Joseph Prince puts words in Jesus’ mouth, teaches against Christ on the rapture & double-talks – By Rev George Ong (Dated 2 Mar 2023)
Did Joseph Prince reply to one of my articles that was featured last week?
Yes, he did.
Please see the Appendix at the end of the article.
Don’t miss John Piper’s short video, the last point of the article,
where he states publicly that he doesn’t hold to the 2 comings as taught in the Pre-trib rapture.
There are 2 videos on Joseph Prince: one at the beginning of this article.
The other is at Point 3. Joseph Prince caught double-talking again
– in which 7 years ago, in a sermon, he stated that Matthew 24 does not apply to the Church at all, but only to the Nation of Israel.
This is a contradiction to his current stand on Matthew 24 delivered in his most recent sermon 4 days ago, on 26 Feb 2023.
For those who have missed the previous article (a very important article) which was featured 3 days ago, on 27 Feb
2023,
Joseph Prince’s ‘signs & wonders’ to establish the truth of his doctrine is refuted by Derek Prince – By Rev George Ong
kindly click on this link below:
(This article was also sent to Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) office, and for the attention of the Executive Committee Members.)
In a weekly Sunday sermon aired on YouTube on 26 Feb 2023, 4 days ago, Joseph Prince said;
Please click here to view the 1-and-a-half-minute video:
“So, while you are listening to end times teaching, or watching it, and some of you really are into this, end time, end times, remembered what I shared last week;
what Jesus said when he talked about the signs of the end in Matthew 24.
What did He say? He said,
‘See that you be not troubled (Matt 24:6).’
In another gospel where He talked about the signs of the times in the end times, and we are seeing the signs now, right,
what did Jesus say,
Men’s hearts, hearts, cardia in the Greek, men’s hearts failing, heart failure,
‘men’s hearts failing them for fear of seeing those things coming on the earth (Lk 21:26).’
Do you hear that?
So, be careful that when you are involved in end times, alright, studying end times,
make sure it does not impart hopelessness as you see the future.
Yes, the world will get darker and darker, but child of God, you are not part of the world.
In fact, the Lord is gonna to bring us out before the worst happens, like the tribulation, like never before on planet earth, Jesus said. Like never was there a tribulation like this (Matt 24:21).
But those 7 years, we are not here.
We are looking down from above. Amen.
The Lord will rapture us. Amen. Praise the Lord.”
“But if you keep your eyes, focus, you know, you look at YouTubes all the times, and all the, what this guy says, what that person says, all the kind of thing,
you get very frightened, you get very fearful.
‘Men’s heart failing them for fear of those things coming upon the earth (Lk 21:26).’”
Joseph Prince brought up 3 texts: Matthew 24:6, Matthew 24:21 and Luke 21:26
to support his doctrine that the Church will be raptured before the great tribulation:
Matthew 24:6 NKJV
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:21 NKJV
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Luke 21:26 NKJV
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
I will tackle them each in turn.
1. Matthew 24:6 & Matthew 24:21
First, did Jesus ever say in Matthew 24:6 and Matthew 24:21, the first 2 texts that Joseph Prince surfaced,
(and the entire chapter of Matthew 24),
that He will rapture the Church before the tribulation?
Absolutely not!
There is not even a trace in Matthew 24:6 and Matthew 24:21 or in the entire chapter of Matthew 24
that that’s what Jesus promised to do.
So where did Joseph Prince get the idea that the Church would be raptured before the tribulation?
Just by alluding to the emotional argument that if something makes you troubled,
such as you would have to go through the tribulation,
that teaching cannot be true!
Joseph Prince doesn’t even care what the scripture says
but he is more interested in capitalising on human emotions.
Friends, this is part of the feel-good theology that he employs to hook the crowds.
No wonder he has such a big following.
Joseph Prince’s argument is as follows:
If you are troubled because of the teaching that you will go through the tribulation
– that must be false.
If you are not troubled because of the teaching that you will be raptured before tribulation hits
– that must be true.
What sort of argument is that?
Joseph Prince is not even exegeting the text,
but he is just appealing to human sentiments
which is a ‘clever’ and popular move
to make his argument more alluring.
Joseph Prince also said;
“So, be careful that when you are involved in end times, alright, studying end times,
make sure it does not impart hopelessness as you see the future.”
Joseph Prince’s idea of hopelessness means
you will have to go through the tribulation;
and, to him, hope means
that you will escape the tribulation.
Come one, who is Joseph Prince trying to kid?
Only those, who are naïve
and yearning for a smooth-sailing Christianity and a feel-good religion,
will fall for it.
True Christianity, by the way, is never smooth-sailing and one that makes you feel-good.
As a result, many members of New Creation Church, were never Christians in the first place.
By teaching that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation,
despite the fact that Jesus never said anything about the Church being raptured before the tribulation,
Joseph Prince is categorically putting words in Jesus’ mouth.
But what is worse is that Jesus actually teaches the opposite of what Joseph Prince advocates.
Jesus clearly teaches that the Church will be raptured after the tribulation in Matthew 24:29-31:
Matthew 24:29-31 NKJV
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Jesus Himself said that He will return after the tribulation
and the rapture (and resurrection) will take place at His return
as His angels will gather the elect (Matt 24:31):
(The same word ‘gather’ is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1
2 Thessalonians 2:1 NIV
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,)
Jesus said He will return only after the tribulation,
and nowhere in the entire Bible did He ever say
He will return before the tribulation.
I want you to remember that it was none other than Jesus, the Son of God,
who took upon Himself the task of teaching the Post-trib rapture doctrine.
You would have thought that if Jesus, being God Himself,
took the trouble to personally teach the plain truth
that the Church will be raptured after the tribulation,
no one would dare contradict His teaching.
Well, Joseph Prince daringly did!
When the text in Matthew 24:29-31 clearly says that
Jesus will come only after the tribulation
to gather His elect
– meaning that the Church will go through the tribulation,
Joseph Prince contradicted Him by teaching the opposite
– that the Church will escape the tribulation.
This means Joseph Prince has not only put words in Jesus’ mouth
but he also teaches directly against the rapture doctrine of Jesus.
If that is the case, how could Joseph Prince ever claim to be preaching the Jesus of the Bible?
How could Prince claim to love Jesus, when he blatantly disobeys and goes against the plain teachings of Jesus?
As most of you who follow my articles closely are aware,
I have produced proof after proof
that Joseph Prince is preaching another Jesus
– the feel-good Jesus.
Here is another concrete proof that he isn’t preaching the Jesus of the Bible.
And only a heretic will do that.
Next, because Jesus knew that the Church
will not only go through the birth pangs of trouble or the beginnings of sorrow (Matt 24:6-8),
but she will also go through the worst of the great tribulation (Matt 24:21);
that was why He had to offer words of comfort:
Matthew 24:6 NKJV
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Did Jesus say in Matthew 24:6,
‘See that you are not troubled;
because I will deliver you from the great tribulation by rapturing all of you to heaven?”
No!
Jesus said,
‘See that you are not troubled… but the end is not yet.’ (Matt 24:6)
In other words, Jesus is saying that the birth pangs of trouble
such as wars and rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes in Matthew 24:6-8
are just the beginning of trouble
because there is more to come, as ‘the end is not yet.’
Then Jesus went on to list the more trouble that believers will go through in Matthew 24:9-21,
culminating in the great tribulation in Matthew 24:21.
Knowing that we will be facing such difficult tribulation,
it is only natural to be troubled.
That is why Jesus has to comfort us with these words;
‘See that you are not troubled.’
Yes, Jesus did say in Matthew 24:21,
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be,
as pointed out by Joseph Prince.
But did Jesus go on to say that because of the terrible and great tribulation,
believers will be raptured before the tribulation?
Absolutely not!
Joseph Prince has put words into Jesus’ mouth again.
In fact, just by the plain reading of the text in Matthew 24:21-22,
we can conclude that the Church will go through the tribulation:
Matthew 24:21-22 NKJV
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
If the elect, which refers to believers, don’t have to go through the tribulation in Matthew 24:21,
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
why would Jesus go on to say in the next verse in Matthew 24:22,
22 … but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Jesus promised that He will shorten the duration of this great tribulation
for the sake of His elect
– meaning they have to go through that tribulation.
Isn’t this plain logic?
Just think about this
– if Joseph Prince doesn’t even have the common-sense logic to deal with the scriptures,
how could he have the ability to properly exegete biblical texts?
Yet, he has deceived the millions.
It must be Satan,
who has given him the power
to enchant the multitudes
and kept them under the bondage of his heresies.
2. Luke 21:26
Let’s examine the third text that Joseph Prince brought up:
Luke 21:26 NKJV
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Joseph Prince said;
“But if you keep your eyes, focus, you know, you look at YouTubes all the times, and all the, what this guy says, what that person says, all the kind of thing,
you get very frightened, you get very fearful.
‘Men’s heart failing them for fear of those things coming upon the earth (Lk 21:26).’”
Joseph Prince has wrongly applied the above text in Luke 21:26 to believers
when it is actually referring more to unbelievers:
Do you know why Joseph Prince is afraid
to even tell you the reference of the text
and the wider passage that he has taken that particular phrase,
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, (Lk 21:26)
from?
He knows that once he does that,
he will be exposed for his deceptive and false teaching.
Let me reveal the passage from which Joseph Prince has taken the phrase in Luke 21:26 from:
Luke 21:25-28 NKJV
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
One has to take Luke 21:26, which Joseph Prince surfaced in the context of Luke 21:25-28.
Here again, Joseph Prince has gone out of context.
How many times have I told you that Prince has transgressed this simple rule of Bible interpretation yet again?
This is because while Luke 21:26
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth,
is referring more to the responses of unbelievers,
Luke 21:28
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near,”
is referring to the responses of believers.
Joseph Prince ‘cleverly’ shows you Luke 21:26,
but he ‘hides’ from you Luke 21:28
– the half-truth deceptive ploy of Joseph Prince at play again.
The flow of the argument is that
it is when there are signs in the sun, moon and stars in Luke 21:25 (similar to Matt 24:29),
and the second coming of Christ is about to happen in Luke 21:27 (similar to Matthew 24:30);
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,
that Jesus begins to tell believers to look up with hope (rather than hopelessness as Joseph Prince suggests)
as the redemption (rapture) of believers
will soon occur in Luke 11:28 (similar to Matt 24:31);
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
This simply means that believers will go through the tribulation
because Luke 21:25-28 is a parallel text of Matthew 24:29-31,
which teaches that the second coming of Christ
will only occur after the tribulation:
Matthew 24:29-31 NKJV
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Note that Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:25-28 are parallel texts.
This means they provide, more or less, the same information presented slightly differently,
but essentially, the main contents are the same.
What is unbelievable is that Joseph Prince has ignorantly used a Post-trib text in Luke 21:25-28
to prove his Pre-trib doctrine with Luke 21:26:
Luke 21:25-28 NKJV
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
This is because believers in Luke 21:28
will witness the public second coming of Christ in Luke 21:27,
which will be preceded by the public display of signs in the sun, moon and stars and the shaking in the heavenlies in Luke 21:25 and Luke 21:26b,
that the unbelieving world will shudder in fear in Luke 21:26a,
but believers in Luke 21:28 will be filled with hope,
as their redemption (the rapture of their bodies) will soon happen.
This is a slap in the face of Joseph Prince
who believes that the rapture happens
in the secret and silent coming of Christ
when the non-Christian world wouldn’t even know.
But what is portrayed in Luke 21:25-28
is anything but silent and secret.
In fact, both the Christian and Non-Christian world will all know about Christ’s coming.
And what is indicting Joseph Prince
is that he is proving a Pre-trib rapture in Luke 21:25-28,
which is a Post-trib text, and he doesn’t even realise it!
3. Joseph Prince caught double-talking again
Let’s come back to Matthew 24.
As most of you are aware,
I have proven time and again
that Joseph Prince is a serial double-talker.
In this sermon from 4 days ago, on 26 Feb 2023,
I caught him again for double-talking.
This is because in another sermon 7 years ago in 2016,
to assure his people that they wouldn’t have to go through the tribulation
he resorted to saying that Matthew 24
was written to the Nation of Israel and has nothing to do with the Church.
In a video, Joseph Prince, who delivered the sermon 7 years ago, in 2016, said;
Please click here to view the 30-second video:
“We are living in exciting times, Amen. Matthew 24.”
“I’m going to say something to you right now.
I’m going to take you out of your misery, right now.
That is why a lot of people, when they read this (Matt 24),
they apply it to the Church.
The Church is not in this picture.
He’s talking to the Jewish people; to the Jewish believers.
He’s talking about the nation of Israel.
Do you understand that?
He’s not talking about the Church.
And many of us, we apply this to ourselves,
and then we get into fear.”
If Joseph Prince has already argued in an earlier sermon in 2016
7 years before his most recent sermon on 26 Feb 2023,
that Matthew 24 was written to the Nation of Israel
and the Church has nothing to do with the text,
why did he then apply Matthew 24 to the Church
4 days ago, on 26 Feb 2023 in the sermon,
and use Matthew 24:6 and Matthew 24:21
Matthew 24:6 NKJV
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:21 NKJV
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be,
to support his Pre-trib doctrine
that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation?
Can you see the blatant double-talking and brazen self-contradiction
in Joseph Prince’s teachings?
One moment Joseph Prince said that Matthew 24 doesn’t apply to the Church as it is only for the Nation of Israel.
The next moment, he accepts that Matthew 24 applies to the Church;
and that was why he used Matthew 24:6 and Matthew 24:21
to try to prove that the Church doesn’t have to go through the tribulation.
If Joseph Prince still holds to the stand that he had 7 years ago,
he would have said to the audience in the worship service on 26 Feb 2023,
that they don’t have to worry a thing about the intense suffering, great tribulation and impending martyrdom in Matthew 24,
as that chapter only relates to the Nation of Israel, and does not apply to the Church at all.
Period.
But by speaking on Matthew 24 in 2 sermons (19 Feb 2023 and 26 Feb 2023),
and using that (Matt 24:6 and Matt 24:21) as a basis to show that the Church won’t have to go through the tribulation,
reveals how confused and ‘double-minded’ Joseph Prince is.
So, are you now convinced that Joseph Prince is indeed a recalcitrant serial double-talker?
Let’s just assume that Joseph Prince still holds to his earlier position in 2016
that Matthew 24 was written to the Jews, and, hence, it does not apply to the Church.
Now, allow me to demolish such a lame argument.
You mustn’t be deceived by Joseph Prince’s claim that Matthew 24 was written to the Nation of Israel
and has nothing to do with the Church.
This is because there is a parallel text for Matthew 24:29-31, which is Mark 13:24-27 (as I’ve already mentioned):
Matthew 24:29-31 NASB
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON of MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Mark 13:24-27 NASB
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
Both texts recorded the same event.
So, we have to ask Joseph Prince that if both texts contain the same events,
and if Matthew 24 is only for the Jews in the Nation of Israel,
what about Mark 13?
Scholars believed that Mark was written more for the Gentiles.
In other words, regardless of whether it is Matthew 24 or Mark 13,
the same message about Christ’s return and our rapture
is both for the Jews and the Gentiles – the Church.
The truth is that Matthew 24 was written to the Jews first and also to the gentiles
as the disciples received the teachings of Jesus
as representatives of the Church, even though they were Jews.
We must distinguish between prophecies that apply only to Israel
and those that are directed to Israel as the people of God.
The first can only be fulfilled in Israel
whereas the second can be fulfilled in the people of God,
which would include the Church,
comprising both Jewish and Gentile believers.
The great and final tribulation prophesied for Israel in Daniel,
is definitely directed to them as the people of God,
and so is Matthew 24.
This means that prophecies, such as Matthew 24,
are to be fulfilled in the people of God – the Church,
which includes both Jewish and Gentile believers.
This clearly indicates that Matthew 24 has everything to do with the Church, not just the Jews.
One needs to note that Matthew, is in a sense, the most focused Church gospel of the four gospels.
It is the only one of the four gospels
that mentions the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
The Great Commission is given to the Church
and not to the Nation of Israel.
Matthew is the only gospel that records Church discipline
in Matthew 18:15-20.
Matthew is also the only gospel
that uses the word “ekklesia”, the Greek word for Church
in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17.
That being the case, for Joseph Prince to argue that Matthew 24
was written only for the Jews, and does not apply to the Church,
is a misnomer.
If Joseph Prince argues that Matthew 24 is for the Jews and not the Church,
is he going to argue the same way a few chapters later in Matthew 26
when Jesus instituted the Holy Communion
– that He did it for the Jews and not the Church?
Preposterous!
What about Matthew chapters 1-23 and 25-28?
Are these written only for the Jews and not the Church as well?
Of course, the answer would be “no”.
Then why is Joseph Prince making Matthew 24 an exception
– that it was written to the Jews and not the Church?
The reason is simply that Joseph Prince’s Pre-trib doctrine is under threat.
To save his doctrine, he is prepared to be illogical and unbiblical.
In summary, Jesus clearly teaches a Post-trib rapture in Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, as well as in Luke 21:25-28.
Joseph Prince’s effort
to excuse believers from suffering in the great tribulation
and discredit Matthew 24 as a Post-trib rapture of the Church
by posing the view that it is written for the Jews in the Nation of Israel
and does not apply to the Church,
does not hold any water,
and ought to be thrown out the window.
Finally, in a video, John Piper said;
Please click here to view the 1-and-a-half-minuite video:
“I don’t think there are two comings of Christ in the future but only one.
Most of those who believe that Christ will come twice, believe that the first return, the first of the two, is the coming of the Lord to snatch away the Church out of the world, called the rapture in the question.
To snatch away the Church back to heaven for seven years usually, while the Great Tribulation happens on earth and then a final, this is kind of a second stage return of the Lord to establish his kingdom.
I grew up in a home and a church that believed that view, called the Pre-tribulation rapture view because there is a coming of Christ pre or before the tribulation, so that the Church is taken out and spared that time of great suffering from the Lord at the end of the age.
But the more I studied this for myself even as a teenager I can remember thinking about this,
I just could not find two comings in the future for the Christian Church.”
John Piper, who is a well-respected Bible teacher,
and by stating that he could not find 2 comings in the Pre-trib rapture,
is a clear rebuttal to Joseph Prince’s teaching
that the Church will escape the tribulation.
Rev George Ong
Appendix
In a previous article, titled,
Joseph Prince’s use of blessed hope in Titus 2:13 to justify escape from tribulation is flatly false – By Rev George Ong
that was released last week on 22 Feb 2023,
I demolished Joseph Prince’s argument,
in which he argued that the blessed hope cannot be the blessed hope
if the Church has to go through the tribulation.
To refresh your memory, you may wish to click on this link below;
Did Joseph Prince reply to this article (the link above) of mine?
Yes, he did.
But his reply is downright sloppy,
with no exegesis of the text in Titus 2:13 at all.
Instead, he went round and round about the issue, trying to establish linkages between concepts that aren’t even there.
This is what Joseph Prince did:
First, Joseph Prince quoted a secular study done by Harvard Gazette on women from their 20s to their 70s.
In that study, he said the researchers concluded that the one factor that contributes to
longevity
– which is part of his Health & Wealth Theology
is
optimism
– which is part of his Word of Faith Grace Theology.
Second, Joseph Prince then
links the word ‘optimism’ in the Harvard Gazette secular study
with the word ‘hope’ in the scriptures
and said they contain somewhat similar meanings, at least in how both words are defined.
You remember that Joseph Prince once said in a video
that repentance
is moving from thinking negatively to thinking positively.
What utter nonsense!
And here, Prince is spewing out such rubbish again
by saying that optimism in the secular context
is somewhat similar to Christian hope.
Third, Joseph Prince implied in his 26 Feb 2023 sermon, and stated in his 19 Feb 2023 sermon
that the teaching that the Church
will go through tribulation
will produce hopelessness,
and therefore, it cannot be true.
Conversely, Prince also stated that the teaching
that the Church will escape tribulation
gives us hope,
and therefore, such a teaching is true.
This again, is garbage that is fit for the dumps
as there is no truth, whatsoever, in what he uttered
about such a link between hope and tribulation.
The truth is that we find passages that speak of the Christian’s hope (blessed hope)
that is positively linked to tribulation:
Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV)
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
In Romans 5:3-4, the precious lesson is that
we can even glory in tribulations
because they produce hope (blessed hope).
We also find passages that encourage believers to rejoice even in the midst of tribulation:
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, (See also Rom 15:4, 1 Cor 13:7, 1 Thess 1:3).
Note that hope and tribulation
are also positively connected in Romans 12:12.
What this means is that a believer
can persevere in tribulation and rejoice in hope
at the same time.
So, what has all that Joseph Prince has spewed in the above
got to do with his aim of trying to prove
that the Church will not go through the tribulation?
Nothing!
Again, no exegesis of any Bible text at all on the rapture issue in his previous sermon on 26 Feb 2023!
But only through queer word associations that he flimsily tries to establish,
and the borrowing of secular concepts
to superimpose on biblical concepts that are taught in the scriptures.
Despite that, and without a single proof from any Bible text,
Joseph Prince has the cheek to keep declaring his doctrine
that the Church will not go through the tribulation,
The fact that one must go through the tribulation
has nothing to do with
longevity,
optimism,
or even Christian hope (the way that Joseph Prince defines hope in relation to tribulation).
But the truth that the Church will go through the tribulation
is taught by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God Himself!
If God cannot convince you, that rapture is after the tribulation, nothing else would.
(Note, it would be too much for me to put the above out on video. If you are interested in what Joseph Prince said, which I have briefly described to you, you can view his whole sermon on 26 Feb 2023 when it is released in about 2-3 weeks’ time on YouTube.
If you cannot find portions of what I have described on YouTube,
chances are that Joseph Prince has censored it from the original version of his sermon.)