Defining Our Terms: Some Examples and a Point

The faithful belief system of Christianity has a distinct lack of nuance not found in the first-century church environment. This is only my opinion, and certainly not to be taken as gospel or the right viewpoint. Doing this the justice it deserves in-depth would take a long, long time, so I’m going to skim the surface on defining terms.

But it seems to be true. Definitions matter, because meaning matters.

I will start with the example of the Day of the LORD. Most Christians imagine this to encompass all the End Times events, including the Great Tribulation, and the wrath of God.

However, searching through the text of the Scriptures leads us to find that when we compare multiple passages, the Day of the LORD starts with the Second Coming, and ends with the New Heavens and New Earth.

In other words, the Great Tribulation is before the Day of Yahweh, and the day Jesus returns to Earth is the start of the Day of Yahweh. It is not a 24-hour day, but rather, an extended period, as the Hebrew word, “yom,” allows. A splendid example of “yom” in action is the Book of Genesis’ creation account. The six days of creation are “yom” periods.

Most Christian sects merge these terms, but they aren’t equal. And if they aren’t equal, bad theology surfaces.

Leading from this idea, let’s explore the Great Tribulation. This is the earth-shattering persecution of the Antichrist in the End Times. What it does not describe, however, is the supernatural events of the trumpets and bowls. I know post-tribulation believers believe it all plays out over seven years, but the textual evidence suggests these events take place after the Second Coming.

The Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture are the same event, and it can’t be taken as a secret event. Plus, wouldn’t the common notion the Rapture happens before seven years of the worst time in history be suspiciously clear if a bunch of people went missing to unbelievers? The End Times will be full of deception, so having this event happen first doesn’t seem fitting to Satan’s agenda.

The Bible’s many passages describe the Second Coming as a universal, everyone-will-know-it-is-happening event. It can’t be missed. EVERY eye will see Jesus. How is this possible? With God, all things are possible. Simple as that. I don’t need another explanation. Omnipresent means what it means.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 [ESV]).

“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4-5 [ESV]).

These two passages prove the Rapture, and the resurrection of the dead, too, happens simultaneously. Notice those who are given life once more are those killed by the Antichrist and False Prophet. Then it says this is the first resurrection.

If the Rapture happened secretly, which Paul states includes the raising of the dead, you have a deadly problem with that theological paradigm. It is a severing blow that kills pre-tribulation thinking. This argument is impossible to defend against.

What follows this alleged secret event is the common notions of asteroids falling, demonic beings torturing mankind, and angels killing humanity in judgments from God, including 100-pound hailstones during a time the Antichrist rules for seven years.

That is what most people think of when they hear tribulation. Or, in their case, the Tribulation with a capital “T.”

But Jesus defines what this period is, and it means a great persecution for believers. The largest and worst Christian martyrdom happens during this time.

“For then there will be great tribulation (Greek: thlipsis), such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (Matthew 24:21 [ESV]).

The Greek word here means persecution or pressure, and even affliction. This does not mean God’s wrath, which is supernatural in the trumpets and bowls.

The Left Behind book might make good fiction, but that is what it is, fiction.

If we don’t define our terms correctly, we have large issues at play.

The common notion of a world on fire with demonic beings and loathsome sores doesn’t happen until after the Second Coming. The sixth seal is the Rapture, matching Jesus’s words in Matthew 24 about His coming. It is only after this seal is broken that we find the wrath of God being poured out in the trumpets and the bowls.

The Great Tribulation is an earthly and devil-inspired persecution unlike any in history. This is followed by God’s response in the wrath of God.

They are distinct.

Another term we need to define is Torah. Torah means instruction or direction, like shooting forth an arrow.

It does not primarily mean law. It gets a negative connotation using it that way.

Torah is instruction from God, not a horrible yoke of burdensome commands.

The New Covenant has a proper application of this Torah, minus certain ritual aspects and things that don’t always apply. Morality is forever, but the Levitical system is not.

All Christians should study the Torah, because it leads to understanding and wisdom. Psalm 119 gives the key aspect of God’s commandments.

They aren’t evil, but help us understand how to love God and others.

Defining our terms is important, because they keep the truth above all else when used in the right spirit.

When used wrongly, bad theology crops up, stopping the truth.

I might be mistaken, of course, and that’s okay if I aim to rectify it. But studying and learning from all viewpoints has helped me so much.

When we define our terms, though, we avoid myths like the horrible, supernatural destruction of the Left Behind version of the Great Tribulation, the made-up seven-year period (Daniel 9:27 is about Messiah, not the Antichrist), and the idea God’s moral commands are evil and burdensome.

I used an array of different words to make my point, but I hope it makes sense.

Defining our terms is important to keeping our faith and feet on the straight path.

But, more than this, it’s how we define our walk with God that ultimately matters.

If I recite Strong’s definitions like a play from memory, if I memorize what exact chapter and verse, if I define things correctly, what good does it do if I have not love and understanding?

Properly defining our terms is another avenue to helping us work on our walk so that we bless others who need to define their walks.

That, my brothers and sisters, is the ultimate aim of what we do.