At the 34th annual missions conference at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock Texas, March 13-15, 1995, the theme of the conference was "The Premillennial Second Coming Of Jesus Christ." Dr. Ken Johnson spoke on "The Imminent Pre-Trib Coming of Christ." The entire printed text of the sermon can be found on the Tabernacle Baptist Church website. It was published in tract form (#G-605), and may be ordered from Tabernacle Baptist Church, Lubbock, Texas.

Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) a Pre-Tribulationist?
After denouncing the work of post-trib writers, who have traced the origin of the pre-trib rapture back to Margaret MacDonald and the Irvingites around 1830, Johnson attempted to show that Baptists were pre-trib before Edward Irving and Margaret MacDonald.

Johnson stated, "History Will Show Baptists Are A Group These Writers Did Not Consult: Benjamin Keach plainly shows he preached and believed in a Pre-Trib Rapture though he believed in a historical application of Revelation and the second coming at the 7th trumpet:"  Johnson then provided the following quotes from Keach to support his claim that Keach was pre-trib.
"(1) 'His second personal coming I judge will be at the beginning of the thousand years reign, when 'God will tabernacle with men,...' Rev. 21:3."
"(2) 'There is a precursory coming of our Lord, (as one notes) or a most glorious spiritual coming, to set up a more visible and universal kingdom in this world, which will precede his personal appearance; which I take to be the beginning of the latterday glory, and which will be at the sounding of the 'Seventh trumpet,' for then Jesus Christ will begin His spiritual and more visible and glorious kingdom; or 'when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,' Rev. 11:15,18. One design of this coming of our Lord, is to destroy the son of perdition, and utterly to overthrow Mystery Babylon....Now it is partly this coming of Christ (I conclude) our Lord in the first place intends, though I will not exclude his personal appearance; for I see no reason to doubt, but that the precursory coming of the Lord Jesus is to prepare things for his personal appearance; when, (as a bridegroom) he will appear to celebrate the marriage with his beloved spouse. Yet his coming upon mystery Babylon, or by his bright appearance to destroy the son of perdition, may be distinguished from the coming last mentioned, thought both may be comprehended, or included by the Bridegroom's coming." [Benjamin Keach, Exposition Of The Parables, p.643]." Then Johnson adds, "THIS IS NEARLY 150 YEARS BEFORE THE 1830 DATE OF MARGARET MACDONALD." [bold and underline mine - TW, all caps - Johnson]

Ironically, while Johnson admits that Keach was a historicist, he also claims that he was a pre-tribulationist. This is an oxymoron. A historicist cannot be a pre-tribulationist, because historicists believe the tribulation began in the early Church period, and extends over many centuries of Church history, seeing most of Revelation already fulfilled. In order to also hold to a pre-trib rapture, a historicist would have to claim that the rapture occurred centuries ago!

Unfortunately, the quote Johnson provided, to support his claim that Benjamin Keach was a pre-tribulationist, proves no such thing. While Keach thought there was a "coming" of Christ between his first advent and His second coming to earth, he calls it a "spiritual" coming which will precede his "personal" appearance. By using the term "spiritual coming" in contrast to His "personal appearance," it is obvious that this prior "coming" is NOT a "personal" coming. Keach was speaking of an alleged work of Christ on earth through His Church as a "spiritual coming," which would mark "the beginning of the latterday glory" for the Church. Keach thought that this "spiritual coming" would be "to set up a more visible and universal kingdom in this world, ...  for then Jesus Christ will begin His spiritual and more visible and glorious kingdom." Keach thought that the "spiritual kingdom" was prepatory for the Millennium. It is clear from Keach's statement that the "spiritual coming" to establish a "spiritual kingdom" was a work wholly on earth, and had nothing to do with a bodily coming of Christ, physically taking the Church to heaven, or a resurrection of the dead in Christ. How Johnson gets a pre-trib rapture from Keach is anyone's guess.

Hansard Knollys (1598-1691) a Pre-Tribulationist?
Dr. Ken Johnson continues with another Baptist he claims was pre-trib. "Ivimey quotes Hansord Knollys, the date is 1689-1692, who states to the General Assembles at Curriers-Hall Cripplegate which is pastored by Knollys: "As Mr. Knollys has been stigmatized as of Fifth-Monarchy principles, and as the sentiments of many godly ministers upon that subject are but little known, the following extract from one of his works will explain them: 'That the next glorious appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be his virtual and spiritual coming [NOTE: Knollys is referring to the rapture as NEXT--KJ] in his saints and sanction (as the Bride groom of his church) to marry her sons (Isa. 62:4,5) and by them to reign over the nations with power and great glory a thousand years here on earth, Dan. 7:27. There are but three special kinds and times of Christ's coming. 1. His coming in the form of a servant in the days of his flesh, Phil. 2:9. 2. His coming as judge at the last day, when he shall judge the quick and the dead, (II Tim. 4:1) called his appearance the second time, Heb. 9:29. Both these are his personal appearances, or his coming in his own person. [NOTE: Knollys separates these--KJ.] But between these two appearances, or comings of Christ in his own person, there is witnessed by the holy prophets and apostles, and recorded in the holy Scriptures of truth, another kind of Christ's coming at another time. And that is His coming as the Bridegroom, and as the only Potentate, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, (I Tim. 6:14,15. Rev. 19:16) which is his virtual, spiritual, powerful, and glorious coming in his saints and sanction, and by them to marry his Jerusalem, Isa. 62:4,5. So shall thy sons marry thee, and with them to reign over the nations and kingdoms of the world a thousand years on earth, Rev. 10:15-17." [bold and underline mine - TW]. Johnson would like to paint Knollys as a pre-tribulationist. But it is quite clear from this quote, as well as what immediately follows (not quoted by Johnson), that Knollys was a post-millennialist. Knollys goes on to say, "It is the Duty of all Virgin professors, especially sanctified Believers, who are wise Virgins, to go out and meet the Bridegroom, when he comes by his spiritual power and glory in his Saints and Sanctions, to set up his Kingdom and to reign on Earth. ... [T]he God of Heaven will set (up) this Kingdom of Christ and his Saints in (the) days of those Kings of the fourth Monarchy that oppose him and his Saints, Dan. 2:24. And give it unto Christ as he is the Son of David, Luke 1:32,33. ... [W]hen Christ comes to set up his Kingdom and to reign on Earth Virtually and Spiritually in his Saints and Sanction, with power and great glory, it's the duty of all Virgin-professors, especially sanctified Believers, who are wise Virgins to go out to meet the Bridegroom, verse 6."

Johnson also seems to have completely overlooked Ivimey's statement that the quotation of Knollys was given to explain the views of the "Fifth-Monarchy." The Fifth Monarchy Men were a radical political-religous group who attempted to replace the British Parliament and establish the rule of Christ on earth through political reform and even force if necessary. Their full story can be found here.  Fifth Monarchists were by no means pre-tribulationists, futurists, or even pre-millennialists! While they expected the "return of Christ" to rule the earth for 1000 years, it was a "spiritual, virtual coming" — an empowerment of the Church to radically reform the British Empire to establish Christ's virtual rule on earth through the Church. In other words, it was the British Protestant version of the Roman Catholic Church-state, supposedly with Christ's Kingdom overthrowing the Roman "Antichrist" and a Protestant Great Britain ruling the world — the Throne of David being in London. Fifth Monarchists were seen as traitors, and several leaders were executed. Fifth Monarchists by no means held to a personal coming of Christ prior to the Millennium, nor Christ's taking of the Church to heaven. And they certainly did not foresee any kind of personal coming prior to the "tribulation" or events of Revelation 4-19.

Knollys' "coming" prior to the "second coming" was not a physical coming of Christ. The "next" coming of Christ was not the rapture, as Johnson claims. Knollys said this was "his virtual and spiritual coming IN his saints." Yet Johnson interrupts Knollys' sentence with his bracketed statement claiming that this is the "rapture" according to Knollys! Furthermore, Knollys clearly contrasted "His personal appearances, or his coming in his own person" (first and second comings) with His "next" coming which was to be "another kind of Christ's coming." He defined this "coming" as Christ's "virtual, spiritual, powerful, and glorious coming IN his saints." Obviously, Knollys was not referring to a pre-trib rapture. Both Keach's and Knollys' view, of a "spiritual coming" of Christ "in his saints," was the empowerment of the (Protestant) Church to establish the Kingdom on earth immediately after the fall of Rome's Church-state. This eschatology is much closer to the modern "Reconstructionist," "Joel's Army," and "Manifest Sons of God" post-millennial eschatology being promoted by some of the more radical Charismatic groups. It shares a similar view of the Kingdom with Roman Catholicism — the Church being the Kingdom without Christ's physical presence on earth.

Below is a lengthy excerpt from Hansard Knollys' Exposition of the Parable of the Ten Virgins (1674), more fully explaining his Baptist post-millennial eschatology.

"Introduction: The Lord Jesus Christ being asked by his Disciples what shall be the sign of his coming, chapter 24:3, answered and said, verse 12, Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold, and verse 21, Then shall be great Tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. So the Apostle testified also, 2 Tim. 3:1. But saith our Savior verse 29, Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, verse 30, Then shall appear (not the person but) the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven --- And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great Glory --- Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten Virgins, chapter 25:1." ...

"This is His Spiritual, Virtual, and Powerful Coming. I do believe and am persuaded that the coming of Christ (spoken of in this Parable, verses 6 and 10) is not the coming of Christ in his own person upon the Earth (though I do believe Christ will come the second time in his own person upon the Earth, Heb. 9:28, Zech. 3:4,5) but this is his virtual, spiritual, powerful and glorious coming in his Saints and Sanction as the Bridegroom of his Church, the new Jerusalem, who shall also come down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband. This is our David's Mystical Kingdom on Earth among his Saints, when HE shall be King of all the Earth, and all the Kingdoms of this world shall be Christ's. And when the Lord's redeemed Ones, whom HE has made Kings and Priests to God, shall have the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heaven given to them, and they shall reign on Earth. And the reasons grounded on Scripture are as follows. 1. Negatively. 2. Affirmatively.

Negatively. That the coming of Christ spoken of in the 6th and 10th verses of this Parable is not the coming of Christ in his own person upon the Earth. First, because at the personal coming of Christ on Earth, (called his appearing the Second time, Heb. 9:28) all his Saints shall come with him. ... Secondly, Because at the personal coming of Christ on Earth, will be the Universal Physical Resurrection of all that are dead. ... Thirdly, Because when Christ comes virtually and spiritually as the Bridegroom, then will begin the times of the Restitution of all things.

Objection: Does not this Opinion exempt and exclude Christ from Rule and Sovereignty in his Monarchical Kingdom on Earth, contrary to Rev. 20:4, They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years?

Answer: No. Consider first, Christ may be said to be with a person or people, and they with him virtually by his Spirit and power or his powerful spiritual presence. Isa. 57:15; 2 Cor. 6:16; Rev. 2:1; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12,13. As it is said, Jer. 8:9, Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in Her? though not personally, but spiritually.

Secondly, as Christ is said to be in his Mystical Kingdom the Church of God here on Earth, where his Laws, his Statutes and his Ordinances are dispensed in his Name, and by the power of his holy Spirit; even so will he be in his Monarchical Kingdom, the throne of his Father David here on Earth, Luke 1:32,33. And the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David. And he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end; not personally at the beginning of it, but virtually by his Laws, etc." [bold and underlining mine - TW]

Knollys was a post-millennialist, placing the resurrection of believers (and all the dead) at a general resurrection after the Millennium. He held to the Reformed view of the tribulation (historicism), seeing the Roman Church-State as the reign of the Beast. Christ's Millennial Kingdom was the virtual reign of Christ on earth vicariously through the Protestant Church. Rome was represented by the rule of the Beast. The rule of the Protestant Church-state follows the overthrow of the Roman Beast at Christ's "virtual - spiritual" coming. Christ's physical "second coming" would occur at the end of the Millennium.

Click here for Hansard Knollys "Exposition of the Parable of the Ten Virgins."

John Gill (1697-1771) a Pre-Tribulationist?
Next, Johnson attempted to connect Knollys' alleged "pre-tribulationism" to the famous Baptist scholar, John Gill. Johnson stated, "In Vol. II, p.358, Ivimey refers to Knollys and his pre-millennialism saying, '...It appears that his opinion on this subject was not different from that of Dr. Gill, and OTHERS' [emp. mine--KJ]. John Gill's (1697-1771) position is stated in his commentary in Vol. VI, p. 560 re. I Thes. 4:15: 'The apostle having something new and extraordinary to deliver, concerning the coming of Christ, the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the saints, the change of the living saints, and the rapture both of the raised and living in the clouds to meet Christ in the air, expresses himself in this manner...'" Johnson then concludes by saying, "This commentary was written over 50 years before the supposed revelation of Margaret Macdonald."

However, nothing Johnson cites indicates Gill understood 1 Thess. 4:15 in a pre-trib context. Johnson has attempted to link John Gill to pre-tribulationism by first claiming that Knollys was pre-trib (which he was not), and then citing a brief comment by Ivimey that both shared a similar eschatology. John Gill was NOT a pre-tribulationist, as Johnson would have us believe. A brief look at Gill's comments on several end-times passages proves that Gill was a historicist, not a futurist, and was post-trib. Johnson should go back to the previous verse and look at Gill's note on 1 Thess. 4:14. Gill put the rapture and resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium. Gill writes, "And the dead in Christ shall rise first; the same with those that are asleep in Jesus, (1 Thessalonians 4:14) not only the martyrs that died for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel; nor merely those who die in the lively exercise of faith in Christ; but all that die interested in him, and in union with him: and these shall "rise", in consequence of their being his; being given to him, made his care and charge, and engaged for by him, and in virtue of their union to him; and shall rise to an entire conformity to his glorious body, and in order to enjoy eternal life and glory with him: and these will rise "first", before the wicked, which is the first resurrection, (Revelation 20:5,6) even a thousand years before them; the righteous will rise in the morning of the resurrection, and so will have the dominion in the morning, (Psalms 49:14) even at the beginning of the thousand years, as soon as Christ will come; but the wicked will not rise till the evening of that day, or till the close of the thousand years: and this agrees with the notions of the Jews, who thought that some will rise before others;" (John Gill, Commentary 1 Thess. 4:14). Gill goes on to explain the "shout" associated with the rapture in verse 16, connecting it with the coming of Christ's army in Revelation 19. Gill writes: "with a shout; the word here used is observed by many to signify such a noise or shout as is made either by mariners, when they pull and row together; and shout to direct and encourage one another; or to an army with the general at the head of it, when about to undertake some considerable action, to enter on a battle, and make the onset; Christ will now appear as the King of kings, and Lord of lords, as the Judge of the whole earth, attended with the host, or armies of heaven, and the shout of a king will be among them: perhaps the same is intended, as by the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and of mighty thunderings upon the coming of Christ, the destruction of antichrist, and the marriage of the Lamb, in (Revelation 19:1,6,7,14,15)." [bold and underlining mine - TW]

As we continue reading  John Gill's commentary, it becomes obvious that Gill thought Jesus and believers would rule from heaven during the Millennium. Regarding the phrase, "to meet the Lord in the air" in verse 17, Gill writes: "whither he will descend, and will then clear the regions of the air of Satan, and his posse of devils, which now rove about there, watching all opportunities, and taking all advantages to do mischief on earth; these shall then fall like lightning from heaven, and be bound and shut up in the bottomless pit, till the thousand years are ended: here Christ will stop, and will be visible to all, and as easily discerned by all, good and bad, as the body of the sun at noonday; as yet he will not descend on earth, because it is not fit to receive him; but when that and its works are burnt up, and it is purged and purified by fire, and become a new earth, he will descend upon it, and dwell with his saints in it: and this suggests another reason why he will stay in the air, and his saints shall meet him there, and whom he will take up with him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over, and to preserve them from it; and then shall all the elect of God descend from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, and he with them, and the tabernacle of God shall be with men; see (Revelation 21:1-3)." [bold mine - TW]

His comment on 2 Thess. 2:3 clearly indicates that Gill was a historicist regarding the tribulation, seeing the "Man of Sin" as the whole Roman Catholic hierarchy currently in power.

That Gill did not see the Church raptured out prior to any part of the tribulation is clear from his comment on Rev. 3:10. "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth; this hour seems to refer not to any of the vials which will be poured out on the antichristian states, but to some affliction and distress which will befall the reformed churches, and will light upon the outward court worshippers among them It seems to be the last struggle of the beast of Rome, and to denote some violent and sharp persecution, such as what Daniel mentions, that never was before nor since; but it will be but short, but one hour, the twenty fourth part of a prophetical day or year, perhaps about a fortnight; yet it will be very extensive; it will reach all the world, the whole Roman empire, and all that dwell upon the earth, that are called by the name of Christians, and will try them, whether they are so or not; Christ will now have his fan in his hand, and purge his floor of all his formal professors and hypocrites; and it will be known who are his true churches, and pure members; and these he will keep close to himself, and preserve safe amidst all the distress and confusion the world will be in." It is quite clear that John Gill saw the Church on earth right up until the very end of the tribulation.

Click here for John Gill's "Of the Second Coming of Christ, and his Personal Appearance."

The bottom line is this: None of the Baptists cited by Dr. Ken Johnson were pre-tribulationists. Once again, pre-tribulationists have resorted to revisionism and misrepresentation of historical writers in order to distance pre-tribulationism from Edward Irving and the nineteenth century mystics of Great Britain. As usual, a closer examination of these writers proves that they were not pre-trib. It seems the harder they try to bypass Edward Irving and the Scotch - British proto-Charismatics, the larger their ghosts seem to loom.