Pre-Tribulation Rapture Explanation and Justification
(Fifth in a Series of Seven titled “Are These Days the End Times?”)
Dr. Roger G. Ford, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr-Ford.net
2019
Preliminary Discussion
Have you really considered the Sovereignty of God? If so, then what does the sovereignty of God mean to us? The word “sovereign” means “reigning over all.” When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we acknowledge the absolute, complete control over everything, the supreme authority over everything, the unchallengeable majesty and preeminence over the entire universe. Let that sink in for a moment. There is but one God, there is no other! Any “other” gods are man-made, man-conceived, man-centered, works oriented. But our God IS God, God over everyone and everything!
Daniel 4:35 says, “He does according to His will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth. No one can restrain His hand.”
Psalm 115:3 states rather matter-of-factly, “Our God is in Heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”
Isaiah 46:9-10 tells us, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning.”
What these verses should make us all realize is that God simply IS. He is self-existent, outside of time, space, and matter, He is the Creator of everything, and He is sovereign over all! God is in ACTIVE control all of the time, and everything operates and functions and plays out according to His divine, ultimate plan. And He has revealed His plan to us through His Word – an inconceivable and wonderful gift of His love for us in that He has predicted the future unfailingly, far in advance, with a proven track record of 100% accuracy for the prophecies that have already come to pass. The question then becomes obvious as to whether we should accept exactly what God has revealed in OUR future – all will occur exactly as He says it will!
We have hope because God not only is in control of the here and now, He is in control of the future as well. We know that His plan culminates in Jesus Christ’s Glorious return, first in the Rapture in the air for all in the Church of Jesus Christ, then on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at His Second Coming! That sure hope should fill our hearts with gladness because we grasp or lay hold of the sovereignty of God which calms our fears, lifts our spirits, and gives us surety for the future – something the rest of the world totally lacks.
J. Dwight Pentecost, author of the book Things to Come and Dallas Theological Seminary Professor who died in 2014, told us why we should be overjoyed at the fact that God has revealed our future to us today, “God, the architect of the ages, has seen fit to take us into His confidence concerning His plan for the future and has revealed His purpose and program in detail in the Word.” This directly affirms the sovereignty of God and why we should read, know, and rely upon His Word every day and especially His Prophetic Word for our time, the End Times!
The Rapture is a term most Christians and now even many non-Christians are familiar with. Some will say the word Rapture cannot be found in the Bible, and this is technically true. The actual word “Rapture” cannot be found in the Word. But the important fact is that the concept of a Rapture, a “catching up” of all true Christians, both dead and alive, bodily to be with Jesus Christ “in the air” IS in the Bible. The Greek word “harpazo” means “catching up” or “to snatch away”, and in the Latin Vulgate, a 4th century translation of the Bible into Latin, used the word “rapturo” from which we get our English “Rapture”. So, you see that the Rapture is, indeed, in the Bible!
The timing of just when this “catching up” takes place is also a subject of discussion and wonder among Christians as well as others. Again, the Bible is clear in its explanation as to when the Rapture takes place, but in order to discern the truth, one must study many different Scriptures to arrive at the truth and clarity.
First of all, whenever anyone digs into the Scriptures for clarity, for instruction, for guidance, care must be taken to accomplish their study based on concrete, foundational principles without which Bible study is essentially a waste of time. Why a waste of time? Because why would an omnipotent, omniscient, and loving God try to deceive us, mis-direct us, confuse us, or play with our emotions in a cruel manner? He speaks clearly and openly thus making it ridiculous to try to read into Scripture hidden meanings or man-conceived riddles. We need to read God’s Word straightforwardly being careful to utilize the entire Word of God and all its many cross references within itself to be sure to gain the true meaning of exactly what God is telling us. We will see that a Pre-Tribulation view of the Rapture is the most logical and reasonable approach to studying the Rapture in spite of there being several other viewpoints that we will also cover.
Do you remember what the Tribulation really is? Is it a time to whip Christians into shape to accept eternity? NO! The Tribulation is Daniel’s 70th Week from Daniel Chapter 9 where he explains that the Tribulation, the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, is for the restoration of the Jews to their God. It is a time of God’s Wrath, a time of terrible calamity, catastrophe, and death for not only people, but for animals, plant life, and the Earth. Will Christians see any of the Tribulation? The answer is a resounding “NO”, as we will see.
Foundations of the Rapture of the Church
A Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church stands firmly on these following foundations which all Christians should recognize and accept:
The 66-book canon called the Bible is God’s inspired, authoritative, inerrant, infallible message to mankind, explaining His purposes and plans for the ages (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). No other document can be reliably trusted, nor remotely reach the requirements of authentication that we need to accept it as fact not myth. Many people and, unfortunately, many Christians, have doubts and suspicions about the Word of God because they either do not want to believe what it says, someone has deceived them about God’s Word, or they have a wrong belief that translations are not accurate to the original languages. But, to suspect any word in the Bible, any phrase, any statement, any concept, and precept, any doctrine is to destroy the entire Word of God and render it useless and meaningless. Think about this! To deny any part of God’s Word, especially Prophecy, is to place firmly in doubt your very salvation and eternal destination! Do you really want to do that?
B. The Bible is to be Interpreted Literally
God means what He says and says what He means. God wants His creations to know His will plainly. Why would a Sovereign and loving God want to confuse His people? God does use picturesque descriptions and parables; further reading will almost always lead to a clear explanation when the entire context of the verses read is examined. Another way to gain full understanding is to obtain complete knowledge of the entirety of God’s Word because Scripture reveals and explains Scripture, sometimes from one Testament to the other. The Bible must be read in its simple sense because it means what it says. “If the plain sense makes sense, don’t look for any other sense or you will end up with nonsense!”
C. The Church and Israel Are NOT the Same
Israel is not the Church and the Church is not Israel. A believer in Christ becomes a member of the Church, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 1:16), but a member of the Church does not become a form of spiritual Israel. God’s promises to Israel as a people and nation are not the same as for the Bride of Christ, the Church. God deals differently with His Chosen People, the Jews, than He does with His Church, the believers in Jesus Christ. He loves both, but He has plans for the Jews, the ones that do not accept Jesus as Savior, that are completely different than for Christians. Read on…
D. The Bible Teaches About a Rapture
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 speaks of an event called “the Rapture”, Latin “rapturo,” Greek “harpazo,” both of which mean “to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out.” “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” Paul states that the concept of the Rapture is meant to encourage believers during this Age (1 Thessalonians. 4:18). Other New Testament references on the Rapture are John 14:1-4 and I Corinthians 15:51-58.
E. A Literal 7-Year Tribulation, Possibly a Little More Before
An upcoming time period has been set aside for God to pour out His wrath upon the evil of the world, to regather Israel back into its land, to force Israel to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, and for the Messiah to return and fight for His believing remnant (Deut. 4:26-31; Isa. 13:6-13; 17:4-11; Jer. 30:4-11; Ezek. 20:33-38; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 24:9-31). This time period begins the Rapture followed by what I call the “In-Between” Times where wars occur separating Israel from their long-standing enemies (Isaiah 17:1; Psalm 83; Ezekiel 38 & 39, and others). The Tribulation begins with a covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). The length of the Tribulation is seven years, described in a variety of ways as one seven-year block (Dan. 9:27), consisting of two blocks of “times, time and half a time” (two years + 1 year + half a year; Rev. 12:14), or two “1260 days” periods (Rev. 11:3), or two “42 month” periods (Rev. 11:2; 13:5) all of which add up to seven years.
F. Jesus Will Return Again to Earth
The Bible says Jesus will physically return and set His feet again on Earth in exactly the same place where He ascended – the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley from the Temple Mount (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19). Jesus’ return is to defeat His enemies in the Battle of Armageddon, set up His throne in Jerusalem in the Millennial Temple, restore Israel as a people and as a nation to Himself, rule with “a rod of iron” for 1,000 years (the Millennium), and share His authority with those who overcame in Him (His Church). (Mat. 19:28; 25:31; Acts 1:3-6; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21)
G. A Literal 1000-Year Millennium
The Bible describes a future, literal 1000-year time period when Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem in Person, visible, authoritative, and sovereign! The Greek word “chilias” for “one thousand” appears six times in Revelation 20, clearly marking the time period as having 1000 literal years. The purpose of this time period is for Jesus Christ to have an earthly kingdom from which to base His rule and to fulfill His promises which are many (Gen. 13:14-17; 15:5,18-21; 2 Sam. 7:16-19; Isa. 10:21-22; 11:1-2; Jer. 23:5-8; 30:22; 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:18-20; 34:24; 36:24-28; Mic. 7:19-20; Hos. 3:5; Rom. 11:26-29).
These foundational Biblical doctrines form the basis for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. We must also look at where we are in time so that we can see what God has in store for us in these “End Times” and why we are in the last days of the End Times.
The Abrahamic Covenant specifically states that ALL the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s descendant Who is unnamed in the Old Testament. Later in Isaiah, God speaks to His Messiah, the Lord said, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) It is clear that God does not limit His salvation to just the Church or to just the Jews but to all Jew and Gentile alike. But, the killing of Jesus was the sign that the time for His Kingdom had not arrived. It was prophesied in Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy (490 calendar years) that the Messiah would be “cut off” after 69 weeks or 483 years leaving the last seven years (that add up to 490) for the Tribulation. Therefore, the Age of Grace began at the resurrection of Jesus Christ at the end of the 69 weeks of Daniel, and it continues today to last until the Rapture. That era of Grace now 2,000 years in duration will end at the Rapture, and it is sometimes called the Great Pause because of the 2,000-year postponement of the last week or Daniel’s 70th week. It is also clear that there is a distinct separation of Israel and the Church as far as God’s intentions for each.
The purpose of the Great Pause is so the Lord can take from among the Gentiles a people for Himself. Of course, Jews that believe are included, but there will be many Jews that do not accept Jesus as Savior making the need for the Tribulation to bring the rest of those Jews that God wants into His Kingdom. A lot of Christians know about 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 as referring to the Rapture of the Church, but did you know the Rapture is referred to in John 14, Isaiah 26:17-21, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Philippians 3:20,21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Revelation 4:1, 1 John 3:2, Daniel 12:1,2?
In Acts 15:14 it says, “Simeon (Peter) hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” The Greek word translated “take” in this verse is “lambano”. A look at the primary meanings of “lambano” reveals that the intent of the word is to describe one who takes something for the purpose of carrying it away. Once the church is complete, the Lord will carry us away before turning again to Israel. This is consistent with Paul’s statement in Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”. What is the “blindness”? God is in control, so He has blinded most Jews to the Gospel until God is ready for them to return to Him and their Messiah. The phrase “come in” means to arrive at one’s destination, as when a ship has “come in”. That means the end of a trip or the end of a specific time period.
The Age of Grace will come to an end soon, perhaps today, and the end will occur when the Rapture happens. According to John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”, a clear reference to the Rapture when Christ will not come to the Earth but will “receive” His Church “in the air”. Once the church has been carried away to its destination in Heaven, taken by Christ from earth and received by Him, the blinders will fall from Israel’s eyes, the Great Pause will come to an end, the “In-Between” times will occur, and then Israel will complete its final seven years of Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy resulting in Israel being restored to God through belief in the Messiah.
The Rapture has to happen before Daniel’s 70th Week can begin, because the 70th Week is all about Israel and not about the Church. Please recognize that the Bible makes a very clear and distinct separation between what God has in store for His Church and what God has in store for the Jews. After chapter 4 in the book of Revelation, the church is never referred to again until Christ’s Second Coming in chapter 19. In fact, Revelation 4:1 is a picture of the Rapture when John is told to “Come up here!” marking the very start of the Tribulation. Daniel’s 70th Week is the Jews final opportunity to be reconciled to God through the Messiah and prepare for the Kingdom He promised them so long ago. 2500 years before the fact, Zechariah prophesied that the Jews would indeed turn back to God and the Messiah near the end of the 70th Week. Zech. 12:10 says, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Therefore, many Jews will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but, sadly, most will not which is the same result of most humans not accepting the Messiah throughout the Age of Grace.
As a result of the opening of the fulfillment of End Times prophecy, we come to what I consider the ULTIMATE PROOF of the immediacy of the Rapture and the ASSURANCE of it happening BEFORE any of God’s Wrath otherwise known as the Tribulation. In fact, I believe that there are significant wars to come (the In-Between” time with Psalm 83, Gog Magog – Ezekiel 38,39, etc.) that will pre-date the Tribulation and involve nuclear war, but we as believers will not be here for those either. What is that “ultimate proof”? 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11!
“But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overcome you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those that sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
The “Day of the Lord” is, of course, in this case, referring to the Tribulation that is the Wrath of God on this sinful and evil world. A “thief in the night” is not what we usually think in our day. We usually think of a thief in the night as someone clandestinely breaking in, being very quiet and sneaky, stealing something, then leaving just as quietly lest he be caught or shot. This is not how this was perceived in the time of Jesus on the Earth. A thief in the night was a strongarm break-in, loud and mean, with hostages, bodily harm, demands, possibly even death. The “sudden destruction” is what the thief does when he breaks in to get whatever he wants, and he comes without notice.
The reference to Christians NOT being in darkness is a direct message that we are different than the rest of the world. We are “all sons of light and sons of the day”, not “of the night nor of darkness”. Being “in the light” is a direct reference to Jesus Christ. John 1:1-5 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” This section at the very start of John’s Gospel is the most powerful statement in the entire Bible because we learn that Jesus is the Creator God, He is the Light of men, and that those in the darkness cannot and will not understand any of this. This also means that the darkness, or those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, will be subject to God’s Wrath. But those in God’s Light, the Light of Jesus Christ, will NOT see or experience God’s Wrath!
We go back to Thessalonians where it says, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We as believers are not to experience God’s Wrath because we belong to Jesus and are in His Light, not in darkness. 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 says, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” And Revelation 3:10 says, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, 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.” These verses conclusively show that God does not put His Wrath on believers in Jesus Christ. Therefore, Christians do not see any of the Tribulation, any of the “In-Between” time, just the sudden and unknown timing of the instantaneous “catching up” to be with Jesus in the air. Those in the dark, those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior, WILL experience God’s Wrath, the Tribulation, the Antichrist, the seals, the trumpets, the bowls of Revelation. How do we escape God’s Wrath that comes on the entire world in the End Times? The Rapture!
We all know that the word “Rapture” technically does not appear anywhere in the Bible. But, being “caught up” (“harpazo” in the Greek) to meet the Lord in the air is precisely the same as the Rapture! 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 assures us, “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, 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.”
The Rapture keeps us away from God’s Wrath that comes on the entire world to wake up God’s Chosen People, the Jews, to their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible, we see how stubborn, how disobedient, how worldly the Jews have always been. But without the Jews, we would not have a Savior! God made covenants with the Jews to always love them, always protect them, and eventually save them. God knows it will take extreme measures to wake the Jews up to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, their Savior as well as ours. So, “Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7-11), what we know as the Tribulation and Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel Chapter 9), is to get Israel’s attention, turn them to Jesus, and to punish the world for its sin and disobedience to God. Then, Jesus can come and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords for a thousand years, the Millennial Kingdom (“Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10).
The Confusing Interpretations of When the Rapture Happens
The most logical and provable point of view for the occurrence of the Rapture is Pre-Tribulation or the Rapture occurring BEFORE any of the Tribulation events or In-Between events. But some offer that the Rapture occurs “Pre-Wrath” meaning that the Rapture does not occur until God’s Wrath begins during the last half of the Tribulation which those who believe this call the time of the Bowl Judgments. There are several problems with this view not the least of which is that all of the judgments of the tribulation, God’s Wrath, (Seal Judgments, Trumpet Judgments, and Bowl Judgments) start immediately and last throughout the Tribulation period. Other views of the Rapture say it occurs at Mid-Tribulation, or at the middle of the Tribulation when Satan possesses the Antichrist and the Abomination of Desolation occurs. The first half of the Tribulation contains all of the Seal Judgments and all of the Trumpet Judgments and both are part of God’s Wrath. Since we as Christians do not see God’s Wrath, the Mid-Tribulation view cannot be right. The same can be said for the Post-Tribulation view placing the Rapture at the END of the Tribulation causing Christians to see ALL of God’s Wrath! Let’s look at the Pre-Wrath view which also explains the other views as well.
Objections to All Alternatives to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
1) The name “Pre-Wrath” is both confusing and vague. It is confusing because both the Pre-Tribulation and Mid-Tribulation views are “Pre-Wrath” if the Bowl Judgments are defined as God’s Wrath. The Pre-Tribulation view argues that the entire 7 years of the Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th Week of Years) constitutes a pouring out of the Wrath of God which includes all 21 judgments, Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). The Mid-Tribulation view takes the position that only the second half of the Tribulation is the period of God’s Wrath only covering the Bowl Judgments. So, the designation “Pre-Wrath” is in error because God’s Wrath lasts throughout the seven-year Tribulation period.
Some say the “wrath” in Pre-Wrath is the “wrath of Satan” when Satan indwells the Antichrist at the Mid-Tribulation point, enters the Temple, and declares himself as God resulting in his “wrath” against the Jews intending to destroy them all. Revelation 12 tells us the wrath of Satan begins AFTER the middle of the 7 years, which means after the Abomination of Desolation (Dan 9:27; Matthew 24:15-16). “And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17). During the seven years of the 70th Week, God’s general Wrath is expressed in the judgments that start with the 1st Seal. It is Jesus, not Satan, breaking those Seals to begin pouring out judgments on a wicked world.
Interestingly, the timing of the Rapture is due to the closing out of the Dispensation of Grace or the Age of Grace which has lasted from the Resurrection of Christ until the Rapture, which marks the turning back to fulfilling promises made by God to Israel. The evidence we see for this is the nature of who is sharing the gospel with the world. The Church was given the Great Commission. We are to be Christ’s witnesses. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
After the Rapture, the Two Witnesses are also given a commission in Jerusalem. “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). The Two Witnesses perform their ministry at the Temple during the first 1,260 days of the 70th Week, ending on the day the Antichrist commits the Abomination of Desolation. Also, there will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists commissioned to spread the Good News (Revelation 14:1-4). So, here is the question. If the Church were still on Earth past the start of the 7 years of the Tribulation waiting on a Mid-Tribulation or Pre-Wrath Tribulation or Post-Tribulation Rapture, what need is there for two special witnesses or the 144,000 Jewish evangelists? Christ already would have (if the Church were still here) MILLIONS of witnesses actively and fervently proclaiming the Gospel since they would be in the midst of the Seal Judgments and Trumpet Judgments. There is no sensible or logical reason for God to introduce Two Witnesses or 144,000 Jewish evangelists when millions of witnesses are already here. That is, unless of course, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture removed all those millions, and now there is a need for Two Witnesses and 144,000 Jewish evangelists to preach Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, the entire seven years of Daniel’s 70th Week (the Tribulation) is God’s wrath, and as such, He will be pouring out judgment resulting in death and destruction on a rebellious world. It is for the reasons above, plus many others, that we know the Rapture of the Church happens BEFORE those final seven years of the Tribulation can begin because we ae NOT to endure the Wrath of God because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ!
2) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture violate the chronology of the book of Revelation. The sequence of events of God’s Wrath that is pictured in the book of Revelation clearly places both the Seal Judgments and the Trumpet Judgments in the first half of the 70th Week of Daniel, and the Bowl Judgments are clearly shown to be near the end of the seven years. The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture views simply do not fit the chronology since they occur after the Seal and Trumpet Judgments.
3) A very strong objection to the Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view is the absolute destruction of the imminence of the Lord’s return. The Bible emphasizes that the Lord could return at any moment and that we should live looking for His return (Matthew 24:44, 1 Corinthians 1:7, Philippians 3:20, Philippians 4:5, Colossians 3: 4, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Titus 2:13, and Revelation 16:15). The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view says the Lord cannot return until after the Antichrist appears, the Jewish Temple has been rebuilt, and the world has suffered through years of the wrath of the Antichrist and Satan. Thus, according to the Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view, we should be living looking for the Antichrist and not Jesus Christ.
4) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view denies that the first half of Daniel’s 70th Week is part of the Tribulation. Both halves of Daniel’s 70th Week are referred to in the Scriptures as a time of tribulation. Matthew 24:9 refers to the first half as “tribulation,” and Matthew 24:21 classifies the second half as “great tribulation.” Incidentally, Jesus’ reference to the second half as the “great tribulation” reflects that He was speaking to a Jewish audience, and the second half of the Tribulation will be when the Antichrist will try to annihilate the Jews as well as the Bowl Judgments being the worst of all the judgments.
5) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view distorts the purpose of Daniel’s 70th Week. Daniel 9:24-27 makes it clear that the purpose of Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years is to accomplish six things among the Jewish people:
- To finish transgression
- To make an end of sin
- To make atonement for iniquity
- To bring in everlasting righteousness
- To seal up vision and prophecy
- To anoint the most Holy Place
Just as the first 69 weeks of years (483 years) of the prophecy had nothing to do with the Church, so neither does the final week of seven years. The last seven-year period of Daniel’s prophecy is about the accomplishment of the purposes listed above among the Jewish people. Accordingly, the entire period of Daniel’s 70th Week is referred to in Jeremiah 30:7 as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” There is no purpose for the Church during Daniel’s 70th Week.
6) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view says the Church must be present during the Tribulation. Incredibly, the argument has been proclaimed that the Church must suffer “for purging and purifying” which has no basis in the Bible anywhere. The Bible says that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cleanse us of all sin (1 John 1:7). The idea that the Church needs to be purified creates a Christian Purgatory, which is a blasphemy of the blood of Jesus.
7) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture view claims that the Seal Judgments or the Trumpet Judgments do not constitute any portion of the wrath of God. All of the 21 judgments (Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl) originate at the throne of God when Jesus begins to open each seal (Revelation 6:1). Further, they are referred to as “the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16-17).
8) The Pre-Wrath, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation view of the Day of the Lord all contend that it begins with the beginning of the Bowl Judgments which are in the last of the second half of the Tribulation. The problem here is that the Day of the Lord is a term that is used in many different ways in the Bible, and it must always be interpreted in context. There are places when it refers to specific national judgments from God, as when Israel was destroyed by Assyria (Amos 5:18-20) and when Judah was destroyed by Babylon (Lamentations 2:21-22 and Ezekiel 13:5). The fall of Babylon is called the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:6- 13).
But there are also times when the term refers to end time events. In this regard, it sometimes refers to the return of Jesus at the end of Daniel’s 70th Week (Isaiah 2:10-22, Joel 3:9-17 and Zechariah 14:1-9). In Zephaniah 1:14-18 the Day of the Lord is used to refer to the entire period of the Tribulation when “all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy…” In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 it says the Day of the Lord will come at a time when people are feeling safe and secure which would be at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week, after the “In-Between” wars and after the Antichrist negotiates a treaty that negotiates peace with God through Israel. But the prophet Isaiah repeatedly uses a shorthand version of the term, “in that day”, to refer to the Millennium (Isaiah 4:2-6).
Another problem is when the Day of the Lord is said to begin at some point after the Seal Judgments and the Trumpet Judgments have ended. How could that be? The Bible says the Day of the Lord will begin with people celebrating peace and safety (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). What feeling of peace and safety could possibly exist when the world is experiencing the Judgments? This must be a reference to the treaty of peace the Antichrist will negotiate at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week and which will mark the beginning of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27) which occurs after the “In-Between” times.
The Rapture and the Thessalonians
In order to fully understand the impact of the Rapture, we can place ourselves into that tiny first century church in Thessalonica, after the Resurrection, after Pentecost, about 50 A.D. Paul had come and started this group of new Christians, left them to pursue other missions, then heard about some major concerns that they had because of the persecution they were receiving from Jews in the area.
The details of what happens to Christians after they die were elusive in the early church, and the Thessalonians were worried about that subject. They were probably asking questions like, “Where do Christians go after they die? What happens to their souls? What happens to their bodies?” This set of questions troubled young believers in the church at Thessalonica because they didn’t have Scripture like we do. They didn’t even have access to Old Testament scrolls since the saved Jews among them were cut off from synagogues. Paul had been teaching them when he ministered to them about the fact that Jesus was going to return possibly in their lifetime.
The Thessalonian church had a profound love for one another, and even for those outside their local fellowship all throughout Macedonia. This added to the grief in their minds, if someone died and was to miss the Second Coming, were they going to be forever a disembodied spirit? Were they going to be some sort of a lesser saint? Were they somehow not going to experience the presence of the Lord?
Paul answers the distress and the confusion and ignorance with a clear description of a single event that will be the next event on the prophetic calendar. We call it the Rapture, to be “caught up”, “harpazo”. It means to snatch up, to seize and carry off by force. There will be a time when believers are snatched up by a sudden, divine, irresistible force. This is not Christ coming to Earth, because it clearly says He comes and meets them in the air. We know this is also not judgment but strictly a snatching away of believers into the air to meet the Lord. That is the next event in the prophetic calendar for us.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed,” – or ignorant – “brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Important Considerations About the Rapture
There are at least four important things to see when studying the Rapture from what Paul told the Thessalonians: the three pillars of the Rapture, the participants of the Rapture, the plan of the Rapture, and the purpose of the Rapture. First, what are the pillars of the Rapture, the bases for our understanding, expectation, and surety that the Rapture will happen? The resurrection of Christ is God’s stamp of approval on what He did on the cross and the first pillar found in verse 14. It is our resurrection as well. So, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Christ’s cross and resurrection, we ask what happens to Christians who have died when the Rapture happens. Paul tells them that God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. That’s one of the questions that the Thessalonians wanted to know the answer to.
What happens to those who had died? Their spirits have gone obviously to be with the Lord. They didn’t perhaps understand the fullness of that. But they would have understood that they would be with the Lord in some sense. They would understand that they would be in the possession of eternal life, and that’s the second pillar of the Rapture. They are “asleep” in Jesus, or, in other words, they have died and are with Jesus.
Next, would they be always incomplete, separated spirit from body? And would they be somehow less than those who are alive and experience the Rapture? No, not at all. God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. This is the promise of resurrection. God raised Jesus and He will raise all who are in Jesus, even those who have died.
Then, the Thessalonians asked, “How do you know this, Paul? How can we be sure?” The third pillar is the truth of the Rapture of the church, the gathering, the snatching, is based on the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Verse 15 says, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” Where are you getting this information, Paul, “By the word of the Lord”? On the basis of divine revelation which is the third pillar. Paul received the word of the Rapture directly from God.
There is a reference to the Rapture in John 14:3, but John doesn’t give us any kind of details or any kind of description for anything parallel to the detail of this text. What Paul means is that the Lord has personally revealed this to Him. The reason we know that is because 1 Corinthians 15:51 calls it a mystery. Jesus didn’t give the details either in the Scripture or outside the Scripture, or it wouldn’t have been a mystery. A mystery is something that has been hidden and is now revealed.
The Thessalonians knew about Jesus coming. They also knew about the Day of the Lord (the Tribulation). They knew that there was a time when Jesus would come and bring final judgment. They also knew that that final judgment was the culmination of a series of judgments in a cataclysmic event called the Day of the Lord. It’s not a day in the sense of 24 hours, it’s a day in the sense of an era or an epic, a very familiar term in the Old Testament.
The Participants in the Rapture
Just who are the participants in the Rapture, who is going to be involved? Paul addresses this question from the Thessalonians in verse 14, “God’s going to bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.” The dead are not going to miss this. Obviously, their spirits are already with the Lord. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Obviously, it is far better to depart and be with Christ. There is no middle ground, no purgatory, no soul sleep; but the body sleeps in death until the day of the Rapture.
The ones who have fallen asleep will not miss this event. It says in verse 15, “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” Notice the “we” in that verse. Does this mean Paul thought it could happen in his lifetime? Sure it does. But it didn’t happen in his lifetime even though it could have happened in his lifetime, because it is a signless event. It is a sudden cataclysmic snatching on which the very day no one knows. But Jesus told us that we would know the general time because of the signs.
There are no indications in the Bible anywhere in the New Testament that there’s any precursor, no predecessor to the Rapture. When you see Jesus in the Olivet Discourse laying out all of the things that precede His coming, those are events that precede His coming in judgment to establish His kingdom known as the Second Coming. The Rapture occurs before the Second Coming. There is no judgment associated with the Rapture on the Earth. Christ doesn’t even come all the way to Earth. He doesn’t split the Mount of Olives. He doesn’t come to Armageddon. He doesn’t defeat His enemies. He doesn’t bring final judgment. He doesn’t separate the sheep and the goats. He doesn’t set up the Millennial Kingdom. All of that comes with His Second Coming, and it is the culmination of the Day of the Lord, the Tribulation, which is a period of judgment. And by the way, the Rapture occurs at the end of chapter 4, and the Day of the Lord is described in chapter 5, so we should pay attention to the sequence of events.
Paul not only didn’t know when it was going to happen, but he also knew he couldn’t know. Certainly, he had become familiar with the words of our Lord, Matthew 24:36, that no one knew the time, season, not even the Son knew that at that time. He also knew that it would be a while before Jesus came but probably not 2,000 years. He followed the parables of Jesus in Matthew 24 and 25, and in one of the parables we are reminded that our Lord says, “The Master is not coming for a long time.” And in the parable of the virgins, the bridegroom is delaying. Paul was caught between the fact that it could happen in his lifetime, but it could be a very long time which it has turned out to be. What is the point of that kind of imminency? The point of that kind of imminency is preparedness. If we don’t know exactly when something will occur, then we need to be prepared at all times! He’s coming in an hour when you think not which primarily refers to those who are not believers. For the unbelievers, Jesus’ Coming will be a shock leaving them totally unprepared. But we believers need to be prepared and find out all we can through God’s Word and Prophecy so that we will be prepared.
Now go back to the text and verse 15 again: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” By just being alive, we are not going to have any advantage over those who have died in Christ. It’s to no advantage to be alive at the Rapture over having already died in Christ. All Christians alive or dead when Jesus comes to gather us and take us to the place that He’s prepared for us in the Father’s house, all of us will be gathered, no one will be left out. So, the pillars of the Rapture event, the death and resurrection of Christ, and the revelation of Christ, the participants – all believers dead or alive – all will be gathered up. No one will miss that event.
In verses 16 and 17 is the plan of the Rapture that Paul was giving to the Thessalonians. There are some details here that we don’t have in 1 Corinthians 15 or John 14. First, the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven. This is to fulfill the promise of John 14: “I will come. Don’t let your heart be troubled. I’m going to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you to Myself.” Notice that Jesus is “receiving” us to Him, not Jesus coming to the Earth. Quite a distinction and an obvious reference to the Rapture.
Then we get some indications of the grandeur of the event. “The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout.” Shout is the Greek word “keleusma”, which is a word of command, authority, urgency. It’s a military term used to suddenly and forcefully call the troops from being at ease to attention: “Back into your ranks. Get into position.” Luther translated it in German “feldgeschrei” which means a call to stand up and get in line. That is the call: “Get ready.”
In Psalm 47, which is a Millennial Psalm, we read, “God is gone up with a shout, with the sound of a trumpet.” Here He comes down. This is the call to the dead to rise, like, “Lazarus, come forth.” Immediately all the souls in Heaven are joined to the bodies that come from the grave, some from the sea. They’re all joined together. This is the power that Jesus claimed in John 5 when he says He has the power of life, the resurrection of life.
There is also the voice of an archangel. This is without a parallel in Scripture. The only mention of an archangel is here and in Jude 9 where it’s that archangel’s name is Michael. Here in Thessalonians 4:16 it is the voice of an archangel, which could be Michael, as he is identified with such a resurrection for Israel in Daniel 12 which comes later at the end of the Day of the Lord. Whoever this angel is, he adds his voice to the voice of the Lord Himself.
Then comes the trumpet of God. If you go back into the Old Testament you know that the trumpets were blown to assemble the people. There are many trumpets in the Old Testament. Whenever there was a festival, a celebration, a convocation; whenever there was some kind of triumph, some kind of judgment, a trumpet in Exodus 19 calls the people to meet with God, the trumpet of assembly would be called, and everyone would come. In Zephaniah and in Zechariah, a trumpet is used as a signal of the Lord’s coming to rescue His people from wicked oppression. It’s a trumpet of deliverance.
There are many trumpets associated with the End Times, more of them with that period called the Day of the Lord. This trumpet is the last trumpet in the sense that it ends the Church Age, the Dispensation of Grace. It’s not said to be a judgment trumpet, as the trumpets in Revelation 8 to 11 are. It’s an assembly trumpet. And here we see the plan that the dead in Christ will rise first.
Did the Jews in the Old Testament believe they were going to have a resurrection? Absolutely, they believed they were going to be raised from the dead. Job, chapter 19, verse 23 says, “Oh that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another.” Job believed in resurrection and Job is thought to be the oldest book in the Bible.
Psalm 16 talks about God not letting His holy one see corruption. And then Daniel, chapter 12, is the passage on resurrection, verse 1: “At that time (and this is looking at the end of the Day of the Lord) Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.” That’s the time of tribulation, the period of the Day of the Lord. It follows the Rapture and comes before the final judgment, “at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” There will be a resurrection of the unjust and the saints as well. The Old Testament teaches the resurrection of the body, and so does the New, as we have found.
This is the Rapture. We’re all snatched up, dead or alive, by this divine, irresistible force. This is an interesting word, this word “harpazo”. It’s used in Matthew 11 of taking a kingdom by force. It’s used in John 10 of a wolf snatching a sheep. It’s used in John 10 where our Lord says that nothing can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. It’s used in 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul was snatched up into the third heaven. It’s used in Acts 8 where Philip was caught up and disappeared, remember, when he was talking to the eunuch. Most importantly, it’s used in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. The trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed,” snatched up, transformed into our eternal condition like the risen resurrected Christ; and we will be joined together with the dead who receive their glorified bodies, “and so we shall always be with the Lord.” There will be a reunion.
Paul wants the Thessalonians and us not to worry about those who’ve died. They’re not going to be second-class saints, they’re not going to be floating spirits while you have a glorified body. We’re all going to be together. There is reunion, no one will be left out. We’ll all be in that glorious final form. And, again, clouds are associated with this; we meet the Lord in the air. Again, this is not the Second Coming. He’s not coming to Earth, we meet Him in the air.
Meeting the Lord is a common Old Testament idea, and here it’s the experience of New Testament believers. He gathers us and takes us to the rooms He’s prepared for us in the Father’s house, and we will always be with the Lord, never to be separated. At the end of the Day of the Lord, when He comes back in judgment, we come back with Him. When He sets up His kingdom on earth, we reign with Him on earth through the thousand years; and then in the new Heaven and the new Earth, we dwell with Him forever, never to be separated from the Lord.
We have looked at the pillars of this event, the participants of this event, the plan, and, finally, what is the purposeof telling the Thessalonian Church and us all of this? Verse 18: “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” No one in the Church, either dead or alive, is going to be left out. God, who is the God of all comfort, comforts His people, not with some kind of emotional warm and fuzzy experience. God comforts His people with truth, The Truth, God’s Truth, the only Truth! Only through Jesus Christ can we truly experience comfort, peace, confidence, pure hope, and security. That is why Paul was so eager to address the Thessalonians and their questions resulting in their utter comfort that only God can supply.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 – Can the Rapture be found in this passage?
2 Thessalonians 2:3 says, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…” The Bible never precisely states when the Rapture of the Church will take place. That’s why there is so much disagreement over when it will occur. All positions are based on inferences in the Scriptures. Some believe the Rapture will occur in the middle of the Tribulation. Others place it near the end, some combine it with the Second Coming. I happen to believe that the best inference of the Scriptures is that it will occur before the Tribulation begins.
There are many reasons why the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation even begins, including Scripture verses, prophetic symbolism, and logic. With regard to Scripture verses, some of the more important ones that relate to the Rapture’s timing are the following:
- Luke 21:36, “…keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Jesus spoke these words in His Olivet Discourse which He delivered to His disciples the week He was crucified. They concluded a long speech in which He outlined the major signs of the end times that would signal the season of His return. Notice that He says that believers should live anticipating the Lord’s appearance at any time, and that they are to pray for their escape from all the horrors of the end times which He had been talking about. To me, this passage strongly infers a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “…you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
This passage is one of the most convincing that points to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. After all, the Bible clearly teaches in both the Old and New Testaments that the Tribulation will be a period of the pouring out of God’s wrath (Isaiah 24 and Revelation 6-19). This verse promises that Jesus will deliver believers “from the wrath that is to come.” A similar promise can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 which states: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
- Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
These are some of the words that Jesus addressed to the church at Philadelphia. They constitute a promise that true believers will be kept from (Greek “ek” which means “out of”) the testing that will one day encompass the entire world. We know from many other scriptures, including Revelation 6-19, that the “hour of testing” will be the Tribulation period of seven years when the Wrath of God will be poured out on the Earth (Revelation 11:18 and 15:1).
These three passages are isolated because they give us clues as to the timing of the Rapture, namely, that it will take place before the Tribulation begins. There are many other verses that refer to the Rapture besides these. Some include for your personal study: John 14:1-3; Romans 8:19; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 15:51-53; 16:22; Philippians 3:20-21; 4:5; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 4:13-18; 5:9,23;2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:7,13; 5:4; 1 John 2:28-3:2; Jude 21; Revelation 2:25.
An Old Testament passage, Isaiah 26:17-21, is also very strongly inferential to the Rapture which was a “mystery” at the time but is revealed to us now. “Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so, have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”
Note the reference to the dead living and arising, along with the living, after much travail and suffering. Of course, Isaiah is referring to the Jews, and eventually to the Abomination of Desolation when those Jews left during the Tribulation will have to flee to a place, we think Petra, where God will protect them from the Antichrist indwelt by Satan himself for the remainder of the Tribulation or three and one-half years. But Isaiah is looking forward to a time when he will be raised from the dead, referring to the time when that will happen, the Rapture for those in Christ, and the raising of the faithful dead before the start of the Millennial Kingdom.
Notice what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 25:34 in reference to His earthly kingdom: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The promise of God’s earthly kingdom goes all the way back to Adam when God first placed man on the Earth (Acts 3:21) and it continues with Israel from Genesis 12 onward until we come to Paul, and everything after our dispensation of the Age of Grace. Everyone justified before God from Adam all the way up to those saved outside of Paul’s ministry in the book of Acts have an earthly hope. The oldest Bible book, Job, makes it clear in Job 19:25-27 that these saints had a hope, not to die and go to heaven, but a hope to be raised again and go into that earthly kingdom. Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”
All who will be saved after the Dispensation of Grace have an earthly hope. The Dispensation of Grace interrupts Israel’s prophetic and earthly program for about 2,000 years. Thus, all people saved unto eternal life outside of the Dispensation of Grace, outside of Paul’s ministry, they will all be resurrected together just before the Millennium, for they all need go into the earthly kingdom that God promised them. They need to be resurrected after Jesus Christ comes back at His Second Coming, but before He initiates His kingdom on Earth. After the Rapture (when the Church the Body of Christ is taken into heaven), and after the seven-year Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to Earth (Revelation 19:11-21).
It is here on the Bible timeline that Revelation 20:4-6 will be fulfilled: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” This is the “Old Testament saints’ resurrection” plus the resurrection of Tribulation saints, both Jew and Gentile alike, and it will occur just after Jesus Christ returns to Earth at His Second Coming.
According to Jesus Christ, Israel’s patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be resurrected to enter and reign in their kingdom; obviously, their resurrection would be before the 1,000 years begin, at this same time as the Tribulation saints and the Old Testament saints. Matthew 8:11: “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”
Understand also that Israel’s 12 apostles also need to be resurrected at this same time before the Millennial Kingdom can begin, for they will sit on 12 thrones judging Israel’s 12 tribes in her kingdom: “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first” (Matthew 19:27-30). Mark records similar statements in Mark 10:28-31.
Another Pre-Tribulation Passage?
There is another verse that is often cited as proof that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins but contains a word that many do not know has two different interpretations that can both be true at the same time adding tremendous meaning to this verse. It is 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…”
The reason it is often presented as evidence of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is because it states that “the Day of the Lord” (The Tribulation) will not occur until “the apostasy comes first.” How does this relate to the timing of the Rapture? Because the word, “apostasy” (apostasia) means “departure”, and a departure can be a spiritual departure from the faith and also a physical departure such as the Rapture. And thus, this verse is saying that the spiritual departure of the Church, mirroring the Laodicean Church of Revelation Chapter 3 being neither cold or hot causing Christ to spew them out of His mouth, happens before the Antichrist appears, and the physical departure of the Church in the Rapture must occur before “the man of lawlessness” (the Antichrist) is revealed and the Tribulation begins.
We must always remember that the true meaning of words found in Scripture must always be determined by their context, not by possible alternative definitions. When we study this word “apostasia”, we find interesting information. The Greek noun, apostasia, is used only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in Acts 21:21 where it states that an accusation was made against Paul that he was “teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake [apostasia] Moses.”
The word is used in verb form a total of 15 times in the New Testament, and only three of these have anything to do with a departure from the faith (Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12). In other settings, the word is used for departing from inquity (2 Timothy 2:19), departing from ungodly men (1 Timothy 6:5), departing from the temple (Luke 2:27), departing from the body (2 Corinthians 12:8), and departing from persons (Acts 12:10 and Luke 4:13).
This insight about the use and meaning of the word is certainly compelling, but what is most convincing is that the first seven English translations of the Bible rendered the noun, “apostasia”, as either “departure” or “departing”, not “falling away” or apostasy. Those early Bibles were The Wycliffe Bible (1384), The Tyndale Bible (1526), The Coverdale Bible (1535), The Cranmer Bible (1539), The Great Bible (1540), The Beeches Bible (1576), and The Geneva Bible (1608).
The Bible used by the Western world from 400 AD to the 1500s, Jerome’s Latin translation known as “The Vulgate”, rendered apostasia with the Latin word, discessio, which means “departure.” The first translation of the word to mean apostasy in an English Bible did not occur until 1611 when the King James Version was issued. So, why did the King James translators introduce a completely new rendering of the word as “falling away” as in from the faith? The best guess is that they were taking a stab at the false teachings of Catholicism.
Another interesting and significant point is that Paul used a definite article with the word “apostasia”. The significance of this is emphasized by Daniel Davey in a thesis he wrote for the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary:
Since the Greek language does not need an article to make the noun definite, it becomes clear that with the usage of the article, reference is being made to something in particular. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasia is prefaced by the definite article which means that Paul is pointing to a particular type of departure clearly known to the Thessalonian church.
In light of this grammatical point, the use of the definite article would support the notion that Paul spoke of a clear, discernable action. And that action he had already identified in context in verse 1 of 2 Thessalonians when he stated that he was writing about “our gathering together to Him [Jesus].” This interpretation also corresponds to the point that Paul makes in verses 6 and 7 where he states that the man of lawlessness will not come until what “restrains” him “is taken out of the way.” And what it is that restrains evil in the world today? The Holy Spirit working through the Church individually in every believer. What this all suggests is that the word “apostasia” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 when taken in context and compared to the rest of the Bible probably refers to the Rapture! But there is also clear reason to believe that apostasy will happen as well since we see so much evidence of a spiritual “falling away” today in all kinds of Christian churches through Replacement Theology, the Prosperity Gospel, anti-Jewish and anti-Israel teaching in the Church, and the abandonment or irrelevance of Prophecy being taught widely.
Conclusion
Is a Pre-Tribulation Rapture what will actually happen? The doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is not only what will probably happen, but it really seems to be the only choice we as believers have. To believe in another Rapture timing, we’re endorsing, knowingly or unknowingly, the un-biblical act of works-salvation. That’s right, if we hold to any other view, except a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, we are by default, holding to a works-based salvation. We should all agree that the Bible clearly teaches salvation is by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”. Also, Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is a clear message that Jesus has already justified us. We have no need to be purified or suffer the Wrath of God which is exactly what all of the Tribulation contains.
The word “wrath” also has a general as well as a specific meaning, and the two are differentiated by time. When used in connection with God, the word “wrath” appears in 18 verses of the Old Testament and usually describes God’s feelings toward Israel during their periodic times of disobedience. In the New Testament there are 16 verses where wrath appears in connection with God. Some of them refer to the eternal destiny unbelievers will face after they die, and others are about the end times judgments. We can tell which is which by the context in which they are used.
John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” In this verse the context is eternal life. Those who believe in the Son will receive it but those who reject Him will not receive it for God’s wrath remains on them. There are only two possible dispositions for mankind, eternal life and eternal punishment. Belief in the Son brings life, and rejection of the Son brings punishment. Only one generation of mankind will experience the end times judgments, but John 3:36 pertains to all mankind. Therefore, the Lord had to be using God’s wrath in reference to eternal punishment here. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now let’s look at the time of God’s wrath. Isaiah 26:20-21 says, “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.” Isaiah foresaw a time when God will pour out His wrath on earth for a period of time he describes as lasting “a little while.” Therefore, this passage is not about His eternal wrath against all unbelievers who have died but is a specific period of time against one generation of unbelievers who will still be alive. And like Paul, he separated believers from unbelievers by changing from the second person (your rooms) to the third person (their sins).
The angel Gabriel gave Daniel similar information in Daniel 8:19, saying, “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.” Starting with an overview of the kings of Medo-Persia and Greece, the angel quickly focused in on the days of the Antichrist during the time of wrath at the end of the age (Daniel 8:19-25). These passages identify a specific period of time at the end of the age when God will visit His wrath upon the unbelieving world. In the past many commentators have identified this period as being the time of the bowl judgments of Revelation 15-16. That’s because in Revelation 16:1 these judgments are called “the seven bowls of God’s Wrath.” But the Bible does not say the time of God’s Wrath begins with these judgments. In fact, in Revelation 15:1 we are told that with the bowl judgments God’s wrath will end. If that gives us the ending point, then where do they begin? The answer can be found in Revelation 6:16-17 where the kings of the earth realize that with the seal judgments the great day of God’s wrath has begun.
They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
The King James Version renders Revelation 6:17 as “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” Based on this, some people see a difference between the wrath of the Lamb, which only appears in Revelation 6:16, and the wrath of God. But the majority of English versions translate the Greek word “autos” in the plural, as happens over 300 times in the New Testament, and translate Revelation 6:17 as “the great day of their wrath has come.” Since both Father and Son are in view in Revelation 6:16 and since the two are one (John 10:30) this seems to fit the context better.
Also note the past perfect tense of the phrase “the great day of their wrath has come”. The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that has taken place at a specific time in the past. From the preceding judgments of Revelation 6, the kings of the earth will realize that they are already in the period known as the Wrath of God Therefore, the time of God’s wrath begins with the seal judgments of Revelation 6 and ends with the bowl judgments of Revelation 16 and will occupy most, if not all, of Daniel’s 70th Week.
Many commentators insist that God’s wrath is the worst part of a time they call the seven-year Tribulation period, making God’s wrath synonymous with the Great Tribulation. But as we can see, it’s actually the other way around. The Great Tribulation is the worst part of the time of God’s wrath. When Jesus spoke of the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21, He was referring to the bowl judgments of Revelation 16 because these are the only judgments that will take place in the second half of Daniel’s 70th Week, after the Antichrist sets up the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27). The bowl judgments are the third and final series of judgments that God will execute upon the earth during the time of His wrath.
We, the present Church of believers in Jesus Christ, are NOT be judged AT ALL for sin or be purged or cleansed as a Church since we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Obviously, the Church is not nor could never be suffering under God’s Wrath for exactly what 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come”, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”, and Revelation 3:10, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from (Greek “ek” meaning “out of”) the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Therefore, the Church logically has to be raptured BEFORE God’s Wrath to literally stay out of it or the effects of it which begins with the first Seal Judgment just after the peace treaty the Antichrist signs with Israel found in Daniel 9:27 at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week or the start of the Tribulation which will last seven years.
We also must accept another horrible reality of the Tribulation found in Revelation 13:7. Everyone IN the Tribulation who is a believer in Jesus Christ and therefore a saint must be overcome (placed under the domination) by Satan/Antichrist, which is clearly shown to occur, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations”. During this period, the Church, if they are IN the Tribulation, and the entire world are overcome by the Antichrist which leads to persecution, imprisonment, even beheadings. Yet, Jesus said the Church cannot be overcome by the very gates of hell in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Again, obviously and logically, the Church is gone when this “overcoming” takes place inside the Tribulation.
The Bible is very clear on these points, we are not protected through the coming Tribulation which begins with the Seal Judgments, we are protected from the Tribulation, kept “out of” God’s Wrath, all of which clearly demonstrates a removal before the Tribulation period. This perfectly harmonizes with the most prominent and clear Rapture verses, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 & 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
One additional fact, the Bride or Church, is situated in Heaven before the first resurrection of Revelation! Let me repeat this, “the Church is in Heaven BEFORE the first resurrection!” Why would we need a resurrection if we’re already in Heaven? The Tribulation Saints will still be waiting for the first resurrection to occur (Revelation 20:4-7), while the Bride or Church is in Heaven at the promised marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:7-9 says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’” In the following verses of Revelation 19:11 and following, we see Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords come down from Heaven in the Second Coming. We get from this that the preceding Marriage Supper of the Lamb was taking place in Heaven where Jesus is until that Second Coming and the Church is sitting at the table in Heaven. The Church cannot be IN the Tribulation.
The second resurrection of the Tribulation is the resurrection of the unrighteous dead dating from Creation. Revelation 20:11-15 says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” The only humans alive at this time will be the Tribulation Saints that survived the seven years. They will go into the Millennial Kingdom to live 1,000 years.
We are part of the faithful Bride, the Church age believers throughout the ages, that have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord’s promised salvation by faith in Christ. We cannot add any personal good works to the perfect work of Christ upon the cross. It is through this perfect work of atonement by Jesus Christ that we are justified before a Holy God. And we can trust His promised protection from the coming wrath which will come upon the entire world. The timing is at His choosing, but in the Bible, He gives us many signs to be looking for, the greatest is the return of the Jews to Israel and restoration of Jerusalem which has already happened.
I do believe the time is extremely near, which means the Rapture could occur very soon, perhaps today! Repent of your sins and place your trust in Christ today because we are not promised a tomorrow. No one wants to endure the Wrath of God, yet that is exactly what will happen if you do not turn to Christ this very day! The time is quickly running out. Today is the day of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord! Even so, Come Lord Jesus! 4\insrsid