Page 133 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

Varieties of Posttribulationism
held to a literal Millennium. Obviously, if Revelation up to
chapter 19 should be considered in almost a completely non­
literal interpretation, why should chapters 19-22 be very lit­
eral? The inconsistency of this position has led many post-
tribulationists to embrace amillennialism also.
In general, the classic view is rejected because of its in­
consistent application of interpretative principles of the Bible,
its inability to explain problems, and its subjective character
that permits the interpreter to explain away any problem that
exists. Payne, while acknowledging that the early church
fathers were in error in their premises for posttribulationism,
nevertheless wants to accept their conclusions.
The Semiclassic Posttribulational Interpretation
More than likely the majority of contemporary post-
tribulationists follow what might be called the semiclassic
posttribulational interpretation. Included among them are
posttribulationists who consider the Tribulation, to some ex­
tent, contemporary but also find that certain features are still
to be fulfilled. In view of the fact that there are unfulfilled
prophecies that precede the Second Coming, they argue that
the Second Coming cannot be imminent. On the other hand, if
the church is already in the period described as the Great
Tribulation, it is useless to debate whether the church will be
raptured before it.
A great variety of opinions exist in the semiclassic post­
tribulational school of thought, with some like Alexander
Reese holding to a specific seven-year period as necessarily to
be fulfilled before the Second Coming according to Daniel
9:27; but on the other hand, some find that prophecies of the
Great Tribulation are already being fulfilled or have been
fulfilled in the past.19 There is obvious confusion among post­
tribulationists on the interpretation of some of the major as­
pects of their point of view, quite in contrast to pretribu-
■
lationists who generally differ only on minor details.
139