An Open Letter to William Luke, wits_@hotmail.co.uk
Dear Brother Luke,
Thank you so much for writing the excellent book “Revelation Now.” I have been a student of the end times subject for over 40 years. I have read scores of books on the subject and have heard many people expound their position. Nearly all Bible scholars and serious students of the Word agree that there is coming a time ( 7 years) of tribulation on the earth – the 70th week of Daniel. They also agree that this is followed by a 1,000 year reign of Christ, then the Great White Throne Judgment, and then eternity with the new heavens and new earth (Is. 65; II Pet. 3, etc). They also agree that Jesus will come again as He promised to catch away His children and have the judgment seat of Christ. The second coming to catch away His bride is often called the “rapture.” There is great disagreement among believers about the timing of this blessed hope event. Some teach the rapture is pre-trib, some say mid-trib, some say post-trib, and some teach there is a split rapture where the mature believers are taken out pre-trib and the rest are killed for their faith during the tribulation time. They base this on the 2nd and 6th churches in Rev. 2 & 3 and the feast of the first fruits (Ex. 22:29; 23:19) where the early ripe grain is harvested and given to the Lord as a wave offering and the rest of the crop brought in a few weeks later when it ripens.
Each “camp” seems to have their proof texts and they hurl insults at the other groups for not seeing it the way they do. Countless books and movies have been made mostly supporting the pre-trib rapture theory. I have believed and taught this myself for 40 years, but have always said that I could not prove it from scripture. As you can see from my seminar, my teaching method is simple. If there are several theories about a subject that the Bible is not crystal clear on, give each theory and tell why I have chosen the one I believe, but don’t be dogmatic where there is room for doubt.
Aside from a few minor differences I may have with your treatment of the subject, I must say that your book is one of the very best I have ever seen on the subject of end times. I still have scores of questions about the details, but you have put it together very clearly for visual learners like me. Thanks.
I know that the pre-trib rapture position for all is the most pleasing to hear and I hope it is true, but the millions of believers in China, Russia, Muslim countries, and other places who are being persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith now (see www.persecution.com etc.) feel that they are in the tribulation time and wonder how the soft American believers will handle it when their turn comes in the very near future! We will see. Millions have also foolishly set hard dates like the Millerites in 1840’s and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some have even denied the tribulation or millennium altogether. They are in for a real surprise!
Having spent thousands of hours and dollars putting together visuals for my seminar, I understand both the work involved and the results it brings. Your visuals to explain Revelation are fabulous! I have spent lots of time studying them to digest all the details and truths they contain. There is a LOT of information on each one, and they are very well thought out. Thanks!
I am writing to not only thank you, but also to encourage everyone interested in prophecy and learning about What’s Next to get your book and read it carefully. I will also encourage CSE to get and carry your book in our bookstore and on our web site. God told us a lot about the future and we would be fools to not study what He said and prepare for it. Based on my 40 year study of this topic I fee that you have presented the book of Revelation and the end times as clearly and as accurately as any book I have ever seen. Keep up the great work for the Lord! I have only preached in Northern Ireland one time, but maybe when this time of testing is over for me, I will get back over there and be able to meet you.
In Christ,
Kent Hovind
Dr. Kent E. Hovind is currently at the Edgefield Federal Correctional Institution in South Carolina. Please send postcards and letters to:
Kent E. Hovind #06452-017
FPC Edgefield D-2
P.O. BOX 725
Edgefield, SC 29824
Feel free to send Dr. Hovind a letter or postcard. Please understand he is not able to answer every letter he receives, but he certainly appreciates any support and encouragement. He can also receive new books, but only directly from bookstores. And no hardcover books are allowed. No DVDs, CDs, or anything hard or sharp such as staples, etc (no tracts with staples in them). Do not send more than one tract at a time, as all gifts containing more than one tract will not be allowed. Do not put “Dr.” on his name, or it may be discarded by the guards. They do not always return postal items that are not delivered to inmates, so you may want to save a copy before mailing, so that you might try again in the event that he was recently moved for example.
Please write with the understanding that whatever you write could be subject to monitoring by the guards. Please do not write politically-charged or tax-related comments, etc. In the event that Dr. Hovind is moved to another facility, one can always check for his current address by using the Inmate Locator on the Bureau of Prisons website:
http://www.bop.gov/
Encouraging comments on this blog are greatly appreciated, and Dr. Hovind does read all approved comments.
From the CSE team,
Thank you for your continued support.
Thanks for the wonderful ministry for us to reach out to specific inmates! Please give us more names so we can reach our further!
Brother Hovind..
Stand firm.. you are well thought off.. well missed..
We greatly anticipate your release.. God will do wonders with you after this..
Be strong and of good courage…
Love in Christ..
The Synard Family.
Hope all is well Mr Hovind… thanks for the preview on this book. Any chance you have heard of or read the book ” The Final Quest” by Rick Joyner ? I have heard some questionable things about the author but I hear good things about the book. Take care ….. we will continue to pray for you
Dr. Hovind we are so grateful for you. Many years ago you came to speak at our church in Southern California and you taught us so very much. I can say that now, almost ten years later, my now grown sons still think you are an awesome man and an incredible teacher. You have touched and changed the thinking of our entire family. May God bless you and strengthen you during this time. I know… that you know… that you are sitting in the palm of HIS mighty hand. Thank you for for blessing us.
M. Smith and family
Kent, you said in the above, “Some teach the rapture is pre-trib, some say mid-trib, some say post-trib, and some teach there is a split rapture where the mature believers are taken out pre-trib and the rest are killed for their faith during the tribulation time.?”
I was taught most of my life that there will be a pre-trib rapture and I taught it for years but I do not believe it now since I have studied the subject more. I believe in what you called a “split rapture” but NOT just for the “mature believers” BUT ALL believers walking in the faith. We are commanded time and time again in the word to be ready, to walk worthy. God is talking to believers NOT unbelievers. So even though we have been made worthy by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to WALK worthy, to be ready. That tells me based on what I see in the word of God that we are called to walk as we have been made by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. AND as I walk in faith, I accomplish that command. Faith is what pleases God and as we seek his face in faith, we receive, hear from and walk in God. He has furnished all that we need or desire as we look to him. God gives us all that we need to follow and obey him so it is not for the “select”. We can all walk as he commands us to do. I also went deep into that subject when I was teaching that we are not under the law of God but the grace of God. I hope to have the videos on my web site in the near future. Since Google quit taking videos I am looking for somewhere else to put them. I think that I can put them on YouTube even though they are more than 10 minutes apiece. They average 30 minutes a piece. Anyway, the Lord will work it out as I look to him.
Well that was a short summary of my thoughts on this subject and I know I have left many loose ends with the few words that I said above. I hope the videos will explain my position better when I get them on the web. I am still praying for you. I hope you are praying for me and my family. I haven’t seen my children in over 2 1/2 years. My wife keeps them from me. She has turned back to the world system. I love her bunches but I told her that I don’t want to live her new lifestyle, deathstyle with her. She found a boyfriend that does and it is our kids who will pay the most. I hurt and cry, pray for them all the time.
God raised up a heathen “king” to destroy this nation just as he raised up heathen kings when the Jews turned their backs on him in the Old Testament.
Ekkman
Brother Kent….my dad told me about your seminars a couple years ago before his death when i was new in Christ.Shortly after his death i received your seminars….they greatly built on my faith!Thank you so much you are forever in my prayers….I will as well tell all my friends at church to pray for you whenever they think of you brother!I love you thanks and GOD bless you!!!!
Ritchie
Kent
I reread what I wrote to you and I feel that I need to make a few more comments. I believe those walking ready, walking in the Lord Jesus Christ or to say “walking in the faith” will go at the beginning and those walking in the flesh will get a time to repent and they will go in the middle of the great tribulation. I cannot see a post trib period. Anyway, we are pleasing to God when we walk in the faith once delivered to the Saints. I believe that John shows this by the Spirit based on Rev. 4:1 where God says, “Come up hither…” John is a picture, a type, of the church walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, listening to his voice and obeying him. Then the tribulation starts and he (John) is in heaven watching it, so to speak. Now I get to the approximately the middle of the tribulation period and we see the two witnesses that God raised up to speak for the Lord Jesus Christ. They are killed for the faith, a type of picture of believers who got ready and then we see that they are taken up, a voice from heaven says, “Come up hither…” I see the same thing that happened to John happen to the two witnesses.
Noah walked with God and his family, they are taken out before the wrath of God was “poured” out on a world that rejected him, the same is true of Lot and his family. Those who obeyed God were delivered, Lot’s wife wasn’t. She looked back. We are to put our hands to the plow and not look back but forward to what the Lord is going to do as we “look” to him.
Faith is a noun and believe is a verb. Believeth is to believe, it is a present tense form. If I am a believer then people should see that in me. If I am an “unbeliever” then people will “see” that in me too. Example: If I am living in fornication, lying, cheating, stealing, etc then I am living as an unbeliever. On the same note, if I am walking in holiness, righteousness, love, gentleness, etc then I am walking as a believer. Our lives show what we believe. I like what Foxe said and it is quoted in Gail Riplinger’s book, In Awe of Thy Word on page 589. “…[Works] do not make a man good or bad, they only make it plain to other men whether the man who performs them is good or bad.”
But even that statement can be misconstrued. We take about anything a man or woman says and twist it to say something they did not mean.
I know that much more could be said but I hope that I made it a little clearer where I was coming from in my previous post. I know that you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon, super soon but as I tell others if I knew that he was coming tomorrow at 6:00am I would still hurt (probably even more so) for my kids, family and friends, and enemies that I have shared with who don’t know the Lord or even those who do but are in bad situations where they are hurting, confused and the like. I love you brother!
Ekkman
Sorry, the quote in Awe of They Word is at the top of page 590 but I was showing in context with what was said a sentence before it and that is at the bottom of page 589. Sorry again.
Ekkman
Dear Kent,
What could I possibly say to offer you comfort? I could quote a verse from the Bible but you probably know the Bible better than I.
Then let me tell you that because of your videos, I have developed more of an interest in science and I have been watching a lot of programs on you tube on science such as: black holes, white holes, singularities, dark matter, parallel universes, quantum mechanics and on people such as Copernicus, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking etc. I find it very interesting but without fail it imparts confusion in my spirit!
However, as I was placing one of your videos on my children iPod, as I have them watch your videos as part of their home school program, your words immediately seemed to cut through the endless scientific theories and atheistic conclusions.
So I wanted to send you this message and let you know that God seems to use you as my pfd (personal flotation device)!
PS. Thank you for reading and answering my letter that I sent you a few months ago. I hope that you again will let me know if this email reaches you but making any comments.
God bless, love & pax tecum,
TJ & Family
dear Br. kent,
Amen, Noah was lifted up over those waters, Rahab and her house was kept separate from what befell Jericho, Enoch was simply “not”, Elijah was lifted up before Ahab and Jezebel’s time expired, John was taken thru an open door at the sound of a trumpet like voice, Esther was somewhere in the inner sanctum to the King’s chambers, Joseph’s bride Asenath was in a special place before the revealing moment, and John again – “what’s it to you if he lives or dies?”, Lot was physically dragged away from it all, Daniel was mysteriously? out of there when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s trial day came. Joseph Mary and the young Jesus were “led away” to somewhere in Egypt, Crown Prince David was allowed to flee into a wilderness………
Brother Kent, the story of the faithful Centurion suggests that to be successful in middle management positions of authority one must pay attention to vertical command structures, any below and any above. God gave us these family units to build a Church, and Kingdom. None of which can replace any of the other. If a man’s authority over a Home cannot be acknowledged and respected in a judicial or legislative framework all workers in the judicial and legislative framework are apt to fail, and evidentially, to be washed away, literally or metaphorically.
When the backslidden church rolled over and accepted secular/ neo pagan interpretations and pronouncements on marriage and divorce; well there goes modern man, Western Civilization, kings and kingdoms, the failure is becoming more spectacular by the day. An antichrist might give them the delusion of a moments reprieve however – fool’s gold always was
the good news is one need not go with them…..
hope this finds you thankful, even after all
Hovind, I am so thankful for you and your ministry! We have copied and given out well over 1,000 of your seminars over the past few years and have been blessed to watch so many people see the truth of Gods word through your seminar! We pray daily for the Lord to deliver you from this trial. I wanted to let you know while I dont agree with pre-trib (I used to, now I believe post-trib… and hope I am wrong!
Never have I really wanted to be wrong!) I admire the fact you dont jump on people who dont agree, few people are even willing to listen to a different theological point, its almost lile debating creation with an evolutionist at times. My opinion on all theology is that you should always be able to empty yourself of what you ‘know’ and look again with fresh eyes, 2 possibilites will happen, you will come to the same conclussion or your opinion will change, I would still be an evolutionist Christian if I didnt think like that! Thank you for not condemning us who dont agree! Were praying for your soon freedom! The Hoskins family 
Brother,
Like yourself, I am a pre-Trib believer, and I have many reasons to
believe that Jesus Christ will rapture his true church, and snatch us away
before the Great Tribulation.
Here are some of the reasons I give to people:
1 Thessalonians 1:10 (Amplified Bible)
10 And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead–Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and [a]draws us to Himself [[b]investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah].
Prior to GOD’s Wrath coming down He allowed Noah and his family to escape, prior to GOD’s Wrath coming down He allowed Lot and his wife to escape from the fate of Sodom and Gomorah, and prior to GOD’s Wrath coming down He allowed His People to pass thru the Red Sea, and the He drowned the army of the evil pharoah of Egypt.
John 14:3 “I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”, and of course
the passage in 1 Cor 15:51-53.
I believe this passage along with Philipians 4:21 / 1 Thes 4:13-18, shows that His army of believers
from the past and the present will transform and go with Him to heaven, eat the marriage feast of the Lamb, prepare for war, and return with Him at His Second Coming.
Of course there will be no contest! Revelation 19:11-21 (KJV)
God Bless brother! You are always in my prayers, and thoughts as I witness for the LORD. Soon we will meet Him in the air, and evermore we will be with the LORD. I hope your fellow inmates received the letters I mailed.
In His Love,
Terry Burton
We love your studies, Dr. Hovind. We have also ben listening to a man on TBN named Grant Jeffries. He believes the “Rapture” will be pre-trib as you do (& so do we). Grant give two sources that he has studied as the best to explain the timing of the rapture. He quoted Ephraim the Syrian (373 A.D.) “The Lord will descend and call His Church up BEFORE (emphasis mine) the confusion of the tribulation.” He follows this with I Thess. 1:10 “Wait for the Son from Heaven, Jesus, who will deliver us FROM the wrath to come.”
What do you think? Love ya!
brother Kent,
\
I imagine you are getting quite busy really with all the mail, but a look at the “Midnight hour” is also instructive to the rapture.
I forgot these two more types at least exist. Gentile Bride Ruth going to lay at Boaz’ feet in the threshing room at the midnight hour and also the prison doors being opened then.
we have a hope, an inextinguishable hope………..
your prison is temporal, their’s may be eternal
for Jesus’ Name:PhillipGeorge ©1974-2009
Said this on November 28th, 2009 at 7:25am:
dear Br. kent,
“…
When the backslidden church rolled over and accepted secular/ neo pagan interpretations and pronouncements on marriage and divorce; well there goes modern man, Western Civilization, kings and kingdoms, the failure is becoming more spectacular by the day. An antichrist might give them the delusion of a moments reprieve however – fool’s gold always was
the good news is one need not go with them……”
Phillip George said a mouth full here and me thinks he is correct, to coin a phrase! He said more that was good in this post but I am just focusing on this part for now.
Jesus is Lord, he loves us and he is coming soon for those who are his, those who are born of his Spirit and washed in his blood, those who are walking in the faith.
Ekkman
DR. Hovind, I often wonder too how, “The soft American believers will handle it when our turn comes in the very near future!”
The yelling of some preachers, The shouting of the audience … “When men & and women dressed all in black carrying weapons” tell you move, and don’t give you a legitimate reason, and we start crying our “Constitutional Rights”"THEN WHAT”?
What did Jesus say … Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; (Notice it is the religious building that this suffering first happens) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
I too am a big fan of bro.hovind..i think his work for the Lord is awsome..but i do differ on his escatology..there is another “end time” theory..not many Christians are aware of it..but it can be proven Biblicly…Dr.Hovind says himself that he is “pre-Trib”..but can not “prove” this Biblicly..I want this to be stated..Kent Hovind is a EXCELLENT creationist,and is an expert on the subject…but if your looking for an “expert” on the “end times”..you need to go get the book Last Days Madness,by Gary Demar..His web site is Americanvision.org..if your truly interested in what the Bible has to say about the end times,look here..God bless..praying for CSE
Kent,
Kent,
In regards to Gary DeMar, he is of the Preterist view. They believe that the tribulation period has already passed. It happened in the Jewish war in 66-73AD, I guess. That was the 7 year tribulation period that covered the whole world? There are different views by different Preterists. I am not sure which view that DeMar holds off the top of my head. I haven’t read any of his literature in a few years now. Anyway, most of Revelation is over for most of them. It is mostly history not future events described therein. That is the purpose of his book, “Last Days Madness”. “Most” of them, I guess, would say that Jesus is reigning now. They view what we call the “rapture” as the final resurrection, which is still future to them. Regarding 666 and the anti-Christ, I would guess most of them believe it was Nero but not all of them. They basically believe that we have a “too literal” view of the bible, hence, we are into the last day madness. I tend to believe that by the time that Obama is through with us, they too will “believe” in a “last day madness”, so to speak. I tell the ones that tell me that Jesus is ruling and reigning now, in this world system, he is doing a bad job, to say it lightly.
Just a few thoughts on Gary DeMar and the Preterist view.
A whole lot more could be said, I hope I didn’t misrepresent them. It has been a while since I talked to any with that view.
Ekkman
In the last 2000 years there have been many nations that have turned there back on God.God said whoa to the nation that turns there back on Him! I’m sure that it must have felt like the end of the world was coming for them when God removed his grace..America is rejecting God at a high rate of speed,no doubt..and we can simply look at history to see our fate..but it does not mean that the entire created world is over..But,God said that if that country will turn from it’s evil ways,and repent..that God will restore his grace and be their God once again..If we as Christians are always just looking to the clouds for the rapture,our country is going to fall..Jesus paid it in full..It IS finished..the war is won..BUT,,we are left here to rule and reign,with him…with the power of the Holy Spirit..and as Christians we haven’t been doing that..We as Christians should be taking control..of our lives,,of our families,of our communities,of our cities,of our states,of our nation,and of our world..Jesus prayed..”let God’s will be done on EARTH as it is in Heaven”..We have the power through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to do God’s will..If Christians will take dominion,and grab the power that Jesus gave us,,we might see “the end”, were ALL looking for..God bless