For today's article I'm going to explain to the reader why I think the rapture happens before the tribulation. Before we get into this however allow me to just say that I don't think that this is a salvific issue (need to believe in order to be saved) or that it's something to divide over. Whether you are pre trib, mid trib, or post trib as long as you believe in Jesus and truly repent of your sins I still consider you a brother or sister in the Lord. Now with that said let's get into it.
Is The Rapture Doctrine Biblical?
Before I go on to explain why I believe in the pre trib doctrine, I think that it is necessary to briefly explain why the rapture is biblical in the first place.
While it is true you won't find the word rapture in your KJV english bible, this doesn't mean that the doctrine of the rapture isn't there. Just take the doctrine of the trinity for example, the word isn't in the bible but the doctrine is.
It's interesting to note however the word rapiemur is in the latin vulgate, from which we get the word rapture. In the greek it's called harpazo, this is what we Christians refer to when we are talking about the catching away of the bride of Christ. For verses about the rapture see Mat 24:40-41, 1Cor 15:51-58, & 1 Thess 4:13-18.
Here are seven raptures in the bible Enoch (Gen 5:24), Elijah (2 Kin 2:11), Jesus (Mar 16:19, Act 1:2, Rev 12:5), Phillip (Act 8:39), Paul, Body of Christ (1Thess 4:17), and John (Rev 4:1).
It turns out that most church denominations including Catholicism are Amillennial and post trib in their view of the end times. This post is designed to challenge such views.
Reasons Why I Believe The Rapture Is Pre-Trib
A). Christian's are not appointed to Wrath
Although Christians will suffer tribulation and persecution from the world (Joh 15:20, Joh 16:33, Php1:29), we will not face the wrath of God (Rom 5:9, 1Th 1:10, 1Th 5:9) because it is for the lost (Rom 2:8, Eph 5:6, Rev 6:16-17, Rev 15:1).
There are several passages that speak of the righteous possibly avoiding God's wrath such as Isa 26:19-21, Isa 57:1 -2, Zep 2:1-3, Luk 21:36,
Rev 2:22, Rev 3:10.
B). The Pre-Trib View isn't a New Idea!
There are some opponents to the Pre-Trib doctrine who say that it was invented by John Darby (1800-1882), but is this correct. Not really. Some of the early church fathers such as the likes of Lactantius(260-330) , Hyppolytus (185-236) , Barnabus (100-105), Justin Martyr (110-195), and others wrote about the imminent doctrine. This is a key point to the pre-trib view.
C). The Rapture Isn't the Same as The Second Coming
For the sake of brevity I will list just eight reasons why.
1. In regards to Satan, he isn't mentioned during the rapture but is bound and cast into the pit during the second coming (Rev 20:2-3).
2. In regards to location, during the rapture we meet Christ in the air (1Thes 4:17), but Christ lands on the mount of Olives during the second coming (Zec 14:4).
3. What happens to Saints? They go to heaven during the rapture (1Thes 4:17), but come from heaven during the second coming (Col 3:4, Jud 1:14 -15, Rev 19:14).
4. No signs precede the rapture (See part D).
Many signs precede second coming (Read the Book of Revelation).
5. Saints are translated at the rapture (1Thes 4:17). People aren't translated at second coming.
6. Rapture deals with just the saints. Second coming involves the whole world.
7. Only his own sees him at the rapture. Every eye at second coming (Rev 1:7).
8. Rapture is followed shortly by the great tribulation. The millennial reign of Christ happens after his second coming.
D). Pre-Trib agrees with the Imminency Doctrine
This doctrine basically teaches that we should be ready because Christ can come unexpectedly, at any moment (Mat 24:36, Mat 24:42, 1Th 5:2-4, 2Pet 3:10, Rev 3:3, Rev 16:15). This is not so if you believe in a mid or post trib rapture where other things must come to pass first.
E). The Tribulation Isn't for The Church
(See Point 1).
F). The Tribulation Is For Israel's Redemption
As of now Israel as a nation has rejected their messiah, they have been blinded so to speak (Deu 32:21, Rom 11:8-25). The whole point of the seven year tribulation is to get Israel to recognize Jesus as their savior, it is known as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer 30:4 -7, Dan 12:1, 1Co 1:22).
It is one of the most incredible prophecies of the bible in my opinion, I'm referring to Dan 9:24-27. If you take the sixty nine and multiply it by 7 for a week, then by 360 for a year you get 173,880. The days from 445 b.c to 32 a.d is 173,740. When you factor in the days between march 14 (the decree to rebuild Jerusalem) to april 6 (Jesus riding the colt) there's 24 days and add 116 days for the leap years and you get exactly 173,880 days. We are in the interval between the 69th and 70th week. The 70th week is the 7 year great tribulation.
I personally believe that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are Moses and Elijah. Why do I think that? Well they are mentioned in Mal 4, seen at Jesus Transfiguration (Mat 17, Mark 9), and the signs that they do in front of the people allude to who they are (Rev 11:5-6). Think about it, among all the prophets the Jews revere these two men the most.
G). The Way Revelation Is Set Up
Isn't it interesting how the church is addressed in the first three chapters of Revelation before the Tribulation starts and then it isn't mentioned again (at least as being on earth) until Jesus comes back in Rev 19. What's more Rev 4:1 seems to indicate the rapture event, especially when compared with 1 Thes 4:16.
H). The Church Is In Heaven During The Tribulation
Note also that they are there before Jesus opens the seals (Rev 5:8 -11).
I). The Removal of The Restrainer Occurs Simultaneously With the Rapture
The bible teaches that the Antichrist doesn't show up until he who letteth will let (otherwise known as restrains) is taken out of the way (2Th 2:7-8). I believe that this is referring to the holy Ghost since he is the one who convicts the world of sin (Joh 16:8). Since he indwells every believer (Rom 8:9) and won't leave them (Mat 28:20, Heb 13:5) the church must go to. Because the Day of the Lord (second coming) won't arrive till after the antichrist shows up (2 Thes 2:2-3), this shows the rapture happens well before the second coming.
J). The Blessed Hope
Christians refer to the rapture as the blessed hope (Tit 2:13, Php 3:20 -21). It is what we are looking forward to the appearing of the Lord Jesus, the bible doesn't tell us to prepare to face the antichrist does it? If the rapture only comes after we suffered through the great tribulation how are we to comfort each other with those words (1Th 4:18). There is a special crown that is given to those that love Christ appearing (2Ti 4:8), will you recieve it? Are you looking for Christ to appear at any moment or are you looking for the antichrist to show up?
K). Symbolic Examples (Noah and Lot)
God delivered Noah and his family before bringing the flood on the unrighteous, and likewise he saved Lot out of Sodom before he rained fire and brimstone down on them. It would only make since he would save us from the impending disaster of the Great Tribulation (Luk 17:26-30, 2 Pet 2:5-9).
L). The Jewish Wedding Ceremony
The way Christ raptures his bride is similar to the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony. First a man espouses to himself a bride (1Cor 11:25) and pays a dowry (it costs Jesus his blood, 1Cor 6:15-20), then he leaves to go prepare a place in his father's house (Joh 14:1-3), he is gone for an indeterminate amount of time so he could come back at any moment, see part D.
The bride awaiting her grooms return gets herself ready (sanctification, 1 Cor 1:2, 1 Cor 6:11, Heb 10:10, Heb 13:12), the groom returns usually at night accompanied by a trumpet to receive his bride (Mat 25:6, 1Thes 5:2), they would go into the bridal chamber to consummate their marriage. Where is the church when the seven seals are about to be released? See Rev 5. Then they would have the marriage supper (Rev 19:9) which typically lasted seven days.
M). Fear
God hasn't given us the spirit of fear (2Tim 1:7), and yet in the great tribulation (time of Jacob's trouble) men's hearts will be failing them for fear (Luk 21:26). Do you really think that Christians won't be afraid when the Judgments of Revelation is falling on the world? This is another indication that we won't be here for this time period.
N). The apostle Paul doesn't write to us telling us to beware the mark of the beast or to store up for the great tribulation, Why's that? Because we won't be here for it. Those who hoard up food for the great tribulation violate Mat. 6:25-33.
See also Col 3:1-6.
O). If post-trib is true, who is going to populate the millennium?
The fact is you need tribulation saints who have not received their glorified bodies yet in order to procreate because isn't all the wicked are wiped out at the second coming?
P). Does the Beast overcome the Saints?
If the church isn't rapture before the Great Trib, then it seems to me that Dan 7:21-23 and Rev 13:7 would contradict Mat 16:18.
Although Christians will suffer tribulation and persecution from the world (Joh 15:20, Joh 16:33, Php1:29), we will not face the wrath of God (Rom 5:9, 1Th 1:10, 1Th 5:9) because it is for the lost (Rom 2:8, Eph 5:6, Rev 6:16-17, Rev 15:1).
There are several passages that speak of the righteous possibly avoiding God's wrath such as Isa 26:19-21, Isa 57:1 -2, Zep 2:1-3, Luk 21:36,
Rev 2:22, Rev 3:10.
B). The Pre-Trib View isn't a New Idea!
There are some opponents to the Pre-Trib doctrine who say that it was invented by John Darby (1800-1882), but is this correct. Not really. Some of the early church fathers such as the likes of Lactantius(260-330) , Hyppolytus (185-236) , Barnabus (100-105), Justin Martyr (110-195), and others wrote about the imminent doctrine. This is a key point to the pre-trib view.
C). The Rapture Isn't the Same as The Second Coming
For the sake of brevity I will list just eight reasons why.
1. In regards to Satan, he isn't mentioned during the rapture but is bound and cast into the pit during the second coming (Rev 20:2-3).
2. In regards to location, during the rapture we meet Christ in the air (1Thes 4:17), but Christ lands on the mount of Olives during the second coming (Zec 14:4).
3. What happens to Saints? They go to heaven during the rapture (1Thes 4:17), but come from heaven during the second coming (Col 3:4, Jud 1:14 -15, Rev 19:14).
4. No signs precede the rapture (See part D).
Many signs precede second coming (Read the Book of Revelation).
5. Saints are translated at the rapture (1Thes 4:17). People aren't translated at second coming.
6. Rapture deals with just the saints. Second coming involves the whole world.
7. Only his own sees him at the rapture. Every eye at second coming (Rev 1:7).
8. Rapture is followed shortly by the great tribulation. The millennial reign of Christ happens after his second coming.
D). Pre-Trib agrees with the Imminency Doctrine
This doctrine basically teaches that we should be ready because Christ can come unexpectedly, at any moment (Mat 24:36, Mat 24:42, 1Th 5:2-4, 2Pet 3:10, Rev 3:3, Rev 16:15). This is not so if you believe in a mid or post trib rapture where other things must come to pass first.
E). The Tribulation Isn't for The Church
(See Point 1).
F). The Tribulation Is For Israel's Redemption
As of now Israel as a nation has rejected their messiah, they have been blinded so to speak (Deu 32:21, Rom 11:8-25). The whole point of the seven year tribulation is to get Israel to recognize Jesus as their savior, it is known as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer 30:4 -7, Dan 12:1, 1Co 1:22).
It is one of the most incredible prophecies of the bible in my opinion, I'm referring to Dan 9:24-27. If you take the sixty nine and multiply it by 7 for a week, then by 360 for a year you get 173,880. The days from 445 b.c to 32 a.d is 173,740. When you factor in the days between march 14 (the decree to rebuild Jerusalem) to april 6 (Jesus riding the colt) there's 24 days and add 116 days for the leap years and you get exactly 173,880 days. We are in the interval between the 69th and 70th week. The 70th week is the 7 year great tribulation.
I personally believe that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are Moses and Elijah. Why do I think that? Well they are mentioned in Mal 4, seen at Jesus Transfiguration (Mat 17, Mark 9), and the signs that they do in front of the people allude to who they are (Rev 11:5-6). Think about it, among all the prophets the Jews revere these two men the most.
Isn't it interesting how the church is addressed in the first three chapters of Revelation before the Tribulation starts and then it isn't mentioned again (at least as being on earth) until Jesus comes back in Rev 19. What's more Rev 4:1 seems to indicate the rapture event, especially when compared with 1 Thes 4:16.
H). The Church Is In Heaven During The Tribulation
Note also that they are there before Jesus opens the seals (Rev 5:8 -11).
I). The Removal of The Restrainer Occurs Simultaneously With the Rapture
The bible teaches that the Antichrist doesn't show up until he who letteth will let (otherwise known as restrains) is taken out of the way (2Th 2:7-8). I believe that this is referring to the holy Ghost since he is the one who convicts the world of sin (Joh 16:8). Since he indwells every believer (Rom 8:9) and won't leave them (Mat 28:20, Heb 13:5) the church must go to. Because the Day of the Lord (second coming) won't arrive till after the antichrist shows up (2 Thes 2:2-3), this shows the rapture happens well before the second coming.
J). The Blessed Hope
Christians refer to the rapture as the blessed hope (Tit 2:13, Php 3:20 -21). It is what we are looking forward to the appearing of the Lord Jesus, the bible doesn't tell us to prepare to face the antichrist does it? If the rapture only comes after we suffered through the great tribulation how are we to comfort each other with those words (1Th 4:18). There is a special crown that is given to those that love Christ appearing (2Ti 4:8), will you recieve it? Are you looking for Christ to appear at any moment or are you looking for the antichrist to show up?
K). Symbolic Examples (Noah and Lot)
God delivered Noah and his family before bringing the flood on the unrighteous, and likewise he saved Lot out of Sodom before he rained fire and brimstone down on them. It would only make since he would save us from the impending disaster of the Great Tribulation (Luk 17:26-30, 2 Pet 2:5-9).
L). The Jewish Wedding Ceremony
The way Christ raptures his bride is similar to the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony. First a man espouses to himself a bride (1Cor 11:25) and pays a dowry (it costs Jesus his blood, 1Cor 6:15-20), then he leaves to go prepare a place in his father's house (Joh 14:1-3), he is gone for an indeterminate amount of time so he could come back at any moment, see part D.
The bride awaiting her grooms return gets herself ready (sanctification, 1 Cor 1:2, 1 Cor 6:11, Heb 10:10, Heb 13:12), the groom returns usually at night accompanied by a trumpet to receive his bride (Mat 25:6, 1Thes 5:2), they would go into the bridal chamber to consummate their marriage. Where is the church when the seven seals are about to be released? See Rev 5. Then they would have the marriage supper (Rev 19:9) which typically lasted seven days.
M). Fear
God hasn't given us the spirit of fear (2Tim 1:7), and yet in the great tribulation (time of Jacob's trouble) men's hearts will be failing them for fear (Luk 21:26). Do you really think that Christians won't be afraid when the Judgments of Revelation is falling on the world? This is another indication that we won't be here for this time period.
N). The apostle Paul doesn't write to us telling us to beware the mark of the beast or to store up for the great tribulation, Why's that? Because we won't be here for it. Those who hoard up food for the great tribulation violate Mat. 6:25-33.
See also Col 3:1-6.
O). If post-trib is true, who is going to populate the millennium?
The fact is you need tribulation saints who have not received their glorified bodies yet in order to procreate because isn't all the wicked are wiped out at the second coming?
P). Does the Beast overcome the Saints?
If the church isn't rapture before the Great Trib, then it seems to me that Dan 7:21-23 and Rev 13:7 would contradict Mat 16:18.
What'll happen When Christ Returns
Here is just a small section that highlights some points from scripture regarding end time events.
Isa 24:1-6 speaks of the earth being made empty and fading away, it also speaks of the inhabitants of the earth being burned and few men left. We learn in Isa 65:25 that animals will no longer harm one another.
Eze 37:12 refers to the resurrection, and we see the Son of Man (Jesus) being given an everlasting kingdom that rules all nations in Dan 7:13 -14.
Mic 1:3 -5 speaks of the Lord coming down and the mountains being molten under him. We know from Mic 4:1 -8 that Jesus will reign in mount Zion, and that there will be no more war.
Zep 2:11 shows us that God will famish the gods of the earth and that the heathen will worship him instead, those that don't will experience drought (Zep 3:9).
Zec 8:22-23 teaches us that men from all languages of the nations will follow Jews to Jerusalem in order to worship God. Zec 14:17
It's also evident from the scripture that Christ will subdue all things under him and that the last enemy that is destroyed is death itself (1Co 15:24 -28).
To conclude this article on the rapture I just want to remind the reader that your view on when the rapture occurs has no bearing on your salvation. I have listed many points as to why I think that it is quite logical to assume the Lord retrieves his bride before he punishes the world for it's iniquity, and that it is the true teaching of scripture.
Bonus Verses:
Luk 18:8, Rom 8:23, Jas 1:18 Rev 19:15
Verses Regarding The Day Of The Lord
Isa 2:12, Isa 13:6-13, Eze 30:3, Joe 1:15, Joe 2:30-32, Amo 5:18 -20
Oba 1:15, Zep 1:14-17, Act 2:20, 2Pe 3:10 -13.
Thanks for Reading Please Share!!!References & Relevant Links:
http://christinprophecy.org/articles/why-i-believe-in-a-pre-tribulation-rapture/
http://www.relevantbibleteaching.com/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=140037573&sec_id=140001239
https://www.raptureready.com/2016/07/19/defending-pre-trib-rapture/
https://calvaryoxnard.org/reasons-to-believe-in-a-pre-tribulation-rapture/
You tube video titled "Chuck Missler Proves The Pre Tribulation Rapture"
Hello Justin,
ReplyDeleteI have not at this point in time given much study to the timing of the rapture. You certainly make interesting points here. I was wondering...How do you think the gospel will be preached to people during the tribulational period? How will people get saved then?
All will know the Gospel before the tribulation, and that's Biblical, Matthew 24:14, it will be their choice whether they look at all the signs and the rapture and believe or not.
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