My wife and I met and were married at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, where she worked on staff for 4 years. I always “questioned” the legitimacy of Pre-Trib. Without even hearing of Pre-Wrath, without ever listening to any Pre-Wrath person speak on the subject, we decided to study the Scriptures together – and ask, why do we believe in Pre-Trib? Over a short period of time, we realized that it did not hold water. We came to the same conclusions about the 6th Seal, the “Thessalonians problem”, etc. Only then, were we introduced to Marv Rosenthal’s Ministry, and only then did God lead us to a smaller church, specifically to an adult Sunday School class at Pompano Beach First Baptist Church that believed in Pre-Wrath.
I was then laid off from my job at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale after 12 years. We moved to Lexington, VA in 2009, where I am still employed in health care. God led us to Lexington Foursquare Gospel Church, and the pastor is Pre-Wrath! The pastor even offered to lend me Marv’s Pre-Wrath Rapture book! Amazing! Our pastor taught Pre-Trib for 17 years before coming to the conclusion that it was flawed/incorrect. His change in viewpoint came when someone lent him a copy of Marv Rosenthal’s Pre-Wrath Rapture book. He read it, studied it, studied the Scriptures, and the rest is history.
Anyway, I couldn’t help but share this story. Although, we have many friends from our old church, CCFL, (some that also live in VA now), that think we’ve bumped out heads. They tell us we can believe what we want, but that they are still “going out in the first wave.” It’s funny, but other pastors say the same thing to our pastor! I pray that not one falls away. In my many years of “questioning” the legitimacy of Pre-Trib, I always thought “if” Pre-Trib was incorrect, (which of course I now believe it is), then it’s perhaps one of the most – if not the most dangerous thing ever taught from a pulpit. If indeed Pre-Wrath is correct, (and I do believe it is), then Pre-Tribbers may have a hard time “finding their way out of complacency” when the time comes.
Joel Hanson
© 2011, Matt. All rights reserved.
