PWMI

Is it true that the Spanish Jesuits Alcazar and Ribera formulated respectively the Preterist and Futurist interpretations of the book of Revelation?

Is it true that the doctrine of the ^‘Secret Rapture’ arose in the 19th century as new ideas spread by Maitland, Darby and Irving, who absorbed the Jesuit teachings of Ribera and Lacunza?

A preacher once spoke about the church being a parenthesis, what did he mean?

THE  word parenthesis is not specifically a theological term; strictly speaking it refers to a bracketed phrase or word in a sentence. It is more loosely used in chronological terms to describe a period between two points of time. It is used in this connection by those holding to a pre-millennial futurist interpretation of prophecy.

The preacher who used the word to describe the church was undoubtedly endeavouring to show the church's position in the chronological prophetic timescale, particularly in relation to God's plan and purpose for the Jewish nation.

The parenthetical idea of the church is best understood and most closely associated with the prophecy of seventy weeks in Daniel. To understand its meaning we must look at the prophecy in closer detail.

Who are the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation - Will they be Jehovah Witnesses?

The people mentioned in the question will most certainly be Jehovah's Witnesses in the truest sense of the words. But let me emphasise that they bear no relation whatsoever to the followers of the Watchtower Tract Society who meet in Kingdom Halls.

The J.W.s or Millennial Dawnists, as they are sometimes called, are a spurious and heretical cult who deny many of the foundational truths of scripture. By contrast, the 144,000 will be true men of God who will give faithful witness to Jehovah Himself. To understand who these people are and exactly what there function will be we need to consider three things.

Firstly, we must look at their chronological appearance; secondly, their genealogical background; and thirdly their eschatological role. All of this can be gleaned from the two short passages in which they are mentioned - Revelation 7 v. 1-8 and 14 v. 1-5.

The partial rapture theory is not a widely held one but it is gaining some popularity; especially among some extreme charismatic groupings.

The parable of the virgins is just one of a number of scriptures used by proponents of this theory in support of their particular belief.

Partial Rapturists will seize hold of particular verses and use them as proof texts. Such verses centre on the idea of 'watchfulness' and 'readiness' - sentiments held, of course, by all believers of the imminent return of the Lord.