Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1-2; Matthew 2:1).
Micah speaks of Bethlehem as the Messiah’s place of origin since this is David’s birthplace and the Messiah will be a descendant of David (Isaiah 11:1-9; I Chronicles 22:9-10).
There will be a pre-tribulation rapture (Micah 7:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:17).
Pre-tribulation (or pre-tribulation rapture) is the belief that Jesus will come secretly to gather up all the true believers before the beginning of a tribulation period. These true believers will be taken into heaven in order to escape the horrendous judgments that will take place during the tribulation.1
The proof-text from the Tanakh that is referenced in this video is Micah 7:1-2: Woe is to me, for I am as the last of the figs, like the gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; the first ripe fig my soul desires. The pious have perished (אָבַד) from the land, and there is no upright among men; they all lurk for blood; each one hunts his brother with a net.
First let’s deal with the Hebrew word אָבַד (avad). Avad does not only mean “to cause to disappear” but can also mean to be destroyed, to vanish, to be lost, or to go astray. It does not necessarily mean to disappear but can mean to go astray or become lost.
We can see this when we look at Deuteronomy 22:3 which reads: “So shall you do with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment, and so shall you do with any lost article of your brother which he has lost (תֹּאבַד) and you have found. You shall not ignore [it].”
In Micah we see that the prophet is bemoaning the fact that the people are unrighteous and non-receptive to his prophecies. It does not mean that the people have disappeared from the earth.
We see in the previous chapter that Micah is calling to the people to repent and return to God. For if the people continue in their wicked ways in the decrees of Omri and Ahab they will be punished.
Micah 6: 9, 16: The voice of the Lord calls out to the city, and the wisdom of the Torah, the one who sees Your name; hearken to the staff and Who appointed it. … And the statutes of Omri shall be observed, and every deed of the house of Ahab; and you shall walk in their counsels, in order that I make you an astonishment, and its inhabitants a hissing; and the disgrace of My people you shall bear.
So what is this chapter of Micah all about? It is most certainly not about a supposed pre-tribulation rapture.
Micah begins by bemoaning his role as a prophet to an unrighteous nation. All the leaders – the nobles, officials, and judges – are corrupt. The people listen to false prophets but when they expect good based upon false prophecies Micah says that they will only reap punishment. Micah declares that despite the people’s shortcomings he will remain faithful to God. Micah prophesies the exchange that will occur between Israel and their oppressors. The oppressor will tell Israel that their day of salvation will never come. However, Micah – replying on behalf of Israel – states that Israel’s salvation will come and that day will bring punishment to the oppressor nations. The chapter ends with Micah asking for God’s blessings and protection for Israel. God responds by offering a pledge of great miracles. Micah goes on to describe the final humbling of the nations and their future reverence for God. This chapter closes with Micah asking God to fulfill His promises to the patriarchs to preserve their descendents and give them the Land of Israel.
Now let’s look at the idea of the pre-tribulation rapture and see if, according to the Christian texts and teachings, it is even a truthful, Biblically-based idea.
The scriptural basis for the pre-tribulation belief is First Thessalonians 4:17 which reads: “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.”
Pre-Tribulationism was unknown to the early Church; in fact, no one has been able to show that this particular doctrine was held by any of the church Fathers or Biblical scholars before the early nineteenth century. It apparently originated at this time during a great revival of interest in Biblical prophecy. In 1830, a young Scottish woman named Margaret McDonald claimed to have received a “revelation” that Christians would be raptured before the Great Tribulation. Shortly after this, the idea spread to London where it aroused much interest. In further “revelations” during this period, dates for the rapture were variously fixed between 1835 and 1847! Pre-Tribulationism was first taught publicly at a series of prophetic meetings in Powerscourt House, Ireland. … The greatest growth of this teaching, however, has been in the twentieth century mainly through the Modern Dispensational teachings of the Scofield Reference Bible.2
The 1917 Scofield Reference Bible commentary on First Thessalonians 4:17 declared that “Not church saints only, but all bodies of the saved, of whatever dispensation, are included in the first resurrection.”3
Scofield goes on to cross-reference this idea with his commentary on First Corinthians 15:52. “Two resurrections are yet future, which are inclusive of “all that are in the graves” John 5:28. These are distinguished as “of life” ; 1 Corinthians 15:22,23; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:4 and “of judgment” ; John 5:28,29; Revelation 20:11-13. They are separated by a period of one thousand years Revelation 20:5. The “first resurrection,” that “unto life,” will occur at the second coming of Christ 1 Corinthians 15:23 the saints of the O.T. and church ages meeting Him in the air 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 while the martyrs of the tribulation, who also have part in the resurrection Revelation 20:4 are raised at the end of the great tribulation.”3
Another passage of the Christian texts used to try and prove pre-tribulation ideas is Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
This passage cannot be used as a proof text for three reasons. First, this text is specifically addressed to the church in Philadelphia only. Second, the text indicates that the time of trial is at hand. Lastly, The Philadelphia church actually experienced these trials shortly after this text was written.1
The texts that are used as proof of a pre-tribulation rapture do not explicitly state that there will indeed be a rapture before the Tribulation. This doctrine must therefore simply be inferred and is not an explicit teaching of the Christian Scripture.2
Matthew explicitly states that Jesus taught that there will be only one rapture at the end times.
Matthew 24:29-31: 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. 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. 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.
Paul also taught that there would be only one rapture: “But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those [who are] Christ’s at His coming. Then [comes] the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” (I Corinthians 15:23-24)3
The whole idea of Micah prophesying about a pre-tribulation rapture is based upon the false belief in a pre-tribulation rapture. Therefore, the assertions made in this video are completely false.
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1Brian Schwertley. “Is the Pretribulation Rapture Biblical?” reformedonline.com. Reformed Online Library. 1999.
2Carol Brooks. “The Rapture.” inplainsite.org. In Plain Site. n.d.
3C. Scofield. “Scofield Reference Notes.” studylight.org. Study Light. 1917.