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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Biblical Exposition Caused This Booklet To Seriously Miss The Mark,
By Regular Joe (Central Iowa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Snatched away! (Paperback)
Recently, I was sorting through some books stored away in my basement when I came across this booklet by Chuck Smith titled "Snatched Away!" I had purchased it back when it first came out in 1976 and thought I would give it another read through. The complete title of the booklet is actually a more dramatic "Where Will You Be When Suddenly Millions Are SNATCHED AWAY!," and includes the following teaser at the bottom of the booklet cover concerning what is contained inside: "A look at the climactic prophecies for the last days--the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ--and their imminent fulfillment."The eschatological position presented in this booklet is from the Pre-Tribulation and Pre-Millennial viewpoint. It also seems clear to me that it was written and marketed primarily to a young audience, reading like a popular magazine article, describing the Last Day events in a general and somewhat superficial manner. It should also be noted that this booklet wasn't intended to be an in-depth study of eschatology. One would have to search Pastor Smith's other books and audio resources to see if he has produced anything in-depth on this subject. This booklet is generally an overview of the Last Days position espoused by Chuck Smith. That being said, I was alarmed at some of the proof texts he used to support some of his points. I would think it would make anyone nervous when a Bible teacher cites sources, especially biblical texts, that fail to comply with basic hermeneutical practices. Surprisingly, Pastor Smith actually asserts that he is following common Bible interpretation practices. The following may cast some doubt on that assertion. Pastor Smith quotes liberally from the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 to support his teaching on the Rapture. Yet most who have studied the Bible know that this chapter consists of Jesus' answers to his disciples regarding the future Kingdom of God (the Millennium) and the signs indicating when it, the Millennium, will take place as it pertains to Israel. Curiously, Pastor Smith uses the parable of the fig tree in this discourse, which he adamantly insists refers to today's modern national Israel, to show how close we are to the Tribulation, and thus the Rapture of the Church. Equating the fig tree in this parable to national Israel is the linchpin to Pastor Smith's teaching on the immanent coming of Christ Jesus for His Church at the Rapture. To calculate the generation that will see the Rapture, Tribulation and Second Coming happen, he uses 1948, the year of Israel's national rebirth, as the starting point for calculating a generation (so much for Jesus' words that, "No one knows the day or hour of his coming"). He supports this by claiming his interpretation is consistent with an interpretative principle he calls an "expositional constant." However, he fails to understand that this principle may fit an allegory, but not a parable. According to Jesus, parables were given to the disciples to reveal simple truths, illustrated by simple analogies. Unlike allegories, parables are very basic. However, they become just as confusing as allegories when foreign applications, like the one used by Pastor Smith, are applied. What seems to have slipped his attention is the only actual reference point Jesus ever provided the disciples in the Olivet Discourse was the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Temple, which doesn't happen until halfway through the Tribulation (see Daniel 9). The parable mentioned by Pastor Smith comes in Matthew 24 on the heels of Christ's description of the signs and wonders, the abomination of desolation, false christs and false prophets which must take place prior to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. According to Pastor Smith, the reference to the fig tree makes the parable refer to national Israel. However, his principle of "expositional constant" breaks down here. There are numerous references to the fig tree in the scriptures (Judges, Hosea, and Jeremiah 24 [this one is also misapplied by Pastor Smith in this booklet] and Luke 13, to name just a few) that have nothing to do with national Israel. In Jeremiah, the use of the fig tree was simply an exhortation concerning good people and bad people (good figs and bad figs). To make more out of this than that is simple misguided conjecture and very poor exposition. The lesson in the Mathew 24 parable is very simple. When a fig tree buds summertime is near, thus, it's almost time for the harvest. During the harvest, the good figs are separated from the bad figs, just like the wheat and tares. What happens to the bad figs and tares? Judgment! Jesus goes on to say, "Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door." What does "it" refer to? A quick review of the parallel passage in Luke 21 indicates the "it" is the promised Kingdom of God, the Millennium. Now, stop and think about this for a moment..., would Jesus expect the disciples to understand that the fig tree in this parable refers to the establishment of national Israel in 1948? No he wouldn't. Remember, parables are simple stories that reveal truth, so it should be clear, if by context alone, that Jesus can't have been associating the fig tree in this parable to national Israel. Pastor Smith follows his misinterpretation of the parable in Matthew 24 with his interpretation of Jesus' statement that, "No one knows about the day or hour..." of his coming. Pastor Smith states this is referring to the Rapture of the Church. What interpretative principle is Pastor Smith using now? One thing is sure, he certainly isn't using the context of the Olivet Discourse. The subject of the Rapture had nothing to do with any of the questions the disciples asked Jesus. Their minds were fixed on the coming Millennial Kingdom, so I seriously doubt they were thinking about or even knew all that much about the Rapture at this point. His application to the Rapture makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. He compounds his erroneous interpretations by applying Jesus' statements in Luke 17 and Matthew 24 concerning the judgment that came in the "days of Noah" and his warning that "two working in a field, two grinding at a mill...will be taken away" is again a reference to the Rapture of the Church. Yet without question these statements are examples of how unbelievers will be suddenly taken away to "judgment." Even a casual reading of these texts reveal that, in context, Jesus is speaking concerning the coming judgment on the Christ-rejecting unbelievers. It's simply absurd to apply this to the Rapture. Most of the latter half of this booklet is filled with anecdotal references to organizations, events, statistics, etc. that have little to do biblically with how close we are to the Tribulation and thus, the Rapture of the Church. Sadly, this booklet has replaced a biblically-based eschatology with one filled with interpretive errors, misapplication, blatant speculation, and pure sensationalism. This is not a good recipe for biblical truth and clarity. Pastor Smith also goes to great lengths to insist that the Rapture of the Church is an invisible and quiet event, unnoticed by the general world population. This, I don't understand at all. Paul specifically told those in the Thessalonian church (1 Thess. 4:16) that, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,..." Now does that appear to be an invisible, silent Rapture? Pastor Smith supports his assertion by pointing to the coming of the Lord Jesus at the Rapture as like a thief in the night. I'm afraid he misses the entire analogy here, again. Paul doesn't mean the coming of a thief will be unheard, but rather that it will be unexpected. He makes that clear in 1 Thess. 5:1-4. One last thought. According to Pastor Smith, a biblical generation is around 40 years. Using an erroneous reference point like the establishment of national Israel accomplishes little more than generating a sensationalist interest in the Last Days. The prophetic events mentioned in this booklet may happen in our lifetime. But, biblically speaking, what happened with Israel back in May 1948 has nothing to do with the Rapture of the Church. And this error is all predicated on the misapplication of a visual illustration of the fig tree in a very simple, straightforward parable in Matt. 24. There is no doubt that the rebirth of the nation of Israel is necessary prior to the Tribulation and is a fulfillment of a promise God made to Israel. It can be argued that the protection alliance the anti-christ makes with Israel kicks off the seven-year tribulation. One must remember that Israel is, by and large, a secular nation. Paul reminds us in Romans that "...not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." Most of those in national Israel are unbelievers and, according to Revelation, only a third of the Jews will be redeemed in the Tribulation and will thus enter the Millennial Kingdom after the Tribulation. Finally, the prediction that really "Snatched me Away" was when Pastor Smith stated that Christians who are "carnal," at the time of the Rapture, that is, who are living in a less than Christ-honoring fashion, and those who are "lukewarm" will be left behind to go through the Tribulation. I may be wrong here, but that sounds a lot like a "Partial-Rapture" viewpoint to me. One that contends our personal spiritual behavior determines who is "Snatched Away!" in the Rapture and who is "Left Behind!" I'm afraid Pastor Smith is allowing his personal anthropocentric soteriology (aka Arminianism) to reveal itself again at this point. Think about this for a moment. One of the purposes of the Rapture is for Christ Jesus (the bridegroom) to come and take the Church (His bride)away... Read more ›
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