Between many well meaning Christians there has been a disagreement about whether we will have a Pre-Tribulation or Post-Tribulation Rapture. While not knowing this doctrine will not keep a Christian from going to Heaven, every Christian ought to know this doctrine correctly. The problem today is a general ignorance in the modern church. For the most part churches just don't want to talk about this subject.
I firmly believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and after reading this you will know why (and hopefully you will believe the same). The doctrine of the Rapture is not confusing. No Bible doctrine is really all that confusing when you know how to interpret and understand the Bible. The Bible always interprets itself. We are not to interpret the Bible against our own intellect or another writing. A Pre-Tribulation Rapture just makes sense and I will present an "A B C" approach to it.
First the "A" standing for "Apostolic Sense". What do I mean by that? I am going at this from an Apostle standpoint. The greatest of the Apostles was the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul in his writing to the church in Thessalonica gives a clear picture of the events that will happen beginning with the Rapture and then leading into the Great Tribulation. The people in Thessalonica were concerned because they thought they had missed the Rapture. Someone had sent a forged letter (pretending to be Paul) to them saying the Rapture had already taken place. Paul's 2nd Epistle of Thessalonians was written primarily to correct the error.
Let's look at the outline as Paul presents it. First, the Great Tribulation can not begin until the Holy Spirit is removed. 2 Thess 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." The falling away spoken of is speaking of apostasy. The English word "apostasy" is a transliteration of the Greek word apostasia. By definition an apostasy is a departure, an abandoning of a position formerly
held. Let's continue to verse 7 "For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now hinders will hinder, until He be taken out of the way."
The He being referred to is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells the earth by living inside of each and every believer in Christ. The church body as a whole is currently restraining the evil in this world. However, one day when the Church is suddenly no longer here (through being caught up in the air to meet Christ), Hell will have a holiday. There will be no restraint on the evil that will be unleashed in the Great Tribulation. Since the Anti-Christ can not be revealed until the Holy Spirit has departed and since the Great Tribulation can not begin until the Anti-Christ is revealed, it follows as night follows day that the Rapture of the Church must occur BEFORE the Great Tribulation begins.
In his writing to the Thessalonians Paul mentions several times to "comfort others with his words". If all the believers had to look forward to was going through The Great Tribulation, how could they comfort anyone else?
Ok, now the "B" which I call "Biblical Sense". Not only did The Apostle Paul talk about this but the Bible talks about the Rapture also. Jesus Himself said He did not know when He would return. This has to refer to the Rapture because we know that the 2nd coming will be exactly 7 years after the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Also, in the book of Revelation the church is mentioned in the first 3 chapters but beginning with the start of chapter 4 when John is told to "come up here" (which is a representation of the rapture) the church is never mentioned again until the final chapter of the book. The reason is the church has been taken up.
Two examples come to mind of people who were rescued from impending doom, albeit on a smaller scale. When Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed, the angel told Lot to hurry because the city could not be destroyed until Lot left. This is found in Genesis 19:16-22
"16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."
21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it."
The second example is of course Noah. Before God flooded the world He took Noah away by preserving him in the ark. The rain did not come until Noah and his family (along with a lot of animals) were safely tucked away in the ark.
It would seem logical that if the church was going to be made to go through the Great Tribulation that the scriptures would be full of things like "warning all you who follow Christ, brace yourself to be tortured!!!" or Could you imagine adding another few verses to the end of 2 Thessalonians chapter 4 that go something like this:
"Brethren, we have all fought the good fight, we have been obedient to our Lord and Savior and one day soon we will be with the Lord. However we must first suffer at the hands of the Anti-Christ for a short while and then we will be rescued." Not exactly words you could share with others to comfort them now are they.
Finally, "C" and that stands for "Common Sense". The Church is Christ's bride and the individual believers are God's children. Common sense says that Jesus will not let His bride and God will not let His children have to suffer through the Great Tribulation. Matthew 7:9-11 "9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
If we had the power, we would not willingly let our children or spouse go through the Great Tribulation. What makes anyone think the God would allow His children and Christ's bride to have to go through it.
I found a great blog article by Kent Crockett on 16 proofs that the Rapture will take place prior to the Great Tribulation. It is so good I felt compelled to share it. Enjoy.
16 Proofs of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
by Kent Crockett
Proof #1: Revelation 19:11-21 doesn't mention a resurrection.
The rapture is a resurrection of those "in Christ" (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Isn't it a little bit odd that in Rev. 19:11-21, which is the clearest picture of the second coming of Christ, there is no mention of a resurrection? The rapture will be the biggest event since the resurrection of Jesus where hundreds of millions of Christians will be resurrected and translated, yet there isn't any mention here. Don't you think it deserves at least one verse? The rapture isn't mentioned because it doesn't happen at the second coming.
Proof #2: Zechariah 14:1-15 doesn't mention a resurrection.
This is an Old Testament picture of Jesus returning to earth at the second coming. Again, no mention of a resurrection.
Proof #3: Two different pictures are painted.
In the Old Testament, there were two different pictures painted of the Messiah—one suffering (Isa. 53:2-10, Ps. 22:6-8, 11-18) and one reigning as King (Ps. 2:6-12, Zech. 14:9,16). As we look back on these scriptures, we see they predicted two separate comings of the Messiah—the 1st coming as a suffering Messiah and the 2nd coming (still future) as a reigning King.
In the New Testament, we have another picture added. Again, we have two pictures painted which don’t look the same. These two different descriptions of Jesus’ coming point to two separate events we call "the rapture" and "the second coming."
Proof #4: The Known Day and the Unknown Day
Concerning the return of Jesus, the Bible presents a day we can't know and a day we can know. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 says the Jews will have to wait 1,260 days for the Lord to return. The 1,260 days begins when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God (Matt. 24:15-21, 2 Thess. 2:4) This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven year Tribulation (Dan 9:27). The Antichrist has authority to rule for 42 months, which is 1,260 days (Rev. 13:4) and will be destroyed by Jesus at His second coming (Rev. 19:20, 2 Thess. 2:8). The known and unknown days must happen at different times, meaning they are two separate events.
Proof #5: A door open in heaven (Revelation 4:1)
The door in heaven is opened to let John into heaven. We believe John's call into heaven is prophetic of the church being caught up at the rapture (see proof #6). In Revelation 19:11, heaven is opened again, this time to let the armies which are already in heaven out. This is the Church, which has been raptured at a previous time, following Jesus out of heaven at the second coming.
Proof #6: "Come up here." (Revelation 4:1)
A voice called for the apostle John to "Come up here," and immediately he was in heaven. This could be a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church. The words "Come up here" are spoken to the two witnesses who are killed in the middle of the Tribulation, who are resurrected and ascend into heaven (Rev. 11:12). Therefore, the phrase "Come up here" could mean the church is raptured in Rev. 4:1. The word "church" is mentioned 22 times in Rev. 1-3, but is not mentioned again until Rev. 22:17.
Proof #7: The 24 elders have their crowns.
After John is called up into heaven, he sees the 24 elders with their crowns (Rev. 4:4-10). We know that Christians will receive their rewards (crowns) at the rapture (2 Tim. 4:8, 1 Pet. 5:4). We will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:14). The elders couldn't receive their crowns unless the resurrection (rapture) has taken place.
Proof #8 Holy ones are already with Jesus in heaven (Zech. 14:5, Rev. 19:14)
The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, follow Jesus out of heaven at His second coming (Rev. 19:14, Zech. 14:5, Col. 3:4). These are not angels because Rev. 19:8 tells us the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. In order to come out of heaven we first have to go in, indicating a previous rapture.
Proof #9: Kept from the hour of testing (Rev. 3:10)
Revelation 3:10 says we will be kept out of the hour of testing which will come upon the whole earth (the Tribulation). Some have wrongly believed "keep" means to keep through, or protect through the Tribulation. Suppose you approach a high voltage area with a sign that says, "Keep Out." Does that mean you can enter and be protected? No, it means you are forbidden from entering the area. But this verse also says He will keep us from the hour of testing. It is not just the testing, but the time period. If a student is excused from a test, he still may have to sit in the class while others take the test. But if he is excused from the hour of testing, he can go home. The Church will be called home before the hour of testing.
Proof #10: Angels don't resurrect people when they gather them for judgment.
When the angels are sent forth to gather the elect at the second coming (Matt. 24:29-31), some have wrongly interpreted this as the rapture. There is one huge problem with this interpretation. If we are resurrected at this time, why would we need angels to gather us? In the resurrection, we will be like the angels (Matt. 22:30), able to travel in the air at will. Obviously, these people who are gathered are not resurrected, therefore it can't be the rapture. No one would claim the wicked are raptured at this time, yet Matthew 13:39-41, 49 says the angels will not only gather the elect, but also the wicked. This gathering is not a resurrection.
Proof #11: Both the wicked and the righteous can't be taken first.
First Thessalonians 4:13-17 says the righteous are taken and the wicked are left behind. Matthew 13:30, 49 says the wicked are taken first and righteous are left behind. This points to two separate events, the rapture and the second coming.
Proof #12: Jesus returns from the wedding.
When Jesus returns to earth at the second coming, He will return from a wedding (Luke 12:36). At the rapture, Jesus is married to His bride, the Church. After the wedding, He will return to earth.
Proof #13: Jesus will receive us to Himself, not us to receive Him (John 14:2-3).
Jesus said He would prepare a place for the Church in heaven, then He would come again to receive us to Himself. Why would Jesus prepare a place for us in heaven and then not take us there? At the rapture, He will come to receive us to Himself, "that where I am (heaven), there you may be also." If the rapture occurred at the same time as the second coming, we would go up to the clouds and then immediately come back to earth. That would contradict John 14:2-3.
Proof #14: The one who restrains is taken out of the way.
In 2 Thess. 2:6-7, Paul says "the one who restrains will be taken out of the way" before the Antichrist can be revealed. We believe this refers to the rapture because the Church is clearly the biggest obstacle to the Antichrist becoming a world ruler.
Proof #15: The separation of the sheep and goats (Matt. 25:31-46)
If the rapture occurred at the second coming, why would the sheep and the goats need to be separated immediately after the second coming? A rapture at the second coming would have already separated the sheep and the goats. With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture will need to be separated after the second coming.
Proof #16: Who will populate the Millennium?
If the rapture occurs at the second coming and the wicked are cast into hell at that time, who will be left to populate the millennium? Only people in their natural (non-resurrected) bodies will be able to have children (Matt. 22:30). With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture who are alive at the second coming will populate the earth during the Millennium.
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CONTRASTS
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RAPTURE
1. Rapture of all believers
I Corinthians 15:51
2. Believers Only
I Thessalonians 4:14
3. Raptured Saints go to heaven
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
4. Believers Raptured to heaven
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
5. Unbelievers left to enter tribulation
I Thessalonians 5:2-5
6. Earth not judged
7. Imminent
I Thessalonians 4:17
8. Invisible
I Thessalonians 4:17
9. Not in the Old Testament
10. Before the day of wrath
I Thessalonians 5:3-4,9
11. No reference to Satan
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SECOND COMING
1. No Rapture at all
Matthew 25:31
2. Affects All men
Matthew 24:30
3. Raptured Saints return to earth
Jude 14
4. Unbelievers killed
II Thessalonians 1:8-9
5. Believers left to enter millennium
Matthew 24
6. Earth judged and righteousness established
Revelation 19:11-15
7. Follows definite predicted signs including the tribulation
Matthew 24:3
8. Visible
Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30
9. Predicted often in the Old Testament
Zechariah 14:1-5; Daniel 7:13; Malachi 4:1-4
10. Concluding the day of wrath
Matthew 24:29-30; Isaiah 13:9
11. Satan bound at second coming
Revelation 20:3
Excellent piece!
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ReplyDeleteExcellent piece!
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