Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 02:5 (Jun 1998)
Article: Correction
Author: Anonymous

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CTJ 2:5 (June 1998) p. 100

Correction

In the December 1997 edition of The CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, we wrote that RobertVan Kampen. in his book The Rapture Question Answered Plain & Simple, misquoted Dr. John F. Walvoord in his earliest edition of The Rapture Question.

Van Kampen wrote that Walvoord said “… neither posttribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the Scriptures. The Bible does not, in so many words, state either?”

For the article, “‘A Response to Van Kampen’s Book “The Rapture Question,’” I searched high and low for a copy of Walvoord’s book that would show that quote. I found none, I stated the same in the article. I even talked with Dr. Walvoord and Dr, Richard Mayhue. The exact quote could not be found.

But a critic of the article and a supporter of Van Kampen said that a copy was found at the library of Dallas Seminary. From the first printing, a 1957 copy was discovered that had originally been published by Dunham Publishing Company. The statement was in that original volume but pulled by Dr. Walvoord in later editions that were published by another press.

In my December article on Van Kampen’s book I stated honestly that we attempted to find the quote.. I even gave the quote some benefit of the doubt by stating “in the quotes, or misquotes …”. So in this sense we stand corrected. Dr. Walvoord, over forty years ago, did print that statement. However, later he realized it was an over-statement or could be taken wrongly, and he removed the statement from the book. Critics of pretribulationism latched hold of the statement to use against the doctrine. Of course they fail to mention that the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is also a doctrine of which no one verse may adequately demonstrate, but yet a whole series of verses clearly prove the doctrine.

However, in my article I politely disagreed with Dr. Walvoord. I believe there are verses that explicitly teach pretribulationism I cite 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 and 5:9.

Several points need to be made: (1) The critics fail to finish what Dr. Walvoord started on page 148 of that first book. He wrote “Pretribulatiomsm is based on the fact that it allows a harmony of the Scriptures relating to tile second advent. The separation of the translation [Rapture] from the return of Christ to earth permits each of the two events, so different in character, to have their own places.” (2) Critics fail to deal with far more important doctrinal, grammatical, contextual, and ether historical elements that demonstrate the truth of pretribulationism (3) They imply that pretribulatiolalists, like myself., t...

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