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AbideinHim
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Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Corrie Ten Boom & the Rapture

“CORRIE TEN BOOM & THE RAPTURE”
(She wrote this letter from China to America’s Pastors in 1974)

My sister, Betsy, and I were in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck because we committed the crime of loving Jews. Seven hundred of us from Holland, France, Russia, Poland and Belgium were herded into a room built for two hundred. As far as I knew, Betsy and I were the only two representatives of Heaven in that room.

We may have been the Lord's only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, "In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We too, are to be overcomers – bringing the light of Jesus into a world filled with darkness and hate.

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured." Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, "We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution, rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes, – to stand and not faint."

I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next.

Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus' sake, and since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think, "Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation." Then I write it down and learn it by heart.

When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, "Nothing could be any worse than today." But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy.

"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part evil is spoken of, but on your part He is glorified."
(I Peter 3:14)

I found myself saying, "Hallelujah! Because I am suffering, Jesus is glorified!"

In America, the churches sing, "Let the congregation escape tribulation", but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived. This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation.

Several years ago I was in Africa in a nation where a new government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they arrived they were arrested and that same night they were executed. The next day the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day it was the same. All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.

The fourth day, I was to speak in a little church. The people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, "Will this one I am sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?"

The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.

"When I was a little girl, " I said, "I went to my father and said, "Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ." "Tell me," said Father, "When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?"

"No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train."

"That is right," my father said, "and so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need – just in time…"

My African friends were nodding and smiling. Suddenly a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began singing, " In the sweet, by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore." Later that week, half the congregation of that church was executed. I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.

But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would give a crown of life.

How can we get ready for the persecution?

First we need to feed on the Word of God, digest it, make it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in our lives.

Next we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History, but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive
and sitting at the right hand of God.

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is no optional command of the Bible, it is absolutely necessary. Those earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO STAND IN THE TRIBULATION WITHOUT IT.

In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and encourage each other. But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting. The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian's life.

Many are fearful of the coming tribulation, they want to run. I, too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years, including the horrible Nazi concentration camp, that I might have to go through the tribulation also. But then I read the Bible and I am glad.

When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy and I were prisoners for the Lord, we were so weak, but we got power because the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you. For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left me, or let me down.

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him", (Job 13:15) for I know that to all who overcome, He shall give the crown of life. Hallelujah!"
- Corrie Ten Boom - 1974


_________________
Mike

 2021/10/24 9:54Profile
staff
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Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re: Corrie Ten Boom & the Rapture

Hi Abideinhim,
I think the two quotes below by Corrie sum up why Corrie understood "Tribulation" very well but did'nt understand at all end times and the period of time called "The Great Tribulation"
It also explains in large part why Post Tribulation believers don't understand Pre Tribulation believer's view of the rapture and of suffering.
Corrie's end times view of the tribulation is wrong because she bases her gospel on experience rather than scripture.
i.e she quotes the experience of what happened in China and of what happened in Nazi concentration camps and makes a doctrine out of those experiences rather than getting her doctrine from the bible.
Post Tribulation believers need to stop using experiential doctrine and use biblical exegesis to make their argument.
On the other hand just because Corrie Ten Boon does not make a scriptural argument doesn't mean that the post trib view is right or wrong ,it just means her argument and her logic is flawed and wrong and it may be that someone could make that argument more successfully from scripture,urs staff



"We may have been the Lord's only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, "In the world you shall have tribulation"
In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured." Then came a terrible persecution.


 2021/10/24 18:58Profile
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re:



Staff,

I lean towards post-trib but you ALWAYS seem to join these discussions telling us "what we believe." But you don't know what we believe because even you don't believe it.

//Corrie's end times view of the tribulation is wrong because she bases her gospel on experience rather than scripture.//

I will dare to say (in love) that Corrie's end time beliefs are MORE scriptural than yours are any day of the week.

//In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured." Then came a terrible persecution.//

I was sitting in Bible study the other day and one woman asked "what is tribulation?" Another woman (pre-trib) said to her and the whole class, "Don't worry about the tribulation, you won't be here."

I see that you usually lump all post-trib believers together so you will have to lump yourself with all pre-trib believers, including this woman. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!!

With that behind us, let's go on. I teach (to my church pre-tribber friends) that for the last 2000 years, much suffering and tribulation in the name of Jesus HAS INDEED occurred but not that of the Great Tribulation because, of course, that hasn't happened yet.

In my Sunday school class I tell them, "Don't ever tell anyone, "Don't worry about the tribulation, you won't be here." Because for the last 2000 years, we have been here and we have suffered greatly.

A recent book that I read is "Tortured for His Faith" by Haralan Popov. And this book is only a whopping .99 cents on Kindle! He was here for HIS tribulation. He wasn't here for the Great Tribulation but he suffered at the hands of the Communists for 15 years for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Staff, you really need to stop judging post-trib christians and telling us what we supposedly believe. Or just lump yourself in with all the other pre-trib christians. If we are the same, then so are you all.

Love you in Christ brother!!

Lisa


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Lisa

 2021/10/28 15:25Profile
staff
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Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re:

Hi Lysa

You also are using experience like Corrie to prove that Post Tribulation view is correct .Instead of showing scripture you are proving a point with a situational occurrence.My point is clearly that Corrie Ten Boon's end time view on the rapture in the original post is based on her experience.
ie because she experienced x y and z then there can not be a pretrib rapture .Most Post tribulation believers on SI usually dont comment on the main points I am making for obvious reasons.

1
Tribulation is not the period of time called The Great Tribulation
2
Pre Tribulation believers do understand Suffering and Persecution as it relates to normal Christian life and even if they dont it can be in no way used to prove that the Pretrib view is incorrect.All it proves is that some pre trib believers may have doctrinal error and are confusing tribulation with the great tribulation as Post Tribulation believers do as well.
3
Persecution is not the the period of time Called The Great Tribulation.

Your Qoute


I was sitting in Bible study the other day and one woman asked "what is tribulation?" Another woman (pre-trib) said to her and the whole class, "Don't worry about the tribulation, you won't be here."

I see that you usually lump all post-trib believers together so you will have to lump yourself with all pre-trib believers, including this woman. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!!

Corrie Ten Boon has been used over and over and over again to promote an Anti Pre trib rapture view and even a simple look over her teachings on the endtimes shows that she uses experiential doctrine as a basis for her doctrine.
It is my view that Post Trib believers should argue from scripture as should Pre Trib believers ,
urs staff


 2021/10/28 16:49Profile
murrcolr
Member



Joined: 2007/4/25
Posts: 1839
Scotland, UK

 Re:

There is a lot of tension -

A victorious end time church rev 15:2 - but a church that suffers Rev 6-9 "when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held"

A church that praying calling down judgement - And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. Rev 8:4

Great blessing - Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Rev 14:13

But great wrath - And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God Rev 14:19

What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

John says "you know"

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb Rev 4:17

The - glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish a bride fit for the King of Heaven.


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Colin Murray

 2021/10/29 17:36Profile
staff
Member



Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re:

Hi Murrolr,
The point is here you are making a case by using scripture but Corrie Ten Boon did not.Corrie used her experience of Nazism and China as a basis for her belief.
The Corrie Ten Boon letter to the Pastors has been used by Post Trib believers not because of its correct form of exegesis but because of Corrie's fame, to add weight to their argument.

If you had said that Corrie's form of exegesis is wrong but here are some scriptures to prove the Post Trib view I would except your post without comment,
urs staff

 2021/10/29 18:26Profile





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