Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Exploring Prophetic Mysteries

With Daniel Speck 7.8.10

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture

...but examine everything carefully... I Thessalonians 5:21

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine teaches that Jesus Christ will return secretly before the Tribulation to gather the Church up into heaven through an invisible resurrection and rapture. This Rapture doctrine is the most widely accepted Rapture theory among pre-millennial evangelical churches and seminaries. Among many evangelical scholars and prophecy teachers, this theory is considered exclusively Scriptural and all other teachings are considered false; sometimes even heretical and dangerous. Most Christians who are taught this doctrine in their churches or seminaries seem to embrace it without question. The percentage of pre-millennial evangelicals who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture may be as high as 90% or more.

Why not just go along?

So why not just go along with the Pre-Tribulation doctrine? After all, how can the vast majority of good, pastors, churches and ministries be wrong about this? Well, frankly it may not make a lot of difference which rapture theory you believe if you are not in the generation that is here when it takes place, but if you are among the Final Period generation, then the consequences are immense. Imagine the majority of Christians, millions and millions, believing that they will be taken into heaven before any of the ominous events of the Tribulation begin to occur, but instead finding themselves in the middle of it like everyone else. What will that shock do to the faith of so many? Will all those disillusioned believers be especially vulnerable to deception from false prophets or even from the Antichrist? Will they be as oblivious and unprepared as the Jews who were herded into the boxcars to be shipped to the Nazis’ death camps? Daniel Says of the Beast, “He will destroy the unsuspecting.” Daniel 8:25 NBV. The stakes are very high for getting this doctrine correct.

A secret, invisible coming of Jesus?

Our first challenge is to find where a secret coming of Jesus is taught in the Scripture. I’ll save you some time; there is no Scripture that says there will be a secret coming of Christ. Not even one that might be interpreted that way. The coming of Christ is only described as glorious, loud, and witnessed by all the world.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God... I Thessalonians 4:16

...the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire... II Thessalonians 1:7

...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

In fact, the Scriptures actually warns Christians about being fooled by false rumors of a secret coming that is not visible to everyone.

“Behold I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:25-27

The sudden disappearance of Christians?

Not in the Bible either. The Scriptures describing the Rapture never mention that believers are suddenly going to disappear without the rest of the world seeing them or realizing what is happening. There is no Scriptural reason to not assume that the Rapture will be seen by everyone on earth just as the appearing of Christ on the clouds will be.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Revelation 1:7

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4

...when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire...when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who believe. II Thessalonians 2:7,10.

How can the Lord be marveled at and glorified in His saints if the Rapture and Coming and are invisible?

There is absolutely nothing that must occur before Jesus returns?

The Apostle Paul must have not gotten that memo:

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed by either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 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, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god ad object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. II Thessalonians 2:1-4

Clearly stated by Paul here is the fact that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him will not come until the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, exalts himself above all gods and takes his seat in the Temple as God. It just cannot get any more clear than this. This is a simple, straightforward statement of Scripture that the coming of Christ and the Rapture will not take place until the apostasy occurs and the Antichrist is revealed and seats himself in the Temple to declare himself God. No one has to assume or read anything into this Scripture; it is stated very plainly.

A list of some of the events that are prophesied to take place before the Coming and Rapture:

Peter would live into old age (John 21:18)
The Gospel would be preached to all the world, (Matthew 24:14, Acts 1:8) which means the whole planet would have to be explored and evangelized, which wasn’t completed until the late 20th century
The birth pains of the Tribulation would begin (Matthew 24:8)
The Antichrist would appear (Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The Great Apostasy would occur (Matthew 24:10, II Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The world wide persecution of the Church would become severe (Matthew 24:9)
The Abomination of Desolation would occur (Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The Temple will have to be rebuilt for the Abomination of Desolation to take place, which means that the Jews will have to be in control of the Temple Mount, which means that the Jews would have to return to the land of Israel and secure sovereignty over Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15)
Earthquakes, famines, plagues and great signs from the heavens (Luke 21:11)

Christians will be kept from tribulation and suffering?

Those who teach a Pre-Tribulation Rapture are usually adamant that Christ would never allow His Bride to go through such such trouble and suffering as the Tribulation. But is this teaching Biblical at all?

“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Matthew 24:9

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For you sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Romans 8:35

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of you faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Peter 1:6-5

Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. I Peter 4:12-13.

Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’ righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. II Thessalonians 1:4-3

Some of the purposes of tribulation, persecution and suffering for believers are:

1. To prove our faith

2. To glorify and honor Christ

3. To be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God

4. To test us

5. To cause us to bear more fruit

6. To make us more like Christ

7. To give us an opportunity to testify

The Great Multitude in Revelation 7 is not the Church?

Another common teaching among pre-tribulationists is denying that the Great Multitude of Revelation 7, who come out of the Great Tribulation, are the Church. There is nothing in the text that states this or even suggests that this is the case, nor is there any other Scripture that says Gentile believers in Christ living during the Tribulation are not the Church.

...a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...”These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9,14

It is clear from these verses that the Great Multitude who come out of the Great Tribulation are Gentile believers in Jesus Christ from all over the world. What can you call such a body of believers except the Church? Explaining away such an obvious contradiction of the pre-tribulation rapture seems to require some nomenclature slight of hand: “Lets not call these Gentile Tribulation believers in Christ the “Church;” that will solve this apparent contradiction.” A rose is still a rose by any other name or even no name at all.

The Second Coming and Rapture can only happen in absolute immanency?

Immanency is another of the cornerstones of the Pre-Tribulation teaching. This is the theory that from the day of Pentecost, there is no event that is prophesied to precede the return of the Lord; that He could appear literally on any day and the Rapture could also take place at any moment from the first century until now.

It is clear that the arrival of the Lord Jesus will, as He tells us, be like a thief in the night, suddenly and unexpectedly, but these warnings are largely meant for unbelievers, not for believers and refer to the day and hour, not the season.

While they are saying “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief. I Thessalonians 5:3-4

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Mark 14:37

We see from Luke 21 that all the events preceding the coming of Christ - earthquakes, plagues, persecution, famines and great signs from heaven, are to be a signal to get ready because He is near.

But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28

Matthew 24 is not talking about the Church?

Extreme Dispensationalists as well as most pre-tribulation teachers insist that Matthew 24, in which Jesus describes the Tribulation, His coming in the clouds, and the gathering of His elect from one end of the sky to the other, is not talking to or about the Church or the rapture at all. Yet Jesus is speaking directly to his twelve disciples, who are soon to become the Church, the authors of the New Testament Scriptures written to the Church, as well as the foundation and Apostolic authority of the Church.

His disciples came to Him privately... Matthew 24:3 The Mount of Olive prophecies were not spoken to Israel publicly but privately to the Christ’s disciples, the foundation of the Church.

“See to it that no one misleads you... You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars...they will deliver you to tribulation...when you see the Abomination of Desolation... Behold I have told you in advance...” Matthew 24:1-25.

The Church today is the Philadelphia church promised to escape the Tribulation?

That is another assumption that is not supported by the text but comes only from pre-tribulation rapture theory. Nowhere does the passage say or even suggest that the Philadelphia church is the universal Church of our time. The text never states that the Philadelphia church is anything but the Philadelphia church. The Philadelphia church is described as having little strength. You could hardly say that about the Church today. All of the Seven Churches are addressed as if they are all about to experience the Last Days events. There is no reason to single out the Philadelphia church and assume that they alone represent the Last Days Church.

The Mystery of God is not yet finished at the Second Coming and the Rapture?

According to Revelation 10, the Mystery of God, which is Christ and the Church (Ephesians 3:3-9), is finished at the Seventh Trumpet. The Mystery of God is finished because, “every eye will see Him.” When the Lord appears on the clouds and the Rapture takes place, every person on the planet will witness the event. Who Christ really is and who His people really are will no longer be a mystery to anyone in the world. If the coming of the Lord and the Rapture occurred before the Tribulation, then the Mystery of God would be finished then, not at the Seventh Trumpet as clearly stated.

When the Apostle John went up into heaven in the Spirit, that was a type of the Pre -Tribulation Rapture?

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said,”Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things, Immediately I was in the Spirit...” Revelation 4:1-2.

Sounds a little like the Rapture but John is taken up only in the Spirit, not bodily. There is no sound of a trumpet; only a voice like a trumpet. There is another rapture-like event that takes place at the end of the Tribulation, but this one is clearly a bodily resurrection and rapture:

“But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them. And they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. Revelation 11:11-12.

Just like the real Rapture, this is a bodily resurrection and rapture, not just in the Spirit as John’s was. This event is followed “quickly” by the Seventh Trumpet; a literal last trumpet. Of these two different events, only the resurrection and rapture of the Two Witnesses is a genuinely literal description of a rapture and could be legitimately tied to the universal rapture of the Church.

The Tribulation is the wrath and judgment of God?

Pre-tribulationists insist that God will not allow us to experience His wrath, which is certainly true.

For God has not destined us for wrath... I Thessalonians 5:9

The wrath of God does not begin until after Christ appears and the Church is gathered into heaven but this does not occur until the Seventh Trumpet. The Tribulation is not the wrath of God, but is the, “...hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10). The Seven Golden Bowls of God’s Wrath (notice the exact same language is used: the wrath of God) officially begins the judgment of God on the world and this occurs after Christ appears, the Rapture happens, and the Tribulation is over. Testing is not wrath or judgment. Believers will certainly be tested (I Peter 4:12) but wrath and judgment are for unbelievers only.

“...but in those days, after that tribulation...they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory...and will gather together His elect from the four winds... Mark 13:24-26

Dispensational theology demands that the Church be gathered up before Daniel’s 70th week?

Dispensational theology teaches that Israel and the Church are of two distinct dispensations. The Church did not replace Israel and God will turn back to deal exclusively with Israel once the Church is gathered up. While it is certainly true that Israel and the Church are distinct dispensations in God’s plan, there is nothing in the Scripture that states the Church cannot still be here during Daniel’s seventh week (the Tribulation). Once the Church is gathered at the Seventh Trumpet, the Lord will indeed deal exclusively with Israel again. There is nothing in Scripture that demands that the Church and Israel cannot coexist during the Tribulation as they did during the first century when the Temple and Temple worship were still intact.

Only obedient Christians will be considered worthy of the Pre-Tribulation rapture?

Many Pre-Tribulation rapture advocates insist that only obedient, worthy Christians will be taken up before the Tribulation. According to them, other born-again Christians who are not considered worthy will be left behind to endure the Tribulation. This erroneous doctrine contradicts their own teaching that the Tribulation is a period of the wrath and judgment of God, and by their own admission, born-again Christians will never experience the wrath of God.

This false teaching really comes from an inaccurate translation by the King James, which reads: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36. But the NASB says: “that you may have strength to escape,” and even the margin notes of the NKJV says, “have strength to.” This more accurate translation of the Greek to “have strength” changes the whole meaning of the verse. If believers are not even going to be here during the Tribulation, why would they need to pray for strength to escape “all these things?”

It is clear that all believers, no matter what their personal situation will never come under the judgment or wrath of God.

“Truly, Truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

Paul make no such distinction between caught up and “left behind” Christians in any of his descriptions of the Rapture. If this doctrine were true, wouldn’t he make it clear that any true believer not living an exemplary life will be left behind at the Rapture? This doctrine also flies in the face of grace through faith, and the power of Christ’s blood to completely atone for sin, suggesting a two class system for born-again believers: those who are worthy and those who will be “punished” by the Tribulation. There will be only one Rapture event and every single, born-again believer without exception will join the Lord in the air on that day. The Church age will be completely over at the Rapture and no other Gentiles will be converted afterwards.

The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer who will be taken out of the way before the Tribulation?

And you know what restrains him (the Beast) now so that in his time he will be revealed...he who restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. II Thessalonians 2:6-7.

The Holy Spirit is absolutely not the Restrainer. This is another assumption that is unsupported by the text. Nowhere do these Scriptures say or even suggest that the Restrainer is either the Holy Spirit or the Church or that the Restrainer will not be still be here during the Tribulation period. This assumption was specifically crafted to fit the pre-tribulation rapture theory. The restrainer is clearly identified in the text and it is neither the Holy Spirit nor the Church. Who is the Restrainer of II Thessalonians 2? See The Restrainer.

144,000 “Evangelists”?

“Evangelists” is a common label that the most popular prophecy teachers affix to the 144,000. The problem with this characterization is that nowhere in the text are they called evangelists or anything similar, neither are they ever described as doing evangelism. Even though many seem to be absolutely convinced about this assumption, this must be categorized as pure speculation. It is another of those teachings by pre-tribulation advocates which cannot be found anywhere in Scripture. The Church being raptured before the Tribulation leaves them with a problem: Who is left to evangelize the Great Gentile Multitude of Gentile believers who come out of the Tribulation? Well, apparently you can just call the 144,000 “evangelists” and that will solve the problem, but who evangelizes the 144,000? Also according to most pre-tribulationists, the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer who will be “taken out of the way” when the Church is raptured. But how can evangelism and conversion occur without the Holy Spirit? It obviously cannot. Read the 144000.

The last trumpet cannot be the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation?

This is another assumption as an attempt to solve an obvious Scriptural contradiction to the pre-tribulation rapture theory. The answer of course is, why not? The Seventh Trumpet is the last trumpet mentioned in all of the Bible. If the last trumpet sounds before the Tribulation with seven more trumpets to sound, then Paul could not have described the Rapture occurring at the last trumpet. There is no doubt that the Rapture will occur at the very last trumpet and no legitimate reason to doubt that Paul is referring to the Seventh Trumpet.

Behold I tell you a mystery, we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet... I Corinthians 15:52.

The Prophetic Types of the Hebrew Scriptures teach a Pre-Tribulation Rapture?

The story of the battle of Jericho puts the last nail in the coffin of the pre-tribulation rapture theory. When is Rahab, the prophetic type of the Church, taken safely out of the city of Jericho as a type of the Rapture? After the great shout and the seventh trumpet on the seventh day; an exact pattern of the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets of Revelation!

Once the dominos of non-Biblical claims start to fall from the false pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, they seem to go on and on. These are just some of the contradictions and problems with pre-tribulation rapture theory.

Conclusion

The popular Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory is unsupported by any direct Scripture references and should be considered an erroneous doctrine. There is no Scripture which describes either a secret coming of Christ or a secret Rapture. The Apostle Paul gives a clear, direct statement that the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him will not take place until first the apostasy happens, the Antichrist is revealed, and the Abomination of Desolation occurs. The Great Multitude of Revelation 7 makes it clear that the Gentile Church is here during the Great Tribulation. The Scriptures also make it clear that the Church can expect to experience tribulation and suffering in this world, and is not exempt from being tested and refined. Immanency is descriptive only of the day and hour, not the season. Extreme Dispensationalism is not a legitimate basis to deny that the Lord is talking about the Church in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. All born-again believers will be gathered in the one and only rapture event. The Mystery of God is finished only at the Seventh Trumpet, not before the Tribulation as would be the case if there were a pre-tribulation rapture. The wrath of God does not begin until the Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath. Neither the Holy Spirit nor the Church is the Restrainer. The 144,000 are nowhere described as evangelists. The story of the battle of Jericho is a clear prophetic type of the Seventh Trumpet rapture of the Church.

Disclaimer: There are many good evangelical ministries and schools that teach a pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. This in not a condemnation of any doctrinally sound ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but an appeal for a more responsible study of the rapture doctrine taken directly from clear statements of Scripture instead of numerous assumptions which cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.