Antichrist Before the Day of the Lord

Book excerpt: Many of us have been told that we will be "raptured out of here before the Antichrist arrives." But what if this is wrong? Is this really what the Bible teaches? In this thought-provoking and freshly examined account on the second coming of Christ, Alan Kurschner traces the key topics and passages, providing compelling biblical evidence that the church will first encounter the Antichrist's great tribulation before Christ returns to rapture his people and judge the world. Jesus warns us, "Remember, I have told you ahead of time" (Matt. 24:25). And Paul cautions us, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for that day will not arrive until the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Antichrist] is revealed, the son of destruction" (2 Thess. 2:3). Since Jesus and Paul ominously warn us "ahead of time," should this not be an urgent message the church needs to hear? Are we spiritually preparing our hearts to be "overcomers" for what may soon come to pass? Some topics in the book include: Antichrist's Great Tribulation, Jesus' Olivet Discourse, Beginning of Birth Pangs, The Apostasy and Revelation of the Antichrist, The Archangel Michael the Restrainer, The Seven Seals, The Rapture of God's People, Celestial Disturbance Event, Sixth Seal Signals Impending Wrath, The Shekinah Sign, "Gather His Elect", The Thessalonian Letters, Where Do Believers Go after the Rapture?, Four Reasons the Rapture Is in Matthew 24:31, The Jewish Remnant Protected for Future Israel, The Day of the Lord that Jesus Knew, Jesus on Back-to-Back Rapture and Wrath, Seventh Seal Pronounces Wrath, Seven Tormenting Trumpets of God's Wrath, Blitzing Bowls and Battle of Armageddon, Key Terms Related to the Return of Christ, Parallels between Jesus and Paul, Proposed Structure to the Book of Revelation, Expectancy Not Imminency, What Did the Early Church Believe? Also included: Kurschner engages his end-time theology (eschatology) of the prewrath perspective with other positions such as pretribulationism, posttribulationism, and preterism.