion pictures, including Left Behind, are based upon this.

This book is different for several reasons. It does not emphasize any contemporary issue or current events which relate to the pretribulational scenario. Instead, it will spend its energies on specific biblical principles and doctrines, and leave the application of those doctrines to the reader. What is more unique is that this book promotes a posttribulational rapture, a position which is different from most of the other books, and it critiques the theology of the pretribulational rapture which is the foundation for most of the other texts. In addition to those two major differences, there are several other reasons why I have written this book.

The Need To Defuse Emotions

In The Rapture Debate

The first reason why I wrote this book was because of the emotion surrounding this issue. There are few issues in Christianity which can not only spark vigorous debate, but even anger. The rapture is one of them. Ordinations have been withheld from pastors, churches have split, and people who were normally polite and cordial, have been known to become aggressive. One major author who has written extensively about the rapture has said that those who promote a posttribulational rapture are false teachers. This designation is usually a description reserved for cult leaders and used in the New Testament for apostates.1

This reaction may have a lot to do with the stakes. The tribulation is often pictured in the religious movies and novels as a very dangerous time to live. It is a tremendous hope to by-pass the tribulation. Throwing cold water on a potential escape can bring out resentment. Even so, the rapture may be called the blessed hope, not because one is escaping persecution, but because Christ is coming to end the persecution.

It is part of the purpose of this book to retreat from the emotion and to focus on the Bible. If little else is accomplished, I hope that at least people may recognize that the posttribulational rapture view has a biblical basis and is not the product of liberalism or spiritualizing the Bible.

The Need For A Comprehensive Defense Of A Posttribulational Rapture

A second reason why I wrote this book was because it defends a posttribulational rapture. Books which promote a posttribulational rapture are few, indeed, and they are often too technical for the average lay-person. There is a need for a book which is a comprehensive look at the rapture question, and yet attempts to keep the language more understandable.

THE THREE PART STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

To achieve the goal of being comprehensive, this book is divided into three parts: 1.) a critique of the major arguments for a pretribulational rapture, 2.) an analysis of the major biblical sections which discuss the rapture, and 3.) a selective commentary on the Book of Revelation.

The first section defines and evaluates the major pretribulational arguments. These arguments are repeated time and again in books promoting a pretribulational rapture. They are significant because they either help sustain a pretribulational rapture if justified, or they weaken it significantly if not.

The church is not destined for wrath.

The rapture must be imminent.

The distinction between the church and Israel.

The posttribulationists spiritualize the Bible.

The types and parables teach a pretribulational rapture.

The differences between the rapture and second coming.

The second part of the book is an exposition of the major sections of the Bible which discuss the rapture. As the first part writes from the perspective of systematic theology, the second part deals with biblical theology. The Bible is evaluated independently from a system of theology, and attempts to interpret the major texts on the rapture. Here are the passages to be addressed.

The rapture passages in the Gospels.

The rapture passages In First and Second Thessalonians.

The rapture passages in First Corinthians.

The rapture passages in Second Peter.

The third part focuses upon the Book of Revelation. No discussion of the issue of the rapture or eschatology could be complete without including a discussion on this book. This book is both complicated and controversial, and my intent is not to write a complete commentary about Revelation, but only to discuss what is necessary to address the issues which are related to the timing of the rapture.

THE SOURCES OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

To keep with the goal of simplicity and understandability, I will refer to only a few primary sources. There are hundreds of books written about the rapture, and it would be impossible to refer to, or to respond to, all of them. However, since most of the books follow the same line of arguments and vary their points slightly, I will utilize only a few sources and authors as illustrations. I have chosen to use the classic texts and outspoken authors on this issue. Most people who have written about the rapture have based their works on the scholarship of a few well known spokesmen.

The Need To Understand The Implications Of A Massive Doctrinal Machine

The third reason why I wrote this book was that people need to be aware of the implications that are the result of the complexity of this system of theology. The theology about the pretribulational rapture is like a very large doctrinal machine with countless gears, gadgets, pulleys and parts. It is very complex. While the overall concept of a pretribulational rapture seems simple, when one analyzes the intricate parts in detail, one will find that some of the parts do not fit properly. When the parts are challenged, there are standard responses which usually satisfy the person who believes in a pretribulational rapture. This is because many people are often more eager to see their theology supported than to think critically about it. Almost any answer which allows one to keep a pretribulational rapture is accepted without too much scrutiny. Unfortunately, these standard answers can be a source of difficulties. Some answers reveal inconsistencies within the methods and arguments of the system, itself. Some answers demand considerable complexity to resolve apparent contradictions within the system. Some answers challenge historically accepted doctrines and beliefs.

An example of how some answers can contradict the Scriptures and can demand awkward complexity is the resurrections and trumpets. First Corinthians 15 says that at the last trumpet the dead shall be resurrected. Since pretribulational rapturists insist that the rapture is before the seven year tribulation, the last trumpet must be before the tribulation. How could this be called the last trumpet? The standard answer is that this is not the last trumpet of the tribulation period, but the last trumpetof the church age. Dwight Pentecost, a major spokesman for the theology says:

The word last may signify that which concludes a program, but is not necessarily the last that will ever exist. Inasmuch as the program for the Church differs from that of Israel, each may be terminated by the blowing of a trumpet, properly called the last trumpet, without making the two trumpets identical and synchronous as to time.2

This trumpet is supposedly different from the trumpet which is found in Matthew 24 when Jesus returns as the Son of Man after the tribulation. This trumpet is also known as a last trumpet.

Now we have several problems. We have two last trumpets. Even more confusing is that in Revelation chapter 20 we have a resurrection in conjunction with the second coming of Christ at the last trumpet. This is after the seven year tribulation. It is difficult to say that this is a second last trumpet when the resurrection associated with this last trumpet is called the first resurrection.

Put simply, we have the last trumpet before the tribulation, and the first resurrection after the tribulation. What is the pretribulational rapturist response? They insist that there are two different last trumpets, but only one first resurrection, which includes two separate resurrections.

An example of how some answers can not only be inconsistent, but can also inconsistently apply principles of interpretation, is the argument about the church in the tribulation. The argument says that the church must be in heaven during the tribulation because the actual Greek word for church, Ekklessia, is not found between chapters 4 and 19 in the Book of Revelation. Of course, the term for church is not found in heaven in those very same chapters either. Where is the church? The argument is inconsistent.

We can even take this issue one step further. When posttribulationalists identify that many terms used for Christians are in those chapters, the standard answer is that those terms are not the exact term for church. However, to prove that the church is in heaven, the pretribulational rapturists insist that the term elders represents the church in heaven. The term elders is not the exact term for church, either. This is inconsistent.

Another example of inconsistency concerns Titus 2:13. In this verse we have one of the most powerful passages proving the deity of Christ.

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.3

Because of a rule in Greek, the Granville Sharpe Rule, we know that the phrases, great God and Savior, refer to only one person, Jesus. Therefore, we have indisputable proof of the deity of Christ. However, the verse also includes the descriptions of the blessed hope and the glorious appearing. The blessed hope has always been a reference to the rapture of the church, and the glorious appearing has historically been a reference to the second coming. The same rule in Greek which established the deity of Christ also applies to these two descriptions. This means that the blessed hope is the same event as the glorious appearing of Christ. The rapture and the second coming are the same event. Are we going to accept the Granville Sharpe Rule with the deity of Christ, but ignore it with the rapture?

An even more significant issue is how the pretribulational rapture system requires answers which are in direct conflict with historically held doctrines. An example of this can be seen in the interpretation of the Gospels. Numerous passages in the Gospels are dismissed as directed to Israel and not the church because they lead to a posttribulational rapture. This allows the pretribulational rapturist to conveniently ignore all of those passages. Pentecost says:

Consistency of interpretation would seem to eliminate any application of this portion of Scripture to the church or the church age, insomuch as the Lord is dealing with the prophetic program for Israel.4

I appreciate consistency. That is why this view jeopardizes other well established doctrines. If these Matthew passages are not relevant to the church, then what other Gospel passages are also not relevant? Will one be so quick to dismiss John chapter 3 and the discussion by Jesus of being born again, as well as the Lord’s Prayer? Are these passages also not directed to the church? A little publicized fact is that those who promote a pretribulational rapture also quietly agree that John 3 and the Lord’s Prayer are just as irrelevant to the church as Matthew 24 and its discussion of the second coming. This is not emphasized because too many people would object. Consider what Ryrie says:

The sermon on the mount, however, is different. It contains the Golden Rule, the Lord’s Prayer, and other favorite passages. To suggest even that its direct relation to the Christian is open to question inevitably involves people’s emotions before their doctrine.5

Lewis Sperry Chafer agrees.

The prayer is directly concerned with the issues of the coming kingdom. . . . The legal character of this great kingdom-prayer should not be overlooked because of the sentimental reasons growing out of early training.6

In a discussion on whether the Holy Spirit will be working actively in the tribulation period Pentecost refers to Walvoord’s comments about John 3. This is the discussion which Jesus had with Nicodemus about being born again.

Commenting on John 3, Walvoord says: "The discourse of Christ with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) may be understood to confirm that there will be salvation during the tribulation . . . 7

This means that John 3:16 is not a gospel message which is relevant for the church today, but for the people in the tribulation. Pretribulational rapturists believe that the gospel must change in the tribulation, and that we will have a different gospel. Chafer in His Systematic Theology quotes Scofield.

Four different messages have rightly been identified and set forth by Dr. C.I. Scofield:

(1)The gospel of the kingdom . . . Two preachings of this Gospel are mentioned, one past, beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, continued by our Lord and His disciples, and ending with the Jewish rejection of the King. The other is yet future (Matt. 24:14), during the great tribulation . . .

(4)That which Paul calls, my gospel (Rom.2:16 . . .). This is the Gospel of the grace of God in its fullest development, but includes the revelation of the result of that Gospel in the out calling of the Church . . . 8

Where does the Bible teach that we will have another gospel? Yet, those who promote a pretribulational rapture change the gospel in several significant ways in order to keep a pretribulational rapture.

In this age, God is dealing with men on the ground of His grace as it is in Christ. His dealings with men in the coming age are based upon a very different relationship. At that time the king will rule with a rod of iron. There is no word of the cross, or of grace, in the kingdom teachings.9

This new gospel promises no indwelling Holy Spirit.

Thus, it should be clearly seen that even though the Spirit is not indwelling in the tribulation . . .10

There will be no propitiation from wrath.

The tribulation is above all a time of wrath, not grace . . . 11

There will be no unity of the body of Christ, nor will Christ be in their hearts.

Never are tribulation Saints referred to as a church, or as the body of Christ, or as indwelt by Christ . . .

The gospel will retreat back to the Old Testament law.

It is the seventieth week of Daniel, and since the first sixty- nine weeks were part of the economy of the law, it must be also.12

The gospel will change.

Therefore, it seems that the Tribulation with its many judgments is from the Dispensational viewpoint the end of the economy of Grace.13

We have introduced some of the problems and implications of the pretribulational rapture machinery. These, as well as other issues, will be discussed in this book.

PART I

The

Pretribulational

Rapture Arguments

CHAPTER 1

the church is not

destined for wrath

I WAS ONLY five years old, but I still clearly remember the Sunday when Rev. Bush spoke on the Book of Revelation. I had to sit on the front pew because my mother was the organist in this very small church in Freeport, Illinois. I remember vividly the descriptions of the creatures, the blood, the hail stones, and the scenes which terrified me. That afternoon I told my mother that I was going forward at the evening service in church. I didn’t want to be a part of the tribulation period. After my eternal destiny was resolved, I was left with one troubling question, what would happen to Lion, the stuffed animal that I got for my fifth birthday? If the rapture occurred, could I take Lion with me? It was a child’s question. It was simple. Now the questions are more complicated.

First John 2:2 says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but for those of the whole world. Propitiation is a key element of the gospel. It means that Jesus experienced the wrath of God for us so that we will not have to experience the wrath of God ourselves. This was secured by death of Christ on the cross.

The doctrine of propitiation is the foundation of the pretribulational rapture argument that we must be raptured before the seven year tribulation. It may also be one of the foundational reasons why the pretribulational rapture can not be true.

the gospel exempts the christian from wrath

The Bible teaches that the wrath of God will come upon the wicked. In Ephesians 5:6 Paul said:

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.14

A major argument for the pretribulational rapture of the church is the promise that the church is never to experience the wrath of God. Paul established this principle in his description of the gospel in the Book of Romans.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 15

In First Thessalonians Paul discussed this promise in conjunction with Christ’s second coming.

For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.16

Later he concluded his discussion of the second coming by saying:

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.17

The argument of the pretribulational rapturist is that, if the seven year tribulation period as described in Revelation is a time of great wrath, then the church must be removed before that time or the promise of those verses can not be fulfilled.

However, is this true? Must the church be physically removed to be saved from the wrath to come? Is this wrath a reference to the seven year tribulation period or to hell? What is the basis for this promise, and does that basis change? Several issues must be proven to establish a pretribulational rapture:

1 ) That deliverance necessitates a pretribulational rapture,

2) That the wrath in question is the tribulation period,

3) That wrath is expressed throughout the entire seven year period,

4) That propitiation is no longer a result of the gospel.

the difficult demand- the necessity of a rapture

A major problem with this argument is that it makes a demand which it can not sustain. The pretribulational rapturists insist that in order for believers to be delivered from wrath, they must be raptured before the tribulation. It is the foundation of the argument that deliverance from wrath necessitates a pretribulational rapture. It is the necessity which makes the argument strong. It is the necessity which can not be sustained. If there is no necessity, then there is no need for a pretribulational rapture.

The pretribulational argument does not say that, Since we are not to experience the wrath of God, then God can choose from several options. The argument insists that the rapture is the only way to avoid wrath. Walvoord clarified how other options do not exist, thus creating a tremendous burden of proof.

The only way one could be kept from that day of wrath would be to be delivered beforehand.18

Is the only way to be delivered from wrath to be raptured? The text only says that the believer will be delivered, but not how the believer will be delivered. The text is silent on how the promise will be fulfilled. This silence does not prove that a rapture is necessary.

This is an argument from logic. If A and B are true, then C must follow. "If we must be delivered from wrath, and the rapture is the only way that we can be delivered, then we must be raptured before the tribulation."

However, if B is not true, then C does not follow. People have assumed that the rapture is the only means of deliverance, and it is not.

The Biblical Precedent—Other Ways Of Protection

Other Bible passages say that deliverance can come through other means, such as protection. This is similar to other precedents established in the Bible when God delivered His people. He did not rapture them. This undermines necessity and proves that the assumption is false. Without necessity, this whole argument has no basis. Since we must be delivered from wrath, then God will choose a way to deliver us. It need not be a rapture.

Deliverance In The New Testament

This leads us back the term deliver in First Thessalonians 1:9-10. The text says that God would deliver us, not rapture us, from the wrath which is to come. Is the term deliver synonymous with rapture?

What is the meaning of the term deliver? The term, ruomai, does not require a rapture, but can describe a number of different avenues of protection. For example, when Paul was describing the tribulation and persecutions that he, himself, was undergoing, he said that God delivered him even though he did endure the persecutions.

But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord "Delivered’ me.19

Later in the same text Paul proclaimed that God had previously delivered him by standing by him, and strengthening him. He went on to say that the Lord would deliver him from every wicked work. Yet, Paul experienced persecution, and ultimately a martyrs death.

But the Lord stood with me. and strengthened me, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was "delivered’ out of the Lion’s mouth. The Lord will "deliver’ me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. 20

Deliverance In The Old Testament

Throughout the Old Testament, the concept of deliver was used of God’s actions on behalf of His people. Yet, there was no rapture. The Lord had a full arsenal of mechanisms that He used to deliver people.

A term often used in the Old Testament Septuagent along with deliver was sozo, to save. In a number of prophetic passages God promised to save His people. One of particular interest is in Daniel. Let us assume for the sake of argument that the deliverance from the wrath that is to come can only mean the rapture. We now have a dilemma. The same promise was made to the nation of Israel in Daniel 12:1.

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will