Important Announcement No 1:
Rev Dr John Tay
Former Dean & Vicar of St Andrew’s Cathedral (Anglican), Singapore
Former Professor & Head of the Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore (1988-1995).
Holds 2 doctorates in genetics and is a writer of many books,
wrote:
“Dear Pastor George, thank you for preaching
on The Rapture and Great Tribulation on 15 Feb, 2015
at the worship service which I attended
at Hakka Methodist Church.
I totally agree with you that the Pre-tribulation doctrine
is unbiblical and a false teaching.
The problem is that many pastors and preachers
have been taught the wrong doctrines
and have not really studied the scriptures themselves.
That the rapture will occur before the tribulation
is clearly a false teaching
that is not founded on scriptures,
yet taught so widely in the churches.
There is not a single explicit scripture
to show that rapture will take place before tribulation,
whereas there are a number of scriptures
that show the rapture will occur
towards the end of the tribulation….”
This is probably my last or second last call
for those who are interested to sign up for the seminar.
Seminar: Rapture Before Or After Tribulation
Dates: 4 & 11 July, 9 am to 6 pm (choose one Saturday)
Cost: $35 (1 lunch, 2 tea-breaks & rental of venue)
Venue: Near Tai Seng MRT Station
For Registration, Please fill up the form:
https://forms.gle/JtaJpJedsvj87zibA
Important Announcement No 2:
What I said about John MacArthur,
David Jeremiah & Amir Tsarfati,
that they have added their ideas to the scriptures,
I am only referring to their teaching
on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,
with which I have the evidence.
But never am I suggesting they do the same
to other texts of scriptures that they preach from
(unless I have the evidence).
Nevertheless, for world-renowned teachers of the word,
such as John MacArthur, David Jeremiah & Amir Tsarfati,
who have enormous influence
over their worldwide audiences,
to be guilty of that aberration even once
and not admitting to it
is bad enough.
Important Announcement No 3:
Note that what is covered in this article
is just one of the 20-odd topics
that I would cover in the seminar.
If your many questions about rapture and tribulation
are not answered in this article,
they are likely to be
if you come for the seminar.
Part 1: How to Read the Bible by Joseph Prince – Reviewed by Sharon Kingsley
Part 2: Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur & Joseph Prince have sacrilegiously and repeatedly added to God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in order to prove their Pre-trib rapture doctrine
Please click here
Part 1: How to Read the Bible by Joseph Prince – Reviewed by Sharon Kingsley
Please click here to view the video:
Part 2: Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur & Joseph Prince have sacrilegiously and repeatedly added to God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in order to prove their Pre-trib rapture doctrine
Part 2a: Believers being raptured to heaven is never mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 nor the entire scriptures that Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur and Joseph Prince try to smuggle in
In a sermon, John MacArthur said:
Please click here to view the video:
“No, it’s not that; He doesn’t come to earth.
He stops in the air, we go up and meet Him in the air (1 Thess 4:17),
and then we are taken by Him into heaven.”
George Ong’s Comments:
John MacArthur added,
“and then we are taken by Him into heaven,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, John MacArthur said:
Please click here to view the video:
“The point of this, the point is clear.
They had been told, First Thessalonians 4
in the first letter
that the Lord was going to snatch them out;
that the Lord was going to come;
the dead in Christ would rise first,
all the other believers alive would be gathered
to meet the Lord in the air
and be taken to heaven,
First Thessalonians 4:13-17.”
George Ong’s Comments:
John MacArthur added,
“to meet the Lord in the air and be taken to heaven,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, David Jeremiah said:
Please click here to view the video:
“First of all, the next thing that’s going to happen
in the future is the rapture of the church.
The Bible says that the Lord is going to descend (1 Thess 4:16)
and take to heaven
those who have put their trust in him.”
George Ong’s Comments:
David Jeremiah added,
“The Bible says that the Lord is going to descend (1 Thess 4:16)
and take to heaven
those who have put their trust in him,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, Amir Tsarfati said:
Please click here to view the video:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God (1 Thess 4:16).
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
The guy you just buried, whoof!
and then we, say we.
We who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord, where?
Audience: in the air (1 Thess 4:17).
And so, thus, and watch this now, it’s important.
So, the minute we met Jesus,
He came down, we went up, we meet halfway.
What does the Bible say now?
Thus what?
Audience: We will always be with the Lord.
Hmm! Which means anywhere He goes, we go.
He goes to the right hand of the Father,
He goes to heaven; we’re going there.”
George Ong’s Comments:
Amir Tsarfati added,
“He goes to heaven; we’re going there,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is one of the 3 key passages
that Pre-tribulationists,
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur
and Joseph Prince
used for the support of the Pre-trib rapture.
Pre-trib advocates insist that the passage
teaches that Christ will come for His saints
and rapture them to heaven
prior to the last seven years before the Great Tribulation.
This, however, is shamefully presumptuous,
as the text in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
contains no indication
when this Pre-trib rapture will take place.
Neither does it contain any reference
to the Great Tribulation
and believers being raptured to heaven.
While the idea of rapture is found in the passage,
the idea of tribulation is strangely and totally absent.
How can one prove the relationship between two ideas:
rapture and tribulation (rapture to occur before tribulation),
when one idea, tribulation, is totally absent?
The idea of believers being raptured to heaven
is also not mentioned even a single time
in the passage of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
and throughout the entire Bible.
I repeat:
The idea of believers being raptured to heaven
is also not mentioned even a single time
in the passage of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
and throughout the entire Bible.
It is clear, therefore, that Pre-trib proponents
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur
and Joseph Prince
in interpreting 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
have read their ideas into the passage,
and added words such as “Tribulation”
and “believers being raptured to Heaven”
into the scriptures
because Paul did not put them there.
Even the key text in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
that Pre-tribulationist uses
to support the teaching of rapture before Tribulation
has fallen far short and is a total disappointment.
Pre-tribulationists claim that when Jesus comes back again
in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15,
He is coming to take believers back to heaven.
They use the argument of the rapture of the saints
to meet the Lord “in the air” to prove their theory
that Christ does not come to earth at this time,
but returns to heaven.
Pre-tribulationists teach that Jesus will pause in the air,
gather the saints, and then go back into heaven.
Although Paul says believers will be snatched up in the air
to meet Jesus,
he never says that Jesus turns around, switches direction
and goes back up to heaven for seven years.
Pre-tribulationists, such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah,
John MacArthur and Joseph Prince
have added something foreign to the text
to prove their doctrine.
Then, the word for “meet” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17
was only used in two other places in the scriptures,
and, in both cases,
it meant “returning with”
and not “remaining at” the place of meeting:
1 Thessalonians 4:17
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.
When the brethren from Rome met Paul,
they immediately returned to the city with him (Acts 28:15).
When the virgins met the bridegroom,
they accompanied him back to the wedding (Matt 25:1,10).
In the same way, when the saints meet Christ in the air,
as He comes to judge the nations
and establish His Kingdom on earth,
they will return with Him back to planet earth.
There is no Scripture that says they will remain
for some seven years in the air or heaven.
As Christ descends with His angels after the Tribulation,
the saints ascend, and, meeting Him in the air,
turn and continue with Him back to earth
(if we cross-reference with other passages
on the second coming).
How long He remains in the air,
following the meeting with the Church
is nowhere revealed.
Our Lord’s coming again is one coming, namely to the earth,
and that it is when He is on His way that we shall be caught up
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus, on that day when the Lord descends,
the dead in Christ will rise first;
then we which are alive and remain shall be changed,
and together with them
we shall be caught up to meet our coming Lord,
and thus, be with Him as His feet touch the Mount of Olives,
and as He confronts the Antichrist in the valley of Jehoshaphat
and destroys him and his host (Zech 14:3-4)
(if you also refer to other second coming passages).
Part 2b: The comfort to believers in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 and 5:11 has nothing to do with escaping from tribulation that Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur and Joseph Prince try to deceive us with
In a sermon, John MacArthur said:
Please click here to view the video:
“And this is to comfort us,
so comfort one another with these words (1 Thess 4:18).
How could you be comforted
if you’re waiting for the Antichrist?
How could you be comforted
if you’re waiting for the tribulation?”
George Ong’s Comments:
John MacArthur added,
“How could you be comforted
if you’re waiting for the tribulation?”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.”
In a sermon, John MacArthur said:
Please click here to view the video:
“And He ends with the benefits from this truth,
verse 18 (1 Thess 4).
Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thess 4:18).
This is about comfort.
There would be no comfort
if we were going to go through the tribulation
and all its horrors.
This is for comfort.
The God of all comfort is comforting us.”
George Ong’s Comments:
John MacArthur added,
“There would be no comfort
if we were going to go through the tribulation
and all its horrors,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In these 2 videos,
John MacArthur has the audacity to add to the scriptures
– that to be comforted is to escape the tribulation,
when tribulation is not even found in the text.
In fact, the concept of tribulation is not even hinted at
in the passage of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, Amir Tsarfati said:
Please click here to view the video:
“Therefore, comfort one another with these words (1 Thess 4:18).
And there are those, of course,
who say, How dare you?
We need to go through the tribulation.
We need to see some carnage.
The heads of all the believers will roll down the aisle.
Therefore, comfort one another with these words (1 Thess 4:18).”
George Ong’s Comments:
Amir Tsarfati even makes going through tribulation a joke.
But this is not a joke,
as Amir Tsarfati, like John MacArthur,
is adding to the scriptures.
He is clearly implying
that comfort has to do with escaping tribulation,
and conversely, if we have to go through tribulation,
there is no comfort.
The joke is on Amir Tsarfati,
as being a world-renowned teacher,
he doesn’t even realize the seriousness
that he is adding to the scriptures
because nowhere in the text does it say
that comfort is derived from not going through tribulation
and the word, “Tribulation”
is not even mentioned in the text.
The encouragement or comfort is not over the fact
that a believer will escape the Tribulation
as the Pre-trib proponents,
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur
and Joseph Prince would want us to believe.
The chief reason for our comfort or encouragement
is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 & 5:10-11:
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 NKJV
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 NKJV
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with Him.
11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
So, one can clearly see that
being with the Lord forever (1 Thess 4:17)
and living together with Christ (1 Thess 5:10)
through all eternity,
and not the escape from Tribulation
through the Pre-trib rapture,
is the reason for our comfort or encouragement
(1 Thess 4:18, 5:11).
It seems that regarding tribulation,
Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur & Joseph Prince
are singing a different tune from the Apostle Paul.
Are they aware that it was Paul who said:
2 Corinthians 7:4 JUB
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you; I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation (thlipsis).
I am beginning to wonder that, perhaps,
Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur & Joseph Prince
don’t really know about the teachings of Paul
regarding tribulation because it was Paul who said:
1 Thessalonians 3:3-4, 7 JUB
3 that no one should be moved in these tribulations (thlipsis), for you know that we are appointed for this.
4 For even when we were with you, we told you in advance that we must pass through tribulations (thlibo), even as it has come to pass, and ye know.
7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our tribulation (thlipsis) and need by your faith;
It seems that Paul knew how to draw comfort
despite the fact that he had to go through all his tribulation
(2 Cor 7:4, 1 Thess 3:7)
– and that must certainly include the great tribulation;
whereas world-renowned Bible teachers, such as
Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur & Joseph Prince
teach that we cannot experience comfort
when we go through tribulation.
Now, what’s really going on?
Don’t be deceived by Pre-tribulationists,
as there is nowhere in the scriptures
that makes the great tribulation an exception
that no believer will go through.
Wrath is not tribulation,
as it can be easily proven if you come to my seminar in July.
Part 2c: The secret and silent rapture that Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince teach that only believers will see their own resurrected bodies while others can’t see, and they will only hear the sound of the trumpet, while others can’t hear is beyond human logic and the witness of scriptures
In a sermon, Joseph Prince said:
Please click here to view the video:
So the rapture is such that He comes,
the world won’t even know because it will happen
in the twinkling of an eye.
We will hear His voice; the world won’t.
All they know is that we all disappeared.”
George Ong’s Comments:
Joseph Prince added,
“We will hear His voice; the world won’t.
All they know is that we all disappeared,”
into God’s word in 1 Corinthians 15:52.
In a sermon, David Jeremiah said:
Please click here to view the video:
“There’s coming a day
when there’s going to be a shout
and the voice of an archangel
and the trumpet of God (1 Thess 4:16)
and only believers will hear it.”
George Ong’s Comments:
David Jeremiah added,
“and only believers will hear it,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, David Jeremiah said:
Please click here to view the video:
“You call it the great disappearance,
but for people who perhaps are not as familiar
what is the rapture (1 Thess 4:17)
how do you define that?
What’s the moment of the great disappearance?
What will it be like?
Well, you know it’s hard to imagine the chaos
that will be on earth.
One of my visuals that I’ll never forget
is the picture of a guy pushing his little girl on a swing
and he pushes the swing out,
and she’s on the swing, and the swing comes back,
and she’s not there cause she’s gone to heaven.
This is not just some kind of fictional story.
This is the truth; this is going to happen.”
George Ong’s Comments:
David Jeremiah added,
“the great disappearance,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In a sermon, Amir Tsarfati said:
Please click here to view the video:
“Another thing that is a big difference
between the rapture and the Second Coming,
is that the rapture is hidden.
It’s hidden.
The people around us will not see it happening.
We will be gone.
When we are taken,
the world will actually not see anything
but boom, we’re gone.
The world, as far as the world is concerned,
will not understand anything, will not see anything.”
George Ong’s Comments:
Amir Tsarfati added,
“the rapture is hidden. It’s hidden.
The people around us will not see it happening.
We will be gone.
When we are taken,
the world will actually not see anything
but boom, we’re gone.
The world, as far as the world is concerned,
will not understand anything, will not see anything,”
into God’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Pre-tribbers, such as
Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince’s doctrine
about a secret and silent coming of Christ
when He comes to rapture His saints,
is totally unbiblical and diametrically opposed
to the teachings of scriptures.
This is because there isn’t a single scripture verse
that teaches a secret rapture
in that only believers will see
their own resurrected bodies
while others can’t see,
and they will only hear the sound of the trumpet,
while others can’t hear.
When Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
teach that the bodies of raptured saints
will suddenly disappear in secret,
and no one sees them, except themselves
it only reveals their ignorance
for the simple reason
that our resurrected (and raptured) bodies
can be seen with the naked eye
and touched with our bare hands.
If you remember, the resurrected body of Jesus
can be touched and seen by anyone and everyone.
Our Lord Jesus in His resurrected body
walked and talked with two men (seen by them)
as they travelled to a nearby city in Emmaus.
The Apostle Thomas touched
the scars on the Lord’s resurrected body,
and the resurrected Jesus taught about His Kingdom
to over 500 people at one time.
When it came for our Lord to leave,
many people saw His resurrected body ascend to heaven.
If people could see the resurrected body of Jesus
how could they ever miss seeing
millions upon millions of believers
resurrected and raptured at Christ’s coming?
So the teaching of Pre-trib teachers
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
that once our bodies are caught up and changed
in 1 Thessalonians 4:17,
we will secretly disappear from sight
and no one would be able to see us,
is both untenable and nonsensical.
To be “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17,
is not the same as to disappear in total secrecy:
1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV
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 forever.
Yes, the Church is “caught up”
but the scripture does not say she will disappear.
Yet, that’s what Pre-trib teachers are teaching.
Pre-trib teachers, such as Amir Tsarfati,
David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
have added the idea that the church will disappear
to the word of God.
There isn’t a single scripture verse that teaches a secret rapture
in that only believers will see their own resurrected bodies
and hear the sound of the trumpet,
and not even a single unbeliever
will hear and see the manifestations of this event.
Even a child wouldn’t be fooled by Pre-trib teachers,
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
that in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,
the loud command and the deafening trumpet sound
are meant only for Christians,
while the rest won’t even hear a single decibel
of all those noisy activities
brought about by a shout, the voice of an archangel,
and a loud trumpet call:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Just by the plain reading of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,
this cannot be a secret, quiet and invisible coming.
In fact, this is one of the least secret and silent passages
in the Bible.
Far from being silent,
it is probably one of the noisiest passages in scripture.
The resurrection-rapture at Christ’s coming
is anything but silent or secret.
It is done with loud proclamation and great fanfare.
There is the public announcement by the archangel;
THE KING IS HERE.
The shout in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,
is a military shout of command.
It is a “war cry” of the Lord Jesus,
summoning the troops to battle
for the destruction of His enemies.
Then, this will be followed by the sound of the loud trumpet
heralding His coming.
When Pre-trib teachers, such as Amir Tsarfati,
David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
teach of a silent coming of Christ,
they forget that there is no such thing as a silent trumpet.
Does anyone ever come across someone
blowing a trumpet without any sound
emanating from the trumpet?
If there is no sound, why blow the trumpet?
Trumpets aren’t elegant and quiet instruments.
Trumpets are loud
and they have a piercing and deafening sound.
If you wanted to sneak over to your neighbour’s house
and secretly snatch something from his house,
would you do it shouting at the top of your voice
and blowing a thunderous trumpet?
Absolutely not!
People will think you’re mad if you did.
In the same way,
it would be an impossible feat
for Pre-trib teachers, such as Amir Tsarfati,
David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince
to logically explain
that if 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
indeed paints a scenario of a secret and silent rapture,
why are there shouting and trumpet blowing
in the same passage?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The Pre-trib secret and silent rapture doctrine
is, ironically, contradicted by their own key text
in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
It is nowhere stated in the Bible
that the return of Jesus
would be invisible to the human eye of unbelievers
as taught by Pre-tribbers.
Not a single verse can be found
that supports this Pre-trib theory
of an invisible return of Jesus to the unbelieving world.
But there are many passages that state
that His return would be visible.
In Acts 1:11,
it states that just as Christ’s ascension would be visible,
His descent or return from heaven
would be in that same visible manner too:
Acts 1:11 NIV
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Revelation 1:7 also states that every eye will see Him
at His return:
Revelation 1:7 NIV
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
Matthew 24:30 confirms that all peoples of the earth
will see His second coming:
Matthew 24:30 NIV
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
This proves that the scriptures
never teach an invisible but a visible coming of Christ
that will be witnessed by every human eye.
Hence, both the invisible rapture and secret coming of Christ
are not taught anywhere in the Bible,
and is a figment of human imagination
of Pre-trib teachers, such as Amir Tsarfati,
David Jeremiah and Joseph Prince.
In an interview, George Ong said:
Please click here to view the video:
In conclusion,
I believe I have decisively demolished the arguments
of Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah, John MacArthur
and Joseph Prince
regarding their Pre-trib rapture doctrine
based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
To push the agenda of one’s doctrine is one thing.
But to add to God’s word in our bid
to advance our doctrinal agenda
is totally unacceptable.
And to think that such an appalling act
of sacrilegiously and repeatedly adding to God’s word
in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
in order to prove the Pre-trib rapture doctrine
can be done by world-renowned figures
such as Amir Tsarfati, David Jeremiah,
John MacArthur & Joseph Prince
is deplorable.
I am absolutely sure they are aware of Jesus’ warning
about adding to God’s word:
Revelation 22:18 NIV
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
But why did they still do it?
One probable reason is that
they hold their Pre-trib rapture doctrine in such high regard
that it must be guarded and defended at all costs;
and that when it comes to the crunch,
even the word of God must be compromised
in order to save their Pre-trib rapture doctrine.
This article was also sent to Bishop Philip Lim, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) and Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, General Secretary and for the attention of the Executive Committee Members.
This article was also sent to the Alliance of Pentecostal & Charismatic Churches of Singapore (APCCS), for the attention of the Chairman, Rev Yang Tuck Yoong & Co Chairman, Rev Dominic Yeo (General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Singapore) and Council Members.