Some also label it as a seven-year tribulation, though nowhere does the Bible speak of a time of tribulation lasting seven years. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh. Lot and his wife and two daughters were made to leave Sodom and Gomorrah before God burned the towns up with fire and sulfur. The only way to validly interpret God’s promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world. Jesus stated in Matthew 24:42,44 to “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Not only do believers in Christ not know when to expect Him, but the Father Himself seems to have left Jesus out on the exact time His Son is to return. Bear in mind, though, that one’s end-time views have no bearing on the doctrine of salvation. This event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Zech. Post-tribulationists believe that Christians will remain on the Earth throughout the 7-year tribulation period which includes the last three and a half years, which some call the "Great Tribulation". Glossary, Article Archives 9:27), then the Restrainer has to be removed before the Tribulation. The Bible says Jesus will physically return again to earth (Zech. Amazing! At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. Darby and other prominent Brethren were part of the Brethren movement which impacted American Christianity, especially with movements and teachings associated with Christian eschatology and fundamentalism , primarily … The Bible describes a future, literal 1000-year time period. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev 19:14). D) A Literal 1000-Year Millennium Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. By: Dave Hunt The Rapture of the church involves all believers being caught up to heaven -- those just resurrected, together with those alive at the time (1 Thes 4:13-18). Noah and his family were removed from the Flood waters that in God’s wrath were used to judge and cleanse the earth. There is no way to apply the phrase “neither the day nor the hour” to this situation. In the meantime, God has given us Scriptures to examine. Why are the Jews the object of persecution during the Tribulation? These texts and others show that the Tribulation is meant for the redemption of the Jewish people. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. 24:29-31; Mk. 4:13-18) and the Second Coming (Zech. In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins" FAQ And, Revelation 15:1 states that the bowl judgments at the end of the Tribulation finish the wrath of God, not begin His wrath. 19). The third event follows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and is the Church’s preparation to follow the King of Kings into the Battle of Armageddon at the conclusion of the Tribulation. The army’s members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. 6-18). Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain “He” must be taken out of the way. 20:7-10). 14:1-21; Matt. “Come Up Hither” The pre-tribulation rapture must occur so God’s children are not hit by God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation, because God can’t let his wrath hit Jesus (who resides in his children on earth), a second time. These bedrock statements about the Bible and its interpretation provide the foundation in which to analyze the following reasons for why I believe the Bible teaches a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved. 12:25), then a believing, unglorified, human remnant must make it into the sheep category and go on to produce the nations during the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 12:14), or two “1260 days” periods (Rev. But we do believe it is possible to know the season of the Lord's return, and it is our conviction that we are living in that season... © 2021 Lamb and Lion Ministries. My belief that there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church stands on the bedrock of the following foundational tenets: A) The Bible is the Word of God The Pre-Trib Research Center (PTRC) is committed to the study, proclamation, teaching, and defense of the pre-tribulation rapture (pre-70 th week of Daniel) and related end-time prophecy. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn’t need to be sealed. Simple Conclusion By identifying the rapture in Revelation as the 6th Seal and proving the timeline to be sequential, the ‘pre-tribulation’ rapture is proven and the period that most people call the ‘tribulation’ is actually the Trumpets and Bowls. Pre-Tribulation Rapture Debunked In Less Than 3 Minutes Okay, let me get this straight about the Pre-tribulation rapture theory. The following list of Scriptures indicate the Rapture will be Pre-Tribulation. Because the Rapture could happen at any moment and without warning and the Second Coming is preceded by so many signs, then the Rapture and Second Coming must be different events. 65:20-22; Rev. 24:29-31; Mk. 30:4-11; Ezek. 4:12-13). 23:39; Lk. Here are 12 reasons why: 1. 19:18), an army follows Him. The pre-tribulation rapture theory states that those who are left behind will have a second chance at salvation. The People of the Millennium Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. 20:33-38; Dan. As far as the latter view is concerned, the rapture will not be secret, since it will be part of Christ’s visible and triumphant return to end this present evil age (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Paul states that the concept of the Rapture is meant to encourage believers during this Age (1 Thes. Secondly, the Jews have to be so desperately brought low that they finally call out to their Messiah “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mat. Check Your Spiritual Health 24:9-31). Furthermore, he began to teach a “pre-tribulation rapture” based not from scripture but from her ecstatic vision. When Jesus returns (Rev. Many other evangelical Christians believe that Christ’s return and the rapture will not occur until the seven years of the tribulation have ended. 7:9-17; 20:4). Rapture Ready TV Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Why of the 114 references to trumpets in the Bible these two are identified as one and the same only defies sound Bible study. Rahab’s family was set apart when Joshua’s army invaded Jericho. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. 4:18; Tit. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.”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. I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred. What They Didn’t Teach You in History Class In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The Early Church fathers’ such as Barnabas (ca.100-105), Papias (ca. 21:25-27; Rev. 185-236), Cyprian (200-250), and Lactantius (260-330) wrote on the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the central argument for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view. An Israeli Pastor and His Wife Show Clearly that the Rapture is Pre-Tribulation Using God’s Word On January 21, 2021 By Geri Ungurean In Uncategorized I believe that Michael and Annie present a clear argument for Pre-Trib Rapture, simply using God’s Holy Word in context. The Tribulation Hour Also, Revelation 12 describes picturesquely a woman who gives birth and has to flee due to persecution during the Tribulation. The Salt of the Earth The Time of Jacob’s Trouble 9:27; 12:1; Zech. Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, “come up hither,” as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. Will it be pre-trib, mid-trip, pre-wrath, post-trib, or not at all!? None will be like it. They place the Trumpet Judgments in the last quarter of the Tribulation and the Bowl Judgments in the first 30 days following the end of Daniel’s 70th Week of Years.”. 13:35) — is addressed by the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation to the unbelievers and the Jewish people. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is indeed then not only biblical, but supported throughout Church history. Thread starter Nehemiah6; Start date Oct 31, 2020; Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. 4:26-31; Isa. The Tribulation, then, is used for Israel’s redemption which also results in the punishment of the wicked. War or Rapture (Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. Yes believers have suffered all throughout human history, but there is a special time (just like the Flood) set apart called the Day of the Lord for God’s wrath. Since those who are in glorified bodies will be like the angels in that they aren’t given in marriage or reproduce (Matt. That Old-Time Religion Pre-Trib or Post-Trib Rapture. The Bible must see the Rapture (Jn. As Jesus stated in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” These and other verses (Mat. 1:16), but a member of the Church does not become a form of spiritual Israel. The Origin of the Concept of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, An Update on the Origin of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. For that topic, lots of Bible verses, readings and references rattle around in my skull. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God. Whenever He comes back is His will, which should be sufficient for whatever position you hold. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. The Rapture of the Church Explained. Revelation 19:7-9 shares this wonderful celebration, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 16:8-11; 1 Jn. It explains how some will not be ready. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later. This places the timing of the Resurrection firmly at the end of the age, after the three-and-a-half year Great Tribulation. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a belief that prior to this Tribulation, true Christians that are alive at that time will be unpredictably and instantaneously caught up from the Earth by God, their bodies transformed into immortal bodies and that during the 7 years of judgement and suffering on Earth, Christians will be in Heaven being spiritually married to Jesus and will be enjoying a 7 year feast. G) The Bible Teaches About a Rapture The Greek word “chilias” for “one thousand” appears six times in Revelation 20, clearly marking the time period as having 1000 literal years. 9) The pre-trib Rapture has a powerful, purifying effect upon those who have this hope in Him. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). 10:21-22; 11:1-2; Jer. This is the Bible Prophecy Update for August 9th, 2020.Pastor JD covers 7 reasons the Rapture of the Church must occur before the 70th week of Daniel. The Book of Revelation reports these events as occurring during the 7-year Tribulation, which Revelation reveals precede the Second Coming. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. 14:1-21; Matt. With a Pre-Tribulation rapture, the people saved after the rapture who are alive at the second coming will populate the earth during the Millennium. Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. The Five Foolish Virgins 3:8; 1 Thes. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. It is not biblically based. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years. '”, Take the Lamb & Lion Ministries App with you, Join our Facebook private group for members only, Prophetic Perspectives #131: 10 Reasons Bible Prophecy Exists. No other document can be reliably trusted, nor remotely reach the bar for the requirements of authentication that the Bible attains to so easily. They would need to be removed — caught up — before the Tribulation begins. Allen took those verses out of their proper context to try to make them defend a pre-tribulation rapture position. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. 15:51-53). One of the questions was, “Do you believe in the rapture?” If you answered “yes,” your chances of getting hired would not be good. 14:1-4; I Cor. Some will argue that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is just “too new” to be considered viable. 5:3; 2 Thes. 14:1-21; Matt. #3. The idea of a pre-tribulation rapture is a new doctrine. The second event is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath 22:30; Mk. The Tribulation is God’s wrath upon the unbelieving world, and not for those who are saved from Christ’s resurrection to the Rapture — called the Church. When Augustine began spiritualizing the Bible, his view of a non-literal interpretation took hold of the church until the Renaissance, obliterating the Premillennial and Pre-Tribulation Rapture views in favor of Amillennialism. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is indeed then not only biblical, but supported throughout Church history. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality” (1 Cor. If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? The Pre-Tribulation Rapture: The Blessed Hope of the Saints. A believer in Christ becomes a member of the Church, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. The Unknown Hour Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, “We’re already in heaven.”. None will be like it. Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.'”. John Nelson Darby first proposed and popularized the pre-tribulation rapture in 1827. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.”. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong. The first event the raptured Church will participate in is a judgment by God — the Judgment of the Just. 3:3; 1 Pet. Salvation Issues How do you get out the spots and wrinkles? When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. F) Jesus Will Return Again to Earth The phrase “Jacob’s trouble” pertains to the descendants of Jacob. 13:24-27; Lk. Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. True believers in Christ during the Church Age, represented by the Church of Philadelphia, are promised in Revelation 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” He also states in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:9 states, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Ephesians 5:6 states, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Colossians 3:4 states, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Again and again, Scripture states the Church is not meant to endure God’s wrath. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. 23:39; Lk. Because these judgments are initiated by Jesus Himself at the beginning of the Tribulation, the whole Tribulation must be God’s wrath, which the Church is exempt from. 11:26-29). Some believe this rapture of the saints takes place before a time of tribulation (pre-tribulation) and some people believe it takes place after (post-tribulation). 5:10; Rev. The doctrine of the Pre-tribulation Rapture was the predominant view of the Bible Conference/Prophetic movement of the last half of the 19th century, of the Bible Institute movement, of the Revivalist movement, of the fundamentalist movement of the first half of the 20th century, and of the fundamental Baptist movement of the last half of the 20th century. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. The same people teaching and believing the Pre-Tribulation rapture has to occur before God spills His wrath in “The Great Tribulation”, are the same people you’ll see quote Matthew 24:37-39 to describe how “as the days of Noah” people are living after the rapture and before the return of Christ. Proponents of the Pre-Wrath Rapture view believe the Rapture will occur about three-quarters of the way through the Tribulation, about five years or shortly thereafter, with up to four comings of Christ. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died–both Christians and non-Christians. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined unto thy people” (Dan 9:24). We do not believe it is possible to know the date when Jesus will return. Revelation 19:14 identifies the Church in their “fine linen, white and clean,” which was given to them during the first event — the Judgment of the Just. Pre-Trib Rapture. Any of these great Bible scholars were unanimous that God's people - you know Revelation says He's coming for a church without spot or wrinkle right? PASTOR PAUL FEDENA - Preacher, Teacher, & Evangelist! But, the slaughter of believers during the Tribulation will be so massive that they are certainly not under any special protection (Rev. No believer — sheep — would be available for God to put into the sheep category. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I’m at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. Biblical truth is determined by Scripture, and not how that teaching has been perceived at different times during history. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they’ll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels. Jesus gives a promise of escape. The Rapture has to occur before the seven years’ worth of signs, because Christians are called to look for the Lord’s return rather than signs such as the Antichrist’s arrival. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? Allen Parr points to the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:7, saying that the coming one-man antichrist is being restrained by the church. The primary proof of a pre-Tribulation rapture, given by the “experts,” is this: we are raptured before the Tribulation begins because the Church is not appointed to wrath. 11:1-2), as well as plagues and judgments and persecutions destroying most of the world’s population (Rev. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going. Even in the more modern church, those like William Witherby (1818) were precursors to John Darby in support of the view. The view that the Rapture will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation is based upon 1 Corinthians 15:52 which states that the Rapture will occur at the blowing of “the last trumpet.” This Mid-Tribulation Rapture view then declares this trumpet to be the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation 11 that is blown at the mid-point of the Tribulation. This is episode 3 of Repairer of the Breach. Glossary of Pre-Tribulation Rapture Terms. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. If the Church is raptured at the end of the Tribulation, receives their glorified bodies, and then immediately u-turns back with Christ for the Second Coming as the Post-Tribulation Rapture view holds, then what believer in Christ will be available for the Sheep and Goats Judgment of Matthew 25? Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Spiritualization of text, therefore, has no proper place in interpreting Scriptures. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel. God wants His creations to know His will plainly. 24:36,42,44,50; 25:13; 1 Thes. “He” That is Taken Out of the Way Home The Church does not fit into this scenario, and are left out of the purposes of the Tribulation. 23:5-8; 30:22; 31:31-34; Ezek. Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. The fact that it is to be expected at any moment can only mean that it must come before Antichrist is revealed and before the Tribulation. The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Get a daily dose of Bible Prophecy from our blog, Save big on special bundles while supplies last, Rapture — believers meet Christ in the air, Rapture — living believers obtain glorified bodies, Rapture — world left unjudged and living in sin, Rapture — depicts deliverance of the Church from wrath. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. 2:3-4; Rev. The post-tribulation rapture position believes that there is a resurrection of both dead and living believers in Jesus Christ at the end of the age (or the "end time"). A Pre-Trib Rapture is defined by its expected occurrence before the Antichrist rises to power during the Seventieth Week of Daniel (i.e. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. Apologetics – Contending for Truth The context shows the woman is Israel. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Indeed, it is not. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. This view was accepted among many other Plymouth Brethren movements in England. 12:13-17; Zech; 13:7-9), a treaty with Israel (Dan. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). Birds of a Feather Flock Together The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist But, isn’t it Jesus Himself who breaks the seals that launch each of the Revelation 6 seal judgments which occur at the beginning of the Tribulation? Jesus’ imminent return dismisses any of the other viewpoints related to a rapture that occur within or at the end of the Tribulation. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. 19:21; Isa. In Daniel 12:2, Daniel was being told that after the Great Tribulation (the last 3.5 years of the 7 year Tribulation period), at Christ’s physical return to the Earth, that the Old Testament believers will be raised up to everlasting life while unbelievers will awaken to shame and everlasting contempt. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 speaks of an event called “the Rapture”, Latin “rapio,” Greek “harpazo,” which means “to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out.” “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.