Prophetic Witness PRINT subscription (UK) - April 2024.

Opening Gambits for Preaching Prophecy

by Donald CB Cameron.

If you preach only in congregations or assemblies where everybody is a Pre-Tribulationist, this article is not for you. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer churches that are largely Pre-Millennial, let alone Pre-Tribulationist.

But the real challenge is not so much how to preach the Lord’s return in the multitude of churches with Amillennial or Post-Millennial majorities, but rather, how to approach prophecy without switching your hearers off, or alienating them. It is also helpful to be aware of the main A-millennialist and Post Millennial assumptions, which are often the only courses left open to them when the obvious meanings of Scriptures are rejected.

I do not wish to concentrate here on the contrasts between A- and Post-Millennialism. If either leads to a failure to read the signs of the times and draw the attention of both believers and unbelievers to Christ’s Second Coming, they need to be challenged.

The first few sentences of a sermon can make a vast difference.

At one time, as a visiting preacher with no guarantee of a return invitation, I would almost immediately have mentioned the Rapture, and preached from first Thessalonians 4, or 1 Corinthians 15. I would have emphasised very quickly that our Lord is to come firstly for believers and only secondly to the Mount of Olives. After all, the Rapture is the next great event in God’s revealed programme, our blessed hope. We know that; but do they?

However Scripturally justified such an approach may be – and it is indeed Scripturally justified – there are other ways of attracting a congregation’s attention. I would like to share some of the lessons learned since 1953 when I first preached on the Lord’s return. It is easy for us to forget that our ‘prophetic vocabulary’, with words like: ‘millennium’ and ‘tribulation’, may not be familiar to them. They may not appreciate that the word ‘Rapture’ is simply another of those Latin derived terms like ‘Trinity’ and ‘incarnation’ – terms with which they have no difficulty. Call on the nearest Roman Catholic priest and ask to borrow a Latin Bible and turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and look at the word rendered ‘caught up’ in the AV, NKJV etc; it is raptare

Sadly our mentioning the Rapture automatically switches many off. It is far too miraculous for many minds – the act of millions of believers suddenly being caught up to Heaven alive. But we must not assume such a lack of faith in all who disapprove of the word ‘Rapture’. With such people it is probably better to begin with other prophetic passages, and only then build up to the contrasts between the Rapture and the Lord’s Coming in Power.

(Only part of this article is reproduced here).


Also in this edition

From The Editor.
Powerpoint - Iain Jamieson.
In Touch with the General Director.
Opening Gambits For Preaching Prophecy - Donald CB Cameron.
Signs of The Times - Tony Pearce.
What is Jesus Christ Doing Today? - (Part 2) - John Williams.
Anti-Semitism - (part 2) - Philip Jones.
Israel Desk - Tony Pearce.
Thirty Proofs of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture (part 4) - David Moore.
What In The World Is Happening? - Brian Papworth.
Church listings
‘What’s On?’
Book Of The Month.

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Prophetic Witness is full of prophetic, devotional and evangelical articles which will encourage and challenge you in your Christian life. Regular features include 'From Our Israel Desk' and 'Sign Of The Times' by Tony Pearce and 'What In The World Is Happening' by Brian Papworth from New Zealand.

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