I wanted to share a reply from a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher to this question I sent to several people:
"Where in scripture do we find the last trump spoken of in 1 Cor 15:52, so we can get a time for its sound?"
1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
In response to the question, I had a ‘mid-Acts’ preacher write to me about 1 Cor 15:23, and say that, "The coming of the Lord here at the end of the 70th week of Daniel is not well received by the nations. No problem, as He will deal with them in wrath." I could say that I agree with that. I believe that the Lord will come at the end of the 70th week of Daniel.
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher also said that, "The last trump of 1 Cor 15:52 is spoken of in 1 Thess 4:16-17. The time of its sound is 1 Cor 15:23 "they that are Christ’s at his coming" This is where 1 Thess 4:16-17 occurs." Hey, I agree with that, too .... but as we go on, you will see that the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher does not agree with himself. He double-talks!
Now let’s read the passage:
1 Cor 15:23-28 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end,
when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
He also wrote, "It’s my position that the series of trumps in the book of Revelation do not occur in the dispensation of grace. They are part of the Prophetic Program John records in the book of Revelation." I do not agree with that. Here is where he begins to tie himself in a knot.
He wrote, "1 Cor 15:52 does not refer to the 1st resurrection of the dead (at the beginning of the 1000 years) nor the 2nd resurrection of the dead (after the 1000 years are finished). 1 Cor 15:52 pertains to the resurrection in 1 Thess 4:16-17. This resurrection ends the dispensation of grace." Right there he just ‘invented another resurrection’ .... ‘a different resurrection’ .... to end the dispensation of grace .... that he does not count .... that he says comes BEFORE the 1st resurrection.
He wrote, "The resurrection of when they reign with Christ in the 1000 years occurs at the end of 1 Cor 15:24. This is the resurrection of Rev 20:5 referred to as the 1st resurrection. It is the first one in the time frame covered (the 70th week of Daniel) - it occurs at the end of the 70th week."
He wrote, "Paul covers the order of the resurrection for us, the body of Christ, in 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Thess 4:16-17, and 1 Cor 15:52. This resurrection ends the dispensation of grace and then God will resume the prophetic program."
He wrote of 1 Cor 15:23, "they that are Christ’s at his coming" (See Thess 4:16-17 and 1 Cor 15:52, which ends the dispensation of grace and triggers God’s resumption of His Prophetic Program.)
1 Cor 15:23-24 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher thinks ‘this coming’ is a ‘non-counted’ resurrection at the ‘rapture’ that ends the dispensation of grace. Then AFTER ‘this secret coming’ .... he inserts ‘7 plus’ years .... for what-’mid-Acts-ers’-call a ‘prophesied GAP’ of ? number of years, PLUS the 70th week of Daniel’s 7 years. THEN .... AFTER THAT, he says it will be the end .... and AFTER 'THE END' .... there will be a totally DIFFERENT resurrection (even though the VERSE does not mention one) at the END of verse 24:
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (Here he puts the ‘first’ resurrection of Rev 20:5)
Of 1 Cor 15:24, he wrote, "Note this is the time frame for Rev 19:19 through Rev 20:5 and the first resurrection. The book of Revelation pertains to the 70th week of Daniel and occurs after the end of the dispensation of grace."
I quoted the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher’s exact words, because I printed his e-mail. Now, in the words of Sir Walter Scott, I quote,
"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive."
2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Whether ‘mid-Acts’ preachers are deceiving people knowingly (realizing how irrational and unsupported their ridiculous claims are) or unknowingly (they themselves are deceived) .... either way .... they are teaching deception!
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
