Hank Hannegraff’s denial of the rapture being the resurrection

Many know him for refuting the word faith movement (others did the research and he produced the book which soured him into fame.)

Hank Hannegraff is found correcting Benny Hinn about the catching up is nearly upon us (meaning the rapture). Certainly everyone should question Hinn on anything he teaches, especially. But what Hank says should be questioned by Scripture as well. Hank comments, is this an idea taught in the history of the church. the answer to this is fairly recent, He says no, “it is a 19^th century idea.”

Actually Hank is wrong, it is a doctrine and it has been taught throughout the churches history along with the timing of the resurrection, and what is disturbing is that he knows this. But as a preterist he cannot face it. He knows there are three distinct timings for this event. Hanegraff seems to disagree with not one, but them all. He says The revelational rapture theories being peddled by the benny hinns of this world taught us that God has two distinct people with 2 distinct plans and two distinct destinies.”

Well let me clue you in Mr. Hannegraff - he does have distinct plans for the church and for Israel; they are not the same. Israel is to go through the Tribulation to repent and be saved as a nation (Zech.12:10), the Bible does not have this future of testing for the church.

The church is going to be raptured (I believe 7 years prior to the 2 ^nd coming of Christ) and during this time of tribulation the Jews will suffer horribly (that’s is what the Scripture says). you may disagree with the timing but you cannot make up your own facts on it.

Hanegraff shows us he does not understand what he tries to refute. Not all who agree on a rapture are categorized with Benny Hinn, but to deny a tribulation for the Israel can be just as damaging.

If Hanegraff believed the Bible the way it was written he would not stumble over these doctrines clarity found in the Scripture multiple times.

Israel is not the church, and the Church does not replace Israel otherwise numerous prophecies will not be fulfilled. When it says all of Israel will be saved (Rom.11) is that speaking of the church? No, the church is already saved.

According Hanegraff all mortal living believers will stay mortal at ‘the resurrection’ or they will have to die to be raised in another resurrection. As a preterist he does not believe in a coming Tribulation with a literal antichrist and a newly built temple as Jesus taught in Mt.24 which is a necessity for prophecy to be fulfilled as it was written. Preterism means (most if not all of) Revelation basically all took place, which means we are experiencing the Millennium. Not what you thought it would be like, is it? In fact the Bible descriptions of the Millennium cannot be forced into anything of our day, it is more descriptive of after the coming Tribulation that Jesus warned would happen before he returns.

The main problem is that ‘a resurrection’ is only applied to those who died, so how do those who are living at the time become transformed with the dead? As stated in 1 Thess. 4:14-18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

This is not hard to understand, those who are alive at the Lords descent will participate with those who died, first being raised to immortality, transforming their corruptible bodies to be incorruptible first and are raised up to be with the Lord (caught up- rapture.) The Bible teaches Believers are to be taken away from earth, “to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thessalonians 4:17) he does not come back to earth, that is why it says to be caught “up.”

It is the event of the rapture/resurrection that will change our bodies to eliminate once and for all the effect of sin

In John 14 Jesus said, " I go to prepare a place for you. If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be als o." Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven, where He is now. And will come to take us there. In other words there will be a certain time in history when he will take the church away from the earth. This is a consistent teaching in the Scripture.

To reject the rapture you must also reject the resurrection because these are the same event, it is when God calls the dead and living to be transformed. (see http://www.letusreason.org/Biblexp21.htm )

The Bible tells us this is the same event/timing except those living do not die but participate in the same transformation to immortality a split second apart from those who died.

1 Cor. 15:51-54 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Biblically, Sleep is a synonym for death, (for when one dies the body looks as if it is asleep) But not all sleep but all will be changed – transformed to have a new non corruptible body like Jesus was raised in.

My refute here is not toward Benny Hinn who is nearly wrong on everything, but Hank Hanegraff who is called ‘the Bible answer man’ after Walter Martin left earth      ( the title ‘a bible answerman’ is more apropos)

Hannegraff is more wrong on this than Hinn but he is utterly convinced he is right. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFyFXkTYhQY) Which can lead to all kinds of problems, for example the belief in the rapture/resurrection actually protects us from accepting the wrong Christ. If we are anticipating (watching) for the Christ who takes us to heaven we cannot be deceived by the counterfeit that will rule on earth as the false Christ before the real one comes to establish his kingdom.

The longest living apostle penned these words in his epistle 1 John 3:2-3 “When He is revealed we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is, and everyone who has  this hope in Him  purifies himself, just as He is pure.” He who has “this hope” (looking forward to the Lord’s return) cleanses themselves (keeps himself from the pollution in the world). The purifying effect would make no sense if we were to think of this event as always so far away in the future.

 

Copyright (c) 2023 The material on our website can be copied and used in its original format Portions lifted from articles can be reproduced for ones personal use for witnessing or for teaching and apologetics.  Any other use, such as posting is to have the permission of Let Us Reason ministries.  If you have trouble printing an article please copy the web page. Highlight the text first - then click copy -  then paste the article into a word program on your computer.

We would like to hear from you. Please send us  an e-mail and let us know how we can be of any help.   Our time is just as valuable as yours.  Please keep in mind, that we only have time to answer sincere inquiries. We will use discretion in answering any letters.