Who are the Armies of Heaven in Revelation 19:14?

HINT: The heavenly armies are 100% angelic; 0% pre-trib-raptured humans

Let’s begin by stipulating that the Armies of Heaven are angelic warriors created by God for their specialized purpose. The Armies of Heaven ARE NOT transformed pre-trib-raptured humans! Now, let’s examine how we got to this conclusion.

Here’s the stake in the heart of the erroneous teaching…

2 Thessalonians 1:7b, “[7b] This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” (See the original Greek, below. “angelon.”)

2 Thessalonians 1:8-10a, “[8] He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might [10] on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed."

Now, for a thorough discussion on this matter…

I've been listening to these pre-trib rapture teachers and preachers for 50 years now, claiming that this passage of Scripture is absolute proof of a pre-trib rapture. They say, “This is a pre-trib-raptured Church coming out of heaven with Jesus.” Well, I’m here today to tell you, “That is utter nonsense!”

Let's read Revelation 19:11, (KJV) “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

And in 19:14, (KJV) we read, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

Angels are beings created by God. Angels are entirely different from humans. No human ever becomes an angel.

Angels are God’s special agents - they carry out His plan and minister to the followers of Christ.

Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

There is no indication anywhere in the Bible that angels were formerly humans or anything else—they were created as angels.

Angels have no need of, and cannot experience, the redemption that Christ provides for the human race. First Peter 1:12 describes their (angels’) desire to look into the Gospel, but it is not for them to experience. Had angels been formerly humans, the concept of salvation would not be a mystery to them.

Read the Original Greek Text

There is nothing in the Bible that leads one to interpret the Armies of Heaven in Revelation 19:14 as an army of “pre-trib-raptured believers” aka “saints” aka “the Gentile Church.”

NOTE: The English word “saint” comes from the Latin sanctus, with the Greek equivalent being ἅγιος (hagios) 'holy'. The word ἅγιος appears 229 times in the Greek New Testament, and its English translation 60 times in the corresponding text of the King James Version of the Bible. See also: https://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm. See also: https://biblescan.com/searchgreek.php?q=saint.

NOTE: (See below) The Greek “ta strateumata ta en to ourano” (Revelation 19:14) translated to English means “the armies who were in heaven” or “armies of heaven.”

As in Revelation 19:14, it means “an army; met: a host of angels.” This is NOT an army of pre-trib raptured saints!

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it is obnoxious for humans to think of themselves as angels. That, alone, would be blaspheming God. Consider this verse:

1 Corinthians 6:3, “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?!

See also: https://biblehub.com/greek/4756.htm. - An army, i.e. (figuratively) the angels, the celestial luminaries - host. Cognate: 4756 stratiá (from 4754 /strateúomai, "to fight as a soldier") – properly, an army, or any organized host (e.g. of angels, constellations, etc.).

See also: https://biblescan.com/searchgreek.php?q=armies+of+heaven. See also: https://biblehub.com/greek/4753.htm. See also: https://biblehub.com/greek/3772.htm.

NOTE: “an army of angels” See also: https://biblehub.com/greek/4756.htm.

There is no implication whatsoever that Revelation 19:14 is referring to pre-trib raptured saints. And it certainly is not referring to an army of previously pre-trib-raptured-Gentiles!

Correctly translated, Revelation 19:14 means “an army of angels.”

No English translation of the Bible can be twisted to say that the armies of heaven are human “saints,” when in fact, they are armies of angels!

“Dressed in Linen White and Pure” is another Deceptive Argument

Revelation 19:14, (ESV) “And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.”

Revelation 19:14, (NIV) “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”

Revelation 19:14, (NKJV) “And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”

Revelation 19:14, (KJV) “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

Revelation 19:14, (NLT) “The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.”

Revelation 19:14, (YLT) “And the armies in the heaven were following him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen - white and pure;”

I have already given you indisputable evidence that Revelation 19:14 refers to “angels”, NOT pre-trib raptured human saints. However, I can understand how someone who has been hoodwinked into believing a delusion, might grasp at straws in order to try to save face.

So, allow me to pre-empt yet another common false teaching. In fact, I’m going to crush two birds with one stone in this one…

Revelation 19:7-8, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

First, by the time of Revelation 19:7-8, Christ has already parousia-returned to Earth.

The resurrection & “changing” of the righteous have occurred. And the parousia-apantesis has already happened.

Christ has already slaughtered the enemies of God’s People. Christ has already salvaged the Jewish remnant. Christ has already thrown Antichrist/False Prophet into the lake of fire. And Christ is already seated on David’s throne on Mount Zion (Jerusalem).

The Bride is One God’s People (messianic Jews + the born-again Gentile Church). If no Jews are included, there can be no wedding. Why? Because God pledged to marry His bride - the Jews - when they were gathered at Mount Sinai.

Therefore, there can be no wedding or wedding feast in celestial heaven, as the Pretribulational Dispensationalists teach.

Bible Truth: Revelation Chapter 19 clearly explains that the wedding supper takes place in Jerusalem. There is NO wedding supper in celestial heaven - as the pretrib proponents proclaim in their delusional false teaching.

Angels always wear white robes

Second, angels are almost always described as wearing white robes - so it is ridiculous to suggest that the armies of heaven that accompany Christ on His parousia-return are white-robed “saints” of the pre-trib-raptured bride.

Revelation 15:5-6, (NKJV) “After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

Matthew 28:2-3, (NKJV) “And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.”

And when Mary looked into Jesus’ empty tomb she saw…

John 20:12, (NKJV) “And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Mark 16:4-7, “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

John 20:11-12, “Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.”

At Jesus’ ascension…

Acts 1:10-11, “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “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.”

Here’s a simple question for my Pre-trib-rapture-doctrine-promoting brethren: If those 'armies of Heaven' in Revelation 19 really were the angels of God - and not a supposedly previously raptured “Church” - what would they be wearing? WHITE, of course!

Greek Words Often Misinterpreted

Apantesis - to go out and meet a returning king, and follow him back to the city. See: https://biblehub.com/greek/529.htm

Thlipsis - Satan’s great tribulation; temporary, persecution. See: https://biblehub.com/greek/2347.htm

Orge - God’s wrath; punishment. See: https://biblehub.com/greek/3709.htm

Memory verse: Satan’s great thlipsis-persecution happens BEFORE the resurrection of the righteous dead, and the “changing” of the righteous alive. Therefore, Satan’s thlipsis-tribulation happens BEFORE God’s orge-wrathful punishment. Christ brings God’s wrath with Him on the day of the Lord - and by then, the righteous are already in their immortal, glorified bodies. And therefore, they are immune to God’s wrath. God’s wrath is directed at the enemies of God’s People.

Demonic Deception on YouTube

Some of the most popular YT channels promote material from pastors who teach and promote false doctrines; and perhaps the most deceptive false doctrine is that of a pre-tribulation rapture.

Those men and women who teach this garbage do so to make you “feel good.” They get you to cling to the “false hope,” the false belief that by being pre-trib raptured - you will be able to “escape” the pain, suffering, and the likelihood of a martyr’s death.

That’s just plain nonsense. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that! They teach a satanic deception.

You have to ask yourself, “Why would any seminary-trained pastor - who must surely have some education in the three languages of Scripture: Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic - spread such deceptions?”

I can only surmise that it must be due to mal-education (garbage in, garbage out). Or, is it because of their pursuit of money? Is it to get more YT subscribers, sell more books, fill more seats and collect more tithes? Why else would they risk eternal damnation?

These false pastors/teachers continue to make up one deceptive distortion after another. They’re digging their own grave, as the saying goes. They take things out of context. They take bits from one verse and mix those with bits from another verse to reconstruct phrases that deceptively say something other than Bible Truth. Such false pastors/teachers are demonically deceiving you.

Here’s What the Bible says About False Teachers

Near the end of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issued this stark warning to His listeners:

Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Matthew 24:24, (NIV) “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Yes, some of the elect will be deceived and fall-away.)

Luke 17:1-2, (NIV) “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.’”

And in Romans 16:18, (NIV, Paul says:) “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”

1 Timothy 6:3-5, (NIV, Paul regarding Bible Truth says:) “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They…have been robbed of the truth and…think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”

And finally, in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul prophetically warns about this very deception - and he tells us what to do about it: (NIV) “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

In light of what we’ve already discussed, who do you trust more: Jesus, or your pastor/teacher?

The Victims of False Teachers

The logic of the false teachers begins with a false premise: “since the armies of heaven is the Church,” (- it is NOT the Church!)  “and since it is coming out of heaven with Jesus,” (- it is NOT the Church!) … “then that must mean that the Church had previously gone UP into heaven.”

There is NO pre-trib rapture of the Church! 

And then the pre-trib liars conclude, “and since that is the obvious case, it proves that there will soon be an imminent pre-trib rapture of “the Holy Spirit-filled Gentile Church.”

That is one big delusional lie!

Jesus Himself Taught That No Man Other Than He ever enters celestial heaven

Jesus taught that it is impossible for man to ever enter celestial heaven. Two verses in the Gospel of John, spoken by Jesus, say that:

John 3:13, (NIV, Jesus said:) “‘No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven —the Son of Man.’”

John 13:33b, (NIV, Jesus said:) “‘You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.’”

Are any of you “the Son of Man?” Of course not. Are any of you “the Son of God”? Again, of course not.

Jesus’ own words in John 3:13 and John 13:33b (above) are proof that a pre-trib rapture “up to heaven” is absolutely not possible.

Q: Who do you trust, Jesus or your pastor/teacher? A: JESUS

Also, do you realize that neither Abraham, nor Daniel, nor David are in celestial heaven?

The Bible says that Abraham is in Sheol’s Paradise - NOT in celestial heaven…

Luke 16:19-32, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Daniel is not in celestial heaven …

Daniel 12:4, “But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

Daniel 12:13, “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

“You will rest” = die. “At the end of days you will rise” [not descend from celestial heaven] = to rise from Sheol’s Paradise to be part of the resurrection of the dead. “To receive your allotted inheritance” = share reign of Christ’s earthly kingdom.

David is not in celestial heaven …

Acts 2:29, “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.”

Acts 2:34a, “For David did not ascend to heaven,”

Where are these righteous patriarchs?

In my opinion, they are in Sheol’s Paradise - the same place Jesus went after His death and waited to be resurrected back to the surface of Earth. And the same place of “Abraham’s bosom.” (I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.)

“Rapture”

People say that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. And that is true. Some people think that it’s intellectual to replace rapture with the Greek term “harpazo.” But, as I’ll explain, such people are not as smart as they think they are!

While the Bible does indeed contain the word “harpazo,” and false teachers frequently throw it out there as if it means something holy or otherwise confirms their point about a pre-trib rapture - they should know that harpazo always delivers a negative connotation.

Look it up. (Link below.) “Harpazo” means: to plunder, to seize, to pillage, rapacious, extortion, ravening, to snatch, to pluck a fruit, the act of seizing, stealing. There is NOTHING in the word “harpazo” that reflects God or godliness. God does not harpazo. But Satan can…and does. Satan snatches souls.

Search results for: harpazo
7 entries found. Showing up to 25.

Strong's Greek: 1283. διαρπάζω (diarpazó) -- to plunder
... WH); Mark 3:27 . (From Homer down.) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to plunder; to seize asunder, i.e. Plunder- spoil.
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/1283.htm.

Strong's Greek: 4884. συναρπάζω (sunarpazo) -- to seize and carry away
... :15 . (Tragg., Aristophanes, Xenophon, others.) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance catch; to snatch together, i.e. Seize- catch.
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/4884.htm.

Strong's Greek: 724. ἁρπαγή (harpagé) -- pillage, plundering
... 14 ; Nahum 2:12 . In Greek writings from Aeschylus down.) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance extortion, robbery; pillage (properly abstract)- extortion, ravening, spoiling.
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/724.htm.

Strong's Greek: 727. ἅρπαξ (harpax) -- rapacious
... 6:10 . (In both uses from (Aristophanes), Xenophon down.) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ravenous; rapacious- extortion, ravening.
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/727.htm.

Strong's Greek: 2897. κραιπάλη (kraipalé) -- drunken nausea
... STRONGS NT 2897: κρεπάλη [κρεπάλη, see κραιπάλῃ.] Strong's Exhaustive Concordance drunken dissipation; properly, a headache (as a seizure of pain) from drunkenness, i.e. (by implication) ...
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/2897.htm.

Strong's Greek: 2590. καρπός (karpos) -- fruit
... fitted souls to obtain eternal life, John 4:36 . Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fruit; fruit (as plucked), literally or figuratively- fruit.
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/2590.htm.

Strong's Greek: 725. ἁρπαγμός (harpagmos) -- the act of seizing or the thing seized
... Wetstein at the passage; Cremer, 4te Aufl., p. 153f)) . Strong's Exhaustive Concordance plunder; plunder (properly concrete)- robbery.
Forms and Transliterations: αρπαγμον αρπαγμόν ἁρπαγμὸν arpagmon harpagmon harpagmòn ...
URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/725.htm.

Two Thieves Crucified Next to Jesus

Just yesterday, a pre-tribber foolishly used the term “harpazo” on me, as if it set him apart as a didactically superior authority. He said, “Then how do you justify what Jesus said to the thief on the cross?”

Now first, there were TWO thieves crucified alongside of Jesus: The penitent thief on Jesus’ right, and the blaspheming un-penitent thief on Jesus’ left.

Nobody ever talks about the guy on the left, so I naturally assumed my challenger was talking about the one on Jesus’ right.

I think that what my challenger was trying to imply was that when Jesus, in Luke 23:43 says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” - that this somehow progresses to something to do with “rapture” - which it does not.

Nevertheless, his “What about ___?” question, opened the door for me to teach him some Bible Truth.

I replied, “I take that you’re talking about the thief on Jesus’ right?” And he said, “Yes.” Then I came back with, “But why are you ignoring the un-penitent thief on the third cross - the guy on Jesus’ left?”

Not only was Gestas, the thief on Jesus’ left, un-penitent, but he also blasphemed Jesus when he said, “If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us”.

Nobody ever talks about that guy on the left. Why is that? This very brief encounter between the two thieves and Jesus tees-up the essence of salvation, and of evangelizing.

The thief on Jesus’ right, Dismas according to some resources, rebuked the guy on the left. The one on the right confessed, “We (the two thieves) deserve our punishment because of our deeds (thefts). Then he stated, “This Man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.”

In other words, the one on the right confessed and expressed contrition. He recognized Jesus for who He truly is - “Son of Man” - God, in the flesh.

In sharp contrast, the guy on the left, the evil one, gave a snarky remark, and clearly demonstrated his lack of contrition.

Ultimately, we don’t know what happened to the guy on Jesus’ left. What we do know, however, is that the penitent one on Jesus’ right was rewarded with forgiveness and salvific redemption. Jesus told him, (paraphrased) “On that very day, he would be with Jesus in paradise.”

The entire salvation story was exemplified in this unique scenario. If you ever need an elevator-pitch to explain Salvation, this is the one to tell!

The penitent thief went to Sheol’s Paradise with Jesus. Where did the un-penitent thief go?

There are two compartments of Sheol: Paradise for the righteous, and Hades for the condemned. My guess is that the thief on Jesus’ left went to Sheol’s Hades - the side of torment, where even today he is in torment and awaits, along with the rich man (from the story of Abraham and Lazarus) to be delivered to his eternal destination: the lake of fire.

Jesus forgave the penitent thief, but the un-penitent thief foolishly missed his opportunity - much like the five foolish maidens in the parable of the Ten Virgins.

Revelation 20:13-15, “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Lamb’s book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.”

Greek: “Harpazo”

Harpazo is bad. Go to: https://biblescan.com/searchgreek.php?q=harpazo; type in harpazo and click “enter.” (I’ve already done that for you and have listed the results, above.) Observe: literally every transliteration of harpazo carries a negative connotation.

The un-penitent thief demonstrated evil, pride, something satanic. “Harpazo” is NOT a badge of honor. It is a path to eternal damnation. Only a fool would want to be part of a harpazo-rapture, where his soul is “snatched away” by Satan!

Be a Berean

Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

It amazes me how pre-tribbers can be so ill-informed. They hear what they want to hear, and don’t use their brain to do a little research and process Truth. They love their false teachers. They would rather go to the mat defending those false teachers than to admit their folly.

In a different post, I explain in detail two psychological abnormalities: “Cognitive dissonance” and “Confirmation bias.” You can look them up yourself with an online search. I went ahead and explained them again near the bottom of this post.

Greek: “Parousia”

Parousia is good. See: https://biblehub.com/greek/3952.htm. Literally every transliteration of parousia carries a positive connotation.

Parousia is Christ’s return, His Second Coming. Parousia always describes something regal, such as the returning King after a victorious campaign. Parousia is a coming - as in homecoming. It is an advent, the arrival of the owner who alone can deal with a situation. Parousia is a technical expression for the royal visit of a king, or emperor - especially of the second coming of Christ. So when someone uses rapture as a verb, in reference to Christ’s return to Earth and our being gathered to Him, what they mean is “parousia-rapture.” It describes our meeting Christ in the air, and then returning to Earth WITH Christ. Just as happened on that first Palm Sunday…

“Palm Sunday” Foreshadowed Christ’s Parousia-Return

When you read, “on that day” or “in that day” or “at that time,” interpret it to mean the day of the Lord, when Christ ultimately returns to Earth to take domain of His kingdom.

Jesus showed us what His parousia-return would look like in His Triumphal Entry - the first “Palm Sunday.” On that day, the crowd in the city saw Him coming on the donkey; they ran out to apantesis-meet him; and then they returned to the city WITH Him. And thus it will be on the day of the Lord, at Christ’s Second Coming. Only this time, he’ll be a vengeful conqueror riding a white horse, accompanied by all the angels from celestial heaven.

On that day, the righteous dead will be resurrected. And the righteous alive will be “changed.” And we righteous humans will rise UP from Earth (NOT DOWN as if coming from celestial heaven) to meet Christ in the air; and then we will return to Earth WITH Christ. And forever thereafter be WITH Him (God), here on Earth, living and reigning with Him during His millennial reign…and thereafter and for eternity, on new Earth in New Jerusalem.

There can be no doubt - “parousia” refers to the blessedness of Christ, while “harpazo” refers to something evil or satanic…like a thief prowling in the night.

And now you know Bible Truth.

There is Only ONE Second Coming

There are men and women today who insist on spreading the pre-trib rapture lie. As contortionists, these false teachers twist the words of Scripture. They erroneously claim that humans are in celestial heaven, which they claim proves that there must be an initial event - and that initial event must mean that there are two “second” comings of Christ.

Such a delusion!

They say: (1) The first “second coming” is to secretively (harpazo) snatch-away the Holy Spirit-filled Church, and then…

(2) the second “second coming” is Christ’s (parousia) Second Coming on the day of the Lord.

Even a child can confirm there is only ONE Second Coming!

As I’ve already demonstrated, a secretive harpazo snatching-away rapture is NOT something you want to be a part of!

There is only one “Second Coming,” and that happens on the day of the Lord. Christ departs celestial heaven, accompanied by His heavenly army of holy angels, and returns to Earth to slaughter the enemies of God’s People, to salvage the Jewish remnant, and to rule His earthly kingdom with an iron scepter from David’s throne on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem.

This silly delusion of two “second” end-time comings of Jesus is just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Nowhere in the entire Bible is there anything that comes even close to saying that Christ has two second comings! It’s a deception believed only by those suffering from delusion.

Cognitive Dissonance and Confirmation Bias

Cognitive Dissonance is where one exhibits defensive behavior - they ignore or deny truthful facts to defend a lie.

That dissonance causes Confirmation Bias, which is where one cannot bring oneself to accept as truth something that conflicts with their pre-existing opinion. They believe what they WANT to be true, not what IS true. This is a psychopathic error - it is “wishful thinking.”

It is delusional to cling to Pre-trib Dispensationalism and Replacement Theology - both of which are false teachings.

Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

If your pastor is teaching a falsehood, you are obligated to call him out, and set him straight. If he refuses to admit his error and change, then publicly humiliate him so he can’t ruin the spiritual lives of others. And go find a better pastor - one who teaches Bible Truth.

When Christ returns on the day of the Lord, He brings God’s orge-wrath

Isaiah 13:13, “I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.”

Jeremiah 6:10-12, “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD.”

Micah 5:15, “I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

Zephaniah 1:15-18, “The great day of the LORD is near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath — a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness — a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. ‘I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath.’ In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.”

Matthew 3:7b, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (This prophecy of John the Baptist was directed against the future pre-trib rapture teachers!)

Revelation 14:18-20, “Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.’ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.”

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Revelation 16:1, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” This happens on the day of the Lord.

There's nothing about Revelation 19 that teaches a pre-trib rapture of the church.

So, the question to ask your pastor/teacher is this: “Is Revelation 19 a description of a previously raptured Church coming out of heaven with Jesus? And if so, where is the proof of this claim?

There literally is no proof - because it's just not true.

What is it about this verse that would convince anyone that it is talking about a raptured, glorified church coming out of heaven?

Is it that: the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean?

There's no descriptive quality to this text that says that this is a raptured church, or even that these are human beings in the first place.

Three Key Points

The first being that these are armies that come from heaven.

The second is that these armies are following Jesus out of heaven. This is Christ’s parousia-return to Earth - His second coming, on the day of the Lord.

The third is that these armies are clothed in fine linen white and clean.

Let’s start by looking at this Third Point.

This is where the pre-tribbers lamely claim “proof” of their theory: that because these armies in heaven are dressed in white, they must be the pre-trib-raptured Church.

In Revelation 19:8, the Bride of Christ is dressed in white. The pre-tribbers insist that this means that it’s the Bride of Christ coming out of heaven.

“And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

So we have to ask: is this description of the Bride of Christ “dressed in white” conclusive proof that Revelation 19:14 is referring to the Bride of Christ? Merely because they're dressed in white?

I like to ask my pre-trib friends: “If those armies of heaven in Revelation 19 were angels of God - and not a supposedly previously raptured Church - what would they be wearing as they're coming out of heaven? If these are angels (which they are), what should they be wearing?

Now, if we back up a few chapters in Revelation we see this description in Revelation 15:6 , “And the 7 angels came out of the temple having seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.”

Oh, what a shocker! Here we see angels dressed in white linen pure and white.

So, we see that the Bride of Christ is not the only one that's described as wearing fine linen clean and white. Throughout the Bible we see the same description referring to the angels of God.

Look in the Gospels, and the narrative of the events going on around the empty tomb, after the resurrection of Jesus.

In Matthew 28:2 we read, “And behold there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.” Here, we see an angel coming out of heaven dressed in white.

If we look at Mark's narrative of this event, we read the same description.

Mark 15:6, “And entering into the sepulcher they saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed in a long white garment, and they were frightened.”

So there's another description of an angel dressed in white.

In John 20: “Mary stood outside the sepulcher weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the foot where the body of Jesus had lain.”

And also, look over in the first chapter of the book of Acts, regarding Jesus’ ascending up into heaven…

Acts 1:10, “And while they looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel,”

So, here again, we see angelic beings in white apparel.

I don't see where the pre-trip crowd has gained much traction with their claim that this “absolutely has to be the church coming out of heaven” with Jesus, merely because they're dressed in white.

Now then, back to our question: “If those armies of heaven really are angels, what would they be wearing?” Obviously, those angels would be dressed in white linen, find and clean. Don’t you agree?

“Angels” in Military Terminology

Now let's go back and look at the first point where we see the armies which were in heaven…

Psalm 103:20, (KJV) “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that obey his commands…”

Matthew 26:53, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Hebrews 12:22, (KJV) “But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,”

Psalm 68:17, “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.”

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha got himself into trouble with the king of Syria; and the king sent armies against Jerusalem to capture Elisha. In this passage we read…

2 Kings 6:16-17, “And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” :23b, “So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.”

Who were riding those horses and chariots? Angels, of course!

And in Revelation 12:7-9, “And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, …and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

So I ask, “Who fights a war?” Armies do! The armies of heaven are the angels. The obedient angels of God, and the disobedient angels who rebelled with Satan.

In Revelation 19:14 it says, (KJV) “And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

No way are these the docile sissy-humans who seek “an escape” - who are even afraid to face Antichrist and his great tribulation. C’mon, folks. Get real!

Jesus is returning to the earth to make war upon his enemies. He's returning in vengeance and he's bringing his army with him. And His army is composed of warrior angels, not of pre-trib-raptured sissified-humans who are afraid to suffer for Christ’s name’s sake!

There's not one place in the Bible that describes a raptured, resurrected glorified Church as “the armies of God that do warfare on behalf of the kingdom of God.” There’s not one reference anywhere that would lead you to believe that the armies of heaven in Revelation 19:14 are a pre-trib-raptured Church!

I’ve shown you all these references to the angels of God. Why would you think God’s heavenly army is anything but angels created for this special purpose? How would a pre-trib humanoid fare in battle against Antichrist’s armies of the nations? Not very well, I’m sure!

God’s angelic armies are described as “powerful”…

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, (NIV) “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They (unbelieving, disobedient) will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed….”

Pre-tribbers always like to claim 2 Thessalonians to support their false teachings. However, right here in the first chapter to the church of the Thessalonians, Paul wrote…

2 Thessalonians 1:4, “…among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”

So I ask you: “Where does the Bible tell the Gentiles to “escape”? It doesn’t! On the contrary - the Bible teaches us to strengthen our faith and prepare to patiently endure Satan’s great thlipsis-tribulation…even unto death!

If God elects you to be among those whose faith He wants to test, you must be ready to faithfully and patiently endure persecution - even if it ends with a martyr’s death!

Revelation 14:12 says, “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”

Then Revelation 14:13 concludes with: “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

Now let's move on to the last point about Revelation 19:14, number two - that these armies followed Him out of heaven upon white horses…

There is no place in the Bible that describes the “resurrected body of Christ” in heaven. Never, ever!

We do, however, have a multitude of verses that describe the angels of God coming out of heaven with Jesus.

Let's look at a few of them…

Mark 8:38, (KJV) “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels.” Here we have another description of Jesus coming with the Holy Angels.

Matthew 25:31, (NIV) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.” How many angels does it say Jesus is bringing with him when he returns? ALL of them!

Let's go back to Revelation 19:11 again, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True and in righteousness does he judge and make war.”

Revelation 19:14, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linen clean white and clean.”

Now if the angels of heaven are dressed in white, and the angels of heaven are the armies that do battle on behalf of God, and we have all these records in the scriptures about the angels coming out of heaven with Jesus when he's revealed at His parousia-second coming - why in the world should we think that Revelation 19:14 is proof of a pre-trib rapture - that this is a depiction of a pre-trib-raptured church returning with Jesus?

There is nothing about this passage that would suggest to you that Christ’s armies from heaven are anything but angels. If you believe this is the pre-trib raptured Church, it must have been a pre-supposed indoctrination by a pastor/teacher somewhere along the way. You have been hoodwinked!

After all that I’ve pointed out in this lesson, there is no way an intelligent person could even remotely conclude that there’s a “pre-trib harpazo-rapture,“ or that any human ever enters celestial heaven, or that humans ever become angels.

If you believe any of those things, you didn’t come up with that yourself - it was inserted into your brain by some demonic force. You must be under a demonic delusion. It has been programmed into your brain. You did not receive it from the Holy Spirit!

If, after this lesson, you still cannot admit to Bible Truth, I can only deduce that you have been indoctrinated by some evil force. If you can trace back to who that person was who indoctrinated you - you should expose them and condemn them! God surely will!

And if you can’t see Bible Truth for what it is, you have no chance of surviving if/when you come face to face with Antichrist/False Prophet - because you have already lost your ability to engage in critical reasoning.

I used the word “delusion” in regard to the pre-trib teaching. It's not because I'm wanting to engage in a bunch of wild hyperbolic accusations. I use the word delusion because I know what the meaning of that word is.

Let's take a look at the meaning of the word delusion.  Merriam-Webster defines delusion as something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated.

In psychology, a delusion is a persistent false belief that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary. When someone is under a delusion, that someone is hanging onto a false belief, and refusing to listen to anything else that might contradict that belief - refusing even to consider anything that might bring them to a correct understanding of Truth.

“No. No. Don't tell me that. I’m not gonna listen to that.” Such a response is pathognomonic of someone under control of a delusion.

That is the definition of being deluded. It’s like having a demon sitting on your shoulder, telling you, “No. Do not to believe the truth.”

The medical definition of delusion: a false personal belief that is not subject to reason; it compels the victim to reject or deny any contradictory evidence - even though that evidence if Truthful.

A delusion is firmly maintained by the victim. Even in the face of incontrovertible evidence that what they think to be true - is false.

When someone is under a delusion, you can present them with solid, incontrovertible evidence that what they're believing is false, but they absolutely refuse to consider that evidence. This is delusion by definition. It is a perfect description of those suffering under the delusion of the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine.

Time and time again I've sat down with people and asked them to read a passage like…

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,”

The Bible clearly states that Christ’s parousia-return cannot happen until the apostasy/falling away happens first, and the Antichrist is revealed.

In furtherance of their “wishful thinking,” the pre-trib crowd twists 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 to mean the Holy Spirit within the Gentile Church.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 says, “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.” And then it goes on to say…

2 Thessalonians 2:9, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

The “restrainer” is NOT the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is omnipresent - He cannot be removed. Where would He go that He isn’t already?

For the same reason, it is worthless to say, “Absent from the body, in the presence of the Lord.” What does that mean? Except to confirm that wherever it is the soul-spirit goes upon death, the Lord is already there.

Either God is omnipresent, or He’s not. What’s your theology?

And the “restrainer” certainly is NOT the presence of the Gentile Church - that is preposterous!

And as 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 says, before Christ’s Second Coming can happen, there must first be a 3rd Temple in Jerusalem, where Antichrist can present himself “as God.”

Honestly, I find it hard to believe that God created so many stupid people - all this confusion and belief in a false teaching - all this delusion. It MUST be the work of the devil!

And yet, the victims will look at the words in the Bible and still say, “Oh no. No, your interpretation of what the Bible plainly says is not right. I don't hold your interpretation of that verse.”

I know a man who taught a Bible Study Fellowship class to hundreds of young men over several years. He was one of these pre-trib rapture believers. Just think of the hundreds of young minds he polluted with false teachings! He’s gonna have a heavy price to pay the day he comes before the Lord in judgment! I have genuine pity on him - and all who remain under the delusion. Pray for them!

Somebody who is a victim of this pre-trib delusion is out of their mind. They are so controlled by the dark side that they cannot receive Bible Truth. Even when we read the Bible together with them, they immediately reject whatever contradicts their delusion. It’s almost like they’re a demon-possessed person. Who knows - maybe they are?

Something is wrong with them, somewhere! And whatever it is, it has such a strong hold on them that they absolutely refuse to believe the True Word of God.

Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

Let's go back to 2 Thessalonians and read this verse:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

This admonition deserves to be repeated:

2 Timothy 4:2-5, “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

I pray, “Father God, please help all who are afflicted with these delusions; these false teachings. Give them the ability to overcome the demons who so firmly control their minds and blind them to common sense. Lord, please admonish the false teaching pastors, and prevent them from continuing to distort and contort your Holy Word. Let my brethren understand that this prayer is because of my love for them - I want to help them to realize Your Bible Truth. These things I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Colossians 1:12-17, (YLT) “Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to participate in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He rescued us out of the domain of darkness and from its authority; and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation, because in Him were all things created, those in the heavens and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things through him, and for him, have been created,”

Blessings to all,

Tim