Difference between revisions of "Why the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation"
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
+ | ====Why the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation==== | ||
Four Views of End-Time Prophecy<br/><br/> | Four Views of End-Time Prophecy<br/><br/> | ||
Matthew McGee<br/><br/> | Matthew McGee<br/><br/> |
Latest revision as of 22:17, 17 May 2019
Why the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation
Four Views of End-Time Prophecy
Matthew McGee
In this article, we will examine four common sets of beliefs regarding end-time
prophecy in the Bible, including amillennial and three different pre-millennial
beliefs including post-tribulational rapture, mid-tribulational rapture, and
pre-tribulational rapture. We will define all of these terms in a moment. But
first, since some readers may not know about the rapture at all, we will take a
moment here to look at the scriptures in which the apostle Paul explains the
rapture.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul writes, "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 (precede) 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."
This catching up of all Christians into the clouds that Paul mentions in verse
17 is the event that is commonly referred to as "the rapture". The word
"rapture" itself never occurs in the Bible, but since the New Testament was
written in Greek, neither does any other English word. So whether you call it
the rapture, the catching away, or the great snatch, the message is still the
same.
Paul provides further insight on the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, "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. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?"
So at some future time which only God knows, the trumpet will sound that signals
our catching away. Then all of the souls of the Christians who have died will
return to their dead bodies, which will be instantly changed to immortal,
incorruptable, eternal bodies and come out of their graves. Then the bodies of
all Christians who are left alive will be instantly changed into immortal,
incorruptable, eternal bodies. We will be caught up into the clouds to meet our
fellow Christians who have died and our Lord Jesus Christ in the air. Then we
all shall be with our Lord forever.
Definitions:
Now let us look at some of the different viewpoints about the rapture and
end-time prophecy.
1. Amillennialists believe that God's promises regarding the end-times are
figurative and will not be literally fulfilled, particularly the 1000 year reign
of Jesus Christ on the earth.
Pre-millennialists believe that Jesus Christ will return to the earth prior to
His literal reign on the earth for 1000 years. Three groups of
pre-millennialists include the following:
2. Post-tribulationists believe that the rapture will not occur until the end of
the seven year tribulation, just prior to the beginning of the millennial
kingdom.
3. Mid-tribulationists believe that the rapture will occur three and one half
years into the tribulation, at beginning of the three and one half year great
tribulation.
4. Pre-tribulationists believe that the rapture will occur prior to the seven
year tribulation, but not necessarily immediately before the tribulation.
Why not amillennial?
1. There will be a literal seven-year tribulation. The last half will be the
great tribulation. History has shown that God reveals his prophecies literally.
Examples of literally fulfilled prophecies include the rise and fall of the
Media-Persian and Greek empires, the destruction of the city of Tyre, the temple
being destroyed and rebuilt several times, dozens of events in the life of Jesus
Christ, and many other prophecies. There will also be a literal tribulation of
seven years on earth. In Daniel 9:24-27, the angel Gabriel tells Daniel that
from the time the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem is given, to the arrival of
the Messiah will be 69 weeks of years. Since God expressed this prophecy in
years of 360 days, this is 69 times 7, or 483 years of 360 days (173,880 days).
The commandment Gabriel spoke of was given by King Artaxerxes about 100 years
later in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-6).
Exactly 173,880 days later, Jesus Christ rode
into Jerusalem as King of the Jews on Palm Sunday 32 AD. Gabriel said the 70th
week would begin when the Antichrist makes his seven-year covenant (or treaty)
with Israel, and that the Antichrist would break the covenant at the midpoint of
the seven years. The last three and one half years are called the great
tribulation. Its length is one half of a seven year period (Daniel 9:27), and "a
time, times, and an half" (Daniel 12:7). Taking a "time" to be a year and
"times" to be two years, this gives three and one half years. Revelation further
describes the length to the great tribulation as 1260 days (Revelation 12:6) and
42 months (Revelation 13:5). Since God gave us the duration in four different
units of time (days, months, years, and weeks of years), can there be any doubt
how long it will last? Also, since God fulfilled the first 69 weeks of years
literally to the exact day, we know that He will do the same with the 70th week
of years.
2. There will be a literal 1000-year kingdom of Christ on the earth. Isaiah
65:20-25 tells us that in God's kingdom on the earth, life spans will be greatly
increased, just like before the flood. People will have children, build houses,
and plant crops. There will also be physical death. We know from this that the
kingdom must last a long time (in human terms), but the Old Testament does not
tell us just how long it will last. In Revelation 20:2-7 we are told that it
will last 1000 years. Jesus Christ, as if wanting to make it abundantly clear,
tells us six times that it will last 1000 years.
After this, the heaven and
earth are destroyed, the last judgments are given, and the new heaven and earth
are created. Some amillennialists try to support their belief with 2 Peter 3:10
which says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned
up." They say the earth is destroyed immediately after the rapture in one day.
However, they fail to check the context of the passage. Just two verses before,
Peter said, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter
3:8). Therefore, Peter does not contradict Revelation's description of the
thousand year kingdom or Isaiah's prophecies. For a detailed scriptural study of
what the 1000-year kingdom will be like, see the article on the main page called
The Millennial Kingdom Reign of Jesus Christ.
Why not post-tribulational?
1. The conquered saints: In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul writes "For God hath not
appointed us to wrath ...." But at the midpoint of the tribulation, Revelation
12:12 says "... Woe to the inhabitors of the earth and of the sea! for the devil
is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a
short time." Revelation 13:7 says of the Antichrist, "And it was given unto him
to make war with the saints and to overcome them ...." His authority lasts for
42 months (Revelation 13:5). Also, Daniel 7:25 says the Antichrist "... shall
wear out (oppress) the saints of the most High, and think to change times and
laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the
dividing of time (3 and 1/2 years)." "... he shall destroy wonderfully, and
shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people."
(Daniel 8:24). "... when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the
holy people, all these things shall be finished." (Daniel 12:7). The Antichrist
can only "destroy ... the holy people" if the tribulation saints are not members
of the true Christian Church of this present dispensation. The saints in the
tribulation are people who become believers after the rapture of the Church.
2. Sheep and Goats: We know from Matthew 25 that Jesus Christ will divide the
sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left after he returns. Matthew
25:31-34 says, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, but the goats on the left. 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 ...." Then in Matthew 25:41, "Then shall he say
also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ...." Now if all the believers were
raptured just before Jesus Christ returned, there would be no sheep left on
earth to divide, only goats.
3. Who would populate the millennial kingdom? We know that mortal believers will
live in the kingdom. But if all the believers would have been raptured, thus
immortal, and all the unbelievers would have been killed. There would be no more
mortal believers left to populate the kingdom.
4. Resurrection of tribulation saints: After Jesus Christ's return in Revelation
19:11-16, Revelation 20:4 tells us about the resurrection of martyred
tribulation saints who did not receive the mark of the beast, "... they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years." If the rapture had occurred just
before Christ's return, they would have already been resurrected, and could not
be resurrected again.
More reasons why the rapture cannot occur at the end of the tribulation are
provided in the pre-tribulational section later in this article.
Why not mid-tribulational?
Mid-tribulationists have no problem with the dividing of the sheep and the
goats, the populating of the millennial kingdom, or the resurrection of
tribulation saints. And by claiming that most of the worst plagues occur in the
second half of the tribulation, they say their view is not in conflict with 1
Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath ...." But they are
hard-pressed to defend their position against the following argument.
Upon whom will the Antichrist wage war? As explained under "The conquered
saints" discussion above, the Antichrist will wage war on the believers
immediately after the second half of the tribulation (the great tribulation)
begins. If all the believers had just been raptured, there would be no saints
left upon which to wage war.
More reasons why the rapture cannot occur in the middle of the tribulation are
provided in the pre-tribulational section below.
Why pre-tribulational?
Merely by process of elimination? Not hardly. There are many reasons why the
true Christians of this dispensation cannot be on the earth during the
tribulation.
1. Israel is the focus of the end times, not the present church: During the
Church age there are three classes of people: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church (1
Corinthians 10:32). Within the Church, there is no distiction between Jew and
Gentile. During the tribulation however, God's focus will be on the nation of
Israel. God will deal with Israel as Gabriel said in Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks
(of years) are determined upon thy people ...." That is, Daniel's people, the
Jews. As discussed under the amillennial topic, the first 69 weeks have passed
and one remains. In Revelation chapter 7, the 144,000 which are chosen are all
Jews, and their tribes are listed. In chapter 11:7-8 the two witnesses are
martyred in Jerusalem. In Revelation 12:6, the woman that flees into the
wilderness for 1260 days represents Israel in the great tribulation. These are
just some of the reasons we know Israel is at the center of God's plan. For a
detailed study which explains how the last week of Daniel's 70 weeks will be a
continuation of the old Jewish kingdom program, see The Seven Churches of
Revelation. The present, predominantly Gentile church and the doctrines
concerning it were a mystery unknown to the Jews throughout the first 69 weeks.
We therefore must be removed prior to the beginning of the 70th week, which is
determined upon the nation of Israel (Daniel 9:24).
2. Make way for the gospel of the kingdom: Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The gospel of the kingdom was
"... Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). But, Paul
preached the gospel of grace which is: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, freely gave
His life as a sacrifice for our sins. He was crucified, buried, and rose from
the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Paul wrote in Galatians 1:8
that if anyone "... preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed." Thus we know that this present
predominantly Gentile church must be removed to allow the worldwide preaching of
the gospel of the kingdom that Paul did not preach to us.
3. The tabernacle of David: Referring to Peter's visit to the house of
Cornelius, James said, "... God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out
of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as
it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of
David, which is fallen down ..." (Acts 15:14-16). After what? After God takes
out of the Gentiles "a people for his name" (Christians). Of course a there are
some Jews mixed in, for there is no difference within the present Church. Thus,
the filling of the Church must be completed prior to the rebuilding of the
temple, which is prior to the midpoint of the tribulation (Daniel 9:27 and 2
Thessalonians 2:4). Also, we see that once God is through calling out a people
for His name from among the Gentiles, He will return His attention back to the
Jews, rebuilding the temple. Prior to this, the believers in this age must be
removed from the scene, being caught up into heaven.
4. The fulness of the Gentiles: After discussing the analogy of the good olive
tree and the wild olive tree, Paul reveals the mystery in Romans 11:25-26, "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. And so all Israel shall be
saved ...." Once again we see that it is not until after the last Gentile
becomes a Christian that God resumes his program with the nation of Israel.
5. We do not know the day of the rapture. We will not know the date, but we are
told to watch (1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 6) and know the general time of the end.
There is no warning for the rapture. It could literally happen at any time.
However, Daniel 9:27 tells us that the second coming is seven years after the
Antichrist makes his covenant with Israel and three and a half years after he
breaks the covenant. Christians cannot be left on earth during the whole
tribulation or even the first half, because we would know the exact date of the
rapture, contradicting scripture. If the post-tribulationists or
mid-tribulationists were correct, we would have a seven year or three and one
half year notification before the rapture.
6. The wrath of God: All three premillennial views, post-tribulationists, mid-
tribulationists, and pre-tribulationists agree that Christians will not suffer
the wrath of God as explained in 1 Thessalonians 5:9. However, the plaques of
the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are on a global scale. Also,
remember the verses about the conquered saints previously mentioned in the
post-tribulational discussion. Since the church is not appointed to wrath, it
cannot be present when these global plaques come upon all those that dwell on
the earth.
7. The Holy Spirit: Paul told the Thessalonians, "And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity
doth already work: only he who now letteth will let (hinder), until he be taken
out of the way" (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). Who do the Thessalonians know that is
powerful enough to hold back Satan? This has to be the Holy Spirit. Before the
tribulation, God will catch away all Christians (in whom the Holy Spirit dwells)
and He will also remove His hand from the powers of evil in this world, making
way for the great deception and the kingdom of the AntiChrist. The Holy Spirit
will begin operating in a manner that is more like Old Testament times, unlike
the manner in which He operates today. He will not indwell believers again until
Jesus Christ returns at the end of the tribulation, with these two exceptions:
He will be the seal on the 144,000 young Jewish men (Revelation 7:1-8), who will
be preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world, and He will fill
the two witnesses in (Revelation 11:3-4).
8. Believers pleading for vengeance: The slain saints of the tribulation plead
for vengeance in Revelation 6:10, "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How
long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth?" Contrast this with the martyr Stephen's last words:
"... Lord, lay not this sin to their charge ..." (Acts 7:60). This attitude of
vengeance is not a characteristic of those indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Unlike
the believers today, these Revelation 6 believers are not indwelt by the Holy
Spirit. Besides, Christians who have studied God's Word would not have to ask
"How long?" They would already know, as was described in the "We do not know the
day of the rapture" discussion above.
One Closing Point:'
Perhaps you disagree with some of the points that I have made in this article.
In most cases, the disagreement on end times prophecy is only a symptom. The
real source of the differing views is a disagreement over how to rightly divide
the Word of God. Understanding the difference between the "kingdom" program for
Israel and the "grace" program for us is the key. Whether you agree with me in
this article or not, please see The Basics of Understanding the Bible and
Israel's Kingdom Gospel and Our Grace Gospel. Learning the truths explained in
these articles really opened up the scriptures for me. Rightly dividing the Word
is of utmost importance in understanding not only end-times prophecy, but many
other areas of Christian doctrine as well.
Copyright © 1997 Matthew McGee. All rights reserved.